Note before reading: My sideboard decisions are influenced by the belief that Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh can ping creatures up until Round 9, at which point, one of my friends told me it didn't work that way. Fortunately, I never made that mistake in a match.
Game 2 went roughly the same, but he made a crucial misplay that cost him the game. Goblin Guide revealed an Anger of the Gods off the top of my library a few turns before, and during combat, he had left up a couple mana to try to pull of a combat trick that I didn't take the bait for (Spellskite is way to valuable to lose to a Swiftspear). He followed up by slamming two Swiftspear in the second main. The sweep was pretty devastating.
I took out the Pithing Needle here. I lost Game 1 because of a Grim Lavamancer, but I opted against trying to have a one-of to fight one card that didn't show up G2.
Game 3 was fairly lackluster. I had 2 Spellskite out, but ya know what's really good against that? Triple opening hand Boros Charm. I was hoping to get to my opening hand [[Wurmcoil Engine]], but it just wasn't there.
(0-1; 1-2)
Round 2: UG Gifts Isochron Fog Tron (2-0)
Game 1 was pretty good for me. I resolved a Koth of the Hammer on T4 and got in for 4, taking him to 14 (two fetches). At some point, he Gifts Ungivens for the first time. I put Emrakul, the Aeons Torn and Karn Liberated in the yard, giving him back a second Gifts and an Urza's Tower (he already had Tron, so I didn't care). He played Isochron Scepter + Fog on his turn, but tapped wrong and couldn't activate it. I followed up by playing a Boros Reckoner and swinging him to 10. Note: I had 5 lands out at this point. He plays the second Gifts to find Karn Liberated, Ugin, the Spirit Dragon, Emrakul, the Aeons Torn, and something else that seemed irrelevant. I gave him the irrelevant card and Emmy (not enough mana to play it, and I had Skred in hand, and a Koth at 5). He passes turn to me. I attack with the Reckoner to get him to tap the Scepter. I play my top decked land, ult Koth, Skred the Reckoner, and tap four lands to deal the last 10 damage.
He kept his hand presumably to play T2 Isochron Scepter + Fog. I top decked the Vandalblast. I had a Relic of Progenitus out, combatting his Academy Ruins. I mostly just slammed creatures and beat down. I don't remember exactly how I won, but based on my notes, it looks like Reckoner attack, Reckoner attack, Reckoner attack + a Bolt or another Reckoner swinging, Reckoner attack (he's now at 5), and then I win. (1-1; 3-2)
Round 3: Jund (2-0)
The first game is a little fuzzy to me, but I know that Liliana of the Veil came down and forced me to discard Pia and Kiran Nalaar and something else. He discarded a basic, and I played a Blood Moon at some point. I bolted the Lili, and I did something else that killed her. Then it was all about me doing things that Jund couldn't answer. Play a Goyf? I crack a Relic and then Skred it. I don't remember exactly how I won, but it was generally the same as all my matchups against Jund: play things that make it 2 for 1 itself and win.
This game was weird because I kept a hand with double Koth, but it ended up working out. Again, details are a little fuzzy, but I know that when I got to lethal, he had only Dark Confidant on board, and couldn't kill my Hangarback Walker because I had Spellskite on the field, so he had to Abrupt Decay his own Bob to not die on upkeep. After his draw step, he extended the hand (at 1 life).
(2-1; 5-2)
Round 4: Slivers (2-1)
Game 1 was pretty interesting because I was not expecting the deck list at all. Fortunately, a Volcanic Fallout on his turn set him back quite a bit, and I was able to establish myself until he got out a Sedge Sliver that made killing his things almost impossible. However, I eventually resolved a Batterskull that provided a blocker for a turn before equipping it to Boros Reckoner. That equip pretty much ended the game.
Sideboard: +2 Anger of the Gods and some other stuff? I didn't take notes on this one. I know I didn't bring in Vandalblast and immediately regretted it.
In Game 2, he had out double AEther Vial which quickly became a pain in my neck, and he just out valued me with creatures that could regenerate. I had out a Blood Moon that turned off all his lands, but he didn't need them. He eventually resolved an Harmonic Sliver that wrecked the rest of my board. GG
This game was interesting, and we ended up going to time in the round. My opponent must've felt the pressure to close out on T0 of turns, because he swung with his team for 15 points of damage with my life total at 16, his at 7. I had a flipped Chandra, Roaring Flame (got her to flip on T4, which was actually pretty sweet) on the board at 2 and a [Boros Reckoner. He had Sedge Sliver, Predatory Sliver and some Slivers that were on Viagra thanks to the aforementioned ones. He needed to fetch to pump his team to the power level he needed them to be (4 a piece minus the Predatory one), so he went to six. Did I mention all of the damage was at me? So I dealt four to him with the Reckoner, and he got confused on how Regenerate worked and called a judge. (If you need help on this ruling, it comes down to this: Regenerate removes all damage from a permanent and removes it from combat when it is dealt lethal damage; it must, however, be dealt lethal damage before it can have a shield; since combat damage is dealt simultaneously, the Boros Reckoner is also dealt damage, and I can thus deal its damage to him.) This puts him at four life. I plus Chandra. GG.
