Archive for the ‘Popular Posts’ Category
This week in Magic: Mono Green Aggro
Friday, May 15th, 2015
Welcome to another “This week in Magic.” This week we had a little bit of fun as I got to playtest the Mono Green deck list that Top 8’d SCG Portland a few weeks back. The deck is a lot of fun to play and break on the thinking part of the game. The idea of the deck is just to get cheap and powerful creatures onto the board and take down your opponent and his team as fast as you can. Thanks to the mono colored symbols, this deck has no real mana problems except for one that I’ll talk about later. Our configuration was 20 lans, 32 creatures and only eight spells. Barring any weird statistical anomalies, we should see some action every turn.
Okay, enough of my rambling. Here is the deck list I ran.
Main Board:
10 Forest
2 Plains
4 Windswept Heath
4 Temple of Plenty
4 Surrak, the Hunt Caller
4 Boon Satyr
4 Deathmist Raptor
4 Den Protector
4 Elvish Mystic
4 Avatar of the Resolute
4 Reverent Hunter
4 Fleecemane Lion
4 Aspect of Hydra
4 Collected Company
Side Board
4 Ranger’s Guile
4 Miscutter Hydra
2 Feed the Clan
3 Hornet’s Nest
2 Mastery of the Unseen
As you can tell, my list is a little different from what the Top 8 list ran. I am running a more consistant 4-of list. I wanted to get right to the point. Of course, running Green, I had to include the Raptor/Protector combo. Fortunately for us, it also works well with our Collected Company spell.
The Good
So what did I like best about this deck. For the most part, the deck is straightforward. Hope for your turn one Mystic Elf and start playing your creatures. These were my best games. Anytime I had him on turn one, we were off to the races. Boon Satyrs would soon be hitting the board and shortly were accompanied by a band of other 3cc heroes. Out of all the creatures in the deck, our MVP had to have been Surrak. I’ve had some mixed emotions about this guy for some reason. In the end, I came to my better instincts and realized how good he is. Considering our creature package, there is a small chance that he will come into play and not give himself haste due to this Formidable ability. If you’re able to follow up with a Reverent Hunter, then your opponent is in for a world full of hate.
The Bad
I was able to playtest this and run it through a small Wednesday night Standard Tournament where I did not ganar amazing results. For most of the night I ran into the statistical anomalies. I had to mulligan quite a few games due to lack of mana. I ran into many hands with one land. One the play, I’m very reluctant to keep obviously, but on the draw, I’m more inclined to keep. However, that was rarely the case.
So I’m starting to think these are not “anomalies.” Maybe I’m just not running enough land. Maybe it’s time we bumped it up to 22 lands one person suggested.
I also felt that the deck needed another 1cc mana dork. Sadly, none exist in Standard right now. However, there are quite a few 2cc mana producers. The question now is would it be worth it. I think so. Maybe not a full set, but two may do the trick. I felt like if you didn’t have a little bit of help, then you had a slow and clunky start. Now, this may also have to do with our rough mana starts, but I think this will boost our production rate quite a bit in the long run.
Against UB/Esper Control
You would think a “fast” and aggressive deck would be the solution to any control deck. However, this is a testament of how good the control decks are right now. This seemed like such a terrible matchup for me. I few counters here, a Foul-Tongue Invocation there, and the next thing I knew I saw so far behind I was grumbling at myself.
These were the matches where I felt if I didn’t have a mana dork out on turn one, I was almost guaranteed to lose the match. So, if you don’t have a Mystic Elf in hand turn one against Control, you should Mulligan until you do.
Against Abazan Aggro
This is almost a coin-flip. However, we have plenty of ours that can assure us a win. The keys to winning here are Aspect of the Hydra, Den Protector, and/or Avatar of the Resolute. The thing with Abzan Aggro is that they can put creatures down as fast as we can, but they have the added advantage of being able to remove our creatures if needed. Den Protector is a big player because of it’s ability to punch through their wall. A timely Aspect can pump our Den Protector big enough to get through their fences and land some damage.
