This is a slow time of year to be a Magic player. Most people are extremely busy with the holidays and Standard has been pretty stale because everyone is looking forward to spoilers from the new set. I have spent my time over the holidays reflecting on my magical experiences over the sixteen years that I have been playing this game.

Most people don't know that I love nostalgia. I always watch a ton of old Christmas movies over the holidays and I plan on watching even more movies this week (Home Alone, I'm looking at you). I love old video games from my childhood and I'll probably be streaming some Final Fantasy 3 in the near future (follow me on twitter @MelissaDeTora to find out when).

Today I'm going to talk about some of my personal favorite Magic decks that I've played over the years. These decks have brought me to many places including the Pro Tour and they all hold a special place in my heart. Here are my top 5 Magic decks.


5. Affinity, Modern 2012

Magic: The Gathering TCG Deck - Affinity by Melissa DeTora

'Affinity' - constructed deck list and prices for the Magic: The Gathering Trading Card Game from TCGplayer Infinite!

Created By: Melissa DeTora

Event: 2012 PTQ Barcelona - Brooklyn, NY - 1/21

Rank: 1st

Modern

Market Price: $408.45

Cards

Ethersworn Canonist

Color Identity:W

Market Price: $2.95

ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/218801_200w.jpg

Each player who has cast a nonartifact spell this turn can't cast additional nonartifact spells.

Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/double-masters/ethersworn-canonist

Blood Moon

Color Identity:R

Market Price: $10.09

ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/218848_200w.jpg

Nonbasic lands are Mountains.

Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/double-masters/blood-moon

Etched Champion

Market Price: $1.45

ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/97964_200w.jpg

Metalcraft — Etched Champion has protection from all colors as long as you control three or more artifacts.

Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/modern-masters-2015/etched-champion

Darksteel Citadel

Market Price: $1.00

ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/236152_200w.jpg

Indestructible
{T}: Add {C}.

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Whipflare

Color Identity:R

Market Price: $0.19

ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/166823_200w.jpg

Whipflare deals 2 damage to each nonartifact creature.

Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-anthology-volume-ii/whipflare

Vault Skirge

Color Identity:B

Market Price: $0.32

ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/39598_200w.jpg

({B/P} can be paid with either {B} or 2 life.)
Flying
Lifelink (Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.)

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Arcbound Ravager

Market Price: $9.25

ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/68267_200w.jpg

Sacrifice an artifact: Put a +1/+1 counter on Arcbound Ravager.
Modular 1 (This creature enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it. When it dies, you may put its +1/+1 counters on target artifact creature.)

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Mox Opal

Market Price: $42.85

ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/218602_200w.jpg

Metalcraft — {T}: Add one mana of any color. Activate this ability only if you control three or more artifacts.

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Galvanic Blast

Color Identity:R

Market Price: $0.15

ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/218930_200w.jpg

Galvanic Blast deals 2 damage to any target.
Metalcraft — Galvanic Blast deals 4 damage instead if you control three or more artifacts.

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Blinkmoth Nexus

Market Price: $1.34

ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/218273_200w.jpg

{T}: Add {C}.
{1}: Blinkmoth Nexus becomes a 1/1 Blinkmoth artifact creature with flying until end of turn. It's still a land.
{1}, {T}: Target Blinkmoth creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.

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Steel Overseer

Market Price: $2.00

ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/236095_200w.jpg

{T}: Put a +1/+1 counter on each artifact creature you control.

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Shrapnel Blast

Color Identity:R

Market Price: $0.10

ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/162810_200w.jpg

As an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice an artifact.
Shrapnel Blast deals 5 damage to any target.

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Springleaf Drum

Market Price: $0.56

ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/219595_200w.jpg

{T}, Tap an untapped creature you control: Add one mana of any color.

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Glimmervoid

Market Price: $3.07

ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/218272_200w.jpg

At the beginning of the end step, if you control no artifacts, sacrifice Glimmervoid.
{T}: Add one mana of any color.