(3-1; 7-3)
Round 5: Naya Bushwhacker Zoo (0-2)
Game 1 was brutal. He had put me to 1 on T4, so I just scooped. Notable play: He swings with [[Wild Nacatl]] on his T2, fetches his [[Arid Mesa]] to pump it. In response to fetch, I Skred for one. I thought that was pretty sweet.
Game 2 went pretty well, actually. I had mostly controlled his board, and thus, was reluctant to play my Anger of the Gods. With Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle active, I felt pretty confident. Nope. Bad choice. Always Anger. I was very dead. My only misplay of the day; probably cost me Day 2.
Game 3, I play an early Hangarback Walker. T2 Suppression Field. I get stuck on 2 mana and can't cast the Volcanic Fallout in my hand. She gets an Umbra on each Slippery Bogle (that's right; two of them, each with Hyena Umbra on them). Oh, and did I mention: Stony Silence. I finally Fallout. Does nothing except give the Bogles -1/-1. ANOTHER HYENA UMBRA. Can't find anything. Dead. The salt in this one. So real. Goodbye, Day 2.
3-3; 8-7
Round 7: Jund (2-0)
At this point, I decide to stay because my team is still here, and I wanted the experience of playing 9 rounds.
I remember this Jund match a lot better. In Game 1, I'm on the play, and he had no early hand disruption. He plays a T2 Dark Confidant with an Overgrown Tomb and a Blackcleave Cliffs. T3 Blood Moon? My opponent says, "That's fair." Great guy. We play it out, and I turn 5 a Wurmcoil Engine with a Koth plus on a land. The curve was perfect. T3 Moon, T4 Koth, T5 Engine. He scoops when I play the Engine.
Sideboard: Same as before
Game 2 was a little better for him. Inquisition of Kozilek steals one of two Hangarback Walkers (I had double bolt, double hangarback, a Relic, and 1 land, scrying a land to the top). I draw my land. I play my Relic and pass. Don't remember what's next, but he Iok's again at some point to steal Blood Moon. Sad face. However, I just outvalue him by drawing all my lands to hit another T5 Wurmcoil Engine 8O, and then play 2 more Hangarback Walkers as 3/3s. He kills the Wurmcoil Engine and then Maelstrom Pulses the tokens. Nice. But with Koth of the Hammer on board, I present lethal (9 points of damage) at this point, and he has to chump with Scavenging Ooze before he can gain any life off it. He draws his card for turn, checks his sideboard to see if he has any outs, and extends his hand.
Side note: I played nothing but pretty swell dudes all day. We laughed and made jokes and had a great time playing. Except the Bogles match, but that was just because I was miserable playing it. I take responsibility for the unfun atmosphere of that match.
4-3; 10-7
Round 8: Naya Burn (2-1)
Not gonna lie, I have very little recollection of this match as a whole. Based on my life tallies, Game 1 was really close. He got me to 2 life, but I squeezed out a win with (it looks like) a Koth of the Hammer and a Boros Reckoner (he died at 7 life) with him in top deck mode not finding anything. Probably had out Blood Moon to shut him off colors.
Sideboard: Same as before except I cut all three Fallouts and left in Roast, and I didn't board in the Pithing Needle.
Game 2: I get stuck on 3 land, with a Pia and Kiran Nalaar in hand. A Kor Firewalker devastates me. Fun times. Finally resolve Pia, but he kills a Thopter. I lose.
Game 3 I have no memory of. My notes show me at 8 and him at 4. Maybe I Skred a Reckoner, maybe I Koth. No idea. I just know that I won with a Spellskite stopping the majority of his spells (a lot of life drops in increments of 2, so...).
5-3; 12-8
Round 9: Naya Big Zoo (2-1)
I'm pretty hyped because rumors are circulating that a 6-3 might sneak into the Top 64 and, thus, berth all 6-3's into Day 2. It's a long shot, but I'm a Romantic. Bite me.
In Game 1, I got outvalued by Tarmogoyfs and [[Loxodon Smiter]]s that threw me off guard. The T1 Wild Nacatl tricked me into thinking that the matchup was going to be Bushwhacker Zoo, but this dude came from left field and brought old school, big Zoo. I lost to a double Smiter, Goyf board. Boros Reckoner took one down with him tho!
Game 2 looks like I simply devastated him based on my notes. This game is a little cloudy in my memory, but it shows me never going below 19, and him at 2 (20-17-14-10-6-2). I think that means fetch and shock, play Nactl. I kill it. He fetches and shocks again. I fetch at some point. I kill all his other things. A Koth of the Hammer comes down and just beats face for 2 turns. He Bolts it in desperation to keep it off ult. I kill his lone blocker, he loses.
