I would say it is ok to play Molten Rain when there is a lot of midrange and ramp in the meta. The card does give a lot of free-wins when curved on turn3 on the play against these decks.
I was playing 0 Molten Rain on the previous dredge-infect meta but I am on 3 atm. I side it vs ramp (tron/edrazi-tron/titan/bloom), most midrange 3 color decks (jund, abzan, grixis, eldrazi), control decks (uw, uwr) and also vs ad nauseam as it can give you a turn.
I do only side them in on the play, as on the draw it is too slow and doesnt provide the "free-win" when curved.
Nacatl into guide will grant you more damage from turn 2 than guide into nacatl, and in regards of guide vs swifstpear guide is most times played over swiftspear except with very specific hands.
I played Naya Burn (no Nacatl) on the Madrid mkm whis weeked, I finished 10º which felt a bit bad after the good start but whatever here is the report:
Round 1 Infect 2-1
Being on the draw on g1, my interaction spells were rift bolt, bolt and lavamancer with 0 cards on gy, I went for lavamancer + rift on t2 being at 0 infect and facing only an elf, I was only losing to blessing + become immense + 4dmg pump and my opponent had it.
I won a tight g2 after being able to atarkas command his kitchen finks, and g3 was easy with double guide, eidolon and some interaction.
Round 2 Jund 2-0
My opponent kept and slow hand on g1 and I was on the play so it was a fast win, game 2 my opponent kept a hand with some disruption but I after I path his Ooze he didn’t found much more pressure and I finished the game with burn spells.
Round 3 Melira 2-1
Game one he was on the play and played birds into t2 kitchen finks, which gave him more than enough time to assemble the combo few turns later.
Game 2 I got the goblin guide into eidolon play on the play followed by some burn and atarkas command for his finks to quickly finish the game.
Game 3 was the most interesting one, he was on the play but spend the first turns just flooding the table with birds and nobles until being almost empty handed, while I was just hitting with 2 swiftspears and flooding as well after casting a couple of burn spells, so both being basically top decking I found a lavamancer and he found a kitchen finks which I was able to work through thanks to my lavamancer. He found a company few turns later but was only able to hit wall of roots + viscera seer, while I finally found some burn on the form of atarkas command which I used for another kitchen finks he draw in the next turn and a boros charm to close the game.
My round 3 opponent ended winning the mkm with melira.
Round 4 Suicide Zoo 2-0
I was on the draw on game 1 but my opponent not knowing what he was against went for cycle and probe on t1 getting at very dangerous life total early enough for the game to be easy.
Game 2 I had the path for the Death Shadow and he didn’t found any helix early enough so it was fast as well.
Round 5 Affinity 2-0
I can’t remember a lot about g1 but it was a fast game that ended with both of us at 1 card in hand, my board being 2 swiftspears and my opponent with ornithopter + cranial plating at 6 life, I hited with both swiftspears and casted my boros charm after the block, he was able to respond with a galvanic blast so board and hands were empty with him at 2, he top decked a vault skirge but I got a bolt on my turn.
Game 2 he was hitting me with a cranial plating equipped etched champion and with a spellskite on defence against my goblin guide, on my last possible turn he was at 12 and my hand was destructive revelry, bolt and command, so destroying the spellskite and bolting him at eot any burn spell would do it, my draw was another command to seal the game.
Round 6 Merfolks 0-2
I was on the play on game 1 and had one drop on turn 1 into burn spells, but my opponent casting 2 spreading seas in a row completely ruined my hand full of commands and boros charms.
Game 2 was quite similar with my opponent casting turn 1 cursecatcher into 3 spreading seas.
Round 7 BGw 0-2
My opponent was playing an unconventional build of abzan with very light white splash for lingering souls and no rhinos or paths.
He was on the play on g1 and immediately disfigure my turn 1 goblin guide, after some more interchanges he was staying at 6 life with no board, my hand being shard volley, atarkas command and searing blaze and my lands just mountain and sacred foundry. At this point I needed any land or burn spell to seal the game but I proceeded to draw another atarkas command into my 2nd and 3rd searing blazes while my opponent drew a kalitas and turned the game.
I started with a rift bolt into eidolon on g2, but my eidolon was quickly answered and I was overruned with a goyf into liliana and fulminator mage.