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Steelshaper's Gift

Color Identity:W

Market Price: $30.25

ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/11920_200w.jpg

Search your library for an Equipment card, reveal that card, and put it into your hand. Then shuffle your library.

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Cranial Plating

Color Identity:B

Market Price: $0.24

ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/218715_200w.jpg

Equipped creature gets +1/+0 for each artifact you control.
{B}{B}: Attach Cranial Plating to target creature you control.
Equip {1}

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Signal Pest

Market Price: $0.41

ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/39139_200w.jpg

Battle cry (Whenever this creature attacks, each other attacking creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn.)
Signal Pest can't be blocked except by creatures with flying or reach.

Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/mirrodin-besieged/signal-pest

Mountain

Color Identity:R

Market Price: $0.43

ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/235546_200w.jpg

({T}: Add {R}.)

Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/strixhaven-school-of-mages/mountain-372

Ornithopter

Market Price: $0.30

ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/126415_200w.jpg

Flying

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Torpor Orb

Market Price: $8.83

ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/39593_200w.jpg

Creatures entering the battlefield don't cause abilities to trigger.

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Memnite

Market Price: $2.12

ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/36237_200w.jpg

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Ancient Grudge
Color Identity:G,R
Market Price: $0.06
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/233935_200w.jpg
Destroy target artifact.
Flashback {G} (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)
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Inkmoth Nexus
Market Price: $23.28
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/39095_200w.jpg
{T}: Add {C}.
{1}: Inkmoth Nexus becomes a 1/1 Blinkmoth artifact creature with flying and infect until end of turn. It's still a land. (It deals damage to creatures in the form of -1/-1 counters and to players in the form of poison counters.)
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/mirrodin-besieged/inkmoth-nexus
Spellskite
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $3.53
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/218815_200w.jpg
{U/P}: Change a target of target spell or ability to Spellskite. ({U/P} can be paid with either {U} or 2 life.)
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/double-masters/spellskite



Affinity has been around since Arcbound Ravager, Disciple of the Vault, and Skullclamp were printed back in 2004. (Well, technically there was Broodstar Affinity before that, but we're not going to go there.) This deck was a powerhouse throughout Magic's history but I never actually played it in a sanctioned tournament. I did, however, play it a lot when testing with friends for big events over the years. Affinity was never a deck that I played but rather a deck that I always tried to beat.



When the first ever Modern PTQ season rolled around, I had no idea what to play. I didn't know anything about the format and had not played a game of Modern in my life. After looking over some winning decklists, I decided to just play Affinity.



The PTQ was in Brooklyn, NY, a three hour drive from my hometown of Providence, RI. I decided to make the trip the night before, stay overnight at my brother's place in Jersey City and take the subway to Brooklyn in the morning. As it turned out, that was one of the best decisions I made that weekend. We got hit with a giant blizzard and driving through it was impossible. The snowstorm was very unfortunate for many players as they were unable to make it to the PTQ and those who did were an hour or more late and were forced to take Round 1 losses.



The PTQ was a mere 100 players, which is an extremely low number for a Northeast premier event. I won most of my swiss rounds pretty easily. With the format being as new as it was, players were not prepared for Affinity at all, and I ended up winning the PTQ. You can read my report here.



Winning that PTQ was a huge turning point in my Magic career. After doing badly at PT Dark Ascension, I was qualified for nothing and was not really looking forward to grinding Northeast PTQs. The Brooklyn PTQ was the first one of the season and was a huge relief. I was invited to test in France with Raphael Levy's team, and after working with them for a few events, I am now one of the leaders of the team.





