Welcome Obzedat! I guess even ghosts can get resurrected.
That was a marvelous first post. Not just using the decktags, but explanations!
You have gotten some excellent specific feedback for your deck, but I would like to take the liberty of making a few suggestions.
On going to the local store: it's all about expectations. Each store is different, but calling them up first could garner some suggestions about how best for you personally to start. Sometimes there are less formal experiences than the organized tournaments where you could play less competitively. Going 0-4 without winning a game (which I've done) is just a thing. If I learn from it, enjoy the process and meeting people, I can appreciate it. If I just say that I lost, it was hopeless and I'll never get better, then it would not be a worthwhile experience. Going with your friend at a time when you know other people might be available to play casually would be a way to ease yourself in and see whether to go to FNM.
Go to a prerelease if you can. They are fun, you learn about the new set and it's a less formal tournament.
There is an excellent learning resource on the Wizards of the Coast website here.
Thanks Hoser2,
I appreciate you taking the time to look at it. Thanks for the tips and awesome link!
Thanks for the welcome and for the pointers. I've already got this deck assembled in paper, but have copies of a couple of the cards you recommended, so i'll make some substitutions before playing later tonight. I've been buying boosters and played a couple of draft games (not well), so i've been working with what i've got on hand, and fleshed it out with some individual card purchases. No arena as I'm on mac . Excited to see how the deck plays with a few of your changes. For now I swapped out the two Forbidding Spirits (I'd already felt like they where a bad match for the deck) for Demon of Catastrophes and Priest of Forgotten Gods, and traded out Pestilent Spirit for a skeleton. That shouldn't mess with the mana curve too badly since I now have 3 cards for a collective cost of 8 mana versus 9. I know what you mean about running 4x of certain cards, but unfortunately i'm limited to my current inventory. I hope to get to test them out over the next few days, and if they work well i'll definitely be picking up duplicates to run.
Maybe a silly question Yorutenchi, but do the effects of the primal amulet stack? I've looked at cards with similar effects but not included duplicates because I wasn't sure.
First, thank you for having me here on your forum. I'm new to both MTG Salvation and Magic The Gathering. I've just put together what i'd consider my first real deck. Being new i decided to utilize just the most recent Ravnica Allegiance cards, although I would expand into other releases with some guidance. While i know this may not be all that exciting to seasoned players, i hope you can understand how overwhelming this game is to a newbie with its various releases over the years. I also want to keep my deck legal for Standard, even though i currently only play casually at home, and this seemed like a simple way to garuntee its legality. When first looking at the guilds i was immediately drawn to Orzhov and I enjoy playing white/black. I was hoping to share my build with you more experienced and knowledgable players and see what your thoughts are. Is there anything that you think I'm currently running that is a waste of space in this deck? Do I have too many of one card and not enough of another? Is it worth trying to play this deck at my local game shop, or would i get destroyed?! Any thoughts on how i could improve or streamline would be greatly appreciated!
At this point the goal is to proliferate spirit tokens via Teysa Karlov, and overwhelm opponents with flying. I'd like to take as much of their life as possible and make it my own I understand that at this point i'm only running 22 Lands, which is 38% of the deck, and is considered a bit light. I also intend to change the planes to swamp ratio favoring white mana a little more prominantly.
Imperious Oligarch: Intended to fill the board during early game, and leave behind 1/1 flying tokens to block and harrass opponent once Oligarch is destroyed. In conjunction with Teysa, tokens are doubled and gain lifeline and vigilance.
Pitiless Pontiff: In addition to Oligarch, this card is played early game to fill board, but with some additional perks. It can block much larger creature and disincentives the opponent from attaching due to its effect, especially in conjunction with an expendable token. Also, this card can free bound creatures, or destroy them to activate their afterlife effects and get them airborne; something further improved with Teysa on the board.
Tithe Taker: This card is played early to put out a blocker and make it more difficult and expensive for an opponent to gain an early advantage with instant spells.
Forbidding Spirit: This card provides the deck with a 3/3 blocker that can stall an opponent whose trying to get offensive early. Of all the cards in the deck this is the one i'm most considering replacing.
Ministrant of Obligations: I've included this card for its Afterlife 2 effect, because my goal is to get as many flying 1/1s out as possible, ideal with Teysa's added effects of lifelike and vigilance. If played with Teysa and a Pontiff, this creature can be sacrificed to create 4 1/1 tokens with vigilance, flying, and lifelink.
