2
Quote from magic geek »Rujasu - Since you're running 19 land, have you considered the extra Island SB?
It is a rare deck that plays extra land in the Sideboard. Maybe 1%, maybe less.
1
1
Yessir! Pure laziness, sir!Quote from Redirus91 »Quote from hoser2 »I copied a Naya list that made the MTGO 5-0 deck dump a while back. It was running Deafening Clarions and 3x Sarkhan's Unsealing in the main. It seemed powerful, but in limited testing, it also felt clunky. I can dig up the list if wanted.
DUUUUUde, how do you mention a list with no link?
2
1
| DeckMagic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards | ||
|---|---|---|
|
Lands (22) 1 Mountain 1 Plains 1 Forest 1 Stomping Ground 1 Temple Garden 1 Sacred Foundry 4 Arid Mesa 4 Wooded Foothills 4 Windswept Heath 1 Bloodstained Mire 2 Ghost Quarter 1 Kessig Wolf Run | Creature Beaters (16) 4 Wild Nacatl 4 Steppe Lynx 4 Plated Geopede 4 Knight of the Reliquary Creature Utility (12) 4 Qasali Pridemage 2 Scavenging Ooze 4 Renegade Rallier 2 Ramunap Excavator Spells (10) 4 Lightning Bolt 3 Path to Exile 3 Seal of Fire | Sideboard (15) Insert 10 more cards according to meta. 1 Bojuka Bog 2 Tormod's Crypt 2 Selfless Spirit |
2
Red Black or Mardu Vehicles
Overview
Aggressive decks that use powerful synergies with artifacts and vehicles in particular.
Mardu has the potential for extremely quick starts with Toolcraft Exemplar, while also having tenacious threats like Scrapheap Scrounger in longer games. Its premier card is Heart of Kiran which dodges the traditional type of sorcery speed removal and board sweepers. It's top end boasts a Hazoret the Fervent as a hard hitting, nigh unkillable threat, whose activation presents a form of inevitability. Often it draws on other powerful threats like Chandra and Glorybringer postboard. Overall the deck, while an aggrodeck, boasts a flexible gameplan with several angles of attack.
Red Black is less aggressive, with threats that include implicit potential card advantage like Goblin Chainwhirler, Rekindling Phoenix and Glorybringer.
Strategy
The Mardu game plan is to apply pressure quickly just like any other aggro deck. Game 1, hands with an Exemplar and a follow-up artifact on T2 are premium. You will want to deploy your Hearts quickly as well, as they will essentially give many of your creatures virtual haste, allowing you to pilot the heart with a summoning sick creature, while your other creatures attack along side it. The mid game will often devolve into a tempo game where you look to put yourself in a position where you can Disintegrate a key blocker and perhaps activate Pia to make another creature not be able to block before swinging for lethal. Post board, the deck has the ability to turtle up and become more of a control deck, calling on more spot removal like Fatal Push, board sweepers like Fumigate, card advantage like Chandra, and big threats like Glorybringer to look to control the board before resolving a big threat that you ride to victory.
The Red Black Game plan overlaps, but is more reactive. Given a choice, try to kill things with Chainwhirler and Glorybringer. When needed, Chainwhirler's first strike makes it a potent blocker. In combat, damage can combine to take out an opponent's creature after first strike damage, but before the opponent's creature delivers it's damage.
