Wall of text warning—proceed only if you are in the mood for consideration of an offbeat deck concept.
As long as we are talking outside the normal lines, I'm looking at BA's interactions with other cards and ideas for a burn-heavy deck to catch people off-guard. I'm not talking about anything that would be a long-play deck...but something close enough to red aggro to be playable straight but with the real intent of burning people out.
I'm not thinking international tournament level here...this is about catching a bunch of people with shiny new cards and decks they aren't yet tuned to with their nickers about their ankles. I'm talking about a bunch of red mages orchestrating a flash pyroclasm at FNM/Game Day events, then going back to the business of dominant aggro play. Think big, RED whoopie cushion played on the collective Magic community in a broad enough incidence to at least generate some chatter.
I will be up front...this plan includes playing Vexing Devil. If you can't stomach the idea, read no more and let it go (redthirst, I believe I have earned a little latitude with you...don't bounce me yet).
People have already mentioned the synergies between BA and Aristocrat, and of course the blowout created by Reckoner when BA comes down. Obviously to play BA, we still need to be playing a decent field of efficient creatures, and the biggest issue in trying to pull this off is the threat of board wipes from the other side that could put BA out of reach. Thus, we would want to stay on a decent creature plan, but with a different intended endgame in most cases.
My thoughts are to carry the concept a couple of steps further in order to keep the deck viable game 2 even after we've tipped our hand (or to win the first game before we've shown BA if bringing it from SB is a better option).
First, lots of burn, with a focus on going to the dome as often as possible. Bonfire makes sense here in that early board wipes or late blowouts fit with the whole plan. Volley also becomes a mainboard star because we can easily generate a combat trade or use an Aristocrat activation to set up Morbid. Spear remains our most efficient burn spell, so it should be there as well. From there, we go with what fits.
Another issue we want to head off is all the lifegain that allows other decks to cheat their way into late games. Skullcrack answers Tusks as well as Revelation, which are the biggest offenders, and moves their life total on towards the floor. This is likely sideboard, as we can run straight burn against non-lifegain decks to better advantage.
Now we get into one of the more eyebrow-raising pieces...a card that synergizes with a significant number of our creatures and thus makes it a flexible player in this scenario: Undying Evil. I've played around a bit with the card in Aristocrat decks, but there was never a good enough concentration of the right creatures to make it worth deck space. In this case however, it does all sorts of interesting things. For example, early VD; cast VD, then while the ETB is on the stack, Undying Evil. Unless they have responses, VD now has Undying, which means they can take 4, but then a 5/4 devil comes into play with the same ETB attached. Do they take another 4, or leave a 5/4 on the field? Worst case, you pay 2 cards for a 4/3 Undying creature, big enough to trade with Smiter and come back onto the field. Most likely, though, they are going to take a mound of early damage in hopes of getting you on board position.
UE is also fantastic with Aristocrat; you can UE Zealot before declaring blockers, sac to Aristocrat, then drop the 3-3 First Strike in front of their 2 toughness creature for a positive trade. Attempts to exile Aristocrat or her mates fizzle because you can cast UE then sac their target (including Aristocrat herself) only to have it back bigger. And now with Reckoner, there is another value-added target; the opponent decides to bite the bullet and take damage by killing Reckoner, only to have it hit with UE and come back as a 4/4 lightning caster. Having so many creatures that can positively interact with the spell makes UE viable in this deck, effectively giving us better card parity if not actual advantage.
That lays out the key components. By playing a concentration of Devils, CoS in some number makes sense in that it protects creatures coming in against control. Obviously RB duals play for the black splash, likely including a couple of gates. From there comes the choice of whether to splash white as well in order to run Boros Charm. I don't believe that Charm alone is worth the splash, but might some enchantment hate be needed out of the sideboard?
Other more fringe considerations:
Charmbreaker Devils-expensive at 6 CMC, but it starts giving us our burn spells back out of the GY the turn after it hits for some well-filtered CA.
Rakdos Keyrune-could be used for mana ramp or pinch creature, but I'm not sold on the idea.
Stuffy Doll-Z already mentioned this—another major BA target for channeling damage.
Creepy Doll-another indestructible blocker that can kill stuff.
Thoughts? Please look at this with a certain amount of tongue-in-cheek, but take a moment to consider the synergies here. This is all about Mountains and Fire and dropping jaws, red mage stuff all. Please throw out your thoughts, but again with perspective for the fact that I am not suggesting this as a Tier-1, season-defining deck. Whoopie cushion, my brothers…what do you think?
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Jan 29, 20131
photodyer posted a message on [Single Card Discussion] Blasphemous ActPosted in: Standard Archives -
Jan 1, 20131
The Witch King of Angmar posted a message on [GTC] Lazav, Dimir MastermindLavaz in EDH will be very sick. The hex proof on it is crazy good. He should be given shroud instead of hexproof.Posted in: New Card Discussion -
Nov 6, 2012
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zemanjaski posted a message on [General] Finished: 'Developments in the Standard Metagame and why Rx Aggro is here to stay'Developments in the Standard Metagame and why Rx Aggro is here to StayPosted in: Standard Archives
Disclaimer: All the information contained within is either taken directly from reputable sources of information (see the sources listed at the end) or is the opinion of the author. Nothing here is a statement of fact. Take what you will from the article and feel free to discuss it, but don't expect me to engage with you on why your pet card is good.
