Sulfuric Vortex might be worth considering over the leyline. It accomplishes the same thing while also dropping life totals across the board. It does add up quite fast too considering you generally get 6 damage in on opponents for every 2 you take yourself.
The only problem with Vortex is that it doesn't stop damage from being prevented, which has been the bigger issue for me (think Fog and Glacial Chasm effects). I plan to pick up a Strip Mine as well, for annoying lands, but I'm more concerned about getting damage through than stopping life gain (it's a nice bonus though).
If path to exile is a problem, I don't see a lot of combat tricks, so why not run hand to hand? At least then you won't get your stuff slaughtered during combat thanks to some random growth/removal effect.
If path to exile is a problem, I don't see a lot of combat tricks, so why not run hand to hand? At least then you won't get your stuff slaughtered during combat thanks to some random growth/removal effect.
I was just using Path as an example, but unfortunately it won't stop removal, just change when it happens. It is an interesting card though. For the most part, I've just learned to make plays when people aren't in a position to stop me.
I've finally decided to take my pet card, Balduvian Barbarians, out of the deck. I'm replacing it with Goblin Rabblemaster, who has preformed promisingly so far. With only one other goblin in the deck, forcing other goblins you control to attack has minimal draw back, and it provides the deck with both tokens and a self pump effect. I'm adding Mana Vault to the deck over Mind Stone, as it provides a nice ritual effect that can potentially let us play Lovisa as early as turn two.
How has Soul of New Phyrexia been working for you? I find myself not particularly liking him as he just feels really clunky. Something like Inferno Titan would be a lot more aggressive and lend itself to giving you some extra access to removal. I just don't really feel like paying the 6 to drop in the soul and then getting to use him is that realistic.
Act on Impulse you have incorrectly in your op as a 2 mana spell.
Borderland Marauder -> Warren Instigator when you weigh these two straight up, the Marauder does technically swing for one more damage but as soon as you start buffing them the Instigator does a lot more very quickly. Add swords, add Lovisa, really the instigator just scales a lot better to be honest. I have accepted that his putting free goblins in is essentially not relevant but double strikers for cheap in tribe are good.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I have officially moved to MTGNexus. I just wanted to let people know as my response time to salvation decks being bumped is very hit or miss.
How has Soul of New Phyrexia been working for you? I find myself not particularly liking him as he just feels really clunky. Something like Inferno Titan would be a lot more aggressive and lend itself to giving you some extra access to removal. I just don't really feel like paying the 6 to drop in the soul and then getting to use him is that realistic.
It's hard to say. I've only drawn it three times, but of those three times, it's saved me in two different games. I didn't play it the first time I drew it, I discarded it to Wheel of Fortune in another game and it saved me from a board wipe from the graveyard, and in the third game I actually played it and used it twice.
I need to play it more to be sure, but I really like that it can be discarded to Faithless Looting or Gamble and still be effective.
Borderland Marauder -> Warren Instigator when you weigh these two straight up, the Marauder does technically swing for one more damage but as soon as you start buffing them the Instigator does a lot more very quickly. Add swords, add Lovisa, really the instigator just scales a lot better to be honest. I have accepted that his putting free goblins in is essentially not relevant but double strikers for cheap in tribe are good.
I've been debating on getting an Umezawa's Jitte for that spot. I don't have one so I might just have to proxy test it if I can't find one this weekend. If that doesn't fit, I'll try Warren Instigator though. ^.^
What about Cauldron of Souls? Seems like it could be another decent board wipe protector in here.
It's an interesting option, though it sadly lacks the ability to save you from the grave.
I may test it, though with my luck at drawing cats, it'll take me a while to Worrell through both it and Soul. In seven months I only saw Vexing Shusher twice, and only got to play out once whole it was in Marath. >.<
With the new mono colored commander sets on the horizon, I'm going to cover all of the new toys mono red got. Unfortunately, the red list was artifact focused, so we didn't get a single tribal card to run. But there are a couple cards with potential.
