I haven’t been able to play in a few months or playtest at all. What’s the verdict on skewer? Worth the four copies? I was thinking about cutting 2 helix, 1 searing blaze, 1 lavamancer
Hi guys it’s been a while. Two questions. I’m usually the only burn player out of all the regulars at my LGS. Sometimes a random burn player will show up but it’s usually just me. My meta is mostly control, humans and token decks(bw tokens, pyromancer). I stopped running Atarkas command for lightning helix RW with a splash for green revelry in the side. For my meta would it be ok to play atarkas command and back to three colors. I’m not worried about other burn players. Also what would goblin chainwhirler look like in the side as a two of. I play 1-2 humans and 1-2 tokens deck every week. All the tokens have 1 toughness and humans have about 90 percent creatures with 1 toughness. Is it worth it? Thank you
On a side note I played 1 hazoret mainboard for about a month back in December. Any game he entered the battlefield I never lost. It was the hands with not enough lands that sucked
My meta at the store I play players run a lot of control decks. I’ve always played one firecraft main taking out 1 searing blaze. They let us play with the unbanned cards last night so I played against 3 jaces in 4 rounds. Firecraft has been great. I play one main and one in the side. If they don’t plus Jace it’s an uncounterable kill. What do you guys think about this at a regular tournament. I have one tomorrow. I have a feeling a lot of people will be playing control be Jace is new. Should I move them both back to side, play two main or keep 1/1 split? Thank you
Also a few weeks ago I ran I single hazoret and he was phenomenal all night. I mean phenomenal. When I play a singleton of something I usually take out 1 skullcrack or 1 searing blaze. I run a normal RWg list splashing DRev in side. Tap out on turn 4 to play Jace. Even if they bump him to five hazoret comes down and can kill him. Too cute? I’m seeing some lists run 1 hazoret like mardu and such. Haven’t seen it in burn yet. Maybe 1 in the side for control? In NYC the majority of players are control players. Always been like that
huh. i never thought about Path of Mettle's synergy with Soul-Scar Mage. nice catch there.
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.
I’ve been watching a lot of playtesting and the life gain is insane. A lot of 1/1s and 2/1 creatures and 1/1 tokens. I really like Path even more. Wipes the board and turns into ramp and a burn spell. On turn 3 we drop path, attack with two creatures. It flips and we can play a two drop. Plus on turn 3 it can be a one sided boardwipe against Aggro and tokens. 4 inspiring vantage, 4 shefnet dunes and 2 Aether Hub seems like a good start. This way we’re really not losing any of the red sources we used to have. But honestly, there is so much life gain it’s going to hurt if we don’t win by turn 4. It feels like the emrakul days when there was no graveyard hate.
They said Rampaging Ferocidon was made to combat the Saheeli Rai combo. That’s funny bc they said they didn’t see the combo and cards are made well in advance. I think it’s ridiculous
When playtesting, even when I had the ruins out I’d never use it. With path you can use it as early as turn 4 and drop a two drop or kill spell. With ruins you had to take a whole turn off. I really like this card. Especially that we have a way to kill bigger creatures. 4 inspiring vantage instead of ramunap ruins and 4 shefnet dunes instead of sunscorched desert. This way we have the same amount of red sources we had but we add 8 white sources. I even like relentless raptor. Losing our only anti life gain card does suck though
Ramunap Ruins adds a lot of "invisible power" to the deck, often acting as a virtual reduction to the opponent's starting life total. It also provides a high level of inevitability in matchups that go long, such as against the blue-black control decks popular at last year's World Championship (which have since fallen out of favor, in part because of this). Without Ramunap Ruins, the general play pattern of the deck remains largely the same, but the deck will lose some amount of the free win percentage that this land contributed.
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.
Honestly I was mad for about a minute. I’ve been testing deck with 4 Path of Mettle. I really like it. It flips turn 3 and it does the same thing ruins does except better. 2 damage to creature or opponent and for 3 mana. Large creature removal for 4 mana. I run 4 vantage and 4 shefnet dunes as white sources. I run fanatical firebrand and bomat as my one drops. Plus I think that with Temur being ripped apart vampires and pirates and Merfolk will be a thing. Path clears their board. Path also kills any attacking creature. I planned on running it before the ban. Now it has to replace ramunap ruins
Ben Starks just played himself into the Top 8 with his variation Big Red version. This is very interesting build suited to beat the Metagame. Note, it only sports 1 copy of Hazoret... Yes 1.
