[Community Discussion]: Why do you play the decks you play?

showda says... #2

Hmmm....my biggest factor is Personal Playstyle, although budget does come in at a close second. And i love my blitzkrieg aggro deck, so much fun.

February 28, 2014 10:40 a.m.

gufymike says... #3

I play them all, because I like different challenges and find each format has it's own thing going on.

But currently I'm only playing 60 card constructed, standard and modern.

That's because I'm tuning up for a GP and I find that I play better (less mistakes) when I'm in duel mode. This is what I enjoy the most.

Yes I'm surprised at this, because I enjoy multiplayer casual. But the term is casual not broken casual, not competitive bs. casual, playing to talk and have a good time. I thought I would play more EDH and I did for awhile, but I don't like my meta for edh, very few understand casual as I do. I don't want to build hermit druid, if I want to play competitive magic, I'll do 60 card or limited. Though I do get the challenge in making an EDH deck consistent, when you start, but after awhile, it's just yeah. I don't want that. If I did, I would play French EDH (though I'm building one, just to have).

But right now, it's all about 60 card magic, not even caring about a draft. After the GP, I'll might play more EDH and just durdle along with my themes and have my occasional control/combo deck moments (when I want to play to win).

I'm really enjoying modern right now, I've found the deck that fits me the best and just having fun with my friends and the local meta with it.

February 28, 2014 10:42 a.m.

sadiuh says... #4

My decks are mostly based off of personal playstyle, but a lot of them start because i like an individual card. Also they can be based off the card availability if i am split between 2 decks to build.

February 28, 2014 10:43 a.m.

miracleHat says... #5

My budget is normally within the $400-$500 dollar range, so i play edh that for the price of the deck only goes up. In edh, you get to use a lot of cards and that makes it fun to scroll through the set lists and see what new cards i can learn that are good. I really don't have a favorite archetype, but i try to get a mix of all. I have a joke deck, combo deck, aggro deck, voltron control deck, midrange deck and i will build a purely combo deck sooner or later. My playstyle likes beating people's faces with large creatures, so that is why i like Kaalia of the Vast and Vendilion Clique as a 7/5 flying, vigilance, lifelink and whatever sword (equipment) i put on her! My meta consists of 2 Nicol Bolas edh, 4 Kaalia of the Vast , Sigarda, Host of Herons , Karn, Silver Golem (dick commander to play against), and 2 Captain Sisay . The most fun in two headed giant actually was 2 Kaalia of the Vast against 2 Captain Sisay and Kaalia of the Vast of course won. The theme is normally wining with creatures, hopefully dragon. My combo deck is Dragonstorm and i played it in modern and then they banned it, so it is now useless in legacy because of Force of Will . My favorite card would be the rarest, most overpowered, so Black Lotus , Library of Alexandria , and Moat take the cake. I make decks on here just abusing the library because it is so fun. The hardest part about making a deck in my opinion is trimming it down to 60/100 cards. The easiest is adding more and more cards! All of this being said, my favorite deck of all time is my Kaalia of the Vast , but since so many people play it at my lgs and other people at school i don't. Instead i play Vendilion Clique because it is fun having 4 swords on here and a Batterskull in my hand. Also, Time Stretch with Snapcaster Mage is "fun".

February 28, 2014 10:51 a.m.

Pixonova says... #6

I love slower decks. I guess that's my play style. I run Esper Control and MBD most of the time. I have a golgari midrange in the works, and my "fastest" deck is G/R monsters.

Budget is usually a non issue for me. I only play constructed standard, with 1 blink edh deck in the works for super casual times. I have no qualms about dropping almost $300 every pay check on money cards that I need.

February 28, 2014 10:59 a.m.

