The Great Wall of Ravnica

Have you all read Game of Thrones?

One of my favorite images in the book (I’ve only seen one episode of the show) is that of the Wall.  The Wall is an impregnable slab of stone hundreds of miles long in each direction, disappearing into the bitter, icy wind of the North.  It’s quiet, it’s imposing, but most importantly, there was a reason it was built.  No one would go to the trouble of building a thousand-foot high wall unless there was something worth keeping out, right?

Historically, walls have been essential to the survival and preservation of people living inside them and preventing entry by those outside.  The Great Wall of China spans for some five thousand miles across China, providing protection and isolation for one dynasty or another throughout its multi-millennial history.  Walls serve one singular purpose; if you can’t get through, you can’t win.

People have been making defender decks for a long time; Rolling Stones, Defender-matters cards from Rize of the Eldrazi…it’s been a subtheme that has been offered in a few cards here and there over the last few years, but it has always been given as an option just for casual players who like to stay out of the red zone. 

Return to Ravnica gives us two and only two cards that care about defenders.

This isn’t very many, but each ability scales very well in.  As a bit of a brew, I wanted to toy with the idea of these two zero power creatures actually winning you the game. 

Defenders have the fatal flaw of doing nothing if not, well, defending, so I wanted to strive to use defender as an advantageous static ability.  Perhaps utilizing only occasional defenders, or figuring out ways to make the quantity of creatures dependable and sturdy enough to do something useful.

Control is not my usual style, so before I get in to the deck much more, let me show you a decklist.  I would say it’s a rough draft like I usually do, but I have pored over these numbers and I finally feel confident this is the best configuration.

…So we’ll call it a second rough draft.

The Great Wall of Ravnica

Creatures (24)

4 Axebane Guardian

4 Fog Bank

3 Hover Barrier

3 Gatecreeper Vine

3 Doorkeeper

2 Ludevic’s Test Subject

2 Manor Gargoyle

2 Ogre Jailbreaker

1 Tree of Redemption

Spells (14)

2 Golgari Charm

3 Dissipate

1 Increasing Confusion

2 Devil’s Play

1 Bonfire of the Damned

4 Forbidden Alchemy

1 Vraska, the Unseen

Lands (22)

4 Hinterland Harbor

2 Drowned Catacomb

1 Woodland Cemetery

4 Forest

4 Island

2 Steam Vents

1 Swamp

1 Golgari Guildgate

1 Izzet Guildgate

2 Rakdos Guildgate

Sideboard (15)

3 Grave Bramble

2 Negate

2 Redirect

1 Garruk, Primal Hunter

1 Stuffy Doll

1 Witchbane Orb

1 Sever the Bloodline

1 Slaughter Games

1 Psychic Spiral

2 Bonfire of the Damned

Deck Tech – Creatures

Before I begin, let me just say that this is probably the single-most unorthodox deck I think I’ve ever built.  Being on the mill plan is not my idea of a good time, but this deck seemed quirky and uniquely synergetic enough to make that win condition exciting.  The overarching idea is to invalidate their creatures (because I can effectively block/mitigate their effectiveness), counter or destroy the stuff that matters, and finish them in a flurry of milling.  Also, before I get into the creature, I’ll add that it feels weird to be playing a control deck with twenty-four of them.

Axebane Guardian and Doorkeeper

Cheap and effective early game blockers, these are the engines of the deck.  Each card can function well independently, but this Druid and Homunculus work best while holding hands, providing a lot of mana to dump into this milling machine.  The Guardian is the stand out from this.  Being able to produce impressive amounts of mana in any color can power out a plethora of game-winning cards, which we’ll highlight below.  The fact this produces any combination of colors is also relevant, as you’ll notice by the mana base.

The Doorkeeper is a relevant body, being a Kraken Hatchling that serves to mill your opponent (so, like a Hedron Crab, I guess), and being able to stop a lot of early ground game for just 1U.  It’s going to be a while until you use the activated ability, but they work very well in multiples, allowing an efficient mill each turn if they don’t cast into your counterspell.  This deck is not going to win quickly, but it will win, and these guys (well, this guy and this eye) will get you there.

Fog Bank

It’s OK if you don’t remember this card from Urza’s Block.  It’s a little cloudy.

Fog Bank, the cheap wall of walls, is an awesome way to stop any non-trample threat forever.  Deathtouch?  Don’t care.  Lifelink?  Don’t make me laugh.  This will pretty much garner a kill or burn spell, which will keep it from hitting you or, more importantly, your relevant defenders.  Hover Barrier, a late edition, does the same thing while soaking more trample damage and being more resistant to burn.

Reminds me of HAL.  Or GLADYS, with that little orb.