But I wonder if the Dual Shots were there also for the tokens matchups or would they bring it against other opponents (and if so, in which matchups?)
From my understanding, I believe it was put in for the token match-up. The commentary behind the deck was that Stark's list was adjusted to purely face the expected Energy match-up in Atlanta and as you can tell it thrived significantly. If you also take a look, several Ramunap Red decks did well and placed in the top 32 including at least 3 that I can remember being in the top 16.
Do you like dual shot against mardu at all? Kills Bomat, tool craft, veteran motorist, pia tokens and even a ballista on 1. Blazing volley has been great against tokens. I’ve been wondering if it’s decent against mardu?
The top 2 decks in the standard portion of the pro tour were both Ramunap Red. One list ran 4 ferocidon. The other ran 3. Like I said, if you sideboard a car in 90 percent of your matches there is nothing wrong with mainboatding it. I am personally happy to see it more than any card beside hazoret. Maybe just as much. There are dozens of lists that chose this route.
Well sure, the top 2 lists that ran had 3+ Ferocidon and 0-4 Crasher, and Crasher has definitely dipped in my opinion than before; however, I still believe it is worthy of playing at least 2-3 in the MB Pre-board. The effectiveness it can have at putting through early damage is great and is essential on the aggro plan. Of course post-board the strategy for red changes a bit and that is why it is removed, but I still believe it is an effective card.
I would never cut crasher completely. It’s truly an amazing card. But cutting a Kari Zev and one crasher or abrade isn’t so bad
Crasher dies to shock. I wouldn't call that "amazing."
Every card we play besides hazoret and Kari Zev dies to shock. We just started running ferocidon. I’ve been running two blazing volley sideboard for tokens. One red mana deal one damage to each creature opponent controls. Matchup was tough for me. Been better now.
The top 2 decks in the standard portion of the pro tour were both Ramunap Red. One list ran 4 ferocidon. The other ran 3. Like I said, if you sideboard a car in 90 percent of your matches there is nothing wrong with mainboatding it. I am personally happy to see it more than any card beside hazoret. Maybe just as much. There are dozens of lists that chose this route.
Well sure, the top 2 lists that ran had 3+ Ferocidon and 0-4 Crasher, and Crasher has definitely dipped in my opinion than before; however, I still believe it is worthy of playing at least 2-3 in the MB Pre-board. The effectiveness it can have at putting through early damage is great and is essential on the aggro plan. Of course post-board the strategy for red changes a bit and that is why it is removed, but I still believe it is an effective card.
I would never cut crasher completely. It’s truly an amazing card. But cutting a Kari Zev and one crasher or abrade isn’t so bad
The top 2 decks in the standard portion of the pro tour were both Ramunap Red. One list ran 4 ferocidon. The other ran 3. Like I said, if you sideboard a car in 90 percent of your matches there is nothing wrong with mainboatding it. I am personally happy to see it more than any card beside hazoret. Maybe just as much. There are dozens of lists that chose this route.
It might look a little crazy at first, but having maindeck hate for the worst matchup in the format has freed up some sideboard slots for decks like tokens, and the other aggro decks that are popping up in my area (Mardu, BR, BB).
I know it's a small sample size, but I've won 16/20 games at my last 5 weeklies at two different stores, including 3-1 vs Temur Energy, and going 4-0 twice. I've also tested favorably against energy decks (BUG and RUG against a few different players/builds of the decks).
Harsh Mentor and Rampaging Ferocidon have swung more than their fair share of games. Harsh Mentor makes Aethersphere Harvester a sad card, as well as all of the activated abilities in Energy decks, and hits utilities lands in control decks, the mirror. Ferocidon turning off lifegain has swung UW approach games several times, and seeing Ferocidon get hit by Essence Extraction against UB feels really good too.
I'm missing out on two key cards with this build, Kari Zev, Skyship Raider, and Pia Nalaar. I know this may seem like heresy, but I don't like Kari Zev with maindeck Ferocidon, and it has actually created a weird dynamic in the mirror when an opponent has a Kari Zev pre-board. They stop attacking with her more often than not. Ferocidon is good against the Pia Nalaar and Aethersphere Harvester board plan (perhaps not quite as good as that sideboard plan), and I've been able to devote more sideboard cards towards other matchups that are more swingable (like tokens and other aggro decks).
