I do have four open spots, some (or all) of which may be creatures. I think an Aethersphere Harvester or two along with a pair of Weldfast Engineer might do the trick.
I am fully aware of how nuts LutS can be, having played it in standard and Modern Phoenix. That said, I think game one I want to get 'em dead. Theater of Horrors seems like a great sideboard option for grindy control match ups.
My other thought is that contorting the deck to accommodate Heart of Kiran may not be the right idea. While the card is insane, it does put a lot of requirements on us. I do feel like I have a pretty good aggro configuration for it here, but it might be better in a superfriends style of build that is more controllish or midrange.
I played something similar to this back in standard. I have updated and improved some of the cards and the comments about Heart of Kiran inspired me to post.
My goal is to have cheap, efficient beaters, most of which can crew up Heart of Kiran. When I played this in standard, the games where I saw Heart and Scrapheap Scrounger saw my winning percentage skyrocket. I think the legendary drawback is offset by how good Heart is. Furthermore, Forerunner of Slaughter can give our freshly returned Scrapheap Scroungers or newly cast Heart of Kiran haste for 1, giving an element of surprise.
The upgrades from when I played this in standard are Thoughtseize and Bonecrusher Giant. It may also be more correct to run burn instead of the Fatal Pushes to provide us some reach.
Is anyone else ending up here? I plan to play Saturday night in our local Pioneer tournament and will certainly report back my results!
I haven't had a chance to try it out yet, but is the Boros iteration played by Brad Nelson and Huey Jensen with Hero of Precinct One the next evolution post rotation? It seems interesting.
In my mind, losing Reckless Rage is the biggest hit, but if we can get targeted value out of the adventure cards along with a decent body after that, they can help make up for what we are losing.
So my thoughts on this deck and my first iteration is to max out on the sac effects, refueling with Ringleader and cutting costs with Frogtosser Banneret and Goblin Warchief. Something like this:
This configuration only leaves three slots. The obvious glut is at 3cc and Pashalik Mons is legendary, so I think it would be good to trim that by one. I also think we could trim a Warchief or two. That leaves 4-6 slots to play with. Here are the other cards I would like to get in:
I feel like we need to have a good curve, so I would like to be at 10-12 one drops. To start, I would add some Knucklebone Witches to fit the theme of expendable goblins.
We definitely need at least three Munitions Experts. To make room for these, I think we should trim two Goblin Warchief.
Admittedly, this deck would be very weak to Plague Engineer, but that would be post board and such is the life of goblins.
I left out cute one-ofs like Siege-Gang Commander, Krenko, Mob Boss, and Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker to lower the CMC, though I could be convinced of adding a Krenko as a follow up to Sling-Gang Lieutenant to just win the game.
I may be going too hot and heavy on the passive damage given by Sling-Gang Lieutenant and it may be correct to trim one, but I want to try the full set.
Sideboard-wise, I think all of these are reasonable inclusions:
Are there any easier ways to buff our goblins as a hedge against sweepers such as Anger of the Gods or Plague Engineer? Is anyone running a build focused on the life drain from Pashalik Mons and Sling-Gang Lieutenant?
Fire, aim, ready goblin players!
(Edited because I forgot about Knucklebone Witch, a card I have from way back in the day and inspired this version.)
1. In decks where the number of artifacts matter, the artifact lands are so good they are banned in some formats. See cards like Cranial Plating, Arcbound Ravager, and Myr Enforcer to see where these are excellent despite the fact they can be destroyed by artifact destruction.
2. Think of it this way: Something that flies can move to the ground or stay in the air. The other creature can only be on the ground.
3. Yes, unless the card reads “until end of turn.”
4. The counters permanently stay on the creatures. The spell does not deal damage to a player, but to a creature. So every creature with a +1 counter on it deals damage to the chosen creature. In the example you gave, the spell would deal two damage to your creature. Then he would move to his attack step and attack with the 2/2 creature. You could then choose to block, killing both creatures, or take two damage.
5. A creature entering tapped is summoning sick like most other creatures the turn they are cast. Being tapped means it also cannot block until it untaps. It also cannot be used to help cast spells that require creatures to tap, such as using the keyword ability Convoke on Venerated Loxodon to help cast the card.
I hope that helps some. Magic is a complex game, but this is the place to find answers! Good luck!
I don’t think I would run goblin grenade or lightning bolt in the ringleader build just to improve our chances of hitting with ringleader. I know 3 is more than 2, but maybe tarfire instead?
Of course I could be wrong as lightning bolt is the best red card in modern...
2/3 of a lightning bolt. In a format where wild slash is a thing, Shocklands are the best mana, and pain lands see play, that ain’t nothing.
I see Thoughtseize as a card that keeps degenerate things from getting out of hand and has a place in the format. Opinions and results may vary.
I am fully aware of how nuts LutS can be, having played it in standard and Modern Phoenix. That said, I think game one I want to get 'em dead. Theater of Horrors seems like a great sideboard option for grindy control match ups.
My other thought is that contorting the deck to accommodate Heart of Kiran may not be the right idea. While the card is insane, it does put a lot of requirements on us. I do feel like I have a pretty good aggro configuration for it here, but it might be better in a superfriends style of build that is more controllish or midrange.
