Very new to the deck, can someone please explain what role Hour of Promise fills? What do you normally look for?
Is it simply like casting a Primeval Titan but for 1 less mana?
I've seen it as a 1of or 2of in some lists, but it seems like a flex card. Is it better than Khalni Heart Expedition for example?
What sort of meta do you bring it in for?
My local FNM is very mixed, normally every player is on a different deck, but not too much aggro.
Went 2-2 with the deck at FNM, my first real time playing it.
Fairly standard list, but I only have 1 LoTV due to budget at the moment, and had 3 Hissing Quagmire as I didn't have a 2nd Treetop Village.
As suggested above, I cut 3x Shadow of Doubt for 1xDuress, 2xDamping Sphere.
0-2 Esper Control
Game 2 I should have saved Fulminator Mage to do some damage and save it for a later Celestial Colonnade, but I tried to cut him off triple blue early for Cryptic Command. We end up racing with Manlands, but 4/4 will always beat 2/2...
2-0 UR Storm
Fairly easy matchup. Game 1 was fun - he used Grapeshot to clear my board then Empty the Warrens to make 10 goblins.
I drop Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet into Tarmogoyf and manage to stablise with the lifelink. Meanwhile I'm chipping away at his goblins keeping a healthy life total, then swing for lethal with about 5 creatures/manlands. Game 2 he mulled to 4 or 5 and I had hand disruption...
1-2 Bogles
New player, but Bogles is a silly deck that can just win if you don't have the answers.
I took out the Daybreak Coronet before it got out of hand, but then he attached Spirit Mantle and I couldn't block with my bigger Goyf.
Do I take out Dark Confidant in this matchup? It felt bad losing chunks of life to what can be a really fast unblockable clock...
2-1 Vannifar "Pod"
Very grindy, lost G1 to the combo, but G2 eventually I out-value him with LLH and LoTV, then G3 we both end up top-decking and my threats are better on board. He uses Deputy of Detention on my Goyf, I cast Languish then drop a 2nd Goyf. GG.
Overall I love the interactive nature of the deck, it gives you some real choices, and I've missed playing Inquisition of Kozilek!!
Games do go long, but you feel like eventually you turn the corner and win through card advantage and better answers to what your opponent is doing.
For this week, I've got a 2/2 split of Quagmire and Village, and I've gone to a 3/3 split of Dark Confidant and Tireless Tracker as Tracker feels like a better threat and better topdeck late game.
Any thoughts or comments on Shadow of Doubt? I've seen it in older lists but no mention here at all.
In a fetch-heavy meta it seems like it could pull weight. It also shuts off Gifts Ungiven, Chord of Calling and Scapeshift.
I've been running 19-land Mardu burn for a while now - Bump in the Night is a great card worth splashing even without the Flashback. I've been off Boros Charm as a result.
I think if we run any sort of 3-colour deck we need to keep Lightning Helix to mitigate the fetch+shock damage, which is definitely real.
For me, I think I'll be cutting Skullcrack entirely, replace with 4x Skewer the Critics, then trying 2x Rain of Gore again in the sideboard.
Skullcrack doesn't hit creatures, and in games where the lifegain matters you want to hold up just in case they castTimely Reinforcements for example. Its a reactive card in those matches similar to Deflecting Palm. However, Skullcrack isn't great against things like Scavenging Ooze. Rain of Gore is often repeatable damage and difficult to remove. The only lifelinker I'm worried about is Wurmcoil Engine, but Tron is a good matchup on the whole anyway.
I don't think we can cut White entirely due to Path (there's nothing like it in Black apart from maybe Terminate?), Helix and RiP, and agree with ElCon that Mono-red isn't quite there yet (but definitely closer!!).
Overall, I'm excited. I think Burn will increase in the meta, Skewer the Critics is the real deal, meaning we do need to be prepared for more lifegain, but ultimately we get a much lower curve to win games faster as a result. Bump in the Night has already done that for me, Skewer will make it even more so. We might also need to be worried about an upsurge in Chalice of the Void decks as a result - back to Shattering Spree in the SB...?
If I didn't run Rain of Gore I'd probably consider Go for the Throat or Fatal Push.
The only 3 Pro-Red things I'd be worried about at the moment are Kor Firewalker, Master of Waves and Phyrexian Crusader. Rain of Gore hilariously deals with Firewalker, and I'm not too fussed with the other 2 creatures - both are fringe in the meta at the moment.
Can confirm its definitely got gas. Having access to effectively 16 1-mana burn spells (Lightning/Rift Bolt, Spike and Bump) instead of 12 increases the likelihood of your Monastery Swiftspear hitting for 3 a turn, potentially hitting your opponent for 9 in total on T2.
