Is it okay for us to talk about new cards now? I have great interest in Chandra, Flamecaller. I've tested her as a two of in place of a wurmcoil engine and Chandra, Pyromaster. Pyromaster is a great card, but can't really win a game on her own in my particular build.
Since we are somewhat of a control deck her plus ability is a great finisher. Six damage a turn is a lot, and even if your tokens trade with other smaller cards I think you are okay with that. It pressures the opponent pretty well.
The middle ability is nice, and I like it over pyromaster's. Its pretty nice to turn extra lands and blood moons into other cards, plus since you actually draw a card you can hold on to removal.
The last ability is the one that it seems people undervalue. I think its fine. Ideally you would drop Chandra on an empty board and start attacking, but getting rid of multiple small creatures is fantastic. If you can clear the board with her around or not then play a Koth or Chandra's Parents the following turn you are probably in good shape. I've put up a new list sometime soon.
So far the worst matchup I've found is actually GR tron. Even with early bloodmoons they can still get to a karn or oblivion stone to kill out lock pieces, and they can save the pyroclasms for the magus. Usually we have inevitability but tron always will in this matchup. I'm not actually sure you can really beat GR tron with SaffronOlive's list. So far I'm thinking about running more pithing needles in the board (naming karn most of the time) or some 4 drop we can accelerate into and beat face with (or just giving up on the matchup, though with how popular it is i don't think you can bet on not playing it).
I don't see how you have an issue with Tron. Especially gruul tron. For the matchup I have molten rain, crumble to dust, pithing needle, vandalblast / shatterstorm. As long as you don't assume that sticking a blood moon will win you the game and you can apply pressure after messing with their lands, you should win. It is hard to win if you are on the draw and they have natrual tron into Karn.
Hey guys, tell me why play so many Blood Moons, if their idea is totaly against that's deck draw engine? I mean any Blood moon will switch off all Scrying Sheets, so it seems kinda strange.
Decks might play a lot of blood moon effects, but they won't always see one. There are a few match ups where you don't want moon effects, and there it gives you something to do with your extra mana.
So I have done some testing with what I call the "Artifact Package"
While I have switched to Adonis2k's list to try it out, this was the version that I was running previously.
The main thing about these artifacts is they help get card advantage and the work well with Chandra's Parents and Shrapnel blast the burn element can finish a game pretty quickly. The list did not have skred not because of budget reasons, but because no one had any to sell or trade. In the list above I would swap out the galvanic blast with skred, but ideally I would have them both somewhere.
I've been trying out vampiric rites as a two of in my list. I've tried cards like phyrexian arena and night's whisper, but I like that that we have expendable guys and the small life gain can certainly help. Any match up where the game slows down, which with tokens happens often the card has been doing work for me.
Rites and bitterblossom is also very nice.
Since we are somewhat of a control deck her plus ability is a great finisher. Six damage a turn is a lot, and even if your tokens trade with other smaller cards I think you are okay with that. It pressures the opponent pretty well.
The middle ability is nice, and I like it over pyromaster's. Its pretty nice to turn extra lands and blood moons into other cards, plus since you actually draw a card you can hold on to removal.
The last ability is the one that it seems people undervalue. I think its fine. Ideally you would drop Chandra on an empty board and start attacking, but getting rid of multiple small creatures is fantastic. If you can clear the board with her around or not then play a Koth or Chandra's Parents the following turn you are probably in good shape. I've put up a new list sometime soon.
What does everyone else think?
Decks might play a lot of blood moon effects, but they won't always see one. There are a few match ups where you don't want moon effects, and there it gives you something to do with your extra mana.
So I have done some testing with what I call the "Artifact Package"
While I have switched to Adonis2k's list to try it out, this was the version that I was running previously.
http://decks.deckedbuilder.com/d/143057
The main thing about these artifacts is they help get card advantage and the work well with Chandra's Parents and Shrapnel blast the burn element can finish a game pretty quickly. The list did not have skred not because of budget reasons, but because no one had any to sell or trade. In the list above I would swap out the galvanic blast with skred, but ideally I would have them both somewhere.
Rites and bitterblossom is also very nice.