That’s the Encrust flavor text from Magic 2015.

And that’s the Eye Gouge flavor text from Born of the Gods.

The format rules are pretty simple: build a Magic deck that consists only of cards that have a converted mana cost (CMC) of 1.

If you decide to give this format a try, I suggest that you avoid using land cards like Stalking Stones, Stirring Wildwood, and Raging Ravine. They just feel like cheating the format. Also, though cards like Heat Ray technically have a CMC of 1, my group didn’t want games to end on an overloaded X spell, so we banned those as well. We also allowed cards that cost 0 mana (hello, Memnite). Every group will feel differently about these last two points, so be sure to come to an agreement with your own group before you begin building decks.

On the Hunt for Value

As with any format, the key to winning in 1-Drop-Only Magic is to find high-value cards—cards that make big impacts on the game for only 1 mana. There are some obvious examples of this in Magic’s catalog of cards:

• Ancestral Recall
• Birds of Paradise
• Brainstorm
• Dark Ritual
• Deathrite Shaman
• Dryad Militant
• Figure of Destiny
• Lightning Bolt
• Pithing Needle
• Sensei's Divining Top
• Skullclamp
• Sol Ring
• Swords to Plowshares
• Wild Nacatl
• A slew of tutors

But because this is casual Magic, for the rest of this article, I’m not going to focus only on these staples. Many casual Magic players don’t own many of the rare cards listed here (ahem, Ancestral Recall), and those who do probably use them in Cubes, Commander decks, and other format-specific decks. Instead, I’m going to reference high-value cards you might actually have lying around, ready to be put into a deck.

Great creatures you can cast on turn one usually come with drawbacks. Rogue Elephant is a classic example. With it, you make a 3/3 on turn one, but then you must sacrifice a Forest. Cards with echo costs are similar, such as Pouncing Jaguar and Uktabi Drake. But with these creatures, you spend the mana on turn two and three rather than lose it permanently.

More modern cards have “drawbacks” that come through conditional abilities, such as Delver of Secrets and Jace's Phantasm. Each of these creatures requires you to construct a deck with them in mind in order to ensure that they turn into beaters quickly.

I suggest looking for creatures with the following abilities. You’ll generate high power-and-toughness value out of them. Most of the 1-drop creatures with these abilities are probably not included in your double-sleeved tourney decks—or, if they are, you probably have duplicates of them. Note that both fading and undying only have one creature option to this point: Skyshroud Ridgeback and Young Wolf, respectively.

• Bestow
• Echo
• Fading
• Level up
• Multikicker
• Undying

When it comes to noncreature spells, take a look at your staple cards and try to find their one CMC counterpart. For example, if you’re constantly running Mana Leak and Counterspell in your decks, you may want to consider Spell Pierce, Turn Aside, and even Abjure. If you regularly play Pacifism, Oppressive Rays is your new best friend. Doom Blade gives way to Fatal Blow and Tragic Slip.

New 1-Drops from Magic 2015

The new core set has made some solid contributions to this format. Here’s the complete list of new 1-mana cards.

• Crowd's Favor
• Cruel Sadist
• Hammerhand
• Hot Soup
• Profane Memento
• Shield of the Avatar
• Sunblade Elf
• Ulcerate
• Vineweft
• Void Snare

From this list, I’m guessing that Ulcerate will find its way into formats across Magic. It’s hard to beat solid removal for 1 mana, even if you do have to endure a virtual Lightning Bolt to the face. And there is something about Profane Memento that just screams, “Commander!” Don’t be too surprised if you see it popping up at your Commander nights.

But I think one of the higher-value cards for 1-Drop-Only Magic from this list is Sunblade Elf. Its bonus is conditional (you must control a Plains), but that is a condition that is easily met. Sunblade Elf also has the ability to pump your other creatures. This is an important feature in 1-drop Magic. Most of your creatures will be weenies in this format, with power toughness usually at 1or 2. Sunblade Elf positions you well for the long game by turning your band of small creatures into a formidable army.

Speaking of the Long Game . . . 

As is true with many other casual formats, games of 1-Drop-Only Magic are often longer than games in Standard. The decks aren’t as balanced or as powerful, so the games regularly grind on past turn fifteen. This presents a unique problem if you aren’t using spells with Xs in the mana cost. What do you do with all of that mana?

This is where cards like Sunblade Elf and Cruel Sadist really shine. Any ability that lets you use excess mana to pump your creatures—or to otherwise do something with your deck or to the opponent—is extremely helpful in 1-Drop-Only Magic. Cards that level up provide a good example. Another are lands that cycle. Lonely Sandbar isn’t really all that exciting in most formats. But in 1-Drop-Only Magic, it might mean the difference in a game if you can cycle it away for something better.

Win with Ones

The following deck is an inexpensive tribal deck. This deck lives and dies on a simple combo and is a ton of fun to play. Bring out the Goblin horde!

Goblins Go Boom! ? 1-Drop-Only Magic | Andrew Rogers

• Creatures (21)
• 2 Quag Vampires
• 2 Vampire Lacerator
• 3 Facevaulter
• 3 Festering Goblin
• 3 Goblin Balloon Brigade
• 4 Goblin Arsonist
• 4 Knucklebone Witch

• Spells (16)
• 1 Weapon Surge
• 3 Tarfire
• 1 Tremor
• 2 Bump in the Night
• 2 Disentomb
• 2 Raise Dead
• 2 Reckless Abandon
• 1 Bloodchief Ascension
• 1 Soul Stair Expedition
• 1 Elixir of Immortality

• Lands (23)
• 10 Swamp
• 6 Mountain
• 1 Teetering Peaks
• 2 Akoum Refuge
• 2 Evolving Wilds
• 2 Polluted Mire

Buy This Deck

The next deck was inspired by all of the Boros decks that have seen play in Standard over the last year. While this deck can’t feature the inimitable Boros Reckoner, it will still bring the beatdown, Boros-style.

Soldier of Mite ? 1-Drop-Only Magic | Andrew Rogers

• Creatures (23)
• 1 Furnace Scamp
• 1 Priest of Iroas
• 1 Salvage Scout
• 1 Savannah Lions
• 1 Soul's Attendant
• 2 Caravan Escort
• 2 Elite Vanguard
• 2 Skitter of Lizards
• 2 Slumbering Dragon
• 3 Doomed Traveler
• 3 Foundry Street Denizen
• 3 Nyxborn Shieldmate
• 1 Memnite

• Spells (16)
• 1 Coordinated Assault
• 1 Gods Willing
• 1 Harm's Way
• 1 Magma Spray
• 1 Reciprocate
• 2 Lightning Bolt
• 3 Kuldotha Rebirth
• 1 Daily Regimen
• 1 Ephara's Radiance
• 1 Ethereal Armor
• 1 Mortal Obstinacy
• 2 Trusty Machete

• Lands (21)
• 7 Mountain
• 7 Plains
• 1 Forgotten Cave
• 1 Secluded Steppe
• 2 Ancient Den
• 3 Great Furnace

Buy This Deck

One Last Thing

Tweet me the name of your favorite 1-drop card with #onedropMTG. Which great cards weren’t mentioned in this article? I’m sure there are many. 1-drops from the Power Nine need not be mentioned. (Of course they’re the best!)

Also, this article covers ground that’s been tread before. I stand on the shoulders of giants. So be sure to read some other great articles on this format here and here. And if you like Cube-drafting, give Glenn’s 1CC Cube a try. It’s one of the best.

Until next time, may your wins be won with ones.