Sample Decklists
Mardu Vehicles Stock ShellMagic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards Creatures (22)
4 Toolcraft Exemplar
4 Bomat Courier
4 Veteran Motorist
4 Scrapheap Scrounger
2 Pia Nalaar
4 Hazoret the Fervent
Planeswalkers (1)
1 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
Vehicles (6)
4 Heart of Kiran
2 Aethersphere HarvesterSpells (7)
3 Abrade
4 Unlicensed Disintegration
Lands (24)
2 Aether Hub
2 Canyon Slough
4 Concealed Courtyard
2 Dragonskull Summit
4 Inspiring Vantage
3 Mountain
3 Plains
4 Spire of IndustrySideboard
1 Cast Out
2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
3 Duress
2 Fumigate
3 Glorybringer
2 Magma Spray
2 Fatal Push
Red Black Vehicles: Simon Nielsen GP Birmingham WinnerMagic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards Creatures
2 Walking Ballista
3 Soul-Scar Mage
4 Scrapheap Scrounger
4 Goblin Chainwhirler
2 Pia Nalaar
2 Rekindling Phoenix
2 Glorybringer
Spells
3 Heart of Kiran
4 Abrade
2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
2 Karn, Scion of Urza
2 Magma Spray
3 Unlicensed DisintegrationLand
1 Aether Hub
4 Canyon Slough
2 Cinder Barrens
4 Dragonskull Summit
11 Mountain
2 Spire of Industry
1 SwampSideboard
1 Angrath, the Flame-Chained
2 Chandra's Defeat
1 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
1 Cut // Ribbons
1 Doomfall
3 Duress
1 Fiery Cannonade
1 Glorybringer
1 Heartless Pillage
1 Karn, Scion of Urza
1 Release the Gremlins
1 Vraska's Contempt
Red Black Vehicles: SCG Classic Louisville 8th by Jeremy ZimmerMagic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards Creatures
3 Walking Ballista
3 Soul-Scar Mage
4 Scrapheap Scrounger
4 Goblin Chainwhirler
2 Pia Nalaar
2 Rekindling Phoenix
2 Glorybringer
Spells
2 Magma Spray
4 Abrade
3 Heart of Kiran
2 Karn, Scion of Urza
2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
3 Unlicensed DisintegrationLand
1 Aether Hub
4 Canyon Slough
2 Cinder Barrens
4 Dragonskull Summit
11 Mountain
2 Spire of Industry
1 SwampSideboard
2 Aethersphere Harvester
1 Angrath, the Flame-Chained
1 Arguel's Blood Fast
2 Chandra's Defeat
1 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
1 Cut // Ribbons
1 Doomfall
3 Duress
1 Karn, Scion of Urza
1 Release the Gremlins
1 Vraska's Contempt
Threats
1-Drops
One of the core aggressive threats of the deck, as the best turn 1 play that the deck can produce. Some of the decks most aggressive starts involve an early Exemplar putting on immediate pressure. It can be used to power up Heart of Kiran by resolving its beginning of combat trigger and then activating the vehicle before moving to attacks. It requires a critical mass of 1 and 2 mana artifacts for it to be worthwhile and so is often sided out when the deck shifts to a more controlling build postboard.
An unassuming creature that plays a few roles in the deck. On it's own, it's a mildly aggressive threat that can represent a lot of card advantage if it is able to attack uncontested for a few turns. It otherwise provides an early artifact to power up Exemplars, enable Spires, and upgrade Disintegrations. It also can pilot Aethersphere Harvestor quite readily. In a pinch, it can be used to clear your hand to allow Hazoret to attack. Generally worst case if drawn in top deck mode, it essentially cycles for 2 mana.
A third but less commonly used 1-drop. It featured heavily in earlier versions of the deck. It synergizes well with the heavy artifact presence in the deck and becomes an excellent aggressive threat. It is a good option if you want to go a bit more aggressive with the build.
Another less commonly used 1-drop found in some Red Black Vehicle lists. It synergizes beautifully with Goblin Chainwhirler, survives opposing Chainwhirlers and can help damage spells take down Hazoret.
2-Drops
This is essentially the card around which the entire deck is built. It is very aggressive evasive threat that is difficult to deal with with many forms of removal. It does require that the deck play enough 3+ power early creatures to be worthwhile. Keep in mind that Exemplar can pilot it if you allow the Exemplar's trigger to resolve before moving to declare attackers. Hazoret can also pilot Heart regardles of whether or not the god can attack. Don't forget that planeswalkers like Chandra can activate Heart, and can do this on both your turn and your opponent's. Despite the drawback of being legendary, this card is an automatch 4-of in a vehicles deck purely due to its power level.
