Right now I think this is probably the best deck in the format. There may be a Sultai build hanging around out there since Dead Drop would really hose this deck most of the time esp if you were getting a stream of zombies off Sidisi or something.
I'm with you. This is the deck to beat. Siege Rhino is ridiculously powerful, and wingmate roc isn't far behind.
I've been experimenting with Jeskai as well, but I haven't gotten to play with Quiet Contemplation yet. I think that card might be a centerpiece to a Jeskai or UWrb control deck in this format.
Anyway, I can confirm that going smaller makes the deck a lot better. You can't overload on Ride down, but you definitely want all the cantrips, including tormenting voice. Leaning on burn spells is very bad in a format where almost every deck has a way to gain life. Besides all the lands (that can gain 2-5 life a game!), Siege Rhino, Sorin, Wingmate Roc, Butcher of the Horde, and Seeker of the Way will put you off the burn plan pretty quickly.
The best decks in single set formats are typically ones that stretch their mana bases to play as many of the most powerful cards as possible. Planeswalkers + removal is always a winning strategy. This deck is my pick for best khans deck.
More like Leaping Master, Valley Dasher, War-Name Aspirant, Jeskai Elder, but yeah I guess Wetland Sambar if you really need one more two-drop.
my point was there are no blue aggro cards. There are some blue tempo cards like force away and crippling chill, but if I'm trying to rain down the 1-2 drops blue is not the colour I want to be in...
The 2/1 prowess flier is an excellent blue aggro card, even at 3 mana. Scaldkin is reasonable too. Blue aggro decks need fliers and cards like crippling chill and singing bell strike to buy time.
I have yet to play a Mardu deck, or play against a good one, but any aggressive deck is going to be based on the ability to curve out. Which in this set means prioritizing 2 and 4 drops. Anything cheap that prevents blocking is probably desirable, too.
Don't prioritize 2's and 4's... just don't play morphs. Seriously. A 2/2 for 3 doesn't cut it. The only morphs I'd play in an aggressive RW deck would be Master of pearls, Jeering Instigator, or watcher of the roost. The way the deck wins is by beating people who are durdling around with morphs while you're playing 2 drop into Mardu Hordechief into Trumpet Blast.
How does everyone try to draft this set? My strategy is to try to find the best enemy two color combination open, and then splash a third color depending on what powerful 3 color spells I pick up. I.e, I'll start GB and either move into sultai or abzan. I've done better like this than trying to draft a straight 3 color deck. You just need so much fixing for that to work.
I always try to keep the third color to just 2 or 3 powerful cards, and maybe some sideboard options. If I don't get the fixing, I'll stick to two colors only.
There are certainly a lot of ways to build this deck. I tried to keep a pro-active plan and to play the most powerful cards available in the colors. The sideboard probably includes 4-6 wrath effects, utter end, and perhaps azban ascendancy. Debilitating Injury and despise are the weakest cards. Murderous cut isn't looking too great either with so few fetches and non-permanents, but the other two weakest cards make it a bit better. Maybe the first two should be creatures, and I should be playing utter end over murderous cut?
Either way, this deck looks seriously powerful. Every creature can stand on its own as a strong threat.
I'm with you. This is the deck to beat. Siege Rhino is ridiculously powerful, and wingmate roc isn't far behind.
Anyway, I can confirm that going smaller makes the deck a lot better. You can't overload on Ride down, but you definitely want all the cantrips, including tormenting voice. Leaning on burn spells is very bad in a format where almost every deck has a way to gain life. Besides all the lands (that can gain 2-5 life a game!), Siege Rhino, Sorin, Wingmate Roc, Butcher of the Horde, and Seeker of the Way will put you off the burn plan pretty quickly.
What do you think of Singing bell strike? It might be the single best removal spell for a tempo deck.
4 monastery swiftspear
2 Feat of Resistance
3 Suspension Field
4 Seeker of the way
4 Jeskai Charm
4 Arc Lightning
4 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker
4 Crater's claws
4 R/W/U triland
3 Island
8 mountain
6 Plains
This is probably how I would build it today. I'm curious to see your list cardfather.
4 Seeker of the Way
4 Debilitating Injury
3 Crackling Doom
4 Mardu Charm
2 Butcher of the Horde
4 Sorin, Solemn Visitor
2 Utter End
1 Crater's Claws
3 Murderous Cut
4 Nomad Outpost
4 Bloodstained Mire
1 Polluted Delta
1 Flooded Strand
2 Scoured Barrens
2 Wind-Scarred Crag
1 Bloodfell Caves
2 Mountain
4 Swamp
4 Plains
Notable exclusions: End hostilities (probably a sideboard card), Mardu Ascendancy (not enough creatures), Herald of Anafenza (not strong enough as a stand alone threat).
The 2/1 prowess flier is an excellent blue aggro card, even at 3 mana. Scaldkin is reasonable too. Blue aggro decks need fliers and cards like crippling chill and singing bell strike to buy time.
Don't prioritize 2's and 4's... just don't play morphs. Seriously. A 2/2 for 3 doesn't cut it. The only morphs I'd play in an aggressive RW deck would be Master of pearls, Jeering Instigator, or watcher of the roost. The way the deck wins is by beating people who are durdling around with morphs while you're playing 2 drop into Mardu Hordechief into Trumpet Blast.
I always try to keep the third color to just 2 or 3 powerful cards, and maybe some sideboard options. If I don't get the fixing, I'll stick to two colors only.
RMAC (4-0)
KTK BLOCK CONSTRUCTED DAILY #7704636 ON 11/25/2014
3 Sorin, Solemn Visitor
Creature (18)
3 Anafenza, the Foremost
4 Heir of the Wilds
4 Rakshasa Deathdealer
4 Siege Rhino
3 Wingmate Roc
Sorcery (1)
1 Savage Punch
Instant (8)
4 Abzan Charm
2 Murderous Cut
2 Utter End
1 Abzan Ascendancy
3 Debilitating Injury
1 Suspension Field
Land (25)
1 Blossoming Sands
3 Forest
4 Jungle Hollow
2 Plains
4 Sandsteppe Citadel
4 Scoured Barrens
3 Swamp
4 Windswept Heath
1 Debilitating Injury
2 Suspension Field
1 Utter End
1 Bitter Revelation
1 Dead Drop
2 Death Frenzy
1 Duneblast
3 End Hostilities
1 Erase
2 Rakshasa's Secret
You guys didn't think I'd leave this one out did you? I've got the brew bug. I think Abzan will be one of the best decks in the format.
4 Debilitating injury
4 Rakshasa Deathdealer
3 Anafenza, the Foremost
4 Abzan Charm
4 Sorin, Solemn Visitor
4 Wingmate Roc
4 Murderous Cut
4 Windswept Heath
4 Sandsteppe Citadel
4 Jungle Hollow
2 Scoured Barrens
1 Blossoming Sands
4 Plains
4 Swamp
2 Forest
There are certainly a lot of ways to build this deck. I tried to keep a pro-active plan and to play the most powerful cards available in the colors. The sideboard probably includes 4-6 wrath effects, utter end, and perhaps azban ascendancy. Debilitating Injury and despise are the weakest cards. Murderous cut isn't looking too great either with so few fetches and non-permanents, but the other two weakest cards make it a bit better. Maybe the first two should be creatures, and I should be playing utter end over murderous cut?
Either way, this deck looks seriously powerful. Every creature can stand on its own as a strong threat.