Red Cards
Bitter Fued - This card has a pretty unique effect. You can either target two opponents to coerce them into attacking each other, or target yourself and another player, to try to pull off a lethal combat step. I do believe that it has too much of a chance to backfire, however, so I won't be running it but it can have a place in a list like this. Just be careful of who you target and when.
Daretti, Scrap Savant - As far as red planes walkers go, Daretti is fairly strong. His abilities don't really have much synergy with this deck, however. Only his +2 has a consistent effect, and it's not worth paying 4 mana for without more use.
Duelcaster Mage - This guy has a few points in his favor. He has a copy effect, which allows you to attempt to duplicate your opponent's best spell. He also is a creature, so he can attack, even if he doesn't have any tribal synergy with this deck. If you are running copy effects, this is a good choice. I personally am not a fan, as there isn't much to use him on in my playgroup.
Feldon of the Third Path - Feldon has a unique ability, for a mono red creature. He has potential, as you can copy the best creature in your graveyard. Sadly, he doesn't benefit off of Lovisa but he could be useful. I am going to at least test him out, though I don't know if he'll make the cut or not. Without haste, he's not nearly as strong.
Impact Resonance - In the right deck, this can be a really strong removal spell for multiple creatures. It's downfall for this deck, is that it only counts the damage done by a single permanent, when we get our damage from multiple sources.
Incite Rebellion - This is a red board wipe that can also severely injure your opponents, but it will also affect you. As this is a creature heavy deck, it's difficult to run this, as you can end up dealing more damage to yourself than any of your opponents. I believe Blasphemous Act or All is Dust are safer alternatives if you're looking for a board wipe.
Scrap Mastery - Similar to a Living Death for artifacts. It does have the potential to return multiple swords and other artifacts to the battlefield, but I don't think we have a strong enough focus on our artifacts to run this.
Tyrant's Familiar - The lieutenant cycle fell a bit short in my eyes. It is a strong card, but something like Hellrider suites this style of deck more.
Volcanic Offering - This card is really strong, as both of its effects contain the clause, "you don't control", making it an asymmetrical effect. It has potential, allowing you to remove two lands, and potentially two creatures. The seven damage won't hit everything, but it will kill the majority of creatures all with the added bonus of being an instant. I intend to test this card.
Warmonger Hellkite - Another interesting card. I wish it had been something tribal, that was more usable, but it's not bad. Forcing all creatures to attack each turn will leave most opponents open, but it can backfire with Vigilance or by drawing the ire of the table. It also has a small anthem that can be used politically. In most situations, I think Purphoros, God of the Forge or Inner-Flame Igniter are better choices.
Artifacts
Assault Suit - This card can be really funny. Lovisa's ability is a global effect, so if you equip this to one of your strongest tribal creatures, they will get +4/+4 total while being unable to attack you. If you want to encourage your opponents to attack each other, this is a good card to use. It's on the expensive side, so I won't be including it in my own list, but it's still not a bad card to run in a deck like this.
Commander's Sphere - This card is an alternative to Mind Stone. It does cost 1 more, but it taps for colored mana and doesn't have any additional costs to the draw, and can be sacrificed while tapped. Another card I that I plan to try out.
Crown of Doom - A silly effect, but it's not very strong and has a lot of potential to backfire.
Loreseeker's Stone - A really strong source of draw. It's an expensive artifact to cast, and the effect can be pretty pricey to use if you have cards in hand, but it's a decent way to prevent yourself from running out of steam.
Masterwork of Ingenuity - In this deck, this will most likely copy one of our swords, unless there happens to be something better on field. I'm torn on running this card. It's cheap to cast, and has a lot of potential, but there aren't any equipment decks in my play group and has too much potential to be a dead draw.
Unstable Obelisk - This is an interesting card. It's effect is similar to Spine of Ish Sah, but it doubles as a mana rock, at the cost of loosing the ability to return it to your hand if it dies. I prefer Karn Liberated for this spot, but it's not a bad option if Karn is out of your budget.
Lands
Arcane Lighthouse - This land has a ridiculously strong effect. Unfortunately, there aren't many cards in this deck that can take advantage of it.
