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4 Sakura-Tribe Elder
4 Slith Predator
4 Lone Wolf
4 Viridian Shaman
4 Wood Elves
4 Eternal Witness
2 Tangle Asp
4 Predator's Strike
4 Blanchwood Armor
2 Genju of the Cedars
2 Kodama's Reach
22 Forest |
 Mean
Green.
Description of deck by its author (quoted):
So... What do you miss by not having Birds of
Paradise in your deck? Well, the answer to that question is clearly
deck-specific. As I look at the options above, though, I would make two
observations:
1) I think first and foremost that there is nothing that can replace the
“cheap flier” aspect of Birds of Paradise. Your Blanchwood Armored or
equipped creatures are either going to be ground-pounders or you are
going to be dipping into another color to find efficient fliers. This is
one place in which Birds feel unique and uniquely good. Luckily, this is
also one of the more minor reasons for playing Birds of Paradise, since
usually you want them in decks for their mana-acceleration and
mana-fixing abilities.
2) With regards to those mana-acceleration and mana-fixing abilities, I
think there are very good alternatives to Birds of Paradise. What you
lose is the one card from your collection that is a solution to all
problems. Now you need to be thoughtful about your deck's needs.
Aggressive two-color deck? You probably want Orochi Leafcaller or Elvish
Pioneer. Slower five-color deck without creature-enhancers? Darksteel
Ingot and/or Kodama's Reach will probably suffice. The solution to make
your deck run smoothly is out there, but as a budget deckbuilder you
need to be better at deck diagnosis.
As with each of my “Interlude” articles so far, today has been a bit of
an experiment. Please tell me what you think on the Message Boards. Did
you like this “budget alternative” approach? If not, what could I have
done differently? If so, what other “must have” rares would you like to
see showcased? Keep letting me know what you want and I'll keep
adjusting accordingly.
p.s. Here's a deck that's been performing well online for me that
applies some of the principles of today:
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