With the addition of some very cool cards that will enable a deck like this I decided it would be a good idea to make a primer for all you brewers out there that are interested in this kind of deck. This is all possible because of a Blood Artist effect finally being reprinted in standard. I believe we have enough sacrifice outlets and targets to make a deck like this very powerful.
Cutthroat Aristocrats is a very synergy based deck that can either overrun the opponent with a swarm of creatures, or combo them out with looping sacrifice effects with Zulaport Cutthroat on the field. With a slew of drawing options the deck will be able to find the pieces as you constantly fill the field with new creatures to replace the old.
The Aristocrat deck of old was a fan favorite for the complexity of it as well as the awesome plays you could pull off with it. The inevitability of having a Blood Artist effect on the field with a bunch of creatures puts most decks in a lose/lose position. Risiliant to both removal and sweepers the deck allows you to just try to get the "combo" on the field. The deck is very satisfying to pilot and allows for some very memorable games.
-Card Choices-
-1 CMC- Bloodsoaked Champion: The guy is everything the deck wants to be doing, applying early pressure as well as coming back for more after you sacrifice him again and again. Run 4. Sidisi's Faithful: At first glance the card seems weak, but having a way to bounce back annoying creatures and sac our own for one mana is good. For one blue mana per creature you can sac all your creatures if you target the faithful with the bounce effect. Blisterpod: this is another premier 1 drop for the deck because it provides us with two bodies at the low cost of 1 mana. If that wasent enough it can actually ramp you as well. Qarsi High Priest: Not the best sacrifice outlet but he does manifest another creature for you. If you prefer to get an early sac outlet out, this is your guy. Servant of the Scale: A body that offers a counter when it dies, for a more aggressive build this could be an option. Shambling Goblin If weenie decks make a big comeback this guy could be some good value.
-2 CMC- Zulaport Cutthroat: the card that makes the deck tick. The amount of damage and lifegain you can get over the course of a game is quite crazy for a 2 drop. If your opponent does not have an answer fast you will get a lot of value out of this little guy. Hangarback Walker: I think we can all agree this card is strong, and in a deck that wants to sacrifice creatures you cant do much better than this. Carrier Thrall: Such a good fit for this deck! An aggressive body that leave another guy behind. Den Protector: Getting back a Cutthroat or sac outlet from the graveyard is always good, and this guy is a hard to block 3/2 on top of that. Humble Defector: The plan with this guy is to tap him to draw 2 and then sacrifice him in response to stop him from defecting. getting a sacrifice trigger and 2 cards for 2 mana is very powerful when you can get it going. Qarsi Sadist: Another drain effect is useful in the aggro matchup and leaves a 3 toughness body to stay on defense, could be good. Sultai EmissaryAnother body that will provide us with another creature when it dies, though this one has the benefit of possibly hitting a good creature we can un-morph for some crazy value. Rot Shambler: With the amount of creatures that will be dying on our field this guy could get out of control very fast. Despoiler of Souls :Another reoccurring body with a decent power. The cost is kind of steep to bring this guy back but I feel like it could be doable. Jeering Instigator: Stealing a creature and sacrificing it is a viable removal option in this deck, and this guy does it while leaving a body behind as well. Beastcaller Savant: With elvish mystic gone this is the ramp we will be forced to use.
-3 CMC- Drana, Liberator of Malakir: offers an alternative win-con when you start building up your token creatures to be viable threats. This is just a very efficient creature. Liliana, Heretical Healer: Good stats that has an ability that works very well with our game plan, leaving back a 2/2 body as we get a planeswalker. Alesha, Who Smiles at Death: it's hard to evaluate this card, but recurring a sac target over and over sounds quite good. Flamewake Phoenix Hasty flier that can be cast again and again for one mana makes this a very important to the deck if you can consistently get Formidable. Nantuko HuskThe most effecient sac outlet we can get, with the added benefit of getting huge in the process. Grim Haruspex: Drawing cards is good, and in the right deck this guy could draw you enough to just run away with a game. Merciless ExecutionerI like to think of this guy as a removal spell that hurts us much less than it hurts the opponent on average. Catacomb Sifter: this card is going to provide you with a crazy amount of value, a 2/3 body and a 1/1 scion that will also let us scry every time we sac a creature? sign me up.
-4 CMC- Butcher of the Horde: a very strong reason to go Mardu. A free sac outlet that can get some very relevant keywords. This card puts your opponent on a very fast clock. Siege Rhino: because at this point why not? if your running abzan colors this card is almost too good to not consider. Smothering Abomination: drawing a card every turn on a 4/3 flying body that actually takes advantage of it's sacrifice ability? this card was practically designed for this deck. Blazing Hellhound : More direct damage on a decent body. If you need another sac outlet I recommend this guy. Pia and Kiran Nalaar: 3 Bodies and a way to shock your opponent all for 4 mana is why this card useful in this deck. Whirler Rogue: Giving you three creatures is good, but making your 10/10 husk unblockable is very good.
-5 CMC- Sidisi, Undead Vizier: Very powerful effect on a good sized body, finding an outpost siege or cutthroat with the effect to combo the opponent to death is great. Whisperwood Elemental: Free creatures every turn and the ability to sac him and all our creatures to get all new 2/2 morphs is pretty damn crazy. Wingmate Roc: Provides two big evasive bodies and lifegain. I can see this being a good finisher in the aggro matchup. Brood Butcher: 4 power and toughness across two bodies that can double as removal. in a more controlish build this guy could be a powerhouse. Priest of the Blood Rite: the drawback of this guy is easily counteracted by our many sac outlets, and we get a 5/5 flyer.
