Your list looks pretty good. One thing I would seriously recommend is finding room for the 4th Wrench Mind and one more swamp. I would even swap a Blightning For the wrench mind.
Otherwise it looks good. I definitely love the inclusion of Murderous Cut. It's exceptional.
Agree with Acc95 on the 4th Wrench Mind. Even with sideboarding out discard against certain matches, it's one of the last to get pulled. Our 2cmc slot is light, and it's early delivery is brutal. And, late game, it still gets them to drop sandbagged land.
I agree with Smashpacman that destructive revelry seems to be everywhere. I liked it a lot more when that slot was inhabited by Ancient Grudge, and it blanked against enchantments like Affliction and Vampiric Link. I haven't seen anyone else trying this in their sideboard. It looks hokey, but I've been really pleased with how it performs: It's turn 1 shut down, the bomb against eidolon of the great revel, and if there isn't a target on their side, just slap it on one of your tanks. Very adaptable.
Anyone else toying with the sweeper counts and types? In the high curve Blitzkrieg deck, we're choosing between Damnation, Languish, and Consuming Vapors. We aren't looking towards a main deck damnation, are we?? The heavy creature builds out there (I'm looking at you green) can cause trouble to the point where we are being put on our heels. We definitely prefer to face spell-oriented builds.
@Amarynn - the tricoatsage addressing himself was actually a quote code error from the post above it. Please try to stay helpful.
As to the dragon theme, is interesting. Not much time this week to reflect on it and post anything constructive regarding the build, but I'd be curious if it's disruptive enough to land dragons in a competitive environment.
There's strong Dragon theme and I realize it might hinder the deck's potential but I already own a competitive Modern deck so I'm okay with that.
Basically here to ask for the veterans (Raystack,smashpacman , FrenchFryNinja ... etc) and other experienced Blitzkrieg players for their opinions and ways to improve the deck while not altering the Dragon theme.
Hello Amarynn, welcome to the thread. Nice Dragon Blitz there, I think I like the idea and it'd be great if you keep us informed about how your testing goes. It would be cool to have yet another viable option. I actually tested your build, so be sure that my opinions and suggestions aren't just theoretical.
Mana base: it's pretty solid. Although an opener with Haven of the Spirit Dragon slows the deck a turn and seeing 2 means a mulligan, which happened only once. From now on, I'll consider it a colorless mana source, since it weakens your early plays and by the time you start casting dragons (T4 and on) you should already have met the mana requirements anyway, even without the Havens. The recursion is a nice bonus though, so I'd cut 2 Havens to complete the Blackcleave Cliffs set, which let you have an easier time casting a T2 Wrench Mind. Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth seems unnecesary too, so I suggest you swap it with a 2nd mountain to achieve T4 RR more consistently, basically for Regent, Sowing Salt and Shatterstorm.
Card choices:Thunderbreak Regent is a decent choice for a T4 threat, within the dragon theme, instead of Phyrexian Obliterator. I'd move both Thundermaw Hellkite and Stormbreath Dragon to the SB, as I feel they're threats that shine against narrow situations. Also, having all 7 MD makes the build cluncky, when you'll usually need 1-2 to take over the game. Dragonmaster Outcast is a cool spicy 1-of, good call. I understand the lack of Rack/Affliction too. However, the glaring absence of Liliana of the Veil troubles me. Is this due to budget reasons? If not, you should try her out. The amount of games she wins by herself is insane and the edict effect is always helpful. The only problem I have with your deck is Kargan Dragonlord: not a dragon, doesn't make dragons, and the mana investment it requires to do something is awful. I don't see any upside at all. You could, as FrenchFryNinja suggests, run more disruption instead: 2-3 Thoughtseize for example. Also, I like your sideboard a lot! Specifically, Foul-Tongue Invocation against Burn was huge. I think you could get rid of Outpost Siege and Fulminator Mage in order to fit Hellkite and Stormbreath in, if you decide to try them in your SB. I hope this helps man ^^ keep it up
Hey folks, just wanted to share a little bit of wisdom for those of you working within a budget: Card Kingdom!
I scoured my collection for unwanted bulk rares and uncommons, and in doing so I've drummed up enough store credit to buy Blood Moons and finish out the manabase for this deck. So stoked! Highly recommended if you aren't excited about laying down big bills to jump into this archetype.
On a related note, I'm up to 3 Dark Confidants (trading on PucaTrade); this deck will be finished within a few weeks
edit: I noticed on an earlier page that someone suggested using Rise/Fall for the pseudo-Hymn effect. Is this card included in anyone's SB? I can easily see it performing better than Wrench Mind against Affinity
Hello all. This is my very first post on mtgsalvation. I have been following this thread for quite some time. Having picked up 4 Phyrexian Obliterator, I wanted to find a home for them. For the past month or so, I have been messing around with Young Pyromancer in the build. It works well with the number of spells we have, and is a target for those removal spells that might find Obliterator later. Last night I played a 20 person FNM and ended up 3-1-1 for a 3rd place finish.
Round 1 - (2-0) against UW Control
Not the best UW control deck to play against, but it had a ton of mass removal. Game 2 I brought in Pithing Needle and named celestial colonnade. Then I played Sadistic Sacrament and pulled out his win cons.
Round 3 - (2-0) UGR Infect
Opponent was a newer modern player. Discard and the beats with Young Pyromancer got me games one. Game two he was stuck on one land and targeted discard kept his hand clear of threats.
Round 4 - (2-0) Jund
This player had all the tier 1 Jund cards.
Game 1: Opponent mulliganed and I hit him with discard, then Gurmag Angler into Phyrexian Obliterator made him scoop.
Game 2: Fast discard and a Shrieking Affliction along with his own Dark Confidant sealed his fate.
This was a VERY fast round, maybe 20 minutes max.
Round 5 - (1-2) UR Twin
Game 1: Got a win off of discard and obliterator.
Game 2: I mulled to 4! 3 lands and a Wrench Mind. He killed me with a couple of Snapcaster Mages.
Game 3: I mulled to 6. Eventually started playing Obliterators into counterspells because he had Keranos on board. He comboed out while I had a terminate in hand, but not the untapped mana to cast it.
Overall I think in went well. I really liked having Sadistic Sacrament in the board. Lets be pick through people's decks and take out win cons from control/tron/twin.
Any advice from you all? I am thinking of playing this at the SCG Charlotte Open next weekend.
All of those 1-ofs ! Wow, how often did you find what you needed after SB? I really dig Sadistic Sacrament as well, but I'd consider a few Slaughter Games instead (Sac can still be countered).
More so in Magic than in any other area of my life, I enjoy being...wrong. It happens a lot. Cards get dismissed as crap, and then you find out that Kolaghan's Command is actually a good card. Has it happened again? Is Young Pyromancer that next card? Has Musketbill revealed the err in my thinking. I don't know, but I like the cut of this new guy's jib. Welcome, Musketbill. And, for a first time post, that's some really sharp writing.
