Introduction To Competitive Deckbuilding

Welcome To my little article on competetive deckbuilding! This was written in reply to the many questions I have recieved from friends with plenty of expierence in casual play but none in Frieday Night Magic Tournement. I hope you find this helpfiul!

First off, you want to take a look at which format you're aiming for, how much time/money you're willing to invest, and what cards you currently have in your collection to begin with.

Formats to Consider:
• Standard : Usually about 5-8 Usable "Sets" (Or Expansions to the game) available. Newest cards but subject to change every couple of months as new expansions are added.

• Modern : Massive Usable list with only a short list of cards that are "banned" from being used. Cards in this format will never "cycle-out" or become un-usable. "Banned" list is subject to occasional change so check periodically. Some cards in this format can be very pricey.

• Legacy : All Sets usuable with exception to it's own "banned" list, different from modern so also check periodically. Cards in this format are generally the most expensive and most varying. Reccomended only for seasoned players.

Now that you've chosen which format you'd like to play in, it's time to do some research.

You'll want to explore the sets of cards you have to work with and even perhaps take a look at other competetive decks out there to get an idea of what you want your deck to do. Take note not to copy these decks.

Remeber, you want your own idea to shine!

(A Sidenote: If playing standard, be aware that new sets of cards are added periodically. Plan on spoiler lists often such as ( http://www.wizards.com/magic/tcg/Articl … lproducts)

Once that's done, you are now ready to choose a strategy. Each format offers hundreds of individual strategys. Too many to name in this article but most fall into these basic categories:
• Aggro : Generally the fastest paced decks focused on doing heavy damage as soon as possible and ending the game early.

• Midrange : Mid-paced decks focused on out-living the opponents resources. This deck type tries to out live aggro decks while finishing off Control decks before they gather enough steam.

• Control : The slowest deck out there. These decks like to make te game last as long as possible while gathering enough resources for a big finish or until the opponent is out of steam.

Take a while to consider each deck pace. Practice with user-made online decks until you find a deck style that suits you!

Next up, Find the cards that support your strategy. Go through and look up card effects and abilities until you find what you desire. By now you should have an idea of:

•What Format to compete in
•What pace to move at
•What type of deck to make ( IE. Artifact, creat-base, mill ect...)
•What color(s) you want to use

With all of this, you're readt to build your deck. Here's a few tips while you build
• Keep your deck at exactly 60 cards. This ensures the best resaults in the draw.

• Keep your deck tight and organized. this means go with 3's and 4's of cards you need the most and want to see every game if you can, 2's of any card that you want to see less often but still could help lead to victory, and try to avoid any single copies of a card unless you find it to be absolutly needed.

A Few Tips for the sideboard (Must be exactly 15 cards) : First off, a sideboard is a small deck to the side you can use to replace cards in your main deck with to improve your chances of winning the game.

• Try to use cards that will protect or your deck for other deck types in your format (a little research will be required)

• Use 2's and 3's of each card as needed, Single copies too if need be.

• Know what cards you plan to switch out before hand. This lowers the tension and confusion during gameplay.

That's all i have for you today. I hope you enjoyed my article on competitive deck building. If you have an questions, comments, or suggestions, drop me a line here or at

andrewotis@rocketmail.com

(http://tappedout.net/users/VampireArmy)

Or at my deckbox profile