4. Cognivore Oath, Extended 2002



Magic: The Gathering TCG Deck - Cognivore Oath by Melissa DeTora
'Cognivore Oath' - constructed deck list and prices for the Magic: The Gathering Trading Card Game from TCGplayer Infinite!
Created By: Melissa DeTora
Event: 
Rank: 
Freeform
Market Price: $1267.59
Cards
Living Wish
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.45
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/161427_200w.jpg
You may reveal a creature or land card you own from outside the game and put it into your hand. Exile Living Wish.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/masters-25/living-wish
Gilded Drake
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $321.38
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/6886_200w.jpg
Flying
When Gilded Drake enters the battlefield, exchange control of Gilded Drake and up to one target creature an opponent controls. If you don't or can't make an exchange, sacrifice Gilded Drake. This ability still resolves if its target becomes illegal.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/urzas-saga/gilded-drake
Counterspell
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $2.14
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/227096_200w.jpg
Counter target spell.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-legends/counterspell
Intuition
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $187.24
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/5593_200w.jpg
Search your library for three cards and reveal them. Target opponent chooses one. Put that card into your hand and the rest into your graveyard. Then shuffle your library.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/tempest/intuition
Bottle Gnomes
Market Price: $0.09
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/166746_200w.jpg
Sacrifice Bottle Gnomes: You gain 3 life.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-anthology-volume-ii/bottle-gnomes
Dust Bowl
Market Price: $11.88
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/6515_200w.jpg
{T}: Add {C}.
{3}, {T}, Sacrifice a land: Destroy target nonbasic land.
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Naturalize
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.07
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/169340_200w.jpg
Destroy target artifact or enchantment.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/core-set-2019/naturalize
Forest
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $3.99
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/235548_200w.jpg
({T}: Add {G}.)
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/strixhaven-school-of-mages/forest-374
Ambassador Laquatus
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $1.41
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/15030_200w.jpg
{3}: Target player mills three cards.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/10th-edition/ambassador-laquatus
Oath of Druids
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $2.81
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/124138_200w.jpg
At the beginning of each player's upkeep, that player chooses target player who controls more creatures than they do and is their opponent. The first player may reveal cards from the top of their library until they reveal a creature card. If the first player does, that player puts that card onto the battlefield and all other cards revealed this way into their graveyard.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-2016/oath-of-druids
Krosan Reclamation
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.22
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/10282_200w.jpg
Target player shuffles up to two target cards from their graveyard into their library.
Flashback {1}{G} (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)
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Polluted Delta
Market Price: $44.30
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/92829_200w.jpg
{T}, Pay 1 life, Sacrifice Polluted Delta: Search your library for an Island or Swamp card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library.
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Wasteland
Market Price: $30.12
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/118403_200w.jpg
{T}: Add {C}.
{T}, Sacrifice Wasteland: Destroy target nonbasic land.
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Accumulated Knowledge
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $0.09
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/161713_200w.jpg
Draw a card, then draw cards equal to the number of cards named Accumulated Knowledge in all graveyards.
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Mana Leak
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $0.30
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/145421_200w.jpg
Counter target spell unless its controller pays {3}.
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Treetop Village
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.15
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/162880_200w.jpg
Treetop Village enters the battlefield tapped.
{T}: Add {G}.
{1}{G}: Treetop Village becomes a 3/3 green Ape creature with trample until end of turn. It's still a land. (It can deal excess combat damage to the player or planeswalker it's attacking.)
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Island
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $0.43
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/235542_200w.jpg
({T}: Add {U}.)
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Faerie Conclave
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $0.63
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/133621_200w.jpg
Faerie Conclave enters the battlefield tapped.
{T}: Add {U}.
{1}{U}: Faerie Conclave becomes a 2/1 blue Faerie creature with flying until end of turn. It's still a land.
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Trade Routes
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $5.35
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/12857_200w.jpg
{1}: Return target land you control to its owner's hand.
{1}, Discard a land card: Draw a card.
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Gainsay
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $0.08
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/71092_200w.jpg
Counter target blue spell.
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Yavimaya Coast
Color Identity:G,U
Market Price: $1.00
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/236347_200w.jpg
{T}: Add {C}.
{T}: Add {G} or {U}. Yavimaya Coast deals 1 damage to you.
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Brainstorm
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $1.00
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/236208_200w.jpg
Draw three cards, then put two cards from your hand on top of your library in any order.
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Force Spike
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $0.29
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/66377_200w.jpg
Counter target spell unless its controller pays {1}.
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Powder Keg
Market Price: $17.62
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/6223_200w.jpg
At the beginning of your upkeep, you may put a fuse counter on Powder Keg.
{T}, Sacrifice Powder Keg: Destroy each artifact and creature with converted mana cost equal to the number of fuse counters on Powder Keg.
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Forbid
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $1.98
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/4328_200w.jpg
Buyback—Discard two cards. (You may discard two cards in addition to any other costs as you cast this spell. If you do, put this card into your hand as it resolves.)
Counter target spell.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/exodus/forbid
Masticore
Market Price: $22.07
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/6207_200w.jpg
At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice Masticore unless you discard a card.
{2}: Masticore deals 1 damage to target creature.
{2}: Regenerate Masticore.
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Cognivore
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $0.32
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/9352_200w.jpg
Flying
Cognivore's power and toughness are each equal to the number of instant cards in all graveyards.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/odyssey/cognivore
Fact or Fiction
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $0.24
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/226897_200w.jpg
Reveal the top five cards of your library. An opponent separates those cards into two piles. Put one pile into your hand and the other into your graveyard.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-legends/fact-or-fiction



