sillyandrew
05-18-2011, 08:36 PM
INTRO:
i've always been a sucker for mono-colored decks, and i always tell every that if i can amass a cycle of five mono-colored casual decks (one for each color, duh) that i'll be the happiest magic player.
here's the list for the mono-white deck that i've assembled and fallen in love with. it's certainly not good enough to stand up to ultra-competitive gameplay, but for what it is, it's pretty mean.
again, not the most original idea, but i (like many others i've come to find) love the enchantress archetype, and here's my take on it. try to think of it as a white weenie enchantress hybrid.
DECKLIST:
creatures
4x elite vanguard
3x goldenglow moth
4x wall of omens
4x kor spiritdancer
4x mesa enchantress
offensive auras
4x holy strength
4x hyena umbra
4x nimbus wings
3x daybreak coronet
defensive auras
4x pentarch ward
4x pacifism
lands
4x sejiri steppe
4x arid mesa
10x plains
(PSUEDO-)INEVITABLE CHANGES:
- once i can get my hands on a few figure of destinys, they'll most likely replace the goldenglow moths even though they lack the flying that this deck loves to have.
- i've been too lazy and apathetic is look for/order a fourth daybreak coronet, but once i can find one, it'll almost definitely become a four of. that card is absolutely nuts, and it turns creatures that aren't kor spiritdancer into threats. it's inherent drawback is a joke in this deck.
- i've really wanted to run isamaru, hound of konda as a one or two of, just for the lulz. when i get my hands on him, he's in.
- because of my fetish for non-basic lands, i'm going to replace a plains with a eiganjo castle even if it's useless (only until i get isamaru!) because it's my deck and i can do whatever the fuck i want.
DECK STRATEGY & CARD EXPLANATIONS:
the mana curve on this baby is it's biggest asset: with nineteen auras at two or less converted manacost, drawing an overabundance of cards off of kor spiritdancer and mesa enchantress is never a problem. it also allows me to run a land count of only eighteen without very many problems. so long as i can hit my first three land drops, the deck takes off like a mf'ing jet plane.
obviously, the plan is to drop as many kor spiritdancers as possible, load them up with as many auras as possible, and swing for the fences.
i know there are a ton of these lists floating around on various forums and deck-building websites, but i feel like the optimal construction is composed of cheap, effective auras to help them all cantrip, as well as beat face.
holy strength is prime example of this. along side nimbus wings i have eight ways to turn elite vanguard into a 3/3 swinging on turn two, and that play is extremely common. nimbus wings is almost exclusively in the deck to give kor spiritdancer the evasion she needs to swing unopposed. the power/toughness buff is pretty nice too, and it's fairly well budgeted as a two-drop. hyena umbra is a beast, and in my opinion, a vastly underrated card. first strike, +1/+1, and totem armor all at the cost of a single plains? yes, please. i think it's one of the most over-budgeted cards to see print recently. daybreak coronet needs no explanation. if you want to know why i chose to include it, read the card's text.
defensively, i chose pentarch ward over flickering ward (or whatever it's called) because of the extra card draw. the card advantage from dropping the ward with an enchantress on the table is usually enough to set the deck over the edge and push it's aggro into overdrive. pacifism is simply the simplest, easiest, most cost effective (enchantment) way to get enemy creatures out of the way.
creature-wise, i don't think i need very much explanation there. goldenglow moth is my shakiest choice, but like i said earlier in the write-up, she's soon to be replaced. i'll probably end up missing the flying though, and life-gain isn't too shabby either. i stand by my decision to include the bug in the first place. elite vanguard is an efficient early threat, and almost always swings for three on turn two. [cards]wall of omens is a powerhouse, especially if i can make it fly, and helps accelerate my card draw in the event that i need to dig for an enchantress. kor spiritdancer and mesa enchantress are the core of the deck, and stupid obvious.
sejiri steppe are there to give my daners protection from whatever they need to swing for unblockable damage, though they very rarely do their job. i might drop the count to two or three. arid mesa are there to help thin the deck a little bit so i don't draw into plains and cut of my draw chain.
PROBLEMS & HOLES:
- some games, i dig and dig and dig and dig for a pentarch ward but never see one, and my spiritdance gets rocked by removal. totem armor helps with this, but it's still pretty hard to protect my beaters sometimes. this is the ongoing curse of mono-colored decks.
- if i don't see an enchantress early on, the deck's back-up aggro plan is really slow. i've won games without spiritdancers, but probably just because i got really lucky on my other draws, and my opponent was either dumb, or unlucky.
