Spec Ops, I noticed you've cut to 3 SSG, I highly recommend against this.. He's vital and is always a 4-of. I would also try Sweltering Suns in place of at least some of the Anger of the Gods, as it isn't a dead card vs. Control/Combo.
Paleglove, you bring up an excellent point about T.Voice/Looting, and you got me thinking.. I do usually want to T.Voice early, and being able to T1 loot might come in handy. IS the downside of Chalice-Looting a lesser hindrance than that of Bridge-Voice? Worst case scenario with Looting we cast it into Chalice. I have lost a game because of Voice.. I can't imagine losing a game because my Looting was countered.
Looting may be better while not hellbent as well. There have been situations where I've drawn 2 unplayable cards from Voice and was unable to close the bridge, where with Looting this would also be a non-issue. Very astute observation sir. I think I'll try it your way and see how it goes.
Edit: I've considered Blasphemous Act before, it's definitely a fun-of! I'd love to hear how it works for you.
Fire off the cannons and raise the banners: we're going big....huge....for those in the Tarantino know: Big Daddy Don Bodein's truck, "The Bohemiath"
Agree with Caligula's affirmation of the new chatter offered by the new faces around the campfire. I went 3-0-1 in a 25 person FNM. The principal shift was dropping the short-sighted, creature mediation spells: Magma Jet / Sweltering Suns & redundant lock threat density: Pia and Kiran Nalaar. And then? Up the high ramp threat levels! Planeswalker Count, Hazoret [back to the flock, brotha!] and a Phyrexian Metamorph.
Again, we're entering a new meta world of late game development decks. As a sideboard deck, it's time to pivot. I'll write more soon, but just wanted to share my enthusiasm for the new direction ----- coming from a fella that's spent countless hours cementing a more mid-range strategy, it's revolutionary. But, who doesn't want to touch the turbo button on the dashboard. We're talking (13) ritual effects, kinfolk. Thirteeeeeeeennnnn!!!!!!!!!
And, yes, yes, yes, I know my revelatory proclamations about the 'new direction' flies in the face of PaleGlove's success and new found love with a more classic design. Huzzah! That's sunshine all over. In 23 pages of variants, I'm continually impressed by all of the effective ways of implementing Pyro Prison. Hell, for all I know, I might be chasing this red dragon, turbo-top load design, and then come back to the mid-range construction as the panacea. Ha!
What I do know is that our variants are putting up monster numbers as a minority deck, and I'm dying to see another top 8 in a premier..........
Album: Reservoir Dogs
"KBILLY's Super Sounds Of The 70s" continues.
We just heard "The World Is A Ghetto" by War, and
"Billy, Don't Be A Hero" by Bo Donaldson and the Haywoods.
And if you're the 12th caller, you'll win two tickets to the monster truck extravaganza
Being held tonight at the Carson Fairgrounds,
Featuring Big Daddy Don Bodein's truck, "The Bohemiath".
The 12th caller wins, on the station where the 70s survived,
K. - B. I. L. L. Y.
Hey y'all, been a while as I haven't been playing Modern (or Magic, really) as often lately. Just thought I'd chime in - went 4-0 at the local FNM this evening. Pretty standard list, so won't bore you with the details, except that Goblin Rabblemaster seemed more and more dead in a lot of matchups. Though maybe it was just the way the night went. He's good against controlly people, but against aggro I feel I'd rather just have another sweeper... dunno
Matchups were as follows:
Elves: 2-1
Burn: 2-1
Naya Zoo: 2-1
Lantern: 2-0
Lantern guy is a friend, we played a few after. Probably 10 games in all and I won all of them easily. Virtually every card in our deck is a must-answer for them (except bridge pre-board, of course), and they don't have the pressure to kill planeswalkers or make us rush into locking them clumsily. This was the matchup where Goblin Rabblemaster shined (almost got a turn 3 kill with him ). Anyway, Lantern is effectively a bye with this deck, that is the takeaway here.
Keep on tapping them mountains, may the Chandras be with you and the Simians guide your spirits to fiery pastures!
Fire off the cannons and raise the banners: we're going big....huge....for those in the Tarantino know: Big Daddy Don Bodein's truck, "The Bohemiath"
Agree with Caligula's affirmation of the new chatter offered by the new faces around the campfire. I went 3-0-1 in a 25 person FNM. The principal shift was dropping the short-sighted, creature mediation spells: Magma Jet / Sweltering Suns & redundant lock threat density: Pia and Kiran Nalaar & Magus of the Moon. And then? Up the high ramp threat levels! Planeswalker Count, Hazoret [back to the flock, brotha!] and a Phyrexian Metamorph.
