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Thread: Deck ideas - old frame only

  1. #1
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    Ancient MtG - old frame only

    Hey guys,

    about a year ago I started a site about a format I call Ancient. Essentially, it only allows cards that were printed in the old frames. Recently, I decided that I want to start adding decks to the site to show people how much variety and open design space there is in the format. The way I see it, Legacy wasn't really its own format before 2004, and there's a lot of potential for deck design in there. It's also nostalgia for me, as the cards back then were more about being unique and creatures were more balanced and interesting.

    TL;DR - looking for decks to write about on the site.

    Old decks, re-vamped versions of current decks, and even just deck ideas you think would be neat that I can brew and write about. I've written a few already, and have several more in the works or to be written. They're not super in-depth, as I just want to talk a bit about the deck and show an example.

    Thanks!
    Last edited by Teluin; 01-08-2015 at 01:22 AM.

  2. #2
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    Re: Deck ideas - old frame only

    And if you want to visit the site, it's: http://ancientmtg.blogspot.ca/

    Feel free to post ideas, cards and even decks of your own or send me a PM.

    Thanks again.
    Last edited by Teluin; 06-07-2015 at 06:01 PM.

  3. #3
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    Re: Deck ideas - old frame only

    Are the three Portals allowed?

    I love the idea. I seriously dislike the new frame, because it's not a magical scroll anymore. Even back in pre-8thEd times the frame was getting a bit different over time (compare the beta cards with those of say APO), but it still had a fantasy look and once again, it reminded a scroll or a bookpage. Today's frame... Bah, ok, enough on this matter.

    4 Birds of Paradise
    3 Mother of Runes
    3 Weathered Wayfarer
    4 Werebear
    4 Terravore
    3 Mystic Enforcer
    3 Exalted Angel
    2 Masticore

    4 Swords to Plowshares
    1 Reprisal
    3 Armageddon
    2 Sylvan Library
    1 Armadillo Cloak
    1 Aura Shards

    4 Savannah
    3 Forest
    3 Plains
    4 Windswept Heath
    2 Brushland
    3 Secluded Steppe
    3 Tranquil Thicket

    This is what I got built for casual. You may add some Wastelands and Thermokarst (even Ice Storm) instead of some more crappy choices like Reprisal or Brushland, though I'd be careful with colored mana requirements. I don't need those cards for my long-dead-but-soon-to-be-revived Kitchen Table Society, and the three Geddons ar already far too much LD for casual setting. But hey, I'm trying to win with Werebears...


    I cannot decide what should I build for ICE-5th-WTH Type II Reenactment.

    This one is more elegant and reliable:

    4 Fyndhorn Elves
    4 Quirion Ranger
    4 River Boa
    3 Wall of Roots
    3 Jolrael's Centaur
    4 Maro
    4 Serrated Biskelion

    4 Swords to Plowshares
    3 Armageddon
    2 Sylvan Library
    1 Disenchant

    10 Forest
    6 Plains
    4 Brushland
    4 Thawing Glaciers


    This one is more flexible and funny:

    4 Birds of Paradise
    4 Quirion Ranger
    2 Granger Guildmage
    4 River Boa
    3 Karoo Meerkat
    3 Whirling Dervish
    3 Jolrael's Centaur
    1 Man-o'-war
    3 Ophidian
    3 Maro

    2 Swords to Plowshares
    1 Disenchant
    4 Incinerate
    1 Terror
    1 Armageddon
    3 Winter Orb

    10 Forest
    3 City of Brass
    3 Undiscovered Paradise
    2 Gemstone Mine



  4. #4
    Say no to creatures.

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    Re: Deck ideas - old frame only

    This makes my day. I would totally play this format (too poor to play proper Old School with black border and love the Urza's block anyways). But let me get this straight, this basically leaves us with Extended circa 2003 right?

    Edit: Looking at the banlist, there's too much fun stuff that's banned which roamed free back in the old Extended. I'd say it could use a shake up.
    Legacy: Rituals
    Vintage: Drains

  5. #5
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    Re: Deck ideas - old frame only

    @ Bed Deck Palyer Yep, the Three Portals are allowed. Nice on the other Thresh deck. The first deck I wrote about was RUG Thresh - I do plan on writing about other variants later on but for now am trying to write about different archetypes to show the diversity of the format.