I. A Written History of the Current Standard
Now that we’re a few months into the new standard, we can begin appreciate the journey in which we are all taking part. Right from the beginning, there was a tremendous expectation that BR Zombies would be the best deck in the early format, perhaps challenged only by Jund. Everyone and their dog knew that Huntmaster of the Fells and Thragtusk are absurdly good cards – but it seems we all forgot just how good Snapcaster Mage and Restoration Angel were – as if they could only be good in the context of supporting Delver of Secrets.
As usual, the early weeks of the format were weighted towards aggro decks of various types – different Zombie variants, Red Deck variants and a hangover from last season, GW Aggro. All were putting up good numbers. At the same time, the prophesies were true and Jund started to take out multiple top 8 spots both at SCG events and online, and has never slowed down. UWr Miracles was an early breakout deck, but has since disappeared completely – it turns out that a game plan of hoping to get lucky isn’t a winning strategy.
Out of this frustration Bant tap-out control was born, a sister deck to Jund – it also played all the best cards in three colours, focusing even more heavily on value creatures, at the expense of targeted removal. As the deck lists were fine turned, Reanimator reared its ugly head and has not stopped performing at a high level. With the three top decks in the format all seeking to play value creatures, the format was ripe to be exploited by counter-magic – the only way to maintain card parity with the value creature decks – and as such we have finally seen a rise in both control and tempo decks. It turns out you can’t keep Snapcaster Mage down for long.
Zombies have fallen out of favour, unable to overcome the tremendous amount of removal and value creatures played by Jund. Bant as well is on the steady decline – its poor matchup against the more traditional blue control and tempo decks compounding with its unsatisfactory Jund matchup. GW Aggro and Reanimator are the other pillars of the format, continuing to put up respectable numbers and keeping the others in check.
Curiously, Rx Aggro, the often lampooned archetype for weak players saw a lot of play early, but with only limited success. As is often truly the case, it was expected to once again be a flash in the pan, attempted by many but perfected by none. It saw a lot of play at the start of the season, but has seen continually smaller and smaller numbers. However, while it would be logical to expect that with fewer pilots in the field there would be a corresponding decline in results – in fact, there has been the opposite. In a metagame defined by cards birthed from a Red Mage’s nightmares – such horrors as Thragtusk, Restoration Angel, Geist of St Traft and Centaur Healer – Rx Aggro has not only survived, but flourished.
This article will seek to examine exactly how that has happened, what the relevant developments have been, what potential technology is still out there, and where we should be trying to go from here.
II. Who's Playing What - What's Popular
The graph says it better than I can. These numbers are taken from the most recent week of published MTGO results and compared to the numbers from mtgo-stats.com. The number for each deck represents its corresponding share of the metagame (that is, out of any 100 decks, how many are expected to be of that archetype). You can compare these figures (from the period of 29 October to 5 November) to those of the preceding period by looking at the manadeprived.com article.
In just over a week, there have been some very interesting changes. While Zombies continue to be in a downward spiral towards non-existence, Jund, Reanimator and GW Aggro all retain roughly the same metagame share. Shockingly, Bant is fading away quickly, while Rx Aggro is continuing its slow decline (it started the season at 12% and has slowly faded to 8-9%).
The big newcomer are different blue-white decks. Between Aggro and Control variants, traditional blue decks are now a full 33% of the metagame – counterspells are back! These decks range from UWr Tempo, through to a UW-CawBlade type deck (Angels, Snapcasters, Augurs, pikes, Jace), all the way to UW, Esper and UWr Control. Players are realizing the best way to fight through the enormous value created by Thragtusk and Huntmaster of the Fells is to just counter them.
Based on these observations, we can expect the same trends to continue. The blue-white decks with counterpsells are very powerful, focussing on really strong cards that everyone seemed to have forgotten about. They will continue to be a strong choice so long as Jund remains popular. Jund, Reanimator and GW are putting up great numbers and will continue to see play. It turns out that Bant is just not that good against a lot of what others are doing and will likely fade away. Our objective is to not suffer the same fate.
III. Who Can Play - What's Doing Well
This is where things get interesting – which decks are actually winning? These numbers are all taken from the MODO daily events between 29 October and 5 November. I preference these events because while MODO does not accurately predict the paper meta, it is the gold-standard for cutting edge technology. The results on MODO are the best way to gauge which decks are the real deal. Without further ado:
As should come as a surprise to exactly nobody, Jund is the best performing deck. It is by far the most popular deck after all. GW Aggro, Reanimator and Blue deck variants all put up similar numbers of top finishes. Bant and Zombies did very little. What really stands out though, is Rx Aggro. While its numbers are only slightly better than the other decks (excluding Jund of course), this is in itself remarkable, given how hostile the format is currently (this will be discussed in Part Five below).
