The numbers are in! And Red dominated. Now this meta is not nearly as bleak as in the recent past, but the king must be dethroned! As an against the meta brewer (and a "why is no one playing this?" brewer, RE: Master Biomancer), I and others must rise up and harken back to the 1950's, because the Red Menace is at large once again!
Here is a soft, post-rotation shell that I pretty much stole from an article discussing counters to Ramunap Red.
Story was fine. But it sure as hell was no corroded skull with a spine attached plane jumping chase scene that at the last second regenerates and stabs a dude through the heart who then gets flung into a time rift.
Dread Wanderer: Recurring threat. Win Con.
Dreamstealer: Beast if it hits. "Recurring" threat.
Seer: Beef body. Great ability.
Mummy: Early discard annoyance. Pitches lands.
Scrutiny: Good but not good enough to run more than 2 imo.
Lay Bare: Hits everything.
Brutality: The complete disruption, removal, and land pitch outlet.
Doomfall: May not end up being good enough for effect? +1 Scrutiny +1 Dreamstealer?
Push: Core removal.
Grasp: Core removal. Will probably be reprinted.
Reckoning: A given.
Never/Return: PW Hate.
Resolve: Need some draw. Instant speed and land pitch.
Hostile Desert: Win Con.
Also considered 1 Ghoulsteed as a win con lol. Pitches lands late game. Doesn't seem terrible.
Other considerations: Asylum Visitor, Hailfire, Midnight Oil. Ammit
Dread Wanderer: Recurring threat. Win Con.
Dreamstealer: Beast if it hits. "Recurring" threat.
Seer: Beef body. Great ability.
Mummy: Early discard annoyance. Pitches lands.
Scrutiny: Good but not good enough to run more than 2 imo.
Lay Bare: Hits everything.
Brutality: The complete disruption, removal, and land pitch outlet.
Doomfall: May not end up being good enough for effect? +1 Scrutiny +1 Dreamstealer?
Push: Core removal.
Grasp: Core removal. Will probably be reprinted.
Reckoning: A given.
Never/Return: PW Hate.
Resolve: Need some draw. Instant speed and land pitch.
Hostile Desert: Win Con.
Also considered 1 Ghoulsteed as a win con lol. Pitches lands late game. Doesn't seem terrible.
Other considerations: Asylum Visitor, Hailfire, Midnight Oil. Ammit
PR is my area is a big deal cause the prize support at our LGS is insane. 2 packs added to prize pool per attendee/ signup (so even if 60ppl signed up and only 40 attend, prize is still based off the 60 pre-registers). Breakdown for Sat and Sun is usually something like
1st - Box
2nd - 24
3rd - 15
4th - 15
5th - 8
6th - 8
7th - 5
8th - 5
Pity Pack for X-2 (or whatever the rounds determine)
I took 1st and 3rd this time around and netted 51 packs. #humblebragging
Here is how sealed has always worked. Take the colors withe the most creatures and most removal and make a baby. Sealed is about about three things, fat butts, killing stuff and CA. This was a very easy puzzle to solve Day 1, Day 2 was a tougher nut to crack.
And below is the Day 2 pool. Your challenge! Create a 5-1 deck from this pile that tries its very best to pull you in every direction. Remember, greed is good!
Honestly a ton of routes this pool can go, and maybe more that one possible winning build to be found. I opted for this nonsense due the 4 color fixers. Scarab God(and well, the other two)is nigh unstoppable. It HAD to be played no matter what. Instant speed reanimate is broken. Unfortunately the rest of this black is jank with the exception of Final Reward which I opt not to play due to it's cost and I don't want to splash two black cards. As for blue, Aerial Guide is bananas and two mana Dehydration is very good with or without deserts. The real greed here is jamming Last Word. My Red/Green creature suite was where the power lay and luckily Samut got cracked to come along for the ride. I used up all of the deckbuild time and went through 4 different builds of this thing until I settled on the above. The white seems good, but I was not overly sold on it's power level. So essentially this was case of jamming the best the pool had to offer together and running 4Color GoodStuff. This is probably a fringe result, and again if it has not been for 4 fixers, I never would've chanced it and probably opted for the safer Naya Route.
