So I have tried before doing a Mardu deck, but they weren't good. They relied too much in the combination of Butcher of the Horde+ Mardu Ascendancy. Whith Dragons of Trarkir I have seen some cards that gave me the idea of making a Mardu Warriors deck. I can't play Standard a lot, cause I work on Fridays and can't go to the FNMs, so I mostly made it with the cards I have from pre-releases and some boosters/drafts and cards from my friends. I don't want to spend a lot in a deck that I won't be playing much, and over all, I don't want to make a deck that relies too much in stuff from Theros/M15, cause I find it frustrating to make a deck that will be useless when New Zendikar comes out. That said, I could buy cards that are not very expensive. I was thinking in a second Brutal Hordechief or in Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit (I would have to buy this one soon, cause the price is rising). Anyway, here is the deck. I'm not sure about the mana base, so suggestions here would be appreciated. The same goes for the sideboard. I'm not familiar with Standard's metagame, so I don't really know how to make a side for it.
Update: I could find Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit cheap in a local store, so now the deck has one.
Update 2: Anafenza was not giving the results I wanted because being a soldier it has less defense than the rest of the creatures, that got a +1 from the chief, so I'm going to try Herald of Dromoka instead. Oh, I made a trip to another city and I found a really cheap Brutal Hordechief. I'm going to put it in the deck, but I have to decide whether I'm going to take a Dragonscale General or a Flamerush Rider out of the deck. Sugestions will be appreciated. The mana part is still giving me something to think about. Too much tapped lands. I haven't decided something yet, as my friends could lend me some fetch lands, but as this is a budget post, I want to think about the mana thing without fetch lands.
I like your deck list. I've changed it up a little and am compiling it into a couple of the same deck for some residents at a group home where I work so they can have something to take to standard at our local store. I spiced it up a little bit to fit right around the $20 a deck mark (ish...tcg low plus buying in bulk). Tribal themes FTW! Cheap and effective. Let me know what you guys think.
Personally, I'd make this straight up BW. The main argument for red is ascendancy but I feel like you'd have to slow yourself down too much to work it. Caves of Kolios is also cheap. Anyway...
If you wanted to go mardu, you could always be really janky and play 4 mardu ascendancy, 4 foul-tongue shriek, only the best 2 drops, and a bazillion 1 drops.
Herald of Dromokais not very good. In these kinds of decks you should almost always be on the offensive so needing to block should matter little. Not that it is a bad effect but you are much better off with someone else. Also playing less than 4 chief of the edge is absolutely wrong. He is the sole reason to run this deck you should play 10 if you were allowed. Also arashin foremost is the 2nd best warrior in standard and not very expensive. Also bloodsoaked champion should probably be in here and secure the wastes should definitely be as well although it is a little more expensive but not much.
Herald of Dromoka definitely isn't what you want to be doing but I didn't mind one since the vigilance isn't bad against aggro. Definitely cuttable to 0, though. Arashin foremost, bloodsoaked, and secure the wastes are good if you have or can afford them. I only omitted them for hyper budget.
Personally, I would use 2 hidden dragonslayer and 2 Herald of Dromoka. I would also cut the Whip and put a third Butcher. Even without Mardu Ascendancy is a good card, and if you have Alesha it's even better. Lastly, I think you need the 4th Chief of the Edge. It's a really good card. It makes Alesha a 4/2 first strike, killing most of the creatures you can find.
Personally, I'd make this straight up BW. The main argument for red is ascendancy but I feel like you'd have to slow yourself down too much to work it. Caves of Kolios is also cheap.
Good deck, I would only change the Tormented Hero with a Chief of the Scale. Apart from that, I like it.
I feel like Chief of the scale is exactly what you don't need in an aggro deck. It is a 2 drop that doesn't increase your offensive capability, has 2 power only, and is worse than herald of dromoka. The toughness boost doesn't bring you out of AoG sweeps at all and doesn't really save most of your other creatures from drown in sorrow either. Herald of dromoka is one of the weaker cards anyway but I feel that its defensive capability allowing you to swing all out and still chump or gang block a midrange threat is much more a defensive boon than the toughness boost from chief which is additionally harder to cast. Large one drop counts is also important so you can go turn 1 one drop, turn 2 two drop (or two one drops sometimes), turn 3 one drop two drop. Sorin, chief of the scale, all semi lord effects, battle brawler, brutal hordechief, and harsh sustenance benefit from being able to spam more creatures onto the field quickly like one drops on turns 2 and 3 which is why I put 15 in. Trying to take it slower only makes aggro not do its thing half as well.
