MTG Salvation

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DECK ORIGINSDECK CREATIONDECK ARCHETYPEDECK THEMESDECK STRATEGYDECK STATS CHANGE LOG

Reserved.

Hey there! Glad you liked my build. I think you are headed in the right direction with yours, but I have a few suggestions.

I feel you are too heavy on the stax cards. In my experience stax actually isn't a very viable strategy in multiplayer for the simple reason that you'll get hated out in subsequent games. People don't like not being able to play their decks. Aurelia can't handle the heat that a blue deck might be able to. I would downsize the stax theme considerably keeping things like Cataclysm, Winter Orb, Armageddon, and Stranglehold that are efficiently costed and/or tutorable. You'll also discover over time that having too many stax cards is less than ideal because they are very situational. You'll often find yourself in a spot where they aren't the best thing to put down, being dead weight in your hand.

The second issue I'm seeing is your lack of a draw engine. Mind's Eye and Wheel of Fortune aren't enough. Lack of card advantage is the biggest weakness of Boros IMO. The only real answer here is Skullclamp and maybe Mask of Memory. In more competitive circles you'll quickly notice your lack of card draw. Once your board is wiped you're pretty much done, forced to top deck for the rest of the game. You'll be looking for answers. I largely built Warclamp around Skullclamp for this reason, hence the token subtheme. Token armies are also a pretty good way to re-establish your board position after a wrath. With things like Purphoros, God of the Forge, and Sublime Archangel, things can get pretty crazy.

Additionally, Breath of Fury has become a reliable win condition with this strategy. It's tutorable, and able to kill people without even going infinite. Along this same vein, Splinter Twin does similar things.

The best token makers in Boros are: Hero of Bladehold, Monastery Mentor, Krenko, Mob Boss, Goblin Rabblemaster, Brimaz, King of Oreskos, and Emeria Angel. What do these all have in common? They are aggressively costed creatures that produce creature tokens for free. Preference is given to creatures that combo with Breath of Fury for infinite damage/tokens/combat phases.

A card that I'm giving a a good run is Shivan Harvest. Works well with tokens. It's less hated than some of the more iconic stax cards but still gives you the ability to keep your opponents under control.

You are relying pretty heavily on Aurelia. After she get's knocked out a few times, 10 or 12 mana is a lot to recast her. Boros has a pretty hard time getting those kind of numbers. Since a lot of your mana makers are creatures, they are likely be nuked by a wrath along with Aurelia which is why I've avoided them. I don't think this glass cannon approach is the most ideal strategy with her. I find she is best cast when you already have a solid board, putting things like Sword of the Animist and Krenko, Mob Boss into overdrive.


It's pretty much impossible to do Boros without an equipment theme. You are well on your way but you are missing Stoneforge Mystic, Puresteel Paladin, Sword of the Animist, and Umezawa's Jitte all of which I think are well worth the slots. I also like Blade of Selves and the new Open the Armory (also tutors Grasp of Fate, Breath of Fury, and Splinter Twin). Maybe the best thing about equipment is that they are harder to get rid of than creatures. Almost every deck packs creature wipes, but there are fewer artifact wipes out there. You can put down a new creature, suit up and still be a potent threat at the table.

I'm not hot on Mana Vault and friends because we have no cheaty way to untap them. They only produce colorless so their usefulness is a bit limited. They are basically a Dark Ritual in artifact form. Multiplayer is more about sustainability rather than those burst wins for the simple reason that those kind of wins are easy to shut down with cheap spot removal and counterspells. With 3 opponents your chances aren't so great of pulling that kind of thing off.

For ramp, I'm finding that things like Ashnod's Altar (there's nothing like saccing 10 tokens and killing someone with Aurelia's Fury >:P), Explorer's Scope, Paradise Mantle, Sword of the Animist, and Oath of Lieges can be really synergistic.


This is the current iteration of Warclamp as of Shadows Over Innistrad, I'm pretty happy with it.

Hi. I saw your original post on cEDH and I love the concept but after a few hours of playtesting I have to agree that while tons of fun, it isn't truely competetive. Or atleast I have not been able to make a satisfactory build. The main problem I had was not being able to find lock pieces consistently. That being said I have some suggestions from the list ive been running.

Goblin welder has proved himself to be an all star, my list runs a few more looting spells and wheels than yours as well as Hedron Archive, Lotus Petal, and Millikin. These allow me to get artifacts in the graveyard to reccur with welder allowing me to use my mana rocks like grim monolith and mana vault multiplr times. He gets even more ridiculous when you have aurelia out. He also generates much needed card draw when coupled with Hedron Archive and Mindstone.

