1 Mana - Rootwater Diver, Manta Riders 2 Mana - Lord of Atlantis, Sage Owl, Chronatog, Merfolk Traders, Sea Sprite 3 Mana - Ophidian, Vodalian Illusionist, Man-o-'war, Azimaet Drake, Cloud Elemental, Knight of The Mists, Fog Elemental 4 Mana - Waterspout Djinn, Treadewind Riders
And the support cards for this style of deck are also quite powerful. Analyse cards like Abduction, Unstable Mutation, Nevinyrral's Disk(The Divers), Memory Lapse, Counterspell, Capsize, Time Ebb etc. and you will see that this deck is a quite viable proposition.
However, the general approach is to screw the curve and to use almost all creatures at three mana as these are clearly more powerful than the other options. This does slow the deck down, but against slower decks it is generally a stronger strategy. The only non- 3 mana creatures which cut it into this style of deck are generally waterspout Djinns or Tradeind Riders.
Support Spells :
Undo
A powerful card as it removes multiple blockers and can be used with your own 187s to gain massive time avantage
Memory Lapse
A strong Counterspell as it also provides time advantage - a resource arguably more critical than Card advantage in a Baby Blue deck.
Counterspell
Easily the strongest Counter
Dissipate/Dismiss
These two spells are powerful counterspells, often one or the other will make it into your deck. although Dismiss offers excellent Card economy it is more expensive and doesn't neutralise Hammer of Bogardan. Many decks will stick as 4 Lapse, 4 counterspell anyway Capsize
There is no reason to use Boomerang now, capsize is the logical replavcement. Unless you are particularly worried about not having 3 mana use capsize as the bounce spell of choice.
Whispers of The Muse
Card drawing in any Blue deck is sickeningly powerful. Enhanicng the defensive capabilities tenfold... Whispers is a very strong card drawer as it can be used at the end of the opponent's turn, much like a Jayemdae Tome, yet is far harder to destroy.
Impulse
Impulse is a nice choice, getting you what you want, when you want it. It's power has been demonstrated time and time again
Abduction
Abduction is far stronger than Binging Grasp, as a) you can protect the creature with Counters and Illusionists and b) it untaps it to be ready as a blocker. Legacy's Allure
Baby Blue has a significant stall aspect, this makes Legacy's Allure a very powerful card as it can build up a large number of counters rapidly and once it's used it an't be disenchanted
Duplicity
This is a powerful card, as in Baby Blue you will often empty your hand and then be able to refill it in a turn with this ard, then bouce it back to your hand with a Tradewind Rider or Capsize.. Strong.
Meditate
It's price(in $) says it all.
Ray of Command
Don't doubt the power of this card, it will frequently take out 2 creatures for 1 card and can be used as a burn spell if needs be.
Disrupt/Force Spike
The first turn is critical, Disrupt and Force Spike enable the Blue deck to counterspell on it's first turn, useful given the number of Jackal Pups, Cursed Scrolls etc.. out there.
Flood
Mass Destruction for Blue with a Twist, not exactly broken, but very nice if you mana flood. (sorry - Bad Pun)
Volrath's Curse
Yeouch. This card is powerful. It offers stalling potential, maneuvarability, card advantage. With a Volrath's Curse on the table your opponent had better beware.
Ertai's Meddling
This is a far stronger card against Counterspells than Memory Lapse, but doesn't offer the same time advantage. Still a decent card though.
Propaganda
Stalls the attack, prevents a massed attack. Enough has been written about the potential of this card.
Intuition
Poor Orim, everyone seems to be ignoring her bilingualness. demonic Tutor is a strong card, and - assuming you have 3 of any card - That's just what intuition is. Try throwing Artifacts into your Graveyard with a Rootwater Diver for fun.
Winter Orb
Not exactly standard, but many Mono Blue decks experiment with Winter Orbs Standard, especially those with Propaganda or Floode Shoreline. Which leads nicely on to....
Flooded Shoreine
Protects your own creatures, very tasty under a Winter Orb and removes Blockers. it's very fun if you abduct a Maro with one of these in play by the way. Time Ebb
Stall Stall Stall... This is a card definitely worth using if you have built a deck around stalling the opponent in many different ways.
Mind Stone/Sapphire Medallion
It speeds up this deck, something wiich is often neccesary
Mana Severance
Improves your draws slighly :P. You can always hope to counter an armageddon anyway (it's probably kill you normally if you didn;'t counter it). The Creatures
What has to be remembered is that Baby Blue is at it's heart a creature deck. Yet the creature choice is not elementary. While everyone recognised the Power of Ophidians, Man-o'-Wars, waterspout Djinns, Vodalian Illusionists and Tradewind Riders there are many other creatures which are strong in mono Blue.
Firstly - what makes a good Mono Blue creature.