However, if this is our game plan, we need to be very conscious of their ability to remove our creatures if needed. So keep an eye open on their available mana resources.
Well that’s it for this week. Play around with the list. This is a deck that I think will continue to pop up every now and then at FNMs and even major tournaments. It’s still an affordable deck to put together, but if you can’t get your hands on Deathmist Raptors it’s not the end of the world. There are plenty of other Green creatures you can run in it’s place. A card I’d like to see some people play with that I didn’t mention was Dramoka’s Command. If we’re splashin White for Fleecemane, then why not also make room for one of the best commands in the format right now. Good luck!
About the author
Simeon is now the Community Manager for Battleground Games & Hobbies. If you have any questions or inquiries, then you can reach him at Sims@battlegroundgames.com. He is also an avid gamer who loves to play board games and video games. He graduated college with a degree in Political Science, and now serves the public by writing about games. You can check that out here. Don’t forget to “like” him on Facebook as well. It’ll update you on all of his newest content. Best of all, you can follow Simeon on Twitter (@SimeonCortezano) for some real time hilarity. Thanks for reading!
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Tags: FNM, Magic the Gathering, mono green aggro, MTG, Simeon Cortezano
Posted in Blog, Card Games, Featured Author, Featured Post, Magic: The Gathering, Popular Posts | 1 Comment »
Vice news produces documentary on ‘Magic: The Gathering’
Wednesday, May 13th, 2015
In case you may have missed it, the fine folks over at Vice.com have put out a sweet documentary about everyone’s favorite card game, “Magic: The Gathering.” The documentary follows one of the game’s youngest professional players, Jacob Wilson and peers into what life is like for such a young player currently in the mix of things. The documentary also follows the Forino brothers out of New York. Having played the game for 22 years, the Forino brothers are known as some of the early staples of the game, especially for the Vintage scene.
New or old, players will all different sets of skills should enjoy this short film. So sit back, relax, and check out Vice’s, “The Mystical Universe of Magic: The Gathering.”
About the author
Simeon is now the Community Manager for Battleground Games & Hobbies. If you have any questions or inquiries, then you can reach him at Sims@battlegroundgames.com. He is also an avid gamer who loves to play board games and video games. He graduated college with a degree in Political Science, and now serves the public by writing about games. You can check that out here. Don’t forget to “like” him on Facebook as well. It’ll update you on all of his newest content. Best of all, you can follow Simeon on Twitter (@SimeonCortezano) for some real time hilarity. Thanks for reading!
The Extra Life 2015 campaign is underway. Donate today!
Join the Battleground Games & Hobbies community forums!
Please don’t forget to check us out on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @battleground_gh!
Tags: documentary, forino brothers, jacob wilson, Magic the Gathering, MTG, vice
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This week in Magic: Re-discovering GR Tron
Thursday, May 7th, 2015
Welcome to another edition of “This week in Magic.” This week we’re going to cover a deck that is not burn. However, depending on who you are, is probably on the same level as far as the totem pole is considered. This week we’re taking a look at one of my favorite decks, GR Tron. Now we may have talked about it in the past, but this time we’re going to go over some of the changes the deck has made since we last touched upon it.
I guess on one of the first things you’re asking yourself is why GR Tron? Why not Mono-U Tron? While part of me does enjoy the strong control aspect of Mono-U Tron, you are less likely to draw your combo pieces than you are when you play GR Tron. This is one of the great strengths of GR Tron. I mean, if you’re going to play a deck called Tron, you might as well play the Tron pieces.
I’m sure you’ve had enough of my blabbering. Here is a good look at what I’ve got.
