He's kind of mana intensive. Don't get me wrong I still think he's insane when you get him going but you need either a turn to use him or creature's already on the board. Now in limited he's not just a bomb, he's a certified NUKE but in standard... we'll see...
He's good enough to see play even without the activated ability.
Monastery Swiftspear
Eildion of the Great Revel
Flamewake Phoneix
Ashcloud Phoenix
Stormbreath Dragon
Everything there has haste outside of Eideleon
I have some Fanatic of Mogis as a 2 of for extra reach. Crater's Claws Ferocious is almost always online with this deck in a deck with nykthos. I'm sure I can punch through a seige rhino.
I came pretty loaded for it at a tournament yesterday - 2 main deck Polis Crushers, sideboard cards including Burn Away, Anger of the Gods, Back to Nature, Reclamation Sage.
The first game I had a mulligan to 5 and could not keep pace with Sidisi + Ashiok.
The second game I ended up with a lot of control cards but not enough pressure to win in time.
I'm wondering if I should just go even bigger, as the control plays seemed to dilute my deck plan - though when you clear a hornet queen + bees, Sidisi and a sylvan carytid with one card (Anger of the Gods) that was clearly worth it.
Genesis Hydra seems key to this match?
Have not done enough testing against Sidisi , so advice from those who have appreciated. My build of G/R owns Abzan but struggles with U/W heroic and Sidisi.
I would play destructive revelry over sage and crusher, instant speed and deals 2 damage.
I don't think this is all that playable outside the dedicated Sultai delve deck. As far as delve enablers go, I'd rate them like this:
Scout the Borders
Bitter End
Rakshasa's Secret/Taigam's Scheming
depending on how many actual Delve cards you were able to pick up. Most times I'd rate Secret higher than Scheming, but if you're light on the other enablers I could imagine rating Scheming over Secret. Ideally, I wouldn't want more than 1 copy of each (or any copies of Scheming) in my draft deck.
It's only playable in slow Abzan and Sultai decks whose aim is to make it to the mid to late game. If you want to try it out my advice is to wait for it to table.
I have yet to play a Mardu deck, or play against a good one, but any aggressive deck is going to be based on the ability to curve out. Which in this set means prioritizing 2 and 4 drops. Anything cheap that prevents blocking is probably desirable, too.
Don't prioritize 2's and 4's... just don't play morphs. Seriously. A 2/2 for 3 doesn't cut it. The only morphs I'd play in an aggressive RW deck would be Master of pearls, Jeering Instigator, or watcher of the roost. The way the deck wins is by beating people who are durdling around with morphs while you're playing 2 drop into Mardu Hordechief into Trumpet Blast.
In a tokens deck you probably want ponyback brigade, depending on how many other token producers you have. I have found ainok tracker and witness of the ages to be fine as well. Alot of times you can just continue building up your board (being cognizant of duneblast, barrage of boulders, and end hostilities blowouts) until you draw trumpet blast, rush of battle, or your own barrage, since a lot of times your opponent is afraid to attack fearing they would die on the crackback to one of the aforementioned spells.
What is everyones removal looking like? we have three good sweepters. Drown in sorrow, Anger of the gods, end hostilities.
The spot removal is outstanding with Heros Downfall, the delve spot removal, utter end, crackling doom
then the burn cards: magma jet, bile blight, charm
I don't like lightning strike because there are no x/3 creatures that we care about.
Fleecemane Lion, Herald of Torment, Prophetic Flamespeaker probably all going to see play in the new format at some point. It also goes to the face in a pinch.
I think you want to be Dega so you can play mardu ascendancy to protect against anger of the gods and drown in sorrow. So R/W splash black for ascendancy, removal, and maybe ankle shankers at the top of the curve. Fill out with 1 drops to trigger ascendancy and/or spirit bonds (soldier of the pantheon, frenzied goblin, firedrinker satyr), stoke the flames and maybe the 3/4 bird mythic and/or purphoros.
I can't see many scenarios where I would prefer this card to 6 mana Garruk, who can drop an uncastably expensive creature that you've already drawn, or can draw you 2-3 cards per turn, and can threaten a hilariously over the top ultimate.
6 mana Garruk sees almost no play right now, and has quite a few synergies in the format that are leaving when Khans enters.
6 mana Garruk is rotating when this becomes legal.
Not really
Hornet Queen
Eidolon of Blossoms
Nyx Weaver
Nighthowler
Flamewake Phoenix
Courser of Kruphix
Season with Tormenting Voice, mana dorks, Whip, See the Unwritten, and Doomwake Giant and looks like Jund Reanimator could be a thing.
He's good enough to see play even without the activated ability.
Ashcloud Phoenix doesn't have haste either.
I would play destructive revelry over sage and crusher, instant speed and deals 2 damage.
Scout the Borders
Bitter End
Rakshasa's Secret/Taigam's Scheming
depending on how many actual Delve cards you were able to pick up. Most times I'd rate Secret higher than Scheming, but if you're light on the other enablers I could imagine rating Scheming over Secret. Ideally, I wouldn't want more than 1 copy of each (or any copies of Scheming) in my draft deck.
In a tokens deck you probably want ponyback brigade, depending on how many other token producers you have. I have found ainok tracker and witness of the ages to be fine as well. Alot of times you can just continue building up your board (being cognizant of duneblast, barrage of boulders, and end hostilities blowouts) until you draw trumpet blast, rush of battle, or your own barrage, since a lot of times your opponent is afraid to attack fearing they would die on the crackback to one of the aforementioned spells.
Fleecemane Lion, Herald of Torment, Prophetic Flamespeaker probably all going to see play in the new format at some point. It also goes to the face in a pinch.
6 mana Garruk is rotating when this becomes legal.
You still have Polukranos, Nylea, Terra Stomper, Hornet Queen, Arbor Colossus, Xenagod, plus other stuff if you feel like splashing other colors.
I think the main question is would you run this over Chord of Calling?