The Make-Your-Own Standard format (or Custom for short) was created by Mark Rosewater for the 2006 Magic Invitational. I heard about the format a little while ago and decided to pick it up. I instantly found it the most compelling format I had ever played. So here I am, here to drum up some support for this awesome format.
Why Play Custom?
Custom is an extremely deep format. Because of the way you pick your cardpool, there are hundreds of different cardpools to choose from. This means there are dozens of different ways to make a similar deck.
Custom also allows you to play with your older, favorite cards without feeling like a complete idiot like you would in Modern or Legacy. The powerlevel for Custom is slightly higher than Standard, despite being able to play with powerful old cards. This is a format where both Counterspell and Cancel can see play, and unironically.
Finally, Custom in its current form has a smaller banlist than both Modern and Legacy. At the invitational, the banlist was all banned cards in Legacy, as well as all cards banned in Block Constructed. I've found these bans to be completely unneccessary. Due to the way that cardpools are constructed, it is hard to assemble the powerful, degenerate decks we often see with legacy banned, cards. For now, the banlist sits at 4 cards.
How to Play
First, we start by making your cardpool. Pick two blocks from Magic's history (Mirage, Tempest, Urza's, Masques, Invasion, Odyssey, Onslaught, Mirrodin, Kamigawa, Ravnica, Time Spiral, Ice Age, Lorwyn, Alara, Zendikar, Scars of Mirrodin, Innistrad, Return to Ravnica, Theros), and one Core Set (4th Edition through M14). You may only play with cards printed in those two blocks or the core set. For example, if I choose Zendikar block, Tempest block, and Tenth Edition, I can only play cards from Tempest, Stronghold, Exodus, Zendikar, Worldwake, Rise of the Eldrazi, or Tenth Edition.
Now that you have your card pool, make a deck from your own standard! You play against decks made from other people's standards. For example you might play against my Theros-Scars of Mirrodin-5th Edition deck against your Zendikar-Tempest-Tenth Edition deck.
It could be really fun (but only if people are making and playing original decks - not legacy or modern cliches)...
I can think of a few Legacy/Modern cliches that people might try, but for the most part I see fairly original decks. Lots of old standard decks too (Psychatog, Tinker, etc).
But the meta is fairly undeveloped, make something cool and play on Cockatrice sometime!
Thats a personal favorite, but there are other viable options such as Krenko, Mob Boss goblins
Mono Red devotion burn
Mono black devotion
Mono blue devotion
Elf tribal
Yeah this was always a great format. Could take a while though to weigh the pros on cons of each block and coreset when configuring your deck. And you really need to look through each block to see which cards are available (unless you can remember every card)
Why make Mirage block the earliest? Why not legends of homelands?
Why make Mirage block the earliest? Why not legends of homelands?
It's because Legends, Homelands, The Dark, Antiquities, etc. only contain one set. They were all, with the exception of Homelands, also never Standard legal which is another thing the format avoids.
On another note, Alpha/Beta/Unlimited/Revised aren't allowed for your core set pick because the ABUR Dual lands were considered too powerful for the format (and I agree).
It's because Legends, Homelands, The Dark, Antiquities, etc. only contain one set. They were all, with the exception of Homelands, also never Standard legal which is another thing the format avoids.
On another note, Alpha/Beta/Unlimited/Revised aren't allowed for your core set pick because the ABUR Dual lands were considered too powerful for the format (and I agree).
ABUR duals are more powerful than cards like swords to plowshares, dark ritual, force of will, hypergenesis, stoneforge, jtms? Which can all be used
Mirrodin + scars affinity seems absurdly strong too
I would prefer a "modern" version of custom that starts out with a newer set, such as ravnica or shards of alara. Still plenty to choose from but ignores many broken earlier cards
Hate to be that guy, but it's Block and Legacy ban list. So as much as it hurts to say it: no Necropotence :(.
The format is very fun. Deck building is my favorite part of Magic so of course I love MYOS. The only problem is it's so much work that most people don't want to invest the time in it. I'm pushing the format hard at my local store.
Here's a deck I brewed tonight, after Born of the Gods was fully spoiled.
Hate to be that guy, but it's Block and Legacy ban list. So as much as it hurts to say it: no Necropotence :(.
The format is very fun. Deck building is my favorite part of Magic so of course I love MYOS. The only problem is it's so much work that most people don't want to invest the time in it. I'm pushing the format hard at my local store.
Here's a deck I brewed tonight, after Born of the Gods was fully spoiled.
I devoted a paragraph in the OP talking about the banlist. They banned all of the Legacy and Block cards for the invitational presumably to be on the safe side. In practice though, I've found that banlist to be completely uneccessary. Which is why I've made my own banlist which has worked for my playgroup.
I'm pushing the format at my LGS too. It is pretty incredible.
Isn't affinity pretty strong in a format with such a small banned list? It only loses MoE and Springleaf Drum from its Legacy iteration.