-1 CMC- Fiery Impulse: Burn is good. Wild Slash: Still good. Bone Splinters: One of the best removal spells a deck like this can get. Collateral Damage: this could be a great card in a very aggression focused list. Secure the Wastes: has the potential to get a good about of token fodder at most points of the game Vampiric Rites: Fairly powerful drawing engine with some tacked on lifegain.
-2 CMC- Evolutionary Leap: Wow does this card do work for this deck, it's a very good reason to consider green. Ultimate Price: deals with most creatures for the low cost of two mana. Dragon Fodder: one of the better token producers in red. Atarka's Command: Aggressive card choice if you want another way to push through those last few points of damage. Rally the Ancestors: Might not be the best use for this card but it does have some combo capabilities for surprise damage. Transgress the Mind: If you really need your thoughtsieze fix or are just sick of siege rhino Mirror Mockery: This card is interesting because it gives you free sac targets in combat as well as making Sidisi's Faithful and Sultai Emissary really good.
-3 CMC- Act of Treason: Stealing a creature in this deck is plain good, I dont know if it is good enough mainboard, but should be considered for the sideboard against aggro and midrange decks that tap out for one creature. Ruinous Path: Kind of a catch all card that will deal with almost everything that is in your way. Better for the slower midrange version Kolaghan's Command: This card is a very easy 2-1 and just great for our strategy in general, I highly recommend it. Abzan Ascendancy: What a powerhouse in this deck. Every creature will leave us another body to sac, or just fly in for the win. Mardu Ascendancy: Provides a metric buttload of tokens for us as well as protecting our fields of some of the board wipes. Crackling Doom: I have a feeling this deck is going to be seeing more play real soon. It is just a very solid card. Hordeling Outburst: The best token producing spell you will find in standard atm. Mardu Charm: All 3 forms are useful but you will be using it for the bodies more often than not. Call the Scions: The reason you would run this over Outburst is if you don't have access to red or you need some ramp.
-4+ CMC- Collected Company: Can be really good in the right build, make sure you choose your creatures wisely if you are going to run this. From Beyond: Very good card for the slower versions, give you a steady stream of scions and can be used to tutor up Smothering Abomination. Unified Front: 3-4 color decks could really make good use of this if you need more token producers. Murderous Cut: Cheap removal is always good but this one has some bad synergy with the recursion theme. Turn Against Like act of treason but faster! Outpost Siege: Can be used as a hard to kill Cutthroat trigger that can hit monsters, or a CA engine. it's pricey but worth it. Sorin, Solemn Visitor: Extremely powerful card that can give you a faster clock or build you field up. Gideon, Ally of Zendikar: Not sure how good he would be but he does provide a steady stream of creatures as well as providing a clock himself.
I've always wanted to build a deck that yoinks the opponent's creatures, then sacrifices them for value. Right now there's quite a few 'gain control' cards; Act of Treason,Dragonlord Silumgar, Enthralling Victor, Jeering Instigator, Lose Calm, Mob Rule, Willbreaker and Yasova Dragonclaw. Maybe it's a bit too unreliable for a tier1 deck (especially since some decks, like Mill, hardly ever run creatures anyway), but it would be hilarious fun to steal a Dragonlord Atarka, swing, and sac it for good measure. Plausible? Maybe...
Back when B/R Zombies was one of the best decks in standard they would run a few copies of steal spells in the main/side to deal with Thragtusk and sac to get the token. If big creature decks take over standard I could see that being a good strat!
I really liked his list but I really like some of the options you have listed especially Bloodsoaked Champion, Carrier Thrull, Siege Rhino (because Siege Rhino), and Sidisi. I also like the fact that you brought up Murderous Cut which I think would be a great sideboard or a couple mainboard for a deck like this. Ultimate Price may find a sideboard home too.
Couple random things not suggested: Altar's Reap - Possible card draw for a deck that has none. Might be okay. Probably not. Stasis Snare - Removal card for a lot of things. Complete Disregard - Removal card that could be helpful with the exile clause.
Oh yeah I saw that post on reddit, it's what made me consider abzan as an option lol.
That list looks really clean and I like most of it I think the major changes I would add is cutting some number or Evolutionary Leap (since the card is pretty damn bad in multiples), and Liliana or two. The cards I would add would most likely be Smothering Abomination for that sweet sweet card draw, and some Catacomb Sifter's since that card should just be in any version of this list running B/G.
Could this be a new version of Abzan Rally? Sac creatures you rallied to husk while also draining your opponents?
I feel like that is one way to go with Rally, the other being 3-4 Color Ally Rally with Chasm Guide as your haste enabler for the Husk. That way the deck could just overrun with hasty allies with rally, or pump the Husk like before.
I like the idea of blue because both salvage drone and jace help you dig for rally while ditching creatures (to fuel rally) or uneeded lands. Blue also gives you sidisi's faithful in the board for cards like hangarback walker.
But as you can see I have to cut 6 cards, and I have no idea what to cut. Maybe the one drops are bad, I'm not sure. I'm also not sure if sultai emissary or elvish visionary are better here. I like visionary since it can draw rally, but emissary is 2 guys. I'm also not sure if I should shave a gather the pack, and I might be able to lose a land.
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If MTG is a part of your life, the formats are like relationships:
Standard/Block = The on-again, off-again holiday fling
Modern/Vintage/Legacy = Stable, homely. A ***** after absence/misreading
Limited/Sealed = Heart breaking free spirit
Commander/Cube = Agreeable, needy and expensive
Pauper/Peasant = Sweet, kind, practical, but shy and boring
Personally I don't like the card... at all. It does enable a graveyard based strategy, but cards like Gather the Pack are better simply because you can at least put a card in hand.
