I'm having fun with the format so far, playing a Sphinx themed UW control list piloted by Azor, obviously. I'm inclined to say that the current standard banlist doesn't need to apply to this format as a lot of the cards were there due to their consistency, something that seems quite lacking for the singleton format. If anything, I'm most concerned by Smuggler's Copter as the most powerful card currently not allowed.
This is where I was at for my LGS's First PPTQ, piloted to the top 4 at a small 16man event.
Had a lot of interesting games and found some interesting things out, the main being that I never ended up bringing in my Glorybringers.
Maybe it was correct, maybe it wasn't, but I never sideboarded into the Big Red shell. This was back on the Saturday, so I don't really remember all my specific SB decisions. Grixis Energy 2-1: Tight games, wonderful magic and a solid start.
Temur Energy 0-2: Really nothing to say here, my opponent drew more spells and bigger spells than me. Game 2 Both of my Phoenixes got Confiscation Coup'd and I cried.
Mardu Vehicles 2-0: Really close game one, took risks here and there by pointing burn at the face early, hoping that I'm just going to get there and I did for exactsies. Game 2 I took out Bomats, brought in Dual Shots, KZE and Pia. Opponent dies to not being able to cast spells (Double Spire of Industry and only one artifact which ate an Abrade.
Mono Red Mirror 2-0: Another VERY tight game one, leaving me on about 3 life when I ripped one of my four outs off the top. Game 2 I went into more removal, again siding out my Bomats. Opponent elected to stay on the aggro shell, hoping I side into Big Red and that he can go under. Not a lot to say, I absolutely cleaned his clock.
Esper GPG 2-0: Drew the nuts and rolled face game one, to the point where I wasn't even sure what opponent was on. Sided expecting a controly shell, not bringing in the 3rd Scav Grounds, didn't need it though. Abraded the GPG he hardcast, then activated a Scav Ground off the top to put the last nail in the coffin.
Quick break, followed by Top4 (Grixis player, Temur player and my Esper GPG opponent)
Grixis Energy 1-2: After a cruisy game one I proceed to draw many land and just get Vraska's Contempt'd out of the game. Unfortunate, but my opponent went on to win and he's a good mate so I can't really complain too much.
I'm happy with the deck and I like this list a lot. I could see myself cutting GBringers for more Phoenixes in my meta and I like the idea of Grasping Dunes instead of Sunscorched. That also helps free up some of the slots in my Side Board, bringing Dual Shot out.
Over all, Mono-Red feels absolutely correct, the inconsistent mana base of trying to play Boros is just too punishing. if Dominaria brings us anything playable (Battlefield Forge would be sweeeeet) I'll investigate some more but until then, jamming MonoR until I die.
In my opinion R/W is the better version as of right now, if you are indeed playing the dino version of this deck instead of the 1 drop haste version of the deck.
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While I think this list is interesting, I don't think it can be counted as an Aggro list. With five cards above CMC4, three at CMC4 (that aren't Chandra or Hazoret) and no burn that can go to the face, I think you're playing for a very different kind of game.
I am starting to cut some copies of DFD, slotting in SSM. Testing is slow because I play in paper and don't have a huge scene for standard.
I do find this playing midrangy and I think that's the direction I want to take it, possibly moving away from Firebrand, but I don't know what replaces him.
Agreed, I don't like tunnel-visioning on flipping PoM ASAP, almost always playing an Ahn-crop Crasher on 3, or Daredevil + their one drop spell.
To reiterate: I've been crazy impressed with Huatli and I'm considering a second copy.
2 Dunes might be correct, I found a playset to be too detrimental and just scrapped the idea. To a degree, I think Huatli fills a similar role.
This is where I'm at currently. Not sure on my Instants package but I've always been happy with Abrade, you get to clean up so much random garbage in certain matches, Treasure Map sticks out as a big one.
Huatli has tested VERY well, either turning off your opponents blockers for an alpha strike or churning out 3/3s forever.
I chose not to run Shefet Dunes despite them being "free" because I NEVER found myself with the combination of:
-Two white sources plus a Dunes
-Not having Metzali, Tower of Triumph
-Not having anything else to do with my mana.
