Hello again, it's me with another Archetype thread. This time around, I'd like to discuss the Boros decks that are available to us. As an enemy pair, Boros doesn't get many gold cards. What are some things we can do in Peasant to make Boros unique?
As with my Gruul thread, please post ideas for Boros archetypes in here. Please avoid posts like "Boros is great for aggro;" we know that already. What we're looking for here are specific deck ideas, like the classic "Can't Block" deck, that Cube architects can use to add interest to their drafts. Once the thread gets going, I'll update the OP with the ideas we generate.
Decks suggested so far:
-Diversion (also known as Can't Block): tap blockers or prevent blocks to push through attacks. See Master of Diversion, Goblin War Drums
-Token Burn: Make tokens and pump them with Raid Bombardment or Goblin Bombardment.
-Pyrohemia: Break the symmetry of Pyrohemia-style effects using Spitemare, Lashknife Barrier, etc.
-Scepter Control: Pick Isochron Scepter early and draft a package for it.
-Double Strike: Combine double strike creatures with Equipment or other pumps.
-Human Tribal: Use lots of humans and the human guys like Kessig Malcontents from AVR.
-Cycling: Astral Slide, etc. with cycling cards.
I like the thought of a Raid Bombardment token deck. Goblin Trenches is already a good allstar gold card (if you use vma rarities) and also helps this. Red is mostly for reach once weenie tokens become outclassed, but it can add a few tokens in some cards as well.
Yea just like some other cards that were mentioned, you can run some sweet red/white control decks.
Cards that come to mind...
Defensive Blockers in red: Mogg Fanatic - Block a thing, sac to blow up another thing. Mogg War Marshal - Two chump blockers to stay alive against rush down decks for 2 mana. Stingscouger - early turns, you can make your opponent have to pay a mana cost again while leaving a blocker up so you don't have to pay the echo. Late game, if you have the extra mana, keep the blocker around =) Imperial Recruiter - All around value card. Dragon Whelp - A new addition to my cube has been doing pretty well. Blocks a lot of things, and can turn into a threat if the game goes on. Beetleback Chief - makes a ton of token chump blockers
Defensive Blockers in white: Mother of Runes - block, before damage, pro-[color]. Doomed Traveler - Block a thing on the ground, then in the air Kor Skyfisher - it's got a big butt early on to block for days. And it flies. And can bounce things like the previously mentioned Beetleback Chief (and other things) to get more value. Wall of Omens - big blocker early on
The rest of the things: Flametongue Kavu/Fire Imp - kills a creature, blocks later Lightning Bolt - Creature removal Path to Exile - Creature removal Faithless Looting - ran out of good cards and holding onto land in the late game? have no fear!
[insert red and white spot removal]
[insert white Pacifism cards]
Good ideas, peeps.
And Squirrely, I do plan to make a thread for each guild, but I'm slow-rolling them so that each guild gets some quality time. (Also, I'm putting up threads for guilds my own cube needs help with first, because I'm selfish.)
I'll be updating the OP once we get a couple more posts here.
My cube right now does a "weenie swarm" strategy in Boros, with lots of little guys and mass pump stuff like Sunhome Guildmage and Raid Bombardment. It also uses elements of the "Can't Block" deck.
My other Boros strategy is an Equipment/Artifact deck, featuring the red and white Karn shrines alongside Kor Duelist and Goblin Gaveleer with artifact recursion as support. It is definitely hard to get all the pieces though, and I think it'd work better as a URW deck with Trinket Mage, Ensoul Artifact, and so on to add density.
EDIT: Just saw your idea about sample decklists, Squirrely. I'll try to add some of those later on once we get a few more of the threads going.
Squirrely: yes, the equipment deck is not easy to draft. I agree with you that double strike is probably the better way to go, especially after trying to draft equipment a couple times on cubetutor.
