when I brew, I take the initial deck into my hand and throw it at the wall. I cut every card that lands face up and add in lands. Then I slather myself with honey and roll through the pile. Whatever sticks to me I put in the sideboard and add in completely new cards which are chosen at random via a goldfish swimming through a koi pond.

"remember your opponent wants to play magic too" -laughs in blue-

I built a BR “all removal, no wincon” deck on Arena so I could get through that ‘kill 15 creatures’ quest as fast as possible. It had a very good win rate because my opponents would often concede when nothing they played would stick.

"Play good cards" is like that one famous sidebar from a 90s gaming magazine: "PROTIP: To defeat the [final boss of Doom], shoot at it until it dies."

This was a great video, the only thing that I can think of that would be better is if you showcase a "beginner" deck, and then show how you change the curve, mana base, and card choices to turn it into a competitive deck. That way people can really see how their choices will affect the overall deck. And how to recognize if they're making noob mistakes.

I'd love to see a video like this about sideboarding

as a lowish intermediate who much stronger at playing vs. deck-building, this was extremely helpful. here's the timestamps for each step if anyone wants to come back to a specific one: 1) not enough interaction 2:42 2) not enough threats 5:25 3) mana base 9:37 4) curve theory 17:00 5) no card advatage / no late game engine 21:54 6) disregarding the meta 25:19

"how many colored sources do you need to consistently cast your spells" is literally one of the best articles on the entire internet if you want to improve your deckbuilding, Im glad dev brought it up. The amount of people I see playing sth like 1CC cards for example with like 13-14 sources in their deck who then complain about the shuffler being rigged is insane. Its like, yeah, you have around a 20% chance of not being able to cast this card on curve, what the hell did you expect? Seriously, Frank did a spreadsheet on this, you can easily look up how many sources you need to cast alll your spells on curve. Obviously the spreadsheet doesnt consider manadorks or stuff like "attune with aether", but you can change your manabase later. Great article.

Decent tips, though I find it hilarious that I've been subbed to MTGs KZfaq channel for Friday Nights for at least half a decade but KZfaq has now decided I need to know how to build a deck. Good work, it may not be pertinent to me but it's a service that new players need.

Timestamps: 2:42 Not Enough Interaction 5:35 Not Enough Threats 9:07 Da Manas 17:01 The Dreaded Curve Theory 21:54 No Card Advantage / Engine 25:09 No Care for the Meta PS: I wanted to add these for a better personal use of the video, in order to return here every now and then and still be able to find each part easily. I hope this helps others, as well.

This is why I love your channel. Real advice with great examples! And the cats.

Can confirm playing 20 lands was the norm back in the day, though sometimes my control-playing cousin would really think outside the box and play 21 or 22

When I made my first decks as a little kid, my method was to include lands double the highest casting cost spell. It worked because my friends played even less lands haha. First time I played against someone who knew what they were doing, it was a big shock to see what a real deck could do just because of land.

You have won one subscriber from spain with this video. So many people are complaining in arena... “the shuffler hates me!!!”. This video is the abc of minimum competitive decks. Congrats man.

Good talk. The number one response I have to people that have questions about their deck is: 'have you tested?' You can learn so much about your deck from just playing games. What works. What doesn't. Why things do and don't work. How your mana base is doing. Sometimes my opponent will do something and I'll incorporate it into my next deck revision. You don't have to have all the answers right away before you build, but a good understanding of the fundamentals will always help.

That intro just made me feel connected with you. As a longtime player, I get frustrated at both my gameplay and deck-building. I really enjoy your dank jank. I’m looking forward to learning from you.

I love seeing Chrono Cross in the background! One of my favorites!

Damn I don't normally comment, but this was the best experience I had about someone talking at me about mtg.. Good job rolling through 30 minutes without stuttering and filler.

"If you don't have any wheels on the cart, you can't turn the corner" lol Thanks Dev, I think I have more decks than I want to admit that don't have any wheels.

You're the only MTG channel I watch religiously, Dev, even in seasons where i'm not playing at all :)

I love how your cat “ phased in” mid intro 😹

Old Teferi Control decks be like "threats, what are they?"

Thanks for reminding me about the Mana curve counts. I've been half assing my Mana curves for too long. He has a previous article with the hypergeometric probability equations, which I'm going to use in a python script

Part 2, part 3, part 4... keep em coming Dev, this is such important info! Would love to see more of this!

