Love seeing the different innovations. I'm still a big fan of Steam-Kin though. I completely understand why someone would cut it, but being able to chain FL is huge in situations where you need to outrace a combo deck. Plus I think Risk Factor is legitimately good: another card that has great synergy with Steam-Kin to keep you from passing a turn just to burn for four (I run two, which I think is the perfect number: being able to cast it from your hand means one card can either deal 8 damage, or deal 4 and draw you three).
If you can't reply without being dismissive, that's on you, not the OP.
My final comment was tongue in cheek, but crackling is the final boos of the deck. It runs 18 lands, so it's not like the drake drops turn 4. It's just a creature that one-shot people if they happen to not have removal. The whole deck is built to exhaust the opponent with hasty early drops, some of which recur from the GY using the same synergistic setup the drake requires. The fact that it replaces itself is relevant. My main beef with it is the fact that counts cards in exile. It's yet another stupid idea that makes the exile zone less relevant.
I agree that the exile zone should be the exile zone. Mostly just because it's incredibly silly: are we gonna get a card that exiles the exiled? As someone who loves decks that use the graveyard, it's nice to answer hate with hate.
Having two Arclight decks in the finals wasn't a function of broken synergies though. It was a function of two players who really understood the mechanics of their deck. Carr and Merriam played extremely tight to get through the control decks (for example). This wasn't Eggs, Hypergenesis, or Dark Depths just picking up wins with busted interactions. They were well piloted efforts using new, fun, and strong cards.
I enjoyed the finals a lot. Just because two decks highlighting the same card played in the finals doesn't automatically mean the field's "not diverse."
It was cool seeing the different innovations: Ross' aggressive sequencing approach to Carr's aggressive curve approach. As someone who runs the Steam-Kin version, I still feel like there's room: being able to flashback a faithless without tapping lands has been huge. But seeing these two different versions definitely makes me think twice about how to either ditch it, or innovate with it.
Carr came close to taking it, so it's a great list. I loved seeing him keep Risk Factor: I think as a two-of, it's perfect. Being able to cast it from your hand is what creates potential blow outs (either 8 damage from one card, or more damage/better board position from one card).
It basically just substitutes steam-kin for baral, and turns into this weird blue dredge deck. It didn't feel like a good deck. I had a an early soft match, and I just felt like my opponents got unlucky (beat Jeskai control 2-1, and Hardened Scales 2-1, lost to Amulet 1-2). So while I wouldn't go to bat for it, I did like Baral's interaction with Dream Twist a lot. It allowed me to hit Arclights for a harder one hitter quitter, play Reveler sooner, and there were times where I'd hit enough retrievals to end up reloading bolts like candy.
The deck felt messy. Like it doesn't know if it wants to be a burn deck or a dredge deck, but I've had a lot of fun playing with Arclight. I feel like this card is just scratching the surface.
I'm glad I bought my Arclights just in time. They've already gone up a dollar and are out of stock at SCG. I'm a little skeptical of the card just because I feel like if you're gonna be a graveyard deck, why not dredge but I love the idea.
Steam Kins and Revelers are virtually always at 4 - even the Arclights can hit 4 with maximize velocity - so I like the inclusion of Flamewake Phoenixes. I like the Loam plan, which allows the deck to run magmatic insights for more velocity. The Loams can also result in some pretty sick phoenix plays. Originally I tried to toy with Edge of Autumn over the rituals with the inclusion of loam, but I'm not too sure.
So I figured I'd give Blistercoil combo another try because I think Runaway Steam-Kin has similar functionality. I played this list today against a smattering of gauntlet decks to modest results.
Impression? It's a much more consistent Blistercoil deck; just less explosive. The Shrine acts as a secondary kill condition, and the little heroic dude puts in some yeomen's work when he's firing on all cylinders. Of course, the problem with Shrine is that you lose blue's better cantrips.
Originally I had Young Pyromancer in place of the Crusader, but the mana cost is trickier than it looks: it's obviously stronger, and less dependent on your spells, but AC fits into the curve and tempo of the deck, allowing you do multiple things early on (and pile counters on Shrine and Steam-Kin). Pyromancer is more of a midrange card, and this deck is definitely not midrange.
I'd love feedback, because I think there are definitely ways to make it A LOT better. I want to to try Bedlam Reveler, but I haven't had a chance to do a deep dive. It's possible there's a version without Shrine or Steam-Kin, and I'm open to those too.
I agree that the exile zone should be the exile zone. Mostly just because it's incredibly silly: are we gonna get a card that exiles the exiled? As someone who loves decks that use the graveyard, it's nice to answer hate with hate.