Imperial recruiter is great, finding both welder and Horoki

I would suggest leaning more towards land destruction. Try including Ravages of War, Catastrophe, Boom//Bust, and Impending Destruction.

Your deck in its current form is way to expensive and bulky. I would suggest cutting the more expensive cards. Along this vein Stonehewer Giant should become Stoneforge Mystic and Champions Helm should become Lightning Greaves.

Finally, tax effects such as Magus of the Tabernacle, Thalia, and others would fit in well.

Love the deck. Im going to continue to try to make it as competetive as possible. Here's an almost up-to-date list of mine http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/aurelia-winters-flame-copy/

Quote from Rowan »

I feel you are too heavy on the stax cards. In my experience stax actually isn't a very viable strategy in multiplayer for the simple reason that you'll get hated out in subsequent games. People don't like not being able to play their decks. Aurelia can't handle the heat that a blue deck might be able to. I would downsize the stax theme considerably keeping things like Cataclysm, Winter Orb, Armageddon, and Stranglehold that are efficiently costed and/or tutorable. You'll also discover over time that having too many stax cards is less than ideal because they are very situational. You'll often find yourself in a spot where they aren't the best thing to put down, being dead weight in your hand.

I think you and I play in very different metas.

Quote from Rowan »

The second issue I'm seeing is your lack of a draw engine. Mind's Eye and Wheel of Fortune aren't enough. Lack of card advantage is the biggest weakness of Boros IMO. The only real answer here is Skullclamp and maybe Mask of Memory. In more competitive circles you'll quickly notice your lack of card draw. Once your board is wiped you're pretty much done, forced to top deck for the rest of the game. You'll be looking for answers. I largely built Warclamp around Skullclamp for this reason, hence the token subtheme. Token armies are also a pretty good way to re-establish your board position after a wrath. With things like Purphoros, God of the Forge, and Sublime Archangel, things can get pretty crazy.

What's your game plan when Skullclamp and/or Mask of Memory is exiled or destroyed?

Quote from Rowan »

Additionally, Breath of Fury has become a reliable win condition with this strategy. It's tutorable, and able to kill people without even going infinite. Along this same vein, Splinter Twin does similar things.

Hmmm, I might just investigate this. However, I'm much more likely to look into adding an Elspeth or two with Skullclamp first.

Quote from Rowan »

The best token makers in Boros are: Hero of Bladehold, Monastery Mentor, Krenko, Mob Boss, Goblin Rabblemaster, Brimaz, King of Oreskos, and Emeria Angel. What do these all have in common? They are aggressively costed creatures that produce creature tokens for free. Preference is given to creatures that combo with Breath of Fury for infinite damage/tokens/combat phases.

I prefer token producers that aren't so easily wiped. Breath of Fury looks interesting, too. I like that it's searchable.

Quote from Rowan »

A card that I'm giving a a good run is Shivan Harvest. Works well with tokens. It's less hated than some of the more iconic stax cards but still gives you the ability to keep your opponents under control.

I don't want to be overly dependent on tokens.

Quote from Rowan »

You are relying pretty heavily on Aurelia. After she get's knocked out a few times, 10 or 12 mana is a lot to recast her. Boros has a pretty hard time getting those kind of numbers. Since a lot of your mana makers are creatures, they are likely be nuked by a wrath along with Aurelia which is why I've avoided them. I don't think this glass cannon approach is the most ideal strategy with her. I find she is best cast when you already have a solid board, putting things like Sword of the Animist and Krenko, Mob Boss into overdrive.

I think, in addition to different metas, you and I have different playstyles. I'm in no haste to play my commanders. I wait until the chance of them being knocked out is minimal.

Quote from Rowan »

It's pretty much impossible to do Boros without an equipment theme. You are well on your way but you are missing Stoneforge Mystic, Puresteel Paladin, Sword of the Animist, and Umezawa's Jitte all of which I think are well worth the slots. I also like Blade of Selves and the new Open the Armory (also tutors Grasp of Fate, Breath of Fury, and Splinter Twin). Maybe the best thing about equipment is that they are harder to get rid of than creatures. Almost every deck packs creature wipes, but there are fewer artifact wipes out there. You can put down a new creature, suit up and still be a potent threat at the table.

This isn't an equipment deck. This is a Stax deck.

Quote from Rowan »

I'm not hot on Mana Vault and friends because we have no cheaty way to untap them. They only produce colorless so their usefulness is a bit limited. They are basically a Dark Ritual in artifact form. Multiplayer is more about sustainability rather than those burst wins for the simple reason that those kind of wins are easy to shut down with cheap spot removal and counterspells. With 3 opponents your chances aren't so great of pulling that kind of thing off.

