I'm looking for resources that can help me approach deckbuilding more systematically. I know how to play and I am good with all the rules. But i have no idea what i'm doing with deck building, counting on strong cards, rules knowledge and luck to pull me through. How do you build a deck?
The formats you're playing will dictate exactly what you can do, but focusing on synergy is a good place to start learning, because card interactions are where lots of magic's power comes from.
As an easy and specific example, if your goal is just building a 1v1 burn deck, remember that it takes ten shocks to kill an opponent and you start with seven cards in hand. Reading the rest of this series is probably useful too, so I've included some potentially relevant links.
I feel that deck building is one of the more difficult parts of the game to get right. Once again what formats are you playing? In these forums each format has a dedicated section full of deck ideas, and at differing power levels. One of the best ways to learn about deck construction is to read up on different decks. The more exposure you have to various decks the better your own skills will become. Don't be afraid to net deck, there is no shame in using someone else's build.
Read different decklists, when you play against a particularly impressive deck, ask it's owner if you can check it out after the match. The more decks you see, study, and encounter will eventually improve your skills. My first point of advice would be to read up on different decks in the threads. Becoming a good deck brewer takes time and exposure. And as I stated above, net deck, play it for a bit then either adjust it for your meta, or go for other decks.
Also play more. Sometimes you can build a deck and think you understand it, but in actual game play discover whole new aspects and synergies you were unaware of. Or you can discover that what looked like a good idea just falls short.
In short: read, build, play, play some more, read some more, and play some more.
Read different decklists, when you play against a particularly impressive deck, ask it's owner if you can check it out after the match.
I would like to expand on this and point out that it sometimes helps to have a mentor. This can be an employee at the LGS you visit that will play during off-hours, a friend, whatever.
I was very fortunate to find several people like this. People who were willing to let me examine their decks. Give play-by-plays of combos being executed. Gently remind me of play gaffs (are you sure you don't want to attack?). I have one buddy who would rather analyze the rule interaction for combos than play a full game. He keeps a notebook full of combos, corner case rulings, etc. Last time he and I played, it took us an hour to reach T4. His Gx decks are hyper efficient so it took a long time to make it past T5 or T6 anyways
Don't make the mentor your only opponent though. Their role is to openly discuss the game itself. To offer insight into obscure combos, hard to understand interactions or complex game maneuvers.
This website does that, but it can only go so far.
As a person who likes to brew as much as play, I would recommend getting very familiar with a few websites:
1. The Gatherer database - You can find anything you're looking for here with the advanced search
2. various purchasing websites, ones where stores list their sales on a central website and also the individual store websites themselves
3. websites that allow you to construct a deck - note that not all of these websites are as good as another. Some have no deck-pricing functions, some have no way to playtest the deck, some don't have important deckbuilding metrics (avg. CMC, color breakdown, etc.)
My usual process to building a deck is:
To start by having a deep knowledge of various card mechanics so that when I come across something (a card) I can gauge its value/power/desirability to brew with. This is accomplished by experiencing the game being played/experiencing more cards or by spending hours on the Gatherer database. Once you can recognize cards by art alone, you're approaching the needed level of information retention. Being able to run a new card through a backlog of known cards in your mind allows you to immediately toss it to the side or put it into your binder. Retaining all of that information takes time though, maybe years
Once I find an interesting card or card mechanic (and hopefully the mechanic is seen on other cards, include them so that you have more than just the one cool card in the deck doing the thing that you like) that I want to build around I will look up the card in the Gatherer database and look at the discussion on the card. Often people will comment on similar cards or cards that interact well - from here you just jump down that rabbit hole and go from card to card on the Gatherer and once that comes to an end, start plugging in keywords that interest you in the advanced search.
Once I have an overall idea of a deck theme I will go to (my personal favorite is tappedout.net) a website where I can make a decklist.
Next I playtest the decklist for at least two weeks before I purchase any cards (except for rare occasions). This prevents needless spending on cards that don't end up in the final cut. Also, playtesting before spending helps understand what the deck lacks or excels at, informing you as to how practical the deck idea is to begin with. I've had many fun brew sessions in the Gatherer database and made decklists that were really just a bunch of durdling and not much killing power. Those decks almost never see reality as a purchase/physical deck, thus saving me the expense of buying cards to find out afterwards I don't like the deck.
