Legacy has, for most of its lifespan, been without a proper top tier aggro deck. You could probably call either UR Burn or Mono-Red Burn aggro decks, but for the purposes of this discussion, I want to define "aggro" as a zero or near-zero disruption deck that wins primarily with efficiently priced attacking creatures. So Mono-Red Burn sorta fits this description inasmuch as it does not try to disrupt at all and does not win with any kind of combo, but it has never really been tier one. Zoo was the lone exception for awhile, but it only survived as a tier one deck for a short time, basically from the printing of Wild Nacatl to the printing of adoption of Vengevine into Survival decks. I am too lazy to properly research this, but I want to say this was a tad under two years. That is not a lot. It's absence has not really been a shortcoming for the format in most opinions, as aggro-control decks (with hyper-efficient beaters) and minimally disruptive decks like Goblins (forever) and UR Burn (since Delver) have been nearly top tier for awhile. Their continued existence, plus the occasional placing of the aforementioned true aggro decks has apparently made the format feel just fast enough that we don't really detect a problem.
As a reaction to the interesting thread here I want to open a discussion on what would have to happen for Zoo, Burn, or something else to break into tier one status in Legacy.
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Ban something? Brainstorm? Show and Tell? Something else?
Would the format be more fun if pure aggro were present? Less fun?
Do you consider Goblins to be an Aggro deck? Merfolk? Maverick? Largely, these are majority creature decks. Compare to Jund which runs 16 creatures and tons of disruption.
There isn't much room in Legacy to run efficient attackers and skimp on disruption. Woolly Thoctar is pretty darn efficient, but isn't important enough to matter.
The format doesn't care for Aggro without a method to disrupt the opponent. Whether or not the format becomes more or less fun isn't in the eye of the format to decide -- that's left to the individual contributor.
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You bring up a good point about Legacy in general, which is that spells are more powerful than creatures (when evaluated in a vacuum). Aggro was supposed to rely on redundancy to compensate, and in Stamdard or Modern that works. But in Legacy, the answers are too efficient. Even the most balls out Aggro, such as Affinity, can't beat a 1-mana sweeper or 8 STPs. (Side note: this is why I think Modern can never truly supplant Legacy, because the balance is tilted toward creatures.)
I personally am fine with Legacy as it stands. In fact, I personally enjoy the fact that certain deckbuikding constraints are thrown out the window when you don't have to account for a true Aggro deck. But I also think its just a matter of time before more efficient creatures are printed to balance the format.
To answer your fundamental question, I think a red 2-drop on par with Tarmogoyf would make Zoo-esque Aggro playable. Something along those lines.
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I love aggro, and i tried to do it in Legacy for a long time. FInally I have up and added some hand and creature destruction, and landed on Junkblade, which lets me be aggressive while having answers for most decks.
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For aggro to be represented they have to print a red goyf or something really powerful in terms of creatures or burn spells (doubtful in terms of burn spells, since lightning bolt is the best burn spell in magic and trying to make a card better than bolt just breaks the game in half think R: Deal 4 to target creature or player at instant speed with no drawback.)
The other problem with aggro is that legacy has access to 20 years of spells. Legacy doesn't really have access to 20 years of creatures because creatures prior to Time Spiral have been powercreeped out of existence (Watchwolf is terrible. Savannah lions is awful. Troll ascetic is not what he once was. All the creatures prior to goyf are pretty underwhelming typically. Only standout really is kird ape, and even that card is pretty disappointing nowadays.) Stoneforge also makes aggro decks a lot worse as the aggro deck lacking an answer for batterskull or stoneforge typically spells GG.
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I'll go on a limb and start with the power creep. Magic starts, spells are good, creatures exist. Slowly we are seeing better and better creatures printed and worse and worse spells. If wizards plan is interactive magic, ie creature combat, then we may see aggro start to exist in standard. In legacy however we still have access to those old powerful spells plus we also get to use the new powerful creatures. So for aggro as I believe you have it defined we would actually need new cards printed more then likely in the vein of vexing devil. Aggressively costed and putting pressure on as a spell or creature. Or reprint mogg fanatic so it is a lightning bolt.
I don't think pure aggro can really exist outside of something like infect and that just makes it a combo deck. That said I think aggro is more a play style to put constant pressure on. Every card drawn is good on its own and should be dealt with. I think that is the route has to go right now.
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Pure aggro? This is always subject to debate. I'd say NO we lack a true pure aggro deck at the top of the format HOWEVER we have delver.dec in multiple forms, tribal like goblins, and fast aggro-quasi-midrange.
