Hello everyone. Last week, I started taking a look at decks that all feature one color. This week, it's time to look at some decks featuring Blue mana. Let's get started.

Mono-Blue Mill

We'll get things started by taking a look at a Mono-Blue deck that features one of my favorite alternate ways to win, milling. Let's take a look at the deck.

Mono-Blue Mill | DSK Standard | Spuga, aetherhub.com user

• Creatures (12)
• 4 Overlord of the Floodpits
• 4 Terisian Mindbreaker
• 4 The Mindskinner

• Planeswalkers (4)
• 4 Jace, the Perfected Mind

• Instants (12)
• 4 Into the Flood Maw
• 4 Three Steps Ahead
• 4 Unauthorized Exit

• Enchantments (10)
• 2 Virtue of Knowledge
• 4 Bottomless Pool // Locker Room
• 4 Founding the Third Path

• Lands (22)
• 22 Island

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While your creatures might get the ball started rolling for milling out your opponent's deck, there's no better way to finish the job off than with the use of Jace, the Perfected Mind's -X loyalty ability. This allows you to mill three cards for each loyalty counter you remove from Jace. You'll often be able to finish off your opponent's deck with a single activation of this ability, but there is a complete playset of Jace in the deck which allows you to draw one when you need it.

Azorius Flash

The next deck I have for you really wants to play its cards during the opponent's turn. Let's take a look at the deck.

Azorius Flash | DSK Standard | mugityoko, aetherhub.com user

• Creatures (15)
• 1 Malcolm, Alluring Scoundrel
• 3 Enduring Curiosity
• 3 Faerie Mastermind
• 4 Doorkeeper Thrull
• 4 Dust Animus

• Instants (14)
• 2 Get Lost
• 2 Three Steps Ahead
• 3 Into the Flood Maw
• 3 No More Lies
• 4 Soul Partition

• Enchantments (5)
• 1 Rest in Peace
• 4 Virtue of Loyalty

• Artifacts (1)
• 1 Ghost Vacuum

• Lands (25)
• 6 Island
• 7 Plains
• 1 Meticulous Archive
• 2 Floodfarm Verge
• 3 Adarkar Wastes
• 3 Restless Anchorage
• 3 Seachrome Coast

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Ghost Vacuum allows you to exile a card from a graveyard each turn. By choosing to exile creature cards, you'll have the option to sacrifice Ghost Vacuum later in the game, returning each creature exiled with it to the battlefield under your control. Each of those creatures is now a 1/1 Spirit, in addition to their other types, and they all gain a flying counter. Feel free to flash in your creatures as surprise blockers, because even if they die, you'll have a way to return them to the battlefield in the future with Ghost Vacuum.

Dimir Ninja Rats

Up next, I have a deck that features both Rats and Ninjas. Let's check it out.

Dimir Ninja Rats | DSK Standard | SlothMtg, aetherhub.com user

• Creatures (25)
• 2 Valley Rotcaller
• 2 Vren, the Relentless
• 3 Azure Beastbinder
• 3 Lord Skitter, Sewer King
• 3 Nashi, Searcher in the Dark
• 4 Gnawing Vermin
• 4 Karumonix, the Rat King
• 4 Persistent Marshstalker

• Planeswalkers (3)
• 3 Kaito, Bane of Nightmares

• Instants (8)
• 4 Disfigure
• 4 Go for the Throat

• Sorceries (1)
• 1 Gix's Command

• Lands (23)
• 3 Swamp
• 4 Island
• 2 Mudflat Village
• 2 Restless Reef
• 4 Darkslick Shores
• 4 Gloomlake Verge
• 4 Underground River

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When you're attacking with any creature from this deck, your opponent isn't safe from the ninjutsu ability found on Kaito, Bane of Nightmares. Using this ability makes even your lowly 1/1 Rat creature tokens powerful threats, as your opponent won't know whether that Rat is just Kaito in disguise. You can then further make Kaito an even bigger threat by using his +1 loyalty ability to create an emblem that gives your Ninjas +1/+1. Kaito can also use his -2 loyalty ability to tap down threatening blockers for a couple of turns, making it easier for your attacks to deal damage to your opponent.

