I throughly enjoy your list! The new inclusions have been well thought out and make sense. However, there are two small changes that I would personally make to your list which include the following: Drop x1 Hammerhand for a singleton Lightning Strike, and Peak Eruption for Mutavault. Hammerhand will be weak against Control; whereas, Lightning Strike will always be a guaranteed 3 to the dome, unless they choose to counter it. Mutavault can then replace Lightning Strike during games 2 and 3 when playing against Jund Monsters or Mono Black Devotion where you'll want the extra land to reliably cast Harness by Force for Demon and Jund's big threats. As for everything else, you now have easy swaps between each of your 2 and 4 card slots that you have allocated among your 75. I have just ordered the remaining pieces for this deck myself to run alongside my Mono Blue Devotion list.
Please excuse any typos, I used my smartphone to type this. Haha!
I'm under the same assumption, Ruxin. I was watching midway through the Top4 and was rooting for Jadine. I really hope she pulled it off. I loved her minimalistic approach to Mono Black. I also think 26 lands is the correct count. Hopefully, someone will chime in here quick and update us as I am very curious to know who won the finals.
Well, I did call it right on having a Selesnya Aggro deck in there, but yes, U/W Control (especially U/W running Elixir of Immortality) isn't very exciting to watch. Haha!
Yeah, apparently there is a connection issue, unfortunately. I just loss my connection a few minutes ago as well. I was really hoping to watch Weinberg play. He's a great player. I just transitioned over from Mono Blue to Mono Black, so I'm trying to watch as much cover as I can to perform better with the deck although it really isn't that hard to play. Mono Black is much easier than playing Mono Blue in my opinion because it doesn't have as many intricate interactions among its cards. Mono Black is also much more forgiving if you make a mistake -- not so much in the case of Mono Blue.
It may not have as many interactions among it's cards (mono U has SOO MANY TRIGGERS lol)... but that doesn't mean it's easy. It still comes down to making the right decision at the right time. Of course if your opponent plays 4 duress and a thoughtseize in the first 5-6 turns like Ben just did then yes you're gonna have a bad time. However... knowing what you're against, how their deck works, and how you should pilot yours is a lot to think about.
You are exactly correct! I agree, choosing the right cards with Thoughtseize and Duress is considered to be an artform that sets apart the men from the boys when playing the archetype. There are vast consequences when choosing the wrong cards, and doing so will completely change the dynamics of how the rest of the game is played out.
Yes, apparently a crusade of fellow Magic players whom are protesting against Mono Black being the top deck in Standard have come in force to take down the Boogeyman. Haha! I am sure the feed will be up shortly following a brigade of Selesnya and Mono Red Aggro players, and if we're lucky, there may even be some showing of Unexpected Results and Chromanticore!
Yeah, apparently there is a connection issue, unfortunately. I just loss my connection a few minutes ago as well. I was really hoping to watch Weinberg play. He's a great player. I just transitioned over from Mono Blue to Mono Black, so I'm trying to watch as much coverage as I can to perform better with the deck although it really isn't that hard to play. Mono Black is much easier than playing Mono Blue in my opinion because it doesn't have as many intricate interactions among its cards. Mono Black is also much more forgiving if you make a mistake -- not so much in the case of Mono Blue.
Several buddies of mine have finally persuaded me to try out the format. While I am certainly not new to Magic, or competitive play (I have played competitive Standard for nearly 3 years now ranging from: FNMS, IQs, and SCG Opens), the Modern format as a whole will take some time to learn and adjust to.
I would like to start out with Mono Red Burn. I am doing so for a couple reasons, actually. Obviously, Mono Red Burn is a very cheap deck to build. Choosing to play Mono Red Burn also allows me to learn the meta without having to stress over a complicated strategy. Furthermore, without knowing a whole lot about the format it gives me a semi-competitive deck without a large upfront investment. I do understand that Mono Red Burn is largely considered to be a fringe deck or meta dependent; however, I feel that the deck could be well positioned at this time. When a format is in flux due to the release of a new set, or the banning and/or unbanning of particular cards, it allows a perfect opportunity for consistent strategies to capitalize on these variances; oftentimes, catching unprepared opponents off guard.
So...after scouring the web for recent Mono Red Burn builds which have posted decent results, I have decided on the following list for your critique (I am planning on going to GP Richmond with something similar):
Also, if a proficent Burn player could assist me on how to best approach the sideboarding for the following tier 1/1.5 decks that would be great! (U/W/R Control/Geist, U/R TWIN, JUND, MELIRA POD, LIVING END, AFFINITY, SCAPESHIFT, ZOO, R/G TRON, G/W HEXPROOF)
I really like this card! While necessitating 3 green mana to cast it isn't exactly something I'm excited about, I could easily see these being used to great effect in the Simic Flash deck that _Batutinha_ (Túlio Jaudy) used to win a Brazilian PTQ a couple weeks back (possibly as a 2 of, perhaps). He also 4-0'd a daily with it!
