Innistrad event decks

Wizards of the Coast have come out with products in an attempt to include more people playing the standard format of Magic: The Gathering (MTG). In the same way they came out with War of Attrition deck that contained the banned card, Stoneforge Mystic, they have also come out with event decks for the current set release of Innistrad. These Innistrad event decks, being Hold the Line deck and Deathfed deck, are designed to be played out of the box - each coming with a 60 card main deck and a 15 card sideboard. All cards in both decks are standard format legal (unlike the Stoneforge Mystic card).

Hold the Line (left in the images above) is a mono-white deck, and it is fast to play. Get out a cheap (low mana cost) creature in the first few rounds, and keep attacking. Use equipment like the Butcher's Cleaver to pump up creatures and attack hard for the win. Use Bonds of Faith as required - whether you need to pump up one of your own creatures, or lock down one of your opponents creatures. It is more flexible than an Oblivion Ring, which you also get in this deck.

Deathfed (right in the images above) is a blue, black, and green deck. It is centred around putting items into your graveyard (discard pile), and then retrieving them, or making them count towards something else that you are about to play. It is not quick to play, and requires some setting up, but once it is established, it is hard to beat. Spider Spawning is one example of a card that will provide results with preparation. Play it late, and again with flash back, for a swarm of 1/2 token spider creatures that all have reach (allowing you to block flyers). You may loose a few to their large bomb creatures, but a few will get through. If enough get through each time, then a win will be sure to follow. One danger I have experienced with this deck is that due to the self-milling effect, you will loose by not having any more cards to draw from your library. It will not happen often, but there is always a risk for it to occur.

At this point in time, I favour playing the mono-white deck. It is quick, simple, and does not require too much planning to get win conditions. Both would make good bases for people who wanted to get into standard format play in MTG.