That being said, there aren't a whole lot of cards that will be left in standard that allow you to do something like that, so it may actually start seeing more play.
It's not good because all it does is setup your draw and put some cards in the yard. All of the other effects in the deck either loot, draw a card, replace themselves, or have an important interaction with the rest of the deck. On the surface scheming looks good as a rally enabler, but it's not really worth a card for that effect. Now if it drew a card, it would be great.
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If MTG is a part of your life, the formats are like relationships:
Standard/Block = The on-again, off-again holiday fling
Modern/Vintage/Legacy = Stable, homely. A ***** after absence/misreading
Limited/Sealed = Heart breaking free spirit
Commander/Cube = Agreeable, needy and expensive
Pauper/Peasant = Sweet, kind, practical, but shy and boring
It's not good because all it does is setup your draw and put some cards in the yard. All of the other effects in the deck either loot, draw a card, replace themselves, or have an important interaction with the rest of the deck. On the surface scheming looks good as a rally enabler, but it's not really worth a card for that effect. Now if it drew a card, it would be great.
I guess the idea was to attempt to replace satyr wayfinder. You're basically gonna dump the whole five unless you really need the land, rally, coco, etc... it's meant to fuel the rally.
It's not good because all it does is setup your draw and put some cards in the yard. All of the other effects in the deck either loot, draw a card, replace themselves, or have an important interaction with the rest of the deck. On the surface scheming looks good as a rally enabler, but it's not really worth a card for that effect. Now if it drew a card, it would be great.
I guess the idea was to attempt to replace satyr wayfinder. You're basically gonna dump the whole five unless you really need the land, rally, coco, etc... it's meant to fuel the rally.
Yes but gather the pack is better because it will replace itself (it's actually closer to a tutor), and later in the game it gets you 2 cards. Gather fuels the yard for rally as well.
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If MTG is a part of your life, the formats are like relationships:
Standard/Block = The on-again, off-again holiday fling
Modern/Vintage/Legacy = Stable, homely. A ***** after absence/misreading
Limited/Sealed = Heart breaking free spirit
Commander/Cube = Agreeable, needy and expensive
Pauper/Peasant = Sweet, kind, practical, but shy and boring
I'm glad there's a primer for this (re)emerging standard archetype cuz now I don't have to write my own topic lol
So I sleaved up a mardu list for fnm yesterday (first time ever at a fnm actually) and I'd like to post the decklist and discuss a little about what's best for this archetype moving forward, regardless of the colors you're in.
DISCLAIMER: obviously since this was yesterday BFZ isn't legal yet and there were still some theros cards at the event. I still think it's relevant to talk about how the deck did and discuss possible strengths and weaknesses and what we can sideboard (also cuz I'm just really excited about the deck in general, it's so much fun to play)
DISCLAIMER #2: Yes I know the sidedeck is atrocious, and this was semi-budget so no fetchlands at the present moment.
So yeah the basic idea was to steal dudes, make tokens, and throw out recurring creatures and sac'em all away for the win.
FNM W/L ratio: 1-4
Match #1: G/R Devotion (aka my whole deck is rotating out)
1-2
G1: By all rights this should've been a win for me, I goofed up HARD g1 by act of treasoning his polukranos while I had a hasty butcher out. Instead of attacking with both, I sac'd the polukranos cuz I wanted Butcher's lifegain without realizing that it would've been game right there, which gave him the chance to come back with xenaGOD next turn. The guy was nice enough to inform me of that next game. Live and learn I guess
G2: Easy win for me, overwhelmed him early on with a bunch of hasty flyers
G3: Got blown up by a massive crater's claws. Not much else to say about that game really
Match #2: Orzhov warriors
0-2
Won't even break this down into games, he outsped me early game, went super wide, pumped up his dudes, killed all my threats with killspells, and that was it. Horrible, horrible matchup
Match #3: U/W Heroic (probably the last time I'm ever gonna see that deck again)
2-0
By all rights an easy easy matchup. Just stole all his pumped up dudes, attack'n'sac, repeat ad nausem. Not much else to say. Nice guy though
Match #4: G/B/w constellation/enchantments
0-2
The guy was obviously pretty skilled, and while this deck imo has a semi-good matchup against abzan, there's just not much I could do against multiple rhinos and hydras. It was 0-2 but I remember both games being very close, both going on long. the phoenixes did work g1, which I guess is why he sided in infinite obliteration g2, which he proceeded to use on me exiling all of my phoenixes. I'm very convinced I would've won that game if he hadn't sided that card in, but oh well. Oh, and g1 I got manaflooded, like, OBSCENELY much. It was kind of heartbreaking.
Match #5: Abzan counters
1-2
Probably the funnest round all night even if I lost. It was a total back and forth all 3 games, I remember us being the last ones playing that night due to how long it went. I ended up burning him to death with col damages g1, g2 he flew over me with abzan falconers and wingmate rocs after a couple siege rhinos, and g3, I remember him killing me after I got him down to 1 life! So close! I swear though, siege rhino must be this kid's spirit animal with all the times he drew it right when he needed it.
Anyways, I had a lot of fun bringing this deck to my first ever fnm, even with the disappointing record, which I partly attribute to my noob mistakes anyways. To wrap everything up, I wanted to talk about some card choices I made and what stuff I didn't really like which I'll be taking out for new bfz stuff.
