One of the best parts about getting together with friends to play Magic: The Gathering is the ability to mix things up and come in with a new deck or strategy to keep the competition fresh and fierce. You shouldn’t get too comfortable with a single deck, or else the other players can learn to prevent your best moves from ever happening. But, where does one look for inspiration when making a new MTG deck?
The key is to have fun with it and use other universes, characters, and teams as your muse. In our recent attempts at building new themed MtG decks, we decided to pay homage to Marvel’s Avengers. Check out the decks that we were able to come up with, inspired by the individual team members.
HULK
Image Credit: Alfodur/Deviant Art
This one’s a no brainer: when you’re putting together a Hulk-inspired deck of Magic cards, you have to go with a trample deck. Load it with beasts as well for that extra firepower and strength. Plus, you’ll have to fill it with forest cards to get that classic jade look. Check out our example deck, and feel free to put your own spin on it the next time you play with your friends.
20x Forest
4x Leatherback Baloth
4x Defiant Elf
4x Garruk’s Companion
3x Primeval Titan
3x Skinshifter
4x Primal Rage
4x Gaea’s Anthem
4x Giant Growth
4x Seal of Strength
3x Rancor
2x Treetop Bracers
4x Primal Bellow
4x Rampant Growth
IRON MAN
Image Credit: Southee/Deviant Art
The key here is to channel the inner essence of Tony Stark himself and compile an artifact deck. Rather than build up your own power, use the tools, myrs, and artifacts at your disposal to take down your opponents strategically and effectively. Here’s our artifact deck:
10x Plains
10x Island
4x Etched Companion
2x Master of Etherum
4x Memnite
4x Ornithopter
4x Signal Pest
3x Steel Overseer
4x Vault Skirge
3x Dispatch
3x Thoughtcast
4x Cranial Plating
3x Welding Jar
3x Stoic Rebuttal
2x Tempered Steel
CAPTAIN AMERICA
Image Credit: Alternate Pony/Deviant Art
When it comes down to good ol’ Captain America, you’re going to want to use his skills as a trained leader and effective presence on the battlefield as a main source of inspiration. Where are you going to find skilled fighters with the same battlefield prowess as Cap? Try a Plains Knights deck. Use the first strike and double strike abilities often, and have fun with it.
20x Plains
2x Kinsbaile Cavalier
1x Knight Exemplar
3x Knight of Glory
3x Knight of Meadowgrain
1x Knight of the White Orchid
2x Mirran Crusader
2x Sigiled Paladin
1x Silver Knight
1x Silverblade Knight
1x Student of Warfar
3x War Falcon
1x White Knight
4x Armored Ascension
2x Bonds of Faith
2x Honor of the Pure
4x Brave the Elements
2x Harm’s Way
BLACK WIDOW
Image Credit: TheSamuraiMan/Deviant Art
Lastly, we decided to go with our girl, Black Widow. Her cunning ability to manipulate and take down her opponents as she so wishes means one thing: a control deck. Find cards that are going to help you manipulate the playing field to your advantage and achieve victory. Here’s a sample deck that’ll help you get a basic idea of where to start.
20x Swamp
1x Cadaver Imp
1x Carnifex Demon
1x Entomber Exarch
4x Fume Spitter
4x Reassembling Skeleton
2x Royal Assassin
2x Sangromancer
2x Sheoldred, Whispering One
2x Skinrender
1x Liliana Vess
1x Black Sun’s Zenith
4x Diabolic Tutor
4x Doom Blade
4x Duress
2x Geth’s Verdict
1x Sword of Feast and Famine
1x Sword of War and Peace
2x Go for the Throat
And there you have it: 4 relatively simple, yet totally awesome decks ready for you to bring your opponents down at your next showdown. Remember, have fun with it. Put your own spin on themed decks by bringing in your go-to cards and maybe branching out into areas your haven’t gone before. Your competition won’t know what hit them!
Cover Image Credit: Daniel Kamarudin/Deviant Art