GR Tron
Main board
4 Karn Liberated
4 Wurmcoil Engine
1 Emrakul, The Aeons Torn
4 Ancient Stirrings
4 Pyroclasm
4 Sylvan Scrying
4 Chromatic Star
4 Chromatic Sphere
4 Expedition Map
4 Oblivion Stone
3 Relic of Progenitus
4 Grove of the Burnwillows
4 Urza’s Tower
4 Urza’s Power Plant
4 Urza’s Mine
2 Forest
1 Eye of Ugin
1 Ghost Quarter
Side board
2 Spellskite
3 Rending Volley
4 Nature’s Claim
3 Boil
2 Vandalblast
1 Sundering Titan
Main board selections
Your main board is very self-explanatory. Our main objective here is to build up Tron as fast as we can. This is accomplished by digging through our deck as much as possible or being as direct as possible. Sylvan Scrying is our best direct approach at gathering Tron. Expedition Map is another great example of a direct approach to thing. The spell is a little bit slower, and if played improperly, can be destroyed or returned to your hand without ever being used.
Overall, the best spell in the deck has to be Ancient Stirrings. On turn two, it’s the best spell we can play. Imagine this scenario: Turn one, we play a tron land and cast one of our numerous one casting cost artifact cantrips that cans also generate a single color. In a deck where colored mana is so sparse, this added ability is very welcomed. This leads us to our second turn. On turn two, we draw our card for the turn, then we can activate and sacrifice the artifact to draw another card and generate us one Green mana. This mana is then used to cast Ancient Stirrings where we can look at another five cards deeper.
Straight to the point
There is no greater feeling than casting a turn three Karn Liberated. I’ve played plenty of matches where my opponent has scooped at the sight of Karn. Not only that, but Wurmcoil Engine can be just as devastating to many of your opponents, especially the ones who decided to play burn that day.
Then, of course, there is always the chance where you can windmill slam an Emrakul around turn five or six with the help of an Eye of Ugin. For you beginners out there who may feel a little intimidated by this deck, don’t be. On paper it may look difficult to play, but in reality, it isn’t. Just like everything else in Magic, it takes a little bit of practice, but once you get rolling, it shouldn’t be difficult to pilot.
Weakest links of the deck
The deck is nicknamed “Tron” for reason. That’s because to play the deck you need to be able to play all three Urzatron pieces. Again, having play the deck plenty of times, I can tell you that, despite all of the cantrips and tutors, assembling Tron can still be difficult.
Also, let’s not forget the people who have a side board plan against you. As a Tron player, your worst nightmares will be Fulminator Mage and Blood Moon. Going from producing seven mana on turn 3 to producing only 3 mana hurts a lot – on the inside and outside.
Wrap up
Well, that’s it for this week. As you can see, I’ve played other decks besides Mono-R Burn, and am not as one sided as I seem to be. My advice is to try it out and give it a shot. Slam those those Tron pieces onto the battlefield and get ready to see some sad faces.
About the author
Simeon is now the Community Manager for Battleground Games & Hobbies. If you have any questions or inquiries, then you can reach him at Sims@battlegroundgames.com. He is also an avid gamer who loves to play board games and video games. He graduated college with a degree in Political Science, and now serves the public by writing about games. You can check that out here. Don’t forget to “like” him on Facebook as well. It’ll update you on all of his newest content. Best of all, you can follow Simeon on Twitter (@SimeonCortezano) for some real time hilarity. Thanks for reading!
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Tags: GR Tron, Modern, Simeon Cortezano, Tron
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This week in Magic: Side boarding with Naya Burn
Thursday, April 30th, 2015
Welcome back to another edition of “This week in Magic.” Last week we talked about the basics of Naya Burn and some expectations as I took it to a local GPT for Las Vegas. Sadly, I finished the day with a 3-2 record and just missed Top 8 by .5% point. I can’t be too upset considering how badly I felt I played all day. I felt that I played a little too loose and know I could have done better.
A prime example comes from my first match where I kept a hand of four lands and three spells. I was on the play, so I was already short action spells. My opponent was playing Esper and a turn one Kozilek and I was pretty much out of spells to cast by turn two. My best hands are anything with two lands and five spells or three lands and four spells. When I get the loose hands of four lands and three spells, I tend to mulligan them because there is not enough going on there. However, that first match had me keeping that exact hand. I knew I needed to play tighter if I wanted to have a chance.
My plays throughout the day is something we can save for another time. This week, I promised to tackle the options we have for side boarding. Once again, here is a quick rundown of my Naya Burn list.