Humble Defector: amazing draw power tbh, tapping him for draws then sac'ing him with collateral damage just felt so, so good.
tormenting voice: More card draw + I needed a way to pitch phoenixes and champions, and this fit the bill. It worked pretty well tbh, Idk if I should change the ratio yet though
Flamewake phoenix: this + butcher of the horde is ridiculously good. He works better than bloodsoaked champ as a recurring sac target tbh, and I might bump him up in the main to 4.
butcher of the horde: the main reason I'm splashing white for mardu. Pretty much all of my wins are directly or indirectly attributed to him, he's just such a powerhouse for this deck. It's gonna be hard to convince me not to play RBW colors in this deck because of him.
Vaultbreaker and Alesha: Honestly these were really just in here to test their potential. Vaultbreaker was used just as another way to pitch cards and to turn on ferocious for phoenix, and he performed alright in online testing, and alesha I wanted to try out because I liked her reanimator ability, but I never actually saw them in games, and I almost always sided them out. Plus, there's honestly nothing I'd really wanna reanimate with alesha anyways. So I'll probably end up cutting all copies of them completely tbh
I think I covered everything I wanna cover, obviously I'll be testing stuff like the new cutthroat guy and other surprisingly sweet things we're getting in bfz, but I hope me posting about my experience helps spark up some more discussion on this really sweet archetype that I hope sees play once bfz rolls around. Cheers!
I really liked his list but I really like some of the options you have listed especially Bloodsoaked Champion, Carrier Thrull, Siege Rhino (because Siege Rhino), and Sidisi. I also like the fact that you brought up Murderous Cut which I think would be a great sideboard or a couple mainboard for a deck like this. Ultimate Price may find a sideboard home too.
Couple random things not suggested: Altar's Reap - Possible card draw for a deck that has none. Might be okay. Probably not. Stasis Snare - Removal card for a lot of things. Complete Disregard - Removal card that could be helpful with the exile clause.
Quoting myself for the list. Proxied this up and played against Esper Dragons (with some BFZ additions) without a sideboard because I didn't actually feel like making it and proxying it up for tonight. Maybe tomorrow.
Anyways, went 2-3 against them.
Cards that were excellent:
Evolutionary Leap - Sneaking this in before they have the chance to counterspell it is amazing and just helps grind the game out, pretty much turns off their removal, and can get you to the piece you need.
Hangarback Walker - Obviously an incredible card, not much to say about it beyond that.
Cards that were average at best:
Abzan Charm - Probably great in other matches but really was just an Ojutai killer if possible which is rarely.
Abzan Ascendancy - I think the Rally route might just be better here. Or maybe Rally in the board for the gameplan change mid match.
Everything else was basically what it's supposed to be, nothing special. I kind of wish there was something better than Sultai Emissary but it doesn't it's job.
You never know, but I do believe that if you are going to go that direction with the deck instead of straight aggro or midrange then I would probably take out Hangarback personally.
Also thanks for testing out your varients guys, it helps us towards the ultimate goal of refining this deck into a tournament winning powerhouse
I know that Hangerback Walker is really strong but I don't have any and I don't really want to pay $20 for one so can someone give me some ideas for a replacement for a Mardu or Abzan build?
That is 100% the case. If you hit a hangarback off of rally or company it just dies.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
If MTG is a part of your life, the formats are like relationships:
Standard/Block = The on-again, off-again holiday fling
Modern/Vintage/Legacy = Stable, homely. A ***** after absence/misreading
Limited/Sealed = Heart breaking free spirit
Commander/Cube = Agreeable, needy and expensive
Pauper/Peasant = Sweet, kind, practical, but shy and boring
That is 100% the case. If you hit a hangarback off of rally or company it just dies.
but isn't that the idea with cuththroat in play anyway? for your creatures to die? rally says you have to exile on upkeep so you're going to sacrifice them anyway.... hangarback just makes it a bit easier.
coco on the other hand - why would you bother grabbinb a walker from coco. just no.
That is 100% the case. If you hit a hangarback off of rally or company it just dies.
but isn't that the idea with cuththroat in play anyway? for your creatures to die? rally says you have to exile on upkeep so you're going to sacrifice them anyway.... hangarback just makes it a bit easier.
coco on the other hand - why would you bother grabbinb a walker from coco. just no.
Basically you don't really WANT to be running Hangarback if you run Coco or Rally but you might want to run it for the ability to use him aggressively on the board.
However, I've been having problems with getting creatures into the graveyard for the Rally list I have brewed up. I have Gather the Pack but it's never enough.
What about Sidisi, Brood Tyrant? Puts creatures into the yard and puts creatures on the board. Seems like it could actually be really good? Maybe it is asking a bit much, but I think I might start looking into that direction.
What about Sidisi, Brood Tyrant? Puts creatures into the yard and puts creatures on the board. Seems like it could actually be really good? Maybe it is asking a bit much, but I think I might start looking into that direction.
Good enabler but this would mean splashing blue pretty much solely for this card alone. Might be reasonable but probably not.
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Standard: Haven't decided
Modern: RW Burn
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With the addition of some very cool cards that will enable a deck like this I decided it would be a good idea to make a primer for all you brewers out there that are interested in this kind of deck. This is all possible because of a Blood Artist effect finally being reprinted in standard. I believe we have enough sacrifice outlets and targets to make a deck like this very powerful.
-Card Choices-
-1 CMC-
Bloodsoaked Champion: The guy is everything the deck wants to be doing, applying early pressure as well as coming back for more after you sacrifice him again and again. Run 4.
Sidisi's Faithful: At first glance the card seems weak, but having a way to bounce back annoying creatures and sac our own for one mana is good. For one blue mana per creature you can sac all your creatures if you target the faithful with the bounce effect.
