By: Erik B. Saeger

I have enjoyed MTG for many years for its competitive nature, amazing art, and the various fantasy aspects that it represents. I have noticed on various websites the discussion of various types of play, from competitive, to casual, to EDH. However, I have never heard about duel decks. We all like to talk about the cards that we want to see in various duel decks but it seems that we miss the casual nature of them. I find that duel decks can be a great way to hang out at a friend's house and play MTG. This casual format must be engaging, creative, theme-oriented, balanced and ultimately fun. It's no fun to play MTG when there is no balance between the decks. The decks must also contain rares and various other cards that get us so excited when we draw them. I believe that this is partly why the Planeswalker Duel Decks have been so popular.

I believe these decks fufill the goals duel decks set out to fulfill. Neither deck has any one card that does not have some form of an answer on the other side, and I have found through playtesting that most game have gone back and forth, and require a reasonable amount of decision-making to win. Most of the cards are pretty recent with a few nods to older sets. The deck design for both of these decks originated from my sealed decks from both the Scars of Mirrodin Prerelease (B/G infect) and Release (W/R metalcraft). I had fun battling a lighter version of both 40 card decks and decided to expand them to 60 card decks containing 5 Rares and 2 Mythic Rares each.

They were designed so that players would come across stronger/more fun cards faster than normal duel deck while remaining fun, entertaining and balanced. I decided to cut cards such as Tel-Jilad Fallen due to his protection ability, as I find that protection in a limited format causes players to start racing, which I feel throws strategy out the window. Darksteel Axe was originally in both decks, but was eventually removed due to how difficult (not fun) it was to get off the battlefield. Myr Battlesphere and Steel Hellkite were also considered, but eventually dropped in favor of what I felt were more dynamic rares such as Hoard-Smelter Dragon and Sunblast Angel. I loved Figure of Destiny and thought that a hybrid card would be a great addition to the decks, which in turn led me to seek a green/black card from Eventide. I decided that Creakwood Liege would fit the part nicely, as he provides support to black and green infect creatures as well as helps build a strong defense with tokens. I hope you have fun with them and please feel free to adapt them as you see fit. I have also included my own backstory for this duel deck. Enjoy!

Garruk Infected vs. Elspeth Equipped

This is an unofficial or "alternate universe" story setting for the Magic storyline, it does not have any connection to Wizards of the Coast's own storylines.

Having been cursed by the powerful Necromancer Liliana Vess, Garruk sought out any means to lift the curse that had plagued him and his pursuit of the hunt. Garruk searched all of the Multiverse for a mage or practitioner of sufficient power to help him. None were to be found. Eventually, Garruk found himself aimlessly wandering the back alleys of Ravnica. With his mind filled with hatred and his heart pulsing with corruption, Garruk was out of options. Suddenly, Garruk's instincts took hold and he realized that it was he who was the prey and that his stalker was closing steadily. Garruk slipped into the shadows until eventually a dark figure passed within inches of Garruk. Garruk sprang from the shadows and pinned his stalker to the adjacent wall of the decrepit alley. The hooded figure did not fight back. With his left hand firmly grasped around the stranger's neck and his right raised ready to strike a deadly blow with his trusty axe; Garruk spoke. "Explain yourself or taste the edge of my blade." The hooded figure began to speak in a slow and serpentine manner. "You are the one we seek, the hunter who no longer hunts. We know of your affliction and have come to make you an offer." Garruk's grasp began to tighten. "Even if I do believe you, why would you be willing to rid me of this infernal curse?" The hooded figure explained of a coming war and that Garruk's participation would be rewarded by lifting the necromancer's curse. Garruk hesitantly agreed and departed for Mirrodin.

Upon arriving at Mirrodin, Garruk was surrounded by dark figures that were hard to make out. Garruk sensed that they were an unholy conglomeration of living flesh and metal. Garruk's instincts kicked into gear as he deftly acquired a defensive stance. Several hooded figures slowly approached and began to speak as one. "We are not here to harm you hunter. Our offer still holds. Take a seat and the curse will be lifted." Garruk noticed that this area had a unique presence to it and that the curse was reacting strangely to it. Weighing his options, Garruk succumbed and took his seat. As the process began, Garruk began to feel the curse lifting and the energy of the trees and life fill his senses once again. However, as soon as his muscles began to re-energize, Garruk noticed a new energy. This novel force was both powerful and fear inducing. Garruk began to struggle but there was no hope as the poison began to circulate through his veins. After several torturous days, Garruk awoke to a new life and a new greater purpose: spread the infection. Only through contamination would the imperfections of the individual be lost to the perfection of the collective. And so, Garruk was no longer a solitary hunter but a warlord bent on spreading the Phyrexian ideal.