The format is TOO GOOD to have a pure aggro linear deck. Unless you suddenly introduced broken stuff like "[1 mana] = Deal 4 damage" (don't say thunderous wrath), power creep has made aggro-control or aggro-midrange inevitably better.
I would argue small Zoo can STILL get it done. But outside of that deck, it's very difficult to classify stuff as pure aggro that can still perform at a very high level. Vengevine-survival was aggro-combo, not pure aggro.
Power creep is also a major factor. The best creatures outside of goyf all do something insane. They tutor, give recursion, and card advantage. All of these things promote midrange. Again, Zoo has put up recent results worldwide, but nothing that would garner hysteria about it's return. The issue with the format IMO is that there's no incentive to go linear aggro. There's so much good removal, counter-magic, and mid-range. Yes, you can have turn 4 kills with aggro but that's in a vacuum. Uninterrupted. This is why the midrange decks do so goddamn well...they can play through adversity. This is also why combo is doing so well....it plays through disruption and setbacks. Yet despite all of this, you acknowledge delver and the like -- that's most likely the way "aggro" will look like for a while.
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I mean, hell, we're all on a forum for something that most people would describe as a "children's card game"...do what makes you happy. You are never too old to enjoy yourself.
Honestly the closest deck in legacy that is creature aggro is affinity, but even then there are lists that use dispatch, dismember, and there are red variants that use burn of sorts.
I dont think there will ever be a 30 creatures aggro deck in legacy in 2 or 3 colors, and even then they would still use disruption so they can protect there threats or ways to there there damage through.
Pick a creature based deck they still use equipment, removal, what have you cause its needed weather to get damage in or bate counters/removal.
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I'd like to approach this question from a different angle.
Does a Tier 1 "True Aggro with no/minimal disruption" exist in any format now?
From my understanding of Modern, there is not aggro decks unless you count Affinity as an aggro deck, then in that case it can be considered Aggro for Legacy. Are there true aggro decks for Standard? I saw some posts commenting that Gate crash could see the rise of Aggro in standard. I haven't played standard in a sometime so perhaps someone can speak more to this. I think the last time Standard had a true aggro deck it was Mono green Dungrove and that only Tier 1 for about a month.
TLDR: Does a Tier 1 "True Aggro with no/minimal disruption" exist in any format now?
I think one could make the case that Elves are aggro. Sure they combo with glimpse and NO, but they are all creatures outside of those two spells, and those two spells serve only to bring more creatures into play (Note: I would not say they are pure aggro, but there is a case to be made).
Outside of that, Burn, Affiity, and Goblins have already been mentioned.
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Its not that there isn't a proper aggro deck, its that in a format that uses all the magic cards in history there is no reason to build a deck that DOESN'T have the ability to heavily interact with your opponent to disrupt them.
A case can be made that tempo is a form of aggro in legacy, so merfolk and delver are aggro.
Goblins, maverick, and affinity are unquestionably aggro although they each have disruptive mechanics.
Elves is a aggro deck that can combo kill, a similiar case can be made for zombiebombardment.
I think the worse offender to why aggro has gotten worse is show and tell. There have always been good mechanics to deal with storm but there is very little that deals with a deck that wants to dumb a 15/15 in play on turn 2-4.
Goblins and Merfolk aren't aggro decks?
You aren't going to find a "pure" aggro deck in Legacy because you have enough reach in this format to make "aggro control" or "Aggro combo." Playing multiple sides of the clock will strengthen your deck most of the time. Combo decks play control cards. Control decks play aggro cards. It's just what happens when you have only to rely on pure power.
Goblins is definitely not a pure aggro deck. It has mana disruption and can switch to control against RUG or something similar. Affinity is aggro for sure. Its creature removal suite is usually used to get rid of blockers. I could have mentioned Affinity, though it does not seem to be tier one. And it is sure not ubiquitous anyway. Elves is certainly not a pure aggro deck any more than Dredge is. Pure aggro is redundant. It can't really be disrupted. Elves hates counterspells and disruption like a combo deck does and gets its fair share of dead hands.
I like the idea of a red Goyf, but the aggro-control decks will just adopt it too. You will be right back where you started. This would have to be a creature that blue can't use. That was why Wild Nacatl was so good for Zoo. But the idea seems good. More creatures as good as goyf gives the sort of backup that pure aggro needs. Aggro-control does not benefit from six different creatures in a color that are all broken since it can only use half of them.