Having two Arclight decks in the finals wasn't a function of broken synergies though. It was a function of two players who really understood the mechanics of their deck. Carr and Merriam played extremely tight to get through the control decks (for example). This wasn't Eggs, Hypergenesis, or Dark Depths just picking up wins with busted interactions. They were well piloted efforts using new, fun, and strong cards.
It was cool seeing the different innovations: Ross' aggressive sequencing approach to Carr's aggressive curve approach. As someone who runs the Steam-Kin version, I still feel like there's room: being able to flashback a faithless without tapping lands has been huge. But seeing these two different versions definitely makes me think twice about how to either ditch it, or innovate with it.
Carr came close to taking it, so it's a great list. I loved seeing him keep Risk Factor: I think as a two-of, it's perfect. Being able to cast it from your hand is what creates potential blow outs (either 8 damage from one card, or more damage/better board position from one card).
4x Scalding Tarn
4x Spirebluff Canal
2x Wooded Foothills
2x Steam Vents
3x Shivan Reef
2x Mountain
2x Island
Creature
4x Baral, Chief of Compliance
1x Goblin Electromancer
4x Arclight Phoenix
4x Bedlam Reveler
4x Dream Twist
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Manamorphose
4x Izzet Charm
Sorcery
4x Faithless Looting
4x Rift Bolt
3x Mystic Retrieval
1x Insult // Injury
3x Spell Pierce
1x Echoing Truth
2x Abrade
1x Young Pyromancer
2x Molten Rain
2x Anger of the Gods
2x Monastery Siege
1x Dismember
1x Talrand, Sky Summomer
It basically just substitutes steam-kin for baral, and turns into this weird blue dredge deck. It didn't feel like a good deck. I had a an early soft match, and I just felt like my opponents got unlucky (beat Jeskai control 2-1, and Hardened Scales 2-1, lost to Amulet 1-2). So while I wouldn't go to bat for it, I did like Baral's interaction with Dream Twist a lot. It allowed me to hit Arclights for a harder one hitter quitter, play Reveler sooner, and there were times where I'd hit enough retrievals to end up reloading bolts like candy.
The deck felt messy. Like it doesn't know if it wants to be a burn deck or a dredge deck, but I've had a lot of fun playing with Arclight. I feel like this card is just scratching the surface.
4x Scalding Tarn
3x Wooded Foothills
3x Copperline Gorge
2x Steam Vents
2x Stomping Ground
3x Mountain
1x Forest
2x Dakmor Salvage
Creature
4x Runaway Steam-Kin
3x Flamewake Phoenix
4x Arclight Phoenix
4x Bedlam Reveler
4x Lightning Bolt
3x Desperate Ritual
Sorcery
2x Maximize Velocity
1x Flame Jab
4x Faithless Looting
4x Magmatic Insight
4x Life from the Loam
3x Risk Factor
3x Nature's Claim
2x Ravenous Trap
1x Gut Shot
1x Negate
1x Spell Pierce
1x Apostle's Blessing
2x Ancient Grudge
2x Young Pyromancer
1x Dragon's Claw
1x Driven // Despair
Steam Kins and Revelers are virtually always at 4 - even the Arclights can hit 4 with maximize velocity - so I like the inclusion of Flamewake Phoenixes. I like the Loam plan, which allows the deck to run magmatic insights for more velocity. The Loams can also result in some pretty sick phoenix plays. Originally I tried to toy with Edge of Autumn over the rituals with the inclusion of loam, but I'm not too sure.
4x Scalding Tarn
3x Wooded Foothills
3x Spirebluff Canal
2x Steam Vents
2x Stomping Ground
3x Mountain
Creature
4x Blistercoil Weird
4x Runaway Steam-Kin
3x Akroan Crusader
4x Paradise Mantle
4x Shrine of Burning Rage
Instant
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Crimson Wisps
4x Expedite
4x Manamorphose
Sorcery
4x Renegade Tactics
3x Crash Through
1x Grapeshot
3x Nature's Claim
4x Gut Shot
1x Forked Bolt
3x Spell Pierce
2x Noxious Revival
2x Gelectrode
Impression? It's a much more consistent Blistercoil deck; just less explosive. The Shrine acts as a secondary kill condition, and the little heroic dude puts in some yeomen's work when he's firing on all cylinders. Of course, the problem with Shrine is that you lose blue's better cantrips.
Originally I had Young Pyromancer in place of the Crusader, but the mana cost is trickier than it looks: it's obviously stronger, and less dependent on your spells, but AC fits into the curve and tempo of the deck, allowing you do multiple things early on (and pile counters on Shrine and Steam-Kin). Pyromancer is more of a midrange card, and this deck is definitely not midrange.
I'd love feedback, because I think there are definitely ways to make it A LOT better. I want to to try Bedlam Reveler, but I haven't had a chance to do a deep dive. It's possible there's a version without Shrine or Steam-Kin, and I'm open to those too.