FOREWORD: I apologize for the lateness in producing my FNM Report. After my FNM, I had to prepare for a 9 hour shift at work, which started at 5 a.m. and due to the length of the FNM, I didn’t even get home until 11:30. I then battled a vicious hangover (damn whiskey!) while at work, and then by the time I got home, my hangover turned into a cold. I have made up for the tardiness of my Report by making it pretty long and detailed for your reading pleasure. I also want to add that Dayquil is a helluva drug and it makes me prone to rambling, so with that said, enjoy!
I decided to hit up my usual stomping grounds, The Wizard’s Cupboard in Seminole, for Friday Night Magic since I was told that in my absence last week (I was in Dunedin playing at Birds of Paradise), another Red Mage came in and cleaned house there. Wow! I’m all about advancing the cause of the Red Mages, but this is my turf – if anybody is going to spank somebody with Fire at my shop, it’s going to be me! With my mind made up, I was ready to go in there and spread the Gospel of Fire!
However, I was pretty fired up to begin with. Shortly before my departure to The Wizard’s Cupboard, I checked the news and learned about that awful shooting at the elementary school. Rarely am I ever at a loss for a smart-ass comment to say about a recent shooting, but this made my stomach wrench. This is absolutely heart breaking, and I dealt with it in typical Red Mage fashion: I got angry. My heart hurts for the parents of the children that were killed in this tragedy. It really does. When terrible things like this happen, it kinda makes you re-evaluate things in your life. Like when you really want to win a game of Magic but you lose and then get really upset about it. Here I am getting ready to play cards, and across the country, there are children dying and parents grieving. It really makes getting bent out of shape over a card game seem petty. With this realization, I decided that, no matter what, I was going to have fun tonight regardless of the outcome. And that I was going to hug my fiancé’s kids really hard as soon as I see them.
I prepared for FNM by filling up two flasks with my secret ingredient for success: Fireball Whiskey. Man, this stuff is amazing. I’m not normally a fan of cinnamon flavored drinks, but this stuff is really good. It makes me feel like I’ve got firebreathing –as if I’ve bonded with a Stonewright or something. With whiskey in tow, I set out to play!
FNM had a pretty good turnout. There were 18 players and had a decent payout:
1st: $40
2nd: $20
3rd: $15
4th: $10
5th: $5
The deck I brought was the same one that I had played last week at Birds of Paradise. Since I didn’t have any time during the week to play, I was just going to go with something that I knew was going to work. Besides, nobody at The Wizard’s Cupboard had played against this version of the deck anyway.
As you can see, the deck is pretty straightforward. It’s a low curve Sligh deck that wants to be as aggressive as possible. It transforms into a Midrange deck to battle the other aggro decks when it needs to (aka Go Big!), or it just brings in Hounds and stays aggressive in the control match-up.
After a few trips to the “car bar,” I was ready to rock. Let the games begin!
Game 1 VS Golgari Aggro
The guy playing this deck is pretty obsessed over Lotleth Troll. He’s had the deck for a while and, although it continues to improve, it’s a little conflicted. It follows the aggro curve with Gravecrawlers, Slitherhead, Lotleth Troll, and Dreg Mangler and that’s where the deck makes sense. But, he adds in some crap like Sluiceway Scorpion (“It’s got deathtouch and scavenge!”) and some INN Zombie that lets you pull a Zombie from your yard into your hand. His removal suite is a full set of Abrupt Decays and Ultimate Price, and the whole motor for his deck is to pitch everything to the Lotleth Troll and rebuy/reuse everything with Treasured Find . When the deck hits a nut draw, it’s pretty unstoppable, but it’s still basically a glass cannon that gets shattered if you can kill off the Trolls and/or pack some major grave hate. Since I’ve played him before, I knew how to chop him down.
Game 1: I’m on the draw, but he mulligans to 6. I can tell he does still not like what he’s holding, but he keeps it nonetheless. He plays a tapped Tomb and passes. These are the kind of openings I love – an opponent keeping a so-so hand with a potential to stumble. I’m determined to just be the aggressor here and I lead off with a Cackler. He plays a Troll on turn 2, which is promptly Speared on my turn. He groans and I know now to just apply massive pressure. I dump creature after creature onto the board, and when he finally begins to mount an offense, the race is very much in my favor. A turn 6 Hellrider seals the deal for me.
Game 2: Since I’m playing against an aggro deck, I Go Big for Game 2 on the draw. Sure enough, he has a fast start and plays a Gravecrawler. My hand was pretty good too – 3 Mountains, a Pillar, 2 Mortars, and a Wolf. I burn away the Gravecrawler and we pretty much start trading cards. When he lands a Troll without an open Black source, I nail it with a Mortars. I draw a Bonfire but don’t miracle it, which is good because on his turn he Treasured Finds his Troll back and replays it, without another open Black. I grin as I hardcast a Bonfire for 1 on my turn and take out his Troll. He sighs, and I’m pretty certain now he’s relying on the mercy of his topdeck (like I said, his deck is a Glass Cannon). I land a Wolf and play the waiting game ; I have faith in my topdecks when I Go Big since almost anything I can draw will be of some value, whether it’s more Burn or more creatures to block. He topdecks a Troll and plays it along with an Underworld Connections – AGAIN forgetting to leave and open Black source. On my turn, I miracle a Bonfire (for 3), killing his Troll, and then swing with the Wolf. He makes a mistake on his turn by Ultimate Pricing my Wolf, but it just comes back stronger. Over the course of the game, he whittles his life down with Underworld Connections and plays some critters, but I’m able to play more blockers and I eventually Overload a Mortars to wipe his board. I start the attack against his life total once he’s exhausted and I begin to charge a Crucible. He makes one last stand by dropping that INN Zombie (For the life of me I can’t remember its name.), rebuying the Troll and replaying it, but by then it’s too late: I topdeck a Hellrider and get my Hellion token to swing for lethal.
Record 1-0
Game2 VS Esper Planeswalker Control
I’m facing my brother here. He set aside his awesome Jund deck (which I’m 0-3 against at FNMs) to play something closer to his roots: UW Control. He added some black for some more removal and so he can play his favorite card: Nephalia Drownyards. I absolutely hate this kind of deck, but I’m pretty confident in this match-up since I play Lightning Mauler. Haste is really good against these durdly Planeswalker/Mill decks.
Game 1: I have a really aggressive start, despite losing the dice roll. I start chopping away at his life, but he eventually stabilizes by landing a Jace and uses him (along with Feeling of Dread) to stifle my wave. Later he boardwipes and lands a Tamiyo while sitting at 3 life. I pray that I can draw a Searing Spear or a Hellrider but it never comes. When he gets his Tamiyo emblem and flashes me the Essence Scatter and Dissipate, I concede.
Sideboard: -4 Pillar of Flame, +3 Hound of Griselbrand, +1 Hellion Crucible
Game 2: Since I’m on the play, I really want to stay aggressive and I decided to keep my Cacklers in. The decision pays off –I’m rewarded with a killer opener of 2 Mountains, a Noble, 2 Cacklers, an Ash Zealot, and a Searing Sear. I start landing guys and swinging like a madman. By the time I draw 2 more lands and a Hellrider, it’s pretty much over. When he draws and complains that he just needs a White source, I know he’s got the Supreme Verdict in his hand but it’s too late for him. I kill him on the following turn.