If you're feelin real froggy jam that Wind Guide in there too. That card is straight house with Oketra's Monument and damn fine without it. Flying mummy hyrdas are pretty good.
Here is a soft, post-rotation shell that I pretty much stole from an article discussing counters to Ramunap Red.
For funsies: Cataclysmic Gearhulk, Refurbish, God-Pharaoh's Gift
At work currently so limited time for in depth posting. Just wanted to get the ball rolling and gain interest (if any lol)
copy/paste
Gave this some more thought as well.
3 Dread Wanderer
2 Dreamstealer
3 Thought-Knot Seer
3 Miasmic Mummy
2 Harsh Scrutiny
3 Lay Bare the Heart
3 Collective Brutality
2 Doomfall
3 Grasp of Darkness
3 Bontu's Last Reckoning
2 Never // Return
4 Merciless Resolve
4 Desert of the Glorified
4 Hostile Desert
4 Ifnir Dreadlands
11 Swamp
3 Hour of Glory
2 Never // Return
3 Bone Picker
2 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
2 Lost Legacy
Quick thoughts:
Dread Wanderer: Recurring threat. Win Con.
Dreamstealer: Beast if it hits. "Recurring" threat.
Seer: Beef body. Great ability.
Mummy: Early discard annoyance. Pitches lands.
Scrutiny: Good but not good enough to run more than 2 imo.
Lay Bare: Hits everything.
Brutality: The complete disruption, removal, and land pitch outlet.
Doomfall: May not end up being good enough for effect? +1 Scrutiny +1 Dreamstealer?
Push: Core removal.
Grasp: Core removal. Will probably be reprinted.
Reckoning: A given.
Never/Return: PW Hate.
Resolve: Need some draw. Instant speed and land pitch.
Hostile Desert: Win Con.
Also considered 1 Ghoulsteed as a win con lol. Pitches lands late game. Doesn't seem terrible.
Other considerations: Asylum Visitor, Hailfire, Midnight Oil. Ammit
3 Dread Wanderer
2 Dreamstealer
3 Thought-Knot Seer
3 Miasmic Mummy
2 Harsh Scrutiny
3 Lay Bare the Heart
3 Collective Brutality
2 Doomfall
3 Grasp of Darkness
3 Bontu's Last Reckoning
2 Never // Return
4 Merciless Resolve
4 Desert of the Glorified
4 Hostile Desert
4 Ifnir Dreadlands
11 Swamp
3 Hour of Glory
2 Never // Return
3 Bone Picker
2 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
2 Lost Legacy
Quick thoughts:
Dread Wanderer: Recurring threat. Win Con.
Dreamstealer: Beast if it hits. "Recurring" threat.
Seer: Beef body. Great ability.
Mummy: Early discard annoyance. Pitches lands.
Scrutiny: Good but not good enough to run more than 2 imo.
Lay Bare: Hits everything.
Brutality: The complete disruption, removal, and land pitch outlet.
Doomfall: May not end up being good enough for effect? +1 Scrutiny +1 Dreamstealer?
Push: Core removal.
Grasp: Core removal. Will probably be reprinted.
Reckoning: A given.
Never/Return: PW Hate.
Resolve: Need some draw. Instant speed and land pitch.
Hostile Desert: Win Con.
Also considered 1 Ghoulsteed as a win con lol. Pitches lands late game. Doesn't seem terrible.