Something like:
Obviously a super rough draft but it seems like this would wreck just about everything. Also consider that affinity has an absolutely massive list of cards to choose from that I didn't even mention. It has removal and reach (Dispatch, Galvanic Blast, Shrapnel Blast), other good fatties (Enforcer, Carapace Forger, Sunchaser), and tons of other utility and random stuff (Hoverguards, Blinkmoth/Inkmoth, Welding Jar, Steel Overseer, Ensoul Artifact, etc etc) If BYOS becomes a thing I most likely see myself playing some iteration of affinity. But to be safe, I think realistically banning either plating, the colored artifact lands, ravager, or some combo of those cards would keep affinity from wrecking everything.
That being said, BYOS has always been one of my favorite formats to even just brainstorm about. I really hope it catches on more.
Edit: MUD seems pretty disgusting in this format too. Tempest/Mirrodin gives us access to Ancient Tomb, City of Traitors, Wasteland, Lotus Petal, MOX Diamond, Cloudpost, and artifact lands all for mana. We also get some of the best artifact lock pieces and finishers in Trinisphere, Chalice, Sphere of Resistance, Crucible of Worlds, Silent Arbiter, Sundering Titan, Staff of Domination, Duplicant, and a ton more I know I'm missing from Mirrodin block (including all of Affinity's goodies). To top it off we get Ensoul Artifact from M15 as well as Blood Moon/Urza lands from 8th and the various artifact fatties and Voltaic Key in other core sets. No Forgemaster, Tinker, or Metalworker, but it still seems like it has potential to be busted.
Why Play Custom?
Custom is an extremely deep format. Because of the way you pick your cardpool, there are hundreds of different cardpools to choose from. This means there are dozens of different ways to make a similar deck.
Custom also allows you to play with your older, favorite cards without feeling like a complete idiot like you would in Modern or Legacy. The powerlevel for Custom is slightly higher than Standard, despite being able to play with powerful old cards. This is a format where both Counterspell and Cancel can see play, and unironically.
Finally, Custom in its current form has a smaller banlist than both Modern and Legacy. At the invitational, the banlist was all banned cards in Legacy, as well as all cards banned in Block Constructed. I've found these bans to be completely unneccessary. Due to the way that cardpools are constructed, it is hard to assemble the powerful, degenerate decks we often see with legacy banned, cards. For now, the banlist sits at 4 cards.
How to Play
First, we start by making your cardpool. Pick two blocks from Magic's history (Mirage, Tempest, Urza's, Masques, Invasion, Odyssey, Onslaught, Mirrodin, Kamigawa, Ravnica, Time Spiral, Ice Age, Lorwyn, Alara, Zendikar, Scars of Mirrodin, Innistrad, Return to Ravnica, Theros), and one Core Set (4th Edition through M14). You may only play with cards printed in those two blocks or the core set. For example, if I choose Zendikar block, Tempest block, and Tenth Edition, I can only play cards from Tempest, Stronghold, Exodus, Zendikar, Worldwake, Rise of the Eldrazi, or Tenth Edition.
Now that you have your card pool, make a deck from your own standard! You play against decks made from other people's standards. For example you might play against my Theros-Scars of Mirrodin-5th Edition deck against your Zendikar-Tempest-Tenth Edition deck.
As for banned cards, you may not have copies of the following cards in your decks:
Tolarian Academy
Memory Jar
Yawgmoth's Bargain
Skullclamp
Mana Vault
Channel
I have a few others I have my eye on, but looks are deceiving with this format. It is less powerful than you might think.
Where Can I Play It
On Cockatrice! I'll be availible to play on Cockatrice quite a bit.
Or you could get the awesome people you play with to give it a go. You'll be impressed.
[THS|SOM|5TH] Devotion to Black
Not yet. A big part of this is getting people playing on Cockatrice. A meta should develop quickly once we get to a a reasonable number of players.
[THS|SOM|5TH] Devotion to Black
I can think of a few Legacy/Modern cliches that people might try, but for the most part I see fairly original decks. Lots of old standard decks too (Psychatog, Tinker, etc).
But the meta is fairly undeveloped, make something cool and play on Cockatrice sometime!
