Trying to find a deck to fall in love with

[kakeboy07]

Hey all,

I thought id preface this by saying that i dont think that im the only one feeling this way, and whilst most people wont bring up the fact that they cant find a deck, i thought id make my internal struggle public to recieve some sort of assistance from the masses.

Let me also mention that i have been a type one player for about 5 years, and hold a card pool of every t1 card except a playset of bazaars.


That being said ill get to the point. I cant find a deck in the current meta that ive fallen in love with. I loved long.dec, and so with the new draw7000.dec i thought id slide right in (wrong) i removed my own win conditions from the game 3 times in the first tourney i played with it. No joke. Steve says it never happens, but i must not have any luck.

I have workshops, so ive tried mono brown, and tools and tubbies. Additionally ive been testing slaver, and almost played it at a kc tourney, then ended up playing some rogue bs that placed dead last.

I dont own ravangers, but that deck looks like fun times. Ive played tog, dryad sligh, landstill (Uw/Ur), fish, strange UR beats decks, RG beats, Sui, Void, and Chalice blackness.

I havent tested food chain goblins, however i dont think id like it, and im thinking that i might as well just shut up and play mono green because its so consistent.

Im getting so angry not having a consistent kill in my deck. One that i can master easily and that is fluid.  Ive been testing so much t1 in the past 2 months its not funny. Sometimes surpassing the amount of school and work that i have alltogether.

Recently I have found to like show and tell.dec but im sure ill get sick of it in a day or 2.

IS THERE SOMETHING IM MISSING THAT WILL MAKE ME HAPPY???

im so indecisive that its diving me crazy... and im so sick of not having 1 deck that i can really call my own and master (used to be gat/tog).

I havent done much tog testing lately, and while people say its good in the current meta, im just so fed up after 2-3 years of playing with it, that i feel like we need some time apart.



[/rant]

That being said i have been looking at mono green builds and trying to find an aggro/controlish build that i like, and here has been the result.

Worse than worse than fish.dec

4 River boa
4 Wild Mongrel
4 Basking Rootwalla
4 Call of the Herd

4 Force of Will
2 Stifle
3 Careful Study
4 Deep Analysis
4 Mana Leak

1 Ancestral
1 Time Walk

4 Null Rod
3 Root maze

4 Tropical Island
5 Fetchland
3 Yavimaya Coast
3 Island
4 Wasteland
1 Stripmine
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Emerald

The board
2 Stifle (dragon/ld)
3 Annul (dragon/shop.dec)
2 Hidden Gibbons (aggro decks)
4 Naturalize (artifacts)
4 Blue Elemental Blast  (welders/red)


Its 63 Cards currently, and needs tweaking badly. Yes its madnessy, and bad at that. However i found that i dont have the mana for arrogant wurm all the time, and that by pitching COTH instead, it buys me time, and still leaves me with a play (You cant hardcast Roar of the Wurm, you can hardcast this).
It looks bad... just at first glance... and it might be.. i dunno, however i really like the look of U/G in the meta, and think that theres something that should work out to be some sort of presence.

[InsaneScrub]

First and foremost, 60 cards is the #1 rule, secondly, I noticed you didn't list keeper in your decks that you have tried.  Keeper with 2 angels is the best build in my opinion.  As Exalted angel just ignores aggro decks altogether.  

I can't say that I care much for your Worser than worse aggro control deck.  I might make the suggestion to try Keeper or Mean Slaver.  Both decks are really good.  Keeper pioloted by a good player usually makes top 8.  If you want a consistent winner that is fun to play Keeper or Tog would be my first choice.  If you like more aggressive decks, I would suggest Food Chain Goblins, the deck is insanely fast.  

Good luck finding your deck.

[Jacob Orlove]

Cut Mana Leak for Daze, and run Curiosity. It's ridiculously good.

Also, go up to 3x Stifle, and test out MD Oxidize as additional land hate.

Root Maze is probably unnecessary.

[KitzuneNinja]

As Exalted angel just ignores aggro decks altogether.  

Sligh could always try to burn her out if you drop her morphed down witch you in turn must either spend some resources on trying to defend her from or just hand your opponent a time walk (if you dropped her on turn three without Moxen or some other acceleration). And countering a single bolt on your angel seems....silly and hardcasting her is a bit difficult in that matchup, dont you think?

Double white is also difficulty at times to find in Keeper, at least for me, especially if I need one or even both of the other 2 colors (blue doesnt really count as "other" color in Keeper as its base is blue), witch happens regulary.

Also, Diabolic Eddict ruins your day. I've tested Angel over Decree for a few times and missed my Decrees so much every game.

