2nd Letter 5th Vowel: The Deck Inspired by Hip-Hop Artist, Ian Kelly

The best Five Mics decks aren't random. They're intentional. Focused. Two, three steps ahead of the competition. That's how Oakland MC, Ian Kelly, raps over beats. And that's exactly how this deck plays in battle.

The team here at Five Mics Studios were inspired to cook up a deck that captures the same vibe as when you're listening to Ian Kelly while driving down the 880.

2nd Letter 5th Vowel, named after Ian Kelly's slogan, is a pure Chill deck built around his Super Rare Artist card, which you can find in The Genesis booster box - or at one of his shows!

Ian Kelly is one of 5 real hip-hop artists inside the Five Mics Universe, debuting in our first booster box, The Genesis. If you don't have his card yet, this deck breakdown will show why you need his card today.

Ian Kelly's Superpower: Enhanced Vision

When you listen to Ian Kelly, it's evident that his superpower is Enhanced Vision. When he's rapping, it's like he's peering through a whole other plane - seeing rhyme schemes and wordplay the rest of us wouldn't catch.

In Five Mics, this translates into one of the most defensive abilities in the game. Here's how his ability reads: Protect. Cut 2 for each opposing artist. End: Heal 2 if you took 0 damage this round. Let's break that down.

First: Protect means Ian Kelly can't get jumped (be attacked by more than 1 artist at a time).

Second: With Ian Kelly, the damage you take from Opp decreases the more opposing artists are in play. A full stage (5 artists in play) for your Opp means you're cutting 10 damage - making your health nearly untouchable.

Third: If you take zero damage at the end of your Round (which you probably will with how much he's cutting), you "Heal 2" (shuffle the bottom 2 cards from your dirt back into your deck). Combined with a strong 6 DEF, and you healing becomes pretty bankable.

Deck Synergy: Cycle, Diffuse, Heal

With Ian Kelly at the center, every other card works in harmony to increase your deck's staying power.

Ran Outta OJ allows you to cycle through your deck as well as invest +1 bag for future rounds. Yeah, you discard cards from your hand — but that's not a loss for you. That's setup. With how much this deck heals, you know you'll get those cards back.

Discard 2, then heal 2 at the end of the round with Ian Kelly holding the line. That's the cycle. It's efficient. It's clean. It works.

While you have a couple ways in the deck to power-up Ian Kelly's ATK - e.g. give him a Flower or two - the deck's real co-star is Fumes In The Air.

A staple in many Chill decks, Fumes In The Air lowers the ATK and DEF of all opposing artists by -1. Not just one opposing artist. ALL opposing artists.

This ability opens up the whole stage, allowing for the other friendly artists on your rosters to battle above their weight class. This allows frees up Ian Kelly to do what he does best: protect your peace while you build towards that eventual "W".

Why This Deck Works in the Five Mics Meta

2nd Letter 5th Vowel works because every card plays a part. While Ian Kelly is the star, the other cards bring you to victory. The cost curve is tight. You've got ways to reup, invest, heal, and disrupt your Opp without ever losing sight of the finish line.

You're not gambling on one card to win it for you. You're playing methodical. You're staying two steps ahead. Never overextending or stretched too thin. Keeping control of the tempo from beginning to end.

Check out the 2nd Letter 5th Vowel deck on Five Mics Central to see the full cards list and get the deck yourself!

Also, listen to Ian Kelly in our Five Mics: The Hip-Hop TCG Official Soundtrack!