Round 8 GR Valakut 2-0
I won the die roll and proceeded to turn 1 goblin guide into t2 swiftspear and lava spike, staying untapped on t3 to boros charm his anger and ending the game few turns later.
Game 2 my opponent had baloths in turns 3 and 4 on the play but I started with turn one guide and with 2 skullcracks and 1 command in hand I was able to finish the game with burn.
Round 9 Living End 2-0
I was on the play on g1 with a double goblin guide hand, still the game was tight because my opponent was able to resolve a living end with 3 creatures on gy on turn 2 thanks to double simian but I ended finishing him with burn at 1 life.
Game 2 was similar to game 1 but my opponent had just one simian this time so he did not went for it until turn 3 with 3 creatures and I had the time to finish him with burn.
I can comment on the burn vs goblin matchup from the burn pov.
I have been playing Naya burn (no nacatl) online for a long time and lately I have been running into goblins a lot in the two mans.
My win rate against goblins is currently very positive, but I did lose some matches against it specially the first times I did play the deck. That being said I am mostly playing them just in two mans and lots of people probably run it because budget reasons so I am not playing against really good pilots.
However, the matchup is not straightforward for the burn player, lots of the games have to be played very defensive and if you don’t respect bushwalkers goblins can very quickly turn what it was a favourable race into a loss for burn. What I mean is that if you have not tested the matchup extensively is very easy for the burn player to underestimate the deck and make very wrong lines.
I would say game 1 goblins is favoured, possibly something around 60-40.
Post sideboard games, burn will improve way more than goblins and the match will be more around 50-50 or up to 60-40 for burn depending on the number of kor firewalkers, lightning helix, blaze effects or even electrickery that burn can bring in.
So, considering that goblins is still not very popular, and lots of people you will play in a tournament won’t have a lot of experience against it, I would be happy running goblins in a burn heavy meta.
PD: any reasons not to run 3-4 cavern of souls in the mono red versions with only 8 no goblin spells?
I sideboard differently against colourless and UR Eldrazi.
Colourless plays 4 chalices and 3 spellskites postboard so I want all my 3 revelrys against them. Against UR we only have to deal with 2 chalices and 1 spellskite, I am siding 1/2 revelrys against UR in game 2 and the full 3 if I see any sun droplet on game 2 that some lists board. Also worth noting that they will often keep or side in ratchet bombs as additional targets for revelry.
I also value my main deck searing blazes more against UR than against colourless since UR plays more good targets.
I am siding 3 Molten Rain against both but only on the play. I never want them on the draw since it is too slow as they have dumped their hand or most of it before their turn 4.
I don’t like Eidolon on the draw against the colourless version either since there is no worse thing that dropping a t2 Eidolon just to see your opponent start dropping 4+ cmc monsters that wall your creatures on the following turn. This can also happen on the play but is less likely. I do keep them against UR since they have a lot of 2-3 cmc.
Bridge looks as one of the most solid options I have seen around here but I haven’t tested it yet. Are you normally able to drop it + empty your hand before getting crushed?
I liked the idea about “notes” sharing,I can add a couple more, I have been playing burn myself since the release of modern:
-Do not get discouraged by salty opponents claiming the deck is a kids or easy to play deck. While it is true that any good magic player can probably pick burn and play it at 70%, being able to play it at 100% correctly requires toons of tough decisions, experience and good mathematical reasoning.
- Most games with burn are more a mathematical exercise than a “normal game of magic”, being able to maximize your outs in every game often requires “playing many turns in advance” which is much more reliable on burn than in any other deck since burn is probably the most redundant deck meaning than a high % of our draws are basically “the same” so is possible to estimate the likely outcome of your next draw steps with some precision, and way more accurately than with most other decks.
-Eidolon is the maximum exponent of the previous two points. I would even say that more than 50% of the important misplays playing burn (by a good pilot) are related to eidolon maths. Making the right line of when to attack or block with him or when not, casting more or less spells with him in play, trading him or just playing or not playing it in an advanced game is often very complex and definitely game changing. He alone transforms the “playing some turns in advance” basic maths into headaches.
I have seen so many burn players completely throwing out games because basic eidolon maths misplays, even in top tables of big tournaments, the following situation occurred in a GP last year:
“Burn vs UR Twin
Burn player is at 7 with only an eidolon in play and rift bolt in hand facing a board of Vendilion Clique plus Exarch with the twin player at 5 life.
