I don't want to ramble on and on... but for the past 3 days since getting Magic 2013 on Xbox I've been addicted. I collected paper magic 10~ years ago but never really got into it.
I've unlocked all the decks including the DLC and promo cards. I was wondering is there a "best" list of deck builds and for certain styles/game types. I love to read detailed builds so the more, the better. A lot of the threads I've seen suggest a build but I get confused when several people are going back and forth on specific cards to include/exclude. The slang is still foreign to me; ramp, aggro etc. I've started to be familiar with steps in your turn, and card effects (Haste, Trample, Exalted, Lifelink)
The deck I "probably" do my best with is Pack Instinct but after I bought all the decks I found a few of them much more fun but I'm struggling with builds. My Pack Instinct is probably a "nooby" build. Here is what I use:
3x Prey Upon 2x Primal Bellow 1x Ulvenwald Tracker 2x Garruk's Companion 1x Lightning Graves 4x Nature's Lore 2x Primordial Hydra 1x Vineslasher Kudzu 2x Cultivate 1x Dungrove Elder 3x Leatherback Baloth 1x Chameleon Colossus 1x Master of the Wild Hunt 2x Timbermaw Larva 1x Garruk's Packleader 1x Indrik Stomphowler 1x Vorapede 2x Primalcrux 1x Rampaging Baloths 1x Terra Stomper 1x Avenger of Zendikar 1x Howl of the Night Pack
I've fallen into a slum, where I made all my decks consistent, but I often fall victim to one-of victory conditions. I've been playing some Mass Effect tonite www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9KW1fo8mqs, so Imma try and go into Magic mode!
Some keywords are pretty simple in the way people talk: Aggro - like fast play and dmg the hp, all in Burn - sorcery and instant spells to damage stuff Tempo - holding on to the race, such that you succeed over time. Peacekeepers is a good example of Tempo, and so is Pack Instinct. All decks have tempo. Ramp - loss of early bodies, to gain lands and power (see: Sol Ring ) Control - countering cards or spells on a 1 for 1 card basis, so each player is equal or behind later. Combat tricks - Instant spells that have an effect on the field Card Advantage - having more cards, which can be anything! Very powerful Snickers - A full bar would be the best treat on Halloween, however weak to tooth decay Midrange is kinda missing in the game, where you simply outclass your opponent via stronger creatures (just because IMO, the stuff is powerful for cheaper for all colours after the creatures got strong). But this is because of the tempo of the meta of hexproof, sacrifice, removal, etc.
I'd suggest +1 Fog to you, because for the opponent who knows you MAY have a fog, as long as you have 1 card in your hand and 1 forest untapped it could be so. You can probably find an answer the question for youself, if ya can ever decide whether you want Garruk's Packleader or Indrik Stomphowler since you cannot tutor either. Which works more often, to be consistent! Tutor means to search a library archive for a particular card.
I'd play some 2012 with ya if you want, using the cards. But in that game, the Meta is more like hoping to get the card that gives +1/+1 to other creatures. Maybe it will help ya figure out your stance.
Perhaps try out Rakdos deck (w/o Rakdos), and rock on with a Onyx Mage + Sootsoak rakdos guildmage haste + Blood cup ping girl. That way, on turn 5, if you have them out, you basically could destroy all of Garruk's future creatures (unless of course, he drew a prey upon or primal surge or hexproof or undine). It should give you an idea, and I hope you can get more ideas!
Try out this thread. I hope it pastes ok as I'm on my phone. Imo, I would lose a Companion, keep one Leatherback, have of your Packleaders, loae the Kudzu. Everything else looks darn strong although the Cameleon and Primalcrux have always been situational to me. As for Timbermaw (I believe there are three) I run all. All of that is only my opinion. Now please someone step in and correct me if I'm wrong because it's been a long time since I used this deck, I think you can attack with your Larva, it pumps to amount of mana you control, and in your endstep use Prey Upon to take out opponents fatty.
It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt. - Mark Twain
I don't want to ramble on and on... but for the past 3 days since getting Magic 2013 on Xbox I've been addicted. I collected paper magic 10~ years ago but never really got into it.
