Magic: The Gathering Deck Types: Graveborn

Magic: The Gathering, more commonly known as simply Magic, is the first collectible trading card game.  It was released by Wizards of the Coast in 1993.  A player can create his own deck using cards he obtains through booster packs, etc.  He is then able to play against other players, who will have a deck of their own.  This is what makes a trading card game so interesting.  It allows for each player to customize their own deck to suit their play style or utilize the cards they have in the best possible way.

In a game, each player has a deck of at least 60 cards.  There can be more than 60 in a deck but 60 is recommended as it helps you to draw your best cards.  One cool thing about Magic cards is that they are made to work together, unlike Yu-gi-oh, which focuses on the power of individual cards.  Each cards requires mana to cast, which is obtained mainly from land cards.  Each land card has a specific color, which can only be used to summon certain cards.  This means that you will need to fill your deck with cards that can use that color.  This is a direct cause of themed decks, which are much more interesting than packing a deck with as much power as you can manage.

A powerful deck type, well known for being used by multiple international tournament winners, the Graveborn deck is well focused.  It attempts to get massive creatures into the graveyard and then bring them back to life well before the enemy has a way to counter them.  This deck usually only runs black mana as well as giant creatures whose color doesn’t matter.

In a Graveborn deck, cards that discard your own cards and cards like entomb and buried alive that allow you to search your deck and discard cards are essential.  These cards will get your creatures into the graveyard, from where you can actually bring them onto the field.  Then you just need cards like animate dead, reanimate, and dread return to put those monsters onto the field.

I have played with a Graveborn deck.  I played Putrid Imp on my first turn.  Then on my second turn I used its ability to discard Verdant Force (a 7/7 green creature that puts a 1/1 saproling creature onto the field every turn).  Then after my combat phase I used animate dead to bring Verdant Force back onto the field.  I was able to get a 7/7 creature with a powerful ability onto the field on turn two.  Most decks can’t handle that kind of firepower.

The problem with a Graveborn deck is that it all depends on getting those giant creatures onto the field.  If you are unable to do that, then the opponent will probably destroy you.  You need to have creatures that can hold off the enemy creatures until you can get your giant ones out.  Creatures with regenerate are useful, as well as things that make the opponent discard cards.  For example, Shimian Specter can get rid of some of the opponents best cards before they can use them against you.  If you can get creatures like Verdant Force, Blazing Archon, Crosis the Purger, and Sphinx of the Steel Wind out, then the opponent will have a really tough time beating you.

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