I definitely think Musket's build is worth a 2nd look: Musketbill's Novel New Deck
A 3-1-1 finish against top decks is tight. Angler & Obliterator. Faithless & Pyromancer. Sooooo....no to Sign in Blood, eh? I noticed that the land count is low, at 22, for an obliterator count of 4. But, the faithless looting can help with that. Do you find that you need that 23rd land?
Without Rix, Maadi and a 4th Blightning or Liliana, do you struggle to keep the Shrieking Affliction pressure on? The flip side of this would be that by continually laying threats you're forcing responses from your oppoent, i.e. emptying their hand. So, that works. The common wisdom with pyromancer has been (and, it has been tested in this thread) that you generally lay it last. After you've cast all your disruption spells, you put down this little slice of red-headed fury....and, then it's too late. All your trigger spells have already been played. Did you find this to the case??
You aren't running any of the outlier creature cards like Batterskull (land count stops that) and Olivia Voldaren (same story), but I can see that these guys are supplanted by Pyromancer rather nicely. As I said before about pyro, I don't like it as a mid-range beater because it doesn't have shock or awesome value. That's true, but it does have X-for-1. And, that is our gospel. Maybe....maybe I am wrong, and maybe that's a good thing.
I myself have been experimenting with a similar deck, and while I'm unsure of the fine-tuned numbers, I'll pitch in my list as it currently stands for the sake of sharing ideas. This deck, which I'd dubbed "BR Hue Hue" while muddling around with it in Theros block, evolved out of many other different decks over time, but it shares the B/R aggressive-disruptive package found here.
And now for the rationale behind it. The real catalyst to its current form was Molten Vortex, but the biggest distinction is utilizing Smallpox as the turn 2 play of choice over Wrench Mind. It began life as a "I want to play Smallpox and Blightning in the same deck, because I'm sadistic" concept. Blightning was swapped out in favor of Kolaghan's Command for the sake of Instant speed, as the discard package seems entirely healthy otherwise.
Smallpox being a key component, the creature list is very different here, with an obvious emphasis on returning them from the graveyard. Rotting Rats is a favorite of mine due to easily facilitating Gravecrawler while also snugly fitting right into the discard package. Additionally, with the mutual discards from Liliana, Smallpox, and the Rats, it's easy to see how I'm not bothered in the slightest by discarding most of my creatures. Bob is the exception, as due to the low mana curve and discard suite he's a natural fit in the deck. Even then, Kolaghan's Command offers a way to pull him back if actually necessary, though that's honestly just serendipity and not an actual plan.
The real fun starts with the mix of Molten Vortex and Ensnaring Bridge. Given Bob is around, I admit that there's some anti-synergy between it and Ensnaring Bridge, but believe that the deck's ability to dump its hand more than outpaces the extra draws. Given that half my creatures are unable to block, yet have 2 power, Ensnaring Bridge is how I control threats that end up on the board. Sure, they can play a Goyf or a Siege Rhino, but we'll see if they ever get to swing with them before I get rid of them with Liliana, Smallpox, or a cocktail of burns. Being able to hold 2 cards (say a land and a nonland) to enable my crew to attack, then empty my hand in the second main phase, is just...satisfying.
The lands are probably self-explanatory, but special mention must be made for how wonderful Blackcleave Cliffs is in a deck with a very low curve, Smallpox, and Molten Vortex. As you can see, I bias towards significantly more basic Swamps than Mountains, in case Blood Moon comes out of the sideboard.
On that note, regarding Molten Vortex: Seismic Assault may not cost mana to activate, but Molten Vortex is my choice over it all the same. It can be dropped far earlier in the game, as even with a smooth landbase RRR isn't always going to be accessible, especially with Smallpox in the picture. It also stings much less if Bob happens to hit it, and it also doesn't compete with Ensnaring Bridge for a turn 3 play. So I find it to be easily worthwhile.
The third lili in the board is very interesting, I'm also intrigued by Rotting Rats. The lack of Blightning saddens me, but I guess the Rats are supposed to fill that 3-for-1 role?
The Vortex is juicy! I also play Seismic Loam, so to see these two decks kind of merge is exciting. I wonder if 4 Vortex is too much?
There's strong Dragon theme and I realize it might hinder the deck's potential but I already own a competitive Modern deck so I'm okay with that.
Basically here to ask for the veterans (Raystack,smashpacman , FrenchFryNinja ... etc) and other experienced Blitzkrieg players for their opinions and ways to improve the deck while not altering the Dragon theme.
My immediate thought is that Liliana of the Veil is insane in this deck with Haven of the Spirit Dragon.
Kargan Dragonlord? I'd load up on more Stormbreath Dragon. Path t Exile is set to go on the rise.
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My immediate thought is that Liliana of the Veil is insane in this deck with Haven of the Spirit Dragon.
What combat tricks do you see with Haven and Liliana? Using her as a discard outlet, then use Haven to get one of your dragon creatures back to your hand? That just seems clunky.
It's not just for tricks. Liliana is an absurd card. The deck lacks discard outlets as it is running a high number of dragons, which Liliana helps with. She's also additional removal. Additionally, the scenario you mentioned will come up fairly frequently. She just helps round out the numbers in this style of deck.
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I'm not denying lili being a powerful card, I'm just not seeing what the insane combo with Haven of the Spirit Dragon is.
There's no "insane combo" lol I'm not sure why you keep saying that. I'm just pointing out that if you have an inherently powerful card, and in addition you have situational synergies, there's no real reason to not utilize the card. I'd probably run Liliana of the Veil as a three-of.
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If it was a 3/4 I would say yes but with only 3 toughness it is way to flimsy to maindeck hate (Lightning Bolt).
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The following link is an invitation to join Pucatrade (card trading service though similar to TCGPLayer). If you follow the link then it awards me with tokens to exchange for actual cards. Thanks! https://pucatrade.com/invite/gift/86097
I HAVE COME ACROSS A REALIZATION. Ensnaring Bridge is back as a real deal in Game 1 of a 3 Round Match. In today's meta, nearly all decks require attacking creatures to effect a win. I know bridge is currently perceived as highly vulnerable due to kolaghan's command (i disagree - sure, it's there, and so is qasali pridemage), but it is a damnation in perpetuity. It's not like ensnaring bridge/shrieking affliction is our only answer, but it does provide a hulk thunderclap of an answer when it hits the board against a growing horde.
Consider how widespread it's effect can be felt. Creature decks are EVERYWHERE. Why? Creatures beget more creatures - Can't beat 'em/Join 'em. Why play creature kill when the best way to kill a creature is with another creature? After all, creatures win games, whereas creature kill cards are highly subjective and vary in application and cost, and they can't 'attack your opponent'. Consider that a creature hits and creates a continuing trouble state, whereas creature kill cards must be there at the right time and place.
This is one of the reasons why I don't play a "5th" terminate. If I need an additional 1-for-1 removal spell, then it's a specialized weapon that is sitting in my sideboard (pharika's cure or hero's downfall). X-for-1 is a sweeper, and that is exactly what Ensnaring Bridge is. I know, I know it's a nonbo with (4) Phyrexian Obliterator and (1) Batterskull. But, is it? They really all do the exact same thing. They stop attackers. It just so happens that a couple of these also happen to be full-on, battle tested titans.
