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BMoor's Magic The Gathering Deck Garage
Ravnica Block R/W/U deck

July 31, 2006

What do you do when you can't find someone to play against?  How do you satisfy that Magic player's itch that dwells within us all?  Well, there is Magic Online, there is building new decks, there is always Pojo.com and its articles.  For me, I help others with their decks.  And since my first foray into the world of Friday Night Magic has been cancelled by unforeseen circumstances, I'll lose myself in deck submissions to ease the disappointment.  Let's get to it then:
 
Hi, here's what I have so far:
Lands: 23
2 Izzet Boilerworks
2 Boros Garrisson
1 Azorious Chancery
8 Plains
5 Mountain
5 Island

Creatures:20
4 Scorched Rusalka
4 Azorious First-Wing
3 Sky Hussar
4 Skyknight Legionniare
2 Sunhome Enforcer
2 Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
2 Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind

Spells: 17
4 Sunforger
4 Lightning Helix
4 Electrolyze
1 Odds//Ends
1 Hide//Seek
1 Research//Development
2 Condemn
 
 
I don't have any of the Dual Lands, and most likely won't be able to either.  I'm preparing this for a Ravnica Block tourney, so any help on this would be appreciated.  Thanks!
Ah, red, white, and blue, the American dream of Magic decks.  Also a powerful trio of colors in Ravnica block, as it gives you access to the beatdown Boros, the control tactics of the Azorius, and the crazy powerful Izzet.  There are a lot of different directions you could go with a deck such as this, and by the looks of your creature base, it seems you're going for an "aerial strike force" style of play.  And by the looks of your noncreature spells, you seem to want a more controlling deck, that can take out opposing threats while beating down with your own.  You also have a decent Sunforger toolbox going-- although you can't play Seek or Research from your hand, you could if you used Sunforger to find the other half.  And yes, you can use Sunforger to get Research//Development, since Development is red and Research costs 4 or less.
Now, one thing that jumps out at me-- you seem to want to play Scorched Rusalka on turn 1, Azorius First-Wing on turn 2, and Skyknight Legionnaire or Grand Arbiter Augustin IV on turn 3?  That's a bit of a stretch on your mana base.  The dual lands could make it happen, but you already went over that.  I'd say the next best thing you could do is replace the rusalka with either Boros Recruit or the blue Rusalka, or else you'll just have to count on those bouncelands and the high amount of low-cost creatures to make up for the unstable curve.  Besides, the life gain from Lightning Helix and the Enforcer will help offset a slow start, and the Sky Hussar certainly doesn't mind not being cast ASAP.  And yet, I'm not sure this deck really wants to tap its creatures to Forecast a Hussar instead of attack wih them.  The blue Rusalka can help, being tappable to the Hussar's effect.  It can also compliment the Hussar's card drawing ability if you have something to discard.
 
Other than that, all your spells look fine.  You certainly have plenty of ways to draw cards, and that works fine with Niv-Mizzet.  And all your cards are very efficient for their cost-- that's what happens when so many of them are multicolored.  I could suggest a few that might help though, if you really want a change.
 
First, Boros or Azorius Guildmage would help soften the mana base as well as give you more utility in your creatures.  I'd suggest Izzet Guildmage too, but I don't see many instants or sorceries worth targeting.  He isn't like the Sunforger; he can only copy the half of the split card you're playing.  Then there's Isperia-- I'm not sure if she would work with her double mana cost requirements, but a lot of your creatures have flying, so if you got her into play she could really wreak havoc.  Remand seems like it would fit in fairly well also; you could use a way to just stop spells cold, and the card draw is nice as well.  But you might not even need it at all.  Good luck and clear skies!
 
~BMoor


 

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