Another Look at Standard

For some reason I can't get away from playing Mono-Red in tournaments. I think if a Legacy tournament was happening I'd rock Legacy Burn because you basically only need 7 business spells to win the game.

Before I put Red to bed (see what I did there?) I want to take a look at a Type 2 Red deck that I might rock at another FNM or just for fun.

GOBLINS!!!

Creatures: 20
Goblin Guide x 4
Ember Hauler x 4
Spikeshot Elder x 4
Goblin Chieftan x 4
Goblin Bushwhacker x 4

Spells: 16
Lightning Bolt x 4
Arc Trail x 4
Searing Blaze x 4
Staggershock x 3

Planeswalkers: 2
Koth of the Hammer x 2

Lands: 23
Arid Mesa x 4
Scalding Tarn x 4
Mountains x 15

Sideboard: 15
Manic Vandal x 4
Brittle Effigy x 3
Ratchet Bomb x 4
Goblin Ruinblaster x 4

Yeah yeah yeah. Before you laugh I think a deck like this can be fun! Goblins. Beat face. More Goblins. Burn. Burn! BURN!!!

The interesting thing with his deck is its reach. Like old school Time Spiral Block RDW or even older school RDW, those decks used Magus of the Scroll, Cursed Scroll or Grim Lavamancer for mid-to-late game reach. This deck uses Spiketail Elder to get those last few points in the mid-to-late game. The Elder is a better version of Brothers of Fire from the Dark set. a 3cc 2/2 that for 1RR: Deal 1 damage to target creature or player and 1 damage to yourself. Elder has the same activation, lesser CC and no drawback. He, like Magus of Scroll or Lavamancer, before him help the deck get there in the end. Mixed with Chieftan, the Elder becomes sick. And then there is Koth, the best card from Scars. Not much needs to be said. Koth wins games all by himself.

And good old Goblin Guide has always been that guy that gets in those early points of damage that begin to add up by turn 3 or 4 when he is finally dealt with. At first I didn't like GG because he gave opponents an advantage. Boy, was I wrong. It wasn't until I started playing him did I understand how money GG truly is.

The other obvious theme is the deck is a Tribal deck and uses Goblin Chieftan as a win condition. Early turns you drop GGs, Elders and Haulers, then Bushwhack. On the following turn play Chieftan and beat face. He can be that surprise factor that throws people off with the math. If you have a few goblins out it isn't as threatening but when they get amped up +1/+1 out of nowhere it can be scary.

That's the last time I bring up Red Deck Wins or Goblins.

Right now, a lot of people are finding ways to build around new and exciting Scars cards. That makes sense. That's what we are supposed to do with the game. The problem with competitive Magic is that every season there are Tier 1 decks that make up 75% of the field, some buster Tier 2 decks, Fringe decks and whack Rogue decks that make up the rest. Historically speaking, the decks that dominate for the most part are usually in the Holy Trinity of deck building with a possible 4th archetype. Aggro. Combo. Control. Midrange. I usually try to stay away from getting too Johnny if I really want to compete and play all Spike with decks that fit the Magic Deck Trifecta (and Midrange).

Going back to the last few seasons the dominate decks were as follows:
Jund, Mythic, Dredgevine, Superfriends, Valakut, Polymorph, Red Deck Wins, Boss Naya, Bant, BW Tokens, Boat Brew, 5cc Control (Quick n' Toast), 4cc Cascade, Faeries, Elves, Merfolk, Lark Combo, Mannequin, Doran Rock, Teachings Control, Gruul, Dragonstorm, RG Snow, Boros etc.

All the decks listed are tournament winning decks in some way shape or form and are battled tested. My point is that as seasons go along, players mimic the pro competitors and end up playing some variation of what is already popular and works. Trying to be all Johnny is fantastic for deckbuilders but end up being not-so-competitive and won't get too far.

That's why when new sets drop and rotations happen, I try to stick with what works: Aggro, Combo or Control and sometimes Midrange. Usually, I run away and go play Extended, Legacy or Casual but that's a whole other topic (which I do believe I blogged about...Thopter Affinity anyone?).

