Well, now I've gone and done it. In my obsessive quest to collect all the guild cards from (what else?) the Ravnica Block, I decided to make a deck for each guild.
So now I'm wanting to make the ultimate deck for each of them, using more-or-less the strategies listed in each guild's preconstructed deck insert. (click here to see a list of all the cards in, strategies for, and descriptions of each preconstructed deck).
I'm going to use these decks to introduce new players to the strategies and intricacies of this game. To better do this and to avoid spending too much money or chasing too many rares, these decks will follow the Budget Magic Format. In other words, only one of any single rare (not 4), only two of any single uncommon (not 4), and only three of any single common (not 4), 45 cards minimum (not 60).
Beyond that, the rules for the decks are these: No card belonging to any other guild, and only the two colors (or artifacts) that naturally belong to the guild (for example, the Golgari deck can't use a Selesnya card, even if it's green. The Boros deck can't use a black card, since black isn't one of the Boros guild's colors). Also, I'm not going to bother with sideboards.
Will you please look over these decks and tell me if they are, indeed, the best possible decks under the above considerations? If you tell me to put in a different card, please tell what to take out and vice-versa. Thanks!
That is a lot of decks to be critiqued on, but I will try my best. I know many people will walk away due to the restrictions posted but I have actually done something similar before. These decks ooze full of favors, as I remember the moments where each card I play has a guild insignia on it. (Except basic lands of course) Winning isn't the main thing, but looking at how the guild cards work their magic is. Alright, enough about that, lets try to get started. One last thing that I must state is, you need more lands for every deck of yours. 15 lands is way too little. 20-22 for aggro and 24-25 for control.
Searing meditation is too random in this deck, as its effects can be hardly utilized. Brightflame is too mana intensive for an aggressive build. Boros Guildmage is also pretty mana intensive and I find that I only utilized her first strike ability once in a while. Also, as great as Rally the Righteous is in Limited, it never works in Constructed. Playing two-colors worsen the chance, especially red and white happens to be aggressive colors. Wojec Embermage is on the expensive side and the damage is quite pathetic. With only 15 lands and 2 accel, you shouldn't go for Firemane Angel. In fact, with that little amount of lands, I strongly encouraged you to abandon the signets for more raw power and up the land count to at least 21 or 22.
This is one of my favourite preconstructed deck, as it packs a lot of punch if your opponent doesn't play board reset cards. Get the Autochthon Wurm out, I never cast it in a Selesnya deck ever. Dryad's Caress is too expensive, even if you can gain a lot of life. Privileged Position is too expensive to be used. Chant of Vitu-Ghazi is too expensive as well. Phytohydra, despite being resistant to burn, ends up dying quite often.
Quote from Aaron Forsythe on Guildpact: Twenty Questions »
When Guildpact was handed over from design, it also had seven gold rares per guild,... and that the seventh gold rare in each guild was less important to the set than the Nephilim. So each guild is down a rare in this set.
Gruul, Izzet and Orzhov. Officially screwed by WOTC.
THANK YOU for your critiques! They helped out a lot. Sorry for taking so long to get back to you, but I recently underwent brow & lid surgery and had to keep my eyes on ice for days at a time.
So now I'm wanting to make the ultimate deck for each of them, using more-or-less the strategies listed in each guild's preconstructed deck insert. (click here to see a list of all the cards in, strategies for, and descriptions of each preconstructed deck).
I'm going to use these decks to introduce new players to the strategies and intricacies of this game. To better do this and to avoid spending too much money or chasing too many rares, these decks will follow the Budget Magic Format. In other words, only one of any single rare (not 4), only two of any single uncommon (not 4), and only three of any single common (not 4), 45 cards minimum (not 60).
Beyond that, the rules for the decks are these: No card belonging to any other guild, and only the two colors (or artifacts) that naturally belong to the guild (for example, the Golgari deck can't use a Selesnya card, even if it's green. The Boros deck can't use a black card, since black isn't one of the Boros guild's colors). Also, I'm not going to bother with sideboards.
Will you please look over these decks and tell me if they are, indeed, the best possible decks under the above considerations? If you tell me to put in a different card, please tell what to take out and vice-versa. Thanks!
