Entry 2: The Build ~ "I don't know where my destiny lies, but I know it isn't here" ~ The construction of this deck was a balancing act. I had two opposing forces: the goal of making an effective budget list and the desire to avoid a non-linear gameplan. A linear gameplan can be a huge boon for budget decks allowing the builder to extract the most power out of otherwise inexpensive and innocuous cards, but that's not the goal of this project. I'm not looking to create a finished product right away nor am I looking for a deck with a clear, or straightforward, path to improvement. The deck I want is one that can evolve and adjust as I try new cards from both the past year and moving forward. My strategy for creating a deck that fit this goal began with a choice in commander — Taranika, Akroan Veteran. THE COMMANDER Taranika serves three main functions that assist my goals for this deck: she's budget friendly, she's strategically flexible, and she's far from the best option. Being kind to the wallet was an obvious requirement for the commander. As outlined in my introductory post, no card in the starting deck is worth more than one dollar including the commander. Better mono white commanders exist for less than one dollar, but Taranika has two additional benefits. Her ability is an interesting build around, but not necessarily a powerful one. This deck features a focus on counters and double strikers to help take advantage of Taranika's ability. However, I'm not completely attached to Taranika as the deck moves forward. As the year continues, a new commander may come out that I want to test or I may want to completely evolve the gameplan of the deck. Striking the balance between commitment and flexibility is exactly what I was looking for in a commander at the outset of this project. THE REST As for the 99, the same tenets applied. The deck is constructed to balance between flexible and linear which is normally the opposite of where you want to be for optimization purposes. The deck's primary strategy is winning via the combat step. To do so, I added variety of creatures with abilities that work well with Taranika. In this deck, Taranika's ability is primarily used as a "pump effect". To accentuate this ability, I added creatures with double strike, lifelink, or who enter the battlefield with counters. This means Taranika can turn a creature like Fencing Ace into an intimidating early threat. The deck also features a variety of plus one counter enablers and synergies which fit well into a combat deck but don't lock me into a specific direction. Part of avoiding a linear plan was avoiding ramp and other fast mana. Without ramp, you have to rely on answers to slow down your opponents. A deck then naturally evolves into a more midrange style. So as for staying alive, 2020 had a wealth of budget board wipes and spot removal to help me out. While weaker than the removal white is known for, cards like Humble, Sheer Drop, or Slash the Ranks are still completely serviceable if not ideal. The hope is to put together enough of a speed bump to slow my opponents down and keep myself in the game. THE WRAP-UP I think I accomplished precisely what I set out to do when I started this project which is simply — I don't know where this deck will end up. Especially in the early going, I expect the adjustments to this list will be haphazard and unspecific. There's a handful of cards from 2020 I want to try, as well as, new cards being released in Kaldheim. Perhaps as the year progresses I'll have a clear plan for this deck, but for now I don't know where it's headed, but "I know it isn't here."
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AuthorMonoWhiteBorder -- A man who loves MtG and his small dog. Archives
June 2021
Categories"MonoWhiteBorder" and corresponding content is unofficial Fan Content permitted under the Fan Content Policy. Not approved/endorsed by Wizards. Portions of the materials used are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
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