While we certainly cannot say that Rx Aggro is the second best deck in the format, we can at least rest easy that the deck is putting up solid numbers, despite a declining player base.
IV. Data Analysis and Interpretation
So now we know with what frequency decks are being played, as well as how many winning results they are putting up in the DEs. If all decks performed equally, their representation in the winning decks in the Des should match the proportion of the metagame that deck occupies – or should at least be very close.
Here is how it looks:
am not a statistician (I can barely count when wearing shoes) so I am not going to make any fancy claims or interpretations of the data. What I will say, is that the decks that are over-performing are the aggro decks; while the underperforming decks are the blue decks, Bant and Jund.
What you need to keep in mind is that these numbers have not been adjusted for sample size – while they do represent a week’s worth of results, they’re only a snapshot. Having a slightly positive or negative performance is probably meaningless. Having a very positive or negative performance is very relevant however – turns out Rx Aggro is doing very well (as is GW Aggro)!
What I want readers to take from this isn’t that Rx Aggro is one of the best decks in the format. It’s a fine deck. What you can take comfort in is that if you’re willing and able to put the work into your decklist (more on these later) and to develop your Red Mages skills, you can be very successful in the current standard.
V. Pillars of the Format
According to mtgo-stats.com, the most popular creatures in the format are:
~ Thragtusk 54%
~ Restoration Angel 45%
~ Centaur Healer* 31%
~ Huntmaster of the Fells 24%
~ Geist of St Traft 22%
~ Lingering Souls 19%
* = sees more play out of the sideboard than maindeck
Now, when you're doing changing your pants (because lets be honest, that list is terrifying), we need to realise that despite all those horrors, we're performing really well! Every one of those cards is excellent against R/x, and yet we still have a winning record against the field. We also now have a clearer picture of cards we need to be beating. You can't play a 75 that has no answer to each of these cards.
You now also have a filter through which to evaluate card choices and deck design. We're doing a good job at beating Thragtusk, with developments like Traitorous Blood, Nightbird's CLutches and Pyreheart Wolf (amongst others). What about Restoration Angel? It is going from largely unplayed a few weeks ago to being the 2nd most played creature - how do we answer that? Same with Geist of St Traft ~ the living saint of broken is only going to get more popular ~ Ux decks that run him are on the rise.
You can expect the numbers of Thragtusk and Huntmaster to remain pretty steady ~ the decks that run them seem to be a fairly consistent share of the metagame, and everyone is already running 4. Centaur Healer could increase in popularity in response to the success that Aggro is still having, but the impetous seems to be towards building to beat Jund ~ and Centaur Healer doesnt really help Reanimator or Bant do that ~ hence why it is now mostly a sideboard card. Still something to be aware of. Expect increases in the number of GoST, Restoration Angel and Lingering Souls as decks that run these cards are putting up good results which will see their numbers increase. We need technology for these cards. These are the cards you need to build your decks with them in mind ~ you're going to be facing them a lot.
At the same time, it needs to be kept in mind that we're in a metagame where the vast majority of decks are extremely hostile to Red Decks. We're now having to consistently deal 25-35 damage to win, instead of 20. And we're doing it. How much better can the decks that already exist get with GTC? Is Jund really going to get a better creature than Thragtusk or Huntmaster? I very much doubt it. New removal and slightly improved mana, sure, but neither of those fundamentally change the matchup. The control decks are likely to improve a bit with Dimir, but again, we're looking at new removal and better mana, probably a new and better finisher ~ but the nature of the matchup is unlikely to change. Its unlikely there will be a lot for Zombie decks, and GW Aggro will probably get something from Gruul (as will we) but not from Simic (whereas we have Boros :cool2:). The real threat is likely to come from new archetypes made possible by GTC ~ but we will have the opportunity to bolster our arsenal as well.
IV. Stacking the Odds in your Favour - Beating the Meta
So, now we know what people are playing, which decks are doing well and what the key cards are in those decks. Based on this information, we can probably have a good guess at what is going to be an increasingly big issue (coughGeistofStTraftcough).
Updated Testing Gauntlet:
source: https://www.wizards.com/Magic/Digital/MagicOnlineTourn.aspx?x=mtg/digital/magiconline/tourn/4520474
Definitely the best Jund player online, Batutinha has been collecting a lot of pro-scalps recently (and mine sadly). What I love about this deck is how no-nonsense it is; heaps of 1-for-1 removal and 2-for-1 creatures, the clasical (and best) Jund forumla. A dozen 1-for-1 removal spells keeps him alive early, then he is hoping to grind you out late; that he has maindeck Sever the Bloodline and Dreadbore means that he is better equipped than most Jund decks to deal with the fliers plan. Bonfire of the Damned means you cannot swarm him.
It is a hard deck to beat. I believe it is the best deck in the format.