Pestilent Spirit: This card is included to put offensive pressure on an opponent on turns 3-4 because of it's death touch and menace, although with a single copy it is maybe not the most efficient card for this deck.
Seraph of the Scales: This card is the backbone of the creature cards in this build, giving a decent 4/3 flyer in force. With the ability to add vigilance and death touch affordably this card is intended to bring the game out of parity in my favor by turn 4-5.
Teysa Karlov: This is a crucial support creature that adds huge bonuses to all of my afterlife creatures, doubling their spirit tokens and granting them vigilance and lifelink. She's the key that unlocks the whole afterlife strategy and makes it really problematic for my opponent.
Haunt of Hightower: Along with Seraph, this card helps make up the Orzhov Airforce. It enters the field a 3/3 but has the ability to become more powerful as the game progresses. Also, it taxes the opponents cards and has lifelink.
Ill Gotten Inheritance: One of two enchantments i've included in the deck, this card helps give me life while draining the opponents, which is the ultimate goal of the game. It can also deal the killing blow to an opponent brought down to 4 health or less, ending a game that might drag on.
Ethereal Absolution: This card pumps up my creatures while weakening my opponents, which is important since so many of my cards are 2/1 or become converted into 1/1 tokens. Additionally this card compliments Kaya, Orzhov Usurper, by exiling cards from an opponents grave yard and bolstering her -5 effect, all while adding more flying tokens
Final Payment: This card fills the role of early game removal, while helping to convert 2/1 creatures on the ground into 1/1 fliers, and can also free cards that have become bound or tied up by enchantments.
Mortify: The primary removal spell in the deck, it is affordable at 3 mana cost and can target both creatures and enchantments, which makes it a workhorse.
Kaya's Wrath: This card is intended as an "Oh Crap" card. If I play this its because I'm losing the game and need to slam on the reset button. It also fills up an opponents graveyard nicely, giving Kaya the Usurper lots of fodder to exile.
Consecrate // Consume: This card provides nice late game removal that helps eliminate powerful late game creature cards and transform their power into life. Its pulled my chestnuts out of the fire more than once!
Revival // Revenge: This card was included because for two mana it can return an early to mid game creature directly to the battlefield, or for six mana can double my health and half an opponents, essentially turning a losing game around or a winning game into a blowout.
Kaya, Orzhov Usurper: This card is included because she helps eliminate cards from an opponents grave yard into exile, building me life at their expense, and if she survives two or more turns can deal a huge blow to opponent if cards have been exiled effectible. This is supported by the Etheral absolution card also in the build.
Thats what i've got for now, any thoughts or suggestions appreciated!
Thanks Hoser2,
I appreciate you taking the time to look at it. Thanks for the tips and awesome link!
Thanks for the welcome and for the pointers. I've already got this deck assembled in paper, but have copies of a couple of the cards you recommended, so i'll make some substitutions before playing later tonight. I've been buying boosters and played a couple of draft games (not well), so i've been working with what i've got on hand, and fleshed it out with some individual card purchases. No arena as I'm on mac
Thanks for your response!
-Ozedat
First, thank you for having me here on your forum. I'm new to both MTG Salvation and Magic The Gathering. I've just put together what i'd consider my first real deck. Being new i decided to utilize just the most recent Ravnica Allegiance cards, although I would expand into other releases with some guidance. While i know this may not be all that exciting to seasoned players, i hope you can understand how overwhelming this game is to a newbie with its various releases over the years. I also want to keep my deck legal for Standard, even though i currently only play casually at home, and this seemed like a simple way to garuntee its legality. When first looking at the guilds i was immediately drawn to Orzhov and I enjoy playing white/black. I was hoping to share my build with you more experienced and knowledgable players and see what your thoughts are. Is there anything that you think I'm currently running that is a waste of space in this deck? Do I have too many of one card and not enough of another? Is it worth trying to play this deck at my local game shop, or would i get destroyed?! Any thoughts on how i could improve or streamline would be greatly appreciated!