3 Azorius Chancery
1 Hallowed Fountain
6 Plains
6 Island
Creatures
1 Pride of the Clouds
3 Soulsworn Jury
2 Sky Hussar
3 Minister of Impediments
1 Isperia the Inscrutable
2 Azorius Aethermage (combo with Azorius Chancery)
2 Azorius Herald
1 Azorius Guildmage
3 Azorius Firstwing
1 Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
2 Azorius Signet
3 Plumes of Peace
2 Palliation Accord
3 Faith's Fetters
2 Boros Garrison
1 Sacred Foundry
6 Plains
6 Mountain
Creatures
2 Sunhome Enforcer
3 Nightguard Patrol
1 Agrus Kos, Wojek Veteran
2 Wojek Embermage
2 Viashino Fangtail
3 Boros Recruit
2 Boros Guildmage
2 Boros Swiftblade
1 Razia, Boros Archangel
1 Firemane Angel
2 Boros Signet
2 Faith's Fetters
2 Lightning Helix
1 Brightflame
1 Sunforger
1 Rally the Righteous
1 Searing Mediation
1 Master Warcraft
2 Dimir Aqueduct
1 Watery Grave
6 Island
6 Swamp
Creatures
1 Szadek, Lord of Secrets
1 Circu, Dimir Lobotomist
3 Vedalken Entrancer
2 Belltower Sphinx
3 Dimir House Guard
2 Lurking Informant
1 Mindleech Mass
2 Dimir Signet
2 Dimir Machinations
2 Psychic Drain
1 Glimpse the Unthinkable
1 Douse in Gloom
2 Ribbons of Night
2 Brainspoil
2 Last Gasp
3 Disembowel
2 Golgari Rot-Farm
1 Overgrown Tomb
6 Swamp
6 Forest
Creatures
1 Golgari Brownscale
1 Grave-Shell Scarab
2 Stinkweed Imp
3 Shambling Shell
1 Gleancrawler
1 Savra, Queen of the Golgari
1 Sisters of Stone Death
2 Drooling Groodion
2 Golgari Rotwurm
1 Vulturous Zombie
2 Golgari Signet
2 Golgari Germination
2 Putrefy
2 Rolling Spoil
2 Moldervine Cloak
1 Plague Boiler
2 Nightmare Void
2 Darkblast
2 Gruul Turf
1 Stomping Ground
6 Mountain
6 Forest
Creatures
1 Borborygmos
1 Ulasht, the Hate Seed
2 Streetbreaker Wurm
3 Viashino Fangtail
2 Rabble-Rouser
1 Skarrgan Skybreaker
2 Skarrgan Pit-Skulk
3 Scab-Clan Mauler
1 Rumbling Slum
1 Petrified Wood-Kin
2 Gristleback
2 Ghor-Clan Savage
2 Bloodscale Prowler
1 Feral Animist
1 Giant Solifuge
1 Battering Wurm
2 Gruul Signet
1 Wurmweaver Coil
1 Doubling Season
2 Izzet Boilerworks
1 Steam Vents
6 Island
6 Mountain
Creatures
3 Wee Dragonauts
1 Tibor and Lumia
1 Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind
3 Steamcore Weird
1 Djinn Illuminatus
3 Viashino Fangtail
2 Gelectrode
2 Izzet Signet
1 Cerebral Vortex
2 Electrolyze
1 Stitch in Time
1 Invoke the Firemind
2 Train of Thought
1 Siege of Towers
2 Schismotivate
3 Pyromatics
1 Leyline of Lightning
2 Orzhov Basilica
1 Godless Shrine
6 Plains
6 Swamp
Creatures
1 Teysa, Orzhov Scion
1 Ghost Council of Orzhova
2 Revenant Patriarch
2 Souls of the Faultless
2 Orzhov Enthusiast
3 Mourning Thrull
1 Graven Dominator
2 Exhumer Thrull
2 Blind Hunter
1 Belfry Spirit
1 Agent of Masks
2 Orzhov Signet
1 Debtors' Knell
2 Hissing Miasma
3 Pillory of the Sleepless
1 Culling Sun
1 Castigate
2 Mortify
2 Rakdos Carnarium
1 Blood Crypt
6 Swamp
6 Mountain
Creatures
2 Squealing Devil
3 Demon's Jester
1 Dread Slag
1 Rakdos the Defiler
1 Rakdos Pit Dragon
3 Rakdos Ickspitter
1 Rakdos Augermage
1 Pain Magnification
1 Lyzolda, the Blood Witch
3 Kill-Suit Cultist
3 Gobhobbler Rats
2 Rakdos Signet
1 Cackling Flames
2 Seal of Fire
2 Wrecking Ball
1 Twinstrike
1 Demonfire
1 Anthem of Rakdos
2 Selesnya Sanctuary
1 Temple Garden
6 Plains
6 Forest
Creatures
2 Watchwolf
3 Siege Wurm
3 Selesnya Evangel
1 Phytohydra
2 Guardian of Vitu-Ghazi
2 Conclave Phalanx
1 Tolsimir Wolfblood
1 Selesnya Guildmage
1 Autochthon Wurm
1 Scion of the Wild
1 Chorus of the Conclave
2 Selesnya Signet
1 Doubling Season
1 Overwhelm
2 Dryad's Caress
1 Crown of Convergence
2 Devouring Light
1 Glare of Subdual
1 Privileged Position
1 Chant of Vitu-Ghazi
2 Simic Growth Chamber
1 Breeding Pool
1 Novijen, Heart of Progress
5 Island
6 Forest
Creatures
3 Vigean Hydrophon
2 Vigean Graftmage
2 Sporeback Troll
1 Coiling Oracle
1 Simic Guildmage
2 Simic Basilisk
2 Plaxcaster Frogling
1 Omnibian
2 Helium Squirter
1 Experiment Kraj
1 Momir Vig, Simic Visionary
1 Cytospawn Shambler
1 Biomantic Mastery
1 Cytoplast Manipulator
1 Cytoplast Root-Kin
1 Simic Sky Swallower
1 Protean Hulk
2 Simic Signet
3 Thrive
1 Doubling Season
So, what do you think? Can these decks be improved (again, under the above-listed considerations), or are they perfect as is?
