CardShark Content - Brian Baker (4/10/2005)

There are many schools of thought on the subject of the creation of the casual deck. Certain factors, such as the limitations of one's own collection, help shape the motivations and methods of a player to build a deck. Some take a Preconstructed deck and tweak it to fit their own playing style. As I said way back in my first article, this is exactly how I built my very first deck, and it still holds a special place in my heart. Those readers who are particularly interested in this style of deck building would do well to read the Building on a Budget column at www.magicthegathering.com.

Sometimes a player will build a deck around an entire mechanic, such as Affinity or Flanking. The best performing decks in this category tend to be those that give the greatest focus to the mechanic and its support cards, rather than sporting a great deal of interesting but suboptimal tangents. A Buyback deck with Memory Crystal

Memory Crystal
	Set: Exodus Cost: 3 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Rarity: R Number: 134 Artist: Michael Sutfin Text: All buyback costs are reduced by 2.

, for example, will most likely be stronger than a one that replaces it with something that doesn't support the theme. This isn't to say that there is only one correct way to build a theme deck, but the most successful builds usually have a more linear form.

Finally, we have decks that are inspired from and built around individual cards and card combinations. These decks are conceived when a player sees a card that just begs to be given attention. Sometimes it happens when a player and card meet for the first time, while other times it is an older card that is seen in a new light. The release of new expansion sets often causes players to find more combinations with old cards. Whatever the case, the moment when inspiration occurs is essentially the ´´birth´´ of a new deck. Since the components of these decks are highly individualistic, the variety is nearly limitless.

The deck that inspired this article fits neatly into the third category. A few months ago, I had just finished opening my box of Betrayers and I was trying to find inspiration for a new deck beyond Spirit

Spirit
	Set: Divine vs Demonic Cost: 0 Color: Colorless Type: Creature Sub Type: Spirit Rarity: C Power: 1 Toughness: 1 Text: Flying

craft or Ninjas. I started with the rare cards, since rares tend to be the most wild or influential cards, but inspiration eluded me. It wasn't until I reviewed my commons that a card jumped out at me.

It was Ire of Kaminari

Ire of Kaminari
	Set: Betrayers of Kamigawa Cost: 4 Color: Red Type: Instant Sub Type: Arcane Rarity: C Number: 109 Artist: Kev Walker Text: Ire of Kaminari deals damage to target creature or player equal to the number of Arcane cards in your graveyard.

.

I understood two things immediately. First of all, this deck was never going to be tournament caliber. The card is too situational and not strong enough on its own to keep up with more aggressive decks. Secondly, this card is a paradox. Card advantage is the very nature of Arcane spells and their ability to Splice, and most of the time those cards should remain in hand rather than in the graveyard. Working around this card's fundamental nature was going to be a challenge, one that intrigued me greatly.

4:Ire of Kaminari

Ire of Kaminari
	Set: Betrayers of Kamigawa Cost: 4 Color: Red Type: Instant Sub Type: Arcane Rarity: C Number: 109 Artist: Kev Walker Text: Ire of Kaminari deals damage to target creature or player equal to the number of Arcane cards in your graveyard.

Sure, the Ire has the potential to eventually deal a large amount of damage, but the two questions to deal with now are how to make Ire more than one single shot to the head and what to do in the meantime. I considered all sorts of spell recursion of varying degrees before settling on the ´´auto-spell´´ machine.

2:Panoptic Mirror

Panoptic Mirror
	Set: Darksteel Cost: 5 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Rarity: R Number: 136 Artist: Glen Angus Text: Imprint -- X, T: You may remove an instant or sorcery card with converted mana cost X in your hand from the game. (That card is imprinted on this artifact.) At the beginning of your upkeep, you may copy an imprinted instant or sorcery card and play the copy without paying its mana cost.

While we build up to a rather large (and hopefully repeating) Ire, I should be playing Arcane spells. These spells should be focused on dealing damage and/or staying alive (i.e. removing threats). Certain cards leap to mind rather quickly. Glacial Ray

Glacial Ray
	Set: Champions of Kamigawa Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Instant Sub Type: Arcane Rarity: C Number: 168 Artist: Jim Murray Text: Glacial Ray deals 2 damage to target creature or player. Splice onto Arcane 1R (As you play an Arcane spell, you may reveal this card from your hand and pay its splice cost. If you do, add this card's effects to that spell.)

is the undisputed king of damage efficiency, and a turn three Splice onto Lava Spike

Lava Spike
	Set: Champions of Kamigawa Cost: 1 Color: Red Type: Sorcery Sub Type: Arcane Rarity: C Number: 178 Artist: Mark Tedin Text: Lava Spike deals 3 damage to target player.

usually results in a wounded opponent and a dead creature. Blind with Anger

Anger
	Set: Judgment Cost: 4 Color: Red Type: Creature Sub Type: Incarnation Rarity: U Number: 77 Artist: John Avon Power: 2 Toughness: 2 Text: Haste. As long as Anger is in your graveyard and you control a mountain, creatures you control have haste.

is also key, since it enables Splice and can result in multiple creature losses for the opponent when played correctly.

