The Blue/Black "Creatures from Hell" deck

Last updated July 21, 1997

This deck was designed when we first started learning to play M:TG. It has only undergone minor updates, with a few new Mirage/Visions Cards. It has withstood the test of time, and I have YET to build a creature-oriented deck that can kick this one's butt (without resorting to pre-4th edition cards).

15 Swamp                 2 Flight                   1 Prodigal Sorcerer
13 Island                1 Flash Counter            1 Scathe Zombies
 1 Anti-Magic Aura       1 Flying Men               3 Sengir Vampire
 1 Azimaet Drake         1 Gaseous Form             1 Soul Kiss
 1 Brainstorm            1 Giant Tortoise           1 Stone-Throwing Devils
 1 Cadaverous Knight     1 Grave Servitude          1 Unholy Strength
 1 Clairvoyance          1 Hoar Shade               1 Vampire Bats
 1 Control Magic         1 Howl from Beyond         1 Vaporous Djinn
 1 Counterspell          2 Hypnotic Specter         1 Venarian Gold
 2 Darkness              1 Illusionary Forces       2 Wall of Corpses
 2 Drain Life            1 Krovikan Sorcerer        1 Weakness
 1 Dread Wight           1 Moor Fiend               1 Zephyr Falcon
 1 Drowned               1 Order of the Ebon Hand   1 Zuran Spellcaster
 2 Drudge Skeletons      1 Oubliette
 1 Fishliver Oil         1 Phantasmal Terrain

Strategy

This deck seems to work by the principle of "keep 'em guessing". There are so many types of little creatures, that you keep busy, and the Vampires almost always do me in. The numerous enchantments allow for an on-the-fly customization of the creatures. Finally, so many things fly that it's hard to defend against using a creature-based deck. Try building a creature-oriented deck, NOT specifically designed to decimate this deck, and see how you do.