Also, on three-color combinations, I agree its important to have that kind of synergy. But, I personally go with the philosophy of making two-color archetypes that blend together well. For example, my GW Auras deck goes great with my evasive saboteurs in U, and my BR sacrifice deck sure does like Lingering Souls and other cards from the GW Tokens deck. It's probably not discussed much because it becomes so complex when you try to look at 2-color and 3-color archetypes within a cube rather than in a vacuum.
As with my Gruul thread, please post ideas for Boros archetypes in here. Please avoid posts like "Boros is great for aggro;" we know that already. What we're looking for here are specific deck ideas, like the classic "Can't Block" deck, that Cube architects can use to add interest to their drafts. Once the thread gets going, I'll update the OP with the ideas we generate.
Decks suggested so far:
-Diversion (also known as Can't Block): tap blockers or prevent blocks to push through attacks. See Master of Diversion, Goblin War Drums
-Token Burn: Make tokens and pump them with Raid Bombardment or Goblin Bombardment.
-Pyrohemia: Break the symmetry of Pyrohemia-style effects using Spitemare, Lashknife Barrier, etc.
-Scepter Control: Pick Isochron Scepter early and draft a package for it.
-Double Strike: Combine double strike creatures with Equipment or other pumps.
-Human Tribal: Use lots of humans and the human guys like Kessig Malcontents from AVR.
-Cycling: Astral Slide, etc. with cycling cards.
Squad Goals Cube: http://www.cubetutor.com/draft/39847
PowerSquad Cube: http://www.cubetutor.com/draft/39911
0 Midnight Haunting
0 Lingering Souls
0 Gather the Townsfolk
0 Cloudgoat Ranger
0 Shrine of Loyal Legions
0 Spectral Procession
0 Cenn's Enlistment
0 Mogg War Marshal
0 Young Pyromancer
0 Beetleback Chief
0 Firecat Blitz
0 Goblin Trenches
0 Sunhome Guildmage
0 Intangible Virtue
0 Phantom General
0 Raid Bombardment
0 Goblin Bombardment
0 Flamekin Zealot
0 Mortarpod
0 Signal Pest
Might not be the best, but it looks fun and I would love to play it regularly.
CMy Peasant CubeC
On Cubetutor
UBRThraximundar, Tribal ZombiesUBR
WURZedruu's Great TradesWUR
Cards that come to mind...
Defensive Blockers in red:
Mogg Fanatic - Block a thing, sac to blow up another thing.
Mogg War Marshal - Two chump blockers to stay alive against rush down decks for 2 mana.
Stingscouger - early turns, you can make your opponent have to pay a mana cost again while leaving a blocker up so you don't have to pay the echo. Late game, if you have the extra mana, keep the blocker around =)
Imperial Recruiter - All around value card.
Dragon Whelp - A new addition to my cube has been doing pretty well. Blocks a lot of things, and can turn into a threat if the game goes on.
Beetleback Chief - makes a ton of token chump blockers
I'm sure there's more. Wall of Heat came to mind.
Defensive Blockers in white:
Mother of Runes - block, before damage, pro-[color].
Doomed Traveler - Block a thing on the ground, then in the air
Kor Skyfisher - it's got a big butt early on to block for days. And it flies. And can bounce things like the previously mentioned Beetleback Chief (and other things) to get more value.
Wall of Omens - big blocker early on
and others im sure.
Creatures to slow 'em down and Utility creatures in Red:
Stingscourger - same as before
Imperial Recruiter - same as before
Young Pyromancer - It not dealt with, can produce so many chump blockers while removing their threats via burn spells/spot removal
Fireslinger - ping those x/1's down
Cunning Sparkmage - same thing as the Fireslinger
Avalanche Riders and Ogre Arsonist - Land Destruction could be a way to slow them down.a
Creatures to slow 'em down and utility creatures in White:
Goldmeadow Harrier - tap down their scary things
Mother of Runes - just like before
Azorius Arrester - even though it's a 2/1, it can make something not attack next turn, which slows them down
Lone Missionary - blocks well, and gets 4 life to live longer =)
Whitemane Lion/Stonecloaker - block with a thing, before damage, flash this guy in to save the previous blocker
Flickerwisp and Glimmerpoint Stag - Kills tokens
Banisher priest - Get rid of their scariest creature for a little while
Kor Hookmaster - like a psuedo-Man-O'-War in white.
