Start typing a card name and use the auto-complete feature to quickly select the card you're trying to add. Enter a quantity and add that card to your sideboard!
Submit a list of cards below to bulk import them all into your sideboard. Post one card per line using a format like "4x Birds of Paradise" or "1 Blaze", you can even enter just the card name by itself like "Wrath of God" for single cards.
This is a classic control-burn deck, designed to neutralize creature-based decks (Soul Barrier, Aether Storm, Ensnaring Bridge), counter other spells, and burn your opponent to death. When facing really fast, aggro decks, or strong tribal decks, it can be slaughtered pretty easily. But with a good opening hand and some lucky draws early in the game, this deck can put up a pretty good fight - but it can then run out of steam after a while.It was the first deck I made when I used to play way back in the day (hence many of the super old cards), and now that I am getting back into the game I would really appreciate help updating this deck to make it legal in standard, extended or modern play. And I would also really welcome suggestions for making the deck stronger (I know there's been "power creep", so I expect that I could very likely replace some older cards with newer, more powerful cards that maintain the same deck dynamics).The cards in the sideboard are some that I have cycled in and out of play at different moments, and sometimes the odd number of old or modern cards (e.g. just 1 Negate, just 1 Backfire, just 1 Errant Minion) reflects my limitation given the cards I own, not necessarily the ideal deck that I would like to have.
The general strategy is to play as much as possible during your opponent's turn to counter his/her spells, burn his/her creatures, or deal direct damage to the player. Soul Barriers, Fog Banks, and Ensnaring Bridges should be played as soon as you can, hopefully soon enough that you can slow down your opponent's construction of an army of creatures, or limit the damage they can cause to you. Psychic Venom, Errant Minion, and Aether Storm can slow down and damage your opponent, while all the red cards provide straight-up direct damage. Very easy - and very fun! - deck to play.
This deck has been viewed 1,250 times.
The power creep is much stronger than you'd expect, sadly. This deck needs a major overhaul.You should get rid of ALL of your enchantments. They are withouth exception really bad cards and always have been. AEther Storm can easily be removed by paying life whenever it is convinient for the opponent. So, while you tapped out to play the Storm, he pays some life and plays more creatures - you die. Similarily the others will also fail on you. They were barely able to do their trick back then and won't ever be fast enough for modern decks and cards. Ditch all of them and if you insist on this theme, go with 4 Propaganda instead.While Ensnaring Bridge can be a great card in decks like this, it does not work well with counterspells, obviously. You need to keep them in your hand but Bridge demands a small or zero hand. So, either replace some of your regular counterspells with Null Brooch or ditch the Bridges.Pulse of the Forge is okay in multiplayer but not in 1-on-1. First, you will rarely get him back. Secondly, if you get him back it means you are behind in life and probably about to die. Thirdly, it cannot kill creatures it thus will not be able from preventing you of dying. I suggest the mighty Prophetic Bolt instead and/or Electrolyze. Counterspell, Incinerate, Lightning Bolt and Mana Leak are still solid if not very good spells, keep them. Magma Jet is also good. Cancel however can go. Negate depends on your metagame. Fog Bank is also still great but with just 5 creatures the entire creature removal arsenal of your opponent will rain down on them. Still good as an early distraction, but not reliable later in the game. You could replace them with some of the newer phoenixes, Chandra's Phoenix being top choice here. They can be killed as easily but they will come back. Or play them in addition to the Fog Banks, but we should go down to 60ish cards.Running out of cards later in the game? Browbeat is the solution for counter-burn.Meanwhile ALOT of different duallands have been printed, they all have different drawbacks but not as severe as Caldera Lake. Sulfur Falls and Steam Vents are the top choices if you are okay with spending some money, Izzet Guildgate is your budget solution. You might also want to add Izzet Keyrune, Izzet Cluestone and/or Izzet Signet. However, this gives your opponent targets for his artifact removal spells which would be useless otherwise. Have a look at Guttersnipe.
Permalink
Thank you so much! This is a really helpful survey of new cards to revamp my deck! I will look through them, try out a couple, see what I can get, and then comment back.
If you don't find yourself facing a great deal of regeneration, there are quite a few better options for three damage to a target creature or player than Incinerate. In fact, if you're open to top-decking, Thunderous Wrath is 5 for 1 when Miracled. Other 3 for 1s include Lava Spike (at a loss of instant speed) and Rift Bolt (suspend one turn). Shard Volley is 3 for 1 and a land-sac. Chain Lightning is a legacy staple.Similarly, unless you're facing a lot of creature regen, there are superior options to Disintegrate. Fireball lets you damage multiple targets; bonfire of the damned is an awesome top-deck and great mass-removal in general.I'm not a blue guy, I can't offer much help there.
Thanks for the suggestions, BaronCappucino. I do encounter lots of regenerate, and also lots of cards returning from graveyards, so I like Disintegrate. But you're right, Thunderous Wrath, Rift Bolt, and Chain Lightning are almost certainly going to make their way into my deck. I'm also tempted to scrap the blue control and just turn it back into a classic burn deck, like your Balls to the Wall. After all, I brought in all the blue control cards because it was not possible to make a burn deck back in the day that didn't fizzle out halfway through the game, but now it seems quite doable.
I like the concept. Ensnaring bridge is an amazing artifact. Perhaps fireball or devil's play would be more effective than disintegrate :) Gj!
Disintegrate prevents regenerations AND exiles. This may have been egliable back then but today this is pretty nifty. Regenerators, phoenixes, scavange, undying, persist, reanimators, unearth, the list of stuff Disintegrate stops from coming back is HUGE. Whereas good old Fireball has become next to useless. It's way too expensive to split. For smaller creatures you would be better off with Fire/Ice in this deck (or pack Pyroclasm). And for true flexibility you would play Comet Storm instead. It may cost one more if you blast single targets but it is WAY better at toasting multiple targets.
I'm a casual player so the decks I go against are often budget and rarely make use of huge reanimations or broken new cards. But I see your point. If you want to play in modern, you may want to stick with it, or pyroclasm if needed. You may also want to check out Propaganda against weenie decks :)
Thanks, Puppyloafer. I think Puschkin is right, Disintegrate has done me well against lots of green and black modern decks, and I gotta keep some XR in the deck for these creatures, or for the endgame. Thanks again for the comment, Puschkin. I really like these new double cards like Fire/Ice. Relatively cheap for their effects, and the flexibility for early or later game play is awesome! Still thinking through all your earlier suggestions.