I see your point, and I agree that the Chief might not be a great adquisition, so this is how the deck is now. I put Anafenza back, it's not ultrabudjet, but it's still a good card that I could buy cheap.
16 cipt lands is going to murderer you. Of the cards that need red, mardu charm is ok but not worth it. Flamerush rider is horrible and should not be in the deck anyway. And Alesha isn't remotely worth it. Lightning strike is unnecessary given the time spent on it. Just replacing that would turn a whopping 10-12 cipt lands into normal ones which is like getting a free extra turn (actually more). You could even play 1-2 less lands and be fine. That gives you so much more to work with and allows you to move other things into mainboard that you happen to own. Other one drops you have? In they go. Etc, etc.
Red has no real point in this deck as it stands. Prettymuch the only reason you'd ever go mardu on the budget is because you're playing mardu ascendancy or are playing a midrange deck and want butcher of the horde. Butcher is a little but for a different point so if you're not playing mardu ascendancy in mardu budget, there's probably a good case to cut a color and not be mardu.
Chief of the edge and battle brawler are much better for that role. Blood-chin rager is also much better. The 2 drop slot is not exactly wanting for anything that is just okay.
Sorry for not posting before, I have been really busy. In the end I played a pretty similar deck to the one proposed by Nev. I liked it, and I think that whith some changes this can be a pretty competitive deck, cause it kills very fast.
Not without the mana base. But regardless, I think it is also too slow. I'd just play blood-chin fanatic if I wanted burn... Or the weenie foul-tongued shriek. Or harsh sustenance. The latter ones are better, the former a better creature.
Also costs 4 which is terribly expensive seeing as I wouldn't even want a bunch of brutal hordechief. It also doesn't pump the white warriors of which there should probably be 8 at least.
I won two,I lost two. Happy with the two I lost, thoug, cause it was more a draw peoblem (drawing too much lands) than a deck problem, since I left my oponent one hit from wining. Some fetches could probably help here.
Fetches for thinning is not advisable. Fetches for fixing, sure. For thinning, no. I will say that when I played mono white blitz last standard (cmc cap 3), I played 21 lands (19 plans, 2 mutavault) and when I did UW heroic cmc cap of 2) at that time, I played 19 lands. Getting better mana fixing to reduce your land count is more important.
Personally, I'd make this straight up BW. The main argument for red is ascendancy but I feel like you'd have to slow yourself down too much to work it. Caves of Kolios is also cheap. Anyway...
If you wanted to go mardu, you could always be really janky and play 4 mardu ascendancy, 4 foul-tongue shriek, only the best 2 drops, and a bazillion 1 drops.
This is great, I would just drop a land for another Sorin, and replace the harsh sustenance with valorous stance.
If the OP had another Sorin, I'd just cut the butcher of the horde for it. I like Sorin more and don't feel the need for more 4 drops. Harsh sustenance is the point of the mass of one drops. Valorous stance is comparatively much slower and boon of erebos does the intended job.
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Update: I could find Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit cheap in a local store, so now the deck has one.
Update 2: Anafenza was not giving the results I wanted because being a soldier it has less defense than the rest of the creatures, that got a +1 from the chief, so I'm going to try Herald of Dromoka instead. Oh, I made a trip to another city and I found a really cheap Brutal Hordechief. I'm going to put it in the deck, but I have to decide whether I'm going to take a Dragonscale General or a Flamerush Rider out of the deck. Sugestions will be appreciated. The mana part is still giving me something to think about. Too much tapped lands. I haven't decided something yet, as my friends could lend me some fetch lands, but as this is a budget post, I want to think about the mana thing without fetch lands.
