Ok, I wrote a kind of mini primer on Acc Blue. Tell me what you think and if it is any good. Suggestions are welcomed. Excuse my language which may be poor and excuse the mistakes I may be making but, English is not my first language. Ok Here it is:
ACCELERATED BLUE MINI-PRIMER by Max, the Mana Drainer
What is draw-go?Draw-go is a mono blue deck that tries to get control of the game.
How do you get in control of the game?You get in control of the game by using Blue’s main resources: countermagic and card drawing. Powder Kegs also are critical to achieve this objective: they allow you to survive against aggro decks destroying their fast threats which sneaked past your counterspells.
Why is it called Draw-Go?The only action players typically did during their turn was to draw a card and drop a land. The power of this deck is during your opponent's turn, you are able to counter his spells and play your own spells at instant speed at the end of his turn. The Draw-Go players just wait for their opponents' moves and play almost anything during their turn. When they have got in complete control of the game, they drop their finisher and win the game in few turns.
Counterspells allow you to decide which spell your opponent may play, and which not. Drawing cards and manipulating library helps you to get the card you need at the right time. The game has got faster and now the best way to build a deck is to use full mana acceleration in order to get quickly in control of the game. Accelerated blue decks find themselves using a whole set of jewelry. Using off-color moxen is absolutely important because it allows you to drop first/second turn Ophidian. They can also give you the ability to counter during the very first turns of the game (land/mox, mana leak in hand). Colorless mana is always useful to pump Morphling and also to play very big Stroke of Genius to refill your hand.
A LITTLE BIT OF HISTORY…Ok, where do all these archetypes come from? We should make a difference between Draw-Go and Acc Blue. Draw-Go is a mono-blue deck, without off-color moxen who plays a less aggressive strategy. Acc. Blue is a fast mono-blue deck, accelerated by the power of off-color moxen, that can win much more easily and can compete with the speed of aggro decks. The first mono-blue decks didn’t have a lot of options; Counterspell and Mana Drain were the only effective counterspells available. After that much more counters were printed: Force of Will, Forbid, and Mana Leak gave the mono-Blue player a wider choice. In the meantime, a powerful card drawer came out, in the form of Ophidian.
A new kind of deck was created and it was called 'Forbiddian'. This deck used Counterspells, Drain, FoW, Forbids as Wall of Countermagic, Impulses and Phids as card-drawers, Nevynirral’s Disk as reset button which allowed them to survive to aggro and Rainbow Efreet as a good finisher (hard to kill and survived the disk).
Then came the Urza Block. Urza’s Saga is so full of powerful type 1 card, that I think you can compare it only to Legends. New changes for mono-blue decks. First, the finisher. The mighty Morphling came, quite impossible to kill and very effective finisher. Secondly, there was Back to Basics. This is maybe much more important, because it gave the mono-blue player the chance to mana screw multicolor decks, something mono-blu could never do before. Soon Powder Keg was printed as a much cheaper alternative to Disk.
In a game which was getting faster and faster, Powder Keg was (and is) better than Disk. Its low mana cost became critical against fast aggro decks.
Masticore, a worthy addition to the sideboard of blue decks (and in some case it is maindecked) to deal with the presence of aggro decks in addition to powder kegs, as it was easily fueled by the card drawing of blue. After that came Misdirection, a very versatile card, and a strong component to mono-blue's counterbase.
But the real broken card came from the Invasion set, Fact or Fiction (FoF). This card was the core of a deck, nicknamed XLU, which ruled Type 1. Legend Blue was probably the strongest of these. This Acc. Blue version, fully powered by a set of jewelry, using 4 FoF as powerful card drawer, was strictly superior to the Forbiddian build. This deck also played Mana Leaks over Counterspells because they helped in countering first turn threats even without a Force of Will.
The reign of Fact or Fiction ended with its inevitable restriction (January 2002). After that Acc. Blue had to replace 3 free slots. Now there are two different versions: someone tried to replace FoF with Phids (which reminds us much more of Forbiddian). Legend always refused to go that way, and replaced 3 FoF with Stroke of Genius (powerful drawer but definitely slower than FoF), Braingeyser, and Merchant Scroll (which allows to get Ancestral Recall or FoF as well). The deck now is pretty strong, inevitably weaker than the version with 4 FoF, but still amongst the best in type 1.