Main board
4x Goblin Guide
4x Monastery Swiftspear
4x Eidolon of the Great Revel
2x Grim Lavamancer
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Lava Spike
3x Rift Bolt
2x Skullcrack
4x Boros Charm
4x Atarka’s Command
2x Lightning Helix
2x Shard Volley
2x Searing Blaze
3x Mountain
4x Scalding Tarn
4x Wooded Foothill
4x Bloodstained Mire
1x Stomping Ground
3x Sacred Foundry
Side board:
3x Destructive Revelry
1x Lightning Helix
2x Path to Exile
2x Deflecting Palm
2x Skull Crack
3x Molten Rain
2x Kor Firewalker
Versus Twin
-2 Searing Blaze, -2 Lightning Helix, -1 Shard Volley; +2 Path to Exile, +3 Destructive Revelry.
I’ve played against many twin matchups and I think this is a bit of a coin toss. Obviously during our first game, there is very little we can really do if our opponent has a Twin turn four. We either have enough burn in our hand to remove their Exarch or Mite, or we don’t. It’s as simple as that. Once we’ve boarded, the match stays a coin flip still. They tend to bring in a Spellskite or Batterskull, but the popular choice is to bring in more cheap counterspells such as Dispell or Spell Pierce.
In these situations, I like to bring in Destructive Revelry and Path to Exile. Destructive Revelry is our best defense against Batterskill and can conveniently destroy Spellskites. The one important thing they can destroy, though, are Splintertwins! There is almost no reason for a Twin player not to play Twin on turn four if they have the combo. It’s on us, the burn player to do something or lose.
Path to Exile is another great one-mana removal spell for us. More specifically, it’s there to remove the Exarch from play. One may think I’m over boarding a bit here because Destructive Revelry is good enough, but I like to have more options here. Path can also remove the insect token that Batterskull makes.
Versus Affinity
-2 Lightning Helix, -1 Shard Volley; +3 Destructive Revelry
Before I converted to Naya, this matchup was always in favor of Affinity. Some would argue it was more of a coin flip, but I tend to disagree. Since converting to Naya, we’ve gained more options and a bit more of a reach when it comes to fighting against the robot army.
One thing I’ve learned is that our creature package plays a big part in our match. Previous Mono Red builds relied more on their burn spells than anything else to do the damage. With no creatures in play, we allowed Affinity to run rampant all over us. However with almost a third of the deck being creatures, we have more defend ourselves with.
For our side board options we have the same choices we had with Twin. I like to bring in all of our copies of Destructive Revelry. If you read what the card does, then there is little explanation needed here, and we can get in two points of damage.
I also think Molten Rain is good option to run here as well. Their man-lands can do some serious damage to us if left unattended. Don’t forget, though, that Molten Rain can only hit their lands. As burn players we really need to be careful not to over board in these situations. If you feel Molten Rain is important, then go ahead and run them. Otherwise, you are still fine just running the Destructive Revelry.
Versus Naya Burn
-2 Shard Volley, -2 Lightning Helix; +2 Kor Firewalker, +2 Path to Exile
Kor Firewalker has become one of the most solid answers to anything Burn. So I like to assume that my opponent is going to be smart and bring in their copies of Kor Firewalkers. It’s because of this thinking process I like to bring in Path to Exile. The most important reason for this is because it’s our only way of dealing with the Pro Red creature.
So why did we take out the cards we took out? Out of the entire deck, I feel that Shard Volley is the weakest link. You can also see this because I’ve taken it out of every match, post-side board. As for the Lightning Helix. It’s actually one of the more “clunkier” spells in the deck. First of all, it’s one of only spells in the deck that requires us to pay two different colors in mana. Second of all, a lot of people get distracted by it’s life gaining abilities. I feel that this can cause people to be less aggressive with the spell. Playing a burn deck, you want to burn out your opponent before they can do it to you. Kor Firewalker on your side more than makes up for the fact you’re losing some life gaining abilities, but, in the end, are gaining stronger ones.