I started out, if you read the primer, doing the 'transformative sideboard'. It worked like a charm, since I'd be identified as some sort of 8rackdos deck: opponent's sided out creature kill & brought in artifact kill. Although, I started with bridges/artifacts, in game 2 I pulled them all out for a creature assault. I stopped this technique for 3 reasons:
A.) My local stores caught on kind of quickly to my bait and switch.
B.) Bridge wasn't as effective in the meta due to the presence of Combo, Patriot, and Twin-bounce/variants
C.) Main deck artifact kill was being seen pretty regularly
Don't get me wrong, it's still out there. But, Ancient Grudge became Destructive Revelry. So, now we don't have to worry about a discarded artifact kill card coming back to haunt us. Wait...oh, yeah. I'm only endorsing the use of Ensnaring Bridge in Game 1. O.K. scratch that. Sidenote: Destructive Revelry's prevalence has forced me to remove Vampiric Link from the SB -- soooo good against eidolon!
Anyway, here is my most current version of Blitzkrieg.
Yes, bridge is a blowout for a lot of decks game 1 (such as merfolk, etc), but with that you'd want to have mostly rack and burn win-cons main and then your creatures in the side.
Playing Ensnaring Bridge in a deck with creatures is like playing Damnation in a deck with creatures. It only makes sense when your creature complement isn't a horde. It's a select, elite guard. In my case, 5 tanks and 3 manlands. Your opponent spills his hand onto the board, while you weigh your tactical options.
For the argument against Bridge, I guess I'd just read the first 12 words of your post, Jsewell, as defense for playing bridge. You wrote,
Yes, bridge is a blowout for a lot of decks game 1
Works for me. If the bridge isn't an option, then it's tossed to a Liliana of the Veil or simply not played. It's a hedged bet. As for the contention that a lot of rack and burn spells (in game 1) are needed to support it's strategy....well, what's your measure of 'a lot'? I run 8 bolts and 3 racks, but that's not really the point. The point has to do with Liliana (and, I'm sure I don't have to tell you this) if you can make it 3 turns later, then you just knocked away half of an opponent's board. And, I may have to wait on an affliction that appears in every 20 cards in my deck, or maybe I'll smoke the bridge away with a Kommand or subsequent Liliana ultimate? Hard to say.
What I will say is that the approach you mentioned is the exact approach that Blitzkrieg avoids: Burn/Rack/Bridge. We turn our gaze towards the tank. The last thing I want to do when I've stripped an opponent's hand early on, and gained board control is slam down a bridge & start throwing my drawn cards into the wind on a Lili +1 as I await a drawn rack. I want to press for the win. That's where the monsters come in. They block like gangbusters (similar to bridge on defense) and attack with impunity (similar to a bridge on offense). Should, should, should things get out of control, then I'll consider one of the 2 solely-defensive bridges in deck as a panic button.
Shoosh, I'm sure that was much more long-winded than it needed to be. Sufficed to say that the 'bridge too far' approach which relies on a full turtle-up approach is a precarious proposition. To believe that a prison/lockdown can be a winning strategy in B/R is (for the most part) foolhardy. We win by attrition, not control.
All of the cards I ordered finally came in so this is what my deck looks like now. Sideboard needs work now, but I was thinking for the time being I could swap out creatures for burn in-between games. Haven't gotten to test and see how well that will work yet though. Also, I'm thinking of moving swiftspear to the sideboard but I'm not sure what to bring in mainboard for her. Maybe the two commands and dreadbores?
I have to agree with Raystack regarding Ensnaring Bridge. Given almost every Modern deck has some form of artifact destruction in the sideboard, there's no denying that they make for a good swap-out come game 2.
Some additional experiments have been tantalizing me lately. Smallpox is the fulcrum between my myriad iterations of this archetype, no question there. Based on unas2 and wm0's feedback, as well as other posts since, I'm re-evaluating my recursion-creatures (Bloodghast, Gravecrawler) plan. Kolaghan's Command allows for returning creatures to my hand, as mentioned, so that'll always be an option.
Unas2 mentioned Pack Rat, given the Rotting Rats package, and with a stable manabase I'd feel quite comfortable throwing in a Mutavault as well. That said, the 3-drop slot starts getting crowded.
One of the strategies that folded into my decklist above over time was a land hate strategy. That stemmed from the Treasure Cruise Being Legal period, with my rationale being that no amount of card draw could compensate for an inability to cast what was being drawn. wm0 mentioned the Assault Loam deck and potential hybridizing, and I'd also experimented with that in the past as well. Life From the Loam does so many wonderful things it's hard to list them, although those familiar with it surely know entirely well. If I were to splash G, it'd be for Loam first and foremost, no question.
Stepping back from my endless tinkering, what are my goals? The "Disruptive Aggro" B/R approach of Blitzkrieg, Smallpox being the play of choice on turn 2, and maintaining the fast-paced onslaught. With Battle for Zendikar spoilers imminent, it may be best to pause. That said, given my notion of land destruction, with the previewed mechanic of Awaken alongside promises for rare lands that aren't the previous Zendikar fetches, the metagame may end up shifting position for me. Prowess as an evergreen keyword is also promising for any Red deck that casts a lot of spells.
That all said, I'll pitch in a few cards I've analyzed for playing. I'm unsure of which specific ones to use, but I can certainly weigh options.
Howltooth Hollow: This could be stupid fun if the idea of mutual discard was pursued, such as with something like Delirium Skeins, as getting both hands emptied out is feasible, especially against decks like Affinity that want to dump everything onto the field as soon as possible. I'm not sold on the idea, and rather than stupid fun, it'd likely be just stupid too often. Still, if there was ever a completely ridiculous variant for this archetype, spitting out an Obliterator when both players have nothing to cast would probably factor into it.
Hellspark Elemental: Repeatedly tempts me. Rotting Rats demonstrated that Unearth and discard play well, as does Smallpox. Having a Hellspark Elemental attacking and then being fed to Smallpox in the second main phase would fill me with joy. However, the "Lightning Bolt vs. Terminate" balance applies here in a similar way. Between Tasigur, Gurmag Angler, Siege Rhino, Scavenging Ooze, Goyf, etc., 3 power for 1 turn isn't as problematic to deal with as it used to be. On the other hand, if I'm blasting their creatures into oblivion to begin with and clearing a path, these things would very much live up to the name of Blitzkrieg. Still, that's the kind of rationale I've learned to avoid. "If I'm already succeeding in a game, it'd be good" does not justify a card.
Æther Vial: This thing has an almost siren song pull at me. With how closely-knit my low-cost creatures are, Vial offers a completely ridiculous boost, and the idea of being able to use Smallpox/Molten Vortex with even more disregard for my own lands practically makes me starry-eyed. The problem holding me back is that, aside from how artifact destruction is virtually guaranteed, the law of diminishing returns kicks in similar to Thoughtseize/IoK. Fantastic on the first turn, not as amazing after, and multiple copies being drawn don't do me much good. The pros are striking, but the cons rein it back into murky territory.