[THS|SOM|5TH] Devotion to Black
Standard is Theros - Scars of Mirrodin - Fifth Edition
4 Phyrexian Obliterator
4 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
2 Massacre Wurm
1 Abhorrent Overlord
4 Thoughtseize
3 Go for the Throat
4 Necropotence
3 Hero's Downfall
3 Drain Life
4 Ebon Stronghold
16 Swamp
Standard is Innistrad - Ice Age - 6th Edition
4 Mystical Tutor
4 Brainstorm
4 Swords to Plowshares
2 Think Twice
3 Counterspell
2 Force of Will
4 Terminus
4 Temporal Mastery
3 Entreat the Angels
1 Armageddon
1 Disenchant
4 Ardakar Wastes
4 Boreal Shelf
3 Evolving Wilds
8 Islands
3 Plains
Standard is Shards of Alara - Return to Ravnica - M11
4 Dryad Militant
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Naya Hushblade
3 Voice of Resurgence
4 Wooly Thoctar
3 Loxodon Smiter
4 Bloodbraid Elf
3 Domri Rade
4 Jungle Shrine
4 Sunpetal Grove
4 Rootbound Crag
4 Sacred Foundry
4 Stomping Ground
3 Temple Garden
[THS|SOM|5TH] Devotion to Black
I decided that my 3 blocks are Theros, Lorwyn/Shadowmoor, and M13
Just some decks i whipped up
1 Woodfall Primus
1 Yeva, Nature's Herald
2 Wilt Leaf Lige
4 Voyaging Satyr
1 Vigor
3 Thragtusk
4 Sylvan Caryatid
2 Recross the Paths
1 Regal Force
4 Rancor
2 Primal Command
2 Primalcrux
1 Primordial Hydra
2 Polukranos, World Eater
1 Oversoul of Dusk
3 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
4 Mosswort Bridge
4 Mutavault
14 Forest
4 Arbor Elf
Thats a personal favorite, but there are other viable options such as
Krenko, Mob Boss goblins
Mono Red devotion burn
Mono black devotion
Mono blue devotion
Elf tribal
CHECK OUT MY TRIBAL CUSTOM SET KREVAN
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/creativity/custom-card-creation/custom-set-creation-and/530273-krevan-the-first-set-in-a-tribal-block
Why make Mirage block the earliest? Why not legends of homelands?
It's because Legends, Homelands, The Dark, Antiquities, etc. only contain one set. They were all, with the exception of Homelands, also never Standard legal which is another thing the format avoids.
On another note, Alpha/Beta/Unlimited/Revised aren't allowed for your core set pick because the ABUR Dual lands were considered too powerful for the format (and I agree).
[THS|SOM|5TH] Devotion to Black
ABUR duals are more powerful than cards like swords to plowshares, dark ritual, force of will, hypergenesis, stoneforge, jtms? Which can all be used
Mirrodin + scars affinity seems absurdly strong too
I would prefer a "modern" version of custom that starts out with a newer set, such as ravnica or shards of alara. Still plenty to choose from but ignores many broken earlier cards
However it is your format so do as you wish
The format is very fun. Deck building is my favorite part of Magic so of course I love MYOS. The only problem is it's so much work that most people don't want to invest the time in it. I'm pushing the format hard at my local store.
Here's a deck I brewed tonight, after Born of the Gods was fully spoiled.
Mono Black Devotion
ODY-M11-THS
4 Nantuko Shade
4 Herald of Torment
3 Shambling Swarm
1 Braids, Cabal Minion
4 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
2 Grave Titan
4 Sign in Blood
2 Erebos, God of the Dead
3 Bile Blight
4 Hero's Downfall
19 Swamp
I devoted a paragraph in the OP talking about the banlist. They banned all of the Legacy and Block cards for the invitational presumably to be on the safe side. In practice though, I've found that banlist to be completely uneccessary. Which is why I've made my own banlist which has worked for my playgroup.
I'm pushing the format at my LGS too. It is pretty incredible.
[THS|SOM|5TH] Devotion to Black
Something like:
4 Vault of Whispers
4 Darksteel Citadel
4 Furnace/Den/Tree
3 Signal Pest
4 Vault Skirge
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Frogmite
4 Ornithopter
3 Memnite
4 Etched Champion
4 Paradise Mantle or AEther Vial
4 Thoughtcast
4 Cranial Plating
2 Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
Obviously a super rough draft but it seems like this would wreck just about everything. Also consider that affinity has an absolutely massive list of cards to choose from that I didn't even mention. It has removal and reach (Dispatch, Galvanic Blast, Shrapnel Blast), other good fatties (Enforcer, Carapace Forger, Sunchaser), and tons of other utility and random stuff (Hoverguards, Blinkmoth/Inkmoth, Welding Jar, Steel Overseer, Ensoul Artifact, etc etc) If BYOS becomes a thing I most likely see myself playing some iteration of affinity. But to be safe, I think realistically banning either plating, the colored artifact lands, ravager, or some combo of those cards would keep affinity from wrecking everything.
That being said, BYOS has always been one of my favorite formats to even just brainstorm about. I really hope it catches on more.
Edit: MUD seems pretty disgusting in this format too. Tempest/Mirrodin gives us access to Ancient Tomb, City of Traitors, Wasteland, Lotus Petal, MOX Diamond, Cloudpost, and artifact lands all for mana. We also get some of the best artifact lock pieces and finishers in Trinisphere, Chalice, Sphere of Resistance, Crucible of Worlds, Silent Arbiter, Sundering Titan, Staff of Domination, Duplicant, and a ton more I know I'm missing from Mirrodin block (including all of Affinity's goodies). To top it off we get Ensoul Artifact from M15 as well as Blood Moon/Urza lands from 8th and the various artifact fatties and Voltaic Key in other core sets. No Forgemaster, Tinker, or Metalworker, but it still seems like it has potential to be busted.