I have always loved Oath of Druids decks ever since I saw Bob Maher's winning list from Pro Tour Chicago 1999. I thought that it was an amazing concept to play a control deck that could get powerful creatures into play for free. I enjoyed playing Oath back in the old Extended days, with dual lands, Force of Wills, and all but I never had very much success with those decks (yeah I was pretty bad back then; we all had to start somewhere). In 2002 I played this sweet version of Oath of Druids with Cognivore as the main win condition.



This deck had quite a few problems, the biggest one being Oathing into a Cognivore and then suddenly having no deck left. Gaea's Blessing was no longer legal and the only shuffle effect we had was Krosan Reclamation. I lost plenty of games to just decking myself. I mean, even if Cognivore was a 20/20, people still played removal, and once both Cognivores and the Krosan Reclamation were gone, I was pretty much dead.



This deck was super fun for me to play. It was a permission deck with removal and counters and it also had the very powerful Intiution / Accumulated Knowledge package. It took me quite a while to learn how to properly play Accumulated Knowledge in the control mirror and this deck helped me learn how to do just that. It also had some alternate win conditions in the form of Treetop Village and Faerie Conclave as well as a Living Wish package in case Cognivore wasn't going to get there.



Cognivore Oath was a blast to play and it was the deck that qualified me for my first Pro Tour. I won a PTQ at TJ Collectibles back in 2002 which qualified me for Pro Tour Venice the next year.





