Deck building tips from a filipino Magic: The Gathering player

play test on cockatrice

I was browsing through our local MTG group in facebook and I saw this article from one of the members. Its seldom that I see articles on that group where in the poster shares his own story or experiences that's why I thought "why not share this up to a broader audience" and hope that it encourages more people to share their own thoughts as well. You know, FB groups are more than just buying and selling stuff. So here it goes..

Deck Building Tips 

1. Know yourself. Sometimes, the deck can actually speak loud about your personality. And yes, mas maganda pag tugma yung deck mo sa personality mo because you can relate so much to your deck na it comes to the point na you become one with the deck. Alam ko pwede mo i search yan sa MTG wiki to know which personality and mana color you belong to

(Know yourself. Sometimes, the deck can actually speak loud about your personality. And yes, its better if your deck is built on based on your personality because you can become one with your deck if you both have the same game play. I believe you can search on MTG Wiki on what mana color fits your personality)

2. Know your win con. Very common. Of course, if you know your win con (dition), you know that not pulling off your win con IS your lose con. So patch up that lose con.

3. Know your limits. If you know your limits, then I'm sure you know how to go beyond them

4. Know your pacing. Do you want a fast or slow gameplay?

5. Know (decide) how you'll (want) deal damage to the opponent. Do you want to start with the creatures? Do you want to go straight to the point HP damage? Or maybe you want to reduce the HP of your opponent's deck, and yes, I'm talking about mill.

6. Know what's important in your deck. Yeah, you should know what your deck lacks and what your deck should have to make it more OP.

7. Know your numbers. Having a strong deck isn't all about effects. Some secrets actually lie behind the numbers.

8. Know your spells. Yes. I'm talking about how your cards get along with each other. Like using Razaketh's Rite to find a Graf Rats card in case you have a Midnight Scavengers card on the field.

9. Know your worth. Remember. Your 100 peso deck can actually whop the ass of a 1000+ k peso deck. I'm not kidding. I lived to see and experience doing it myself.

10. Know your shopping list. When you're about to create a deck, you might want to list down the spells you're gonna buy. Do take note of the price tags.

11. Know that no deck is perfect. Kung gusto mo ng 100% Win Rate deck, please lang, tumigil ka na dito sa tip na to and scroll on to other posts. Remember, no matter how cheap or expensive your pieces are, if you lack the luck to pull off your stuff, then you're in for a trick instead of a treat.

(Understand that there is no perfect deck. If you want a deck that gets 100% win rate, please skip this post. Remember that no matter how cheap or expensive your deck pieces are, if you get unlucky with your draw, then you're in for a trick instead of a treat)

12. Know your aim. Do you aim to show off? Buy full art foil cards. Want to play and have fun? I believe normal cards will suffice.

13. Know your references. Some players rely on precious meta data. Others like me spend hours standing on the courtside card shop counters reading effects and analyzing good card combos.

14. Know your show. What kind of gameplay do you want? Do you want to tease your opponent? Do you plan on winning with no creatures on the battlefield? Do you want to laugh hard as your indestructibles survive the purge of board wipes? Your show, your call.

15. Know that I'll be making more "articles and blogs" like these. Again, as a semi - newbie, my knowledge can go as far as Chandra's flames. Burning, but will stay on her hands and on her hands alone, limited unless she throws the hot stuff on Karns and stuff.

Do you agree on all of the items mentioned above? What are your thoughts on this? Share them on the comment section below

From Desi Miguel Salvador's post

Desi is a new MTG player from Mandaluyong City, Philippines. He started February of 2018 and loves to play using his Mono Red Aggro deck. Aside from playing Magic: the gathering, he also plays some PC, console and even board games. He is on grade 12 and spent his free time reading manga and watching anime or listening to jazz and classical music.