MTG Salvation

Those that recognize my name, know there's pretty well one thing I do; play red decks. Big red, aggro red, combo red (...srsly, go check my work on Dragonstorm lmao). I will preface this by saying "I don't like Brawl". I don't like it for the same reason as Standard - it rotates. But, others do. And if there's one thing I know, it's that Red decks will always be a thing in a Standard format. So, as cards rotate, it's just a matter of moving the dated cards out and replacing them with the shiny new cards to keep my deck. See where I'm going? Plus, I can play this reasonably well in FNMs too (minus one two certain cards...) since red decks at their corre are just looking for enough similar effects to reduce your life from 20 to 0 as fast as possible, and it doesn't really matter if I'm doing that with a Soul Scar Mage or a big Dragon. So with that said, I present;



Overall, my buy-in to make this was $25 (and 75% of that was Hazoret plus Dire Fleet), but the overall singles cost according to tappedout puts this just under the $100 mark, and that's including all the tokens and a foil Treasure token for Cap'n Lannery. That's pretty reasonable for a competitive deck, I think.

https://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/brawl-deck-wins-air/?cb=1526604050

I really like Throne on the paper, I forgot about that card completely ! Since I have atrocious results with Daredevil, I think that's the one i'll cut for it.

The toughest for is to figure out what 4-drop is better than another, there's way too many options and I don't know crap about the metagame, since there's not a competitive one yet, so to speak.

/List edited in the previous post/

I'm trying to cut to cut part of the energy package for other more aggro cards, and I feel like it's a ok move so far. I also cut Daredevil, it's way too often a 2/1 first strike for 1R, and never generates value. Very disappointing. I really like the synergy between Manticore / Fling and steal effects too.
Finally I want to try Insult as I have no clue how good it is but I'm intrigued.
-1 Dire Fleet Daredevil
-1 Harnessed Lightning
-1 Aethersphere Harvester
-1 Aether Hub
-1 Skyship Stalker

+1 Kari Zev's Expertise
+1 Repeating Barrage
+1 Mountain
+1 Insult // Injury

Remains Wrangle that I might wanna find a slot for, and maybe Endless Sands. i'll see.

Quote from headminerve »

/List edited in the previous post/

I'm trying to cut to cut part of the energy package for other more aggro cards, and I feel like it's a ok move so far. I also cut Daredevil, it's way too often a 2/1 first strike for 1R, and never generates value. Very disappointing. I really like the synergy between Manticore / Fling and steal effects too.
Finally I want to try Insult as I have no clue how good it is but I'm intrigued.
-1 Dire Fleet Daredevil
-1 Harnessed Lightning
-1 Aethersphere Harvester
-1 Aether Hub
-1 Skyship Stalker

+1 Kari Zev's Expertise
+1 Repeating Barrage
+1 Mountain
+1 Insult // Injury

Remains Wrangle that I might wanna find a slot for, and maybe Endless Sands. i'll see.

You don't play the Daredevil as a two, you play it as a four. Or a three. Ideally you play it and turn one of their removals around to their guy like a 2-for-1. I'd never cut it.

Have you tried Skizzik yet? Still a bawse like it was during Invasion. I don't think cutting the dragon is gonna pan out well, but I'm open to suggestions. I like it because it can haste, is evasive, and is a mana sink. Those are what Shivan Dragon wished it had back in it's time.

Threaten effects are really good at 2 cmc (or 3 when they come with free spells), can't imagine cutting Wrangle here. It hits almost everything that isn't Rhonas in the format.

You don't play the Daredevil as a two, you play it as a four. Or a three. Ideally you play it and turn one of their removals around to their guy like a 2-for-1. I'd never cut it.

I never said I wanted to play it as a 2, but it's very often a two, because I have better things to do with my mana than casting a spell in my opp's graveyard.
Thing is there are many MUs where it flashbacks a do-nothing spell at best. The card rotted way too often in my hand, so I conclude it's a filler rather than a staple.

Have you tried Skizzik yet? Still a bawse like it was during Invasion. I don't think cutting the dragon is gonna pan out well, but I'm open to suggestions. I like it because it can haste, is evasive, and is a mana sink.

Very possible. 4's are numerous and it's hard to figure out how good they are in the meta VS on the paper. I want to see how a lower curve overall works, and so far I don't miss 4&5's.

Threaten effects are really good at 2 cmc (or 3 when they come with free spells), can't imagine cutting Wrangle here. It hits almost everything that isn't Rhonas in the format.