This deck is very capable of filling up the battlefield very quickly. When you play Karumonix, the Rat King, you'll be able to put any Rats you find within the top five cards of your library into your hand. This can also make Persistent Marshstalker a huge threat, as it gets +1 power for each Rat you control. There's also two copies of Valley Rotcaller, which offers you the means of both dealing direct damage to your opponent as well as gaining life whenever it attacks. With creatures like this, you'll want to attack as often as possible.

Izzet Combo

Next, I have a deck that's quite a challenge to play. If you're looking for a challenge, give this one a try. Let's take a look at the deck.

Izzet Combo | DSK Standard | powrdragn, aetherhub.com user

• Creatures (5)
• 1 Terror of the Peaks
• 4 Capricious Hellraiser

• Planeswalkers (3)
• 3 Chandra, Hope's Beacon

• Instants (13)
• 1 Shock
• 2 Fires of Victory
• 2 Into the Flood Maw
• 2 Moment of Truth
• 2 Three Steps Ahead
• 4 Torch the Tower

• Sorceries (6)
• 3 Ill-Timed Explosion
• 3 Season of Weaving

• Enchantments (6)
• 2 Artist's Talent
• 4 Bitter Reunion

• Artifacts (3)
• 3 Brass's Tunnel-Grinder // Tecutlan, the Searing Rift

• Lands (24)
• 2 Island
• 5 Mountain
• 1 Restless Spire
• 2 Demolition Field
• 3 Fabled Passage
• 3 Shivan Reef
• 4 Spirebluff Canal
• 4 Thundering Falls

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Ral, Crackling Wit
• 1 Abrade
• 1 Into the Flood Maw
• 2 Disdainful Stroke
• 2 Negate
• 2 Witchstalker Frenzy
• 3 Brotherhood's End
• 1 Virtue of Knowledge
• 2 Soul-Guide Lantern

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In the early stages of the match, this deck should be played as if it were a control deck. Keep the battlefield clear by returning your opponent's creatures to their hand and destroying them with direct damage spells. Use spells like Artist's Talent and Bitter Reunion to draw extra cards while discarding high mana value cards.

Once you're able to, you can cast Capricious Hellraiser. When it enters the battlefield, you'll exile three cards at random from your graveyard. You can then choose one of those cards that is a noncreature, nonland card, to copy, casting the copy without paying its mana cost. You can often win games by creating copies of Capricious Hellraiser with Season of Weaving, but there are numerous other things that can be cast for free that you can use to win the game with, including Chandra, Hope's Beacon and Terror of the Peaks.

Simic Merfolk

The final deck I have for you this week is a kindred deck featuring Merfolk. Let's take a look at the deck.

Simic Merfolk | DSK Standard | ManaMan, aetherhub.com user

• Creatures (25)
• 2 Enduring Curiosity
• 3 Sentinel of the Nameless City
• 4 Cenote Scout
• 4 Floodpits Drowner
• 4 Jadelight Spelunker
• 4 Tishana's Tidebinder
• 4 Vodalian Hexcatcher

• Instants (12)
• 4 Ephara's Dispersal
• 4 Into the Flood Maw
• 4 Repulsive Mutation

• Lands (23)
• 3 Island
• 4 Forest
• 4 Botanical Sanctum
• 4 Cavern of Souls
• 4 Restless Vinestalk
• 4 Yavimaya Coast

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Since Merfolk like Jadelight Spelunker and Cenote Scout are able to explore when they enter play, they have the potential to become big threats. You also have a playset of Repulsive Mutation that will add +1/+1 counters to one of your creatures. With those big creatures, you'll often be able to attack and push through some damage to your opponent. If you have Enduring Curiosity on the battlefield when this happens, you'll be able to draw a few extra cards, keeping the pressure on your opponent.

Wrapping Up

Blue decks currently benefit greatly from drawing extra cards. That card advantage can often allow you to win matches more easily. As you can see, Blue decks don't have to rely on control magic to win, there are many other strategies to try out.

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