I went 7-2 in the BO1 constructed event on Arena. I lost to, W/B Aristocrats! LOL. They were running Cruel Celebrant which impressed me much more than I though it would. I'm going to test out some celebrants in my list now. I've also been winning lots of games on the ranked ladder.
I'm actually starting to think Knights tribal is a thing. I'm doing really well with this list. Gideon is great. Note that he can convoke the turn he comes out. I'm also eyeing Oath of Kaya a bit more heavily if I'm running this many knights and also a walker. Conclave TribunalVenerated Loxodon are great in the deck. NOTE THAT MIDNIGHT REAPER IS A KNIGHT!!!!
Okay, a friend just reminded me of the perfect card for this deck: Plaguecrafter
This card alongside Midnight Reaper and the new Gideon is where we want to be. This with all of our afterlife creatures/gutter bones looks really good. Midnight Reaper and plaguecrafter will net us so many cards.
Reassembling skeleton is one worth looking at. Don't think it makes the cut, but we need to consider it.
I've been considering W/B aristocrat style deck as well. Just brewing on Arena, haven't spent the wildcards on it yet. Your deck is definitely missing Midnight Reaper also Venerated Loxodon and Conclave Tribunal should be great. I don't like Priest of forgotten gods that much, too slow to set up. I think Knight of Grace and Knight of Malice are worth considering. 2/2 first strike on turn 2 blocks well against aggro. We have a lot of multi-colored permanents to turn them both on and buff them up. Note the after-life tokens are both w/b so just 1 of those will turn on either knight.
I haven't made a true list yet, but this is what's in the brew pile on Arena for me:
I gotta say, it's amazing how many people already have full War of the Spark sets one day after launch. I wouldn't have expected it, but I see more people playing with large amounts of the new cards than not. Running into tons of decks, at Gold rank, with multiple full 4 rare/mythic card sets. I opened about 20 packs and dont really have much, so I added a few cards to existing decks to play around with them, but I see a lot of whole new deck types. I dont know how they do it, but this game I guess is printing money off these people.
Yes, I'm sure the game is making massive amounts of money. I used a ton of Uncommon Wildcards, but the limits are always Rares, and I just dont have enough, it would take a lot of money to complete the mana bases alone.
Just build the mana bases for 1 or 2 decks. Do you really need to be able to play every color combo? If so, yes, expect to spend money.
I didn't know you could even spend money on Dual of the planeswalkers, barely heard about it. They are using Arena for actual gameplay in some of the Mythic championships, what used to be the Pro-tour. They are paying 32 pros $75,000 a year to stream a certain number of hours and play in events for Arena. The only way Arena goes away anytime in the next few years is if Magic totally fails as a game. It's already too big for Wizard's to pull back, too much money to be made.
In 8 rounds on Bo3 Arena, Domri, Anarch of Bolas has really impressed. It lets you trim specific removal in favor of playing a 3cmc mana dork that anthemns your team and fights.
I made Mythic last night, beating Caleb Durwald for my last two bars. He was on RG Pig. He was slow to the board and I ran him over 2-0.
Nice, good to know and congratz ! Do you mind sharing your deck list ? I tried out a bunch of different versions but I'm still unsure who "small" or how "midrange" I really want to go. Are Llanowar Elves and Pelt Collector needed to get the most out of Domri, Anarch of Bolas ? If so, what are we really "ramping" into - and are we running 5 drops and/or other walkers ?
It's not exactly ramping, but you can get a good tempo play with some of the cards we have. I play shock and light up the stage. Play domri then shock. I suspect Pelt collectors would be good, as we can play domri, drop a pelt collector, swing in and trade creatures, thus buffing pelt collector.
I've been running Grand Warlord Radha in bo1 arena pre-war of the spark. She's been a beast and I almost always have something to do with that extra mana. It's not necessarily "I must play a high cmc creature in the deck" to make Domri worth it. Just drop a zhur-taa and a spellbreaker on turn 4, give them both haste and go to town.
There's also Growth chamber guardian, which I try to consider a 5 drop most of the time. You can play and search with him on turn 4 with Domri out.
I was beginning to brew around Evolution Sage when I had initially misread the card as "when it etbs proliferate." I liked the card when I thought of it this way, but needing to hit a land drop to enable it makes it bad in my opinion. That means it becomes a turn-4 essentially play, where you'll end up with an extra mana and nothing to do with it. Then you played a 3/2 on turn 4 that's dependent on other creatures being out that already have counters on them... People can respond to the trigger in order to play a shock/lightning strike before the counter goes on a creature, before it gets out of reach. We're talking about getting 1 or 2 counters at most the turn it comes down. If you're set up well with creatures then play this turn 3 and hope... You're opponent will figure something out to hamper you plans before that land comes down turn 4. A 3/2 on it's own is a bad creature for 3 mana creature in standard, and it can't buff its self at all.