Well it doesn't hit Ghalta, Allosaurus, most Gearhulks, Muldrotha, Lyra, Traxos, etc... there's a million creatures it doesn't hit. But I want to include it somehow, because I just noticed the extra synergy with Endless Sands, and I love those little edges !
Do you see what cards I could cut for it ? I can see Prospector going away since I lower th curve overall.

Up.

Many things to discuss now I have a little better look at the format.

I digged playable cards real hard and a few ones are in my list now :

Cartouche of Zeal : I love the sequence Kari Zev > Mox Amber > Cartouche, letting me attack for 4 on Turn 2. It's more powerful than sequences that involve the other 1-drops off the Mox, although I already love them (any 1-cmc removal incl. Reckless Rage, any topdeck 1-cmc creature). It allows Ragavan to deal 2 thanks to the "can't block" clause too. "Gain control" & "can't block" effects are amongst the most powerful things RDW can do since there's no way to deal with stall boards via standard removal spells.

Dinosaur Stampede : Insult // Injury won me SO many games that I know I want another effect of the kind. Great finisher for only 3 mana.

Brazen Scourge : I already play Captain Lannery Storm, and Scourge would be worse ? Nah I don't think so. Along with Ahn-Crop Crasher and Lathnu Hellion, I know that a 4th hasty 3-drop can offer more consistent tempo gains.

The first cards I cut are Harnessed Lightning, Hungry Flames & Fight with Fire. Creatures are better in most situations, VS control that run too few creatures, VS Green decks that run too many big creatures that are immune to removal alone, and VS swarmy decks that don't care if we spend 3-mana on a token or any other expendable creature.

The slowest cards in the deck are Throne of the God-Pharaoh, Pia Nalaar & Rekindling Phoenix. They are strong cards that provide some sort of evasion / inevitability though, which is what I like to provide with those "can't block / gain control" effects.

List above updated.

I'll be re-tooling the deck as well, notably Verix Bladewing (I guess I'll leave him in the 59 for now) makes an infinitely worse commander when I can Kari Zev, so that's a super easy fix. 23 lands was also a bit too greedy for a midrange curve such as I have here. Not sure if I want to try with 23 again with an Amber, or just go 24. 24 + an Amber is also an idea, but I think that will be a little too much mana in a deck that doesn't have much late game aspirations.

Skyship Stalker is my worst five drop, though it can be played as a four, but if it is, then Skizzik is better at that role. So that dragon looks like a pretty easy cut, though it does have more late presence (firebreathing!)

I think Cartouche deserves a slot here. I didn't realize it was a one drop!

I think the Phoenix you want is Warcry Phoenix. It's hasty. has evasion, and imo easier to recur + makes a great discard to Bloodrage Brawler.

What do you think of that double strike/haste bear that can grant an extra combat? It can feed Lathnu Hellion indefinitely, though again, five drop.

I believe the deck wants to win as fast as possible, and as sexy as 5-drops look, only Glorybringer has been good enough for me so far. And by a significant margin. Means that when I have to wait for the 5th mana source, I'm sure the dragon will help me come back from a losing board, while none of the other options can do that. I strongly advise to cut every non GloryB 5-drops from a Kari Zev list.

About your curve, I don't know for sure about your list, but i'm personally super fine with 22 + Mox. If you cut your uneessary 5 drops, you should be able to go down to 23 mana sources. After all you always have Kari by Turn 2, and the 3-drop slots should be where you overload, because you absolutely want Kari into a 3-drop every game.

I think the Phoenix you want is Warcry Phoenix. It's hasty

I would agree if I hadn't found out a card I completely overlooked so far : Bloodlust Inciter. I included it in my Neheb and list I think it's better than Rigging Runner here, because :
- it's a true Turn 1 play.
- it's a strong curve into Turn 2 hasty Kari Zev !
- it increases tempo with Goblin Chainwhirler, Pia Nalaar (usually the token), Rampaging Ferocidon and... Rekindling Phoenix !
- it's free damage with Throne of the God-Pharaoh !

Now that being said, I have to try the other Phoenix, pretty weak as a 2/2 but it might have a slot to take over Heart-Piercer Manticore or my Phoenix like you said. I agree that the lack of haste is problematic at times.

What do you think of that double strike/haste bear that can grant an extra combat?

Lightning Runner is a 5-drop, so I wouldn't care too much. It's not meant to be part of a deck that doesn't focus on energy (we need to spend 8(!!) to trigger it).