At the same time, it can be a bit threat-lite. The draws can be very awkward. It can draw the wrong removal at the wrong time. Thankfully, he doesnt really have anything in the sideboard for Rx ~ he is maindecking all of his real anti-aggro cards. This means that Game 1 can be a real battle; but it gets better post sideboard. Falkenrath Aristocrat is still a real beating, as he is live to only Sever; Thundermaw Hellkite is still a beating if he has had to use Dreadbore early, or if he has drawn a mix of Pillar/Abrupt Decay. Underworld Connections can be nightmarish for the deck if they cannot remove it early. You want a good mix of threatens and Dreadbore post board; it deals with every threat in the deck.
For the Mono R guys, Pyreheart Wolf is a big problem for this deck, as well as Thundermaw. You're going to have to take more aggressive lines, which means playing into Bonfire ~ which sucks. The more experienced Mono R guys can give better advice.
Going first twice is really a big deal in this matchup, because it helps you Game 1 (the hardest game by far); post-board the games are quite even as long as you have relevant sideboard cards.
source: https://www.wizards.com/Magic/Digital/MagicOnlineTourn.aspx?x=mtg/digital/magiconline/tourn/4520474
Probably the biggest problem we face in the current standard metagame ~ GW aggro is just hard to deal with. It is a fast deck with hard to kill threats and while it can have (and frequently does have) a lot of do-nothing draws, you should expect it to increase its representation in the metagame due to its successes (it is also reasonably affordable and very easy to play).
First thing is first ~ both of our respective decks have cards the other hates to see. We don't like Loxodon Smiter or Wolfir Silverheart; they hate Ash Zealot, Falkenrath Aristocrat, Hellrider and Thundermaw Hellkite. You will notice they have no real way to deal with these cards in the maindeck anymore ~ their answers to fliers are all post board and bringing them in means significantly diluting their threat density. For this reason, they become a lot slower in Game 2 and 3. For our part, we're mostly taking out less effective threats to bring in more efficient ones.
Dreadbore and threatens are particularly nasty. Sever the Bloodline is definitely worth a look. Pyreheart Wolf is a real issue against these decks when they try to stabalize. Flames of the Firebrand is an absolute beating. You will notice that all their lifegain is post board, so you can usually race them Game 1. Be aware that they will be sideboarding into Restoration Angel and Thragtusk after-board and plan and play accordingly. Solving this matchup will go a long way towards making Rx a Tier 1 deck.
source: https://www.wizards.com/Magic/Digital/MagicOnlineTourn.aspx?x=mtg/digital/magiconline/tourn/4520421
Now this is terrifying ~ we have this seasons version of broken UW Tempo (a la Cawblade or UW Delver). A strong core of creatures, supplmented by tempo cards, counterspells and removal. The first big upside however, is that the deck has virtually no lifegain. When you're used to dealing 25-30 damage every other game, dealing exactly 20 comes surprisingly easily. The most important part of this matchup is knowing roughly what the contents of their deck are (its there, above...) and then picking lines of play that either fully play around or at least minimize the impact of whatever cards they could be representing.
Knowing how to sequence plays to get past counterspells, when to bait ~ these are all ksills that you need to develop and hone to beat this sort of deck. Thankfully, once you can, the matchup is pretty routine ~ assuming you can handle the GoST. Note that this deck is very weak to Knight of Infamy; both in attack and on defence they have precious few answers, all of which are just stalling ~ if you can stick him you're typically going to be in a good position.
As discussed previously, having answers in your deck to GoST or Restoration Angel will be paramount to sucess here.
I like to bring in at least a single Grafdigger's Cage (because Snapcaster Mage is such a key card in their deck) and if they have the pikes, probably a single Rakdos Charm. Thunderbolt or Dreadbore/Ultimate Price for killing Angels is very important and be sure not to side out removal than can kill Augur of Bolas ~ he is quite the roadblock early. At the same time, you can free play out your hand Game 1 ~ they don't maindeck sweepers.
source: https://www.wizards.com/Magic/Digital/MagicOnlineTourn.aspx?x=mtg/digital/magiconline/tourn/4520421
A very similar deck, now splashing red. The same lessons largely apply. One thing about these decks is that they defend extremely poorly ~ if you can them to start backing up they're often in real trouble; GoST and Snapcaster are not strong in defence! Try to hold your Knights of Infamy in hand until they have spent some red removal early ~ if they don't have access to more, then the Knight can start to take over. Be sure to play around Izzet Charm with your spells when you can.
source: https://www.wizards.com/Magic/Digital/MagicOnlineTourn.aspx?x=mtg/digital/magiconline/tourn/4520390
Finally, a very positive matchup! This match comes down to 1 card ~ Geist of St Traft. If they can stick him and protect him, they're in with a chance. Otherwise you're very likely to just run them over. Pillar of Flame and Flames of the Firebrand and particularly dangerous, while Ash Zealot and Knight of Infamy do a lot of work early. Evasive fliers are a big source of advantage as well. You will typically want to take out some number of Rakdos Cackler and/or Stonewright; they're not that effective in defence and they have real issue with all the 2-power first strikers. Stormkirk Noble is obviously devastating on the play.