I think the landfall part of this card is too clunky for our deck.
Ghalta seems like it could be pretty good alongside Domri, Anarch of Bolas as well. If you have 3 creatures out then play domri, you just reduced Ghalta's cost by 3, AND you have an extra mana to throw at it's casting cost too. I can see times where you could potentially finagle domri as a "free spell" you play the turn you cast Ghalta.
I'm not really salty about the Giant Growth and other feedback. Sometimes you just want a card to work so badly you overlook the other stuff. I just miss casting growth...
Fine guys, just crush my dreams I hear you, don't bother with the pump spells.
I do like the looks of Domri, Anarch of Bolas. I feel like he'll be best utilized alongside pelt collector or another 1 drop. Best scenario turn 1 collector into turn 2 Zhuur-taa Goblin as 3/3 into turn 3 Domri, then either fight to truck damage through and prevent a swing back on Domri, or add mana play another pelt collector or shock. Swing in for 7 damage on turn 3.
I think that static +1/+0 alongside our high power creatures will enable our creatures to hit just about any creature late in the game. Even a Gruulspell breaker fights for 5 with domri out, not too bad.
I just realized we can use domri's mana ability to cast Light up the Stage if we can get damage through on combat. Also, between domri, llanowar elves and that new Paradise Druid, we can consider sneaking in a couple of Steel-leaf Champion without having to give up Rekindling Phoenix or causing mana problems. It might be a "4 drop" of sorts, but one that could leave us a red up for shock or light up the stage on turn 4 as well.
Angrath, Giant Growth and Samut's Sprint are completely trash cards in Standard. GG hasn't been a viable constructed card in ages, and sprint might be even worse. What you're talking about is a casual deck, not competitive.
I'm coming at this from a bo1 perspective on Arena. You must be able to beat aggro for bo1, and giant growth can be a fine card to do so. It does help against control too, if you know how to wait for the right moment to play a pump spell. I can beat Teferi control in bo1, it's hard, but it does happen. When it happens it's because I could be aggro enough to kill them before they can set up. When I don't kill them, they are often at 1-3 life before they stabilize and come back up. Giant growth would help in these scenarios.
I'm trying to get at the fact that these cards may be good in a more aggro version of the deck. Yes, you would build your deck to be much lower to the ground in order to enable these cards, and you still wouldn't want more than like 4 max. However, I can see a single giant growth being good in just about any version of the deck. We have access to haste/trample/flying creatures... Just make sure you don't get blown out with a removal spell after casting it. Yes, it takes a bit of maneuvering and planning, that's why you limit the number of copies you play so you only see 1 copy a game at most.
I've raced mono-red multiple times with my deck list, it's just that aggro for bo1. Giant growth helps the deck become even faster possibly... I don't think it should just be discounted out of hand because it didn't make deck lists in the past. You can't directly compare cards to past standard environments they were in because we are in a different environment right now (which is still totally theoretical.) Perhaps a better comparison is how long has it been since a combat trick this good has been printed? This is basically the premium green combat trick to which all others are compared. Combat tricks aren't needed that much, but they can find uses as Collision // Colossus has done for us already with this deck.
These cards will help against aggro decks in the early/mid/late game, and also beat out midrange/control in the mid to late game. I'm not saying they each necessitate multiple copies in the mainboard. But I'm sure at least 1-3 of these mainboard should be correct. Especially if we can craft a more-aggro version of gruul, which we should be able to do in this meta.
Note that I am tackling this from a bo1 Arena perspective mainly, but I believe these are at least sideboard worthy in bo3 as well.
Gruul already has the ability to be very aggro given our riot/haste creatures and Rekindling Phoenix. Llanowar elves are also decent already for our deck, but much better with creature pump spells, especially those that gives haste. Samut's sprint actually ADDS synergy to our haste/riot creatures as we can make them large and still attack with them. Also a 6/4 haste scry 1 Rekindling Pheonix turn 5 is something to write home about. As is a 6-10 (12?) power haste Kraul Harpooner in the late game.
Giant Growth can protect llanowar elves and pelt collector so the can trade in the early/midgame while also protecting them from burn spells. Also, we have trample/haste in Gruul Spellbreaker or 7 flying damage with Rekindling Phoenix. Turn 4 spellbreaker+Samut's sprint, 6/4 trample haste with hexproof for the turn.