Flamekin Village - As far as this deck is concerned, this land will enter the battlefield tapped, as I'm only running two elementals. The ability to grant haste is nice, but I think that this land is better suited to a deck that wants to use its general right away (e.g. Heartless Hidetsugu or Feldon of the Third Path).
Myriad Landscape - This is the only card from the set that I consider to be an auto-include. We run a lot of high cost cards, and ramp isn't always easy to come by in mono red. It does enter the battlefield tapped, but it will net you one land when it's ability resolves, and shuffles your library.
I have a few cards that I want to test out from the set, so it wasn't too bad. I am going to make the following changes right now, however:
I finally picked up a Jitte for this deck, and I've liked it so far. I'll update the first post to reflect these changes later today, when I can do so from a computer and not my phone.
Hey Congrats on primer status but my actual card recommendation comes from making Kazuul, tyrant of the cliffs as a commander. Have you tried Avatar of slaughter? I know he is a bit to ramp into but I have found he gets ridiculous with just the 3/3 ogres Kazuul makes but with Lovisa's pump I feel this would be a drop and finish everyone card. Thoughts?
Hey Congrats on primer status but my actual card recommendation comes from making Kazuul, tyrant of the cliffs as a commander. Have you tried Avatar of slaughter? I know he is a bit to ramp into but I have found he gets ridiculous with just the 3/3 ogres Kazuul makes but with Lovisa's pump I feel this would be a drop and finish everyone card. Thoughts?
He does seem really strong. The biggest issue would be finding a spot for him, as his CMC is quite high. It would be nice to run another Rage Reflection. I'm going to have to see if I can find one and try to fit it in while I'm testing some of the C14 cards.
I'm pulling some of the clunky cards out of my deck for alternatives that have worked much more smoothly.
While Leyline does stop fog decks (which are prevalent in my group, or does feel like a wasted card slot more often than not. Alternatively, Commander's Sphere has been very strong in my testing, providing b both ramp and on demand draw, both of which this deck needs.
I'm swapping Mad Prophet for the Loreseeker's Stone. Mad Prophet tends to die quite easily in my group, and the discard can really hurt.
Finally, I'm adding in Avatar of Slaughter in place of Dragon Throne of Tarkir. Both can be used as win conditions, but the Avatar doesn't require you to continuously spend resources on it. It is somewhat of a tentative addition, as I need top be able to close out the game quickly, however.
I don't like Braid of Fire, because you have to spend the mana at upkeep and your deck doesn't run enough mana dumps to make it worth while. I'd consider running things like Gratuitous Violence or Shared Animosity in it's place. You're very much dependent on your combat step, and running more ways to beef up your dudes during a fight is always good.
I don't know what your meta really looks like, so it's a bit difficult to go in to much more detail, but just looking in to what creatures are available in our tribes and tailoring them to your playstyle is useful. If you haven't already, I'd recommend doing a gatherer search on them. ^.^
I'm pretty sick, and I don't have the energy for a full set review.
But, I did pick up two cards from this set. One of them is pretty much gaurenteed, and the other is an interested potential add. Flamerush Rider is one of the best warriors they've printed in mono-red (for this deck) in a while, and I'm super excited. I'm also going to test out Outpost Siege, as both modes have a lot of potential.
Even though I didn't do a review, I'm open to any questions you have about Fate Reforged cards. ^.^
I like Avatar of Slaughter as a win condition, but there are just too many variables that can cause it to backfire on you (removal, being unable to win that turn, etc.), and Flamerush Rider fits the theme of the deck, while being a warrior with a really strong ability.
Despite my initial dislike of the card, Volcanic Offering provides a lot of utility, largely due to the stipulation that it can't target your cards. I'm swapping it in for Soul of New Phyrexia, which while very useful, is too slow in most cases.
Outpost Siege is much more efficient than Loreseeker's Stone. You run the possibility of being unable to cast the exiled card, but it isn't expensive and it has a secondary mode which can occasionally be useful.
I've also fixed the Table of Contents (finally!), and added Back to the Top links, which will take you back up to the Table of Contents. The original post should be much easier to navigate now.