3. Faeries, Lorwyn Block Constructed 2008



Magic: The Gathering TCG Deck - Faeries by Melissa DeTora
'Faeries' - constructed deck list and prices for the Magic: The Gathering Trading Card Game from TCGplayer Infinite!
Created By: Melissa DeTora
Event: 
Rank: 
Freeform
Market Price: $611.87
Cards
Reflecting Pool
Market Price: $25.93
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/83296_200w.jpg
{T}: Add one mana of any type that a land you control could produce.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/conspiracy/reflecting-pool
Puppeteer Clique
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $7.82
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/140013_200w.jpg
Flying
When Puppeteer Clique enters the battlefield, put target creature card from an opponent's graveyard onto the battlefield under your control. It gains haste. At the beginning of your next end step, exile it.
Persist (When this creature dies, if it had no -1/-1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner's control with a -1/-1 counter on it.)
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-2017/puppeteer-clique
Secluded Glen
Color Identity:B,U
Market Price: $5.48
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/15617_200w.jpg
As Secluded Glen enters the battlefield, you may reveal a Faerie card from your hand. If you don't, Secluded Glen enters the battlefield tapped.
{T}: Add {U} or {B}.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/lorwyn/secluded-glen
Nameless Inversion
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $0.15
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/98604_200w.jpg
Changeling (This card is every creature type.)
Target creature gets +3/-3 and loses all creature types until end of turn.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/modern-masters-2015/nameless-inversion
Peppersmoke
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $0.11
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/68358_200w.jpg
Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn. If you control a Faerie, draw a card.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/modern-masters/peppersmoke
Island
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $0.43
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/235542_200w.jpg
({T}: Add {U}.)
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/strixhaven-school-of-mages/island-368
Thoughtseize
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $16.92
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/218934_200w.jpg
Target player reveals their hand. You choose a nonland card from it. That player discards that card. You lose 2 life.
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Mutavault
Market Price: $8.28
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/69900_200w.jpg
{T}: Add {C}.
{1}: Mutavault becomes a 2/2 creature with all creature types until end of turn. It's still a land.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/magic-2014-m14/mutavault
Cryptic Command
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $20.59
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/145338_200w.jpg
Choose two —
• Counter target spell.
• Return target permanent to its owner's hand.
• Tap all creatures your opponents control.
• Draw a card.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/iconic-masters/cryptic-command
Vendilion Clique
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $8.78
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/161432_200w.jpg
Flash
Flying
When Vendilion Clique enters the battlefield, look at target player's hand. You may choose a nonland card from it. If you do, that player reveals the chosen card, puts it on the bottom of their library, then draws a card.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/masters-25/vendilion-clique
Eyeblight's Ending
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $0.11
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/118764_200w.jpg
Destroy target non-Elf creature.
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Shriekmaw
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $0.31
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/212495_200w.jpg
Fear (This creature can't be blocked except by artifact creatures and/or black creatures.)
When Shriekmaw enters the battlefield, destroy target nonartifact, nonblack creature.
Evoke {1}{B} (You may cast this spell for its evoke cost. If you do, it's sacrificed when it enters the battlefield.)
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Scion of Oona
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $9.94
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/68463_200w.jpg
Flash
Flying
Other Faerie creatures you control get +1/+1.
Other Faeries you control have shroud. (They can't be the targets of spells or abilities.)
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Mistbind Clique
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $10.15
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/15574_200w.jpg
Flash
Flying
Champion a Faerie (When this enters the battlefield, sacrifice it unless you exile another Faerie you control. When this leaves the battlefield, that card returns to the battlefield.)
When a Faerie is championed with Mistbind Clique, tap all lands target player controls.
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Spellstutter Sprite
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $2.12
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/68335_200w.jpg
Flash
Flying
When Spellstutter Sprite enters the battlefield, counter target spell with converted mana cost X or less, where X is the number of Faeries you control.
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Swamp
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $0.55
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/235544_200w.jpg
({T}: Add {B}.)
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Sower of Temptation
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $3.43
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/167784_200w.jpg
Flying
When Sower of Temptation enters the battlefield, gain control of target creature for as long as Sower of Temptation remains on the battlefield.
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Bitterblossom
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $46.46
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/179459_200w.jpg
At the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 1 life and create a 1/1 black Faerie Rogue creature token with flying.
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Faerie Trickery
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $0.37
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/15481_200w.jpg
Counter target non-Faerie spell. If that spell is countered this way, exile it instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard.
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Sunken Ruins
Color Identity:B,U
Market Price: $12.38
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/218593_200w.jpg
{T}: Add {C}.
{U/B}, {T}: Add {U}{U}, {U}{B}, or {B}{B}.
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Broken Ambitions
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $0.13
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/15437_200w.jpg
Counter target spell unless its controller pays {X}. Clash with an opponent. If you win, that spell's controller mills four cards. (Each clashing player reveals the top card of their library, then puts that card on the top or bottom. A player wins if their card had a higher converted mana cost.)
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Faeries was a deck that many players either loved or hated, and I was in the "loved it" category. I played Faeries from the very beginning, and in fact won the very first New England PTQ of the season and qualified for Pro Tour Berlin. Turn one Thoughtseize into turn two Bitterblossom was one of the best things you could do at that time, but clearly I didn't think so as I had four Thoughtseize in my sideboard. I tuned this deck heavily to beat the Faeries mirror, and the plan worked. My three main deck Peppersmokes allowed me to Crush the swiss rounds that day.



