Something that I noticed quickly upon my return to the world of Magic the Gathering was the sheer amount of people sharing their deck builds and people using deck builds created by other players. Later finding out this was called Net-Decking, I could see both the advantages and disadvantages of this but saw it as just one of those parts of the game that can’t be changed. The internet is everywhere (Obviously otherwise you wouldn’t be here reading this) and the urge to show off deck builds is there in anyone who has a build they are proud of as well as anyone that wants a leg up on the competition with a deck that has a good winning record.
Jumping back into the game it was also very apparent that some deck builds were extravagantly expensive and not something a new or returning player would want to jump in to without some serious investment. Most people aren’t going to spend hundreds on a deck build without playing it a few times themselves. Its one thing to see the deck used by a ‘pro’ player, but it may not work quite that way in an average players use. I decided to have a look around the net and see what kind of builds were around for the more budget friendly wallet. Plenty of decks were on show for £200-£300 and above, far above the budget I was intending to spend. A couple of mentions indicated a few very budget builds that could be tried out. They probably wouldn’t hold up to events like ‘Standard Showdown’ or Friday Night Magic’ but they could be fun to try out with friends and maybe expand upon if they felt like they had potential. With some looking around I came across a YouTube channel called SBMtG or Strictly Better Magic the Gathering. A YouTuber that put together a wide range of ‘Standard’ deck builds that suited different budgets and themes. Still in my phase of preferring mono coloured decks, one came up that caught my eye and interested my budget, a mono black ‘Burn’ deck.
Now I understand that mono black doesn’t exactly have a burn mechanic but the principle was the same, hurt the opponent no matter what was played and what survived or died. Better yet, this deck was able to be bought for the huge sum of $5 (close enough to £5 that I can’t be bothered to check the exchange rates). Now that’s a price I could happily try out without risking anything. The deck was simple to put together and pretty easy to use. There weren’t any complicated card interactions or twisted combinations to think of yet it wasn’t a creature only deck. I have to admit, I really enjoyed using this deck and have probably had more fun playing it and watching my opponents try to figure out what best to let through and what to stop than most other decks I’ve put together no matter what their price. Its something that I think the game has lost somewhere over time. A lot of players seem to have to have a winning deck at all costs and forget to actually enjoy the game itself. Don’t get me wrong, I like to win but I can enjoy a loss if its a fun deck and I consider myself fairly beaten (I’m looking at you Teferi and Nexus of Fate). This mono black burn deck had the perfect amount of fun and a fair chance of winning against friends decks. If the card draw was good then it felt like quite a fast deck but going into late game it did falter but what do you want for a deck that costs far less than most single cards in a ‘Top 8 Deck’ most people want to put together.
I liked using this deck so much that I did make a few changes to it to try to make it a bit more resilient and also have more of a personal touch rather than a carbon copy Net-Deck. The inclusion of Liliana, the Necromancer Planeswalker made the deck feel somewhat stronger as well as still keeping the budget down. The original deck build was created by SBMtG before the release of Guilds of Ravnica so obviously didn’t include any cards from that set but during my building it, the set released and a couple of cards from the set seemed to suit the deck. Cards like Vicious Rumors added to the damage from everything mechanic. Even at the end of my time playing the deck, the price didn’t go over £10 which is a tiny amount for the amount of fun I had using the deck. I liked using it so much in fact that I’m strongly considering making it again with more inclusions from Guilds of Ravnica and Ravnica Allegiance before the older cards rotate out in October. Give the deck one last upgrade and last hurrah so to speak.
What I found out from all this is that there are decks out there that can suit any budget and if you enjoy the game more than the need to place first in every competition your local game shop holds then the smaller decks hold more fun than most. I heard a lot of people speak negatively about Net-Decks and people that use them and I can understand that a ‘Home Brew’ deck will always feel more fun to the person that created it as well as add a level of pride if that deck is competitive. I have seen some people claim a deck build is theirs and find soon after that it was something that they found online and tried to take as their own but this I think is pointless as we all have access to the internet and comments like that will always get found out quickly and just make them look pathetic. If you really did come up with a deck then be proud of it, if you’re using a net deck verbatim then just admit it and be happy to play using that deck. Anyway, I digress, Using this deck build from SBMtG gave me ideas to make my own decks as well as finding play styles that suited me. I have tried out a few other decks that have been showcased on SBMtG as well as other YouTube sites with mixed results but that’s the fun, trying them out and seeing what suits. Its far better to try out a budget deck and find it does or doesn’t work for you before dropping serious cash on a heavy duty deck.
For those that might be interested, I would highly recommend Dev and his channel SBMtG for some fun deck-builds. You can find anything from weird combo mixes to twists on competitive decks as well as very budget friendly fun decks just like the mono black burn deck I found. I’ve posted the link for his YouTube channel below, head over and see what he might have for your tastes and budget.
ManaTapped 