    @ Higgs it's note quite 2002 Extended as that didn't allow certain cards from the sets pre-Tempest. As for the Banned List - it's a work in progress as I haven't gotten enough feedback/playing done yet. As it stands, I just took the Legacy list and removed Survival of the Fittest, which went from good to broken due to WotC's new breed of creatures. I'm sure there are other cards that can be removed, and any feedback/suggestions are welcome.

  6. #6
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    Re: Deck ideas - old frame only

    Definitely a very interesting format to explore, kudos! I don't think I would be able to give you valuable feedback on the banlist as I don't think I'm a good enough player to be able to evaluate these things wholistically. I just know the stuff that I'd love to play with :) Necro, pay 10 life, go!
    Legacy: Rituals
    Vintage: Drains

  7. #7
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    Re: Deck ideas - old frame only

    Quote Originally Posted by Teluin View Post
    Survival of the Fittest, which went from good to broken due to WotC's new breed of creatures.
    What creatures other than Bloodghast and Vengevine broke Survival? Has anything else been released since then?

    Personally, I'd love to see some Ancient EDH. No Orolorobolorololo, Hexproof/Indestructible Voltron, or autopilot dudes like Nekuzar ruining my Christmas? I'll take twenty.
    Quote Originally Posted by TsumiBand View Post
    ... It feels like a bummer to spend so much time not talking about the game and more time arguing over whether Dega or Mardu is the better name for a three color deck you'll never see in Legacy.

  8. #8

    Re: Deck ideas - old frame only

    My EDH deck meets your requirements http://deckbox.org/sets/681136 It doesn't really have a win con but it's sure fun to play with this old stuff. Note every card that can be is English and from beta or original printing. However duals are FBB and currently the Imperial Seal is T-Chinese till I get an English one.

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    Re: Deck ideas - old frame only

    Quote Originally Posted by Pastorofmuppets View Post
    What creatures other than Bloodghast and Vengevine broke Survival? Has anything else been released since then?
    None that I'm aware of, but they're both new printings. The general power level of creatures, combined with Survival's recursive tutoring, was also what I was refering to though.

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    Re: Deck ideas - old frame only

    Quote Originally Posted by Teluin View Post
    None that I'm aware of, but they're both new printings. The general power level of creatures, combined with Survival's recursive tutoring, was also what I was refering to though.
    Wizards actually put a hit out on survival because they hate fun. They even waited for RoE sales to die down before doing it. Bloodghast/Survival alone probably wouldn't even make it in the current Legacy metagame. So an entire archetype got banned out of the format because of one degenerate mythic.
    Quote Originally Posted by TsumiBand View Post
    ... It feels like a bummer to spend so much time not talking about the game and more time arguing over whether Dega or Mardu is the better name for a three color deck you'll never see in Legacy.

  11. #11

    Re: Deck ideas - old frame only

    Greetings,

    I'm interested in this project, as i stopped playing mtg regularly around 2003...
    I still have a few unpowered decks for casual fun, built in this reverse Modern style.
    Here are a couple of them, to start things off.

    EVA GREEN

    4x Nantuko Shade
    4x Dauthi Slayer
    4x Hypnotic Specter
    4x Erhnam Djinn

    4x Dark Ritual
    4x Duress
    3x Hymn to Tourach
    3x Smother
    4x Paralyze
    2x Naturalize
    3x Phyrexian Arena

    9x Swamp
    4x Tainted Wood
    4x Llanowar Wastes
    4x Wasteland

    Apart from dual and fetch lands, what would you recommend for this deck?
    I am always unsure on what are the optimal numbers for removal, discard, naturalize...

    SLIGH

    4x Jackal Pup
    4x Mogg Fanatic
    4x Goblin Patrol
    3x Grim Lavamancer
    4x Ball Lightning

    4x Lightning Bolt
    4x Seal of Fire
    4x Incinerate
    4x Flame Rift
    3x Sulfuric Vortex
    4x Fireblast

    18x Mountain

    Fetchlands would help thin the deck during play and fuel the lavamancers.
    Seal of Fire could be upgraded to Chain Lightning...
    What else can be optimized here?