Other considerations: Asylum Visitor, Hailfire, Midnight Oil. Ammit
3 Dread Wanderer
2 Dreamstealer
4 Miasmic Mummy
4 Fatal Push
4 Claim // Fame
3 Harsh Scrutiny
4 Collective Brutality
4 Grasp of Darkness
3 Lay Bare the Heart
2 Doomfall
3 Bontu's Last Reckoning
4 Hostile Desert
4 Ifnir Dreadlands
10 Swamp
Just brainstormin'
1st - Box
2nd - 24
3rd - 15
4th - 15
5th - 8
6th - 8
7th - 5
8th - 5
Pity Pack for X-2 (or whatever the rounds determine)
I took 1st and 3rd this time around and netted 51 packs. #humblebragging
1 Bitterblade Warrior
1 Ruin Rat
1 Banewhip Punisher
1 Cursed Minotaur
1 Dreamstealer
1 Harrier Naga
1 Marauding Boneslasher
1 Watchful Naga
1 Carrion Screecher
1 Crocodile of the Crossing
1 Oasis Ritualist
1 Bitterbow Sharpshooters
1 Decimator Beetle
1 Scrouger of Souls
1 The Scorpion God
1 Rampaging Hippo
1 Magma Spray
1 Driven // Despair
1 Cartouche of Ambition
1 Mirage Mirror
1 Mouth // Feed
1 Struggle // Survive
1 Torment of Venom
LANDS
3 Mountain
7 Forest
7 Swamp
1 Firebrand Archer
1 Harsh Mentor
1 Aerial Guide
1 Eternal of Harsh Truths
1 Harrier Naga
1 Hooded Brawler
1 Khenra Scrapper
1 Sidewinder Naga
1 Aven Reedstalker
1 Quarry Hauler
1 Bitterbow Sharpshooters
1 The Scarab God
1 Trueheart Twins
1 Rampaging Hippo
1 Chaos Maw
1 Ambuscade
1 Cartouche of Knowledge
1 Kefnet's Last Word
1 Samut, the Tested
2 Traveler's Amulet
2 Unquenchable Thirst
LAND
5 Forest
4 Island
5 Mountain
1 Swamp
2 Survivors' Encampment
1 Bitterblade Warrior
1 Ruin Rat
1 Banewhip Punisher
1 Cursed Minotaur
1 Dreamstealer
1 Harrier Naga
1 Marauding Boneslasher
1 Watchful Naga
1 Carrion Screecher
1 Crocodile of the Crossing
1 Oasis Ritualist
1 Bitterbow Sharpshooters
1 Decimator Beetle
1 Scrouger of Souls
1 The Scorpion God
1 Rampaging Hippo
1 Magma Spray
1 Driven // Despair
1 Cartouche of Ambition
1 Mirage Mirror
1 Mouth // Feed
1 Struggle // Survive
1 Torment of Venom
LANDS
3 Mountain
7 Forest
7 Swamp
And below is the Day 2 pool. Your challenge! Create a 5-1 deck from this pile that tries its very best to pull you in every direction. Remember, greed is good!