Blisterpod: this is another premier 1 drop for the deck because it provides us with two bodies at the low cost of 1 mana. If that wasent enough it can actually ramp you as well.
Qarsi High Priest: Not the best sacrifice outlet but he does manifest another creature for you. If you prefer to get an early sac outlet out, this is your guy.
Servant of the Scale: A body that offers a counter when it dies, for a more aggressive build this could be an option.
Shambling Goblin If weenie decks make a big comeback this guy could be some good value.
-2 CMC-
Zulaport Cutthroat: the card that makes the deck tick. The amount of damage and lifegain you can get over the course of a game is quite crazy for a 2 drop. If your opponent does not have an answer fast you will get a lot of value out of this little guy.
Hangarback Walker: I think we can all agree this card is strong, and in a deck that wants to sacrifice creatures you cant do much better than this.
Carrier Thrall: Such a good fit for this deck! An aggressive body that leave another guy behind.
Den Protector: Getting back a Cutthroat or sac outlet from the graveyard is always good, and this guy is a hard to block 3/2 on top of that.
Humble Defector: The plan with this guy is to tap him to draw 2 and then sacrifice him in response to stop him from defecting. getting a sacrifice trigger and 2 cards for 2 mana is very powerful when you can get it going.
Qarsi Sadist: Another drain effect is useful in the aggro matchup and leaves a 3 toughness body to stay on defense, could be good.
Sultai EmissaryAnother body that will provide us with another creature when it dies, though this one has the benefit of possibly hitting a good creature we can un-morph for some crazy value.
Rot Shambler: With the amount of creatures that will be dying on our field this guy could get out of control very fast.
Despoiler of Souls :Another reoccurring body with a decent power. The cost is kind of steep to bring this guy back but I feel like it could be doable.
Jeering Instigator: Stealing a creature and sacrificing it is a viable removal option in this deck, and this guy does it while leaving a body behind as well.
Beastcaller Savant: With elvish mystic gone this is the ramp we will be forced to use.
-3 CMC-
Drana, Liberator of Malakir: offers an alternative win-con when you start building up your token creatures to be viable threats. This is just a very efficient creature.
Liliana, Heretical Healer: Good stats that has an ability that works very well with our game plan, leaving back a 2/2 body as we get a planeswalker.
Alesha, Who Smiles at Death: it's hard to evaluate this card, but recurring a sac target over and over sounds quite good.
Flamewake Phoenix Hasty flier that can be cast again and again for one mana makes this a very important to the deck if you can consistently get Formidable.
Nantuko HuskThe most effecient sac outlet we can get, with the added benefit of getting huge in the process.
Grim Haruspex: Drawing cards is good, and in the right deck this guy could draw you enough to just run away with a game.
Merciless ExecutionerI like to think of this guy as a removal spell that hurts us much less than it hurts the opponent on average.
Catacomb Sifter: this card is going to provide you with a crazy amount of value, a 2/3 body and a 1/1 scion that will also let us scry every time we sac a creature? sign me up.
-4 CMC-
Butcher of the Horde: a very strong reason to go Mardu. A free sac outlet that can get some very relevant keywords. This card puts your opponent on a very fast clock.
Siege Rhino: because at this point why not? if your running abzan colors this card is almost too good to not consider.
Smothering Abomination: drawing a card every turn on a 4/3 flying body that actually takes advantage of it's sacrifice ability? this card was practically designed for this deck.
Blazing Hellhound : More direct damage on a decent body. If you need another sac outlet I recommend this guy.
Pia and Kiran Nalaar: 3 Bodies and a way to shock your opponent all for 4 mana is why this card useful in this deck.
Whirler Rogue: Giving you three creatures is good, but making your 10/10 husk unblockable is very good.
-5 CMC-
Sidisi, Undead Vizier: Very powerful effect on a good sized body, finding an outpost siege or cutthroat with the effect to combo the opponent to death is great.
Whisperwood Elemental: Free creatures every turn and the ability to sac him and all our creatures to get all new 2/2 morphs is pretty damn crazy.
Wingmate Roc: Provides two big evasive bodies and lifegain. I can see this being a good finisher in the aggro matchup.
Brood Butcher: 4 power and toughness across two bodies that can double as removal. in a more controlish build this guy could be a powerhouse.
Priest of the Blood Rite: the drawback of this guy is easily counteracted by our many sac outlets, and we get a 5/5 flyer.
-1 CMC-
Fiery Impulse: Burn is good.
Wild Slash: Still good.
Bone Splinters: One of the best removal spells a deck like this can get.
Collateral Damage: this could be a great card in a very aggression focused list.
Secure the Wastes: has the potential to get a good about of token fodder at most points of the game
Vampiric Rites: Fairly powerful drawing engine with some tacked on lifegain.
-2 CMC-
Evolutionary Leap: Wow does this card do work for this deck, it's a very good reason to consider green.
Ultimate Price: deals with most creatures for the low cost of two mana.
Dragon Fodder: one of the better token producers in red.
Atarka's Command: Aggressive card choice if you want another way to push through those last few points of damage.
Rally the Ancestors: Might not be the best use for this card but it does have some combo capabilities for surprise damage.
Transgress the Mind: If you really need your thoughtsieze fix or are just sick of siege rhino
Mirror Mockery: This card is interesting because it gives you free sac targets in combat as well as making Sidisi's Faithful and Sultai Emissary really good.
-3 CMC-
Act of Treason: Stealing a creature in this deck is plain good, I dont know if it is good enough mainboard, but should be considered for the sideboard against aggro and midrange decks that tap out for one creature.
Ruinous Path: Kind of a catch all card that will deal with almost everything that is in your way. Better for the slower midrange version
Kolaghan's Command: This card is a very easy 2-1 and just great for our strategy in general, I highly recommend it.
