Slaughterhouse 5(Mardu aggro)

[Pedros]

I like how this deck looks like.

[amcfvieira]

All in Mardu by Tomoharu Saito:



20x 1 drop!! Crazy!

[poppa_f]

Such life loss. Must be pretty brutal to play against for a slow deck though. T1 1 drop, T2 two x 1 drop, T3 ascendency swing with 6 creatues, T4 trumpet blast. Some games you will get seriously blown out by sweepers though, if you don't get your ascendency down quick enough.

I think overall it's a bit vulnerable to sideboard hate as well. If someone brings in all of their lifegain and sweepers then you are going to struggle.

[amcfvieira]

I think this will work in the first week. But I don't like very much the mana.

[redthirst]

Going to be testing a heavy black-based Mardu Aggro pretty soon, LP - here's what I got:

[deck]
4 Bloodsoaked Champion
4 Gnarled Scarhide
2 Tormented Hero
4 Pain Seer
4 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Herald of Torment
4 Butcher of the Horde

4 Thoughtseize
3 Hero's Downfall
3 Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker

4 Mana Confluence
3 Nomad Outpost
4 Bloodstained Mire
3 Caves of Koilos
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Mountain
8 Swamp
[/deck]

Mana base should be nearly as consistent as a mono-colored deck while not being too much more painful. Deck also packs in 11 flyers, a solid amount of removal/disruption, card drawing, and enough larger and Bestow creatures to give the deck plenty of relevant draws later in the game. Doesn't play Rabblemaster, but I really want to test Herald so it had to go.

[Wrathberry]

im doing very well with this version of a mardu deck currently:

[deck]
4 Firedrinker Satyr
4 Foundry Street Denizen
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 War-Name Aspirant
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
4 Butcher of the Horde

3 Mardu Ascendancy
2 Ride Down
4 Stoke the Flames
4 Titan's Strength

4 Battlefield Forge
4 Bloodstained Mire
1 Cave of Koilos
6 Mountain
4 Nomad Outpost
2 Swamp
2 Temple of Triumph

Sideboard:
4 Stormbreath Dragon
4 Magma Spray
2 Ride Down
1 Mountain
2 Chandra, Pyromaster
2 Harness by Force
[/deck]

im not playing Mana Confluence on purpose, because i wont buy them any time soon, so there is no need to test them when playing online. the manabase could change a little bit, its not perfect yet.

ride down is just awesome, its the cheapest and best way to remove big threats. the sideboard has besides the magma sprays for the aggro mirror, the go big plane. remove some 1-drops and war-name aspirant(because he gets way worse, when you dont have enough 1-drops anymore and add dragons, the mountain, chandra and so on.
harness by force is very good too, especialy if its really late and you can cast it twice.

btw: monastery swiftspear is just good, even with only 13 spells. mardu ascendancy went out of control so often now too, its just awesomely good.

i got some nut draws with this deck its just ridiclous. like turn 1 mountain -> denizen, turn 2 double swiftspear, turn 3 another swiftspear and titansstrenght..

[Wrathberry]

btw: swiftspear is your best 1-drop. when you sideboard for the go big plan, you remove the denizens and satyrs and not the swiftspears in my oppinion. especialy because you add more spells with harness by force, and ride down.

btw: it just feels as good as sacrificing things into aristocrats after taking them, when you do the same with harness by force and the butcher

[poppa_f]

I've been testing out a Mardu deck for rotation, been through a few iterations, quite happy with the current list:

Deck List

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[deck]Mardu Midrange[/deck]

I'm not 100% sure the manabase is right. Wanting to cast Brimaz turn three I want more white sources. I don't have any BB spells, so could cut a swamp for a plains maybe.

Game plan against deck archetypes:

G/x ramp:
Game 1 you remove their dorks and coursers, try and beat down before they can get their engine going. Finish them off with flyers. I've included 2 pump spells and Seeker of the Way to make them nervous about blocking (I've played against Seeker as ramp, and it's pretty scary blocking a Seeker with courser/caryatid in to open mana). Game 2 you sideboard out the 1 drops and pump spells and bringing in thoughtseize, revoker and hushwing griff. Thoughtseize to strip bombs, Revoker to shut down dorks or walkers and Griff is there for Hornet Queen and Nylea's Disciple, which I'd both expect to see heavily post-board

Jeskai Burn:
Plan is to stabilize via the lifegain from Seeker/Butcher/Sorin and then beat them down with your bigger flyers. Ultimating Sarkhan or Sorin at first opportunity should win the game as well. Sideboard out the pump spells and bring in Burn Away and Sorin. It's possible Haruspex should come in as well. Burn Away is there to slow down their Dig Through Time if you manage to draw it in time.

Control:
Plan is to beat down as quickly as possible. If I'm well ahead on the board then I'd consider playing the duress option on Mardu Charm when they hit 5 mana to try and catch End Hostilities. Sideboard in Thoughtseize and Grim Haruspex, side out Seeker and Crackling Doom, unless they're playing troublesome creatures like Prognostic Sphinx.

Aggro:
Plan is to remove their creatures and race them with the lifelink from Seeker/butcher/Sorin. Game 2 you sideboard out the 1 drops and pump spells and bring in Scouring Sands and Sorin and a couple of Haruspex (for card advantage if the game goes long).

I've not had a chance to test with Hushwing Griff, but I think Hornet Queen is going to be a big player in the early Standard, so need to figure out some ways to get past her (the other obvious option is to play Bile Blight). I'm on the fence about Mardu Charm as well. If there's not much control in the meta, then I'd probably cut it for more Crackling Doom and Banishing Lights.

