thedixman2000

Deckbuilding By Dix - Color Coordination - White

One of the problems that I've found frequently plagues beginning and even intermediate deckbuilders is an incomplete understanding of the roles played by each color in Magic: the Gathering. Not understanding the strengths, weaknesses, and capabilities of each color can result in a deck built on an extremely shaky foundation. So, this entry begins a five part series explaining each of the colors, at least as I understand them. Each color will also be accompanied by a mono-colored deck to illustrate the concepts I'm trying to talk about. As always, these decks are teaching decks, not necessarily decks that I have played, or even would play. At any rate, they are certainly not tournament quality, so play them with caution.

White
White is best known for its small creatures, and rightfully so. White tends to have better small creatures than other colors, and tends to give you the most value for creatures in the 1-2 mana range. White is also the most defensive color, exemplified by its vigilance ability, which allows creatures to attack without exposing the player to a counterstrike. Another trait that manages to play into the defensive mindset is White's many lifegain cards, which make white one of the harder colors to kill. White's defensive nature also comes through in a number of cards that make it difficult for opponents to attack you, such as Ghostly Prison, Island Sanctuary, and the hated Aurification. White further punishes attackers with such cards as Chastise, Hail of Arrows, or Second Thoughts. Finally, White is the color of equality, with cards aimed at making all players equal. Among these cards are Limited Resources, Arbiter of Knollridge, and the infamous Wrath of God White has no problems dispatching both artifacts and enchantments, as evidenced by Disenchant However, White's tendency to go small can work against it in a long game, when larger creatures can leave White feeling inadequate. Also, White has few means of dealing with problem creatures, if the creatures are not attacking.

Example White deck:
20 Plains
__
4 Crossbow Infantry
4 Shield Dancer
4 Soul Warden
4 Veteran Cavalier
4 Mystic Penitent
__
4 Second Thoughts
4 Disenchant
4 Divine Light
3 Knighthood
3 Gerrard's Battle Cry
2 Wrath of God

The problem with most creature-based white decks, which generally fall into a category called "White Weenie", is that they run out of gas in long or multiplayer games. This deck attempts to solve that problem by forcing opponents into a war of attrition. Your Soul Wardens will help keep you alive, but they will also paint a gigantic target on your head, especially in larger multiplayer games, so you shouldn't put them down unless you are reasonably sure you can protect them. Now that you've invited an attack, you make anyone who does so pay for it with Crossbow Infantry, Second Thoughts, and possibly Shield Dancer. Knighthood will allow you to gangblock larger units effectively, and Gerrard's Battle Cry will help with both attacking and defending. When you attack, try to do so with creatures who have vigilance, and shield them with Divine Light. Finally, try to keep a few creatures in hand, and if you're getting overpowered, reset the board with a Wrath of God. Hopefully, your opponents will have used up their muscle trying to gain an advantage over you, and you can rebuild faster than they can.

Join me next time as we explore the complicated nature of Blue.

1. Comment by x8xid, Dec 23 2008, 05:50 PM

   Well put together. I get what you mean by use carefully. This DOES illistarte the point your making though. Can't wait to see your take on Black. Some minor play strategy would be cool though...

2. Add new comment:

   Post Comment