Sideboard: -2 Cackler, +1 Hound of Griselbrand, +1 Hellion Crucible
Game 3: This game is pretty much a repeat of the last one. However, he mulligans to 6 and I know he’s still not happy with what he decided to keep. I land a Noble on my first turn and follow it up with an Ash Zealot on my next turn. He tries to buy some time with a Feeling of Dread but it only delays the inevitable. I try to play a Wolf on turn 3, but it gets Essence Scattered. I bounce back on my next turn with a Lightning Mauler and pair it with a newly summoned Chainwalker for more beats. He plays a Jace on his turn and immediately +1’s that Blue bastard. I play a Hound on turn 5 and dare him to boardwipe, but he just tells me “to go **** myself.” Ah, I love family. I get the last laugh when he flashes back his Feeling of Dread and I point to the Ash Zealot. He takes 3 and I flash him the lethal Searing Spear. Winning this match was some sweet revenge!
Record: 2-0
Round 3 VS UW Planeswalker Control
This deck is basically my brother’s deck but without the Black splash. It’s just Counters, Boardwipes, Fog Banks, and Planeswalkers – everything a Red Mage hates. After beating my brother, I was pretty confident about this match-up. Or maybe it was my whiskey buzz that made me confident, I dunno.
Game 1: I win the dice roll and I come out the gates swinging, but he miracles a Terminus on his turn 4 and effectively neuters my offense. Damn. I mount a second wave but I get shut out when he hardcasts another Terminus and secure his position with a Jace. We play a slow grind now, as I’m in topdeck mode. A Tamiyo finds her way to Jace’s side and I’m pretty much helpless at this point. He was sitting at 2 life, so I was really just hoping to draw a Pillar, Spear, or an Ash Zealot. Unfortunately, he pops the Tamiyo emblem and reveals the Dissipate, Essence Scatter, and a Syncopate. Well, damn. I guess he has me.
Game 2: I sideboard into the same thing I did for the last Game 2 control match and it pretty much plays out the same way too. This game is over in the blink of an eye as I just crap little guys on the table and turn them sideways. He does play a Fog Bank to hinder my progress, but I topdeck a Hellrider and it’s over just like that.
Game 3: Same sideboard plan as the last Game 3 versus control. I come out of the gates swinging (as usual!) and I quickly bring him to 10 life. At this point I realize all he’s played is Islands, so he must be holding a boardwipe or two and just needs some White mana. He lands a Jace and +1’s him so he can stay alive. I bring him down to 6 life with a meager attack and on his turn things get real. Mad real. I know he needs to dig for a Plains. If he doesn’t get one, I win. The Force is not strong with me on this turn because he uses Jace’s Fact or Fiction and flips 3 Plains. Oh well, I guess he hits his White sources no matter what. He then plays a Detention Sphere to take out my double Chainwalkers and reinforces himself with a Fogbank. My next attack brings him to 4 life. He plays a Terminus on his next turn and digs again with Jace, this time flipping over 2 Islands and a Plains. Whew! Since I’m in topdeck mode, I’m praying for a miracle here. I draw a Mauler, play him, and pass the turn. On his turn he plays a Geist of Saint Traft and I feel the anger rising. I hate that card. I really, really do. My next turn brings me a Hound of Griselbrand and I get excited. Really excited. So excited that I forget to Soulbound to the Lightning Mauler and I mistakenly swing in with just the Mauler. Guy looks at me perplexed and says,” I guess you forgot to bond for haste, huh?” Crap!!! I ask if I can take it back and he shakes his head at me as he casts Azorius Charm on my Mauler. Fine, whatevs. His next move is a major mistake when, on his turn, he activates Jace’s +1 and then plays Supreme Verdict to clear the board. I casually move the Hound to my graveyard and then immediately put it back on the field with a +1 counter. Dude looks perplexed until I say to him,” I guess you forgot that he has Undying, huh?” He scans the board and realizes that even with Jace’s +1 ability, I can still swing for lethal. Not to mention, I’ll also draw a Maluer, which I can pair. He scoops after he comprehends this and I’m happier than a pig in ****. Damn, it feels good to be a Red Mage!
Record: 3-0
Game 4 VS Mono Red Sligh
This is the only match I really didn’t want to play since I heard through the grape vine that this guy was playing Mono Red with Vexing Devil. Ugh, man do I hate that card. The last thing I wanted to do was possibly lose to Vexing Devil.
Game 1: Sure enough, he wins the roll and his first play was a Devil. I take the 4 and follow up with Noble. His next turn is ANOTHER Devil and I take the 4. He also plays a Noble and passes. On my turn I Pillar the Noble, swing with my Noble, and play a Stonewright (unbonded). He unleashes a Cackler on his turn and passes. On my turn, I play a Zealot, bond with the Zealot, and swing for 6. His next draw is a land, and he sighs after attacking me for 2 and passing. I topdeck a Spear, swing with everything, pump twice with Stonewright, and kill him with the Spear. This was my kind of game!
Sideboard: I go Full ****** on the sideboard plan and shove everything in: -4 Noble, -4 Cackler, -4 Chainwalker, -3 Lightning Mauler, +4 Hound of Griselbrand, +2 Crucible, +3 Bonfire, +4 Mortars, and +2 Thunderbolt. I suspected he may play Archwing Dragon, so the Thunderbolt seemed like a good idea.
Game 2: He leads off with a Noble, which I Pillar on my turn. His turn 2 Ash Zealot hits me for 2, but I kill it with a Mortars on my turn. He plays a Cackler and Spears me on Turn 3, but I kill the Cackler with a Mortars and play a Stonewright. On his turn he uses Flames of the Firebrand to kill my Stonewright and deal me 2 damage. On my turn I play a Hellion Crucible and drop an Ash Zealot, swinging for 2. He draws a land, plays it, and passes the turn. I drop a Wolf on my turn, play a land, swing for 2, and clutch my only card: a Searing Spear. He plays a Hellrider on his turn, but it eats the Spear, and he passes with no cards in hand. We’re both in topdeck mode and at decent enough life totals, but I have the edge: 1 creature on the board and a Hellion Crucible I can now charge. I top deck a Hound and play it, further establishing my board position. He topdecks some burn and aims it at my Zealot before passing. I attack with the Hound and start charging my Crucible on my turn. At this point, my opponent just starts aiming all of his topdeck burn at my face and brings me to 1 life. However, I draw a Spear and, after another swing with the Hound, I finish him off.
Afterwards, he asks me if I ever side out the Wolf. He shows me that he removed all his Wolves for Flames of the Firebrand. I laugh, and use a line that zemanjaski said once upon a time on one of our forum threads: Yep, we side out our Wolves just like a Zombie player sides out his Messengers when he encounters Pillar of Flame. He understands the sarcasm and I explain to him that the Wolf never comes out, no matter what: it is a card that plays offense AND defense. It is a great blocker when we need it to be and a win condition when timed right.
One good thing about this game: my opponent vowed to remove the Vexing Devils after I gave him a few pointers. Finally, somebody can see the light!
Record: 4-0
Game 5 VS GW Aggro
I now get excited to play this match-up. In retrospect, it seems funny that I ever had such a hard time against this deck, but now I have all the tools and experience to make short work of it. I went into this match happy and ready to have fun.
Game 1: Like clockwork, he leads off with a mana dork, which I burn away. He plays another dork and attaches a Rancor to it. That’s fine; I play an Ash Zealot and pass. On his turn, he plays a Silverblade Paladin and bonds to the elf and attacks me. I block with the Zealot and take 1 point of damage after trading. On my turn I Pillar the Paladin, drop an Ash Zealot and take him to Pound Town. His next turn is unimpressive: two more mana dorks. I play a Hellrider, attack, and he doesn’t block. He drops a Sublime Archangel and a Rancor on a dork, and then swings for 6. On my next turn I Spear his Angel and drop yet another Zealot and swing, bringing him to 3 after he chumps my Hellrider. His next draw is a Rancor, which he plays on his lone mana dork. He attacks for 5 and then concedes because he knows that all I have to do is attack next turn for the win.
