A small handful of times every year I get to play MTG with my old friends. Next time is around christmas, and for that i want to bring a new deck. We have a pool of 8-10 decks we switch around.
The format is casual, homemade and rather simple: Everything up to and including the Onslaught Block (Onslaught, Legions and Scourge) . We drew and line in the sand when the "new" card design came out with Mirrodin
The Meta is always 2v2. The vast majority of the decks are creature heavy decks. Foodchain Goblin, Zombies, Sligh with Grim Lavamancer and the like.
For starters, if it's 2v2, then the dynamic tends to be a little different than when you have 3 opponents and everyone is your enemy. 2v2 tends to play out okay even if you use a deck that's great 1v1. Granted, it's often easier to get card economy in those situations, but you have a teammate and it just tends to play different.
I'm also pretty terrible at narrowing cards to specific blocks, as they are indifferent in my playgroup. As such, don't bonk me if I recommend cards that may not fit the bill.
B tends to excel in a multiplayer format.
Since your formats tend to be pretty creature heavy, I might consider using strategies that rely on reach (i.e., non-creature ways of doing damage). R tends to excel here, but B can do just fine.
If you want a simple win-con, Exsanguinate often fits the bill. It's much better in a true multi player format, but can still work here reasonably well. Another option might be to simply include certain planes walkers (i.e., Liliana, Dreadhorde General or Liliana Vess, etc.)
However, how does your meta play out? Do players include ways to get rid of artifacts and/or enchantments? It's EASY to take advantage of creature-heavy metas with little to no artifact/enchantment control.
For example, you mentioned Ensnaring Bridge. Well, that in combination with Bottled Cloister is likely game over for your opponents if creatures are their win-con.
In my meta, if you don't include ways to bomb artifacts/enchantments, the risk is very high you'll get lit up.
Thanks so much for the response and inputs - although the cards you mentioned are all sweet but "banned" cards in this homemdade pre-modern meta
The Meta plays out in an old school creature way. Death by creatures / burn.
Theres almost no anti artifact or enchantment hence the Ensnaring Bridge and Propaganda should come in handy.
I see two possible outcomes or ways the deck could be build.
Scenario 1: I stall the game and disrupt long enough untill my teammate can finish them off.
Scenario 2: I have to have the ability to win the game on my own. The 1/3 Shadowmage Infiltrator is not enough by itself i don't think, so what could it be? Some black win card?
Maybe as you said,
2v2 tends to play out okay even if you use a deck that's great 1v1
, a "normal" premodern psychatog deck would maybe do well after all in 2v2 with the small changes with Bridge and Propaganda.
Based on what you said, I'd switch to UW and have fun with a pillow-fort deck. I'm a huge fan of UW. If your opponents don't have ways to eliminate enchantments, you just lock them out. 4 each of Propaganda and Ghostly Prison should do it. Then, if you really want to have fun, Pendrell Mists is just hysterical. Throw in Rhystic Study for card draw and you are in the driver's seat. Literally one of the most enjoyable decks I've ever played, for when it hits, it's just smile time.
Win-con can be something like Luminarch Ascension, or, if you turn the deck into a near-enchantment only deck, Sigil of the Empty Throne, the latter is an absolute hoot to play.
If none of those work, will need to think about it more. I'm not so much a fan of UB decks (as they can't efficiently deal with artifacts/enchantments) and I usually go 3-color decks when playing UB.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
My typical MP format is 5 total players, star-format. FFA, but you only need to eliminate your 2 non-adjacent opponents to win.
A small handful of times every year I get to play MTG with my old friends. Next time is around christmas, and for that i want to bring a new deck. We have a pool of 8-10 decks we switch around.
The format is casual, homemade and rather simple: Everything up to and including the Onslaught Block (Onslaught, Legions and Scourge) . We drew and line in the sand when the "new" card design came out with Mirrodin
I was thinking of a blue sort of control deck. At the moment both UB and UW with Shadowmage Infiltrator or Meddling Mage are options although im leaning towards UB because of Duress Cabal Therapy Innocent Blood and other black shenanigans that affects multiple players.
Besides Counterspells and I was thinking of including:
- Propaganda
- Standstill
- Ensnaring Bridge
to keep the enemy in check. As it is multiplayer I'm not really sure what my win condition should be.I really like Shadowmage Infiltrator that adds to my draw engine Fact or Fiction Brainstorm etc.
But what could/should my win condition be?
Aquamoeba
or something completely different?
Please help with any suggestions what could be the best in a multiplayer scenario.
Thanks
For starters, if it's 2v2, then the dynamic tends to be a little different than when you have 3 opponents and everyone is your enemy. 2v2 tends to play out okay even if you use a deck that's great 1v1. Granted, it's often easier to get card economy in those situations, but you have a teammate and it just tends to play different.
I'm also pretty terrible at narrowing cards to specific blocks, as they are indifferent in my playgroup. As such, don't bonk me if I recommend cards that may not fit the bill.
B tends to excel in a multiplayer format.
Since your formats tend to be pretty creature heavy, I might consider using strategies that rely on reach (i.e., non-creature ways of doing damage). R tends to excel here, but B can do just fine.
If you want a simple win-con, Exsanguinate often fits the bill. It's much better in a true multi player format, but can still work here reasonably well. Another option might be to simply include certain planes walkers (i.e., Liliana, Dreadhorde General or Liliana Vess, etc.)
However, how does your meta play out? Do players include ways to get rid of artifacts and/or enchantments? It's EASY to take advantage of creature-heavy metas with little to no artifact/enchantment control.
For example, you mentioned Ensnaring Bridge. Well, that in combination with Bottled Cloister is likely game over for your opponents if creatures are their win-con.
In my meta, if you don't include ways to bomb artifacts/enchantments, the risk is very high you'll get lit up.
Kokusho, The Evening Star, Exsanguinate and Glen Elendra Archmage have a restriction of 1 per deck.
The Meta plays out in an old school creature way. Death by creatures / burn.
Theres almost no anti artifact or enchantment hence the Ensnaring Bridge and Propaganda should come in handy.
I see two possible outcomes or ways the deck could be build.
Scenario 1: I stall the game and disrupt long enough untill my teammate can finish them off.
Scenario 2: I have to have the ability to win the game on my own. The 1/3 Shadowmage Infiltrator is not enough by itself i don't think, so what could it be? Some black win card?
Maybe as you said, , a "normal" premodern psychatog deck would maybe do well after all in 2v2 with the small changes with Bridge and Propaganda.
Based on what you said, I'd switch to UW and have fun with a pillow-fort deck. I'm a huge fan of UW. If your opponents don't have ways to eliminate enchantments, you just lock them out. 4 each of Propaganda and Ghostly Prison should do it. Then, if you really want to have fun, Pendrell Mists is just hysterical. Throw in Rhystic Study for card draw and you are in the driver's seat. Literally one of the most enjoyable decks I've ever played, for when it hits, it's just smile time.
If targeted burn is a concern, throw in anything like, Aegis of the Gods, Ivory Mask, Leyline of Sanctity or some easy life gain spells.
Win-con can be something like Luminarch Ascension, or, if you turn the deck into a near-enchantment only deck, Sigil of the Empty Throne, the latter is an absolute hoot to play.
If none of those work, will need to think about it more. I'm not so much a fan of UB decks (as they can't efficiently deal with artifacts/enchantments) and I usually go 3-color decks when playing UB.
Kokusho, The Evening Star, Exsanguinate and Glen Elendra Archmage have a restriction of 1 per deck.