This is a crazy janky concept for a deck that I've had in my head for a while, which I've only now committed to any sort of medium! I haven't got all the cards for this, just thought it was worth putting up and seeing where it can go. It's not aiming to be tier 1 competitive by any stretch, but would be something I would want to trial at the local FNM!
Hero's Blade is a card I have wanted to build around for a while having used Ghostfire Blade to good effect in an old R/U Artifact deck. To get the most out of it in standard would have to be in a deck full of cheap, efficient legendary creatures, which after a quick Gatherer search meant R/B was the best route to go. With Tymaret, the Murder King being the cheapest CMC at the time and now Zurgo Bellstriker stealing the top spot, it seems like a good starting point for the curve.
Summery
Play Hero's Blade as early as possible then swing with massive legendaries, applying early pressure with Zurgo Bellstriker, Tymaret, the Murder King and/or Ornithopter + Ghostfire Blade, leading into a recursion-filled midgame with Alesha, Who Smiles at Death bringing the above back into the fray, closing the game with a dashed Kolaghan, the Storm's Fury stealing all the Hero's Blades you can muster.
Card Breakdown
Zurgo Bellstriker - The closest we'll ever get to Goblin Guide in the current Standard for red. The dash ability is a huge boon for Hero's Blade, allowing us to haste in for 5 by turn 3 and keep doing so until someone finds an answer. Also ammo for Tymaret, the Murder King when that route become tricky.
Ornithopter - Despite the focus on the legendaries in the deck, the Ornithopters fill a versatile role here. They slow early aggro, fly over and kill most things once equipped, provide ammo for Tymaret, the Murder King to be brought back with Alesha, Who Smiles at Death, and become a good reason to whistle Flight of the Valkyries once Kolaghan, the Storm's Fury is on the table!
Tymaret, the Murder King - Slight redundancy off of Zurgo Bellstriker where smashing face is concerned, but blowing up the rest of the team once the opponent's life total is in range is always fun. A recurring 5/4 that can block is also handy...
Alesha, Who Smiles at Death - Probably the backbone of the deck 2nd to Hero's Blade. Brings back the other 11 <2 power creatures of the deck, 7 of which can get a Hero's Blade thrown on them. A 6/4 first striker is pretty nasty in itself too...
Kolaghan, the Storm's Fury - If Underworld Cerberus can't be legendary, might as well be this. A 7/7 flyer with Hero's Blade, pipping up to 8 power once swinging. Hopefully the opponent would be within that range by the time Kolaghan makes an appearance.
Hero's Blade - The very reason for this disasterpiece! While the equip ability is more at home in a Kemba, Kha Regent EDH, we may as well try and make it work in standard while we can! The actual equip cost is sort of the reason we have forgone any 4-drops in the deck so far, but that is very much as a last resort mana-sink on a late Ornithopter or any legendaries that ended up being played before the first Hero's Blade.
Ghostfire Blade - while it's more for Ornithopter the equip cost isn't too prohibitive late game to throw on the bigger dudes if they stay on the field long enough!
Boon of Erebos - might be a bit heavy having 4 of but it's more to protect Alesha, Who Smiles at Death or Kolaghan, the Storm's Fury from removal. The rest of the deck can take them for the team as Alesha, Who Smiles at Death brings them back and Kolaghan, the Storm's Fury can finish the game by itself!
Tormenting Voice - For want of a better way to refuel. One concept I had in my head was to run Daghatar the Adamant to dump in the graveyard via Tormenting Voice to then recur with Alesha, Who Smiles at Death, swinging with a 7/6 (with Hero's Blade)) with no intention of properly casting it. Instead it's just as well to dump Tymaret, the Murder King to then use his return-from-graveyard-to-hand ability in response to removal, guaranteeing a replacement creature to wield the hoard of Hero's Blades!
Hero's Downfall - For want of better removal, if this deck actually needs it!
Sideboard and misc. ideas
I haven't come up with a proper sideboard for this yet so heres a few ideas;
We will not be going too wide with this deck - this will realistically have 3 or 4 creatures on the board at most due to amount of legendaries in the deck, so against anything with tokens or loads of cheap creatures there might be call for Drown in Sorrow and/or Bile Blight
A lack of evasion on some of the creatures can hurt when the opponent has a blocker ready for each swing. Something like Prowler's Helm or Fleetfeather Sandals perhaps?
It might be worth splashing white for the extra protection / removal spells, and also Daghatar the Adamant as I mentioned earlier, while a R/W version of the deck could have a bit more utility at the expense of a slower start. It could replace Tymaret, the Murder King, Kolaghan, the Storm's Fury and Boon of Erebos with Anax and Cymede, Brimaz, King of Oreskos and Valorous Stance
Hammer of Purphoros could help late game, giving late creatures haste and - if feeling flush - start blowing up mountains for hasty golems which benefit from the cheaper equip cost on Ghostfire Blade
Whip of Erebos brings back Alesha, Who Smiles at Death for a turn to then bring back one of the <2 power creatures, plus the lifelink is pretty good no matter whos got the Hero's Blades at the time.
Thanks for reading! Suggestions most welcome!