Well that’s it for now. Yes, your eyes are correct. We only covered three major opponents in this week’s article. However, if you have any questions regarding any other matchups, then feel free to leave a comment in the section below. Until next week…
About the author
Simeon is now the Community Manager for Battleground Games & Hobbies. If you have any questions or inquiries, then you can reach him at Sims@battlegroundgames.com. He is also an avid gamer who loves to play board games and video games. He graduated college with a degree in Political Science, and now serves the public by writing about games. You can check that out here. Don’t forget to “like” him on Facebook as well. It’ll update you on all of his newest content. Best of all, you can follow Simeon on Twitter (@SimeonCortezano) for some real time hilarity. Thanks for reading!
The Extra Life 2015 campaign is underway. Donate today!
Join the Battleground Games & Hobbies community forums!
Please don’t forget to check us out on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @battleground_gh!
Tags: GPT, Magic the Gathering, Modern, mono red burn, MTG, naya burn, Simeon Cortezano
Posted in Blog, Card Games, Events, Featured Author, Featured Post, Magic: The Gathering, Popular Posts | 2 Comments »
This week in Magic: Naya Burn for Modern
Thursday, April 23rd, 2015
Welcome back for another edition of “This week in Magic.” With Grand Prix Las Vegas quickly approaching, GPTs have sprung up in the area to help those going get their byes for what will be one of the most massively attended card tournaments ever (even more than World Series of Poker). I’ve even heard numbers as crazy as 10,000 people attending. This weekend, the Abington location will be hosting a Modern format GPT.
As you may all know by now I’ve been playing Mono Red for almost a year now in Modern and have had moderate success with it. However, since the introduction of Khans to the format, it has evolved from Mono Red, to what is now Naya Burn. I’m sure you can still play Mono Red, however, for this week’s discussion, we’re going to go over some of the reasons to play Naya Burn over Mono Red Burn.
In case you’ve been wondering, here is what I’ve been playing lately:
Main Board
4x Goblin Guide
4x Monastery Swiftspear
4x Eidolon of the Great Revel
2x Grim Lavamancer
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Lava Spike
3x Rift Bolt
2x Skullcrack
4x Boros Charm
4x Atarka’s Command
2x Lightning Helix
2x Shard Volley
2x Searing Blaze
3x Mountain
4x Scalding Tarn
4x Wooded Foothill
4x Bloodstained Mire
1x Stomping Ground
3x Sacred Foundry
Side Board:
3x Destructive Revelry
1x Lightning Helix
2x Path to Exile
2x Deflecting Palm
2x Skull Crack
3x Molten Rain
2x Kor Firewalker
Why play Naya over Mono Red?
One of the best additions to the deck has been Atarka’s Command. With the current creature package Burn plays with, this is one of the most back breaking spells in the deck. Imagine this, on turn one you play a fetch land, sac the land getting a Stomping Ground, play a Goblin Guide and swing for two damage. On your second turn you play another land, cast a Monastery Swiftspear, cast a Lava Spike triggering the Swiftspear’s prowess ability and attack with both creatures. By now you’ve done nine damage. One your third turn, with Atarka’s Command, the potential to kill your opponent is extremely high as opposed to not having the command.
Green also allows you to play Destructive Revelry. This card has really changed the way the deck plays and how other play against the deck post-board. While Leyline of Sanctity is still very painful to watch hit the battlefield against you, thanks to Destructive Revelry, it doesn’t mean an auto loss. The fact that Destructive Revelry has the ability to hit both artifacts and enchantments makes it more versatile than something like Smash to Smithereens.
White is provides even more reach thanks to spells like Path to Exile and Kor Firewalker for the mirror. The other week, I played against someone who was able to land a turn two Kor Firewalker against me. Needless to say, they weren’t happy when I play a Path on my following turn and then proceeded to win the match because of it. Path answers so many problems that conventional burn spells can’t. For example, Siege Rhino, a 4/5 which has been running rampant in the Modern format, is something that a Lightning Bolt can’t handle. However, a Path can answer it without any problem. Add to the fact that Path only costs one white to cast, and now Burn players can breath a sigh of relief.
