Dies to Removal

ive been durdling around with a jeskai list with 22 lands. I dont know if its good or bad but Id like to get some discussion going on how to abuse treasure cruise with this red deck. it may just be that ur is better than jeskai but the upsides to mentor+cruise is tantalizing for me to ignore


[deck]creatures
4 monastery swiftspear
4 seeker of the way
2 zurgo bellstriker
2 lightning beserker
4 monastery mentor

enchantments
3 chained to the rocks
2 molten vortex

instant/sorceries
4 lightning strike
4 exquisite firecraft
3 treasure cruise
3 searing blood
3 wildslash

lands
3 mana confluence
1 shivan reef
1 battlefield forge
4 wooded foothills
3 mystic monastery
2 flooded strand
1 plains
1 island
6 mountain

sideboard
3 negate
2 disdainful stroke
2 outpost seige
1 chandra, pyromaster
4 soulfire grandmaster
1 mystic monastery
1 chained to the rocks
2 roast

[/deck]

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]

DIdn't feel too slow with so many temples? I hate seeing them in my opener usually. Can't say Ive ever had much success with flamewake either.

Its a meta-call, many really silly decks seems to have been popping up due to MonoR taking the Pro Tour like all these silly Gw Decks and this odd Enchantment deck (+ lots of red) the slight delay is ok since losing so much life and not digging for an answer is just that much worse (opening with 2x MC is a death sentence while 2 temples is just slightly bad).

In regards with the Flamewake, flying is really good right now and its my preferred answer to all the annoying Green Durdle decks.

I dont understand why the red mages at the pro tour did not decide to run red white burn instead of mono red? isnt monastery mentor too good not to splash for and they get chained to the rocks

Monastery Mentor is bad.

@Jasper: Are you still testing Atarka or are you now focused on MonoR/Blue Splash?

- - - - -

Anyone get the chance to play against GW Constellation with MonoR? I played against it a few times online and just Token + Command / Immense them to death but it seem like its unwinnable from the MonoR side of things.

@Jasper: Are you still testing Atarka or are you now focused on MonoR/Blue Splash?

- - - - -

Anyone get the chance to play against GW Constellation with MonoR? I played against it a few times online and just Token + Command / Immense them to death but it seem like its unwinnable from the MonoR side of things.

Yes, I beat it comfortably with RDW, haven't faced it with Atarka. GW Collected Company on the other hand was a nightmare, it totally destroyed me even when I got a decent hand

I felt like I couldnt lose to GW coco when I had firedancers in the board in my atarka list, but the pure monored doesn't really have space for dancers so the matchup is pretty rough there.

I dont understand why the red mages at the pro tour did not decide to run red white burn instead of mono red? isnt monastery mentor too good not to splash for and they get chained to the rocks

RW doesn't offer anything exceptional for us. Mentor is a strong card, but we want to be playing 1 and 2 drops then burning everything else away, very few lists run 3 drops these days outside of Chandra or Heelcutter. Chained to the rocks is a good spell, but we're already packing something like 24 burn spells that can go to the face OR creatures, its just not necessary to take a hit on the mana base for access to chained right now.

Trying to finalize what list I wanna take to DC scg this weekend. If I wasn't so afraid of the pure monored build I'd snap off atarka, destructive revelry seems fantastic right now with so much UBx demonic pact, GW enchantment, and UR thopters floating around.

Ive seen many situation where if people had mentor they would have been able to switch roles when burn your guys and attack is no longer an option. It just appears that the games get durdly enough to where the deck needs a breaker. ALso i haver personally tested out mentor vs the decks like abzan and gw and it was just insane. The card won the games by itself. Thoughts?

I don't think the splash is worth it. What else in white are you playing? What does the mana look like? I would rather stick to a mono colored build and run something like new Chandra vs them.

seekers,mentor and chained for the mainboard

And how's the mana? I don't really like having to run confluences and the like for a mediocre splash

@Jasper: Are you still testing Atarka or are you now focused on MonoR/Blue Splash?

- - - - -

Anyone get the chance to play against GW Constellation with MonoR? I played against it a few times online and just Token + Command / Immense them to death but it seem like its unwinnable from the MonoR side of things.

I think the Atarka's Command version will be pretty well positioned once the meta shifts to combat Mono Red. Talking about less sweepers, and more targeted removal. Also, Dromoka's Command numbers have increased at least locally in the Abzan decks because of Mono Red. Personally, I'm playing Mardu Dragons right now with a sideboard to beat PT Mono Red lists, and it's doing pretty well. Kolaghan's Command is pretty sweet at the moment.

