Doesn't this have severe issues with any instant removal/bounce on the souleater after powering it up?
Besides that, looks like it plays mostly like a standard RDW?
lol, good points. Apparently, I wouldn't pump the Souleater with life unless I have something like an Apostle's Blessing in hand to back it up, I would just pump it with mana. It still swings for a good amount, like 3 to 5.
And yes, the back-up plan is like a regular RDW. If I can't get there with the One-Shot thing, I would simply have to get there by burning them. The point of this deck is taking advantage of the current environment with Caw-blade, Eldrazi Green, maybe even Valakut etc lacking removal. Yes, I would admit removal is an issue, but it hasn’t been that big to me.
I was originally running a RDW list (yes, I netdecked on that one :)) with 'fair' creatures including Ember Hauler, Furnace Scamp and lots of burn spells with Shrine of the Burning Rage, it did get me 4-0 at FNM but unfortunately I felt the deck wasn't too fair and just didn't win fast enough. When the game drags on, I didn't think it can outlast a deck like Caw-blade. So I decided to tweak it myself and make it just "All-In". So I came up with this list (made by yours truly, no netdecking :tongue:).
Short explanation of deck:
Speaking of "unfair" creatures instead of fair ones like Spike-Shot Elder, Ember Hauler etc, Immolating Souleater is really one of my favourites. The card, is a completely unfair creature, which is a turn 3 win with Assault Strobe obviously, but it doesn't necessarily "need" the double strike boost. Against enemy opponents missing red, you could take advantage of its "free pump" ability and swing for a lot, then just burn them to death. Kiln Fiend, obviously no explanations, the guy is a bomb, dude, total bomb. I call him "the Boss" :D.
This deck got me 1st place at Game Day out of 17 people, and 4th place at the TCQ the next day, out of 50 people. Unfortunately, I lost in the semi-finals to another RDW, who had sideboarded in his Dragon's Freakin' Claw. Nevertheless, I am still very proud, this deck is uber-explosive, and would more often than not deal exactly 20 damage in 1 shot, or whatever the opponent's life points is :D.
I have updated this deck from its original skeleton:
And I have tried things like Molten-Steel Dragon and Red Sun's Zenith, both 1-ofs won me a couple games, but I felt like they weren't good enough .. So I decided to move 2 Dismembers to maindeck, reinforcing the idea of All-In with no backup, making the deck even more explosive. Dismember also got me out of a lot of tough situations in Game 1. I think they are there to stay.
I have made some amazing plays that had people just dropping their jaws:
Situation 1)
Game 2: (GW Blade or something..)
Turn 3
He has: Batterskull, Lotus Cobra, Tapped BoP on his field; I have Kiln Fiend.
Me: Crush Batterskull, Dismember Cobra, Assault Strobe, Swing for 20!! (Guy had Obstinate Baloth AND Baneslayer in his hand, if I didn't win, would have been screwed :tongue:)
Situation 2)
Game 1: Mono Black (Worst matchup, 11 Discard Spells and 10 Removal spells and Obliterators destroys me)
He has: 2 Phyrexian Obliterators, 1 Tapped; I have: Immolating Souleater.
Me: Tap 5 lands for mana. Searing Blaze Untapped Obliterator, Sac 3 lands; Arc Trail Obliterator, Sac 2 lands, deal him 1; Obliterator dies. With the only Red mana left, Assault Strobe Immolating Souleater, pay 14 life, swing for 16! 16+3+1 = 20 :D.
Situation 3)
Game 3: Eldrazi Green
He has: Tumble Magnet, Untapped Acidic Slime, Primeval Titan in his hand and like 6 lands or something ... 20 Life. I have: Kiln Fiend, Immolating Souleater
Me: Bolt him. Go to 17. Kiln Fiend 1 Pump. Dismember Acidic Slime, Kiln Fiend 2 Pump. Declare Attackers. He tries to tap Kiln Fiend, I Apostle's Blessing pro artifacts :rolleyes:, Kiln Fiend 3 Pump!. Fetch, find a land, pay 10 out of my remaining 11 life and use 1 red mana to pump Souleater, Swing for 10+7 = 17. That's 20 in 1 turn!
