Persil's checklist for building Rank 1 decks

Persil

Hi guys,
I've been recently doing quite well in ranked games, so I thought I may share the checklist of rules for building decks which I follow. In brackets, I put some example solutions.

Must include:

1) how do I fulfill the objectives?
2) how do I get rid of hexproof creatures? (destroy first creature, destroy all, or maybe berserker / defender)
3) how do I get rid of creatures with "when destroyed" effects? (exile, or return cards to hand)
4) how do I get more mana/loyalty? (strong converting supports, preferably resilient, or mass convert spells)
5) how do I get rid of supports? (destroy support, or maybe mass converting)
6) how do I get rid of Vanguards? (destroy Vanguard, or Vanguards which weaken other Vanguards)

May include if there is space:

7) how do I get life? (lifelink, or abilities)
8) how do I get rid of my creatures if I get too strong before getting objectives? (destroy/exile target, destroy all)
9) how am I protected against strong haste creatures? (flash, or defender/reach)
10) how do I slow down / block the enemy? (discard, increase cost, or blocking cards like "Test of Talents")
11) how do I get more cards? (draw, fetch)
12) what do I do when things get bad? (destroy all, prevent damage)

Of course, for games which you need to finish in e.g. 5 rounds, these rules don't apply. However, most of other matches are control games where these rules work well. Also, some are sometimes not needed, e.g. in "From the Vault" events you don't worry about Vanguards.

Clearly, with 10 cards in a deck, it's challenging to match all criteria, even only the "must include" ones. The trick is to use multi-function cards and PWs abilities. Some multi-function cards which I like to use:

• Mythos of Nethroi (destroys hexproof creatures and supports)
• Eat to Extinction (exile, Vanguard protection, flash)
• Ruinous Ultimatum (destroys all enemy creatures and most of supports, including Vanguards)
• Finale of Revelation (draws cards, gets mana, increases mana income)
• Consume / Consecrate (destroys hexproof creatures, gets life, can also draw cards)
• Sorin, Vengeful Bloodlord (gets life, Vanguard protection)
• Liliana, Dreadhorde General (destroys hexproof creatures, destroys Vanguards, can also draw cards)
• Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God (draws cards, discards enemy cards, also gives extra loyalty)
• Murderous Rider / Swift End (destroys hexproof creatures, destroys Vanguards, lifelink, berserker)

Following these rules allows to get Rank 1 in most of the events. Of course, there is always room for improvement and there are many amazing players out there who are a challenge. This checklist may be of some help when facing them.

Barnabes

Your rules are  a very good basis to build strong decks on, and new players should definitely follow them to improve their odds in game. 

As a long-time FTP who is heavily entrenched and has a good supply of standard cards and almost every relevant Legacy card, I feel that getting rank 1 in events is largely a matter of luck - with the large brackets we have you tend to run into few opponents that are as well equipped as  you are and losing a match is primarily a function of running into someone else who has all the right cards and then gets luckier in making matches. A second factor is human error - making the wrong swap or getting distracted and missing an objective. Even the best and brightest make small mistakes. 

So no one should expect to get rank 1 every time, but following the rules above would definitely improve your game. 

Persil

I agree with you, there is no "win all" deck, especially given the randomness of MPQ. If your enemy gets a cascade in its first round, you may be done despite having the best cards. I believe everyone experienced this one or more times. If anyone says "I win all the times", it's just not true.

Regarding this, I also added one more rule, no. 12 - "what do I do when things get bad?", which may sometimes help after an enemy's cascade.

The rules try to maximize the chance of winning. Of course one needs some variety of cards to fulfill them, however often there are good substitutes. It is also good to know your enemy PW, so that you know what to expect. For me, the rules work very well. Over last two weeks, I managed to win all games & objectives in 5 out of 7 ranked games, including The Colossal Tussle or Seize the Day. But of course, I still lost some others, e.g. Colors of Magic. As we both agree, nobody wins all the time

naabaldan

This checklist is a nice idea, but can be extended.

First of all: standard and legacy should be sperated.

Second: new players may not own those cards and need alternatives 

Third: synergy of cards abilities is the most important factor when building decks including the need to fulfill objectives

Fourth: the pw and its abilities are to be considered prior to deck building

You may add those points to your checklist. 

madwren

One thing which should be mentioned is that a common mistake people make is not being cognizant of their planeswalker's mana profile when building decks.

When I’m building decks, I like to ask myself an important question: How many on-color matches does it take to cast this card?  This is important to know because it affects your deck both in terms of setting up your win condition, and defending against Greg.

Defensively, it’s pretty obvious.  Take for example a standard 8-mana removal spell, Unholy Hunger. 

   --Ashiok can cast it with a single on-color match in 2 colors.

   --Bolas1, however, requires two on-color matches in 3 colors.  

Therefore, if you’re facing a turn-1 cascade where Greg pops out a Quartzwood Crasher, Ashiok can respond immediately.  Bolas1, however, requires two turns, at which point Crasher has attacked and summoned a token.   While you could be fortunate enough to have a multiple match, as we all know that is not guaranteed.

It’s similar when setting up your win condition. Now, this could be dumping a bunch of creatures, or it could be locking down the board.  Regardless, there is something your deck is trying to achieve, and the speed at which it can do so is paramount to its success.  The slower you are, the higher the chance you’ll have to play defensively, in which case you’re not generating mana to set up your own win condition.

I pioneered the Thassa Lotta Blue deck (Ral + Thassa + Urza) way back when, and Ral was perfect for it because he can drop an Urza in two on-color matches, plus his first ability is exceptional.  Put the same shell in Tamiyo and it doesn’t perform as well because her mana is so much worse. It could take her up to 4 matches to cast Urza!

I often run into decks that are clever, but slow. They’re using suboptimal or expensive components that take too long to assemble, so that it actively weakens the deck.

Does this mean you can only use cheap cards? That isn’t what I’m saying. It does mean you should be aware of how your deck should be expected to perform based solely on mana cost and mana profile. A lot of cards are too expensive for too little payoff and shouldn’t be used. They look good, but they're poorly costed.  I like to think, "For X mana, I could have this or I could have these other options." Know what you could be using instead.

With the proliferation of ramp in current Standard, there are a number of midgame decks that can absorb some blows early and then greatly supersede their own mana profile. Landforming was brilliant in that regard, and some of the lands we’ve gotten have created much-needed persistent ramp. 

However, your deck is most competitive when it can simultaneously defend and advance its own win condition and not rely on extensive setup. If you run someone like Tamiyo and you’re counting on getting a bunch of lands into play to cast other expensive cards, be sure to sprinkle in cheap defensive options.  Like, I never go anywhere without Depart the Realm if playing blue.  Previously I never went anywhere without Arrester’s Admonition.

Tezzeret

ALWAYS 
Have a way to deal with test of talent.
Ashiok
Naturalist
Kolog
Rambunctious must
The old gods

(Just to name a few)

bk1234

This is what I give to new players to teach how to build event decks: