CardShark Content - Robert Hager (7/11/2006)

The block season is upon us if we want to play Ravnica Block. Since Wizards choose team block events for the Pro Tour, there are not any main events like last year for people to play block. This makes it harder for some people since they usually net deck or like me look for an idea to tweak a bit.

This might make some people who play other Type 2 decks try to make them block such as Gruul with Burning tree Shaman, B/W with Ghost Council, Zoo, Ghazi Deck with Glare, U/R/W Firemane Angel

Firemane Angel
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 6 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Angel Rarity: R Number: 205 Artist: Matt Cavotta Power: 4 Toughness: 3 Text: Flying, first strike At the beginning of your upkeep, if Firemane Angel is in your graveyard or in play, you may gain 1 life. 6RRWW: Return Firemane Angel from your graveyard to play. Play this ability only during your upkeep.

, etc. Many of the deck you will find are 3 color decks but not everyone has or wants to spend the money for all the shocklands needed to make a 3 color deck. With a 2 color deck like U/R we only need the 4 Steam Vents

Steam Vents
	Set: Guildpact Color: Land Type: Land Sub Type: Island Mountain Rarity: R Number: 164 Text: (T: Add U or R to your mana pool.) As Steam Vents comes into play, you may pay 2 life. If you don’t, Steam Vents comes into play tapped instead.

not, 8-12 different shocklands which not everyone has.

I tried making a Block Version of Wafo Tapa or U/R Control crossed with Izzet Machine Gun. This is how the original version looked liked.

Blue:
4x Compulsive Research

Compulsive Research
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 3 Color: Blue Type: Sorcery Rarity: C Number: 40 Artist: Michael Sutfin Text: Target player draws three cards. Then that player discards two cards unless he or she discards a land card.

3x Convolute

Convolute
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 3 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 41 Artist: Dany Orizio Text: Counter target spell unless its controller pays 4.

3x Gigadrowse

Gigadrowse
	Set: Guildpact Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 26 Text: Replicate U (When you play this spell, copy it for each time you paid its replicate cost. You may choose new targets for the copies.) Tap target permanent.

4x Remand

Remand
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 63 Artist: Mark A. Nelson Text: Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, put it into its owner’s hand instead of into that player's graveyard. Draw a card.

4x Repeal

Repeal
	Set: Guildpact Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 32 Text: Return target nonland permanent with converted mana cost X to its owner’s hand. Draw a card.

3x Spell Snare

Spell Snare
	Set: Dissension Color: Blue Rarity: U Number: 33 Artist: Hideaki Takamura

4x Telling Time

Telling Time
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 69 Artist: Scott M. Fischer Text: Look at the top three cards of your library. Put one of those cards into your hand, one on top of your library, and one on the bottom of your library.

Gold:
4x Electrolyze

Electrolyze
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 111 Text: Electrolyze deals 2 damage divided as you choose among any number of target creatures and/or players. Draw a card.

3x Gelectrode

Gelectrode
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Weird Rarity: U Number: 113 Power: 0 Toughness: 1 Text: T: Gelectrode deals 1 damage to target creature or player. Whenever you play an instant or sorcery spell, you may untap Gelectrode.

2x Niv-Mizzet, the Firemind
4x Wee Dragonauts

Wee Dragonauts
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Faerie Wizard Rarity: C Number: 137 Power: 1 Toughness: 3 Text: Flying Whenever you play an instant or sorcery spell, Wee Dragonauts gets +2/+0 until end of turn.

Red:
4x Seal of Fire

Seal of Fire
	Set: Nemesis Cost: 1 Color: Red Type: Enchantment Rarity: C Number: 98 Artist: Christopher Moeller Text: Sacrifice Seal of Fire: Seal of Fire deals 2 damage to target creature or player.

Lands:
11x Island

Island
	Set: Oversize Cards Color: Land Type: Land Rarity: X Artist: Tony Roberts Text: T: Add U to your mana pool.

7x Mountain

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

4x Izzet Boilerworks

Izzet Boilerworks
	Set: Guildpact Color: Land Type: Land Rarity: C Number: 159 Text: Izzet Boilerworks comes into play tapped. When Izzet Boilerworks comes into play, return a land you control to its owner’s hand. T: Add UR to your mana pool.

With the choices I made I thought it was making a fairly good control deck. Convolute

Convolute
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 3 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 41 Artist: Dany Orizio Text: Counter target spell unless its controller pays 4.

is needed since there aren't any better counters spells besides Spell Snare

Spell Snare
	Set: Dissension Color: Blue Rarity: U Number: 33 Artist: Hideaki Takamura

. Not having Char

Char
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 3 Color: Red Type: Instant Rarity: R Number: 117 Artist: Adam Rex Text: Char deals 4 damage to target creature or player and 2 damage to you.

or Giant Solifuge

Giant Solifuge
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Insect Rarity: R Number: 143 Power: 4 Toughness: 1 Text: ((R/G) can be paid with either R or G.) Trample, haste Giant Solifuge can’t be the target of spells or abilities.

is harder. I had only Seal of Fire

Seal of Fire
	Set: Nemesis Cost: 1 Color: Red Type: Enchantment Rarity: C Number: 98 Artist: Christopher Moeller Text: Sacrifice Seal of Fire: Seal of Fire deals 2 damage to target creature or player.

and Electrolyze

Electrolyze
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 111 Text: Electrolyze deals 2 damage divided as you choose among any number of target creatures and/or players. Draw a card.

for dealing damage. Then there was Niv-Mizzet, which is a bomb but the only bomb in the deck. The problem is there are cards like that can make the opponent search through your deck and remove 1 card from the game. So if your 2 copies of Niv-Mizzet are your only bomb cards, that screws you up pretty well. Pillory of The Sleep

Sleep
	Set: Magic 2010 Color: Blue Type: Sorcery Rarity: U Number: 71 Artist: Chris Rahn Text: Tap all creatures target player controls. Those creatures don't untap during that player's next untap step.

less, Faith Fetter's, Putrefy

Putrefy
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 3 Color: Multicolor Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 221 Artist: Jim Nelson Text: Destroy target artifact or creature. It can’t be regenerated.

, Mortify

Mortify
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 122 Text: Destroy target creature or enchantment.

, Wrecking Ball

Wrecking Ball
	Set: Dissension Color: Multicolor Rarity: C Number: 139 Artist: Ron Spears

, Lighting Helix, Char

Char
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 3 Color: Red Type: Instant Rarity: R Number: 117 Artist: Adam Rex Text: Char deals 4 damage to target creature or player and 2 damage to you.

, etc. all these can kill Gelectrode

Gelectrode
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Weird Rarity: U Number: 113 Power: 0 Toughness: 1 Text: T: Gelectrode deals 1 damage to target creature or player. Whenever you play an instant or sorcery spell, you may untap Gelectrode.

and Wee Dragonauts

Wee Dragonauts
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Faerie Wizard Rarity: C Number: 137 Power: 1 Toughness: 3 Text: Flying Whenever you play an instant or sorcery spell, Wee Dragonauts gets +2/+0 until end of turn.

. Most of these can all kill Niv-Mizzet.

I tried this at a local card store I go to in a Ravnica Block Tournament. This how it went for me. First round I got upstaged by a U/R/W control deck. First game I was able get out cards like Gelectrode

Gelectrode
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Weird Rarity: U Number: 113 Power: 0 Toughness: 1 Text: T: Gelectrode deals 1 damage to target creature or player. Whenever you play an instant or sorcery spell, you may untap Gelectrode.

and Wee Dragonauts

Wee Dragonauts
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Faerie Wizard Rarity: C Number: 137 Power: 1 Toughness: 3 Text: Flying Whenever you play an instant or sorcery spell, Wee Dragonauts gets +2/+0 until end of turn.

. The problem was with Char

Char
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 3 Color: Red Type: Instant Rarity: R Number: 117 Artist: Adam Rex Text: Char deals 4 damage to target creature or player and 2 damage to you.

, Lightning Helix

Lightning Helix
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 2 Color: Multicolor Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 213 Artist: Kev Walker Text: Lightning Helix deals 3 damage to target creature or player and you gain 3 life.

, etc. Any creature I played would die. Once he got Firemane Angel

Firemane Angel
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 6 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Angel Rarity: R Number: 205 Artist: Matt Cavotta Power: 4 Toughness: 3 Text: Flying, first strike At the beginning of your upkeep, if Firemane Angel is in your graveyard or in play, you may gain 1 life. 6RRWW: Return Firemane Angel from your graveyard to play. Play this ability only during your upkeep.

I was in trouble with Giagdrowse or Repeal

Repeal
	Set: Guildpact Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 32 Text: Return target nonland permanent with converted mana cost X to its owner’s hand. Draw a card.

as my only answers to slow my opponent down and I lost first game. Second Game my opponent was able to get Firemane Angel

Firemane Angel
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 6 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Angel Rarity: R Number: 205 Artist: Matt Cavotta Power: 4 Toughness: 3 Text: Flying, first strike At the beginning of your upkeep, if Firemane Angel is in your graveyard or in play, you may gain 1 life. 6RRWW: Return Firemane Angel from your graveyard to play. Play this ability only during your upkeep.

and Niv-Mizzet out. I got Niv-Mizzet also so our creatures legend bombed each other. With the Firemane Angel

Firemane Angel
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 6 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Angel Rarity: R Number: 205 Artist: Matt Cavotta Power: 4 Toughness: 3 Text: Flying, first strike At the beginning of your upkeep, if Firemane Angel is in your graveyard or in play, you may gain 1 life. 6RRWW: Return Firemane Angel from your graveyard to play. Play this ability only during your upkeep.

out I still had problems and Gigadrowse

Gigadrowse
	Set: Guildpact Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 26 Text: Replicate U (When you play this spell, copy it for each time you paid its replicate cost. You may choose new targets for the copies.) Tap target permanent.

was all I could do to slow him down. I lost the second game. 1st round I lost 2-0

Second Round This was just a blurb on the map. Not something that I remember much but I lost.