Thoughts?
I'm questioning Rain of Gore, but my Jeskai opponent hated it enough to bounce with a Cryptic Command and it stopped her casting Lightning Helix on my creatures. I'm also uncertain about Cage when I have the 4x Rakdos Charm...
I think Skullcrack is then the best card to remove - with 8 lifegain cards it becomes a bit of a non-bo...
Its nowhere near as versatile as Lightning Helix in straight Boros or RWg, but the payoff is having additional lifegain-swing and the lower curve from Black using Bump and Gonti's. The downside is Sorcery speed, not being able to target creatures (Skullcrack couldn't do that though) and maybe not running SB Rain of Gore anymore.
In light of SnK-Arcbound's list above, what do people make of a non-Galvanic Blast list that would run 3-4 Thoughtseize instead?
I find that I regularly sideboard in 2 copies of Thoughtseize anyway, and often prefer disruption/information over a random 4 damage burn spell - when we win, its usually by a BIG margin EG Cranial Plating, all in with Arcbound Ravager, a big Master of Etherium or poison damage, not necessarily finishing them off with Blast.
Thoughts?
I have a friend who mainboards 2 copies of Spell Pierce in his Affinity list too as he prefers the surprise interaction.
It is definitely starting to feel like RWg with only Destructive Revelry using green in the side is just flat out wrong though. Bogles is really the only enchantment deck in the meta, and in that case running Atarka’s Command over Skullcrack would be better. The question is how much would going full RWG drop your win percentage against the rest of the field versus just giving up entirely on Bogles to go straight Boros.
What makes it "just flat out wrong"?
Having outs to enchantments, including Bogles, seems sensible.
The way I see it is we have 2 options:
1. Ignore enchantments totally and run straight RW, maybe running a 1-of SB Wear // Tear. The DRev slots would be for Smash to Smithereens and maybe Ensnaring Bridge or an extra Searing Blood for Humans/Elves/Merfolk etc.
2. Splash green for 3 or 4 Destructive Revelry. Most of the time you'd just fetch for Sacred Foundry in G1, not even show your opponent the green if you have it. The only painful time is if you have Stomping Ground in your opener so you need to fetch for white = 5 damage potentially by T2... Or the problem of not having a fetch to go get your single green source...
Personally, I like Deflecting Palm against ETron, Goyfs and Bogles, sometimes random combo decks with Emrakul - DRev helps the Bogles matchup too.
Manabase question:
I run a 19 land RW list, no green splash.
I'm currently using 3x Mountain, 3xInspiring Vantage and 3xSacred Foundry, with 10 fetches.
However, I see lots of lists running 4xVantage.
Is there any advantage (pardon the pun) for me to do so? More fastlands increases the chance of it entering tapped when I might need it untapped...
If 4 fastlands is better, what do I cut - the 10th fetch?
PS I think I have 1 Mainboard flex slot - if I had a choice of 1 card to add, what would it be? I don't really like the idea of Shard Volley with 19 land, and am considering a Molten Rain or 2nd Grim Lavamancer.
Hi!
I've been off Burn since January where I had a great run in side events at GP London so fancied a change.
Been looking at recent lists and it seems most have cut a Skullcrack for a 2nd mainboard Grim Lavamancer?
Can anyone provide the reasoning for this please?
Not as much lifegain? Increase in smaller creatures? Grim = recursive damage?
"@RochiTomRochi
Destructive Revelry is kinda sexy. How have you liked it? Being able to deal with enchantments and artifacts seems nice, though casting Grudge from the yard is quite nice too. Getting enchantments out of the way is the one thing we don't generally do without using a Beast Within."
@Redtwister - as Ponza is generally a "soft" lock IE our opponents can get out of a Blood Moon or have low manacurve, I find the 2 damage from Destructive Revelry is more useful to close the game out. As well as the usual artifacts, there are some annoying enchantments out there - Spreading Seas, Search for Azcanta, Leyline of Sanctity, Bogles decks, Eidolon of the Great Revel, Courser of Kruphix. Slightly more niche scenario - the 2 damage can be redirected to Planeswalkers. The main question then is: Do you want 1 attempt to destroy an artifact, enchantment AND 2 damage, or 2 attempts at 2 artifacts with no damage.
Is it simply like casting a Primeval Titan but for 1 less mana?
I've seen it as a 1of or 2of in some lists, but it seems like a flex card. Is it better than Khalni Heart Expedition for example?
What sort of meta do you bring it in for?
My local FNM is very mixed, normally every player is on a different deck, but not too much aggro.