In game 3, I know that he was stuck on 1 land for a time, and I resolved a Blood Moon (his land was a Stomping Ground). I get out Koth, and he (getting some mana out) tries to get to it with Loxodon Smiter, two Tarmogoyfs, everything in the book to survive, but the game is out of his reach. I draw Chandra Pyromaster after killing the first Smiter with Dismember and the first Goyf with a swing from a land and an Anger of the Gods (quite funny here, because he checks his graveyard as though there were a Goyf that survives 7 damage in Modern; I was like, nah, it's exiled). He has a lone Goyf on board, I make it incapable of blocking and kill him with a Mountain.
Overall, the deck felt really good, though. One Volcanic Fallout in the main might be better off as a a Blasphemous Act or Slagstorm or something of that nature due to the high amount of 3 toughness dudes in the aggressive decks in the format. Never saw Goblin Rabblemaster, so there is no verdict on that.
Boros Reckoner is definitely legit. Any Skred player who has been cutting them of late, hear these words: That card is devastating against burn and aggro players, great against creature decks, and provides a combo-esque win con for us. Too good to cut. Going to two Pia and Kiran Nalaar seemed good. I was never upset when I saw them (I sometimes was with 3), but seeing Wurmcoil Engine instead seemed better in a lot of instances, simply because it dies to less (CURSE YOU PATH!) and gains life.
Lastly, the fetches, even though they took a toll on my life total here and there, were definitely worth it. I had to mulligan frequently due to lands (deck wasn't shuffling so hot), but I know that in the late game, I generally tend to flood out, and that is where they help. I am not dissatisfied with my choice, and because of my knowledge that I generally flood out, boarding out Foothills became an easy board in most matchups because cutting a fetch is like running the same amount of lands theoretically.
But wow, what a great, rollercoaster of a day. Thought things were going great at 3-1, then lose two and think I'm out. I stay in and hear rumors of potential Day 2 for 6-3, and I valiantly charge to that finish only to find out I didn't make it. I made some small trades, talked to some great people, and had a fantastic time. The list was fun, got some people interested in my games, and performed well on the overall. 10/10 worth my $50.
Fallout did cost me a little when I couldn't cast it without taking damage or the 2 damage wasn't enough to kill everything. However, there were many positions in which it was very good. I think it is still fine as a two-of. Slagstorm over Anger of the Gods is in part due to its flexibility as well as the fact that it doesn't exile Hangarback Walker.
Just bite the bullet and cut the fetches... Deck thinning is almost a myth. The math has been done on it, and it turns out you pay about 4 to actually get a single card advantage on the 20th turn. We don't need to manafix, and we don't need to fill our graveyard for Grim Lavamancer, or anything. The life loss, potential to miss scrying sheets ability, vulnerability to random stuff like TrickbindPithing NeedleShadow of DoubtArchive Trap(etc) , and potential loss of 1 Skred damage from skred when Blood Moon is out is not worth the occasional ability to shuffle after using scrying sheets. http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/print.asp?ID=3096
Slagstorm definitely is not better than Anger of the Gods. The exile clause is why we run a few extra in the sideboard, instead of more of other sweepers.
Baby Chandra is not good for us either. We're a control deck, and all she is, is an extremely vulnerable, and slow clock. Chandra, Pyromaster is the chandra you're looking for if you want utility, and potentially Chandra, Flamecaller as a finisher. Ratchet bomb is fine, and is great at removing enchantments (I'm not sure about the mainboard, but can work), but Engineered Explosives does nothing for us because we're a mono red deck. Unless you really need it on 1.
Don't worry about slippery boggles loss, it's probably the most salt inducing deck in the entire format.
Thanks for the feedback. I can always cut the fetches, so I probably will when I get two more SC Mountains. As for Slagstorm vs Anger of the Gods, I really prefer the death interaction with Hangarback Walker, a card I am most definitely not cutting because it outperforms my expectations almost every game (unless I went to an SSG version, but that won't happen in the near future due to $$). Slagstorm also circumvents Leyline of Sanctity, which is a huge pain in the butt.
Yeah, as I said in my description, Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh was an include because I thought she could ping creatures. Unfortunately, she cannot and is thus, unplayable. How has big Chandra tested for people? I've been curious about that.
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Modern: Mono-U Tron, Skred
Legacy: ANT, Death and Taxes
EDH: Jori En, Ruin Diver Fast Combo
Pauper: Affinity
Slagstorm is interesting. It definitely plays better with Hangarback than Anger, and is more useful versus non-creature decks. That said, in most cases that Slagstorm would be good, Volcanic Fallout would likely also be very good. This is especially true if you run Reckoners. I think this is a good argument for Fallout over Slagstorm. As for Anger, well, it doesn't play well with Hangarback and is sometimes useless. However, when it hoses a deck, it does so very, very thoroughly. This is why I like 3x Fallout MD, 2x Anger SB.
Regarding Koth, I've been thinking about this. He's definitely been able to hit his ultimate more often since I added Hangarbacks and P&KN over Regents and Mind Stones. However, I have observed some weaknesses:
1. Often, we can't actually play Koth on turn 4. That turn may need to be spent disrupting/interacting, or laying more defenses for Koth.