Abzan Ascendancy: What a powerhouse in this deck. Every creature will leave us another body to sac, or just fly in for the win.
Mardu Ascendancy: Provides a metric buttload of tokens for us as well as protecting our fields of some of the board wipes.
Crackling Doom: I have a feeling this deck is going to be seeing more play real soon. It is just a very solid card.
Hordeling Outburst: The best token producing spell you will find in standard atm.
Mardu Charm: All 3 forms are useful but you will be using it for the bodies more often than not.
Call the Scions: The reason you would run this over Outburst is if you don't have access to red or you need some ramp.
-4+ CMC-
Collected Company: Can be really good in the right build, make sure you choose your creatures wisely if you are going to run this.
From Beyond: Very good card for the slower versions, give you a steady stream of scions and can be used to tutor up Smothering Abomination.
Unified Front: 3-4 color decks could really make good use of this if you need more token producers.
Murderous Cut: Cheap removal is always good but this one has some bad synergy with the recursion theme.
Turn Against Like act of treason but faster!
Outpost Siege: Can be used as a hard to kill Cutthroat trigger that can hit monsters, or a CA engine. it's pricey but worth it.
Sorin, Solemn Visitor: Extremely powerful card that can give you a faster clock or build you field up.
Gideon, Ally of Zendikar: Not sure how good he would be but he does provide a steady stream of creatures as well as providing a clock himself.
4 Bloodsoaked Champion
4 Zulaport Cutthroat
2 Hangarback Walker
4 Carrier Thrall
2 Liliana, Heretical Healer
3 Flamewake Phoenix
2 Smothering Abomination
4 Butcher of the Horde
3 Crackling Doom
3 Kolaghan's Command
Enchantments:7
3 Outpost Siege
2 Mardu Ascendancy
2 Vampiric Rites
Lands:22
4 Bloodstained Mire
3 Nomad Outpost
2 Mortuary Mire
4 Smoldering Marsh
2 Shambling Vent
2 Caves of Koilos
2 Swamp
2 Mountain
1 Plains
3 Blisterpod
4 Bloodsoaked Champion
4 Sultai Emissary
4 Zulaport Cutthroat
2 Fleshbag Marauder
4 Nantuko Husk
4 Catacomb Sifter
3 Liliana, Heretical Healer
1 Evolutionary Leap
2 Murderous Cut
2 Transgress the Mind
4 Collected Company
Lands:23
2 Spawning Bed
4 Forest
8 Swamp
4 Llanowar Wastes
1 Rogue's Passage
4 Jungle Hollow
2x Canopy Vista
1x Caves of Koilos
3x Forest
4x Llanowar Wastes
1x Plains
4x Sandsteppe Citadel
2x Shambling Vent
2x Swamp
4x Windswept Heath
4x Blisterpod
4x Zulaport Cutthroat
4x Carrier Thrall
3x Hangarback Walker
4x Catacomb Sifter
1x Liliana, Heretical Healer
3x Nantuko Husk
2x Smothering Abomination
4x Abzan Charm
Enchantment (5)
3x Abzan Ascendancy
2x Evolutionary Leap
Planeswalker (2)
2x Sorin, Solemn Visitor
4x Bloodsoaked Champion
4x Hangarback Walker
4x Liliana, Heretical Healer
4x Nantuko Husk
4x Sidisi's Faithful
4x Sultai Emissary
4x Whirler Rogue
4x Zulaport Cutthroat
4x Bloodstained Mire
2x Flooded Strand
1x Foundry of the Consuls
1x Island
4x Polluted Delta
3x Sunken Hollow
8x Swamp
4x Murderous Cut
Enchantment (1)
1x Vampiric Rites
4x Bloodsoaked Champion
2x Alesha, Who Smiles at Death
3x Liliana, Heretical Healer
4x Nantuko Husk
4x Sidisi's Faithful
4x Sultai Emissary
4x Whirler Rogue
4x Zulaport Cutthroat
4x Bloodstained Mire
4x Polluted Delta
1x Island
1x Mountain
3x Sunken Hollow
2x Smoldering Marsh
7x Swamp
4x Murderous Cut
Enchantment (5)
2x Break Through the Line
2x Vampiric Rites
1x Outpost Siege
I probably do an Orzhov deck to make it budget
if you don't want to click the link I'll post that guy's list below:
1x Canopy Vista
2x Caves of Koilos
4x Forest
4x Llanowar Wastes
1x Plains
4x Sandsteppe Citadel
3x Shambling Vent
2x Swamp
4x Windswept Heath
4x Zulaport Cutthroat
4x Hangarback Walker
3x Liliana, Heretical Healer
4x Nantuko Husk
4x Sultai Emissary
4x Blisterpod
Instant (4)
4x Abzan Charm
Enchantment (8)
4x Abzan Ascendancy
4x Evolutionary Leap
2x Arashin Cleric
3x Bone Splinters
2x Den Protector
4x Elvish Visionary
2x Sorin, Solemn Visitor
I really liked his list but I really like some of the options you have listed especially Bloodsoaked Champion, Carrier Thrull, Siege Rhino (because Siege Rhino), and Sidisi. I also like the fact that you brought up Murderous Cut which I think would be a great sideboard or a couple mainboard for a deck like this. Ultimate Price may find a sideboard home too.
Couple random things not suggested:
Altar's Reap - Possible card draw for a deck that has none. Might be okay. Probably not.
Stasis Snare - Removal card for a lot of things.
Complete Disregard - Removal card that could be helpful with the exile clause.
