Deck Name: Michael Jackson, Deck Colors: Black and White, Format: Legacy. Version: 2.

Artifact Creature

1 Molten-Tail Masticore

Artifact Equipment

1 Gorgon Flail

Creature: 6

1 Drainpipe Vermin

1 Indomitable Archangel

1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence

1 Mirran Crusader

2 Transcendent Master

Enchantment: 9

4 Contaminated Ground

2 Journey to Nowhere

1 Pacifism

1 Painful Quandary

1 Spirit Mantle

Instant: 6

1 Doom Blade

3 Go for the Throat

1 Ultimate Price

1 Unmake

Planeswalker:

1 Elspeth, Knight-Errant

1 Elspeth Tirel

1 Gideon Jura

Sorcery: 11

1 Day of Judgment

1 Gather the Townsfolk

3 Mind Rot

1 Psychic Miasma

2 Raven’s Crime

3 Revoke Existence

LAND: 23

3 Evolving Wilds:

8 Plains

9 Swamp

3 Terramorphic Expanse

Deck Name: Michael Jackson, Deck Colors: Black and White, Format: Legacy, Version 1.0

Artifact Creature

Molten-Tail Masticore

Artifact Equipment

Gorgon Flail

Creature

3 Drainpipe Vermin

Golden Glow Moth

Linvala, Keeper of Silence

2 Transcendent Master

Enchantment

4 Contaminated Ground

2 Journey to Nowhere

Pacifism

Painful Quandary

Personal Sanctuary

Revoke Existence

Spirit Mantle

Instant

1 Doom Blade

2 Go for the Throat

Leave No Trace

Ultimate Price

Unmake

Planeswalker

Elspeth, Knight-Errant

Gideon Jura

Sorcery

Day of Judgment

2 Disentomb

3 Mind Rot

3 Raven’s Crime

LAND

Crypt of Agadeem

Evolving Wilds:  3

Plains:  8

Swamps:  8

Terramorphic Expanse:  3

Sideboard

Bladed Pinions

2 Darksteel Myr

2 Goldenglow Moth

Loyal Sentry

Luminous Wake

Ornithopter

Raven’s Crime

1 Revoke Existence

4 Star Compass

1 Demystify

Percentages (Exclusive of Sideboard):

Percentage Creatures:  8 / 60 = 12%

Percentage Enchantment and Equipment:  ( 11 + 1 ) /60 = 20%

Percentage Instants and Sorceries:  ( 10 + 5 ) / 60 = 27%

Percentage Land:  23 / 60 = 38%

Deck Name: X-tras. Colors: Green and Red. Format: Pauper. Version 1.0

Creatures:

2 Argothian Swine

2 Centaur Courser

4 Dwarven Berserker

4 Kiln Fiend

2 War Mammoth

1 Wickerbough Elder

2 Wild Elephant

Instants:

4 Brute Force

4 Giant Growth

2 Groundswell

1 Incinerate

2 Kindled Fury

3 Lightning Bolt

2 Naturalize

1 Plummet

Sorceries:

4 Assault Strobe

Lands:

2 Evolving Wilds

2 Terramorphic Expanse

8 Forests

8 Mountains

***Deadly Recluse – If You Play This Card Well Chances Are Your Opponent Sacrifices Big

One thing I like about this card is that it has reach. It gets rid of that fly over bull, while it can also stop something on the ground if necessary. It only costs 2 mana, so it won’t break your mana piggy bank.

**** Joraga Treespeaker – If I Pull This Card With 2 Other Mana I Keep

Some cards, such as Llanowar Elves, Arbor Elf, and Fyndhorn Elves if you pull just one mana, then you can keep, but this one only costs one mana, but just to be safe, mulligan it if you don’t have two other mana. However, if you do have 2 mana, Joraga Treespeaker is an awesome way to get your game on early. The advantage to this card is precisely that it can be put at level 1, where it taps for 2 mana, on your second turn. That is nothing to sneeze about. Because by turn 3 you will have 4 or more mana, and that is the way green gets ahead, through mana growth, such that you will destroy your opponent before he or she even gets to make a move.

