This week in Magic: Dragons of Tarkir Game Day

Thursday, April 16th, 2015

Hello and welcome to another edition of “This week in Magic.” Game Day is coming upon us very quickly. In fact, it’s this weekend. I’m sure plenty of you out there are still wondering what to play. In all honesty, Game Day is a tournament that is meant to bring out the creativeness of the deck builders out there. Game Day is a day meant to try your creations out, and try not to meta-game the field as if you’re playing in a GP. It’s all about fun. With all that being said, I’m sure there is a vast majority of you who will still scramble to find something. So here are a few suggestions I have to offer.

UB Control

I’ve been playing this list for about a week now and have had quite a bit of success with it. I took it the the PPTQ held at the Abington store and piloted it to a Top 4 finish. I recently took it to the Ugin Standard tournament with about 21 players and went 4-1. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt comfortable with a deck, let alone one that is control.

One of the big pros about the deck is that many opponents have told me that it’s very hard to side board against. I can see this considering how hard it is to play against. It just seems to have all of the answers. Thanks to the re-introduction of ultimate price, killing creatures has gotten a lot easier. Therefore relieving a lot of pressure on my end.

However, don’t be fooled by my successsragy. The deck is hard to play. The only real advice I have to get better with the deck is to keep playing it. It’s one of those things where experience is one of the keys to winning with the deck. For example, casting Dig Through Time doesn’t always provide you with a clear answer. There have been a few times where a Dig has provided me with plenty of options. It’s knowing which one is the best that will lead you to victory.

Mono Red Aggro

Mono Red Aggro is always something I know I can fall back on. Of course, there are some who may say I’m a little biased. For now, put those thoughts aside. Monok Red is the real deal. I mean, it did take down the latest Pro Tour. That version splashed Green, but that was mainly for Atarka’s Command – a card that is seeing much more play in Standard.

What makes this deck a winner is how fast it can win. How fast can it win, you ask? It wins under the turn five mark. This is huge because it avoids board wipes such as End Hostilities and Crux of Faith. More importantly, a lot of other decks need more time to establish themselves on the battlefield. The case with Mono Red is that it tries to kill you before you’ve settled in.

Red has always been a reliable color to go to whenever a new meta comes out. However, the major downfall of the deck, in many cases, is how quickly other decks can adapt to the Mono Red strategy. The key to beating Mono Red, in my opinion, is to be able to survive the first three turns. Once you’ve made it past that point, you can feel more confident in your plays. If you can force them into a position where they feel they need to kill you before turn five or sooner, then you’ve accomplished your mission. It’s in these cases that they tend to empty their hands sooner than they would like putting them in a poor position.

Mono Green Devotion

Or sometimes known as GR Devotion. The red in this case is actually a splash for Dragonlord Atarka. If I can play a mono colored deck over any other, then chances are that I will. Reason being is that it’s such a break from tri-colored decks where mana can get a little out of hand. So Why play Mono Green? These creatures are huge! No other color can really compete to tell you the truth. Not only are they huge, but they can be cheap considering the amount of ramp Green has at it’s disposal – Elves, Caryatids, Satyrs.

Elves, Caryatids, and Satyrs alone can stop the early onslaught of weenie decks and Mono Red. Later on it can get out of hand as creatures hit the battlefield that are well out of a Red player’s burn range. The deck can be overwhelming for most opponents which can also mean the end for them.

So what about a downside? Aside from bad draws, I can’t really see one. The game plan is simple: play smaller guys to make bigger guys then swing with the big guys. If there is anything bad about the deck it could be how weak susceptible you are to board wipers. Well you’ll be happy to know that we all are. Get some practice in and learn how to play around them. You’ll be just fine.

Well that’s it for now. Remember to go out and take a shot at your local game day. We’ll be hosting two of them! If there is anything in particular that you’d like me to cover, then drop me a line.

About the author

Simeon is now the Community Manager for Battleground Games & Hobbies. If you have any questions or inquiries, then you can reach him at Sims@battlegroundgames.com. He is also an avid gamer who loves to play board games and video games. He graduated college with a degree in Political Science, and now serves the public by writing about games. You can check that out here. Don’t forget to “like” him on Facebook as well. It’ll update you on all of his newest content. Best of all, you can follow Simeon on Twitter (@SimeonCortezano) for some real time hilarity. Thanks for reading!

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Tags: Dragons of Tarkir, Game Day, Magic the Gathering, MTG, Simeon Cortezano
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