FNM Duel Deck Singleton -- Deck Ideas

 

By Dante Boey

 

31st August 2016

 

Hail Duellers!

 

To celebrate the release of Duel Decks: Nissa vs Ob Nixilis on 2nd September, Dueller's Point is organising her inaugural Duel Deck Singleton event that particular Friday night. Duel Deck Singleton (DDS) is a duelling format where players construct a 60 card deck made up of singles printed in any official Duel Decks product by Wizards of the Coast. With the exception of basic lands, only a single copy is allowed for every card. There are no sideboards. For more information, have a look at these two articles (linked here http://www.duellerspoint.com/blogs/introducing-the-duel-deck-singleton-format-part-one and here http://www.duellerspoint.com/blogs/introducing-the-duel-deck-singleton-format-part-two).

 

Duel Decks: Nissa vs Ob Nixilis

 

So what should you bring to the table? One good advice is to construct a deck with tools to deal with different types of problematic permanents and strategies. Answers to artifacts, enchantments, planeswalkers and graveyard manipulation should be looked into besides the usual removal for creatures. This is the first time this format is introduced so the meta has not been established yet. You are encouraged to start brewing and exercising your creative juices. This is your chance to pioneer a meta standard for a brand new format. In a bid to inspire you, I'll throw in some deck ideas of mine and explain the rationale behind some of my card choices.

 

Reanimator is a time-honoured strategy in Magic and there are enough reanimation spells in DDS to make it viable. In addition, many powerful Eldrazi are available in the format, making them prime targets to be raised from your graveyard. One combo to note in reanimator strategy is Eternal Witness plus Living Death. Living Death will kill all creatures on the battlefield and reanimate all creatures in each player's graveyard. If the quality of the creatures in your graveyard is superior to that of your opponent's, say you have discarded a lot of Eldrazi into your graveyard early in the game, you will have board advantage when Living Death resolves. Eternal Witness brings back a card from your graveyard into your hand when she enters the battlefield. No matter whether you cast her from your hand or if she's brought back to play from the graveyard because of Living Death, you will get to put Living Death back into your hand, ensuring that a loop continues. Based on this concept, I've designed a Black Blue Green reanimator deck. The cost of each card is given in parentheses.

 

 

 

Eternal Witness and Living Death

 

Sultai Eldrazi Reanimator

 

1 Elves of Deep Shadow (G)

1 Llanowar Elves (G)

1 Khalni Heart Expedition (1G)

1 Life // Death (G // 1B)

1 Demonic Tutor (1B)

1 Wild Mongrel (1G)

1 Gatecreeper Vine (1G)

1 Explore (1G)

1 Regrowth (1G)

1 Eternal Witness (1GG)

1 Thirst for Knowledge (2U)

1 Phyrexian Arena (1BB)

1 Yavimaya Elder (1GG)

1 Vampire Nighthawk (1BB)

1 Overeager Apprentice (2B)

1 Harrow (2G)

1 Beast Within (2G)

1 Dread Return (2BB)

1 Clone (3U)

1 Vigor Mortis (2BB)

1 Mutilate (2BB)

1 Foil (2UU)

1 Living Death (3BB)

1 Consume the Meek (3BB)

1 Primal Command (3GG)

1 Acidic Slime (3GG)

1 Corpse Connoisseur (4B)

1 Body Double (4U)

1 Liliana Vess (3BB)

1 Rise from the Grave (4B)

1 Torrent of Souls (4B)

1 Sower of Oblivion (6)

1 Avenger of Zendikar (5GG)

1 Ulamog's Crusher (8)

1 Artisan of Kozilek (9)

1 It that Betrays (12)

1 Evolving Wilds

1 Terramorphic Expanse

1 Tainted Wood

1 Eldrazi Temple

1 Golgari Guildgate

1 Golgari Rotfarm

1 Temple of the False God

1 Treetop Village

1 Tranquil Thicket

2 Island

7 Forests

6 Swamps

 

This deck is weak against Faerie Macabre, which exiles 2 cards from its graveyard at instant speed and cannot be countered.

 

 

Faerie Macabre

 

Do you like to annoy your opponent? As in, really annoy your opponent? How would you like to cast a counterspell every turn? Or twice every turn? Well, with Isochron Scepter you can. Cast Isochron Scepter, exile Counterspell or Memory Lapse from your hand and watch your opponent squirm because subsequently you can keep on casting these spells on his or her turn. But wait, there's more. With Voltaic Key, you can untap the Scepter for just one mana. Which means you can cast yet another Counterspell.

 

 

 

Isochron Scepter and Counterspell, Memory Lapse and Voltaic Key

 

Since this combo depends on artifacts, we can follow up with an artifact theme and play artifact based threats. Tezzeret the Seeker will be a good fit.