2. Koth's ultimate wins most games, but not all. And sometimes it's just not fast enough.
3. Double-Koth draws really suck.
I have been debating taking out the 4th Koth. Your odds of having one on turn 4 (on the play, no mulligans/scry/cantrip) drop from 52.8% to 42.7%. This is a significant reduction, but also nearly eliminates the chances of drawing a second. And your chances go up to 46.2% of having it on turn 5 (with 3 copies), which is still pretty good.
I know that this goes against deck orthodoxy around here. For a long time, Koth was the finisher. But now, we're packing a lot more disruptive elements, and powerful alternatives like Chandra, Flamecaller exist (which can protect herself).
I'm not sure, but it may be time to consider a slight change in our approach.
PS: Of course, let's not forget Koth is still a great answer on the draw to turn 4 Nahiri, as Stormbreath is on the play. This is why I'm uncertain and looking to discuss.
I tried flip Chandra for a bit and her clock is actually pretty fast. Assuming you flip her the turn after you cast her, you deal, 5, 2, 9, then 3 damage over the course of four turns. She still dies to removal spells though, which is the real reason you don't play her.
Another tip for the burn matchup besides "don't play fetches". You don't want Pithing Needle for Grim Lavamancer, because against a burn deck you can't afford to be taking hits from the 1/1 body. Also don't sideboard lands out when your curve is so high. I'd rather pay 1 life for a fetch than sit there staring at a batterskull I can't cast.
You really just need to be playing 2-3 Dragon's Claw in your sideboard. Either you pay the burn tax or you lose to it.
I split my matches between the Naya players: a win and a loss to both Naya Burn and Naya Zoo, and I failed to cast BSkull in Game 1 before boarding out lands. Also, 22 vs 23 is usually pretty insignificant, so I wasn't too worried. My curve also really isn't all that high. I have a 1-of six drop, and 3 5-drops, with most of my other spells costing 1, 3, or 4 mana, respectively.
The reason I'm considering Slagstorm as a 1-of in the main is because it deals three, and there are a lot of cards in the format that do not die to 2 damage. That being said, Fallout is a lot better against Affinity, which is a big deal.
3 Koth has been pretty good for me. I find that a lot of my other threats force opponents to waste removal and run low on resources, so that the top deck Koth just wrecks face.
I cut the Dragon's Claws from the side because the meta has not really favored Burn of late, but a significant portion of the aggressive, Texas meta was on Burn. Everyone on my team played Burn at least once, if that tells you anything.
Sidenote: I got the standings, and I finished in 172nd place.
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Legacy: ANT, Death and Taxes
EDH: Jori En, Ruin Diver Fast Combo
Pauper: Affinity
Would Sword of War and Peace be awful in the sideboard? Just spitballing here. Most of the time, when I lost to Burn, it wasn't in the early stages; it was like top deck a win on T6 or T7. That allows plenty of time to equip it to a creature and start beating in, right? It would also be fantastic against Jeskai Nahiri.
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Modern: Mono-U Tron, Skred
Legacy: ANT, Death and Taxes
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Pauper: Affinity
Swords are actually not a bad idea if we're running the thopter build because we have so many bodies to equip them with. Feast and Famine, Light and Shadow, Fire and Ice, all look amazing as possible 1-ofs
I'm going to test with SoWP as a one-of in the side. I've also found that Nahiri decks hate playing against Batterskull. It's such an x for 1 for them.
Primer looks good. You type "pyrocasm" instead of "pyroclasm" early. Just a typo.
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Modern: Mono-U Tron, Skred
Legacy: ANT, Death and Taxes
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Pauper: Affinity
Thoughts? I think this could work pretty decent. But Im thinking about +2 Stormbreath -2 Something. Chandra Flamecaller does a great job, and she is a sweeper too. I thought about changing mindstones for SGG, but the only thing they would do better in my build is T3 Blood Moon. Mind Stones help me with batterskull, casting Chandra, plus it fuels P&KN.
Well, AN can also use Angel's Grace. Still, that is an absolutely hilarious move.
As for the new primer, it looks quite good. Introduction is a bit offset. And while the dragons look kinda cool, the placement of Stormbreath on Koth is slightly uncomfortable.
1x Wooded Foothills
1x Bloodstained Mire
1x Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle
2x Scrying Sheets
18x Snow-Covered Mountain
Control
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Skred
1x Pyroclasm
2x Roast
3x Blood Moon
3x Volcanic Fallout
3x Relic of Progenitus
1x Chandra, Pyromaster
Threats
3x Hangarback Walker
4x Boros Reckoner
2x Pia and Kiran Nalaar
3x Koth of the Hammer
1x Batterskull
1x Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
1x Stormbreath Dragon
1x Wurmcoil Engine
2x Anger of the Gods
2x Dismember
2x Goblin Rabblemaster
1x Pithing Needle
1x Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh
2x Ricochet Trap
1x Shattering Spree
2x Spellskite
1x Surgical Extraction
1x Vandalblast
Note before reading: My sideboard decisions are influenced by the belief that Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh can ping creatures up until Round 9, at which point, one of my friends told me it didn't work that way. Fortunately, I never made that mistake in a match.
