Thank you for stopping by.

I first became acquainted with Magic: The Gathering during Alpha set. After that initial foray where I was introduced by a neighbor to the game, I didn’t play again until the Tempest block. Then I took a long, 20 year hiatus until 2019 when another neighbor reinvigorated my desire to play by urging me to buy some Dominaria and Core 19 packs for a friendly draft. Since then I’ve found myself addicted to deck building.

I prefer traditional formats like Vintage/Legacy/Modern/Standard/Pauper as opposed to this zany, newfangled “Commander” format all the kids are raving about.

I lean toward the / end of the color spectrum; preferred hubs are Reanimator and any type of build that uses uncommon or otherwise off the wall strategies or win-cons.

God I miss the old artwork and flavor text from the older expansions; some of the new stuff is half decent but it doesn’t hold a candle to the gorgeous art of cards like those found in the Arabian Nights expansion or Mirage block. And then there’s the classical literary quotes on cards like Repentant Blacksmith, Juzam Djinn, Hammerheim, Karakas, Pendelhaven, Revelation...the list goes on! I weep softly when I realize just how lackluster today’s MtG sets are in this respect, by comparison. But, I digress.

Feel free to leave any comments or questions you may have on any of my decks; all upvotes are much appreciated as well.

Balaam__ says... #1

@Squee_Spirit_Guide great, thanks!

Sadly it’s nothing special, just a different take on an old standby. But I’ll be sure to tag you for your help.

February 9, 2026 10:43 p.m.

Yes, you're correct! Once the spell resolves it'll move to the graveyard (unless another zone is specified) and it'll no longer be on the stack so the game resumes normally.

I'm looking forward to seeing what this brew is all about :)

February 9, 2026 10:37 p.m.

Balaam__ says... #3

@Squee_Spirit_Guide cool thanks. Ok, so say I cast a spell with split second (Angel's Grace for instance). While it’s on the stack, no one can cast spells or activate abilities that aren’t mana abilities, like the card itself says.

My question is, Once it resolves then either player can cast more spells and stuff right?

It sounds so stupid now that I’ve written it, but I was working on something in the background and all of a sudden got that awful feeling in the pit of my stomach that I’m misunderstanding how split second works and thus my whole build is rendered inoperable. I figure rather than waste time on a dead end I’d double check. Surely I’m right in that once that particular spell resolves actions and priorities go back to normal, correct?

February 9, 2026 10:28 p.m.

Sure thing! I'm by no means a judge, but I'm happy to help if I can!

February 9, 2026 10:11 p.m.

Balaam__ says... #5

@Squee_Spirit_Guide can I run a rules question by you? I’m pretty sure it’s a simple answer, and I think I know what it is but I’m not 100% and want a second opinion.

February 9, 2026 4:09 p.m.

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Said on A Means to …...

#1

@capwner that’s what a figured, just wanted to double check. It’s a great suggestion, but I went with the old school border for aesthetics. I’ll do some playtesting and see how many I want to add and what to replace. Thanks!

February 17, 2026 5:40 p.m.

Said on A Means to …...

#2

@capwner refresh my memory: the spell only affects creatures currently in play at the time it resolves, correct? So by casting a Death's Shadow afterward (should the mana be available), I wouldn’t kneecap my own creature?

February 17, 2026 5:33 p.m.

Said on Qween of the …...

#3

Funny deck title. Reminds me of the clergyman from The Princess Bride. “Mawwiage…is what bwings us togevver…”

February 16, 2026 11:38 a.m.

Said on Disturbing Night...

#4

I second kamarupas advice. I’d like to add it’s possible to double up and have both a body and utility. Something like Malevolent Hermit comes to mind. You’ve got a decent counterspell in waiting that can later be Disturbed for another spirit to take advantage of your +1/+1 anthem effects, all in a single card.

February 15, 2026 6:38 p.m.

Ha, you made ‘The Consuls’ the bouncers. Great stuff.

February 14, 2026 3:48 p.m.

@kamarupa here’s a thought. Turn 1 you’re packing a good amount of removal spells but not much else as far as options. You’re more or less biding your time until Turn 3 when you start dropping Nighthawks, so why not run a few Authority of the Consuls in the maindeck to slow down the opponent’s early game? Thematically it’s as if the diner is full and your opponent’s creatures are waiting in the lobby until a table opens :D

February 14, 2026 12:52 p.m.

Said on Green Burn...

#7

As a fan of decks that don’t do what their color should be doing, I like this quite a bit. +1

February 14, 2026 8:51 a.m.

Said on Oh Yeah!!...

#8

@capwner I can’t believe I overlooked Drift of Phantasms, that’s getting maybeboarded until I work it in. Thanks for pointing it out!

February 12, 2026 7:51 p.m.

Said on Mako and the …...

#9

Good combos, +1

February 12, 2026 3:13 p.m.

Said on Oh Yeah!!...

#10

@kamarupa deck title was supposed to be a kool aid man reference lol

February 12, 2026 2:54 p.m.

Said on RB Reanimator...

#11

Always happy to help if I can. Be sure to post the results, and whether there were any specific points of contention in your matchups.

February 11, 2026 2:05 p.m.

Said on RB Reanimator...

#12

I’m not a tournament player, nor have I really kept up with the deluge of recent sets flooding the market, so take everything I say with a pinch of salt.

It definitely appears as though you have a good grasp of the archetype and know what you’re doing when it comes to deckbuilding. Personally, I prefer Reanimator, but since you went you’ll be exchanging countermagic for speed. Your ratios and proportions look good; you’ve got enough to do early on and ways to capitalize on those actions in the mid game.

