Big Deck - Auto-Includes

What cards are absolutely essential in every big deck regardless of strategy?

So far I've got:

All Sun's Dawn
Eternal Witness
Sensei's Divining Top
Maze of Ith

Where do these fall:

Conflux
Balance
Tutors

i'd agree with that list.... even though i don't have a Top in mine.

Conflux is just like All Sun's Dawn really... so i'd say it's in.

Balance isn't necessary, but it sure is powerful!

how many tutors you run is up to you really. i don't run too many.

In an aggro deck like John W's, Conflux might not make the cut.

Not everyone builds for 5 colors, keep that in mind.

I "cheated" with my big deck and just run 3 colors with either cycling cards or hybrid colors counting as the minimum of the other 2 colors. for this reason i run fewer 4 or 5 color spells since my lands are focused on my 3 main colors.

ok, i want to switch gears and look at this from a different angle.

as i'm in the midst of creating two new big decks... what KINDS of cards (off-theme) are necessary?

i'm thinking manafacts, removal, disruption, that kind of thing.

MidniteEffort wrote:ok, i want to switch gears and look at this from a different angle.

as i'm in the midst of creating two new big decks... what KINDS of cards (off-theme) are necessary?

i'm thinking manafacts, removal, disruption, that kind of thing.

tutors
board wipers

oh duh! Mind's Eye!

intrinsic wrote:Not everyone builds for 5 colors, keep that in mind.

I "cheated" with my big deck and just run 3 colors with either cycling cards or hybrid colors counting as the minimum of the other 2 colors. for this reason i run fewer 4 or 5 color spells since my lands are focused on my 3 main colors.

All Suns' Dawn is still good for your deck! you can get back 3 business spells and 2 cyclers/hybrids.

you're right though, Conflux isn't.

As far as reset cards go, are Upheaval and Worldpurge any good?

I will see if I can get them if they are, they seem like a big 'F you!' to everyone which can really turn the tides in the game (Upheaval is probably better IMHO). I am also thinking about grabbing Quicken which makes Upheaval even better, but that's not important right now.

So are 'World Bounce' cards like Upheaval, Rebuild, Sunder, or Wash Out any good in Big Deck? (I'd assume mass bouncing at the end of someones turn before they discard would be annoying in format though. And Sunder before someones turn probably doesn't makes you popular at the table.)

~Zuty

don't forget about fun...

MidniteEffort wrote:don't forget about fun...

So is that a yes or a no to picking up these cards xD
Gonna see if AU has any of these cards on Thursday.

~Zuty

Zuty wrote:So is that a yes or a no to picking up these cards xD
Gonna see if AU has any of these cards on Thursday.

that's a 'no' from me. bouncing lands just restarts the game. might as well just shuffle up and start over at that point.

Oh, how many games do I wish we could just shuffle up and start over...

I'll at least be picking up Rebuild this Thursday, if I can get Sunder cheap I am sure I will grab that tho xD
Anyone need anything or have any suggestions for something to pick up? Looking for weird and different.

@ Dan - I have a Molting Harpy if you still need one.

~Zuty

Thanks Zuty, but I picked one up myself. I owe you a nickel.

Slyphidine wrote:Thanks Zuty, but I picked one up myself. I owe you a nickel.

75 cents, but I'll keep it anyway. Maybe make some kind of deck that uses it xD

~Zuty

i'm starting to load up my new Big Decks with BD staples... i think these should be added to the list due to their strength/versatility.

pointed removal:
Terminate
Putrefy
Mortify
Swords to Plowshares
Path to Exile

mass removal:
WoG
Damnation
DoJ

I'm starting to grab some card that help go into the making of a new big deck. I want a theme with the new one though, something someone hasn't done yet.

I was thinking a multicolor theme, but I am still unsure. I picked up each of the Guild Sigs, so I was thinking I could always go down that route.

Any suggestions?

~Zuty

haaa John O is making the multicolor theme BD.

MidniteEffort wrote:haaa John O is making the multicolor theme BD.

Damn ... Well what else is left? I know Dan is doing the Low CMC deck, maybe I should do a high CMC deck? 4+ CMC on all spells. Ideas?

~Zuty

you can do whatever you want. you don't have to do something we haven't done. you can make an artifact or multicolor or +1/+1 counter BD. it sure doesn't matter to me anyway.

Yeah, but it does to me.

I might just continue to go with the 'Adventure' theme. Planeswalkers, Levelers, Quests, and phat lewt (equipments) as well as legendary monsters.

~Zuty

so Zendikar block Big Deck?

MidniteEffort wrote:so Zendikar block Big Deck?

I guess. Not going to waste my time going after Jace 2.0, so I need like 2-4 more Levelers, grab all the Quests, grab Planeswalkers, grab like really cool legends (gonna grab the Kami Dragon line), and I am going to use Gilder Bairn/Proliferate to level up my levelers faster, boost my Planeswalkers faster, and finish quests faster.

~Zuty

So, does Necrotic Ooze make the cut? Graveyard abuse has always been fun, but do we play enough creatures with activated abilities to make it worthwhile?

Also, what cards from Scars make the cut? I'm thinking:

Venser, the Sojourner
Necrotic Ooze
Wurmcoil Engine
Steel Hellkite
Quicksilver Gargantuan
Spikeshot Elder
Darksteel Ax