Third Round: Radkos B/R Control. This didn't look like a hard matchup but with cards like Wrecking Ball

Wrecking Ball
	Set: Dissension Color: Multicolor Rarity: C Number: 139 Artist: Ron Spears

and other forms of removal this could be a problem. First Game I was able to get out Wee Dragonauts

Wee Dragonauts
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Faerie Wizard Rarity: C Number: 137 Power: 1 Toughness: 3 Text: Flying Whenever you play an instant or sorcery spell, Wee Dragonauts gets +2/+0 until end of turn.

early on and start dealing damage. I was able to get Gelectrode

Gelectrode
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Weird Rarity: U Number: 113 Power: 0 Toughness: 1 Text: T: Gelectrode deals 1 damage to target creature or player. Whenever you play an instant or sorcery spell, you may untap Gelectrode.

out early as well. Wrecking Ball

Wrecking Ball
	Set: Dissension Color: Multicolor Rarity: C Number: 139 Artist: Ron Spears

and much of the other removal made it hard for me to deal damage to him. I was able to repeal his Avatar of Discord

Avatar of Discord
	Set: Dissension Cost: 11 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Avatar Rarity: R Number: 140 Artist: rk post Power: 5 Toughness: 3 Text: ((B/R) can be paid with either B or R.) Flying When Avatar of Discord comes into play, sacrifice it unless you discard two cards.

so he had still discard his 2 cards and return the Avatar to his hand.

First Niv-Mizzet I played I was able to start dealing damage to my opponent. Once I got him to around 12, it died. He tried to cast Infernal Tutor

Infernal Tutor
	Set: Dissension Color: Black Rarity: R Number: 46 Artist: Kev Walker

as that was his only card in hand and I used Spell Snare

Spell Snare
	Set: Dissension Color: Blue Rarity: U Number: 33 Artist: Hideaki Takamura

on it. He had got out a Dread Slag

Dread Slag
	Set: Dissension Color: Multicolor Rarity: R Number: 109 Artist: Anthony S. Waters

, and since he had only 1 card in hand it wasn't much a problem. He soon enough had 3 cards in hand so it died. I was able to get 3 Seals of Fire out. Once I played Niv-Mizzet I was able to attack once to get him to 8 life. I had an Electrolyze

Electrolyze
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 111 Text: Electrolyze deals 2 damage divided as you choose among any number of target creatures and/or players. Draw a card.

in hand so I played it to deal 2 damage to him. Now since he was at 6 life, I could sacrifice my Seals to kill him. I won first game.

Second game was more difficult. I started with 2 lands in hand which wasn't too bad. I was able in a couple of turns to get 3 mana out so I could play Wee Dragonauts

Wee Dragonauts
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Faerie Wizard Rarity: C Number: 137 Power: 1 Toughness: 3 Text: Flying Whenever you play an instant or sorcery spell, Wee Dragonauts gets +2/+0 until end of turn.

and a Glectode which all died. I was able to get him to around 17 life. He got Lyzolda the Blood Witch out and I was able to kill it with a Gelectrode

Gelectrode
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Weird Rarity: U Number: 113 Power: 0 Toughness: 1 Text: T: Gelectrode deals 1 damage to target creature or player. Whenever you play an instant or sorcery spell, you may untap Gelectrode.

out. When he played an Avatar of Discord

Avatar of Discord
	Set: Dissension Cost: 11 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Avatar Rarity: R Number: 140 Artist: rk post Power: 5 Toughness: 3 Text: ((B/R) can be paid with either B or R.) Flying When Avatar of Discord comes into play, sacrifice it unless you discard two cards.

I used Convolute

Convolute
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 3 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 41 Artist: Dany Orizio Text: Counter target spell unless its controller pays 4.

on it. The problem was Hide/Seek, when he Seeked one of my Niv-Mizzets. Later on when I got my second Niv-Mizzet, he was able to play Wrecking Ball

Wrecking Ball
	Set: Dissension Color: Multicolor Rarity: C Number: 139 Artist: Ron Spears

and kill it. He was able to get an Avatar of Discord

Avatar of Discord
	Set: Dissension Cost: 11 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Avatar Rarity: R Number: 140 Artist: rk post Power: 5 Toughness: 3 Text: ((B/R) can be paid with either B or R.) Flying When Avatar of Discord comes into play, sacrifice it unless you discard two cards.

and eventually kill me. I lost second game.

Third Game I wasn't so mana screwed early on and was able to fairly easily get out Wee Dragonauts

Wee Dragonauts
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Faerie Wizard Rarity: C Number: 137 Power: 1 Toughness: 3 Text: Flying Whenever you play an instant or sorcery spell, Wee Dragonauts gets +2/+0 until end of turn.

and Gelectrode

Gelectrode
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Weird Rarity: U Number: 113 Power: 0 Toughness: 1 Text: T: Gelectrode deals 1 damage to target creature or player. Whenever you play an instant or sorcery spell, you may untap Gelectrode.