I'd like to approach this question from a different angle.
Does a Tier 1 "True Aggro with no/minimal disruption" exist in any format now?
From my understanding of Modern, there is not aggro decks unless you count Affinity as an aggro deck, then in that case it can be considered Aggro for Legacy. Are there true aggro decks for Standard? I saw some posts commenting that Gate crash could see the rise of Aggro in standard. I haven't played standard in a sometime so perhaps someone can speak more to this. I think the last time Standard had a true aggro deck it was Mono green Dungrove and that only Tier 1 for about a month.
TLDR: Does a Tier 1 "True Aggro with no/minimal disruption" exist in any format now?
FWIW, Mono Red was arguably the best deck in standard for the last month of RTR Season.
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I have been brewing with him recently (since I saw the spoiler for Illness in the Ranks) The problem I have felt through theorycraft building is that when he swings into a Goyf 1 on 1, a Goyf is often a 5/6 or at least a 4/5.
I am not sure if classic zoo list even count as minimally disruptive. Burn is actually disruptive to many decks as is quasali pridemage. In addition as knight of the reliquary is usually played there is that angle too (karkas mainly).
I think what naya zoo needs specifically is a 1 drop that is as good as nacatl and only playable in the naya zoo shell. An example would be a card like delver that flipped on creature cards and red instants and sorceries and was a 4/4 trampler on the flip side.
So it sounds like the answer is some super nacatl. Maybe a R for a 2/1 that gets +1/+1 and trample with a forest and +1/+1 and first strike with a plains. I would agree though, whatever it is needs to be red first and foremost or other decks will just adopt it.
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So it sounds like the answer is some super nacatl. Maybe a R for a 2/1 that gets +1/+1 and trample with a forest and +1/+1 and first strike with a plains. I would agree though, whatever it is needs to be red first and foremost or other decks will just adopt it.
Yeah that would do it. That card is prob too much though. A 4/3 first striking trapler for 1 is pretty absurd.
Varchild's War-Riders?
I have been brewing with him recently (since I saw the spoiler for Illness in the Ranks) The problem I have felt through theorycraft building is that when he swings into a Goyf 1 on 1, a Goyf is often a 5/6 or at least a 4/5.
Going through loops to make a 3/4 for two mana good is not a good plan imo. If aggro were to become truly awesome in legacy it would need a creature (or creatures) that made it a lot harder to be blown out by Batterskull and Terminus.. and those two cards does two very different things.
The problem is that all your 1 guys are bad when the opponent is controlling a batterskull and overloading on 2-3 mana guys makes it that much harder to play through swords and path before the control deck has stabilized.
One could argue that because so much can be done for so little mana now a days the turn you spend not attacking is rather harsh since the control/combo player gets so much "tempo" from you have summoning sickness while they really dont. Goblins can live through this because they have haste, mana disruption and so much card advantage. However decks with regular creatures (Zoo) have a hard time dealing enough damage with their creatures before they are blown to bits by combo or sword/wrath and so on.
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Legacy has, for most of its lifespan, been without a proper top tier aggro deck. You could probably call either UR Burn or Mono-Red Burn aggro decks, but for the purposes of this discussion, I want to define "aggro" as a zero or near-zero disruption deck that wins primarily with efficiently priced attacking creatures. So Mono-Red Burn sorta fits this description inasmuch as it does not try to disrupt at all and does not win with any kind of combo, but it has never really been tier one. Zoo was the lone exception for awhile, but it only survived as a tier one deck for a short time, basically from the printing of Wild Nacatl to the printing of adoption of Vengevine into Survival decks. I am too lazy to properly research this, but I want to say this was a tad under two years. That is not a lot. It's absence has not really been a shortcoming for the format in most opinions, as aggro-control decks (with hyper-efficient beaters) and minimally disruptive decks like Goblins (forever) and UR Burn (since Delver) have been nearly top tier for awhile. Their continued existence, plus the occasional placing of the aforementioned true aggro decks has apparently made the format feel just fast enough that we don't really detect a problem.
As a reaction to the interesting thread here I want to open a discussion on what would have to happen for Zoo, Burn, or something else to break into tier one status in Legacy.
Print a new card?
<cardname> RGW
Creature-Human Wizard
3/4
Flash
When you cast <cardname>, exile up to two cards from a single graveyard, and search target player's library for up to two cards and exile them. When <cardname> leaves the battlefield, <cardname> deals 3 damage to a single target creature or player.
Ban something? Brainstorm? Show and Tell? Something else?