Again, we're entering a new meta world of late game development decks. As a sideboard deck, it's time to pivot. I'll write more soon, but just wanted to share my enthusiasm for the new direction ----- coming from a fella that's spent countless hours cementing a more mid-range strategy, it's revolutionary. But, who doesn't want to touch the turbo button on the dashboard. We're talking (13) ritual effects, kinfolk. Thirteeeeeeeennnnn!!!!!!!!!
And, yes, yes, yes, I know my revelatory proclamations about the 'new direction' flies in the face of PaleGlove's success and new found love with a more classic design. Huzzah! That's sunshine all over. In 23 pages of variants, I'm continually impressed by all of the effective ways of implementing Pyro Prison. Hell, for all I know, I might be chasing this red dragon, turbo-top load design, and then come back to the mid-range construction as the panacea. Ha!
What I do know is that our variants are putting up monster numbers as a minority deck, and I'm dying to see another top 8 in a premier..........
It is a little hard to understand what you are saying RayStacks, but I tried upping the mana ramp to full bore and my success has definetly improved. This is also somewhat in line with Caligula suggestion. And, it worked. I now have 9 solid slots. But, I reduced my mana down to 18. So, I now have a slot and a half to fill. The current slot is magma jet and a one of crystal ball and krenko, mob moss as a win more card.
Hey All ---
I have been pretty inspired with a fundamental shift in the design of Pyro Prison: Big Red. The principal shift is the loss of 2-CMC spells in favor of more acceleration and more high cost threats. No one wants to play low cost spells. By definition, they are weaker than high cost spells. So, the idea is to just go big. This new design is greedy. Too greedy? Consider this new scheme in which......
We play no 1-Drop Spells
We play no 2-drop Spells - unless it's a ritual (6) or a Chalice (4)
Since our deck is now packed with high CMC spells, we offer essentially 2 things:
"The Power Lock Suite": Chalice, Bride, and Moon (plus goblin rabblemaster)
The lack of drawing 'air' or low cost/low impact spells.
This is not dissimilar from how Scapeshift or Ad Nauseam or Storm decks operate. They are vulnerable in the early game, and they have their 'win state' --- they simply go for it. But, here's why this fundamental shift has occurred to Pyro Prison. In a nutshell - Lightning Bolt. This card is the barometer of the meta, and I have always felt like we needed to have some low-cost, early game removal in order to survive. Now? Lightning Bolt (i.e.: magma jet/abrade/mizzium mortars) does not feel like a necessary inclusion anymore. Note: Affinity/Burn do still exist, I'm not ignorant to the need - just seeing the fade.
So, I'm loading up with a full (9) 4-cmc spells. For years, I didn't like to break the threshold of (7). Going up to (9) 4-drops and (13) rituals [simian,pyretic,desperate,caverns] is risky. It creates "2 Halves" to the deck, and a dire need to draw the proper ratio of the 2. Obviously, Magma Jet & Tormenting Voice were the facilitators of this meld before. Am I being too brash in dropping Jet/Voice?
Magma Jet: I feel like my hand is forced in regard to Magma Jet as there are just not enough targets to bolt.
Tormenting Voice: I feel like although it's an effective filter/accelerator, it can A.) lose you a turn to cast B.) get countered C.) get drawn while hellbent D.) leave you vulnerable on a bridge attack.
So, the decklist below is a first draft of 'going big'. I'm following the suggestions of the new blood on the thread by altering my sideboard in only 1 specific way: Eidolon of the Great Revel got raised to a 3 count. Like our planeswalkers, it offers control & win-con. It obviously fills an easy gap of 2-drop in games 2/3, and can present a helluva clock alongside Goblin Rabblemaster. That's pretty much it. Pyro Prison - Big Red! What say the mountainfolk?
ADD: 2nd pyretic ritual, 2nd Koth of the Hammer, 2nd Sweltering Suns, and a Hazoret the Fervent MINUS: 2 Magma Jet, 2 Tormenting Voice
Hey All ---
I have been pretty inspired with a fundamental shift in the design of Pyro Prison: Big Red. The principal shift is the loss of 2-CMC spells in favor of more acceleration and more high cost threats. No one wants to play low cost spells. By definition, they are weaker than high cost spells. So, the idea is to just go big. This new design is greedy. Too greedy? Consider this new scheme in which......
We play no 1-Drop Spells
We play no 2-drop Spells - unless it's a ritual (6) or a Chalice (4)
Since our deck is now packed with high CMC spells, we offer essentially 2 things:
The Power Lock Suite: Chalice, Bride, and Moon (plus goblin rabblemaster)
The lack of drawing 'air' or low cost/low impact spells.