. When he played Hellhole Rats

Hellhole Rats
	Set: Dissension Color: Multicolor Rarity: U Number: 113 Artist: Kev Walker

I was able to play Electrolyze

Electrolyze
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 111 Text: Electrolyze deals 2 damage divided as you choose among any number of target creatures and/or players. Draw a card.

and kill them. When he played an Avatar of Discord

Avatar of Discord
	Set: Dissension Cost: 11 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Avatar Rarity: R Number: 140 Artist: rk post Power: 5 Toughness: 3 Text: ((B/R) can be paid with either B or R.) Flying When Avatar of Discord comes into play, sacrifice it unless you discard two cards.

I used Convolute

Convolute
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 3 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 41 Artist: Dany Orizio Text: Counter target spell unless its controller pays 4.

to counter it. I got out Niv-Mizzet in which I was able to get him down to around 10 life. We went to a five count and it ended up being a draw 1-1. I could have gotten him to at least 7 life but when using Electrolyze

Electrolyze
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 111 Text: Electrolyze deals 2 damage divided as you choose among any number of target creatures and/or players. Draw a card.

and other spells I was forgetting about the damage from Gelectrode

Gelectrode
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Weird Rarity: U Number: 113 Power: 0 Toughness: 1 Text: T: Gelectrode deals 1 damage to target creature or player. Whenever you play an instant or sorcery spell, you may untap Gelectrode.

when you cast sorcery or instant spells. I also forget that Electrolyze

Electrolyze
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 111 Text: Electrolyze deals 2 damage divided as you choose among any number of target creatures and/or players. Draw a card.

can deal damage to more than one target.

Fourth round B/R/W Searing Meditation

Searing Meditation
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 3 Color: Multicolor Type: Enchantment Rarity: R Number: 226 Artist: Dave Dorman Text: Whenever you gain life, you may pay 2. If you do, Searing Meditation deals 2 damage to target creature or player.

Control. First game I had no problem getting out Wee Dragonauts

Wee Dragonauts
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Faerie Wizard Rarity: C Number: 137 Power: 1 Toughness: 3 Text: Flying Whenever you play an instant or sorcery spell, Wee Dragonauts gets +2/+0 until end of turn.

and Gelectrode

Gelectrode
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Weird Rarity: U Number: 113 Power: 0 Toughness: 1 Text: T: Gelectrode deals 1 damage to target creature or player. Whenever you play an instant or sorcery spell, you may untap Gelectrode.

. He was able to kill my creatures with cards like Lightning Helix

Lightning Helix
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 2 Color: Multicolor Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 213 Artist: Kev Walker Text: Lightning Helix deals 3 damage to target creature or player and you gain 3 life.

, Char

Char
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 3 Color: Red Type: Instant Rarity: R Number: 117 Artist: Adam Rex Text: Char deals 4 damage to target creature or player and 2 damage to you.

, and Wrecking Ball

Wrecking Ball
	Set: Dissension Color: Multicolor Rarity: C Number: 139 Artist: Ron Spears

. Once I got out Niv-Mizzet I was able to deal enough damage to kill him. I won

Second Game He was able to stop my early threats such as Gelectrode

Gelectrode
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Weird Rarity: U Number: 113 Power: 0 Toughness: 1 Text: T: Gelectrode deals 1 damage to target creature or player. Whenever you play an instant or sorcery spell, you may untap Gelectrode.

and Wee Dragonauts

Wee Dragonauts
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Faerie Wizard Rarity: C Number: 137 Power: 1 Toughness: 3 Text: Flying Whenever you play an instant or sorcery spell, Wee Dragonauts gets +2/+0 until end of turn.

. I had Spell Snare

Spell Snare
	Set: Dissension Color: Blue Rarity: U Number: 33 Artist: Hideaki Takamura

to stop his removal. The second time he tried to Hide/Seek he was able to remove one of my Niv-Mizzets. Once he got out Firemane Angel

Firemane Angel
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 6 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Angel Rarity: R Number: 205 Artist: Matt Cavotta Power: 4 Toughness: 3 Text: Flying, first strike At the beginning of your upkeep, if Firemane Angel is in your graveyard or in play, you may gain 1 life. 6RRWW: Return Firemane Angel from your graveyard to play. Play this ability only during your upkeep.

and Searing Mediation I was in trouble. All I could do was use Repeal

Repeal
	Set: Guildpact Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 32 Text: Return target nonland permanent with converted mana cost X to its owner’s hand. Draw a card.

or Gigadrowse

Gigadrowse
	Set: Guildpact Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 26 Text: Replicate U (When you play this spell, copy it for each time you paid its replicate cost. You may choose new targets for the copies.) Tap target permanent.

on the Firemane Angel

Firemane Angel
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 6 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Angel Rarity: R Number: 205 Artist: Matt Cavotta Power: 4 Toughness: 3 Text: Flying, first strike At the beginning of your upkeep, if Firemane Angel is in your graveyard or in play, you may gain 1 life. 6RRWW: Return Firemane Angel from your graveyard to play. Play this ability only during your upkeep.

and I lost second game.

