Alright, y’all. Magic: The Gathering is a wild ride, right? One minute, you’re crafting the perfect deck—building up synergies, brewing up strategies, feeling like a true sorcerer. And the next minute, you’ve just got your face in your hands, wondering what went wrong. That was me, recently, when I decided to dive into MTG Menace. My deck was supposed to dominate, but instead, it folded like a cheap lawn chair.
Let me tell you, this didn’t just “backfire” in a “whoopsie, I lost” kind of way. Oh no. This was a full-on catastrophe. So, pull up a chair and let me take you through the disaster that was my MTG Menace deck.
The Big Dream
It all started with MTG Menace—the idea that creatures with menace (you know, the ones that can’t be blocked except by two or more creatures) would give me an unstoppable edge. In theory, it was perfect. These little menace monsters should have been running amok while my opponent scrambled to block them. “This is it,” I thought. “I’m gonna crush it.”
Of course, I dove headfirst into the creation of my deck with all the enthusiasm of someone who had never heard of a bad Magic deck before. Mistake number one.
Picking My Cards: The Mistake That Felt So Right
So, I did what any eager deck builder does: I started choosing creatures with menace. Lots of them. High power, low toughness. The idea was that I’d hit fast, hit hard, and overwhelm anyone who thought they could stand in my way.
I also went heavy on pump spells. I was sure that boosting my menace creatures to the next level of damage would seal the deal. And then, for good measure, I threw in some removal spells—because, hey, you can’t be too careful, right?
Now that I think about it, I should’ve seen the cracks forming. Pump spells and creatures with menace? Sounds like a one-way ticket to a good time. But I’d missed something crucial: resilience. Resilience. There’s no room for fragile creatures in a game where your opponents have giant, untouchable monsters ready to wreck your board state.
Anyway, fast forward to my first match…
Testing: The Reality Check
I was so pumped. I’ll be honest, I thought I had a winning deck on my hands. My first match went pretty smoothly. I played my MTG Menace creatures, and my opponent—well, he was sweating. Couldn’t block anything. I was about to pull off a clean win… and then bam! I started to notice my deck’s weaknesses.
Fast forward past three failed attempts…
The deck didn’t hold up in the long run. Sure, I had a killer start. But by the time the game progressed, I was starting to see just how fragile my strategy was.
Vulnerability: Whoops, I Forgot About This
Okay, here’s the kicker. While I had focused so much on aggression, I forgot to consider what would happen if my creatures weren’t around to attack. I mean, yeah, menace creatures are tricky to block, but anything with solid removal could wipe them out. And let me tell you, there’s a lot of removal in MTG.
- Board wipes. Oof. This was like getting a slap in the face from a close friend. I’d drop my entire menace army, and then my opponent would casually cast Wrath of God. It’s like my deck just… disappeared.
- Targeted removal. I’d be looking at my battlefield, thinking, “Okay, I’ve got this one locked down…” and then bam—Path to Exile or Swords to Plowshares would nuke my biggest threats, and suddenly I was left with nothing but a sad little handful of cards.
Wasn’t a great feeling, to say the least.
Over-Aggression: Too Fast, Too Furious
Now, I’ll admit something a little embarrassing. My deck was all about hitting hard and fast. But when that didn’t work? I was left holding a handful of cards and nothing to do with them. My opponent just kept playing defense, grinding me down while I couldn’t catch up.
It’s like trying to run a race with a broken leg. You think you’re in the lead, but eventually, your opponent pulls ahead with something stronger, something that won’t fall apart when the going gets tough.
- No backup plan: I realized my deck didn’t have much versatility. If my opening attack didn’t work, I was in trouble. I was relying too much on my creatures to finish the game.
- Lack of card draw: I didn’t include enough ways to get new cards or cycle through my deck. Once I ran out of steam, that was it. No more threats, no more plays.
The Bad Matchups
Here’s where things really started to unravel. MTG Menace was supposed to be a killer, right? But there were entire archetypes that my deck couldn’t even touch. It was like trying to box with a pillow while someone else was wearing brass knuckles.
Control Decks: The Absolute Worst
Now, control decks? Yeah. Control decks are the worst. I’m talking counterspells, board wipes, and a whole bunch of stuff that ruins your day. Every time I played against one of these, I felt like I was walking into a trap.
They could counter my creatures. They could exile my threats. They just waited for me to commit, and then bam! Cyclonic Rift, and all my hard work was gone in a second.
And don’t get me started on cards like Teferi, Hero of Dominaria. I swear that planeswalker has it out for me.
- Counterspells: There I was, casting my creatures, thinking I was doing something cool. Then my opponent would casually cast a Counterspell, and it’s like I hadn’t even tried.
- Permanent removal: And if I did manage to get something on the battlefield? Forget about it. They’d exile it or deal with it in ways that my deck couldn’t handle.
Midrange Decks: The Unexpected Pain
Midrange decks were a surprise. They’re sneaky. They don’t seem all that threatening at first, but they have a way of hanging around and slowly grinding you down.
My MTG Menace creatures couldn’t just bulldoze through them. Midrange decks had Tarmogoyf, Siege Rhino, and all those big creatures that could block, trade, or outlast me.
- Tough creatures: Midrange creatures were surprisingly resilient. I’d attack with my menace creatures, only to have my opponent trade with me. And when they could outclass me with sheer board presence? It was game over.
- Slow grind: They didn’t even have to rush me. They just sat back and picked me apart. Meanwhile, I was stuck trying to push through with a deck that didn’t have enough answers.
Combo Decks: A Real Nightmare
And then there were combo decks. Oh boy. I’m talking about storm decks, food chain combos… anything that didn’t give two shakes about my menace creatures. Those strategies went off in a blink, and I could do nothing to stop them.
- Too fast: These decks didn’t need to worry about attacking me. They were looking to win in a couple of turns, no creatures necessary.
- Non-creature threats: By the time I got my creatures in play, they’d already won the game through spells or combos. It was like being outclassed without even getting to play the same game.
Backfired: The End Of The Line
So, after all that testing, tweaking, and trying to make MTG Menace work, I reached an epiphany: This deck was not going to win me any tournaments. At best, it was a cool concept. At worst, it was a dumpster fire.
I had to face the cold reality: My deck was too aggressive without the backbone to support it. Sure, MTG Menace creatures are strong in theory, but in practice, they were too fragile without the right support. The dream of MTG Menace was dead.
Fast forward to me sitting in front of my computer, googling new ways to fix this hot mess, and laughing at how naïve I was. But, hey, that’s Magic: The Gathering for you. You win some, you lose some. And this time, I lost big.
What I Learned
A couple of things became crystal clear after my MTG Menace disaster:
- Versatility is king. My deck needed more flexibility. Aggression without backup is like putting all your eggs in a basket and hoping it doesn’t break.
- Resilience. Resilient decks have staying power. If you lose your creatures, you need a way to get back into the game.
- Sideboarding matters. That’s something I didn’t appreciate at first, but my lack of preparation for certain matchups showed me how critical sideboards really are.
Anyway, I’ll get it right next time… I hope.