This is not dissimilar from how Scapeshift or Ad Nauseam or Storm decks operate. They are vulnerable in the early game, and they have their 'win state' --- they simply go for it. But, here's why this fundamental shift has occurred to Pyro Prison. In a nutshell - Lightning Bolt. This card is the barometer of the meta, and I have always felt like we needed to have some low-cost, early game removal in order to survive. Now? Lightning Bolt (i.e.: magma jet/abrade/mizzium mortars) does not feel like a necessary inclusion anymore. Note: Affinity/Burn do still exist, I'm not ignorant to the need - just seeing the fade.
So, I'm loading up with a full (9) 4-cmc spells. For years, I didn't like to break the threshold of (7). Going up to (9) 4-drops and (13) rituals [simian,pyretic,desperate,caverns] is risky. It creates "2 Halves" to the deck, and a dire need to draw the proper ratio of the 2. Obviously, Magma Jet & Tormenting Voice were the facilitators of this meld before. Am I being too brash in dropping Jet/Voice?
Magma Jet: I feel like my hand is forced in regard to Magma Jet as there are just not enough targets to bolt.
Tormenting Voice: I feel like although it's an effective filter/accelerator, it can A.) lose you a turn to cast B.) get countered C.) get drawn while hellbent D.) leave you vulnerable on a bridge attack.
So, the decklist below is a first draft of 'going big'. I'm following the suggestions of the new blood on the thread by altering my sideboard in only 1 specific way: Eidolon of the Great Revel got raised to a 3 count. Like our planeswalkers, it offers control & win-con. It obviously fills an easy gap of 2-drop in games 2/3, and can present a helluva clock alongside Goblin Rabblemaster. That's pretty much it. Pyro Prison - Big Red! What say the mountainfolk?
ADD: 2nd pyretic ritual, 2nd Koth of the Hammer, 2nd Sweltering Suns, and a Hazoret the Fervent MINUS: 2 Magma Jet, 2 Tormenting Voice
I'm excited you've made these changes, for the last 2 months or so I haven't been rocking any Tormenting Voice and since June of this year ive been on the whole 20 lands, 10 extra ways to get mana plan. Effectively creating 2 halves to the deck like you said.
Magus of the Moon is probably at its best in this list compared to the past lists I have seen, however, I don't own any currently and rock 2 Magma Jet in his place. I'm not sure which is better, probably requires testing, I just don't like losing to the various CoCo decks on the 3rd turn. That being said, I do not like Sweltering Suns at all, I likely will never sleeve them up.
I absolutely love the new direction of this deck with more rituals, less land and more of a pivot to 1/3-lock 1/3-threats 1/3-Mana.
Going forward I think we should look at our threat package now that the PW rule is changing.
Is it time to consider the slightly weaker Chandra, Pyromaster?
Hazoret and Pia both have their merits, but there are several reasons I like the old chandra.
1. She kills Birds, Nobles and Tokens. These often get under bridge and they are quite hard to deal with without a wipe.
2. She makes way for lethal rabble swings. Her ability to stop blockers is relevant.
3. She acts as more "Card Draw" since she can exist with Torch of defiance which effectively gives us 2 cards a turn that don't affect bridge.
4. Her ult is not entirely irrelevant if we run more Jets as she can potentially just kill them for 6 damage and 3 sets of 2 scrys.
Here's how I imagine the current list should be built if we are taking it in this new direction.
It's really not magical Christmas land to imagine two Chandras out.
With bridge locking things up Planeswalkers are the best threats.
Final note, the black Chandra promo makes her 100% worth playing.
She isn't bad but she isn't good either. Think about it this way, what does she do against the top teir of decks in the meta that the rest of the deck doesn't already do? IMO Pyromaster is just win more. She is only good when youre already ahead. I like her, used to rock her in Jund back in the day, but her time is done in this format.
Ray, you've come back to God while simultaneously letting the devil into your sideboard, which just warms my heart. My one suggestion? Double up on the Lord! Not only is the holy one a faster and tougher to deal with threat than our other 4-bangers, she also gives us the discard outlet that we no longer have without T. Voice. Like our favorite musicians, early in life we live fast and loose, but down the stretch, we find god, cleanse our souls, and deal 2 damage to each opponent. That's how it happens.
Paleglove, I was very excited to hear about the rules change, however, after considering our options I definitely agree with TimTam, there just isn't another viable Chandra in my opinion.
I dont know if you guys read the story, but in pt.2 of the XLN story, a new planeswalker is briefly introduced.. although he doesn't show up in the set. He definitely seems red to me, so be on the lookout for him possibly in the next release. His name is Angrath, the Dread Pirate. Here is the link, there's a picture as well.