Mono Blue and Mono Black have a lot of play among their cards, and it takes a well skilled pilot to sequence their spells appropriately in order to hedge against their known weaknesses. While the SCG Opens do have good players, they're certainly not at the same caliber as Grand Prix and Pro Tour players *obviously*. Mono Blue and Mono Black are by far the best archetypes in the format to get behind if you're willing to take the time in learning how to play them.
As others have stated, it is perfectly legal to play cards of the same name that were printed in older sets. In fact, I run Beta lands in all my decks because I started many years ago, and I absolutely love the nostalgic art that the lands provide. In larger tournaments, you will see many players doing this. Many do it for the same reason as myself, and others see it as a way of making their deck look unique.
While I am only going off theory with this list, I do, however, have a bit of experience playing tempo and fish varients. This is where I would start if I were trying my hands at a Fish tempo deck to supplement Thassa's devotion mechanic while also having a low curve to make the most of Duskmantle Seer:
The creature package is geared toward devotion, and ultimately converting Thassa as quickly as possible.
- Judge's Familiar works great at slowing down control decks, and can even be OK against RDW and other aggro varients; making it seemingly difficult to use their burn and spot-removal effectively during the early turns.
- Frostburn Weird works great against stalling early aggression, and also works to up the devotion count. 4 power also puts up a clock on a clear board!
- Cloudfin Raptor is your other 1-drop, and you shouldn't have too much problem growing him considering every creature throughout the deck works on building him up.
- Duskmantle Seer, along with Thassa, are truly your late game bombs, and necessitated to push through the last points of damage when the board becomes clogged.
--------
Counters are a necessary evil for a deck like this in order to hedge against cards that are simply too overpowered to handle. While I am not exactly convinced that Syncopate is the way to go, I do know, however, that I do not want to be trying to hold back anymore than 2 mana in order to counter something with a deck such as this utilizing 20 creature spells. Without any pump spells, or a devoted Evolve creature-core, I like it much better than Spell Rupture which seems too conditional in this deck. With that being said, however, it appears that Thero's is gearing up to be a much slower, tap-out, format after rotation; allowing Syncopate to become a much more effective counter-spell.
- Dimir Charm, while not widely popular before, could be viable in tempo decks going forward. Tempo is all about subtle card advantage that works to attrition out the opponent, incrementally; it needs a variety of options and angles of attack to do this. Dimir Charm not only works as a pseudo counter for sorcery spells, but also allows one to hit land drops and smooth out draws. Not to mention a working wonder against land-screwed opponents. Haha! I am also seeing a bevy of 2 power creatures in the upcoming format, so this mode should be more relevant; as opposed to Innistrad block which gave us many 3+ powered options.
Sideboard:
Pithing Needle: Aetherling is going to be a thing for a LONG while going forward. Either counter him, Needle him, or take the shapeshifter out with Thoughtseize!
Tidebinder Mage: G/R Aggro (Kibler) doesn't lose much, and with Stormbreath Dragon replacing Thundermaw Hellkite, I don't see this deck going anywhere. Tidebinder Mage should put in some work against them and Archangel Aggro varients utilizing heavy hitting green creatures in the late game.
Thoughtseize - 3 of these along with some Negates/Dispels should put in a lot of work at hedging up any problems with control decks after game 1.
Triton Tactics - It did wonders for me in limited, and I can't wait to bring it in against aggro decks. I highly recommend giving this card a try!
----------------
I would love to hear any comments or concerns regarding this build!
I have not yet decided what configuration I plan on committing to for the sideboard; however, Sin Collector will most certainly be a 2 or 3 of, and a likely swap for Geralf's Messenger since Pillar's will likely be boarded in against him (if not already in their maindeck.)
Here is a brew I churned out tonight that takes ideas from B/g Rock and Ryan Hipp's 1st Place TCGplayer Open 5K - Madison: Dega Midrange:
This deck is a typical Midrange deck that works to utilize Restoration Angel to its fullest by having an assortment of powerful, enter the battlefield, creatures.
With Jund being the deck to beat, the use of Lifebane Zombie is in full swing currently, and I feel that Desecration Demon works much better in place of Blood Baron of Vizkopa since it cannot be targeted. The Demon also puts in work against the current, heavy, Midrange meta where opponents are limited in options of creatures in which they can sacrifice to it.