[mrkristopher]

How do you guys feel about Crackling Doom versus Hero's Downfall? Do you think the damage is a worthwhile tradeoff for the lack of choice?

[poppa_f]

I think it depends how aggro you are going. In the aggro shell I think Crackling Doom is better. I want to be killing Planeswalkers with creatures, rather than wasting a card (you are often getting 2-for-1'd if you Downfall a Nissa, Xenagos or Elspeth). Sometimes you'll get a 2-for-1 yourself with Crackling Doom (kill their guy and kill their planeswalker).

The 2 damage is relevant as well in any match-up where you're trying to kill your opponent before they can stabilize. I can also see scenarios where killing a Caryatid on T3 is the correct play as well (if you have 2-3 creatures in play already and want to slow them down and remove a blocker).

In a more controlling shell, downfall is probably better due to the flexibility. Also the card disadvantage from killing a planeswalker is less of deal as you should have more ways to refuel or offset than the aggro decks.

[Self Medicated]

Looking for opinions on this list:

[DECK]
Lands (23)
4x Battlefield Forge
4x Bloodstained Mire
4x Caves of Koilos
4x Mana Confluence
2x Mountain
2x Plains
2x Swamp

Creatures (24)
4x Bloodsoaked Champion
4x Butcher of the Horde
4x Goblin Rabblemaster
4x Monastery Swiftspear
4x Soldier of the Pantheon
4x War-Name Aspirant

Spells (14)
3x Mardu Ascendancy
3x Ride Down
4x Stoke the Flames
4x Titan’s Strength

Sideboard (15)
3x Chained to the Rocks
2x Despise
2x Harness by Force
3x Magma Spray
1x Purphoros, God o the Forge
1x Ride Down
3x Sorin, Solemn Visitor
[/DECK]

Haven't even tested yet. I know the mana is a little greedy at only 22 lands, but seeing as I have 14 untapped sources of R, W, and B, I should be able to cast any of the one-drops 90% of the time. It's kinda similar to Saito's list, but I think his list didn't have the mana to support the white one drop.

[Aodh]

Why would you stretch the mana to have each color one-drop? Just run 14 untapped black, 13 untapped red, 12 untapped white and run the black one-drop suite.

[Self Medicated]

Don't get me wrong, Hero and Scarhide are good cards, but if I'm already diluting my manabase to use Butcher and Mardu Ascendancy, I think Swiftspear and Soldier would serve me better. I think Soldier is especially good with so many multicolor decks in the format.

Of course, only testing will determine if it works. Who knows, I might be deluding myself.

[LP, of the Fires]

Staying black is generally good because since your playing 3 color agro, you're gonna be playing extra land anyways and the black one-drops have double value by giving you extra things to do with your mana.

[poppa_f]

Looking for opinions on this list:

DECK

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[DECK]
Lands (23)
4x Battlefield Forge
4x Bloodstained Mire
4x Caves of Koilos
4x Mana Confluence
2x Mountain
2x Plains
2x Swamp

Creatures (24)
4x Bloodsoaked Champion
4x Butcher of the Horde
4x Goblin Rabblemaster
4x Monastery Swiftspear
4x Soldier of the Pantheon
4x War-Name Aspirant

Spells (14)
3x Mardu Ascendancy
3x Ride Down
4x Stoke the Flames
4x Titan’s Strength

Sideboard (15)
3x Chained to the Rocks
2x Despise
2x Harness by Force
3x Magma Spray
1x Purphoros, God o the Forge
1x Ride Down
3x Sorin, Solemn Visitor
[/DECK]

Haven't even tested yet. I know the mana is a little greedy at only 22 lands, but seeing as I have 14 untapped sources of R, W, and B, I should be able to cast any of the one-drops 90% of the time. It's kinda similar to Saito's list, but I think his list didn't have the mana to support the white one drop.

Few thoughts:
- I'd run Seeker of the Way over War-Name Aspirant. It looks like Jeskai burn is going to be a popular deck and the lifegain will be really important for racing
- I'd don't like ride-down at all. It's a blank against control and can't target Caryatid. I'd just run more burn instead, Lightning Strike or Magma Jet, maybe even Crackling Doom
- I'd run some Hushwing Griff's in the 75. It blanks Nylea's Disciple, Hornet Queen, Doomwake Giant, Siege Rhino and Resolute Archangel, all of which could be problem cards
- For similar reasons I'd run some thoughtseize in the sideboard, purely to bring in against any wrath decks (you may well see Jeskai decks running End Hostilities post-board against you)
- With that many token generators and one-drops I think you need some anthems or mass-pump effects in the main. My preference at the moment would be Sorin, as he'll help you race the burn decks. I'd move 2 Sorin in to the main, drop 1 Mardu Ascendency and maybe 1 Butcher (as he'll be pretty damn hard to cast on your manabase, so only drawing 1-2 a game is fine)

[Aodh]

Necro!

How about this list?

18 black (1 Urborg), 13 red, 12 white, 23 untapped, lots of pain.

12-11-10 (14)-4 curve.

[deck]Creatures

4 Tormented Hero
4 Bloodsoaked Champion
4 Gnarled Scarhide
4 War-Name Aspirant
4 Pain Seer
1 Tymaret, Burger King
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
4 Butcher of the Horde

Non-Creature Spells

2 Bile Blight
2 Mardu Ascendancy
4 Crackling Doom

Lands

4 Mana Confluence
4 Caves of Koilos
4 Battlefield Forge
4 Bloodstained Mire
1 Mountain
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
5 Swamp[/deck]