- Thunderbreak Regent I think is an amazing card to play. It flies over all the tokens and Rhinos, and it will almost always cost your opponent life to remove it. I love it as the premier four drop creature over Polukranos.
- Sarkhan Unbroken is a very solid card. With Xenagos, both spit out tokens and ramp. Also they both do well with maximizing Crater's Claws and quickly Monstrosity with Stormbreath faster.
- I'm predicting a return of Red aggro/devotion decks, so I felt the need to side in more instant speed removal to get those Rabbles and other new small red creatures (which is why there's the full set of Strikes in the main). Everything else is fairly standard.
- Original list had Anger in the main, along with Kiora and Ugin. I felt that cutting them and lowering the curve was the right move. I was also considering Surrak 2.0 so my dragons and dragon tokens come out with haste as soon as they hit the board, but I felt there was no room for him in the four drop slot.
So the plan is turn 3 or 4 beatdown creature, with the option to shift into long-game card advantage off Sarkhan and Siege?
I'm wary of running Roast maindeck. It's potentially a big waste against weenies, or completely blank against control.
My personal goal with Dragons of Tarkir is to make a Temur Dragons control deck. Sarkhan, Kiora, Courser, and Caryatid, plus counterspells, burn, and Stormbreath as a finisher. Alternately, I'm wondering whether using Temur Ascendancy to give dragons haste and make them cantrip is worth it. I mean, turn 2 Caryatid, turn 3 ascendancy, turn 4 Sarkhan for a hasty cantrip dragon token feels pretty good.
How is Roast a waste against weenies? It costs the same as Lightning Strike. It will be the most efficient 2cc removal in Standard. In fact, it is the only 2cc card that can take out Siege Rhino that isn't an enchantment. Almost no deck plays no non flying creatures. If anything I would run another one over the 4th Strike.
After some testing by putting this through the gauntlet it does extremely well.
- Roast was strictly better than Lightning Strike. It hits all the stuff you normally want to, while Wild Slash already hits the creatures you want to get in instant speed. Roast clears the way for your Knuckleblade and Surrak.
- Speaking of Surrak, he's much better than I thought. Most of the time he swings in with haste, or the very least all the Sarkhan Dragons and Regent does.
- I didn't want to play counters, but the two copies of Stubborn Denial was just what the deck needed in case of board wipes or lethal burn spells.
- I wanted to fit in a copy of Dragonlord Atarka, but had no room.
How is Draconic Roar conditional? When in the early game do you want to strike the face? It's instant speed 3 damage to target creature, but has a great chance of also doing 3 damage to the face at the same time. So you lose out on the relatively low number of times you are top decking to a strike to the face, but is that really a good enough place to be in the first place?
It's a great card if you run mostly dragons, but the downside is strictly worse than just a Lightning Strike. It's better and worse at the same time, and there's always a very good chance you won't have dragons in your hand or on the field when all you need is to deal with a problematic planeswalker or finish off your opponent with 3 damage. I'd run it in a dragon tribal, but not here.
But like I said, I've learned Lightning Strike is not what the deck wants right now. Temur is all about pushing through with your big guys, and Roast does that since it's a cheap removal for Rhino, Tasigur, Courser, Brimaz, and Polukranos.
Seems like a lot of these decks could put Scaleguard Sentinals to good use, as it is probably the best 2 drop in standard if you can trigger it. I see most decks running 18 green sources anyway, so its not like casting him is a problem- just max out on Thunderbreaks and Stormbreaths and maybe run a Icefall Regent or two (which is great against the green decks). Scaleguard is the only 2 drop that doesn't die to Bile Blight and Lightning Strike while still hitting for above the curve damage.
vs Control
- Draconic Roar +4 Disdainful Stroke
I was thinking of adding 3 color Surrak or Xenagos. Probably some draw.
vs RDW, Atarka Red, Jeskai Tokens
- Atarka, - Stormbreath + Anger of the Gods + Magma Spray... forgot Hornet Nest.
You could take out a few Stubborn Denial for the Encase in Ice and Roast but 12 guys you have big butts. Revelry in vs Tokens
vs Abzan
Aggro - bring in Roast. Not sure you need Disdainful if they only play 5ish spells over 4. Side in Anger of the Gods.
Atarka - Disdainful Stroke, Roast, Destructive Revelry
Control - Disdainful Stroke, Roast (Siege, Tasigur, Nissa creatures)
Eh. Don't care to write it all out but you get the gist. It works. Play it before you knock it. All the extra crap is just that crap. It's essentially CVMs Dragons deck with control elements to save your stuff from dying and preventing your opp from going over the top.
3 Stormbreath Dragon
4 Thunderbreak Regent
4 Savage Knuckleblade
3 Courser of Kruphix
3 Heir of the Wilds
4 Sylvan Caryatid
3 Sarkhan, Unbroken
2 Xenagos, The Reveler
Spells
1 Outpost Siege
4 Lightning Strike
3 Crater's Claws
2 Roast
3 Wild Slash
3 Anger of the Gods
1 Outpost Siege
2 Reclamation Sage
2 Nylea's Disciple
2 Negate
2 Disdainful Stroke
- Thunderbreak Regent I think is an amazing card to play. It flies over all the tokens and Rhinos, and it will almost always cost your opponent life to remove it. I love it as the premier four drop creature over Polukranos.
- Sarkhan Unbroken is a very solid card. With Xenagos, both spit out tokens and ramp. Also they both do well with maximizing Crater's Claws and quickly Monstrosity with Stormbreath faster.