While I have not yet tested this deck, and the lack of powerful cards such as Putrefy, Abrupt Decay, Scavenging Ooze, and Thragtusk could very well prove that it is only a watered down version of the B/g Rock deck; I would still value any feedback or concerns addressing the viability of such a build.
My opponent tapped out for Sphinx's Revelation, and I had a Snapcaster Mage on the board. In response, I cast Restoration Angel with Sphinx on the stack to reset Snapcaster. I then used Snapcaster's ability to cast Dissipate from my Graveyard to counter the Sphinx Revelation. Is this a legal play? I had someone argue with me today that it was not.
While I don't play 5C Omniscience, I have played against it numerous times, and have played numerous tempo and Flash decks. My friend (Felmaera) has beening running 5C Omniscience for months now. Running more than 60 cards is not where anybody wants to be. Control and tempo decks are all about gaining incremental card advantage throughout the course of the game. This line of thinking completely negates that and puts you down a turn. This isn't where you wanna be against a fast aggro deck, especially if you're on the play.
I concur with the aforementioned statements in regards to trying out Feeling of Dread and Downpour in place of Fog; however, as stated, most mono red, Boros and Naya are not running Skullcrack main at this point in time. Perhaps, a couple Feeling of Dread will be all that is needed until the meta shifts, otherwise.
I also like Aetherize in the side against Bant Hexproof, or any other quick deck as a pseduo sweep to reset the board and buy more time until the deck can get established.
Please excuse any typos, I used my smartphone to type this. Haha!
You are exactly correct! I agree, choosing the right cards with Thoughtseize and Duress is considered to be an artform that sets apart the men from the boys when playing the archetype. There are vast consequences when choosing the wrong cards, and doing so will completely change the dynamics of how the rest of the game is played out.
I would like to start out with Mono Red Burn. I am doing so for a couple reasons, actually. Obviously, Mono Red Burn is a very cheap deck to build. Choosing to play Mono Red Burn also allows me to learn the meta without having to stress over a complicated strategy. Furthermore, without knowing a whole lot about the format it gives me a semi-competitive deck without a large upfront investment. I do understand that Mono Red Burn is largely considered to be a fringe deck or meta dependent; however, I feel that the deck could be well positioned at this time. When a format is in flux due to the release of a new set, or the banning and/or unbanning of particular cards, it allows a perfect opportunity for consistent strategies to capitalize on these variances; oftentimes, catching unprepared opponents off guard.
So...after scouring the web for recent Mono Red Burn builds which have posted decent results, I have decided on the following list for your critique (I am planning on going to GP Richmond with something similar):
4 GOBLIN GUIDE
4 KELDON MARAUDERS
4 HELLSPARK ELEMENTAL
INSTANT [21]
4 FLAMES OF THE BLOOD HAND
4 LIGHTNING BOLT
3 MAGMA JET
3 SEARING BLAZE
2 SHARD VOLLEY
4 SKULLCRACK
1 VOLCANIC FALLOUT
4 LAVA SPIKE
4 RIFT BOLT
LAND [19]
19 MOUNTAIN
4 SMASH TO SMITHEREENS
4 MOLTEN RAIN
2 COMBUST
3 RELIC OF PROGENITUS
2 VOLCANIC FALLOUT
Also, if a proficent Burn player could assist me on how to best approach the sideboarding for the following tier 1/1.5 decks that would be great! (U/W/R Control/Geist, U/R TWIN, JUND, MELIRA POD, LIVING END, AFFINITY, SCAPESHIFT, ZOO, R/G TRON, G/W HEXPROOF)
4 Boon Satyr
4 Briarpack Alpha
4 Horizon Chimera
4 Shambleshark
4 Skylasher
Spells [15]
2 Cyclonic Rift
4 Dissolve
2 Opportunity
4 Simic Charm
3 Syncopate
4 Breeding Pool
6 Forest
7 Island
4 Mutavault
4 Temple of Mystery
3 Bident of Thassa
3 Gainsay
3 Plummet
4 Sensory Deprivation
2 Triton Tactics
4 Judge's Familar
4 Cloudfin Raptor
4 Frostburn Weird
4 Nightveil Specter
4 Duskmantle Seer
Instants [12]
4 Syncopate
4 Dimir Charm
4 Voyage's End
Enchantments/Gods [6]
3 Claustrophobia
3 Thassa, God of the Sea
10 Island
2 Swamp
4 Watery Grave
4 Temple of Deceit
2 Mutavault
4 Tidebinder Mage
2 Doomblade
3 Thoughtseize
2 Triton Tactics
2 Negate
The creature package is geared toward devotion, and ultimately converting Thassa as quickly as possible.