You have a picture of the wrong Vivien @ 16:10, FYI :)

Bonus 7: Include a wild card, a card no one seems to expect. The looks I would get for running Unwind during Teferi's reign and shutting him down and keeping mana open was one of the most satisfying things I ever done. Or, during Arena's beginnings and everyone's love for a certain rat deck, running Radiating Lightning and watching them concede. Vicious Rumors was another fun one to play around, made even better with Leyline of the Void. You throw that wrench in and watch them try to adjust and you gain a significant advantage. One of my favorite combos for mono-green agro in early 2020 was Wildwood Tracker and Ironshell Beetle for a 3/3 on turn two. That deck tore through my LGS for a time.

I appreciate the depth of your explanations. Keep keeping on!

Love this video. I've been playing for years and I really haven't come across deck building information that went into this kind of depth. Fantastic. Thanks Dev.

Great tutorial Dev! I’m definitely going to look at my decks and see how they play out with your advice. Examining my mana base, mana curve, and interaction will be a major focus. Keep up the great content my dude ✊

Love the editing. Especially adding the whole deck you are talking about. Good stuff Dev.

Great video, definitely the best Magic channel out there. The good vibes and just general excitement you have for Magic is infectious, and just so much more pleasant to be around then a lot of the negativity for Magic. Even when I'm not currently playing MTGA I still watch the videos, cheesy humour, great outlook on Magic, very informative. Keep up the great work!

My favorite vid you've done so far, Dev. Thank you for your insight, and Happy Holidays!

Haven’t played MTG since Innistrad (1st time), but I’ve been catching up on what I’ve missed. You have great points, and wonderful flow to the video, made it super watchable and digestible, while still hitting really important parts. Just wanted to say you earned a sub with this video, keep up the great content, can’t wait to see more of your stuff.

Thank you Dev, I like making my homebrews even if they fall a bit short against the meta decks. Sure learned a few things, looking forward to part 2.

This is a fantastic video - I hope you do a part 2. I also would like to hear a video like this about sideboarding. I think this will be a great way for you to talk standard through the next few months of stale standard before rotation

Quality content for the general player. Thank you for going out on a limb with this Dev.

Great video! I made adjustments to my deck after watching and taking notes and immediately saw an improvement in my decks strength and performance.

I love your videos and how you break down the basics yet using advanced mindsets that I've used to help others learn the game. Keep up the awesome work!

I am just getting into Magic. I played for a very short time JUST after the game released (probably 94?) and then promptly forgot all about it until a couple weeks ago. I am having so much fun learning the intricacies of this game. I just wanted to take a moment and thank you, Dev, for creating such great content. Not only is your channel the most informative I've found yet, but you seem like a good dude. You radiate positivity, bro. Keep killing it, I appreciate it.

Thank you. One if not the best building comprehensive guide I've come across!

Only just started getting into Magic the Gathering and I'm so happy that I found your channel. Really appreciate your honest and open approach to talking about the game. You also explain things in a super accessible way to new players.

Thanks for the advice! it is always welcome. I would love to see another video like this.

Hi Dev, great video as always, and this one was especially informative. I'd love to see a follow up video where you build a deck from scratch, on camera, whilst specifically referencing the points you've made here.

Hey Dev, I was in the line at the grocery store and this lady told me that you're the man... And I agreed with her

One of your best videos you've made in a while. I appreciate hearing your discussions on deck building theory. You are one of the best deckbuilders out there, but I don't listen to your videos as much as I would like because I no longer play Standard. Looking forward to attempting to translate this into Commander deck building ;). Make more theory videos! A lot more!

This is a great video. It would be awesome to see a part2. In the mean time, gratz and thnx for the content and the channel.

Interesting take on lands at 10:40. I actually think resource management is what distinguishes MTG from cheap knock-offs like yugioh, hearthstone and runeterra. Yes, mana screw/flood is bad and yes ramp has become stupidly ridiculous these days. But mana adds a dimension and depth to gameplay and strategy that other TCGs can't even touch. Other TCGs are basically just an RNG race to whoever draws the best cards first. Mana and the color pie are imo Richard Garfield's greatest creation. They bring relative balance to the game (or at least it used to. Lol) Would love to watch a follow-up video discussing your take further.

Thank you for the great teach on the theory combined with solid examples from experience, instant subscribe. I just started learning Magic in 2022 and find it quite overwhelming. I would appreciate a revised guide on the basics on how to build and improve a deck, with current standard sets and starting decks in Arena so new players like me could actually try out.

Great insights bro! Just getting into your vids. I haven’t played in years and just jumped back in.

