Regarding your second point, the recordings of the Pro Tours on Youtube are quite helpful, even if in the beginning you will need to google all the terms you don't understand and the cards you don't know (its's quite fastidious, but well worth it).
The video recording from Star City Games events are cool too.
You can as well play the MTG Duels video games, I have found them helpful to learn the rules in a simple manner (they won't bring you the most extensive knowledges of the rules, but it's a good start).
Now here are my questions:
- What improvement would you suggest based on all the listed card?
- What should be my next investment (in order to make it more competitive, if it can ever be):
....- non-budget wise (the remaining swords I guess)?
....- budget-wise?
- What cards should I switch (or add) if I want to play multiplayer or 1 vs 1 Commander?
Indeed, my bad, I got a bit lost with the new rotation :/
In that case, if what you want is cards for standard, go for DTK as it will last much longer! ^^
I'd say it depends on the cards you would like to open.
Plus, both set will rotate out at the same time, so that point is not quite relevant.
You can check the running tally to see card prices.
IMO, Ugin and Tasigur are sure values, and FRF might be better, but there's more pricey cards in DTK...
I personnaly would go with FRF.
Since this deck kinda lacked draw spells, I traded the remaining Mindswipes for three Anticipates (they'll be legal tomorrow) as a cheaper instant version of Serum Visions.
And I've also traded the Soul of Shandalar for Oona, Queen of the Fae 'cause I like Oona better (though it might not be wise), and traded one Island for Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth 'cause I had one (it should not be too much of liability).
I had no trouble so far, but one of them goes sideboard when I use Teferi.
And I've taken out one Mindswipe and added two Jace's Ingenuity to help draw cards in the late game.
(I will edit the decklist ASAP.
EDIT: decklist edited)
So far I've only tested this deck against friends with casual decks, and it worked pretty great (Mindswipe included), but I'll be testing it in Modern this friday night, so I'll keep you posted.
EDIT: I didn't got lucky, we were only 3 to play modern for this FNM, and the other 2 were playing pretty much the same deck as mine (with Snapcaster Mage, though), so the one time I got to play a Mindswipe, it got countered...
But they usually work great, especially when one or more Goblin Electromancer are in play!
The battle plan is the following:
Using Mana Leak, Dissolve and Mindswipe, we counter the opponent spells.
If minor threats manage to go through, Lightning Bolts deal with them. If big threats go through, we use Turn // Burn to calm them down, and burn them if we have no defending creatures.
The Delver of Secrets are here to attack quickly for a cheap mana cost; the Young Pyromancer generates tokens to help defend against non-trample creatures, and attack if the opponent has no defense.
The Goblin Electromancer are here to reduce instant and sorcery costs, as well as to attack (no enemy defense) and defend (1/* creatures) whenever it is possible.
To finish the opponent, Keranos, God of Storms, Soul of Shandalar and Inferno Titan.
We use Jace to draw cards/empty the opponent's deck; and Chandra to burn.
That's the deck's spirit.
The video recording from Star City Games events are cool too.
You can as well play the MTG Duels video games, I have found them helpful to learn the rules in a simple manner (they won't bring you the most extensive knowledges of the rules, but it's a good start).
But it won't happen overnight, so be patient ^^
Dully noted for Swords to Plowshares!
I'm trying a Kemba, Kha Regent deck, and I would like to have your opinion on my decklist.
3 Kemba, Kha Regent
Creatures (12)
2 Leonin Shikari
2 Puresteel Paladin
2 Relic Seeker
2 Stoneforge Mystic
4 Angelic Field Marshal
4 Indomitable Archangel
4 Leonin Abunas
4 Odric, Master Tactician
5 Stonehewer Giant
6 Crovax, Ascendant Hero
7 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
7 Raksha Golden Cub
Equipment (24)
1 Basilisk Collar
1 Darksteel Axe
1 Masterwork of Ingenuity
1 Skullclamp
2 Bladed Pinions
2 Blight Sickle
2 Hero's Blade
2 Lightning Greaves
2 Swiftfoot Boots
2 Trailblazer's Boots
3 Darksteel Plate
3 Diviner's Wand
3 Kusari-Gama
3 Loxodon Warhammer
3 Strata Scythe
3 Sword of Body and Mind
4 Sword of Kaldra
3 Sword of Vengeance
4 Batterskull
4 Bonehoard
4 General's Kabuto
4 Grafted Exoskeleton
4 Moonsilver Spear
6 Argentum Armor
4 Power Matrix
5 Gauntlet of Power
5 Norn's Annex
6 Caged Sun
7 Akroma's Memorial
Planeswalker (3)
3 Ajani, Caller of the Pride
4 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
5 Nahiri, the Lithomancer
Enchantment (4)
2 Honor of the Pure
2 Intangible Virtue
3 Oblivion Ring
3 Terra Eternal
Instant (9)