In the Top 4 of that PTQ I faced off against Benjamin Peebles-Mundy of Draft Converter fame and in our deciding game, I made the most epic play of my magic career.



Benjamin was playing Five Color Control and we were pretty deep into game three. He controlled two Plumeveils and I was having a hard time getting damage through his defenses. He tapped out on his own turn to play around my countermagic. I don't remember exactly what he played but it was probably an Esper Charm to draw two cards and an evoked Cloudthresher to kill all of my Bitterblossom tokens. At 18 life, he surely felt very safe to tap out there. After the end of his turn I knew that I had won the game and said to him, "Sorry, but this turn is going to be insane."



On my turn I cast Puppeteer Clique, targeting his Cloudthresher. Cloudthresher came into play under my control, dealing two damage to all flyers and ourselves. This killed the Puppeteer Clique which persisted back into play. The Clique targeted another one of Benjamin's Cloudthreshers. It came in, dealt us each two, and finished off the Plumeveils. Then I swung for 14 damage. For those of you who did the math, that is a total of 18 damage and was enough to finish him off. I still get asked about that play by locals at PTQs to this day. I went on to play against a Faeries mirror in the finals and I won easily.





2. Enchantress, New England Regionals 2000



I loved my Enchantress deck and it was one of the first truly competitive Standard decks that I ever played. Unfortunately I don't have a decklist from 14 years ago, but I do remember most of the cards. The creatures were Argothian Enchantress, Verduran Enchantress, Yavimaya Enchantress, and Birds of Paradise. I played Exploration, Wild Growth, Fertile Ground, and Serra's Sanctum for ramp, Trade Routes, Seal of Removal, and Seal of Cleansing for utility, and I won by making a giant trampling creature with Ancestral Mask and Rancor. Absolute Law and Absolute Grace were my important sideboard cards because it made my creatures invulnerable to removal.






I took my deck to Regionals that year with zero hopes to do well. It was my first big tournament and I just wanted to see how it went. As it turned out, my deck was just insane against the top three decks of the format: Replenish, Accelerated Blue, and Rebels. I played against those decks all day and found myself sitting at 6-1 and in a good position to draw into the Top 8.



The funny thing was that I didn't even know what drawing into the Top 8 even was. It was my first big event and I was used to four or five rounds of swiss at the local store. My friends were there to support me and told me that I was able to draw in. I didn't know what it actually meant but I trusted them and offered my opponent the draw.



My opponent was a very large, intimidating man. He snap declined my offer and said that there was no way that he could possibly lose to me, a Little Girl. My teenage self did not get intimidated at all and we played out round eight. Luckily for me, my opponent was playing Rebels and I destroyed him 2-0, finishing the swiss as the top seed.



My opponent was less than pleased and started yelling and actually threw his deck across the room. He was really mad at himself for not taking the draw and that bad decision cost him a slot at US Nationals. Finishing in the Top 8 at Regionals that year didn't really mean much to me at the time but I still decided to make the trip out to Nationals that year. I did really poorly there but I gained a ton of experience and met some great people who I am still friends with to this day.



