Second turn wins!
Mostly occurring in games 2 and 3, this deck is able to pull off a turn 2 win against no blockers with
Assault Strobe
and +4. On rare occasion we are gifted by the Turn 2 Gods with our
Glistener Elf
,
Assault Strobe
, two
Mutagenic Growth
s and a
Distortion Strike
.
In game 2, when we are on the draw, starting with a Gemstone Cavern in hand grants us an extreme advantage. Three mana on turn 2 with this deck is typically game over: our
Vector Asp
's ability can be paid for along with a Strike and a Strobe; we can accomplish the above example involving
Glistener Elf
+ pump +
Assault Strobe
and
Distortion Strike
; the list goes on.
Redundancy in this deck is a dream -- a hand with two one drops is beautiful, considering how hard is it to be a creature in the meta these days. Two gemstone caverns on the draw is fantastic (turn 1
Blighted Agent
? Yes please.). Even two of our treasured
Mutagenic Growth
s are further empowered by
Assault Strobe
.
Part Blitz, all UG Infect that only gets stronger -- and significantly so -- after a loss. Couple that with the consistency of infect and the emphasis on creature protection like
Emerge Unscathed
and
Vines of Vastwood
and we have ourselves a very spicy brew, designed to be competitive on a budget. As I type this my tcgplayer cart sits at $180, and if you have an infect deck laying around you'll likely only be investing in the lands.
Weird Selections Explained
Below are some cards that I have good reasons for either including or excluding, and while I'm confident in my decisions I'm also wrong most of the time. Perhaps you'll have better ideas than I do regarding these.
Pendelhaven: The lack of
Pendelhaven
is certainly noticeable, and frankly the amount of times you swing for 9 infect is heartbreaking. Ultimately I have decided to leave it out, considering the strike's rebound and the asp's ability to flood the board just enough. That +1/+2 pump just isn't worth it.
Forbidden Orchard: At first glance
Forbidden Orchard
seems like a terrible compromise for rainbow mana. It supplies our opponent with blockers. These blockers are spirits. However the savvy pilot knows to tap that land only when it's too late to declare blockers, and in a deck chock full of unblockable damage (some with recursion), this is never an issue.
I have considered and do recommend swapping it for
Aether Hub
considering this deck's ability to tap that orchard once and invoke a handshake, but I personally keep it in the list for turn 4.
Assault Strobe: Sorcery speed, yes. Sure
Temur Battle Rage
does the same at instant speed, and gives our pumped creature trample. However with the emphasis on protection, and pump protection at that, I believe the better play is to swing with that one green mana still open and then cast
Blossoming Defense
when your opponent responds -- or even better, when they can't. Not only does this protect our creature, they still waste their spell and our guy gets +2/+2. Most importantly, we cannot grant Double Strike, Unblockable, and lethal pump on turn three with Battle Rage unless we're holding two
Mutagenic Growth
s.
Wingcrafter: Our unblockable enchantment,
Wingcrafter
is a great turn one play that essentially gifts evasion to a subsequent creature. That means we have one more mana to spend on turn three, thus securing our victory. That said, he is absolutely 100% a flex slot, and should be made to feel bad about himself at every opportunity. Remind him that his parents' divorce was his fault every single chance you get. He doesn't wash his hands and he's a militant vegan, fuck him. Guy crafts wings for a living. What, does he think he's better than me?
Livewire Lash: Not included because it's too slow. Could be a potential sideboard slot against a deck that empties its hands very quickly and then casts Bridge, but typically if the opponent has 1 card in hand, we're getting under it. Furthermore with
Leyline of Sanctity
in every sideboard for burn, storm, and so on, I just don't see it as a good idea.
Sideboard
Unfortunately we're limited on our sideboard options, and unlike nearly all decks in the modern meta we have to stick to just five colors. Bummer, I know. One fun option is
Emerge Unscathed
+ a board wipe. However it's best to be reasonable:
Rest in Peace
, that sort of bomb. Keep in mind when you board in
Rest in Peace
that it won't interfere with your Rebound spells' recursion.