source: https://www.wizards.com/Magic/Digital/MagicOnlineTourn.aspx?x=mtg/digital/magiconline/tourn/4520390
A pretty standard Bant deck. Notice how light the counter-magic suite is maindeck ~ you're largely free to play threats as you need to (play around synocpate where you can). Remember that Supreme Verdict comes on Turn 4. As long as you can deal with Thragtusk (and by now you should be able to), this is a very winnable matchup. Note that they bring in Centaur Healer post-board; so have a way to answer that. Dreadbore hits pretty much every threat they have. Underworld Connections is a real problem for this deck (because it is usually a 2-for-1 against them and they don't generate much CA outside of creatures). Evasive fliers can also do some real work.
source: https://www.wizards.com/Magic/Digital/MagicOnlineTourn.aspx?x=mtg/digital/magiconline/tourn/4520390
A pretty standard Junk Reanimator deck that is 'all-in' in Unburial Rites Game 1. Lingering Souls can be a real problem, as can Restoration Angel, Thragtusk and Angel of Serenity. Craterhoof Behemoth can kill you out of nowhere. This deck certainly plays some strong cards! It isnt a deck you want to be in a topdeck war with either ~ it probably draws stronger than any other deck in the format.
I have found that I have the most success when I can just put a heavy clock on them ~ typically I want to go 1 drop into 2 drop then something heavy-hitting (Hellrider/Aristocrat/Thundermaw). The matchup is pretty good Game 1 if your draw can handle Lingering Souls and/or Thragtusk, unless they score an early reanimation ~ then it is just going to be a hugely uphill battle. That is the nature of reanimator.
Post-board, they're going to have a small amount of removal and some additional lifegain. This means they need to dillute the rest of their deck. I like to bring in my threatens and graveyard hate; Sever the Bloodline can be particualrly effective (destroying all spirit tokens or exiling a reanimation target). Flames of the Firebrand is great pre- and post-board, where it answers their mana-dorks, spirit tokens and Centaur Healer. Usually you will take out low impact spells like Pillar of Flame for the matchup specific cards in your board.
source: https://www.wizards.com/Magic/Digital/MagicOnlineTourn.aspx?x=mtg/digital/magiconline/tourn/4520474
The easier of the two Zombie decks, the only real issues are Lotleth Troll and Geralf's Messenger. The good news is, whatever version you're playing, you can race them. The better news is that they don't ahve much in the sideboard other than changing their removal package. The key to winning Aggro-mirrors is managing each others clock ~ this is where Rx has an advantage ~ you can more easily remove their key threats than they can yours. You can also burn them out. Pillar of Flame and Flames of the Firebrand are obviously insane, as is Hellrider. Pyreheart Wolf is very powerful if they try to stabalize. The matchup is slightly favourable Game 1 and should stay about the same Game 2.
source: https://www.wizards.com/Magic/Digital/MagicOnlineTourn.aspx?x=mtg/digital/magiconline/tourn/4520474
This is really our sister deck (we're often Rb and they're Br) and plays very similarly. You're basically playing the mirror match, which means the advantage goes to the player with better sources of 2-for-1s. If you're heavy on Flames of the Firebrand, you're probably in a good place. Same with Sever the Bloodline. Note that they cannot really deal with the raw offensive power of Hellrider and that Ash Zealot can be a real problem if they don't have removal. Sideboarding well is crucial in this matchup.
New Red Technology
source: https://www.wizards.com/Magic/Digital/MagicOnlineTourn.aspx?x=mtg/digital/magiconline/tourn/4520474
source: https://www.wizards.com/Magic/Digital/MagicOnlineTourn.aspx?x=mtg/digital/magiconline/tourn/4520474
What I love about these two decks (and why I am highlighting them) is that they have meshed together what was making proper-sligh work with what is great about Sledgehammer Red. You've got some great early pressure to get in good damage early against the other midrange and control decks, and you have the endgame to compete once they start to stabalize. The sideboard technology is pretty nice as well; Archwing Dragon to help sink mana against control (notably, most of their removal is sorcery speed); Mizzium Mortars with the big mana deals with a lot of decks and the maindeck Lightning Maulers make the plan of bringing in Pyreheart Wolf against GW and Jund much more powerful.
source: https://www.wizards.com/Magic/Digital/MagicOnlineTourn.aspx?x=mtg/digital/magiconline/tourn/4520474
Here is a Sligh version that incorporates some of the same themes. Lightning Mauler in the main to enable Pyreheart Wolf in the board; Mortars and Threatens. Two Archwing Dragons for control. In particular, I like how realistic this deck is ~ 4 Thunderbolt's is a very fair response to Restoration Angel's increasing popularity.
source: https://www.wizards.com/Magic/Digital/MagicOnlineTourn.aspx?x=mtg/digital/magiconline/tourn/4520474
Finally, we have a deck that is going deep. Almost certainly designed with Jund in mind (Jund is afterall, 22% of the metagame) the sideboard directly addresses each of the major decks with a sideboard playset ~ Mutiny for Jund, Reanimator and GW; Flames for Aggro and Tokens, Thunderbolt for anything with Restoration Angel and Reckless Waif for Midrange and Control. I like Waif in particular; it isnt good everywhere (and mostly only on the play anyway) but when you can bring it in it really reinforces your threat density.