**** Cultivate – Cultivate Is Essentially Kodama’s Reach and Vise Versa

A good formula that you may consider as far as mana acceleration is concerned is that paying 3 mana should at least give acceleration equal to two mana. Thus, this card makes the mark, and there are a few others like Kodama’s Reach, Fyndhorn Elder, and Joraga Treespeaker that all do the trick. Thus, I would rate all these cards highly. One added advantage to this card is that you can get a double landfall, which works excellent with Baloth Woodcrusher. Thus, in my opinion there are better choices than cards such as Quirion Elves, Wirewood Elf, and Leaf Guilder, all of which cost 2 mana for a return of 1 mana as an activated ability. If it is mana you want, go with Joraga Treespeaker, Fyndhorn Elves, Llanowar Elves, this card, or Fyndhorn Elder, etc.

**** Ambush Viper – Your Opponent Won’t Expect Flash Destruction If You Are Playing Mono-Green

And, with one strike of the Viper, suddenly your opponent will be cut down to size. That is because Ambush Viper has flash and deathtouch, not to mention that this Viper only costs 2 mana to play. That is a bargain mana cost. Though I have to admit, if someone is attacking with trample, deathtouch isn’t much use. However, I’d take that bet and guess that Ambush Viper if properly played will unwittingly poison the blood of one of your opponents larger creatures.

**** Arbor Elf – Another Fairly Innocuous Card That Can Be Turned Into a Slammer

With my Sylvan Ranger review, I suggested playing it with Gigantiform. This would be another card that words well with Gigantiform. I’ll also state that you may think of using this one with Gigantomancer, but chances are you won’t get Gigantomancer out, or even if you do it is just a 1/1 and is easily dealt with. Green is the mana acceleration color. Pay 1 for 1 acceleration with this card. It is a very good deal.

*** Magic: the Gathering - Titanic Growth - Magic 2012

There Once Was A Time Where I Was Very Attracted To This Card., This card just isn't a winner. Giant Growth is one to consider that is much better. With Giant Growth, you pay 1G and get +3/+3. Consider Giant Growth for an Infect deck, but with Titanic Growth for an entire extra mana, you don't get much more out of it. That makes this card one that does not deserve much attention.

** Huge and Okay: Magic: the Gathering - Engulfing Slagwurm - Scars of Mirrodin

Huge and Okay., January 19, 2013 In my opinion, most huge cards aren't idyllic. There are better cards to consider than this one if you are considering a combo play with Elvish Piper. If you are looking for a card that can destroy, then I think playing one that costs few or 1 mana and has deathtouch is an ideal replacement for this one.

1st Legacy Deck Version 1.1 – Win In 3 to 5 Turns

This blog is out of date.  Here are the updates from newest to oldest:
http://craig-hamilton-mtg.blogspot.com/2013/05/1st-legacy-deck-infectpoison-version-50.html
http://craig-hamilton-mtg.blogspot.com/2013/02/a-fairly-casual-poison-legacy-deck-30.html
http://craig-hamilton-mtg.blogspot.com/2012/10/improved-poison-legacy-deck-black-blue.html
http://craig-hamilton-mtg.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-fairly-casual-poison-legacy-deck-that.html


Land: 24

4 Forest

2 Island

2 Swamp

4 Evolving Wilds (Sacrifice and search for a basic land)

4 Terramorphic Expanse (Sacrifice and search for a basic land)

2 Gilt-Leaf Palace (Black and Green)

Seaside Citadel (Green, Blue and White)

Salt Marsh (Blue and black)

2 Jwar Isle Refuge (Blue and black)

1 Arcane Sanctum (Blue and black {white})

1 Dark Slick Shores (Blue and black)

Instants and Sorcery: 22*

4 Mutagenic Growth

3 Groundswell

2 Titanic Growth

1 Monstrous Growth

3 Giant Growth

1 Might of Oaks

4 Distortion Strike

4 Commune With Nature

*The essential goal is to boost creatures

Artifacts: 1

Strider Harness

Enchantments

2 Tricks of the Trade

Creatures: 12**

4 Plague Stingers

4 Blighted Agent

1 Hand of Praetors

1 Corpse Cur

1 Putrefax

1 Blight Mamba

**Because of “Commune With Nature,” it is as if this deck has 16 or more creatures though it actually only has 12.

This blog is out of date. 

Green and White Pauper Deck Updated: Adding More Offensive Punch

The first green and white pauper deck  lack some offensive punch.  This deck reflects my effort to chance this short coming of the previous Green and White Pauper deck.  The primary changes were to include creatures that cost more mana, and that could do more damage to an opponent, especially those with trample.