Game 2: I Go Big for this game and it starts out very similar to the last game. He plays dorks and I burn them. I play a Pyreheart and start to prepare a defense, but my following turn (miracled) Bonfire wipes his board. It’s all downhill for the GW player when I manage to pair the infamous Stonewright/Hound of Griselbrand duo and I wipe him out quickly.
Record: 5-0
We cut to standings (thus, no Top 8) and to the victor go the spoils.
Sweet, sweet victory! So far I’m 12-0 with this deck after 2 FNM’s. More importantly, I’m truly having fun playing with it. I’ve waited a long time to have a Red Deck that is both fun AND competitive and now I finally have one. And the weird thing is I don’t feel bad about my Aristocrats and Thundermaws collecting dust in my binders. I’m playing exactly what I need to be playing right now. My deck is consistent, fast, aggressive, and more importantly, it’s RED!
Musings:
It was discussed in one thread about whether or not it’s correct to just use dice or pen and paper to keep track of life totals. I’m going to share my FNM survival guide with everybody. This is what I use:
Pen and Notepad: Whenever a life total dispute is in question, a Judge will usually fall back on the person using a pen and paper. It pretty much provides an accurate representation of the game and a trail to look back on if there are any inconsistencies. It also allows you to take notes if you’re planning on writing a report afterwards. I always keep track of the opponent’s life totals as well, just in case they try to get slick with me. It also helps to know how much damage you need to deal in a pinch to seal the game.
Dice: I usually roll two 6 siders for a high roll to determine who goes first. And since my deck uses a lot of +1/+1 counters, it makes sense to bring many. You can also use them for tokens.
Tokens: I like to use cards from other games I’ve played for tokens. They’re unique and make my games a little bit more interesting. I usually put them in different sleeves so I can tell them apart. Doing that also makes a great separator for your sideboard and deck when you put them all back in your box or case.
Playmat: It’s a good idea to bring a playmat if you want to protect the integrity of your cards and sleeves. I religiously use KMC Pearl White sleeves on every single one of my decks. The only downside is that the White sleeves get dirty after some use but the playmat helps to keep them pretty clean. I use my M13 Game Day mat that I won playing my Volt Charge Red Deck. Not only is it sentimental to me, it also has some ballin’ ass Nicol Bolas artwork on it!
Rook Case: It’s nice to protect your deck in a metal case. You never know what can happen!
Box: Because you’ll need something to pack your deck, dice, pen, and paper in! I use the cool Mirran box with Hero of Oxid Ridge on it. He’s such a bad ass on that horse!
And here’s everything for your viewing pleasure!
Spreading the Fire:
I also want to discuss something that happened a few weeks ago. While waiting for FNM to start, a newer player walked into the store and bought a box of RTR. After opening it, he spread out all of his Red and Black cards and attempted to build a deck for FNM. I asked him what he was doing and what he wanted to build and he told me that he’s always like Red and that Rakdos seemed pretty strong. He asked me for help in building a deck out of cards. After assessing his collection, I deemed it would be pretty difficult to build a Dos Rakis deck out of his current collection. I went through my stuff and pulled out a set of Cacklers and Pillars to give to him. And after searching the commons bin there, I came up empty handed and started asking people for Searing Spears.
Suddenly, people were curious about what I was doing. I explained that I was trying to help a new player out by building him a Mono Red deck, but I lacked the resources. In an instant, I had in my hands a full set of Spears, 2 Pyreheart Wolves, an Ash Zealot, and a couple of Chainwalkers. The kid had a decent Red Deck in the making, but was it competitive? Not yet, but with what was donated it was on the right track. Fortunately I was at The Wizard’s Cupboard. See, The Wizard’s Cupboard is actually a successful internet based store for Magic singles. They have almost every card imaginable and at really good prices. When the owner inquired what was going on, he then asked me what else I thought the kid needed for his deck. He offered to pull an order for me on the fly, and since I had some store credit anyway, I gave him a quick list of what I needed.
When all was said and done, this is what I was able to manage (after draining my store credit and with the help of the other players):
Not a bad little deck if I do say so myself. He played with it, and I don’t remember how well he did but I want to say he went 2-2 or something.
But why am I telling this to you guys? Because, even though we are competitive Red Mages, we all belong to a community. I firmly believe that we all are a part of something that is bigger than we are individually. We’ve proven that here with our home on the developed forum and with our Clan. But at the same time, we are Red Mages with a job to do. That job, my friends, is to spread the Fire in any way that we can. Whether it’s helping a new player dive into the Fire or sharing important knowledge to help the community improve, we are charged with the task of furthering the Red cause. And as Red Mages, we should encourage each other to get better, watch each other’s backs, and help each other when we’re down. I guarantee that not only will it help you grow as a player, it will help you grow as a person.
And on this note, I’ll close this monster report out. I won’t be playing FNM next week since it falls on December 21st. Not only is that my 30th birthday but apparently (if you’ve been reading up on our Clan forum) I have a drinking battle with Cthulhu that will decide the fate of the world. If everybody is still alive on the 22nd then I was successful and the Mayans knew absolutely nothing about the power of a Red Mage born on December 21st.
An interesting fact: I am a Sagittarius, which is one of the three Fire signs in the Zodiac. Here is what being a Sagittarius says about me: “Enthusiasm, optimism, and a desire to enjoy life to the fullest describes Sagittarius. They are honest, dependable, generous, and sincere. Ambitious by nature they enjoy adventure, exploration, and travel. Strongly idealistic with a passion for justice the Sagittarius will fight for any cause they believe in. “Seems pretty accurate to me. And pretty Red Mage-like.
Which makes me wonder: the other two Fire Signs are Leo and Aries, and I know a lot of people in the Clan forum are born in April (which is Aries month, I believe). Could it be that being a Red Mage and Fire Sign go hand in hand? Maybe I’m reading too much into this. What does everybody else think? Are we “born” into Fire and, by birthright, made to play Red? That’s a pretty extreme statement, but I suspect it may be true for some people out there. Thoughts on this are welcome.
Well guys, that’s about it. I hope you enjoyed this lengthy report!
Which makes me wonder: the other two Fire Signs are Leo and Aries, and I know a lot of people in the Clan forum are born in April (which is Aries month, I believe). Could it be that being a Red Mage and Fire Sign go hand in hand? Maybe I’m reading too much into this. What does everybody else think? Are we “born” into Fire and, by birthright, made to play Red? That’s a pretty extreme statement, but I suspect it may be true for some people out there. Thoughts on this are welcome.
I think you may be on to something here. I'm a Leo, and I've always been partial to red. I try to fit some red into almost every deck I build.
redthirst is redthirst, fifth Horseman of the Apocalypse. He was the leader of the Fires of Salvation, the only clan I'm aware of to get modded off the forums so hard they made their own forums.
Degenerate? Sure. Loudmouth? You bet. Law abiding? No ****ing way.
I can only imagine eyes flaring up when the two meet, get down in a game of magic with shouting in every direction like true red mages. Then laugh out loud afterwards and drink through the night.
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I am passionate, yet I am logical. The fire within me burns, but I am also patient to a point. I am with the Fires of Salvation
I prepared for FNM by filling up two flasks with my secret ingredient for success: Fireball Whiskey. Man, this stuff is amazing. I’m not normally a fan of cinnamon flavored drinks, but this stuff is really good. It makes me feel like I’ve got firebreathing –as if I’ve bonded with a Stonewright or something. With whiskey in tow, I set out to play!
Step 1. Drink
Step 2....
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Big thanks to DarkNightCavalier from heroes of the planes studios for the sig!