guessling says... #7

Budget: This is an enormous factor for me. I only play decks that can be made for under $150 (and usually I run decks that are under $100.) I won't spend more than $25 on any card for any reason. I won't spend more than $10 on a card unless it can give me a win when it hits the table. I won't spend more than $5 on a card unless it exactly matches my deck theme or strategy.
Card availability: This is a huge factor in my choice to buy online instead of buying from my LGS. It also dictates my loaner decks (the decks I build for people to borrow).
Archetypes: This is a major factor for me. I want to have a deck for as many different archetypes as I can think of.
Personal playstyle: I don't think this is much of a factor because my personal playstyle is counterspell.dec / Stasis which is not fun to play since other people hate it so much. I have a deck or two along these lines but I have more fun when others also are having fun so I don't really stick to this. At least it is hardly recognizable. My mood is highly changeable, my tastes are widely varied, and I prefer to choose a deck to respond to my current mood and meta rather than settling on some identifiable style.
The meta: Based on my meta, I have paired down some cards from some decks like Sanguine Bond , Felidar Sovereign , and I have cut back on tutors. I have also beefed up the defense in all the decks I play with things like General's Kabuto , Lightning Greaves , Sun Titan , and Guard Gomazoa .
Themes and gimmicks: Most (if not all) of my decks involve a theme and / or gimmick. I avoid having multiple decks that use the same primary theme, gimmick, or archetype if I can (although some secondary themes overlap).
Individual card appeal: I have always loved Oona, Queen of the Fae . When that card came out while I was on a break from the game, it made me wish that I was playing again.
Design challenges: I try to find and solve these by playtesting. Besides the budget challenge, I face the challenge of going into multiplayer matches with the assumption that I will be the prime target. This is usually proven to be a valid assumption with very few exceptions. I know that if I loan out my Krenko, Mob Boss to someone, they will probably enjoy it but I also know that I probably won't be able to keep Krenko on the table if it is me playing it.Otherwise I sometimes create my own challenges for myself. I have a few casual decks that are all about mainboarding the deck as it once was and sideboarding in stuff to beef it up.

I do enjoy all of this. I enjoy the variety and interaction. I like being responsive to things as they change. I like having lots of decks to choose from. I like having money to spend on other hobbies.

February 28, 2014 11:01 a.m.

Didgeridooda says... #8

I will take advice, but I would never net deck. Budget is a little bit of a factor. I like building with the stuff I already have. The cards that I have always liked etc...

February 28, 2014 11:28 a.m.

SharuumNyan says... #9

My decks are as competitive as they can be, and if I can't afford the cards to build an optimal deck I just stay away from that format. But that is my choice, and I don't diss anyone else for playing budget decks or fun homebrews that may not be competitve.

I usually find a netdeck that is similar to what I want to play, and then make changes to it to make it work better for my local meta. I'm fine with people who netdeck or homebrew, but people who criticize netdeckers really irk me.

I prefer fast tempo/aggro decks and control decks. I don't think I've ever built a deck without blue or white in it. I'm not fond of stompy creature decks, and infect is the worst thing that ever happened.

I used to think I'd never play green, but I've been playing GW in Standard recently. I only started playing those colors because I got a playset of Voice of Resurgence and wanted to use them. I really like Selesnya now, and will probably branch out to other colors eventually. My main problem is that I feel insecure without counter spells in my hand.

February 28, 2014 11:38 a.m.

Didgeridooda says... #10

I love playing against net decks, as they are usually the best around. I just would never do it myself. When I played standard, and played against the net decks, it was much more fun for me when I beat them.

February 28, 2014 11:41 a.m.

nobu_the_bard says... #11

I like making my own EDH decks and sealed decks (like prereleases); I don't play other formats because of the competitive pressure I dislike. I'm not particularly good at it mind you. I look at other people's decks for ideas, and take advice sometimes, but mostly dislike copying other decks whole and prefer to try to figure things out for myself. Figuring things out is the best part.

I play mostly EDH and there, for me, budget is a strong factor. I can't afford Demonic Tutor , for example, so none of my black decks contain it. I'll probably never own any of the Sword of Crazy and Awesome or anything along those lines either. I don't like using proxies because I don't like "fake" cards but am alright with other people proxying things, particularly if it is just to test or they own a real copy somewhere. I compensate by making do with lesser/cheaper things, and strange tricks. I have shut down many Swords of X and Y using Karn, Silver Golem and Tower of the Magistrate , heh!

I try to do things in EDH I've never done before. If possible, I try things I haven't seen before, or try to use things I've seen in my own way. I tried making a black/white control deck, Selenia, Angelic Extortionist EDH, my first ever attempt at control without blue. It is my winningest deck currently despite being focused on the "underpowered" Extort mechanic. I am proud of it because it is my most original design, and my most effective deck overall, despite the large number of budget compromises and general low power level cards. It might be a fluke really but I still like it.

I like cards that fit thematically also. I have skipped some cards or included others because they did or didn't fit the theme, or simply because I was using them elsewhere and didn't want to keep playing the same card. I avoid foils (too flashy) and white borders (too loud) as much as is feasible given my budget.

When I play my decks, I try not to tutor for the same thing each game at a given sitting. Playing the same game, the same hand, each time is boring.

February 28, 2014 11:43 a.m.

