Mono Red Heroic

The most unlikely heroic color got a BIG boost in Journey Into Nyx....

Specifically, Satyr Hoplite. He really makes this deck click. Pretty much any starting hand with him and a mountain to play him is worth keeping.

For just one red mana, you get a creature that can...

...trigger Ordeal of Purphoros in two swings, and deal 3 and then 4 damage himself during those swings.
...outright kill a 2-toughness creature on Turn 2 and then swing for 2 with Fall of the Hammer.
...swing for at least 5 with a single Madcap Skills or Titan's Strength, as early as Turn 2.
...swing for 6 as early as Turn 2 with Armed.

And that's just what you can do the turn after you play him. Imagine a couple turns like that.

You've also got another nice heroic creature in Arena Athlete. He doesn't get pumped, but he removes key blockers if you target him. Turn 1 Hoplite, Turn 2 Athlete, Turn 3 Coordinated Assault with as much as two mana open for other tricks/burn can be a devastating start.

But the other creatures are no slouches either. Ash Zealot and her first strike are brutal when pumped by the myriad of spells here, and while Rakdos Cakcler and Gore-House Chainwalker are mostly here for their nice interaction with Ordeal of Purphoros, they are very aggressive beaters in their own right, as many RDW players can attest. They may be dwarfed a bit by Satyr's Hoplite's potential here, but they're just fine to throw into battle too!

And check out the mana curve: other than Hammer of Purphoros, nothing in the main deck costs more than 2 mana. Speed is obviously the name of the game, and this deck can deliver.

What do you think? Red's not looking so bad for heroic now, is it?

• Standard
• Heroic
• Mono Red
• Fast