I think it's going to be too slow. Soul-Scar Mage into Earthshaker Khenra into Ahn-Crop Crasher is a really nice curve to put early pressure on your opponent while you bring your burn package online.
Fast Red aggro is getting some more juice, which I like. It's getting a possible new top-end threat in Magmaroth, a couple of combat tricks, and some first strike creatures. Fast Red aggro was already pretty decent, and I think this set makes it better.
Earthshaker Khenra caught my eye. A 2/1 Haste with recursive and an ETB effect all for 2 cmc seems pretty good. Some people mentioned that it could be in the non-existent Red Burn deck in standard, and I agree with that, but unfortunately Wizards does not want Burn to ever be part of Standard again. I think it slots into a low to the ground, cheap mono-Red deck.
This deck started as the Mono-Black Discard Deck for Kaladesh featured on the SBMtG youtube channel. Dev did a great job with it, so please check it out.
I would prefer Wizards took a more agnostic approach towards archetypes. Just because the game designers hate burn or land destruction or stasis (one I personally loathe) doesn't mean they should be excluded from the format. A good Burn deck reigns in all sorts of annoying junk. Besides, the solution to every problem in MTG is fire.
Burn is an important archetype. I know that WotC wants people to play critters, Planeswalkers, and artifacts, but Burn is there for the people who just want to watch the world (or in this case their opponent) Burn. Some of us don't want to spend the game tapping mana to play creatures. Some of us feel that's boring. Some of us would much rather send it straight to the dome and make our opponents find answers before we count to seven.
Burn (and WU Control) should be solid archetypes not because WotC developers like them, but because some of their customers do. In the end, we're the ones paying money for product. They should respond to what we want, not the other way around.
I don't really buy the idea that they won't reprint these just to keep prices on the secondary markets high. WoTC has shown in the past that they don't care about the secondary market, or at least it isn't a primary concern, and none of the cards I listed are expensive, except for Thoughtseize.
WoTC probably just thinks these cards are too powerful for Standard, and I believe that if they released just one it would be. Lightning Bolt without Serum Visions or Thoughtseize would be too powerful. If they released all of them in the same set, there would be some balance.
I don't think Lightning Bolt is too powerful for a staple Red card. Sure, there's a lot of stuff it can hit, including players and planeswalkers, but that's true in Modern, Legacy, and Vintage as well. Those formats don't seem bothered by it.
I think I like this idea. The fast cycle and constant drive to buy brand new cards is what drove me to Modern. I enjoy playing Magic, but I'm poor folk now. I have a job and bills. That said, I do pay attention to Standard. I like to see how people are innovating.
Continuing your argument, Cainsson, Black would say, "I'll pay life/discard cards/sacrifice creatures to say No." Red might say, "Sacrifice a land, counter target spell," or "sacrifice a creature, counter target spell. If a spell is countered in this way, do damage equal to half the sacrificed creature power (rounded down) to target opponent." I don't know how Green would approach a counter spell. Maybe with an enchantment that allows you to play a basic land when a spell is cast. Cards that stay true to color theme can be fun. I love Sinister Concoction for that reason. It's unconditional removal with a low cost, but there's a price to pay. If you're willing to pay, then the creature's gone.
I'd really like to see them hew more closely to color identity as law rather than a guide. I feel like they've been using it as a guide, which is how we end up with cards like Mana Tithe. A White Mana Leak shouldn't exist.
Instant speed burn would have stopped copy cat from becoming a problem since you could burn out Saheeli as soon as it hit play. Char and Hero's Downfall would have helped the format so much. Wizards wants to print Planeswalkers but no good answers for them that's the real Problem. Planeswalkers are a cash cow for wizards that's why they are untouchable. Wizards needs to focus more on making a fun format to play in and less on ways to squeeze more money out of the players. They also need to cut back on indestructible creatures Gideon was a big mistake.
