My initial instinct is to play the **** out of Red/Black and ride all that wonderful removal to a win. But the curve seems much too heavy around 4. I think a much more consistent deck would likely be a R/W aggro build, with a small splash of Black for things like Death Wind and Killing Wave. Your curve will be much more consistent, and doing dumb things like T6 Wave, T7 Angel is a solid backup game plan if your aggressive start falters.
Divine Deflection. I had a pretty crappy G/W aggro pool, lots of little dudes and not a whole lot of ways to pump them. But I found that if I played Deflection at the right time, I could essentially wipe their board due to miscalculated combat damage.
True story: you get to choose which damage you prevent to your creatures in combat because it's all dealt at the same time.
Watch out for this card. I think it's Constructed playable.
Goldnight Commander + Wolfir Avenger made for some fun combat math. It's a pretty obvious trick in retrospect but sometimes it makes an opponent miscalculate just enough.
I think the place where she'll shine is the long game. Giving your 1/1 or 2/1 or even 2/2 hexproof seems pretty subpar, and isn't going to matter much if your plan is to shoot aggressively out of the gate. She's also not going to matter as much if your plan is to attack with a small horde - sure, she's useful, but she's not neccessarily gamebreaking if your opponent can just chump whatever she's protecting, which will happen more in the early game. But in the longer game, especially in control, she'll really shine - unless your opponent has a counterspell, every creature you cast will be protected from removal, which basically ensures that once your bomb sticks, it sticks.
I think the place where she'll really shine is in U/W stall/control. Her + the wall is a pretty good way of shutting down an opponent's offense in the early game, and will help you durdle your way to some kind of relevant board position. Her + Cloudshift, as already pointed out, is REALLY good, and W/U seems to have some of the best ETB effects overall.
2. They should stop talking, because they have NO IDEA what they're talking about.
You get to make your opponent discard their hand. Then you refill your own hand. Even if you're also refilling your opponent's hand, YOU GET TO DRAW 7 CARDS. And potentially another one of these.
And since you're in red, you have access to a whole ton of cheap removal and burn - if you cast this for it's normal casting cost, you have a shot at untapping and then doming them for their life total, or removing whatever creature they just played.
No, it doesn't affect board state. But neither do spells like Brainstorm, Ponder, etc, and those cards are banned in some formats because they are just too stupid good.
Wake up. Go play a red deck with Wheel in it. You'll see how worthwhile this effect is, ESPECIALLY in a color that historically has been shorted on draw spells.
+Rune Snag: Sometimes, you really don't have a card you want to discard off of your Fatihless Looting. Adding in Rune Snag just gives you some added functionality if you feel that you have to discard a spell (i.e. you're holding 2 Rune Snags)
+Footsteps of the Goryo: Will hit any creature. Kiki has haste, so it doesn't matter for him, and Jin will let you draw cards ANYWAY. Also, if you're late enough in the game, you can actually just splice on Goryo's Vengeance and get TWO men.
+Jin-Gitaxis: Realized you can reanimate Jin at the end of their turn and make them discard their hand. Trolllllllllolololol
The modern deck I'm working on reanimates jin during their end step using Goryo's Vengeance and then uses Spell Pierce/Remand to make sure he sticks.
It's quite literally possibly to go T1 Faithless Looting, T2 pass, let them tap out and Vengeance... or just wait another couple turns til you have your counter magic.
This is the deck. I don't use Unburial rites, just Goryo's Footsteps and Goryo's Vengeance for their low mana cost.
It does work - the question is, how OFTEN does it work?
And you're right on leaks vs. Remands. Spell Snare/Spell Pierce are actually probably better than leaks in this build anyway, as it isn't a hard counter deck, but I often find that if I'm in topdeck mode, I usually have 2 mana open (the only spell I cast during my turn being Faithless Looting). It's worth a shot. The fine-tuning is what this deck needs right now.
I've been on a straight 2 day deckbuilding binge in search of something stupid and broken, and I happened across the Faithless Looting/Goryo's Vengeance combo. It enables you to reanimate ANY legendary creature and swing T3, which of course means we're going to try and reanimate Eldrazi. But that deck by itself didn't win - too clunky, too slow.
Goryo + Kiki + Faithless just gives us another way to get Splinter Twin shenanigans online for only 3 mana instead of 4. Barring that, you can use Faithless to dig for the combo while using Footsteps and Vengeance to pull all kinds of shenanigans - including reanimating Jin on their end step to make them discard their entire hand, and THEN drawing your 7 cards next turn!
Another fun thing: Elesh Norn totally goes in the sideboard for this deck, as it can be used to suddenly and completely hose Delver/small aggro dudes.
@JM: Don't think of Wheel as a card forcing them to discard - that's just a bonus. The 4 turns it takes for it to go off are just time for us to play out our hand - I'm finding that the best policy, if you know you're going to take longer to win (based on what's in your hand), is to play it immediately turn 2. You spend turns 3-5 playing out our hand as best we can, aiming to get as low as possible...