These decks are all geared to beat Jund and Uxx-Whatever, which accounts for ~55% of the metagame. The sideboards reinforce these matchups and tackle GW Aggro and other Aggro decks (improving to ~85% of the metagame), mostly leaving Reanimator ~ the deck against which Rx Aggro has its best natural matchup. While this match will get closer post board, these pilots must have felt it was good enough overall because not one of them sideboarded any graveyard hate. They might be on to something.
If you go and look at the list of problem cards above, you can look through each of these decks and see answers to all of them (racing GoST or playing 2-power blockers is an answer damnit!). They're all built with the pillars of the format in mind and they are consistently overcoming the problems that these cards (and by extension, the decks that play them) create. This is why Rx Aggro is here to stay ~ this season we have the tools to compete against whatever they can throw at us. Seriously, if Jund and Bant can consistently gain 10+ life and still lose about half the time, we're probably on to something.
IIV. Updated Card Evaluations
Getting Better
- Archwing Dragon: with traditional Blue Control rising in popularity, this midgame mana-sink looks increasingly attractive. What are they going to do? Bounce him? Attacks through Restoration Angel which is a huge plus.
- Pyreheart Wolf: originally proposed by Yarpus, then heavy tested by Derek Muthart, this card is slowly gaining traction as a way to fight through Jund and GWx Aggro. While I am not convinced that it should be maindecked myself, some number could belong in at least the sideboard of any deck.
- Lightning Mauler: mostly just worth considering if you're running Pyreheart Wolf, pretty bad still otherwise.
- Flames of the Firebrand: a real breakout card at the moment. Against any aggro deck or lingering souls deck (approximately 45% of all decks) it is amazing; against the rest it is either Arc Trail or Searing Spear, and guess what, those are fine cards as well. You will want 2-4 in your 75.
- Hellrider: with Jund starting to focus on Jund and with Control becoming more popular, Hellrider looks well positioned to keep enabling turn 4 kills. Absolute mainstay of the Mono R versions, could see some play in Dos Rakis as well.
- Stromkirk Noble: with Pillar of Flame and Azorius Charm falling in popularity and UW Humans gaining popularity, the best 1 drop in the format has somehow become even better. Proper support and planning is essential for success, and don't be above siding him out in bad matchups.
- Reckless Waif: While only 1 deck that placed this week had the waif maindeck, many had her as a 3-of or full playset in the sideboard. Why? On the play against a lot of decks, she is basically additional copies of Stormkirk Noble ~ that is, as Michael Jacob has stated, "free win man".
- Grafdigger's Cage: Snapcaster Mage, Lingering Souls and Reanimator are on the rise ~ this is a Silver Bullet.
- Sever the Bloodline: Reanimator is a real deck and lingering souls are real cards. Jund plays Olivia, Zombies play heaps of little guys. Kills Restoration Angel or Entreat the Angels tokens. There isnt really a bad matchup for this card.
- Underworld Connections: not for the feint of heart (I have dealt myself 18 damage in one game with my own Connections), but if you feel like joining the Rakdos Mafia, this card is an absolute beating against any of the Control decks and Jund. If it sticks for more than a couple of turns they just cannot come back from the advantage it provides. Surprisingly good Game 1 against most aggro decks as well, although you might want to cut it post-board. Definite contender for at least a single spot in the 75 of a Dos Rakis deck.
- Ultimate Price: the key threats in the format are becoming clear and most of them a mono-colour (Thragtusk, Restoration Angel, Angel of Serenity, to name a few). Instant speed terrors have always been good. Might not be as good as Dreadbore overall though.
- Thunderbolt: saved the best for last ~ one of my favourite cards from last season is finally worth maindecking again! Huge blowout potential against Restoration Angel, and at the worst, it is an extra bolt upstairs ~ isn't that what we love about Searing Spear anyway? Definitely deserves a few spots in the 75 of any MonoR deck, maybe even Dos Rakis if you're particularly worried about Angels.
Holding Value
- Pillar of Flame: still considered a Pillar of the Format, outside of other aggro decks, it probably isnt doing enough to warrant a full playset in your 75 anymore (I have mine split between main and board). You still need some to help navigate the early game against the other aggressive decks.
- Searing Spear: by holding value, I mean the only card I have never sided out in any number, ever. Sure, its a bad lightning bolt, but there is a lot of room for a card to not be broken and still be great. Searing Spear is in that space.
- Gore-House Chainwalker: an important cog in the machine against the midrange and control decks ~ he applies a very quick clock and can trade with most creatures they try to stabalize with. With lingering souls on the rise, gets a little better.
