Magic: The Gathering Arena – Newcomers Guide to Build a Deck

How to Build a Deck

All credit goes to (HdF) Almut Grete!

If you are new you will and have not played a lot you prolly will only have cards from the newer sets and only some (like 1-2 not 4 of one card) on top of the starter decks.

Build on that

If you did the color challenges and 2-color-deck unlock event for all 4 +10 starter decks, you will know what kind of deck you like.

Make a copy of it, filter your collection for standard play, the colors you use and none-colored then have a look what you think is a good card fitting to replace some other.

You definitly need a “plan” what kind of deck you want (aggro, control, mixed) and it will work better if you use card aspects like “disturb”, “milling”, “domain”, etc. so a theme to all the cards. This is introduced in the starter decks pretty well. If you go to event>draft>premier draft you can see the 2-color formats the set has to offer with 1-2 senteces about how the decks play (no need to play draft).

You will also need a plan about when to win with it. Your deck can either dominate early game or mid or late, prolly not multiple of these. No use haveing 2-4 7+ mana cards in a deck that is heavy on 2-3 mana or vis versa.

Also:

• 23-24 lands should be in there.
• You want your cards in the 0-4 mana cost area, maybe 6-7 over that.
• You want 3-4 of the cards you are useing in the deck, not a bundle of 1 here, 2 there, less different cards is better.
• Aggro decks are easier to build -> slap at least 24 creatures in there.
• Pick removals over crads without.
• Spam tokens is a good and easy thing.
• A creature with a mana cost of 2 should have 2/2 power and thoughness, if not is it worth it?
• Redraw or multiple draws are noob friendly.
• Cards with “play from graveyard” or “disturb” are also noob friendly.

Some of these tips will be incorrect for some decks. You can ram mana and play a higher cards value area for example.