SharuumNyan says... #12

Didgeridooda - Netdecks are prefered for people who use FNM as a practice environment for larger tournaments, but since they only care about sideboarding for other netdecks homebrewers often have an element of surprise advantage. People who throw a netdeck together 5 minutes before FNM and expect to win are doing it wrong, and it is funny when they get pissed off when a homebrew beats them.

February 28, 2014 12:01 p.m.

The_Raven says... #13

Budget and Theme and gimmicks!

Budget.... I'm a poor little boy ;D

Theme and gimmicks! I have an Kithkin deck, a Spirit/Arcane deck and a Snow Deck... That is REALLY Theme and gimmicks! :D Now I'm planning on doing a flicker EDH Roon deck! Gimmick? Yes, and they are all budget, but so fun to play! :D

(Btw I have a Mono-Blue Modern Mill deck, which I play tournaments with! People is like, WTF?!)

February 28, 2014 12:03 p.m.

Didgeridooda says... #14

SharuumNyan I agree. When most net deck, they have an expectation to win. Especially against decks that should in no way beat them. I have not played standard in a long time, or modern ever, but it was fun to go up against very powerful decks alot and win. I played in the Zendikar block, and those prize packs really bolstered my collection. I have a couple of friends that net deck, so I am used to it.

I also hate proxies. Much hate! I would even prefer them not be used if they are in another deck. Just switch them out. If a card is too valuable to put in the deck sleeved, then use something else. I don't usually tell everyone how much I hate them because I play only EDH now. I don't even know how I feel about the championship gold bordered cards. I think those would be much better for me though. Still debating about that.

February 28, 2014 12:13 p.m.

Vieno says... #15

When I made my G/W deck, I was still new to magic, so I didn't want to spend much money, so budget was a major factor. The deck started as a token deck, and slowly over time changed into a G/W Aura deck. This happened through finding my cards lackluster and seeing new goodies. Now, the deck is finished with a total cost of $90, from the original $10. As for why it's the main deck I use at this point, there are three reasons. 1: It's my first successful self-made deck, so it's special. 2: I enjoy having giant creatures that the opponent can't touch. 3: I enjoy ending games with the life totals around 40-0. Lifelink will always be my favorite thing in magic!

February 28, 2014 12:22 p.m.

Jay says... #16

I play a little bit of everything, but heavily lean towards wack combo decks. Now, when I say combo, I do not mean Splinter Twin . I can't stand 2-card game-ender combos. To me, they do not take enough skill to pull off in order to make that kind of pay off worth it.

Now, for each category-

-Budget: Virtually nothing. I'm 16. What little money I have usually goes towards entering FNMs. I usually win packs, and use their contents to trade for what I want. I do plenty of online trading, so I can usually piece together decks for very little money.

-Card Availability: This really only bothers me in Standard. I will only trade Standard for Standard unless I'm getting a good deal, so I don't want to run 4x Brimaz, King of Oreskos because those are a bitch to get a hold of. However, needing cards like AEther Vial I'm okay with because lots of people have them online, and I can trade for them there.

-Archetypes: I dabble in everything. My pauper deck is 5-color zoo aggro, which appeals to me greatly because I love 5-color and neat synergies. It just happens to work best as aggro. One of my main EDH decks (and a number of past Standard/Modern decks) is control. Control has the most room for personalizing your deck, which is something I really approve. It also allows me to use interesting wincons I wouldn't be able to in other builds because of how late the game can go. Not to mention I love Esper. Two of my other EDH decks and some of my old Standard decks are Midrange. I'm a big midrange fan because it combines the board presence of Aggro with the resources of Control, and the decks usually lead to interesting and fun gameplay. Combo, however, is my true lover. Almost every deck I make uses some kind of combo. I never use infinite combos, though. Particularly those I deem "too easy" to pull off. I like jumping through crazy hoops to win in spectacular and improbable ways (Maze's End , for example, is something I love).

-Playstyle: This is reflected a lot above, but I basically just love going way overboard without going infinite. I don't want to play a tier-1 deck that wins through combat damage and nothing else. I want to play the rogue deck that top 8'd on an MTGO Modern Daily 1 time just because the planets aligned. Despite this, it's really important to me that my opponent is having fun. If I sense someone feels frustrated playing against my deck, I'll try and fix it. That's why I'm trying to get rid of my Amulet of Vigor ramp deck- it's about as much fun to watch as Eggs.