I've unlocked all the decks including the DLC and promo cards. I was wondering is there a "best" list of deck builds and for certain styles/game types. I love to read detailed builds so the more, the better. A lot of the threads I've seen suggest a build but I get confused when several people are going back and forth on specific cards to include/exclude. The slang is still foreign to me; ramp, aggro etc. I've started to be familiar with steps in your turn, and card effects (Haste, Trample, Exalted, Lifelink)
The deck I "probably" do my best with is Pack Instinct but after I bought all the decks I found a few of them much more fun but I'm struggling with builds. My Pack Instinct is probably a "nooby" build. Here is what I use:
3x Prey Upon 2x Primal Bellow 1x Ulvenwald Tracker 2x Garruk's Companion 1x Lightning Graves 4x Nature's Lore 2x Primordial Hydra 1x Vineslasher Kudzu 2x Cultivate 1x Dungrove Elder 3x Leatherback Baloth 1x Chameleon Colossus 1x Master of the Wild Hunt 2x Timbermaw Larva 1x Garruk's Packleader 1x Indrik Stomphowler 1x Vorapede 2x Primalcrux 1x Rampaging Baloths 1x Terra Stomper 1x Avenger of Zendikar 1x Howl of the Night Pack
24x Forest
*shrugs cluelessly* :P Any suggestions?
Thanks! - BenG!
Pack Instinct is a fun deck to play but it lacks removal (you have a few prey upon and master of the wld hunt if he lives) and doesn't really have answers for artifacts/enchantments aside from Indrik which you have 1x...and also has some issues with fliers ....
That build looks solid to me. Looks pretty cose to what I run. With 4x nature's lure and 2x cultivate...you should be able to ramp quickly and drop bombs early in quite a few games.
Someone suggested fog and I suppose it can be used as a trick. Opponent swings at you for the win and taps their creatures, you play fog and swing back at them for the win...Its a decent card with the primal belows.... I run a blanchwood armor too but some people here don't like it as you open yourself up to a 2 for 1 in a deck lacking card draw.....
If you are running The Zendikar and Holw of the Night pack, Biorythm is also a card to consider. Certainly helps against Celestial Light and allows you to sneak a win occasional. The mana ramping of this deck means its usually playable in a reasonable amount of time...
community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/758... Try out this thread. I hope it pastes ok as I'm on my phone. Imo, I would lose a Companion, keep one Leatherback, have of your Packleaders, loae the Kudzu. Everything else looks darn strong although the Cameleon and Primalcrux have always been situational to me. As for Timbermaw (I believe there are three) I run all. All of that is only my opinion. Now please someone step in and correct me if I'm wrong because it's been a long time since I used this deck, I think you can attack with your Larva, it pumps to amount of mana you control, and in your endstep use Prey Upon to take out opponents fatty.
I disagree completely on the leatherback. A 4/5 for 3 mana? That is awesome! Run them all! I do not disagree on the Companion issue. I can see cutting him and I like the timermaw larva as well.
Primalcrux is a 6/6 no matter what.
Also, I guess I am not seeing Fangren Firstborn...he pumps all the creatures permanently so 1x seems prudent. He is better in 2HG though since he pumps your teammates creatures as well.
@killa Agreed Leathback is awesome but I only run 1 as this deck ramps so well you can bring out a bigger boy next turn. Primalcrux.. I run 1. Blanchwood screams, ''kill me!'' but I still love it. I'll leave it that so this thread doesn't grow to big. @Garnierx Try going to the above link for disscusion about this deck. When you post in it, it will bump up in the threads and I'm sure some discussion will start up again.
It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt. - Mark Twain
The problem with Fangren Firstborn is that unless your opponent is running a deck with no creatures and no removal, it's going to die as soon as it attacks, if not sooner. In most cases, you're paying to maybe get two +1/+1 counters if you're lucky. Not exactly great value for money, especially if you compare it to something like Incremental Growth, which, if it resolves, guarantees you six +1/+1 counters for only 1 more mana.
The problem with Fangren Firstborn is that unless your opponent is running a deck with no creatures and no removal, it's going to die as soon as it attacks, if not sooner. In most cases, you're paying to maybe get two +1/+1 counters if you're lucky. Not exactly great value for money, especially if you compare it to something like Incremental Growth, which, if it resolves, guarantees you six +1/+1 counters for only 1 more mana.
And I don't run Incremental Growth, either.
Four mana to put a permanent +1+1 counter on a few creatures and to draw and kill a blocker doesn't seem bad though--or even drawing out a removal with him is still a plus sometimes. But still, yeah, he seems better suited for 2HG because he has the oppurtuinity to pump 2x the creatures....
