With Brutal Hordechief and possibly even Harsh Sustenance , as well as access to better removal than Jeskai Tokens, does anyone think Mardu Tokens could be a thing? I've done a little bit of testing with a deck that was essentially Jeskai Tokens with the Mardu cards and I felt like it was just weaker than Jeskai Tokens while doing the same thing, but I feel like the deck could be a contender if I stop thinking about it in the same way one thinks about Jeskai Tokens.
After my testing I think Monastery Mentor has no place in the Mardu deck. The deck doesn't cantrip or run any Cruises or anything like that so the Prowess is just a whole lot weaker and the token generation from the Mentor is nearly non-existent. What I do think could make this deck a possible competitive pick though is Butcher of the Horde. You generate a tonne of tokens so you get free damage and lifegain with the Hordechief, sacrificing one every now and again to a creature that's difficult to deal with outside of hard removal spells and has evasion that, in the current standard environment, is also difficult to deal with. Then you have your Hero's Downfalls to kill Ugins and Bile Blights to hurt other aggro strategies. Mardu Ascendancy lets you dodge enemy Drowns and Blights and what you end up with is a much more resilient token deck that hits from more angles than the Jeskai deck, at the cost of being a bit slower.
But is the speed enough to kill the decks chances? I haven't actually had time to test the Butcher in the deck, which is why I haven't ruled it out yet. But what do other people think? Is it a waste of time or is there potential here?
not sure you would be playing bile blight and hero's downfalls in the deck, but its' a possibility. your removal would be 4 lightning strike, 4 stoke, 4 crackling doom.
not sure you would be playing bile blight and hero's downfalls in the deck, but its' a possibility. your removal would be 4 lightning strike, 4 stoke, 4 crackling doom.
I was considering the possibility of a resilient aggro list with both the Champion and Tymaret able to come back from the graveyard, so removing them becomes a difficult prospect, and you can then sacrifice them with impunity to Butcher of the Horde. But that being the case, perhaps it's not worth bothering with tokens at all and just running a more traditional aggro deck?
I've been playing a lot of Rabblemaster strategies lately and I really like the idea of using Thoughtseize to make sure the coast is clear. Not sure yet about the removal package. Stoke the Flames answers Stormbreath Dragon but I could see Crackling Doom or Murderous Cut fulfilling that role. Lightning Strike gives me a cheap spell to keep from being run over by opposing Rabblemasters. Mardu Charm is versatile but a little clunky. I'd like to try out Brutal Hordechief, perhaps I could shave a few Sorins or Butchers to fit in a couple.
I've been playing a lot of Rabblemaster strategies lately and I really like the idea of using Thoughtseize to make sure the coast is clear. Not sure yet about the removal package. Stoke the Flames answers Stormbreath Dragon but I could see Crackling Doom or Murderous Cut fulfilling that role. Lightning Strike gives me a cheap spell to keep from being run over by opposing Rabblemasters. Mardu Charm is versatile but a little clunky. I'd like to try out Brutal Hordechief, perhaps I could shave a few Sorins or Butchers to fit in a couple.
This is pretty much the deck I was testing. I really don't like Monastery Mentor in the deck, he just felt way too weak. Likewise I don't think Seeker of the Way has a place in the deck because it can't trigger Prowess to the extent that a Jeskai Tokens deck wants to be doing. When I tested the deck it felt like a weak Jeskai deck. Hence I think dropping all the Prowess creatures and one Sorin for another Butcher of the Horde, some Brutal Hordechiefs and potentially Bloodsoaked Champion if you can fit it.
I think the deck could work, but I think we need to separate it from Jeskai Tokens, it needs to hit from a different angle or else it's just a weaker version of a current deck.
mardu tokens is nothing really new to be honest.. that deck is around since the release of khans^^
I haven't seen any top 8 Mardu Token decks though, so I wanna know if there's any build possible at the moment for Mardu Tokens to be a proper, competitive thing.
I am playing an all in tokens version of this deck. 2-1 last night lost to a mardu midrange but I feel I did not get the best draws.
Here is my list its a work in progress.
After my testing I think Monastery Mentor has no place in the Mardu deck. The deck doesn't cantrip or run any Cruises or anything like that so the Prowess is just a whole lot weaker and the token generation from the Mentor is nearly non-existent. What I do think could make this deck a possible competitive pick though is Butcher of the Horde. You generate a tonne of tokens so you get free damage and lifegain with the Hordechief, sacrificing one every now and again to a creature that's difficult to deal with outside of hard removal spells and has evasion that, in the current standard environment, is also difficult to deal with. Then you have your Hero's Downfalls to kill Ugins and Bile Blights to hurt other aggro strategies. Mardu Ascendancy lets you dodge enemy Drowns and Blights and what you end up with is a much more resilient token deck that hits from more angles than the Jeskai deck, at the cost of being a bit slower.
But is the speed enough to kill the decks chances? I haven't actually had time to test the Butcher in the deck, which is why I haven't ruled it out yet. But what do other people think? Is it a waste of time or is there potential here?
any token deck needs to have hordeling outburst, and probably raise the alarm. Outpost siege really makes the deck a contender, especially with bloodsoaked champion and tymaret, the murder king.
I was considering the possibility of a resilient aggro list with both the Champion and Tymaret able to come back from the graveyard, so removing them becomes a difficult prospect, and you can then sacrifice them with impunity to Butcher of the Horde. But that being the case, perhaps it's not worth bothering with tokens at all and just running a more traditional aggro deck?
I've been playing a lot of Rabblemaster strategies lately and I really like the idea of using Thoughtseize to make sure the coast is clear. Not sure yet about the removal package. Stoke the Flames answers Stormbreath Dragon but I could see Crackling Doom or Murderous Cut fulfilling that role. Lightning Strike gives me a cheap spell to keep from being run over by opposing Rabblemasters. Mardu Charm is versatile but a little clunky. I'd like to try out Brutal Hordechief, perhaps I could shave a few Sorins or Butchers to fit in a couple.
http://cubetutor.com/viewcube/1959
This is pretty much the deck I was testing. I really don't like Monastery Mentor in the deck, he just felt way too weak. Likewise I don't think Seeker of the Way has a place in the deck because it can't trigger Prowess to the extent that a Jeskai Tokens deck wants to be doing. When I tested the deck it felt like a weak Jeskai deck. Hence I think dropping all the Prowess creatures and one Sorin for another Butcher of the Horde, some Brutal Hordechiefs and potentially Bloodsoaked Champion if you can fit it.
I think the deck could work, but I think we need to separate it from Jeskai Tokens, it needs to hit from a different angle or else it's just a weaker version of a current deck.
I haven't seen any top 8 Mardu Token decks though, so I wanna know if there's any build possible at the moment for Mardu Tokens to be a proper, competitive thing.
Here is my list its a work in progress.
Instant
3x Raise The Alarm
4x Valorous Stance
1x Gods Willing
Sorcery
4x Hordeling Outburst
Enchantment
4x Banishing Light
3x Outpost Siege
4x Chained To The Rocks
Creature
4x Monastery Mentor
4x Goblin Rabblemaster
4x Mardu Strike Leader
3x Kolaghan, The Storm's Fury
This is what I would test with but, I don't feel its any stronger than other Mardu/RW builds.
T1: Foundry Street Denizen (alternate Frenzied Goblin)
T2: Dragon Fodder (alternate Raise the Alarm)
T3: Hordeling Outburst, Convoke Obelisk of Urd naming 'Goblins'
Best result: Swing T4 for 18 with six 3/3's.