Simian Spirit Guide: Well, I'm already fully-equipped to dump my hand at will and then keep restocking. This wouldn't be unwelcome to see in an opening hand, but given the low curve overall, doesn't honestly offer much more than bolts to the face courtesy of Bob.
Zurgo Bellstriker and Mardu Scout: Dash in general, really. In addition to being used much like Hellspark Elemental, they dodge sorcery-speed removal well and play very nicely with the mutual-discard bundle. Dashing in a creature and then forcing both players to discard come main phase 2 is also a nasty antic. For one thing, the prospect of counterspells is dim in the face of such, and hasty dorks on the cheap is never a bad deal. However, much like Sparky, the proliferation of steadfast creatures that such creatures simply get eaten by is problematic. On the other hand, using them in conjunction with Terminate might be feasible.
Infinite Obliteration, Sadistic Sacrament, Slaughter Games, or even Bitter Ordeal: Can't get much more disruptive than scalpeling out whatever feels like it might be an issue. Combo decks aren't lacking in Modern, but we're already all playing a deck archetype that presents them with headaches as-is. Don't think I need to say much here, but special mention to Bitter Ordeal for being an unorthodox way to follow up your own board wipes, Smallpox, Fulminator Mage, Fetchland, and Tectonic Edge/Ghost Quarter activations, and so on. The ideas of cracking open a Bloodstained Mire, activating a Fulminator Mage, casting Smallpox, with the combat step and potential for a board sweeper like Pyroclasm incinerating a bunch of Spirit tokens, etc., all serve potential fuel for Bitter Ordeal. Suffice to say it's nowhere near reliable or worth it, but at least it's a bit stylish.
Bitterblossom: This and Plunge into Darkness were a favored combo of mine for a while. Bitterblossom's merits speak for themselves, and adding PiD to it makes for a potent source of an Instant-speed pseudo-tutor with a side order of lifegain. Great response to someone casting Anger of the Gods or Pyroclasm. The options Bitterblossom offers are considerable, but with it AND Bob around, the clock really ticks down, not to mention that the "swarm" approach is trouble with average toughness on the rise.
Mindslicer: As with any Smallpox deck, taking an effect that hits both players hard and then turning it into something that benefits me while still hitting them hard is a favored strategy. You can't really ask for a better discard effect than an absolute one. This would also facilitate Howltooth Hollow, and the combination of the two honestly hadn't occurred to me until I was writing this. Mindslicer ends up a sort of "budget Obliterator" as a result, and I'd advocate that it'd have uses as such, while also having a more flexible casting cost.
The idea of squishing in Howltooth Hollow and Mindslicer should not tempt me as much as it does.
Faithless Looting: Pretty obvious option serving a pretty obvious role. It was one of the last things I cut from my list, and I'd be happy to welcome it back if I could fit it.
Young Pyromancer and Monastery Swiftspear: These are also obvious. If I really wanted to go crazy, I could 4-of each of these to replace Bloodghast/Gravecrawler, then possibly swap a number of Rotting Rats for Hellsparks. Young Pyromancer even feeds Smallpox a token to sacrifice to it every time. Unfortunately, it's hard to say that more than 2 spells would ever be cast in a given turn. Raystack already gave due mulling over Pyromancer, and while Swiftspear is a fantastic 1-drop, it'd barely do much in my deck's given state.
Pack Rat: Tempting. So tempting. Mutavaults wouldn't be hard to fit into this manabase, as mentioned. However, this tilts the deck even more towards a slow, grindy control style as opposed to disruptive aggro.
Death Cloud: I like Smallpox, and I like Death Cloud. I also like recursion creatures, and I like forcing sacrifice effects on my opponents. Obviously however, DC is not especially viable in a deck that seldom sees 4-5 lands in play.
Lightning Axe: Entirely feasible as a sideboard card, honestly.
I cannot satisfy the urge to tinker! Do I go for faster aggression? More disruption? Maybe a return to my roots as "Smallpox + Blightning" with the new combo of "Ensnaring Bridge + Molten Vortex" as well, and then work from there...
I often forget that Stupor is Modern legal. I've run Tasigur's Cruelty in the sideboard before, but that was in the days of heavy spell decks. Now, we're seeing more creature based creations with graveyard mechanics. That's why big fatties are needed.
Tricoatsage, I'm surprised you left behind the Young Pyromancer idea that Musketbill was developing at the top of this page. I get that you are going more 1 drops and a creature bend, but Vexing Devil is kind of weak after the first couple turns. Also, if you are going with that low curve, I'd recommend some draw like Sign in Blood. Lastly, when posting up a deck, be sure to add the sideboard - we actively adapt as a deckstyle against our opponent's and it's important to see the full 75.
Well, it's FNM tonight! Who's sleeving up some gas-fired engines of war??!!
And, let's not forget that epic write-up by EpeeEm! I think you stunned us for a couple days with all that info. That's some official primer league level stuff. You mentioned a land death angle, and I just don't see it being feasible. I mean you can try the most adaptable cards: smallpox and fulminator mage and then branch into other LD spells, but it gets slow, and hard to come back from a stutter step. As for the other card write-ups, I'd like to see all of them in a Blitzkrieg EDH deck. If only!
I often forget that Stupor is Modern legal. I've run Tasigur's Cruelty in the sideboard before, but that was in the days of heavy spell decks. Now, we're seeing more creature based creations with graveyard mechanics. That's why big fatties are needed.
Tricoatsage, I'm surprised you left behind the Young Pyromancer idea that Musketbill was developing at the top of this page. I get that you are going more 1 drops and a creature bend, but Vexing Devil is kind of weak after the first couple turns. Also, if you are going with that low curve, I'd recommend some draw like Sign in Blood. Lastly, when posting up a deck, be sure to add the sideboard - we actively adapt as a deckstyle against our opponent's and it's important to see the full 75.
Well, it's FNM tonight! Who's sleeving up some gas-fired engines of war??!!
And, let's not forget that epic write-up by EpeeEm! I think you stunned us for a couple days with all that info. That's some official primer league level stuff. You mentioned a land death angle, and I just don't see it being feasible. I mean you can try the most adaptable cards: smallpox and fulminator mage and then branch into other LD spells, but it gets slow, and hard to come back from a stutter step. As for the other card write-ups, I'd like to see all of them in a Blitzkrieg EDH deck. If only!
A "land death angle" is possible, but not in strictly BR. We would need to become Jund and be running Life from the Loam for that to work. Life from the Loam and Molten Vortex together seems insane, if you can lock the opponent out of the game, but Modern seems to be too fast for that angle in my opinion.
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Has anyone else tried the mainboard onlyEnsnaring Bridge angle? I did it 2 weeks ago at FNM, and was one game loss outside of a money finish. Again, I think the idea is sound - although, there is a lot more artifact hate main deck then their used to be. I will note that most cards that present themselves as artifact killers, Maindeck, appear in multi-color decks: Abrupt Decay, Kolaghan's Command, and Qasali Pridemage. That's not necessarily a bad thing since the decks that I most want to slam down a bridge against are Mono Color decks: Merfolk, Stompy Green, Soul Sisters, Allies (new deck out there, peoples and it's vicious!) and other swarm decks.