Interesting and a nice read... unfortunately i didnt make it to day 2 in goldrush event i guess bec. I shuffled too much or its not may day heh... im trying out rakdos shell and see where it takes me. mono red for me right now is a high risk high reward thing..
What was your standing jyob? I dropped after the 6th round leaving myself at 3-4. My last opponent was running Br Zombies.
Also, I feel a Mono Red list would be highly successful with Bonfire (which I currently do not have). While Mortars does it job well, Bonfires increases the clock along with a wipe.
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I am passionate, yet I am logical. The fire within me burns, but I am also patient to a point. I am with the Fires of Salvation
Do you think it's always good to go big? If not, could you explain your philosophy of transformation a bit more?
Also - is there anything you'd change about your deck?
How Lightning Mauler was working for you? I had sort of alergy to this guy, still, I see lots of people using him.
I've been playtesting him a little and he's situational. He's great to play on turn two leading into a turn three Pyreheart Wolf for haste vs midrange decks, but beyond that I feel like he's not very good.
Going Big is pretty situational. There are certain MUs where it is the correct play and other MUs where it’s not okay. For example, against GW I would most certainly Go Big. The reason being, they are capable of actually going over the top of us and dealing lethal damage in one fell swoop. The key to beating them is to play control and burn away all their guys so they’re unable to do that. This means we’re going to have to side in more creature kill and blockers, as well as being prepared to play a longer game. It’s all about knowing your role: Do you need to be the aggressor or the defender? Certain decks require you to be the defender.
However, there are certain exceptions. Against Zombies, we’re already pretty favored. We just have to race them. Against that MU, I would probably stay as sleek and aggressive as I can.
Sometimes it just depends on who’s on the play for Game 2. Against an aggro deck where I’m on the draw, I most certainly want to Go Big. Reason being, I’m already at a disadvantage in that I can’t start aggressive. I already have to deal with whatever it is they’ve played first. Therefore, I want to take my little guys that I don’t want to draw late-game and replace them with more burn. I want my aggro opponent to exhaust himself so I can Go Over The Top with a beater such as Hound of Griselbrand or Thundermaw Hellkite.
Against decks like Control, 4 Color decks, slower paced Mid-Range decks, and Reanimator, we most certainly need to stay aggressive. When on the draw, I would take out my low impact spells like Pillar of Flame (and maybe a few Cacklers) and replace them with the Hounds and Crucibles. This way, I’m still aggressive and everything I draw will help further my game plan. I’m also prepared to play a longer game with some of the bigger creatures and the Crucibles. Not to mention, the above mentioned decks are still very much capable of stumbling. And we definitely want to punish them when they do.
On the other hand, when I’m On The Play, I will only yank the Pillars out and just put in 3 Hounds and 1 Crucible. I want to make damn sure I draw a super aggressive start so I can take control of the game early.
What would I change? I don’t know. I really like the list right now. I even think the MD is what Zem slapped together weeks ago before he started maindecking 3 Hounds. If anything, I think I would change some stuff out in the board. If Reanimator starts poking its ugly head around my area, I would put threatens back in. I’ve even thought about doing a 2/2 split on Hound and Thundermaw in the board, but I see a lot of Ultimate Prices in my area so I think 4 Hounds is the correct choice. Four Hounds also ensures my curve stays low.
Maybe if I get really bored, I’ll try maindecking Hounds. Z has a really good list with 23 lands and seven 4-drops that is working really well. That would free up my sideboard a lot for more options as well as making the deck really favorable against the GW MU (which is why I think Z did what he did).
Sometimes I think I want Flames of the Firebrand in there, but I’ve had a lot of good results with Bonfire. So I dunno. Time will tell, but by then I think GTC will be out.
As for Lightning Mauler, well I had my doubts about him at first. I always said that he’d really be good in a deck that utilizes the Wolf at the start of the season. Once I jumped on the Pyreheart build, I figured it was time to take my own advice. Turns out, once I made the build, it (again) looked suspiciously like one of Z’s build. I haven’t been disappointed with the Mauler though. He’s way better than Shred-Freak because he can maximize your damage. For example, I’ve played him and then dropped a Chainwalker next turn with a bond, thus swinging for 5. Plus, when bonded with a Wolf or Hound, your damage production skyrockets once those dogs get haste. He’ll also eat a removal spell that should’ve been saved for a Hellrider or Ash Zealot because most opponents can be dumb when they see a card they don’t understand too well. Or maybe they do, I dunno.
Haste is really good at beating durdly type decks. It’s how you punish them for being slow.
I only play 3 Maulers and I wouldn’t play a 4th. He’s good, but not great. But when he’s timed right, he can help provide some massive beats. The best is when you encounter a boardwipe and can drop him along with another guy, like Stromkirk Noble. He shines on that situation but there are other times where he’s nothing more than a Chainwalker without unleash. At least he can block though.
Thanks, Khaospawn. Nice analysis and reasoning on sideboarding. That is the skill I'm currently trying to do increase. Reading everyone's thoughts on it is helpful.
Thanks, Khaospawn. Nice analysis and reasoning on sideboarding. That is the skill I'm currently trying to do increase. Reading everyone's thoughts on it is helpful.
Sideboarding properly is a highly underrated skill. I feel like I'm just now beginning to grasp the bigger picture.
At first, when we sideboard, we just find things to side in that improve our game against certain match-ups. For example, back in the day when Mono Red had to face Kor Firewalker, us Red players sided in Unstable Footing so it wasn't an auto-loss for us.
Later, we learn to "tool box." Sometimes we have certain SB slots to improve our games and sometimes we have slots to just completely hose other decks. A good example of this is siding in several Pithing Needles against Super Friends (the earliest Planeswalker Control deck) or just siding in Kor Firewalker against Mono Red (if you were playing White Weenie). This is what the majority of people do when they sideboard. Their SB is just a big toolbox of answers for everything.
The next step is transforming. I've seen combo decks take out its key pieces and sideboard in 15 little creatures and become and aggro deck. Doing something like this can really "next-level" your opponent. When they go to their toolbox to side in combo-hate they end up getting blown out by creatures, since they took out all of their creature removal. In our meta, it's hard to "next-level" someone when transforming in Red, but it can happen.
Sometimes you might struggle trying to build a solid 60. I struggle with my 15. And even then, I wrack my brain constantly trying to get things right, and even second guessing myself. When you sideboard correctly, it makes games so much easier. When you're wrong, not so much. But you learn. And then you get better.
Edit:
Sideboarding gets even crazier when you get into Game 3. Questions to ask are:
Are you on the draw or on the play?
Do you need to be the aggressor or the defender?
Is your opponent going to "next level" you by transforming?
Will your opponent possibly go back to their Game 1 plan?
Will you try to "next level" you opponent?
Sometimes it can be a total mind**** trying to answer these questions on the fly or in a tight match. Eventually though, it will get easier.
One important thing with sideboarding is making sure you have the appropriate number of cards. I hate realizing I have 9 cards I want to bring in and only 4 I want to take out. Another useful thing when building boards is to cheat during playtesting. Stack your oppening hand so you can see if your boarded cards are actually doing what you think they're going to do. Sometimes you have to accept that as sweet as staff of nin is, it's not doing enough(note, I haven't done extensive staff of nin testing but it DOES look sweet).
LP, I'm checking your article out as well. Behind all of your swag is the brain of one of the most intelligent Magic players I've ever known. I guess that's one more thing for you to add to the wall of ego that is your Sally sig.
I can go with that. LK, you are the Mace Windu of red mages...cool, tempered logic in deliberation, but capable of just flat kicking tail when the situation warrants it.