Third Game he managed to stop my first Niv-Mizzet. When he played a Firemane Angel

Firemane Angel
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 6 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Angel Rarity: R Number: 205 Artist: Matt Cavotta Power: 4 Toughness: 3 Text: Flying, first strike At the beginning of your upkeep, if Firemane Angel is in your graveyard or in play, you may gain 1 life. 6RRWW: Return Firemane Angel from your graveyard to play. Play this ability only during your upkeep.

I was able to Convolute

Convolute
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 3 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 41 Artist: Dany Orizio Text: Counter target spell unless its controller pays 4.

it. Once He got Searing Meditation

Searing Meditation
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 3 Color: Multicolor Type: Enchantment Rarity: R Number: 226 Artist: Dave Dorman Text: Whenever you gain life, you may pay 2. If you do, Searing Meditation deals 2 damage to target creature or player.

all I could I do I was play Wee Dragonauts

Wee Dragonauts
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Faerie Wizard Rarity: C Number: 137 Power: 1 Toughness: 3 Text: Flying Whenever you play an instant or sorcery spell, Wee Dragonauts gets +2/+0 until end of turn.

and Niv-Mizzet without something dying. Once he killed my second Niv-Mizzet I was around 10 life. He was able to get a Firemane Angel

Firemane Angel
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 6 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Angel Rarity: R Number: 205 Artist: Matt Cavotta Power: 4 Toughness: 3 Text: Flying, first strike At the beginning of your upkeep, if Firemane Angel is in your graveyard or in play, you may gain 1 life. 6RRWW: Return Firemane Angel from your graveyard to play. Play this ability only during your upkeep.

in play and I lost third game. I lost 2-1. I ended up in the Tournament 0-3-1.

One of the main thing my deck lacked was lots of power. Without having Char

Char
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 3 Color: Red Type: Instant Rarity: R Number: 117 Artist: Adam Rex Text: Char deals 4 damage to target creature or player and 2 damage to you.

at your disposal with U/R you are left with only Seal of Fire

Seal of Fire
	Set: Nemesis Cost: 1 Color: Red Type: Enchantment Rarity: C Number: 98 Artist: Christopher Moeller Text: Sacrifice Seal of Fire: Seal of Fire deals 2 damage to target creature or player.

or Electrolyze

Electrolyze
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 111 Text: Electrolyze deals 2 damage divided as you choose among any number of target creatures and/or players. Draw a card.

as fast damage spells when playing with Niv-Mizzet or Wee Dragonauts

Wee Dragonauts
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Faerie Wizard Rarity: C Number: 137 Power: 1 Toughness: 3 Text: Flying Whenever you play an instant or sorcery spell, Wee Dragonauts gets +2/+0 until end of turn.

. You need more powerful creatures that won't die to the slightest bit of damage and more damage spells or counters. I had 9 creatures and most of the decks I faced had at least 8 spells that could stop most or all of my creatures. This is close to what it should look like.

Creatures:
2x Niv-Mizzet

Enchantments:
4x Seal of Fire

Seal of Fire
	Set: Nemesis Cost: 1 Color: Red Type: Enchantment Rarity: C Number: 98 Artist: Christopher Moeller Text: Sacrifice Seal of Fire: Seal of Fire deals 2 damage to target creature or player.

Spells:
4x Compulsive Research

Compulsive Research
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 3 Color: Blue Type: Sorcery Rarity: C Number: 40 Artist: Michael Sutfin Text: Target player draws three cards. Then that player discards two cards unless he or she discards a land card.

4x Convolute

Convolute
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 3 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 41 Artist: Dany Orizio Text: Counter target spell unless its controller pays 4.

4x Char

Char
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 3 Color: Red Type: Instant Rarity: R Number: 117 Artist: Adam Rex Text: Char deals 4 damage to target creature or player and 2 damage to you.

4x Demonfire

Demonfire
	Set: Dissension Color: Red Rarity: R Number: 60 Artist: Greg Staples

4x Electrolyze

Electrolyze
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 111 Text: Electrolyze deals 2 damage divided as you choose among any number of target creatures and/or players. Draw a card.

4x Repeal

Repeal
	Set: Guildpact Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 32 Text: Return target nonland permanent with converted mana cost X to its owner’s hand. Draw a card.

4x Remand

Remand
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 2 Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 63 Artist: Mark A. Nelson Text: Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, put it into its owner’s hand instead of into that player's graveyard. Draw a card.

4x Spell Snare

Spell Snare
	Set: Dissension Color: Blue Rarity: U Number: 33 Artist: Hideaki Takamura

Lands:
10x Island

Island
	Set: Oversize Cards Color: Land Type: Land Rarity: X Artist: Tony Roberts Text: T: Add U to your mana pool.