Anything from the upcoming Zendikar set looking to bolster up Blitzkrieg?
Your list looks pretty good. One thing I would seriously recommend is finding room for the 4th Wrench Mind and one more swamp. I would even swap a Blightning For the wrench mind.
Otherwise it looks good. I definitely love the inclusion of Murderous Cut. It's exceptional.
Modern: Bogles // 8-Whack/Goblins // UW Titan // Hollow One // Affinity // Dredge
EDH: Nissa, Vastwood Seer // Atraxa, Praetor's Voice // Meren of Clan Nel Toth
I agree with Smashpacman that destructive revelry seems to be everywhere. I liked it a lot more when that slot was inhabited by Ancient Grudge, and it blanked against enchantments like Affliction and Vampiric Link. I haven't seen anyone else trying this in their sideboard. It looks hokey, but I've been really pleased with how it performs: It's turn 1 shut down, the bomb against eidolon of the great revel, and if there isn't a target on their side, just slap it on one of your tanks. Very adaptable.
Anyone else toying with the sweeper counts and types? In the high curve Blitzkrieg deck, we're choosing between Damnation, Languish, and Consuming Vapors. We aren't looking towards a main deck damnation, are we?? The heavy creature builds out there (I'm looking at you green) can cause trouble to the point where we are being put on our heels. We definitely prefer to face spell-oriented builds.
As to the dragon theme, is interesting. Not much time this week to reflect on it and post anything constructive regarding the build, but I'd be curious if it's disruptive enough to land dragons in a competitive environment.
Modern: Bogles // 8-Whack/Goblins // UW Titan // Hollow One // Affinity // Dredge
EDH: Nissa, Vastwood Seer // Atraxa, Praetor's Voice // Meren of Clan Nel Toth
Hello Amarynn, welcome to the thread. Nice Dragon Blitz there, I think I like the idea and it'd be great if you keep us informed about how your testing goes. It would be cool to have yet another viable option. I actually tested your build, so be sure that my opinions and suggestions aren't just theoretical.
Mana base: it's pretty solid. Although an opener with Haven of the Spirit Dragon slows the deck a turn and seeing 2 means a mulligan, which happened only once. From now on, I'll consider it a colorless mana source, since it weakens your early plays and by the time you start casting dragons (T4 and on) you should already have met the mana requirements anyway, even without the Havens. The recursion is a nice bonus though, so I'd cut 2 Havens to complete the Blackcleave Cliffs set, which let you have an easier time casting a T2 Wrench Mind. Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth seems unnecesary too, so I suggest you swap it with a 2nd mountain to achieve T4 RR more consistently, basically for Regent, Sowing Salt and Shatterstorm.
Card choices: Thunderbreak Regent is a decent choice for a T4 threat, within the dragon theme, instead of Phyrexian Obliterator. I'd move both Thundermaw Hellkite and Stormbreath Dragon to the SB, as I feel they're threats that shine against narrow situations. Also, having all 7 MD makes the build cluncky, when you'll usually need 1-2 to take over the game. Dragonmaster Outcast is a cool spicy 1-of, good call. I understand the lack of Rack/Affliction too. However, the glaring absence of Liliana of the Veil troubles me. Is this due to budget reasons? If not, you should try her out. The amount of games she wins by herself is insane and the edict effect is always helpful. The only problem I have with your deck is Kargan Dragonlord: not a dragon, doesn't make dragons, and the mana investment it requires to do something is awful. I don't see any upside at all. You could, as FrenchFryNinja suggests, run more disruption instead: 2-3 Thoughtseize for example. Also, I like your sideboard a lot! Specifically, Foul-Tongue Invocation against Burn was huge. I think you could get rid of Outpost Siege and Fulminator Mage in order to fit Hellkite and Stormbreath in, if you decide to try them in your SB. I hope this helps man ^^ keep it up
Frontier: UBR Grixis Control | BRG Jund Delirium
I scoured my collection for unwanted bulk rares and uncommons, and in doing so I've drummed up enough store credit to buy Blood Moons and finish out the manabase for this deck. So stoked! Highly recommended if you aren't excited about laying down big bills to jump into this archetype.
On a related note, I'm up to 3 Dark Confidants (trading on PucaTrade); this deck will be finished within a few weeks
edit: I noticed on an earlier page that someone suggested using Rise/Fall for the pseudo-Hymn effect. Is this card included in anyone's SB? I can easily see it performing better than Wrench Mind against Affinity
7 Swamp
4 Bloodstained Mire
3 Blackcleave Cliffs
3 Dragonskull Summit
3 Blood Crypt
2 Lavaclaw Reaches
Creatures (10)
4 Young Pyromancer
4 Phyrexian Obliterator
2 Gurmag Angler
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Thoughtseize
4 Wrench Mind
3 Blightning
3 Liliana of the Veil
3 Shrieking Affliction
3 Faithless Looting
2 Lightning Bolt
4 Terminate
1 Pithing Needle
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Vampiric Link
1 Illness in the Ranks
1 Tainted Remedy
1 Drown in Sorrow
1 Hero's Downfall
1 Sadistic Sacrament
1 Kolaghan's Command
1 Night of Souls' Betrayal
1 Languish
1 Whip of Erebos
1 Shatterstorm
1 Sowing Salt
1 Slaughter Games
Round 1 - (2-0) against UW Control
Not the best UW control deck to play against, but it had a ton of mass removal. Game 2 I brought in Pithing Needle and named celestial colonnade. Then I played Sadistic Sacrament and pulled out his win cons.
Round 2 - (1-1) against UW Tron
Game 1: Discard and the beats brought the game to an eventual end. Difficult to play against, I didn't know what creatures to expect.
Game 2: Lost to ugin the spirit dragon after Gideon Jura and my Phyrexian Obliterator threw down. Managed to Terminate both his celestial colonnade, but couldn't get to Hero's Downfall or Pithing Needle in time.
Round 3 - (2-0) UGR Infect
Opponent was a newer modern player. Discard and the beats with Young Pyromancer got me games one. Game two he was stuck on one land and targeted discard kept his hand clear of threats.
Round 4 - (2-0) Jund
This player had all the tier 1 Jund cards.
Game 1: Opponent mulliganed and I hit him with discard, then Gurmag Angler into Phyrexian Obliterator made him scoop.
Game 2: Fast discard and a Shrieking Affliction along with his own Dark Confidant sealed his fate.
This was a VERY fast round, maybe 20 minutes max.
Round 5 - (1-2) UR Twin
Game 1: Got a win off of discard and obliterator.
Game 2: I mulled to 4! 3 lands and a Wrench Mind. He killed me with a couple of Snapcaster Mages.
Game 3: I mulled to 6. Eventually started playing Obliterators into counterspells because he had Keranos on board. He comboed out while I had a terminate in hand, but not the untapped mana to cast it.