Gatecreeper Vine

You’ll notice the suite of Gates I included, and that was intentional.  This Plant, a defender, also helps fix your mana by replacing itself with whatever color you need.  This deck produces four colors, and having access to them is important.  It’s good to hit your land drops on time, too, so that you stay on par with your opponent.  Running only 22 lands in a deck that runs as expensively as it does needs this kind of guy.  He won’t block very well, but he’s basically lands 23-25, so I don’t mind too much.  Hopefully there’ll be enough defenders around to do its blocking for it.

Ludevic’s Test Subject

Eggscelent.

Remember this guy from Innistrad Limited?  A great mana sink and an alternative win condition, this card will add to the defender count while also being able to transform into a potent and relevant threat in fairly short order.  A 13/13 with trample will pretty much do it.  It’s possible you’ll only flip one, but having more cheap defenders seems acceptable for this kind of deck.  Just side him out if they’re playing bounce.  Also, as a note, I’m not worried about Tragic Slip against this deck, as I’m just not killing a lot of his stuff.

Manor Gargoyle

Is he a manor something else?

I’ve won a lot of drafts with this guy and 39 other terrible cards in Innistrad Limited, and I run him on MTGO, as he just seems to be a good five drop for any deck (I don’t have a lot of cards on there).  Here, though, his defender ability is an asset, and his ability to crash in when needed makes him a versatile and solid enough clock.  He dodges sorcery based removal, too.  I like a couple of him in here to fill that role.  Indestructibility is an underrated ability, too, and he can just stop ground dudes forever, too, while not being susceptible to Murder, Dreadbore or Burn.  

Ogre Jailbreaker

MORE COLORS?  MORE SMASH!

This guy is admittedly not very exciting.  He is a powerful dissuader of attacks on 4 mana, stopping all but the most efficient of creatures.  With five Gates in this deck and three ways to find him though, he can also attack fairly well and will often do so.  He’s just another ground clogger with defender and Gate synergy.  

Tree of Redemption

I love trees in non-Forest art.

My one stopgate for ground trample and as an anti-burn card, he fills a lot of roles, most of which I’ll probably never know until they arise.  Mr. Big Butt here can stop even the most outrageous ground pounders, stuffing Armada Wurms, Grove of the Guardian Tokens and even a large Craterhoof Behemoth.  I foresee him being a relevant card on four mana, and he’ll generally stop ground games completely.

Spells

Golgari Charm

Actual awesome.

This versatile Charm is the right choice for this five color deck.  It can thwart Oblivion Rings, Bonfires, Wrath effects, and weenie decks.  Even a turn two Charm to kill off three opposing 1/1s is probably the right play.  As this deck relies on having a lot of creatures out to work effectively, a safety net on the cheap is very important maindeck.  It can also save you from a lousy combat or just shrink a scrawny team to death or safe combat levels.  The Charm is a nice card to have in your hand, plain and simple.

Dissipate 

I forgot this card existed.  Why would you ever  cast Syncopate?  What do you HAVE to counter on two?

In a deck that doesn’t interact a lot with the other side of the board, Dissipates are necessary to save you from shenanigans and actual threats.  As you can clog the ground (where most decks do their fighting), you want to be able to stop the threats you can’t deal with; planeswalkers, sweepers, win-con spells, or even to deflect another counterspell.  Dissipate will be a bit hard to cast in a four-color deck, but it’s power level as a counterspell, seems very relevant. 

Increasing Confusion

I wonder if they told Dan Scott to "create a lightning ingrown hair of cavalcade diaspora."

One of my win conditions, this with the Axebane Guardian can produce some intimidating mill power, and especially after it’s flashed back.  Even with X at 10, that’s half their library after two casts.  Hitting a hilariously high X is what this deck is really about, but with help from the Doorkeepers and any draw/manipulation they’ll use naturally, this should seal the deal.

An alternative win condition, Devil’s Play has the disadvantage of being consigned to do the entire work load in damage.  Because I just won’t be hitting them that hard (if at all), Devil’s Play has to take them from twenty to zero.  That being said, if you imagine their library is at 40 by the time you get to milling them seriously, then this hits basically twice as hard as an Increasing Confusion when cast from your hand.  Devil’s Play also has the ability to flashback naturally, meaning if the first shot didn’t do it, the second one will.  It’s important to have two win conditions in case one is shut down, say by Slaughter Games or specific sideboarding against either condition.  I wanted to be sure and keep this deck’s portfolio diversified. Bonfires obviously do a lot of work and fill in to just keep their board clear in case I still get overwhelmed.  It should also be pretty easy to hard cast it for a high value, too.

Don't get me started on the FNM art.

The best card selection spell I could think of, this card helps me dig deep into my deck after not countering a spell to make sure I stay on time with lands, find a relevant answer or find the win condition I need.  The four copies collectively let me dig through over half my deck (32 cards if each is fully cast), giving me a ton of reach and making sure I’ve always got gas.  Most of my win conditions can be cast from the graveyard, so I’m not so concerned about pitching some of them.  This card has been kind of forgotten since the days of Esper Control, but don’t forget it’s there.

Vraska, the Unseen

Oh, I see her.