Here is an example of an Accelerated Blue deck:
Lands/Mana
15 Island
1 Black Lotus
1 Sol Ring
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Pearl
1 Strip Mine
2 Wasteland
1 Library of Alexandria
Countermagic
4 Mana Leak
4 Mana Drain
4 Force of Will
2 Misdirection
Kill
3 Morphling
Removal
4 Powder Keg
Card Drawing/Manipulation
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Stroke of Genius
4 Impulse
4 Ophidian
COUNTERMAGIC:This is the core of the deck: 4 Mana Drain and 4 Force of Will are absolutely mandatory if you are going to play Draw-Go. If you don't have full mana acceleration (read: if you don't have off-color moxes) you can (and I think you should) switch Mana Leaks for the regular Counterspell.
FORCE OF WILL (FoW): it allows you to counter anything without paying the mana cost. This is an interesting ability because it means you can still counter when you are tapped out, and even when you have no mana at all. (first turn.) If you don't want to play 4 FoW in your deck you deserve to be consumed by a bolt of lightning right now!
Force of Will
Color= Blue
Type= Instant
Cost= 3UU
Text (AL+errata): You may pay 1 life and remove a blue card in your hand from the game rather than pay ~this~'s mana cost. ; Counter target spell.
MANA DRAIN: a no-brainer. Ultra-mandatory. This card counters a threat and gives you the mana your opponent paid for it. It sounds like: which would you like first, the insult or the injury?
If you don't want to play 4 Mana Drain in your deck you deserve to incinerated by a fireball right now!
Mana Drain
Color= Blue
Type= Instant
Cost= UU
Text (LG+errata): Counter target spell. At the beginning of your next main phase, add X colorless mana to your mana pool, where X is that spell's converted mana cost.
MANA LEAK: As I said before, you should play this if you have a full set of jewelry. It is important in this deck because first turn land-mox means you are able to counter. This is absolutely critical against fast decks such as Stompy, Sui, Sligh.
Mana Leak
Color= Blue
Type= Instant
Cost= 1U
Text (SH+errata): Counter target spell unless its controller pays
.
MISDIRECTION: very versatile card: it is better than a FoW during a counter war (no life loss). It can do many broken things: try misdirecting an Ancestral Recall or a Hymn to Tourach and then tell me what you think. Many times it can make the difference between a win and a loss.
Misdirection
Color= Blue
Type= Instant
Cost= 3UU
Text (MM+errata): You may remove a blue card in your hand from the game rather than pay ~this~'s mana cost. ; Change the target of target spell with a single target.
DRAWING/MANIPULATION:You can have 30 counterspells in your deck, but if you are not able to get the right card at right moment in order to deal with a threat in play, you are going to lose. Mind that the drawing engine in a control deck is absolutely important: if you need a Powder Keg you should be able to get it in few turns before you die.
ANCESTRAL RECALL: Commonly acknowledged as the best card in the game. It gives you 3 cards at instant speed just for U. Need more explanations? First power card to buy if you are going to play this deck.
Ancestral Recall
Color= Blue
Type= Instant
Cost= U
Text (ABU+errata): Target player draws three cards.
TIME WALK: Not nearly as good as Ancestral, but never a dead card. It gives you an extra turn at a low mana cost. Useful in early game to get one more land drop, can ruin opponent plans by giving you an extra attack phase later.
FACT OR FICTION: It was the best unrestricted card drawer. It WAS. Now it IS restricted. Still a great card, can draw you at least three cards and helps you to filter your library.
Fact or Fiction
Color= Blue
Type= Instant
Cost= 3U
Text (IN): Reveal the top five cards of your library. An opponent separates those cards into two face-up piles. Put one pile into your hand and the other into your graveyard.
IMPULSE: 1U. Instant speed. Gives you the best of the first 4 cards of your library. If you need to find something quickly, this is the best way to do it.