Overall I think in went well. I really liked having Sadistic Sacrament in the board. Lets be pick through people's decks and take out win cons from control/tron/twin.
Any advice from you all? I am thinking of playing this at the SCG Charlotte Open next weekend.
I definitely think Musket's build is worth a 2nd look: Musketbill's Novel New Deck
7 Swamp
4 Bloodstained Mire
3 Blackcleave Cliffs
3 Dragonskull Summit
3 Blood Crypt
2 Lavaclaw Reaches
Creatures (10)
4 Young Pyromancer
4 Phyrexian Obliterator
2 Gurmag Angler
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Thoughtseize
4 Wrench Mind
3 Blightning
3 Liliana of the Veil
3 Shrieking Affliction
3 Faithless Looting
2 Lightning Bolt
4 Terminate
1 Pithing Needle
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Vampiric Link
1 Illness in the Ranks
1 Tainted Remedy
1 Drown in Sorrow
1 Hero's Downfall
1 Sadistic Sacrament
1 Kolaghan's Command
1 Night of Souls' Betrayal
1 Languish
1 Whip of Erebos
1 Shatterstorm
1 Sowing Salt
1 Slaughter Games
A 3-1-1 finish against top decks is tight. Angler & Obliterator. Faithless & Pyromancer. Sooooo....no to Sign in Blood, eh? I noticed that the land count is low, at 22, for an obliterator count of 4. But, the faithless looting can help with that. Do you find that you need that 23rd land?
Without Rix, Maadi and a 4th Blightning or Liliana, do you struggle to keep the Shrieking Affliction pressure on? The flip side of this would be that by continually laying threats you're forcing responses from your oppoent, i.e. emptying their hand. So, that works. The common wisdom with pyromancer has been (and, it has been tested in this thread) that you generally lay it last. After you've cast all your disruption spells, you put down this little slice of red-headed fury....and, then it's too late. All your trigger spells have already been played. Did you find this to the case??
You aren't running any of the outlier creature cards like Batterskull (land count stops that) and Olivia Voldaren (same story), but I can see that these guys are supplanted by Pyromancer rather nicely. As I said before about pyro, I don't like it as a mid-range beater because it doesn't have shock or awesome value. That's true, but it does have X-for-1. And, that is our gospel. Maybe....maybe I am wrong, and maybe that's a good thing.
The full list:
4 Dark Confidant
4 Rotting Rats
4 Gravecrawler
4 Bloodghast
Spells (13)
3 Thoughtseize
3 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Smallpox
3 Kolaghan's Command
Other Permanents (7)
4 Molten Vortex
3 Ensnaring Bridge
2 Liliana of the Veil
5 Swamp
4 Blackcleave Cliffs
2 Graven Cairns
4 Bloodstained Mire
2 Mountain
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Blood Crypt
3 Blood Moon
2 Rakdos Charm
2 Fulminator Mage
1 Spellskite
1 Damnation
2 Leyline of the Void
1 Plunge into Darkness
1 Shatterstorm
1 Erebos, God of the Dead
1 Liliana of the Veil
And now for the rationale behind it. The real catalyst to its current form was Molten Vortex, but the biggest distinction is utilizing Smallpox as the turn 2 play of choice over Wrench Mind. It began life as a "I want to play Smallpox and Blightning in the same deck, because I'm sadistic" concept. Blightning was swapped out in favor of Kolaghan's Command for the sake of Instant speed, as the discard package seems entirely healthy otherwise.
Smallpox being a key component, the creature list is very different here, with an obvious emphasis on returning them from the graveyard. Rotting Rats is a favorite of mine due to easily facilitating Gravecrawler while also snugly fitting right into the discard package. Additionally, with the mutual discards from Liliana, Smallpox, and the Rats, it's easy to see how I'm not bothered in the slightest by discarding most of my creatures. Bob is the exception, as due to the low mana curve and discard suite he's a natural fit in the deck. Even then, Kolaghan's Command offers a way to pull him back if actually necessary, though that's honestly just serendipity and not an actual plan.
The real fun starts with the mix of Molten Vortex and Ensnaring Bridge. Given Bob is around, I admit that there's some anti-synergy between it and Ensnaring Bridge, but believe that the deck's ability to dump its hand more than outpaces the extra draws. Given that half my creatures are unable to block, yet have 2 power, Ensnaring Bridge is how I control threats that end up on the board. Sure, they can play a Goyf or a Siege Rhino, but we'll see if they ever get to swing with them before I get rid of them with Liliana, Smallpox, or a cocktail of burns. Being able to hold 2 cards (say a land and a nonland) to enable my crew to attack, then empty my hand in the second main phase, is just...satisfying.
The lands are probably self-explanatory, but special mention must be made for how wonderful Blackcleave Cliffs is in a deck with a very low curve, Smallpox, and Molten Vortex. As you can see, I bias towards significantly more basic Swamps than Mountains, in case Blood Moon comes out of the sideboard.
On that note, regarding Molten Vortex: Seismic Assault may not cost mana to activate, but Molten Vortex is my choice over it all the same. It can be dropped far earlier in the game, as even with a smooth landbase RRR isn't always going to be accessible, especially with Smallpox in the picture. It also stings much less if Bob happens to hit it, and it also doesn't compete with Ensnaring Bridge for a turn 3 play. So I find it to be easily worthwhile.
The Vortex is juicy! I also play Seismic Loam, so to see these two decks kind of merge is exciting. I wonder if 4 Vortex is too much?
My immediate thought is that Liliana of the Veil is insane in this deck with Haven of the Spirit Dragon.
Kargan Dragonlord? I'd load up on more Stormbreath Dragon. Path t Exile is set to go on the rise.
Standard: Temur Energy RUG
Pauper: Fireball Black B
Commander: Kaervek the Merciless BR
"Always Bolt the Bird."
It's not just for tricks. Liliana is an absurd card. The deck lacks discard outlets as it is running a high number of dragons, which Liliana helps with. She's also additional removal. Additionally, the scenario you mentioned will come up fairly frequently. She just helps round out the numbers in this style of deck.
Standard: Temur Energy RUG
Pauper: Fireball Black B
Commander: Kaervek the Merciless BR
"Always Bolt the Bird."
There's no "insane combo" lol I'm not sure why you keep saying that. I'm just pointing out that if you have an inherently powerful card, and in addition you have situational synergies, there's no real reason to not utilize the card. I'd probably run Liliana of the Veil as a three-of.
Standard: Temur Energy RUG
Pauper: Fireball Black B
Commander: Kaervek the Merciless BR
"Always Bolt the Bird."
https://pucatrade.com/invite/gift/86097
Consider how widespread it's effect can be felt. Creature decks are EVERYWHERE. Why? Creatures beget more creatures - Can't beat 'em/Join 'em. Why play creature kill when the best way to kill a creature is with another creature? After all, creatures win games, whereas creature kill cards are highly subjective and vary in application and cost, and they can't 'attack your opponent'. Consider that a creature hits and creates a continuing trouble state, whereas creature kill cards must be there at the right time and place.