Instants and Sorceries

Vines of Vastwood                          4

Untamed Might                                                2

Titanic Growth                                  4

Monstrous Growth                         2

Double Cleave                                   2

Raise the Alarm                                                1

Enchantments

Journey to Nowhere                      2

Arrest                                                   3

Pacifism                                               3

Creatures

Moss Kami                                          2

Lone Wolf                                           1

Elvish Visionary                                 1

Craw Wurm                                        1

Thundering Tanadon                      2

Bull Aurochs                                       2

Vault Skirge                                        1

Stampeding Rhino                           1

Rotted Hystrix                                   1

Alpha Tyrranax                                  1

Lands

4 Kabira Crossroads                         4

Sejiri Steppe                                      1

Forest                                                   12

Plains                                                    7

*** Prey’s Vengeance – One of the First I Ever Owned, and Possibly Capable as a Winner Using Poison

Prey’s Vengeance predates the idea of dealing damage via poison counters, and at the time it came out is was not a very useful card.  Likewise, all the reviews of cards I write are dated, of course.  That is all MTG cards are usually to a certain extent, as MTG can seemingly resurrect any card it wants and make it an awesome card, especially as later sets come out, which of course is subject to the idea that Magic the Gathering will always continue to put out newer cards.  Paying 1 mana to deal 4 damage is a pretty good deal.  If you are using poison, then it is a fairly awesome deal.  The problem with this card is that it deal the damage over 2 turns, and if you are using poison, you should be thinking of winning during turn 3, where Prey’s Vengeance may be consider of falling short of that, as it will most likely require at least 4 turns to win if you are playing poison.
Using the formula I discussed in my review of Contagious Nim, if you are playing poison then it is possible to consider that Prey’s Vengeance is a card where it is as giving +4/+4 for 1 mana over the course of 2 turns, a total of +8/+8.  That’s really good, but if you are not playing poison, then currently this is not a great card.  It would have been awesome if it were a common, and thus could be played in the Pauper format.  However, it is an uncommon, and to my knowledge MTG has yet to create a format that focuses on the use of uncommon cards.  However, this card is likely to become more useful if a format evolved to focus around playing uncommon cards, but in my opinion there is already enough formats though I might consider making a deck for another type of formats than the ones that currently exists. 

6th Pauper Deck – 3rd Green and White Pauper Deck Updated

Creatures

Bull Aurochs                                     2

Lone Wolf                                        1

Elvish Visionary                                2

Vault Skirge                                     3

Nip Gwyllion                                    2

Slippery Bogle                                  2

Defiant Elf                                         1

Pygmy Razorback                             1

Lone Missionary                               1

Sorceries

Revoke Existence                             2

Instants

Raise the Alarm                                1

Vines of Vastwood                           4

Titanic Growth                                  4

Double Cleave                                  2

Untamed Might                                 2

Enchantments

Pacifism                                            3

Journey to Nowhere                         2

Arrest                                               3

Lands

Kabira Crossroads                            4

Sejiri Steppe                                      1

Forest                                                13

Plains                                                 8

5th Pauper Deck - 4th Pauper Deck: Blue and Green Updated

Green Creatures

1 Defiant Elf

1 Lone Wolf

3 Deadly Recluse

2 Ambush Viper

1 Bull Aurochs

Blue Creatures

2 Zephyr Sprite

4 Metathran Soldier

4 Aven Envoy

1 Sage Owl

Green Instants/Sorceries

4 Titanic Growth

4 Vines of Vastwood

2 Untamed Might

Blue Instants/Sorceries/Enchantments

1 Turn Aside

2 Disperse

1 Distortion Strike

3 Narcolepsy

Land

12 Forests

10 Islands

2 Halimar Depths

On the Expense of Printing MTG, Especially With Respect to the Colors Red and Black

Strangely, MTG chose red to be the color of mythic rare card’s instead of black.  As far as I know, black ink is more expensive than red ink.  Of course, it still may cost more to produce a mythic rare due to the cost of the artwork placed on the card.  That is, though quality of art is subjective, it may cost MTG more to purchase the artwork that the company uses in the production of cards that are of mythic rarity.  Thus, it is such that the cards of the color red, are generally the cheapest for a company to produce, and as such if you are playing red as a color, as I am writing this, most red cards have increased pervasiveness of red, and thus on the whole are most likely to be the least expensive to make although this idea may be compensated for due to the amount MTG pays for art on the cards themselves.  Thus, due to the unknown cost of purchasing the original piece of artwork, if is a painting, then it is really impossible to ascertain how much any card costs to print.  For example, MTG might have a certain amount of allotted money for cards according to rarity or some other factor, such that there are other variables that may be considered.  For instance, a card that is red may cost more to produce because those in charge of the red color are less able to be efficient with their money.  As I recall reading, each color has its primary person in charge of it, and each of these people are not equal and thus it is as such that a red card may cost more to produce that an black card depending on the efficiency of those that produce red cards as opposed to producing black cards.  However, the intent of this blog is to state that as a general rule, the color black is generally more expensive to produce than red, although this difference in cost may not be significant for the production of any particular card, it is likely that these production costs add up over the production of multiple series, such that they become very significant.  For example, just considering the ink of a card, these difference are almost certainly only fractions of a penny in difference, but even fractions of a penny add up.

