I played a similar deck like this in FNM, bad bad very bad against the control match up especially if they have removals like non stop
Did you make adjustments or scrap the deck?
I've been thinking today that Chandra might be a good addition to the deck to get some extra card draw (and that might help against control). But, I don't see a lot of control in my local FNM.
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"Because we cannot prevent draws in paper Magic we allow IDs. If we could prevent draws we would not have IDs in paper Magic. " Scott Larabee.
Got the blitz off for to get him down to 2, and three sphinx revelations later he won the game.
This happened to me last FNM, I think however I would have taken it if not for the removal match-up I ran into against Esper.
I'm running 2 Mizzium Skins + 3 Simic Charms, both of which have saved my creature's bacon many a times. People seem to not see Mizzium Skin coming and it's the best answer to Abrupt Decay out there. It's very good if you are winning on the back of one creature.
Chandra's Phoenix is nice as a recurring threat, as a blocker against aggro, and can be great card advantage when pitched by a looting/scour. I cut Artful Dodge down to 2, since it can be cast from the graveyard and I only ever want to see it when I have a Cyclops in play, and in a meta full of black removal trying to combo off is risky. Pike, on the other hand, can turn any of my creatures into a giant threat (since the graveyard will be packed with instants/sorceries) and the next best thing to a bird attacking with swords is a phoenix attacking with a pike. Splashed white for Boros Charm, which both has more utility than Armed and can bring back Phoenix for me.
I tend to play a slower game where I beat and burn my opponent down over several turns, rather than trying to swing in with one mighty hit. Even if I have all the tools to combo off, if my opponent has mana up I'll avoid going all in on Cyclops.
Still playtesting my deck and it is just getting shut out to so much stuff. I feel like I constantly wanna SB in the Reckoners and Planeswalkers just so I'm not dead to a kill spell after I tap out to combo off, or dead to a hard counter on the only creature I draw. Not to mention the gut wrenching feeling I get when I thought scour and 2 dudes get thrown in the bin, seriously going to change some of the cards in the MB. Dispel is going to have to do some work, and considering Mizzium skin so I'm not dead to doom blade.
My thoughts about the deck right now are:
Tossing creatures in the grave to Thought Scour is much worse than the good it makes with FB cards, considering Quicken as the cantrip of choice.
We are unfavorable to just about everything except midrange in Game 1
Guttersnipe does alot of work and is more valueable then what he seems at first glance.
We sorely lack any sort of life gain (Save for a lonely Warleader's Helix in the SB)
Played around with this on MTGO (in the casual room). Some of the card choices were simply because that's what I could find quickly. It's been a lot of fun.
I've won games on the back of Pyromancer, Guttersnipe, and Cyclops though the Cyclops combo is by far the most common win condition. Pyromancer is good at extending the game a bit while I dig for combo parts, but can turn into a threat to win if ignored. Guttersnipe can do a lot of work so that the full combo is not needed.
I've found myself having mana troubles, but I am playing a less than optimal mana base (just because I am playing around and didn't want to invest in buddy lands or the last two shocks).
I do think Chandra would be good for games that for past turns 4-6.
I agree that the deck is simply dead to some things. I lost to double detention sphere once, for instance.
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"Because we cannot prevent draws in paper Magic we allow IDs. If we could prevent draws we would not have IDs in paper Magic. " Scott Larabee.
This is what I've been playing around with. I really like the flow of the deck. Haven't really decided on the entire sb, probably going to go with counters lol.
This is what I've been playing around with. I really like the flow of the deck. Haven't really decided on the entire sb, probably going to go with counters lol.
List looks very consistent. I would consider Searing Spear to be the weakest card in the deck, not sure if you agree or not but it feels perhaps unnecessary - that is unless you find yourself burning your opponents out.
For me, I felt I only needed 3 Artful Dodge, partly due to flashback bur partly due to the fact I play quite a few cantrips as you do as well. Also you can cut a few corners by dropping a Think Twice or two and going with a few bombs such as Armed // Dangerous and Epic Experiment.