This is one of the reasons why I don't play a "5th" terminate. If I need an additional 1-for-1 removal spell, then it's a specialized weapon that is sitting in my sideboard (pharika's cure or hero's downfall). X-for-1 is a sweeper, and that is exactly what Ensnaring Bridge is. I know, I know it's a nonbo with (4) Phyrexian Obliterator and (1) Batterskull. But, is it? They really all do the exact same thing. They stop attackers. It just so happens that a couple of these also happen to be full-on, battle tested titans.
I started out, if you read the primer, doing the 'transformative sideboard'. It worked like a charm, since I'd be identified as some sort of 8rackdos deck: opponent's sided out creature kill & brought in artifact kill. Although, I started with bridges/artifacts, in game 2 I pulled them all out for a creature assault. I stopped this technique for 3 reasons:
A.) My local stores caught on kind of quickly to my bait and switch.
B.) Bridge wasn't as effective in the meta due to the presence of Combo, Patriot, and Twin-bounce/variants
C.) Main deck artifact kill was being seen pretty regularly
Don't get me wrong, it's still out there. But, Ancient Grudge became Destructive Revelry. So, now we don't have to worry about a discarded artifact kill card coming back to haunt us. Wait...oh, yeah. I'm only endorsing the use of Ensnaring Bridge in Game 1. O.K. scratch that. Sidenote: Destructive Revelry's prevalence has forced me to remove Vampiric Link from the SB -- soooo good against eidolon!
Anyway, here is my most current version of Blitzkrieg.
4 Phyrexian Obliterator
1 Batterskull
4 Liliana of the Veil
3 Shrieking Affliction
2 Ensnaring Bridge
4 Terminate
3 Lightning Bolt
1 Kolaghan's Command
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Blightning
4 Wrench Mind
2 Thoughtseize
4 Blood Crypt
3 Dragonskull Summit
3 Lavaclaw Reaches
1 Bloodstained Mire
2 Blackcleave Cliffs
1 Rix Maadi, Dungeon Palace
3 Nyxathid
2 Night of Souls' Betrayal
2 Shatterstorm
1 Slaughter Games
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Hero's Downfall
1 Pharika's Cure
1 Languish
1 Sowing Salt
1 Grafdigger's Cage
For the argument against Bridge, I guess I'd just read the first 12 words of your post, Jsewell, as defense for playing bridge. You wrote,
Works for me. If the bridge isn't an option, then it's tossed to a Liliana of the Veil or simply not played. It's a hedged bet. As for the contention that a lot of rack and burn spells (in game 1) are needed to support it's strategy....well, what's your measure of 'a lot'? I run 8 bolts and 3 racks, but that's not really the point. The point has to do with Liliana (and, I'm sure I don't have to tell you this) if you can make it 3 turns later, then you just knocked away half of an opponent's board. And, I may have to wait on an affliction that appears in every 20 cards in my deck, or maybe I'll smoke the bridge away with a Kommand or subsequent Liliana ultimate? Hard to say.
What I will say is that the approach you mentioned is the exact approach that Blitzkrieg avoids: Burn/Rack/Bridge. We turn our gaze towards the tank. The last thing I want to do when I've stripped an opponent's hand early on, and gained board control is slam down a bridge & start throwing my drawn cards into the wind on a Lili +1 as I await a drawn rack. I want to press for the win. That's where the monsters come in. They block like gangbusters (similar to bridge on defense) and attack with impunity (similar to a bridge on offense). Should, should, should things get out of control, then I'll consider one of the 2 solely-defensive bridges in deck as a panic button.
Shoosh, I'm sure that was much more long-winded than it needed to be. Sufficed to say that the 'bridge too far' approach which relies on a full turtle-up approach is a precarious proposition. To believe that a prison/lockdown can be a winning strategy in B/R is (for the most part) foolhardy. We win by attrition, not control.
4 Blightning
2 Dreadbore
3 Inquistion of Kozilek
4 Lightning Bolt
1 Rakdos's Return
4 Shrieking Affliction
3 Thoughtseize
4 Wrench Mind
2 Kolaghan, the Storm's Fury
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Nyxathid
4 Vexing Devil
Lands
4 Dragonskull Summit
8 Mountain
9 Swamp
2 Bump in the Night
2 Dreadbore
3 Duress
2 Kolaghan's Command
3 Searing Spear
3 Skullcrack
All of the cards I ordered finally came in so this is what my deck looks like now. Sideboard needs work now, but I was thinking for the time being I could swap out creatures for burn in-between games. Haven't gotten to test and see how well that will work yet though. Also, I'm thinking of moving swiftspear to the sideboard but I'm not sure what to bring in mainboard for her. Maybe the two commands and dreadbores?
Any other suggestions would be appreciated.
Some additional experiments have been tantalizing me lately. Smallpox is the fulcrum between my myriad iterations of this archetype, no question there. Based on unas2 and wm0's feedback, as well as other posts since, I'm re-evaluating my recursion-creatures (Bloodghast, Gravecrawler) plan. Kolaghan's Command allows for returning creatures to my hand, as mentioned, so that'll always be an option.
Unas2 mentioned Pack Rat, given the Rotting Rats package, and with a stable manabase I'd feel quite comfortable throwing in a Mutavault as well. That said, the 3-drop slot starts getting crowded.
One of the strategies that folded into my decklist above over time was a land hate strategy. That stemmed from the Treasure Cruise Being Legal period, with my rationale being that no amount of card draw could compensate for an inability to cast what was being drawn. wm0 mentioned the Assault Loam deck and potential hybridizing, and I'd also experimented with that in the past as well. Life From the Loam does so many wonderful things it's hard to list them, although those familiar with it surely know entirely well. If I were to splash G, it'd be for Loam first and foremost, no question.
Stepping back from my endless tinkering, what are my goals? The "Disruptive Aggro" B/R approach of Blitzkrieg, Smallpox being the play of choice on turn 2, and maintaining the fast-paced onslaught. With Battle for Zendikar spoilers imminent, it may be best to pause. That said, given my notion of land destruction, with the previewed mechanic of Awaken alongside promises for rare lands that aren't the previous Zendikar fetches, the metagame may end up shifting position for me. Prowess as an evergreen keyword is also promising for any Red deck that casts a lot of spells.
That all said, I'll pitch in a few cards I've analyzed for playing. I'm unsure of which specific ones to use, but I can certainly weigh options.
Howltooth Hollow: This could be stupid fun if the idea of mutual discard was pursued, such as with something like Delirium Skeins, as getting both hands emptied out is feasible, especially against decks like Affinity that want to dump everything onto the field as soon as possible. I'm not sold on the idea, and rather than stupid fun, it'd likely be just stupid too often. Still, if there was ever a completely ridiculous variant for this archetype, spitting out an Obliterator when both players have nothing to cast would probably factor into it.
