Do you know much about your local players? That can help.
Yes. Knowing what you're up against makes it much easier to decide on what you want to play. I run Valakut at my FNM against a lot of RDW and mono black decks. They can't keep up for some reason.
I'm not sure how U/W control will be without MegaJace. He seemed to be a key component in that deck.
RDW will always be strong, especially with the new Chandra.
After the rotation, I'm going to be running an Artifact Aggro deck. Check it out here.
IMO you should make the following changes (with rationale included):
Remove:
-4 Incinerate - too slow to cast as a non-creature and doesn't do enough for this deck
-3 Jor Kadeen - 5 mana is pushing the limits of this deck. Sure if you can actually cast him you pretty much will auto win, but he'll be stuck in your hand just as often.
-3 Legionaire - lack of evasion hurts him IMO.
Add:
+4 Glint Hawk Idol - this thing dodges board wipes and is a house in general
+3 Hero of the Bladehold - more reliable to cast than Jor Kadeen (not just in CMC, but also only requires 1 colored mana). Can end the game almost as quickly.
+3 Spellskite - more utility than Legionnaire, and can still benefit from Tempered Steel and Signal Pest boosts
Sideboard:
-3 Celestial Purge - I don't think it will be as handy post rotation since Exarch-Twin is no longer a deck. If a black and/or red card starts tearing up the format that Dispatch can't deal with though you could always put it back in.
+3 Shrine of Loyal Legions - Helps recover from the board wipes which control decks use, and also good against opponents playing lots of spot creature removal.
Your landbase is also kind of shaky to me. You may want to remove the Inkmoths in the mean time. I normally wouldn't recommend that, but pulling off R/W is a lot harder than pulling off U/W, especially since Arid Mesa is rotating. If Innistrad gives us enemy duals then you will be golden to use all the Inkmoths you want though
Incinerate - Agree. However, it's kind of a placeholder for a better burn that's hopefully coming in Innistrad.
Jor Kadeen - I am HIGHLY considering swapping him out for Hero of the Bladehold.
Legionnaire - I think his first strike makes up for his lack in evasion/defense. I mean not many creatures can withstand a 5-6 first strike shot, assuming I have a Tempered Steel and Battle Cry up.
Glint Hawk Idol - I had them in, but took them out. Think I might swap them back in for the Legionnaires.
Spellskite - Don't know about mainboarding him. I threw him in the SB for spot creature removal or enchantment destruction.
How can you make a deck for post-zendikar rotation when you have no idea what innistrad will bring? Seems kind of like a waste of time?
I see where you're coming from. I don't think it's a complete waste of time. My intentions here aren't to make a playable deck for CURRENT standard. It's to ballpark an idea for my new deck that I'm going to be running after Valakut goes away. I know I will most likely if not absolutely have to make changes. However, I just want to be ready for the rotation.
Help me please. I'm fairly new to playing standard. I've always just played casual. I have made a couple of decks recently and want some feedback/suggestions. I would also like a recommendation as to what deck to play in FNM. I like the Valakut Ramp deck better but the Vamps are def faster.
Oh because. I thought according to the new rules thit, for example, Player A couldn't play a giant growth on his 1/1 after Player B declared a 2/2 to block it. Just a thought.
I was just thinking of someting. If there is a moment after declare blockers and before combat damage to do stuff. Can you play instants at that time? And if not, why?
yes, that is correct.
Chandra's ping goes on the stack, then player B puts hexmage's ability on the stack, lots of boring stuff happens as they resolve (counters removed, etc) both die.
I'm 99.9% sure about this, but want to be 100%. If Player A, as the active player, casts a Chandra Nalaar, then without passing priority, activate her 2nd ability to deal 1 damage to Player B's Hexmage (the ability goes on the stack), Player B can then activate the Hexmage's ability to destroy Chandra in response and both the Hexmage and Chandra would be sent to the Graveyard.
I recently made a R/B Vamp deck and a G/W life gain deck. I was playing a game with a friend with the 2 decks. I had a Viscera Seer and a Pulse Tracker in play. My opponent had a Felidar Sovereign in play. I attacked with my Pulse Tracker and he blocked. I sacrificed my Tracker to the Seer in response. This brings me to my first question.
