Report time from the PyroBlack camp. A week later I´ve tested and digested the development here. I´d sum up the current feeling that the deck didn´t have enough punch in the red and white versions. Thus the meld of burn and big decks. I went black because of the bad MonoU matchup and the good sb.
The lastest iteration was inspired by the various dragon builds, but I switched the dragon for
Underworld Cerberus. The first reason was that dragon is so vulnerable to black spot removal. The second is target saturation. Dragon does not force an answer by exile, the dog does. Thus is the "exile count" upped to 9. Third reason is the most compelling: the ca and punch. Instead of going the burn way and diluting the number of creatures, thus being more vulnerable to variance (i.e. you MUST draw the right cards for say half the damage you expect to do, whereas creatures force a
response of the opponent), I have now 9 cards providing ca.
I also kept the 3 Chandras as I want to deploy as many creatures as possible. She helps them connect and draws new ones.
The end result is the normal aggro turns 1 to 3 deck followed by a grindy phase, but with a new shiny reset option.
[deck]PyroBlack v.2[/deck]
I´m at about the same numbers as before with no bad matchups. Much casual testing, but here´s a small report from mid week magic.
Match 1 Red Devotion. 2-1
G1 He has Hammer md and curves Cackler, Ashley, Hammer and
Fanatic. We struggle a few more turns, but his head start takes the game.
G2 SB: -4 Satyr, -1 Dreadbore, +3 Reckoner, +1 Flames of the Firebrand, +1 Doom Blade. He stumbles on mana and I don´t.
G3 His Reckoner gets Doom Bladed in a stare down of Ashely + Reckoner at each side of the table. Win for team black.
(2-1)
Match 2 Mono red aggro 2-0
G1 This is an almost unfair matchup. I burn away his offensive and then counter attack.
G2 SB -4 Satyr, +2 FotF, +1 Doom Blade, +1 Ultimate Price. He gives up when my defensive Phoenix and non-Unleashed Cackler are joined by the BIG dog.
(4-1)
Match 3 Rogue Dimir mill
G1 Burn, counterattack. No contest.
G2 -1 Doom Blade, +1 Dreadbore. Even more burn and less contest.
(6-1)
Match 4 Esper
G1 Mull, manascrew and more manacrew. P*ss annoying game.
G2 -3 Chandra, -3 Shock, -1 Doom Blade, -1 Lightning Strike, +3 Erebos, +4 Duress, +1 Dreadbore. It can´t possibly happen again? Sure it can. I ground some teeth over this since last week I ran over Esper twice
in the same store and feel that I have all the tools I could need. We even ran a 3rd game to get a decent time of magic and then I flood like a madman and manages to draw all 3 gods on 10 cards. Some bad Juju!