Been throwing an idea around for splashing black in Mono Red lately. Moving back to token makers, and playing Foul-Tongue Shriek. Kolaghans Command in the sideboard for matchups like Abzan Control and RU Thopters. Bringing back an Abbot from the graveyard was pretty sweet in another deck I tested it in. Haven't given it enough serious thought for what other cards there are, but Tainted Remedy might be decent post board. Not sure.

I don't think Tainted Remedy is something an aggressive red deck wants however Kolaghans Command is promising.

I can also state that online at least in my timezone the meta has shifted with lots of annoying Gwx decks with Dromoka's Command and lifegain cards.

And now mill won a gp. At least we beat that deck fairly easily! How have you guys been doing this week? Any sideboarding recommendations for this GW meta?

I haven't seen a good Mill deck since the cawblade era - I'm glad it won.

In regards with GW I just use fliers, my list is different so I think for you guys boarding in either Roast/Dancer/Baby Chandra/Dragons would be your best options.

One single RDW in the top 32 of SDGP.

Thought sideboard hate wasn't gonna effect the deck huh?

It could be a lack of representation (in anticipation of sideboard hate) rather than performance.

I was playing the old version of Atarka Sligh recently after taking a break with MonoR Fliers (LEE SHI TIAN and/or TOMOHARU SAITO) list.

[deck=MDU's Atarka Sligh]Lands 20
11 Mountain
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Mana Confluence
1 Forest

Creatures 19
4 Foundry Street Denizen
4 Monastery Swiftspear
3 Zurgo Bellstriker
4 Hordeling Outburst
4 Dragon Fodder

Support 1
1 Become Immense

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

Sideboard 15
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
4 Roast
4 Destructive Revelry
3 Thunderbreak Regent[/deck]

It was more like I queued with the wrong list as a mistake - but I was presently surprised with the deck performance netting two 3-0 during the 8Man/SE. Anyhow it got me thinking about the current metagame, we have all the control decks which we're strong against and then all the Aggressive Red/Artifact and Gwx durdle decks.

I was looking at Goblin Ramblemaster (which doesn't survive the shock test) and Hordeling Outburst which is unfortunately 3cc which makes it languish, Bile, Arc and Drown bait. I was thinking wouldn't Thopter Engineer just be fantastic in that slot? It gives you a 1/1 flying with haste to peck at all the durdle decks (which also happens to be a great Become Immense target) and a 1/3 body which will annoy the heck out of the red decks running 4x Slash and 4x Bloods. Obv. it doesn't play as well with Foundry Street Denizen but I don't think FSD is that important of a card so it can be replaced (maybe with extra land, BI and Pia and Kiran Nalaar).

Anyhow the MD would end up looking like this:

[deck=MDU's Atarka Sligh]Lands 21
8 Mountain
4 Wooded Foothills
3 Mana Confluence
3 Bloodstained Mire
2 Temple of Abandon
1 Forest

Creatures 17
4 Monastery Swiftspear
3 Zurgo Bellstriker
4 Thopter Engineer
4 Dragon Fodder
2 Pia and Kiran Nalaar

Support 2
2 Become Immense

Spells 20
4 Atarka's Command
4 Lightning Strike
4 Stoke the Flames
4 Wild Slash
4 Searing Blood[/deck]

1/1 tokens + Atarka's Command is already scary but 1/1 flying Haste tokens with Atarka's Command or Become Immense is scarier (Thopter Engineer + Pia and Kiran Nalaar is cute as well). The changes would also improve the Ur Artifact MU since we'll have more ways of blocking 5/5 ensouled thopters to buy time and ways to get past pesky Hanger.

Thoughts?

P.S. Here is a (link) to my standard playlist with all my misplaying glory

Wow lotta action on here after I've been on vacation for a week!!

Like where you are at recently MDU.

Also that Lee Shee Tian Pro Tour RDW Fliers deck looks pretty awesome and I remember something similar popping up last season- "Medium Red"

Is there a reason you are off the deck now? It couldnt seem better positioned than right now.

EDIT: Also MDU your videos all say they are private. Cant wait to watch tho!

EDIT: Added the list here, havnt seen it posted yet- just your link to 21 point decks.

[deck]
Creature (22)
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Lightning Berserker
3 Zurgo Bellstriker
4 Dragon Whisperer
4 Flamewake Phoenix
3 Thunderbreak Regent

Burn (16)
4 Exquisite Firecraft
4 Searing Blood
4 Lightning Strike
4 Stoke the Flames

Land (22)
22 Mountain

Sideboard (15)
1 Thunderbreak Regent
4 Roast
4 Wild Slash
2 Goblin Heelcutter
2 Outpost Siege
1 Chandra, Pyromaster
[/deck]

I was playing the old version of Atarka Sligh recently after taking a break with MonoR Fliers (LEE SHI TIAN and/or TOMOHARU SAITO) list.