At this point the goal is to proliferate spirit tokens via Teysa Karlov, and overwhelm opponents with flying. I'd like to take as much of their life as possible and make it my own
My deck build:
1 Tithe Taker
3 Imperious Oligarch
2 Teysa Karlov
4 Pitiless Pontiff
4 Ministrant of Obligation
2 The Haunt of Hightower
1 Pestilent Spirit
2 Forbidding Spirit
4 Seraph of the Scales
1 Ethereal Absolution
1 Ill-Gotten Inheritance
Land
8 Plains
9 Swamp
1 Godless Shrine
4 Orzhov Guildgate
Instant
4 Mortify
2 Final Payment
2 Consecrate // Consume
2 Kaya's Wrath
2 Revival // Revenge
Planeswalker
1 Kaya, Orzhov Usurper
Cards:
Imperious Oligarch: Intended to fill the board during early game, and leave behind 1/1 flying tokens to block and harrass opponent once Oligarch is destroyed. In conjunction with Teysa, tokens are doubled and gain lifeline and vigilance.
Pitiless Pontiff: In addition to Oligarch, this card is played early game to fill board, but with some additional perks. It can block much larger creature and disincentives the opponent from attaching due to its effect, especially in conjunction with an expendable token. Also, this card can free bound creatures, or destroy them to activate their afterlife effects and get them airborne; something further improved with Teysa on the board.
Tithe Taker: This card is played early to put out a blocker and make it more difficult and expensive for an opponent to gain an early advantage with instant spells.
Forbidding Spirit: This card provides the deck with a 3/3 blocker that can stall an opponent whose trying to get offensive early. Of all the cards in the deck this is the one i'm most considering replacing.
Ministrant of Obligations: I've included this card for its Afterlife 2 effect, because my goal is to get as many flying 1/1s out as possible, ideal with Teysa's added effects of lifelike and vigilance. If played with Teysa and a Pontiff, this creature can be sacrificed to create 4 1/1 tokens with vigilance, flying, and lifelink.
Pestilent Spirit: This card is included to put offensive pressure on an opponent on turns 3-4 because of it's death touch and menace, although with a single copy it is maybe not the most efficient card for this deck.
Seraph of the Scales: This card is the backbone of the creature cards in this build, giving a decent 4/3 flyer in force. With the ability to add vigilance and death touch affordably this card is intended to bring the game out of parity in my favor by turn 4-5.
Teysa Karlov: This is a crucial support creature that adds huge bonuses to all of my afterlife creatures, doubling their spirit tokens and granting them vigilance and lifelink. She's the key that unlocks the whole afterlife strategy and makes it really problematic for my opponent.
Haunt of Hightower: Along with Seraph, this card helps make up the Orzhov Airforce. It enters the field a 3/3 but has the ability to become more powerful as the game progresses. Also, it taxes the opponents cards and has lifelink.
Ill Gotten Inheritance: One of two enchantments i've included in the deck, this card helps give me life while draining the opponents, which is the ultimate goal of the game. It can also deal the killing blow to an opponent brought down to 4 health or less, ending a game that might drag on.
Ethereal Absolution: This card pumps up my creatures while weakening my opponents, which is important since so many of my cards are 2/1 or become converted into 1/1 tokens. Additionally this card compliments Kaya, Orzhov Usurper, by exiling cards from an opponents grave yard and bolstering her -5 effect, all while adding more flying tokens
Final Payment: This card fills the role of early game removal, while helping to convert 2/1 creatures on the ground into 1/1 fliers, and can also free cards that have become bound or tied up by enchantments.
Mortify: The primary removal spell in the deck, it is affordable at 3 mana cost and can target both creatures and enchantments, which makes it a workhorse.
Kaya's Wrath: This card is intended as an "Oh Crap" card. If I play this its because I'm losing the game and need to slam on the reset button. It also fills up an opponents graveyard nicely, giving Kaya the Usurper lots of fodder to exile.
Consecrate // Consume: This card provides nice late game removal that helps eliminate powerful late game creature cards and transform their power into life. Its pulled my chestnuts out of the fire more than once!
Revival // Revenge: This card was included because for two mana it can return an early to mid game creature directly to the battlefield, or for six mana can double my health and half an opponents, essentially turning a losing game around or a winning game into a blowout.
Kaya, Orzhov Usurper: This card is included because she helps eliminate cards from an opponents grave yard into exile, building me life at their expense, and if she survives two or more turns can deal a huge blow to opponent if cards have been exiled effectible. This is supported by the Etheral absolution card also in the build.
Thats what i've got for now, any thoughts or suggestions appreciated!
Thanks and best!
-Obzedat