4:Glacial Ray

Glacial Ray
	Set: Champions of Kamigawa Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Instant Sub Type: Arcane Rarity: C Number: 168 Artist: Jim Murray Text: Glacial Ray deals 2 damage to target creature or player. Splice onto Arcane 1R (As you play an Arcane spell, you may reveal this card from your hand and pay its splice cost. If you do, add this card's effects to that spell.)

4:Blind with Anger

Anger
	Set: Judgment Cost: 4 Color: Red Type: Creature Sub Type: Incarnation Rarity: U Number: 77 Artist: John Avon Power: 2 Toughness: 2 Text: Haste. As long as Anger is in your graveyard and you control a mountain, creatures you control have haste.

4:Lava Spike

Lava Spike
	Set: Champions of Kamigawa Cost: 1 Color: Red Type: Sorcery Sub Type: Arcane Rarity: C Number: 178 Artist: Mark Tedin Text: Lava Spike deals 3 damage to target player.

First Volley

First Volley
	Set: Betrayers of Kamigawa Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Instant Sub Type: Arcane Rarity: C Number: 100 Artist: Glen Angus Text: First Volley deals 1 damage to target creature and 1 damage to that creature's controller.

makes the cut, since it can hinder the opponent and allows for Splice. I'd honestly prefer Shower of Sparks

Shower of Sparks
	Set: Urza's Saga Cost: 1 Color: Red Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 217 Artist: Christopher Moeller Text: Shower of Sparks deals 1 damage to target creature and 1 damage to target player.

, but Arcane tips the scales.

3:First Volley

First Volley
	Set: Betrayers of Kamigawa Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Instant Sub Type: Arcane Rarity: C Number: 100 Artist: Glen Angus Text: First Volley deals 1 damage to target creature and 1 damage to that creature's controller.

I considered Torrent of Stone

Torrent of Stone
	Set: Betrayers of Kamigawa Cost: 4 Color: Red Type: Instant Sub Type: Arcane Rarity: C Number: 119 Artist: Greg Staples Text: Torrent of Stone deals 4 damage to target creature. Splice onto Arcane—Sacrifice two mountains. (As you play an Arcane spell, you may reveal this card from your hand and pay its splice cost. If you do, add this card's effects to that spell.)

for a long while before including it in the deck. It's not usually spliced, but it gets the job done.

3:Torrent of Stone

Torrent of Stone
	Set: Betrayers of Kamigawa Cost: 4 Color: Red Type: Instant Sub Type: Arcane Rarity: C Number: 119 Artist: Greg Staples Text: Torrent of Stone deals 4 damage to target creature. Splice onto Arcane—Sacrifice two mountains. (As you play an Arcane spell, you may reveal this card from your hand and pay its splice cost. If you do, add this card's effects to that spell.)

Strange Inversion

Strange Inversion
	Set: Champions of Kamigawa Cost: 3 Color: Red Type: Instant Sub Type: Arcane Rarity: U Number: 192 Artist: Khang Le Text: Switch target creature's power and toughness until end of turn. Splice onto Arcane 1R (As you play an Arcane spell, you may reveal this card from your hand and pay its splice cost. If you do, add this card's effects to that spell.)

may not be on most people's top picks list, but it's, well, too strange not to be fun. Besides, it totally negates a costly Blazing Shoal

Blazing Shoal
	Set: Betrayers of Kamigawa Cost: 3 Color: Red Type: Instant Sub Type: Arcane Rarity: R Number: 96 Artist: Glen Angus Text: You may remove a red card with converted mana cost X in your hand from the game rather than pay Blazing Shoal's mana cost. Target creature gets +X/+0 until end of turn.

or Enrage

Enrage
	Set: Scourge Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 91 Text: Target creature gets +X/+0 until end of turn.

. Finally, Desperate Ritual

Desperate Ritual
	Set: Champions of Kamigawa Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Instant Sub Type: Arcane Rarity: C Number: 163 Artist: Darrell Riche Text: Add RRR to your mana pool. Splice onto Arcane 1R (As you play an Arcane spell, you may reveal this card from your hand and pay its splice cost. If you do, add this card's effects to that spell.)

fills in the cracks while allowing for some acceleration.