It's not useful to evaluate cards in isolation, but rather, you should consider how each fits into your strategic plan for the deck. Having people tell you "drop the Companions" isn't useful, unless you know why they think you should drop them, and what strategic plan they are using to evaluate the card as unworthy of inclusion. If your strategy is to kill the opponent quickly, before they have a chance to play much, you can't do much better than a turn 2 Garruk's Companion . If your strategy is to quickly get forests out, and drop a Terra Stomper out on turn 4 that balks at your opponent's Peace Strider he dropped the same turn, the Companion is much less useful.
In the case of Pack Instinct, I would suggest deciding if you want to be more of an "aggro" deck or a "ramp" deck. Trying to split the two winds up with a weaker deck in general. For instance, if you're aggro, and Companion is good, you probably want to include 4. If you're ramp, and it's bad, you might want to include 0. In general, you don't want cards like Companion and Howl of the Night Pack in the same deck, because they don't fit the same game plan. (This rule is somewhat weakened in DotP where you have a restricted set of cards, and sometimes it's more about taking the best of options available, than the best card for your strategy.) Decks that play Howl want to play Emerald Medallion on turn 2, followed by Nature's Lore and Cultivate on turn 3, and a Howl for 6 wolves on turn 4. The only way Companion fits into that line of play, is to play it early and slow down your ramp to cast Howl, or play it on turn 5 when it's barely relevant anymore.
If you go aggro, I'd drop the more expensive creatures and put in more Companions, Fangren Firstborn , and Timbermaw Larva . If you go ramp, I'd drop the Companions, Larva, and maybe the Leatherback Baloth s, and add in all the ramp (Medallions, Nature's Lore, Cultivate) and about 8 of your favorite 6+ drops. Personally, I prefer PI Ramp to PI Aggro, not because Aggro is bad, but because there are already other aggro decks, and if I play PI it's because I want something different.
It's not useful to evaluate cards in isolation, but rather, you should consider how each fits into your strategic plan for the deck. Having people tell you "drop the Companions" isn't useful, unless you know why they think you should drop them, and what strategic plan they are using to evaluate the card as unworthy of inclusion. If your strategy is to kill the opponent quickly, before they have a chance to play much, you can't do much better than a turn 2 Garruk's Companion . If your strategy is to quickly get forests out, and drop a Terra Stomper out on turn 4 that balks at your opponent's Peace Strider he dropped the same turn, the Companion is much less useful.
In the case of Pack Instinct, I would suggest deciding if you want to be more of an "aggro" deck or a "ramp" deck.
Trying to split the two winds up with a weaker deck in general. For instance, if you're aggro, and Companion is good, you probably want to include 4. If you're ramp, and it's bad, you might want to include 0. In general, you don't want cards like Companion and Howl of the Night Pack in the same deck, because they don't fit the same game plan. (This rule is somewhat weakened in DotP where you have a restricted set of cards, and sometimes it's more about taking the best of options available, than the best card for your strategy.) Decks that play Howl want to play Emerald Medallion on turn 2, followed by Nature's Lore and Cultivate on turn 3, and a Howl for 6 wolves on turn 4. The only way Companion fits into that line of play, is to play it early and slow down your ramp to cast Howl, or play it on turn 5 when it's barely relevant anymore.
If you go aggro, I'd drop the more expensive creatures and put in more Companions, Fangren Firstborn , and Timbermaw Larva . If you go ramp, I'd drop the Companions, Larva, and maybe the Leatherback Baloth s, and add in all the ramp (Medallions, Nature's Lore, Cultivate) and about 8 of your favorite 6+ drops. Personally, I prefer PI Ramp to PI Aggro, not because Aggro is bad, but because there are already other aggro decks, and if I play PI it's because I want something different.
I disagree with the portion in bold above. Ramp decking is far too inconsistent without early defense like the Leatherbacks and even the companion can be nice.
You have 2x cultivate, 4x natures lore and 2x medallion...that is 8 cards helping you do what you want in a ramp deck out of 60. What are your odds of drawing more than one of them per game to start? Not very good I'd say... You cannot rely on having more than one to start each game. Its not going to happen.
At the very least, the 3x leatherbacks provide GREAT blocking and stall. Running a companion or two isn't necessarily bad play even in a ramp deck...
I used to buy into it but that that black or white ramp/aggo distinction is pretty bad. To be perfectly honest, the aggro should have a few late game bombs and the Ramp deck can't expect to have adequate ramp every game, you need some other early plays. 3x leatherbacks are auto include in every build in my opinion---ramp or aggro. The card is too good for 3 mana.... Not doing so is a mistake to me. The companions, well argument can go either way but a 2 mana 3/2 TRAMPLE in a mana ramping deck with 2x blanchwood armor and 3x primal below isn't a bad thing either...