Unfortunately, with the banning of Stoneforge and Jace, Caw-Blade has died in Standard .. I beat Caw-Blade very badly with this deck .. I think it will be tough for me to beat Valakut and Vampires, because it's not as good of a match up..
Too bad .. I had none of those .. SO SAD Ghost councils became $.50 .. It was $10 .. Call of the Herd became $.25, it was $10 .. Tooooo many examples !! Rumbling Slum! Loxodon Hierarch!! SO SAD .. ='( AND my best cards got ripped away from me by sharks when I just got back .. Like Foil Sliver Legion .. Tarmogoyf .. Vesuva .. Bridge from Below .. sad .
I just lost hundreds of dollars. Valakut will dominate for the next few months. SO MUCH RAGE. F*** you WIZARDS. Why couldn't they ban one or the other? THIS IS BULL****
>_> ... I dunno .. Suck it up? I sucked it up when I came back to Magic 4 years later and found out my binder, once worth $1000 is now worth $10 ... I mean, Burning Tree Shaman was like $15 then $.50, and Char was then $12 now $.50 ..
I'm trying to read the larger picture here. Wizards has done a number of things lately that prove they don't care about Magic cards as investments.
Staples like Sol Ring and Lightning Greaves in every Commander deck
2x Stoneforge Mystics in an event deck (before any ban decisions)
Reprinting the Titans
Now this banned announcement
I'm not complaining about this - but it really makes you stop and think before you invest in certain cards. Will Karakas be printed in the FTV Legends and tank the value of my playset? Will the next wave of Commander decks have different staples? Are there any safe investments not on the reserve list? Goyf? Bob? Fetches?
I just completed my sword cycle last week and I'm not feeling as good about it as I did an hour ago, even though I really only play Legacy.
short version: Wizards is taking larger strides to put a high power level in everyone's hands and it's hard to spend big money on playsets anymore...
lol, well, apparently me All-In Red with Assault Strobe, Kiln Fiend, and Immolating Souleater used to beat Caw-Blade very very badly will now not be as good, since Valakut and Vampires will be my main opponents .. But I'm still pretty happy :D.
I bet that new Jace is a balanced Mind Sculptor. That means, it's exactly the same, but no "0: Brainstorm", just the other 3 abilities.
That's still not fair, or balanced.
+2: Oops, You can't have that Or Oh, you could have that (but you are screwed).
-1: I'll set you back soo many turns and answer so many unanswerable threats.
-12: I win the game :rolleyes:.
lol, good points. Apparently, I wouldn't pump the Souleater with life unless I have something like an Apostle's Blessing in hand to back it up, I would just pump it with mana. It still swings for a good amount, like 3 to 5.
And yes, the back-up plan is like a regular RDW. If I can't get there with the One-Shot thing, I would simply have to get there by burning them. The point of this deck is taking advantage of the current environment with Caw-blade, Eldrazi Green, maybe even Valakut etc lacking removal. Yes, I would admit removal is an issue, but it hasn’t been that big to me.
Remember: Real men play Red
4 Goblin Guide
4 Kiln Fiend
4 Immolating Souleater
Spells [28]
4 Assault Strobe
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Burst Lightning
4 Searing Blaze
4 Staggershock
2 Forked Bolt
1 Arc Trail
2 Dismember
3 Apostle’s Blessing
1 Teetering Peaks
4 Arid Mesa
4 Scalding Tarn
11 Mountain
3 Manic Vandal
3 Crush
2 Dismember
1 Arc Trail
3 Ratchet Bomb
3 Vulshok Refugee
I was originally running a RDW list (yes, I netdecked on that one :)) with 'fair' creatures including Ember Hauler, Furnace Scamp and lots of burn spells with Shrine of the Burning Rage, it did get me 4-0 at FNM but unfortunately I felt the deck wasn't too fair and just didn't win fast enough. When the game drags on, I didn't think it can outlast a deck like Caw-blade. So I decided to tweak it myself and make it just "All-In". So I came up with this list (made by yours truly, no netdecking :tongue:).
