I like to brew new decks (don't we all?). But I also like to take existing, functional decklists and try to make budget versions of them, or budget decks that work similar to them. My most recent project was a deck I like to refer to as "Harvest Reckoner", which plays like a cheaper version of Hollow One with less random discarding and a wincon that takes graveyard size into account.
The primary wincon for this deck is to fill your graveyard, cast a Harvest Pyre on a Boros Reckoner, and ping your opponent for lethal. Of course, that isn't always feasible. For example, sometimes your opponent has hexproof (I'm looking at you, Leyline of Sanctity). In that case, the alternate wincon is to just pound through damage until your opponent croaks, utilizing bolts and unearth-able creatures. This deck also loves a few things most other decks don't, such as a turn 1 Thoughtsieze. Your opponent shocks themself, and you get to fuel your graveyard for later? Yes please!
The sideboard for this deck is very basic, since I haven't put much testing into boarding cards in or out yet. The mainboard, however, is pretty consistent in my experience, and shouldn't require much tweaking. Here's a brief summary of each card in the mainboard, and the role it fills:
Creatures
- Boros Reckoner: One of the two pieces needed for this deck's primary wincon. Also serves as a decent attacker, and can block like a champ.
- Flameblade Adept: Being able to buff a one-drop by discarding cards (which this deck obviously does a ton of) is invaluable in any stage of the game. Menace will allow you to punch through to inflict some serious damage too.
- Hellspark Elemental: Punches through for quick trample damage, and can be recurred later on if needed.
- Scourge Devil: I'm kinda debating the usefulness of this one, but at the moment, it seems to do its job well enough. Hardcasting it is painful, but being able to pump your recurred Hellsparks works well as a finisher.
- Spark Elemental: Even though it lacks the recursive capabilities of Hellspark Elemental, it can be cast on Turn 1, and is a decent graveyard filler afterwards.
- Faithless Looting: This is the best draw and discard spell in the deck. Cast a Flameblade Adept Turn 1, cast this Turn 2, discard a Fiery Temper and then pay its madness cost, and deal 3 direct damage + 3 combat damage to your opponent. It doesn't get much better than that in this deck.
Instants Lightning Bolt: Because this wouldn't be a red deck without them.
Fiery Temper: These serve as bolts 5 thru 8 in this list, and are often more usable than their one-drop counterparts.
Harvest Pyre: The other half of this deck's wincon. Can also double as creature removal if needed.
That's pretty much it. If you have any thoughts or suggestions for this deck, feel free to comment below with them. Enjoy!
To start with, here's my decklist:
4x Boros Reckoner
4x Flameblade Adept
4x Hellspark Elemental
2x Scourge Devil
4x Spark Elemental
Instants
4x Fiery Temper
4x Harvest Pyre
4x Lightning Bolt
3x Cathartic Reunion
4x Faithless Looting
3x Tormenting Voice
3x Wild Guess
Lands
17x Mountain
2x Alchemist's Greeting
3x Avacyn's Judgment
3x Elixir of Immortality
2x Glaring Spotlight
2x Smash to Smithereens
3x Tormod's Crypt
The primary wincon for this deck is to fill your graveyard, cast a Harvest Pyre on a Boros Reckoner, and ping your opponent for lethal. Of course, that isn't always feasible. For example, sometimes your opponent has hexproof (I'm looking at you, Leyline of Sanctity). In that case, the alternate wincon is to just pound through damage until your opponent croaks, utilizing bolts and unearth-able creatures. This deck also loves a few things most other decks don't, such as a turn 1 Thoughtsieze. Your opponent shocks themself, and you get to fuel your graveyard for later? Yes please!
The sideboard for this deck is very basic, since I haven't put much testing into boarding cards in or out yet. The mainboard, however, is pretty consistent in my experience, and shouldn't require much tweaking. Here's a brief summary of each card in the mainboard, and the role it fills:
Creatures
- Boros Reckoner: One of the two pieces needed for this deck's primary wincon. Also serves as a decent attacker, and can block like a champ.
- Flameblade Adept: Being able to buff a one-drop by discarding cards (which this deck obviously does a ton of) is invaluable in any stage of the game. Menace will allow you to punch through to inflict some serious damage too.
- Hellspark Elemental: Punches through for quick trample damage, and can be recurred later on if needed.
- Scourge Devil: I'm kinda debating the usefulness of this one, but at the moment, it seems to do its job well enough. Hardcasting it is painful, but being able to pump your recurred Hellsparks works well as a finisher.
- Spark Elemental: Even though it lacks the recursive capabilities of Hellspark Elemental, it can be cast on Turn 1, and is a decent graveyard filler afterwards.
Sorceries
- Cathartic Reunion, Wild Guess, and Tormenting Voice: Just your standard discard-to-draw spells. Churn through your deck to get what you need quicker.
- Faithless Looting: This is the best draw and discard spell in the deck. Cast a Flameblade Adept Turn 1, cast this Turn 2, discard a Fiery Temper and then pay its madness cost, and deal 3 direct damage + 3 combat damage to your opponent. It doesn't get much better than that in this deck.
Instants
Lightning Bolt: Because this wouldn't be a red deck without them.
Fiery Temper: These serve as bolts 5 thru 8 in this list, and are often more usable than their one-drop counterparts.
Harvest Pyre: The other half of this deck's wincon. Can also double as creature removal if needed.
That's pretty much it. If you have any thoughts or suggestions for this deck, feel free to comment below with them. Enjoy!