-The meta: I don't even build sideboards. My meta is a bunch of highschoolers and a few friendly guys who live near our shop. Nobody really uses sideboards because nobody else does. Some people feel sort of cheated if they get hit with a silver bullet, and everyone respects the mutual feeling. This happens to be a very healthy place for combo decks to thrive. Maze's End can't lose if nobody has Pithing Needle ;)

-Themes and Gimmicks: Probably more than half of my decks on here have this tag. The more interesting I can make my deck, on any level, the better. I'm a big fan of tribes, particularly Spirits and Angels. This is one of the big reasons I love EDH- there's plenty of room to throw in that not-so-good-but-oh-so-cool card just for the hell of it.

-Individual Card Appeal: This is another one that shows through in my EDH building. I rarely build a 60-card deck just for love-making on some wack rare, but in EDH I often build entire decks around an unusual commander just because I'm in love with it. Why would I want to play with a card that I don't like, anyway?

-Design Challenges: Building is my favorite part of Magic. It's hard for me to turn down a challenge that appeals to me. I try to make every deck I build difficult to play for 2 reasons- They're fun for me, and nobody else can copy me. I like being original, and when people copy my decks (although I ultimately don't give a damn what other people play), I always feel a little ripped off. Nobody I know can even begin to understand the subtleties of Communist Daughter, though, so that deck is mine and mine only.

To conclude this long, long spiel, I play what's fun and challenging for myself and everyone involved.

February 28, 2014 12:23 p.m.

Azuleblood says... #17

I like Maze's End decks or other 5 color strange decks that are fun and cheap such as Door to Nothingness however Orzhov is my favorite guild and I'm currently working on a competitive B/W Aggro style deck for standard.

February 28, 2014 12:33 p.m.

raithe000 says... #18

All right, by factor

Budget: I have a problem with building decks: I can't stop! Therefore, in order to keep it at least semi-contained, I've decided to focus on only one format at a time for competitive and will only buy cards for decks meant to be competitive in that format. I will trade for cards in other formats, and I'll build lots of decks from whatever I have lying around, but I won't go out and buy cards just to make my EDH decks a little better (though maybe if I get more cash to spare, that will change).
Card Availability: Related to the above, I'm not going to hunt for cards unless I need them for a competitive deck. I'll just use whatever I have, make the best deck I can, and upgrade slowly through trades.
Archetypes: The reason I love building decks is because I enjoy every archetype. Magic has so many different facets, the idea of limiting yourself to just one or two is crazy for me. Not only do I enjoy it, but I get to see a different side, a different style with every new archetype I try. Wouldn't give it up for the world.
Personal playstyle: My playstyle varies by archetype. I have a tendency to go all in when I shouldn't but other than that I do not have a consistent playstyle. One game it's overwhelming with Slivers or Animar, the next control, the next pure chaos.
The meta: This is where I am weakest. I don't play often enough in any one place, and I have trouble getting a sense for what changes need to be made to combat my meta. So no, this doesn't affect my building much.
Themes and gimmicks: I usually avoid these. If there is a powerful linear deck like Slivers, I'll play around with it, and I used to build decks emphasizing the guild mechanics, but I've tried to move away from those and just build decks that work really well.
Individual card appeal: This is especially true for Commander for me, but it sneaks in elsewhere (how else do I explain my Pain Seer Standard deck?)
Design challenges: I only build decks out of my actual collection usually, so these aren't a factor.

February 28, 2014 12:36 p.m.

Rhadamanthus says... #19

I'll focus my response on Standard, but my Commander and 60-card Casual decisions also mostly follow these trends.

The two biggest factors that influence what I play are what I already own and what I find "interesting". That last one can be unpacked into a lot of different elements, being a combination of playstyle, themes, and individual cards, among other things, but "interesting" is the best way to sum it all up. I think the easiest way to demonstrate what kinds of things interest me is to go through my Standard decks over the past few years and my thoughts behind them:

