When you're tlying to construct a winning deck it may seem almost
impossible to select the perfect mix of cards. With so many different cards
to choose from in the game, trying to keep it at 60, including 24 lands and
adhering to a good mana curve, you might think it would take you weeks
or even months to get it right.
However, there is a deck building strategy* that many don't know
about which can make this process a whole lot easier. In fact, some pro
players swear by this rule and don't build decks any other way.
It involves a 9 card strategy.
In theoiy, if you can discover 9 cards that work really well together,
you can efficiently bridge the gap left after adding 24 lands into a 60 card
deck. 9 different cards x 4 each = 36. 36 + 24 = 60 cards in a deck.
As you learned in the first chapter, you have the best odds of pulling a
particular card (granted that you have four of them) if you stick to a 60
card deck. Applying a 9 card strategy goes hand in hand with this theoiy.
If you only use 9 different cards then you have a greater chance of pulling
a card you need that can give you an advantage in the game. With less
different cards filling up the deck, your odds of pulling the right one becomes better. In fact, with only 9 different cards in your deck you have a 1 in 15 chance of pulling any one particular card. Your odds can't get any better than that unless you play with a card that allows you to search your libraiy, such as Diabolic Tutor, which allows you to search your libraiy for a card and put it into your hand.
So, try to construct a deck that has 9 cards that work well together. Cards that complement each others abilities. We'll go more in depth about this in a later chapter, but for now try it on your own. Youll most likely start seeing that your deck is more predictable and easier to play, as well as start winning more games.