4 Bomat Courier
4 Scrapheap Scrounger
4 Forerunner of Slaughter
4 Bonecrusher Giant
4 Goblin Chainwhirler
4 Thoughtseize
4 Fatal Push
3 Heart of Kiran
3 Unlicensed Disintegration
4 Blood Crypt
4 Foreboding Ruins
4 Dragonskull Summit
9 Mountain
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
This leaves me with four free slots and my considerations include:
Rampaging Ferocidon
Weldfast Engineer (Heart turn 2, this turn 3 swing 6 is some good)
Aethersphere Harvester
Chandra, Torch of Defiance
or the last Heart of Kiran
My goal is to have cheap, efficient beaters, most of which can crew up Heart of Kiran. When I played this in standard, the games where I saw Heart and Scrapheap Scrounger saw my winning percentage skyrocket. I think the legendary drawback is offset by how good Heart is. Furthermore, Forerunner of Slaughter can give our freshly returned Scrapheap Scroungers or newly cast Heart of Kiran haste for 1, giving an element of surprise.
Some tertiary thoughts for card advantage include:
Light Up The Stage
Ruin Raider
Glint-Sleeve Siphoner
but I'm not sure I want to mess around with that.
The upgrades from when I played this in standard are Thoughtseize and Bonecrusher Giant. It may also be more correct to run burn instead of the Fatal Pushes to provide us some reach.
Is anyone else ending up here? I plan to play Saturday night in our local Pioneer tournament and will certainly report back my results!
Comes to mind
3 Defiant Strike
4 Feather, the Redeemed
3 Gods Willing
4 Hero of Precinct One
4 Integrity/Intervention
1 Justice Strike
7 Mountain
8 Plains
4 Sacred Foundry
4 Skyknight Vanguard
4 Swiftblade Vindicator
4 Tajic, Legion's Edge
4 Temple of Triumph
2 Tenth District Legionnaire
1 Wind-Scarred Crag
1 Chandra, Acolyte of Flame
2 Conclave Tribunal
3 Devout Decree
2 Experimental Frenzy
2 Gideon Blackblade
2 Justice Strike
1 Lava Coil
2 Shock
Joust would be great if it didn't only pump up knights. Shepherd of the Flock has a lot of potential as a hoser along with God's Willing to protect Feather, but returning a Tenth District Legionnaire is a bit of a non-bo. Faerie Guidemother would be a nice way to provide a pumped Legionnaire evasion. Thoughts?
In my mind, losing Reckless Rage is the biggest hit, but if we can get targeted value out of the adventure cards along with a decent body after that, they can help make up for what we are losing.
4 Aether Vial
1cc Creatures
4 Skirk Prospector
2cc Creatures
4 Frogtosser Banneret
4 Mogg War Marshal
3cc Creatures
4 Goblin Warchief
4 Goblin Matron
4 Pashalik Mons
4 Goblin Ringleader
4 Sling-Gang Lieutenant
Lands
4 Cavern of Souls
4 Auntie’s Hovel
4 Bloodstained Mire
3 Blood Crypt
5 Mountain
1 Swamp
This configuration only leaves three slots. The obvious glut is at 3cc and Pashalik Mons is legendary, so I think it would be good to trim that by one. I also think we could trim a Warchief or two. That leaves 4-6 slots to play with. Here are the other cards I would like to get in:
I feel like we need to have a good curve, so I would like to be at 10-12 one drops. To start, I would add some Knucklebone Witches to fit the theme of expendable goblins.
We definitely need at least three Munitions Experts. To make room for these, I think we should trim two Goblin Warchief.
So here is where I plan to start:
4 Aether Vial
Creatures
1cc (8)
4 Skirk Prospector
4 Knucklebone Witch
2cc (11)
4 Frogtosser Banneret
4 Mogg War Marshall
3 Munitions Expert
3cc (8)
4 Goblin Matron
2 Pashalik Mons
1 Goblin Warchief
1 Goblin Chieftain
4 Goblin Ringleader
4 Sling-Gang Lieutenant
Lands
4 Cavern of Souls
4 Auntie’s Hovel
4 Bloodstained Mire
3 Blood Crypt
5 Mountain
1 Swamp
Admittedly, this deck would be very weak to Plague Engineer, but that would be post board and such is the life of goblins.
I left out cute one-ofs like Siege-Gang Commander, Krenko, Mob Boss, and Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker to lower the CMC, though I could be convinced of adding a Krenko as a follow up to Sling-Gang Lieutenant to just win the game.
I may be going too hot and heavy on the passive damage given by Sling-Gang Lieutenant and it may be correct to trim one, but I want to try the full set.
Sideboard-wise, I think all of these are reasonable inclusions:
Are there any easier ways to buff our goblins as a hedge against sweepers such as Anger of the Gods or Plague Engineer? Is anyone running a build focused on the life drain from Pashalik Mons and Sling-Gang Lieutenant?
Fire, aim, ready goblin players!
(Edited because I forgot about Knucklebone Witch, a card I have from way back in the day and inspired this version.)
2. Think of it this way: Something that flies can move to the ground or stay in the air. The other creature can only be on the ground.
3. Yes, unless the card reads “until end of turn.”
4. The counters permanently stay on the creatures. The spell does not deal damage to a player, but to a creature. So every creature with a +1 counter on it deals damage to the chosen creature. In the example you gave, the spell would deal two damage to your creature. Then he would move to his attack step and attack with the 2/2 creature. You could then choose to block, killing both creatures, or take two damage.
5. A creature entering tapped is summoning sick like most other creatures the turn they are cast. Being tapped means it also cannot block until it untaps. It also cannot be used to help cast spells that require creatures to tap, such as using the keyword ability Convoke on Venerated Loxodon to help cast the card.
I hope that helps some. Magic is a complex game, but this is the place to find answers! Good luck!
Of course I could be wrong as lightning bolt is the best red card in modern...