Thanks in advance!
The Great Creature Token Project
2 Boros Garrison
1 Sacred Foundry
6 Plains
6 Mountain
Creatures
2 Sunhome Enforcer
3 Nightguard Patrol
1 Agrus Kos, Wojek Veteran
2 Wojek Embermage
2 Viashino Fangtail
3 Boros Recruit
2 Boros Guildmage
2 Boros Swiftblade
1 Razia, Boros Archangel
1 Firemane Angel
2 Boros Signet
2 Faith's Fetters
2 Lightning Helix
1 Brightflame
1 Sunforger
1 Rally the Righteous
1 Searing Mediation
1 Master Warcraft
This deck screams Skyknight Legionnaire. Also, definitely put in Bathe in Light, as it can work wonders. For fun, put in Flame-kin Zealot. Galvanic Arc is a great removal to be considered. And don't forget Char, even if you only can utilize one copy. Hide // Seek can also be used to get rid of the random enchantments or artifacts. Other removal like Seal of Fire and Scorched Rusalka should be considered. Also, consider War-Torch Goblin. You should also try Mistral Charger in this deck.
Searing meditation is too random in this deck, as its effects can be hardly utilized. Brightflame is too mana intensive for an aggressive build. Boros Guildmage is also pretty mana intensive and I find that I only utilized her first strike ability once in a while. Also, as great as Rally the Righteous is in Limited, it never works in Constructed. Playing two-colors worsen the chance, especially red and white happens to be aggressive colors. Wojec Embermage is on the expensive side and the damage is quite pathetic. With only 15 lands and 2 accel, you shouldn't go for Firemane Angel. In fact, with that little amount of lands, I strongly encouraged you to abandon the signets for more raw power and up the land count to at least 21 or 22.
2 Selesnya Sanctuary
1 Temple Garden
6 Plains
6 Forest
Creatures
2 Watchwolf
3 Siege Wurm
3 Selesnya Evangel
1 Phytohydra
2 Guardian of Vitu-Ghazi
2 Conclave Phalanx
1 Tolsimir Wolfblood
1 Selesnya Guildmage
1 Autochthon Wurm
1 Scion of the Wild
1 Chorus of the Conclave
2 Selesnya Signet
1 Doubling Season
1 Overwhelm
2 Dryad's Caress
1 Crown of Convergence
2 Devouring Light
1 Glare of Subdual
1 Privileged Position
1 Chant of Vitu-Ghazi
This is one of my favourite preconstructed deck, as it packs a lot of punch if your opponent doesn't play board reset cards. Get the Autochthon Wurm out, I never cast it in a Selesnya deck ever. Dryad's Caress is too expensive, even if you can gain a lot of life. Privileged Position is too expensive to be used. Chant of Vitu-Ghazi is too expensive as well. Phytohydra, despite being resistant to burn, ends up dying quite often.
Try Condemn with Devouring Light for removal. Vitu-Ghazi, the City Tree is a great saproling generator. Congregation at Dawn and Loxodon Hierarch are great cards to be tried out, especially Congregation which can win you game outright. In order to use the Overwhelm and Doubling Seasons, you will definitely want to consider Fists of Ironwood. Chord of Calling is worth trying and Seed Spark is great for removing random artifacts and enchantments. Gather Courage is downright nasty, I have been on the receiving end quite a few times. Carven Caryatid can be considered if you are going the aggro-control route. Dryad Sophiscate and Silhana Ledgewalker evasion are factors to be considered.
I will comment some more when I have the time.
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Gruul, Izzet and Orzhov. Officially screwed by WOTC.
THANK YOU for your critiques! They helped out a lot. Sorry for taking so long to get back to you, but I recently underwent brow & lid surgery and had to keep my eyes on ice for days at a time.
The Great Creature Token Project