Personal best deck of DTK/BFZ/SOI
The microphone assassin about to get at 'em, the Dragon of Judah breathe fire to its last breath.
-Canibus
Everyone, it's time for some last-minute draconic fun before these big dumb lizards rotate out of Standard.
It started out as two-color, then I got greedy, but the choice of which direction to go and how greedy to get proved to be a difficult one.
For a while I couldn't choose between Dragonlord Kolaghan and Dragonlord Dromoka. I really, really wanted to try and run both, due to the way both cards have serious impact on the biggest meta-game contenders, but I eventually discovered that the best bet was to do one at a time. Every game, I choose one of them to keep in and one of them to board out, and whichever one stays in the main can be determined by the metagame.
Let's go a bit more in-depth:
Oath of Nissa: Helps me find my mana and my dragons. I like to call this the "anti-mulligan" card.
Draconic Roar
: One of the reasons to even use this tribe. That 3 damage to the face in addition to burning anything from
Sylvan Advocate
to Gisela, the Broken Blade is very important in a deck with a lot of high-power fliers, and in multiples can be devastating.
Dragon Tempest: While it mostly gathers dust against aggro, the ability to give your heavy hitters haste is important against control and Planeswalker-heavy midrange, as is giving yourself that last little bit of reach to finish off opponents who otherwise would have survived.
Sarkhan's Triumph
: This might seem a bit strange, but it allows me to run situational one-ofs like Harbinger of the Hunt and generally search out the cards I need.
Sylvan Advocate
: Even when he's not buffing land creatures, this guy is more than worth playing. Keeps you alive and allows for early aggression. I don't have to talk about why this card is good.
Nissa, Vastwood Seer
: Another great early drop. Seven land is more or less what this deck is aiming to reach, and the fact that she helps along the way is huge.
Thunderbreak Regent: I love this card. Another reason to care about this tribe, turning every removal spell or ability into a Bolt to the face is the kind of thing that puts opponents into easy kill range very quickly. Plus, a 4/4 with flying for 4 is already pretty damn good.
Harbinger of the Hunt: A 3/1 split with Mirrorwing Dragon. A goofy addition motivated by meta-game considerations. Primarily a tutor target against Delirium (Ishkanah, Grafwidow) and new CoCo (Selfless Spirit).
Mirrorwing Dragon: What initially piqued my interest in using this tribe. His removal-dodging abilities, both the ability itself and his 5 toughness, are good, but not overpowered. Excellent against White-Black Control, Esper Dragons, and most importantly Bant Company. Although it does get shut down pretty severely by Ishkanah, Grafwidow, it can seriously stall the board and is practically the end of the game if it lands against White Weenies. Fourth copy in the sideboard when I don't want Harbinger of the Hunt.
Dragonlord Dromoka: As the meta swings more towards Collected Company and Elder Deep-Fiend, I've decided that Dromoka should get the mainboard spot. Now that I'm running Dragon Tempest, I still have powerful anti-Planeswalker capabilities, while running one of the few cards I have access to that doesn't die to a "flashback" Kozilek's Return.
Dragonlord Atarka: The big guy. Underwhelming against strategies like Pyromancer's Goggles or The Great Aurora, but an essentially guaranteed two-or-more-for-one against normal decks. And an 8/8 trampler that laughs in the face of World Breaker is important, too.
Haven of the Spirit Dragon: Extremely useful. Good graveyard-recurring ability. I'm usually skittish about colorless-producing land, but with this deck's greediness, I want all four.
Sideboard:
Mirrorwing Dragon: Explained above.
Deathbringer Regent: A tutor target. This guy can help you come back against otherwise unwinnable board-states, and the two black isn't such a big deal when I get into the late game.
Clip Wings
: Good for use against Dragonlord Ojutai, Ormendahl, Profane Prince
, Emrakul, the Promised End, or White's suite of disgustingly overpowered Angels.
Dragonlord Kolaghan: Moved back to the sideboard with Delirium becoming less popular. Despite her sideboard spot, I still love this card, and the way it ruthlessly punishes
Grapple with the Past
and creates a terrifying clock against control decks without a way to block it.
Swamp/Smoldering Marsh: To go along with Dragonlord Kolaghan.
Roast: A good supply of extra removal against aggressive matchups, and it also hits things like Ishkanah, Grafwidow to boot.
Tears of Valakut
: More Angel hate.