Hello All!
I've been a fan of the "Free Win Red" deck posted by SaffronOlive over at MTGGoldfish, especially during the "Eldrazi Winter" days. I've never sold the pieces and actually made sure to upgrade my blood moons. I've recently been attending my local FNM utilizing a budget deck to get back into the game and figure out the local meta. The simple observation, 1 elf, 2 affinity, and the rest of the decks have the most greedy manabases since 4C stuff was a thing. Dodging those couple mono aggro decks, I'm ready to shut the door on fun and bring back some respect for prison decks at my local meta, and this is why I kept Free Win Red.
I'm inspired by PaleGloveSyndrome's take though, because who doesn't want to slam a Rabblemaster. That being said, I'm looking for some guidance/videos or information on what we are doing. Free Win Red attempted to slam a Blood Moon on turn 1. I noticed PaleGloveSyndrome does not run Magus of the Moon. What are we doing then on turns 1,2,3 usually? Are we attempting to run a Chalice out on 1, a Fast Blood Moon, or smash face with a turn 1 Rabblemaster? The lines are a little more blurred in the version, but I like the decision-making necessary versus Free Win Red was a little auto-pilot like.
So, what are the hopes, do we save mana and play on the curve or try to drop one of our 3 drops (or a lucky 4 drop) on turn 1 and off to the races?
What are we doing then on turns 1,2,3 usually? Are we attempting to run a Chalice out on 1, a Fast Blood Moon, or smash face with a turn 1 Rabblemaster? The lines are a little more blurred in the version, but I like the decision-making necessary versus Free Win Red was a little auto-pilot like.
So, what are the hopes, do we save mana and play on the curve or try to drop one of our 3 drops (or a lucky 4 drop) on turn 1 and off to the races?
Welcome sir! I think the answer is yes to all of those questions, but it all depends on the match. Take Scapeshift for example, obviously Blood Moon is huge, however if you have the choice between a T1/T2 Moon or Rabblemaster, you go with the Rabble, especially in game 1 as they usually have Bolt in the side. Playing a fast Rabble is huge sometimes and other times you 3-for-1 yourself.. it's all about matchups with this deck, so know the meta, and with what you described, you should be in a great spot. I will tell you Affinity is one of our toughest matches in my experience, I'll be happy to share my notes in detail when I get home from work tonight.
What are we doing then on turns 1,2,3 usually? Are we attempting to run a Chalice out on 1, a Fast Blood Moon, or smash face with a turn 1 Rabblemaster? The lines are a little more blurred in the version, but I like the decision-making necessary versus Free Win Red was a little auto-pilot like.
So, what are the hopes, do we save mana and play on the curve or try to drop one of our 3 drops (or a lucky 4 drop) on turn 1 and off to the races?
Welcome sir! I think the answer is yes to all of those questions, but it all depends on the match. Take Scapeshift for example, obviously Blood Moon is huge, however if you have the choice between a T1/T2 Moon or Rabblemaster, you go with the Rabble, especially in game 1 as they usually have Bolt in the side. Playing a fast Rabble is huge sometimes and other times you 3-for-1 yourself.. it's all about matchups with this deck, so know the meta, and with what you described, you should be in a great spot. I will tell you Affinity is one of our toughest matches in my experience, I'll be happy to share my notes in detail when I get home from work tonight.
Your notes would be very welcome. Ironically you mention Scapeshift, what I typically play in modern, but the whole Titan Shift is just not my spice.
With regards to Affinity; I hate that deck! I've played 5 matches against it and I lost 4 of them. I wouldn't take too much from that in terms of winning % as I was using some very experimental lists in a few of those. While we aren't close to an 80/20 underdog, I would say they're definitely favored in game 1, and probably a slight favorite post board as well, just in my experience, although I have a pretty spicy surprise for the next time I run into them that may make it about even.
If on the play with a Chalice in hand, drop that mofo on 0! It not only keeps them from dumping their hand, but also helps keep them off of double black for the dreaded Cranial Plating, countering their Opal. A turn 1 Chalice on 0 from on the play is one of the strongest ways to start against them by far.
Blood Moon locks out their creature lands, but doesn't really hurt much beyond that in game 1, but don't side them out! Their most common answer to our Ensnaring Bridge is Ancient Grudge, and sometimes Wear/Tear. It also makes it harder to make double black for plating.
While Bridge is effective, they can slip under with creatures like Ornithopter and Signal Pest, so obviously you need max Anger/Suns post side, and maybe Shattering Spree or By Force if you're running them. You can never have enough sweepers.
Another strong card out of the side is Damping Matrix. This is the spice i mentioned, which is a newer addition to my sideboard and I haven't had a chance to drop it on them yet, but it's GG material.