[deck=MDU's Atarka Sligh]Lands 20
11 Mountain
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Mana Confluence
1 Forest

Creatures 19
4 Foundry Street Denizen
4 Monastery Swiftspear
3 Zurgo Bellstriker
4 Hordeling Outburst
4 Dragon Fodder

Support 1
1 Become Immense

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

Sideboard 15
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
4 Roast
4 Destructive Revelry
3 Thunderbreak Regent[/deck]

It was more like I queued with the wrong list as a mistake - but I was presently surprised with the deck performance netting two 3-0 during the 8Man/SE. Anyhow it got me thinking about the current metagame, we have all the control decks which we're strong against and then all the Aggressive Red/Artifact and Gwx durdle decks.

I was looking at Goblin Ramblemaster (which doesn't survive the shock test) and Hordeling Outburst which is unfortunately 3cc which makes it languish, Bile, Arc and Drown bait. I was thinking wouldn't Thopter Engineer just be fantastic in that slot? It gives you a 1/1 flying with haste to peck at all the durdle decks (which also happens to be a great Become Immense target) and a 1/3 body which will annoy the heck out of the red decks running 4x Slash and 4x Bloods. Obv. it doesn't play as well with Foundry Street Denizen but I don't think FSD is that important of a card so it can be replaced (maybe with extra land, BI and Pia and Kiran Nalaar).

Anyhow the MD would end up looking like this:

[deck=MDU's Atarka Sligh]Lands 21
8 Mountain
4 Wooded Foothills
3 Mana Confluence
3 Bloodstained Mire
2 Temple of Abandon
1 Forest

Creatures 17
4 Monastery Swiftspear
3 Zurgo Bellstriker
4 Thopter Engineer
4 Dragon Fodder
2 Pia and Kiran Nalaar

Support 2
2 Become Immense

Spells 20
4 Atarka's Command
4 Lightning Strike
4 Stoke the Flames
4 Wild Slash
4 Searing Blood[/deck]

1/1 tokens + Atarka's Command is already scary but 1/1 flying Haste tokens with Atarka's Command or Become Immense is scarier (Thopter Engineer + Pia and Kiran Nalaar is cute as well). The changes would also improve the Ur Artifact MU since we'll have more ways of blocking 5/5 ensouled thopters to buy time and ways to get past pesky Hanger.

Thoughts?

P.S. Here is a (link) to my standard playlist with all my misplaying glory

Interesting take on it. I wonder if there's enough value artifacts to maybe find space for shrapnel blast? Like some kind of atarka atrifact agro with command, blast, engineers and pia and hangarback? Must brew asap @_@

@Dpaine88: I enjoyed the (21 point) list against other MonoR and Gxx, it can be abit lacking against Azban Control though (Firecraft lets the deck cheat against Esper and UW control) and yes last season a very similar list did well in Paris.

In regards with the replay list - I'll try and fix it but your not missing much if you don't watch it since they're old replays with me running many different variation of Atarka and MonoR.

@NotaRobot: Thanks, not sure if we have enough artifacts for Blast and I was told all earlier attempts by dauntless failed with building "Fire Thopters" which is why I don't really have a artifact theme and just focused on the 2-for-1 cards.

Not really sure how you'll build to compete with UR Artifact which is proven to be solid.

What did you find it lacked against Abzan control?

Dragon whisperer certainly isnt great but Wild Slash sucks in the other decks too and this one isnt running Slash main.

I dont really see many of the other cards being poor in the matchup as the fliers seem good here too. Lightning Besereker still great. 1-drops still good.

I felt that it was slower then the traditional MonoR list which makes it more vulnerable to Thoughtseize and Languish.

That said, I've been playing a medium Rg list before I started with the MonoR Skies list so I'm use to the pacing and find the MU serviceable - I just isn't as good as it would of been if you jammed your list tons on 1-drops . I personally think the whole idea of reoccurring Flamewake Phoenix while slow dropping Thunderbreak Regent and Lightning Berserker is fun, but its different from what most people who turn to monoR to deal with the "azban problem" are use to.

It is a bit slower but does have 11 drops.

Though the more I think about it wild slash is really good in the deck and in general right now.

What do you consider the best version of red right now to combat Abzan? I have a scg super IQ this weekend and always play 2-3 junk decks.

I was thinking atarka but the tokens are weak to the sweepers too and it seems hard to go wide against the GW aggro decks and GR devo.

The major magic website would say the answer is Red Deck Win, Azban happens to be one of the more successful decks so preparing for it is a smart choice.

Also if the article which Frank wrote (link) is correct Gr Devo should be favorable as well and jsilv posted here (on page four) that GW aggro is fine since most people have no idea how to pilot it.

When I asked about the Enchantment MU, I think someone said it was decent as well.