With all that being said, lets get back on the topic

kakeboy07, I think you are better off explaining to us what you prefer playing (your style of decks and archetypes, like are you more of an control-player than say an aggro-player? etc) and why Tog bored you to pieces.

[Smash]

Just play a random deck every week, thats what I do.

[wizmentor]

I had the same problem - trying to find a deck that was fun.  I didn't want to play draw-go because I like to PLAY, not watch.  OTOH, I don't like to go balls to the walls only to fall flat and get run over.  So, keeper was out as was sligh.  I found the perfect deck list I fell in love with.  I played it for a while, but the T1 community said it wasn't good any more (Rector-Tendrils).  This was about the time Steve started in with all the Long stuff, and I played it.  Then it got restricted out   I tried it convert it to death-Long, but it didn't have the consistency.

Then I was watching someone actually play hulk.  It's fun, Hulk doesn't sit there, it PLAYS every turn.  I also put together Slavery.  That is where my journey has led.

I've had some of the same experiences as you.  Try slavery, it's very fun. (It'd be even more
fun it those darn welders didn't have summoning sickness!)

peace,
   superdad

[slighguy]

i had the same problem till i got my playset of bazaars and i love playing madness builds and dragon builds but if you want a good consistant deck to play without the bazaars as you dont own them right now i would try both slavery builds(workshop and control u/r) cause they are both realy good consistant decks which are alot of fun and you dont just sit there you actually play the deck.But if you somehow get your hands on some bazaars i would suggest playing a deck like Oshuwa stompy or some madness variant(i have been doing really well with madness dragon)-(i have top8ed with it almost every time and the only deck that i have lost a match to has been control slavery but every time i still get atleast 1 of the 3 games)anyway that is my suggestion and if you want a decent mad-dragon list just reply to this or pm me cause i have a few different builds(more aggro/more combo/conrtol)
                                       slighguy

[spankweasel]

One of the decks that you didn't mention that I think is a blast to play is EBA.  It's a really fun aggro-control deck that can stand up to Aggro (Angels), Control (Negators) and Combo (counters, Plow, Stifle)

Here's a link to a version I used in a tourney 2 months ago:

http://www.themanadrain.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1507

Here's another link to the discussion in the Type 1 room

http://www.themanadrain.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=15764

Good luck finding a deck that you love!  It makes Magic that much more exciting

[Ruinn]

I can devinately relate to this situation as I love playing magic but I like change and surprise more than than focusing and fine tuning any single deck.  I play in a tournament every week and bring something different every week.  I cannot even remember all the things I have tried but I have enough ideas lined up for another month.  

My suggestion would be that if you are having trouble finding a single deck.... try them all! It works for me.  I have the most fun playing my own rogue builds or playing something that is similar to something in existance but with a personal spin.  Every now and then I hit on something and win the whole thing but even when I that does not happen I have fun with it.  Give it a shot, it is always possible that while trying out everything you actually will stumble across something you love, and then you have accomplished what you wanted to.  My friend did the same thing and recently fell in love with a rector tendrils deck.  Not sure how effective it will be in our area but he seems happy.

[JuJu]

I sort of had this problem a few months ago. Rogue Keeper is kinda fun. I played it during the time where CotV was in every deck possible, it ran green and had more of a combo feel to it, probably too slow now, but with Chains in it, it might be good. I might even give it a try. ToG is really fun as you're just drawing and countering everything, playing a threat and win next turn. Workshop Slaver is a blast, The draw 7ens make it completely broken and a blast to play. Madness is also kinda fun as you can play tons of threats and still beatdown pretty well, I'm using Draw 7ens in my build though, so whatever floats your boat. Anyways, Good Luck with everything and don't give up.

[Miaou]

Two decks that I find a blast to play, and are competitive are GAT and Control Slaver.

I have been playing Control Slaver for like a month and a half and its great fun!

Hope this helps   [/code]

[Sirena]

Try Illusionary Mask.

1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Tinker
2 Intuition
2 Brainstorm

4 Goblin Welder

3 Duress
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Yawgmoths Will

4 Illusionary Mask
4 Juggernaut
4 Phyrexian Dreadnought
1 Triskellion
1 Duplicant
1 Platinum Angel
1 Solemn Simalcrum
1 Memory Jar

1 Sol Ring
1 Black Lotus
1 Mox Pearl
1 Mox Sapphire
1 Mox Ruby
1 Mox Jet
1 Mox Emerald
4 Mishra^Òs Workshop
2 Island
1 Swamp
1 Mountain
2 Polluted Delta
1 Bloodstain Mire
3 Volcanic Island
2 Underground Sea
2 Wasteland
1 Strip Mine

sb:
3 Overload
2 Rack and Ruin
2 Diabolic Edict
1 Darksteel Forge
2 Stifle
2 Misdirection
1 Gilded Drake
1 Fire/Ice
1 Viashino Heretic

Played in canada by Wayne Oickle. Men and men and men some more.