Most of your choices are strong cards both individually and as links in a chain (lots of classic staples here), but one or two gave me pause for thought. As an example, I hadn’t seen Boggart Trawler  Flip before. It isn’t bad, per se, but I question its utility. 3 mana is expensive just to nuke a graveyard, and the 3/1 generic goblin creature left over is irrelevant. Alternatively, paying 3 life for access to a swamp is a bit steep as well, particularly when speed is of the essence as you’ll undoubtedly be absorbing some early game combat damage and/or non-basic land ETB pings from yourself. You could perhaps make an argument that having access to both those things on one rectangle without needing to give up precious card slots is worthwhile, but it still stands out as a weaker choice to me. Idk, maybe I’m wrong and it combos off something I’m missing, but I’d reconsider that pick.

The only other thing I can think of off the top of my head is that a single Blood Moon or BM type effect would really throw a wrench in the works. It doesn’t get played that often anymore, but there are plenty of other nasty Enchantments and Artifacts that do, and these can grind you to a halt if you don’t have a way to deal with them. At the very least, sideboard in some Enchantment hate.

Otherwise, I’d consider this a pretty respectable list.

February 11, 2026 10:07 a.m.

lol no I hadn’t heard that, that’s pretty clever.

February 10, 2026 11:25 a.m.

Said on Balaam__...

#14

@Squee_Spirit_Guide great, thanks!

Sadly it’s nothing special, just a different take on an old standby. But I’ll be sure to tag you for your help.

February 9, 2026 10:43 p.m.

Said on Balaam__...

#15

@Squee_Spirit_Guide cool thanks. Ok, so say I cast a spell with split second (Angel's Grace for instance). While it’s on the stack, no one can cast spells or activate abilities that aren’t mana abilities, like the card itself says.

My question is, Once it resolves then either player can cast more spells and stuff right?

It sounds so stupid now that I’ve written it, but I was working on something in the background and all of a sudden got that awful feeling in the pit of my stomach that I’m misunderstanding how split second works and thus my whole build is rendered inoperable. I figure rather than waste time on a dead end I’d double check. Surely I’m right in that once that particular spell resolves actions and priorities go back to normal, correct?

February 9, 2026 10:28 p.m.

@Altoman ah I see what you mean now, that makes far more sense. I was focusing on the wrong aspect of the card. I’m glad I maybeboarded it, I’ll have to do some test runs. Truth be told I haven’t had much issue closing things out if I can get a big threat into play, but the option to press the attack immediately without waiting is undoubtedly a huge advantage. How many copies would you run, and what might be best to remove and replace?

February 9, 2026 8:40 p.m.

Said on Balaam__...

#17

@Squee_Spirit_Guide can I run a rules question by you? I’m pretty sure it’s a simple answer, and I think I know what it is but I’m not 100% and want a second opinion.

February 9, 2026 4:09 p.m.

I don’t see it in the deck or maybeboard, so I’m not sure whether you’ve considered it or not, but Basilisk Collar will ‘Nighthawk-ify’ any creature with flying. It kind of defeats the theme to add non-nighthawks and turn them into such, but I do see you have Aerial Responder already included so I’m not sure how closely you feel you need to adhere to the theme. It would open up a lot of options to be sure.

February 9, 2026 12:30 p.m.

Said on Mono Red...

#19

Looks good. Certainly better than my first deck. Price of Progress is an interesting choice, I bet it performs well in Legacy; Non-basics are omnipresent.

February 8, 2026 5:44 p.m.

Said on See the Forest …...

#20

I like the unorthodox idea behind this, but the odds of playing something other than a land seem really low. Even with several opening hand mulligans and the land surveillance you’re going to be lucky to find a non land card. When if you do, you won’t be casting it before Turn 3.

I think this could be shaped into something that retains the same spirit but is more playable, although it will take a lot of refinement.

February 5, 2026 5:03 p.m.

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MTG Decks

Ontogeny Recapitulates Phylogeny

Modern Balaam__

SCORE: 44 | 21 COMMENTS | 2406 VIEWS | IN 4 FOLDERS

Altar of Despair

Modern Balaam__

SCORE: 58 | 29 COMMENTS | 2356 VIEWS | IN 6 FOLDERS

Trouble at the Old Mill!

Modern Balaam__

SCORE: 61 | 34 COMMENTS | 2055 VIEWS | IN 13 FOLDERS

Modern Problems Require Modern Solutions

Modern Balaam__

SCORE: 68 | 11 COMMENTS | 2959 VIEWS | IN 6 FOLDERS

Ferngully (Help Wanted!)

Modern Balaam__

SCORE: 62 | 59 COMMENTS | 2376 VIEWS | IN 7 FOLDERS

Exham Priory

Pauper Balaam__

SCORE: 55 | 16 COMMENTS | 3901 VIEWS | IN 14 FOLDERS

Geralf’s Walk-In Clinic

Legacy Balaam__

SCORE: 46 | 7 COMMENTS | 1243 VIEWS | IN 6 FOLDERS

Darwin’s Dirty Onus

Modern Balaam__

SCORE: 37 | 16 COMMENTS | 1741 VIEWS | IN 1 FOLDER

Finished Decks 141
Prototype Decks 11
Drafts 0
Playing since Tempest
Points 1290
Avg. deck rating 26.35
T/O Rank 8
Helper Rank 13
Favorite formats Modern, Pauper, Legacy, Vintage
Suppressed formats Standard Brawl, Historic, Commander / EDH, Pauper EDH, Commander: Rule 0, Canadian Highlander, Highlander, Duel Commander, Leviathan, 1v1 Commander, Pre-release, Penny Dreadful, Heirloom, Hero, Noble, Tiny Leaders, Oathbreaker, Block Constructed, Arena, MTGO, Magic Duels, Unformat
Cards suggested / good suggestions 190 / 137
Venues Tales of Adventure
Joined 6 years