You know, I love trivia games. My favorite TV show is Jeopardy! Why? I like to be asked questions, and challenge myself to come up with the best answer. But recently, I have been asked a really unfair question.

For those of you who don’t know, glance down at The Ferrett’s new challenge for aspiring writers. The question itself is inherently unfair. What's the definition of "good"? I mean, I play multiplayer solely for fun, so I play the oddest decks to try and make everyone else in the group really angry. So if you play for the same reasons I do, then what makes a card good is completely different than what some kid who is actually trying to win in multiplayer games thinks is "good."

Since I have a feeling most people won’t care, I decided to just do both.

So let’s start with the cards chosen solely for “kicks and giggles”!

5. Dreamborn Muse
I love this card because it makes my opponents angry... and any time my opponents get angry, it's always a good time for me. Before I can really abuse this card, I really have to show you the list for it.

Dreaming.dec

Lands (24)
4 Flooded Strand
6 Plains
10 Island
4 Boseiju, Who Shelters All

Creatures (12)
4 Dreamborn Muse
4 Silent Arbiter
4 Windborn Muse

Other (24)
4 Mesmeric Orb
4 Prosperity
4 Brain Freeze
4 Counterspell
4 Extract
3 Wrath of God
1 Traumatize

I love this deck. Its goal? To deck your opponents.

The thing is, decking decks have trouble in multiplayer because they can usually only target one player. The other problem is, library destruction doesn’t change the board at all until the opponent is decked. So this deck is playable because it targets everyone on the board, holding them off all the while.

The Silent Arbiter is amazing because it just holds offenders back. Dreamborn Muse and Prosperity is amazing because if you make everyone draw in the late game — say, ten cards or so - everyone loses ten cards to their yard because they drew all those cards. But it doesn’t affect you as much, since you have to discard down to seven at the end of your turn - and when your upkeep hits, you will only take 7 cards, while everyone else takes a harder hit.

Windborn Muse does a good job herself of holding off attacks and combos hard with Mesmeric Orb. They will soon ask themselves if attacking really is profitable when it means they have to take two cards as well. Extract is good because it takes out cards like Krosan Reclamation and the dreaded Gaea’s Blessing. Overall I think that the Dreamborn Muse is an amazingly fun card in multiplayer.

4. Windborn Muse
A decklist that features this card? Just look above. But I guess I can at least write a paragraph on the awesomeness of this card!

It’s just amazing. I once played it in a multiplayer game with Propaganda, Windborn Muse and Ghostly Prison. And to say that they didn’t invite me back after awhile is an understatement.

3. Seedborn Muse
The thing I loved about Seedborn Muses years ago was that not only did it make Opposition lots of fun to play in a regular match, but it was capable of multiplayer games as well. It allows you to tap everyone out, and that is never a bad thing.

So you want a decklist, huh?

More A-Musin fun.dec

Lands (23)
4 Yavimaya Coast
8 Island
11 Forest

Creatures (20)
3 Seedborn Muse
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Llanowar Elves
3 Deranged Hermit
4 Tradewind Rider
2 Morphling

Other (17)
4 Opposition
4 Squirrel Nest
3 Sword of Fire and Ice
3 Cunning Wish
3 Living Wish

Sideboard (15)
1 Seedborn Muse
1 Deranged Hermit
13 Any card of your choice

I can’t really give out too much help with the sideboards, considering how diverse multiplayer playgroups are - you never really know what card you need unless you actually play with that group. I can, however, make suggestions... one of which would be to play with Isochron Scepter and Fire / Ice in the sideboard, as those cards could be sided in against some playgroups and you can really go to town with that. It's actually a good idea to bounce your own stuff sometimes - especially if that card’s name is Deranged Hermit.

Morphling is also a star because it can abuse the Opposition by himself, and he is a great way to kill your opponents. I shouldn’t go into too much detail, because the number two is...

2. Morphling
I don’t think that he is amazing in a multiplayer game, but it is still pretty good. One aspect of multiplayer is knowing who to attack, and also deciding how many units should attack given that another player could attack you. Morphlings are much like F-22 Raptors: He can beat your opponent down by five, and still have enough time to come back home and defend you from other attackers.

I know Ferrett didn’t just want a single paragraph about a card, but it's really hard to write about Morphling when so much has already been said about him. Morphling also implies long term card advantage. The fact that it is pretty much invincible means that it can block and “trade” with other creatures for awhile, and it will inevitably take several burn spells from your opponent to burn him away. Card advantage in Multiplayer is much like a regular game: Card Advantage is good.

1. Phelddagrif
I am being a little biased here. I have to ask myself whether I really like this card, or just the name... And I think it’s both.

But seriously, though, a 4/4 for four mana isn’t a bad deal. Its abilities aren’t that bad. But what really makes it somewhat solid is the politics that it brings to the table. I love multiplayer because it really is a political showdown sometimes; you make enemies and betray friends. Well, Phelddagrif is awesome at making friends, and if people want you to stick around longer to gain its benefits, they will protect you too. All of those things are thumbs-up ideas.