Round 1: Naya Burn (1-2)
<Game 1 was so close. I had Batterskull in hand, and I had stabilized on board. Unfortunately, I didn't find a fifth land, and a top decked Lava Spike killed me.
Sideboard: +2 Spellskite, +2 Anger of the Gods, +1 Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh, +1 Pithing Needle / -1 Relic of Progenitus, -1 Wooded Foothills, - 2 Volcanic Fallout, -1 Roast, - something else?
Game 2 went roughly the same, but he made a crucial misplay that cost him the game. Goblin Guide revealed an Anger of the Gods off the top of my library a few turns before, and during combat, he had left up a couple mana to try to pull of a combat trick that I didn't take the bait for (Spellskite is way to valuable to lose to a Swiftspear). He followed up by slamming two Swiftspear in the second main. The sweep was pretty devastating.
I took out the Pithing Needle here. I lost Game 1 because of a Grim Lavamancer, but I opted against trying to have a one-of to fight one card that didn't show up G2.
Game 3 was fairly lackluster. I had 2 Spellskite out, but ya know what's really good against that? Triple opening hand Boros Charm. I was hoping to get to my opening hand [[Wurmcoil Engine]], but it just wasn't there.
(0-1; 1-2)
Round 2: UG Gifts Isochron Fog Tron (2-0)
Game 1 was pretty good for me. I resolved a Koth of the Hammer on T4 and got in for 4, taking him to 14 (two fetches). At some point, he Gifts Ungivens for the first time. I put Emrakul, the Aeons Torn and Karn Liberated in the yard, giving him back a second Gifts and an Urza's Tower (he already had Tron, so I didn't care). He played Isochron Scepter + Fog on his turn, but tapped wrong and couldn't activate it. I followed up by playing a Boros Reckoner and swinging him to 10. Note: I had 5 lands out at this point. He plays the second Gifts to find Karn Liberated, Ugin, the Spirit Dragon, Emrakul, the Aeons Torn, and something else that seemed irrelevant. I gave him the irrelevant card and Emmy (not enough mana to play it, and I had Skred in hand, and a Koth at 5). He passes turn to me. I attack with the Reckoner to get him to tap the Scepter. I play my top decked land, ult Koth, Skred the Reckoner, and tap four lands to deal the last 10 damage.
Sideboard: +2 Goblin Rabblemaster, +1 Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh, +1 Vandalblast, +1 Surgical Extraction, +2 Spellskite / - 3 Volcanic Fallout, -1 Pyroclasm, - 2 Roast, -1 Wooded Foothills
He kept his hand presumably to play T2 Isochron Scepter + Fog. I top decked the Vandalblast. I had a Relic of Progenitus out, combatting his Academy Ruins. I mostly just slammed creatures and beat down. I don't remember exactly how I won, but based on my notes, it looks like Reckoner attack, Reckoner attack, Reckoner attack + a Bolt or another Reckoner swinging, Reckoner attack (he's now at 5), and then I win.
(1-1; 3-2)
Round 3: Jund (2-0)
The first game is a little fuzzy to me, but I know that Liliana of the Veil came down and forced me to discard Pia and Kiran Nalaar and something else. He discarded a basic, and I played a Blood Moon at some point. I bolted the Lili, and I did something else that killed her. Then it was all about me doing things that Jund couldn't answer. Play a Goyf? I crack a Relic and then Skred it. I don't remember exactly how I won, but it was generally the same as all my matchups against Jund: play things that make it 2 for 1 itself and win.
Sideboard: +2 Dismember, +2 Spellskite, +1 Pithing Needle / -1 Wooded Foothills, -3 Volcanic Fallout, -1 Pyroclasm
This game was weird because I kept a hand with double Koth, but it ended up working out. Again, details are a little fuzzy, but I know that when I got to lethal, he had only Dark Confidant on board, and couldn't kill my Hangarback Walker because I had Spellskite on the field, so he had to Abrupt Decay his own Bob to not die on upkeep. After his draw step, he extended the hand (at 1 life).
(2-1; 5-2)
Round 4: Slivers (2-1)
Game 1 was pretty interesting because I was not expecting the deck list at all. Fortunately, a Volcanic Fallout on his turn set him back quite a bit, and I was able to establish myself until he got out a Sedge Sliver that made killing his things almost impossible. However, I eventually resolved a Batterskull that provided a blocker for a turn before equipping it to Boros Reckoner. That equip pretty much ended the game.
Sideboard: +2 Anger of the Gods and some other stuff? I didn't take notes on this one. I know I didn't bring in Vandalblast and immediately regretted it.