So with one more month of Standard left to go, I've been looking around to see if I can find a third colour to lightly splash in to provide some utility and perhaps a good creature from Theros. White appears to be most appealing to me. Boros Charm is incredible and double-strike in this deck is insane, the utility of keeping creatures alive and finishing off near-death opponents are both highly effective tools. Also, Wear // Tear is incredible value and appears to be poised for the upcoming meta.
I'm also looking at black with the combo of Notion Thief + Whispering Madness. Even alone, Whispering Madness seems like an incredible card for us. I don't know about you, but my hand is often empty or close to it by Turn 4 or 5 and it could be a great way to recover cards. Oh yeah.. and Doom Blade!
Has anybody tried Massive Raid at 1-2ofs? That combined with Young Pyromancer and a few of his elemental friends could help push damage. I'll be testing this wacky idea later lol:D
List looks very consistent. I would consider Searing Spear to be the weakest card in the deck, not sure if you agree or not but it feels perhaps unnecessary - that is unless you find yourself burning your opponents out.
For me, I felt I only needed 3 Artful Dodge, partly due to flashback bur partly due to the fact I play quite a few cantrips as you do as well. Also you can cut a few corners by dropping a Think Twice or two and going with a few bombs such as Armed // Dangerous and Epic Experiment.
Yeah I could probably try some of your ideas. But I'm not dropping down from 8 draw spells, it really keeps the flow going for this deck, and them having flashback makes it easier to know what your going to discard for Looting if there in hand.
I'll have to post my Izzet Blitz deck later, but a card I love for this deck is Talrand's Invocation. It's an instant so it makes use of the creature abilities and creates more creatures for me to swing with in the air (if they have no fliers), block damage if I need to survive another turn, or hit a lot harder with on overloaded teleportal.
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Standard: BG The Rock GB UW Control WU
EDH: RBU Nekusar UBR
Modern: UNBDU
Demonheart Chimera looks great, could be a finisher the deck needs if Cyclops can't get through. My plan right now is to try this guy out along with Anax and Cymede and Boros Charm. Another idea is just to go straight U/R and try Epic Experiment again with Cyclops + Chimera and a bunch of 1 or 2-mana instants.
What would be the creature base in a U/R deck? Cyclops, Chimera, and Guttersnipe? There all three drops, which all by themselves can impact the board if resolved... I personally don't use Young Pyro unless I'm playing an aggro deck so I can chump with tokens while I pick off or counter their onslaught (essence scattering a T2 BTE is always clutch).
I am a bit of a budget player as you can see, but I'm trying to make the best of what I have. I'd like to run Burning Earth without taking too much damage from my own lands, should I drop the guildgate count a bit?
I am a bit of a budget player as you can see, but I'm trying to make the best of what I have. I'd like to run Burning Earth without taking too much damage from my own lands, should I drop the guildgate count a bit?
I only count 58 cards in your main... and 20 land is a bit light without Goblin Electromancer I would think. I run 22 myself without it. Also, I think Mizzium Skin ought to be in your main somewhere as opposed to the SB, these kind of decks are weak enough to spot removal without a MB way to stop Doom Blade and friends.
Thanks for the help, took out the Molten Births and Pillar of Flames for an island and 3 Mizzium Skins. Moved Pillars to sideboard against undying or voice. Shame to lose the Molten Births, I loved those little guys, but at sorcery speed and a RR in the cost, I found myself not wanting to draw them as much, and I don't want my win or loss to come down to a coinflip.
Any other advice? How many non basic lands is too much for Burning Earth?
