Dragons Maze Strategy

by dynathy on 24 April 2013

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Deck Description

Right so everyone is pretty excited about Dragons Maze, and everyone I talk to have already expressed there opinions of the new cards that we all get to peak at.

With all these guild cards, and the multicolor possibilities, it is impossible to know what you'll be up against. Yet there are some good strategies that'll bring your sealed deck to the next level!

In the how to play section, I will be expressing my opinions of each of the guild mechanics and the very powerful interactions between them, as well as the some of the popular mana fixing options that will be necessary to run a solid three color deck.

Feel free to comment, argue, post, and make new remarks on old things in the comment section. Not only Feel free to, but I encourage you to!

How to Play

The first thing I would like to point out is, the Dragons' Maze set will be a much slower set then the previous two. It fortifies the block with more guild interactions, several new legendary creatures, and plenty of mana fixing options that are cheap and available. Those of you worried about keeping up with Aggro in this standard, you FINALLY have a much needed sigh of relief.

Let us take a look at our mana options then shall we? We are all familiar with the Keyrunes, chromatic lantern, the various gates of all the guilds, and for those of you who stalk wizards; the new cluestones. When you open your packs up, you are pretty much guaranteed six gates of some sort. If you are lucky, you'll have a few matching. Additionally, artifacts that tap for mana are entirely too common not to run in a deck that you build on the spot. Cluestones add additional draw power late game, and Keyrunes can change into creatures to swing with. With all this available to you, don't rule out three or four color decks immediately.

The Guilds:

Selesnya:

Selesnya hits at home for me, and is definitely going to be the guild I run with when I show up at my shop. Cards I am expecting to see? Well Call of the conclave for certain, seller of song birds, eyes in the skies, chorus of might, and a few others. Even if I don't get those, I am choosing it for one reason: Populate. It grabs a speed boost in dragons maze (were as most sets are decelerating) with wake the reflections which is a common. But some immediate foresight and past experience, has proven some strong synergy with boro's battalion, and simic evolve. One of my very first decks built out of gatecrash was indeed a Naya Legions deck, which was all about swarm. Simic can get uncontrolable with the right cards evolving with token production. Populate lose strength with detain, however the combo of the two can definitely slow down the other player while you build up on your tokens. All that said, I am expecting a definate combo with selesnya + orzhov, seeing as the fuse card is both those colors. Selesnya tempo adds so many different options and support to the table it definitely makes for a hard to beat color.

Simic:

Simic is all about making creatures that get lethal quick. Yet it is very reliant on a constant stream of creatures and counters. The major down fall to this guild: It isn't completely auto pilot! You have to know what you are doing! Not only that, you can't just grab any card that suits the colors. Yet the synergy with Evolve is massive. With scavenge, bloodrush, detain, populate, all bring fresh new combos to the table there are some very interesting things you can do. Cards to look for? Well the same ones you've been playing over and over, forced adaptation, bio shift, gyre sage, what have you. If you get the cards you need, this is more than leathal. Pump them up with evolve, then bloodrush them for some trample, or continue to pump them up with scavange? Perfect. Drop a creature, detain there blocker, swing for a bunch? Definitely. Counters and counter spells, simic has plenty of support to make a good deck biased around creatures.

Gruul:

Whats the enticing part about this guild? IT always has combat tricks. Swing, and bloodrush them to run over your opponents. Offers quick burn support, and is almost unstoppable when you add in scavenge. Gruul is all about fast, cheap, and definitely gets you more bang for your buck. Green Red Black with the Gruul Golgari Combo is looking like it will be a powerful mix. Otherwise, bloodrush doesn't seem to combo with too much, except to give added combat tricks.

Golgari:

Dredge and Scavenge. Which one to choose... BOTH! Dredge gets your stuff back at the cost of putting it in your graveyard, and scavenge buffs your stuff at the cost of exiling something and some mana. Its sorta cheating that they have two mechanics! Dredging and scavenge already work wonderfully with simic, but what about the others? Scavenge is an obvious plus one, since it buffs your creatures, but lets take a nice long look at dredge. Golgari and Dimir have some incredible grave play! Last thoughts? Give trample your cipher fodder, and then buff it with scavenge? All the while you are dredging to put more stuff on the field? It wouldn't be hard to pull! Dredge and Extort has the potential to take the game, since you can always get a spell and play it. Orzhov also features some good grave play with beckon arbitration.