In Game 2, he had out double AEther Vial which quickly became a pain in my neck, and he just out valued me with creatures that could regenerate. I had out a Blood Moon that turned off all his lands, but he didn't need them. He eventually resolved an Harmonic Sliver that wrecked the rest of my board. GG
Sideboard Again: Added in Shattering Spree Yay
This game was interesting, and we ended up going to time in the round. My opponent must've felt the pressure to close out on T0 of turns, because he swung with his team for 15 points of damage with my life total at 16, his at 7. I had a flipped Chandra, Roaring Flame (got her to flip on T4, which was actually pretty sweet) on the board at 2 and a [Boros Reckoner. He had Sedge Sliver, Predatory Sliver and some Slivers that were on Viagra thanks to the aforementioned ones. He needed to fetch to pump his team to the power level he needed them to be (4 a piece minus the Predatory one), so he went to six. Did I mention all of the damage was at me? So I dealt four to him with the Reckoner, and he got confused on how Regenerate worked and called a judge. (If you need help on this ruling, it comes down to this: Regenerate removes all damage from a permanent and removes it from combat when it is dealt lethal damage; it must, however, be dealt lethal damage before it can have a shield; since combat damage is dealt simultaneously, the Boros Reckoner is also dealt damage, and I can thus deal its damage to him.) This puts him at four life. I plus Chandra. GG.
(3-1; 7-3)
Round 5: Naya Bushwhacker Zoo (0-2)
Game 1 was brutal. He had put me to 1 on T4, so I just scooped. Notable play: He swings with [[Wild Nacatl]] on his T2, fetches his [[Arid Mesa]] to pump it. In response to fetch, I Skred for one. I thought that was pretty sweet.
Sideboard: +2 Anger of the Gods, +2 Spellskite, +1 Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh / -3 Volcanic Fallout, -1 [Wooded Foothills, -1 Blood Moon
Game 2 went pretty well, actually. I had mostly controlled his board, and thus, was reluctant to play my Anger of the Gods. With Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle active, I felt pretty confident. Nope. Bad choice. Always Anger. I was very dead. My only misplay of the day; probably cost me Day 2.
(3-2; 7-5)
Round 6: Bogles (1-2)
Game 1 she had the Kor Spirit Dancer and Dryad Arbor creature draw. HA! Everything is very dead.
Sideboard: +2 Anger of the Gods, +2 Spellskite, +1 Ricochet Trap / -1 Wooded Foothills, -2 Relic of Progenitus, -2 Roast
Game 2, I play T2 Spellskite. T3 Stony Silence. Super huge Slippery Bogle? Scoop.
Game 3, I play an early Hangarback Walker. T2 Suppression Field. I get stuck on 2 mana and can't cast the Volcanic Fallout in my hand. She gets an Umbra on each Slippery Bogle (that's right; two of them, each with Hyena Umbra on them). Oh, and did I mention: Stony Silence. I finally Fallout. Does nothing except give the Bogles -1/-1. ANOTHER HYENA UMBRA. Can't find anything. Dead. The salt in this one. So real. Goodbye, Day 2.
3-3; 8-7
Round 7: Jund (2-0)
At this point, I decide to stay because my team is still here, and I wanted the experience of playing 9 rounds.
I remember this Jund match a lot better. In Game 1, I'm on the play, and he had no early hand disruption. He plays a T2 Dark Confidant with an Overgrown Tomb and a Blackcleave Cliffs. T3 Blood Moon? My opponent says, "That's fair." Great guy. We play it out, and I turn 5 a Wurmcoil Engine with a Koth plus on a land. The curve was perfect. T3 Moon, T4 Koth, T5 Engine. He scoops when I play the Engine.
Sideboard: Same as before
Game 2 was a little better for him. Inquisition of Kozilek steals one of two Hangarback Walkers (I had double bolt, double hangarback, a Relic, and 1 land, scrying a land to the top). I draw my land. I play my Relic and pass. Don't remember what's next, but he Iok's again at some point to steal Blood Moon. Sad face. However, I just outvalue him by drawing all my lands to hit another T5 Wurmcoil Engine 8O, and then play 2 more Hangarback Walkers as 3/3s. He kills the Wurmcoil Engine and then Maelstrom Pulses the tokens. Nice. But with Koth of the Hammer on board, I present lethal (9 points of damage) at this point, and he has to chump with Scavenging Ooze before he can gain any life off it. He draws his card for turn, checks his sideboard to see if he has any outs, and extends his hand.
Side note: I played nothing but pretty swell dudes all day. We laughed and made jokes and had a great time playing. Except the Bogles match, but that was just because I was miserable playing it. I take responsibility for the unfun atmosphere of that match.
4-3; 10-7
Round 8: Naya Burn (2-1)
Not gonna lie, I have very little recollection of this match as a whole. Based on my life tallies, Game 1 was really close. He got me to 2 life, but I squeezed out a win with (it looks like) a Koth of the Hammer and a Boros Reckoner (he died at 7 life) with him in top deck mode not finding anything. Probably had out Blood Moon to shut him off colors.
Sideboard: Same as before except I cut all three Fallouts and left in Roast, and I didn't board in the Pithing Needle.
Game 2: I get stuck on 3 land, with a Pia and Kiran Nalaar in hand. A Kor Firewalker devastates me. Fun times. Finally resolve Pia, but he kills a Thopter. I lose.
Game 3 I have no memory of. My notes show me at 8 and him at 4. Maybe I Skred a Reckoner, maybe I Koth. No idea. I just know that I won with a Spellskite stopping the majority of his spells (a lot of life drops in increments of 2, so...).