The burn player decided to rift bolt his opponent instead of killing the clique.
He put his opponent down to 2 but completely throw the game since all that the twin player needed to do was to untap and hit with the clique getting the burn player at 2 making impossible for him to cats any more spells while the twin player would just block with exarch and finish the game with another clique attack.”
This situation was even very simple, but it is still easy to make the wrong play. I would say that one of the most if not the most important thing to boost your win % with this deck is to be able to make correct eidolon decisions.
I have done some maths about beating spellskite with lightning storm and the numbers of lands, let’s put it in context, some days ago I was facing UB Faeries on a sideboard game and the following situation happened:
(Note: It is a postboard game and I have repeal in my deck but not slaughter pact.)
I had two different lines in this situation:
•Pact the negate, Noxious Angel´s Grace, go off, repeal the spellskite and kill with lightning storm. Problem: I lose to dispel on Noxious revival or Ad nauseam, also to surgical extraction.
•Let the negate resolve, Noxious Angel´s Grace, go off with ssg, beat the spellskite with lightning storm. This way I don’t lose to a negate or a single surgical extraction since I hold the Pact.
So I stopped for a minute and try to consider if I could “beat” the spellskite without repeal. There were some things to consider:
(Note: I play 21 lands, my opponent didn’t make a land drop in the last 2 turns)
Can I “beat” the spellskite with lightning storm?
If I can, how many lands in my opponent hand can I beat?
Is my opponent more likely to be holding some lands than a dispel?
It turned to be that I could beat the spellskite + 3 lands so the line two was the correct one, but how many time can you need to figure this numbers? I spent 2 minutes burning my head in what could have been a 10 seconds decision if I had some “formula” to play against spellskite.
So I made a fast to apply formula for every time I have to make a decision involving spellskite:
Number of lands you play – Lands in play or graveyard – (Opponent’s Life – 3) / 2 – (Opponent’s Life -2) /2 – Opponent´s blue mana ≥ 0
If the result is ≥ 0 you can kill through spellskite (no lands on opponent hand).
If the result is a positive number, that number is the number of lands you can win through.
I don’t know if this has been discussed before but though it could be helpful to share.
Do you feel that having 8 Skullcracks post-board is worth the 4 sideboard spots lost? Would 2 Command be as effective, and allow for a better sideboard? Generally adding more of the same to a sideboard is a poor idea, so I don't really get why you'd be playing Commands 3 and 4 in the sideboard. (1 and 2 are acceptable, because you usually want 6 Skullcracks in the 75).
Running less than 4 commands doesnt allow you to do the full swap to RG in matchups when you need no other card from sb.
For example against jund and junk i go -4 boros charm + 4 command and play RG with 8 "skullcracks" for the multiple, rhinos, feed the clan, kitchen finks.
I couldnt go for RG if i was playing less than 4 Commands since i need to get 4 boros charm out and the only other card that comes in the matchup is the 2 molten rains but thats only in the play.
Since the introduction of Atarka´s Command there are 3 different versions of burn putting good results:
-Naya with Nacatl
-Naya without Nacatl
-RWg (splashing Revelry)
I have played the 3 variants, but despite Command being awesome, I did never feel comfortable playing this deck with a 3 colours mana base so I have always being leading to the RWg versions.
I am running RWg but with a “strongest” green splash running Commands in the sb but playing only RW maindeck:
After sb I play as RW, Naya or RG (siding 4 charms for 4 commands) depending on the matchup with lines similar to:
•Life total is important + boros charm is better in the matchup -> RW
•Life total is important + command is better in the matchup -> RG
•Life total is not important / speed is more important-> Naya
•Life total is important + revelry is needed -> RG
I feel like the life loss for playing a 3 colours mana base in a deck that operates most times with between 1 and 3 lands is really painful and can be a deciding factor in lots of matchups.
Playing the commands in the sb I am able to build my mana without that much life loss on g1 and still be able to play the commands when they are needed or playing naya in the matchups that life loss doesn’t matter in games 2 and 3.
Losing 4 sideboard slots for the commands is one of the main disadvantages, but in the other hand you are able to play 8 “skullcracks” after sidieboarding this way.
Is eidolon really that great? (now that good players know how to play around it)
It will usually eat a removal and only deal 2 damage, or help your opponent if he is trying to race
Sure he's game breaking in a couple of match ups... but doesn't that usually means he should be in the side?