Awesome video! Pretty new to building decks and was feeling a little lost in where I should focus my attention. Thanks for the insight.

Great video. I definitely want to see part 2+ and would love to get your complete thoughts on netdecking

Great content, very insightful!! Can't wait for the Part II

Thanks this cleared up for me thinks like how the mana curve works and managing aggression/ control in a deck. I have been a kitchen table player for years and muddled my way through deck building and strategy. Thanks!

Perfect timing. I just subbed to your channel the other day after starting to play Magic a bit more seriously.

Good vid. Would like to see one on the pros and cons of net decking. Biggest pro is access: Gives players a reliable easy entry into the game and a low base level of commitment (time, energy, mental space) to continue playing. I love all of these suggestions (especially the mana base chart) because they are simple solutions to things that could help your win rate, basically and explain why you've been getting screwed. Only exception is the last rule knowing the meta. Not everyone has time to dive into "meta theory." Might be nice to hear you talk about a "know the meta-lite" advice.

Excellent video! I go about it as early game, engine, wincon and flex spots when I build. Early game can be ramp, discard, removal, good early creature. It doesn't matter what it is I just want to have something to do turn one and two so I don't get behind and get to be able dictate how the games goes on early on. Engine is whatever makes the deck tick. Often it's a package, like the food package or sacrifice and draw theme, draw cards and fill the yard to bring nasty things back, tribal synergy, enchantments or artifacts that goes tick tick when setup and so on. Wincon is just a reminder to check the deck that I have one or more ways to actually win. Creatures, burn, combo, or whatever it can be. Flex spots is for the meta really. Alot of stuff you just have to kill early or sweep? Add something for that. There's a deck or two that is almost built to beat yours? Add something that helps towards that. A little corner in the deck for the tools that helps get over the meta or atleast gives it a chance. For example in current standard 2022 I can't go without removal for early creatures. Flex spots can also be "let's thrown in something fun and see what happens" like a favorite of mine, Beladros or Koma that are just good if you can afford them.

Love how you mentioned mana curve. Been looking everywhere for like 3 days trying to learn it.

Fantastic Video! You’re straightforward, easily understood, down to earth approach is on point. You’ve earned a like and a sub.

I just started playing MTG without prior knowledge about a week ago. I played lots of YuGiOh and Hearthstone tho, so trading card games and the concepts of solid Deckbuilding aren't entirely new to me^^ I did start looking for Beginners advice videos and Deckbuilding guides and I can confirm that lots of them lack the depth or the examples for newer players to really get an understanding of the game as a whole. Things like curving guidelines and necessary amounts of Lands was something I struggled with prior to your video :D I appreciate the effort and found your vid to be the most educational for myself personally so far - needless to say I'd like to see further content regarding Deckbuilding or any in depth video about basic MTG Strategy for that matter. Keep it up mate, you have my sub for sure :)

Great vid! Detailed, informative, AND fun! Keep being awesome!

Great stuff! In my case the land tip was extremelly useful!

Man I’m so glad to find your channel. I played Magic way back in the day and just revived my love of it because my girlfriend showed interest in learning. Needless to say, it’s been an endless amount of fun and deck strategies tested on each other. But I always had a hard time really coming up with some solid guidelines to help her with her deck building besides my “this card is cool, build around that.” Haha again, thanks for the work you put in man. New subscriber for sure! 👍🏻👍🏻

I like the advice you give in this video. I have never really thought about the number of cards of each casting cost as an "amount". I think keeping this advice in mind when I build will help me build better. I'm Mythic player on MTG but I am always looking for ways to get better. Thanks

Instead of Mana flood, I like the term "Land Locked". I think it expresses how you feel when you pull yet another land.

Thanks man, learned so much now. Love the practical examples

I think, especially regarding curve theory but somewhat regarding some of the other points you touch on, that not enough folks spend the time thinking about how those choices impact their Mulligan choices. For example, if you are a ramp deck and you want to be playing 4 drops on turn 3 (and running an appropriate number of ways to ramp you there), you can think of your 4 drops as part of your 3 drops for the sake of your curve, but only if you think make the appropriate mulligan decisions to treat them that way. That's obviously a very specific (but common) example, but deciding how you are going to play the deck can be a huge factor that strongly influences what kinds of decisions to make. And that gets back to the real "rub" of deckbuilding in my opinion: rarely is there a single "best" way to build any particular deck. And not just in a "do I play 4x or 3x of this card" kind of way. People often want easy to follow, simple answers, but the best that can ever be done is guidelines. And like you said regarding taking the meta into consideration, you have to take how you (or whoever is playing the deck) are going to pilot it. And that goes from my earlier point about mulligans all the way to how the pilot prioritizes things within the deck, on a board state, and even within the combat step. A lot of folks want to view deckbuilding as this separate thing, but it's interconnected with everything else.

