I've been playing a list close to pierakor's version and have been having great success with it. I spent 91 tickets to build a budget list and won my way to the complete list and 200 extra tickets (got lucky when opening some chests).
I have to say, the best card in the deck is Chalice of the Void. It makes Wurmcoil Engine unbeatable and against some decks it's basically gg.
The one-of-ness of the list is kinda awkward. Most games I'm thinking: "If I draw Ugin/Cyclonic Rift/Oblivion Stone/X I win.". This causes an idea that there's always some tweaking to do. Like, to play a second Ugin or another Oblivion Stone. As result of that, testing changes are that much harder. How many games do you have to play to say that Walking Ballista is good, if you only draw every other game?
I love the deck and I winning a lot with it. But I have literally zero ideas on how to make it better. LOL
It's a Wizards supported format.
Banlists are so different, it's pointless reading other people's opinions.
20 vs 30 life means it's basically a different game.
Dividing the community too thin is bad, but I'm tired of reading people talking about another game.
OMG
They need to ban Winter Orb. 2 mana colorless Armageddon. Oh, and I just happen to play all the mana rocks in the format... how convinient.
I don't even mind when Breya casts. But monoblue having access to that is just...
I still won about 50% of the games. With a better list that might increase, but I'm not hopeful at all. It just feels like you're playing an underpowered deck. When you win the die roll and start with Zurgo into 2-drop, the deck is very powerful. But any interaction on turn 1/2/3 wrecks your game and your creatures get outclassed very fast. And then there's is the problem of drawing creatures when you need burn and vice-versa.
I like the deck, but I'm moving on to other strategies until the current banlist is changed.
I don't know if a burn oriented list is going to be good online.
30 life is a lot. And going turn 1 Zurgo, turn 2 3-power creature is awesome if they don't answer it. You can then burn blockers and finish the game with burn.
When they can stop your creatures before they deal about 15 damage, you're probably going to lose. But if they don't have that turn 1/2/3 interaction, they get stomped.
Gut Shot seems weak. I don't even play shock, simply because 2 damage is not worth a card. Skullcrack is good. Not hitting creatures sometimes gets you, but it's an awesome tempo swing against lifelink creatures. Pulse of the Forge seems good only on the mirror. On most other matchups you should basically always have more life than the opponent. Flames of the Blood Hand is just better. Stigma Lasher is a very powerful effect, I will try it out. Harsh Mentor seems good, from fecthlands to Breya, this guy does a lot of work. Witch Hunt is too expensive. Sulfuric Vortex is king. Auto include in any list.
I got the following results with this BUDGET NON-OPTIMIZED list I built with 15 tix (keep that in mind please): 2x 4-1, 4x 3-2 and 1x 2-3.
There are several obvious improvements, this is just a list I threw togheter to start playing. The general idea is to play only the best 1-drops, a lot of 2-drops and mostly hasty 3-drops. The deck has been falling short a little bit when finishing a game, I think it needs more powerful 4-drops like Koth of the Hammer and some nonbasic hate like Blood Moon and Magus of the Moon.
If we're talking about conscripts, i think that red eldrazi dude with an optional act of treason can do better.
Eldrazi Obligator can only steal creatures and demands a colorless mana source, which might be a problem.
Zealous Conscripts can do all kinds of stuff, like:
- stealing any permanent you can activate for profit (Wasteland, planewalkers, equipament)
- removes a blocker AND adds two and attackers
- untap another permanent you control and give it haste (Grim Lavamancer, untap a creature to have another blocker)
I can see how untapping with Arc-Slogger easily means 10-12 "free damage". But what about the dragons? How often is Thundermaw Hellkite just a 5/5 haste flier?
Also, there is the possible synergy with Goblin Bombardment. It's not that good against control, because "they're always gonna have a counterspell". But against midrange, they mostly rely on casting a big creature to block your stuff.
I have to say, the best card in the deck is Chalice of the Void. It makes Wurmcoil Engine unbeatable and against some decks it's basically gg.
The one-of-ness of the list is kinda awkward. Most games I'm thinking: "If I draw Ugin/Cyclonic Rift/Oblivion Stone/X I win.". This causes an idea that there's always some tweaking to do. Like, to play a second Ugin or another Oblivion Stone. As result of that, testing changes are that much harder. How many games do you have to play to say that Walking Ballista is good, if you only draw every other game?
I love the deck and I winning a lot with it. But I have literally zero ideas on how to make it better. LOL
*stretching sounds*
Also, 3 mana 2/4 is a decent body.
The green splash is rough, but with this and the 1-drop...
Turn 1, 2/2
Turn 2, Lord, swing for 3
Turn 3, Vineshaper Mystic, swing for 7
Banlists are so different, it's pointless reading other people's opinions.
20 vs 30 life means it's basically a different game.
Dividing the community too thin is bad, but I'm tired of reading people talking about another game.
- Ban some tutors. At least Vampiric Tutor and Mystical Tutor
- Ban Winter Orb. The card is too powerful for 2 colorless mana.
- Ban Breya, Etherium Shaper, it's the 4 color grind queen.