WHITE
1 Binding Mummy
1 Dauntless Aven
1 Desert's Hold
1 Djeru's Renunciation
2 Dutiful Servants
1 Fan Bearer
2 Oketra's Avenger
1 Mummy Paramount
1 Sandblast
1 Steadfast Sentinel
1 Trial of Solidarity
BLUE
1 Aerial Guide
1 Aven Reedstalker
1 Cancel
1 Cartouche of Knowledge
1 Cunning Survivor
1 Eternal of Harsh Truths
1 Hieroglyphic Illumination
1 Kefnet's Last Word
1 Riddleform
1 Strategic Planning
1 Striped Riverwinder
2 Unquenchable Thirst
1 Winds of Rebuke
1 Final Reward
1 Grisly Survivor
1 Horror of the Broken Lands
1 Khenra Eternal
1 Marauding Boneslasher
1 Ruin Rat
1 Unburden
1 Wander in Death
1 Wretched Camel
RED
1 Blur of Blades
1 Cartouche of Zeal
1 Chaos Maw
2 Crash Through
1 Firebrand Archer
1 Fling
1 Harsh Mentor
1 Hyena Pack
1 Khenra Scrapper
1 Nimble-Blade Khenra
1 Thorned Moloch
1 Trueheart Twins
1 Warfire Javelineer
GREEN
1 Ambuscade
1 Bitterbow Sharpshooters
1 Dissenter's Deliverance
1 Dune Diviner
1 Gift of Strength
1 Harrier Naga
1 Hooded Brawler
2 Nissa's Defeat
1 Quarry Hauler
1 Rampaging Hippo
1 Sidewinder Naga
1 Sixth Sense
1 Bloodwater Entity
1 Claim // Fame
1 Consign // Oblivion
1 Enigma Drake
1 Failure // Comply
1 Resolute Survivors
1 Samut, the Tested
1 The Scarab God
ARTIFACT
1 Luxa River Shrine
1 Sunset Pyramid
2 Traveler's Amulet
1 Wall of Forgotten Pharaohs
LAND
1 Desert of the Mindful
1 Desert of the True
1 Hashep Oasis
1 Scavenger Grounds
2 Survivors' Encampment
1 Firebrand Archer
1 Harsh Mentor
1 Aerial Guide
1 Eternal of Harsh Truths
1 Harrier Naga
1 Hooded Brawler
1 Khenra Scrapper
1 Sidewinder Naga
1 Aven Reedstalker
1 Quarry Hauler
1 Bitterbow Sharpshooters
1 The Scarab God
1 Trueheart Twins
1 Rampaging Hippo
1 Chaos Maw
1 Ambuscade
1 Cartouche of Knowledge
1 Kefnet's Last Word
1 Samut, the Tested
2 Traveler's Amulet
2 Unquenchable Thirst
LAND
5 Forest
4 Island
5 Mountain
1 Swamp
2 Survivors' Encampment
Honestly a ton of routes this pool can go, and maybe more that one possible winning build to be found. I opted for this nonsense due the 4 color fixers. Scarab God(and well, the other two)is nigh unstoppable. It HAD to be played no matter what. Instant speed reanimate is broken. Unfortunately the rest of this black is jank with the exception of Final Reward which I opt not to play due to it's cost and I don't want to splash two black cards. As for blue, Aerial Guide is bananas and two mana Dehydration is very good with or without deserts. The real greed here is jamming Last Word. My Red/Green creature suite was where the power lay and luckily Samut got cracked to come along for the ride. I used up all of the deckbuild time and went through 4 different builds of this thing until I settled on the above. The white seems good, but I was not overly sold on it's power level. So essentially this was case of jamming the best the pool had to offer together and running 4Color GoodStuff. This is probably a fringe result, and again if it has not been for 4 fixers, I never would've chanced it and probably opted for the safer Naya Route.
1 Angler Drake
3 Aven Initiate
3 Cursed Minotaur
1 Dread Wanderer
1 Grim Strider
1 Lord of the Accursed
1 Miasmic Mummy
1 Soulstinger
1 Colossapede
1 Exemplar of Strength
1 Honored Hydra
1 Hooded Brawler
1 Ornery Kudu
1 Pouncing Cheetah
1 Rhonas the Indomitable
1 Final Reward
1 Oketra's Monument
1 Rhonas's Monument
1 Gift of Paradise
LAND
3 Island
7 Swamp
7 Forest
If you're feelin real froggy jam that Wind Guide in there too. That card is straight house with Oketra's Monument and damn fine without it. Flying mummy hyrdas are pretty good.
I think I read in passing either in this thread or elsewhere that the events unfolding now began a mere DAY after the arrival of the GW.
If that is true, how the hell did Ajani plan to assemble an army of Planeswalkers to combat Bolas in 24 hours?
So every color got a board wipe but green?
Still waiting for my "All creatures become forests" wrath.