1. Wolf Run Bant, Pro Tour Gatecrash 2012



Magic: The Gathering TCG Deck - Wolf Run Bant by Melissa DeTora
'Wolf Run Bant' - constructed deck list and prices for the Magic: The Gathering Trading Card Game from TCGplayer Infinite!
Created By: Melissa DeTora
Event: 2013 Pro Tour Gatecrash - 2/16
Rank: 3rd-4th
Standard
Market Price: $348.52
Cards
Rhox Faithmender
Color Identity:W
Market Price: $4.50
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/216562_200w.jpg
Lifelink (Damage dealt by this creature also causes you to gain that much life.)
If you would gain life, you gain twice that much life instead.
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Centaur Healer
Color Identity:G,W
Market Price: $0.06
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/167722_200w.jpg
When Centaur Healer enters the battlefield, you gain 3 life.
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Azorius Charm
Color Identity:U,W
Market Price: $0.27
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/145459_200w.jpg
Choose one —
• Creatures you control gain lifelink until end of turn.
• Draw a card.
• Put target attacking or blocking creature on top of its owner's library.
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Steam Vents
Color Identity:R,U
Market Price: $11.92
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/175202_200w.jpg
({T}: Add {U} or {R}.)
As Steam Vents enters the battlefield, you may pay 2 life. If you don't, it enters the battlefield tapped.
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Hallowed Fountain
Color Identity:U,W
Market Price: $8.03
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/182831_200w.jpg
({T}: Add {W} or {U}.)
As Hallowed Fountain enters the battlefield, you may pay 2 life. If you don't, it enters the battlefield tapped.
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Augur of Bolas
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $0.19
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/187183_200w.jpg
When Augur of Bolas enters the battlefield, look at the top three cards of your library. You may reveal an instant or sorcery card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
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Restoration Angel
Color Identity:W
Market Price: $0.47
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/231273_200w.jpg
Flash
Flying
When Restoration Angel enters the battlefield, you may exile target non-Angel creature you control, then return that card to the battlefield under your control.
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Sphinx's Revelation
Color Identity:U,W
Market Price: $3.11
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/128596_200w.jpg
You gain X life and draw X cards.
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Farseek
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $1.95
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/196467_200w.jpg
Search your library for a Plains, Island, Swamp, or Mountain card and put it onto the battlefield tapped. Then shuffle your library.
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Kessig Wolf Run
Color Identity:G,R
Market Price: $1.20
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/212421_200w.jpg
{T}: Add {C}.
{X}{R}{G}, {T}: Target creature gets +X/+0 and gains trample until end of turn.
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Dissipate
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $0.24
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/91292_200w.jpg
Counter target spell. If that spell is countered this way, exile it instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard.
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Garruk Relentless // Garruk, the Veil-Cursed
Color Identity:B,G
Market Price: $4.17
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/52203_200w.jpg
When Garruk Relentless has two or fewer loyalty counters on him, transform him.
0: Garruk Relentless deals 3 damage to target creature. That creature deals damage equal to its power to him.
0: Create a 2/2 green Wolf creature token.
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Temple Garden
Color Identity:G,W
Market Price: $11.81
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/175203_200w.jpg
({T}: Add {G} or {W}.)
As Temple Garden enters the battlefield, you may pay 2 life. If you don't, it enters the battlefield tapped.
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Syncopate
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $0.11
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/164358_200w.jpg
Counter target spell unless its controller pays {X}. If that spell is countered this way, exile it instead of putting it into its owner's graveyard.
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Rest in Peace
Color Identity:W
Market Price: $4.90
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/161538_200w.jpg
When Rest in Peace enters the battlefield, exile all cards from all graveyards.
If a card or token would be put into a graveyard from anywhere, exile it instead.
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Sacred Foundry
Color Identity:R,W
Market Price: $14.92
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/175200_200w.jpg
({T}: Add {R} or {W}.)
As Sacred Foundry enters the battlefield, you may pay 2 life. If you don't, it enters the battlefield tapped.
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Stomping Ground
Color Identity:G,R
Market Price: $9.49
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/182841_200w.jpg
({T}: Add {R} or {G}.)
As Stomping Ground enters the battlefield, you may pay 2 life. If you don't, it enters the battlefield tapped.
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Thragtusk
Color Identity:G
Market Price: $0.42
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/218622_200w.jpg
When Thragtusk enters the battlefield, you gain 5 life.
When Thragtusk leaves the battlefield, create a 3/3 green Beast creature token.
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Negate
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $0.12
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/222130_200w.jpg
Counter target noncreature spell.
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Sunpetal Grove
Color Identity:G,W
Market Price: $4.83
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/142039_200w.jpg
Sunpetal Grove enters the battlefield tapped unless you control a Forest or a Plains.
{T}: Add {G} or {W}.
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Supreme Verdict
Color Identity:U,W
Market Price: $6.66
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/145308_200w.jpg
This spell can't be countered.
Destroy all creatures.
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Hinterland Harbor
Color Identity:G,U
Market Price: $7.17
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/162120_200w.jpg
Hinterland Harbor enters the battlefield tapped unless you control a Forest or an Island.
{T}: Add {G} or {U}.
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Breeding Pool
Color Identity:G,U
Market Price: $23.13
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/182842_200w.jpg
({T}: Add {G} or {U}.)
As Breeding Pool enters the battlefield, you may pay 2 life. If you don't, it enters the battlefield tapped.
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Think Twice
Color Identity:U
Market Price: $0.08
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/233514_200w.jpg
Draw a card.
Flashback {2}{U} (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.)
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Witchbane Orb
Market Price: $0.46
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/56344_200w.jpg
When Witchbane Orb enters the battlefield, destroy all Curses attached to you.
You have hexproof. (You can't be the target of spells or abilities your opponents control, including Aura spells.)
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Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
Color Identity:R,W
Market Price: $18.68
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/166686_200w.jpg
Flying, first strike
If a source would deal damage to an opponent or a permanent an opponent controls, that source deals double that damage to that player or permanent instead.
If a source would deal damage to you or a permanent you control, prevent half that damage, rounded up.
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Glacial Fortress
Color Identity:U,W
Market Price: $5.03
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/142037_200w.jpg
Glacial Fortress enters the battlefield tapped unless you control a Plains or an Island.
{T}: Add {W} or {U}.
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Detention Sphere
Color Identity:U,W
Market Price: $1.17
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/66495_200w.jpg
When Detention Sphere enters the battlefield, you may exile target nonland permanent not named Detention Sphere and all other permanents with the same name as that permanent.
When Detention Sphere leaves the battlefield, return the exiled cards to the battlefield under their owner's control.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/return-to-ravnica/detention-sphere