8x Mountain

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

4x Steam Vents

Steam Vents
	Set: Guildpact Color: Land Type: Land Sub Type: Island Mountain Rarity: R Number: 164 Text: (T: Add U or R to your mana pool.) As Steam Vents comes into play, you may pay 2 life. If you don’t, Steam Vents comes into play tapped instead.

Sideboard:
4x Gigadrowse

Gigadrowse
	Set: Guildpact Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 26 Text: Replicate U (When you play this spell, copy it for each time you paid its replicate cost. You may choose new targets for the copies.) Tap target permanent.

4x Invoke the Firemind

Invoke the Firemind
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 118 Text: Choose one — Draw X cards; or Invoke the Firemind deals X damage to target creature or player.

4x Giant Solifuge

Giant Solifuge
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Insect Rarity: R Number: 143 Power: 4 Toughness: 1 Text: ((R/G) can be paid with either R or G.) Trample, haste Giant Solifuge can’t be the target of spells or abilities.

3x Parallectic Feedback

Feedback
	Set: Revised Edition Cost: 3 Color: Blue Type: Enchant Enchantment Rarity: U Artist: Quinton Hoover Text: Feedback does 1 damage to controller of target enchantment during its controller's upkeep.

How does this deck do vs. the majority of decks out there? B/W control/ B/W Aggro. The B/W matchups aren't a big problem. You will want to watch out what the opponent plays. Cards like Ghost Council and Angel of Despair

Angel of Despair
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Angel Rarity: R Number: 101 Power: 5 Toughness: 5 Text: Flying When Angel of Despair comes into play, destroy target permanent.

can give us some problems. These are cards we would most likely use something like a Char

Char
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 3 Color: Red Type: Instant Rarity: R Number: 117 Artist: Adam Rex Text: Char deals 4 damage to target creature or player and 2 damage to you.

on. We would save cards like Electrolyze

Electrolyze
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 111 Text: Electrolyze deals 2 damage divided as you choose among any number of target creatures and/or players. Draw a card.

for the smaller creatures and maybe Seal of Fire

Seal of Fire
	Set: Nemesis Cost: 1 Color: Red Type: Enchantment Rarity: C Number: 98 Artist: Christopher Moeller Text: Sacrifice Seal of Fire: Seal of Fire deals 2 damage to target creature or player.

. Demonfire

Demonfire
	Set: Dissension Color: Red Rarity: R Number: 60 Artist: Greg Staples

is for dealing mass damage to the opponent or for removing something like Ghost Council from the game.

Zoo. There are different forms of this deck. There is G/R/W which is the most common, B/R/W, B/G/W, etc. The Most common version runs Watchwolf

Watchwolf
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 2 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Wolf Rarity: U Number: 239 Artist: Kev Walker Power: 3 Toughness: 3

, Burning Tree Shaman

Burning Tree Shaman
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Centaur Shaman Rarity: R Number: 105 Power: 3 Toughness: 4 Text: Whenever a player plays an activated ability that isn’t a mana ability, Burning-Tree Shaman deals 1 damage to that player.

, Dryad Sophisticate

Dryad Sophisticate
	Set: Guildpact Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Dryad Rarity: U Number: 83 Power: 2 Toughness: 1 Text: Nonbasic landwalk

, etc. There are black versions that add Drekavac

Drekavac
	Set: Dissension Color: Black Rarity: U Number: 43 Artist: Carl Critchlow

and Blue versions that add Plaxmanta

Plaxmanta
	Set: Dissension Color: Blue Rarity: U Number: 29 Artist: Alan Pollack

. They also run direct damage agaisnt creatures. Zoo decks are usually hard to deal with unless you have mass removal or lots of damage spells.

One thing we have is Spell Snare

Spell Snare
	Set: Dissension Color: Blue Rarity: U Number: 33 Artist: Hideaki Takamura

which stops most creatures they play since Zoo in block doesn't have access to some of the one drop creatures out there like Kird Ape

Kird Ape
	Set: Revised Edition Cost: 1 Color: Red Type: Creature Sub Type: Ape Rarity: C Artist: Ken Meyer, Jr. Power: 1 Toughness: 1 Text: While controller has forests in play, Kird Ape gains +1/+2.

and Savannah Lions

Savannah Lions
	Set: Revised Edition Cost: 1 Color: White Type: Creature Sub Type: Lions Rarity: R Artist: Daniel Gelon Power: 2 Toughness: 1

. This should only be a difficult matchup if you can't deal damage fast enough to your opponent. This is a matchup where when sideboarding Gigadrowse

Gigadrowse
	Set: Guildpact Color: Blue Type: Instant Rarity: C Number: 26 Text: Replicate U (When you play this spell, copy it for each time you paid its replicate cost. You may choose new targets for the copies.) Tap target permanent.

can be pretty effective.

R/G Beats or Gruul Beats This is deck with many powerful and small creatures such as Burning Tree, Rumbling Slum

Rumbling Slum
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Elemental Rarity: R Number: 126 Power: 5 Toughness: 5 Text: At the beginning of your upkeep, Rumbling Slum deals 1 damage to each player.