Playing white in the main board means that Burn players can have access to better burn spells such a Boros Charm and Lightning Helix. Charm has easily replaces Flames of the Blood Hand as the better four damage burn spell thank to the fact that it only costs two mana to play. Lightning Helix’s ability to gain you life is such a big life swing it makes it worth playing. However, that’s all it has going for it. That’s why people tend to only play a couple copies of the spell as opposed to a full set of four. Gaining life is almost not worth the inconsistency the card adds to the deck thanks to the two colors needed.
For what it’s worth, I’d suggest playing the Naya Burn list over Mono Red because of the amount of options the colors open up for the player.
Who made the cut?
Of course with the introduction of a full playset of Atarka’s Command, we had to find room in the deck somewhere. It’s hard to tell, but some of the major cuts I’ve made have been to Rift Bolt, Searing Blaze, and Skull Crack. First of all, let’s start with why I made a cut to one of the best “one mana” spells in the deck.
First of all, it doesn’t cost one mana. It never has cost one mana. It will never cost one mana to cast. Unless it’s in your hand within the first couple of turns, Rift Bolt costs three mana to play. However, there are certain situations where the spell will costs you one mana late in the game, but at this point you’re so far in control is doesn’t matter. I felt that because it really doesn’t cost you one mana to cast that I could afford to cut one, but only one.
The next spell on my list was Skull Crack. I felt like having a full set of both seemed redundant, but thanks to the pumping effects of the the Command, it garnered enough attention to play a set. For now, I’ve split up the Skull Cracks with two in the main and two in the side. As for the side board. I’m uncertain about how much longer they will stay there. For now, I don’t mind them taking up slots. They help against the Spellskite plans people love to play against burn. Remember, Skull Crack can only hit another player. So activating a Spellskite doesn’t help. Well, it helps, but here it only helps the Burn player.
I needed to cut one more card to make room for the full set of Commands. Could I run three Commands? I could have, but it’s probably best that I run four. At this point, Shard Volley may have looked like an okay option, but I think some of you forget that it’s one of the best burn spells in the deck. However, because of it’s major setback of sacrificing a land, we can only sustain two copies of the spell. In the long run, I decided to cut a Searing Blaze. We all know my personal feelings for this card by now. Without Landfall, it is by far the worst burn spells in the deck. In fact, it’s the main reason we’re running an absurd amount of Fetchlands in the deck. Don’t get me wrong. I understand how great the card can be. It’s amazing against Collected Company, Infect, and other weenie aggro decks, but it’s one of the worst cards against some of the top tier decks in the game right now. Even worse, it has less of an impact on it’s own.
Well with that we’re going to leave things here and pick up next week. Tune in when we’ll touch upon the side board and our options for different matchups in the meta. Thanks for reading!
About the author
Simeon is now the Community Manager for Battleground Games & Hobbies. If you have any questions or inquiries, then you can reach him at Sims@battlegroundgames.com. He is also an avid gamer who loves to play board games and video games. He graduated college with a degree in Political Science, and now serves the public by writing about games. You can check that out here. Don’t forget to “like” him on Facebook as well. It’ll update you on all of his newest content. Best of all, you can follow Simeon on Twitter (@SimeonCortezano) for some real time hilarity. Thanks for reading!
The Extra Life 2015 campaign is underway. Donate today!
Join the Battleground Games & Hobbies community forums!
Please don’t forget to check us out on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @battleground_gh!
Tags: burn, GP las vegas, GPT, Modern, mono red, naya burn, Simeon Cortezano
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This week in Magic: Dragons of Tarkir Game Day
Thursday, April 16th, 2015
Hello and welcome to another edition of “This week in Magic.” Game Day is coming upon us very quickly. In fact, it’s this weekend. I’m sure plenty of you out there are still wondering what to play. In all honesty, Game Day is a tournament that is meant to bring out the creativeness of the deck builders out there. Game Day is a day meant to try your creations out, and try not to meta-game the field as if you’re playing in a GP. It’s all about fun. With all that being said, I’m sure there is a vast majority of you who will still scramble to find something. So here are a few suggestions I have to offer.