Fairly standard list, but I only have 1 LoTV due to budget at the moment, and had 3 Hissing Quagmire as I didn't have a 2nd Treetop Village.
As suggested above, I cut 3x Shadow of Doubt for 1xDuress, 2xDamping Sphere.
0-2 Esper Control
Game 2 I should have saved Fulminator Mage to do some damage and save it for a later Celestial Colonnade, but I tried to cut him off triple blue early for Cryptic Command. We end up racing with Manlands, but 4/4 will always beat 2/2...
2-0 UR Storm
Fairly easy matchup. Game 1 was fun - he used Grapeshot to clear my board then Empty the Warrens to make 10 goblins.
I drop Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet into Tarmogoyf and manage to stablise with the lifelink. Meanwhile I'm chipping away at his goblins keeping a healthy life total, then swing for lethal with about 5 creatures/manlands. Game 2 he mulled to 4 or 5 and I had hand disruption...
1-2 Bogles
New player, but Bogles is a silly deck that can just win if you don't have the answers.
I took out the Daybreak Coronet before it got out of hand, but then he attached Spirit Mantle and I couldn't block with my bigger Goyf.
Do I take out Dark Confidant in this matchup? It felt bad losing chunks of life to what can be a really fast unblockable clock...
2-1 Vannifar "Pod"
Very grindy, lost G1 to the combo, but G2 eventually I out-value him with LLH and LoTV, then G3 we both end up top-decking and my threats are better on board. He uses Deputy of Detention on my Goyf, I cast Languish then drop a 2nd Goyf. GG.
Overall I love the interactive nature of the deck, it gives you some real choices, and I've missed playing Inquisition of Kozilek!!
Games do go long, but you feel like eventually you turn the corner and win through card advantage and better answers to what your opponent is doing.
For this week, I've got a 2/2 split of Quagmire and Village, and I've gone to a 3/3 split of Dark Confidant and Tireless Tracker as Tracker feels like a better threat and better topdeck late game.
In a fetch-heavy meta it seems like it could pull weight. It also shuts off Gifts Ungiven, Chord of Calling and Scapeshift.
I think if we run any sort of 3-colour deck we need to keep Lightning Helix to mitigate the fetch+shock damage, which is definitely real.
For me, I think I'll be cutting Skullcrack entirely, replace with 4x Skewer the Critics, then trying 2x Rain of Gore again in the sideboard.
Skullcrack doesn't hit creatures, and in games where the lifegain matters you want to hold up just in case they castTimely Reinforcements for example. Its a reactive card in those matches similar to Deflecting Palm. However, Skullcrack isn't great against things like Scavenging Ooze. Rain of Gore is often repeatable damage and difficult to remove. The only lifelinker I'm worried about is Wurmcoil Engine, but Tron is a good matchup on the whole anyway.
I don't think we can cut White entirely due to Path (there's nothing like it in Black apart from maybe Terminate?), Helix and RiP, and agree with ElCon that Mono-red isn't quite there yet (but definitely closer!!).
Overall, I'm excited. I think Burn will increase in the meta, Skewer the Critics is the real deal, meaning we do need to be prepared for more lifegain, but ultimately we get a much lower curve to win games faster as a result. Bump in the Night has already done that for me, Skewer will make it even more so. We might also need to be worried about an upsurge in Chalice of the Void decks as a result - back to Shattering Spree in the SB...?
If I didn't run Rain of Gore I'd probably consider Go for the Throat or Fatal Push.
The only 3 Pro-Red things I'd be worried about at the moment are Kor Firewalker, Master of Waves and Phyrexian Crusader. Rain of Gore hilariously deals with Firewalker, and I'm not too fussed with the other 2 creatures - both are fringe in the meta at the moment.
My SB plan for Affinity is always to go heavy control with spot removal. I'd bring in 3xSearing Blood, 2xTerminate, 1xShattering Spree and 3xRakdos Charm, removing 4x Eidolon of the Great Revel, 4x Lava Spike and 1x Bump in the Night.
I don't like the idea of Go for the Throat not hitting Affinity. If I have 1B for GFTT, I'll also have RB for Terminate which is strictly better.
Can confirm its definitely got gas. Having access to effectively 16 1-mana burn spells (Lightning/Rift Bolt, Spike and Bump) instead of 12 increases the likelihood of your Monastery Swiftspear hitting for 3 a turn, potentially hitting your opponent for 9 in total on T2.
My sideboard was:
4xRakdos Charm
3xSearing Blood
2xTerminate
2xRain of Gore
2xExquisite Firecraft
1xGrafdigger's Cage
1xShattering Spree
Thoughts?
