The cards that every T1 player should have

[Hi-Val]

There are certain cards that every T1 player should have in their collection, cards that are staples of decks and used in everything. Most are relatively cheap to get and are well worth it. Here's my (most probably incomplete) list of staple T1 cards. Note that I did not list power, as 1.) it is implied and 2.) this is a beginner-accessible list. Check it out:

Blue:
4 Brainstorm
4 Impulse
4 Counterspell
1 Tinker
4 Blue Elemental Blast
1 Windfall
4 Force of Will
1 Future Sight
1 Fact or Fiction
1 Mystical Tutor
3 Cunning Wish
4 Standstill
1 Gush
3 Stifle

Red:
4 Red Elemental Blast
4 Rack and Ruin
4 Gorilla Shaman
1 Wheel of Fortune
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Pyrostatic Pillar

Black:
4 Duress
4 Dark Ritual
4 Hymn To Tourach
1 Demonic Consultation
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Vampiric Tutor
4 Cabal Therapy
1 Mind Twist
1 Necropotence
1 Yawgmoth's Will
1 Yawgmoth's Bargain

White:
4 Swords To Plowshares
1 Balance
1 Enlightened Tutor
2 Decree of Justice

Artifacts:
1 Memory Jar
3 Null Rod
1 Lotus Petal
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
1 Mana Crypt
4 Chalice of the Void
1 Lion's Eye Diamond

Green:
4 Xantid Swarm
4 River Boa
1 Sylvan Library
1 Fastbond
4 Oxidize/Naturalize

Multicolored:
4 Fire/Ice
1 Lim-Dul's Vault
3 Psychatog
2 Pernicious Deed

Land:
1 Strip Mine
4 Wasteland
5 Flooded Strand/Polluted Delta
4 Mishra's Factory
X As many blue duals as you can find
1 Tolarian Academy

With these cards, you can build plenty of decks. They end up being useful in anything you do. If anyone has additions, please don't hesitate to mention them!

[Lucentspirit]

Great list Doug, a few cards I might add would be:

4 goblin welder
1 burning wish

4 rancor
4 basking rootwalla

4 tormod's crypt

3 artifact mutation

4 maze of ith
4 wooded foothills

[TheFram]

I would add

Blue
4 Accumulated Knowledge
4 Ophidian
2 Intuition
3 Deep Analysis
1 Merchant Scroll
1 Mind's Desire

Red
4 Goblin Welder
4 Goblin Lackey
3 Blood Moon
1 Shattering Pulse
1 Squee, Goblin Nabob

Black
4 Smother
4 Diabolic Edict
4 Phyrexian Negator
4 Nantuko Shade
2 Tendrils of Agony

White
2 Disenchant
4 Seal of Cleansing
1 Humility

Artifact
4 Tormod's Crypt
4 Juggernaut
2 Damping Matrix
2 Mindslaver
X Masticore
X Isochron Scepter

Green
4 Quirion Dryad
4 Wild Mongrel
4 Basking Rootwalla
4 Survival of the Fittest
3 Root Maze

This, in conjunction w/ your list, will allow a player to build nearly any deck (after some minimal trading) in a 10 proxy tournament. It will let them play probably 50% of viable decks in a 5 proxy affair.

[TimeBeing]

I would also make most of the 3 ofs 4 ofs. Lots of times you will play 3 and side the 4th (say bloodmoon) Plus it always sucks, when you want 4 and only have 3.

also would add 4 of the blue and green Manlands

and a couple of wishable sideboard cards
1 Ebony Charm
1 Coffin Purge

[Mathman07]

Berserk

More Squees, 4th Null Rod

As many Mana Drains as you can afford

Meddling Mage

2 Morphling

Academy Rector

Worldgorger Dragon + Animate effects

Oath of Druids

4 Sinkhole

Ankh of Mishra

Elvish Spirit Guide

[Lucentspirit]

yeesh, we're getting quite a stack, maybe we should just come up with top 100 list.

[Toad]

4 MISHRA'S WORKSHOP !!!1!  

[Astro]

This is getting a bit out of hand.  Honestly, it really boils down to what type of player you are.  If your a control player (or aggro control), then you absolutely need control components such as:  Swords to Plowshares, Disenchant, Stifle, FoW, Misdirection, Duress, Disenchant, Null Rod, Sinkhole, Wasteland, Strip Mine, Ect...  Half the cards mentioned above are definately awesome, but conditional in regards to your play style and deck building techniques.  If your a budget aggro control player and want to play Sui, then you need your Duress', Sinkholes, Negators, Hymns, Hippys, Shades ect...  If your a budget combo player and want to play Dragon then you need your:  Animates, Dances, Squees, Bazaars, ect...  Really, it all relies on your choice of deck.  In all honesty, how great are Goblin Welders without the moxen in which to power them?  How great are Mechant Scrolls without an Ancestral?  How great is Dragon without  Bazaars?  How great is Mask Nought without Illusionary Mask?

