So, you want to build a competitive Mono Blue deck so you can finally cosplay Jace Beleren in FNMs? Well, the bad news is that blue on its own is not a very popular choice in Magic: The Gathering. In fact, there are only a few Mono Blue archetypes in Modern (and even Standard) and most of them are unpopular or are overshadowed by their multicolor variants.
That's because blue's best function is to complement Azorius control decks and most of the time doesn't offer a path to victory as clear as red decks do. Still, that doesn't mean you shouldn't try. People have built Mono Blue and have won with it after a painstaking deck-building process. If you're undergoing that right now, here's how you can do better.
10 Use Delaying Tactics But Be Picky With The Cards
When building Mono Blue decks, you'd probably be surprised at the number of unsummon spells you can fling at the opponent. Filling your deck with these is a slippery slope as you can end up with a suboptimal deck. However, against creature-based decks (which is usually the norm), then cards like Cryptic Command are a bomb.
Not only do you get to ruin the enemy's plan but also possibly survive fast decks like Red Aggro. Make sure cards the cards you have that control tempo are not the usual Unsummon because that only does one thing. A creature like Harbinger of the Tides that's a 2-for-1 is a better deal.
9 Counterspell Galore
The reason why blue is always a favorite secondary color for most decks? These damned cards. Counterspells have made blue the most complicated color in Magic: The Gathering because they require foresight and good knowledge of the enemy's deck.
The problem is that the most popular counterspells in the TCG cost around 20 USD per card. Luckily there are budget alternatives to them but don't expect anything groundbreaking. Stuff like Force of Negation and Cryptic Command are too valuable to cut down. Cheaper options include Archmage's Charm, Spell Snare, Spell Pierce, Mana Leak, and even Remand.
8 Concede To Win
Now, how exactly would you know which spells to counter and what are the biggest threats in an opponent's deck especially in tournaments or FNMs? By throwing the first game in a best-of-three match. Let the opponent play out their cards and their strength first before you finally see enough.
In such strategies, this is where counterspells and cards that unsummon do their magic. All that delaying might seem aimless and might even annoy the opponent, but the primary point of stalling the opponent if you don't have a winning hand or a chance is to gather intel on their deck and adjust your sideboard accordingly.
7 Consider Unconventional Win Conditions
Now, here's where Mono Blue deckbuilding gets tricky: how to win. You might have to rely on unconventional methods such as Jace, Wielder of Mysteries + Leveler combo which is hard enough to set up. Other cards to include in that combo would be Thassa's Oracle.
The rest of the deck can be support cards that will delay the opponent's plans and preserve your life total until you can pull off the combo. This can be done with numerous counterspells. Do throw in some card draw options that also let you scry for better chances of winning via combo. That isn't to say you can't resort to good old-fashioned beatdown...
6 Merfolk Tribal Is Always Good
There is one competitive Mono Blue deck in Modern that still lets you win mostly with a beatdown and that would be the cult favorite, Merfolk. It's a deck that relies on Merfolk lords which give multiple +1/+1 bonuses and the Islandwalk trait to make the Merfolk unblockable. For the said setup, cards like Spreading Seas is crucial and also gives players some card advantage.
As for the Merfolk themselves, the staples are usually Merfolk Trickster, Benthic Biomancer, Silvergill Adept, Merrow Rejeerey, Master of the Pearl Trident, and Lord of Atlantis. Aether Vial and Cavern of Souls are necessary if you want the deck to go 5-0 in tournaments.
5 Flash Is Powerful
Now for other types of Mono Blue decks that don't rely on Merfolk, then having a creature base that all have the Flash ability would be the strongest option. This is going to be a control deck full of Wizards such as Vendillon Clique, Spellstutter Sprite, Snapcaster Mage, and Delver of Secrets. You might also want to throw in a few Brazen Borrowers for maximum disruption.
All of them have Flash so the opponent is always on edge and apprehensive when attacking or casting anything. Meanwhile, the rest of the deck can be the usual offerings from blue such as counterspells and card draw. If the opponent doesn't concede from frustration, then beat them down with unblockable flying flash creatures.
4 All Cards Rely On One Another
Another tricky part of building a blue deck is how each and every card relies on the synergy of the others. Creature bombs like Torrential Gearhulk or even Snapcaster Mage all favor a deck that has an abundance of noncreature spells.
This is one thing to consider when choosing which cards. Unlike green cards where one big creature often carries the weight of the deck or red cards which can function well on their own, most blue cards need other cards to be effective, unless they're counterspells.
3 Take Advantage Of Card Advantage
Apart from counterspells and tempo tactics, another feature that makes blue stand out is its numerous scrying and card draw spells. Stuff like Opt and even Serum Visions might seem like a waste of deck space but they contribute to victory in subtle ways.
Controlling your deck decreases the luck factor in winning. In decks that utilize the Jace + Leveler combo, cards like these are practically a 2-for-1, they let you have more cards and also let you win faster.
2 Include Blue Staples
Trying out something new in MTG is awesome and all, but staple cards are prized due to their proven effectiveness. If it ain't broken, don't fix it, and no need to reinvent either. The aforementioned counterspells like Force of Negation and Cryptic Command are powerful and expensive additions. Opt is also sometimes necessary for blue decks.
Meanwhile, you also can't go wrong with Planeswalkers like Jace, the Mind Sculptor or card-draw factories like Narset, Parter of Veils. Those are for Mono Blue control. For Merfolk, the key Merfolk creatures mentioned above are necessary along with Aether Vial at the very least.
1 Prepare To Fork Out Hundreds Of Dollars
By far the most difficult part in building any deck with a splash of blue in Magic the Gathering is the cost. Blue cards are some of the most expensive pieces in Modern and even in Standard. So by going Mono Blue competitive, you simply can't dismiss the expensive cards.
There are sadly no budget options in building "great" Mono blue decks or anything with blue. Even a competitive Merfolk deck can cost 600 to 900 USD. Mono Blue Control is similarly-prized at around 700 USD. Otherwise, you'd have to settle for just decent or good instead of great.