There is no such a thing as “a good way to play around eidolon” if you land and eidolon on t2 (especially on the play). The opponent either has the removal to answer him asap (just netting a 1x1 and giving us a free shock), or is forced to play things into our eidolon / wait until he gets a removal either of them being very good for us.
What i have seen is people misplaying hard with their own eidolons in matchups where your life total actually matters, just saw this situation yesterday in a game:
Burn vs UR Twin
Burn player is at 7 with only and eidolon in play and rift bolt in hand facing a board of Vendilion Clique plus Exarch with the twin player at 5 life.
The burn player decided to roft bolt his opponent instead of killing the clique.
He put his opponent down to 2 but completely throw the game since all that the twin player needed to do was to untap and hit with the clique getting the burn player at 2 making impossible for him to cats any more spells while the twin player would just block with exarch and finish the game with another clique attack.
Eidolon is at least good in most matcups (every matchup if we are on the play) and completely insane in some of them.
I had always considered Ad Nauseam a terrible Modern deck, but the GP Charlotte list is being amazing in testing, it is being hard to play correctly and probably requires a lot of testing as some of the lines are really difficult to figure but the deck can do lots of hilarious plays, some of the weirdest I have experienced this days:
-Stuck on 1 gemstone mine at 1 counter and 1 lotus bloom in play against RG tron after a Karn exiled my 2 other lands and facing a Ugin at 11 counters. My opponent then decides to search a Ghost quarter to take care of my mine allowing me to get the last mana I was lacking to go off (3 from lotus 1 from gemstone 1 from basic plains 1 from simian spirit guide).
-Casting a pact with only 4 lands + unlife in play and no angels grace, Spoils for simian spirit guide at EOT to be able to cast my Ad Nauseam on upkeep for the game.
-Stuck on 2 lands and lotus bloom with 1 counter against Grixis control my opponent decides to tap out for a cryptic command on my lotus. I pact the command (without angels grace on hand) and casted Ad nauseam for around 12 cards managing to hit the angels grace not to lose on my next upkeep and sculpting an amazing hand to recover and win the game.
I will definitely keep testing it, seems really fun and solid and lots of opponents make huge misplays against it.
The scry lands add lots of consistency to the deck, plus playing a non painfull manabase leets you play ad nauseam for value more often and is definetely more important also if you are playing Spoils.
Considering the deck is a "turn 4 deck" playing 5 lands that enter in the field taped doesnt hurt your speed that much.
So the deck is slightly different from the list I ran for game day I tweaked it to be slightly better in the Mirror. I am expecting a large showing of Esper Dragons, as all the local media has been blowing up with people looking for the cards for the deck in time for the PPTQ/IQ.
I wouldnt drop the Ugin as he wins games by himelf that you would have lost otherwise, having it just as a 1 off is not a big deal and you can allways find it in the lategame if you need it with digs/anticipates.
Droping the Ugin leaves you with no answer against a resolved Whip, Mastery or against an monstruous Fleecemane Lion or even Deathmist Raptors.
I would never drop the Haven as Killax suggested, its just amazing on the esper dragons list, plus you really need the white sources.
If you expect a lot of UB / UBw mirrors, run Grindclock, it is the definitive sideboard card for the mirror, once resolved it is really hard / imposible to answer depending on the version. Even if answered, the only answers are really slow (Ugin / Vault) so you would have already got a huge edge if you can drop it early.
Hi, I've been playing Magic off an on for a few years now. I do however, follow coverage OBSESSIVELY. I've been playing in FNM's consistently, however I'm wanting to make the jump into more competitive magic. I've been playing Rg Aggro for a while now, but I'm stuck on some things.
Here is my current iteration of the Mono-Red Archetype. What I am searching for is a sideboard plan for this deck. Specifically, ...
1. Plan of attack for the mirror match
2. Plan against GW Manifest
3. Plan against Abzan variants
4. Plan against Reanimator variants <--- A BIG one. Seeing as they are HUGE in my area
Hopefully, some of your more experienced red mages here can help another red mage that's trying to be competitive out! Please serious advice.
First of all i would drop the Titan´s Strenght and the Collateral Damage in your main board for Wild Slash and Hordeling Outburst.
The 1 Windstorm in your sideboard looks terrible also.