I want to take a look at a few builds that fit into the main archetypes and can hopefully be competitive. I will not post a Combo deck only because true "combo" decks haven't existed in Standard since Lark decks I think. Cunning Sparkmage and Basilik Collar is a combo but I don't consider it a combo deck. Sovereigns of Alara into Eldrazi Conscriptions is a combo but I don't consider it a combo deck. Dragonstorm is a combo deck. TEPS is a combo deck. Hulk Flash is a combo deck. Cascade Swans is a combo deck. Without getting into to many archetype hybridizations, you get my point...

I guess the only true combo deck that exists in Standard is Mass Polymorph decks. Regular Polymorph decks were a Combo/Control hybrid that I fear isn't as good in it's new inception due to Mass Polymorph being 6cc and needing multiple tokens to combo off of.

I'll take a look at Aggro decks first.

GR Metalcraft:

Carapice Forger x 4
Ezuri's Brigade x 4
Menmite x 4
Ornithopter x 4
Obstinate Baloth x 4
Darksteel Axe x 4
Ratchet Bomb x 3
Sword of Vengance x 1
Galvanic Blast x 4
Lightning Bolt x 4
Copperline Thicket x 4
Raging Ravine x 4
Rootbound Crag x 4
Mountians x 4
Forests x 4

This is your stock aggro deck for the new rotation. Metalcraft is sort of a poor man's Threshold. It is sometimes difficult to hold Metalcraft due to the artifact hate that is relevant in the format. But, as an aggro deck, hitting Metalcraft should happen fairly quickly. With the 8-pack of 0ccs, cheap equipments and the new powder keg, 16 artifacts is enough to get going. The deck really wants to abuse the Forger and Brigade. By hitting early Metalcraft, dropping turn 2 or 3 4/4s is pretty good. Dropping a turn 4 8/8 Trampler is even better. Baloth is here to stick a fat body and create a 2-3 for 1 creature.

Another look at the deck:

GR Metalcraft:

Carapice Forger x 4

Ezuri's Brigade x 4

Menmite x 4

Ornithopter x 4

Steel Overseer x 4

Lodestone Golem x 4

Darksteel Axe x 4

Ratchet Bomb x 3

Sword of Vengance x 1

Galvanic Blast x 4

Copperline Thicket x 4

Raging Ravine x 4

Rootbound Crag x 4

Mountians x 4

Forests x 4

Here is another look at the Metalcraft deck that uses Steel Overseer with the quick drops and Lodestone Golems to slow down opponents not playing artifacts.

Mono-Black/r Ooze:
Skinrender x 4
Gatekeeper of Malakir x 4
Nantuko Shade x 4
Necrotic Ooze x 4
Grul Draz Assassin x 2
Vampire Hexmage x 3
Mind Rot x 2
Sign in Blood x 4
Duress x 3
Inquisition of Kozilek x 1
Doomblade x 3
Consuming Vapors x 2
Swamps x 10
Tectonic Edge x 1
Darkshore Slick x 4
Drowned Catacombs x 4
Creeping Tarpits x 4

Sideboard:
Consuming Vapors x 2
Doomblade x 1
Flashfreeze x 4
Deathmark x 4
Ratchet Bomb x 4

This is a deck I'd like to try out. I think it could do some damage. This is a Mono-Black Aggro deck that can act Mid-Range and play the role of control when up against an aggro deck with a better clock. It has early drops in Draz Assassin, Shades and Hexmages. It has some disruption and removal. The reason for building the deck is the slew of 2-for-1s that it is packing. Skinrender and Gatekeeper both eat a guy and can fight. I love Skinrender because it is the closest thing to a Shriekmaw or Flametongue Kavu Standard has had since the Maw left. Sign in Blood digs you deeper. Consuming Vapors will hopefully hit two dudes and get you life back.

The real bomb in the deck is Necrotic Ooze mixed with the activated abilities dudes in the deck. He can get pumped like Nantuko Shade (the most underrated reprint ever), Grul Draz Assassin and Vampire Hexmage. Most of these creatures will be binned by the time Ooze hits so he gets some value.

The only reason I want to run blue is for the Creeping Tarpits 3/2 ability to hit Planeswalkers out of nowhere. I like redundancy and dudes that survive DoJ.

Anyways...we'll build and see how they go. :)