Another core threat. It is an aggressively costed 3/2 for 2. So at its base level is passable. Due to being an artifact, it activates Exemplar, Spire, and Disintegration. It can also pilot Heart. It's recursive ability is where it really becomes good. This ability can be activated at instant speed, so you are able to reanimate Scrounger at the end of the opponents turn and then untap to attack immediately. The instant aspect of the ability also opens up some interesting lines using it to ambush attacking creatures with Heart of Kiran. It unfortunately cannot block, so sometimes should be sided out in the more aggressive matchups. Just be mindful that your artifact count is being reduced.
Featured heavily in the early versions of the the deck, this aggressive synergistic creature fell out of favour before coming back to become one of the core cards. As a 3 power 2 drop it is aggressive. It's scry 2 is surprisingly useful at keeping the deck consistent and digging for sideboard cards. His pump also makes the other vehicles in the deck trump opposing vehicles in the mirror. Keep in mind that the +1/+1 adjustment occurs before the vehicle even turns into a creature, which can sometimes be relevant on damage based removal.
Another option, this pseudo 2-drop has a lot of late game potential when games drag out. It has fallen out of favour more recently, but it still a more than valid option if you are building a more controlling midrange version of the deck.
3-Drops
Just a pure value card, which has a lot of play to it due to its activated abilities. On it's own, it's 3 power for 3 mana which is reasonable, and allows you to pilot Hearts between the two. Split between two bodies makes it resilient to removal. One of it's halves has a form of evasion. Pia herself has activations which allow you to push damage on Hearts, Scroungers, Couriers, Thopters, and Harvesters. In particular the last one is relevant as it amplifies your ability to blunt opposing aggressive decks with its lifegain. The second ability gives you the option of alpha striking through a large blocker or two. All in all, she's a great threat at 3 mana.
An powerful vehicle that excells at facing down opposing aggressive decks. Both its difficult to deal with toughness and ability to gain life make it a must have if you expect to see many other aggro decks. If not mainboard, this card is very often found in the sideboard as one of the best cards in aggro matchups.
A further 3-drop option, that is not as commonly used as the two above. Depala excells against midrange decks where her ability can pull you ahead in the card advantage war. Her passive ability to size up your Exemplars, Hearts, Motorists, and Harvesters helps fight against the larger creatures. Certainly a good option if you expect a lot of green based midrange decks, though 1-2 copies is likely the most you will need.
This 3-drop with a challenging mana cost is a four-of in the Red Black vehicles variant. In addition to killing x/1s on ETB, first strike can make blocking or attacking into it a nightmare.
4-Drops
A hard hitting, hard to kill, hasty threat for the top end of the curve. It's discard ability gives the deck inevitability. With Hazoret in the deck, it is important to keep the curve of the deck low so that you can clear out your hand quickly and allow Hazoret to attack quickly as possible. It is also reasonable to consider going to 23-24 lands in order to cast her on curve.
A difficult to deal with card that also clocks for 4 in the air. There are answers: Vraska's Contempt, Hour of Glory, Struggle // Survive, W exiling enchantments. But Magma Spray doesn't handle it cleanly and nobody wants to run Puncturing Blow. Situationally, it can be an advantageous blocker. Given how few answers there are for it, be aware of the possibility of hitting your own Phoenix with cards like Abrade in response to exiling removal.
One of the most versatile planeswalkers recently printed. She has 4 printed abilities, but in reality she is packing 5. Chandra can provide tempo, ramp, removal, burn, card advantage. And that is without really considering her ultimate which generally wins the game either immediaely or on untap. She is a bit fragile, given that her protective ability of removing a mid sized creature leaves her a 1 loyalty, but often the removal plus virtual life gain is plenty. Keep in mind that you cannot play lands off her exile, so best practice is to play any land in hand before activating that mode. Also understand that you must make the decision to cast the card revealed immediately, otherwise she does her damage. You cannot leave it exiled untl end of turn to cast it at a more opportune time. Chandra often hangs out in the sideboard as a good card advantage engine when shifting to a more controlling gameplan.