I was playing 0 Molten Rain on the previous dredge-infect meta but I am on 3 atm. I side it vs ramp (tron/edrazi-tron/titan/bloom), most midrange 3 color decks (jund, abzan, grixis, eldrazi), control decks (uw, uwr) and also vs ad nauseam as it can give you a turn.
I do only side them in on the play, as on the draw it is too slow and doesnt provide the "free-win" when curved.
Nacatl -> Guide -> Swiftspear
Nacatl into guide will grant you more damage from turn 2 than guide into nacatl, and in regards of guide vs swifstpear guide is most times played over swiftspear except with very specific hands.
Round 1 Infect 2-1
Being on the draw on g1, my interaction spells were rift bolt, bolt and lavamancer with 0 cards on gy, I went for lavamancer + rift on t2 being at 0 infect and facing only an elf, I was only losing to blessing + become immense + 4dmg pump and my opponent had it.
I won a tight g2 after being able to atarkas command his kitchen finks, and g3 was easy with double guide, eidolon and some interaction.
Round 2 Jund 2-0
My opponent kept and slow hand on g1 and I was on the play so it was a fast win, game 2 my opponent kept a hand with some disruption but I after I path his Ooze he didn’t found much more pressure and I finished the game with burn spells.
Round 3 Melira 2-1
Game one he was on the play and played birds into t2 kitchen finks, which gave him more than enough time to assemble the combo few turns later.
Game 2 I got the goblin guide into eidolon play on the play followed by some burn and atarkas command for his finks to quickly finish the game.
Game 3 was the most interesting one, he was on the play but spend the first turns just flooding the table with birds and nobles until being almost empty handed, while I was just hitting with 2 swiftspears and flooding as well after casting a couple of burn spells, so both being basically top decking I found a lavamancer and he found a kitchen finks which I was able to work through thanks to my lavamancer. He found a company few turns later but was only able to hit wall of roots + viscera seer, while I finally found some burn on the form of atarkas command which I used for another kitchen finks he draw in the next turn and a boros charm to close the game.
My round 3 opponent ended winning the mkm with melira.
Round 4 Suicide Zoo 2-0
I was on the draw on game 1 but my opponent not knowing what he was against went for cycle and probe on t1 getting at very dangerous life total early enough for the game to be easy.
Game 2 I had the path for the Death Shadow and he didn’t found any helix early enough so it was fast as well.
Round 5 Affinity 2-0
I can’t remember a lot about g1 but it was a fast game that ended with both of us at 1 card in hand, my board being 2 swiftspears and my opponent with ornithopter + cranial plating at 6 life, I hited with both swiftspears and casted my boros charm after the block, he was able to respond with a galvanic blast so board and hands were empty with him at 2, he top decked a vault skirge but I got a bolt on my turn.
Game 2 he was hitting me with a cranial plating equipped etched champion and with a spellskite on defence against my goblin guide, on my last possible turn he was at 12 and my hand was destructive revelry, bolt and command, so destroying the spellskite and bolting him at eot any burn spell would do it, my draw was another command to seal the game.
Round 6 Merfolks 0-2
I was on the play on game 1 and had one drop on turn 1 into burn spells, but my opponent casting 2 spreading seas in a row completely ruined my hand full of commands and boros charms.
Game 2 was quite similar with my opponent casting turn 1 cursecatcher into 3 spreading seas.
Round 7 BGw 0-2
My opponent was playing an unconventional build of abzan with very light white splash for lingering souls and no rhinos or paths.
He was on the play on g1 and immediately disfigure my turn 1 goblin guide, after some more interchanges he was staying at 6 life with no board, my hand being shard volley, atarkas command and searing blaze and my lands just mountain and sacred foundry. At this point I needed any land or burn spell to seal the game but I proceeded to draw another atarkas command into my 2nd and 3rd searing blazes while my opponent drew a kalitas and turned the game.
I started with a rift bolt into eidolon on g2, but my eidolon was quickly answered and I was overruned with a goyf into liliana and fulminator mage.
Round 8 GR Valakut 2-0
I won the die roll and proceeded to turn 1 goblin guide into t2 swiftspear and lava spike, staying untapped on t3 to boros charm his anger and ending the game few turns later.
Game 2 my opponent had baloths in turns 3 and 4 on the play but I started with turn one guide and with 2 skullcracks and 1 command in hand I was able to finish the game with burn.
