"M15:When Blue Means Aggro"

"M15:When Blue Means Aggro"

by:

Virgilio F. De leon Jr.

Control has always been the basic element of the color Blue in magic. It has long been the favorite of players because there is a sense of control over the games outcome. Normally blue would be content in mastering the early phases of the game , trying to survive or manipulate their opponents into certain end games.Normally there would be one abnormally huge monster who would kill you in the end or a power combo.All that has changed however when Theros was released. Standard Mono Blue Devotion decks featured creatures like Master of the Waves and Thassa. Tons of token could be produced at will and be commanded to attack pushing Blue into a more aggressive tilt.

M15 pushes this trend much further. You still have your Sphinxes and Stormtide Leviathans for the control end game but then again you see creatures like Chasm Skulker and Illusory Angel. Heck you even have the card Military Intelligence that allows you to draw a card when you attack with 2 or more creatures. Card advantage while smashing face. I love it. The sense that Blue could now pose threats early on is something that I always wanted to have. I mean this is one of the reasons why I play Simic colors too because the Simic is all about Tempered Might. Now Blue could be aggressive all on its own and that is a good thing too because it gives player who have been playing Control for years to take stock of the situation and enjoy a little bloodshed as well.

I mean look at Chasm Skulker, It gets huge when you draw a card represented by a +1/+1 counter that you would be putting on it. If there is one thing that Blue is great at and that is drawing tons of cards. In an EDH setting you could use cards like Ponder , Serum Vision or Brainstorm , draw the card and make your Chasm Skulker grow.Imagine how fast this guy would grow when you have a Consecrated Sphinx and you are drawing at least 6 cards after your opponents have drawn one on their respective turns.
This guy is also a two for one because it could be your lone Aggressor or it could die and put  1/1 Islandwalking Squid tokens into play equals to the +1/+1 counters on it and provide you with a whole team to attack for you.Yup , in EDH there will always be a player with Blue mana and you already know where your squids are going to go when they attack.

Illusory Angel is competitively mana costed. I mean a 3 mana , 4/4 flyer which only requires you to play another spell so you could play it. 4/4. A giant by magic standards and a flying one who ignores ground defenses. On its own she could finish you in 5 turns.2 of these babies and it is a 3 turn death clock.I guess this is another reason to have an Ornithopter handy.Cast one on turn three and you have a flying 4/4 angel to go with it. In modern some of those Phyrexian spells like Gitaxian probe or Mutagenic Growth could let you cast her as well.

"I can power an Angel out for you..."

I am happy with the way Blue has been turning out lately. I am excited with all the additions. At least this time around its blue getting a little out of control.