Would the format be more fun if pure aggro were present? Less fun?
You're complaining about the lack of placement for Aggro decks with "near zero disruption". Which is pretty much just non-interactivity.
Legacy is a tremendously interactive format. There's a reason that Force of Will is one of the most-played cards - if you don't interact, you just lose.
Zoo had 6 top-8's last year. It had 122 in 2011. That's a pretty significant drop, and it can be attributed to a number of factors:
1) Mental Misstep was printed in May 2011, and was Legal until September 2011. This hurt Zoo tremendously, and its popularity never quite recovered after MM's banning, as many players had abandoned ship in the time between its printing and banning.
2) Right after MM's banning, Delver of Secrets and Snapcaster Mage were printed. This lead to many aggro-friendly players switching over to BUG or RUG Delver/Threshold decks, and also heralded the rise of Stoneblade.
3) 2012 was a very rough year for non-interactive aggro. Terminus and Entreat the Angels were printed, which revitalized the waning Countertop deck and gave it a suite of very cheap Wrath effects. Griselbrand and Omniscience lead to a rise of Show and Tell, Sneak Attack, Hypergenesis, and Reanimate decks, all of which walk all over Zoo. Supreme Verdict provided yet another popular Legacy-quality Wrath effect, while Rest in Peace gave Energy Field a new popularity.
So yes, non-interactive aggro may be at kind of an all-time low. Even somewhat disruptive aggro like Goblins, Death and Taxes, and Maverick have seen a pretty big decline. The past two months have seen in the top 8 one Goblins, one Maverick, one Death and Taxes, no Burn, no Zoo.
However, interactive midrange aggro decks are at an all-time high. Jund is the current most top-8ing deck of the past two months, and BUG Threshold is right behind it, neck in neck with Stoneblade. After that, RUG Delver and Show&Tell, followed by Miracles.
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These aren't tier 1 decks, but burn is definitely the closest thing to a non-interactive aggro deck. And it fast. It consistently fishbowls turn 3-4 and doesnt care about any counterspells, discard or removal. It just does its thing. Also 1 drop zoo (basically burn with step lynx and necatl) is even faster in a vacuum.
Theres a few things holding back the pure aggro, no interaction strat from being a tier 1.
1. Batterskull
2. Combo decks will always beat them
3. What I would argue is the biggest barrier: Not many people, and especially no "pro", wants to play them. Burn and zoo are boring as hell to most mtg players. Most people play magic cause they like challenge of a battle of wits that the game facilitates. Theyd rather play fun stuff that makes them think, like brainstorms, forces, GSZ or a complicated combo.
If you havent noticed, burn is actually positioned really well against all the tier 1 decks, and even has a good shot against S&T. Esperblade and storm are really only the trouble matches, but even those are totally beatable. Just not enough competent people play it.
Also, the decks classifications on this forum are very misleading. Goblins for example I would call a combo or control deck before an aggro deck. Yes it is red, and plays cards with the creature type goblin, but usually their games go like this.
turn 1: vial/lacky
turn 2: mana denial + guy that eats removal
turn 3: mana denial + guy that eats removal
turn 4: mana denial + matron for ringleader
turn 5: mana denial + ringleader
turn 6: play a million goblins and swing for 30+
As a reaction to the interesting thread here I want to open a discussion on what would have to happen for Zoo, Burn, or something else to break into tier one status in Legacy.
Print a new card?
<cardname>
RGW
Creature-Human Wizard
3/4
Flash
When you cast <cardname>, exile up to two cards from a single graveyard, and search target player's library for up to two cards and exile them. When <cardname> leaves the battlefield, <cardname> deals 3 damage to a single target creature or player.
Ban something? Brainstorm? Show and Tell? Something else?
Would the format be more fun if pure aggro were present? Less fun?
There isn't much room in Legacy to run efficient attackers and skimp on disruption. Woolly Thoctar is pretty darn efficient, but isn't important enough to matter.
The format doesn't care for Aggro without a method to disrupt the opponent. Whether or not the format becomes more or less fun isn't in the eye of the format to decide -- that's left to the individual contributor.
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I personally am fine with Legacy as it stands. In fact, I personally enjoy the fact that certain deckbuikding constraints are thrown out the window when you don't have to account for a true Aggro deck. But I also think its just a matter of time before more efficient creatures are printed to balance the format.
To answer your fundamental question, I think a red 2-drop on par with Tarmogoyf would make Zoo-esque Aggro playable. Something along those lines.
