TASTY STANDARD DECKS
(and their more powerful meta alternatives)
The average competitive Magic the Gathering player lives to crush their enemies and take their last point of life. The game offers plenty of different ways to do that. Some players like to brutalize the enemy with strong creatures. Others prefer to play it cool and control the battlefield. Both strategies can work with the right deck. Today we're going to highlight three decks that are a little heavier on flavor. In case you'd rather steamroll and get tossed some free wins, we're going to also suggest their more powerful meta alternative.
1. Big Scary Monsters: MONO-GREEN AGGRO
It's hard to get more traditional than a green aggro deck with plenty of big creatures. This Mono-Green deck relies on a classic strategy, but that strategy is a classic because it works (and turning big, dumb creatures sideways is almost always fun). It combines a set of snow lands with Sculptor of Winter to create a powerful early mana base. Those lands pay for cheap creatures and a few expensive abilities to make them stronger. Once the pieces are in play, victory is as easy as launching the attacks.
MAIN BOARD
2 Ranger Class
4 Sculptor of Winter
2 Snakeskin Veil
19 Snow-Covered Forest
4 Ulvenwald Oddity
2 Unnatural Growth
4 Werewolf Pack Leader
3 Ascendant Packleader
4 Blizzard Brawl
4 Esika's Chariot
3 Faceless Haven
4 Kazandu Mammoth
1 Lair of the Hydra
4 Old-Growth Troll
SIDEBOARD
2 Choose Your Weapon
2 Devouring Tendrils
2 Froghemoth
3 Inscription of Abundance
1 Outland Liberator
2 Snakeskin Veil
2 Tajuru Blightblade
1 Tovolar's Huntmaster
BONUS!
This deck is as big on flavor as it is big on wins. Yep, this is one of those rare moments when a big green deck is also king of the meta game.
2. Bloodsucking Priests: ORZHOV CLERICS
Tribal decks have been popular for as long as MTG has been around. They're a great choice for players who want a flavorful Magic deck with a cohesive theme. They can also be a powerful choice in the right hands. This Orzhov Clerics deck uses clerics to gain life and distribute plenty of +1/+1 counters, turning weak creatures into powerhouses. Pyre of Heroes combos with Orah, Skyclave Hierophant allowing you to really capitalize on Cleric of Life’s Bond by cycling your creatures out of your deck, onto your battlefield, then into your graveyard and back again.
Main Board
6 Plains
4 Professor of Symbology
4 Pyre of Heroes
4 Righteous Valkyrie
4 Shineshadow Snarl
1 Skyclave Apparition
1 Skyclave Cleric
5 Swamp
2 Vanishing Verse
2 Voice of the Blessed
2 Agadeem's Awakening
1 Angel of Destiny
4 Brightclimb Pathway
2 Cave of the Frost Dragon
1 Dawnbringer Cleric
1 Drana, the Last Bloodchief
4 Elite Spellbinder
4 Luminarch Aspirant
4 Lunarch Veteran
4 Orah, Skyclave Hierophant
Sideboard
2 Crippling Fear
1 Drana, the Last Bloodchief
3 Duress
2 Elderfang Disciple
1 Environmental Sciences
2 Necrotic Fumes
1 Rite of Oblivion
1 Skyclave Apparition
1 Taborax, Hope's Demise
1 The Meathook Massacre
POWERFUL META ALTERNATIVE: MONO-WHITE AGGRO
This deck has a strong mulligan, low curve, and is incredibly powerful against non-creature decks. By dropping the black cards from your kit, you can worry less about lands and you're actually not losing any of the best cards from its Orzhov cousin.
Main Board
1 Portable Hole
3 Reidane, God of the Worthy
20 Snow-Covered Plains
4 Sungold Sentinel
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Usher of the Fallen
2 Valorous Stance
3 Adeline, Resplendent Cathar
3 Brutal Cathar
4 Elite Spellbinder
4 Faceless Haven
4 Hopeful Initiate
1 Legion Angel
4 Luminarch Aspirant
Sideboard
1 Circle of Confinement
3 Legion Angel
2 Paladin Class
2 Portable Hole
4 Skyclave Apparition
1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Valorous Stance
3. THE SUBTLE OPTION: IZZET CONTROL
Control decks have always been a strong option in Magic the Gathering. This Izzet Control deck is no exception. It only has six creature cards, but it does have a massive number of powerful spells. Jwari Disruption, and Syncopate all offer ways to counter the opponent's spells while Fading Hope and Spikefield Hazard ensure a clean board. It isn't the fastest deck out there, but it's a great choice for players who want to disrupt their opponent's plans and enjoy cards that say, “Take another turn.”
Main Board
5 Island
3 Jwari Disruption
1 Lier, Disciple of the Drowned
4 Mountain
1 Prismari Command
4 Riverglide Pathway
1 Shatterskull Smashing
4 Spikefield Hazard
4 Stormcarved Coast
1 The Celestus
1 Thundering Rebuke
4 Unexpected Windfall
1 Abrade
4 Alrund's Epiphany
2 Behold the Multiverse
1 Burn Down the House
1 Cinderclasm
1 Demon Bolt
4 Divide by Zero
4 Expressive Iteration
2 Fading Hope
4 Galvanic Iteration
2 Hall of Storm Giants
Sideboard
2 Burning Hands
1 Cinderclasm
1 Environmental Sciences
1 Flame-Blessed Bolt
1 Hullbreaker Horror
1 Lier, Disciple of the Drowned
1 Mascot Exhibition
4 Smoldering Egg
1 Teachings of the Archaics
2 Test of Talents
POWERFUL META ALTERNATIVE: IZZET DRAGONS
The issue with Izzet, and all the non-creature decks, right now is that high level play is dealing with mono white (Hello, Thalia!). While there’s only a subtle difference between these two lists, adding Goldspan Dragon goes a long way toward making sure you both survive long enough to hit a win condition and have the mana to pay for it.
Main Board
5 Island
3 Jwari Disruption
1 Lier, Disciple of the Drowned
6 Mountain
4 Riverglide Pathway
4 Spikefield Hazard
4 Stormcarved Coast
1 Test of Talents
1 The Celestus
4 Unexpected Windfall
1 Valakut Awakening
1 Abrade
3 Alrund's Epiphany
2 Behold the Multiverse
1 Cinderclasm
1 Demon Bolt
1 Disdainful Stroke
4 Divide by Zero
4 Expressive Iteration
3 Fading Hope
3 Galvanic Iteration
1 Goldspan Dragon
2 Hall of Storm Giants
Sideboard
1 Burning Hands
1 Cinderclasm
1 Demon Bolt
1 Environmental Sciences
1 Goldspan Dragon
1 Hullbreaker Horror
1 Lier, Disciple of the Drowned
1 Mascot Exhibition
4 Smoldering Egg
1 Teachings of the Archaics
2 Test of Talents
Are you ready to take the plunge and try a new deck?
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