Casual multiplayer aggro (4-8 player), designed to take out 1-2 players at 20 life each. Should offer a variety of severe threats by turn 2.
The deck should always mulligan for Stoneforge Mystic or Luminarch Ascension to start. Basic keeps should be 2+ lands and at least one of those threats. Basic lines should be SFM -> Kaldra Compleat or Luminarch Ascension (threatens instant charge with 5+ player pods).
Luminarch's Ascension, plus the fact that you're playing an fearsome early game should draw plenty of hate. You throw in a wrench by having Death's Shadow and Bloodchief Ascension. Cards like Howling Banshee, Blistergrub, and Titan Hunter act as enablers and finishers for more reach and helps to charge BCA. An optional fetch + shock package can help you play Death's Shadow more efficiently and can even allow splashing a third color. Temur Battle Rage is often good vs creature matchups, whereas Flame Rift can be a big enabler versus control decks. Price of Progress can be more efficient than Flame Rift in certain metagames.
The deck assumes that the meta is more casual and avoids infinite combos or quick kill combos (and this deck also avoids running combos like Bloodchief + Mindcrank). Luminarch's / Kaldra can beat certain stax strategies depending on board state, but not optimally. The deck should have a good time versus other aggro, midrange, control and ramp decks. Mass land destruction should be fine as long as it isn't too quick, and Land Tax can be used as a defense if needed. Luminarch's and Kaldra are resilient against most sweepers.
Cards like Sign in Blood, Spiteful Visions, and Swords to Plowshares can do multiple duty in drawing cards and controlling life totals. Swords isn't too bad, since the deck should have high damage output per turn, and using Swords on your own Death's Shadow will reset your life to 13.
I prefer not to run with Vampyric Tutor as to increase random variation. If the deck is too strong, then diluting it with >60 cards can be desirable. One risk is that the SFM + Kaldra Compleat line can be somewhat boring, as you would always tutor for Kaldra first. I tried to throw in a variety of effects, so that even though you have a linear midrange aggro start, you can avoid playing undercosted boring beatsticks like Tarmogoyf.
There is a minor budget restriction in that I do not want to spend more than $50 on new cards. I already have most of the expensive pieces (SFM + swords package, Ascensions), so that explains why certain high synergy cards like Rankle aren't included.