1 Brave the Elements
1 Dispatch
1 Emerge Unscathed
1 Enlightened Tutor
2 Apostle's Blessing
2 Disenchant
2 Razor Barrier
4 Return to Dust
4 White Sun's Zenith (CCM is 3, but it will never be cast for 3...)
Sorcery (4)
1 Steelshaper's Gift
1 Ritual of Restoration
3 Remember the Fallen
7 Mass Calcify
0 Ancient Den
0 Arcane Lighthouse
0 Drifting Meadow
0 Emeria, the Sky Ruin
0 Ghost Quarter
0 Karoo
0 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
0 Rogue's Passage
0 Secluded Steppe
0 Temple of the False God
0 Windbrisk Heights
0 Plains (x27)
The other cards taht could fit the deck:
1 Blade of the Bloodchief
1 Bonesplitter
1 Explorer's Scope
1 Flayer Husk
1 Golem-Skin Gauntlets
1 Infiltration Lens
1 Leonin Scimitar
1 Slagwurm Armor
2 Armory of Iroas
2 Konda's Banner
2 Veteran's Armaments
3 Ensouled Scimitar
3 Piston Sledge
3 Sickleslicer
3 Tooth of Ramos
3 Trepanation Blade
3 Umbral Mantle
5 Coat of Arms
1 Sol ring
2 Mind Stone
Creature:
5 Pentarch Paladin
Instant:
1 Path to Exile
3 Abolish
Now here are my questions:
- What improvement would you suggest based on all the listed card?
- What should be my next investment (in order to make it more competitive, if it can ever be):
....- non-budget wise (the remaining swords I guess)?
....- budget-wise?
- What cards should I switch (or add) if I want to play multiplayer or 1 vs 1 Commander?
Thanks in advance for your help!
EDIT: added White Sun's Zenith
In that case, if what you want is cards for standard, go for DTK as it will last much longer! ^^
Plus, both set will rotate out at the same time, so that point is not quite relevant.
You can check the running tally to see card prices.
IMO, Ugin and Tasigur are sure values, and FRF might be better, but there's more pricey cards in DTK...
I personnaly would go with FRF.
I'm currently working on a Modern Esper deck and need advice on it, should I post my list here or in a proper thread in Deck Creation?
And I've also traded the Soul of Shandalar for Oona, Queen of the Fae 'cause I like Oona better (though it might not be wise), and traded one Island for Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth 'cause I had one (it should not be too much of liability).
And I've taken out one Mindswipe and added two Jace's Ingenuity to help draw cards in the late game.
(I will edit the decklist ASAP.
EDIT: decklist edited)
EDIT: I didn't got lucky, we were only 3 to play modern for this FNM, and the other 2 were playing pretty much the same deck as mine (with Snapcaster Mage, though), so the one time I got to play a Mindswipe, it got countered...
But they usually work great, especially when one or more Goblin Electromancer are in play!
I tried to make a competitive budget UR Control/Burn deck to play at FNM, and I am rather pleased with what I have so far.
Here is my decklist:
4x Delver of Secrets
4x Young Pyromancer
4x Goblin Electromancer
1x Keranos, God of Storms
1x Inferno titan
1x Soul of Shandalar
1x Jace, Memory Adept
1x Chandra Nalaar
Instants (20)
4x Lightning Bolt
3x Mana Leak
4x Dissolve
3x Mindswipe
2x Turn // Burn
2x Reality Shift
2x Jace's Ingenuity
7x Mountain
9x Island
4x Swiftwater Cliffs
4x Sulfur Falls
EDIT: removed one Torrent Elemental, one Mindswipe, one Mana Leak, added two Reality Shift, two Jace's Ingenuity.
(Yes, it is now a 61 cards deck.)
The battle plan is the following:
Using Mana Leak, Dissolve and Mindswipe, we counter the opponent spells.
If minor threats manage to go through, Lightning Bolts deal with them. If big threats go through, we use Turn // Burn to calm them down, and burn them if we have no defending creatures.
The Delver of Secrets are here to attack quickly for a cheap mana cost; the Young Pyromancer generates tokens to help defend against non-trample creatures, and attack if the opponent has no defense.
The Goblin Electromancer are here to reduce instant and sorcery costs, as well as to attack (no enemy defense) and defend (1/* creatures) whenever it is possible.
To finish the opponent, Keranos, God of Storms, Soul of Shandalar and Inferno Titan.
We use Jace to draw cards/empty the opponent's deck; and Chandra to burn.
That's the deck's spirit.
Now for the sideboard :
2x Torpor Orb
Instants (5)
2x Reality Shift
3x Counterflux
1x Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
Sorceries (7)
1x Anger of the Gods
3x Pyroclasm
3x Shatterstorm
EDIT: removed one Reality Shift, added one Pyroclasm.
The Torpor Orbs are used against Twin decks.
The Counterflux are used against cards with hexproof or shroud, and the Reality Shifts against cards that can't be countered, such as Surrak Dragonclaw.
Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir is used against instants decks.
Shatterstorms against Affinity/artifacts decks; and the Anger of the Gods/Pyroclasm are used with aggro decks.