Modern: RW Burn
That list looks really clean and I like most of it I think the major changes I would add is cutting some number or Evolutionary Leap (since the card is pretty damn bad in multiples), and Liliana or two. The cards I would add would most likely be Smothering Abomination for that sweet sweet card draw, and some Catacomb Sifter's since that card should just be in any version of this list running B/G.
I feel like that is one way to go with Rally, the other being 3-4 Color Ally Rally with Chasm Guide as your haste enabler for the Husk. That way the deck could just overrun with hasty allies with rally, or pump the Husk like before.
4 windswept heath
4 polluted delta
2 flooded strand
1 sunken hollow
1 prarie stream
1 canopy vista
3 lumbering falls
1 swamp
3 forest
2 island
4 salvage drone
4 blisterpod
2 jace, vryn's prodigy
4 elvish visionary
4 sultai emissary
4 zulaport cutthroat
2 grim haruspex
4 fleshbag marauder
2 liliana, heretical healer
2 nantuko husk
4 gather the pack
4 collected company
4 rally the ancestors
I like the idea of blue because both salvage drone and jace help you dig for rally while ditching creatures (to fuel rally) or uneeded lands. Blue also gives you sidisi's faithful in the board for cards like hangarback walker.
But as you can see I have to cut 6 cards, and I have no idea what to cut. Maybe the one drops are bad, I'm not sure. I'm also not sure if sultai emissary or elvish visionary are better here. I like visionary since it can draw rally, but emissary is 2 guys. I'm also not sure if I should shave a gather the pack, and I might be able to lose a land.
Standard/Block = The on-again, off-again holiday fling
Modern/Vintage/Legacy = Stable, homely. A ***** after absence/misreading
Limited/Sealed = Heart breaking free spirit
Commander/Cube = Agreeable, needy and expensive
Pauper/Peasant = Sweet, kind, practical, but shy and boring
That being said, there aren't a whole lot of cards that will be left in standard that allow you to do something like that, so it may actually start seeing more play.
It's not good because all it does is setup your draw and put some cards in the yard. All of the other effects in the deck either loot, draw a card, replace themselves, or have an important interaction with the rest of the deck. On the surface scheming looks good as a rally enabler, but it's not really worth a card for that effect. Now if it drew a card, it would be great.
Standard/Block = The on-again, off-again holiday fling
Modern/Vintage/Legacy = Stable, homely. A ***** after absence/misreading
Limited/Sealed = Heart breaking free spirit
Commander/Cube = Agreeable, needy and expensive
Pauper/Peasant = Sweet, kind, practical, but shy and boring
I guess the idea was to attempt to replace satyr wayfinder. You're basically gonna dump the whole five unless you really need the land, rally, coco, etc... it's meant to fuel the rally.
Yes but gather the pack is better because it will replace itself (it's actually closer to a tutor), and later in the game it gets you 2 cards. Gather fuels the yard for rally as well.
Standard/Block = The on-again, off-again holiday fling
Modern/Vintage/Legacy = Stable, homely. A ***** after absence/misreading
Limited/Sealed = Heart breaking free spirit
Commander/Cube = Agreeable, needy and expensive
Pauper/Peasant = Sweet, kind, practical, but shy and boring
4 Bloodsoaked Champion
4 Blisterpod
4 Zulaport Cutthroat
4 Sultai Emissary
1 Den Protector
2 Grim Haruspex
4 Merciless Executioner
1 Liliana, Heretical Healer
4 Catacomb Sifter
4 Deathmist Raptor
2 Nantuko Husk
1 Evolutionary Leap
4 Collected Company
Lands
4 Llanowar Wastes
4 Jungle Hollow
2 Bloodstained Mire
2 Cinder Glade
2 Blighted Fen
1 Mortuary Mire
3 Swamp
3 Forest
4 Bone Splinters
4 Caustic Caterpillar
3 Den Protector
3 Fleshbag Marauder
1 Liliana, Heretical Healer
So I sleaved up a mardu list for fnm yesterday (first time ever at a fnm actually) and I'd like to post the decklist and discuss a little about what's best for this archetype moving forward, regardless of the colors you're in.
DISCLAIMER: obviously since this was yesterday BFZ isn't legal yet and there were still some theros cards at the event. I still think it's relevant to talk about how the deck did and discuss possible strengths and weaknesses and what we can sideboard (also cuz I'm just really excited about the deck in general, it's so much fun to play)
4x bloodsoaked champion
4x humble defector
4x jeering instigator
3x flamewake phoenix
1x alesha, who smiles at death
1x vaultbreaker
4x nantuko husk
4x butcher of the horde
Instants
4x collateral damage
2x hero's downfall(replacing with ruinous path)
2x tormenting voice
3x act of treason
Lands
4x battlefield forge
4x nomad outpost
4x bloodfell caves
4x caves of koilos
4x mountain
2x swamp
2x plains
2x duress
2x despise
1x vaultbreaker
1x sidisi
2x secure the wastes
1x flamewake phoenix
1x act of treason
2x valorous stance
1x sarkhan, the dragonspeaker
2x mardu strike leader
DISCLAIMER #2: Yes I know the sidedeck is atrocious, and this was semi-budget so no fetchlands at the present moment.
So yeah the basic idea was to steal dudes, make tokens, and throw out recurring creatures and sac'em all away for the win.