2:Strange Inversion

Strange Inversion
	Set: Champions of Kamigawa Cost: 3 Color: Red Type: Instant Sub Type: Arcane Rarity: U Number: 192 Artist: Khang Le Text: Switch target creature's power and toughness until end of turn. Splice onto Arcane 1R (As you play an Arcane spell, you may reveal this card from your hand and pay its splice cost. If you do, add this card's effects to that spell.)

2:Desperate Ritual

Desperate Ritual
	Set: Champions of Kamigawa Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Instant Sub Type: Arcane Rarity: C Number: 163 Artist: Darrell Riche Text: Add RRR to your mana pool. Splice onto Arcane 1R (As you play an Arcane spell, you may reveal this card from your hand and pay its splice cost. If you do, add this card's effects to that spell.)

All right, I'm 28 cards in and all but 2 are Arcane. Now it's time to consider some utility. Magma Jet

Magma Jet
	Set: Fifth Dawn Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 73 Text: Magma Jet deals 2 damage to target creature or player. Scry 2

offers the nifty Scry ability while doing what this deck loves to do- hurt things. Shatter

Shatter
	Set: Revised Edition Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Instant Rarity: C Artist: Amy Weber Text: Shatter destroys target artifact.

kills such annoyances as Platinum Angel

Platinum Angel
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 7 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Creature Sub Type: Angel Rarity: R Number: 228 Artist: Brom Power: 4 Toughness: 4 Text: Flying You can't lose the game and your opponents can't win the game.

and Sun Droplet

Sun Droplet
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 2 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Rarity: U Number: 249 Artist: Tim Hildebrandt Text: Whenever you're dealt damage, put that many charge counters on Sun Droplet. At the beginning of each player's upkeep, you may remove a charge counter from Sun Droplet. If you do, you gain 1 life.

, among others. Oblivion Stone

Oblivion Stone
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 3 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Rarity: R Number: 222 Artist: Sam Wood Text: 4, T: Put a fate counter on target permanent. 5, T, Sacrifice Oblivion Stone: Destroy each nonland permanent without a fate counter on it, then remove all fate counters from all permanents.

, upon the further review of my rares binder, takes care of just about anything scary while acting as a deterrent.

4:Magma Jet

Magma Jet
	Set: Fifth Dawn Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 73 Text: Magma Jet deals 2 damage to target creature or player. Scry 2

2:Shatter

Shatter
	Set: Revised Edition Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Instant Rarity: C Artist: Amy Weber Text: Shatter destroys target artifact.

2:Oblivion Stone

Oblivion Stone
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 3 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Rarity: R Number: 222 Artist: Sam Wood Text: 4, T: Put a fate counter on target permanent. 5, T, Sacrifice Oblivion Stone: Destroy each nonland permanent without a fate counter on it, then remove all fate counters from all permanents.

Solemn Simulacrum

Solemn Simulacrum
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 4 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Creature Rarity: R Number: 245 Artist: Greg Staples Text: When Solemn Simulacrum comes into play, you may search your library for a basic land card and put that card into play tapped. If you do, shuffle your library. When Solemn Simulacrum is put into a graveyard from play, you may draw a card.

would finish things off nicely while smoothing out mana, but I decide on Chartooth Cougar

Chartooth Cougar
	Set: Scourge Cost: 6 Color: Red Type: Creature Sub Type: Cat Beast Rarity: C Number: 84 Artist: Tony Szczudlo Power: 4 Toughness: 4 Text: R: Chartooth Cougar gets +1/+0 until end of turn. Mountaincycling 2

instead for the earlier boost.

2:Chartooth Cougar

Chartooth Cougar
	Set: Scourge Cost: 6 Color: Red Type: Creature Sub Type: Cat Beast Rarity: C Number: 84 Artist: Tony Szczudlo Power: 4 Toughness: 4 Text: R: Chartooth Cougar gets +1/+0 until end of turn. Mountaincycling 2

Speaking of mana….

22:Mountain

Mountain
	Set: Arabian Nights Color: Land Type: Land Rarity: C Artist: Douglas Shuler Text: Tap to add R to your mana pool.

There you have it, one complete Ire deck. Since its construction I've brought it whenever getting together with my friends, and it has been met with varying levels of success and praise. I have found that, for a mono-red deck based around burn, it requires an unusual amount of patience and thinking. Arcane spells need to go into the graveyard, but at a careful rate rather than a splurge of pointless activity. Waiting for the opportune moment to unleash spells is key to victory. I love to play it, not only because it challenges my opponents, but because it challenges me as well.