Have you met Clock of Omens? Regardless, games are often won thanks to bursts of mana, and they're often won by turn five. (Games in general, not necessarily games with this deck.)

Quote from Rowan »

For ramp, I'm finding that things like Ashnod's Altar (there's nothing like saccing 10 tokens and killing someone with Aurelia's Fury >:P), Explorer's Scope, Paradise Mantle, Sword of the Animist, and Oath of Lieges can be really synergistic.

I've considered Aurelia's Fury, but it's not cheaply searchable and it really wants infinite mana.

Quote from Rowan »

This is the current iteration of Warclamp as of Shadows Over Innistrad, I'm pretty happy with it.

WARCLAMPMagic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards
1 Aurelia, the Warleader DAMAGE MULTIPLIER/INFINITE 1 Breath of Fury Equipment 1 Argentum Armor 1 Lightning Greaves 1 Sword of Feast and Famine 1 Sword of Fire and Ice 1 Sword of War and Peace 1 Sword of the Animist 1 Umezawa's Jitte RAMP 1 Mana Crypt ($$$) 1 Sol Ring 1 Paradise Mantle 1 Oath of Lieges 1 Pearl Medallion 1 Boros Signet 1 Knight of the White Orchid 1 Ashnod's Altar 1 Worn Powerstone 1 Coalition Relic 1 Explorer's Scope 1 Thran Dynamo LANDS Basics 4 Mountain 5 Plains Duals 1 Command Tower 1 Cavern of Souls ($) 1 Reflecting Pool 1 Clifftop Retreat 1 Sacred Foundry 1 Plateau ($$$) 1 Battlefield Forge 1 Rugged Prairie	Fetches ($$$) 1 Arid Mesa 1 Bloodstained Mire 1 Scalding Tarn 1 Wooded Foothills 1 Marsh Flats 1 Windswept Heath Land Hate 1 Strip Mine 1 Dust Bowl 1 Wasteland ($$) Other Nonbasics 1 Buried Ruin 1 Flagstones of Trokair 1 Ancient Tomb ($) 1 Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion 1 Hall of the Bandit Lord Cycling 1 Secluded Steppe 1 Drifting Meadow 1 Forgotten Cave 1 Smoldering Crater CREATURES Token Makers 1 Goblin Rabblemaster 1 Hero of Bladehold 1 Monastery Mentor 1 Brimaz, King of Oreskos ($) 1 Krenko, Mob Boss 1 Emeria Angel Face Smashers 1 Sublime Archangel 1 Purphoros, God of the Forge TUTORS 1 Enlightened Tutor ($) 1 Quest for the Holy Relic 1 Land Tax ($) 1 Weathered Wayfarer 1 Stoneforge Mystic ($$) 1 Steelshaper's Gift 1 Goblin Matron 1 Imperial Recruiter ($$$$) 1 Open the Armory 1 Idyllic Tutor 1 Stonehewer Giant	RECURSION 1 Goblin Welder 1 Crucible of Worlds 1 Sun Titan REMOVAL/CONTROL 1 Swords to Plowshares 1 Path to Exile 1 Grand Abolisher 1 Wear // Tear 1 Grasp of Fate 1 Retribution of the Meek 1 Austere Command 1 Aurelia's Fury 1 Terminus MANA DENIAL (AKA NUCLEAR WEAPONS) 1 Armageddon 1 Cataclysm ($) 1 Winter Orb 1 Shivan Harvest EVASION 1 Legion Loyalist 1 Iroas, God of Victory 1 Mother of Runes CARD ADVANTAGE 1 Skullclamp 1 Nahiri, the Harbinger 1 Mentor of the Meek 1 Puresteel Paladin 1 Mind's Eye

I dig your use of Shivan Harvest. If I go in a more token-focused direction, I'll revisit that and Skullclamp.

Quote from waxiz1 »

Hi. I saw your original post on cEDH and I love the concept but after a few hours of playtesting I have to agree that while tons of fun, it isn't truely competetive. Or atleast I have not been able to make a satisfactory build. The main problem I had was not being able to find lock pieces consistently.

I made a few changes to the deck list.

Quote from waxiz1 »

Goblin welder has proved himself to be an all star, my list runs a few more looting spells and wheels than yours as well as Hedron Archive, Lotus Petal, and Millikin. These allow me to get artifacts in the graveyard to reccur with welder allowing me to use my mana rocks like grim monolith and mana vault multiplr times. He gets even more ridiculous when you have aurelia out. He also generates much needed card draw when coupled with Hedron Archive and Mindstone.