This style of video is a great pallet cleanser from set discussion. It's good magic theory and concept when you just wanna learn how to become a better pilot. You're adding needed knowledge to the magic community; i hope to more content like this in the future.

Thanks dev . Very interesting and some very specific info I honestly knew nothing about. Keep these vids coming if you can it’s super helpful and very interesting

I’m coming back into the game after a long hiatus and this is very helpful. I played in elementary and middle school and only cared about big creatures, but now I’m finding it infinitely more rewarding to craft unique strategies. Thanks for this!

Part 2 please!! I like the extra info! Keep up the great work!

Thank you for the video. Great advice here for starting players and good reminders for experienced players.

Good video with good examples👍 Dev from SBMTG is always good to watch😁

After taking a short break from mtg. 23-ish years. I have found that I missed a lot. Been asking community's and people at my local a thousand questions that upon receiving answers, now I have atleast two more questions. Your videos are a solid reference and are worth watching a couple times to sponge up all the information. Thank you for doing what you do. It truly is a great service for the community.

Great video Dev. Would like to see you dive into some of the tangents you brought up in the video too

Just want to tell you how much I appreciate your videos and your personality! You rock dude.

thanks for the good work Dev

Best video on this topic I've seen so far! Thumbs up. 👍

Was going to subscribe due to the good information you gave but the end made me laugh and made my day! Definitely subbing now!

Thanks for giving us your take on things. While I think I knew most of this it's good to get a reminder sometimes.

These were great tips! Thanks for doing this video.

I appreciate your videos man you are super informative and genuine. Thank you.

Honestly as somebody who has been playing magic extremely consistently since shadows over inistrad. Things like this are just helping to think about every now and again, I have brewed some off the wall stuff and went 4-0 at lgs and then the next week went 0-4 because people had sideboards ready for my shenanigans, and my usual curve for most things is 1,4-12 2,8-12 3,12-20 4,8ish 5+ 1-8 And usually 24ish lands but I've played 22 alot exapesialy is im light on 4+ But as other people said a side board tutorial would be extremely helpful, as I never know when or what to board in unless its a deck when I flip the full 15 to transform it

Love videos like these, would like to see some content on draft building and similar videos to these in the future!

I loved the video man! I'll apply all the tips to improve my deck building

Thank you for the video. The most interesting information is that probabilities to out cards we want when we need them. I would like see more video like this one to help people to learn and progess in Magic journey :)

Late to the party but I really enjoyed this video. You did so well at helping me figure out how many ideas I needed to cut down on with this deck I'm trying to build

Always glad to watch your vids Dev. Haven't played in a long time due to no longer living near my playgroup, but you always keep me interested in the game. Keep up the work we all know Wizards can't.

Very much looking forward to this video! Thx Dev.

Happy to have found this video. Even for a newbe, a lot of the deckbuilding video’s don’t give a lot of info…

Great video! Just the right amount of "in-depth".

bro this vid actually helped alot, made it to diamond yesterday and i just won my first game against a mythic 80% im hype, thanks this vid helped alot more than most of the articles n videos i have seen around

Excellent video , help me dramatically in my draft play

Fantastic video! Thank you so much for all you do!

My favorite example of a deck that understands and accounts for the meta is Turbo Fog from a couple of years ago. Objectively not a great deck from a totally universal mathematical standpoint, but when it busted onto the scene it was literally impossible to ignore. And it didn't matter if you built a mathematically perfect deck that could deal a hundred points of combat damage on turn 6, if you didn't know that Fog was a thing and you needed to be able to counter it, your deck was just sol

Great video... I like to see this kind of information as I am fairly new to the game and learning every day.

Solid video. I’m teaching a bunch of new players Magic and they need to make the jump to building their own decks. Hopefully this will help.

This is great. I've been playing for over 20 years and this was great to review to spruce up existing decks that I would like to hone to make better. Everyone who plays magic should watch this video.

I'd love to see more videos like this but on advanced subjects. This really helped me back in the day and I'd like to learn more!

Yup, definitely wanna see a part 2.

Getting back into magic! Haven’t played since middle school (2000) Shoutout from Guam 🇬🇺 🤙🏽