A bit of a nonbo with Hazoret, but often included in Red Black Vehicles. The high loyalty, card advantage and artifacts can all be useful.
5-Drops
A very strong top end. This is often going to be in the sideboard for when the deck decides to go a bit bigger. This dragon is strong enough for the mainboard. Just make sure to be running enough lands main or side to bring your count up to around 24-25 so that you can cast it on time. Don't be afraid to just attack without exerting. Racing can be better than the removal. Though, most often the Dragon will represent a 2 for 1, serving as both a question (threat requiring removal) and an answer (removal taking out a threat).
Spells
This is another core card of the deck, and automatic 4-of, and rivals Heart as the reason to play the deck. Given the rest of the deck is mainly Red and White, you need to be mindful that you have a sufficient amount of Black mana sources in your manabase (12-13). After that this card becomes one of the best possible spells you could run, providing unconditional removal and reach at instant speed. Keep in mind that even if the creature survives, e.g. it is indestructable, as long as Disintegration resolves properly (is not countered due to invalid target) it will still deal it's artifact enabled player damage to your opponent.
Versatile removal that can kill small creatures as well as opposing Vehicles along with some of the larger artifact creatures like the Gearhulks. It is also important to be able to deal with problematic permanents like God Pharaoh's Gift. In a vacuum, the deck would prefer to play regular burn spells, to give it reach, but Abrade in certain metas will outperform those cards in its versatility.
A very efficient removal option if you need to kill early creatures with an otherwise difficult to deal with toughness. Targets are often opposing Winding Constrictors, and Longtusk Cubs which can get out of hand if you let them stay in play for too long. Push also takes care of opposing Hearts and other annoying but otherwise hard to kill threats. The main disadvantage to it in a deck like this is that it requires a significant adjustment of the manabase to support being able to reliably cast it, as otherwise this deck is mainly a Red White deck with a splash of Black.
Exiling creature removal for small creatures that can be combined with other damage to exile larger creatures. Great against opposing Scrapheap Scroungers but efficient enough for some other applications.
At instant speed and 1 mana, the only thing to complain about is that it isn't Lightning Bolt. Shock is a solid burn spell that is efficient and can hit the player if needed. This spell might preferred over the likes of Abrade in unknown metas where its ability to go to the dome prevents it from being a deadcard in unusual matchups. Shock leans on the efficient side, helping to get Hazoret attacking sooner and answering an opponent's aggressive creatures quicker.
It deals 3, costs 2, and is instant speed. Most importantly it hits the opponent. Efficient Burn is great in this deck, as the game plan often revolves around dealing early damage and then using the reach of Burn to get the last points of damage in. Similar to Shock, valid option for more open metas where Abrade may or may not be a good card. You may choose this card over shock if you expect larger creatures in a slower meta where the artifact destruction of Abrade is less necessary, whereas going to the dome is.
Lands
The backbone of this decks manabase, allowing the player to operate a 3 colour aggro deck that doesn't suffer a lot from clunky slow starts due to tap lands. Unfortunately, Spire can be a little unstable in producing coloured mana, as it requires a critical mass of artifacts. So keep this in mind when sideboarding out any artifact spells.
This land is worth noting not so much in it's role as a manafixer for the deck, but for it's synergy for one of the mainstay Vehicles, Aethersphere Harvester. It's worthwhile to consider a couple of Hubs in any deck mainboarding that Vehicle purely because it will allow you to potentially get an additional lifegain activation. Likely 2 is about the maximum, otherwise you risk some very awkward starting hands.
Other/Sideboard
Duress - Great sideboard card that comes in against control & combo decks, where Duress can either punch a hole in their defenses or disrupt their gameplan.