I don't play RDW much online so I wouldn't know (I certainly don't think Enchantment, GW or Gr is a good MU for RDW, but I havn't done as much testing as the PROS or others).

I would think that in a Standard RDW list, maindecking 1-2 Roast is doing a lot to improve the Abzan Matchup while not exactly being terrible against everything else except control which is a decent matchup anyways.

This is what im currently playing right now and I think I need to switch to a dragon build like lee shi tian did. Im finding the abzan matchup unbeatable and its not because of the lifegain from rhino. Its mainly because I cant deal with their 4 power guys and kill them in a good time frame. If i had dragons to kill them with I would be able to point more burn at their faces. However someone had a great idea about running black and I have a few cards for different matchups that might change our chances.

[deck]
creatures
4 monastery swiftspear
2 zurgo bellstriker
2 lightning berserker
2 goblin glorychaser
3 eidolong of the great revel
4 abbot of keral keep

instant/sorceries
2 stoke the flames
4 searing blood
4 lightning strike
4 wild slash
4 exquisite firecraft
2 roast

enchantments
2 molten vortex

lands
21 mountain

sideboard

3 magma spray
2 scouring sands
2 scab-clan berserker
2 chandra, pyromaster
1 outpost seige
2 goblin heelcutter
2 roast
1 eidolon of the great revel
[/deck]

here is a red black list
[deck]
creatures
4 monastery swiftspear
4 abbot of keral keep
2 zurgo bellstriker
2 lightning berserker
3 eidolon of the great revel
2 goblin glorychaser

instant/sorceries
4 searing blood
4 wild slash
4 lightning strike
4 exquisite firecraft
2 roast
2 murderous cut

encahntments
2 molten vortex

lands
4 bloodstained mire
1 swamp
4 wooded foothills
3 temple of malice
8 mountain

sideboard
3 self inflicted wounds
2 virulent plague
2 magma spray
2 scab-clan berserker
3 outpost seige
2 roast
1 eidolon of the great revel
[/deck]

Most people think the Azban MU is even with the MonoR list, it definitely not unbeatable so I'm going to assume its play-style thing.

You'll need to ask the other on the forum to confirm it but I can say with Atarka the MU is quite even.

I think Lee Shi Tian's list is fun and highly recommend playing it but I would say it make the MU slightly worst then the normal MonoR list (though still very winnable) since it opens you up for Langish and Thoughtseize.

what do you think about this decklist with maindeck monastery siege and treasure cruise for ur sligh. i think it has great potential. We get the same aggro game plan but then we have 2 cruise and 3 sieges to work with if we get stalled out or we have to burn every creature that they play. Im not saying its the nutz but i think im on to something here.

[deck]
creatures

4 monastery swiftspear
2 zurgo
2 lightning berserker
4 abbot of keral keep
3 eidolon of the great revel
2 mage ring bully

instant/sorcery
4 wild slash
4 lightning strike
4 searing blood
4 exquisite firecraft
2 roast
2 treasure cruise

enchantments

3 monastery siege

lands

4 wooded foothills
8 mountain
4 shivan reef
1 mana confluence
3 temple of epiphany

sideboard
3 scouring sands
4 magma spray
2 scab clan berserker
1 eidolon of the great revel
3 frenzied goblin
2 roast
[/deck]

This is the list I'm currently playing, if anyone cares. Just thought I'd share, as I've finally cobbled something together that works for me and my playstyle. Plus, I get to play all my favorite cards.

[deck]Mono Red Scrumper Khaos Deck Wins v2.0[/deck]

It reminds of my old "Khaos Deck Wins" from a few years back or even the "Mono Red Scrumper" from post-rotation - just play a lot of threats, backed by adequate removal, and then change playstyles accordingly.

Haven't been having much fun playing red lately. I'm thinking of taking the plunge and just buying the rest of abzan agro :S

Abzan aggro is really bad atm.

You serious?

Abzan aggro is really bad atm.

Not sure thats true... but the great thing about it is that you can swap from agro to control to midrange by just swapping out a few cards in the overall shell. I wish I had bought into it ages ago.

Well, didn't see the last lists from GP London. I was thinking of the old iteration which gets rekt by Languish. Deck naming is hard especially when talking about Abzan variants.

Ok Abzan Aggro-Midrange-With Walkers looks good. But I have the feeling that the meta is just adapting to the best deck every week and there is no clear leader in the competition. Looks like that a good pilot is more valuable than a good deck.

there is an abzan aggro list that plays hangerback walkers instead of rakshasas deathdealer which gives the deck a decided advantage over the mirrors withouth hangerbacks and is good in the late game against languish

So I got drunk and won a TCG Player 5K yesterday with this pile:

[deck]Mono Red Scrumper Khaos Deck Wins v2.1[/deck]