I'm also curious about Rubblebelt Rioters as being a possible addition. You can giant growth/samut's sprint something before attacking with this and have two HUGE creatures. A bit fragile, until you consider we run Gruul Spellbreaker and Rekindling Pheonix in the deck as well. So this is potentially a 4/4 top decked as well. Should help close out the games early. This can be crazy paired with Harpooner Krauler turn 5. Play Krauler after control has destroyed a bunch of your creatures, swing in for a healthy amount haste on turn 5.
My current legal pet favorite cards for bo1 are 4Light up the Stage and 2Grand Warlord Radha. Radha is also good with all of the pump spells I've mentioned previously.
I see the possibility of a deck playing some 1 drop creatures: llanowar elves, Pelt Collector, maybe footlight fiend alongside a few of these crazy pump spells, haste creatures, and the new Vivien Planeswalker, or the older or newer Domri Walkers. Maybe even the older Vivien too!
The fact that most of these haste creatures combo with Samut's Sprint by just becoming bigger is awesome.
There is also Zhur-taa Goblin, a card I've looked at favorably before, but becomes much better with giant growth and/or samut's sprint.
Pump spells are good with Direfleet Captain also, should that card remain viable.
There are quite a few possible additions to the deck to be had in this set. Not sure about the choice between Massacre Wurm and Demon of Dark Schemes. Flying is nice, but the wurm could end up doing a whole lot of damage over the course of a few turns...
I really like the look of Liliana, Dreadhorde Master Extra card draw, more zombies, and make everyone sac. 2 creatures? I'm in, once the price drops.
Ashiok Dream Render this card does too much to not look at. The opponents can't search their library part is well worth it. I'm always wanting cards that exile graveyards but also does other things.
Gleaming Overseer not sure about this guy, but adding 2 zombie bodies for 3 mana is nice. You can start the draining of life away early. Giving your zombies tokens menace is also really nice too. I find we want our tokens to have evasion on them otherwise they are usually too small to attack with.
Finale of Eternity are we going to be reaching the 12 mana to make this spell really worth it though? Probably not too often. Probably doesn't go in, but worth looking at.
I don't know about this 50% of the cards for free thing, but there are ways to spend your gold more efficiently. One way to get more gold is to once a day, click on a 500 gold quest to cycle it to something different. You get a chance to cycle into a 750 gold quest instead. You can click one quest, once a day only. The most important thing I think is to not waste your wildcards. If you are trying to get all of those cards to play constructed, decide on a decklist before you start building it. I'd recommend cruising the deck building forums and/or youtube to figure out which decks are good. Spend all your resources to get yourself just one, good tier 1 deck. Mono-red and mono-blue are the easiest to build because they don't take rare lands and utilize many commons/uncommons, thus making them easier to put together.
Once you have a tier 1 deck, try out the ranked ladder. It's easier/faster to put together a bo1 as opposed to bo3 deck as bo3 requires 75 cards overall instead of 60.
I would only recommend using the pay to play constructed event if you can at least break even, or actually gain gold through wins. If you can't at least make your money back on average, it's probably not worth playing yet. Give it 2-3 shots. If you aren't breaking even after 3 entries, stop playing it, you'll waste your gold. Don't be afraid to check back in with the pay to play events if you go up in skill level or feel you built a better deck. Currently I am at a winning gold level with the constructed event so I'm mining it. I struck out with like 4 earlier attempts at it before though.
After you have a tier 1 deck, use your gold to play the ranked draft in order to convert it to gems. I would recommend saving any gold you may earn now until the war of the spark draft is released. It takes a week or two after the set drops for them to offer the most current set available to draft for gold. You start building up gems, which you use for bo3 drafts, which are a bit easier to "go infinite" on. Don't be afraid to "rare draft" a card you know to be absolutely bonkers for a deck you want to build.
By saving up resources for when a new set drops, you can ensure that you get MANY cards from the set. This in turn helps you fill up the vault, which is huge in terms of getting those precious wildcards. I have gone through the vault like 5 times since the open beta using mostly the method described. Once you have acquired basically all the commons/uncommons in a set, the vault starts to fill up quickly.
If you don't have a deck that you really like and nets you at least 50% wins, spend your gold on packs instead of drafts. With the meta on the brink of changing in only 2 weeks, it may be smart to just save that gold and spend it on war of the spark packs to get to that first good deck.
I was running this:
Spaces for Radiant Blessing and Valiant Knight Dauntless Bodyguard Benalish Marshal being considered.
Plaguecrafter
This card alongside Midnight Reaper and the new Gideon is where we want to be. This with all of our afterlife creatures/gutter bones looks really good. Midnight Reaper and plaguecrafter will net us so many cards.
