One week of previews has passed and Ravnica Allegiance is certainly living up to expectations. Crazy Simic creature types, loads of interesting Legendries for Commander and more than a few cards looking to make a big impact on competetive formats have the community buzzing with excitement for Magic’s latest set. While we still have a bunch of cards still to be released, many brewers (myself included) are already working on deck ideas for a variety of formats. Today I’m going to share with you a few ideas I have come up with as well as some I have seen bouncing around the forums. Some of them will have full deck tech dedicated to them in the future, while other I might build up to try on a stream. Who knows. Maybe one of these could inspire you with your newest build.
Smothering Riches
Revel in Riches is a classic ‘build around’ card for players who like to win via non-conventional methods, but with the only treasure card with any promise being Treasure Map, the card was more of a corner-case than a powerhouse. However, now we have a real chance to make this dream a reality with Smothering Tithe.
This four-mana enchantment is something altogether unique in Magic. A White card that provides mana acceleration and fixing. Yes, your opponent has the option of playing two to prevent you from gaining a treasure, but are they really going to be strangling their own resources to stop you gaining one treasure? I very much doubt it. Even if they pay two mana, that’s mana that will be unavailable to them until their next upkeep. With the recently spoiled Orzhov boardwipe, are there the beginnings of black/white treasure control deck on the horizon?
Karlov-monicon
In my last article about Ranvica Allegiance, I mentioned the possibility of an Aristocrat-style deck being viable in the new Standard format. Afterlife is a great mechanic for a sacrifice-based strategy, and we are getting some good sac outlets if Pitiless Pontiff is anything to go by. However, after seeing Teysa Karlov, I don’t just believe the deck is on the way – I know it is.
Getting two triggered abilities whenever any creature you control dies is incredibly powerful. Imagine the following scenario. You pay one mana to sacrifice an Imperious Oligarch to your Pitiless Pontiff, while also having a copy of Teysa and a Poison-Tip Archer on the battlefield. Not only do you get the replacement token with flying, lifelink, and vigilance, but your opponent also loses two life. Alternatively, a Saproling-based deck utilizing the saproling lords and Slimefoot, the Stowaway is also a possibility. As for where a deck utilizing these synergies fits into the upcoming meta, we’ll have to wait and see
Walls of the Dragon
Arcades, the Strategist decks are nothing new. Players have been trying to make the ‘Wall’ deck a competitive powerhouse since Magic 2019 dropped last year, with limited success. Our very own Abbie is a notable advocate for this particular brew and had a ton of fun playing the deck during the Guilds of Ravnica preview stream a few months back. Now, it would appear that the deck is about to get some new pieces with the realise of Ravnica Allegiance in a few weeks.
High Alert is an enchantment for three mana that effectively allows the deck to run four additional copies of the Elder Dragon’s effect. As anyone who plays competitive Magic will tell you, consistency in your deckbuilding is often reflected in more consistent results. High Alert gives the deck precisely that, with a nice ability tagged on for good measure. Could this be enough to push the deck into the meta?
Jellyfish Ramp
Is there anything better than a Jellyfish Hydra Beast? No, not really. Hydroid Krasis has quickly become a fan favourite in the Magic community not only because of its insane creature type, but because it has the potential to be a game ender in a Blue/Green ramp deck. Creatures that can be cast for X have generally seen play in Standard over the last few years because they provide versatility. Hydroid Krasis can be cast as a 1/1 flying trampler on turn three or a 5/5 on turn seven and beyond.
But that’s not the best thing about this monstrous creature. You see, this Jellyfish Hydra Beast acan also draw you a ton of cards and can net you a nice bit of life in the process, even if the spell is countered. The card draw provided by the Hydra is great for a ramp strategy, as having your ramp payoffs be able to draw you into more threats is incredibly powerful. The recently spoiled Gyre Engineer and Growth Spiral also fit nicely into a G/U ramp strategy, and I’m looking forward to seeing what players come up with once the set releases.
Well that should just about do it for now. I have more ideas for some Modern, EDH, and even Legacy decks in the works, but they’re not quite fully-formed just yet. Remember, preview season is far from over so who knows what other goodies we might see. In fact, you will want to make sure you are subscribed to the site to see what we have to say on Thursday (wink, wink).
If you want to see some of these decks in action, then make sure you check out the Ravnica Allegiance Early Access Streamer Event. Abbie, myself and many of the other Master of Magic crew will be given access to special preview accounts by Wizards of the Coast to test the set next week, so watch this space for further information. Tell us about your new deck idea’s in the comments below and remember until next time, Good Luck and Have Fun.