4 Mardu Hateblade
4 Mardu Shadowspear
4 Blood-Chin Rager
4 Chief of the Scale
4 Chief of the Edge
1 Herald of Dromoka
1 Alesha, Who Smiles at Death
1 Archetype of Courage
3 Dragonscale General
2 Flamerush Rider
1 Brutal Hordechief
2 Lightning Strike
4 Mardu Charm
Planeswalkers
1 Sorin, Solemn Visitor
Lands
4 Scoured Barrens
4 Nomad Outpost
4 Bloodfell Caves
4 Wind-Scarred Crag
3 Plains
3 Swamps
2 Mountains
2 Kill Shot
2 Diplomacy of the Wastes
1 Arc Lightning
1 Circle of flame
2 utter end
2 Harsh Sustenance
1 Crackling Doom
2 Shatter
2 Fate Forgotten
4 Mardu Hateblade
4 Mardu Shadowspear
4 Blood-chin Rager
3 Battle Brawler
3 Chief of the Edge
4 Herald of Dromoka
2 Alesha, Who Smiles at death
2 Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit
2 Mardu Ascendancy
2 Crackling Doom
2 Butcher of the Horde
1 Whip of Erebos
4 Scoured Barrens
4 Nomad Outpost
4 Bloodfell Caves
4 Wind-Scarred Crag
2 Plains
3 Swamp
2 Mountain
Thinking about a couple hidden dragonslayer maybe if mardu ascendancy doesnt work out.
RGWNaya BurnRGW+++RGWKiki ComboRGW
UGInfectUG+++++++++.++++++++UGMerfolkUG
GGNykthos WaveGG++++++++++GGStompyGG
BRVampiresBR+++++++.+++++++BRGoblinsBR
WGBogglesWG+++++++++++++CRSkred RedCR
UBRGDredgeUBRG++++++++++BB8 RackBB
URWJeskaiURW+++.++UBRGrixis DelverUBR
URStormUR++++++++UWGBant CompanyUWG
WUBRGHumansWUBRG+CCEldrazi TronCC
I'd also up Chief of the Edge and Battle Brawler to 4.
I'd also replace Mardu Hateblade with Mardu Woe-Reaper.
4 mardu woe-reaper
4 tormented hero
3 mardu shadowspear
4 chief of the edge
4 blood-chin rager
2 battle brawler
1 herald of dromoka
2 merciless executioner
1 brutal hordechief
3 harsh sustenance
3 boon of erebos
2 duress
4 caves of kolios
4 scoured barrens
5 swamp
9 plains
If you wanted to go mardu, you could always be really janky and play 4 mardu ascendancy, 4 foul-tongue shriek, only the best 2 drops, and a bazillion 1 drops.
Personally, I would use 2 hidden dragonslayer and 2 Herald of Dromoka. I would also cut the Whip and put a third Butcher. Even without Mardu Ascendancy is a good card, and if you have Alesha it's even better. Lastly, I think you need the 4th Chief of the Edge. It's a really good card. It makes Alesha a 4/2 first strike, killing most of the creatures you can find.
Good deck, I would only change the Tormented Hero with a Chief of the Scale. Apart from that, I like it.
4 Mardu Hateblade
4 Mardu Shadowspear
4 Blood-Chin Rager
4 Chief of the Edge
3 Herald of Dromoka
1 Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit
2 Alesha, Who Smiles at Death
1 Archetype of Courage
2 Dragonscale General
2 Flamerush Rider
2 Brutal Hordechief
2 Lightning Strike
4 Mardu Charm
Planeswalkers
1 Sorin, Solemn Visitor
Lands
4 Scoured Barrens
4 Nomad Outpost
4 Bloodfell Caves
4 Wind-Scarred Crag
3 Plains
3 Swamps
2 Mountains
2 Kill Shot
2 Diplomacy of the Wastes
1 Arc Lightning
1 Circle of flame
2 utter end
2 Harsh Sustenance
1 Crackling Doom
2 Shatter
2 Fate Forgotten
Red has no real point in this deck as it stands. Prettymuch the only reason you'd ever go mardu on the budget is because you're playing mardu ascendancy or are playing a midrange deck and want butcher of the horde. Butcher is a little but for a different point so if you're not playing mardu ascendancy in mardu budget, there's probably a good case to cut a color and not be mardu.
How did you score?
This is great, I would just drop a land for another Sorin, and replace the harsh sustenance with valorous stance.