I haven't had a chance to test against the pro tour RDW list, but it looks like this player in a small Japanese tournament tech'd his list against aggro by filling out the playset of Battle at the Bridge and adding Fireforger's Puzzleknot for more early interaction. I'm planning on taking this to game day this weekend and I'm sure there will be plenty of budget red lists there.
Collective Brutality seems like a must out of the side vs all the aggro in the meta now. Taking out a creature, negating a shock, and discarding something like an Abrade is just brutal.
It's the start of a new format, I don't know what my meta will be, catch-all removal is good. Flipped Abbey, PWs, Always Watching, Archangel of Tithes, Gitrog, Ulamog, etc etc. Shambling Vent is just a very strong manland. I like having it as a fallback, just as Bant CoCo plays 4 Lumbering Falls even though the CIPT lands are a huge drawback.
Maybe these cards won't end up being optimal in this archetype, but they're good cards so I don't see why it's so crazy to try to fit them in.
ulamog, the ceaseless hunger
Seems like a card that should be tested. Considering it's huge, wins in 2 turns if that. And is indestructible. Yeah you don't get the cast trigger but you still have his attack trigger.
With the meta currently having so many white exile removal spells in any deck that can run them, any reanimation target should have an EtB effect, hexproof, or haste. The only time I can see Ulamog being better than other choices is when you Ever After both Kolaghan and Ulamog.
Congrats on the wins SlaveCL! Mind sharing your mainboard? Not sure if that's what in your attachments, but they aren't showing up for me.
I'm planning on building a reanimator list for my local tournaments but I'll be trying a white splash, mainly just for Shambling Vent and Anguished Unmaking. I'm also considering trying out a copy or two of Nearheath Chaplain, although its probably just jank.
What's everyone's opinion on Corrupted Grafstone? Would be very easy to turn on, and 2-mana accelerants have typically worked well in solar flare archetypes. Is tapping out to do nothing on turn two just too weak in this tempo-based format?
After playing Jeskai last format, and 4C Collected Company the past couple weeks, I decided to try Jeskai splashing green.
I feel like this list is closer to the "Temurai" 4c Dragon's list that appeared at the pro tour. It's a cool list definitely (I love Knucks), but I don't think it really belongs in this thread since Jeskai Black is about Jace, Vryn's Prodigy and Crackling Doom, and you are not running any Doom.
Does straight 3-color Jeskai not belong here as well? Because my deck is much, much closer to Jeskai than a dragons deck that runs 8 mana dorks. I also don't think Doom is that amazing right now with Ojutai seeing much less play and a relative lack in Abzan in my local meta, so I'm opting to try the green splash instead. If this thread is only for Jeskai Black, then it should be renamed to reflect that.
After playing Jeskai last format, and 4C Collected Company the past couple weeks, I decided to try Jeskai splashing green. I'm not trying to say it's better than Dark Jeskai, but I think the color offers a few interesting additions, mainly Savage Knuckleblade. This card has impressed me against every match up in the meta so far, the only downside is balancing your mana so that you can play both Knucks and Mantis Rider on curve. The only other green cards I tried out so far are Dromoka's Command, which is an incredibly powerful card for only 2 mana, and Woodland Wanderer, which has a lot of potential but is weak to Crackling Doom.
I think going forward I'll be switching Seeker for Soulfire Grand Master. Both are good against aggro, but SGM has the potential to be huge in the long game and can gain some life off a burn spell even if it gets removed right away. I'm also thinking about upping Dromoka's Command to two, there were many times I wished I had one but didn't see it.
Other cards I'd like to try out are Den Protector and Dragonlord Dromoka, as well as Sarkhan Unbroken.
Pretty similar to what I've been testing, but splashes black for BtL, which I'm not sure is worth it without more utility cards to search up. Also a really interesting sideboard, although I do like the idea of Oblivion Sower vs control a lot, I think that card is nuts. Wondering where Lumbering Falls are though, manlands are great with Ascendancy and Falls is a good land in general.
Looks solid, I've been playing 4 Charm and I'm a big fan. I think I'd cut 2 basics for 2 Windswept Heath and cut a Forge for the G/R battle land, that way Heath can grab any of the 3 colors.
Do you think we could find some spot place for Monastery Mentor main or side ?
I think it could be great out of the side to catch decks off guard that take out cheap removal and sweepers. Mainboard it gives cards like Radiant Flames an unnecessary advantage when they are usually pretty bad against us.
I'd up the Artificer's Epiphany to 3 or 4, take out Cancel for a mix of Disdainful Stroke/Clash of Wills, and remove Tormenting Voice. Also, I think Pilgrim's Eye is the reason to play Thopter Control post-rotation so I'd play 4 of those.
There's also too many basics here, I can understand budget concerns but some of those should be switched to Bloodstained Mire/Polluted Deltas.
