Okay, so I’ve been diving deep into Magic: The Gathering’s newest set, The Lost Caverns of Ixalan, and let me tell you, it’s a wild ride! I wanted to share some decklists I’ve been experimenting with, and the whole process of building and tweaking them.
Getting Started: Cracking Packs and Finding Inspiration
First things first, I ripped open a bunch of booster packs. I love that feeling! It is always like lotto for me. I didn’t get everything I wanted, of course, but I pulled some interesting cards that got my gears turning. I saw a lot of potential in the new Explore mechanic, and the dinosaurs… well, who doesn’t love dinosaurs?
Decklist #1: Dino Ramp
My first attempt was a classic: big, stompy dinosaurs. Here’s the rough draft:
- Creatures (24):
- 4x Some Cheap Dino (like a 2-drop)
- 4x Some Explore Dino (to get lands)
- 4x Mid-Range Dino (something with good stats)
- 4x Another Mid-Range Dino (maybe with trample)
- 4x Big Dino (like Ghalta, if you have it!)
- 4x Another Huge Dino (something scary)
- Spells (12):
- 4x Ramp Spells (like Explore)
- 4x Removal Spells (something to kill creatures)
- 4x Card Draw/Filtering (to find your dinos)
- Lands (24):
- Just a Start, Use basic.
The Idea: Get lands fast, play big dinosaurs, smash face. Simple, right? I used whatever I could find in my collection that fit the curve. The “Some Cheap Dino” and “Some Explore Dino” slots are super flexible – use whatever you have!
Testing: I played a few games with this against my friend’s deck. It worked pretty well when it got going, but it was a little slow sometimes. I realized I needed more early interaction to survive against faster decks.
Decklist #2: Merfolk Shenanigans
Next, I wanted to try something a little different. Merfolk are always fun, and Ixalan has some cool new ones. This one is more of a tempo deck, trying to control the board while sneaking in damage.
- Creatures (26):
- 4x Cheap Merfolk (1-drop)
- 4x Another Cheap Merfolk(1-drop)
- 4x Merfolk with Explore(2-drop)
- 4x Merfolk Lord (gives other Merfolk +1/+1)
- 4x Another Merfolk Lord (maybe with a different ability)
- 4x Disruptive Merfolk (counters spells or something)
- 2x Big Merfolk Finisher (something to close out the game)
- Spells(10):
- 4x Counterspells
- 4x Removal (bounce or something)
- 2x Card Draw
- Land(24):
- Just a Start, Use basic.
The Idea: Play a bunch of small, efficient Merfolk, boost them with lords, and disrupt your opponent’s plans. The “Disruptive Merfolk” slot is key here – anything that messes with your opponent’s spells or creatures is good.
Testing: This deck felt much smoother than the dino deck. It had answers to early threats and could apply pressure consistently. However, it sometimes struggled against decks with lots of removal.
Ongoing Experiments
I also tried building an artifact-focused deck, using some of the new crafting cards. But, still work in progress, I am still thinking the list of cards. The artifact synergy is strong, but finding the right balance of enablers and payoffs is tricky.
And the pirate deck! Oh man, I just tried a pirate deck, that need some adjustment of mana curve. It’s pretty good but I am not sure whether good or not.
Key Takeaways (So Far):
- Explore is a powerful mechanic for ramp and card selection.
- Dinosaurs are awesome, but you need a good curve.
- Merfolk are surprisingly strong in this set.
- Don’t be afraid to experiment! The best deck is the one you enjoy playing.
That’s it for now! I’ll keep tinkering with these decks (and probably build a few more) and report back. Let me know if you’ve had any success with Lost Caverns of Ixalan decks!