OPHIDIAN: Before January 2002 you would have found 4 Fact or Fiction in this deck. Unfortunatelly, FoF has been restricted and one way to replace 3 FoF is playing Ophidians. The idea is to get this out ASAP and start drawing 2 cards per turn. Of course there are some problems: it is a common creature, not the mighty Morphling, so it can be killed easily. Its ability doesn't work if your opponent has a blocker in play (against aggro this is not a rare scenario if you think about it). Well, it makes you less vulnerable to edict (you can sacrifice one of them instead of Morph) and can act as early blocker if you need it.
Ophidian
Color= Blue
Type= Creature - Snake
Cost= 2U
Text (WL+errata): 1/3. ; Whenever ~this~ attacks and isn't blocked, you may draw a card. If you do, ~this~ deals no combat damage this turn.
MERCHANT SCROLL: Hey, this is a Demonic Tutor! Can fetch almost anything in this deck (most of the times is Ancestral).
STROKE OF GENIUS: you have to sink some drain mana? Here is the best way to do it! Can refill your hand in mid-late game. Remember: beware of Misdirection!
LIBRARY OF ALEXANDRIA: An uncounterable card drawer. Remember to use it in response to anything you are doing. If you have 7 cards in hand and you are about to counter something, activate the Library, draw the 8th card, then counter the spell.
REMOVAL:Powder Keg is your best friend. You can’t counter everything (although you should make your opponent think you are able to do it!), and here come Kegs. Acc Blue without Kegs would lose many games against aggro. Against fast aggro decks some threats will sneak past your Wall of Countermagic. No problem. Since these threats are played during the first turns, they cost very low mana. A Keg with one or two counters on it will get rid of them. This is critical against aggro because, as I told you before, you MUST be able to deal with something in play. Keg can win games against decks such as Stompy, Sligh, Sui Black. 4 Kegs are mandatory if your environment is full of aggro.
Powder Keg
Color= Artifact
Type= Artifact
Cost= 2
Text (UD): At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put a fuse counter on ~this~. ;
,Sacrifice ~this~: Destroy each artifact and creature with converted mana cost equal to the number of fuse counters on ~this~.
MANA DENIAL:WASTELAND: In an environment full of non basic lands, you'll find many targets for Wastelands. They can be used to deny your opponent a color. Favourite targets: Tolarian Academy, Library of Alexandria.
STRIP MINE: same as above but it targets also basic lands! Wow! That's why it is restricted.
KILL:You'll say:"Ok,ok, I understood everything but hey, how the hell do I kill my opponent??";
Cover and tremble before the Mightiest of the Mighty, bow before the power of the best creature in the game (thank God it is blue!), here comes the Great Morphling!
My favourite Magic scenario is when I'm playing against a newbie and a Morph hits the table. They ask:"what's that"; My favourite answer is:"Oh well, it is just a 3/3 that makes chips!";
It doesn't make chips, but it can do many interesting things.
Morphling
Color= Blue
Type= Creature - Shapeshifter
Cost= 3UU
Text (US+errata): 3/3. ;
: Untap ~this~. ;
: ~this~ gains flying until end of turn. ;
: ~this~ can't be the target of spells or abilities this turn. ;
: ~this~ gets +1/-1 until end of turn. ;
: ~this~ gets -1/+1 until end of turn.
First: you can make it untargetable. This means that Abyss, Sword to Plowshares, REB, and any burn spell is useless against it.
Second: you can make it fly past your opponent defense. Moat won't stop him.
Third: you can untap it whenever you like. Attack, then use him as a blocker.
Fourth: you can turn him in a 5/1 or in a 0/6. Note that you CAN kill a 5/5. That's how you do it: turn the Morph in a 5/1, put the damage on the stack, then turn it into a 0/6. The Ruling tells us that your Morph will survive and the 5/5 will be killed. Be careful, because you need 7 colorless mana to use this trick. Actually you CAN block a 10/10 creature without having your Morph killed: remember that you can pump Morphling back to 0/11 or even more if you have enough mana.