, Dryad Sophisticate

Dryad Sophisticate
	Set: Guildpact Color: Green Type: Creature Sub Type: Dryad Rarity: U Number: 83 Power: 2 Toughness: 1 Text: Nonbasic landwalk

, etc. This can be more difficult than Zoo with more powerful creatures out there. This deck doesn't use Lightning Helix

Lightning Helix
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 2 Color: Multicolor Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 213 Artist: Kev Walker Text: Lightning Helix deals 3 damage to target creature or player and you gain 3 life.

, which makes it seem better for us but it can still be a challenge to win.

GhaziGlare/ GhaziChord This is an intermediate matchup. They play cards like Vitu-Ghazi with Glare of Subdual

Glare of Subdual
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 4 Color: Multicolor Type: Enchantment Rarity: R Number: 207 Artist: Zoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai Text: Tap an untapped creature you control: Tap target artifact or creature.

and green or white guildmage. This is not too hard but with green guildmage and Glare of Subdual

Glare of Subdual
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 4 Color: Multicolor Type: Enchantment Rarity: R Number: 207 Artist: Zoltan Boros & Gabor Szikszai Text: Tap an untapped creature you control: Tap target artifact or creature.

they can tap any creature. The trick here is with the new build since we don't have many creatures we don't have much problems with that. The the tokens generated for the guildmage can give us problems except for the fact that we have direct damage to deal with that.

U/R/W Control/ R/W Control There aren't many control decks in this block. These are 2 you will see a fair amount of the time. R/W uses Firemane Angel

Firemane Angel
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 6 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Angel Rarity: R Number: 205 Artist: Matt Cavotta Power: 4 Toughness: 3 Text: Flying, first strike At the beginning of your upkeep, if Firemane Angel is in your graveyard or in play, you may gain 1 life. 6RRWW: Return Firemane Angel from your graveyard to play. Play this ability only during your upkeep.

usually with Searing Meditation

Searing Meditation
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 3 Color: Multicolor Type: Enchantment Rarity: R Number: 226 Artist: Dave Dorman Text: Whenever you gain life, you may pay 2. If you do, Searing Meditation deals 2 damage to target creature or player.

, Faith Fetter's or Condemn

Condemn
	Set: Dissension Cost: 1 Color: White Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 8 Artist: Daren Bader Text: Put target attacking creature on the bottom of its owner's library. Its controller gains life equal to its toughness.

, Lightning Helix

Lightning Helix
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 2 Color: Multicolor Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 213 Artist: Kev Walker Text: Lightning Helix deals 3 damage to target creature or player and you gain 3 life.

, and Char

Char
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 3 Color: Red Type: Instant Rarity: R Number: 117 Artist: Adam Rex Text: Char deals 4 damage to target creature or player and 2 damage to you.

. This is difficult since they play Firemane Angel

Firemane Angel
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 6 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Angel Rarity: R Number: 205 Artist: Matt Cavotta Power: 4 Toughness: 3 Text: Flying, first strike At the beginning of your upkeep, if Firemane Angel is in your graveyard or in play, you may gain 1 life. 6RRWW: Return Firemane Angel from your graveyard to play. Play this ability only during your upkeep.

. This is why we play Demonfire

Demonfire
	Set: Dissension Color: Red Rarity: R Number: 60 Artist: Greg Staples

in the main deck over Invoke the Firemind

Invoke the Firemind
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Sorcery Rarity: R Number: 118 Text: Choose one — Draw X cards; or Invoke the Firemind deals X damage to target creature or player.

. Demonfire

Demonfire
	Set: Dissension Color: Red Rarity: R Number: 60 Artist: Greg Staples

is good not because it is cheaper but because if it kills the creature, it removes it from the game. Even Firemane Angel

Firemane Angel
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 6 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Angel Rarity: R Number: 205 Artist: Matt Cavotta Power: 4 Toughness: 3 Text: Flying, first strike At the beginning of your upkeep, if Firemane Angel is in your graveyard or in play, you may gain 1 life. 6RRWW: Return Firemane Angel from your graveyard to play. Play this ability only during your upkeep.

in the graveyard makes it hard for us to kill the opponent since they can use the Searing Meditation

Searing Meditation
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 3 Color: Multicolor Type: Enchantment Rarity: R Number: 226 Artist: Dave Dorman Text: Whenever you gain life, you may pay 2. If you do, Searing Meditation deals 2 damage to target creature or player.

ability each turn.