My actual hypothesized reason that red is chosen as the color to represent mythic rarity is that in the Christian Bible, the words of Jesus are commonly in red print.

Review of Aboroth **

Just another big creature.
The secret with creatures like Aboroth is that you have to give them something in order for them to be good.  For example, if you can give Aboroth flying, or trample, or make it unblockable, then you may have some success with this card.  However, that this card slowly withers away is to its detriment.  As a high mana cost card, you can’t count on it to still be powerful on the battlefield in a longer, and hard fought game of commander.   There is also another problem.  Aboroth can be blocked by a 1/1.  Sure the 1/1 dies, but several cards would generate a token every turn that could block Aboroth until it was no longer a factor.  Thus, this card is essentially worthless unless you can beef it up in some way.

Review of Skyshroud Ranger ***

Excellent if you want mana coming out of your ears!
Some decks simply require a lot of mana. If you are playing a deck with 50+ mana in it this is a great mana accelerator. Consider that you have 8 cards on your first turn, and it is likely that 50% of them are going to be mana cards. Playing Skyshroud Ranger enable you to really get things going by allowing you to play an extra mana on your turn. What’s more some cards enable you to search for 2 or more mana, but only one of them can be played on your turn without this card’s ability. By your fourth turn, it is likely that you will have 6 mana, but without a card like Skyshroud Ranger you will only have been able to play 4 of them, while if you do have this card, you can really get the action going fast with high cost mana cards by having played 6+ mana, especially if you have a card like Cultivate in your deck.

Review of Elvish Visionary **

Has Certain Special Uses

I like this card for my Momir Vig deck.  Momir Vig isn’t that great of a commander in my opinion.  Momir Vig enables for one to search for a card if he or she plays a green creature, and take a creature card to their hand if a blue creature is played.  Elvish Visionary capitalizes on Momir Vig.  The green ability of Momir enables the search ability.  However, that ability usually isn’t much help as it telegraphs to your opponent what is coming next, so he can plot his strategy accordingly.  The green ability of Momir Vig means that one is not able to take the card to their hand by itself on that turn, usually, but Elvish Visionary throws in a curve by enabling you to take the card that you have just searched for to your hand.  And, since Elvish Visionary doesn’t cost a whole lot of mana, you might even be able to play that card that you searched for on the same turn, especially since a Momir Vig deck works well with elves.  Suddenly, Momir’s mediocre ability becomes actually quite cool with a card like Elvish Visionary.

Review of Baloth Woodcrusher : *** Not a Card Worth Building a Deck Around, But Still Good

This card work s really well in several situations.  Because its ability only goes off when there is a land fall, if you have this card in your deck you will probably want to have 45-50 mana cards in your deck.   That is, by the sixth turn, you will probably not have any man in your hand  if you play a mana every turn.  By having 50 mana in your deck, there is a 50% chance of making Baloth Woodcrusher’s landfall ability go off.   If you only have like 33 lands, the chances that you will draw a land card is only one in three, such that it probably wouldn’t be useful to have this card if its ability goes off once every third turn.  This makes playing this card difficult.  However, when it’s ability does goes off, an 8/8 with trample is nothing to sneeze at.

Another  way that this card works well is if you have cards that make you put land into play.  For example, cards Primeval Titan, and/or Khalni Heart Expedition would help you play an additional 2 lands on your turn.  Just think, if you played three lands on a turn Baloth Woodcrusher becomes a 16/16 with trample.

Baloth Woodcrusher  especially works well if you have a lot of landfall cards in your deck.  For example, if you have Rampaging  Baloths in play, the land fall would cause Rampaging Baloths to make a 4/4 token, and Baloth Woodcrusher gains +4/+4  and trample.  Thus, one smart way to approach building a deck is to make it so that it has a scenario where playing a basic land causes several abilities to go off.