This snaky lady does everything that the rest of the deck can’t.  The medusa will do two things, depending on the matchup.  In most aggro or midrange matchups, I’ll only cast her when there’s a threat to deal with and -3 her right away.  I’ll build her up turn after turn to deal with new nonland threats that emerge.  In control matchups, I imagine playing her out on curve and building her up for Assassins; on a board devoid of creatures, those Assassins can come rumbling in, effectively dodging spot removal.  Golgari Charm regenerates them in case of a board wipe, too.  She’s a one-card threat, and I don’t think we need a second one (nor do I have a second one.)

Lands

The lands look a little messy, but it comes out about right.  Blue and Green are the most important colors, so they’re highlighted, while I play singletons of most Gates (except Rakdos, as they’re the biggest stretch) to round out the fixing.  There should be enough basics that Gates are the only lands that will ETB tapped.  Although I’m usually excited to include a utility land, I just can’t afford it here; the mana is too tight.  If you’re curious, here is the source count for each color, something I considered when building this deck to make sure each color was appropriately accounted for.  This doesn’t include Axebane Guardian, as Birds of Paradise and friends are unreliable mana sources (they can get killed a lot more easily.)

Sideboard

The sideboard was the hardest part of this deck, I think.  I had to cut and add and slim and trim this list down from about 40 powerful choices, so I’ll highlight each choice.  Although Grave Bramble obviously shuts Zombies down, it’s also a highly-efficient fighter that can effectively stonewall the format’s 3/3s.  It seems important in the creature-heavy matchups where I actually have to kill the creatures attacking.  Negate is basically more copies of Dissipate in a control mirror, nothing much to say here.  Redirect, on the other hand, plays a valuable role against targeting decks.  Bonfire, an inherent weakness of this deck, can be turned against an opponent for UU, or you can turn a targeted burn or kill spell against an opponent’s creatures for a slick two for one, or you can reroute the opponent’s game winning crusher or even steal an Aura.  It also counters a counterspell. 

The sideboard also features several singletons.  Garruk, Primal Hunter, much like Vraska, is a one-card threat.  He can make a lot of Beasts or Elementals (after a while) and he does allow you to turn your big guys (see Ludevic’s Abomination) into massive card advantage.  Constantly adding good size creatures to the board for free is never to be underestimated, and Garruk fills the job nicely.  His mana cost makes me nervous, I will admit.  Stuffy Doll is also great against the ground game and is inevitability incarnate, albeit slow inevitability.  It punishes burn decks too and, if they can protect themselves from Devil’s Play, I’ll just shoot the Doll.  Witchbane Orb protects me from burn, mill, discard, Curses, and other “target me” shenanigans.  This basically sideboards in against every deck with less than 25 creatures.  Slaughter Games is a great anti-control card for cards that I have a lot of trouble beating, like Terminus (my regeneration doesn’t doo much there), Entreat the Angels, or a massive planeswalker.  Psychic Spiral and Elixir of Immortality are anti-mill cards, but they also serve a couple utilitarian uses.  Psychic Spiral can turn my tall graveyard of Alchemy dross into an actual “mill you for thirty” card.  Both the Spiral and The Elixir can be used to save your graveyard from theft or shenanigans, too, while the Elixir also provides a nice cheap life gain when I just need that extra turn.  Sever the Bloodline provides an effective and efficient removal spell that just deals with the creature.  In a deck full of defenders, a lot of creature decks will just commit more threats to the board to try and outnumber me.  This lets me hit the most important one and all of his friends.   Twice.  A third Bonfire comes in during heavy creature matches; we all know how good it is.

I wrote this deck tech before ever sleeving up a card for it, but I feel like this is the right way to build it.  I’ll be testing it this Friday night, so we’ll find out then if it was worth the trouble!  As a prediction, I feel that the clock will be my biggest opponent.  At Something2Do, we only have 45 minutes a round.  That allows about 15 minutes a game, which is pretty slim for a deck that wants to deck you.  That means I’ve got to play tightly and quickly, using my opponent’s turn to plan my next move and decided how I want to react based on his board state.  This deck will require a lot from a player, and I hope I’m up for the challenge.  

I was able to scrounge up the cards I was missing and played the deck as listed above.  I was so excited to give the deck a whirl.  The crowd filed in heavily, giving us about forty people that night at Something2Do.  I sleeved up in fresh new teal Ultra Pros and sat down after the first round was called. 

Round 1 – Daniel (USA Miracle)

Daniel, one of my preferred opponents at Something2Do, sat down with a big smile, ready to get started.  Politely we cut each others deck and I explained that this was a super-brew, and I was excited to see it in action.  I played a Fog Bank or two and he Terminused pretty early, so I knew I’d need to save my Dissipates in hand for those.  As I reassembled my board, he would take a bit of time on his turn.  He eventually cast Entreat the Angels on 1 and made a 4/4.  I Devil’s Play’ed it away and started bashing with my Gargoyle.  Over the next two turns, he basically did the same thing.  I flashed back the Devil’s Play while building up my unhatched Test Subject.  Once it cracked open, he wasn’t able to stop it, missing the Terminus or Azorius Charm he’d need to stay alive.  I sided in all the control hate I had, but I got an even better start that time.  After smacking him with a quickly hatched Abomination, a Devil’s Play finished him off.