- Judge's Familiar works great at slowing down control decks, and can even be OK against RDW and other aggro varients; making it seemingly difficult to use their burn and spot-removal effectively during the early turns.
- Frostburn Weird works great against stalling early aggression, and also works to up the devotion count. 4 power also puts up a clock on a clear board!
- Cloudfin Raptor is your other 1-drop, and you shouldn't have too much problem growing him considering every creature throughout the deck works on building him up.
- Duskmantle Seer, along with Thassa, are truly your late game bombs, and necessitated to push through the last points of damage when the board becomes clogged.
--------
Counters are a necessary evil for a deck like this in order to hedge against cards that are simply too overpowered to handle. While I am not exactly convinced that Syncopate is the way to go, I do know, however, that I do not want to be trying to hold back anymore than 2 mana in order to counter something with a deck such as this utilizing 20 creature spells. Without any pump spells, or a devoted Evolve creature-core, I like it much better than Spell Rupture which seems too conditional in this deck. With that being said, however, it appears that Thero's is gearing up to be a much slower, tap-out, format after rotation; allowing Syncopate to become a much more effective counter-spell.
- Dimir Charm, while not widely popular before, could be viable in tempo decks going forward. Tempo is all about subtle card advantage that works to attrition out the opponent, incrementally; it needs a variety of options and angles of attack to do this. Dimir Charm not only works as a pseudo counter for sorcery spells, but also allows one to hit land drops and smooth out draws. Not to mention a working wonder against land-screwed opponents. Haha! I am also seeing a bevy of 2 power creatures in the upcoming format, so this mode should be more relevant; as opposed to Innistrad block which gave us many 3+ powered options.
Sideboard:
Pithing Needle: Aetherling is going to be a thing for a LONG while going forward. Either counter him, Needle him, or take the shapeshifter out with Thoughtseize!
Tidebinder Mage: G/R Aggro (Kibler) doesn't lose much, and with Stormbreath Dragon replacing Thundermaw Hellkite, I don't see this deck going anywhere. Tidebinder Mage should put in some work against them and Archangel Aggro varients utilizing heavy hitting green creatures in the late game.
Thoughtseize - 3 of these along with some Negates/Dispels should put in a lot of work at hedging up any problems with control decks after game 1.
Triton Tactics - It did wonders for me in limited, and I can't wait to bring it in against aggro decks. I highly recommend giving this card a try!
----------------
I would love to hear any comments or concerns regarding this build!
This deck is a typical Midrange deck that works to utilize Restoration Angel to its fullest by having an assortment of powerful, enter the battlefield, creatures.
With Jund being the deck to beat, the use of Lifebane Zombie is in full swing currently, and I feel that Desecration Demon works much better in place of Blood Baron of Vizkopa since it cannot be targeted. The Demon also puts in work against the current, heavy, Midrange meta where opponents are limited in options of creatures in which they can sacrifice to it.
While I have not yet tested this deck, and the lack of powerful cards such as Putrefy, Abrupt Decay, Scavenging Ooze, and Thragtusk could very well prove that it is only a watered down version of the B/g Rock deck; I would still value any feedback or concerns addressing the viability of such a build.
4 Desecration Demon
2 Disciple of Bolas
3 Geralf's Messenger
3 Lifebane Zombie
2 Obzedat, Ghost Council
4 Restoration Angel
Planeswalker [3]
3 Liliana of the Veil
Instant [8]
2 Celestial Flare
2 Doom Blade
2 Renounce the Guilds
2 Tragic Slip
3 Sign in Blood
3 Mutilate
Land [25]
13 Swamp
1 Plains
4 Godless Shrine
4 Isolated Chapel
2 Orzhov Guildgate
1 Vault of the Archangel
1 Duress
1 Liliana of the Veil
1 Merciless Eviction
1 Mutilate
1 Pithing Needle
2 Ratchet Bomb
3 Sin Collector
1 Tragic Slip
2 Underworld Connections
2 Oblivion Ring
I concur with the aforementioned statements in regards to trying out Feeling of Dread and Downpour in place of Fog; however, as stated, most mono red, Boros and Naya are not running Skullcrack main at this point in time. Perhaps, a couple Feeling of Dread will be all that is needed until the meta shifts, otherwise.
I also like Aetherize in the side against Bant Hexproof, or any other quick deck as a pseduo sweep to reset the board and buy more time until the deck can get established.