- Traitorous Blood / Mark of Mutiny: these cards are the answer to Jund and Reanimator ~ every time you draw one there is tremendous opportunity to win instantly. The only real question is whether or not to run the full 4 copies.
- Thundermaw Hellkite: as good as ever, looks even better with Jund changing their removal package and lingering souls increasing in popularity.
- Falkenrath Aristocrat: Holds because while it is good against most aggro and control and midrange decks (so, the format
it is hurt by lingering souls becoming popular again. Be sure to have a way to deal with that handicap in your 75.
Getting Worse
- Brimstone Volley: still a good spell, but maybe not a great spell anymore. With the format becoming more midrange with lifegain (against which burning them out is unrealistic) and control (against which you just want repeated sources of advantage), a card this dedicated to racing becomes less exciting. Some of the placing Red Decks cut some number to make room for Thunderbolt or Flames of the Firebrand ~ either seem like a good option with the developments in the metagame.
- Rakdos Shred-Freak: probably outclassed by Lightning Mauler if you're on the Pyreheart Wolf plan. Definitely gets a lot worse with lingering souls in the format. Still playable, though maybe not as a playset (maybe in the sideboard?)
- Olivia Voldaren: while she is still nearly a free-win against some decks, she is definitely getting worse with the number of blue decks increasing. I am down to a singleton.
- Slaughter Games: UWr miracles is no longer a deck and while the card is nice against Reanimator, there are cheaper options (Grafdigger's Cage?). Since you're already in Black, you can Dreadbore Planeswalkers which means you don't lose card advantage. Right now there doesnt really feel like an incredibly pressing need for this effect (although I appreciate there is for some other decks, just not really Rx Aggro).
- Annihilating Fire: orginally only included to help shore up the Zombie matchup (remember when Zombies were ~30% of all decks?), quite redundant now because it is just bad in every other matchup.
Conclusion - Why Rx Aggro is here to stay
So, you've reached the end of my little soapbox moment, and hopefully, whether you're a Red Mage or not, you found it all to be at least relatively grounded in reality. I am not here to tell you that Rx is the best deck, or even a Tier 1 deck. What I want each and every one of you that reads this to know is that this season, if you're willing to put in the work, the rewards will come. This is one of the most 'hostile' metagames that red has ever existed in ~ you're now expected to deal 25-35 damage every game! And we can do that, with more left over if they're brave enough to try reanimating Thragtusk. How much better can the other decks get against us? They already have spot removal that kills everything in our deck. They have sweepers than 2-for-1 us. They have huge creatures that are way more powerful than anything in our deck. But we're still here and we're still winning.
I look forward to several more months of "End of turn, Searing Spear. Upstairs. Untap, tap, Searing Spear ~ upstairs. Extend hand".
And who knows, maybe in a few months I will be saying Lightning Helix? A boy has to dream.
Thank you to all the red mages who have kept me grounded, kept me entertained and contributed hundreds of hours of testing, notes and anecdotes. Everything we have accomplished from someone getting their first match win at an FNM to putting multiples players into the Top 8s at States has been the result of your collective hard work and passion. Thank you everyone.
Sources ~
www.manadeprived.com/standard-metagame
www.mtgo-stats.com
http://www.wizards.com/magic/Digital/MagicOnline.aspx?x=mtg/digital/magiconline/whatshappening
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1
Someone in this RTR block team is just dumb as most of us created cards I'm pretty sure would add more to the game then this...
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No it's not. A 2/4 don't make it pass x/3+ flyers such as Restoration Angel and Olivia. 5 manas 2/4 flyer is way, way below the curve while a 5 mana 4/4 is ok. This is not even a limited bomb once many many commons and uncommon in GTC and RTR can block it. What kind of bomb get stopped by a Concordia Pegasus ?
1
This is WEAKER then Air Elemental in any deck but dedicated mill shell. Which means his weaker overall since his narrower and only ''better'' in a unplayable deck.
PS: I'm not a spike. This is THAT weak.
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This skeleton is the 'consensus'. It's the only one that fits the number crunch. As you can see there's 2 rares for each mono color, so nothing changes with Renounce the Guilds.
...............Common..Uncommon....Rare...Mythic...Total
Monocolor.....30........10................10......0...........50
Gold.............30........10................20......10.........70
Split..............0.........10.................5.......0...........15
Artifact..........0.........10.................0.......0...........10
Land.............10........0...................0.......1...........11
Total.............70.......40................35......11.........156
* The prediction with no rares at mono color was impossible to fit to begin with because it would requires 20 mono color uncommons, which means we would get no artifacts at all (since uncommons at gold and split are facts at this point). At least 1 rare at monocolor was expected.
* You suggest that there's -5 Rares at mono color and +5 rares at split. But then we are left with 45 mono color cards, which means we have to add 5 commons or 5 uncommons to the monocolor count. We can't remove 5 cards from gold because those must be a multiple of 10 (1 card for every guild). So we're left with artifacts and splits.
