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Let's start by breaking down the task at hand. A standard magic deck consists of sixty cards- twenty of which are usually land while the remaining forty cards need to be chosen, prioritized, multiplied and weighed. Many of these cards will enter your deck as play sets (sets of 4) so realistically we are only going to have to choose 20-25 different cards for your new deck. But where to begin?
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Gotta read em' all."]
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We need to get your deck concept on paper. Are we looking for some great goblin cards? Are you just itching to build that nasty black discard/creature destruction deck? Ask yourself these questions before you start choosing cards. The MTG card pool is so vast, almost any deck concept can be pieced together if you keep your ideas organized. Once you have a vague idea of what you're looking for we're ready to choose some cards! Let me introduce you to your new best friend- The Gatherer. Most of you will be familiar with this beast of a program but if not- it is essentially a database with each and every magic card ever made. For deck building though, you're going to want to use this tool to search for what you're looking for. Making a counterspell deck? Search for "counter target spell"; that black discard deck? Try the keyword "discard". You can even sort by legality if you're planning on making a tournament style deck! The more experience you have with the game, the easier it will be for you to "choose" cards for your deck but that doesn't mean you can avoid doing your homework! You'll need to narrow it down and that's where "Card Choice" comes in.
While magic is a game of infinite possibilities there are a finite amount of possible actions to be taken. Creature destruction, discarding, spell countering, direct damage etc.. there are only so many legal operations we can perform with our spells. In a given game of magic, each player may only be able to play 5-10 spells in an entire match. We want to make sure each and every one of those spells is something our opponent will cringe at or at the very least, take notice of. With so many cards now in the game there are now a number of cards that are very similar to one another, if not exactly the same. A great deck builder must take into account the subtle differences (or lack thereof) between the cards potentially making their way into his or her deck.
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="400" caption="Now you can play 8 of them in your deck!"]
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Some cards have also been reprinted and watered down. If you are going to be able to choose the best individual cards for your deck it is your job as a deck builder to be aware of these changes and advancements. Sound intimidating? Fear not! With the Gatherer and a little help from GatheringMagic.com you'll be choosing the right cards in no time.
We learn best by doing, so by all means- let's take a look at some cards already!
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Not all cards are created equal."]
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So, if you had to rank these spells by power and effectiveness, how would you do so?----- Okay, that was too easy! Obviously the spell that not only counters your opponent's spell, doesn't let your opponent draw a freaking card and costs one less mana than the other two spells and is going to win out. In a mono-blue or even a two color deck the counterspell is the best choice hands down. So why do they even print weak-ass cards like Vex? Well, Magic's expansion sets are divided into three different major leagues of play: Classic- in which almost all cards are legal, Extended- in which the last 10-15 expansions are legal and Standard- where only the last core set and 2 blocks are playable in tournaments. Frankly, Vex is simply a horrible card any way you slice it. But why is it horrible? The reason it is a horrible card is not because it couldn't ever be an effective card in a given circumstance. The reason it is a horrible card is because at least 10 counterspell-type cards exist that are better than it. It would be a great card in a world where counterspells commonly cost four or five mana and cause its caster to lose five life- but alas, we do not and there are a cornucopia of better choices for your new deck.
[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="213" caption="Paying 5 mana for a 1/2 flyer isn't fun. Get the fun cards you need!"]
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Often times I witness veteran players simply "settling" for one card or another either out of pure ignorance or because they do not own the cards they need. If you don't have a Cancel, the answer isn't to put four Vex's into your deck; the answer is to obtain the Cancel or Counterspell you need. Particularly when we are talking about commons and uncommons that sell at online magic shops or eBay for .40 cents per playset.
Having "the best" cards for your deck isn't all about winning. Magic is much more fun when both wizards are giving it their very best effort and aren't limited by the cards they own. Competitive spirit aside- I would not want to play a chess match in which my opponent's pieces were gimped. I want my opponent to bring the very best and I will bring the same.
With the low prices for singles online and the infinite number of great decks out there, there are few excuses for not being able to play with newer, better cards. So, skip the four dollar coffee this morning and buy some great cards for your new deck. You won't just win more - you'll have more fun.
Alright, that last quiz was too easy. You're an experienced magic player and know a good card when you see it, right? There will be times when two or more cards will be up for a spot in your deck, all of which seem to do the same thing for around the same price. Consider the following three cards:
[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="500" caption="Choosing cards for your deck will not always be clear cut."]
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Not an easy choice this time, is it? Of course, much of this decision will depend on what you are trying to accomplish with your deck, how much creature destruction it already has, and if you are playing black, white or both. But lets just assume for a the sake of this test that you're playing a black and white deck with some creature destruction already chosen in the deck. These are all great cards in the right situation. Terror is a classic card that only costs one black mana and a colorless mana but is limited by not being able to take care of black or artifact creatures (a big problem these days with multi-colored creatures and the artifacts in Shards of Alara). Unmake does not have the limitations that terror does when destroying creatures and also removes that creature from the game. It can also be played with three of either color mana; one more total than terror. Oblivion ring can not only remove a creature from the game but can remove any non-land permanent! Its drawback is that it can later be disspelled by a simple disenchant. So which is the correct choice?
There will not always be a perfect answer when choosing cards for your deck. There will be good choices and there will be bad choices. Will the fact that you chose an Oblivion Ring over an Unmake make or break your deck? Probably not. Each card choice is dependent on many factors, not the least of which are- what the other cards in your deck are and what your opponents might be playing. If you were playing a creature heavy deck you will be thankful you chose the Unmake instant card. Against a heavy enchantment or plainswalker deck you may wish you had dropped in a couple of O-rings. The fact that you got yourself to this point; where you are forced to choose between three wonderful removal spells out of all of the sub-par removal spells in the game is a testament to your deck building skills in itself. The trick is being able to get yourself to those tough decisions becuase when they're tough, you know you're doing something right.