Attacking with a 5/1 which is really hard to kill gives your opponent a 4 turn clock. This is the best way you can find to finish your opponent.
SIDEBOARDING:Here is an example:
4 Back to Basics (mind that a couple of B2B should be maindecked in most meta-games)
4 Blue Elemental Blast
3 Gainsay
2 Psionic Blast
2 Masticore
Always remember that sideboard choices depend on your environment.
BACK TO BASICS (B2B): Here is the card that wrecks multicolor decks. B2B is the card that gives you very good chances against Keeper, Zoo and any deck with non-basic land. 4 are absolutely mandatory (between Sideboard and Maindeck).
Back to Basics
Color= Blue
Type= Enchantment
Cost= 2U
Text (US+errata): Nonbasic lands don't untap during their controllers' untap steps.
PSIONIC BLAST: Sui Black may hurt you a lot. Psi Blast coming in from the sideboard help in destroying their creatures. (especially those annoying Negators)
BLUE ELEMENTAL BLAST (BEB): 4 BEB make you less vulnerable to Sligh. If you hate red, you can play Chill or Douse.
MASTICORE: it is a 4/4 for 4 mana. It has great sinergy with Mana Drain and help you a lot against aggro. If there is a lot of aggro in your area, try maindecking a Masticore.
GAINSAY: useful in the mirror match.
Other options:
Hybernation: against Stompy.
Extract: if your environment is full of combo.
Rootwater Thief: same as above.
Tormod's Crypt: if Worldgorger or Reanimator becomes too popular...;
Chill: Red hate.
Douse: Red hate.
In building a sideboard, you should look at what decks are played in your area.
MATCH-UPS:KEEPER: This is not as bad as one may think. The first game is 50-50, but after sideboarding your B2B will wreck their mana base. If Keeper is popular in your area, don't hesitate to play 2 B2B maindeck. I think this is a quite favourable match for Acc Blue.
SLIGH: Sligh is a quite annoying deck, but 4 kegs and 4 BEB coming in from the sideboard should be enough to take care of it. If you fear Sligh, try playing Chill, which helps you in slowing the game down. Multiple Chill on the table will simply win you the game.
STOMPY: This is quite dangerous because it is fast. Getting a Keg out in the first turns of the game is critical to survive against Stompy. If you are able to get a Keg out, the game is quite over. Anyway, if you fear Stompy, try packing a Hybernation in the sideboard. This will slow them down, and it will give you enough time to find an answer.
SUICIDE BLACK: This is one of your worst match-ups. If you are playing against Legend Black, it’s a pretty tough game. As usual, try to get a Keg out ASAP before they make you discard it (Duress and Hymn are pretty annoying). Some Psionic Blast coming in from the sideboard should help a lot.
COMBO: If they don’t get off in 2 or 3 turns, you should have enough countermagic to take care of them. If Combo decks are popular in your area, consider packing some Extracts or Thieves in the sideboard.
ZOO: Your B2B will absoltuely wreck their mana base, giving you the win most of the times.
WORLDGORGER/REANIMATOR: this is pretty tough. Their ability to fill graveyard and then run you out of counters is quite impressive. Fortunatelly, these decks are not so much popular. Nevertheless, if there are lots of them, try packing Tormod’s Crypt and teach them to leave the dead resting in their graveyard in peace!
SPECIAL NOTE: Legend Blue
A tribute to one of the strongest deck (IMHO) of all Type 1.
Legend Blue was the first Mono-Blue deck to play with 4 Back to Basics maindeck, 4 Morphling and only basic Islands (which means:no LoA, no Strip, no Wasteland.) It played with 4 Fact or Fiction (before restriction). Now the three free solt are filled by (correct me if I'm wrong): Merchant Scroll, Stroke of Genius, a Braingeyser (not sure about this).
Here is the decklist I remember:
20 Island
1 Black Lotus
1 Sol Ring
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Emerald
1 Mox Jet
4 Mana Leak
4 FoW
4 Mana Drain
3 Misdirection
4 Morphling
4 Back to Basics
4 Impulse
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Stroke of Genius
1 Braingeyser