5-3; 12-8
Round 9: Naya Big Zoo (2-1)
I'm pretty hyped because rumors are circulating that a 6-3 might sneak into the Top 64 and, thus, berth all 6-3's into Day 2. It's a long shot, but I'm a Romantic. Bite me.
In Game 1, I got outvalued by Tarmogoyfs and [[Loxodon Smiter]]s that threw me off guard. The T1 Wild Nacatl tricked me into thinking that the matchup was going to be Bushwhacker Zoo, but this dude came from left field and brought old school, big Zoo. I lost to a double Smiter, Goyf board. Boros Reckoner took one down with him tho!
Sideboard: + 2 Dismember, +2 Anger of the Gods, +2 Spellskite /-1 Wooded Foothills, -3 Volcanic Fallout, -1 Blood Moon, -1 Hangarback Walker
Game 2 looks like I simply devastated him based on my notes. This game is a little cloudy in my memory, but it shows me never going below 19, and him at 2 (20-17-14-10-6-2). I think that means fetch and shock, play Nactl. I kill it. He fetches and shocks again. I fetch at some point. I kill all his other things. A Koth of the Hammer comes down and just beats face for 2 turns. He Bolts it in desperation to keep it off ult. I kill his lone blocker, he loses.
In game 3, I know that he was stuck on 1 land for a time, and I resolved a Blood Moon (his land was a Stomping Ground). I get out Koth, and he (getting some mana out) tries to get to it with Loxodon Smiter, two Tarmogoyfs, everything in the book to survive, but the game is out of his reach. I draw Chandra Pyromaster after killing the first Smiter with Dismember and the first Goyf with a swing from a land and an Anger of the Gods (quite funny here, because he checks his graveyard as though there were a Goyf that survives 7 damage in Modern; I was like, nah, it's exiled). He has a lone Goyf on board, I make it incapable of blocking and kill him with a Mountain.
6-3; 14-9
Overall Thoughts
Okay, so Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh, not so great. Everything else in the deck seems superb. I think that Engineered Explosives, Ratchet Bomb, a second Stormbreath Dragon, or a Blasphemous Act are all possible cards to fill that slot in the board. Thoughts?
Overall, the deck felt really good, though. One Volcanic Fallout in the main might be better off as a a Blasphemous Act or Slagstorm or something of that nature due to the high amount of 3 toughness dudes in the aggressive decks in the format. Never saw Goblin Rabblemaster, so there is no verdict on that.
Boros Reckoner is definitely legit. Any Skred player who has been cutting them of late, hear these words: That card is devastating against burn and aggro players, great against creature decks, and provides a combo-esque win con for us. Too good to cut. Going to two Pia and Kiran Nalaar seemed good. I was never upset when I saw them (I sometimes was with 3), but seeing Wurmcoil Engine instead seemed better in a lot of instances, simply because it dies to less (CURSE YOU PATH!) and gains life.
Lastly, the fetches, even though they took a toll on my life total here and there, were definitely worth it. I had to mulligan frequently due to lands (deck wasn't shuffling so hot), but I know that in the late game, I generally tend to flood out, and that is where they help. I am not dissatisfied with my choice, and because of my knowledge that I generally flood out, boarding out Foothills became an easy board in most matchups because cutting a fetch is like running the same amount of lands theoretically.
But wow, what a great, rollercoaster of a day. Thought things were going great at 3-1, then lose two and think I'm out. I stay in and hear rumors of potential Day 2 for 6-3, and I valiantly charge to that finish only to find out I didn't make it. I made some small trades, talked to some great people, and had a fantastic time. The list was fun, got some people interested in my games, and performed well on the overall. 10/10 worth my $50.
Tentative Deck Changes
-1 Volcanic Fallout / +1 Slagstorm
Fallout did cost me a little when I couldn't cast it without taking damage or the 2 damage wasn't enough to kill everything. However, there were many positions in which it was very good. I think it is still fine as a two-of. Slagstorm over Anger of the Gods is in part due to its flexibility as well as the fact that it doesn't exile Hangarback Walker.
-1 Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh / +1[[ Ratchet Bomb
This is a for now swap. I have a number of options for this slot, but I think this is where I am for now.
Legacy: ANT, Death and Taxes
EDH: Jori En, Ruin Diver Fast Combo
Pauper: Affinity
Just bite the bullet and cut the fetches... Deck thinning is almost a myth. The math has been done on it, and it turns out you pay about 4 to actually get a single card advantage on the 20th turn. We don't need to manafix, and we don't need to fill our graveyard for Grim Lavamancer, or anything. The life loss, potential to miss scrying sheets ability, vulnerability to random stuff like Trickbind Pithing Needle Shadow of Doubt Archive Trap(etc) , and potential loss of 1 Skred damage from skred when Blood Moon is out is not worth the occasional ability to shuffle after using scrying sheets. http://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/print.asp?ID=3096
Slagstorm definitely is not better than Anger of the Gods. The exile clause is why we run a few extra in the sideboard, instead of more of other sweepers.