Jace on his way back up to $50, currently at 48 mid. Considering Hangarback Walker is dropping in price because of the reprint, Jace may have even more room to go up since those are the two most sought after Origins cards.
Hardened Scales is also continuing to rise, with its mid price close to 4. If scales is a strong archetype in the coming standard, I can see this getting to $5.
Rattleclaw Mystic hasn't moved from 2.50 yet, so its likely he's not going much higher than 3. He is much more vulnerable than Caryatid and only provides Temur colors. That being said he won't be dropping anytime soon so its a safe pickup.
Probably not good enough for control decks to run, might be ok in a Grixis Eldrazi deck though. Would be so much more interesting if Ghost Quarter was in standard (yes, its a may ability, but then its essentially wasteland.)
http://www.hareruyamtg.com/en/k/kD05911K/
Grasp of Darkness is a smart choice right now as well, taking full advantage of being in the best color to answer Hazoret the Fervent.
It's the start of a new format, I don't know what my meta will be, catch-all removal is good. Flipped Abbey, PWs, Always Watching, Archangel of Tithes, Gitrog, Ulamog, etc etc. Shambling Vent is just a very strong manland. I like having it as a fallback, just as Bant CoCo plays 4 Lumbering Falls even though the CIPT lands are a huge drawback.
Maybe these cards won't end up being optimal in this archetype, but they're good cards so I don't see why it's so crazy to try to fit them in.
With the meta currently having so many white exile removal spells in any deck that can run them, any reanimation target should have an EtB effect, hexproof, or haste. The only time I can see Ulamog being better than other choices is when you Ever After both Kolaghan and Ulamog.
I'm planning on building a reanimator list for my local tournaments but I'll be trying a white splash, mainly just for Shambling Vent and Anguished Unmaking. I'm also considering trying out a copy or two of Nearheath Chaplain, although its probably just jank.
What's everyone's opinion on Corrupted Grafstone? Would be very easy to turn on, and 2-mana accelerants have typically worked well in solar flare archetypes. Is tapping out to do nothing on turn two just too weak in this tempo-based format?
Does straight 3-color Jeskai not belong here as well? Because my deck is much, much closer to Jeskai than a dragons deck that runs 8 mana dorks. I also don't think Doom is that amazing right now with Ojutai seeing much less play and a relative lack in Abzan in my local meta, so I'm opting to try the green splash instead. If this thread is only for Jeskai Black, then it should be renamed to reflect that.
Here's the list I got 2nd at Game Day with:
3 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
4 Seeker of the Way
4 Mantis Rider
3 Savage Knuckleblade
1 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
3 Treasure Cruise
2 Fiery Impulse
2 Wild Slash
3 Jeskai Charm
2 Valorous Stance
1 Dromoka's Command
1 Silkwrap
1 Touch of the Void
1 Dispel
2 Ojutai's Command
1 Evolving Wilds
3 Wooded Foothills
3 Windswept Heath
2 Flooded Strand
1 Prairie Stream
2 Cinder Glade
2 Canopy Vista
4 Shivan Reef
2 Island
2 Mountain
1 Plains
2 Felidar Cub
1 Disdainful Stroke
1 Dispel
1 Exert Influence
2 Arashin Cleric
2 Soulfire Grand Master
2 Radiant Flames
1 Roast
1 Woodland Wanderer
2 Dig Through Time
I think going forward I'll be switching Seeker for Soulfire Grand Master. Both are good against aggro, but SGM has the potential to be huge in the long game and can gain some life off a burn spell even if it gets removed right away. I'm also thinking about upping Dromoka's Command to two, there were many times I wished I had one but didn't see it.
Other cards I'd like to try out are Den Protector and Dragonlord Dromoka, as well as Sarkhan Unbroken.
Pretty similar to what I've been testing, but splashes black for BtL, which I'm not sure is worth it without more utility cards to search up. Also a really interesting sideboard, although I do like the idea of Oblivion Sower vs control a lot, I think that card is nuts. Wondering where Lumbering Falls are though, manlands are great with Ascendancy and Falls is a good land in general.
Looks solid, I've been playing 4 Charm and I'm a big fan. I think I'd cut 2 basics for 2 Windswept Heath and cut a Forge for the G/R battle land, that way Heath can grab any of the 3 colors.
I think it could be great out of the side to catch decks off guard that take out cheap removal and sweepers. Mainboard it gives cards like Radiant Flames an unnecessary advantage when they are usually pretty bad against us.
There's also too many basics here, I can understand budget concerns but some of those should be switched to Bloodstained Mire/Polluted Deltas.
Hardened Scales is also continuing to rise, with its mid price close to 4. If scales is a strong archetype in the coming standard, I can see this getting to $5.
Rattleclaw Mystic hasn't moved from 2.50 yet, so its likely he's not going much higher than 3. He is much more vulnerable than Caryatid and only provides Temur colors. That being said he won't be dropping anytime soon so its a safe pickup.