https://www.mtgazone.com/historic-mono-red-aggro-deck-guide-featuring-the-deathwhirler-combo/

Adapted from the above article on MTG Arena Zone, this deck is intended as an upgrade to historic mono-red lists that allows for more mid-late game reach and more favorable matchups against creature-heavy decks, especially in BO1. In short, this deck keeps the core of a red aggressive deck but splashes black to add Call of the Death-Dweller. Since our deck is filled with 1-, 2-, and 3-drops, we have a lot of options with how we could use it, for example: - Fervent Champion becomes an infinite blocker/chump attacker with the combination of first strike and deathtouch - Fanatical Firebrand threatens to be an instant-speed kill on demand - Goblin Chainwhirler becomes a one-sided board wipe and pseudo-baneslayer This deck tends to perform very well against most creature-based and control decks; it's primary weakness is fast combo decks, as our primary forms of interaction are combat and Bonecrusher Giant.

A vital part of playing this deck is understanding when to be the aggressor, as between our first strike creatures and Fanatical Firebrand, we could play a good defensive game as we build up our board in preparation for an Embercleave turn or a Death-Dweller combo. In particular, these two cards require you to assess what is more appropriate, as Embercleave needs creatures on board to be castable, while Call of the Death-Dweller encourages you to trade off creatures to prepare a two-for-one.

Aggro Matchups

This variant provides us with a favorable matchup. The core of this deck involves Ghitu Lavarunner, Viashino Pyromancer, Shock, and Lightning Strike. In general, our creatures are more than capable of trading; Goblin Chainwhirler tends to devastate their board and stonewall any chance at attacking, and we are more than happy to trade Burning-Tree Emissary, Robber of the Rich, and Stomp for their creatures. Conversely, our creatures are so efficient that they feel compelled to trade their removal for our creatures, which dramatically slows their clock. Our speed and ability to deploy will match theirs, and when the dust settles, we will usually have a leftover Bonecrusher Giant, satyr tokens from Anax, Hardened in the Forge, or Call of the Death-Dweller to dominate the cleared board.
This matchup is very skill-testing, but is slightly favorable. Early Fanatical Firebrands should trade with Pelt Collector before they get out of hand, and usually Fanatical Firebrand can combine with first strike creatures to make engaging in combat a nightmare for the opponents. Goblin Chainwhirler enables you to trade Firebrand for a Questing Beast, and Bonecrusher Giant can trade with anything they land unless they pump up a 4-power creature with Domri's Ambush.

This matchup relies very heavily on Embercleave and Call of the Death-Dweller and would be unfavorable if we didn't have the latter. Normally their creatures outclass ours, much like how we outclass Mono-Red burn. The difference is that we have these two outs. Embercleave allows our creatures to trade up or eat one of their creatures if we protect our life total well enough to enable an attack. More potently, Call of the Death-Dweller + Goblin Chainwhirler will wipe their board and usually result in a win, as Gruul decks tend to struggle to recover from board wipes.

This is one of our worst matchups and is highly unfavorable. Every time I see Lurrus as a companion, I cringe, not because I am concerned about Lurrus itself after the companion nerf, but because it signals this deck.

There are many problems in this matchup: they run multiple copies of Claim the Firstborn, so they will very frequently be able to steal our best creatures, deal some damage, and turn them into food before we get a chance to pressure them. Stitcher's Supplier and Cauldron Familiar create speed bumps that they are more than happy to use for chump blocking, and the latter combos with Witch's Oven to create a perpetual loop of chump blocking and life gain. The sac outlets make getting Bonecrusher Giant on the back end of Stomp nearly impossible, and Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger invalidates our entire board. In BO1, these matchups are nearly always given to be a loss.

It is possible to win against this deck, though it almost always requires an Embercleave to grant one of your creatures trample so that it could break through the chump blockers.

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94% Casual

Competitive

Date added 3 years
Last updated 3 years
Key combos
Legality

This deck is Historic legal.

Rarity (main - side)

7 - 0 Mythic Rares

25 - 0 Rares

13 - 0 Uncommons

4 - 0 Commons

Cards 60
Avg. CMC 2.53
Tokens Satyr 1/1 R
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