Arguel's Blood Fast - Sideboard card in Red Black Vehicles that comes in against control decks, where card advantage is more relevant than our own life total.
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - As above, a versatile threat. Often sided in when you want to go for a longer game, where her card advantage matters more.
Angrath, The Flame-Chained - A sometimes inclusion in Red Black sideboards. If landed, it can be a source of damage and opponent card disadvantage against control decks. Stealing and maybe saccing a creature with the minus can be used to take out planeswalkers and affect races also.
Fumigate - Normally you would not expect for an aggro deck to pack sweepers in its sideboard. However, with Vehicles, your main threats are able to dodge the effect. Furthermore, post-board threats like Chandra also make the sweeper more appealing. The main matchups for this card would be against midrange decks where their creatures will eventually outclass your own.
Glorybringer - As above, a very powerful top end threat. You will want to make sure that your deck either has 24 lands, or extras in the sideboard. This features in a go-big post sideboard strategy where the idea is to load up on removal and make the deck more of a control deck.
Magma Spray - While this does not hit players, it does have the relevant exiling text and is instant speed. It is excellent at removing opposing Scroungers as well as other recursive threats that would otherwise present a problem.
Cast Out - A catch-all answer that hits anything you need it to, while also having the fall back option of cycling for a card if it is not relevant
Lost Legacy - Fairly narrow but powerful hate card against combo centric strategies. You might consider this if you are facing down a of Approach matchups where this effectively removes their primary win-con.
1
Your card advantage won't beat a Teferi that remains in play for multiple turns. That's a fact.
1
1
Ravager Wurm is for the green midrange mirror.
Bolt Bend is a weird one. It's good in most midrange mirrors. The only times you want 2x copies is on the play against mono-red (it's great for their sandbagged lava coil) and on the play against midrange esper. Otherwise, I sideboard in one copy. I don't bring it in against control unless you think you'll get them. Sometimes I board it in vs. Superfriends but I'm not sold. In place of Bolt Bend, you could play Dire Fleet Daredevil. However, I think that card is awfully slow. Carnage Tyrant also fits this description against control. You need cheap impactful spells against Esper, not slow ones that get Thought Erasured on turn 4 or 5. Carny T is just a tad slow for my preferences.
Small Vivien is a good card but I don't like it with how light I am on creatures.
I used to board out all my mana dorks in prior lists against control. I now board out 4 mana dorks and leave two in. You still want a reasonable amount of mana sources for your GCG or Sarkhans.
1
1
1
1
1
I made Mythic last night, beating Caleb Durwald for my last two bars. He was on RG Pig. He was slow to the board and I ran him over 2-0.
1
Evolution Sage + Scapeshift can be a nice little overrun early in the game.
Something like our Pelt Collector shell + Explore package.
Nice.
1
God-Eternal Rhonas has a variety of issues, mainly, while laddering, I play against a lot of Esper, Reclamation, and the like. A 5 drop that requires you to have a board is wildly irrelevant. 5 drops against combo just aren't relevant at all.
If they target it with a removal spell, it still functionally Teferi tucks, which for a card that doesn't have haste, is as good as a removal spell against Teferis, Searches, etc. While from a certainly perspective, a Teferi tuck isn't that bad, it's still card disadvantage while putting us back on the board state.
I'd imagine that God-Eternal Rhonas is good against exactly Sultai. Even then, it doesn't have evasion, which may be a deal breaker.
_______________________________________________
Despark, Tyrant's Scorn, Ritual of Soot, Kaya's Wrath, Teferi and Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God are going to run this format. We just have to figure out how to line up our threats to get through their defenses. My hunch? We won't be able to lean into the power of Rekindling Phoenix like we have been. This is why I've been suggesting some of the walkers that we have access to. Sarkhan plays well with playing a couple walkers. His static, imo, is largely irrelevant.
You need creatures that attack well on their own if they cost 3 mana.