--------
comments and criticisms are, as always, greatly appreciated. if you can think of any cards that look like they should be auto-includes, or cool playtest fodder, don't hesitate to toss 'em my way.
i've always been a sucker for mono-colored decks, and i always tell every that if i can amass a cycle of five mono-colored casual decks (one for each color, duh) that i'll be the happiest magic player.
here's the list for the mono-white deck that i've assembled and fallen in love with. it's certainly not good enough to stand up to ultra-competitive gameplay, but for what it is, it's pretty mean.
again, not the most original idea, but i (like many others i've come to find) love the enchantress archetype, and here's my take on it. try to think of it as a white weenie enchantress hybrid.
DECKLIST:
creatures
4x elite vanguard
3x goldenglow moth
4x wall of omens
4x kor spiritdancer
4x mesa enchantress
offensive auras
4x holy strength
4x hyena umbra
4x nimbus wings
3x daybreak coronet
defensive auras
4x pentarch ward
4x pacifism
lands
4x sejiri steppe
4x arid mesa
10x plains
(PSUEDO-)INEVITABLE CHANGES:
- once i can get my hands on a few figure of destinys, they'll most likely replace the goldenglow moths even though they lack the flying that this deck loves to have.
- i've been too lazy and apathetic is look for/order a fourth daybreak coronet, but once i can find one, it'll almost definitely become a four of. that card is absolutely nuts, and it turns creatures that aren't kor spiritdancer into threats. it's inherent drawback is a joke in this deck.
- i've really wanted to run isamaru, hound of konda as a one or two of, just for the lulz. when i get my hands on him, he's in.
- because of my fetish for non-basic lands, i'm going to replace a plains with a eiganjo castle even if it's useless (only until i get isamaru!) because it's my deck and i can do whatever the fuck i want.
DECK STRATEGY & CARD EXPLANATIONS:
the mana curve on this baby is it's biggest asset: with nineteen auras at two or less converted manacost, drawing an overabundance of cards off of kor spiritdancer and mesa enchantress is never a problem. it also allows me to run a land count of only eighteen without very many problems. so long as i can hit my first three land drops, the deck takes off like a mf'ing jet plane.
obviously, the plan is to drop as many kor spiritdancers as possible, load them up with as many auras as possible, and swing for the fences.
i know there are a ton of these lists floating around on various forums and deck-building websites, but i feel like the optimal construction is composed of cheap, effective auras to help them all cantrip, as well as beat face.
holy strength is prime example of this. along side nimbus wings i have eight ways to turn elite vanguard into a 3/3 swinging on turn two, and that play is extremely common. nimbus wings is almost exclusively in the deck to give kor spiritdancer the evasion she needs to swing unopposed. the power/toughness buff is pretty nice too, and it's fairly well budgeted as a two-drop. hyena umbra is a beast, and in my opinion, a vastly underrated card. first strike, +1/+1, and totem armor all at the cost of a single plains? yes, please. i think it's one of the most over-budgeted cards to see print recently. daybreak coronet needs no explanation. if you want to know why i chose to include it, read the card's text.
defensively, i chose pentarch ward over flickering ward (or whatever it's called) because of the extra card draw. the card advantage from dropping the ward with an enchantress on the table is usually enough to set the deck over the edge and push it's aggro into overdrive. pacifism is simply the simplest, easiest, most cost effective (enchantment) way to get enemy creatures out of the way.
creature-wise, i don't think i need very much explanation there. goldenglow moth is my shakiest choice, but like i said earlier in the write-up, she's soon to be replaced. i'll probably end up missing the flying though, and life-gain isn't too shabby either. i stand by my decision to include the bug in the first place. elite vanguard is an efficient early threat, and almost always swings for three on turn two. [cards]wall of omens is a powerhouse, especially if i can make it fly, and helps accelerate my card draw in the event that i need to dig for an enchantress. kor spiritdancer and mesa enchantress are the core of the deck, and stupid obvious.
sejiri steppe are there to give my daners protection from whatever they need to swing for unblockable damage, though they very rarely do their job. i might drop the count to two or three. arid mesa are there to help thin the deck a little bit so i don't draw into plains and cut of my draw chain.
PROBLEMS & HOLES:
- some games, i dig and dig and dig and dig for a pentarch ward but never see one, and my spiritdance gets rocked by removal. totem armor helps with this, but it's still pretty hard to protect my beaters sometimes. this is the ongoing curse of mono-colored decks.
- if i don't see an enchantress early on, the deck's back-up aggro plan is really slow. i've won games without spiritdancers, but probably just because i got really lucky on my other draws, and my opponent was either dumb, or unlucky.
--------
comments and criticisms are, as always, greatly appreciated. if you can think of any cards that look like they should be auto-includes, or cool playtest fodder, don't hesitate to toss 'em my way.