First off, you should go read an article or two from a Google query for "Mana Curve", there are so many good articles on the subject I'll just summarize here. The bottom line is that mana curve is about balancing the casting cost of the spells in a deck so that during the vital first turns of a game you are able to play one land each turn and fully utilize every point of mana available. A deck with an optimized mana curve favors lower cost spells, but mana curve cuts both ways. If you've got too many one-drops you won't be able to fully utilize the three mana that is available on turn 2 or 3.

Here's a sample mana curve from one of the math heavier articles I read:
12 cards of 1 mana.
8 cards of 2 mana.
6 cards of 3 mana.
4 cards of 4 mana.

Here's a deck that I built in Shalandar, fighting duels to gather the cards just like in the old days…

I continued playing the deck in Shalandar, defeating all but one of the wizards, gathering all the more powerful spells from dungeons, and hunting Mind Stealers to make copies of them. The deck evolved, at one point it had white for Savanah Lions, Swords to Plowshares, Disenchants and Serra Angels. Eventually it settled on Blue for the third color, as every Type I or Shalandar deck eventually does. Here is what is likely the most powerful version of the deck. I'm also working on a Land Destruction / Amnesia varient similar to Edge of What?, but with (obviously) better consideration given to its mana curve.

Once I'm done building out the Land Destruction varient, expect to see a Type 1.5 constructed version. I just love this aggressive fast creature with a blue-control deck end game concept.

posted by Nils T. Devine  # Friday, April 14, 2006