I don't mind the indestructible mechanic as long as you have to work to either get out or keep it. By that I mean either get a combo out or pay a hefty mana cost or cumulative upkeep. I have never liked the concept of Planeswalkers. It just feels like unnecessary bloat.
I think a return to core color identity is healthy for the game. For example, Black excels at hand disruption, creature removal, and damage, but many of their spells come at a price to the caster, so if you play Black, you know it's a race to see who dies first. Red should be "I'm going to kill you first" and Black "I'm going to kill everyone, but first you." That's why I love cards like Death Cloud and Smallpox. I think that WotC has lost their way here. It's fine to create a story and build cards to tell that story, but they should remain focused on color identity.
Same with my LGS, Viffer. Standard is pretty dead. Most of the local action is in Modern and there's a group that plays Commander. I've been looking at the Commander format a bit more. It looks fun.
I want to see the Firebrand Archer + Thermo-Alchemist deck work, but I'm not sold that budget mono-Red is the place for it.
Mono-Black Discard
Amonkhet Standard
Going back to an old-school Black playstyle with a Discard deck. The fun starts on turn 1 with Harsh Scrutiny to see their opening hand, hopefully get rid of a creature, and set up turn 2. Control kicks in to high gear on turn 2 with a variety of options, including Collective Brutality, Transgress the Mind, and Grasp of Darkness. Live Fast helps refill the hand with more discard goodness, as well as adding energy to Aether Hub for Kozilek's Return. Turns 4, 5 and 6 are when we start putting down creatures, ending with Reality Smasher. Desolation Twin,my ghetto-Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger (one day I'll not be poor folk and I'll be able to buy an Ulamog), for the late-game sweeper with Kozilek's Return.
This deck started as the Mono-Black Discard Deck for Kaladesh featured on the SBMtG youtube channel. Dev did a great job with it, so please check it out.
4 Aether Hub
1 Blighted Fen
4 Shrine of the Forsaken Gods
4 Corrupted Crossroads
12 Swamp
Creatures(9)
2 Desolation Twin
4 Thought-Knot Seer
3 Reality Smasher
4 Collective Brutality
4 Transgress the Mind
4 Harsh Scrutiny
Removal()
3 Kozilek's Return
2 Never // Return
4 Grasp of Darkness
Planeswalkers(2)
2 Ob Nixilis Reignited
Card Draw(3)
3 Live Fast
4 Lay Bare the Heart
1 Live Fast
2 Never // return
2 Sinister Concoction
1 Trespasser's Curse
2 Unburden
3 Wasteland Strangler
Burn (and WU Control) should be solid archetypes not because WotC developers like them, but because some of their customers do. In the end, we're the ones paying money for product. They should respond to what we want, not the other way around.
WoTC probably just thinks these cards are too powerful for Standard, and I believe that if they released just one it would be. Lightning Bolt without Serum Visions or Thoughtseize would be too powerful. If they released all of them in the same set, there would be some balance.
Give Blue their Serum Visions, Green its Birds of Paradise, White the Wrath of God, and Black Thoughtseize.
All of these cards are powerful, but I don't think they're format-warping powerful.
I don't mind the indestructible mechanic as long as you have to work to either get out or keep it. By that I mean either get a combo out or pay a hefty mana cost or cumulative upkeep. I have never liked the concept of Planeswalkers. It just feels like unnecessary bloat.
I think a return to core color identity is healthy for the game. For example, Black excels at hand disruption, creature removal, and damage, but many of their spells come at a price to the caster, so if you play Black, you know it's a race to see who dies first. Red should be "I'm going to kill you first" and Black "I'm going to kill everyone, but first you." That's why I love cards like Death Cloud and Smallpox. I think that WotC has lost their way here. It's fine to create a story and build cards to tell that story, but they should remain focused on color identity.
2 Stony Silence
3 Smash to Smithereens
3 Wear // Tear
75chan, it's a shame that Mentor isn't working out for you. Just reading the text, it looks like it would be pretty good.