And then once turn 6 hits and it goes off, you can almost hear the Ka-CHIK as our shotgun of hate/burn reloads and we untap with full mana.
Try my version out - even in solitaire, you'll see you'll probably have an empty grip after T5. This is perhaps the biggest problem for burn decks in general, as the spells are such a low CMC that you can conceivably fire off 2 per turn once you get to 3 mana. Even with our card draw off Bob, and maybe Howling Mine if you're playing it, you'll have problems not running out that quickly. The Wheel is just a restock, and untapping with a full hand and full mana (if our enchants have stuck) is usually GG.
Wheel of Fortune is banned/restricted in so many things because it absolutely BREAKS burn wide open. Wheel of Fate is almost just as good in our case, as we don't have to spend a turn's mana to do it.
Also, I'm starting to think that, based on the fact I've hit 6 mana maybe ONCE in all my playtesting, that Bump in the Night is somewhat lackluster. We may be better off with simple Shock variants - Rift Bolt may go back in for my version as a replacement for it, as it's just strictly better.
Then again, Rift Bolt is a little awkward with Ascension. I really just want to burn my opponents NOW, which is why shock may be better.
Additionally, the deck I mentioned earlier is called Urzatron (click the link for a decklist), and it's a FACEREAMING. T3 Wurmcoils wreck us. I'm thinking either Thoughtseize and Despise also have places in our SB, if not the maindeck, because that deck seems like the thing to beat at the moment.
I'm running fetches to get Stomping Grounds for Ancient Grudge, should I need to board into it. Also, shocks to fix my mana.
Confidant is great, much better than Dark Tutelage in the curve. If you don't have the perfect hand, he helps you get to it. If you need to beat to turn on ascension, you can do that.
Rotting Rats are not so bueno. I might just put in 2 other Confidants.
I rarely stick Pain Magnification, or even want to - at a certain point, it's just superfluous.
Howling Mine is seeming better and better, as my opponents keep seeming to run out of cards before I murder them. I might take out 1 creature and a land to put in 2 Mines.
You NEED 4/4 on the Caress/Megrim. It's such a key part of the deck, and if you don't see it you're pretty much dead in the water.
True story: you get to choose which damage you prevent to your creatures in combat because it's all dealt at the same time.
Watch out for this card. I think it's Constructed playable.
Also, Ulvenwald Tracker + Seraph of Dawn. Loved it.
I think the place where she'll really shine is in U/W stall/control. Her + the wall is a pretty good way of shutting down an opponent's offense in the early game, and will help you durdle your way to some kind of relevant board position. Her + Cloudshift, as already pointed out, is REALLY good, and W/U seems to have some of the best ETB effects overall.
1. They have not played with Wheel of Fortune
2. They should stop talking, because they have NO IDEA what they're talking about.
You get to make your opponent discard their hand. Then you refill your own hand. Even if you're also refilling your opponent's hand, YOU GET TO DRAW 7 CARDS. And potentially another one of these.
And since you're in red, you have access to a whole ton of cheap removal and burn - if you cast this for it's normal casting cost, you have a shot at untapping and then doming them for their life total, or removing whatever creature they just played.
No, it doesn't affect board state. But neither do spells like Brainstorm, Ponder, etc, and those cards are banned in some formats because they are just too stupid good.
Wake up. Go play a red deck with Wheel in it. You'll see how worthwhile this effect is, ESPECIALLY in a color that historically has been shorted on draw spells.
+Rune Snag: Sometimes, you really don't have a card you want to discard off of your Fatihless Looting. Adding in Rune Snag just gives you some added functionality if you feel that you have to discard a spell (i.e. you're holding 2 Rune Snags)
+Footsteps of the Goryo: Will hit any creature. Kiki has haste, so it doesn't matter for him, and Jin will let you draw cards ANYWAY. Also, if you're late enough in the game, you can actually just splice on Goryo's Vengeance and get TWO men.
+Jin-Gitaxis: Realized you can reanimate Jin at the end of their turn and make them discard their hand. Trolllllllllolololol
The modern deck I'm working on reanimates jin during their end step using Goryo's Vengeance and then uses Spell Pierce/Remand to make sure he sticks.
It's quite literally possibly to go T1 Faithless Looting, T2 pass, let them tap out and Vengeance... or just wait another couple turns til you have your counter magic.
This is the deck. I don't use Unburial rites, just Goryo's Footsteps and Goryo's Vengeance for their low mana cost.
And you're right on leaks vs. Remands. Spell Snare/Spell Pierce are actually probably better than leaks in this build anyway, as it isn't a hard counter deck, but I often find that if I'm in topdeck mode, I usually have 2 mana open (the only spell I cast during my turn being Faithless Looting). It's worth a shot. The fine-tuning is what this deck needs right now.