1 - 0

We were done very quickly; I was worried the deck would take forever to get going, but I did get nice, solid draws each time. 

Before long, it was time for the second round.

Round 2 – Ben (B/G Scavenge Zombies)

Ben, a character I’d seen before, sat down, excited to play his Zombie brew.  He took a mulligan and kept his next hand, and I kept a solid seven.  He cast a turn 1 Gravecrawler, smacked me on turn 2 and followed it up with a Slitherhead and a Diregraf Ghoul.  By turn 3, he had five creatures out to my one.  My Fog Bank was holding off his biggest guy, but I was hemorrhaging life.  After he resolved a Geralf’s Messenger and put me to a precarious 2, I found some Fog Banks and Hover Barriers to keep him quiet.  Putting Manor Gargoyle in the red zone and pumping my Test Subject helped me crawl out of the hole.  He had played out his whole hand and was living off the topdeck, which was giving him land.  The Grave Brambles were in my hand before the second game was over.  That, Slaughter Games (for the Messenger), the extra Bonfires, Garruk, and Sever came crawling in.  I was fortunate to resolve a Bramble within a couple turns, and his once-again aggressive swarm slowed down to a trickle.  I resolved Garruk and began dominating the board.  A large Devil’s Play got it for me this time.

2 - 0

I was thrilled to beat such an aggressive deck.  I needed about 18 Fog Banks that time, but what can you do.  I was elated when going into the third round.

Round 3 – Joseph (W/B/G Aggro)

Joseph, another familiar opponent, was ready to do battle.  A very nice and polite guy, I was put at ease while riding the 4-0 high.  In the first game, he was able to assemble on-time Loxodon Smiters; with a pair of pachydermsand a Garruk Relentless to punch my Fog Banks, he put me to dead very quickly.  I sided in all my anti-aggro cards, namely the extra Bonfire, Garruk, the Sever and Stuffy Doll while chucking all but one counterspell aside.  I was able to overwhelm him with a nice curve and perfect Bonfires.  Game two was quickly mine after I flipped my Subject.  Game three was much more grindy.  He resolved Thragtusk after Thragtusk, putting himself to a very lofty life total.  Although he couldn’t really crack through me, he was holding me off very well.  As we came near the end of time, I cracked Vraska for three Assassins, seeing that as the most likely win condition.  He flashed back his Sever the Bloodline to deal with them, as I’d forgotten he had one.  Shortly before time was called, I topdecked two Bonfires, one right after the other, slimming his near-40 life total to manageable levels.  My Devil’s Play was nowhere to be seen, and on Turn 3 of time, he resolved two Centaur Healers, bringing him to 13.  I had a Bonfire in hand, but it would take every bit of mana to kill him.  As soon as he passed to my turn 4, I revealed the bonfire from my hand and looked to tap it.  I ended up producing 23 mana for an X=11 Bonfire.  The crowd ooh-ed and ahh-ed for a moment.  Joseph looked very nervous, but he didn’t scoop.  Completely exhausted, I swung my lone attacker, a Ogre Jailbreaker, into his empty board and two life.  He held up a finger, tapped a black source and called “Tragic Slip!”  He revealed the last card from his hand.

My jaw fell open; he’d survived three Bonfires, two of them being Miracled, and he even had the on-time answer for my game winning attack. 

2-0-1

Because we’d cut to Top 8, any 3-0s could just draw the final round, which is the luxury I had desired.  However, I now had to win my last match.  And it was going to be hard.

Round 4 – Bobby (Four-Color Control)

Bobby, our former State Champ, is a very high level Magic player.  I was lucky enough to win a match against him once, but he was playing Battle of Wits.  This time, he’d been playing a real deck.  Still, I had put a lot of faith in my own pile, and I wouldn’t let Bobby’s intimidating record get me down.

In game one, he flooded, and I bashed in for a large amount.  There wasn’t much to say about that game.  He cast Jace and Tamiyo, but I had too much stuff for him to stop.  In game two, I held a solid lead, but he stabilized and flipped the tables with Nicol Bolas and Vraska coming to his aid.  He quickly dominated the board, stole my flipped Abomination and killed me.  In game three, I started with a strong six, sporting two Devil’s Play.

Then he cast a turn 3 Slaughter Games calling Devil’s Play. 

This crippled my hand, and I never recovered.  He made a bunch of Thragtusks and took the game shortly after time was called.

