Seems like fun. I'm not sure how competitive you expect it to be.
Not saying, just suggesting: Skirsdag High Priest + sac outlet, Ral Zarek can help w/Krenko and SHP. Falkenrath Aristocrat and Bloodthrone Vampire are sac outlet with activated ability. Havengul Lich needs the mana to cast both creatures for the bracers to help.
Krenko isn't very useful without other goblins. Lobber Crew, Rummaging Goblin and Arms Dealer (also sac outlet) are goblins that have activated abilities. Pyrewild Shaman can be discarded, sacced or bloodrushed, then bought back.
Arms Dealer synergizes really well with Havengul Lich, because you can re-buy the goblins you sacrifice. In addition to the ones hoser2 mentions, Goblin Arsonist could be good. You could make a bonkers Goblin deck with Bracers and Ral, but the counter magic makes me think you're picturing more of a control route.
Alchemist's Apprentice works well with Lich (U2: Draw a card) and with Bracers, and is a good chump blocker early to keep you alive to get your engine online.
The real powerful low-drop activated abilities, however, are Pack Rat and especially Skirsdag High Priest. I would go something like:
IMO, any deck idea with this current metagame needs to answer the following questions:
1) Is my deck able to survive Naya Blitz first three turns?
2) Does my deck have enough 2-for-1s to fight midrange strategies such as Jund/Junk?
with that in mind, 3+1 Pillar of Flame sounds auto in. It deals with Naya Blitz and also with graveyard strategies. it also needs a good sweeper, and Bonfire of the Damned probably is still the sweeper of choice when playing red. Mizzium Mortars is also a choice, but Bonfire is much more versatile.
now onto the "activators":
- Pack Rat is boss against spot removal, but cries to any kind of sweeper. An opposing Angel of Serenity is also happy to see Pack Rats on your side of the battlefield, since it'll get rid of the copies forever
- Izzet Staticaster definitely in. Handles Naya Blitz, Aristocrats, Lingering Souls. When in multiples (or equipped with Bracers) can also shoot Huntmasters and even Thragtusks
- Olivia Voldaren definitely in. Many decks simply don't have an out to an active Olivia. If you manage to untap with her, it becomes a sub-game: "let's play around Olivia"
- Niv Mizzet, Dracogenius most likely not maindeck. Like Olivia, Niv dominates the board. Used to be quite a kill condition on other control decks
- Havengul Lich out. Without a way to cast opposing Thragtusks / Huntmasters, Lich loses a bit of his charm. Lich is also quite mana intensive, especially with a Bracers, and there's plenty of mana eating creatures already.
3 Pack Rat
3 Mindshrieker
4 Izzet Statiscaster
3 Olivia Voldaren
3 Niv Mizzet Dracogenius
2 Havengul Lich
1 Krenko, Mob Boss
1 Mercurial Chemister
1 Griselbrand
2 Izzet Charm
4 Think Twice
2 Rewind
1 Forbidden Alchemy
7 Artifacts
3 Chromatic Lantern
4 Illusionist's Bracers
4 Watery Grave
4 Steam Vents
4 Blood Crypt
4 Sulfur Falls
4 Drowned Catacomb
3 Dragonskull Summit
Opinions? Am I missing any cards?
Not saying, just suggesting: Skirsdag High Priest + sac outlet, Ral Zarek can help w/Krenko and SHP. Falkenrath Aristocrat and Bloodthrone Vampire are sac outlet with activated ability.
Havengul Lich needs the mana to cast both creatures for the bracers to help.
Krenko isn't very useful without other goblins. Lobber Crew, Rummaging Goblin and Arms Dealer (also sac outlet) are goblins that have activated abilities. Pyrewild Shaman can be discarded, sacced or bloodrushed, then bought back.
