Have you considered running Clerics like Daunting Defender instead of just pro black creatures? I think this is better because not only does it take care of Pestilence's damage to your creatures but it also takes care of annoying pingers like Goblin Sharpshooter and Triskelion.
My concern with running clerics is that they tend to have higher mana costs. The creatures I'm running have the smallest costs I can manage while having them still be effective at staying alive.
Guardian of the Guildpact will handle most pingers without trouble, and costs less mana than the Daunting Defender.
if you really want to abuse pestilence to the maximum. I will ABSOLUTLY play with either white or bleu and throw in 4 copies of swans of bryn argoll
B to draw a card... look freaking sweet to me...
This isn't a bad idea. I could add it to my white version. The issue is that sometimes, I'll deal 20+ pestilence damage in a single pass. When that happens, I could potentially deck myself. That's no good.
I've considered running Sun Droplet, but my past experiences with it have shown me that it just isn't very efficient. It is extremely annoying to other players, and they hate seeing it on the field, but that doesn't mean it is an effective means of survival. It doesn't effectively mitigate damage the way that Urza's Armor and Sphere of Grace do.
Stuffy Doll is a card that I hate seeing on the field enough that for me to run them would be extremely hypocritical. When a player drops a Stuffy doll into play, I immediately know my next target. Still, they would be effective, and I cannot deny that.
I've added a few cards to the white version, and will edit this post with an updated decklist sometime tonight when I have a moment.
This is one of my favorite ideas for a deck. It started out as a $3 deck that was in $5 sleeves, which makes me laugh whenever I think about it. I've changed it around a lot, and am trying to make it actually have some power to it. It is mostly silly, but also not particularly expected.
The general idea is this: keep a steady flow of black creatures coming into play, and going into the graveyard. Let them die, be crazy and suicidal with them. Invite the Tar Pit Warriors and Skulking Fugitives to be targetted. Play creatures after attacking with the Skittering Horror or Skittering Skirge so that they pop. Play Bad Moon whenever you get the chance.
Corrupt is in there to offset the life-cost of Graveborn Muse. Dread and Stronghold Overseer both have good evasion and can land a blow, as can any of the fliers. Once you are set to land a serious hit, simply toss a Soulshriek onto whatever isn't blocked, and have it hit for something like +7 damage. If you can, play 2 of them at the same time on a single creature. Between the normal hits and the big evasive hits, I can usually win by turn 5. It isn't the fastest or most amazing strategy, but it is novel and has some little control elements in it to slow down your opponent.
All in all, I like it a lot, crazy and stupid as it is. I want more things that work in the same vein. Any ideas? Making it more competitive would be fun. I've considered Nantuko Husk and Dauthi Slayer as well.
I'm looking for some ideas on how to improve my Giants deck. I don't really have a name for it yet. I hope that someone else hasn't already come up with something like this and given it a name already.
Much of the deck's success is due to careful timing and prediction. Knowing when and in which order to play giants so as to maximize the board-clearing effect of Thundercloud Shaman (which kills the Stinkdrinker Daredevils), and when to be willing to pitch a giant at someone's face using Brion (after a big attack, especially when you've just used sunhome and have a warhammer on the subject), these techniques take a little practice and knowing thy enemy.
I've had very good results with this deck in the environment in which I play, and have considered using the deck in a more formal environment. I'd like to see it maximize strength before I even try that, though. I'm looking for advice.
EDIT: Seriously guys, does anyone have a comment or idea on the deck? Do you think it seems pretty strong? Is it missing something obvious? Should I remove something and replace it with a few more of something else? Right now, the deck has no search mechanic, and is prone to losing steam after turn 6 or so. I could run some browbeats or something in it, but I don't know if that is a good idea. Playing with non-giant cards would go against the theme, too.
Hey guys. I've been reading the forums here for a while, and finally decided to join. I feel like sharing a few decks I've designed today. I'm going to start off with a pair of pestilence decks, because I've always enjoyed the mechanic.
I should start off by saying that the format in which I play most regularly is 3-6 player Free-For-All.
I'm looking for some ideas on how to make these two a little stronger, without completely obliterating my bank account. I've considered adding the shock lands.
Also, I keep them together in a single box, all sleeved in black, and I swap out the Green cards for the White and vice-versa. Its like a single deck with a mega-sideboard.
I'm really looking forward to this release when it happens. I enjoy using OCTGN as a general deckbuilding and playtesting app more than anything else. The interface on version 1 is something I've come to be able to use, but I can only barely tolerate it. It is pretty bad, all things considered.
2.0's interface looks amazing. It looks like what MTGOv3 should've looked like, in my opinion.
Hey all. I'm a long-time reader, first-time poster here on MTG Salvation. I'm an oldschool player who has been getting more into the game lately. Yesterday, I bought myself my first playset of Ball Lightning. Looking forward to the deck I've designed around it, but we'll get to that.
I've got some decks and deck ideas to post, for which I am looking for some suggestions and / or critiques. In order to post them, I know that I need to use some kind of tags along with the card names and counts. I have yet to find a good explanation of how to do this. Could someone help me out, please?
EDIT: I figured out how to use the deck tags. All done. I have a thread up in the Casual Forum now for my two pestilence decks. Take a look!
As soon as I determine how to do so, I'll be posting at least 3 decks in the causal subforum, and possibly 1 or 2 more in the 1.5 forum.
I've restructured it a bit. I'll post and updated list sometime soon.
My concern with running clerics is that they tend to have higher mana costs. The creatures I'm running have the smallest costs I can manage while having them still be effective at staying alive.