One important thing with sideboarding is making sure you have the appropriate number of cards. I hate realizing I have 9 cards I want to bring in and only 4 I want to take out. Another useful thing when building boards is to cheat during playtesting. Stack your oppening hand so you can see if your boarded cards are actually doing what you think they're going to do. Sometimes you have to accept that as sweet as staff of nin is, it's not doing enough(note, I haven't done extensive staff of nin testing but it DOES look sweet).
In regards to testing, sometimes I'll just focus on my Game 2 and 3 games by playing as if I'm already sideboarded. If I'm already confident in my Game 1 Aggro Sligh deck, for example, I'll play game after game in my Mid-Range Sledge version so I have a better feel for it. When you transform, you're playing a completely different deck. It helps to get used to playing that deck too, along with your main one.
Great work at FNM! I'd like to buck the trend and publicly admit to being a Pisces. I'm possibly the most watery of the water signs, but I like nothing more than tapping mountains and collecting prize packs.
LP, I'm checking your article out as well. Behind all of your swag is the brain of one of the most intelligent Magic players I've ever known. I guess that's one more thing for you to add to the wall of ego that is your Sally sig.
I can go with that. LK, you are the Mace Windu of red mages...cool, tempered logic in deliberation, but capable of just flat kicking tail when the situation warrants it.
Great work at FNM! I'd like to buck the trend and publicly admit to being a Pisces. I'm possibly the most watery of the water signs, but I like nothing more than tapping mountains and collecting prize packs.
One if my best friends is a Pisces and he's on of the coolest and funniest people I've ever met. Interestingly enough, you remind me a lot of him. Pisces people are thinkers - very unique ones at that.
I decided to hit up my usual stomping grounds, The Wizard’s Cupboard in Seminole, for Friday Night Magic since I was told that in my absence last week (I was in Dunedin playing at Birds of Paradise), another Red Mage came in and cleaned house there. Wow! I’m all about advancing the cause of the Red Mages, but this is my turf – if anybody is going to spank somebody with Fire at my shop, it’s going to be me! With my mind made up, I was ready to go in there and spread the Gospel of Fire!
However, I was pretty fired up to begin with. Shortly before my departure to The Wizard’s Cupboard, I checked the news and learned about that awful shooting at the elementary school. Rarely am I ever at a loss for a smart-ass comment to say about a recent shooting, but this made my stomach wrench. This is absolutely heart breaking, and I dealt with it in typical Red Mage fashion: I got angry. My heart hurts for the parents of the children that were killed in this tragedy. It really does. When terrible things like this happen, it kinda makes you re-evaluate things in your life. Like when you really want to win a game of Magic but you lose and then get really upset about it. Here I am getting ready to play cards, and across the country, there are children dying and parents grieving. It really makes getting bent out of shape over a card game seem petty. With this realization, I decided that, no matter what, I was going to have fun tonight regardless of the outcome. And that I was going to hug my fiancé’s kids really hard as soon as I see them.
I prepared for FNM by filling up two flasks with my secret ingredient for success: Fireball Whiskey. Man, this stuff is amazing. I’m not normally a fan of cinnamon flavored drinks, but this stuff is really good. It makes me feel like I’ve got firebreathing –as if I’ve bonded with a Stonewright or something. With whiskey in tow, I set out to play!
FNM had a pretty good turnout. There were 18 players and had a decent payout:
1st: $40
2nd: $20
3rd: $15
4th: $10
5th: $5
The deck I brought was the same one that I had played last week at Birds of Paradise. Since I didn’t have any time during the week to play, I was just going to go with something that I knew was going to work. Besides, nobody at The Wizard’s Cupboard had played against this version of the deck anyway.
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Stromkirk Noble
3 Stonewright
3 Lightning Mauler
4 Gore-House Chainwalker
4 Ash Zealot
4 Pyreheart Wolf
4 Hellrider
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Searing Spear
Land (22)
1 Hellion Crucible
21 Mountain
4 Hound of Griselbrand
2 Hellion Crucible
2 Thunderbolt
4 Mizzium Mortars
3 Bonfire of the Damned
As you can see, the deck is pretty straightforward. It’s a low curve Sligh deck that wants to be as aggressive as possible. It transforms into a Midrange deck to battle the other aggro decks when it needs to (aka Go Big!), or it just brings in Hounds and stays aggressive in the control match-up.
After a few trips to the “car bar,” I was ready to rock. Let the games begin!
Game 1 VS Golgari Aggro
The guy playing this deck is pretty obsessed over Lotleth Troll. He’s had the deck for a while and, although it continues to improve, it’s a little conflicted. It follows the aggro curve with Gravecrawlers, Slitherhead, Lotleth Troll, and Dreg Mangler and that’s where the deck makes sense. But, he adds in some crap like Sluiceway Scorpion (“It’s got deathtouch and scavenge!”) and some INN Zombie that lets you pull a Zombie from your yard into your hand. His removal suite is a full set of Abrupt Decays and Ultimate Price, and the whole motor for his deck is to pitch everything to the Lotleth Troll and rebuy/reuse everything with Treasured Find . When the deck hits a nut draw, it’s pretty unstoppable, but it’s still basically a glass cannon that gets shattered if you can kill off the Trolls and/or pack some major grave hate. Since I’ve played him before, I knew how to chop him down.
Game 1: I’m on the draw, but he mulligans to 6. I can tell he does still not like what he’s holding, but he keeps it nonetheless. He plays a tapped Tomb and passes. These are the kind of openings I love – an opponent keeping a so-so hand with a potential to stumble. I’m determined to just be the aggressor here and I lead off with a Cackler. He plays a Troll on turn 2, which is promptly Speared on my turn. He groans and I know now to just apply massive pressure. I dump creature after creature onto the board, and when he finally begins to mount an offense, the race is very much in my favor. A turn 6 Hellrider seals the deal for me.
Game 2: Since I’m playing against an aggro deck, I Go Big for Game 2 on the draw. Sure enough, he has a fast start and plays a Gravecrawler. My hand was pretty good too – 3 Mountains, a Pillar, 2 Mortars, and a Wolf. I burn away the Gravecrawler and we pretty much start trading cards. When he lands a Troll without an open Black source, I nail it with a Mortars. I draw a Bonfire but don’t miracle it, which is good because on his turn he Treasured Finds his Troll back and replays it, without another open Black. I grin as I hardcast a Bonfire for 1 on my turn and take out his Troll. He sighs, and I’m pretty certain now he’s relying on the mercy of his topdeck (like I said, his deck is a Glass Cannon). I land a Wolf and play the waiting game ; I have faith in my topdecks when I Go Big since almost anything I can draw will be of some value, whether it’s more Burn or more creatures to block. He topdecks a Troll and plays it along with an Underworld Connections – AGAIN forgetting to leave and open Black source. On my turn, I miracle a Bonfire (for 3), killing his Troll, and then swing with the Wolf. He makes a mistake on his turn by Ultimate Pricing my Wolf, but it just comes back stronger. Over the course of the game, he whittles his life down with Underworld Connections and plays some critters, but I’m able to play more blockers and I eventually Overload a Mortars to wipe his board. I start the attack against his life total once he’s exhausted and I begin to charge a Crucible. He makes one last stand by dropping that INN Zombie (For the life of me I can’t remember its name.), rebuying the Troll and replaying it, but by then it’s too late: I topdeck a Hellrider and get my Hellion token to swing for lethal.
Record 1-0
Game2 VS Esper Planeswalker Control
I’m facing my brother here. He set aside his awesome Jund deck (which I’m 0-3 against at FNMs) to play something closer to his roots: UW Control. He added some black for some more removal and so he can play his favorite card: Nephalia Drownyards. I absolutely hate this kind of deck, but I’m pretty confident in this match-up since I play Lightning Mauler. Haste is really good against these durdly Planeswalker/Mill decks.