I've been on a straight 2 day deckbuilding binge in search of something stupid and broken, and I happened across the Faithless Looting/Goryo's Vengeance combo. It enables you to reanimate ANY legendary creature and swing T3, which of course means we're going to try and reanimate Eldrazi. But that deck by itself didn't win - too clunky, too slow.
So I thought "what if we added in more combo's?"
and then
"Kiki-Jiki is a legendary creature..."
And then this happened.
4 Goryo's Vengeance
1 Condescend
4 Rune Snag
3 Remand
2 Spell Pierce
Sorceries
4 Faithless Looting
2 Footsteps of the Goryo
2 Splinter Twin
Creatures
4 Deceiver Exarch
4 Pestermite
4 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
3 Jin-Gitaxis, Core Augur
Lands
1 Mountain
4 Blood Crypt
4 Arid Mesa
1 Swamp
4 Marsh Flats
4 Steam Vents
1 Island
3 Watery Grave
Goryo + Kiki + Faithless just gives us another way to get Splinter Twin shenanigans online for only 3 mana instead of 4. Barring that, you can use Faithless to dig for the combo while using Footsteps and Vengeance to pull all kinds of shenanigans - including reanimating Jin on their end step to make them discard their entire hand, and THEN drawing your 7 cards next turn!
Another fun thing: Elesh Norn totally goes in the sideboard for this deck, as it can be used to suddenly and completely hose Delver/small aggro dudes.
Forked Bolt.
SCREW YOU DELVERS. SCREW YOU SPIRIT TOKENS.
Alternatively...
Lightning Axe?
Also, Barbed Shocker is a dude.
And then once turn 6 hits and it goes off, you can almost hear the Ka-CHIK as our shotgun of hate/burn reloads and we untap with full mana.
Try my version out - even in solitaire, you'll see you'll probably have an empty grip after T5. This is perhaps the biggest problem for burn decks in general, as the spells are such a low CMC that you can conceivably fire off 2 per turn once you get to 3 mana. Even with our card draw off Bob, and maybe Howling Mine if you're playing it, you'll have problems not running out that quickly. The Wheel is just a restock, and untapping with a full hand and full mana (if our enchants have stuck) is usually GG.
Wheel of Fortune is banned/restricted in so many things because it absolutely BREAKS burn wide open. Wheel of Fate is almost just as good in our case, as we don't have to spend a turn's mana to do it.
Also, I'm starting to think that, based on the fact I've hit 6 mana maybe ONCE in all my playtesting, that Bump in the Night is somewhat lackluster. We may be better off with simple Shock variants - Rift Bolt may go back in for my version as a replacement for it, as it's just strictly better.
Then again, Rift Bolt is a little awkward with Ascension. I really just want to burn my opponents NOW, which is why shock may be better.
Additionally, the deck I mentioned earlier is called Urzatron (click the link for a decklist), and it's a FACEREAMING. T3 Wurmcoils wreck us. I'm thinking either Thoughtseize and Despise also have places in our SB, if not the maindeck, because that deck seems like the thing to beat at the moment.
This is the decklist I'm experimenting with:
4 Blightning
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Bump in the Night
4 Wheel of Fate
3 Burning Inquiry
2 Faithless Looting
4 Liliana's Caress
4 Bloodchief Ascension
4 Megrim
2 Pain Magnification
Creatures
2 Rotting Rats
2 Dark Confidant
6 Swamp
3 Mountain
2 Blood Crypt
4 Verdant Catacombs
2 Stomping Ground
Observations:
I'm running fetches to get Stomping Grounds for Ancient Grudge, should I need to board into it. Also, shocks to fix my mana.
Confidant is great, much better than Dark Tutelage in the curve. If you don't have the perfect hand, he helps you get to it. If you need to beat to turn on ascension, you can do that.
Rotting Rats are not so bueno. I might just put in 2 other Confidants.
I rarely stick Pain Magnification, or even want to - at a certain point, it's just superfluous.
Howling Mine is seeming better and better, as my opponents keep seeming to run out of cards before I murder them. I might take out 1 creature and a land to put in 2 Mines.
You NEED 4/4 on the Caress/Megrim. It's such a key part of the deck, and if you don't see it you're pretty much dead in the water.
Will continue testing and reporting.
Wheel of Fate.
meta-dependent, Ancient Grudge and Stomping Grounds might be needed. I've been seeing some dumb artifact decks on Cockatrice, including the Urza's Mine / Urza's Power Plant / Urza's who the hell cares decks that are ramping into T3 Karn Liberated or Wurmcoil Engine (I've even seen them cast T5-6 Emrakul) using things like Chromatic Star and Prophetic Prism to produce mana for Ancient Stirrings and Sylvan Tutor to complete their combos.
I hate that deck so much. And it's damn consistent. But if we take away their artifacts, they're dependent on draw.
It would also destroy any Tempered Steel or Affinity variants.
Additionally, we should keep it light on the shocks. With few creatures, aggro can deal a lot of damage exceedingly quickly.