RNA Standard: Grixis Midrange, Jund Deathwhirler, Sultai Vannifar
GRN Standard: Red Midrange, Mono-Blue Tempo, Wr Aggro, Gruul Experimental Dinosaurs, Sultai Midrange, Jeskai Midrange
Modern: Bant Spirits
Forcing a single archetype in all formats: too many colors, bad mana.
You want to focus on cheap creatures with activated abilities, both so that you can afford to re-buy them with Lich and so that you can play them, untap with them, and activate them before an aggro deck rolls you over. I worked from //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?action=advanced&format=|[%22Standard%22">&text=+[:]&type=+[%22Creature%22]&cmc=+%3C=[3]&color=|[C]|[R]|[U]|[B]"]this list on //gatherer.wizards.com/Pages/Search/Default.aspx?action=advanced&format=|[%22Standard%22">&text=+[:]&type=+[%22Creature%22]&cmc=+%3C=[3]&color=|[C]|[R]|[U]|[B]"]Gatherer.
Arms Dealer synergizes really well with Havengul Lich, because you can re-buy the goblins you sacrifice. In addition to the ones hoser2 mentions, Goblin Arsonist could be good. You could make a bonkers Goblin deck with Bracers and Ral, but the counter magic makes me think you're picturing more of a control route.
Alchemist's Apprentice works well with Lich (U2: Draw a card) and with Bracers, and is a good chump blocker early to keep you alive to get your engine online.
The real powerful low-drop activated abilities, however, are Pack Rat and especially Skirsdag High Priest. I would go something like:
4 Pack Rat
4 Skirsdag High Priest
4 Snapcaster Mage
2 Alchemist's Apprentice
1 Far // Away
1 Turn // Burn
1 Rewind
1 Psychic Strike
3 Izzet Charm
1 Dimir Charm
1 Ultimate Price
3 Thought Scour
1 Rapid Hybridization
Leave the non-engine fatties like Olivia and Niz-Mizzet in the sideboard, to bring in against midrange strategies.
1) Is my deck able to survive Naya Blitz first three turns?
2) Does my deck have enough 2-for-1s to fight midrange strategies such as Jund/Junk?
with that in mind, 3+1 Pillar of Flame sounds auto in. It deals with Naya Blitz and also with graveyard strategies. it also needs a good sweeper, and Bonfire of the Damned probably is still the sweeper of choice when playing red. Mizzium Mortars is also a choice, but Bonfire is much more versatile.
now onto the "activators":
- Pack Rat is boss against spot removal, but cries to any kind of sweeper. An opposing Angel of Serenity is also happy to see Pack Rats on your side of the battlefield, since it'll get rid of the copies forever
-Mindshrieker is out. Isn't good on defense, isn't good on offense. Olivia Voldaren does both wonderfully.
- Izzet Staticaster definitely in. Handles Naya Blitz, Aristocrats, Lingering Souls. When in multiples (or equipped with Bracers) can also shoot Huntmasters and even Thragtusks
- Olivia Voldaren definitely in. Many decks simply don't have an out to an active Olivia. If you manage to untap with her, it becomes a sub-game: "let's play around Olivia"
- Niv Mizzet, Dracogenius most likely not maindeck. Like Olivia, Niv dominates the board. Used to be quite a kill condition on other control decks
- Havengul Lich out. Without a way to cast opposing Thragtusks / Huntmasters, Lich loses a bit of his charm. Lich is also quite mana intensive, especially with a Bracers, and there's plenty of mana eating creatures already.
- Krenko, Mob Boss why not Bloodline Keeper? Makes flying tokens (holding off opposing Falkenrath Aristocrats). Has synergy with Olivia (Vampire) and can become a win-con on its own if left unchecked.
- Mercurial Chemister out. Too expensive, can't do both abilities, the second ability will fizzle with Bracers
- Griselbrand out, win-more.
- Illusionist Bracers 2 is the number. It's a card that you don't wanna see in multiples, and you're fine playing a game without seeing one
And I seriously recommend Ral Zarek. It's like another Bracers, except much more versatile.
My old nickname was lockheart87.