But most importantly, you get to play a creature that I can’t pronounce correctly.

Top Five Cards For Real!

5. Zo-Zu the Punisher
This card can hit fast and hit hard. Although this card isn’t for making friends, it sure can be a pain in the long game. The thing about Multiplayer is that it's very much like Prismatic - big spells are played. "Big spells" means "lots of mana," which then means "lots of land." And lots of land + Zo-Zu means there is going to be a lot of pain for your opponents.

The best part is, is that Zo-Zu is a three-drop, meaning that it can go online fast - making it very relevant in the early game. A decklist? Sure!

Punisher.dec

Lands (23)
8 Forest
4 Karplusan Forest
7 Mountain
4 Wooded Foothills

Creatures (16)
4 Zo-Zu the Punisher
4 Silent Arbiter
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Llanowar Elves

Other (21)
4 Ensnaring Bridge
4 Grafted Skullcap
4 Pyrostatic Pillar
4 Fireball
3 Shock
2 Mana Clash

I like this deck for obvious reasons: It’s a multiplayer version of Burning Bridges. The Zo-Zu makes playing lands for your opponent painful enough, so you want to add to the pain by running in some burn spells too. Although it doesn’t seem like much with only nine real spells to throw to the head, you have to consider how your opponents are also going to attack each other. Also, consider how much the Pillar does in terms of long term damage, and then consider Zo-Zu.

I don’t really like the Birds and Elves all that much in this deck - but they serve a very important role of playing early Ensnaring Bridges, Skullcaps, and Zo-Zu. The best part about them is that they make you less dependent on your land so you can drop less land and less damage from the Zo-Zu.

4. Desolation Angel
Let’s just start off with the list.

Lands (18)
4 Caves of Koilos
9 Swamp
5 Plains

Creatures (8)
4 Desolation Angel
4 Silent Arbiter

Other (34)
4 Chrome Mox
4 Talisman of Dominance
4 Talisman of Progress
4 Wrath of God
4 Rout
3 Phyrexian Arena
3 Renewed Faith
4 Disenchant
4 Vindicate

The deck itself isn’t too difficult to play: drop some lands, then use the Mox and Talisman to jump up your mana ASAP. Use Phyrexian Arena to draw through your deck; Wrath of God stops your opponents from outswarming you, and so does Silent Arbiter. After getting lots of mana, just play a good end-of-turn Rout, and then on your turn drop down the Desolation Angel with kicker.

Since your Talisman and Moxes aren’t destroyed, you have lots more mana than your opponents do... and with the power of Arena, you should rebuild much faster than they do, all awhile smacking someone in the face with a 5/4 beater.

3. Silent Arbiter
I really like this card. I won’t give you a deck list since it’s already been featured in so many decks already, but this card is simply amazing. It can slow down the game drastically by itself. Sure, it isn’t a huge offensive creature.... but that’s not its job.

2. Sundering Titan
More decklist action!

Sunderererer.dec

Lands (23)
4 Secluded Steppe
4 Tranquil Thicket
8 Plains
7 Forest

Creatures (18)
3 Sundering Titan
4 Eternal Witness
3 Exalted Angel
4 Sakura-Tribe Elder
4 Eternal Dragon

Other (19)
4 Astral Slide
4 Akroma’s Blessing
4 Renewed Faith
4 Wrath of God
3 Clear

I like this deck because it’s a solid control deck in multiplayer - but at the same time, it can really abuse Sundering Titan. I think it makes the list for the reason that it is just devastating. It’s pretty much a one-sided Armageddon — and the fact that it has a nice size to boot isn’t bad, either.

1. Crypt Rats
I know what you are thinking. After making a bunch of great picks, how can I pick Crypt Rats? Because it’s so underrated.

Just check out my sexy list.

Lands (23)
4 Caves of Koilos
5 Plains
14 Swamp

Creatures (12)
4 Crypt Rats
4 Exalted Angel
4 Silent Arbiter

Other (25)
4 Soul Link
4 Vindicate
4 Renewed Faith
4 Diabolic Tutor
4 Wrath of God
3 Lashknife Barrier
2 Disenchant

Continuing my love fest with Silent Arbiter, I included it in this deck as well. Exalted Angel may seem like my win condition - but it's just there to gain some life. Basically, play some Crypt Rats and Soul Link, and just win!

I think that these creatures are all amazing, but did you notice a certain theme? They are all creatures that have a global effect. Silent Arbiter, Crypt Rats, Sundering Titan, even Dreamborn Muse all affect the game in big ways because it hurts everyone. The biggest trap I see most multiplayer players make is that they just play things like Arcbound Ravager - which is horrible when you have to kill more than one opponent.

I hope I win the contest, but I am sure my list is not perfect. That is why I am including my email, so you can contact me; I may even write a follow-up article with your responses.

-Gary
garysemailpleasenospam@yahoo.com