Game 1: I have a really aggressive start, despite losing the dice roll. I start chopping away at his life, but he eventually stabilizes by landing a Jace and uses him (along with Feeling of Dread) to stifle my wave. Later he boardwipes and lands a Tamiyo while sitting at 3 life. I pray that I can draw a Searing Spear or a Hellrider but it never comes. When he gets his Tamiyo emblem and flashes me the Essence Scatter and Dissipate, I concede.
Sideboard: -4 Pillar of Flame, +3 Hound of Griselbrand, +1 Hellion Crucible
Game 2: Since I’m on the play, I really want to stay aggressive and I decided to keep my Cacklers in. The decision pays off –I’m rewarded with a killer opener of 2 Mountains, a Noble, 2 Cacklers, an Ash Zealot, and a Searing Sear. I start landing guys and swinging like a madman. By the time I draw 2 more lands and a Hellrider, it’s pretty much over. When he draws and complains that he just needs a White source, I know he’s got the Supreme Verdict in his hand but it’s too late for him. I kill him on the following turn.
Sideboard: -2 Cackler, +1 Hound of Griselbrand, +1 Hellion Crucible
Game 3: This game is pretty much a repeat of the last one. However, he mulligans to 6 and I know he’s still not happy with what he decided to keep. I land a Noble on my first turn and follow it up with an Ash Zealot on my next turn. He tries to buy some time with a Feeling of Dread but it only delays the inevitable. I try to play a Wolf on turn 3, but it gets Essence Scattered. I bounce back on my next turn with a Lightning Mauler and pair it with a newly summoned Chainwalker for more beats. He plays a Jace on his turn and immediately +1’s that Blue bastard. I play a Hound on turn 5 and dare him to boardwipe, but he just tells me “to go **** myself.” Ah, I love family. I get the last laugh when he flashes back his Feeling of Dread and I point to the Ash Zealot. He takes 3 and I flash him the lethal Searing Spear. Winning this match was some sweet revenge!
Record: 2-0
Round 3 VS UW Planeswalker Control
This deck is basically my brother’s deck but without the Black splash. It’s just Counters, Boardwipes, Fog Banks, and Planeswalkers – everything a Red Mage hates. After beating my brother, I was pretty confident about this match-up. Or maybe it was my whiskey buzz that made me confident, I dunno.
Game 1: I win the dice roll and I come out the gates swinging, but he miracles a Terminus on his turn 4 and effectively neuters my offense. Damn. I mount a second wave but I get shut out when he hardcasts another Terminus and secure his position with a Jace. We play a slow grind now, as I’m in topdeck mode. A Tamiyo finds her way to Jace’s side and I’m pretty much helpless at this point. He was sitting at 2 life, so I was really just hoping to draw a Pillar, Spear, or an Ash Zealot. Unfortunately, he pops the Tamiyo emblem and reveals the Dissipate, Essence Scatter, and a Syncopate. Well, damn. I guess he has me.
Game 2: I sideboard into the same thing I did for the last Game 2 control match and it pretty much plays out the same way too. This game is over in the blink of an eye as I just crap little guys on the table and turn them sideways. He does play a Fog Bank to hinder my progress, but I topdeck a Hellrider and it’s over just like that.
Game 3: Same sideboard plan as the last Game 3 versus control. I come out of the gates swinging (as usual!) and I quickly bring him to 10 life. At this point I realize all he’s played is Islands, so he must be holding a boardwipe or two and just needs some White mana. He lands a Jace and +1’s him so he can stay alive. I bring him down to 6 life with a meager attack and on his turn things get real. Mad real. I know he needs to dig for a Plains. If he doesn’t get one, I win. The Force is not strong with me on this turn because he uses Jace’s Fact or Fiction and flips 3 Plains. Oh well, I guess he hits his White sources no matter what. He then plays a Detention Sphere to take out my double Chainwalkers and reinforces himself with a Fogbank. My next attack brings him to 4 life. He plays a Terminus on his next turn and digs again with Jace, this time flipping over 2 Islands and a Plains. Whew! Since I’m in topdeck mode, I’m praying for a miracle here. I draw a Mauler, play him, and pass the turn. On his turn he plays a Geist of Saint Traft and I feel the anger rising. I hate that card. I really, really do. My next turn brings me a Hound of Griselbrand and I get excited. Really excited. So excited that I forget to Soulbound to the Lightning Mauler and I mistakenly swing in with just the Mauler. Guy looks at me perplexed and says,” I guess you forgot to bond for haste, huh?” Crap!!! I ask if I can take it back and he shakes his head at me as he casts Azorius Charm on my Mauler. Fine, whatevs. His next move is a major mistake when, on his turn, he activates Jace’s +1 and then plays Supreme Verdict to clear the board. I casually move the Hound to my graveyard and then immediately put it back on the field with a +1 counter. Dude looks perplexed until I say to him,” I guess you forgot that he has Undying, huh?” He scans the board and realizes that even with Jace’s +1 ability, I can still swing for lethal. Not to mention, I’ll also draw a Maluer, which I can pair. He scoops after he comprehends this and I’m happier than a pig in ****. Damn, it feels good to be a Red Mage!
Record: 3-0
Game 4 VS Mono Red Sligh
This is the only match I really didn’t want to play since I heard through the grape vine that this guy was playing Mono Red with Vexing Devil. Ugh, man do I hate that card. The last thing I wanted to do was possibly lose to Vexing Devil.
Game 1: Sure enough, he wins the roll and his first play was a Devil. I take the 4 and follow up with Noble. His next turn is ANOTHER Devil and I take the 4. He also plays a Noble and passes. On my turn I Pillar the Noble, swing with my Noble, and play a Stonewright (unbonded). He unleashes a Cackler on his turn and passes. On my turn, I play a Zealot, bond with the Zealot, and swing for 6. His next draw is a land, and he sighs after attacking me for 2 and passing. I topdeck a Spear, swing with everything, pump twice with Stonewright, and kill him with the Spear. This was my kind of game!
Sideboard: I go Full ****** on the sideboard plan and shove everything in: -4 Noble, -4 Cackler, -4 Chainwalker, -3 Lightning Mauler, +4 Hound of Griselbrand, +2 Crucible, +3 Bonfire, +4 Mortars, and +2 Thunderbolt. I suspected he may play Archwing Dragon, so the Thunderbolt seemed like a good idea.
Game 2: He leads off with a Noble, which I Pillar on my turn. His turn 2 Ash Zealot hits me for 2, but I kill it with a Mortars on my turn. He plays a Cackler and Spears me on Turn 3, but I kill the Cackler with a Mortars and play a Stonewright. On his turn he uses Flames of the Firebrand to kill my Stonewright and deal me 2 damage. On my turn I play a Hellion Crucible and drop an Ash Zealot, swinging for 2. He draws a land, plays it, and passes the turn. I drop a Wolf on my turn, play a land, swing for 2, and clutch my only card: a Searing Spear. He plays a Hellrider on his turn, but it eats the Spear, and he passes with no cards in hand. We’re both in topdeck mode and at decent enough life totals, but I have the edge: 1 creature on the board and a Hellion Crucible I can now charge. I top deck a Hound and play it, further establishing my board position. He topdecks some burn and aims it at my Zealot before passing. I attack with the Hound and start charging my Crucible on my turn. At this point, my opponent just starts aiming all of his topdeck burn at my face and brings me to 1 life. However, I draw a Spear and, after another swing with the Hound, I finish him off.