Elspeth's childhood nightmares began to plague her again. She had thought them lost on the plane of Bant. Now, Elspeth finds herself on Mirrodin, fighting once again against the threat of Phyrexian invasion. Her training on Bant and in the back alleys of Dominaria as a pit fighter had made Elspeth a worthy rival for any individual combatant. However, with the threat of overwhelming numbers of the vast Phyrexian scourge, Elspeth understood that strategies must be changed and advantages must be taken if she is to hold back the coming onslaught. Elspeth reflected on the planeswalker who convinced her to help save his plane; Koth of the Hammer tribe. Over the last few weeks she found his combat techniques to be reckless, impulsive and based on emotion. However, Elspeth noted that Koth's embrace of his emotions freed him to execute daring maneuvers and techniques that were more than effective. Knowing that mere might alone would not stem the tide of Phyrexian carnage; Elspeth began to devote herself to the craft of metallurgy under the tutelage of Koth. Koth found that she was a quick study and was impressed at how quickly she began to create new artificial contraptions. Elspeth was just happy that it would be metal and not flesh that would taste the poisonous claws and fangs of the Phyrexian monstrosities. With an army of constructs and an unsteady alliance of Mirrodin natives at her back, Elspeth gazed from the foothills out over the plains at the coming shadow and prayed.

Garruk's Deck

Garruk's infection deck is a black/green deck that is designed to poison your opponent to death. Your opponent will struggle against your smaller infect creatures such as Ichorclaw Myr, Plague Stinger and Cystbearer while you get ready to drop a serious powerhouse like Skithiryx the Blight Dragon. Throw a Purtrefax at your opponent and watch as they sacrifice most of their creatures to prevent all that infection just to watch your opponent's face as you bring him back into your hand the next turn with Corpse Cur. Hand of the Praetors and Creakwood Liege do a great job of increasing your infect creatures' effectiveness at delivering those nasty poison counters.

Garruk didn't forget to bring along some big game with Engulfing Slagwrum and Duskdale Wurm which can beat your opponent in just three swings if your opponent isn't going down to poison counters. Use Grasp of Darkness and Malestrom Pulse to eliminate pesky blockers and finish the game with a game winning Untamed Might on one of your unblocked infect creatures for the win! The end has already been decided. The amount of suffering in store for the resistance has not.

[deck title="Garruk Infected"]

[Lands]

12 Forest

11 Swamp

[/Lands]

[Creatures]

2 Leaden Myr

1 Copper Myr

2 Ichorclaw Myr

2 Plague Stinger

1 Blight Mamba

1 Moriok Replica

1 Necrogen Scudder

2 Sylvok Replica

2 Cystbearer

2 Contagious Nim

1 Rust Tick

1 Blackcleave Goblin

1 Corpse Cur

1 Skinrender

1 Creakwood Liege

1 Hand of the Praetors

1 Putrefax

1 Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon

1 Acid Web Spider

1 Engulfing Slagwurm

1 Duskdale Wurm

[/Creatures]

[Spells]

2 Grasp of Darkness

1 Maelstrom Pulse

1 Untamed Might

[/Spells]

[Artifacts]

1 Warlord's Axe

1 Contagion Clasp

1 Trigon of Infestation

[/Artifacts]

[Planeswalkers]

1 Garruk Wildspeaker

[/Planeswalkers]

[/deck]

Elspeth's Deck

Elspeth's white/red deck thrives on artifacts. Many of the creatures and artifacts in her deck run on Metalcraft which requires three artifacts to be on the battlefield. Quickly drop artifacts such as Memnite, Gold Myr, and Snapsail Glider onto the battlefield to get this deck running at full capacity. Glint Hawk Idol is a great 2 drop as it becomes an effective 2/2 flying swinger each time you have another artifact enter the battlefield. You will quickly take advantage of any battlefield once Metalcraft goes online as some of your creatures will get bigger like Chrome Steed and Blade-Tribe Berserkers or take to the air like Snapsail Glider and Auriok Sunchaser. Your opponent will be hard pressed to save their precious removal spells for your bigger bombs such as Hoard-Smelter Dragon and Sunblast Angel once you have three artifacts in play. Play Elspeth Tiriel and clog up the battlefield with 1/1 soldiers and then play Captain of the Watch during your next turn to double your army by size and strength.

Don't be afraid to swat those pesky poisoners with quick removal spells such as Galvanic Blast, Path to Exile, and Turn to Slag. A fully powered Figure of Destiny or equipped Kemba, Kha Regent will help make short work of your opponent's life total. Use Hoard-Smelter Dragon's ability to destroy your opponent's artifacts while making him stronger or diabolically blow up your own artifacts if he is unblocked and going in for the kill.

Build up your defenses, take to the air, and do whatever it takes to remove the blight of the Phyrexians from Mirrodin before it's too late.

[deck title="Elspeth Equipped"]

[Lands]

11 Plains

12 Mountains

[/Lands]

[Creatures]

2 Memnite

1 Figure of Destiny

1 Iron Myr

2 Gold Myr

1 Sunspear Shikari

1 Auriok Sunchaser

1 Myrsmith

1 Auriok Edgewright

3 Snapsail Glider

1 Kemba, Kha Regent

1 Palladium Myr

1 Myr Galvanizer

1 Oxidda Scrapmelter

1 Chrome Steed

1 Blade-Tribe Berserkers

1 Captain of the Watch

1 Sunblast Angel

1 Hoard-Smelter Dragon

[/Creatures]

[Spells]

2 Path to Exile

2 Galvanic Blast

1 Oblivion Ring

2 Turn to Slag

[/Spells]

[Artifacts]

1 Mox Opal

1 Sylvok Lifestaff

2 Glint Hawk Idol

1 Bladed Pinions

1 Warlord's Axe

1 Rusted Relic

[/Artifacts]

[Planeswalkers]

1 Elspeth Tirel

[/Planeswalkers]

[/deck]