Round 9 Living End 2-0
I was on the play on g1 with a double goblin guide hand, still the game was tight because my opponent was able to resolve a living end with 3 creatures on gy on turn 2 thanks to double simian but I ended finishing him with burn at 1 life.
Game 2 was similar to game 1 but my opponent had just one simian this time so he did not went for it until turn 3 with 3 creatures and I had the time to finish him with burn.
I have been playing Naya burn (no nacatl) online for a long time and lately I have been running into goblins a lot in the two mans.
My win rate against goblins is currently very positive, but I did lose some matches against it specially the first times I did play the deck. That being said I am mostly playing them just in two mans and lots of people probably run it because budget reasons so I am not playing against really good pilots.
However, the matchup is not straightforward for the burn player, lots of the games have to be played very defensive and if you don’t respect bushwalkers goblins can very quickly turn what it was a favourable race into a loss for burn. What I mean is that if you have not tested the matchup extensively is very easy for the burn player to underestimate the deck and make very wrong lines.
I would say game 1 goblins is favoured, possibly something around 60-40.
Post sideboard games, burn will improve way more than goblins and the match will be more around 50-50 or up to 60-40 for burn depending on the number of kor firewalkers, lightning helix, blaze effects or even electrickery that burn can bring in.
So, considering that goblins is still not very popular, and lots of people you will play in a tournament won’t have a lot of experience against it, I would be happy running goblins in a burn heavy meta.
PD: any reasons not to run 3-4 cavern of souls in the mono red versions with only 8 no goblin spells?
3 Sacred Foundry
2 Arid Mesa
4 Mountain
2 Stomping Ground
1 Copperline Gorge
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Bloodstained Mire
4 Goblin Guide
4 Monastery Swiftspear
2 Grim Lavamancer
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
// Spells
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lava Spike
4 Rift Bolt
2 Shard Volley
1 Skullcrack
4 Boros Charm
3 Searing Blaze
4 Atarka's Command
2 Skullcrack
3 Molten Rain
3 Destructive Revelry
2 Path to Exile
2 Deflecting Palm
3 Kor Firewalker
I sideboard differently against colourless and UR Eldrazi.
Colourless plays 4 chalices and 3 spellskites postboard so I want all my 3 revelrys against them. Against UR we only have to deal with 2 chalices and 1 spellskite, I am siding 1/2 revelrys against UR in game 2 and the full 3 if I see any sun droplet on game 2 that some lists board. Also worth noting that they will often keep or side in ratchet bombs as additional targets for revelry.
I also value my main deck searing blazes more against UR than against colourless since UR plays more good targets.
I am siding 3 Molten Rain against both but only on the play. I never want them on the draw since it is too slow as they have dumped their hand or most of it before their turn 4.
I don’t like Eidolon on the draw against the colourless version either since there is no worse thing that dropping a t2 Eidolon just to see your opponent start dropping 4+ cmc monsters that wall your creatures on the following turn. This can also happen on the play but is less likely. I do keep them against UR since they have a lot of 2-3 cmc.
Bridge looks as one of the most solid options I have seen around here but I haven’t tested it yet. Are you normally able to drop it + empty your hand before getting crushed?
My sideboard at the moment looks like:
UR Eldrazi
•Play
+3 Molten Rain
+2 Deflecting Palm
+1 Destructive Revelry
-2 Grim Lavamancer
-1 Skullcrack
-1 Shard Volley
-1 Lava Spike
-1 Atarka´s Command
•Draw
+2 Destructive Revelry
+2 Deflecting Palm
-2 Grim Lavamancer
-1 Skullcrack
-1 Shard Volley
Colourless Eldrazi
•Play
+3 Molten Rain
+3 Destructive Revelry
+2 Deflecting Palm
-2 Grim Lavamancer
-2 Searing Blaze
-1 Skullcrack
-1 Shard Volley
-1 Lava Spike
-1 Atarka´s Command
•Draw
+3 Destructive Revelry
+2 Deflecting Palm
+2 Path to Exile
-4 Eidolon of the great reveal
-2 Grim Lavamancer
-1 Skullcrack
-Do not get discouraged by salty opponents claiming the deck is a kids or easy to play deck. While it is true that any good magic player can probably pick burn and play it at 70%, being able to play it at 100% correctly requires toons of tough decisions, experience and good mathematical reasoning.