Jund Cascade Allies: One FNM I got my ass kicked by a Naya-colored Allies deck with a bunch of Cascade spells, and I really liked the idea of combining the two mechanics. Choosing Jund colors allowed me to play not only the best Cascade card (Bloodbraid Elf ), but also Terminate and Blightning .
Legion of Doom: I just reeeeeally wanted to play with Abyssal Persecutor , and I also liked the idea of making an "evil" Super Friends deck (hence the name).
Goblins (Pre-Rotation): For a short period of time all of Lightning Bolt , Incinerate , Goblin Grenade , and Goblin Guide were legal in Standard together, so I decided to adapt a personal casual deck that I really liked. On the only day I ever played the deck, I went 6-3 at an SCG Open event.
Scars-Innistrad-M12 Big Red: I tried to keep the previous deck going after rotation, but it sucked, so I made the transformative Big Red sideboard into the main deck instead. Lots of fun.
Innistrad-Ravnica-M13 Legion of Doom: At one of the big events where I played the previous deck, my first round opponent had a really cool looking control deck built around Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker . Around that same time KrazyCaley was writing an article series about an awesome Grixis control deck, and I was inspired. This is a deck that I stopped playing eventually because it stopped being fun to play, leading to too many grindy matches that were just miserable for everyone involved.
Innistrad-Ravnica-M13 Raka Hexproof: This is one I saw featured on the main WotC webpage as a daily decklist (I think it's an Edgar Flores list, but I'm not sure). It looked very fun and super easy to build. Luckily enough the only cards I had to trade for were some commons and uncommons, so I went for it.
Innistrad-Ravnica-M13-M14 Steel Necro: This is another one where the small overlap between Core Set legalities allowed for a very special deck. I immediately saw Haunted Plate Mail as a good candidate to bring back a "Steel Necro" style deck of old, and the presence of so much awesome removal together at the same time sealed the deal. I'm just sad I haven't adapted this list into a personal casual deck (a lot of important cards were being borrowed from existing decks).
Ravnica-Theros-M14 Maze's End: I thought Maze's End was cool, but so many people I knew were dumping on it when Dragon's Maze was released. When I saw Kenny Oberg's list from PT Dragon's Maze I was inspired to follow. I liked his take on it because it wasn't a "Turbo Fog" style deck. Fog decks really aren't my thing, but kill stuff decks definitely are.

February 28, 2014 1 p.m.

KrazyCaley says... #20

In competitive formats - Because the deck will win AND is original.

In casual - Because the deck exceeds requirements on both "likelihood to win" and "jankiness" axes.

February 28, 2014 2:28 p.m.

acbooster says... #21

To be honest, I don't know why I play the decks I play. It'd be more appropriate to ask why I play Magic. I really have no reason to play the decks I play other than I put it together. I've always homebrewed my decks and if I get bored one week I'll grab a random card from my uncommon/common box and build a deck around it to play with. Because of this I play every color and almost every deck type under the sun. Since I usually only build with what I have, budget is of no concern. However, if I stop and think about a deck, I tend to use Red and/or Black more often than other colors in my deck. Both of them, to me, pose a challenge when playing them. Red decks run out of steam quickly and frequently leave themselves open while Black decks just play recklessly. Both of them require some skill to reign in the cards and make them work in your advantage. For example, in a black deck, using Liliana Vess ' -2 in order to set up for no life lost when your Pain Seer untaps next turn or at the start of your next turn with Dark Confidant .

February 28, 2014 2:43 p.m.

cr14mson says... #22

Budget and Card Availability: I don't have a problem buying a booster box per set, but I hate buying expensive singles. lol My deck usually comes from my current card pool; replacing cards with similar effects. Every now and then, I would buy a few to complete a set; or cheap/junk rares which I believe are potential bombs
Archetype / Playstyle / Meta: First I homebrew then tweak it against the meta of my LGS and playgroups. I netdeck here and other MTG sites to understand how they work, and play my (physical) deck against theirs.
Themes and gimmicks: i'm a Johnny at heart, I love combos! My current fave deck is white weenie flying spaghetti Ethereal Armor (you know how it goes). On a bigger view, I maintain 3 different decks at any given time and I always strive to have all colors represented. As mentioned, I have a white weenie, then a Dimir mill with Nighthowler feeding off the graveyard, and lastly a Bloodrush Gruul creature deck. The last one is for casual play (not Monster deck) and this is what I usually use when playing against newbies.

February 28, 2014 3:22 p.m.

ALX says... #23

I'm fairly new to the game and only recently got into EDH. I love fun combos: to Sacrifice/ Bounce creatures for benefit. I also enjoy artifact creatures. Currently I am messing around with Cauldron of Souls + Dross Scorpion with a Modular creature like Arcbound Bruiser and a Sac Outlet

I also like graveyard manipulation, combos like: Lotleth Troll bestowed with a Nighthowler

If I can do something fun with my deck I'm happy!

February 28, 2014 3:29 p.m.

Hallowed_Titan says... #24

I love to play every deck I own. If I'm not happy with it, I strive to change it until I'm happy. Budget is an issue with me though, meaning my budget for MTG is not much.