I've noticed that Renegade Warlord is no longer considered a warrior, and have switched him out with Inferno Titan for the time being.
I will also write a set review some time after Friday for Dragons of Tarkir (once we have all of the cards spoiled). So far though, I haven't seen anything in our colors that jumps out at me.
Atarka Pummeler - Despite not having an incredibly flashy ability, Atarka Pummeler gets points for being tribal and having an ability that is fairly easy to turn on in this deck. Having to pay five mana each turn isn't ideal, but I can see it being useful against someone with several blockers, so I'll be testing it at the very least.
Berserkers' Onslaught - Asymmetrical effects that grant double strike are always welcome. It isn't as strong as Rage Reflection because it only grants double strike to your attacking creatures, but it is cheaper to cast and is a nice addition for those looking for redundancy.
Commune wit Lava - I plan to test this. It is similar to Act on Impulse in that you can exile multiple cards to cast. However, Commune with Lava can scale up if you need to dig for a particular card, is an instant, and the cards can be cast until the end of your next turn, leaving you with more mana to cast the exiled cards.
Hardened Berserker - While it's great to see WOTC step up their game with berserkers, most of our spells are better when cast before combat. He is cheap with a decent body, so in the right deck he's not a bad choice. I do plan on testing him out to see if I've misjudged him, however.
Kolagahn Forerunners - This guy encourages over-extension to get the most out of his scaling power. Because board wipes can be crippling to this deck (especially when overextending), I don't think he'll be worth it in most situations.
Volcanic Rush - A strictly worse Overrun in mono-red aggro isn't bad, but you want a swarm of creatures to really get the most use out of this card.
Overall, this wasn't a bad set despite most of the tribal creatures printed were fairly vanilla. I'm excited to test some of the new cards that were printed; particularly Commune with Lava.
No mention of Lightning Berserker? This little lady I found can do a lot all on her own post wrath or just off the top of the deck, she is even better with Lovisa out of course.
No mention of Lightning Berserker? This little lady I found can do a lot all on her own post wrath or just off the top of the deck, she is even better with Lovisa out of course.
I suppose I could test it out. However, the most similar card (Vengeful Firebrand) I run to her in terms of effects, and not necessarily cost is on the chopping block already.
Of course, I'll still throw her in the list for testing, one I'm finished with the other cards I'm interested, as I've probably pulled too many cards out at the moment. ^.^
The only problem with Vortex is that it doesn't stop damage from being prevented, which has been the bigger issue for me (think Fog and Glacial Chasm effects). I plan to pick up a Strip Mine as well, for annoying lands, but I'm more concerned about getting damage through than stopping life gain (it's a nice bonus though).
My Helpdesk
[Pr] Marath | [Pr] Lovisa | Jodah | Saskia | Najeela | Yisan | Lord Windgrace | Atraxa | Meren | Gisa and Geralf
Out
Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
Temple of the False God
In
Ancient Tomb
Strip Mine
Shinka is a cute combat trick occasionally, but Strip Mine is just better utility. And I'm upgrading my ramp land.
My Helpdesk
[Pr] Marath | [Pr] Lovisa | Jodah | Saskia | Najeela | Yisan | Lord Windgrace | Atraxa | Meren | Gisa and Geralf
Credit to DolZero for this awesome sig!
My Helpdesk
[Pr] Marath | [Pr] Lovisa | Jodah | Saskia | Najeela | Yisan | Lord Windgrace | Atraxa | Meren | Gisa and Geralf
Out
Balduvian Barbarians
Mind Stone
In
Goblin Rablemaster
Mana Vault
I've finally decided to take my pet card, Balduvian Barbarians, out of the deck. I'm replacing it with Goblin Rabblemaster, who has preformed promisingly so far. With only one other goblin in the deck, forcing other goblins you control to attack has minimal draw back, and it provides the deck with both tokens and a self pump effect. I'm adding Mana Vault to the deck over Mind Stone, as it provides a nice ritual effect that can potentially let us play Lovisa as early as turn two.
