The following text is a copy from a message I sent on Magic Secrets whatsapp:
Working so much on these brews has revealed some pressures of the format:
Your plan can’t just be worse than Stock Up, et al.
If you’re going pure combo without cheap removal you need a plan against Elf decks. Racing sucks.
The holy grail is having a fast consistent combo without folding to hate.
3a. Resilience vs speed & consistency are typically in conflict. When they’re not it usually means a deck is problematic (Cawblade, Faeries, Cori-Steel Cutter, etc).
3b. So for example, playing more castable creatures in reanimator helps against graveyard hate which can be great, but can result in getting trumped by their plan if you end up doing too much fair stuff. Likewise, reacting to hate with stuff like removal for Rest in Peace typically make you slower and less consistent.
3c. What you’re hoping for that’s usually hard to get is a deck that’s just A Nightmare All The Time. Always threatening combos, robust toolboxes, relentless pressure and ultra efficient when it interacts.
3d. Usually that happens when something’s fucked up: a broken card (Jace, Oko, Mana Drain, Necropotence, Vivi sort of) or a suite of cards that’s too deep relative to others (Bant in 2020, Abzan in Khans of Tarkir).
3d. A way more unusual and challenging way is when everything you’re doing is good. No weak cards, good mana, tons of options without diluted plans or embarrassing hands. Fun fact: there have been a ton of formats where this kind of deck existed and it was never found by the masses or a major player. We know this because sometimes you find it at the end in a lame duck format, or it’s found later in a revival format or modern/legacy, or Magic R&D played the heck out of it but the audience never quite got there and they of course never publicized it (we actually did try to sneak a lil tech out in the world when I was there because it was artificially stagnant due to pro team incentives, but you generally wouldn’t mess with nature).
3e. This list [as seen above] I’ve been playing might be getting there.
Magic Secrets Dina Versions + Dina Games on Arena
Mike Long and Smitty both have a version of Dina.
Mike Long’s Dina Version + Games
Mike Long’s version of Dina can be seen below as a screenshot from his laptop and MTG Arena:
Mike’s version of Dina can be seen below as a text export from MTG Arena:
“So truly living the dream with this deck! This game, turn 3 we Mindtwist our opponents entire hand, and get to put Winternight Stories in the grave in case that ain’t enough.” – Smitty
“Was stuck, in bad shape.. But then we drew a land and could Kavaero Ardyn into a Hoof.” – Smitty
“If you are wondering if they like it it when you Ardyn steal their bat, they don’t, they really don’t.” – Smitty