Orzhov:

Orzhov is all about that life gain and life loss. Yet take a second look! They have amazing flying support as well! That amount of evasion makes Extort+ Cipher an instant win very powerful life gain deck. How? Well, swing over the top, cast a copy, extort the copy. Puts you very well out of kill range. That will defiantly be a good staple of the prerelease. Extort and Unleash can help is also an amazing combo, it doesn't trigger the extort, but it lets you swing in quickly, and keeps some life gain so you don't need to worry about blockers. Extort and Populate? Get a token get a life! It can be effective when you need stall for an overwhelming swing! Detain adds in some extra stall. However you run orzhov, it is a powerful mechanic.

Azorius:

The thing about this one, it combos really well with cipher! So you can start to see how esper in the dragons maze will be nearly unstoppable if it is built and ran right. Detain, Extort, Chiper. Detain is a good combat trick, just like blood rush. They don't combo with anything, but they definitely make attacking your opponent a lot easier. This is one of the most Auto Pilot mechanics. Drop a creature, stop the big one, swing out. It'll serve its purpose. You are looking for bounce, flicker, and things of that nature.

Izzet:

Overload. Izzet is all about not having dead draws. You can save your spells for late game, or use them immediately for some quick effect. Burn Counter is strong enough on its own but it pairs with blood rush, battalion, detain, and cipher. USA will possibly be the strongest build for this guild, pairing with boros for aggro or azorius for control. Izzet is an amazing support guild, and gives you some awesome things. Take a quick note though! Most of izzets creatures buff draw or copy instant and sorcery spells! So if you run some cipher, they'll constantly get the buff. The gruul bloodrush? Maybe, but you'll be looking for UWR or UBR.

Rakdos:

Think Removal support. Think Aggro. Think quick kills, and you have the game. Pair this one with gruul and you got the right Idea. IF you are aggro this is your second choice. It pairs very well with scavenge as well, and dredge for grave play. Another amazing support guild if you want a more mid-range deck.

Boros:

The most popular guild in gate crash. Very fast, very strong, and always indestructible. IT pairs with overload pretty well (dynacharge and Battalion for game) and add much needed aggro and control support! It likes Populate, it likes Extort, and it likes bloodrush. If you aren't looking for any combos, and just want to beat your opponent to death, it and any of its buddies will be the colors to do it.

Dimir:

Cipher. I mentioned its combos, and Esper will be broken. Combo with izzet? Definately, especially with all those sorcery spells going off!!

Deck Tags

  • Forum
  • Dragons Maze Prerelease
  • Strategies

Deck at a Glance

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Mana Curve

Mana Symbol Occurrence

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Card Legality

  • Not Legal in Standard
  • Not Legal in Modern
  • Not Legal in Vintage
  • Not Legal in Legacy

Deck discussion for Dragons Maze Strategy

Selesnya is going to be my guild I chose. Just because I like that guild, I run that deck, and I have a good Idea of what to expect. Plus populate + battalion, Populate + evolve, populate + extort, populate + bloodrush? All have there good combos! Mostly I am looking for creature control and board presence.
Remember! The minimum deck size is 40! Mill will be much more powerful!

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Posted 24 April 2013 at 03:39

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I am quite liking Dimir with Notion Thief, and consider it a good mix with Reliquary Tower and Whispering madness. I wasn't much of a Dimir fan yet this card alone has made me a fan, as it is so sneaky. Especially Sign in Blood. Oh why thank you for paying 2 life so I can draw 2 cards..... And Rakdos! WOW Spike Jester just screams abuse me in speedy aggro...

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Posted 24 April 2013 at 04:00

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I know they are choosing to slow standard down, and didn't want to break it in half with an overly powerful DGM release, but I am highly disappointed in the guild champions.

They could have given such interesting abilities or effects that would not break standard or Modern (legacy and vintage are already lolbroke), and I am sad that the flavor of the game has taken such an absurd smack to the face. Each and every one should have inspired casual decks to be built around them, but in particular, the G/W, U/G, R/U, and even R/W champions came out more as 'chumps' than heroes. The others are marginal.

I'm normally one to scream 'Powercreep' at the likes of most of what gets printed (most of GTC would have been rare in Odyssey), but I'm disappointed that they are destroying a new generation of Magic Player's ability and motivation to build fun, flavorful decks that don't suck donkeydonuts

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Posted 24 April 2013 at 05:23

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You have the disadvantage of playing magic since donkeydonuts ages ago, however I have only been playing since return to rav came out, and I am deeply into it and see more than just the Alara colour scheming and elite decks that win matches over and over. When I make a deck I want it to be fun as well as formidable. If I am playing a game where I am completely dominating and controlling the opponent, it's not fun and I feel cheap. If I am the one getting the whuppin I look at what didn't work and adjust to suit, while keeping it fun.