  12. #12

    Re: Deck ideas - old frame only

    Here's another one, inspired by the old counter hammer / phoenix decks...

    COUNTER PHOENIX

    2x Shard Phoenix
    2x Squee, Goblin Nabob
    1x Masticore

    4x Counterspell
    3x Mana Leak
    3x Forbid
    2x Dissipate
    2x Dismiss
    1x Suffocating Blast
    4x Brainstorm
    3x Prophetic Bolt
    4x Incinerate
    2x Hammer of Bogardan
    3x Nevinyrral's Disk

    10x Island
    6x Mountain
    4x Shivan Reef
    4x Thawing Glaciers

  13. #13
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    Re: Deck ideas - old frame only

    Quote Originally Posted by onehitpoint View Post
    Greetings,

    I'm interested in this project, as i stopped playing mtg regularly around 2003...
    I still have a few unpowered decks for casual fun, built in this reverse Modern style.
    Here are a couple of them, to start things off.

    EVA GREEN

    deck

    Apart from dual and fetch lands, what would you recommend for this deck?
    I am always unsure on what are the optimal numbers for removal, discard, naturalize...

    I'd go 4 Hymn. The card's amazing, especially in the early game so you want to try and get it in your opening hand whenever you can. I'd probably 4-of Phyrexian Arena but your number could be the right one. Not sure I'd main deck any Naturalize, as a lot of decks don't use artifacts or enchantments but that's more a meta call for your area. Smother's a decent card, but I'm trying to think of how many relevant creatures it can destroy. I'd consider some other form of creature removal.

    SLIGH

    deck

    Fetchlands would help thin the deck during play and fuel the lavamancers.
    Seal of Fire could be upgraded to Chain Lightning...
    What else can be optimized here?

    Not a huge fan of Goglin Patrol as it eats too much mana and you want to win fast. I'd do 4 Lavamancer if you can get fetchlands. Chain Lightnings are awesome/Bolts 5-8 so I'd use those if you can.
    Keep brewing man, awesome stuff.

  14. #14
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    Re: Deck ideas - old frame only

    Although Erhnam is nice, Spiritmonger is much more powerful. Also, play 4 Hymns.

  15. #15

    Re: Deck ideas - old frame only

    @ Teluin

    Concerning Goblin Patrol, I never had any major problem with the card, as the first 2 turns are usually spent casting 1 mana cost creatures.
    Are there any alternatives...? I was never confortable with the turncoat Goblin Cadets.

    @ Teluin and Bed Decks Palyer

    For the black deck, 4x Hymn to Tourach are indeed better for disruption.
    I chose Erhnam Djinn over Spiritmonger because they can be played faster, and the mana base is already a bit tight (17 lands, if we consider Wasteland as disruption).
    I could try 3x Spiritmonger plus an extra Swamp.


    Here is another one for your perusal, that I never got quite right.

    GREEN LAND DESTRUCTION

    4x Llanowar Elves
    4x Fyndhorn Elves
    4x Call of the Herd
    3x Argothian Wurm
    1x Masticore
    4x Beast Attack

    4x Thermokarst
    4x Winter's Grasp
    4x Creeping Mold
    3x Tangle Wire
    1x Icy Manipulator
    2x Stunted Growth
    2x Sylvan Library

    16x Forest
    1x Pendelhaven
    3x Treetop Village


    I started playing this with Stampeding Wildebeests and Wall of Blossoms, but it was a clumsy combo.
    4x Argothian Wurm are too much, and they need to be played carefully.
    4x Icy Manipulator and Stunted Growth are also overkill. Used to sit in the hand for a long time unused.
    I never got to try Tangle Wire... Anyone here has experience with the card...?

    We could also cut a few Creeping Mold for Ice Storm, to increase the odds of a second turn land destruction spell.