1. Can I do this? and if I can, would his Felidar deal damage to the "nothing" that was there, thus gaining him 4 life?
My second question is:
2. If my opponent plays Journey to Nowhere, can I sacrifice the creature he chooses as the target? And if so, does the spell fizzle or is he able to exile another creature?
Yes. Knowing what you're up against makes it much easier to decide on what you want to play. I run Valakut at my FNM against a lot of RDW and mono black decks. They can't keep up for some reason.
I'm not sure how U/W control will be without MegaJace. He seemed to be a key component in that deck.
RDW will always be strong, especially with the new Chandra.
After the rotation, I'm going to be running an Artifact Aggro deck. Check it out here.
-1 Incinerate
-4 Porcelain Legionnaire
-3 Jor Kadeen
-4 Inkmoth Nexus
+1 Mox Opal
+4 Glint Hawk Idol
+3 Hero of Bladehold
+2 Mountain
+2 Plains
We know. Just a littlebit of Theorycrafting.
Incinerate - Agree. However, it's kind of a placeholder for a better burn that's hopefully coming in Innistrad.
Jor Kadeen - I am HIGHLY considering swapping him out for Hero of the Bladehold.
Legionnaire - I think his first strike makes up for his lack in evasion/defense. I mean not many creatures can withstand a 5-6 first strike shot, assuming I have a Tempered Steel and Battle Cry up.
Glint Hawk Idol - I had them in, but took them out. Think I might swap them back in for the Legionnaires.
Spellskite - Don't know about mainboarding him. I threw him in the SB for spot creature removal or enchantment destruction.
Didn't notice the remake. Updated deck to reflect it.
I see where you're coming from. I don't think it's a complete waste of time. My intentions here aren't to make a playable deck for CURRENT standard. It's to ballpark an idea for my new deck that I'm going to be running after Valakut goes away. I know I will most likely if not absolutely have to make changes. However, I just want to be ready for the rotation.
4 Tempered Steel
Creatures (22)
4 Memnite
3 Etched Champion
4 Signal Pest
4 Vault Skirge
3 Hero of Bladehold
4 Spined Thopter
4 Galvanic Blast
3 Incinerate
Artifacts (8)
4 Mox Opal
4 Glint Hawk Idol
Lands (19)
7 Mountain
12 Plains
3 Celestial Purge
3 Whipflare
4 Dispatch
3 Oblivion Ring
2 Phyrexian Revoker
I have a RGValakut Ramp deck, as follows:
Creatures (12)
4 Primeval Titan
4 Avenger of Zendikar
4 Oracle of Mul Daya
Spells (22)
4 Khalni Heart-Expedition
4 Explore
3 Harrow
3 Cultivate
2 Summoning Trap
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Koth of the Hammer
Lands (26)
3 Evolving Wilds
3 Terramorphic Expanse
11 Mountain
5 Forest
4 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
Sideboard (15)
3 Acidic Slime
3 Gaea's Revenge
3 Obstinate Baloth
3 Pyroclasm
2 Summoning Trap
1 Terastodon
And a RBVampire deck, as follows:
Creatures (24)
4 Gatekeeper of Malikir
4 Vampire Lascerator
4 Pulse Tracker
4 Bloodghast
4 Kalastria Highborn
4 Viscera Seer
Spells (13)
1 Arc Trial
2 Mark of Mutiny
3 Burst Lightning
3 Dark Tutelage
4 Lightning Bolt
Lands (23)
2 Verdant Catacombs
3 Lavaclaw Reaches
4 Blackcleave Cliffs
4 Dragonskull Summit
10 Swamp
Sideboard
4 Doomblade
3 Arc Trial
2 Mark of Mutiny
Still working on it....
1. Feedback/Suggestions for either deck.
2. What should I play!?
Thanks for any and all feedback.
Thanks!
Thanks for the help.
I recently made a R/B Vamp deck and a G/W life gain deck. I was playing a game with a friend with the 2 decks. I had a Viscera Seer and a Pulse Tracker in play. My opponent had a Felidar Sovereign in play. I attacked with my Pulse Tracker and he blocked. I sacrificed my Tracker to the Seer in response. This brings me to my first question.
1. Can I do this? and if I can, would his Felidar deal damage to the "nothing" that was there, thus gaining him 4 life?
My second question is:
2. If my opponent plays Journey to Nowhere, can I sacrifice the creature he chooses as the target? And if so, does the spell fizzle or is he able to exile another creature?
Thanks!