Reassembling skeleton is one worth looking at. Don't think it makes the cut, but we need to consider it.
I haven't made a true list yet, but this is what's in the brew pile on Arena for me:
Just build the mana bases for 1 or 2 decks. Do you really need to be able to play every color combo? If so, yes, expect to spend money.
I didn't know you could even spend money on Dual of the planeswalkers, barely heard about it. They are using Arena for actual gameplay in some of the Mythic championships, what used to be the Pro-tour. They are paying 32 pros $75,000 a year to stream a certain number of hours and play in events for Arena. The only way Arena goes away anytime in the next few years is if Magic totally fails as a game. It's already too big for Wizard's to pull back, too much money to be made.
It's not exactly ramping, but you can get a good tempo play with some of the cards we have. I play shock and light up the stage. Play domri then shock. I suspect Pelt collectors would be good, as we can play domri, drop a pelt collector, swing in and trade creatures, thus buffing pelt collector.
I've been running Grand Warlord Radha in bo1 arena pre-war of the spark. She's been a beast and I almost always have something to do with that extra mana. It's not necessarily "I must play a high cmc creature in the deck" to make Domri worth it. Just drop a zhur-taa and a spellbreaker on turn 4, give them both haste and go to town.
There's also Growth chamber guardian, which I try to consider a 5 drop most of the time. You can play and search with him on turn 4 with Domri out.
I'm building a giant growth, samut's sprint scapeshift deck now
I think the landfall part of this card is too clunky for our deck.
Ghalta seems like it could be pretty good alongside Domri, Anarch of Bolas as well. If you have 3 creatures out then play domri, you just reduced Ghalta's cost by 3, AND you have an extra mana to throw at it's casting cost too. I can see times where you could potentially finagle domri as a "free spell" you play the turn you cast Ghalta.
I'm not really salty about the Giant Growth and other feedback. Sometimes you just want a card to work so badly you overlook the other stuff. I just miss casting growth...
I do like the looks of Domri, Anarch of Bolas. I feel like he'll be best utilized alongside pelt collector or another 1 drop. Best scenario turn 1 collector into turn 2 Zhuur-taa Goblin as 3/3 into turn 3 Domri, then either fight to truck damage through and prevent a swing back on Domri, or add mana play another pelt collector or shock. Swing in for 7 damage on turn 3.
I think that static +1/+0 alongside our high power creatures will enable our creatures to hit just about any creature late in the game. Even a Gruulspell breaker fights for 5 with domri out, not too bad.
Something like this:
4 Zhur-taa Goblin
4 Kraul Harpooner
4 Growth-Chamber Guardian
1 Thrashing Brontodon.
4 Gruul Spellbreaker
4 Rekindling Phoenix
1 Skarrgan Hellkite
4 Lightning Strike
2 Domri, Anarch of Bolas
2 Light Up the Stage
7 Mountain
8 Forest
4 Rootbound Crag
4 Stomping Ground
I just realized we can use domri's mana ability to cast Light up the Stage if we can get damage through on combat.
I'm coming at this from a bo1 perspective on Arena. You must be able to beat aggro for bo1, and giant growth can be a fine card to do so. It does help against control too, if you know how to wait for the right moment to play a pump spell. I can beat Teferi control in bo1, it's hard, but it does happen. When it happens it's because I could be aggro enough to kill them before they can set up. When I don't kill them, they are often at 1-3 life before they stabilize and come back up. Giant growth would help in these scenarios.
I'm trying to get at the fact that these cards may be good in a more aggro version of the deck. Yes, you would build your deck to be much lower to the ground in order to enable these cards, and you still wouldn't want more than like 4 max. However, I can see a single giant growth being good in just about any version of the deck. We have access to haste/trample/flying creatures... Just make sure you don't get blown out with a removal spell after casting it. Yes, it takes a bit of maneuvering and planning, that's why you limit the number of copies you play so you only see 1 copy a game at most.
I've raced mono-red multiple times with my deck list, it's just that aggro for bo1. Giant growth helps the deck become even faster possibly... I don't think it should just be discounted out of hand because it didn't make deck lists in the past. You can't directly compare cards to past standard environments they were in because we are in a different environment right now (which is still totally theoretical.) Perhaps a better comparison is how long has it been since a combat trick this good has been printed? This is basically the premium green combat trick to which all others are compared. Combat tricks aren't needed that much, but they can find uses as Collision // Colossus has done for us already with this deck.