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The other problem with aggro is that legacy has access to 20 years of spells. Legacy doesn't really have access to 20 years of creatures because creatures prior to Time Spiral have been powercreeped out of existence (Watchwolf is terrible. Savannah lions is awful. Troll ascetic is not what he once was. All the creatures prior to goyf are pretty underwhelming typically. Only standout really is kird ape, and even that card is pretty disappointing nowadays.) Stoneforge also makes aggro decks a lot worse as the aggro deck lacking an answer for batterskull or stoneforge typically spells GG.
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I don't think pure aggro can really exist outside of something like infect and that just makes it a combo deck. That said I think aggro is more a play style to put constant pressure on. Every card drawn is good on its own and should be dealt with. I think that is the route has to go right now.
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The format is TOO GOOD to have a pure aggro linear deck. Unless you suddenly introduced broken stuff like "[1 mana] = Deal 4 damage" (don't say thunderous wrath), power creep has made aggro-control or aggro-midrange inevitably better.
I would argue small Zoo can STILL get it done. But outside of that deck, it's very difficult to classify stuff as pure aggro that can still perform at a very high level. Vengevine-survival was aggro-combo, not pure aggro.
Power creep is also a major factor. The best creatures outside of goyf all do something insane. They tutor, give recursion, and card advantage. All of these things promote midrange. Again, Zoo has put up recent results worldwide, but nothing that would garner hysteria about it's return. The issue with the format IMO is that there's no incentive to go linear aggro. There's so much good removal, counter-magic, and mid-range. Yes, you can have turn 4 kills with aggro but that's in a vacuum. Uninterrupted. This is why the midrange decks do so goddamn well...they can play through adversity. This is also why combo is doing so well....it plays through disruption and setbacks. Yet despite all of this, you acknowledge delver and the like -- that's most likely the way "aggro" will look like for a while.
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I dont think there will ever be a 30 creatures aggro deck in legacy in 2 or 3 colors, and even then they would still use disruption so they can protect there threats or ways to there there damage through.
Pick a creature based deck they still use equipment, removal, what have you cause its needed weather to get damage in or bate counters/removal.
Decks I play and stuff.
Legacy Burn
Modern Mono U Tron
Does a Tier 1 "True Aggro with no/minimal disruption" exist in any format now?
From my understanding of Modern, there is not aggro decks unless you count Affinity as an aggro deck, then in that case it can be considered Aggro for Legacy. Are there true aggro decks for Standard? I saw some posts commenting that Gate crash could see the rise of Aggro in standard. I haven't played standard in a sometime so perhaps someone can speak more to this. I think the last time Standard had a true aggro deck it was Mono green Dungrove and that only Tier 1 for about a month.
TLDR: Does a Tier 1 "True Aggro with no/minimal disruption" exist in any format now?
Outside of that, Burn, Affiity, and Goblins have already been mentioned.
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A case can be made that tempo is a form of aggro in legacy, so merfolk and delver are aggro.
Goblins, maverick, and affinity are unquestionably aggro although they each have disruptive mechanics.
Elves is a aggro deck that can combo kill, a similiar case can be made for zombiebombardment.
I think the worse offender to why aggro has gotten worse is show and tell. There have always been good mechanics to deal with storm but there is very little that deals with a deck that wants to dumb a 15/15 in play on turn 2-4.
You aren't going to find a "pure" aggro deck in Legacy because you have enough reach in this format to make "aggro control" or "Aggro combo." Playing multiple sides of the clock will strengthen your deck most of the time. Combo decks play control cards. Control decks play aggro cards. It's just what happens when you have only to rely on pure power.
I like the idea of a red Goyf, but the aggro-control decks will just adopt it too. You will be right back where you started. This would have to be a creature that blue can't use. That was why Wild Nacatl was so good for Zoo. But the idea seems good. More creatures as good as goyf gives the sort of backup that pure aggro needs. Aggro-control does not benefit from six different creatures in a color that are all broken since it can only use half of them.
FWIW, Mono Red was arguably the best deck in standard for the last month of RTR Season.
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Varchild's War-Riders?
I have been brewing with him recently (since I saw the spoiler for Illness in the Ranks) The problem I have felt through theorycraft building is that when he swings into a Goyf 1 on 1, a Goyf is often a 5/6 or at least a 4/5.
Curving Wild Nactl << Thalia << Knight of the Reliquary, or something like that seems pretty good to me. Maybe top off the curve with Bloodbraid Elf?