UB Control
I’ve been playing this list for about a week now and have had quite a bit of success with it. I took it the the PPTQ held at the Abington store and piloted it to a Top 4 finish. I recently took it to the Ugin Standard tournament with about 21 players and went 4-1. It’s been a long time since I’ve felt comfortable with a deck, let alone one that is control.
One of the big pros about the deck is that many opponents have told me that it’s very hard to side board against. I can see this considering how hard it is to play against. It just seems to have all of the answers. Thanks to the re-introduction of ultimate price, killing creatures has gotten a lot easier. Therefore relieving a lot of pressure on my end.
However, don’t be fooled by my successsragy. The deck is hard to play. The only real advice I have to get better with the deck is to keep playing it. It’s one of those things where experience is one of the keys to winning with the deck. For example, casting Dig Through Time doesn’t always provide you with a clear answer. There have been a few times where a Dig has provided me with plenty of options. It’s knowing which one is the best that will lead you to victory.
Mono Red Aggro
Mono Red Aggro is always something I know I can fall back on. Of course, there are some who may say I’m a little biased. For now, put those thoughts aside. Monok Red is the real deal. I mean, it did take down the latest Pro Tour. That version splashed Green, but that was mainly for Atarka’s Command – a card that is seeing much more play in Standard.
What makes this deck a winner is how fast it can win. How fast can it win, you ask? It wins under the turn five mark. This is huge because it avoids board wipes such as End Hostilities and Crux of Faith. More importantly, a lot of other decks need more time to establish themselves on the battlefield. The case with Mono Red is that it tries to kill you before you’ve settled in.
Red has always been a reliable color to go to whenever a new meta comes out. However, the major downfall of the deck, in many cases, is how quickly other decks can adapt to the Mono Red strategy. The key to beating Mono Red, in my opinion, is to be able to survive the first three turns. Once you’ve made it past that point, you can feel more confident in your plays. If you can force them into a position where they feel they need to kill you before turn five or sooner, then you’ve accomplished your mission. It’s in these cases that they tend to empty their hands sooner than they would like putting them in a poor position.
Mono Green Devotion
Or sometimes known as GR Devotion. The red in this case is actually a splash for Dragonlord Atarka. If I can play a mono colored deck over any other, then chances are that I will. Reason being is that it’s such a break from tri-colored decks where mana can get a little out of hand. So Why play Mono Green? These creatures are huge! No other color can really compete to tell you the truth. Not only are they huge, but they can be cheap considering the amount of ramp Green has at it’s disposal – Elves, Caryatids, Satyrs.
Elves, Caryatids, and Satyrs alone can stop the early onslaught of weenie decks and Mono Red. Later on it can get out of hand as creatures hit the battlefield that are well out of a Red player’s burn range. The deck can be overwhelming for most opponents which can also mean the end for them.
So what about a downside? Aside from bad draws, I can’t really see one. The game plan is simple: play smaller guys to make bigger guys then swing with the big guys. If there is anything bad about the deck it could be how weak susceptible you are to board wipers. Well you’ll be happy to know that we all are. Get some practice in and learn how to play around them. You’ll be just fine.
Well that’s it for now. Remember to go out and take a shot at your local game day. We’ll be hosting two of them! If there is anything in particular that you’d like me to cover, then drop me a line.
About the author
Simeon is now the Community Manager for Battleground Games & Hobbies. If you have any questions or inquiries, then you can reach him at Sims@battlegroundgames.com. He is also an avid gamer who loves to play board games and video games. He graduated college with a degree in Political Science, and now serves the public by writing about games. You can check that out here. Don’t forget to “like” him on Facebook as well. It’ll update you on all of his newest content. Best of all, you can follow Simeon on Twitter (@SimeonCortezano) for some real time hilarity. Thanks for reading!
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Tags: Dragons of Tarkir, Game Day, Magic the Gathering, MTG, Simeon Cortezano
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