Baby Chandra is not good for us either. We're a control deck, and all she is, is an extremely vulnerable, and slow clock. Chandra, Pyromaster is the chandra you're looking for if you want utility, and potentially Chandra, Flamecaller as a finisher. Ratchet bomb is fine, and is great at removing enchantments (I'm not sure about the mainboard, but can work), but Engineered Explosives does nothing for us because we're a mono red deck. Unless you really need it on 1.
Don't worry about slippery boggles loss, it's probably the most salt inducing deck in the entire format.
Yeah, as I said in my description, Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh was an include because I thought she could ping creatures. Unfortunately, she cannot and is thus, unplayable. How has big Chandra tested for people? I've been curious about that.
Legacy: ANT, Death and Taxes
EDH: Jori En, Ruin Diver Fast Combo
Pauper: Affinity
Regarding Koth, I've been thinking about this. He's definitely been able to hit his ultimate more often since I added Hangarbacks and P&KN over Regents and Mind Stones. However, I have observed some weaknesses:
1. Often, we can't actually play Koth on turn 4. That turn may need to be spent disrupting/interacting, or laying more defenses for Koth.
2. Koth's ultimate wins most games, but not all. And sometimes it's just not fast enough.
3. Double-Koth draws really suck.
I have been debating taking out the 4th Koth. Your odds of having one on turn 4 (on the play, no mulligans/scry/cantrip) drop from 52.8% to 42.7%. This is a significant reduction, but also nearly eliminates the chances of drawing a second. And your chances go up to 46.2% of having it on turn 5 (with 3 copies), which is still pretty good.
I know that this goes against deck orthodoxy around here. For a long time, Koth was the finisher. But now, we're packing a lot more disruptive elements, and powerful alternatives like Chandra, Flamecaller exist (which can protect herself).
I'm not sure, but it may be time to consider a slight change in our approach.
PS: Of course, let's not forget Koth is still a great answer on the draw to turn 4 Nahiri, as Stormbreath is on the play. This is why I'm uncertain and looking to discuss.
Edit: fixed wrong percentages.
Modern: Merfolk UU // Green Devotion GG // SkRed Red RR
Legacy: Death & Taxes WW // Burn RR // Death's Shadow Delver UB
Commander: Brago UW // Karlov WB
Another tip for the burn matchup besides "don't play fetches". You don't want Pithing Needle for Grim Lavamancer, because against a burn deck you can't afford to be taking hits from the 1/1 body. Also don't sideboard lands out when your curve is so high. I'd rather pay 1 life for a fetch than sit there staring at a batterskull I can't cast.
You really just need to be playing 2-3 Dragon's Claw in your sideboard. Either you pay the burn tax or you lose to it.
The reason I'm considering Slagstorm as a 1-of in the main is because it deals three, and there are a lot of cards in the format that do not die to 2 damage. That being said, Fallout is a lot better against Affinity, which is a big deal.
3 Koth has been pretty good for me. I find that a lot of my other threats force opponents to waste removal and run low on resources, so that the top deck Koth just wrecks face.
I cut the Dragon's Claws from the side because the meta has not really favored Burn of late, but a significant portion of the aggressive, Texas meta was on Burn. Everyone on my team played Burn at least once, if that tells you anything.
Sidenote: I got the standings, and I finished in 172nd place.
Legacy: ANT, Death and Taxes
EDH: Jori En, Ruin Diver Fast Combo
Pauper: Affinity
Legacy: ANT, Death and Taxes
EDH: Jori En, Ruin Diver Fast Combo
Pauper: Affinity
By the way, the primer is up. I have it posted on the deck creation forum and I'm just waiting for a mod to move it over now. Here's the link if you want to take a sneak peak. http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/modern/deck-creation-modern/718932-skred-red
Primer looks good. You type "pyrocasm" instead of "pyroclasm" early. Just a typo.
Legacy: ANT, Death and Taxes
EDH: Jori En, Ruin Diver Fast Combo
Pauper: Affinity
What card is this? can you ad the card tag to that? I dont see how that works against Ad Naus? I'm guessing you gain their Phyrexian Unlife?
21 Snow-covered Mountain
2 Scrying Sheets
Creatures
4 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
3 Boros Reckoner
2 Batterskull
Artifacts
4 Mind Stone
4 Relic of Progenitus
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Skred
2 Volcanic Fallout
1 Anger of the Gods
3 Blood Moon
Planeswalkers
4 Koth of the Hammer
1 Chandra, Pyromaster
1 Chandra, Flamecaller
2 Dragon's Claw
2 Pithing Needle
2 Ratchet Bomb
2 Boil
1 Dismember
2 Shattering Spree
3 Molten Rain
1 Crumble to Dust
As for the new primer, it looks quite good. Introduction is a bit offset. And while the dragons look kinda cool, the placement of Stormbreath on Koth is slightly uncomfortable.
Modern: Merfolk UU // Green Devotion GG // SkRed Red RR
Legacy: Death & Taxes WW // Burn RR // Death's Shadow Delver UB
Commander: Brago UW // Karlov WB
Word of Seizing