Newbie loaner decks

[Athansor]

Ok, so I had a late night brainstorm.


I was thinking about people new to the game showing up to magic club meetings. On at least three occasions, I loaned them big Zombies and never saw from them again just because it's the only really simple deck in the room that isn't too expensive to loan out.

So, I think the club should have a set of cheap, moderately good, simple and interactive decks to loan out to first time players/players that haven't played in a few years/etc. One of each color would be the iconic way to do it.


Goals of the deck: Be simple, but still force user to make decisions. Spells with options are a huge boon. Example: Rebels in white with a toolbox of one of fetchable rebels.

Have a power level a bit above precons: If we give them anything too powerful, they'll be dissappointed when their own decks don't match up. Something too weak, they'll be bored with the game in no time and never come back again. Example: Suicide black is too powerful in single player, too weak in multiplayer. Nathaniel's Spider deck is probably too weak in one on one.

Not require politics to win: Some decks in multiplayer (our most popular format) need things to work out a correct way to win. These decks shouldn't require that. Example: a mana ramping green deck. Big creatures smash, no matter what the game state is.

Exemplify their colors: Red should have some burn, black some creature kill, white some weenies and protection, green some big dudes, blue some card draw/bounce/counter.

Have some of all the major card types: Should have an artifact, an enchantment, creatures, instants, sorceries, nonbasic lands. Not too hard really.

Have both old and new cards: We want cards that exemplify where the game has come from and where it is now. Rebels has the classic fetchers, some old tricks like righteousness maybe, some new pimpness like... well, something.

Ok. It's late, I'll work on some decklists tomorrow.

Good zombies would actually be a pretty good case for this stuff. Creatures, some removal, could have enchantments and artifacts no problem, could have bidding, lots of very black stuff.


Note: Let's avoid tribal if possible. It's kind of the deck building cop out, even if it is easy.

[Athansor]

Decklist #1:

Black:

3x Festering Goblin
2x Plagued Rusalka
2x Fog of Gnats
2x nezumi cutthroat
2x Looming Shade
2x Nantuko Husk
1x Royal Assassin
2x Nekrataal
2x Gravedigger
1x Mortivore
1x Kokusho
1x Lord of the Pit

3x Terror
2x Stupor
2x Cruel Edict
2x Dark Ritual
1x Corrupt
1x Consume Spirit
1x Beacon of Unrest

1x Midnight Bargain
2x Phyrecian Arena

1x Oblivon Stone

22x Swamp
1x Cabal Coffers



Please please please feel free to critique, suggest, etc.

[Kino]

I nominate my treefolk deck. It is my third best deck, but it is my favorite one to play. It interacts with itself in a simple enough manner that new players can understand it quickly, and it has the potential to dish out some serious damage (2x Chameleon Colossus) and even win games (Profane Command). My brother, who I just introduced to the game this summer, loves it.

Yes, I know you said to avoid tribal, but I managed to get my brother hooked on the game using this deck. I know my Auramancy deck is much better and isn't tribal, but it also isn't as much fun to play.

GREEN/black

3x Treefolk Harbinger
3x Changeling Titan
3x Unstoppable Ash
2x Orchard Warden
2x Timber Protector
2x Dauntless Dourbark
2x Oakgnarl Warrior
2x Chameleon Colossus
1x Leaf-Crowned Elder
1x Woodfall Primus
1x Vexing Shusher
1x Shoe Tree

2x Nameless Inversion
1x Gilt-Leaf Ambush
1x Reclaim
1x Beseech the Queen
1x Profane Command

2x Illuminated Folio
1x Loxodon Warhammer
1x Gauntlet of Power
1x Mana Reflection
1x Seal of Primordium
1x Lignify

15x Forest
8x Swamp
1x Sapseed Forest
1x Vivid Marsh

[Athansor]

Yeah, but I'm saying we put together a pool of decks specifically for newbs. I don't want to take away a deck from anyone who owns it. You also have a couple expensive cards in there (Chameleon Colossus is not cheap) and I don't know about you, but I would be really worried about loaning out a deck with them in it. Besides, it's just new cards, and everyone knows old cards are way cooler.

That isn't to say you aren't 100% welcome to loan out your deck whenever you want. Quite the contrary, loaning decks to other players is one of the things that makes us look really good as a club. Friendly, caring, all that bullshit.

I'll work on a blue deck, post it here when I'm done.

On a note, I just came up with a really cool name for a mono blue control deck:
Screw You Blue

Rhyming pwns.

[jewishdan18]

I think making some peasant decks would be a good start; they can include everything, and preform well if built right.