Thanks for reading. Here's the complete decklist, in uninterrupted form:

Red Creatures (2):
2:Chartooth Cougar

Chartooth Cougar
	Set: Scourge Cost: 6 Color: Red Type: Creature Sub Type: Cat Beast Rarity: C Number: 84 Artist: Tony Szczudlo Power: 4 Toughness: 4 Text: R: Chartooth Cougar gets +1/+0 until end of turn. Mountaincycling 2

Red Spells (32):
4:Lava Spike

Lava Spike
	Set: Champions of Kamigawa Cost: 1 Color: Red Type: Sorcery Sub Type: Arcane Rarity: C Number: 178 Artist: Mark Tedin Text: Lava Spike deals 3 damage to target player.

4:Glacial Ray

Glacial Ray
	Set: Champions of Kamigawa Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Instant Sub Type: Arcane Rarity: C Number: 168 Artist: Jim Murray Text: Glacial Ray deals 2 damage to target creature or player. Splice onto Arcane 1R (As you play an Arcane spell, you may reveal this card from your hand and pay its splice cost. If you do, add this card's effects to that spell.)

4:Magma Jet

Magma Jet
	Set: Fifth Dawn Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 73 Text: Magma Jet deals 2 damage to target creature or player. Scry 2

3:First Volley

First Volley
	Set: Betrayers of Kamigawa Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Instant Sub Type: Arcane Rarity: C Number: 100 Artist: Glen Angus Text: First Volley deals 1 damage to target creature and 1 damage to that creature's controller.

2:Desperate Ritual

Desperate Ritual
	Set: Champions of Kamigawa Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Instant Sub Type: Arcane Rarity: C Number: 163 Artist: Darrell Riche Text: Add RRR to your mana pool. Splice onto Arcane 1R (As you play an Arcane spell, you may reveal this card from your hand and pay its splice cost. If you do, add this card's effects to that spell.)

2:Shatter

Shatter
	Set: Revised Edition Cost: 2 Color: Red Type: Instant Rarity: C Artist: Amy Weber Text: Shatter destroys target artifact.

2:Strange Inversion

Strange Inversion
	Set: Champions of Kamigawa Cost: 3 Color: Red Type: Instant Sub Type: Arcane Rarity: U Number: 192 Artist: Khang Le Text: Switch target creature's power and toughness until end of turn. Splice onto Arcane 1R (As you play an Arcane spell, you may reveal this card from your hand and pay its splice cost. If you do, add this card's effects to that spell.)

4:Ire of Kaminari

Ire of Kaminari
	Set: Betrayers of Kamigawa Cost: 4 Color: Red Type: Instant Sub Type: Arcane Rarity: C Number: 109 Artist: Kev Walker Text: Ire of Kaminari deals damage to target creature or player equal to the number of Arcane cards in your graveyard.

4:Blind with Anger

Anger
	Set: Judgment Cost: 4 Color: Red Type: Creature Sub Type: Incarnation Rarity: U Number: 77 Artist: John Avon Power: 2 Toughness: 2 Text: Haste. As long as Anger is in your graveyard and you control a mountain, creatures you control have haste.

3:Torrent of Stone

Torrent of Stone
	Set: Betrayers of Kamigawa Cost: 4 Color: Red Type: Instant Sub Type: Arcane Rarity: C Number: 119 Artist: Greg Staples Text: Torrent of Stone deals 4 damage to target creature. Splice onto Arcane—Sacrifice two mountains. (As you play an Arcane spell, you may reveal this card from your hand and pay its splice cost. If you do, add this card's effects to that spell.)

Artifacts (4):
2:Panoptic Mirror

Panoptic Mirror
	Set: Darksteel Cost: 5 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Rarity: R Number: 136 Artist: Glen Angus Text: Imprint -- X, T: You may remove an instant or sorcery card with converted mana cost X in your hand from the game. (That card is imprinted on this artifact.) At the beginning of your upkeep, you may copy an imprinted instant or sorcery card and play the copy without paying its mana cost.

2:Oblivion Stone

Oblivion Stone
	Set: Mirrodin Cost: 3 Color: Colorless Type: Artifact Rarity: R Number: 222 Artist: Sam Wood Text: 4, T: Put a fate counter on target permanent. 5, T, Sacrifice Oblivion Stone: Destroy each nonland permanent without a fate counter on it, then remove all fate counters from all permanents.

Land (22):
22:Mountain

Mountain
	Set: Arabian Nights Color: Land Type: Land Rarity: C Artist: Douglas Shuler Text: Tap to add R to your mana pool.

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