I hope this helps, looking forward to some reports from the field!
I know I'm new to the thread, but wanted to propose a color splash. It's been mentioned before, but white seems to give us so many options and improvements.
Fetches - Mostly fetching for a basic. Mountain or plains, we only really need one of each with blood moon.
Scry lands - Turn 1 they are amazing. Late game they are mountains thanks to blood moon. With the new rule change they come in untapped.
Dual lands - Really think we only need one of these, just because we may need it, though it might not even make the cut.
Card choices:
Ajani Vengeant - Protects himself better than Koth, Acts as Removal, Ult virtually wins the game.
Lightning Helix - Life Gain, Removal, Burn.
Sideboard:
Stony Silence - Great card to hose artifacts.
Rest in Peace - Better than Cage in some respects and works with Chalice better.
Disenchant - A way to remove enchantments without a fuss.
Hope you don't mind my brewing, just really excited about this deck and want to see if there are avenues that haven't been explored fully.
Ahhhhhh, the zestful, invigorating curiosity of a new poster
I hear ya. I hear ya, Paleglove. There is a certain intoxicating allure to splash white -- your very name harkens back to the Pale Moon deck archetype. But, nay - ours is a thread for all things fire and rock and explosions and ladies with their hair on fire.
It's been addressed before, so I'll be brief. First, I'll keep my comments short out of respect for the MTGsalvation village. It's not proper to poo-poo other threads and decktypes. White is the king of 'sideboard' answer cards - always has been. But, the main deck addition of Ajani Vengeant -- again written about all of this before -- is the only card I would consider a splash for. Lightning Helix will likely 'cost' you more than it can gain you. Stony Silence/Rest in Peace are bombs, but again....at a cost [[sidenote: RiP is best against Dredge which we house anyway, and Grafdigger's Cage is a more versatile threat at a much lower, colorless cost]]. Streamlined acceleration and diversification in sideboard threats is our ethos - not presenting a 'pillow fort' design and then stacking up more blocks on the Jenga tower in games 2 or 3.
- I know I'm not fully elucidating what I need to say in this compact forum.....and without coming off as pompous - it's challenging. I've tried R/w variants and playtested/discussed them with very bright minds. I respectfully think that they skew in the wrong direction: 'answers looking for a threat'. Sufficed to say, as a small clan, we've got plenty to be proud of on the battlefield as mono-red warriors. Proportionately, we are killing it. So if for no other reason than the name of this thread is "mono-red" - then, let's leave it at that. Respectfully.
And a grand welcome to FluffyWolf! To answer your query on speed/commitment, it's challenging. I say, 'be more aggressive in committing to a line of play than you think'. Caligula gave some good examples. And, I'd offer another quick guideline: go for broke - give up everything you've got - for a turn 1 Planeswalker.
Thank you so much for the quick answer. Yes I am falling victim to being a newbie, but the allure is hard to resist. I think we can all admit that Koth will be the first to be replaced if we get a stronger 4 drop walker out of Rivals. I often find that behind a bridge he does absolutely nothing until his ult. I've got a tourney on Thursday and will report back with the latest iteration of pyro prison. Thanks again for being so welcoming!
I think we can all admit that Koth will be the first to be replaced if we get a stronger 4 drop walker out of Rivals. I often find that behind a bridge he does absolutely nothing until his ult. I've got a tourney on Thursday and will report back with the latest iteration of pyro prison. Thanks again for being so welcoming!
While I agree that if we get another great walker it would likely be Koth that got shaved, I think it would have to be a great one to make the cut. Yes, Koth does nothing behind Bridge, but he ults in 2 turns! He has recently come back into my good graces, not only fitting into our new blitzkrieg strategy but also being a unique answer to some fringe situations. For example, last night I ran into Gideon tribal. He had 6 life and 3 Gideons with an emblem, and no other card could've been better than Koth. He mowed 'em down. Worship is another great example.
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Paleglove, you bring up an excellent point about T.Voice/Looting, and you got me thinking.. I do usually want to T.Voice early, and being able to T1 loot might come in handy. IS the downside of Chalice-Looting a lesser hindrance than that of Bridge-Voice? Worst case scenario with Looting we cast it into Chalice. I have lost a game because of Voice.. I can't imagine losing a game because my Looting was countered.
Looting may be better while not hellbent as well. There have been situations where I've drawn 2 unplayable cards from Voice and was unable to close the bridge, where with Looting this would also be a non-issue. Very astute observation sir. I think I'll try it your way and see how it goes.
Edit: I've considered Blasphemous Act before, it's definitely a fun-of! I'd love to hear how it works for you.