My Helpdesk
[Pr] Marath | [Pr] Lovisa | Jodah | Saskia | Najeela | Yisan | Lord Windgrace | Atraxa | Meren | Gisa and Geralf
Act on Impulse you have incorrectly in your op as a 2 mana spell.
Borderland Marauder -> Warren Instigator when you weigh these two straight up, the Marauder does technically swing for one more damage but as soon as you start buffing them the Instigator does a lot more very quickly. Add swords, add Lovisa, really the instigator just scales a lot better to be honest. I have accepted that his putting free goblins in is essentially not relevant but double strikers for cheap in tribe are good.
Signature by Inkfox Aesthetics by Xen
[Modern] Allies
I need to play it more to be sure, but I really like that it can be discarded to Faithless Looting or Gamble and still be effective.
Thank you for catching that. You beat me to finding someone to review it.
I've been debating on getting an Umezawa's Jitte for that spot. I don't have one so I might just have to proxy test it if I can't find one this weekend. If that doesn't fit, I'll try Warren Instigator though. ^.^
My Helpdesk
[Pr] Marath | [Pr] Lovisa | Jodah | Saskia | Najeela | Yisan | Lord Windgrace | Atraxa | Meren | Gisa and Geralf
RGWMayael the AnimaRGW
UBRMarchesa, the Black RoseUBR
Modern Decks
RGWNaya BurnRGW
I may test it, though with my luck at drawing cats, it'll take me a while to Worrell through both it and Soul. In seven months I only saw Vexing Shusher twice, and only got to play out once whole it was in Marath. >.<
My Helpdesk
[Pr] Marath | [Pr] Lovisa | Jodah | Saskia | Najeela | Yisan | Lord Windgrace | Atraxa | Meren | Gisa and Geralf
Red Cards
Bitter Fued - This card has a pretty unique effect. You can either target two opponents to coerce them into attacking each other, or target yourself and another player, to try to pull off a lethal combat step. I do believe that it has too much of a chance to backfire, however, so I won't be running it but it can have a place in a list like this. Just be careful of who you target and when.
Daretti, Scrap Savant - As far as red planes walkers go, Daretti is fairly strong. His abilities don't really have much synergy with this deck, however. Only his +2 has a consistent effect, and it's not worth paying 4 mana for without more use.
Duelcaster Mage - This guy has a few points in his favor. He has a copy effect, which allows you to attempt to duplicate your opponent's best spell. He also is a creature, so he can attack, even if he doesn't have any tribal synergy with this deck. If you are running copy effects, this is a good choice. I personally am not a fan, as there isn't much to use him on in my playgroup.
Feldon of the Third Path - Feldon has a unique ability, for a mono red creature. He has potential, as you can copy the best creature in your graveyard. Sadly, he doesn't benefit off of Lovisa but he could be useful. I am going to at least test him out, though I don't know if he'll make the cut or not. Without haste, he's not nearly as strong.
Impact Resonance - In the right deck, this can be a really strong removal spell for multiple creatures. It's downfall for this deck, is that it only counts the damage done by a single permanent, when we get our damage from multiple sources.
Incite Rebellion - This is a red board wipe that can also severely injure your opponents, but it will also affect you. As this is a creature heavy deck, it's difficult to run this, as you can end up dealing more damage to yourself than any of your opponents. I believe Blasphemous Act or All is Dust are safer alternatives if you're looking for a board wipe.
Scrap Mastery - Similar to a Living Death for artifacts. It does have the potential to return multiple swords and other artifacts to the battlefield, but I don't think we have a strong enough focus on our artifacts to run this.
Tyrant's Familiar - The lieutenant cycle fell a bit short in my eyes. It is a strong card, but something like Hellrider suites this style of deck more.
Volcanic Offering - This card is really strong, as both of its effects contain the clause, "you don't control", making it an asymmetrical effect. It has potential, allowing you to remove two lands, and potentially two creatures. The seven damage won't hit everything, but it will kill the majority of creatures all with the added bonus of being an instant. I intend to test this card.