Afterwards, he asks me if I ever side out the Wolf. He shows me that he removed all his Wolves for Flames of the Firebrand. I laugh, and use a line that zemanjaski said once upon a time on one of our forum threads: Yep, we side out our Wolves just like a Zombie player sides out his Messengers when he encounters Pillar of Flame. He understands the sarcasm and I explain to him that the Wolf never comes out, no matter what: it is a card that plays offense AND defense. It is a great blocker when we need it to be and a win condition when timed right.
One good thing about this game: my opponent vowed to remove the Vexing Devils after I gave him a few pointers. Finally, somebody can see the light!
Record: 4-0
Game 5 VS GW Aggro
I now get excited to play this match-up. In retrospect, it seems funny that I ever had such a hard time against this deck, but now I have all the tools and experience to make short work of it. I went into this match happy and ready to have fun.
Game 1: Like clockwork, he leads off with a mana dork, which I burn away. He plays another dork and attaches a Rancor to it. That’s fine; I play an Ash Zealot and pass. On his turn, he plays a Silverblade Paladin and bonds to the elf and attacks me. I block with the Zealot and take 1 point of damage after trading. On my turn I Pillar the Paladin, drop an Ash Zealot and take him to Pound Town. His next turn is unimpressive: two more mana dorks. I play a Hellrider, attack, and he doesn’t block. He drops a Sublime Archangel and a Rancor on a dork, and then swings for 6. On my next turn I Spear his Angel and drop yet another Zealot and swing, bringing him to 3 after he chumps my Hellrider. His next draw is a Rancor, which he plays on his lone mana dork. He attacks for 5 and then concedes because he knows that all I have to do is attack next turn for the win.
Game 2: I Go Big for this game and it starts out very similar to the last game. He plays dorks and I burn them. I play a Pyreheart and start to prepare a defense, but my following turn (miracled) Bonfire wipes his board. It’s all downhill for the GW player when I manage to pair the infamous Stonewright/Hound of Griselbrand duo and I wipe him out quickly.
Record: 5-0
We cut to standings (thus, no Top 8) and to the victor go the spoils.
Sweet, sweet victory! So far I’m 12-0 with this deck after 2 FNM’s. More importantly, I’m truly having fun playing with it. I’ve waited a long time to have a Red Deck that is both fun AND competitive and now I finally have one. And the weird thing is I don’t feel bad about my Aristocrats and Thundermaws collecting dust in my binders. I’m playing exactly what I need to be playing right now. My deck is consistent, fast, aggressive, and more importantly, it’s RED!
Musings:
It was discussed in one thread about whether or not it’s correct to just use dice or pen and paper to keep track of life totals. I’m going to share my FNM survival guide with everybody. This is what I use:
Pen and Notepad: Whenever a life total dispute is in question, a Judge will usually fall back on the person using a pen and paper. It pretty much provides an accurate representation of the game and a trail to look back on if there are any inconsistencies. It also allows you to take notes if you’re planning on writing a report afterwards. I always keep track of the opponent’s life totals as well, just in case they try to get slick with me. It also helps to know how much damage you need to deal in a pinch to seal the game.
Dice: I usually roll two 6 siders for a high roll to determine who goes first. And since my deck uses a lot of +1/+1 counters, it makes sense to bring many. You can also use them for tokens.
Tokens: I like to use cards from other games I’ve played for tokens. They’re unique and make my games a little bit more interesting. I usually put them in different sleeves so I can tell them apart. Doing that also makes a great separator for your sideboard and deck when you put them all back in your box or case.
Playmat: It’s a good idea to bring a playmat if you want to protect the integrity of your cards and sleeves. I religiously use KMC Pearl White sleeves on every single one of my decks. The only downside is that the White sleeves get dirty after some use but the playmat helps to keep them pretty clean. I use my M13 Game Day mat that I won playing my Volt Charge Red Deck. Not only is it sentimental to me, it also has some ballin’ ass Nicol Bolas artwork on it!
Rook Case: It’s nice to protect your deck in a metal case. You never know what can happen!
Box: Because you’ll need something to pack your deck, dice, pen, and paper in! I use the cool Mirran box with Hero of Oxid Ridge on it. He’s such a bad ass on that horse!
And here’s everything for your viewing pleasure!
Spreading the Fire:
I also want to discuss something that happened a few weeks ago. While waiting for FNM to start, a newer player walked into the store and bought a box of RTR. After opening it, he spread out all of his Red and Black cards and attempted to build a deck for FNM. I asked him what he was doing and what he wanted to build and he told me that he’s always like Red and that Rakdos seemed pretty strong. He asked me for help in building a deck out of cards. After assessing his collection, I deemed it would be pretty difficult to build a Dos Rakis deck out of his current collection. I went through my stuff and pulled out a set of Cacklers and Pillars to give to him. And after searching the commons bin there, I came up empty handed and started asking people for Searing Spears.
Suddenly, people were curious about what I was doing. I explained that I was trying to help a new player out by building him a Mono Red deck, but I lacked the resources. In an instant, I had in my hands a full set of Spears, 2 Pyreheart Wolves, an Ash Zealot, and a couple of Chainwalkers. The kid had a decent Red Deck in the making, but was it competitive? Not yet, but with what was donated it was on the right track. Fortunately I was at The Wizard’s Cupboard. See, The Wizard’s Cupboard is actually a successful internet based store for Magic singles. They have almost every card imaginable and at really good prices. When the owner inquired what was going on, he then asked me what else I thought the kid needed for his deck. He offered to pull an order for me on the fly, and since I had some store credit anyway, I gave him a quick list of what I needed.
When all was said and done, this is what I was able to manage (after draining my store credit and with the help of the other players):
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Stonewright
2 Ash Zealot
4 Gore-House Chainwalker
4 Rakdos Shred-Freak
2 Lightning Mauler
4 Pyreheart Wolf
2 Hellrider
2 Hound of Griselbrand
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Searing Spear
2 Flames of the Firebrand
Land (22)
2 Hellion Crucible
20 Mountain
3 Annihilating Fire
3 Thunderbolt
2 Electrickery
2 Flames of the Firebrand
2 Frostburn Weird
3 Traitorous Blood
Not a bad little deck if I do say so myself. He played with it, and I don’t remember how well he did but I want to say he went 2-2 or something.
But why am I telling this to you guys? Because, even though we are competitive Red Mages, we all belong to a community. I firmly believe that we all are a part of something that is bigger than we are individually. We’ve proven that here with our home on the developed forum and with our Clan. But at the same time, we are Red Mages with a job to do. That job, my friends, is to spread the Fire in any way that we can. Whether it’s helping a new player dive into the Fire or sharing important knowledge to help the community improve, we are charged with the task of furthering the Red cause. And as Red Mages, we should encourage each other to get better, watch each other’s backs, and help each other when we’re down. I guarantee that not only will it help you grow as a player, it will help you grow as a person.
And on this note, I’ll close this monster report out. I won’t be playing FNM next week since it falls on December 21st. Not only is that my 30th birthday but apparently (if you’ve been reading up on our Clan forum) I have a drinking battle with Cthulhu that will decide the fate of the world. If everybody is still alive on the 22nd then I was successful and the Mayans knew absolutely nothing about the power of a Red Mage born on December 21st.
An interesting fact: I am a Sagittarius, which is one of the three Fire signs in the Zodiac. Here is what being a Sagittarius says about me: “Enthusiasm, optimism, and a desire to enjoy life to the fullest describes Sagittarius. They are honest, dependable, generous, and sincere. Ambitious by nature they enjoy adventure, exploration, and travel. Strongly idealistic with a passion for justice the Sagittarius will fight for any cause they believe in. “Seems pretty accurate to me. And pretty Red Mage-like.