I have only played a standard version of izzet blitz a few times and am currently running a modern izzet blitz for my local FNM. I have had the same experiences as what some people have posted. Being close to rotation time, I'm focusing on turning this deck for the post rotation and trying to figure out what people may have missed as it goes to the modern style of the deck. In regards to playing against control, such as board wipes and removal...since I am running true Izzet red and blue I have found that the only way to save creatures is to use bounce effects. Unsummon for you peeps using white, I suggest Saving Grasp. Faith's Shield doesn't quite work the way I wanted it too in the three colored version. Also against midrange and control I feel like Talrand and his invocation are good spells, depending what colors you are playing against. I suggest Skullcrack against Sphinx's Revalation or Dispel. The cannot be countered spells have been the trickiest to get around, hopefully my suggestions will help you a little bit
I have only played a standard version of izzet blitz a few times and am currently running a modern izzet blitz for my local FNM. I have had the same experiences as what some people have posted. Being close to rotation time, I'm focusing on turning this deck for the post rotation and trying to figure out what people may have missed as it goes to the modern style of the deck. In regards to playing against control, such as board wipes and removal...since I am running true Izzet red and blue I have found that the only way to save creatures is to use bounce effects. Unsummon for you peeps using white, I suggest Saving Grasp. Faith's Shield doesn't quite work the way I wanted it too in the three colored version. Also against midrange and control I feel like Talrand and his invocation are good spells, depending what colors you are playing against. I suggest Skullcrack against Sphinx's Revalation or Dispel. The cannot be countered spells have been the trickiest to get around, hopefully my suggestions will help you a little bit
Not sure if I've seen modern Izzet blitz before but I play Nivmagus combo and I strongly feel that these decks - both in standard and in modern - are at their best when they are winning fast. I'll have to check out some of the netdecks for a Modern Izzet deck though, any recommendations?
You mentioned saving creatures, how about Mizzium Skin? I love seeing this card in my hand most of the time and is pretty much the best answer to Abrupt Decay which is in every other deck at my FNM, dunno about you. You mentioned it but I will second Dispel. That card has gotten me out of a lot of binds. If you cut green,Simic Charm is a real beauty. Gives Cyclops +6/3 when used as a Giant Growth[/CARD] which is pretty cool.
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Obivion Ring, Detention Sphere, Supreme Verdict, Ultimate Price.
Got the blitz off for to get him down to 2, and three sphinx revelations later he won the game.
4 Young Pyromancer
4 Guttersnipe
4 Nivix Cyclops
4 Artful Dodge
4 Armed // Dangerous
4 Faithless Looting
4 Thought Scour
4 Izzet Charm
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Searing Spear
4 Sulfur Falls
6 Island
6 Mountain
Do you think this could be competitive in a FNM environment?
I played a similar deck like this in FNM, bad bad very bad against the control match up especially if they have removals like non stop
Did you make adjustments or scrap the deck?
I've been thinking today that Chandra might be a good addition to the deck to get some extra card draw (and that might help against control). But, I don't see a lot of control in my local FNM.
This happened to me last FNM, I think however I would have taken it if not for the removal match-up I ran into against Esper.
I'm running 2 Mizzium Skins + 3 Simic Charms, both of which have saved my creature's bacon many a times. People seem to not see Mizzium Skin coming and it's the best answer to Abrupt Decay out there. It's very good if you are winning on the back of one creature.
4 Augur of Bolas
4 Chandra's Phoenix
4 Nivix Cyclops
Artifacts
2 Runechanter's Pike
Instants/Sorceries
4 Boros Charm
4 Shock
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Searing Spear
4 Faithless Looting
4 Thought Scour
2 Artful Dodge
4 Steam Vents
4 Sulfur Falls
4 Sacred Foundry
3 Hallowed Fountain
5 Mountain
Sideboard is in flux at the moment.
Chandra's Phoenix is nice as a recurring threat, as a blocker against aggro, and can be great card advantage when pitched by a looting/scour. I cut Artful Dodge down to 2, since it can be cast from the graveyard and I only ever want to see it when I have a Cyclops in play, and in a meta full of black removal trying to combo off is risky. Pike, on the other hand, can turn any of my creatures into a giant threat (since the graveyard will be packed with instants/sorceries) and the next best thing to a bird attacking with swords is a phoenix attacking with a pike. Splashed white for Boros Charm, which both has more utility than Armed and can bring back Phoenix for me.
I tend to play a slower game where I beat and burn my opponent down over several turns, rather than trying to swing in with one mighty hit. Even if I have all the tools to combo off, if my opponent has mana up I'll avoid going all in on Cyclops.
My thoughts about the deck right now are:
Tossing creatures in the grave to Thought Scour is much worse than the good it makes with FB cards, considering Quicken as the cantrip of choice.
We are unfavorable to just about everything except midrange in Game 1
Guttersnipe does alot of work and is more valueable then what he seems at first glance.
