I like the idea of a competitive forum for deck discussion - however the way I see it panning out is that a lot of people will consider their FNM/kitchen table pet deck to be 'competitive' and will bring their lists over to the competitive forum, effectively creating the same system we have now.
The only way I could see it working in practice is if thread creation is restricted and archetypes are sourced from tournament results. This may result in missing out on the next big thing, but in reality, the majority of the community won't want to pick it up without seeing tournament results anyway.
I am very much in support of a more competitively focussed area of the forum, however I think it will require a fair degree of effort to moderate...
I think a red splash would help solve the two drop problem with Stormblood Berserker (depending on whether 8 duals is enough to support it - possibly not), and it would also give an easier out to Crusader with Incinerate / Arc Trail. I don't think an aggro deck can support both Lashwrithe and Obliterator, and I prefer Obliterator as he can stop an opposing deck attacking.
I think this card is a good thing because it gives every colour an answer to graveyard and library interaction. This isn't going to kill any deck in the format, it is an artifact which can be dealt with by any colour. If you need to use your library/graveyard to win, then be prepared for this card. I can't see it cropping up maindeck unless a boogeyman such as Dredge enters the format (not likely unless BV turns out to be playable), but it will make for some interesting decisions post board as several decks have some kind of interaction with the graveyard (primarily thanks to Snapcaster, but he is still a 2/1 flash for 1U even with this down).
This card will act as a safety net for the format, should there prove to be an undying combo or if Birthing Pod gets enough tools to dominate, but it is a 1cmc artifact that needs to stay in play, Black will have the hardest time with it, but even then they have discard + ratchet bomb!
I don't think this fits into an aggro werewolves deck, but it might go nicely into a token based wolf deck.
Mayor of Avabruck, Huntmaster, Garruk Relentless, Sword of Body and Mind all produce wolf tokens and Everwolf and Mayor will pump those. It is less reliant on flipping wolves as well, with the flip acting as more of a bonus than essential.
Wolf Run Ramp has a pretty good matchup vs Tokens. I run 3x Slagstorm and 4x Galvanic Blast main, with an additional Slagstorm and a pair of Ratchet Bombs in the side (with access to Arc Trail/Whipflare/Blasphemous Act for the board if this doesn't seem enough). I also bring in 2-3 Garruk Relentless to help ensure I have planeswalker advantage.
1) Whether I cast Emissary or Growth would depend upon the matchup, against aggro or control I would probably drop the Emissary first. Against aggro they either need to swing through it, probably trading a creature, remove it, or not attack. In the first two situations you are removing a threat from the board or a card from their hand and ramping, in the third you have stalled them which is good for your gameplan.
Against control, you don't need to race into a Titan, I prefer to drop an Emissary and start swinging. They will have to deal with it at some point, but if it gets in for 4-6 points of damage first then that helps you out later on.
Against the mirror or other mid range decks, if I am holding something that I need to ramp into then I will play the Growth as these matchups are much more about curving out.
2) It depends what else is in my hand, if I can cast one of the other two in addition to another spell next turn to maximise use of my mana I would play solemn, otherwise I would go for two spells over one.
3) I would hold the Slagstorm as long as possible. You may find you need to clear out some Titan tokens and Snapcasters at some point, or you may need to send some burn at a Planeswalker. Unless you think they have some way to make you discard it, hang on to it as long as you can. If you need to use it as burn then play it at the point where it will kill them. Not much point using it as burn before then.
As a strict rule, there is no single card which I will kill on sight - it depends upon the matchup and game state.
However, generally cards which accumulate value and/or build a board state are things which generally need removing sooner rather than later. E.g. Planeswalkers, Hero of Bladehold, Titans, Stromkirk Noble, Champion of the Parish, Shrines etc...
Fiery Assault1R
Instant
Fiery Assault deals 2 damage to target creature or player and 1 damage to you.
If you cast Fiery Assault at any time you could play a sorcery, it deals 4 damage to target creature or player and 2 damage to you instead.
Coffee Plantation
Land (R)
Coffee Plantation enters the battlefield tapped. T: Add G to your mana pool.
Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may untap Coffee Plantation.
Elroth, Woodland Guardian
Legendary Creature - Treefolk Spirit (M)
Reach, trample
Green creatures you control get +2/+2 and have trample
Convoke (As an additional cost to play this spell, you may tap any number of untapped creatures you control. Each creature tapped this way reduces the cost to play this spell by 1 or by one mana of any of that creature’s colors.)
