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Shalandar Tundra #
Unrestricted 40 card Shalandar Deck
I've been in a deck building slump. Haven't been playing very much in the first place, and while I have still been coming up with new deck ideas none of the decks have come together. Maybe I'll share some of those half-baked decks along with the problems I've been having with them and see if some of you can help. In the meantime, sick of my highly constructed type 1.5 decks not working, I turned to Shalandar in the hopes that something better might evolve.
In Shalandar, where wizards begin with less than 20 life, speed is everything. Come from behind strategies just don't work, especially in dungeons where life loss carries over. So, given my twisted sense of fun, I set out to build a Blue/White deck.
The result is a highly evolved explosion deck. It always opens fast, with Tundra Wolves, Flying Men and Mishra's Factories. It can then explode for a quick kill with Unstable Mutation. Serra Angels and Control Magic give it that later game defensive power. And then of course there's a touch of white removal: a Disenchant and a couple Swords to Plowshares.
But the thing that makes this deck really fun to play as an explosion deck is the fact that I decided to keep it down to 40 cards to maximize the impact of the restricted cards. With only 40 cards you can really burn through your opening hand and by the time you've laid it down you will often pull something to replenish it.
I think what I like best about this deck is that it really rewards intelligent and aggressive play. My favorite trick is, when in a dungeon where life-loss carries over, to Timetwister / Contract from Below / Braingeyser, blow up a Serra Angel really big with Unstable Mutations, Swords to Plowshares it, and then finish off the opponent with my remaining creatures.
I haven't tried this deck out against a strong constructed deck, just the mediocre monsters of Shalandar. Might be fun to give it a shot.
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