Hellspark Elemental: Repeatedly tempts me. Rotting Rats demonstrated that Unearth and discard play well, as does Smallpox. Having a Hellspark Elemental attacking and then being fed to Smallpox in the second main phase would fill me with joy. However, the "Lightning Bolt vs. Terminate" balance applies here in a similar way. Between Tasigur, Gurmag Angler, Siege Rhino, Scavenging Ooze, Goyf, etc., 3 power for 1 turn isn't as problematic to deal with as it used to be. On the other hand, if I'm blasting their creatures into oblivion to begin with and clearing a path, these things would very much live up to the name of Blitzkrieg. Still, that's the kind of rationale I've learned to avoid. "If I'm already succeeding in a game, it'd be good" does not justify a card.
Æther Vial: This thing has an almost siren song pull at me. With how closely-knit my low-cost creatures are, Vial offers a completely ridiculous boost, and the idea of being able to use Smallpox/Molten Vortex with even more disregard for my own lands practically makes me starry-eyed. The problem holding me back is that, aside from how artifact destruction is virtually guaranteed, the law of diminishing returns kicks in similar to Thoughtseize/IoK. Fantastic on the first turn, not as amazing after, and multiple copies being drawn don't do me much good. The pros are striking, but the cons rein it back into murky territory.
Simian Spirit Guide: Well, I'm already fully-equipped to dump my hand at will and then keep restocking. This wouldn't be unwelcome to see in an opening hand, but given the low curve overall, doesn't honestly offer much more than bolts to the face courtesy of Bob.
Zurgo Bellstriker and Mardu Scout: Dash in general, really. In addition to being used much like Hellspark Elemental, they dodge sorcery-speed removal well and play very nicely with the mutual-discard bundle. Dashing in a creature and then forcing both players to discard come main phase 2 is also a nasty antic. For one thing, the prospect of counterspells is dim in the face of such, and hasty dorks on the cheap is never a bad deal. However, much like Sparky, the proliferation of steadfast creatures that such creatures simply get eaten by is problematic. On the other hand, using them in conjunction with Terminate might be feasible.
Infinite Obliteration, Sadistic Sacrament, Slaughter Games, or even Bitter Ordeal: Can't get much more disruptive than scalpeling out whatever feels like it might be an issue. Combo decks aren't lacking in Modern, but we're already all playing a deck archetype that presents them with headaches as-is. Don't think I need to say much here, but special mention to Bitter Ordeal for being an unorthodox way to follow up your own board wipes, Smallpox, Fulminator Mage, Fetchland, and Tectonic Edge/Ghost Quarter activations, and so on. The ideas of cracking open a Bloodstained Mire, activating a Fulminator Mage, casting Smallpox, with the combat step and potential for a board sweeper like Pyroclasm incinerating a bunch of Spirit tokens, etc., all serve potential fuel for Bitter Ordeal. Suffice to say it's nowhere near reliable or worth it, but at least it's a bit stylish.
Bitterblossom: This and Plunge into Darkness were a favored combo of mine for a while. Bitterblossom's merits speak for themselves, and adding PiD to it makes for a potent source of an Instant-speed pseudo-tutor with a side order of lifegain. Great response to someone casting Anger of the Gods or Pyroclasm. The options Bitterblossom offers are considerable, but with it AND Bob around, the clock really ticks down, not to mention that the "swarm" approach is trouble with average toughness on the rise.
Mindslicer: As with any Smallpox deck, taking an effect that hits both players hard and then turning it into something that benefits me while still hitting them hard is a favored strategy. You can't really ask for a better discard effect than an absolute one. This would also facilitate Howltooth Hollow, and the combination of the two honestly hadn't occurred to me until I was writing this. Mindslicer ends up a sort of "budget Obliterator" as a result, and I'd advocate that it'd have uses as such, while also having a more flexible casting cost.
The idea of squishing in Howltooth Hollow and Mindslicer should not tempt me as much as it does.
Faithless Looting: Pretty obvious option serving a pretty obvious role. It was one of the last things I cut from my list, and I'd be happy to welcome it back if I could fit it.
Young Pyromancer and Monastery Swiftspear: These are also obvious. If I really wanted to go crazy, I could 4-of each of these to replace Bloodghast/Gravecrawler, then possibly swap a number of Rotting Rats for Hellsparks. Young Pyromancer even feeds Smallpox a token to sacrifice to it every time. Unfortunately, it's hard to say that more than 2 spells would ever be cast in a given turn. Raystack already gave due mulling over Pyromancer, and while Swiftspear is a fantastic 1-drop, it'd barely do much in my deck's given state.
Pack Rat: Tempting. So tempting. Mutavaults wouldn't be hard to fit into this manabase, as mentioned. However, this tilts the deck even more towards a slow, grindy control style as opposed to disruptive aggro.
Death Cloud: I like Smallpox, and I like Death Cloud. I also like recursion creatures, and I like forcing sacrifice effects on my opponents. Obviously however, DC is not especially viable in a deck that seldom sees 4-5 lands in play.
Lightning Axe: Entirely feasible as a sideboard card, honestly.
I cannot satisfy the urge to tinker! Do I go for faster aggression? More disruption? Maybe a return to my roots as "Smallpox + Blightning" with the new combo of "Ensnaring Bridge + Molten Vortex" as well, and then work from there...
Tricoatsage, I'm surprised you left behind the Young Pyromancer idea that Musketbill was developing at the top of this page. I get that you are going more 1 drops and a creature bend, but Vexing Devil is kind of weak after the first couple turns. Also, if you are going with that low curve, I'd recommend some draw like Sign in Blood. Lastly, when posting up a deck, be sure to add the sideboard - we actively adapt as a deckstyle against our opponent's and it's important to see the full 75.
Well, it's FNM tonight! Who's sleeving up some gas-fired engines of war??!!
And, let's not forget that epic write-up by EpeeEm! I think you stunned us for a couple days with all that info. That's some official primer league level stuff. You mentioned a land death angle, and I just don't see it being feasible. I mean you can try the most adaptable cards: smallpox and fulminator mage and then branch into other LD spells, but it gets slow, and hard to come back from a stutter step. As for the other card write-ups, I'd like to see all of them in a Blitzkrieg EDH deck. If only!
A "land death angle" is possible, but not in strictly BR. We would need to become Jund and be running Life from the Loam for that to work. Life from the Loam and Molten Vortex together seems insane, if you can lock the opponent out of the game, but Modern seems to be too fast for that angle in my opinion.
Standard: Temur Energy RUG
Pauper: Fireball Black B
Commander: Kaervek the Merciless BR
"Always Bolt the Bird."
i was lurking around here and thought this is the right place to present my ideas.
I was looking for a Deck that takes Faithless Looting, Smallpox
and Bloodghast together in a Value-kind-of-shell.
3 Tormenting Voice
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
4 Smallpox
4 Lingering Souls
3 Gurmag Angler
3 Kolaghans Command
This is just a rough sketch, but you get the idea behind it, aren't you?
Do you expect this to be a real deck or not?
I'm thankful for all kinds of advice.
Green @ it's best
Anything from the upcoming Zendikar set looking to bolster up Blitzkrieg?