Unleash the Menace: A Comprehensive Guide to Dominating with Menace in Magic: The Gathering

Menace. It’s a simple keyword ability in Magic: The Gathering, but its impact on the game can be surprisingly profound. Often underestimated, Menace can be the key to pushing through damage, breaking stalemates, and ultimately securing victory. This comprehensive guide will delve into the intricacies of Menace, exploring its rules, strategic applications, deckbuilding considerations, and common interactions. Whether you’re a seasoned player or a newcomer looking to enhance your gameplay, this guide will equip you with the knowledge to effectively wield the power of Menace.

## What is Menace?

At its core, Menace is an evasion ability. A creature with Menace can’t be blocked except by two or more creatures. This seemingly simple rule has significant implications for combat.

**Official Rule Text:**

* “This creature can’t be blocked except by two or more creatures.”

This means that a creature with Menace can reliably attack past single blockers. Your opponent must commit at least two creatures to defend against a single Menace attacker, opening up opportunities for favorable trades or direct damage to your opponent’s life total.

## Understanding the Mechanics

Before diving into strategy, it’s crucial to fully grasp the mechanics of Menace.

* **Blocking Requirements:** The key is that *two or more* creatures are required to block a creature with Menace. A single blocker is simply insufficient.
* **Multiple Menace Creatures:** If you attack with multiple creatures with Menace, your opponent needs at least two blockers *for each* creature. This can quickly overwhelm their defenses.
* **Choosing Blockers:** The defending player chooses which creatures will block which attackers. This is an important strategic consideration for both attackers and defenders.
* **Blocking Order:** If two or more creatures block a creature with Menace, the attacking player assigns combat damage to those blockers in an order of their choice. This allows the attacker to potentially destroy one blocker and deal combat damage to another, if the attacking creature has sufficient power.
* **First Strike and Double Strike:** Creatures with First Strike or Double Strike can significantly impact combat involving Menace. A First Strike creature with Menace might be able to take out one blocker before the other blocker can deal damage. Double Strike allows a creature to deal combat damage twice, potentially eliminating both blockers.

## Strategic Applications of Menace

Menace shines in several strategic scenarios:

* **Breaking Stalemates:** When the board is clogged with creatures, Menace can provide a crucial advantage. It allows you to force your opponent to overcommit blockers, opening up avenues for attack with your other creatures.
* **Pushing Through Damage:** Menace ensures that at least some damage gets through to your opponent each turn, even if they have creatures to defend. This consistent pressure can gradually whittle down their life total.
* **Favorable Trades:** You can use Menace to force unfavorable trades for your opponent. They might have to sacrifice valuable creatures to block a Menace attacker, giving you a card advantage.
* **Exploiting Weak Defenses:** If your opponent has few creatures or their creatures are small, Menace becomes even more potent. They might be unable to effectively block your attackers, allowing you to deal significant damage.
* **Combat Tricks:** Combining Menace with combat tricks can create devastating plays. Imagine attacking with a creature with Menace and then casting a pump spell to increase its power. Your opponent might be forced to block with multiple creatures, only to have them destroyed by the pumped-up attacker.

## Deckbuilding with Menace

When building a deck around Menace, consider the following factors:

* **Creature Density:** A Menace-focused deck typically needs a high density of creatures with Menace or ways to grant Menace to your creatures. This ensures that you consistently have attackers that are difficult to block.
* **Aggressive Curve:** Menace is best suited for aggressive strategies. Your deck should have a low mana curve, allowing you to deploy creatures quickly and start attacking early in the game.
* **Pump Spells:** Combat tricks that increase a creature’s power and toughness are excellent additions to a Menace deck. They can help you win combat and push through even more damage.
* **Removal Spells:** Removal spells are important for clearing the way for your Menace attackers. Removing key blockers can make it much easier to deal damage.
* **Evasion Synergies:** Consider including other evasion abilities like Flying, Trample, or Unblockable to further enhance your attackers’ ability to get through defenses.
* **Card Draw:** As an aggressive strategy, it is important to maintain your hand. Card draw lets you keep pressure on and keeps resources flowing.

## Colors for Menace Decks

While Menace can be found in various colors, some colors are particularly well-suited for building Menace decks:

* **Red:** Red is a natural fit for Menace, as it’s the color of aggression and combat tricks. Red also features numerous creatures with Menace.
* **Black:** Black offers a combination of Menace creatures, removal spells, and discard effects, making it a strong choice for a more controlling Menace deck.
* **Green:** Green provides creatures with Trample, which combines well with Menace. The deck will have some difficulty getting started however.
* **Rakdos (Red/Black):** Rakdos is a powerful combination for a Menace deck. It combines the aggressive nature of Red with the removal and disruption of Black, creating a versatile and potent strategy.
* **Mono-Red:** Mono-red is the most aggressive strategy, featuring fast creatures and burn spells. It will either win fast or not at all.

