Atsushi, the Blazing Sky 2RR
Legendary Creature - Dragon Spirit (M)
Flying, trample
When Atsushi, the Blazing Sky dies, choose one:
-Exile the top two cards of your library. Until the end of your next turn, you may play those cards.
-Create three Treasure tokens.
4/4
Good stats, great (and flexible) death trigger. How pushed does a Baneslayer-esque red 4 have to be to make it?
Dream-Chain Spirit (translation pending) 1UU
Creature - Spirit (R)
Flying
At the beginning of each combat on your turn, choose one:
* Tap target creature.
* Target creature doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
3/1
Does an alright Dungeon Geists impression for 1 less mana. If you really like blue tempo I can see larger cubes testing this. Also not sure about the wording, as it is a translation; it may be "up to one" target creature which would make this immensely better.
Graf Reaver 1B
Creature - Zombie Warrior (R)
Exploit
When Graf Reaver exploits a creature, destroy target planeswalker.
At the beginning of your upkeep, Graf Reaver deals 1 damage to you.
3/3
Relevant tribes, 3/3 for 2, can kill a planeswalker. This looks solid.
Ascendant Packleader
G
Creature - Wolf (R)
Ascendant Packleader enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it if you control a nonland permanent with mana value 4 or greater.
Whenever you cast a spell with mana value 4 or greater, put a +1/+1 counter on Ascendant Packleader.
2/1
2 power for 1 mana, scales up into the midgame. If you support green aggro, this should be on your radar.
Reckless Stormseeker 2R
Creature - Human Werewolf (R)
At the beginning of combat on your turn, target creature you control gets +1/+0 and gains haste until end of turn.
Daybound
2/3
Flips into:
Storm-Charged Slasher
Creature - Werewolf
At the beginning of combat on your turn, target creature you control gets +2/+0 and gains trample and haste until end of turn.
Nightbound
3/4
A 3/3 with haste isn't the worst baseline and it does a decent Fires impression. Red 3 is pretty stacked though.
Iymrith, Desert Doom 3UU
Legendary Creature - Dragon (M)
Flying
Iymrith, Desert Doom has ward 4 as long as it's untapped.
Whenever Iymrith, Desert Doom deals combat damage to a player, draw a card. Then if you have fewer than three cards in hand, draw cards equal to the difference.
5/5
A monocolored Dragonlord Ojutai that survives Wildfire. But is anyone in the market for a blue Baneslayer?
2RR
Legendary Creature - Dragon Spirit (M)
Flying, trample
When Atsushi, the Blazing Sky dies, choose one:
-Exile the top two cards of your library. Until the end of your next turn, you may play those cards.
-Create three Treasure tokens.
4/4
Good stats, great (and flexible) death trigger. How pushed does a Baneslayer-esque red 4 have to be to make it?
For my modern 540, I'm testing:
Welcoming Vampire - sleeper pick of the set, white needs more card advantage and this does that on an evasive body
Thirst for Discovery - very excited for this one
Dream-Chain Spirit - not hopeful here but it's disruptive
Graf Reaver - this seems very good both early and late
Sorin the Mirthless - unexciting but I doubt I'll cut it
Manaform Hellkite - is this better than Torbran? IDK
Ulvenwald Oddity - unga
Ascendant Packleader - bunga
1UU
Creature - Spirit (R)
Flying
At the beginning of each combat on your turn, choose one:
* Tap target creature.
* Target creature doesn't untap during its controller's next untap step.
3/1
Does an alright Dungeon Geists impression for 1 less mana. If you really like blue tempo I can see larger cubes testing this. Also not sure about the wording, as it is a translation; it may be "up to one" target creature which would make this immensely better.
1B
Creature - Zombie Warrior (R)
Exploit
When Graf Reaver exploits a creature, destroy target planeswalker.
At the beginning of your upkeep, Graf Reaver deals 1 damage to you.
3/3
Relevant tribes, 3/3 for 2, can kill a planeswalker. This looks solid.
G
Creature - Wolf (R)
Ascendant Packleader enters the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it if you control a nonland permanent with mana value 4 or greater.
Whenever you cast a spell with mana value 4 or greater, put a +1/+1 counter on Ascendant Packleader.
2/1
2 power for 1 mana, scales up into the midgame. If you support green aggro, this should be on your radar.
2R
Creature - Human Werewolf (R)
At the beginning of combat on your turn, target creature you control gets +1/+0 and gains haste until end of turn.
Daybound
2/3
Flips into:
Storm-Charged Slasher
Creature - Werewolf
At the beginning of combat on your turn, target creature you control gets +2/+0 and gains trample and haste until end of turn.
Nightbound
3/4
A 3/3 with haste isn't the worst baseline and it does a decent Fires impression. Red 3 is pretty stacked though.
3UU
Legendary Creature - Dragon (M)
Flying
Iymrith, Desert Doom has ward 4 as long as it's untapped.
Whenever Iymrith, Desert Doom deals combat damage to a player, draw a card. Then if you have fewer than three cards in hand, draw cards equal to the difference.
5/5
A monocolored Dragonlord Ojutai that survives Wildfire. But is anyone in the market for a blue Baneslayer?