Now U/R/W is the superior version of our deck and R/W. Running both Firemane Angel

Firemane Angel
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 6 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Angel Rarity: R Number: 205 Artist: Matt Cavotta Power: 4 Toughness: 3 Text: Flying, first strike At the beginning of your upkeep, if Firemane Angel is in your graveyard or in play, you may gain 1 life. 6RRWW: Return Firemane Angel from your graveyard to play. Play this ability only during your upkeep.

and Niv-Mizzet, it has Electrolyze

Electrolyze
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Instant Rarity: U Number: 111 Text: Electrolyze deals 2 damage divided as you choose among any number of target creatures and/or players. Draw a card.

and Spell Snare

Spell Snare
	Set: Dissension Color: Blue Rarity: U Number: 33 Artist: Hideaki Takamura

at its disposal. This deck should give us some problems with Firemane Angel

Firemane Angel
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 6 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Angel Rarity: R Number: 205 Artist: Matt Cavotta Power: 4 Toughness: 3 Text: Flying, first strike At the beginning of your upkeep, if Firemane Angel is in your graveyard or in play, you may gain 1 life. 6RRWW: Return Firemane Angel from your graveyard to play. Play this ability only during your upkeep.

and Niv-Mizzet, but we can deal with it. This is a matchup where Giant Solifuge

Giant Solifuge
	Set: Guildpact Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Insect Rarity: R Number: 143 Power: 4 Toughness: 1 Text: ((R/G) can be paid with either R or G.) Trample, haste Giant Solifuge can’t be the target of spells or abilities.

works against all the damage spells the opponent has.

R/B/U Searing Meditation

Searing Meditation
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 3 Color: Multicolor Type: Enchantment Rarity: R Number: 226 Artist: Dave Dorman Text: Whenever you gain life, you may pay 2. If you do, Searing Meditation deals 2 damage to target creature or player.

This is just like the R/W control deck with Firemane Angel

Firemane Angel
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 6 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Angel Rarity: R Number: 205 Artist: Matt Cavotta Power: 4 Toughness: 3 Text: Flying, first strike At the beginning of your upkeep, if Firemane Angel is in your graveyard or in play, you may gain 1 life. 6RRWW: Return Firemane Angel from your graveyard to play. Play this ability only during your upkeep.

. Searing Meditation

Searing Meditation
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 3 Color: Multicolor Type: Enchantment Rarity: R Number: 226 Artist: Dave Dorman Text: Whenever you gain life, you may pay 2. If you do, Searing Meditation deals 2 damage to target creature or player.

is basis of the deck so if we can stop Firemane Angel

Firemane Angel
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 6 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Angel Rarity: R Number: 205 Artist: Matt Cavotta Power: 4 Toughness: 3 Text: Flying, first strike At the beginning of your upkeep, if Firemane Angel is in your graveyard or in play, you may gain 1 life. 6RRWW: Return Firemane Angel from your graveyard to play. Play this ability only during your upkeep.

we will have an easier time killing the opponent. With Lighting Helix, Char

Char
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 3 Color: Red Type: Instant Rarity: R Number: 117 Artist: Adam Rex Text: Char deals 4 damage to target creature or player and 2 damage to you.

, and Seal of Fire

Seal of Fire
	Set: Nemesis Cost: 1 Color: Red Type: Enchantment Rarity: C Number: 98 Artist: Christopher Moeller Text: Sacrifice Seal of Fire: Seal of Fire deals 2 damage to target creature or player.

, there still is plenty of direct damage that we will have to worry about.

B/R Control. This runs cards such as Lyzolda the Blood Witch, Rakdos Guildmage

Rakdos Guildmage
	Set: Dissension Color: Multicolor Rarity: U Number: 145 Artist: Jeremy Jarvis

, Avatar of Discord

Avatar of Discord
	Set: Dissension Cost: 11 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Avatar Rarity: R Number: 140 Artist: rk post Power: 5 Toughness: 3 Text: ((B/R) can be paid with either B or R.) Flying When Avatar of Discord comes into play, sacrifice it unless you discard two cards.

, Gobhobbler Rats

Gobhobbler Rats
	Set: Dissension Color: Multicolor Rarity: C Number: 111 Artist: Michael Sutfin

, etc. There are cards like Wrecking Ball

Wrecking Ball
	Set: Dissension Color: Multicolor Rarity: C Number: 139 Artist: Ron Spears

for removal. This deck can have plenty of removal but if played with cards like Hellhole Rats

Hellhole Rats
	Set: Dissension Color: Multicolor Rarity: U Number: 113 Artist: Kev Walker

, it can be slow. This is a matchup that can easily be won. Lyzolda can easily die to direct damage and Avatar of Discord

Avatar of Discord
	Set: Dissension Cost: 11 Color: Multicolor Type: Creature Sub Type: Avatar Rarity: R Number: 140 Artist: rk post Power: 5 Toughness: 3 Text: ((B/R) can be paid with either B or R.) Flying When Avatar of Discord comes into play, sacrifice it unless you discard two cards.

is only a 5/3 so he can die to Char

Char
	Set: Ravnica City of Guilds Cost: 3 Color: Red Type: Instant Rarity: R Number: 117 Artist: Adam Rex Text: Char deals 4 damage to target creature or player and 2 damage to you.

. You can get rid of any of their threats and use Demonfire

Demonfire
	Set: Dissension Color: Red Rarity: R Number: 60 Artist: Greg Staples

to kill them.

I learned from what happened and showed you how to make a U/R deck better. I made a better version for you which could be really good. There might not be any block tournaments to play in where you live, but this can still be fun to play with.

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