Which makes me wonder: the other two Fire Signs are Leo and Aries, and I know a lot of people in the Clan forum are born in April (which is Aries month, I believe). Could it be that being a Red Mage and Fire Sign go hand in hand? Maybe I’m reading too much into this. What does everybody else think? Are we “born” into Fire and, by birthright, made to play Red? That’s a pretty extreme statement, but I suspect it may be true for some people out there. Thoughts on this are welcome.
Well guys, that’s about it. I hope you enjoyed this lengthy report!
May your decks run hot and your beer stay cold!
R Reach out and torch someone R
Find me on MTGO under the same username
-Scott-
I think you may be on to something here. I'm a Leo, and I've always been partial to red. I try to fit some red into almost every deck I build.
Blue is also my least favorite color
Even though you're a water sign, you play Red, which is the thinking man's color.
My posts have the power of invisiblity and only a few people can read it!
Also, if I'm ever down your way, I'll def be hitting you up for Magic and drunken shenanigans.
—Jaya Ballard, task mage
Shenanigans...or debauchery?
We may even get a game in or two!
My posts have the power of invisiblity and only a few people can read it!
Step 1. Drink
Step 2....
Modern:
Twinning End
Commander:
Mayael the Anema
Also, I feel a Mono Red list would be highly successful with Bonfire (which I currently do not have). While Mortars does it job well, Bonfires increases the clock along with a wipe.
My posts have the power of invisiblity and only a few people can read it!
I've been playtesting him a little and he's situational. He's great to play on turn two leading into a turn three Pyreheart Wolf for haste vs midrange decks, but beyond that I feel like he's not very good.
Khaos - great report!
However, there are certain exceptions. Against Zombies, we’re already pretty favored. We just have to race them. Against that MU, I would probably stay as sleek and aggressive as I can.
Sometimes it just depends on who’s on the play for Game 2. Against an aggro deck where I’m on the draw, I most certainly want to Go Big. Reason being, I’m already at a disadvantage in that I can’t start aggressive. I already have to deal with whatever it is they’ve played first. Therefore, I want to take my little guys that I don’t want to draw late-game and replace them with more burn. I want my aggro opponent to exhaust himself so I can Go Over The Top with a beater such as Hound of Griselbrand or Thundermaw Hellkite.
Against decks like Control, 4 Color decks, slower paced Mid-Range decks, and Reanimator, we most certainly need to stay aggressive. When on the draw, I would take out my low impact spells like Pillar of Flame (and maybe a few Cacklers) and replace them with the Hounds and Crucibles. This way, I’m still aggressive and everything I draw will help further my game plan. I’m also prepared to play a longer game with some of the bigger creatures and the Crucibles. Not to mention, the above mentioned decks are still very much capable of stumbling. And we definitely want to punish them when they do.
On the other hand, when I’m On The Play, I will only yank the Pillars out and just put in 3 Hounds and 1 Crucible. I want to make damn sure I draw a super aggressive start so I can take control of the game early.
What would I change? I don’t know. I really like the list right now. I even think the MD is what Zem slapped together weeks ago before he started maindecking 3 Hounds. If anything, I think I would change some stuff out in the board. If Reanimator starts poking its ugly head around my area, I would put threatens back in. I’ve even thought about doing a 2/2 split on Hound and Thundermaw in the board, but I see a lot of Ultimate Prices in my area so I think 4 Hounds is the correct choice. Four Hounds also ensures my curve stays low.
Maybe if I get really bored, I’ll try maindecking Hounds. Z has a really good list with 23 lands and seven 4-drops that is working really well. That would free up my sideboard a lot for more options as well as making the deck really favorable against the GW MU (which is why I think Z did what he did).
Sometimes I think I want Flames of the Firebrand in there, but I’ve had a lot of good results with Bonfire. So I dunno. Time will tell, but by then I think GTC will be out.
As for Lightning Mauler, well I had my doubts about him at first. I always said that he’d really be good in a deck that utilizes the Wolf at the start of the season. Once I jumped on the Pyreheart build, I figured it was time to take my own advice. Turns out, once I made the build, it (again) looked suspiciously like one of Z’s build. I haven’t been disappointed with the Mauler though. He’s way better than Shred-Freak because he can maximize your damage. For example, I’ve played him and then dropped a Chainwalker next turn with a bond, thus swinging for 5. Plus, when bonded with a Wolf or Hound, your damage production skyrockets once those dogs get haste. He’ll also eat a removal spell that should’ve been saved for a Hellrider or Ash Zealot because most opponents can be dumb when they see a card they don’t understand too well. Or maybe they do, I dunno.
Haste is really good at beating durdly type decks. It’s how you punish them for being slow.
I only play 3 Maulers and I wouldn’t play a 4th. He’s good, but not great. But when he’s timed right, he can help provide some massive beats. The best is when you encounter a boardwipe and can drop him along with another guy, like Stromkirk Noble. He shines on that situation but there are other times where he’s nothing more than a Chainwalker without unleash. At least he can block though.
Anyways, hope this helps, buddy.
Sideboarding properly is a highly underrated skill. I feel like I'm just now beginning to grasp the bigger picture.
At first, when we sideboard, we just find things to side in that improve our game against certain match-ups. For example, back in the day when Mono Red had to face Kor Firewalker, us Red players sided in Unstable Footing so it wasn't an auto-loss for us.
Later, we learn to "tool box." Sometimes we have certain SB slots to improve our games and sometimes we have slots to just completely hose other decks. A good example of this is siding in several Pithing Needles against Super Friends (the earliest Planeswalker Control deck) or just siding in Kor Firewalker against Mono Red (if you were playing White Weenie). This is what the majority of people do when they sideboard. Their SB is just a big toolbox of answers for everything.
The next step is transforming. I've seen combo decks take out its key pieces and sideboard in 15 little creatures and become and aggro deck. Doing something like this can really "next-level" your opponent. When they go to their toolbox to side in combo-hate they end up getting blown out by creatures, since they took out all of their creature removal. In our meta, it's hard to "next-level" someone when transforming in Red, but it can happen.
Sometimes you might struggle trying to build a solid 60. I struggle with my 15. And even then, I wrack my brain constantly trying to get things right, and even second guessing myself. When you sideboard correctly, it makes games so much easier. When you're wrong, not so much. But you learn. And then you get better.
Edit:
Sideboarding gets even crazier when you get into Game 3. Questions to ask are:
Are you on the draw or on the play?
Do you need to be the aggressor or the defender?
Is your opponent going to "next level" you by transforming?
Will your opponent possibly go back to their Game 1 plan?
Will you try to "next level" you opponent?
Sometimes it can be a total mind**** trying to answer these questions on the fly or in a tight match. Eventually though, it will get easier.
In regards to testing, sometimes I'll just focus on my Game 2 and 3 games by playing as if I'm already sideboarded. If I'm already confident in my Game 1 Aggro Sligh deck, for example, I'll play game after game in my Mid-Range Sledge version so I have a better feel for it. When you transform, you're playing a completely different deck. It helps to get used to playing that deck too, along with your main one.
Watch my Twitch.tv stream.
Take the Ham Challenge.
One if my best friends is a Pisces and he's on of the coolest and funniest people I've ever met. Interestingly enough, you remind me a lot of him. Pisces people are thinkers - very unique ones at that.
I can see that. The balanced part that is.
>_>
<_<
Ah what the hell, LP, you're sexy too.
Tap Mountain?
No, no! Too sexy too sexy!
...
But I must.
(guitar music, dancing, Lightning Bolt)
Watch my Twitch.tv stream.
Take the Ham Challenge.