2-1-1

I was gravely disappointed by the final two rounds; this deck had what it took to get there, but it was a little too slow and unresponsive when I needed it to be tight.  I feel confident that I didn’t make any glaring play mistakes, but there were probably better lines of play at certain points in the game.  I really just didn’t like round three – losing to a lucky Tragic Slip was the pits, considering he would have been dead soon enough with more threats in the deck to come and with me in firm control of the board.

I came in 13^th out of about 38 players and got one prize pack of M13, which contained a Faith’s Reward.  That got me thinking about that card…

The mill plan was the greatest flaw of the deck.  Even with four Increasing Confusions, burn was still the better plan.  It handles creatures, it compliments the more aggressive wings of this deck, and it is more consistent.  I boarded out my singleton Confusion in every match, even against control, in favor of more burn and creature control.  I still like the Doorkeepers – they’re relevant, Centaur/Zombie stopping bodies with a fine mana sink.  I occasionally used them on myself in an attempt to “draw” an Alchemy or Devil’s Play. 

Axebane Guardian was as awesome as I thought he’d be.  He often produced three or four mana within a couple turns of being played, and few people went for him; his innocuous appearance helped keep him off my opponents’ radar.  Most times I’d take him with Alchemy over more intrinsically powerful cards, even over a Vraska once.  Speaking of which, Vraska was excellent; she did exactly what I wanted.  I even popped her once just to make three blockers.  Garruk was also outstanding; he pulled his weight very well, providing a steady stream of threats or blockers.  This guy is good, and he’s awesome in the current metagame.  Play him.

||D || ||\/|| ||D

The deck was originally four colors, and I don’t regret cutting white.  Although able to produce all five colors, the consistency offered turned out to keep the deck strong. 

As an afterthought, after going home and looking through my binders, I saw a card that I’d completely forgotten for this deck.

Now THAT’s a win condition!  I can't believe I forgot about it!

Unlike with a lot of my decks, I am still very excited to play this one and will do so again as soon as I can.  It still has room for upgrades, but I am so far very pleased with this first attempt.  It has the toughness and tenacity to survive a persistent onslaught of creatures, but it was plenty of reach and a good amount of gas even into the very late game.  This is a winner, and I’m looking to improve it more, maybe even taking it to a more serious tournament.

I hope you enjoyed the Great Wall of Ravnica.  It’s a blast to play, and the interactions and synergy make my heart sing.  I’m no Johnny, but this is a combo-ish deck I can support.

Next time, I’ll be bringing you another crazy brew based around one of the worst rares from Return to Ravnica.  Come back next time and check it out!

Until next time, don’t forget to untap!

- Matt H

Experimental Expendables: Goblins, Izzet and Epic Experiment in Return to Ravnica Standard

Here we go!

Return to Ravnica is now officially Standard legal.  No more Phyrexian mana, obnoxious cantrips and poison!  Boy, I’m happy to see rotation this time around.  Innistrad and RTR together should provide a bunch of opportunities for interesting interactions.  RTR looks like a stronger Constructed set in general, though, so don’t be surprised when mulit-colored brews dominate the tribal-themed stacks of Innistrad goodness.

I’m writing this post after the first sizeable tournament of RTR Standard, the Star City Games Cincinnati Open, but what I’m going to TALK about is the Friday before.  Standard was untested, new…green.  Although people speculated about Zombies still being a thing (they are) and the idea of salvaging Delver post-Ponder (you can’t), the field was wide open for all new decks to fill the ranks. 

Our story began last week; as I sorted the cards I’d gleaned from the Prerelease, I was poring over what I had and what I could actually make for my first Standard outing on Friday, October 5.  As I’m not one of those people who pre-orders my cards or buys boxes at a time, I have to work with what I’m given. 

More so than usual, RTR cards were hard to come by before the release.  At the Prerelease and the couple days after, the RTR cards you’d need were hard to come by, and even some commons couldn’t be found.  This left me in a bit of a bind for some of the prospective decks I was courting. 

Before RTR officially released, I’d studied the spoiler and crafted sixteen deck shells that I could make depending on the stuff I pulled in the Prerelease and any subsequent packs/trades.  Basically every color combination was accounted for, but each had the common theme of aggro.  Well, except for one…

As soon as this guy was spoiled, I saw the potential, as I’m sure most people did.  A Grey Ogre that Shocks your opponent any time you, well, you Shock your opponent!  Chopping off a tenth of your opponent’s life total at a whack while providing a mildly relevant body in a supported creature type seems fairly decent.  I already had three of those, so why not?

With Guttersnipe as the engine, I needed gas.  Good efficient burn seemed nice, and another spoiled Goblin seemed to interact well with him.

Before long, the deck was scribbled out, and I was dying to try it out. 

On Friday, I had glanced through my binders and pulled everything I had that I’d need, and Kevin Klotz, who I’d been texting with that day, was at the shop early and bartered the rest of the deck for me for my Angel of Glory’s Rise.  With that, it was settled. I finalized the decklist and looked over it. It was a simple and exciting gameplan.  Chancy, swingy, and exciting.  Here’s the list I came up with.

