Handling Caw-Blade

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Happy Wednesday MTG peeps,

Today we look at some of the better decks we have seen in our local Magic the Gathering metagame and provide some food for thought about developing answers. Essentially, with the exception of some junk and rogue decks, the local metagame has really only four deck archetypes - Caw-Blade, Boros, Valakut and Vampires.


As it appears that Caw-Blade is the one in the driver's seat in most games at our kitchen table as well as Friday Night Magic, we will concentrate on this particular build and developing answers for it. This build also has seen prominence in top 8 decks in most turnaments since hitting the scene. Essentially, players can expect your average Caw-Blade build to have most of the following cards in it which would hit the game table . . .

CREATURES (8) : 4 Squadron Hawk, 4 Stoneforge Mystic

PLANESWALKERS (7) : 4 Jace, the Mind Sculptor, 3 Gideon Jura

ARTIFACTS (2) : 1 Sword of Feast and Famine, 1 Sylvok Lifestaff

INSTANTS (9) : 4 Spell Pierce, 3 Mana Leak, 1 Deprive, 1 Stoic Rebuttal

SORCERIES (8) : 4 Preordain, 4 Day of Judgment

LANDS (26) : 4 Celestial Colonnade, 4 Glacial Fortress, 4 Seachrome Coast, 4 Tectonic Edge, 1 Scalding Tarn, 5 Island, 4 Plains

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We've played quite a few matches with a modified Caw-Blade build and on most occasions have had the important play go off with Stoneforge Mystic hitting the table and sticking, finding Sword of Feast and Famine (or Sword of Body and Mind), equipping within one turn and then beating face.

When the wheels did fall off and things got FedEx'd to hell in a handbasket, several cards of note were played by the opponent as shown below :


Inquisition of Kozilek : It really sucks to be forced to discard your singleton equipment so strongly consider this cheap cmc card and shut down their game before it even gets off the ground.

Tumble Magnet : Can be used as soon as it resolves and this artifact can be rather useful in tapping down fatties including an equipped Squadron Hawk for the next three turns allowing you breathing room to develop and answer.

Divine Offering : This instant as well as several others (Crush, Naturalize, Nature's Claim, Shatter, etc.) provide excellent assurances that the equipped creature will not have that game-winning equipment.

Ratchet Bomb : Or perhaps his bigger brother Lux Cannon can put issues straight again and eliminate the equipment or equipped creature.

Cunning Sparkmage : We have not seen much of this card being played lately but having a Basilisk Collar on this will still rock.

Black Sun's Zenith : Is definitely worth mentioning and a good answer to pile -1/-1 counters on their threats - just remember that this will hit your creatures as well.

Creeping Tar Pit : This unblockable man-land is a decent response to Jace, the Mind Sculptor or Gideon Jura.

There are of course a great number of other cards to think of BEFORE any search and equip takes place. Lightning Bolt, Disfigure and similar cards can tuck the Mystic into the graveyard before next turn's activation. An early Phyrexian Revoker (or latter game Linvala, Keeper of Silence) can also shut down the strategy as well. If you are playing a deck with blue, then there are also plenty of answers to counter spells. Personally, we like Steel Sabotage as it will also work very well against Tezzeret decks.

As always, drop us a line in the comments thingy below and provide feedback and suggestions.
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Lastly, just a note that we have confirmation of the decklists for the new Knights vs. Dragons duel decks in today's Magic Arcana.

Check out the ultra-styl'n Ultra Pro Magic the Gathering Knights vs. Dragons Duel Deck Box from MTG Mint Card to hold all that cardboard goodness - you get 1 full colour duel deck box, 2 full colour deck boxes, 2 full colour dividers, and a Write-on Strip
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