[XellossMetallium]

on the note of mask decks, could eater of days work in it? with the mask you get out a 4 cost 9/8 flying trampler without skipping your next two turns.

just a thought.

[jCoKn]

kakeboy-

You were pretty quick to eliminate FCG from your possible choices. You also said that you "loved to play, not draw-go". FCG is my favorite, and nearly the best deck I have, and beyond all others is the most fun to play. How nice is it when you can drop 10+ hasted creatures on turn 3-4 AND have huge board and card advantage over your opponent? I think you underestimate its power, as it continually top-8's me every tournament I play.

Also, how are you not having fun with control slaver? Is it the problem of keeping your welders alive? What I've tried in control slaver is 2 Lightning Greaves, this solves the problem of lightning bolts, and also gives them the haste you desire so badly. Try it!

Whatever you choose to do, I would advise against playing a different deck every week. It's a good thing when you settle into 2-3 decks, (as for myself I have 2 T1 and 1 T2) and then learn to play them better and better each week. Just simply making the god-deck won't make you win the tournament if you continually screw up and do things out-of-order or just don't notice the play to make. Being as familiar as possible with the deck is the best way to go, in my opinion.

But anyways, find a deck you like, tweak it/modify it to however you feel is best and then most importantly, go and have fun with it.

Peace
Jon

[Spizzard]

Sligh could always try to burn her out if you drop her morphed down witch you in turn must either spend some resources on trying to defend her from or just hand your opponent a time walk (if you dropped her on turn three without Moxen or some other acceleration). And countering a single bolt on your angel seems....silly  and hardcasting her is a bit difficult in that matchup, dont you think?

Why on earth would you morph an Angel against sligh without mana to unmorph??
Anyway...

Have you tried deathlong?  It's a little different than draw7 and maybe  you'll have better luck with it.  

Also, if your looking for a fun deck, try reaplace.  It may not be the best deck to play, but it is a ton of fun.

[Zelc]

If you find yourself removing your win conditions too much with Draw-7, you could probably get away with replacing a Chromatic Sphere with a second Tendrils.

[KitzuneNinja]

Why on earth would you morph an Angel against sligh without mana to unmorph??

My point exactly. You dont really cast Angel against Sligh unless you got control. When you got control, I've find myself in a situation where I dont have double white - Angel is dead unless I find that mana. Decree generates chumpies for his nerds and is a more reliant win in that matchup, in my opinion.

[Marco]

I fell in love with Food Chain Goblins. It's a blast to play and is surprisingly competitive.

[racetraitor]

I'd second the advice to try out EBA. Anyone who is a control player at heart will fall in love with the awesomeness that is Exalted Angel and Deep Analysis. Meddling Mage is a really rewarding card as well, gives you an opportunity to show off your knowledge of various decks and what makes them tick. Other than that you might like Control Slaver, for being creative in it's various ways of pwning your opponent with his own deck.

Personally I think drawing cards is the most fun thing in Magic, so the Tog will always have a special place in my heart. The deck is absolutely the most aestethic deck there is imo; no removal or random one-ofs, just draw, tutors, permission and a kill condition that blends in perfectly with the rest of the deck to top it off. Being the strongest deck in Type 1 doesn't exactly hurt either ;)

[jazzykat]

I have recently started to noodle with control slaver. It thoroughly amuses me although I can't figure out how a deck with almost nothing it it wins. I often find myself going to the big dude plan and my version has a MD trike as well.

I am going to tweak it so that I can have all around good matchups, instead of having trouble with wee men.

Good luck. Also, draw 7 is a gas if you like to gamble, sometimes you rock it out it, sometimes you get screwed.

[DragonFire]

I think the best start is to take some cards you like. The next step should be a prototype of you're own deck. Perhaps a strange Combo, no other might see at the first time, or add some good/stange addititions to an existing deck. When you own all the cards, it should be easy to build a good deck no one exepts. Look through you're pile and use as few as possible netdecking.

At the moment I play a strange R/W MUDbuild, designed by a friend of mine. Plays very nice and works great!

[Suckamouf37]

If you're looking for fun, the Kobolds-Skullclamp-Auriok Steelshaper combo is the funniest deck I've seen in months.