## Example Decklists

Here are a couple of example decklists showcasing how to build around Menace. These are just starting points, and you can customize them to fit your own playstyle and card pool.

**Example 1: Rakdos Menace Aggro (Standard)**

* **Creatures (24):**
* 4x Bloodthirsty Adversary
* 4x Voldaren Epicure
* 4x Cemetery Gatekeeper
* 4x Tenacious Underdog
* 4x Rakdos Shredder
* 4x Kroxa, Titan of Death’s Hunger

* **Spells (12):**
* 4x Lightning Bolt
* 4x Cut Down
* 4x Infernal Grasp

* **Lands (24):**
* 4x Haunted Ridge
* 4x Blood Crypt
* 8x Swamp
* 8x Mountain

**Sideboard:**

* 2x Duress
* 3x Go for the Throat
* 4x Rending Volley
* 4x Unlicensed Hearse
* 2x Kolaghan’s Command

**Explanation:** This deck aims to overwhelm the opponent with early Menace creatures like Voldaren Epicure and Cemetery Gatekeeper, backed up by removal spells like Cut Down and Infernal Grasp. Bloodthirsty Adversary and Kroxa provide mid-game threats, while Tenacious Underdog offers resilience. Kroxa discards cards to get your opponent into top deck mode so they can be eliminated from the game.

**Example 2: Mono-Red Menace Burn (Pioneer)**

* **Creatures (22):**
* 4x Monastery Swiftspear
* 4x Soul-Scar Mage
* 4x Goblin Guide
* 4x Ghitu Lavarunner
* 4x Anax, Hardened in the Forge
* 2x Bonecrusher Giant

* **Spells (14):**
* 4x Lightning Bolt
* 4x Play with Fire
* 4x Wizard’s Lightning
* 2x Roil Eruption

* **Lands (24):**
* 24x Mountain

**Sideboard:**
* 3x Rending Volley
* 4x Eidolon of the Great Revel
* 4x Rampaging Ferocidon
* 4x Skullcrack

**Explanation:** This deck focuses on early aggression with creatures like Monastery Swiftspear and Goblin Guide, backed up by burn spells like Lightning Bolt and Play with Fire. Anax, Hardened in the Forge, provides a mid-game threat, and Bonecrusher Giant offers both a creature and a removal spell.

## Common Interactions and Considerations

Understanding how Menace interacts with other cards and abilities is crucial for maximizing its effectiveness.

* **Deathtouch:** Deathtouch combines powerfully with Menace. If a creature with Menace and Deathtouch is blocked by two creatures, the attacker only needs to assign 1 damage to each blocker to destroy them both.
* **Indestructible:** Indestructible blockers can be problematic for Menace decks, as they can block without fear of being destroyed. Removal spells that exile or sacrifice creatures are effective against Indestructible blockers.
* **Hexproof:** Hexproof creatures cannot be targeted by your spells or abilities, including pump spells. This can make it difficult to enhance your Menace attackers in combat. However, Menace itself still forces the opponent to block with two or more creatures.
* **Go-Wide Strategies:** Decks that flood the board with numerous small creatures can effectively block Menace attackers. In this scenario, you need to focus on removal spells or find ways to give your creatures Trample.
* **Pacifism Effects:** Auras that prevent a creature from attacking or blocking, such as Pacifism, completely negate the effectiveness of Menace. Removal spells are essential for dealing with these effects.
* **Enchantments and Artifacts:** There are certain artifacts and enchantments that grant abilities to creatures. Examples are Rancor which grants trample, and shadowspear which grants trample and lifelink to creatures.

## Advanced Tactics

Once you’ve mastered the basics of Menace, you can start exploring more advanced tactics.

* **Baiting Blockers:** Sometimes, it’s advantageous to attack with a Menace creature even if you know it will be blocked. This can force your opponent to overcommit blockers, leaving them vulnerable to attacks from your other creatures.
* **Calculated Risks:** In some situations, it might be worth taking a risk and attacking with a Menace creature even if you’re not sure if you can win the combat. The potential reward of dealing damage to your opponent’s life total might outweigh the risk of losing a creature.
* **Reading Your Opponent:** Pay attention to your opponent’s mana, hand size, and board state to anticipate their potential blocks and plays. This will help you make informed decisions about when to attack and which creatures to use.
* **Adapting to the Meta:** The metagame, or the popular decks being played, can significantly impact the effectiveness of Menace. Be prepared to adjust your deck and strategy to counter the prevalent decks in your local metagame.

## Conclusion

Menace is a versatile and powerful ability that can significantly enhance your Magic: The Gathering gameplay. By understanding its mechanics, strategic applications, and interactions with other cards, you can effectively wield the power of Menace to dominate your opponents. Whether you’re building a dedicated Menace deck or simply incorporating Menace creatures into your existing strategies, this guide has provided you with the knowledge and tools to unleash the Menace and conquer the battlefield. Now go forth and Menace your way to victory!

Remember to continuously adapt your strategy and deck based on your local meta. Good luck, and have fun Menacing!