i love what they did to Jace's character. so much improved. also, Vraska's someone i didn't give much thought before, but her interactions with Jace made me quite a fan of hers. heck, i'm one of those who ship Jace x Vraska. no more manipulative, centuries-old necromancers for Jace, please!
good work Alison and the rest of the team!
i do think, however, that path of Mettle is better for more midrangey decks (that top the curve with Glorybringer) as a way to grind out games.
4 Bomat Courier
4 Fanatical Firebrand
4 Soul-Scar Mage
4 Earthshaker Khenra
4 Speedway Fanatic
4 Ahn-Crop Crasher
4 Built to Smash
3 Invigorated Rampage
4 Lightning Strike
4 Shock
17 Mountain
4 Sunscorched Desert
This deck aims for a Turn 4 kill
T1: Bomat Courier, attack, down to 19
T2: Earthshaker Khenra, attack all, down to 16
T3: Sunscorched Desert (down to 15), Ahn Crop Crasher, attack all, down to 9
T4: attack all (down to 3), Lightning Strike, GG sir
now, of course, that's goldfishing, but that's the potential of the deck. even if the opponent interacts, the deck gets delayed just a few more turns. with an aggressive start, combat tricks and burn, i am hoping it would be consistent enough to be competitive.
what do you guys think?
i think Path of Mettle is a sleeper card. it just seems too good not to use. it's aggressively costed, can cause asymetric board wipe, and can do versatile things later on.
i'll buy a set if my LGS will sell them at a reasonable price.
one problem i see with it is that IF dinosaurs become commonplace, then its damage is actually detrimental if it triggers opponent's Enrage.
Source.
not thoroughly convinced about their explanation, but acceptable. red aggro shouldn't have a free way of winning late game.
that Rampaging Ferocidon is banned is more troubling. what other card in Standard stops life gain as effectively? vampires and Approach decks would have a clear upper hand.
i guess it's really time to develop a turn 4 kill red deck, but i am having trouble making it.
Rigging Runner suddenly looks more playable lol.
Nevelo, i haven't gone through the numbers and theoreticals, but do you think it's possible to make an extremely low to the ground mono red deck that can kill on T4 with the new RIX cards?
there's a bunch of one drops (many with haste) fast 2 drops (Earthshaker Khenra and Speedway Fanatic) and hasty 3 drops (Ahn Crop Crasher and Lathnu Hellion) to finish the opponent. combat tricks like Invigorated Rampage and Built to Smash for reach aside from burn.
i am thinking 16 spells, 20 lands (16 mountains and 4 Sunscorched Desert) and the rest are creatures.
Dire Fleet Daredevil seems to be the best Red card in RIX for me, but i am unsure if it fits in the RR deck.
Rekindling Phoenix i can see in a U/R Fliers shell, a way to attack a meta that's heavy on ground combat.
Fanatical Firebrand seems interesting for a fast, low to the ground Red list. i can see myself playing that plus a host of other cheap creatures then use Invigorated Rampage and Built to Smash to deal damage quickly. my only worry is that maybe removal is too good for that deck this standard with the presence of Magma Spray, Shock and Fatal Push.
how masterful is that?
ah Puncturing Blow. neat tech you have there vs Scarab God.
isn't Repeating Barrage already a bit too much? the deck already has Ramunap Ruins as mana sink.
list of that please? thanks.
4 Bomat Courier
4 Ahn-Crop Crasher
1 Combat Celebrant
4 Earthshaker Khenra
2 Harsh Mentor
4 Soul-Scar Mage
4 Hazoret the Fervent
2 Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
2 Abrade
4 Lightning Strike
4 Shock
Lands 24
15 Mountain
1 Hostile Desert
4 Ramunap Ruins
4 Sunscorched Desert
2 Aethersphere Harvester
2 Glorybringer
3 Rampaging Ferocidon
2 Abrade
1 Chandra's Defeat
3 Pia Nalaar
2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
an interesting take on RR.
meanwhile, i see B/R lists making appearances once in a while in MTGO 5-0 lists. i made such a deck a few weeks ago but wasn't really much of a success, as it lacked the punch of Heart of Kiran current B/R decks have.
that's actually quite an interesting tech. stealing opponent's Glorybringer seems sweet.
there are 3 big red decks at today's MTGO results. is that the way for mono red going forward to combat decks such as Temur Energy? mainboard ability to go past Bristling Hydra with Glorybringer looks nice.
i'd run 3 in the main if there's too much Temur Energy at the local meta, and 2-3 Rampaging Ferocidons in the SB to really put the pressure on Temur Energy.
but is that the best tech Red has against Temur, though? do we have other options? thanks!
anyway, lots of mono red lists at Worlds.
taking a look at the the Champ PVDR's Hazored deck
4 Hazoret the Fervent
3 Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
4 Bomat Courier
4 Soul-Scar Mage
4 Earthshaker Khenra
2 Harsh Mentor
4 Ahn-Crop Crasher
4 Lightning Strike
4 Shock
3 Abrade
Land 24
4 Ramunap Ruins
15 Mountain
4 Sunscorched Desert
1 Scavenger Grounds
3 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
3 Aethersphere Harvester
2 Glorybringer
3 Rampaging Ferocidon
2 Pia Nalaar
2 Chandra's Defeat
Harsh Mentor may just be what i need vs a Temur Energy heavy meta. "activate Longtusk Cub, Whirler Virtuoso or Bristling Hydra? take 2 damage, sir."
especially Bristling Hydra, which usually drop when they are at 10 or less life already.
i have to get me a playset.
there's an interesting Red Deck by Donald Smith:
4 Bomat Courier
3 Soul-Scar Mage
4 Earthshaker Khenra
4 Wily Goblin
3 Captain Lannery Storm
3 Hazoret the Fervent
2 Glorybringer
4 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
Instant 10
3 Shock
4 Lightning Strike
3 Abrade
Land 23
16 Mountain
4 Ramunap Ruins
3 Sunscorched Desert
1 Abrade
1 Hazoret the Fervent
2 Glorybringer
4 Rampaging Ferocidon
2 Pia Nalaar
2 Chandra's Defeat
1 Scavenger Grounds
2 Key to the City
went 2-2. i felt like i could have won the 4 color energy match had i not experienced color screw that disabled me from casting the 2 Unlicensed Disintegration from my hand.
i see. well, i hope i never get to face such a deck at the LGS. i really hate lifegain when there's no Skullcrack.