FNM W/L ratio: 1-4
Match #1: G/R Devotion (aka my whole deck is rotating out)
1-2
G1: By all rights this should've been a win for me, I goofed up HARD g1 by act of treasoning his polukranos while I had a hasty butcher out. Instead of attacking with both, I sac'd the polukranos cuz I wanted Butcher's lifegain without realizing that it would've been game right there, which gave him the chance to come back with xenaGOD next turn. The guy was nice enough to inform me of that next game. Live and learn I guess
G2: Easy win for me, overwhelmed him early on with a bunch of hasty flyers
G3: Got blown up by a massive crater's claws. Not much else to say about that game really
Match #2: Orzhov warriors
0-2
Won't even break this down into games, he outsped me early game, went super wide, pumped up his dudes, killed all my threats with killspells, and that was it. Horrible, horrible matchup
Match #3: U/W Heroic (probably the last time I'm ever gonna see that deck again)
2-0
By all rights an easy easy matchup. Just stole all his pumped up dudes, attack'n'sac, repeat ad nausem. Not much else to say. Nice guy though
Match #4: G/B/w constellation/enchantments
0-2
The guy was obviously pretty skilled, and while this deck imo has a semi-good matchup against abzan, there's just not much I could do against multiple rhinos and hydras. It was 0-2 but I remember both games being very close, both going on long. the phoenixes did work g1, which I guess is why he sided in infinite obliteration g2, which he proceeded to use on me exiling all of my phoenixes. I'm very convinced I would've won that game if he hadn't sided that card in, but oh well. Oh, and g1 I got manaflooded, like, OBSCENELY much. It was kind of heartbreaking.
Match #5: Abzan counters
1-2
Probably the funnest round all night even if I lost. It was a total back and forth all 3 games, I remember us being the last ones playing that night due to how long it went. I ended up burning him to death with col damages g1, g2 he flew over me with abzan falconers and wingmate rocs after a couple siege rhinos, and g3, I remember him killing me after I got him down to 1 life! So close! I swear though, siege rhino must be this kid's spirit animal with all the times he drew it right when he needed it.
Anyways, I had a lot of fun bringing this deck to my first ever fnm, even with the disappointing record, which I partly attribute to my noob mistakes anyways. To wrap everything up, I wanted to talk about some card choices I made and what stuff I didn't really like which I'll be taking out for new bfz stuff.
Humble Defector: amazing draw power tbh, tapping him for draws then sac'ing him with collateral damage just felt so, so good.
tormenting voice: More card draw + I needed a way to pitch phoenixes and champions, and this fit the bill. It worked pretty well tbh, Idk if I should change the ratio yet though
Flamewake phoenix: this + butcher of the horde is ridiculously good. He works better than bloodsoaked champ as a recurring sac target tbh, and I might bump him up in the main to 4.
butcher of the horde: the main reason I'm splashing white for mardu. Pretty much all of my wins are directly or indirectly attributed to him, he's just such a powerhouse for this deck. It's gonna be hard to convince me not to play RBW colors in this deck because of him.
Vaultbreaker and Alesha: Honestly these were really just in here to test their potential. Vaultbreaker was used just as another way to pitch cards and to turn on ferocious for phoenix, and he performed alright in online testing, and alesha I wanted to try out because I liked her reanimator ability, but I never actually saw them in games, and I almost always sided them out. Plus, there's honestly nothing I'd really wanna reanimate with alesha anyways. So I'll probably end up cutting all copies of them completely tbh
I think I covered everything I wanna cover, obviously I'll be testing stuff like the new cutthroat guy and other surprisingly sweet things we're getting in bfz, but I hope me posting about my experience helps spark up some more discussion on this really sweet archetype that I hope sees play once bfz rolls around. Cheers!
Quoting myself for the list. Proxied this up and played against Esper Dragons (with some BFZ additions) without a sideboard because I didn't actually feel like making it and proxying it up for tonight. Maybe tomorrow.
Anyways, went 2-3 against them.
Cards that were excellent:
Evolutionary Leap - Sneaking this in before they have the chance to counterspell it is amazing and just helps grind the game out, pretty much turns off their removal, and can get you to the piece you need.
Hangarback Walker - Obviously an incredible card, not much to say about it beyond that.
Cards that were average at best:
Abzan Charm - Probably great in other matches but really was just an Ojutai killer if possible which is rarely.
Abzan Ascendancy - I think the Rally route might just be better here. Or maybe Rally in the board for the gameplan change mid match.
Everything else was basically what it's supposed to be, nothing special. I kind of wish there was something better than Sultai Emissary but it doesn't it's job.
Modern: RW Burn
Modern: Storm
You never know, but I do believe that if you are going to go that direction with the deck instead of straight aggro or midrange then I would probably take out Hangarback personally.
Also thanks for testing out your varients guys, it helps us towards the ultimate goal of refining this deck into a tournament winning powerhouse
That is 100% the case. If you hit a hangarback off of rally or company it just dies.
Standard/Block = The on-again, off-again holiday fling
Modern/Vintage/Legacy = Stable, homely. A ***** after absence/misreading
Limited/Sealed = Heart breaking free spirit
Commander/Cube = Agreeable, needy and expensive
Pauper/Peasant = Sweet, kind, practical, but shy and boring
but isn't that the idea with cuththroat in play anyway? for your creatures to die? rally says you have to exile on upkeep so you're going to sacrifice them anyway.... hangarback just makes it a bit easier.
coco on the other hand - why would you bother grabbinb a walker from coco. just no.
Basically you don't really WANT to be running Hangarback if you run Coco or Rally but you might want to run it for the ability to use him aggressively on the board.
However, I've been having problems with getting creatures into the graveyard for the Rally list I have brewed up. I have Gather the Pack but it's never enough.
Modern: RW Burn
Good enabler but this would mean splashing blue pretty much solely for this card alone. Might be reasonable but probably not.
Modern: RW Burn