http://deckbox.org/sets/506466

This deck is currently being used only for casual, no-limit games against friends and acquaintances. It being Modern is purely coincidental due to the cards I own, and not required to stay Modern.

Currently it's going at about a 30% win rate against a Blue/Red deck that focuses on building up Nivix Cyclops and countering my spells with instants, as well as some heavy red burn cards. So, help on how I can adjust this deck to counter their deck a little more would be greatly appreciated.

I'll try to break my response into two parts, how you can improve your deck, and how you can beat his deck.

1. I would start by adding at least five more creatures(probably more than that though) and taking out eight lands. Usually you start a deck at 24 lands and add or subtract a few until you get to the right number. I like that you had more than 24 lands as many newer players try to play as few lands as possible. Next, let's look at some of your card choices.

Protect//Serve: I'm assuming you use this to keep attackers and blockers alive in combat, occasionally using it to deal two more points of damage to your opponent. Consider Doom Blade. It costs less mana, will keep your creature alive in combat every time, and will kill your opponents creature every time. Added bonus: you don't have to wait for your creature to meet your opponents creature in combat to use it.

Disentomb: This card gets stronger the more creatures you put in your deck. If there aren't any creatures in your graveyard, this card does nothing.

Paranoid Delusions: Unless you are actively trying to win by milling, or your deck has a lot of graveyard synergy to mill yourself, this card does little to nothing. Put a creature in instead of this card and win by damage.

Search Warrant/Demon's Horn: Cards that gain you life and do nothing else are typically very bad. The logic: a card that gains you life and does nothing else doesn't help you win the game, it just helps you lose slower. If you want to gain life, find a creature that gains you life, like Lone Missionary. You can do damage, and gain life.

2. You say your opponent's deck builds up Nivix Cyclops and attacks. Put Doomblade in your deck. When he builds it up and attacks, kill it. A hexproof or shroud creature can hep fight his burn, and learning to play around counterspells is about as much as you can do about them.

What are you wanting your deck to do?

I mean I know you want to beat his deck, but how exactly are you trying to win with your deck?

So to continue and build upon the points being made:

1) When you build a deck, you really should have some clear pictures in your head of how you intend to win the game and how you envision your ideal first few turns to play. Normally you pick one win-con and do all you can to increase the chances of that getting you the W, but sometimes you can add a second one, as long as it doesn't detract from the primary one. So for instance, let's imagine I'm wanting to win the game with an aggro deck (getting as much out and killing them as quickly as possible)... if that's the case, I shouldn't add 6-7 or higher casting cost creatures, as the game should be over before then. However, if you were playing a mid-range deck (typically stalls for a few turns and then hits with big threats) and you find a 6-drop that isn't all that synergistic with your other creatures but that could win the game all on its own, then you might put it in. Again, the idea is to decide on a clear path to victory and take it... no muddling about (so no need for milling cards if you're going to kill them with creatures).

2) This is common for newer players, so there's no shame in being guilty of it; but the best decks run multiples of most cards to increase consistency. Think, if that Consuming Aberration is the KEY card for you to win, you sure would like to draw it more frequently, right? So if that's the case, why not run 3 or 4 of them? Then figure out the spells that fit your plan best and run them in multiples. You will notice that sometimes decks run 1-offs or 2-offs, but that's often because those cards are just adding icing on an already pretty good cake. You certainly shouldn't plan on drawing a card reliably if there is only one copy (ask any EDH player about that).

3) I started playing back in 1994 when it was still a game of "build what you have with what you have" rather than today's "build the deck and THEN get the cards off TCGPlayer," which gives me a certain appreciation for those of us out there who don't have that many cards yet or who are interested in playing without spending any more money. But I can say beyond a shadow of a doubt that you can pick up the cards you need to be competitive in a casual environment for less than $30. So again, it's just a task of figuring out WHICH cards and then ordering them. And trust me when I say, life is a lot more fun when you get them and your deck starts behaving as it's supposed to.