- Ban Emrakul, the Aeons Torn, the fact that you can't interact with it + anihilator 6 makes it too powerful
Also, 30 life.
They need to ban Winter Orb. 2 mana colorless Armageddon. Oh, and I just happen to play all the mana rocks in the format... how convinient.
I don't even mind when Breya casts. But monoblue having access to that is just...
After playing about 10 leagues, I've come to the conclusion that this deck is, at best, tier 2.
30 life is a lot of life. More often than not, you fall short of winning by 10 or 15 life.
Oloro, Ageless Ascetic is basically a match loss.
I still won about 50% of the games. With a better list that might increase, but I'm not hopeful at all. It just feels like you're playing an underpowered deck. When you win the die roll and start with Zurgo into 2-drop, the deck is very powerful. But any interaction on turn 1/2/3 wrecks your game and your creatures get outclassed very fast. And then there's is the problem of drawing creatures when you need burn and vice-versa.
I like the deck, but I'm moving on to other strategies until the current banlist is changed.
30 life is a lot. And going turn 1 Zurgo, turn 2 3-power creature is awesome if they don't answer it. You can then burn blockers and finish the game with burn.
When they can stop your creatures before they deal about 15 damage, you're probably going to lose. But if they don't have that turn 1/2/3 interaction, they get stomped.
Gut Shot seems weak. I don't even play shock, simply because 2 damage is not worth a card.
Skullcrack is good. Not hitting creatures sometimes gets you, but it's an awesome tempo swing against lifelink creatures.
Pulse of the Forge seems good only on the mirror. On most other matchups you should basically always have more life than the opponent. Flames of the Blood Hand is just better.
Stigma Lasher is a very powerful effect, I will try it out.
Harsh Mentor seems good, from fecthlands to Breya, this guy does a lot of work.
Witch Hunt is too expensive.
Sulfuric Vortex is king. Auto include in any list.
I got the following results with this BUDGET NON-OPTIMIZED list I built with 15 tix (keep that in mind please): 2x 4-1, 4x 3-2 and 1x 2-3.
1 Hellspark Elemental
1 Incinerate
1 Teetering Peaks
1 Skullclamp
1 Burst Lightning
1 Hellrider
33 Mountain
1 Stromkirk Noble
1 Barbarian Ring
1 Fireblast
1 Ire Shaman
1 Char
1 Collective Defiance
1 Magma Jet
1 Borderland Marauder
1 Stromkirk Occultist
1 Thunderous Wrath
1 Flame Javelin
1 Hero of Oxid Ridge
1 Price of Progress
1 Skullcrack
1 Stormblood Berserker
1 Keldon Marauders
1 Firebolt
1 Abbot of Keral Keep
1 Smash to Smithereens
1 Pyrewild Shaman
1 Searing Blood
1 Bomat Courier
1 Incendiary Flow
1 Flametongue Kavu
1 Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
1 Shard Volley
1 Chandra's Phoenix
1 Frenzied Goblin
1 Staggershock
1 Hungry Flames
1 Violent Eruption
1 Blood Knight
1 Collateral Damage
1 Goblin Guide
1 Ghitu Encampment
1 Arc Lightning
1 Keldon Champion
1 Smuggler's Copter
1 Sulfuric Vortex
1 Exquisite Firecraft
1 Searing Spear
1 Flames of the Firebrand
1 Monastery Swiftspear
1 Brimstone Volley
1 Scab-Clan Berserker
1 Sin Prodder
1 Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh
1 Stoke the Flames
1 Mogg Flunkies
1 Arc Trail
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Ash Zealot
1 War-Name Aspirant
1 Mishra's Factory
1 Searing Blaze
1 Gore-House Chainwalker
1 Brazen Scourge
1 Flames of the Blood Hand
1 Mardu Scout
There are several obvious improvements, this is just a list I threw togheter to start playing. The general idea is to play only the best 1-drops, a lot of 2-drops and mostly hasty 3-drops. The deck has been falling short a little bit when finishing a game, I think it needs more powerful 4-drops like Koth of the Hammer and some nonbasic hate like Blood Moon and Magus of the Moon.
I already play several cards that stop lifegain. Maybe we just need to up the number of cards that do that.
Why only 3 times?!?!
Geosurge
Maybe?
Soulbright Flamekin
Deckbuilding isn't easy, don't give up just yet.
Skyshroud Elf
Expedition Map can fetch a treat/blocker.
Eldrazi Obligator can only steal creatures and demands a colorless mana source, which might be a problem.
Zealous Conscripts can do all kinds of stuff, like:
- stealing any permanent you can activate for profit (Wasteland, planewalkers, equipament)
- removes a blocker AND adds two and attackers
- untap another permanent you control and give it haste (Grim Lavamancer, untap a creature to have another blocker)
I can see how untapping with Arc-Slogger easily means 10-12 "free damage". But what about the dragons? How often is Thundermaw Hellkite just a 5/5 haste flier?
Also, there is the possible synergy with Goblin Bombardment. It's not that good against control, because "they're always gonna have a counterspell". But against midrange, they mostly rely on casting a big creature to block your stuff.