Warmonger Hellkite - Another interesting card. I wish it had been something tribal, that was more usable, but it's not bad. Forcing all creatures to attack each turn will leave most opponents open, but it can backfire with Vigilance or by drawing the ire of the table. It also has a small anthem that can be used politically. In most situations, I think Purphoros, God of the Forge or Inner-Flame Igniter are better choices.
Artifacts
Assault Suit - This card can be really funny. Lovisa's ability is a global effect, so if you equip this to one of your strongest tribal creatures, they will get +4/+4 total while being unable to attack you. If you want to encourage your opponents to attack each other, this is a good card to use. It's on the expensive side, so I won't be including it in my own list, but it's still not a bad card to run in a deck like this.
Commander's Sphere - This card is an alternative to Mind Stone. It does cost 1 more, but it taps for colored mana and doesn't have any additional costs to the draw, and can be sacrificed while tapped. Another card I that I plan to try out.
Crown of Doom - A silly effect, but it's not very strong and has a lot of potential to backfire.
Loreseeker's Stone - A really strong source of draw. It's an expensive artifact to cast, and the effect can be pretty pricey to use if you have cards in hand, but it's a decent way to prevent yourself from running out of steam.
Masterwork of Ingenuity - In this deck, this will most likely copy one of our swords, unless there happens to be something better on field. I'm torn on running this card. It's cheap to cast, and has a lot of potential, but there aren't any equipment decks in my play group and has too much potential to be a dead draw.
Unstable Obelisk - This is an interesting card. It's effect is similar to Spine of Ish Sah, but it doubles as a mana rock, at the cost of loosing the ability to return it to your hand if it dies. I prefer Karn Liberated for this spot, but it's not a bad option if Karn is out of your budget.
Lands
Arcane Lighthouse - This land has a ridiculously strong effect. Unfortunately, there aren't many cards in this deck that can take advantage of it.
Flamekin Village - As far as this deck is concerned, this land will enter the battlefield tapped, as I'm only running two elementals. The ability to grant haste is nice, but I think that this land is better suited to a deck that wants to use its general right away (e.g. Heartless Hidetsugu or Feldon of the Third Path).
Myriad Landscape - This is the only card from the set that I consider to be an auto-include. We run a lot of high cost cards, and ramp isn't always easy to come by in mono red. It does enter the battlefield tapped, but it will net you one land when it's ability resolves, and shuffles your library.
I have a few cards that I want to test out from the set, so it wasn't too bad. I am going to make the following changes right now, however:
Out
1x Mountain
Borderlands Marauder
In
Myriad Landscape
Umezawa's Jitte
I finally picked up a Jitte for this deck, and I've liked it so far. I'll update the first post to reflect these changes later today, when I can do so from a computer and not my phone.
My Helpdesk
[Pr] Marath | [Pr] Lovisa | Jodah | Saskia | Najeela | Yisan | Lord Windgrace | Atraxa | Meren | Gisa and Geralf
I'm planning on testing this deck tonight, so I'll update worth my results for the cards I mentioned before.
My Helpdesk
[Pr] Marath | [Pr] Lovisa | Jodah | Saskia | Najeela | Yisan | Lord Windgrace | Atraxa | Meren | Gisa and Geralf
And thank you.
My Helpdesk
[Pr] Marath | [Pr] Lovisa | Jodah | Saskia | Najeela | Yisan | Lord Windgrace | Atraxa | Meren | Gisa and Geralf
Out
Dragon Throne of Tarkir
Leyline of Punishment
Mad Prophet
In
Avatar of Slaughter
Commander's Sphere
Loreseeker's Stone
I'm pulling some of the clunky cards out of my deck for alternatives that have worked much more smoothly.
While Leyline does stop fog decks (which are prevalent in my group, or does feel like a wasted card slot more often than not. Alternatively, Commander's Sphere has been very strong in my testing, providing b both ramp and on demand draw, both of which this deck needs.
I'm swapping Mad Prophet for the Loreseeker's Stone. Mad Prophet tends to die quite easily in my group, and the discard can really hurt.