Aven Riftwatcher - blocks like a champ and gains quite a bit of life
Calciderm - this card reads like.. 2WW, target opponent sacs 3 creatures.
Seraph of Dawn - lifegain and blocking for days
Belfry Spirit/Cloudgoat Ranger - makes blockers for days, and can finish games off, too
Custodi Squire - Value on a stick
Serra Angel - obviously a good blocker
I'm sure there's more.
The rest of the things:
Flametongue Kavu/Fire Imp - kills a creature, blocks later
Lightning Bolt - Creature removal
Path to Exile - Creature removal
Faithless Looting - ran out of good cards and holding onto land in the late game? have no fear!
[insert red and white spot removal]
[insert white Pacifism cards]
as for gold cards, you could get some Goblin Legionnaire and Spitemare for fun creatures. Truefire Paladin blocks quite nicely, and Lightning Helix can blow up a creature and get you life.
Idk, boros seems like a very flexible guild.
1x Doomed Traveler
1x Azorius Arrester
1x Mogg War Marshal
1x Stingscourger
1x Wall of Omens
1x Aven Riftwatcher
1x Banisher Priest
1x Beetleback Chief
1x Glimmerpoint Stag
1x Guardian of the Guildpact
1x Spitemare
1x Serra Angel
Artifact
1x Loxodon Warhammer
Instant
1x Harm's Way
1x Swords to Plowshares
1x Lightning Helix
1x Midnight Haunting
1x Forked Bolt
1x Arc Lightning
1x Timely Reinforcements
1x Shower of Coals
Enchantment
1x Journey to Nowhere
1x Lashknife Barrier
Land
1x Boros Garrison
1x Gemstone Mine
1x Jungle Shrine
7x Plains
7x Mountain
1x Barter in Blood
1x Blind Hunter
1x Demonic Taskmaster
1x Fire // Ice
1x Flickerwisp
1x Golgari Rot Farm
1x Gray Merchant of Asphodel
1x Horizon Chimera
1x Kor Sanctifiers
1x Manic Vandal
1x Overrun
1x Pierce Strider
1x Read the Bones
1x Rift Bolt
1x Shrine of Loyal Legions
1x Syndic of Tithes
1x Unearth
1x Vivid Grove
1x Young Pyromancer
And Squirrely, I do plan to make a thread for each guild, but I'm slow-rolling them so that each guild gets some quality time. (Also, I'm putting up threads for guilds my own cube needs help with first, because I'm selfish.)
I'll be updating the OP once we get a couple more posts here.
My cube right now does a "weenie swarm" strategy in Boros, with lots of little guys and mass pump stuff like Sunhome Guildmage and Raid Bombardment. It also uses elements of the "Can't Block" deck.
My other Boros strategy is an Equipment/Artifact deck, featuring the red and white Karn shrines alongside Kor Duelist and Goblin Gaveleer with artifact recursion as support. It is definitely hard to get all the pieces though, and I think it'd work better as a URW deck with Trinket Mage, Ensoul Artifact, and so on to add density.
EDIT: Just saw your idea about sample decklists, Squirrely. I'll try to add some of those later on once we get a few more of the threads going.
Squad Goals Cube: http://www.cubetutor.com/draft/39847
PowerSquad Cube: http://www.cubetutor.com/draft/39911
Also, on three-color combinations, I agree its important to have that kind of synergy. But, I personally go with the philosophy of making two-color archetypes that blend together well. For example, my GW Auras deck goes great with my evasive saboteurs in U, and my BR sacrifice deck sure does like Lingering Souls and other cards from the GW Tokens deck. It's probably not discussed much because it becomes so complex when you try to look at 2-color and 3-color archetypes within a cube rather than in a vacuum.
Squad Goals Cube: http://www.cubetutor.com/draft/39847
PowerSquad Cube: http://www.cubetutor.com/draft/39911