- Most games with burn are more a mathematical exercise than a “normal game of magic”, being able to maximize your outs in every game often requires “playing many turns in advance” which is much more reliable on burn than in any other deck since burn is probably the most redundant deck meaning than a high % of our draws are basically “the same” so is possible to estimate the likely outcome of your next draw steps with some precision, and way more accurately than with most other decks.
-Eidolon is the maximum exponent of the previous two points. I would even say that more than 50% of the important misplays playing burn (by a good pilot) are related to eidolon maths. Making the right line of when to attack or block with him or when not, casting more or less spells with him in play, trading him or just playing or not playing it in an advanced game is often very complex and definitely game changing. He alone transforms the “playing some turns in advance” basic maths into headaches.
I have seen so many burn players completely throwing out games because basic eidolon maths misplays, even in top tables of big tournaments, the following situation occurred in a GP last year:
“Burn vs UR Twin
Burn player is at 7 with only an eidolon in play and rift bolt in hand facing a board of Vendilion Clique plus Exarch with the twin player at 5 life.
The burn player decided to rift bolt his opponent instead of killing the clique.
He put his opponent down to 2 but completely throw the game since all that the twin player needed to do was to untap and hit with the clique getting the burn player at 2 making impossible for him to cats any more spells while the twin player would just block with exarch and finish the game with another clique attack.”
This situation was even very simple, but it is still easy to make the wrong play. I would say that one of the most if not the most important thing to boost your win % with this deck is to be able to make correct eidolon decisions.
(Note: It is a postboard game and I have repeal in my deck but not slaughter pact.)
I had two different lines in this situation:
•Pact the negate, Noxious Angel´s Grace, go off, repeal the spellskite and kill with lightning storm. Problem: I lose to dispel on Noxious revival or Ad nauseam, also to surgical extraction.
•Let the negate resolve, Noxious Angel´s Grace, go off with ssg, beat the spellskite with lightning storm. This way I don’t lose to a negate or a single surgical extraction since I hold the Pact.
So I stopped for a minute and try to consider if I could “beat” the spellskite without repeal. There were some things to consider:
(Note: I play 21 lands, my opponent didn’t make a land drop in the last 2 turns)
Can I “beat” the spellskite with lightning storm?
If I can, how many lands in my opponent hand can I beat?
Is my opponent more likely to be holding some lands than a dispel?
It turned to be that I could beat the spellskite + 3 lands so the line two was the correct one, but how many time can you need to figure this numbers? I spent 2 minutes burning my head in what could have been a 10 seconds decision if I had some “formula” to play against spellskite.
So I made a fast to apply formula for every time I have to make a decision involving spellskite:
Number of lands you play – Lands in play or graveyard – (Opponent’s Life – 3) / 2 – (Opponent’s Life -2) /2 – Opponent´s blue mana ≥ 0
If the result is ≥ 0 you can kill through spellskite (no lands on opponent hand).
If the result is a positive number, that number is the number of lands you can win through.
I don’t know if this has been discussed before but though it could be helpful to share.
Running less than 4 commands doesnt allow you to do the full swap to RG in matchups when you need no other card from sb.
For example against jund and junk i go -4 boros charm + 4 command and play RG with 8 "skullcracks" for the multiple, rhinos, feed the clan, kitchen finks.
I couldnt go for RG if i was playing less than 4 Commands since i need to get 4 boros charm out and the only other card that comes in the matchup is the 2 molten rains but thats only in the play.
-Naya with Nacatl
-Naya without Nacatl
-RWg (splashing Revelry)
I have played the 3 variants, but despite Command being awesome, I did never feel comfortable playing this deck with a 3 colours mana base so I have always being leading to the RWg versions.
I am running RWg but with a “strongest” green splash running Commands in the sb but playing only RW maindeck:
2 Bloodstained Mire
4 Arid Mesa
4 Scalding Tarn
5 Mountain
2 Stomping Ground
4 Goblin Guide
4 Monastery Swiftspear
3 Grim Lavamancer
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
4 Lava Spike
4 Rift Bolt
2 Shard Volley
4 Skullcrack
4 Boros Charm
3 Searing Blaze
2 Molten Rain
2 Rending Volley
3 Destructive Revelry
4 Atarka's Command
3 Kor Firewalker
1 Deflecting Palm
After sb I play as RW, Naya or RG (siding 4 charms for 4 commands) depending on the matchup with lines similar to:
•Life total is important + boros charm is better in the matchup -> RW
•Life total is important + command is better in the matchup -> RG
•Life total is not important / speed is more important-> Naya
•Life total is important + revelry is needed -> RG
I feel like the life loss for playing a 3 colours mana base in a deck that operates most times with between 1 and 3 lands is really painful and can be a deciding factor in lots of matchups.