My point is, I can see WOTC is trying to keep magic fun, elitists won't be playing forever or buy into some of the new cards coming out, so new players have to be enticed. They aren't making it just for you they are making it for everyone, and you can't please everyone...

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Posted 24 April 2013 at 05:36

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I am going to disagree with you on the champions. Having a galvonoth in standard, and pair him with an izzet deck? That is amazing. It is not the best they could have done, but it'll be effective unless they have a champion of their own out.

If you just look at the champions strait, they leave much to be desired, yet when you take into account all the relationships with the guilds, you can start to form better ways to use these cards.

G/W is possibly my favorite champion. She fogs out your tokens, and for obvious reasons, but she is also a 5/7 so it'll get passed all the burn you can throw at it. Pair it with progenitor mimic, now you can always populate an actual creature. Put token copies of a thragtusk on the field? SO broken. Or really what ever card you want!

It also isn't taken out by warleader's helix, which is well on it's way already to be a staple in standard formats, and can you imagine Paragon'ing one of those? 8 damage, 8 health, for free! That is what I call top decking like a boss.

Add in index, and you can set up the combo very easily.

I agree with you on the boros guild leader, he is a six cost indestructible that buffs when he swings, but needs two others to do it. Not worth the time if you ask me. An Aurelia's Fury for four is more worth it in every situation. Aurelia is more worth it in every situation. You can populate and always have four plus creatures if you run naya mid range, but in general, he isn't the best.

Vorel of the Hull Clade is essentially a reusable proliferate that doesn't hit your PW's. Throw him in some of your quest decks. Not to mention, he is THE cheapest champion! Throw in human merefolk, he breaks a lot of tribal decks. He can receive hella buffs, and is compatible with tons of equips that came out in innistrad (if you run them, I dont). He triggers champion, and then for three, he can do it again each turn, yet not to just him, everyone. With simic in this standard, you'll need more dice.

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Posted 24 April 2013 at 16:02

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G/W champion is an embarrassment to the entire game. Legends of that low of quality haven't been printed since the aptly named Legends expansion. Why not pay one more for Avacyn who is worlds better for only one more Mana. Or for less mana, you get something else flavorful in something like Yosei, Arashi, Iname Life, or Verdiloth. Any of these is more flavorful, and more useful than she is. I can see myself wanting to put any of these in a deck for fun, but never Emma.

even murder still kills tokens. Supreme verdict kills tokens. She prevents damage to your tokens, and has no protection herself. And, she's a 5/7 elf. she has more toughness than a titan and most walls. What kind of crank is she taking that she has more toughness than a wall? (see Wall of Omens) she has no way to protect herself, save her high toughness, and her ability is laughable, because it doesn't prevent much of anything, and she's redonkulously expensive.

And why run Vorel when you can run 4 Gilder Bairns? A rare legend that could be oozing flavor should not be outlcassed by an uncommon little dude in a monster suit.

The izzet champion is interesting, sure, but at 6 he's competing with something like Niv in R/U decks. I'd rather run either Niv for the sure board advantage they'd give me, over another card that needs to be built around. Both Nivs are better designed than this dude. And, as you already mentioned, he's really just a galvanoth with a bit of blue.

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Posted 25 April 2013 at 02:13

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The guild combination I would love to play is Golgari and Gruul. I think that either champion with both guild mechanics will make a very powerful deck.

That being said I'm actually going Rakdos so that I can trade away the champion to a friend right after the event. Since i'm going Rakdos my four ally guilds that I could get are Dimir, Gruul, Boros, and Orzhov. Each guild has their advantages but i'm really hoping for Boros. Theres such a huge card base for this event that I have no clue how I'll do until I open those packs!

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Posted 24 April 2013 at 06:59

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And since you don't know who the secret ally will be till you open the pack who knows!!!

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Posted 24 April 2013 at 07:12

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My friend and I are drafting the set soon, and I will be playing Izzet against his Boros! Any tips for me?

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Posted 24 April 2013 at 18:25

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Tips? Alright, tap and return to hand will be especially useful. Low end counters like dissipate and essence scatter will stop his creatures. If it's aggro? I am stumped. I don't think I have seen a pure izzet deck yet that has kept pace with an aggro deck.

Next off get all the burn you can. Keep him under three creatures. Take advantage of your haste cards you draft, since he should definitely include his. Red white and red blue both make great control burn decks, so you just have to one up him in every turn.

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Posted 25 April 2013 at 01:47

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Thanks so much! Yeah little worried about his sheer aggro against my burn but I might be adding in a cheeky little bit of Azorius for some extra control and a few more creatures! Thanks again!

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Posted 25 April 2013 at 07:16

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