Keeping deck goals in mind is good too: do you want an aggro deck or a control deck, a specific wincon combo or a gradual trade of resources? These roles are somewhat flexible, but if you start with a goal you'll probably build better decks.
As an easy and specific example, if your goal is just building a 1v1 burn deck, remember that it takes ten shocks to kill an opponent and you start with seven cards in hand. Reading the rest of this series is probably useful too, so I've included some potentially relevant links.
Good luck and have fun!
Art is life itself.
Read different decklists, when you play against a particularly impressive deck, ask it's owner if you can check it out after the match. The more decks you see, study, and encounter will eventually improve your skills. My first point of advice would be to read up on different decks in the threads. Becoming a good deck brewer takes time and exposure. And as I stated above, net deck, play it for a bit then either adjust it for your meta, or go for other decks.
Also play more. Sometimes you can build a deck and think you understand it, but in actual game play discover whole new aspects and synergies you were unaware of. Or you can discover that what looked like a good idea just falls short.
In short: read, build, play, play some more, read some more, and play some more.
I would like to expand on this and point out that it sometimes helps to have a mentor. This can be an employee at the LGS you visit that will play during off-hours, a friend, whatever.
I was very fortunate to find several people like this. People who were willing to let me examine their decks. Give play-by-plays of combos being executed. Gently remind me of play gaffs (are you sure you don't want to attack?). I have one buddy who would rather analyze the rule interaction for combos than play a full game. He keeps a notebook full of combos, corner case rulings, etc. Last time he and I played, it took us an hour to reach T4. His Gx decks are hyper efficient so it took a long time to make it past T5 or T6 anyways
Don't make the mentor your only opponent though. Their role is to openly discuss the game itself. To offer insight into obscure combos, hard to understand interactions or complex game maneuvers.
This website does that, but it can only go so far.
1. The Gatherer database - You can find anything you're looking for here with the advanced search
2. various purchasing websites, ones where stores list their sales on a central website and also the individual store websites themselves
3. websites that allow you to construct a deck - note that not all of these websites are as good as another. Some have no deck-pricing functions, some have no way to playtest the deck, some don't have important deckbuilding metrics (avg. CMC, color breakdown, etc.)
My usual process to building a deck is:
To start by having a deep knowledge of various card mechanics so that when I come across something (a card) I can gauge its value/power/desirability to brew with. This is accomplished by experiencing the game being played/experiencing more cards or by spending hours on the Gatherer database. Once you can recognize cards by art alone, you're approaching the needed level of information retention. Being able to run a new card through a backlog of known cards in your mind allows you to immediately toss it to the side or put it into your binder. Retaining all of that information takes time though, maybe years
Once I find an interesting card or card mechanic (and hopefully the mechanic is seen on other cards, include them so that you have more than just the one cool card in the deck doing the thing that you like) that I want to build around I will look up the card in the Gatherer database and look at the discussion on the card. Often people will comment on similar cards or cards that interact well - from here you just jump down that rabbit hole and go from card to card on the Gatherer and once that comes to an end, start plugging in keywords that interest you in the advanced search.
Once I have an overall idea of a deck theme I will go to (my personal favorite is tappedout.net) a website where I can make a decklist.
Next I playtest the decklist for at least two weeks before I purchase any cards (except for rare occasions). This prevents needless spending on cards that don't end up in the final cut. Also, playtesting before spending helps understand what the deck lacks or excels at, informing you as to how practical the deck idea is to begin with. I've had many fun brew sessions in the Gatherer database and made decklists that were really just a bunch of durdling and not much killing power. Those decks almost never see reality as a purchase/physical deck, thus saving me the expense of buying cards to find out afterwards I don't like the deck.
GL
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/magic-fundamentals/magic-general/334931-what-is-the-most-pimp-card-deck-youve-seen-or?comment=5361
Commander
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