Agree with Caligula's affirmation of the new chatter offered by the new faces around the campfire. I went 3-0-1 in a 25 person FNM. The principal shift was dropping the short-sighted, creature mediation spells: Magma Jet / Sweltering Suns & redundant lock threat density: Pia and Kiran Nalaar. And then? Up the high ramp threat levels! Planeswalker Count, Hazoret [back to the flock, brotha!] and a Phyrexian Metamorph.
Again, we're entering a new meta world of late game development decks. As a sideboard deck, it's time to pivot. I'll write more soon, but just wanted to share my enthusiasm for the new direction ----- coming from a fella that's spent countless hours cementing a more mid-range strategy, it's revolutionary. But, who doesn't want to touch the turbo button on the dashboard. We're talking (13) ritual effects, kinfolk. Thirteeeeeeeennnnn!!!!!!!!!
And, yes, yes, yes, I know my revelatory proclamations about the 'new direction' flies in the face of PaleGlove's success and new found love with a more classic design. Huzzah! That's sunshine all over. In 23 pages of variants, I'm continually impressed by all of the effective ways of implementing Pyro Prison. Hell, for all I know, I might be chasing this red dragon, turbo-top load design, and then come back to the mid-range construction as the panacea. Ha!
What I do know is that our variants are putting up monster numbers as a minority deck, and I'm dying to see another top 8 in a premier..........
Album: Reservoir Dogs
"KBILLY's Super Sounds Of The 70s" continues.
We just heard "The World Is A Ghetto" by War, and
"Billy, Don't Be A Hero" by Bo Donaldson and the Haywoods.
And if you're the 12th caller, you'll win two tickets to the monster truck extravaganza
Being held tonight at the Carson Fairgrounds,
Featuring Big Daddy Don Bodein's truck, "The Bohemiath".
The 12th caller wins, on the station where the 70s survived,
K. - B. I. L. L. Y.
Matchups were as follows:
Elves: 2-1
Burn: 2-1
Naya Zoo: 2-1
Lantern: 2-0
Lantern guy is a friend, we played a few after. Probably 10 games in all and I won all of them easily. Virtually every card in our deck is a must-answer for them (except bridge pre-board, of course), and they don't have the pressure to kill planeswalkers or make us rush into locking them clumsily. This was the matchup where Goblin Rabblemaster shined (almost got a turn 3 kill with him ). Anyway, Lantern is effectively a bye with this deck, that is the takeaway here.
Keep on tapping them mountains, may the Chandras be with you and the Simians guide your spirits to fiery pastures!
Tymna & Ishai, ie Esper Edric
Crosis Turbotrash
It is a little hard to understand what you are saying RayStacks, but I tried upping the mana ramp to full bore and my success has definetly improved. This is also somewhat in line with Caligula suggestion. And, it worked. I now have 9 solid slots. But, I reduced my mana down to 18. So, I now have a slot and a half to fill. The current slot is magma jet and a one of crystal ball and krenko, mob moss as a win more card.
YOUTUBE CHANNEL: GOBOTS
I have been pretty inspired with a fundamental shift in the design of Pyro Prison: Big Red. The principal shift is the loss of 2-CMC spells in favor of more acceleration and more high cost threats. No one wants to play low cost spells. By definition, they are weaker than high cost spells. So, the idea is to just go big. This new design is greedy. Too greedy? Consider this new scheme in which......
So, I'm loading up with a full (9) 4-cmc spells. For years, I didn't like to break the threshold of (7). Going up to (9) 4-drops and (13) rituals [simian,pyretic,desperate,caverns] is risky. It creates "2 Halves" to the deck, and a dire need to draw the proper ratio of the 2. Obviously, Magma Jet & Tormenting Voice were the facilitators of this meld before. Am I being too brash in dropping Jet/Voice?
ADD: 2nd pyretic ritual, 2nd Koth of the Hammer, 2nd Sweltering Suns, and a Hazoret the Fervent
MINUS: 2 Magma Jet, 2 Tormenting Voice
Creatures (9)
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
2 Magus of the Moon
2 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
1 Hazoret the Fervent
Accelerators (10)
4 Simian Spirit Guide
4 Desperate Ritual
2 Pyretic Ritual
Enchantments (4)
4 Blood Moon
4 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
2 Koth of the Hammer
Artifacts (8)
4 Ensnaring Bridge
4 Chalice of the Void
Disruption (2)
2 Sweltering Suns
Lands (21)
17 Mountains
3 Gemstone Caverns
1 Mutavault
3 Eidolon of the Great Revel
2 Anger of the Gods
2 Grafdigger's Cage
2 Witchbane Orb
1 Pithing Needle
1 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Spellskite
1 Relic of Progenitus
1 Torpor Orb
1 Ratchet Bomb
I'm excited you've made these changes, for the last 2 months or so I haven't been rocking any Tormenting Voice and since June of this year ive been on the whole 20 lands, 10 extra ways to get mana plan. Effectively creating 2 halves to the deck like you said.
