I've been trying this deck with 1 Drownyard Temple ever since Patrick Chapin wrote about the cute turn 3 trick of activating Jace, pitching Drownyard, shipping the turn and then bringing it back from the GY. However, in my testing, I find that I'm looking to spend those 3 mana on removal, or to just play a Tutelage on my turn. Really, I'm looking to curve out on turns 2 and 3 - turn 1 usually has no play (unless I'm playing Magmatic Insight), turn 2 is Jace, and then turn 3 is Tutelage with a Jace activation to get the mill started. However, Drownyard is a great mid to late game mana sink. Ideally, I don't care so much about curving out after turn 3.
Now, I've toyed with playing 1 Mage-Ring Network. It's a less intensive mana sink, plus, it can help you power out Pore Over the Pages (which is just crazy when you can leave so much of up to cast the spells you draw with it) or Chandra, Flamecaller plus another spell on turn 6. I'm thinking of going up to 2 Mage-Rings, but it needs more testing. Not a big fan of too many colorless sources with so many 1 and 2 cost spells.
So I think I'm playing this list on release day, but in my Xmage testing, I'm finding the deck has trouble with decks that want to go wide (like with Thopter tokens or like Werewolves) and also against Ramp (like a resolved Atarka) if I can't get an early Tutelage on board. Anyone have any sideboard answers for that kind of deck?
I think that some number of Kozilek's Return would be correct in the SB. If the Ramp you're playing is doing it via dorks, going with the full 4 Fiery Temper and 3 Lightning Axe mainboard seems right. I'm toying with some number of Crumble to Dust in the SB as well.
Really interested to see your decklist. If you're going down the route of cost reduction, how about Eldrazi Skyspawner at the 3-drop. That gives you another way to "reduce costs" by sacrificing the scion.
I heard about innistrad. Maybe there is a chance to reprint snapcaster mage and liliana of the veil. I wanted to buy a playset of both, now i will wait till april. Good news during halloween :
I really can't see a Snapcaster reprint since Jace will still be legal in Standard when this set comes out. Blue would end up being ridiculous.
It's good to see Abzan do well at the PT. The two big takeaways that I had after seeing Takimura pilot the deck is:
1) the mana base needed some work; Sandsteppe Citadel wasn't the right solution in the early post-rotation builds and
2) The old Abzan creature base is still great.
I've got all the pieces for an Abzan deck, and all of the pieces for an Atarka Red deck, but I think I'm going to play G/W Megamorph for a while since I have all of the pieces for that too (most of them are the same as Abzan). Over the course of this standard season at my local FNMs, I'll probably switch between Abzan and G/W MM so I don't get too predictable. Going to sit on my Atarka Red deck until Oath comes out to see what burn spells come out... I'd much rather play a red deck that is more burn based - combo red seems too one-dimensional.
It's funny how Ricky Chin went perfect in the Standard rounds on Day 1 and 2 of the PTBFZ with Majors' SCG Indy deck, while the SCG guys tinkered with the Avatar and didn't do as well. Of course, this could do with the draws that they had and how they drew their decks, but the original formula seems to be pretty good. If anything, I'd consider siding some Archangel of Tithes, Dragonlord Dromoka and Whisperwood Elemental. Regardless, in any iteration, this deck is a contender.
What's nice about Abzan Aggro is that it shares a lot of cards with G/W Megamorph. I started with trying to build an Abzan Aggro or Control, have switched to G/W, and hope to switch back to Abzan if there are good showings at the PT.
This is almost identical to my list. I'm stuck on what to mainboard for removal. I see you put in Ruinous Path. Why not Valourous Stance, Murderous Cut, etc...?
I was just thinking... Isn't Surge of Righteousness another card that is really really good now that Stormbreath Dragon is out? It's a 2-cmc that kills Mantis Rider, Siege Rhino, and against R/x aggro it is not only a fast removal spell but the life gain is important. I think Arashin Cleric is better against that deck, especially with Lightning Strike out, but the gain against Rhino and Mantis Rider might be worth a lot more than this being slightly weaker against R/x aggro.
SURGE HYPE TRAIN SURGING
I been all over this card since pre-rotation. It is very good. Don't maindeck it, but it is awesome out of the side. Arashin Cleric is a wuss that doesn't kill anything, Surge takes out their dude and gains you life.
Also Surge laughs at Mantis Rider. So do I when I play it
What's the other instant that's like Surge of Righteousness but targets green and white?
Anafenza being able to hose Hangarback Walker and Deathmist Raptor, and countless other graveyard synergies like grabbing Jace with Ojutai or Greenwarden of Murasa's gy trigger, means you run the full four. Plus you always just want to curve into her and people often don't last long when she is in play and hitting the red zone.
Got to finally jam a lot of games with the deck last night. Wingmate Roc felt really weak, although I was jamming against Languish builds. That being the case, I would have liked to have access to Gideon, Whisperwood, or Sorin out of the board to put up a better fight against control. Heir of the Wilds wasn't good in the matchup against control obviously, but I liked having an easy to cast two drop. Hands with Warden were much better than hands without. Mortuary Mire was cute, but never spectacular. Silkwrap was really good against Jace and Hangarback Walker, also really good against an Esper build with Fathom Feeders. The exile effect was important and being able to cast Dromoka's Command and Silkwrap on turn 4 was super good.