[Athansor]

Ok, green deck for y'all:

2x llanowar elves
1x fyndhorn elves
1x boreal druid
2x wildgrowth
2x devoted druid
3x yavimaya elder
3x troll ascetic
2x kodama's reach
2x fecundity
2x weatherseed totem
1x loxodon warhammer
1x emperor crocodile
1x beacon of creation
1x arashi, the sky asunder
1x Silvos, Rogue Elemental
1x Rhox
1x Epic Proportions
2x desert twister
1x thorn elemental
1x mossbridge troll
1x verdant force
1x crush of wurms
1x krosan cloudscraper
1x hurricane
1x enshrined memories

23x forest
1x yavimaya hollow


whatta ya think?

[Nathaniel]

Needs 4x hurricane; no reason not to have four, it gives green some awesomeness. I'll be more articulate when I'm feeling better.

[Athansor]

Ahh, Nathaniel, I was hoping you would speak up for green deck.

Too bad you're feelin' sick/down/bad, get better.

But yeah, green newb is definitely worse than black newb at this point - too much acceleration, not enough early game action. Was hoping you could have some tips on that.

As for 4x Hurricane, 2 reasons I'm against it. 1, I didn't want any 4 ofs just to make the decks a little more variable each time you play it, and I also though Hurricane might have been a little overpowered in the format. Still, I'm no green player, but I know black deck is right at the power level I want. Let us know some thoughts when you're feelin' better.

[Nathaniel]

Kodama of the North Tree would be a better include than Emperor Crocodile, as much as I like that card. Crush of worms is too expensive for just about any real use; it will likely never get played, and if it does, they'll get wrathed away. i'd go with 2x warhammer, than play crush. Ravenous baloth, and some Krosan Tuskers would be good.

[Nathaniel]

Also, decks like this need some utility, so maybe 2x naturalize and 1x indrik stomphowler.

[Xaigon]

Why did I just have to input my age and gender (again?)? Someone looking for someone to stalk?


Anyways, there might be a big problem between pros making and testing newb decks versus actual newbs actually playing with them. Sure, it seems like a great idea to make the decks be supremely efficient while being fairly inexpensive, but it might be good practice for newbs to realize where power vs efficiency lies while they play (aka, keep a pile of cards aside for them to look through and tweak their decks).

Suggestion: kidnap some people, lock them up in the basement/closet, force them to play with newb decks until the newb decks are built correctly. Here's looking to you, Danny. Might be a good way to get a girl too ;P

[Kino]

I'll just say again, my brother is a newb and he loves my treefolk deck.

Alternatively, my sister is also learning the game this summer. She's using my faerie deck, but she had a very difficult time understanding how the deck operates. It's not an overly complex interaction either. (Glen Elendra Pranksters and Flash cards). I have a feeling that most newbs would be unable to play a normal blue deck correctly, or for that matter any kind of control. Red and green decks are much easier to learn with, I think, because they tend to use the game's more basic functions, beat with creatures and deal damage. Newbs are less likely to badly misplay a 6/6 creature with trample or a "deal four damage to target player" burn spell. White weenies would also probably be a decent deck for new players, depending on the build. There's a good chance that they'll waste black kill spells on creatures that appear to the new player to be threatening, and similarly with counter-spells. I know I did when I first tried to play blue/black.

[Athansor]

Alright, Nathaniel, good thinking, I'd love it if you'd come up with an actual list. Jay, I have no idea what you're talking about. Kidnapping people and all that rubbish. Having cards aside to tweak the decks is a bit beyond the scope of this project as well. These decks are to teach people the rules. Hence why I wanted cards of each major type (fuck planeswalkers, there are 5 of em, not a big deal to include with newbs). My goal is not extreme efficiency, hence why the list I actually like has no 4 ofs to speak of and only 2 3 ofs. That's not very efficient at all. The decks are here to give people something to learn with. We're not giving them these decks, I don't want them to be competitive in the slightest other than against themselves. It also doesn't matter how poorly they do with the deck since the point is to learn to play the game, not to win. They can start winning when they actually do get their own decks. And the whole point of having one of each color is to showcase everything the game has to offer, so yes, blue and black will be harder to play, but on that same token they'll also probably be much better decks if played correctly. And that doesn't even matter, this is just supposed to be a sit down, play one or two with each, and then move on. If the person shows up for more club meetings I'm sure we'd be more than happy to build them decks. That's how I got into the damn game, I kept showing up and eventually someone gave me 2 decks. I bought a shit box full of crappy cards and tinkered and tinkered and well, here I am today. So, let's stick to the task as I have outlined it, and not get sidetracked with actual deckbuilding. They should be COOL above all else. Awesomeness is way more important than quality here. In the playtesting games Jay and I did Crush of Wurms was more than crushing, it was the only thing that gave him a chance of beating black. It's a really cool effect, regardless of mana cost. The real issue with green is that it needs to be trimmed back. It has too many rares. It should have 6 splashy cool rares, just like black deck does, and the rest should just be servicable, solid cards. So what are some servicable solid green cards along the power level of gravedigger, nekrataal, and festering goblin?

