- Advantage
Advantage (most of times Card Advantage or CA) is one of the most misunderstood terms in Magic, so let's start with a simple definition:
"If a sequence of plays (or decisions) ends with a player up one or more cards, that player has gained card advantage."
Simple enough, right? Now let's take a look at some real-life examples of card advantage. The basic draw cards are pure advantage like Ponder, Brainstorm or Sign in Blood. Some cards are in that category and also on above items:
Something like Slice in Twain is an obvious source of card advantage and removal. You get to destroy one of your opponent's cards and draw a card.
Similarly, Phyrexian Rager allows you to impact the board and replace itself. Once again, we've identified a source of card advantage.
Ponder and Brainstorm do not offer card advantage. They trade 1 for 1 and give you card quality, but no advantage. (Amongst others, as brainstorm has also discard protection and the potential to cycle unwanted cards when combined with shuffling). Better expamples would be Harmonize, Ancestral Vision and Hypnotic Specter. I would change the definition into 'ends with a player up one or more extra cards'
Next to 'pure' card advantage, there is also 'matchup' card advantage.
This is advantage that is derived from matching up your spells against the spells of your opponent.
For example:
If all my creatures have shroud, all the targeted removal that my opponent has, becomes worthless. This is card disadvantage for my opponent, thus -mutatis mutandis- card advantage for me.
If I have no nonland, noncreature spells and my opponent has 4x duress, I have 'matchup' card advantage
It is good to be aware of this in deckbuilding too.
This is why I don't like to play decks with four artifacts/enchantments because they match up perfectly against opponents with four disenchants/naturalizes/etc.
In my opinion, playing significantly less or more of card types that (you expect) your opponent can handle is a step towards 'matchup' card advantage and good deckbuilding advice.
Another aspect of card advantage is avoiding card disadvantage. I know this sounds very trivial, but it is a concept that is worth mentioning explicitly to new players. Aura's carry a big risk of becoming card disadvantage as the target of your aura might be removed in response to casting the aura. Spined Fluke and Lotus Petal are other examples of card disadvantage. (This doesn't mean that they are bad cards, btw.)
I like the inclusion of 'who's the beatdown', one of the essential articles in the history of MtG...
Ponder and Brainstorm do not offer card advantage. They trade 1 for 1 and give you card quality, but no advantage. (Amongst others, as brainstorm has also discard protection and the potential to cycle unwanted cards when combined with shuffling). Better expamples would be Harmonize, Ancestral Vision and Hypnotic Specter. I would change the definition into 'ends with a player up one or more extra cards'
Next to 'pure' card advantage, there is also 'matchup' card advantage.
This is advantage that is derived from matching up your spells against the spells of your opponent.
For example:
It is good to be aware of this in deckbuilding too.
This is why I don't like to play decks with four artifacts/enchantments because they match up perfectly against opponents with four disenchants/naturalizes/etc.
In my opinion, playing significantly less or more of card types that (you expect) your opponent can handle is a step towards 'matchup' card advantage and good deckbuilding advice.
Another aspect of card advantage is avoiding card disadvantage. I know this sounds very trivial, but it is a concept that is worth mentioning explicitly to new players. Aura's carry a big risk of becoming card disadvantage as the target of your aura might be removed in response to casting the aura. Spined Fluke and Lotus Petal are other examples of card disadvantage. (This doesn't mean that they are bad cards, btw.)
I like the inclusion of 'who's the beatdown', one of the essential articles in the history of MtG...
These are the decks that I have constructed, and are ready to play:
01. Ankh Sligh to be exact.