- I'm predicting a return of Red aggro/devotion decks, so I felt the need to side in more instant speed removal to get those Rabbles and other new small red creatures (which is why there's the full set of Strikes in the main). Everything else is fairly standard.
- Original list had Anger in the main, along with Kiora and Ugin. I felt that cutting them and lowering the curve was the right move. I was also considering Surrak 2.0 so my dragons and dragon tokens come out with haste as soon as they hit the board, but I felt there was no room for him in the four drop slot.
Standard: BG Golgari Midrange
Modern: U Merfolk GWUBR 5 Color Humans UBW Esper Gifts GW Bogles
I'm wary of running Roast maindeck. It's potentially a big waste against weenies, or completely blank against control.
My personal goal with Dragons of Tarkir is to make a Temur Dragons control deck. Sarkhan, Kiora, Courser, and Caryatid, plus counterspells, burn, and Stormbreath as a finisher. Alternately, I'm wondering whether using Temur Ascendancy to give dragons haste and make them cantrip is worth it. I mean, turn 2 Caryatid, turn 3 ascendancy, turn 4 Sarkhan for a hasty cantrip dragon token feels pretty good.
I did start out as a Temur Superfriends, but I discovered it was too cluttered and inconsistent.
Standard: BG Golgari Midrange
Modern: U Merfolk GWUBR 5 Color Humans UBW Esper Gifts GW Bogles
4 Elvish Mystic
4 Rattleclaw Mystic
4 Courser of Kruphix
4 Savage Knuckleblade
4 Thunderbreak Regent
4 Stormbreath Dragon
2 Dragonlord Atarka
Planeswalkers
4 Sarkhan Unbroken
Spells
3 Draconic Roar
1 Roast
2 Temur Ascendancy
Lands
6 Forest
4 Frontier Bivouac
4 Shivan Reef
4 Yavimaya Coast
2 Mana Confluence
2 Temple of Abandon
1 Temple of Mystery
1 Temple of Epiphany
2 Roast
1 Draconic Roar
4 Anger of the Gods
2 Boon Satyr
2 Reclamation Sage
2 Xenagos, The Reveler
2 Icefall Regent
After some tweaking with some great players/deck builders here is my latest list:
3 Stormbreath Dragon
4 Thunderbreak Regent
2 Surrak, the Hunt Caller
4 Savage Knuckleblade
3 Courser of Kruphix
2 Heir of the Wilds
4 Sylvan Caryatid
3 Sarkhan, Unbroken
Spells
3 Crater's Claws
4 Roast
2 Stubborn Denial
2 Wild Slash
24 lands
2 Wild Slash
3 Anger of the Gods
2 Xenagos, the Reveler
2 Reclamation Sage
2 Nylea's Disciple
2 Negate
2 Disdainful Stroke
After some testing by putting this through the gauntlet it does extremely well.
- Roast was strictly better than Lightning Strike. It hits all the stuff you normally want to, while Wild Slash already hits the creatures you want to get in instant speed. Roast clears the way for your Knuckleblade and Surrak.
- Speaking of Surrak, he's much better than I thought. Most of the time he swings in with haste, or the very least all the Sarkhan Dragons and Regent does.
- I didn't want to play counters, but the two copies of Stubborn Denial was just what the deck needed in case of board wipes or lethal burn spells.
- I wanted to fit in a copy of Dragonlord Atarka, but had no room.
Standard: BG Golgari Midrange
Modern: U Merfolk GWUBR 5 Color Humans UBW Esper Gifts GW Bogles
But like I said, I've learned Lightning Strike is not what the deck wants right now. Temur is all about pushing through with your big guys, and Roast does that since it's a cheap removal for Rhino, Tasigur, Courser, Brimaz, and Polukranos.
Standard: BG Golgari Midrange
Modern: U Merfolk GWUBR 5 Color Humans UBW Esper Gifts GW Bogles
4 Scaleguard Sentinel
2 Sylvan Caryatid
4 Savage Knuckleblade
4 Courser of Kruphix
4 Thunderbreak Regent
4 Stormbreath Dragon
2 Dragonlord Atarka
4 Stubborn Denial
The problem is fixing your land.
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Yavimaya Coast
2 Shivan Reef
2 Haven of the Spirit Dragon
2 Mountain
3 Forest
2 Temple of Abandon
1 Temple of Mystery
1 Temple of Epiphany
13u-15r-18g
and 2 Haven for the Dragons.
Side uses 4 Disdainful Stroke 3 Anger of the Gods (none of your stuff dies to it beside elves, caryatid) 2 Hornet Nest 2 Roast 2 Destructive Revelry 2 Magma Spray 1 Encase in Ice
vs Control
- Draconic Roar +4 Disdainful Stroke
I was thinking of adding 3 color Surrak or Xenagos. Probably some draw.
vs RDW, Atarka Red, Jeskai Tokens
- Atarka, - Stormbreath + Anger of the Gods + Magma Spray... forgot Hornet Nest.
You could take out a few Stubborn Denial for the Encase in Ice and Roast but 12 guys you have big butts. Revelry in vs Tokens
vs Abzan
Aggro - bring in Roast. Not sure you need Disdainful if they only play 5ish spells over 4. Side in Anger of the Gods.
Atarka - Disdainful Stroke, Roast, Destructive Revelry
Control - Disdainful Stroke, Roast (Siege, Tasigur, Nissa creatures)
Eh. Don't care to write it all out but you get the gist. It works. Play it before you knock it. All the extra crap is just that crap. It's essentially CVMs Dragons deck with control elements to save your stuff from dying and preventing your opp from going over the top.
Modern: UR Dragonfish
Legacy: Merfolk
Tiny Leaders: Mono Anafenza