Magus of the Moon is probably at its best in this list compared to the past lists I have seen, however, I don't own any currently and rock 2 Magma Jet in his place. I'm not sure which is better, probably requires testing, I just don't like losing to the various CoCo decks on the 3rd turn. That being said, I do not like Sweltering Suns at all, I likely will never sleeve them up.
RG BBE Ponza
UX Eldrazi Tron
UR Jace Breach
Going forward I think we should look at our threat package now that the PW rule is changing.
Is it time to consider the slightly weaker Chandra, Pyromaster?
Hazoret and Pia both have their merits, but there are several reasons I like the old chandra.
1. She kills Birds, Nobles and Tokens. These often get under bridge and they are quite hard to deal with without a wipe.
2. She makes way for lethal rabble swings. Her ability to stop blockers is relevant.
3. She acts as more "Card Draw" since she can exist with Torch of defiance which effectively gives us 2 cards a turn that don't affect bridge.
4. Her ult is not entirely irrelevant if we run more Jets as she can potentially just kill them for 6 damage and 3 sets of 2 scrys.
Here's how I imagine the current list should be built if we are taking it in this new direction.
4 Simian Spirit Guide
4 Desperate Ritual
2 Pyretic Ritual
Lock Pieces (12)
4 Blood Moon
4 Ensnaring Bridge
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
4 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
Any (4) of These Optional Threats
2 Hazoret the Fervent
2 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
2 Chandra, Pyromaster
2 Koth of the Hammer
4 Magma Jet
2 Sweltering Suns
Lands (20)
17 Mountain
3 Gemstone Caverns
It's really not magical Christmas land to imagine two Chandras out.
With bridge locking things up Planeswalkers are the best threats.
Final note, the black Chandra promo makes her 100% worth playing.
"Carving out your piece of the online market."
RG BBE Ponza
UX Eldrazi Tron
UR Jace Breach
Paleglove, I was very excited to hear about the rules change, however, after considering our options I definitely agree with TimTam, there just isn't another viable Chandra in my opinion.
I dont know if you guys read the story, but in pt.2 of the XLN story, a new planeswalker is briefly introduced.. although he doesn't show up in the set. He definitely seems red to me, so be on the lookout for him possibly in the next release. His name is Angrath, the Dread Pirate. Here is the link, there's a picture as well.
https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/magic-story/question-confidence-2017-09-13
probably either >= 5CMC or full of useless Pirate abilities most likely both
I've been a fan of the "Free Win Red" deck posted by SaffronOlive over at MTGGoldfish, especially during the "Eldrazi Winter" days. I've never sold the pieces and actually made sure to upgrade my blood moons. I've recently been attending my local FNM utilizing a budget deck to get back into the game and figure out the local meta. The simple observation, 1 elf, 2 affinity, and the rest of the decks have the most greedy manabases since 4C stuff was a thing. Dodging those couple mono aggro decks, I'm ready to shut the door on fun and bring back some respect for prison decks at my local meta, and this is why I kept Free Win Red.
I'm inspired by PaleGloveSyndrome's take though, because who doesn't want to slam a Rabblemaster. That being said, I'm looking for some guidance/videos or information on what we are doing. Free Win Red attempted to slam a Blood Moon on turn 1. I noticed PaleGloveSyndrome does not run Magus of the Moon. What are we doing then on turns 1,2,3 usually? Are we attempting to run a Chalice out on 1, a Fast Blood Moon, or smash face with a turn 1 Rabblemaster? The lines are a little more blurred in the version, but I like the decision-making necessary versus Free Win Red was a little auto-pilot like.
So, what are the hopes, do we save mana and play on the curve or try to drop one of our 3 drops (or a lucky 4 drop) on turn 1 and off to the races?
Welcome sir! I think the answer is yes to all of those questions, but it all depends on the match. Take Scapeshift for example, obviously Blood Moon is huge, however if you have the choice between a T1/T2 Moon or Rabblemaster, you go with the Rabble, especially in game 1 as they usually have Bolt in the side. Playing a fast Rabble is huge sometimes and other times you 3-for-1 yourself.. it's all about matchups with this deck, so know the meta, and with what you described, you should be in a great spot. I will tell you Affinity is one of our toughest matches in my experience, I'll be happy to share my notes in detail when I get home from work tonight.