 

Tezzeret the Seeker, Steel Overseer and Master of Etherium

 

UB Isochron Control

 

1 Brainstorm (U)

1 Preordain (U)

1 Thought Scour (U)

1 Repeal (XU)

1 Elixir of Immortality (1)

1 Voltaic Key (1)

1 Aether Spellbomb (1)

1 Jace's Phantasm (U)

1 Condescend (XU)

1 Vapor Snag (U)

1 Ancestral Visions (U)

1 Isochron Scepter (2)

1 Steel Overseer (2)

1 Trip Noose (2)

1 Counterspell (UU)

1 Mana Leak (1U)

1 Demonic Tutor (1B)

1 Memory Lapse (1U)

1 Impulse (1U)

1 Daze (1U)

1 Echoing Truth (1U)

1 Into the Roil (1U)

1 Prohibit (1U)

1 Remand (1U)

1 Dissipate (1UU)

1 Trinket Mage (2U)

1 Puppet Strings (3)

1 Sea Gate Oracle (2U)

1 Archaeomancer (2UU)

1 Whelming Wave (2UU)

1 Gush (4U)

1 Thoughtcast (4U)

1 Tezzeret the Seeker (3UU)

1 Mulldrifter (4U)

1 Spire Golem (6)

1 Errant Ephemeron (6U, Suspend with 1U)

1 Seat of the Synod

1 Darksteel Citadel

1 Mishra's Factory

1 Lonely Sandbar

1 Evolving Wilds

1 Terramorphic Expanse

1 Dismal Backwater

1 Crumbling Necropolis

1 Swamp

15 Island

 

This deck is weak against ultra-aggressive decks that focus on quick early wins because it has a low creature count.

 

While it seems that Black and Blue have the most important staples in the format in the form of Demonic Tutor and Ancestral Visions, colours like Red and Green have game too. Playing to their strengths, we can create decks that hit fast and hard. A tribe like Goblins can form the core of an aggressive deck. Goblins have a lot of finishers in DDS. A card like Skirk Fire Marshal can tap 5 Goblins (including itself) to deal 10 damage to each creature and player! If you're racing with your opponent to deal the most damage, the Marshal can win you the game. Likewise, the Voracious Dragon deals 2 damage to your opponent for every Goblin it Devours as it enters play. It will deal 10 damage if it consumes 5 Goblins. Cards like Dragon Fodder, Krenko's Command and Krenko, Mob Boss himself can fill up your board with Goblins. The latter, if not answered, will produce Goblins at an exponential rate.

 

 

Skirk Fire Marshal and Voracious Dragon

 

 

Dragon Fodder and Krenko's Command

 

 

Krenko, Mob Boss

 

Mono-Red Goblin Beatdown

 

1 Magma Spray (R)

1 Reckless Abandon (R)

1 Goblin Cohort (R)

1 Frenzied Goblin (R)

1 Flame Slash (R)

1 Skirk Prospector (R)

1 Krenko's Command (1R)

1 Dragon Fodder (1R)

1 Bloodmark Mentor (1R)

1 Mogg War Marshal (1R)

1 Emberwilde Augur (1R)

1 Incinerate (1R)

1 Spitting Earth (1R)

1 Searing Blaze (RR)

1 Magma Jet (1R)

1 Hellspark Elemental (1R)

1 Flame Javelin (RRR)

1 Inner-Flame Acolyte (1RR)

1 Boggart Shenanigans (2R)

1 Mudbutton Torchrunner (2R)

1 Sulphuric Vortex (1RR)

1 Skirk Drill Sergeant (2R)

1 Browbeat (2R)

1 Goblin Matron (2R)

1 Goblin Warchief (1RR)

1 Gempalm Incinerator (2R)

1 Hell's Thunder (1RR)

1 Hellrider (2RR)

1 Beetleback Chief (2RR)

1 Goblin Ringleader (3R)

1 Krenko, Mob Boss (2RR)

1 Koth of the Hammer (2RR)

1 Ib Halfheart, Goblin Tactician (3R)

1 Skirk Fire Marshal (3RR)

1 Voracious Dragon (3RR)

1 Ingot Chewer (4R, Evoke for R)

1 Siege-Gang Commander (3RR)

1 Forgotten Cave

1 Goblin Burrows

21 Mountain

 

Being an aggressive Red deck, this deck lacks draw power and will lose steam as the game progresses, relying on the quality of top-deck draws.

 

I hope the deck ideas above can drive you to explore possibilities on your own. And I hope to see you in Dueller's Point this upcoming Friday putting your deck-building skills to the test. Remember, the meta for Duel Deck Singleton has not been established so try to have a mix of draw spells, removal for various permanents and efficient threats during mid- amd late-game. Good luck and happy duelling!

 

[Dueller's Point will be holding her first ever Duel Deck Singleton event this Friday for FNM. The entry fee is just S$4 and you'll receive a complimentary drink. The ultimate winner will walk away with either 5 standard legal booster packs or the latest Duel Decks: Nissa vs Ob Nixilis (his/her choice). So what are you waiting for? Register now and start brewing your deck!]