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Exciting Blue Decks for Bloomburrow Standard

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Hello everyone. Last week, I started a series of articles where I look at decks featuring a particular color, providing you with both mono-colored and dual-colored decks to try out. I continue that series this week by focusing on decks featuring Blue mana. Let's get started.

Mono-Blue Control

As usual, we'll start with our mono-colored deck, which happens to be a control deck this time. Let's first take a look at the decklist.


Spellgyre
As part and parcel of a typical control deck, this deck includes a variety of spells that counter your opponent's spells as well as spells that allow you to draw extra cards. Spellgyre is a new uncommon from Bloomburrow that does either of these things. Its versatility makes it a very useful card in a deck like this, as you're able to utilize either mode that benefits you at the time of casting it.

Once your opponent's morale has been crushed into a find powder, you can cast any of the creatures in this deck to finish them off with. Haughty Djinn can deal out a ton of damage in the air, depending on the number of instant and sorcery spells in your graveyard. The power and toughness of Eluge, the Shoreless Sea is based on the number of Islands you control, making for another huge attacker. Both of these creatures also offer you a discount when you cast instant or sorcery spells. Finally, there's Horned Loch-Whale, who is tough to remove from the battlefield thanks to having ward 2. All of these creatures can deal enough damage to your opponent to end the match in just a few turns.

Azorius Birds

Next, we'll take a look at a deck that features a lot of creatures with evasion. Let's take a look at the deck.


Kastral, the Windcrested
This deck has a lot of birds in it, which is great, especially while you have Kastral, the Windcrested on the battlefield. If you're able to successfully deal combat damage to your opponent with one (or more) of these Birds while Kastral is in play, you'll get your choice of one of the three modal abilities this Bird Scout offers. My favorite is the ability to put a Bird creature from your hand or graveyard onto the battlefield with a finality counter on it. This is a great way to be able to utilize your Birds after they've been previously destroyed. However, there are times that you'll want to choose either of the other options, as both +1/+1 counters and extra cards can be greatly beneficial.

I'd also like to give a shout out to an honorary Bird in this deck, Valley Questcaller. While this Rabbit Warrior isn't technically a Bird, he is quite an ally to the Birds in this deck. Whenever another Bird or Rabbit (or Mouse or Bat, which aren't in this deck) enters the battlefield, you'll get to scry a card. He also provides a +1/+1 bonus to all four of those creature types. Plus, as a non-flying creature, he's a great target for Plumecreed Mentor to give +1/+1 counters to.

Dimir Rats

After flying high with the Birds, let's bring things back down to the ground and take a look at our next deck featuring Rats.


Daggerfang Duo
For those of you that want to play Magic, but have a tight budget, I present this deck to you. While the majority of creatures in this deck are Rats, there's another common unifier for these creatures. Most of them have a threshold ability that will trigger when there are a minimum of seven cards in your graveyard. Those abilities range from providing a power bonus to that creature or a power reduction to your opponent's creatures, to drawing extra cards, or even returning nonland permanents to their owner's hand.

Helping you achieve this seven card threshold are a pair of cards that can put cards directly into your graveyard. First is Daggerfang Duo, which allows you to mill two cards when this Rat Squirrel pair enters the battlefield. You also have Spellgyre, which I discussed during the look at the Mono-Blue deck. Since this is not a control deck, you're much more likely to use the second mode when you cast this instant, which allows you to place up to two cards from the top of your library into your graveyard. If you do this with both cards, you'll end up nearly half way to the seven card threshold.

Izzet Dragons

If you're a fan of aggressive decks featuring powerful creatures, you'll want to check out this next deck. Let's take a look at the decklist.


Dragonhawk, Fate's Tempest
Dragonhawk, Fate's Tempest is an amazing source of damage for this deck. This Bird Dragon is a 5/5 with flying, so you're likely able to be able to push through some damage. However, Dragonhawk's ability is where you can really get extra value. By exiling cards with this ability, you'll either be able to get value from those cards by playing them, or they'll deal direct damage to your opponent during your next end step. Your opponent really can't prepare for this ability, so you can often deal lethal damage to them simply by choosing not to play any of those cards.

This deck also includes a number of other notable Dragons. The first is Terror of the Peaks, which is another great source of direct damage. Next, you have Sarkhan, Soul Aflame, technically not a Dragon, but able to become one at various points throughout the game. There's also Roaming Throne, which is only a Dragon if you want it to be. Finally, you have Mockingbird, another non-Dragon that has the option to become a Dragon if you so desire.

Simic Frogs

The final deck I have for you this week mixes Blue and Green mana to form a deck that's sure to make your opponent hopping mad. Let's check it out.


Clement, the Worrywort
Since every creature in this deck is a Frog, you'll be able to put a ton of +1/+1 counters on Valley Mightcaller. Since this Frog Warrior also has trample, you'll likely be able to push through some damage when you attack with it unless your opponent throws multiple creatures in your way.

Having a deck filled with Frogs is also beneficial while you have Clement, the Worrywort in play. He grants the ability for all of your Frogs to tap for a Green or Blue mana that you can use to cast creature spells with. He also acts as a source of creature bouncing, allowing you to utilize effects that happen when a creature enters the battlefield over and over. Both Pond Prophet and Sunshower Druid are great targets to return to your hand, as they are cheap to play and offer great benefits when they enter play.

Wrapping Up

While Blue decks normally are thought of as being control decks, you can see that by adding a second color alongside Blue, you're able to do a lot more than just countering your opponent's spells.

What do you think of these decks? Feel free to share this article with your friends anywhere on social media. And be sure to join me here again next week as I continue my search for innovative decks in Standard. I'll see you then!

- Mike Likes

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