Goblin Welder seems strong, but it also requires support.

Quote from waxiz1 »

I would suggest leaning more towards land destruction. Try including Ravages of War, Catastrophe, Boom//Bust, and Impending Destruction.

See the change log in the original post (or in this one).

Quote from waxiz1 »

Your deck in its current form is way to expensive and bulky. I would suggest cutting the more expensive cards. Along this vein Stonehewer Giant should become Stoneforge Mystic and Champions Helm should become Lightning Greaves.

Huh. Originally, the curve was 2.75; currently, it's 2.88. I've never been a fan of Stoneforge Mystic. As for Lightning Greaves, I don't want to miss opportunities to equip Aurelia with something else.

Quote from waxiz1 »

Finally, tax effects such as Magus of the Tabernacle, Thalia, and others would fit in well.

I'll consider Thalia.

Quote from waxiz1 »

Love the deck. Im going to continue to try to make it as competetive as possible. Here's an almost up-to-date list of mine http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/aurelia-winters-flame-copy/

Once I determine a good threat density for the deck, I'll explore various avenues to capitalize on the central concept of Aurelia untapping creatures in a wintry land frozen solid.

Thanks for the feedback, everyone!

ADDED
1x Tragic Arrogance (not quite Cataclysm, but close)
1x Razia's Purification (see above)
1x Catastrophe (worth the mana cost)
1x Wild Guess (wanted more draw)
1x Reforge the Soul (see above)

REMOVED
1x Aggravated Assault (yes, it can go infinite, but requires more setup than I currently have patience for)
1x Blind Obedience (merely a delay tactic)
1x Kismet (see above)
1x War's Toll (works BEAUTIFULLY with Static Orb and Winter Orb, but does little on its own)
1x Aura of Silence (works against a LOT of decks, but then again, so does actual mass land removal)

Rowan: That's the best Boros build I've seen. But it's a severe underdog in any competitive meta. If you're not able to win by turn 3, you've got to have a plan to slow down your opponents. A tax package combined with other stax elements to buy time and protect your board is a necessity. I like your token theme; it fits nicely with a tax/stax package. Breath of Fury as a finisher should work. To tweak it I would focus on a faster start and bump up your draw/filter elements.

Quote from Swift2210 »

Rowan: If you're not able to win by turn 3, you've got to have a plan to slow down your opponents.

This is so true. I'm still figuring out a good balance between hindering opponents and advancing my own strategy with this deck. I'm not there yet. The following changes focus on my central concept of using Aurelia to untap mana dorks, and decreasing the number of times I need to swing with her to take out opponents. Considering Grafted Exoskeleton, but concerned about the risk. Also thinking about slotting in Containment Priest.

ADDED
1x Alloy Myr (to use with commander)
1x Opaline Unicorn (see above)
1x Scuttlemutt (see above)
1x Sword of War and Peace (see above)
1x Fireshrieker (see above)
1x Inquisitor's Flail (see above)

REMOVED
1x Mana Web (not hateful enough)
1x Darksteel Plate (doesn't speed up clock)
1x Basalt Monolith (not fast enough)
1x Tragic Arrogance (high mana cost)
1x Reforge the Soul (see above)
1x Ruination (this will probably go back in)

More testing, more changes:

ADDED
Boom // Bust (worth it, despite high mana cost)
Reforge the Soul (worth it, despite high mana cost)
Spirit of the Labyrinth (I was really resistant to this one at first…)
Ruination (yep, it's back in)
Expedition Map (will always work)

REMOVED
Opaline Unicorn (costs 3)
Alloy Myr (see aobve)
Scuttlemutt (see above)
Chandra, Pyromaster (not worth it for potentially one-shot effect)
Weathered Wayfarer (won't always work)

A common critique of is that other colors outdraw it easily. This is why I was resistant to Spirit of the Labyrinth for so long, thinking, "Why would I sacrifice the card draw I do have available to me, like Wheel effects?" However, someone over at reddit's competitive EDH forum pointed out that Spirit plus Wheel of Fortune forces everyone into topdeck mode. Logical consistency is important to me, and I believe in playing to 's strengths. That also means acknowledging that the probability of benefitting more from less than a handful of Wheel effects is likely a lot lower than the probability of 's opponents being hindered by Spirit of the Labyrinth.

However, one can't always expect to draw into or be able to tutor for Spirit of the Labyrinth. For that reason, I put Reforge the Soul back in. However, given that has several hateful enchantments that can slow down opponents, I'm considering Academy Rector.