Samut's Sprint
Giant Growth
These cards will help against aggro decks in the early/mid/late game, and also beat out midrange/control in the mid to late game. I'm not saying they each necessitate multiple copies in the mainboard. But I'm sure at least 1-3 of these mainboard should be correct. Especially if we can craft a more-aggro version of gruul, which we should be able to do in this meta.
Note that I am tackling this from a bo1 Arena perspective mainly, but I believe these are at least sideboard worthy in bo3 as well.
Gruul already has the ability to be very aggro given our riot/haste creatures and Rekindling Phoenix. Llanowar elves are also decent already for our deck, but much better with creature pump spells, especially those that gives haste. Samut's sprint actually ADDS synergy to our haste/riot creatures as we can make them large and still attack with them. Also a 6/4 haste scry 1 Rekindling Pheonix turn 5 is something to write home about. As is a 6-10 (12?) power haste Kraul Harpooner in the late game.
Giant Growth can protect llanowar elves and pelt collector so the can trade in the early/midgame while also protecting them from burn spells. Also, we have trample/haste in Gruul Spellbreaker or 7 flying damage with Rekindling Phoenix. Turn 4 spellbreaker+Samut's sprint, 6/4 trample haste with hexproof for the turn.
Let's not forget that Collision / Colossus is also a card.
I'm also curious about Rubblebelt Rioters as being a possible addition. You can giant growth/samut's sprint something before attacking with this and have two HUGE creatures. A bit fragile, until you consider we run Gruul Spellbreaker and Rekindling Pheonix in the deck as well. So this is potentially a 4/4 top decked as well. Should help close out the games early. This can be crazy paired with Harpooner Krauler turn 5. Play Krauler after control has destroyed a bunch of your creatures, swing in for a healthy amount haste on turn 5.
My current legal pet favorite cards for bo1 are 4Light up the Stage and 2Grand Warlord Radha. Radha is also good with all of the pump spells I've mentioned previously.
I see the possibility of a deck playing some 1 drop creatures: llanowar elves, Pelt Collector, maybe footlight fiend alongside a few of these crazy pump spells, haste creatures, and the new Vivien Planeswalker, or the older or newer Domri Walkers. Maybe even the older Vivien too!
The fact that most of these haste creatures combo with Samut's Sprint by just becoming bigger is awesome.
There is also Zhur-taa Goblin, a card I've looked at favorably before, but becomes much better with giant growth and/or samut's sprint.
Pump spells are good with Direfleet Captain also, should that card remain viable.
I really like the look of Liliana, Dreadhorde Master Extra card draw, more zombies, and make everyone sac. 2 creatures? I'm in, once the price drops.
Ashiok Dream Render this card does too much to not look at. The opponents can't search their library part is well worth it. I'm always wanting cards that exile graveyards but also does other things.
Gleaming Overseer not sure about this guy, but adding 2 zombie bodies for 3 mana is nice. You can start the draining of life away early. Giving your zombies tokens menace is also really nice too. I find we want our tokens to have evasion on them otherwise they are usually too small to attack with.
Finale of Eternity are we going to be reaching the 12 mana to make this spell really worth it though? Probably not too often. Probably doesn't go in, but worth looking at.
Once you have a tier 1 deck, try out the ranked ladder. It's easier/faster to put together a bo1 as opposed to bo3 deck as bo3 requires 75 cards overall instead of 60.
I would only recommend using the pay to play constructed event if you can at least break even, or actually gain gold through wins. If you can't at least make your money back on average, it's probably not worth playing yet. Give it 2-3 shots. If you aren't breaking even after 3 entries, stop playing it, you'll waste your gold. Don't be afraid to check back in with the pay to play events if you go up in skill level or feel you built a better deck. Currently I am at a winning gold level with the constructed event so I'm mining it. I struck out with like 4 earlier attempts at it before though.
After you have a tier 1 deck, use your gold to play the ranked draft in order to convert it to gems. I would recommend saving any gold you may earn now until the war of the spark draft is released. It takes a week or two after the set drops for them to offer the most current set available to draft for gold. You start building up gems, which you use for bo3 drafts, which are a bit easier to "go infinite" on. Don't be afraid to "rare draft" a card you know to be absolutely bonkers for a deck you want to build.
By saving up resources for when a new set drops, you can ensure that you get MANY cards from the set. This in turn helps you fill up the vault, which is huge in terms of getting those precious wildcards. I have gone through the vault like 5 times since the open beta using mostly the method described. Once you have acquired basically all the commons/uncommons in a set, the vault starts to fill up quickly.
If you don't have a deck that you really like and nets you at least 50% wins, spend your gold on packs instead of drafts. With the meta on the brink of changing in only 2 weeks, it may be smart to just save that gold and spend it on war of the spark packs to get to that first good deck.