4 Soul-Scar Mage
3 Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
4 Earthshaker Khenra
4 Ahn-Crop Crasher
1 Pia Nalaar
4 Hazoret the Fervent
2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
4 Shock
3 Abrade
4 Lightning Strike
2 Scavenger Grounds
3 Sunscorched Desert
1 Scavenger Grounds
2 Chandra's Defeat
2 Dual Shot
1 Dire Fleet Daredevil
1 Kari Zev's Expertise
2 Aethersphere Harvester
1 Pia Nalaar
1 Vance's Blasting Cannons
2 Rekindling Phoenix
2 Glorybringer
This is where I was at for my LGS's First PPTQ, piloted to the top 4 at a small 16man event.
Had a lot of interesting games and found some interesting things out, the main being that I never ended up bringing in my Glorybringers.
Maybe it was correct, maybe it wasn't, but I never sideboarded into the Big Red shell. This was back on the Saturday, so I don't really remember all my specific SB decisions.
Grixis Energy 2-1: Tight games, wonderful magic and a solid start.
Temur Energy 0-2: Really nothing to say here, my opponent drew more spells and bigger spells than me. Game 2 Both of my Phoenixes got Confiscation Coup'd and I cried.
Mardu Vehicles 2-0: Really close game one, took risks here and there by pointing burn at the face early, hoping that I'm just going to get there and I did for exactsies. Game 2 I took out Bomats, brought in Dual Shots, KZE and Pia. Opponent dies to not being able to cast spells (Double Spire of Industry and only one artifact which ate an Abrade.
Mono Red Mirror 2-0: Another VERY tight game one, leaving me on about 3 life when I ripped one of my four outs off the top. Game 2 I went into more removal, again siding out my Bomats. Opponent elected to stay on the aggro shell, hoping I side into Big Red and that he can go under. Not a lot to say, I absolutely cleaned his clock.
Esper GPG 2-0: Drew the nuts and rolled face game one, to the point where I wasn't even sure what opponent was on. Sided expecting a controly shell, not bringing in the 3rd Scav Grounds, didn't need it though. Abraded the GPG he hardcast, then activated a Scav Ground off the top to put the last nail in the coffin.
Quick break, followed by Top4 (Grixis player, Temur player and my Esper GPG opponent)
Grixis Energy 1-2: After a cruisy game one I proceed to draw many land and just get Vraska's Contempt'd out of the game. Unfortunate, but my opponent went on to win and he's a good mate so I can't really complain too much.
I'm happy with the deck and I like this list a lot. I could see myself cutting GBringers for more Phoenixes in my meta and I like the idea of Grasping Dunes instead of Sunscorched. That also helps free up some of the slots in my Side Board, bringing Dual Shot out.
Over all, Mono-Red feels absolutely correct, the inconsistent mana base of trying to play Boros is just too punishing. if Dominaria brings us anything playable (Battlefield Forge would be sweeeeet) I'll investigate some more but until then, jamming MonoR until I die.
While I think this list is interesting, I don't think it can be counted as an Aggro list. With five cards above CMC4, three at CMC4 (that aren't Chandra or Hazoret) and no burn that can go to the face, I think you're playing for a very different kind of game.
I do find this playing midrangy and I think that's the direction I want to take it, possibly moving away from Firebrand, but I don't know what replaces him.
Agreed, I don't like tunnel-visioning on flipping PoM ASAP, almost always playing an Ahn-crop Crasher on 3, or Daredevil + their one drop spell.
To reiterate: I've been crazy impressed with Huatli and I'm considering a second copy.
2 Dunes might be correct, I found a playset to be too detrimental and just scrapped the idea. To a degree, I think Huatli fills a similar role.
4 Bomat Courier
4 Fanatical Firebrand
4 Dire Fleet Daredevil
4 Earthshaker Khenra
2 Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
4 Ahn-Crop Crasher
3 Hazoret the Fervent
4 Shock
4 Abrade
Enchantment (3)
3 Path of Mettle
Planeswalker (1)
1 Huatli, Warrior Poet
Land (23)
4 Inspiring Vantage
14 Mountain
5 Plains
1 Plains
2 Silent Gravestone
1 Fragmentize
2 Pia Nalaar
2 Ixalan's Binding
2 Dusk/Dawn
2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
3 Glorybringer
This is where I'm at currently. Not sure on my Instants package but I've always been happy with Abrade, you get to clean up so much random garbage in certain matches, Treasure Map sticks out as a big one.
Huatli has tested VERY well, either turning off your opponents blockers for an alpha strike or churning out 3/3s forever.
I chose not to run Shefet Dunes despite them being "free" because I NEVER found myself with the combination of:
-Two white sources plus a Dunes
-Not having Metzali, Tower of Triumph
-Not having anything else to do with my mana.