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BMoor's Magic The Gathering Deck Garage
U/B Discard First Try
June 19, 2007

Hey Bmoor, this is Alex, and I need some help. This is my first try at a U/B Discard, and I still need to get some cards for it. I need your help at deciding what to change and take out. Here is what I have:
 
 
Creatures:
 
Deap-Sea Kraken
Mahamoti Djinn
Dreamscape Artist
2x Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
2x Sage of Epityr
2x Spiketail Drakeling
Avatar of Discord
Serendib Sorcerer
Chronozoa
Body Double
 
Artifacts:
 
3x The Rack
2x Muse Vessel
Darksteel Garrison
 
Other Spells:
 
2x Wistful Thinking
2x Smallpox
3x Mana Leak
2x Think Twice
4x Cancel
3x Dash Hopes
2x Careful Consideration
Whispers of the Muse
Slaughter Pact
 
Land:
 
Duskmantle, House of Shadow
10x Island
8x Swamp
2x Urza's Factory
 
 
Now, I still need to get another mana leak, dash hopes, and probably a damnation. I am sort of a beginner, but i can afford anything. The dreamscape artist is for mana acceleration, and most of the spells are counter spells. I got so mad at fnm, because i had to face another guy with a u/b dicard. Except his was better. At first I had a bunch of weenies in it, and then a person told me to put some fatties in it, as you see. This deck can face a burn ( i like canceling demonfires!!) I need help and i would like it if you could contribute!!
 
Alex 
I wonder, does Alex mean that this is his (her?) first try at building a deck of this nature, or the first deck he's (she's?) ever built?  To be honest, the way the deck is put together, I'd believe either.
 
Don't get me wrong; the principle is solid and the execution is well thought-out, at least up to the point where it concerns the discard and countering spells.  But I'm seeing deficits in the creature area.
 
As long as I'm being honest, your creature selections look like an afterthought: like you built a suite of discard spells and countermagic, and then added all the good black and blue creatures you had in your shoebox to fill out the deck.  Don't get me wrong; you chose good creatures.  Teferi?  Excellent.  The Djinn?  Good finisher.  Sage of Epityr?  Decent early setup creature.  But for the most part, the creatures aren't thematically connected to anything except that, in the abstract, they're all good.  And that's counting the Djinn, Kraken, Chronozoa, and Avatar of Discord as functionally the same card, since they all do more or less the same thing.
 
So. let's coordinate this deck.  Throw out everything you don't have multiple copies of, unless you think it's good enough that it's worth it to you to get more copies.  Now, add in Sage of Epityr #3 and #4.  Let's also have a playset of Ravenous Rats; an excellent card in a discard deck.  Abyssal Nocturnus is looking pretty good along with Wistful Thinking as well.  And a few Dimir Cutpurse couldn't hurt.  As for large finishers, if not the Djinn or its ilk, try Serra Sphinx, Moroii, Sengir Nosferatu, Mindleech Mass, or the like.
 
Now, for your other spells.  Starting with your artifacts, The Rack and Muse Vessel are solid picks, but Darksteel Garrison is just irrelevant.  And for your instants and sorceries, everything looks fine for the most part, except for Dash Hopes.  Dash Hopes I support only under certain circumstances, and not these circumstances.  You have access to Mana Leak and Cancel; Dash Hopes is far too inferior to any blue countermagic for you to bother with it.
 
Other spells you could get great use out of include Consult the Necrosages, Funeral Charm and its twin Piracy Charm, and Gibbering Descent.
 
One last note: you are using Careful Consideration on yourself and Wistful Thinking on your opponent, aren't you?
 
~BMoor
 
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