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Hello everyone. Most of the time, I tend to stick with playing decks that are either a single color or possibly two colors. Occasionally, I'll consider playing a three-color deck, just to shake things up. However, there are times when I'll want to challenge myself by playing a five-color deck. I find these decks to be challenging because their mana bases are so different from most of the decks that I play, and I really have to give more thought to each additional land I play to ensure that I can play the cards in my hand. This week I have a few different five-color decks for you to try out, if you're up to the challenge. Let's get started.
5-Color Domain
We'll get started by looking at a 5-color deck that features the Domain keyword ability. Let's take a look at the deck.
5-Color Domain | DMU Standard | MTG_Joe, aetherhub.com user
- Creatures (4)
- 4 Llanowar Greenwidow
- Instants (10)
- 2 Unleash the Inferno
- 4 Shadow Prophecy
- 4 Tear Asunder
- Sorceries (8)
- 4 Drag to the Bottom
- 4 Herd Migration
Llanowar Greenwidow is the only creature in this deck. This 4/3 Spider has both reach and trample, making it equally good at defending as it is at attacking. It also has a fairly expensive domain ability that you can use to return it to the battlefield from your graveyard. Since this ability has the domain keyword, the activation cost is reduced for each basic land type you have in play. That can effectively allow you to cast Llanowar Greenwidow from the graveyard for the same cost as it would cost you to cast it from your hand.
In addition to Llanowar Greenwidow, this deck has a few other awesome domain cards. Leyline Binding can be flashed in for as little as a single White mana, exiling any nonland permanent your opponent controls. Drag to the Bottom will provide anywhere from -2/-2 to -6/-6 to each creature in play. Shadow Prophecy allows you to put any two cards from the top portion of your deck into your hand where that portion equates to the number of basic land types you have in play. Finally, Herd Migration will create a 3/3 Beast creature token for each basic land type you control, allowing you to close out games in a hurry.
5-Color Windgrace Goes to War
Next, I have a 5-Color deck featuring Soul of Windgrace and The Kami War // O-Kagachi Made Manifest. Let's check it out.
5-Color Windgrace Goes to War | DMU Standard | powrdragn, aetherhub.com user
- Creatures (13)
- 2 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse
- 2 Shigeki, Jukai Visionary
- 2 Soul of Windgrace
- 3 Titan of Industry
- 4 Llanowar Loamspeaker
- Instants (7)
- 2 Joint Exploration
- 2 Tear Asunder
- 3 Infernal Grasp
- Sorceries (2)
- 2 Herd Migration
The Kami War // O-Kagachi Made Manifest has a steep mana requirement, but the payoff justifies it. Chapter one allows you to exile any nonland permanent your opponent controls. Chapter two returns a nonland permanent to its owner's hand. Then both players will have to discard a card. Finally, Chapter three brings forth O-Kagachi Made Manifest. This Dragon Spirit is a 6/6 with flying and trample. If that wasn't good enough, it will get more powerful when it attacks. You'll also get a nonland card of your opponent's choice from your graveyard to put back into your hand.
This deck also plays some of the best creatures currently in Standard. Titan of Industry is a strong 7/7 Elemental, plus you get your choice of two of the modular effects listed on it when it enters the battlefield. Shigeki, Jukai Visionary has an activated ability that makes it practically impossible to destroy as long as you have two mana to spend. Finally, what more needs to be said about Sheoldred, the Apocalypse? This Phyrexian Praetor is difficult to remove from the battlefield and has the ability to turn matches around single handedly.
5-Color Jodah Humans
The final deck I have for you features Jodah, the Unifier alongside a throng of other legendary human creatures. Let's take a look at the deck.
5-Color Jodah Humans | DMU Standard | TheSkarTV. aetherhub.com user
- Creatures (30)
- 1 Dennick, Pious Apprentice // Dennick, Pious Apparition
- 1 Jerren, Corrupted Bishop // Ormendahl, the Corrupter
- 1 King Darien XLVIII
- 1 Shanna, Purifying Blade
- 2 Brutal Cathar // Moonrage Brute
- 2 Lagrella, the Magpie
- 2 Old Rutstein
- 2 Tovolar, Dire Overlord // Tovolar, the Midnight Scourge
- 3 Halana and Alena, Partners
- 3 Katilda, Dawnhart Prime
- 4 Jodah, the Unifier
- 4 Reclusive Taxidermist
- 4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
- Enchantments (4)
- 4 Leyline Binding
In addition to the bonus provided from Jodah, this deck has a few additional ways to boost your creatures. The first is with the +1/+1 bonus that King Darien XLVIII provides to other creatures while he is on the battlefield. Katilda, Dawnhart Prime also has an activated ability that you can use to place +1/+1 counters on each creature you control. Finally, Halana and Alena, Partners will give +1/+1 counters to one of your other creatures equal to their power. All of these bonuses make your forces more combat capable, able to finish off your opponent more easily.
Katilda, Dawnhart Prime also allows all of your Human creatures to be able to tap to provide one mana of that creature's colors. This will help you be able to grow your forces turn after turn. Each new creature you play and each new creature token you create will help you cast additional creatures and activate the numerous activated abilities your creatures have. Katilda and Jodah together allow this deck to be more powerful than the sum of its parts.
Wrapping Up
While 5-Color decks aren't what I want to play all of the time, I'll admit that I'm planning on building each of these in Magic Arena. While there are some similarities between them, they each feel like they have their own identity.
What do you think of these decks? Do you have any suggestions for improvements? Let me know by leaving a comment below. Also, 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