Playing the commands in the sb I am able to build my mana without that much life loss on g1 and still be able to play the commands when they are needed or playing naya in the matchups that life loss doesn’t matter in games 2 and 3.
Losing 4 sideboard slots for the commands is one of the main disadvantages, but in the other hand you are able to play 8 “skullcracks” after sidieboarding this way.
Has anyone tested something similar?
There is no such a thing as “a good way to play around eidolon” if you land and eidolon on t2 (especially on the play). The opponent either has the removal to answer him asap (just netting a 1x1 and giving us a free shock), or is forced to play things into our eidolon / wait until he gets a removal either of them being very good for us.
What i have seen is people misplaying hard with their own eidolons in matchups where your life total actually matters, just saw this situation yesterday in a game:
Burn vs UR Twin
Burn player is at 7 with only and eidolon in play and rift bolt in hand facing a board of Vendilion Clique plus Exarch with the twin player at 5 life.
The burn player decided to roft bolt his opponent instead of killing the clique.
He put his opponent down to 2 but completely throw the game since all that the twin player needed to do was to untap and hit with the clique getting the burn player at 2 making impossible for him to cats any more spells while the twin player would just block with exarch and finish the game with another clique attack.
Eidolon is at least good in most matcups (every matchup if we are on the play) and completely insane in some of them.
-Stuck on 1 gemstone mine at 1 counter and 1 lotus bloom in play against RG tron after a Karn exiled my 2 other lands and facing a Ugin at 11 counters. My opponent then decides to search a Ghost quarter to take care of my mine allowing me to get the last mana I was lacking to go off (3 from lotus 1 from gemstone 1 from basic plains 1 from simian spirit guide).
-Casting a pact with only 4 lands + unlife in play and no angels grace, Spoils for simian spirit guide at EOT to be able to cast my Ad Nauseam on upkeep for the game.
-Stuck on 2 lands and lotus bloom with 1 counter against Grixis control my opponent decides to tap out for a cryptic command on my lotus. I pact the command (without angels grace on hand) and casted Ad nauseam for around 12 cards managing to hit the angels grace not to lose on my next upkeep and sculpting an amazing hand to recover and win the game.
I will definitely keep testing it, seems really fun and solid and lots of opponents make huge misplays against it.
Considering the deck is a "turn 4 deck" playing 5 lands that enter in the field taped doesnt hurt your speed that much.
I wouldnt drop the Ugin as he wins games by himelf that you would have lost otherwise, having it just as a 1 off is not a big deal and you can allways find it in the lategame if you need it with digs/anticipates.
Droping the Ugin leaves you with no answer against a resolved Whip, Mastery or against an monstruous Fleecemane Lion or even Deathmist Raptors.
I would never drop the Haven as Killax suggested, its just amazing on the esper dragons list, plus you really need the white sources.
If you expect a lot of UB / UBw mirrors, run Grindclock, it is the definitive sideboard card for the mirror, once resolved it is really hard / imposible to answer depending on the version. Even if answered, the only answers are really slow (Ugin / Vault) so you would have already got a huge edge if you can drop it early.
First of all i would drop the Titan´s Strenght and the Collateral Damage in your main board for Wild Slash and Hordeling Outburst.
The 1 Windstorm in your sideboard looks terrible also.
As for sideboard plans, you can take a look at the RDW article on Channelfireball: http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/deck-guide-standard-mono-red-aggro/
Also my current sideboard plan is:
Abzan Agro / Midrange
Abzan Control
Abzan Whip
RDW (R / RG)
RG Dragons
UW Heroic
Sidsi Whip
GW Devotion
GR Devotion
UWR Tokens
UB / UBw Control
My Sideboard is:
1 Scouring Sands
3 Arc Lightning
2 Hall of Triumph
2 Torch Fiend
3 Roast
2 Goblin Heelcutter
1 Magmatic Chasm