This is a great write-up. I really like your sideboard, as I feel that the majority of Abzan Aggro builds are just two or three cards away from being really top of the heap. You mentioned Silkwrap but it wasn't listed in your sideboard. Bringing a Sorin in for game 2 against control might thin you out a bit, but I like the choice of Duress and Whisperwood for those match ups. Maybe cut Heir and up Warden to 4. Hard to say if an attacking 3/3 on turn 2 is better than a summoning sick deathtouch 2/2 on turn 2, but it does cost 1 more mana to get to the 3/3... then again, the 2/2 is more susceptible to removal. Regardless, I think that both the Heir and Warden are better than the 1/3 Arashin Cleric that is a popular sideboard option.
Running more Gideons so you can play Gideon, make a token, and then anthem him into Wingmate helps against Languish. And play a second Gideon to make more tokens or attack with the 5/5 Gideon.
What I really like about this deck is how many ways you can curve out quite nicely. Every creature that you cast on curve feels like a legit threat no matter which 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-drops they are. Warden, to 3/3 Warden or Hangarback, to Anafenza/Den Protector to Rhino/Gideon - SWEET! There's just a lot of ways to draw into the first 4 turns because of the colourless Hangarback, and I'd be happy with any of the combinations. They all demand answers within 2 turns of being cast. I just feel like you can cast more than the opponent can timely answer, and once you get the Gideon card advantage, it tips it even more in your favour.
Brad tweeted that he was getting smashed in testing. I'm assuming he was testing his Abzan Aggro build. He switched out a few cards. Out: 1x Wingmate Roc, 1x Jungle Hollow, 1x Reave Soul. In: 3x Anafenza, the Foremost.
That's not what I wanted to hear after planning to play the deck this weekend! Now, are those changes before or after his tweet? I wouldn't be shocked to learn it was losing to Aristocrats, which explains the Anafenza. If it's not Aristocrats then I am really excited to see what smashes this deck.
I'm excited too. I think his initial build (and even his latest build) are really solid. I wouldn't be surprised if maindecks Knight of the White Orchid, and then sideboards in Arashin Cleric for game 2 if he expects to be on the play. (assuming he gets to play the Knight for the extra land drop in game 1, which his opponent won't want to happen again in game 2).
Even though he calls it aggro, the aggro part of his deck doesn't really gain steam until turns 3 and 4. Having the extra toughness with the Cleric might help with that.
Now, I've toyed with playing 1 Mage-Ring Network. It's a less intensive mana sink, plus, it can help you power out Pore Over the Pages (which is just crazy when you can leave so much of up to cast the spells you draw with it) or Chandra, Flamecaller plus another spell on turn 6. I'm thinking of going up to 2 Mage-Rings, but it needs more testing. Not a big fan of too many colorless sources with so many 1 and 2 cost spells.
I think that some number of Kozilek's Return would be correct in the SB. If the Ramp you're playing is doing it via dorks, going with the full 4 Fiery Temper and 3 Lightning Axe mainboard seems right. I'm toying with some number of Crumble to Dust in the SB as well.
http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/br-dragons-deck-guide/
I really can't see a Snapcaster reprint since Jace will still be legal in Standard when this set comes out. Blue would end up being ridiculous.
I've got all the pieces for an Abzan deck, and all of the pieces for an Atarka Red deck, but I think I'm going to play G/W Megamorph for a while since I have all of the pieces for that too (most of them are the same as Abzan). Over the course of this standard season at my local FNMs, I'll probably switch between Abzan and G/W MM so I don't get too predictable. Going to sit on my Atarka Red deck until Oath comes out to see what burn spells come out... I'd much rather play a red deck that is more burn based - combo red seems too one-dimensional.
This is almost identical to my list. I'm stuck on what to mainboard for removal. I see you put in Ruinous Path. Why not Valourous Stance, Murderous Cut, etc...?
What's the other instant that's like Surge of Righteousness but targets green and white?
This is a great write-up. I really like your sideboard, as I feel that the majority of Abzan Aggro builds are just two or three cards away from being really top of the heap. You mentioned Silkwrap but it wasn't listed in your sideboard. Bringing a Sorin in for game 2 against control might thin you out a bit, but I like the choice of Duress and Whisperwood for those match ups. Maybe cut Heir and up Warden to 4. Hard to say if an attacking 3/3 on turn 2 is better than a summoning sick deathtouch 2/2 on turn 2, but it does cost 1 more mana to get to the 3/3... then again, the 2/2 is more susceptible to removal. Regardless, I think that both the Heir and Warden are better than the 1/3 Arashin Cleric that is a popular sideboard option.
Running more Gideons so you can play Gideon, make a token, and then anthem him into Wingmate helps against Languish. And play a second Gideon to make more tokens or attack with the 5/5 Gideon.
What I really like about this deck is how many ways you can curve out quite nicely. Every creature that you cast on curve feels like a legit threat no matter which 1-, 2-, 3- and 4-drops they are. Warden, to 3/3 Warden or Hangarback, to Anafenza/Den Protector to Rhino/Gideon - SWEET! There's just a lot of ways to draw into the first 4 turns because of the colourless Hangarback, and I'd be happy with any of the combinations. They all demand answers within 2 turns of being cast. I just feel like you can cast more than the opponent can timely answer, and once you get the Gideon card advantage, it tips it even more in your favour.
I'm excited too. I think his initial build (and even his latest build) are really solid. I wouldn't be surprised if maindecks Knight of the White Orchid, and then sideboards in Arashin Cleric for game 2 if he expects to be on the play. (assuming he gets to play the Knight for the extra land drop in game 1, which his opponent won't want to happen again in game 2).
Even though he calls it aggro, the aggro part of his deck doesn't really gain steam until turns 3 and 4. Having the extra toughness with the Cleric might help with that.