Goals:
Play token-making cards- a LOT of them! These include Clue tokens to draw cards, from
Hard Evidence
, a fantastic Turn One play for its 0/3 Crab token. Turn Two follows up with
Tavern Scoundrel
, an excellent way to start making profits, and someone who survives
Fiery Cannonade
.
Crimson Fleet Commodore
) and the
Gingerbrute
, plus the sacrificial clauses on both Tavern Scoundrel and
Perilous Research
trigger
Burdened Aerialist
, and the flying, haste, trample, and/or unblockablility and help enact the raid mechanic on
Shipwreck Looter
. Otherwise, we may be able to transform either the Turn One Crab, Clue (unlikely; too valuable for card draw in early game for land lubbers), or a goblin pirate into a 4/4 Blue & Red Elemental token far above the curve. By Turn Three, we begin making Treasure tokens, useful for accelerating our mana for larger threats or multiples of them, or simply stockpiling ammunition for the eventual
Makeshift Munitions
.
Stay on tribe with Pirates (vs
Fiery Cannonade
, which we use without fear) and metalcraft for
Galvanic Blast
(greater than
Lightning Bolt
in this build). We have access to one of the best sweepers in the format, and can develop most of our board without consequence to using it ourselves. Even lost tokens are only partially lost as creatures; clues and treasure tokens remain unaffected by
Fiery Cannonade
. Targeted artifact removal might pose a problem, but once accelerated, we have great ways to quickly redeploy and press-gang more creatures. Remember- with out enchantment in play, we already know and expect to sacrifice our own artifacts at some point by mid to late game against creatures or a fogged opponent. Therefore, our strategy remains one of reckless recycling (see:
Shipwreck Looter
), card advantage, and board presence-to-cards played ratio. It seems important to note how
Perilous Research
is an instant-speed, spell, too.
Reexamine what our tokens do. The maindeck requires a quick study of available resources, and most opponents will be unfamiliar with these cards' rapidity and diversity of tokens across the board. What constitutes a threat to them? Can they assess it, and stop it? to protect it? Our treasure tokens even help one pirate to fly! A single copy of
Satyr's Cunning
with escape let's us dump more tokens by the late game, having cast a lot of cards to the graveyard.
Retain the Red Monarchy (much safer against colored 'blasts than
Azure Fleet Admiral
) and continue drawing cards with clues, Shipwreck Looter, and Perilous Research. Again, evasive creatures help regain the crown.
I feel threats will continue to mount and grow beyond 'bolts' reach, so I will add
Mine Collapse
to the sideboard to manage larger threats that
Ravenform
cannot. The sideboard will be developed over time, probably after some WotC decisions about
Chatterstorm
et al.
Try a sample playtest, and see how many tokens flood the board, and if you think an opponent could easily keep track at the LGS. This is how I roll...
