Ok , here is another deck for you to build as practice.
I will keep my comments short , but my build is underneath the list.
Artifacts
Bloodstone Cameo
Rith's Attendant
Black
Bog Initiate
Duskwalker
Firescreamer
Hypnotic Cloud
Nightscape Apprentice
Ravenous Rats
Tsabo's Decree
Urborg Phantom
Urborg Shambler
Bog Down
Death Bomb
Diabolic Intent
Exotic Disease
Nightscape Familiar
Phyrexian Bloodstock
Shriek of Dread
Sinister Strength
Volcano Imp
Blue
Disrupt
Faerie Squadron
Manipulate Fate
Opt
Rainbow Crow
Tower Drake
Arctic Merfolk
Confound
Sisay's Ingenuity
Sleeping Potion
Gold
Aura Shards
Galina's Knight
Overabundance
Pyre Zombie
Shivan Zombie
Smoldering Tar
Horned Kavu
Keldon Twilight
Silver Drake
Steel Leaf Paladin
Treva's Charm
Green
Harrow
Nomadic Elf
Pincer Spider
Quirion Elves
Serpentine Kavu
Wandering Stream
Falling Timber
Multani's Harmony
Primal Growth
Red
Firebrand Ranger
Kavu Aggressor
Maniacal Rage
Overload
Pouncing Kavu
Scarred Puma
Slimy Kavu
Viashino Grappler
Zap
Caldera Kavu
Magma Burst
Mire Kavu
Mire Kavu
Strafe
White
Obsidian Acolyte
Prison Barricade
Protective Sphere
Restrain
Strength of Unity
Honorable Scout
Sunscape Familiar
Land
Ancient Spring
Elfhame Palace
Terminal Moraine
Terminal Moraine
I am out of limericks currently (at least printable ones), so I'm afraid you will have to scroll past white space to see my discussion
Welcome back, and sorry about the white space.
Anyway, the above decklist inspires the following thought in my mind :
"Welcome to the top eight"
It's good, and it's an easy build. For me, it was also an Invasion sealed rarity.
Quick inspection tells you the colours you really want for your best spells. Black and Red. A quick creature count reveals that those colours are sufficient without getting very sub-optimal, and you have more than enough spells to fill the deck out.
The curve isnt that low, but you could conceivably get away with 2 colours, 16 lands. I went with 17 land however.
Here is my build:
1cc
Nightscape Apprentice
Strafe
2cc
Firebrand Ranger
Shivan Zombie
Nightscape Familiar
Sinister Strength
3cc
Kavu Aggressor
Pyre Zombie
Viashino Grappler
Caldera Kavu
Zap
Bog Down
4cc
Urborg Shambler
Mire Kavu
Mire Kavu
Volcano Imp
Smoldering Tar
Magma Burst
Death Bomb
5cc
Duskwalker
Phyrexian Bloodstock
Pouncing Kavu
6cc
Tsabo's Decree
Wow, a 2-colour invasion block limited deck!
Only 1 spell at 6cc or more.
4 top notch removal spells
2 other maindeck removal
good tricks and pump
This deck is not broken, but you should make top 8 becuase of it's remarkable consistency. If you shuffle well, this should be the least mana screwed deck at the tourney, and there is little you can't handle. Plus you have a pyre zombie.
As for choices I made, the creatures I cut were typically higher cost (except for the initiate). The last cut was the phantom, who is a decent aggresive creature (especially with apprentice out), but it was him or the apprentice. He would come back in for shambler against non-black decks (or choosing him maindeck over shambler would make sense too).
The next practice deck will be harder, so enjoy this while you can (if I could only open this at the next PTQ, it would make my week).
This is definitely a very strong set of cards. You even have an answer for acolytes in the decree. I would also have built a straight black red deck but would have made the following changes. Keep in mind that I didn't spend a whole lot of time with this.
out:
nightscape apprentice
viashino grappler
in:
ravenous rats
maniacal rage
I would not go down to 14 creats , but the rats were an honest mistake. I thought I had already included them.
I would rather have another creature as opposed to rage with this deck.
I think maniacal rage is an incredible card, but I recognize the vulnerability of creature enchantments. If you don't want it, I would still switch the rats with the nightscape.
Then put in either slimy kavu or firescreamer instead of the grappler. You don't have such a ridiculous amount of removal that the grappler will never be blocked and without trample, he isn't so hot. The screamer is higher casting but has a nice ability, and the slimy kavu can get you an extra swamp if you are short, something that might help in a flood of mountains.
slimy kavu trades with 2/2's where the grappler can attack into 3/3's, and in an aggresive deck, force the block.
firescreamer costs one more, and suffers the same problem as grappler. I think grappler fit the curve better. If I were going to drop it, it would be for nightscape apprentice (which does go out for the rats, I explained that).
Maniacal rage is amazing when you have a few more grizzlies available, and a low curve. With quite a few of this pool's creatures, it's not realy that good. Im not taking out a removal effect for it, and I wouldnt reduce my creature count to 14 for it , especially when I already have ways of sneaking damage through. I would accept the argument to go down to 16 land for it, however, if you really like it that much.
I can see this is just a difference of opinion that we wouldn't ever agree on. Yes the grappler can attack into 3/3 creatures but not into 1/1s. I would rather have the slimy.
I really want to fit in the rage, but I would never cut a land for it in this deck. Even though there aren't that many 5 or 6 cc cards, there are lot of 4s, so the land stays.
looking forward to the next one
Hi, does anyone know where I can find a Sealed Deck Generator (used to use Toby Elliotts (either from thedojo or yavapai but both of these sites have been closed down and the links from meridian link to yavapai)) The one in my magic suitcase program doesn't support planeshift boosters and I've tried to search the net. Currently I am at a loss. I'd appreciate it if someone could drop me a line.
/Rickard Persson
it should support all types of boosters if you update it...
and can't apprentice do this as well? (sorry. don't use windows so i don't know off-hand.)