I think what naya zoo needs specifically is a 1 drop that is as good as nacatl and only playable in the naya zoo shell. An example would be a card like delver that flipped on creature cards and red instants and sorceries and was a 4/4 trampler on the flip side.
-----The Legacy Flowchart-----
Tiny Leaders Overlord
The problem with a pure aggro deck is not beating control at all. It's beating decks that can combo off and kill you, like elves, storm, dredge, etc.
Yeah that would do it. That card is prob too much though. A 4/3 first striking trapler for 1 is pretty absurd.
Going through loops to make a 3/4 for two mana good is not a good plan imo. If aggro were to become truly awesome in legacy it would need a creature (or creatures) that made it a lot harder to be blown out by Batterskull and Terminus.. and those two cards does two very different things.
The problem is that all your 1 guys are bad when the opponent is controlling a batterskull and overloading on 2-3 mana guys makes it that much harder to play through swords and path before the control deck has stabilized.
One could argue that because so much can be done for so little mana now a days the turn you spend not attacking is rather harsh since the control/combo player gets so much "tempo" from you have summoning sickness while they really dont. Goblins can live through this because they have haste, mana disruption and so much card advantage. However decks with regular creatures (Zoo) have a hard time dealing enough damage with their creatures before they are blown to bits by combo or sword/wrath and so on.
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You're complaining about the lack of placement for Aggro decks with "near zero disruption". Which is pretty much just non-interactivity.
Legacy is a tremendously interactive format. There's a reason that Force of Will is one of the most-played cards - if you don't interact, you just lose.
Zoo had 6 top-8's last year. It had 122 in 2011. That's a pretty significant drop, and it can be attributed to a number of factors:
1) Mental Misstep was printed in May 2011, and was Legal until September 2011. This hurt Zoo tremendously, and its popularity never quite recovered after MM's banning, as many players had abandoned ship in the time between its printing and banning.
2) Right after MM's banning, Delver of Secrets and Snapcaster Mage were printed. This lead to many aggro-friendly players switching over to BUG or RUG Delver/Threshold decks, and also heralded the rise of Stoneblade.
3) 2012 was a very rough year for non-interactive aggro. Terminus and Entreat the Angels were printed, which revitalized the waning Countertop deck and gave it a suite of very cheap Wrath effects. Griselbrand and Omniscience lead to a rise of Show and Tell, Sneak Attack, Hypergenesis, and Reanimate decks, all of which walk all over Zoo. Supreme Verdict provided yet another popular Legacy-quality Wrath effect, while Rest in Peace gave Energy Field a new popularity.
So yes, non-interactive aggro may be at kind of an all-time low. Even somewhat disruptive aggro like Goblins, Death and Taxes, and Maverick have seen a pretty big decline. The past two months have seen in the top 8 one Goblins, one Maverick, one Death and Taxes, no Burn, no Zoo.
However, interactive midrange aggro decks are at an all-time high. Jund is the current most top-8ing deck of the past two months, and BUG Threshold is right behind it, neck in neck with Stoneblade. After that, RUG Delver and Show&Tell, followed by Miracles.
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Theres a few things holding back the pure aggro, no interaction strat from being a tier 1.
1. Batterskull
2. Combo decks will always beat them
3. What I would argue is the biggest barrier: Not many people, and especially no "pro", wants to play them. Burn and zoo are boring as hell to most mtg players. Most people play magic cause they like challenge of a battle of wits that the game facilitates. Theyd rather play fun stuff that makes them think, like brainstorms, forces, GSZ or a complicated combo.
If you havent noticed, burn is actually positioned really well against all the tier 1 decks, and even has a good shot against S&T. Esperblade and storm are really only the trouble matches, but even those are totally beatable. Just not enough competent people play it.
Also, the decks classifications on this forum are very misleading. Goblins for example I would call a combo or control deck before an aggro deck. Yes it is red, and plays cards with the creature type goblin, but usually their games go like this.
turn 1: vial/lacky
turn 2: mana denial + guy that eats removal
turn 3: mana denial + guy that eats removal
turn 4: mana denial + matron for ringleader
turn 5: mana denial + ringleader
turn 6: play a million goblins and swing for 30+
And those are precisely the decks that Thalia hoses.
Deathrite Shaman and Delver Of Secrets would need to be banned.
a 3/2 flier for U and a creature that draws life-gain from slain creatures makes creatures unplayable in the format currently.
Abrupt Decay is a catch all that makes creatures for under 3 mana unplayable, because they die to it and then gain your opponent 2 life