MTG Salvation

Edit...I believe I should have posted this in a different part of Standard Deck Creation...here it goes...

Hopefully the way I formatted this is ok with everyone. I'm not the sharpest crayon in the box...So I recently got a couple of friends into the game and they only have standard cards. As I have been playing awhile, most of my collection is of older cards. So I am trying to build a standard deck, but I want it to be competitive but at the same time not a carbon copy of other b/w decks. Hopefully someone can help me with this build.

Fecal Matter

Lands

13 Swamp
5 Plains
4 Caves of Koilos

Creatures

4 Tormented Hero
3 Agent of the Fates
3 Paragon of Open Graves
3 Insatiable Harpy
2 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
3 Triad of Fates
3 Abhorrent Overlord

Planeswalker

3 Liliana Vess

Spells

4 Thoughtseize
4 Read the Bones
2 End Hostilities
4 Utter End


I don't think this deck is going to be all that fast, but I think it has a chance to be at least decent. Cause some disruption with Thoughtseize, Utter End, and End Hostilities. Some relatively cheap creatures in an attempt to be competitive early on. I like Triad of Fates to reuse Abhorrent Overlord, Gray Merchant of Asphodel, etc...as a different angle to the deck. Liliana Vess to cause more disruption, search for a needed card, and a combo ability with End Hostilities. The only thing I have for a sideboard at this point is 2 more End Hostilities. Still a work in progress. Any thoughts?

I think its pretty lame that some people think stone rain is too powerful. back in the mercadian masques day, control was really powerful. you would go to a tournament and every non-creative soul that was there ran with counterspell, foil, daze, etc in their decks. you had to pretty much ask permission to play cards, which is ridiculous. Stone rain is fine, imo, and should be either reprinted or a new version similar to it should be reprinted. it's a good thing that nowadays creatures are more abundant and more powerful.

I made it trigger at the beginning of the main phase because I wanted it to be different. It would work at the beginning of the upkeep, I suppose. So, are we talking 2GG or 3G?

I wanted to make a reusable land-fetch card inspired by Recurring Nightmare, so I came up with this:

Recurring Wisdom 1G
Enchantment Uncommon
At the beginning of your main phase, you may search your library for a basic land card and put it onto the battlefield tapped. Shuffle your library afterwards. Return Recurring Wisdom to its owner's hand.


I'm just not sure if its balanced enough or if it should be upgraded to a rare. I personally think its ok as a strong uncommon, but, I'm under the belief that Tolarian Academy isn't broken...

I do pretty well with mono green, but I prefer playing decks utilizing all colors. I find it fun in casual.

Whats the problem? Personally, I'd like them to do some 'forgotten' aspect of Urza's life. I miss Urza

I actually like the card, personally. I agree making the second ability cost 2 instead is worth it. I also happen to think that by losing 1 life instead of taking a point of damage is steep enough to warrant any color, but I could be wrong. I like powerful cards.

I have a healing deck that uses Yawgmoth's Bargain and life gaining spells. I have reached over a million life many times. At that point, my opponent usually gives up when a 1,000,000/1,000,000 spirit linked Serra Avatar is attacking them every turn. I have found not many people want to wait until they get decked if they can't destroy the Bargain and spellbook...fun deck.

Dude, check out the entire Urza's block. They don't make cards that powerful anymore.

Quote from DrewReaLee

Why waste removal on creature targets when you can get rid of them before their mana is even cast? I've played with Duress before, but then I tried Thoughtseize for size. Duress doesn't even compare with how powerful TS. I would prefer Inquisition of Kozilek in my opening hand just a tiny amount more because I'm looking to take their mana dork or Bob away.

It's a $25 disruption card that can take close to anything, sees what your opponent has in store for you, and puts you in a reactive state.

Ok. I have seen players who play control decks get overly excited because they get to counter a spell that their opponent's deck revolves around. Because of this, a card like 'Terminate' for instance, would likely suck the air out of the room when you kill their Tarmogoyf after they believed he would stay in play...

Well, it's not quite Morgan Freeman, but I get the picture. BTW, don't people use Dark Ritual anymore in the older formats? Also, to me, Duress becomes a better option when you have bills that take higher priority than a $25 disruption card. I can understand the being able to discard a creature concept...but there are removal spells for that, too...man, a lot has changed these last ten years...

I guess I need Morgan Freeman to explain it to me...

I hear ya, but that lose 2 life thing gets me every time. I'd much rather use Duress or Hymn to Tourach (Obviously, not in standard).

Up until it was confirmed as being reprinted in 'Theros', it was worth like $75.00. Thankfully, it has dropped in value since the confirmation, but I still need to ask...WHY is this card so expensive? I remember a time when Birds of Paradise was a $20.00 card with the first foil edition from 7th being $100.00. A good card, but not worth that much. Thank god it was reprinted and the value sunk. Thoughtseize seems to me to be worth no more than $5.00. Can someone explain this to me? Thanks.

Senordirtyrat

Quote from Auja Windur

Why are you upset? It seems like you still have those cards, in which case your cards are suddenly worth more than you thought.

because, sir, i am dumb. when i quit playing after scourge came out, i didn't believe i'd ever play again, so i tossed a lot of my cards out. most of which, i KNEW were worth money, others i find out now are worth some too. i must be the dumbest cat in Illinois.