After receiving a special invite to Pro Tour Gatecrash, I knew I had to make it count. I contacted Raphael Levy and he was more than happy to have me work with his team. I put in a lot time and effort into testing both Standard and Draft, and the dedication really paid off.



The funny thing about this deck was that I really made a last minute decision to play it. On the Wednesday night before the Pro Tour, I had settled on Gruul Aggro and even had it sleeved up and ready to go until the Bant list came along. Jeremy Dezani found the list from a StarCity Open Top 16 and we all worked on it together on Thursday. I was still not sold on the deck but once everyone on the team had decided to play it (except for Guillaume Wafo-Tapa and Louis Deltour who are Esper players for life), I was pretty much sold. My main concern was that I had played a total of zero games with the deck.



I was very nervous going into the first round of constructed on day one. Not only was I playing a deck that I had never played before, but it was also a video feature match! Talk about pressure! The match was against Robert Jurcovich piloting UWR Control. We played an insanely long game one and I felt behind the entire game. During our match, I began to figure out how the deck actually worked. Although I was behind for most of the game, I found myself in winning positions at various points. I ended up losing with about fifteen minutes left on the clock and thought to myself that the match was over. If it took us 45 minutes to finish game one, there was no way I could possibly win two games in fifteen minutes.



I won game two rather quickly and thought to myself, "Oh, that's how the deck works." We had about seven minutes to play game three but I am actually good at playing very quickly. I ended up playing some speed magic and took down the game in the same way that I did in game two.



After winning that match, I felt great about the rest of the tournament. I had a deck that was very well positioned and even knew how to play it! I ended up making Top 8 of Pro Tour Gatecrash and it was by far my best Magical moment of all time.



Thanks for sharing a part of my history with me. These decks all mean something to me and helped shape me into becoming the Magic player that I am.



I will be at the SCG Open in Orlando in a few weeks so if you're there, feel free to say hi. Thanks for reading!



Melissa DeTora



@MelissaDeTora on twitter



www.facebook.com/melissa.detora on Facebook