Guide to building a Magic: The Gathering deck

Deck building in Magic: The Gathering (MTG) is as much an art as a science. Whether you’re a novice player or a seasoned strategist, creating a deck that reflects your playing style while being competitive can be a rewarding experience. In this article, we’ll explore the key steps to building a fun and effective deck.

Understanding formats

Before you start, it’s important to choose the format in which you want to play. The most popular formats are :

• Standard: Uses the most recent extensions (rotated every year).
• Modern: Includes maps from 8th edition onwards.
• Commander (EDH): A multiplayer format with a single 100-card deck.
• Pauper: Allows only common cards.

Your choice of format will dictate the cards you can use and influence the strategy of your deck.

Choose a strategy or theme

A good deck starts with a clear strategy. Here are a few examples:

• Aggro: Win quickly with inexpensive creatures and attack spells.
• Control: Manage the pace of the game by controlling your opponent’s actions.
• Combo: Assemble cards to create a powerful synergy that wins the game in one fell swoop.
• Midrange: Mix solid creatures and versatile spells to adapt to different situations.

If you prefer a more evocative theme, you can build a deck around tribes like elves, zombies or dragons.

Understanding colors

Magic’s five colors represent different philosophies and styles of play. Choosing your colors will determine the strengths and weaknesses of your deck:

• White: The color of justice and cooperation. It excels in numerous creatures (tokens), damage prevention and support effects.
• Blue: The color of knowledge and control. It offers counters, draw cards and subtle strategies.
• Black: The color of ambition and sacrifice. It manipulates resources, destroys creatures and profits from the loss of life.
• Red: The color of passion and destruction. Ideal for fast strategies (aggro), it features direct damage spells and aggressive creatures.
• Green: The color of nature and growth. It excels in powerful creatures, mana acceleration and the destruction of artifacts and enchantments.

You can choose a single color for consistency, or combine several to take advantage of interesting synergies. For example, a blue-white deck can blend control and support, while a red-green deck will favor a fast, overwhelming attack.

Determining your mana base

A well-balanced deck relies on a solid mana base. The number of lands depends on your mana curve (the average cost of your spells):

• Aggro decks: Approx. 20-22 terrains.
• Midrange decks: Approx. 24 terrains.
• Control decks: Approx. 26 terrains.

If you’re playing more than one color, consider double terrain or other mana fixers such as artifacts or ramp spells.

Choosing key cards

Every deck needs cards that are at its heart. Identify those that :

• Realize your core strategy.
• Protect your assets.
• Offer solutions to opposing threats.

For example, if your strategy relies on flying creatures, make sure you have enough cards to maintain this pressure while countering any opposing flying creatures.

Refining the mana curve

The mana curve is the distribution of your card costs. A good curve guarantees that you’ll be able to play spells every turn:

• 1-2 manas: Cards for a fast start.
• 3-4 manas: Spells that build your game plan.
• 5+ manas: Finishing or major impact spells.

Too many expensive cards can slow down your game, while too many cheap cards often lack the power to finish a game.

Test and adjust

Once you’ve assembled your deck, test it against different opponents and formats. Take note of its strengths and weaknesses:

• Are there unnecessary cards in most situations?
• Do you often run out of mana?
• Are your victory conditions too fragile?

Adjust your deck accordingly and consider adding cards from your reserve to meet specific strategies.

Consider the meta

The meta (set of dominant strategies in a game environment) is constantly evolving. Be aware of popular cards or strategies and adjust your deck to resist them.

Building a Magic: The Gathering deck is a creative and strategic activity that lets you express your style of play. By following these steps, you’ll be able to create a fun, competitive deck, while learning to refine your strategy as you play. So get out your cards, challenge yourself and, above all, have fun!

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