Experimental Expendables

Creatures (12)

4 Goblin Electromancer

4 Guttersnipe

4 Snapcaster Mage

Spells (25)

4 Izzet Charm

4 Syncopate

4 Krenko’s Command

3 Brimstone Volley

3 Thunderous Wrath

3 Think Twice

2 Bonfire of the Damned

1 Burn at the Stake

1 Epic Experiment

Lands (23)

4 Steam Vents

4 Sulfur Falls

3 Izzet Guildgate

6 Island

5 Mountain

1 Desolate Lighthouse

Sideboard (15)

4 Delver of Secrets

4 Pillar of Flame

2 Annihilating Fire

2 Chandra, the Firebrand

2 Talrand, Sky Summoner

1 Hypersonic Dragon

Deck Tech – Creatures

Goblin Electromancer, Guttersnipe and Tiago Chan

With 25 spells that trigger the Guttersnipe, his role is clear in the deck, but the Electromancer actually plays a very special, subtler role.  Reducing instant and sorcery costs by one helps you cast things more easily and sooner, sure, but it does something else important; it gives X an extra point of value.  With an Electromancer out, Syncopate becomes Force Spike, Thunderous Wrath is an instant, more flexible Lava Axe, and it slims Bonfire to hard-castable levels.  My ace-in-the-hole, Epic Experiment, also loves this card, giving it more reach in targets and in depth of digging.  The Snapcasters seemed nice with counters and burn and he’s also nice as an extra, instant body.

Spells

Burn Suite

These are fairly straightforward, but they interact well with the deck.  Miracle-ing is likely with instant draw power, and each spell benefits from the Electromancer’s reduction.  Brimstone Volley and Thunderous Wrath become very attractive when their cost is reduced just a little bit, and the Bonfire also benefits from the reduction.  Also, in a squad of little guys, powerful burn can help protect your fragile board state or soften up the opponent so you can smash through.  In a pinch it can provide the last ounce of ouch, too.  Nothing much to say here – this is how you’ll kill ‘em.

Syncopate

Used for better retro art.

This is a nice reprint; Mana Leak’s rotation leaves a huge hole in blue decks everywhere, and Syncopate, although not as intrinsically good, makes up for it in increased flexibility.  Syncopate has the flexibility to stop a turn 2 drop and a turn 11 drop.  Using Syncopate effectively is a bit of a science, but careful calculation is what makes blue, blue.  Reducing the X is especially relevant in this deck.  Syncopate is admittedly weak against control matchups, as they’ll always seem to have that counterspell ready when you tap out into a high X count with yours.  Regardless, it's a nice standby to have when you’re fully untapped, and he seemed like the right card for this job when you’ve just gotta stop it.

Izzet Charm

Electrostatically delicious!

Arguably one of the better Charms for the colors it’s in, Izzet Charm gives you tons of options, and the situation in which they’ll be appropriate is usually apparent, making it a low learning-curve Charm.  Having him makes you feel very safe, as you can kill a Rancor-aimed target, counter that crucial Planeswalker, or find that win condition or answer a little more easily.  It’s a great Snapcaster target, too, but the Mana starts to get pretty intense, so keep that in mind.  This is never a dead card, and I’m happy to play a whole set for their utility and versatility. 

Krenko’s Command

Actual "goons."

As fun as just burning your opponent is, you do need some men on the ground to push through extra damage or to buy you time.  The fact that they are Goblins was once relevant in the initial design (Krenko himself made an appearance), but I’m rarely unhappy to cast this card.  It’s a nuisance for your opponent, who can’t just invalidate your spell with a burn or bounce of their own, and it still adds two power to the board for 1R (or R with a turn 2 Electromancer).  Nothing fancy, but I have won a lot of games off turn 2 Command, turn 3 Command. 

Think Twice

I say "Think Thrice" when I cast it and flashback right away.

I've always loved this card, and I've found it is highly synergetic with this deck.  It becomes, effectively, an instant Divination with the Electromancer out and a fifth of their health with a Guttersnipe.  It also could trigger Miracles and provide something to do when they don’t play into my Syncopate or Izzet Charm.  There are a lot of decks where Think Twice is just filler, but I love it here.

Burn at the Stake

"Oh, look, it's the Hunchback of Notre Dead!"

This little number from Avacyn Restored has me intrigued.  In a deck with a bunch of little guys, this seems like an awesome alternate win condition.  The Krenko’s Commands provide the ammunition, and the other Goblins either reduce its cost or let it hit a little harder.  A finisher for five mana, this can completely catch your opponent off guard and just steal wins.  Turn 2 Electromancer, turn 3 double (or triple, if we're being greedy) Krenko's Command, and a turn 4 Burn at the Stake will hit them for...21?.  Even with a playset of Commands, I still think this is just a singleton; it’s still pretty risky, and it’s kind of a rotten topdeck unless you’re in a locked board.  Still, I just need it to hit once. 