I'm questioning Rain of Gore, but my Jeskai opponent hated it enough to bounce with a Cryptic Command and it stopped her casting Lightning Helix on my creatures. I'm also uncertain about Cage when I have the 4x Rakdos Charm...
19 land including 3 or 4xBlackcleave Cliffs and 3 or 4xBlood Crypt.
4x Bump in the night, Lightning Bolt, Lava Spike, Gonti's Machinations, Rift Bolt, Searing Blaze, Goblin Guide, Monastery Swiftspear, Eidolon of the Great Revel and 4x Sovereign's Bite
1x Grim Lavamancer
I think Skullcrack is then the best card to remove - with 8 lifegain cards it becomes a bit of a non-bo...
Its nowhere near as versatile as Lightning Helix in straight Boros or RWg, but the payoff is having additional lifegain-swing and the lower curve from Black using Bump and Gonti's. The downside is Sorcery speed, not being able to target creatures (Skullcrack couldn't do that though) and maybe not running SB Rain of Gore anymore.
I find that I regularly sideboard in 2 copies of Thoughtseize anyway, and often prefer disruption/information over a random 4 damage burn spell - when we win, its usually by a BIG margin EG Cranial Plating, all in with Arcbound Ravager, a big Master of Etherium or poison damage, not necessarily finishing them off with Blast.
Thoughts?
I have a friend who mainboards 2 copies of Spell Pierce in his Affinity list too as he prefers the surprise interaction.
Currently I'm running the following in a straight Boros build:
3xSearing Blood
2xPath to Exile
2xRest in Peace
2xDeflecting Palm
2xKor Firewalker
2xSmash to Smithereens
Shattering Spree
Grafdigger's Cage
I'm considering 2xExquisite Firecraft but wonder how necessary it actually is, as I don't expect too many Control decks in the side events.
Secondly, would you bring in Kor Firewalker vs Mardu Pyromancer? It blanks half their removal and gains you lots of life...
What makes it "just flat out wrong"?
Having outs to enchantments, including Bogles, seems sensible.
The way I see it is we have 2 options:
1. Ignore enchantments totally and run straight RW, maybe running a 1-of SB Wear // Tear. The DRev slots would be for Smash to Smithereens and maybe Ensnaring Bridge or an extra Searing Blood for Humans/Elves/Merfolk etc.
2. Splash green for 3 or 4 Destructive Revelry. Most of the time you'd just fetch for Sacred Foundry in G1, not even show your opponent the green if you have it. The only painful time is if you have Stomping Ground in your opener so you need to fetch for white = 5 damage potentially by T2... Or the problem of not having a fetch to go get your single green source...
Personally, I like Deflecting Palm against ETron, Goyfs and Bogles, sometimes random combo decks with Emrakul - DRev helps the Bogles matchup too.
I run a 19 land RW list, no green splash.
I'm currently using 3x Mountain, 3xInspiring Vantage and 3xSacred Foundry, with 10 fetches.
However, I see lots of lists running 4xVantage.
Is there any advantage (pardon the pun) for me to do so? More fastlands increases the chance of it entering tapped when I might need it untapped...
If 4 fastlands is better, what do I cut - the 10th fetch?
PS I think I have 1 Mainboard flex slot - if I had a choice of 1 card to add, what would it be? I don't really like the idea of Shard Volley with 19 land, and am considering a Molten Rain or 2nd Grim Lavamancer.
I've been off Burn since January where I had a great run in side events at GP London so fancied a change.
Been looking at recent lists and it seems most have cut a Skullcrack for a 2nd mainboard Grim Lavamancer?
Can anyone provide the reasoning for this please?
Not as much lifegain? Increase in smaller creatures? Grim = recursive damage?
Destructive Revelry is kinda sexy. How have you liked it? Being able to deal with enchantments and artifacts seems nice, though casting Grudge from the yard is quite nice too. Getting enchantments out of the way is the one thing we don't generally do without using a Beast Within."
@Redtwister - as Ponza is generally a "soft" lock IE our opponents can get out of a Blood Moon or have low manacurve, I find the 2 damage from Destructive Revelry is more useful to close the game out. As well as the usual artifacts, there are some annoying enchantments out there - Spreading Seas, Search for Azcanta, Leyline of Sanctity, Bogles decks, Eidolon of the Great Revel, Courser of Kruphix. Slightly more niche scenario - the 2 damage can be redirected to Planeswalkers. The main question then is: Do you want 1 attempt to destroy an artifact, enchantment AND 2 damage, or 2 attempts at 2 artifacts with no damage.