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    Re: Deck ideas - old frame only

    Quote Originally Posted by onehitpoint View Post
    @ Teluin and Bed Decks Palyer

    For the black deck, 4x Hymn to Tourach are indeed better for disruption.
    I chose Erhnam Djinn over Spiritmonger because they can be played faster, and the mana base is already a bit tight (17 lands, if we consider Wasteland as disruption).
    I could try 3x Spiritmonger plus an extra Swamp.
    Thing is that Erhnam/Spiritmonger is your finisher and as such, it should be as brutal as possible. A "mere" 4/5 can be infi-blocked a bit easier (hello Wall of Roots!) and djinn's drawback is in fact a bit dangerous. But yeah, what good comes from a Spiritmonger that sits in your hand... Also, there's Grinning Demon, too.

    On the topic of GB LD:
    I'm a great fan of Wildebeests, so you need to play them! :)
    Also, I guess you're right about Argo Wurm...

  17. #17

    Re: Deck ideas - old frame only

    Because Armageddons are always fun...

    ENFORCER-GEDDON

    4x Birds of Paradise
    4x Werebear
    4x Jolrael's Centaur
    2x Terravore
    3x Mystic Enforcer
    1x Lhurgoyf
    1x Exalted Angel
    1x Multani, Maro-Sorcerer

    4x Swords to Plowshares
    2x Disenchant
    2x Eladamri's Call
    2x Sylvan Library
    3x Armageddon
    2x Wrath of God
    1x Cataclysm

    7x Plains
    9x Forest
    4x Brushland
    4x Elfhame Palace


    Potential problems:
    Doesn't have a "big" 4 cost creature, until you fire off your first geddon / wrath
    Might need some sort of artifact mana rock to help keeeping the mana base intact...?

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    Re: Deck ideas - old frame only

    Quote Originally Posted by onehitpoint View Post
    Because Armageddons are always fun...

    ENFORCER-GEDDON

    4x Birds of Paradise
    4x Werebear
    4x Jolrael's Centaur
    2x Terravore
    3x Mystic Enforcer
    1x Lhurgoyf
    1x Exalted Angel
    1x Multani, Maro-Sorcerer

    4x Swords to Plowshares
    2x Disenchant
    2x Eladamri's Call
    2x Sylvan Library
    3x Armageddon
    2x Wrath of God
    1x Cataclysm

    7x Plains
    9x Forest
    4x Brushland
    4x Elfhame Palace


    Potential problems:
    Doesn't have a "big" 4 cost creature, until you fire off your first geddon / wrath
    Might need some sort of artifact mana rock to help keeeping the mana base intact...?
    This is something I thought about when I was deciding what shoul I build for the necromancy party called "bring your old friends to your old kitchen table".
    I like how it's a budget build. But I see few problems:

    Note that Terravore is pretty unreliable and barring some opposing fetchlands or w/e, you cannot play it pre-Geddon. Cycling lands?
    You got only two (only two!) shuffle effect for Sylvan Library. I'd try to squeeze in some (low budget) fetchlands. Even Grasslands or Krosan Verge might be good, just be careful with the numbers of cipt lands.
    The other possibility is good old Land Tax, Tithe, Rampant Growth and friends, Weathered Wayfarer, of course.
    I'm not sure if you pack enough removal, and namely any BoP.dec might be annoying. With Call already in deck, you might try something like Triskelion.

  19. #19

    Re: Deck ideas - old frame only

    Good ideas Bed Decks Palyer

    How could I forget about the Mirage fetchlands. They are perfect for this...

    I feel that Krosan Verge is a bit on the slow side. Enters tapped and requires additional mana to fetch. The Mirage ones are imediately online on the second turn, just like the Elfhame Palaces, but help fuel the Terravores, Enforcers, and Library. :)

    edit:
    What if we made the following changes, to help defend against early rushes, and improve the Call package...?

    -1 Werebear
    -4 Jolrael's Centaur

    +3 Wall Of Roots
    +1 Eladamri's Call
    +1 Masticore

    Isn't Triskelion slow at 6 cmc..?
    Last edited by onehitpoint; 11-01-2014 at 01:54 PM.

  20. #20
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    Re: Deck ideas - old frame only

    Good call on the 'geddon deck. Going to write about it. Should be posting a couple more on the site in the next couple of days.

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