[kahnj]

Three troll ascetics? Also I'd scrap crush for Grizzly Fate or Howl of the Night Pack, but screw it if playing with crush seems cool. I feel like there are too many giant green things. I know that's kind of the point but green has a bunch of utility that we're missing. Also with so much of the deck in the late game, some early deterrents such as Wall of Roots/Blossoms or Carven Caryatid would be good. Harmonize? Spike Feeder? Rofellos over a Llanowar? River/Mire Boa, maybe something with deathtouch, Phantom Centaur, Multani, Copperhoof Vorrac, STE, Elephant Guide, Rancor... For interaction, maybe incremental growth and worldly tutor. Not sure if having three creatures out is too much to ask for, so maybe scale it down to a stand together.

Almost everyone played green at one point, go back to what you thought was cool.


(Edit: Stand Together and Incremental Growth cost the same. Ew)

[Eff]

Posting a rough white deck, though it might be too subtle for a first-time player or rusty returning player. Basically meant to reward players for good use of combat tricks while still being a very creature-heavy deck. Many cards in here benefit from Whitemane's resetability, even if not done as a combat trick (Mangara, Javelineers, Elite, 'derm). Rare count: 8

3x Icatian Javelineers
1x Bushi Tenderfoot
3x Goldmeadow Harrier
4x Whitemane Lion
4x Blade of the Sixth Pride
3x Safehold Elite
1x Intrepid Hero
2x Soltari Visionary
2x Slith Ascendant
1x Pianna, Nomad Captain
1x Mangara of Corondor
2x Calciderm
1x Dawn Elemental
1x Serra Angel

4x Guided Strike
2x Bathe in Light
1x Leonin Sun Standard
1x Righteousness (by request)

23x Plains

[Athansor]

well, the one thing about it is we should trim the 4 ofs and find a way to add in more cards of the other types. Nonbasic land, artifact, sorcery. Otherwise it looks pretty good, just need less 4 ofs. Also, it could probably use a big splashy angel or two for the late game just cause they're awesome. Otherwise, awesome, and thanks for the list!

Jared - thank you, the first person to make a ton of great suggestions I was forgetting about. Yeah, there are way too many big dudes and way too much mana acceleration, I kind of got tunnel vision over it. I'll work up a list with some of those, and try to stick to the 6 good rare rule, because I think that really should be what we're looking for.

[Athansor]

essentialmagic.com/Decks/View.asp?ID=638328


New green deck!!!

[roguenewb]

I know white weenie is probably the only competitive mono-white deck most of the time. But how about something like snow-white which has the kind of defensive elements and then mix that with some weenie stuff. Something like this perhaps?

Frozen Hot-Dogs

2 Cover of Winter
3 Dawn Charm
1 Rebuff the Wicked
2 Pacifism
1 Beacon of White (can't remember name)
2 Prison Term
2 Soul Warden
1 Wrath of God
2 Pollen Lullaby
1 Howling Mine
1 Akroma, Angel of Wrath
2 Calciderm
1 Swans of Bryn Argoll
1 Sacred Mesa
3 Savannah Lions
3 Martyr of Sands
1 Intrepid Hero
1 Seht's Tiger
2 Master Decoy
1 Feud Killer's Verdict
3 Spectral Procession

That's just my first try on some kind of defensive weenie stall monstrosity.

[Athansor]

I like it for everything except the swans and the wrath. Swans are expensive and can only be taken advantage of by your opponents, and wrath seems like a bad fit. Maybe swap the 2 of them out for 2 Mass Calcify. The big mana cost shouldn't matter since these decks aren't exactly going to be focused aggro decks, and they'll be both cheaper and more interesting. Otherwise, that looks perfect for our white deck. Thanks!

Edit: On second thought, that snow enchantment is a no go just because snow lands are a bitch to find.

[Chris]

I'd suggest winds of wrath instead of mass calcify or wrath of god. It's only 5 mana and destroys all non enchanted creatures and is dirt cheap money wise. Just my 2 cents.