Multipurpose
Most of the blue creatures have many purposes, Man-o'-Wars, Tradewinds and Illusionists for example can defend you and remove blockers
Economical
All of the popular creatures have a nice power/toughness for their casting cost and in the case of Ophidian, Tradewind Riders and Illusionists can offer great card advantage if used correctly.
Resillience
All the creatures are hard to kill (well duh!)
The List
Azimaet Drake
This creature is very powerful yet seen infrequently. Try it and you will see what a difference it can make to your deck.
Cloud Elemental
Normally weaker than the Azimaet Drake, Cloud elementals occasonally see use in the more offensive variants.
Rootwater Shaman
This creature is 2/2, a nice start and it turns binding grasps and abducions into a form of Ray of Command. Unstable Mutation becomes Giant Growth, and add white for empyrial armour? etc... Nice, if you build your deck with this card in mind.
Time Elemental
If this card doesn't die it can start wreaking havok. If you are using capsize soley for buyback purposes Time Elemental is usually stronger. Suq'Ata Firewalker Seen regularly, Suq'Ata Firewalker is a very tasty card given the number of 1 toughness creatures there are in the environment right now.
Wall of Air
What doesn't it block. And given the number of 1 toughness creatures now used I really don't see why it isn;t used more often.
Timid Drake
If it comes out turn 3 it's a little bolt, comparable in some ways to Serendib efreet, though obviously far inferior, it has the advantage that it is immune to creature enchantments and with a winding canyons out you can usually ensure it hs no problems with summoning sickness. Not the best of creatures but it can work.
Bottle Gnomes
If you live in Slighsville don't leave home without them.
Sea Sprite
It's a Freewind Falcon that blocks wildfire Emmisaries, and we know how well Freewinds hurt Sligh.
Patchwork Gnomes
Don't laugh, I like these creatures. They are a lot tougher now that plow has left and their best feature - They can block a Scragnoth indefinitely :P. Plus you do have enough card drawing in a mono blue deck to nullify some of the effects of their regen. effect.
Lord Of Atlantis
Don't 'dis him. If you pack some Merfok too he becomes better. (can you think of another 2/2 for 2 mana creature in Blue?)(apart from Skyshroud Condor and Ertai's Familiar).
Skyshroud Condor
I'm not a big fan of these birds myself, however I deel that could have merit in combination with Urza's Baubles or decks with cheap Merfolk.
Thalakos Seer
Shadow is a generally weak ability, but Thalakos Seer is a reasonable cretaure for it's second ability. a) It doesn't cost you anything if and when it dies, and b) if you run Illusionists then with these, Ophidians, Whispers of the Muse and Meditates you can draw cards faster than a necrodeck...
Air elemental
Except under VERY special circumstances Waterspout Djinn is much better, but you already knew that...
Chronatog and Avizoa
Tough, hard to kill creatures, which are excellent on the defnesive but to unfortunately neuter your attack, but honestly how often will you pump them up. Often the threat prevents opponents from attacking...
Fog Elemental
He's 4/4, and very few creatures don't die in combat with him... He's a psionic blast on legs =)
Knight of the mists
If you live in Necro/White weenie land then keep this one handy.
Merfolk Traders/sage Owl
Library manipulation is good
Seasinger
Amazing how many people have overlooked her as a potential sideboard card against Mono Blue...
Wall of Air
Tell me, what doesn't it block?
Adding colours
Yes.. Baby Blue doesn't have to be mono Blue, there's a lot of options... In my opinion here's some nice cards you could add from the other colours to help Baby Blue out
BLACK Diabolic Edict - Potent Creature Control Lobotomy - Neuter them Stupor - Take control of their hand Nekrataal - Can you say Nekrataal, Flooded Shoreline... Thought so :P Fallen Askari - Flanking is good Terror - Creature control is good RED Incinerate - Well duh! Kindle - Well duh! Kaervek's Torch - it'a a powerful finisher Suq'Ata Lancer - No-one expects Celerity in Blue WHITE Disenchant - Strong Gerrard's Wisdon - very deent, lovely with Card drawing Wrath of God - Nuff Said Armageddon - Nice if you gain Ophie advantage Honourable Passage - Anti-Red GREEN Eladamri's Vineyard - Buyback Rootwalla (I love this card :P) Pygmy Hippo- Buyback Maro - With all that card drawing? Beat it And the final part. For those without enough brains to work it out for themselves. Some nice ways to beat baby Blue Karoo Meerkat Scragnoth City of Solitude Cursed Totem Cursed Scroll - Comes out turn 1... Hard to counter Disrupting Scepter Abeyance Armageddon The Colour Specific stuff (Choke, Boil and Pyroblast are juicy) Terror/Nekrataal Necropotence Heavy Burn - They can't expect to counter it all Mana Web Humility
I know that list is far from exhaustive, the harder to spot ones I left out
for the most part... So go work them out for yourself.
Ok and that's it. I hope this has conveyed my opinions on Big Blue accross
to you, if you have any queries e-mail me at alexmurison@hotmail.com
Alex Murison, MadEntity on IRC