Your notes would be very welcome. Ironically you mention Scapeshift, what I typically play in modern, but the whole Titan Shift is just not my spice.
If on the play with a Chalice in hand, drop that mofo on 0! It not only keeps them from dumping their hand, but also helps keep them off of double black for the dreaded Cranial Plating, countering their Opal. A turn 1 Chalice on 0 from on the play is one of the strongest ways to start against them by far.
Blood Moon locks out their creature lands, but doesn't really hurt much beyond that in game 1, but don't side them out! Their most common answer to our Ensnaring Bridge is Ancient Grudge, and sometimes Wear/Tear. It also makes it harder to make double black for plating.
While Bridge is effective, they can slip under with creatures like Ornithopter and Signal Pest, so obviously you need max Anger/Suns post side, and maybe Shattering Spree or By Force if you're running them. You can never have enough sweepers.
Another strong card out of the side is Damping Matrix. This is the spice i mentioned, which is a newer addition to my sideboard and I haven't had a chance to drop it on them yet, but it's GG material.
I hope this helps, looking forward to some reports from the field!
4 Simian Spirit Guide
4 Desperate Ritual
Lock Pieces (12)
4 Blood Moon
4 Ensnaring Bridge
4 Chalice of the Void
Threats (14)
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
4 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
2 Ajani Vengeant
2 Hazoret the Fervent
3 Magma Jet
2 Lightning Helix
2 Sweltering Suns
Lands (21)
8 Mountain
2 Plains
3 Temple of Triumph
4 Arid Mesa
1 Sacred Foundry
3 Gemstone Caverns
Mana Base:
Fetches - Mostly fetching for a basic. Mountain or plains, we only really need one of each with blood moon.
Scry lands - Turn 1 they are amazing. Late game they are mountains thanks to blood moon. With the new rule change they come in untapped.
Dual lands - Really think we only need one of these, just because we may need it, though it might not even make the cut.
Card choices:
Ajani Vengeant - Protects himself better than Koth, Acts as Removal, Ult virtually wins the game.
Lightning Helix - Life Gain, Removal, Burn.
Sideboard:
Stony Silence - Great card to hose artifacts.
Rest in Peace - Better than Cage in some respects and works with Chalice better.
Disenchant - A way to remove enchantments without a fuss.
Hope you don't mind my brewing, just really excited about this deck and want to see if there are avenues that haven't been explored fully.
"Carving out your piece of the online market."
I hear ya. I hear ya, Paleglove. There is a certain intoxicating allure to splash white -- your very name harkens back to the Pale Moon deck archetype. But, nay - ours is a thread for all things fire and rock and explosions and ladies with their hair on fire.
It's been addressed before, so I'll be brief. First, I'll keep my comments short out of respect for the MTGsalvation village. It's not proper to poo-poo other threads and decktypes. White is the king of 'sideboard' answer cards - always has been. But, the main deck addition of Ajani Vengeant -- again written about all of this before -- is the only card I would consider a splash for. Lightning Helix will likely 'cost' you more than it can gain you. Stony Silence/Rest in Peace are bombs, but again....at a cost [[sidenote: RiP is best against Dredge which we house anyway, and Grafdigger's Cage is a more versatile threat at a much lower, colorless cost]]. Streamlined acceleration and diversification in sideboard threats is our ethos - not presenting a 'pillow fort' design and then stacking up more blocks on the Jenga tower in games 2 or 3.
- I know I'm not fully elucidating what I need to say in this compact forum.....and without coming off as pompous - it's challenging. I've tried R/w variants and playtested/discussed them with very bright minds. I respectfully think that they skew in the wrong direction: 'answers looking for a threat'. Sufficed to say, as a small clan, we've got plenty to be proud of on the battlefield as mono-red warriors. Proportionately, we are killing it. So if for no other reason than the name of this thread is "mono-red" - then, let's leave it at that. Respectfully.
And a grand welcome to FluffyWolf! To answer your query on speed/commitment, it's challenging. I say, 'be more aggressive in committing to a line of play than you think'. Caligula gave some good examples. And, I'd offer another quick guideline: go for broke - give up everything you've got - for a turn 1 Planeswalker.
"Carving out your piece of the online market."
While I agree that if we get another great walker it would likely be Koth that got shaved, I think it would have to be a great one to make the cut. Yes, Koth does nothing behind Bridge, but he ults in 2 turns! He has recently come back into my good graces, not only fitting into our new blitzkrieg strategy but also being a unique answer to some fringe situations. For example, last night I ran into Gideon tribal. He had 6 life and 3 Gideons with an emblem, and no other card could've been better than Koth. He mowed 'em down. Worship is another great example.