Gruul Faster than Sligh?
Standard
SCORE: 8 | 17 COMMENTS | 2050 VIEWS | IN 3 FOLDERS
Another 3-0 Tourney —July 9, 2014
Hey all, Got to play standard again this week.. The store is really slowing down approaching rotation.
Another Quick 3 round Tournament.
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Round 1: 2-1 B/W Enchantments (Eidolons, Scarhides, Athreos, Mogis Marauder, Ethereal Armor etc)
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Game 1: Play, Loss.
This was a relatively efficient loss, I had planned to go Pretty heavy on my Ash Zealot with a Madcap Skills on turn 3 with a scryland.. had several pumps and a Prophetic Flamespeaker. Figured it would be more efficient than running scryland, scryland, mountain and not doing anything until turn 4. Turns out he had a Banishing Light for my zealot and I was stuck waiting. He used Pain Seer's inspired and revealed a Bile Blight. I knew with 3 mana, my Prophetic Flamespeaker would most certainly die, so I ran out a Boros Reckoner as fodder. With his seer's card advantage racking up, he voltroned a Hopeful Eidolon pretty savagely and swung for the win with a top deck mogis marauder.
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Game 2: Play, Win.
On the play, He sided in removal.. I sided in 3x Ranger's Guile and 2x Destructive Revelry. dropped Dictate of the Twin Gods and 3 Giant Growths
He ran a pretty quick hand, removing and Banishing Light my only attackers.. was looking pretty grim not drawing any protection or enchantment removal I sided in. Hand full of pumps, no creatures... had to hard cast a Ghor-Clan Rampager. It stalled the board long enough for me to draw a Armed / Dangerous. Hit the rampager with it, giving +1/+1 and double strike. went to combat. No blocks were declared, I pumped it with another rampager and a Titan's Strength for 24 damage.
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Game 3: Turn, Win
I kept the board the same and went to it... It was a purely defensive game going through 3 boros reckoners returning the damage to his voltroned creatures. In his last attack, I cleared the board with a pump to trade all our creatures. I played a Fanatic of Mogis and passed. He loaded up a few small creatures. When he attacked, I had to blow a Giant Growth to keep my little board state alive. He had Brain Maggoted my Madcap Skills from my hand and had just played a Master of the Feast. I knew I was dead next turn and there was nothing I could do except draw a Destructive Revelry in his upkeep. So in his upkeep in response to his trigger, I played Titan's Strength for the scry. top was revelry. Kept it, drew it, killed his Master of the Feast in combat, blocked and killed his lethal Brain Maggot and Pain Seer. Lost my Burning-Tree Emissary and kept my Fanatic of Mogis. Got back my madcaps, and played two Madcap Skills on my fanatic and kept pounding him. He could not draw enough to stop me and I had blockers on board for any threats. dropped him from 36 life in a few attacks for the win.
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Round 2: Bye Poop, no games.
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Round 3: 2-1 Boss Sligh (as featured in the SCG Invitational by the winner, Tom Ross)
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Game 1: Play, Loss.
He came out the gates blazing, and I kept a slow hand with Boros Reckoners and Prophetic Flamespeaker. By the time I could establish any creatures, I was dead.
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Game 2: Play, Win.
I kept a slightly better hand, but was a bit painful on lands. However once I got the second, I dropped two Burning-Tree Emissarys and a Prophetic Flamespeaker. He tried waiting for a profitable attack, and when he did... I swung in for lethal with pumps by the Prophetic Flamespeaker. It's pretty funny when they see it attack alone and say okay no blocks.. I take 2. I say no, before damage, I cast these pumps. take 18. 0_0
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Game 3: Turn, Win.
Great hand, Scry opener into a mountain and defensive Ash Zealot. He smiled as he put a Madcap Skills on his zealot to continue the beatdown. The following turn was BTE into Prophetic Flamespeaker. He attacked with all, I double blocked to trade with his zealot, and the flamespeaker dropped a Firedrinker Satyr. He could not pump as he did not have first strike to contend. I played another Prophetic Flamespeaker and passed. He simply could not attack into doublestrikers. I swung in for lethal on the following turn.