Guardian of the Guildpact will handle most pingers without trouble, and costs less mana than the Daunting Defender.
This isn't a bad idea. I could add it to my white version. The issue is that sometimes, I'll deal 20+ pestilence damage in a single pass. When that happens, I could potentially deck myself. That's no good.
I've considered running Sun Droplet, but my past experiences with it have shown me that it just isn't very efficient. It is extremely annoying to other players, and they hate seeing it on the field, but that doesn't mean it is an effective means of survival. It doesn't effectively mitigate damage the way that Urza's Armor and Sphere of Grace do.
I've added a few cards to the white version, and will edit this post with an updated decklist sometime tonight when I have a moment.
4 Pestilence
4 Sphere of Grace
3 Death Grasp
2 Death Pits of Rath
Creatures
4 Guardian of the Guildpact
3 Death Speakers
2 Cho-Arrim Legate
2 Crusading Knight
4 Dark Ritual
4 Diabolic Tutor
3 Night's Whisper
Land
3 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
3 Winding Canyon
2 Cabal Coffers
10 Swamp
7 Plains
I also bought a set of Gift of Estates which could fit but I'm not sure yet.
I've considered adding ritual, but currently all the ones I own are in another deck. I'd have to get a second playset of them.
Picked up the following:
4 Skittering Skirge
3 Tar Pit Warrior
3 Skulking Fugitive
3 Skittering Horror
4 Hidden Horror
3 Bone Shredder
Kill Conditions
4 Bad Moon
4 Soulshriek
3 Corrupt
2 Dread
2 Stronghold Overseer
3 Graveborn Muse
Land
18 Swamp
4 Barren Moor
The general idea is this: keep a steady flow of black creatures coming into play, and going into the graveyard. Let them die, be crazy and suicidal with them. Invite the Tar Pit Warriors and Skulking Fugitives to be targetted. Play creatures after attacking with the Skittering Horror or Skittering Skirge so that they pop. Play Bad Moon whenever you get the chance.
Corrupt is in there to offset the life-cost of Graveborn Muse. Dread and Stronghold Overseer both have good evasion and can land a blow, as can any of the fliers. Once you are set to land a serious hit, simply toss a Soulshriek onto whatever isn't blocked, and have it hit for something like +7 damage. If you can, play 2 of them at the same time on a single creature. Between the normal hits and the big evasive hits, I can usually win by turn 5. It isn't the fastest or most amazing strategy, but it is novel and has some little control elements in it to slow down your opponent.
All in all, I like it a lot, crazy and stupid as it is. I want more things that work in the same vein. Any ideas? Making it more competitive would be fun. I've considered Nantuko Husk and Dauthi Slayer as well.
4 Thundercloud Shaman
3 Brion Stoutarm
3 Borderland Behemoth
3 Blind-Spot Giant
2 Stonehewer Giant
2 Sunhome Enforcer
2 Sunrise Sovereign
3 Loxodon Warhammer
1 Tatsumasa, the Dragon's Fang
Acceleration
3 Stinkdrinker Daredevil
3 Boros Signet
Utility
4 Oblivion Ring
3 Lightning Helix
4 Ancient Ampitheater
4 Boros Garrison
4 Terramorphic Expanse
2 Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion
5 Mountain
5 Plains
I've had very good results with this deck in the environment in which I play, and have considered using the deck in a more formal environment. I'd like to see it maximize strength before I even try that, though. I'm looking for advice.
EDIT: Seriously guys, does anyone have a comment or idea on the deck? Do you think it seems pretty strong? Is it missing something obvious? Should I remove something and replace it with a few more of something else? Right now, the deck has no search mechanic, and is prone to losing steam after turn 6 or so. I could run some browbeats or something in it, but I don't know if that is a good idea. Playing with non-giant cards would go against the theme, too.
I should start off by saying that the format in which I play most regularly is 3-6 player Free-For-All.
4 Pestilence
4 Urza's Armor
4 Roots of Life
Creatures
4 Cemetery Gate
4 Fungusaur
2 Whirling Dervish
4 Crop Rotation
4 Dark Ritual
4 Diabolic Tutor
4 Krosan Tusker
2 Sylvan Scrying
2 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
2 Cabal Coffers
6 Swamp
10 Forest
4 Pestilence
4 Sphere of Grace
3 Death Grasp
Creatures
4 Cemetery Gate
3 Death Speakers
2 Cho-Arrim Legate
2 Crusading Knight
4 Dark Ritual
4 Diabolic Tutor
3 Fatal Blow
3 Night's Whisper
2 Temporal Extortion
3 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
2 Cabal Coffers
10 Swamp
7 Plains
I'm looking for some ideas on how to make these two a little stronger, without completely obliterating my bank account. I've considered adding the shock lands.
Also, I keep them together in a single box, all sleeved in black, and I swap out the Green cards for the White and vice-versa. Its like a single deck with a mega-sideboard.
2.0's interface looks amazing. It looks like what MTGOv3 should've looked like, in my opinion.
I've got some decks and deck ideas to post, for which I am looking for some suggestions and / or critiques. In order to post them, I know that I need to use some kind of tags along with the card names and counts. I have yet to find a good explanation of how to do this. Could someone help me out, please?
EDIT: I figured out how to use the deck tags. All done. I have a thread up in the Casual Forum now for my two pestilence decks. Take a look!
As soon as I determine how to do so, I'll be posting at least 3 decks in the causal subforum, and possibly 1 or 2 more in the 1.5 forum.