MTG Salvation

This is my first attempt at a Stax deck, or any deck of this type of control. I'm looking for any suggestions, and I still need to play test this deck a few more times to work out some of the kinks. Some things I'm already 'on the edge' about: Like Frost Titan's place in the deck, as well as the use of both clones (Phyrexian Metamorph and Clever Impersonator). I understand their place, but maybe they aren't the right fit. I'm also still looking for a few cards like Defense Grid and Rhystic Study Thanks in advance for any ideas.

Have you thought about Darksteel Forge? You have a bunch of important artifacts, and not much recursion for the artifacts, from like Buried Ruin or Academy Ruins. Also is fun with March of the Machines. If you do decide to put this in, I would keep Phyrexian Metamorph for sure. Also throwing in a Blightsteel Colossus could be another wincon once you have control of the board.

Have you run into any problems with the artifact lands? I usually have mine wiped with many of the nonland board clears, and even stolen with Hellkite Tyrant from my friend's Scion deck.

Here's a link to my Esper Stax deck (based on Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven).

I run both clones you mention in a different deck, but it's not Stax. That being typed, my experience with the Impersonator has been good so far. What do you find yourself thinking of copying with either clone from your own list?

Quote from 4Lark »

Here's a link to my Esper Stax deck (based on Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven).

I run both clones you mention in a different deck, but it's not Stax. That being typed, my experience with the Impersonator has been good so far. What do you find yourself thinking of copying with either clone from your own list?

That's my problem, I have never built a stax deck before and I'm trying to get a grasp of it. What are general suggestions for this type of deck?

Quote from Serberus_08 »

Quote from 4Lark »

Here's a link to my Esper Stax deck (based on Edgar Allan Poe's The Raven).

I run both clones you mention in a different deck, but it's not Stax. That being typed, my experience with the Impersonator has been good so far. What do you find yourself thinking of copying with either clone from your own list?

That's my problem, I have never built a stax deck before and I'm trying to get a grasp of it. What are general suggestions for this type of deck?

In short, Stax is about resource denial. There are many resources in Magic:

• mana sources
• cards in hand
• cards in graveyard
• cards in library
• permanents on the 'field
• life

Successful Stax strategies work to make the denial of resources asymmetrical. For example, I favor Stax builds that focus on mana disruption, so to make resource denial asymmetrical, I might do any of the following:

• design a deck with an extremely low curve, with most cards costing three mana or less
• find ways to cast cards without paying their mana costs
• have a reanimation subtheme, given the often low mana cost of such effects
• build a deck with a higher than usual amount of mana sources
• play with lots of ramp, either artifact- or land-based depending on my strategy.

In my The Raven Stax deck, the primary resource I am denying all players is the graveyard. To make the denial asymmetrical, I don't rely on cards that use my graveyard, and I run cards that benefit from a lack of graveyards, including a win condition.

Here's a link to MTGS's Stax Primer. It's an education in and of itself. Of course, there are other articles on Stax to be found elsewhere, but the Primer's as fine a place to start as any.

Thanks for the suggestions 4lark, i'm playtesting and making changes to the deck.