However, I might add (expensive or not), I feel Duals and Fetchies, are extremely important in every non mono colored deck.  That being said, there is a large amount of (budget) restricted cards that are also important.  Such as:  Will, Bargain, Necro, Regrowth, Demonic Tutor, Vampiric Tutor, Demonic Consultation, Tolarian Academy, Balance, Lotus Pedal, Mana Crypt, Sol Ring, Mana Vault, Grim Monolith, Fact or Fiction, Gush, Ect...  It just depends on what you are out to build.

Really, the list can go on forever.  First off, it depends on your budget.  Second off, your play style.  I didn't even mention semi expensive unrestricted cards such as Workshops, Bazaars, Mana Drains, Nether Voids, Moats, Ect..

[Ezechiel]

I agree that this list can expand a lot and vary according to your play style, but I am very interested in this list as I am constantly trying to build different (netdeck or not) decks.
I think this list should be used as "What should I have if I want to play any deck in a 10 proxy tournament". Once you cut the ten most expansive/rare cards of each type one deck, you will end up with quite an extensive list, but very affordable.

To expand the list with the latest deck:
3 Mindslaver
1 Pentavus
1 Platinum Angel
3 Guilded Lotus (or not depending on your version)
4 Thirst of Knowledge

Old fashioned deck:
Rector-Trix:
3 Illusions of Grandeur
2 Donate

Cheers,
Ezechiel

[Hi-Val]

Astro, I am interested in creating a list such as the one that you are describing. Something that outlines the basic cards that show up everywhere. Basically, everything on the restricted list under ten bucks and a few other things ; ) People have been adding good suggestions, but also very specialized cards. You can use Necro in any black deck, but Negators and Shades only go in two or three decks. The list is more of the staple commons and uncommons that everyone should have, and if they don't, they should have thrown in with trades.

Think of cards that go in any sideboard supporting the color-- Rack and Ruin and Artifact Mutation are good examples. Cards that scream "If you're playing this color, you've got to have a damn good reason NOT to play me!" Also, please keep suggestions down to around the $10 line. We all know that we need Mana Drains already!

[wizmentor]

I decided to get into type 1 a little bit, so I was struck by this question

What I bought:
P9, mana drain x4, duals x4, fetches x4

Idea 2:
go to Dr. Sylvan's list - get those.
http://www.starcitygames.com/php/news/expandnews.php?Article=6543

Idea 3:
Put together type 1 Tog.  If you can put together Tog, you're within
$100 or so of many other decks (that don't play workshop or bazaar).

Ideas 4:
Start collecting all of the cards off the restricted list.  Stuff like Frantic
Search and Crop Rotation are still used sometimes, and you can get
both for less than $0.50 each.


    -superdad

[Gaea]

I think a must have list is personal. It depends of the player style, for example i like aggro decks or combo decks, and i would never play control so why i've to keep drain, phidian and so on?

[SpencerForHire]

Many of the must have's on the list (FoW and such as example) I have generally traded to get the cards I needed when I was running TnT and Stax.  Saying every vintage player should have them isn't true.
Maybe a control player should but I don't think it's a must for EVERYONE.

[Razvan]

I usually just keep the staples from every set.

Example.

Onslaught

4x Each Fetchland
4x Ravenous Baloth
4x Exalted Angel (although these disappeared for some reason)
4x Oversold Cemetary
4x Rotlung Reanimator
4x etc...

Scourge

4x Stifle
4x Decree of Justice
4x etc...

Torment

4x Basking Rootwalla
4x Deep Analysis
4x etc...

Normally, unless I forsee playing the deck, I get rid of the commons and uncommons (I try to keep fewer cards in general). If I need them for a deck, they will be easy to get, especially if you have the meat, and just need the helpings.

Of course, this goes as far back as you can afford, or are lucky enough to, be able to have.

I think it's pretty obvious which cards from a set are good when it comes out, and you are pretty much set (and the sleepers from new sets are still pretty cheap to get if you do miss them, especially given the large difference between what's good for Type 1 and what's good for Type 2).