We sorely lack any sort of life gain (Save for a lonely Warleader's Helix in the SB)
Played around with this on MTGO (in the casual room). Some of the card choices were simply because that's what I could find quickly. It's been a lot of fun.
I've won games on the back of Pyromancer, Guttersnipe, and Cyclops though the Cyclops combo is by far the most common win condition. Pyromancer is good at extending the game a bit while I dig for combo parts, but can turn into a threat to win if ignored. Guttersnipe can do a lot of work so that the full combo is not needed.
I've found myself having mana troubles, but I am playing a less than optimal mana base (just because I am playing around and didn't want to invest in buddy lands or the last two shocks).
I do think Chandra would be good for games that for past turns 4-6.
I agree that the deck is simply dead to some things. I lost to double detention sphere once, for instance.
4x Young Pyromancer
4x Guttersnipe
4x Nivix Cyclops
Other spells (28)
4x Faithless Looting
4x Think Twice
4x Artful Dodge
3x Mizzium Skin
4x Turn // Burn
4x Izzet Charm
3x Pillar of Flame
2x Searing Spear
4x Steam Vents
4x Sulfur Falls
7x Island
5x Mountain
This is what I've been playing around with. I really like the flow of the deck. Haven't really decided on the entire sb, probably going to go with counters lol.
List looks very consistent. I would consider Searing Spear to be the weakest card in the deck, not sure if you agree or not but it feels perhaps unnecessary - that is unless you find yourself burning your opponents out.
For me, I felt I only needed 3 Artful Dodge, partly due to flashback bur partly due to the fact I play quite a few cantrips as you do as well. Also you can cut a few corners by dropping a Think Twice or two and going with a few bombs such as Armed // Dangerous and Epic Experiment.
I'm also looking at black with the combo of Notion Thief + Whispering Madness. Even alone, Whispering Madness seems like an incredible card for us. I don't know about you, but my hand is often empty or close to it by Turn 4 or 5 and it could be a great way to recover cards. Oh yeah.. and Doom Blade!
Yeah I could probably try some of your ideas. But I'm not dropping down from 8 draw spells, it really keeps the flow going for this deck, and them having flashback makes it easier to know what your going to discard for Looting if there in hand.
BG The Rock GB
UW Control WU
EDH:
RBU Nekusar UBR
Modern:
UNBDU
Removals are aplenty which somehow makes it so not sweet
4 Nivix Cyclops
3 Young Pyromancer
3 Guttersnipe
3 Delver of Secerts
Instants
2 Searing Spear
2 Cyclonic Rift
3 Izzet Charm
4 Think Twice
3 Hidden Strings
2 Molten Birth
2 Armed // Dangerous
2 Artful Dodge
2 Teleportal
2 Pillar of Flame
1 Ral Zarek
Land
3 Izzet Guildgate
1 Steam Vents
8 Island
8 Mountain
Sideboard is...
4 Counterflux
3 Electrickery
1 Jace, Architect of Thought
3 Pithing Needle
2 Mizzium Skin
2 Turn // Burn
I am a bit of a budget player as you can see, but I'm trying to make the best of what I have. I'd like to run Burning Earth without taking too much damage from my own lands, should I drop the guildgate count a bit?
I only count 58 cards in your main... and 20 land is a bit light without Goblin Electromancer I would think. I run 22 myself without it. Also, I think Mizzium Skin ought to be in your main somewhere as opposed to the SB, these kind of decks are weak enough to spot removal without a MB way to stop Doom Blade and friends.
ECM
Any other advice? How many non basic lands is too much for Burning Earth?
Not sure if I've seen modern Izzet blitz before but I play Nivmagus combo and I strongly feel that these decks - both in standard and in modern - are at their best when they are winning fast. I'll have to check out some of the netdecks for a Modern Izzet deck though, any recommendations?
You mentioned saving creatures, how about Mizzium Skin? I love seeing this card in my hand most of the time and is pretty much the best answer to Abrupt Decay which is in every other deck at my FNM, dunno about you. You mentioned it but I will second Dispel. That card has gotten me out of a lot of binds. If you cut green,Simic Charm is a real beauty. Gives Cyclops +6/3 when used as a Giant Growth[/CARD] which is pretty cool.