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Was a great tourney, won four JOU boosters and a promo foil Restoration Angel!
Rouse the Mob isn't a terrible Magic card, honestly.
It ain't amazing, but it's decent.
Until Rampager rotates out this September, though, just stick with that.
June 18, 2014 2:10 p.m.
Actually zandl, you bring up a fantastic point with Rouse the Mob . that seems like a very easy fitting way to add a small pump while granting trample! in fact when comparing ratios, that could be equivalent if not better than Ghor-Clan Rampager . It also removes the need for green in that aspect, aside from an abundance of strong pump spells in green...I may have come to the same conclusion, but I hadn't bothered searching yet as there is still a few months before rotation.
When I said Titanic Growth was a potential replacement for Ghor-Clan Rampager , I simply meant the direct 4 power pump for 2 mana. In fact it's better in the sense that it can be exiled on first combat with a Prophetic Flamespeaker . I didnt consider Giant Growth an option because I dont know whether or not it will be in M15, it has yet to have been spoiled.. sadly my 3/3 for 1 will be rotated in september thus far.
That could be a direct swap.-4 Ghor-Clan Rampager -4 Giant Growth
+4 Rouse the Mob +4 Titanic Growth
However time will tell. Works wonders the current way, but I see minimal losses in this transition. If not utility providing the option of giving other creatures trample as well.
June 18, 2014 4:15 p.m.
Krishnaaaa says... #5
Nice deck! love the idea of Prosphetic Flamespeaker in here, id add a playset of scavenging oozes and put in the destructive revelry because these enchantments are really tough nowadays with cads like banishing light and enchantment creatures. Apart from that excellent deck!
June 29, 2014 5:16 p.m.
Thank you Krishnaaaa!
I cannot include Scavenging Ooze because it's not a red creature, this is primarily a mono-red devotion engine deck.. just splashing green for pumps to make any potential creature lethal. I know the power and use of Scavenging Ooze having played variations of gruul and jund monsters over the past year, but he doesn't fit into this blitz shell very well. Even in a sideboarded game, I'd rather have the prevention of creature loss rather than a backup plan of consuming the dead. In a race situation, I will be applying more pressure than the opposing racer.
As for Destructive Revelry I kinda agree. It is a fantastic card, and great in the meta right now and soon to be even better. However it does not match the ultimate goal of the deck. You try to keep a deck to it's goal and playstyle, and adjustments are made post board. I may add a third because of how useful it is. and even adding 2 damage can make one Prophetic Flamespeaker attack lethal in the right circumstances.
This deck relies around multiplying the damage of cheap costing spells. I turn a Giant Growth or a Titan's Strength into 6 damage for 1 mana on a doublestriker.. which is theoretically two lightning bolts. I only need to wait for the right moment or have the prevention answer ready.
June 30, 2014 8:55 a.m.
HipsterPumpkin says... #7
Madcap Skills can end games by itself. I'd say add two more.
July 2, 2014 1:26 p.m.
might I suggest the underutilized Thunderous Might ? A guy at my store uses a deck similar to yours minus the green, and can kill me quicker than I can recover with my hexproof auras deck. Its pretty sweet
July 3, 2014 1:22 p.m.
Never mind, I just saw it in the maybeboard, pretty sweet looking deck though
July 3, 2014 1:23 p.m.
Both excellent cards, However I am trying to play off the ability of Prophetic Flamespeaker .In exception of Ghor-Clan Rampager , all of my pump spells can be played from exile...In case I need to alpha strike the opponent in the second combat phase. You cannot blood rush from exile.
Mn3m0n1c says... #1
PS, Titanic Growth is a reprint in M15.. so that could become an option in the near future with the loss of Ghor-Clan Rampager
Will need another trample source however.
June 18, 2014 1:37 p.m.