Epic Experiment

"Explosions!  MORE EXPLOSIONS!" - Mekgineer Thermaplugg

The impetus of the deck, this solitary X spell is also like Burn at the Stake; if you’ve planned for it and you successfully resolve it, you will win.  X should be at least 6, and any Electromancers and/or Guttersnipes you have out make this thing all the sicker.  Remember, you cast each of these, so Guttersnipe will trigger for each cast spell.  23 lands and four reduction permanents should let you get this off fairly reliably, so once you find that copy, get ready to flip.

Lands

Although it is strange for Islands to impose over mountains, I rely more on having Islands open than Mountains when it comes to preserving the game state.  Also, my sideboard is fairly heavy blue, and so to avoid the awkwardness of putting land in my sideboard (I’ve done it before,) I’ll start it off right. 

Sideboard

The sideboard has changed drastically with the deck’s original plan; originally, it was full of Goblin-matters cards; Arms Dealers, Krenko, Mob Bosses, and a couple extra copies of Burn at the Stake.  Since then, though, I’ve shifted to a more spell-friendly sideboard.  Delver of Secrets was a last minute decision.  Boarding into Delver is vastly underrated, and there are some matches (perhaps even EVERY match) where having a good chance of opening with Delver will win you the game.  Red decks suffer from not having persistent threats.  Sure I can burn you, but any life gain completely nullifies my cards.  Creatures plug away turn after turn, so life gain isn’t a permanent solution.  Delver provided that imminent threat I need to give my deck some extra teeth in a match where I had to hurry.  Pillar of Flame and Annihilating Fire are both my safety nets against Zombies, the predicted deck-to-beat in the new Standard.  Zombies in every color give me the creeps, so packing these is good insurance; plus, they provide additional targets in case of a slightly anemic Epic Experiment. 

Chandra, the Firebrand has come to be one of my favorite planeswalkers, providing infinite possibilities with her -2 and giving a steady concern with her +1 and -6 at the ready.  A good option for grindy control matchups, she works very well in conjunction with any of my over-the-top spells like Burn at the Stake, Epic Experiment, or even just a take-half-your-life Brimstone Volley.  No red spell-based deck should be without her.  Talrand was very good in the Delver mirror and would be a great option against control or non-sweeper decks.  Although missing his “free” spells now, he still seems perfectly reasonable here.  The singleton Hypersonic Dragon is in here as a bit of a lark.  Sure, he’s a relevant hasty threat that can put away the game in a turn or two, but I also couldn’t shake the idea of casting an Epic Experiment in response to my opponent’s game-winner.  One day, maybe.

Tournament Report

After Kevin kindly brokered the trade I needed, I playtested the deck furiously, securing the Steam Vents I’d need to sleeve up the deck completely.  Kevin and I playtested several matches’ worth of games, and the deck was a bit shaky.  The highlight was resolving an X=6 Epic Experiment and hitting 5 burn spells with a Guttersnipe out when I would have otherwise been dead next turn.  I was eager to try it against all kinds of decks.  This deck, except for the Noxious Revival synergy, was very much like my somewhat successful MiRUcle deck from a few months ago.  Perhaps it’d see the same success again.

Round 1 – Ryan (B/G Control)

The game room was packed with about thirty eager players ready to test their decks in the new environment.  The excitement was palpable, and it tasted pretty good.

I sat down across from Ryan, one of Something2Do’s faithful employees and long-time fixtures.  An exceedingly polite, professional but easy-going guy, he expressed that he had the urge to play in an event and he looked forward to trying his newly minted stack.  With his bright pink sleeves undoubtedly sheathing a subtle threat, we started up.  During game one, I went kinda nuts on the miracles, hitting back to back Thunderous Wraths.  My board developed slowly, but his was glacial compared to mine.  Resolving a Thragtusk still couldn’t save him, and I was able to overwhelm him with burn and some piddly creatures the following turn.  In game two, he got a much more impressive start, Abrutply Decaying my relevant threats while resolving a Vraska safely on his side.  My sideboarded Pillars of Flame looked pretty silly in my hand, and it wasn’t long before a Vampire Nighthawk and Thraggy were breathing down my neck.  Game three saw Ryan mull to 5, and he never really got off the ground as Delver plugged him again and again.  Counters kept me safe, and I sailed over with the Insect for the win.

1-0

I was amazed to beat Ryan, but grateful I had survived my first RTR match.  I had gotten fairly lucky hands and Ryan was a bit unlucky, but that’s the nature of the game.  

Round 2 - Josh? (Five-Color Séance)

To be honest, I do not remember my opponent’s name for this match, not even a little.  It was a bit of a blur, so I’m just not recalling what his name was.  I’m sorry, “Josh,” if you read this.

My opponent was significantly younger than me, perhaps a high-schooler.  Something2Do does attract a slightly younger crowd of Magic players than BluegrassMagic, but most of the time I didn’t end up playing against them.  Not today!