Affinity for Forests (This spell costs you 1 less to play for each Forest you control.)
8/8
Cleansing UltimatumBBWWWUU
Sorcery (M)
Exile all non-land permanents. For the rest of the game, you may cast cards exiled in this way as if they were in your hand.
Skybomber Eagle1WW
Creature - Bird Soldier (U)
Flying T: Skybomber Eagle deals 2 damage to target attacking or blocking creature without flying. T: Search your library for a card named Skybomber Eagle and put it into your hand.
2/3 "If you hear its warcry, retreat to the trees" - Chapter 4, Joraga Battletome
Inferno Mage1R
Creature - Human Wizard (R)
When Inferno Mage enters the battlefield, it deals 2 damage to target creature or player. 1R,T: Inferno Mage deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
2/1
The only way I could see it working in practice is if thread creation is restricted and archetypes are sourced from tournament results. This may result in missing out on the next big thing, but in reality, the majority of the community won't want to pick it up without seeing tournament results anyway.
I am very much in support of a more competitively focussed area of the forum, however I think it will require a fair degree of effort to moderate...
4 Gravecrawler
4 Geralf's Messenger
4 Phyrexian Obliterator
4 Stormblood Berserker
4 Arc Trail
4 Tragic Slip
4 Go for the Throat
4 Dragonskull Summit
16 Swamp
This card will act as a safety net for the format, should there prove to be an undying combo or if Birthing Pod gets enough tools to dominate, but it is a 1cmc artifact that needs to stay in play, Black will have the hardest time with it, but even then they have discard + ratchet bomb!
Mayor of Avabruck, Huntmaster, Garruk Relentless, Sword of Body and Mind all produce wolf tokens and Everwolf and Mayor will pump those. It is less reliant on flipping wolves as well, with the flip acting as more of a bonus than essential.
Against control, you don't need to race into a Titan, I prefer to drop an Emissary and start swinging. They will have to deal with it at some point, but if it gets in for 4-6 points of damage first then that helps you out later on.
Against the mirror or other mid range decks, if I am holding something that I need to ramp into then I will play the Growth as these matchups are much more about curving out.
2) It depends what else is in my hand, if I can cast one of the other two in addition to another spell next turn to maximise use of my mana I would play solemn, otherwise I would go for two spells over one.
3) I would hold the Slagstorm as long as possible. You may find you need to clear out some Titan tokens and Snapcasters at some point, or you may need to send some burn at a Planeswalker. Unless you think they have some way to make you discard it, hang on to it as long as you can. If you need to use it as burn then play it at the point where it will kill them. Not much point using it as burn before then.
However, generally cards which accumulate value and/or build a board state are things which generally need removing sooner rather than later. E.g. Planeswalkers, Hero of Bladehold, Titans, Stromkirk Noble, Champion of the Parish, Shrines etc...
Instant
Fiery Assault deals 2 damage to target creature or player and 1 damage to you.
If you cast Fiery Assault at any time you could play a sorcery, it deals 4 damage to target creature or player and 2 damage to you instead.
IIW: Colour shifted tribal, e.g. a blue goblin
Thanks for the win
New challenge: Design a curse, or a card which interacts with curses.
Instant
(:sympr: can be paid with either
Rage Helix can't be countered.
Rage Helix deals X damage
Land (R)
Coffee Plantation enters the battlefield tapped.
T: Add G to your mana pool.
Landfall - Whenever a land enters the battlefield under your control, you may untap Coffee Plantation.
IIW: Curses
Legendary Creature - Treefolk Spirit (M)
Reach, trample
Green creatures you control get +2/+2 and have trample
Convoke (As an additional cost to play this spell, you may tap any number of untapped creatures you control. Each creature tapped this way reduces the cost to play this spell by 1 or by one mana of any of that creature’s colors.)
Affinity for Forests (This spell costs you 1 less to play for each Forest you control.)
8/8
Sorcery (M)
Exile all non-land permanents. For the rest of the game, you may cast cards exiled in this way as if they were in your hand.
Creature - Bird Soldier (U)
Flying
T: Skybomber Eagle deals 2 damage to target attacking or blocking creature without flying.
T: Search your library for a card named Skybomber Eagle and put it into your hand.
2/3
"If you hear its warcry, retreat to the trees" - Chapter 4, Joraga Battletome
IIW: Curses
Creature - Human Wizard (R)
When Inferno Mage enters the battlefield, it deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
1R,T: Inferno Mage deals 2 damage to target creature or player.
2/1
IIW: Curses