"Mastering 'Unfinished Business': A Comprehensive Deck Build Guide"
Mastering the Unfinished Business Deck Build: A Comprehensive Guide
The Unfinished Business (UB) deck in Magic: The Gathering (MTG) is a unique and powerful strategy that has captured the hearts of many players. This deck, popularized by pro player and streamer Jeremy Wang, is known for its aggressive starts and explosive finishes. In this article, we'll delve into the intricacies of the Unfinished Business deck build, its key cards, strategies, and how to optimize your list for maximum success.
Understanding the Unfinished Business Strategy
The core of the Unfinished Business strategy revolves around playing cheap, efficient threats and backing them up with powerful finishers. The deck aims to curve out quickly, applying pressure on your opponent before they can stabilize. It's a high-risk, high-reward strategy that can catch opponents off guard and lead to swift victories.
Key Card Choices
- Dreadhorde Arcanist: A staple in the UB strategy, this card provides a powerful, evasive threat that can be recurred with its own ability or other graveyard-based interactions.
- Solemn Simulacrum: This card provides a great mana sink late in the game and can help fix your mana early on. Its ability to recur itself also makes it a valuable target for your graveyard-based recursion.
- Blood Crypt / Watery Grave / Steam Vents: These fetchable dual lands provide the necessary colors for your spells and help smooth out your mana curve.
Building the Mana Base
The mana base of an Unfinished Business deck is crucial for its success. You want to ensure you can consistently cast your spells on curve while also having the ability to fetch for colored mana when needed. A typical mana base might look something like this:
| Land | Quantity |
|---|---|
| Blood Crypt | 4 |
| Watery Grave | 4 |
| Steam Vents | 4 |
| Fabled Passage | 4 |
| Mystic Sanctuary | 4 |
| Swamp | 2 |
| Mountain | 2 |
Optimizing Your Creature Suite
One of the key aspects of the Unfinished Business strategy is playing efficient creatures that can overwhelm your opponent. Here are some creatures you might consider including in your list:
- Dragon's Rage Channeler: A powerful one-drop that can provide immediate pressure and can be recurred with its own ability or other graveyard-based interactions.
- Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger: A powerful three-drop that can provide a significant threat and can be recurred with its own ability or other graveyard-based interactions.
- Bonecrusher Giant: A versatile two-drop that can provide immediate pressure or removal, depending on the situation.
Finishing the Job
While the Unfinished Business deck is known for its aggressive starts, it's also capable of explosive finishes. Here are some cards that can help you close out games:
- Embercleave: A powerful equipment that can turn your creatures into massive threats. It's particularly effective when attached to a recurred threat like Dreadhorde Arcanist.
- Lava Coil: A versatile removal spell that can also provide some late-game reach.
- Angrath's Rampage: A powerful finisher that can provide a significant threat and can be recurred with its own ability or other graveyard-based interactions.
Sideboarding Against Different Archetypes
One of the strengths of the Unfinished Business deck is its ability to adapt to different matchups. Here are some sideboard options you might consider:
- Against control decks, consider boarding in Noxious Grasp and Legion's End to deal with problematic creatures and planeswalkers.
- Against aggro decks, consider boarding in Redcap Melee and Soul-Guide Lantern to provide additional removal and graveyard hate.
Remember, the key to successful sideboarding is understanding your local metagame and adapting your strategy to counter the threats you're likely to face. Don't be afraid to adjust your sideboard based on your experiences and observations.
Conclusion
The Unfinished Business deck is a powerful and exciting strategy that can catch opponents off guard and lead to swift victories. By understanding the core principles of the deck, optimizing your creature suite, and adapting your strategy to different matchups, you can build a competitive UB list that will strike fear into the hearts of your opponents. So, what are you waiting for? Grab your deck and start wreaking havoc on the battlefield!