Short explanation of deck:
Speaking of "unfair" creatures instead of fair ones like Spike-Shot Elder, Ember Hauler etc, Immolating Souleater is really one of my favourites. The card, is a completely unfair creature, which is a turn 3 win with Assault Strobe obviously, but it doesn't necessarily "need" the double strike boost. Against enemy opponents missing red, you could take advantage of its "free pump" ability and swing for a lot, then just burn them to death. Kiln Fiend, obviously no explanations, the guy is a bomb, dude, total bomb. I call him "the Boss" :D.
This deck got me 1st place at Game Day out of 17 people, and 4th place at the TCQ the next day, out of 50 people. Unfortunately, I lost in the semi-finals to another RDW, who had sideboarded in his Dragon's Freakin' Claw.
I have updated this deck from its original skeleton:
I made changes like:
+3 Apostle's Blessing
-2 Forked Bolt
-1 Land
-1 Arc Trail
+2 Dismember
And I have tried things like Molten-Steel Dragon and Red Sun's Zenith, both 1-ofs won me a couple games, but I felt like they weren't good enough .. So I decided to move 2 Dismembers to maindeck, reinforcing the idea of All-In with no backup, making the deck even more explosive. Dismember also got me out of a lot of tough situations in Game 1. I think they are there to stay.
I have made some amazing plays that had people just dropping their jaws:
Situation 1)
Game 2: (GW Blade or something..)
Turn 3
He has: Batterskull, Lotus Cobra, Tapped BoP on his field; I have Kiln Fiend.
Me: Crush Batterskull, Dismember Cobra, Assault Strobe, Swing for 20!!
Situation 2)
Game 1: Mono Black (Worst matchup, 11 Discard Spells and 10 Removal spells and Obliterators destroys me)
He has: 2 Phyrexian Obliterators, 1 Tapped; I have: Immolating Souleater.
Me: Tap 5 lands for mana. Searing Blaze Untapped Obliterator, Sac 3 lands; Arc Trail Obliterator, Sac 2 lands, deal him 1; Obliterator dies. With the only Red mana left, Assault Strobe Immolating Souleater, pay 14 life, swing for 16! 16+3+1 = 20 :D.
Situation 3)
Game 3: Eldrazi Green
He has: Tumble Magnet, Untapped Acidic Slime, Primeval Titan in his hand and like 6 lands or something ... 20 Life. I have: Kiln Fiend, Immolating Souleater
Me: Bolt him. Go to 17. Kiln Fiend 1 Pump. Dismember Acidic Slime, Kiln Fiend 2 Pump. Declare Attackers. He tries to tap Kiln Fiend, I Apostle's Blessing pro artifacts :rolleyes:, Kiln Fiend 3 Pump!. Fetch, find a land, pay 10 out of my remaining 11 life and use 1 red mana to pump Souleater, Swing for 10+7 = 17. That's 20 in 1 turn!
Unfortunately, with the banning of Stoneforge and Jace, Caw-Blade has died in Standard .. I beat Caw-Blade very badly with this deck .. I think it will be tough for me to beat Valakut and Vampires, because it's not as good of a match up..
Any comments and suggestions welcomed!
Too bad .. I had none of those .. SO SAD
Omg .. Man .. They already said that FtV Legends will be ALL creatures .. and the Academy is on the reserve list ..
>_> ... I dunno .. Suck it up? I sucked it up when I came back to Magic 4 years later and found out my binder, once worth $1000 is now worth $10 ... I mean, Burning Tree Shaman was like $15 then $.50, and Char was then $12 now $.50 ..
This comment is amazing
That's still not fair, or balanced.
+2: Oops, You can't have that Or Oh, you could have that (but you are screwed).
-1: I'll set you back soo many turns and answer so many unanswerable threats.
-12: I win the game :rolleyes:.
That's not fair.