About the MUs, I have mitigated results against Ghalta / Rhonas since once they stabilize, the stall board is hard to break (outside of "gain control" effects). Thing is they can counter-attack and kill in one shot.
One card I want to try is Makeshift Munitions. It's very strong with "gain control" effects, and potentially can finish off the opponent.
I feel like it's effective against Gods overall, and I can see the card take the slot of Harsh Mentor. The creature is rather situational, there are some MUs where it does absolutely nothing.

I think Makeshift Munitions is fine on it's own as an outlet for Ragavan every turn, honestly.

I had not thought of this interaction actually ! That's great !

Up !

Spoiler not full yet, but there's already great additions to the archetype !

For sure in my list :
Act of Treason (those effects are super strong in the format)
Dark-Dweller Oracle (synergy with Kari's token and "gain control" effects)
Lightning Mare (the deck lacks good aggro 2-drops)
Thud (cheaper Fling, not sure I want both cards though))

And potential cards that make me scratch my head :
Guttersnipe (I think it's a trap, more for Adeliz)
Goblin Motivator (redundant Bloodlust Inciter, not sure we want 0, 1 or 2 of this effect to accelerate Kari on turn 2)

With the printing of so much life gain though, the archetype is going to face more resistance :
Fountain of Renewal, Diamond Mare and Shield Mare will see a lot of play. Ferocidon is even more clutch now.

List above updated. Cuts are Heart-Piercer Manticore, Fling, Rigging Runner, Limits of Solidarity.

Dark-Dweller Oracle looks great.

I personally think you want Goblin Motivator and Bloodlust Inciter for sure. The thing is that with a few of the sacrifice creature cards like new addition of Dark-Dweller Oracle, there is even more incentive for a Ragavan monkey token, to use for these outlets. So if Kari Zev is removed, you get a much more consistent means of getting that monkey token earlier, so it's not just good for a turn one play.

Thud being a sorcery looks bad.

I personally think that Lightning Mare looks pretty bad. The "counterspell" is just unnecessary text to make you think that card does more. Ultimately it's a 3/1 with expensive fire-breathing.

You may be right about Mare and Motivator, I'll test that way.

I think Thud is good though, I rarely need to instant speed sac a guy, and if I do, cards like the new Oracle and Munitions do the trick. What I like is that 1 mana is easier when I want to sequence Treason effects + a sac outlet. Fling is 1 more mana than Oracle, Thud and Munitions, so I think it's a bit worse. That said there's a chance both should be played.

The last card I'm interested in is Inferno Hellion. I'll test it because why not but I don't have big expectations. The lack of haste should dismiss it.

A card I saw you mention in the Hazoret thread is Dismissive Pyromancer. I don't believe it's good enough, but can you give me your feedback after you tested I a bit ?

I really don't believe we care about Dismissive Pyromancer, so lem'me go ahead and dismiss him.

Bros any updates on this? I'm thinking the same. But I wanted to include your sac ideas shenanigans into my deck please help! GHALTA and ZACAMA meta is rampant in our playgroup

Since I dont have much of the rotating-out cards,here's my weird take on Kari Zev (bluffs aggro switches into CONTROL, yep i know kinda meh. I try to finish with banefire or jaya's immolating from treasures accumulated from Trove of Temptation (LOL) or get big creatures via sunbird's). Ignore the Evolving Wilds i put in, helped me a few times when I wanted to re-shuffle cards bottomed by Sunbird's back haha like my finishers.

1 Squee, the Immortal
1 Verix Bladewing
1 Chandra's Pyrohelix
1 Wily Goblin
1 Karn, Scion of Urza
1 Banefire
1 Treasure Map // Treasure Cove
1 Star of Extinction
1 Hour of Devastation
1 Sweltering Suns
1 By Force
1 Fight with Fire
1 Jaya's Immolating Inferno
1 Welding Sparks
1 Fiery Cannonade
1 Lightning Strike
1 Abrade
1 Shivan Fire
1 Sunbird's Invocation
1 Primal Amulet
1 Icy Manipulator
1 Thaumatic Compass
1 Chandra, Bold Pyromancer
1 Chaos Maw
1 Etali, Primal Storm
1 Combustible Gearhulk
1 Burning Sun's Avatar
1 Trove of Temptation
1 Captain Lannery Storm
14 Mountain
1 Memorial to War
1 Desert of the Fervent
1 Endless Sands
1 Dunes of the Dead
1 Hostile Desert
1 Zhalfirin Void
1 Scavenger Grounds
1 Field of Ruin
1 Evolving Wilds
1 Arch of Orazca
1 Jaya Ballard
1 Smelt
1 Blackblade Reforged
1 Insult // Injury
1 Puncturing Blow
1 The First Eruption