Atarka Sligh

[Purp]

3-2 losing to a dragon lord dromoka, playing for top 16.

[Jasper]

3-3, trying to get top 32. Varience is such a bitch.

Ive got a couple beers in me now, maybe its helping. Anyone have any thoughts on red devotion?

[Purp]

Decided to drop because I value 4 hours of my time worth more than $60 profit. Deck was great thoiugh, just some bad beats

[NotARobot]

Did you run monored or atarka?

[Purp]

Atarka. Deck was fine, I never regretted the splash and command won me multiple games. Can't win em all.

[dpaine88]

5-2,still in it. Won a mirror and GB elves which is a joke.

On mono red, not sure if I miss command or not. Really loving the extra one drops. Running 3 Zurgo, 4 swift, 3 glory seeker, 2 bezerker.

[NotARobot]

PLaying that list you posted last night? Whats your sideboard look like?

[dpaine88]

Yep basically that list.

Made my board this morning

4 Roast
2 Chandra Pyromaster
1 Outpost Seige
2 Magma Spray
1 Molten Vortex
1 arc Lightning
3 Scab-Clan Berserker
1 Harness by force

6-2 now beating a atarka tokens burn deck splashing for Days undoing and cruise. Tough matchup with all his tokens but pulled out a super tight g3 with Chandra and Scab-Clan.

[dpaine88]

Won my last round vs Abzan Aggro to go 7-2 but my crappy breakers put me in 17th...grrr cost me $50.

Deck kicks serious ass tho.

On my phone, thoughts n deck list when I get home.

[Jasper]

Sounds good. I have a $1k tomorrow, not sure what I'm playing.

[dpaine88]

Run the Pro Tour list in top8, Pat Cox.

I was two cards off.

[LP, of the Fires]

More Chandra's in top 8 then Jace.

Scoreboard!

[Pedros]

So going forward and preparing for 2 gps and 2 wmcqs - mono red or atarka red? Or even something else, as people would prepare for red decks and it wouldnt be as good?

Yep basically that list.

6-2 now beating a atarka tokens burn deck splashing for Days undoing and cruise. Tough matchup with all his tokens but pulled out a super tight g3 with Chandra and Scab-Clan.

Do you think this Temur burn/tokens is legid?

[dpaine88]

I think temur tokens could be legit. I've played the guy a few times in the past so we were talking throughout the day before we got paired so I knew his deck.

4 swift, the 8 token makers, all the burn and command and then 1-2 days undoing and 1 cruise.

Told me he never lost any games he resolved Days Undoing.

I think he said only 2 or 3 Shivan Reef to go with his confluence though.

[AledM11]

Any links to decklists of this temur variant? I've never seen it and it sounds really interesting!

[jsilv]

Mono Red is fucking great and not a single Atarka's Command variant finished 6-4 or better at the PT. So as far as that goes, I think the debate is settled unless we're forced back to the token generating builds. For right now, early game via one-drops, then forcing through damage via Prowess, Eidolon and burn seems to be the name of the game. The "new" mirror strategy is just going to be trading infinite and going big to force 2 for 1's, where as before if you didn't have specific tech vs. Outburst you could just die to Command in about 2 seconds.

Notables from the PT lists:
A surprising amount of lists had a singleton Molten Vortex
Thunderbreak Regent is the go-to biggium in the mirror
Frank Karsten had a fun callback to Mogis's Warhound bestow in the mirror.

[dpaine88]

Heres the list I ran with for Regionals in Worcester MA, somewhere around 250 people , 9 rounds. I ended up 7-2.

I watched all the PT red deck coverage I could and tried to put together the Red Deck that had 3 7-0 players.

I was close but didnt see Titans Strength or Heelcutter before Sunday.

[deck]Creatures
4 Abbot of Keral Keep
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
3 Goblin Glory Chaser
2 Lightning Berserker
4 Monastery Swiftspear
3 Zurgo Bellstriker
Sorcery (4)
4 Exquisite Firecraft
Instant (16)
4 Lightning Strike
4 Searing Blood
4 Stoke the Flames
4 Wild Slash
Land (20)
20 Mountain

Sideboard (15)
1 Molten Vortex
1 Harness By Force
1 Arc Lightning
2 Chandra, Pyromaster
3 Scab-Clan Berserker
2 Magma Spray
1 Outpost Siege
4 Roast[/deck]

Round 1 WIN vs UB Thopter control- Mulled both games but won g2 by Searing Blooding an Ashiok-stolen Zurgo hehe. Sided out crappy burn for Chandra and Seige and Scab Clan.

Round 2 LOSS vs Abzan Control- Mulled each game here as well, going to 5 on game 3 and over the 3 games I was Rhino'd 7 times. Needless to say I lost.

Round 3 WIN vs Temur Aggro - Ended up keeping a 7 card one-lander with 3 one-drops and won desipite not hitting land till turn 4. Very easy matchup as he was playing multiple confluence and cards like Hier, Knuckle, Shaman of the Great Hunt etc.

Round 4 WIN vs Jeskai Tokens- Destroyed him g1 after double Swiftspear start into Searing Blood on both his Seekers. Sideboarded for regular jeskai after not seeing tokens cards aside from maybe seeker(prob should have understook Seeker=tokens). He got me game 2 since I still had my x/1's in but I was able to get in for 2 every turn game 3 and won slowly without taking a damage. Brought in a Scab Clan or two and Arch Lightning and Chandra.

Round 5 LOSS vs GR Devcotion- played a pretty bad player from my LGS actually. Mulled to 5 g1 and to 4 g2 and he had good draws where I had 1-2 early guys but he had multiple caryatid both games and stomped me. Actually got him to 8 on a mull to 4 keepign 3 land Wild Slash. Also had him to 5 in game 1 on a mull to 5 on the draw.

Round 6 WIN vs Mirror- Little tilted going into this one after 12 mulligans in the first 5 rounds. Both running at least 55 of 60 maindeck cards so close to mirror as it gets. I drew 3 Stoke right away game 1 and couldnt answer his flip Chandra and wrecked me. I won g2 easy then won a super close game 3 where I was able to get him dead from 10 when I was dead on board. Brought in Magma Sprays, Arc Lighting, Chandra and took out some 1 toughness guys.

Round 7 WIN vs GB Elves- Wow this was a joke. Flooded like crazy g2 but he was stuck on 2 land and had to keep Chording for 1 to find mystic which i kept drawing burn for while attacking him with a few guys. Eidolon and Searing Blood were the nuts. Chandra/Arc Lightning out of the board for my 1 toughness guys.

Round 8 WIN vs Temur Tokens/Burn - Played a kid I've played at a few eventsbefore so we were talking inbetween rounds so I knew basically what his 60 card deck was, he knew a little about my deck but not a ton. I knew it would be tough because he was running the full 8 token producers. Game 1 his tokens and Searing Blood got me good. G2 I win with 19 life where he didnt get many tokens and I got a few Searing Blood. Game 3 was incredibly close where I got a hit in with Scab Clan and was able to land a Chandra to hit his tokens. Still came down to where I was at 3 after he Commanded 2 tokens when I tapped out for Chandra and he was at 10. I was able to untap, draw a land to Strike, Firecraft and attack for 3 with Scab Clan to win it while he had another Command in hand to kill me but just 1 green the prior turn.

Round 9 WIN vs Abzan aggro- Another kid Im very familiar with and he is a very good player. Game 1 was close but I was on the play with 2 early creatures and just burned everything he played while bashing for 2-4 a turn. Game 2 he drew a million lands and it wasnt close.

Finished 17th since my breakers sucked and made the difference between 50$ and $100

Thoughts - Heelcutter would have been nice but Glory Seeker was very good and a great 1-drop in a burn deck that can clear the way for him. Abbot is insane but we knew that. Chandra is really good, could def see play in this deck. Titans Strength does seem like a good 1-of.

[Jasper]

Ran Pat Cox's list, had to mulligan a million times, and kept flooding out. Went 4-2, for 12th today. My sideboard was a little different, but not by a lot.

Thoughts:

Boarded out the Titans Strength every game. It's only real benefit to me was the scry 1 on my greedy 1 lander keeps, casting it on my upkeep.

Didn't like the 1-of Heelcutter, at all. Without FSD, it just doesn't push enough damage.

Flooded a lot. Playtesting buddy on the same 75 also flooded a lot. 2 Other players on a close Mono Red list flooded a lot. In one of the mirrors today, I opened my 7 game 1, and said something I had mentioned earlier in the day to my opponent. It's always either 1 land, or 5. He then shows me his 5 lander, and I show him my 1 lander.

Molten Vortex seemed good. Never had it resolve, but it seemed like it would have been great. Sided it in in the mirror, wish I had it there as well. Probably worth 2 sideboard slots. Hell, maybe even worth putting in the main.

Overall, the deck seems powerful, but I think it could be better. I'd like to see more testing done with Abbot in other shells. Perhaps a blue splash for cruise/Undoing, or a white splash for Chained to the Rocks/Deflecting Palm.

[LP, of the Fires]

Worth noting also, a reasonable amount of players where playing Flip Chandra, specifically the Chechz. It is a card that if it flips is decent in the mirror as it both pressures and controls similar to Pyromaster, but with a higher risk/reward.

[dpaine88]

Well this deck is gonna be getting hated on pretty bad I'm imagining.

Considering looking into Jeskai burn. Lots of 4 damage spells , Jace, mantis, soulfire.

[GoblinWarchief]

Wow, this is the second pro tour in a row won by this deck.
I'm quite surprised that basically no one is playing denizen/dragon fodder/outburst/rabblemaster anymore. I mean, I understand the power of abbot/firecraft, but i still think the tokens shell with atarka's command is powerful too.
By the way, which decklist you like more between these ? http://magic.wizards.com/en/events/cove ... 2015-08-02

[dpaine88]

It is still powerfull too but people were probably more prepared for that style of deck rather than the new versions.

[dpaine88]

It is still powerfull too but people were probably more prepared for that style of deck rather than the new versions.

[dpaine88]

I like Stephen Neals deck except just 20 mountain and the full 4 Searing Blood.

Maybe find room for 1 Goblin Glory Seeker.

[NotARobot]

So where do we go from here post - pro tour? Is it best to hop off of monored for a week or two? I'm heading to the DC 5k this weekend and Im not sure what I even want to bring.

[dpaine88]

Im on vacation in Virginia Beach this week but id strongly consider jeskai burn/aggro if I was playing this weekend cause there is gonna be a ton of hate for mono red.

[jsilv]

Nobody ever really brings that much hate for Mono Red and honestly 90% of the decks that are supposedly good against Red aren't. Hell a bunch of people think Kibler's GW deck is good vs. red. I actually tried to match out and it was pretty much the same as everything else, 'Oh, you have a bunch of guys that die to Wild Slash and Searing Blood? GG.' Dromoka's Command is good, but it doesn't make up for the fact that almost all their creatures TRADE in combat or die to Shock.

The only decks that I've found legit beat red G1 are Constellation and Heroic. Decks that have a favorable match post-board, Abzan Control w/ 6+ dedicated SB cards, Rally with 8, GR Devotion with 8, etc. Most people are gonna throw two extra SB cards vs. red and call it a day without really going into why they lose to begin with.

I certainly think this past weekend was the perfect time to play red, but I don't think it's like Rally where the deck falls apart once everyone is prepared. Red is still just scary as all hell.

EDIT: I should mention that post-board the Kibler GW deck has a legitimate plan to beat you. Most people just play it stupidly.

[dpaine88]

Really? See I've always heard red described as the easiest deck to beat if you really want to. People hate losing to red and at least the people I test with are packing hate.

I will agree people skimp on red hate for Pro Tour consistently but other events I'm not so sure.

I agree that more often than not the deck loses to itself like hitting your first 6 or 7 land drops or stuck on 2 rather than bad game 1 matchup.

Sometimes if abzan control curves out into multiple rhinos they can win game 1. Though as a testament to the strength of this deck, I lost to it at Regionals but was in it till the end g3 on a mull to 5 and my opponent cast 7 rhinos that match and it was still close.

Maybe it's just that I prefer to play RDW when it's under the radar and not public enemy #1.

[jsilv]

If I had to try and a beat a playset of Kor Firewalker or Timely Reinforcements, then yeah, red would be easy to beat. There's no amazing anti-red cards right now, if the best they have is Cleric, Ram and Hornet Nest I think that's totally beatable. People need like 6-8 of those depending on their deck to pull the numbers significantly away from red. The average player at an SCG Open or Day 1 of a GP aren't going to massively change their decks.

[AledM11]

This is what i'm feeling at the moment. Not sure if the sideboard is correct at the moment but i suspect there will be a lot of other red decks around....
[DECK]
Creatures - 21
4x Abbot of Keral Keep
2x Chandra, Fire of Kaladesh
1x Dragon Whisperer
4x Eidolon of the Great Revel
1x Goblin Heelcutter
2x Lightning Berserker
4x Monastery Swiftspear
3x Zurgo Bellstriker
Noncreature spells- 19
3x Atarka's Command
1x Become Immense
3x Exquisite Firecraft
3x Lightning Strike
3x Wild Slash
3x Searing Blood
3x Stoke the Flames
Lands -20
3x Temple of Abandon
2x Forest
8x Mountain
4x Wooded Foothills
3x Mana Confluence

Sideboard
2x Destructive Revelry
1x Molten Vortex
1x Outpost Siege
2x Roast
2x Scab-Clan Berserker
2x Scouring Sands
1x Searing Blood
2x Thunderbreak Regent
2x Unravel the Aether
[/DECK]
It seems pretty well balanced but Numbers probably need tweaking....

Thoughts?

[BiddingMaster]

Could we just play a blue red variant with some number of treasure cruise and day's undoing instead of temur? It might give us a way to no longer need atarkas command since we can just play the control burn game.

[magicdownunder]

Could we just play a blue red variant with some number of treasure cruise and day's undoing instead of temur? It might give us a way to no longer need atarkas command since we can just play the control burn game.

Sure you could:

[deck=UR Burn by Davis Merced (it made SCG Day 2)]Land 22
4x Bloodstained Mire
1x Flooded Strand
2x Island
6x Mountain
4x Shivan Reef
1x Swiftwater Cliffs
4x Temple of Epiphany

Creature 12
4x Abbot of Keral Keep
4x Goblin Rabblemaster
4x Monastery Swiftspear

Instant 16
4x Anticipate
4x Lightning Strike
4x Stoke the Flames
4x Wild Slash

Sorcery 10
4x Exquisite Firecraft
3x Hordeling Outburst
3x Treasure Cruise

Sideboard 15
3x Anger of the Gods
2x Chandra, Pyromaster
3x Disdainful Stroke
2x Keranos, God of Storms
3x Negate
1x Roast
1x Twin Bolt[/deck]

^I believe this was dpaine88 friend who piloted this list so you can ask him if his mate made any changes or not.

[dpaine88]

Actually my friend on Temur was at this past weekends Regionals not the 2 Day Open series.

His deck is also something like

Bunch of lands

4 Swiftspear
4 Dragon Fodder
4 Hordeling Outburst

4 Stoke
4 Slash
4 Blood
4 Command
4 Firecraft
4 Strike

2 Treasure Cruise
1 Days undoing

[NotARobot]

I really don't like the blue splash, especially what it does to the manabase.

[NotARobot]

Signed up for a daily last night with an accidental placeholder atarka list thanks to modos fantastic programming, still managed to cash 3-1. It was running scab clan berzerkers out of the board, and they did major work every time I brought them in and was able to connect. I'm not sure they're better than going bigger with thunderbreaks or something. How do you all feel about the card?

[dpaine88]

Card was good for me in multiple matchups, mostly on the play. Was good in the mirror as well, just gotta wait for the right spot when your opp is very low on cards or tapped out. Also nice vs Abzan and Ux control decks.

[magicdownunder]

I really like Pia and Kiran Nalaar in Atarka Sligh - the evasion from flying combined with with Command or Immense is fantastic.

I've been testing 2x for the past few days and now I'm just so tempted to run a third.

@NotARobot: Not sure about Scab-Clan Berzerker, I like it on the play but on the draw many decks will have removal or a fat creature blocking your way.

[NotARobot]

What list are you currently on mdu?

[NotARobot]

I like atarka, but I found that I've been skimming down on actual token makers more and more, so I switched over to pure mono red. Theres just not enough room to put everything I want in the list

[magicdownunder]

MonoR is fantastic~

I don't really have a fixed list yet since I keep changing it every other day but here is the last list which I was on:

[deck=MDU's Atarka]Lands 20
1 Forest
1 Mana Confluence
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Temple of Abandon
10 Mountain

Creature Based Spells 20
4 Monastery Swiftspear
3 Zurgo Bellstriker
4 Dragon Fodder
4 Abbot of Keral Keep
3 Goblin Rabblemaster
2 Pia and Kiran Nalaar

Burns 20
4 Wild Slash
4 Lightning Strike
4 Atarka's Command
4 Searing Blood
4 Stoke the Flames

Sideboard 15
1 Arc Lightning
3 Destructive Revelry
3 Fiery Impulse
4 Roast
4 Flamewake Phoenix[/deck]