Finally, I'm adding in Avatar of Slaughter in place of Dragon Throne of Tarkir. Both can be used as win conditions, but the Avatar doesn't require you to continuously spend resources on it. It is somewhat of a tentative addition, as I need top be able to close out the game quickly, however.
I am currently undecided on Feldon of the Third Path and Volcanic Offering however.
I've updated the deck lists, and I will update the rest of the thread later tonight. ^.^
My Helpdesk
[Pr] Marath | [Pr] Lovisa | Jodah | Saskia | Najeela | Yisan | Lord Windgrace | Atraxa | Meren | Gisa and Geralf
1 Lovisa Coldeyes
Creatures: 27
1 Balduvian Horde
1 Godo, Bandit Warlord
1 Balthor the Stout
1 Archetype of Aggression
1 Jeska, Warrior Adept
1 Kamahl, Pit Fighter
1 Vulshok Battlemaster
1 Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
1 Hamletback Goliath
1 Keldon Warlord
1 Hell-Bent Raider
1 Pillaging Horde
1 Maraxus of Keld
1 Keldon Champion
1 Goblin Rabblemaster
1 Boldwyr Heavyweights
1 Cyclops Gladiator
1 Falkenrath Marauders
1 Lu Bu, Master-at-Arms
1 Ma Chao, Western Warrior
1 Markov Blademaster
1 Vengeful Firebrand
1 Kargan Dragonlord
1 Balduvian Barbarians
1 Zealous Conscripts
1 Boldwyr Intimidator
1 Countryside Crusher
1 Fork
1 Gamble
1 Urza's Rage
1 Searing Wind
1 Wild Ricochet
Enchantments: 6
1 Purphoros, God of the Forge
1 Aggravated Assault
1 Gravity Sphere
1 Braid of Fire
1 Stranglehold
1 Fervor
Planeswalker: 1
1 Koth of the Hammer
Sorceries: 10
1 Act on Impulse
1 Hammer of Bogardan
1 Insurrection
1 Relentless Assault
1 Pillage
1 Wheel of Fortune
1 Vandalblast
1 Shattering Spree
1 Faithless Looting
1 Obliterate
Artifacts: 15
1 Sol Ring
1 Mana Vault
1 Fire Diamond
1 Thran Dynamo
1 Ruby Medallion
1 Gauntlet of Power
1 Mind's Eye
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Basilisk Collar
1 Tenza, Godo's Maul
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Sword of War and Peace
25 Snow-Covered Mountain
1 Strip Mine
1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Forgotten Cave
1 Ancient Tomb
1 Hammerheim
1 Keldon Necropolis
1 Barbarian Ring
1 Scrying Sheets
That'll help me with suggestions. ^.^
My Helpdesk
[Pr] Marath | [Pr] Lovisa | Jodah | Saskia | Najeela | Yisan | Lord Windgrace | Atraxa | Meren | Gisa and Geralf
The deck looks pretty solid. I'd consider giving some of the battlecry warriors a shot (e.g. Goblin Wardriver and Renegade Warlord). Archetype of Agression is super powerful as well.
I don't like Braid of Fire, because you have to spend the mana at upkeep and your deck doesn't run enough mana dumps to make it worth while. I'd consider running things like Gratuitous Violence or Shared Animosity in it's place. You're very much dependent on your combat step, and running more ways to beef up your dudes during a fight is always good.
I don't know what your meta really looks like, so it's a bit difficult to go in to much more detail, but just looking in to what creatures are available in our tribes and tailoring them to your playstyle is useful. If you haven't already, I'd recommend doing a gatherer search on them. ^.^
My Helpdesk
[Pr] Marath | [Pr] Lovisa | Jodah | Saskia | Najeela | Yisan | Lord Windgrace | Atraxa | Meren | Gisa and Geralf
But, I did pick up two cards from this set. One of them is pretty much gaurenteed, and the other is an interested potential add. Flamerush Rider is one of the best warriors they've printed in mono-red (for this deck) in a while, and I'm super excited. I'm also going to test out Outpost Siege, as both modes have a lot of potential.