As we set up for game 1, I got a fairly sluggish start with a Krenko’s Command and not much else.  He didn’t seem to be doing much either – Faithless Looting and some discarded big fellows.  Perhaps it was a reanimator deck…

On turn four, he resolved a Séance, and I realized his plan all too late.  He exiled value creatures and gained tons of board advantage, and a Craterhoof Behemoth in the yard came back in as a copy and rumbled his team across for an initimidating amount.  In game two, I made a mistake by developing my board and not protecting against Séance, which he safely cast.  Once it was on the table, I could do very little to interact with either it or the graveyard.  On my turn, he sat at 13 and I had two Electromancers and some Krenko tokens, and he had reanimated a Geist-Honored Monk on my upkeep.  I swung with everything, staring at three Brimstone Volleys in hand.  As he dipped to ten, I Brimstone Volleyed him once, then I could not resolve the other two through back-to-back Syncopates.  His Craterhoof would reanimate on his turn, so I scooped it up.

1-1

That was a tough loss, as I just had very little way to interact with the combo; narrow as it was, any kind of graveyard hate would have been great.

Round 3 – Mike (Bant Midrange)

Mike, also a pseudonym for my opponent whose name I cannot recall, was a recently reinstated Magic player; most recently a WoW TCG player, he had played Magic back in his youth and had only played again starting with the RTR Prerelease where he performed admirably.  His deck was a borrowed stack, and I had no idea what it was.  As he ran out an Arbor Elf and a heap of Forests, I assembled the best board state I’d seen all night; pairs of both Electromancers and Guttersnipes were flanked by a pair of Krenko tokens, and after a fairly average combat, a pair of Brimstone Volleys shattered his Thragtusk-padded life.

Game two saw his actual deck play.  I thought it was just mono green before, but here each color shone.  It played Geist of Saint Traft and Lyev Skynight, each of which produced a good amount of pressure.  Hitting some slightly awkward Bonfires of the Damned and the occasional good burn spell, I was able to stave off most of his offense, though.  After a particularly poor combat for him, I decided to go off with my Epic Experiment.  It was actually pretty awful, hitting four lands, a Snapcaster and a Brimstone Volley.  Still, eight combined damage from the Guttersnipe and the Volley itself was enough.  On a sidenote, we played for fun afterward, and his deck actually combo-ed Thragtusk and Deadeye Navigator for maximum value and he swarmed me. 

2-1

Before the final match, Kevin and I were chatting about the final round; we were each 2-1, so there was a chance we’d meet in the final round.

We did.

Round 4 – Kevin (Izzet Stuffy Act)

I’m not sure what he actually calls his deck, but I was fairly familiar with Kevin’s list.  He and I had playtested a shell of it before it was Standard legal, and he’d fine-tuned it since then.  In game one, a resolved Talrand and pressure from a Chandra kept me on the backfoot, and I never stepped forward; his deck managed superior card advantage very effectively.  In game 2, I was more aggressive with my burn, and I’d sided in Delver to actually give his Izzet Charms some other targets.  He had resolved three Stuffy Dolls that game (with the fourth in hand, he told me later.)  I knew he had the Blasphemous Act in hand from an Auger of Bolas reveal, and we both knew we’d have a counter war on our hands, so he played his creatures out to shrink the cost of his Act.  I dumbly played a Delver on my turn, giving him the magic number of 2R to cast his Act.  I had three counterspells ready; two Izzet Charms and a Snapcasted Syncopate, but he had the Redirect for the final counterspell.  The Act resolved, and I took nearly twice my starting life total to the face.

2-2

Without the prospect of prizes, I packed up and headed out, mulling the deck over in my head.  In retrospect, it turned out the deck was too cute to really play out.  I build decks like this all the time on paper (most of the sixteen decks I brewed are like this), and I don’t often have a chance to play with them. Tonight was an exception. 

Mostly, I think the deck turned out to be too non-interactive to flourish.  I had a lot of trouble dealing with un-burnable permanents, and I had no bounce to speak of to disrupt a gameplan.  The only time I resolved Epic Experiment it only hit one instant, which was a huge letdown.  I never got to live the dream and copy it with Chandra, either.

 

The problem with this deck is the problem with every incarnation I’ve done of U/R since it’s been legal; burn is its primary win condition.  This is, in the end, a mono-red deck with some counterspells.  Mono-red is probably a thing-to-come, but not thanks to burn.  The new mono-red will be efficient aggressive creatures supported by a dash of burn.  A format full of Thragtusks and lifelink makes straight burn pretty unattractive, and this deck often couldn’t seal the deal.  I think I’ll be setting down Izzet for a while in favor of some other color combos.  Perhaps I’ll have a bit more luck with those.

The format is still pretty open.  I’m looking forward to seeing what creative minds will conjure for this season of Standard.  Next time, I have a very brew-tastic list that's sure to satisfy the quirky deckbuilder in you.  Don’t miss it!

Until then, don’t forget to untap!

- Matt H