BMoors's Magic The Gathering Deck Garage



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Pojo's MTG MTG Home Message Board News & Archives Deck Garage BMoor Dolf BeJoSe Columnists Paul's Perspective Jeff Zandi DeQuan Watson Jordon Kronick IQ Aburame Shino Rare Hunter Tim Stoltzfus WiCkEd Judge Bill's Corner Trading Card Game Card of the Day Guide for Newbies Decks to Beat Featured Articles Peasant Magic Fan Tips Tourney Reports Other Color Chart Book Reviews Online Play MTG Links Staff		BMoor's Magic The Gathering Deck Garage Tyler's "Most Awesome" Samurai Deck September 10, 2007 I run my Deck Garage by a set of rules I put down for myself. Since I'm the only one who knows them, I reserve the right to break them at my discretion, but one of the rules I never break (yet) is that at the end of the day, it's not my deck I'm building. I'm not the one playing games with this pile of cards. You are. And so, if there's a certain way a client wants to play the game, I consider it important to work within the same set of rules the deck builder is working within. If you can follow the rules, so can I. I've never yet seen, though, a deckbuilder who made a request as specific as Tyler's. Hey, my name is Tyler and I'm a samurai lover. When I heard Kamigawa was introducing samurai as a creature type, I was excited. However, I fell out of Magic for a bit, but now I'm back and I've made a deck online which I plan to purchase. Now, I'm going to warn you right now that I'm super strict about stupid things. First of all, this deck is going to remain completely white and completely Kamigawa block. Second of all, everything should remain samurai-themed. This means I don't want Umezawa's Jitte or a Gusari or a Hankyu. They're definitely from feudal Japan, but they're still not samurai. Therefore, I don't want them in my deck. Same goes for Tatsumasa. I know it's a katana, but the idea of being able to add a blue Dragon is too tempting, though a blue dragon makes no sense in a samurai deck. Third of all, everything MUST be a human samurai (so no fox samurai--like I said, I'm super strict about stupid things) or something which logically fits. I don't mind having Isamaru because he is sort of paired with Konda. Or, I don't mind Kiyomaro because his Descendant, though not a samurai (but still human, so gains tribal bonuses), looks samurai and fits with my theme. Other than that, I think you're pretty much free to critique it in any way. I don't want to overpower my deck with legends because...well, I can't have more than one legend out at a time (of the same name, anyway) and I don't want my deck filled with just a bunch of single creatures. I want to double and triple up when possible. I'll take 3 2/2's over a single 6/6 any day (so long as the abilities are decent). Just to recap: everything must be human samurai or sufficiently themed with the deck, it must be white, must remain in Kamigawa, must be related to samurai specifically (if it's an equipment), and don't stack it with too many legends. So, here it is: MAIN DECK Lands: -Plains x20 -Eiganjo Castle x1 Creatures: -Araba Mothrider x1 -Bushi Tenderfoot x1 -Devoted Retainer x3 -Hand of Honor x2 -Indebted Samurai x3 -Inner Chamber Guard x2 -Isamaru, Hound of Konda x1 -Konda's Hatamoto x2 -Konda, Lord of Eiganjo x1 -Mothrider Samurai x2 -Nagao, Bound by Honor x1 -Samurai Enforcers x2 -Takeno, Samurai General x1 Other Spells: -Call to Glory x2 -Hail of Arrows x2 -Hold the Line x1 -Quiet Purity x2 Enchantments: -Day of Destiny x1 -Indomitable Will x2 -Vigilance x2 Artifacts: -General's Kabuto x1 -Konda's Banner x1 -No-Dachi x2 -Oathkeeper, Takeno's Daisho x1 SIDEBOARD Creatures: -Hand of Honor x1 -Kiyomaro, First to Stand x1 -Descendant of Kiyomaro x1 Other Spells: -Presence of the Wise x2 -Call to Glory x1 -Hail of Arrows x1 -Ethereal Haze x3 -Charge Across the Araba x1 Enchantments: -Reverence x1 -Promise of Bunrei x1 -Indomitable Will x1 Artifacts: -No-Dachi I should also note that, regardless of what you suggest, I'm probably purchasing all of these cards and the sideboard for modification after my own testing of this deck. So, if you have any really good suggestions for just switching cards with my sideboard, that'd be great. Well, Tyler, thanks for making my job easy. But actually, it does make my job easy, because it seriously restricts the card pool from which I can draw. Only Kamigawa block, only white or artifact, and only "human samurai themed", which I'm interpreting to mean no foxes, no non-samurai artifacts, and no Spirits, Arcane spells, or cards whose flavor suggests the kakuriyo over the utsushiyo* (ie Final Judgment). Given these restrictions, it actually looks like Tyler himself has broken his own rules. Get Ethereal Haze and Charge Across the Araba out of your sideboard (pity, since Charge makes such a fine finisher), and Quiet Purity out of the main deck. As long as we're pulling cards, your devotion to theme is no excuse to use abominable cards. Indomitable Will and Vigilance have no business in this deck. Samurai Enforcers are also on thin ice, given that they're six mana for a 4/4 that does nothing beyond become a 6/6 in combat. For six mana, you'd want some sort of evasion, or other powerful ability that doesn't require him to block or get blocked. But Bushido can often act as a sort of evasion ability, given how reluctant people are to block a creature with it. And seeing as how Bushi Tenderfoot is almost impossible to flip, he can get pulled too if we end up needing the room. Fortunately, your creature base is otherwise pretty solid. So what else can go in? Well, you've pretty much nailed all the cards within your own rules, but you're not using as many copies of certain cards as you should. In a dedicated Samurai deck, there's really no reason not to run the full four Call to Glory. And since you seem dependant on getting out an early creature or two to sit on defense, you should have a few more Araba Mothrider. They're also good for sneaking in for a ping here and a ping there if your opponent has no flyers. An extra Hand of Honor or Konda's Hatamoto would also help. The next card to bring in more copies of would be General's Kabuto. The up-front cost of four mana is a little steep, but it's worth it to make a creature of your choice nigh-untouchable. Extras might be better off in the sideboard. Indebted Samurai is also an easy choice, being one of the few tribal Samurai cards that isn't Legendary. I'd want at least three. I've lost count of how many slots that was, but you are a bit vulnerable to Wrath effects. To remedy that, and to evoke a powerfully emotional aspect of the life of a samurai, add in (between maindeck and sideboard as you see fit) a full playset of Promise of Bunrei. Yes, it makes Spirit tokes, but the art is obviously a human samurai committing seppuku. The bonds of bushido can bind one to the grave, it seems, and if your whole army (or even just one) hits the bin, you'll get four 1/1's to avenge it. I have done all I can to bring this faction of samurai to their peak. I hope I have honored your request to your satisfaction, Tyler. As always, I remain your devoted ally. Until next time, may the divine wind always be at your back. Banzai! ~BMoor *If you don't know what "kakuriyo" and "utsushiyo" are, you should read the Kamigawa novels. If you do know, and also know that I misspelled them, please keep it to yourself.
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