Even though I didn't do a review, I'm open to any questions you have about Fate Reforged cards. ^.^
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[Pr] Marath | [Pr] Lovisa | Jodah | Saskia | Najeela | Yisan | Lord Windgrace | Atraxa | Meren | Gisa and Geralf
Out
Loreseeker's Stone
Soul of New Phyrexia
Avatar of Slaughter
In
Outpost Siege
Flamerush Rider
Volcanic Offering
I like Avatar of Slaughter as a win condition, but there are just too many variables that can cause it to backfire on you (removal, being unable to win that turn, etc.), and Flamerush Rider fits the theme of the deck, while being a warrior with a really strong ability.
Despite my initial dislike of the card, Volcanic Offering provides a lot of utility, largely due to the stipulation that it can't target your cards. I'm swapping it in for Soul of New Phyrexia, which while very useful, is too slow in most cases.
Outpost Siege is much more efficient than Loreseeker's Stone. You run the possibility of being unable to cast the exiled card, but it isn't expensive and it has a secondary mode which can occasionally be useful.
I've also fixed the Table of Contents (finally!), and added Back to the Top links, which will take you back up to the Table of Contents. The original post should be much easier to navigate now.
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[Pr] Marath | [Pr] Lovisa | Jodah | Saskia | Najeela | Yisan | Lord Windgrace | Atraxa | Meren | Gisa and Geralf
Out
Renegade Warlord
In
Inferno Titan
I've noticed that Renegade Warlord is no longer considered a warrior, and have switched him out with Inferno Titan for the time being.
I will also write a set review some time after Friday for Dragons of Tarkir (once we have all of the cards spoiled). So far though, I haven't seen anything in our colors that jumps out at me.
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[Pr] Marath | [Pr] Lovisa | Jodah | Saskia | Najeela | Yisan | Lord Windgrace | Atraxa | Meren | Gisa and Geralf
R Red R
Atarka Pummeler - Despite not having an incredibly flashy ability, Atarka Pummeler gets points for being tribal and having an ability that is fairly easy to turn on in this deck. Having to pay five mana each turn isn't ideal, but I can see it being useful against someone with several blockers, so I'll be testing it at the very least.
Berserkers' Onslaught - Asymmetrical effects that grant double strike are always welcome. It isn't as strong as Rage Reflection because it only grants double strike to your attacking creatures, but it is cheaper to cast and is a nice addition for those looking for redundancy.
Commune wit Lava - I plan to test this. It is similar to Act on Impulse in that you can exile multiple cards to cast. However, Commune with Lava can scale up if you need to dig for a particular card, is an instant, and the cards can be cast until the end of your next turn, leaving you with more mana to cast the exiled cards.
Hardened Berserker - While it's great to see WOTC step up their game with berserkers, most of our spells are better when cast before combat. He is cheap with a decent body, so in the right deck he's not a bad choice. I do plan on testing him out to see if I've misjudged him, however.
Kolagahn Forerunners - This guy encourages over-extension to get the most out of his scaling power. Because board wipes can be crippling to this deck (especially when overextending), I don't think he'll be worth it in most situations.
Volcanic Rush - A strictly worse Overrun in mono-red aggro isn't bad, but you want a swarm of creatures to really get the most use out of this card.
Overall, this wasn't a bad set despite most of the tribal creatures printed were fairly vanilla. I'm excited to test some of the new cards that were printed; particularly Commune with Lava.
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[Pr] Marath | [Pr] Lovisa | Jodah | Saskia | Najeela | Yisan | Lord Windgrace | Atraxa | Meren | Gisa and Geralf
UMerfolkU
Legacy
UMerfolkU
Commander
RWBAlesha, Who Smiles At DeathRWB
Of course, I'll still throw her in the list for testing, one I'm finished with the other cards I'm interested, as I've probably pulled too many cards out at the moment. ^.^
My Helpdesk
[Pr] Marath | [Pr] Lovisa | Jodah | Saskia | Najeela | Yisan | Lord Windgrace | Atraxa | Meren | Gisa and Geralf