I've never been lower on Chandra, Torch of Defiance in the maindeck. There are too many matchups where it's hard to block up for her (Mardu, BB, Tokens, and the Mirror). I also find myself only bringing her in against Energy and Control decks for reach/lategame value.
Sideboarding isn't quite set in stone, but I've been doing the following:
Every single sideboard plan is bringing in the extra two ferocidon for red players. Might as well mainboard 4. I’ve tried it. It works. I love the menace. I dont care too much for Kari zev either with ferocidon mainboard now
What i miss:
Sideboard guide for Sultai (in my opinion its rly good mu, and i do same like on temur, but if u have ur infos just write to me :P), Mardu vehicles sb guide. BR aggro sb plan (will play like vs mirror)
What i will change:
I preparing myself now for Warsaw GP. Of course i will not change my deck because i love Rampampam Red :D. But i will cut Cannon from sideboard (ub and uw sun its good matchup, dont need more cards for that). I will turn on my deck against Temur because its really hard matchup and propably i will play alot matches against it. So i will put 2 Harsh Mentor to main, i will cut one Abrade and Chandra. I will test on that weekend version where i will play Mentors and Ferocidons in main, and i will cut Crushers. After that weekend i will put my Sideboard guide, where i will update my main and side for gp (pro tour soon :D).
Srsly for my bad english. Waiting for comments guys, i love to discuss about side plans. Tell me ur experience! If u have question just ask ;).
How do you side vs Sultai Energy. I run two ferocidon and 2 mentors main. I cut two abrade one Chandra and one crasher. I always seem to bring in the raptor so mainboarding it has been working well. It’s the one card beside hazoret I always want. Sometimes more
On a side note I played 1 hazoret mainboard for about a month back in December. Any game he entered the battlefield I never lost. It was the hands with not enough lands that sucked
Always bolt the bird, never bolt the *****
Also a few weeks ago I ran I single hazoret and he was phenomenal all night. I mean phenomenal. When I play a singleton of something I usually take out 1 skullcrack or 1 searing blaze. I run a normal RWg list splashing DRev in side. Tap out on turn 4 to play Jace. Even if they bump him to five hazoret comes down and can kill him. Too cute? I’m seeing some lists run 1 hazoret like mardu and such. Haven’t seen it in burn yet. Maybe 1 in the side for control? In NYC the majority of players are control players. Always been like that
I’ve been watching a lot of playtesting and the life gain is insane. A lot of 1/1s and 2/1 creatures and 1/1 tokens. I really like Path even more. Wipes the board and turns into ramp and a burn spell. On turn 3 we drop path, attack with two creatures. It flips and we can play a two drop. Plus on turn 3 it can be a one sided boardwipe against Aggro and tokens. 4 inspiring vantage, 4 shefnet dunes and 2 Aether Hub seems like a good start. This way we’re really not losing any of the red sources we used to have. But honestly, there is so much life gain it’s going to hurt if we don’t win by turn 4. It feels like the emrakul days when there was no graveyard hate.
Honestly I was mad for about a minute. I’ve been testing deck with 4 Path of Mettle. I really like it. It flips turn 3 and it does the same thing ruins does except better. 2 damage to creature or opponent and for 3 mana. Large creature removal for 4 mana. I run 4 vantage and 4 shefnet dunes as white sources. I run fanatical firebrand and bomat as my one drops. Plus I think that with Temur being ripped apart vampires and pirates and Merfolk will be a thing. Path clears their board. Path also kills any attacking creature. I planned on running it before the ban. Now it has to replace ramunap ruins
Do you like dual shot against mardu at all? Kills Bomat, tool craft, veteran motorist, pia tokens and even a ballista on 1. Blazing volley has been great against tokens. I’ve been wondering if it’s decent against mardu?
Every card we play besides hazoret and Kari Zev dies to shock. We just started running ferocidon. I’ve been running two blazing volley sideboard for tokens. One red mana deal one damage to each creature opponent controls. Matchup was tough for me. Been better now.
Every single sideboard plan is bringing in the extra two ferocidon for red players. Might as well mainboard 4. I’ve tried it. It works. I love the menace. I dont care too much for Kari zev either with ferocidon mainboard now