* So, 10 gold split cards are only possible if: Theres 45, not 50 cards in monocolor (which would requires 5 gold cards before Advent of Wurm) OR theres 5 uncommon artifacts (which would requires 5 cards after Wear) OR theres actually only 5 uncommon splits. All those are highly unlikely which makes people believe this is actually DMG correct skeleton.
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2
Price stability ? This doesn't make any sense when the government use people's own money to stabilize it. Price oscillations will be contained but people already paid for the higher prices by loaning their money !
If certain industries have a cost structure that only big producers can prevail, there isn't a reason to believe society should force small producers in that field.
A handful of large producers are not necessarily a bad thing as long as they behave in a competitive manner. Since commodity demands are inelastic, those people won't be able to raise their markups anyway.
Also I don't think small operators runs so much risks to a point they would simply vanish without government loans. Maybe only the really small or the really inefficient ones.
And the government is a better analyst of people's own interests ?
I'm pretty sure people have a better idea about their preferences then anyone else does.
Lobbyist oftentimes evoke the argument that government should keep helping then with cheap loans or subsidies or else they will bankrupt and raise unemployment. They use their employees as hostages to negotiate.
1
* Victory Syphon: Pretty fair and cool. I like it.
* Repetitive Emotions: Feels a bit clunky word wise but i like the design. It is a nice enchant for the likes of Master Healer and Prodigal Pyromancer (in limited).
* Nihilistic Spiritualist: the first ability should specify creatures and pw, since those are the only kind of permanents that takes damage. The wording on the second ability should be "put three 1/1 white Spirit creature tokens with flying onto the battlefield with "this creature attack each turn if able"".
I like the dsign but the spirirt tokens should also be red since they have a typically red draw back.
* Dragon Reincarnation Cycle: extremely cute, my fav of yours !!!
* Barath the Unmaker: Not sure if i like this one.
His first 2 abilities feels totally black and not a wedge at all. The first one is quite narrow and requires some sort of mill or the second one to work. When the order of abilities to be used are determined by the mechanics alone, i think the PW has design issues.
The third ability is quite nice and totally fit the colors, except it doesn't have any synergy with the first 2. It's actually quite strange since he is destroying your opponent's creatures and building a army for you...
* Shade of Remorse: one of the best WB guys ever. Totally master piece !
* Bitter End: why not "destroy target creature. ~~ deals damage to target creature's controller equal to that creature toughness'" ? It's a uncommon power in my opinion.
* Life of War: narrow and weird. You have to spend mana, life and hope for a enemy creature on the field in order to get tokens out of it.
1
But smaller business might bankrupt or simply not join the market, helping the bigger companies to maintain or increase it's market share. Eventually a minimal wage might give so much share to the bigger companies that it's simply worth it.
Some of the biggest companies in Brazil aggressively lobby for higher minimal wages. It's a guarantee that only then can produce because only then can pay those wages (this is prevalent in the industry sector). I know it because I've worked there.
1
Mechanic: Pay life to cast spells instead of mana. Flavor: Phyrexians can extract energy from living things (destroying then in the process) as showed in the concepts of Phyrexian Lens and Phyrexian Altar. The PW do it to himself in order to generate energy for the spell instead of using a landbond.
Mechanic: Cast spell of colors you can't produce mana. Flavor: In magic, artificial things can be conjured by any kind of mana and they can simulate what any kind of spell can do. A Mono Green PW can grab a Disruptive Scepter and do something akin to black mind magic. Phyrexian spells represents phyrexian artificial nature by allowing the PW to cast a spell outside the colors of his land bounds, the very same thing artifacts do.
I like phyrexian mana a lot from a flavor stand point. The PW that learns with phyrexian behaves like a artificer, simulating many effects he can't do without artificial magic. But instead of well engineered power plants (see how artifact decks such as tron use a mana rock artifact to ramp to a bigger mana rocks which is used to ramp into even bigger mana rocks or untap artifacts) he sacrifices his own health.
1
The persecution of communists happen not because they discovered a superior way of productive organization, but because they political agenda evolves inflicting people's property rights at mass scale.
If cooperatives invariably requires a social movements that eliminates private property for everyone outside the movement, it's a already a horrible form of organization. A good form of organization would naturally spawn (like capitalistic enterprises did) and prove itself better then the current forms.
I know historically accepted rights play a huge role in this and establishing new rights might involve some fighting and the destruction of previews accepted rights. Still, some rational discussion over which set of rights leads to the better outcome is needed. I'm pretty sure society would be a lot more open minded to real left-wing ideas if left-wing scientists could prove their revolution will improve people's standard of leaving. You're asking us to leave millennial institution (free-trade and private property), one that proved to be source of prosperity for many, to adopt a new way of production that is not even proved it's a better way.
The dismantle of safety nets occur when people realize the government is manipulating a big part of the economy's outcome. When high standard of living is reached by the majority of people in certain areas, safety nets loose it's appeal as people can pay for their own education, health, security, etc.
People will ways choose to have choices, they choose a providing government that cut their choices only when the private choice is not possible because they simply don't have money.