ALSO CONSIDERING Teetering Peaks Unstable Footing
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That is an awesome idea! The only fetchlands I have are x2 Arid Mesa (W), x2 Marsh Flats (W), and x1 Misty Rainforest (U). Is it smart to throw them all in, or is the fact that I only have a couple Plains a problem?? Thanks so much for the perspective and the ideas!
I could tell right away this was an interesting and unique idea. Glad I could help, and good luck with the deck. (I forgot - Surreal Memoir is another Rebound card you might want to try.)
I lol'd at the deckname. Awesome combo - Artillerize and Ichor Wellspring. I do believe I am going to steal that idea. Both cards run for $0.25! *buys*
Cool idea, but I can understand why you're concerned! Personally, I'd double-check that the x2 and x3 spells are necessary and/or why they're at those numbers (x4 is best for activating Pyromancer's Ascension), then I'd playtest, find out which is the least helpful draw/mana spell, and replace 4 of those with 4 more burn spells. Otherwise, you're just drawing/ramping other assisting cards and not any burn! Looking at your mana curve, I can see why having these cards is nice - you basically play everything until you run out of mana each turn, so I wouldn't mess with the mana curve too much, though don't be afraid to put in more 3- or 4-cost spells. Finally, add STAGGERSHOCK - possibly as the replacement x4 I mentioned. It has Rebound, which means Staggershock is effectively a x8 when it comes to activating the Ascension. Rebound is your savior in this deck. You can check the Gatherer for other Rebound spells, but Staggershock is, to my knowledge, the only burny one. When you're playtesting, keep in mind that your deck - in addition to being two-colored - is two-strategied. You need draw cards to get the burn spells, and you need burn spells to win. The trick is to find the balance between these two and pace the deckbuild and your play style accordingly. Too much draw, you are watered down. Too much burn, and you fizzle. (I'm not trying to sound condescending. I just figured I'd give you my opinion of the deck. Sorry for the wall of text!)
I don't think there are any Unearth cards in Standard right now (I'm assuming Standard, since it says Tournament Quality). Good idea, though. You have a valid point, but the same can be said about lots of types of decks. It's not *always* going to stop this deck, though I wholeheartedly agree it won't be fun. What else might you suggest instead of Unearth? Now I'm wondering how can the deck's overall structure and strategy can be tweaked to mitigate this kind of lockdown.
I guess I *was* missing something! I can see how Dread Sanctuary can turn extra mana into a 4/2 creature for one turn. Still, having just 1 is strange. Try adding another for consistency.
"Fairly cheap" "Cards lying around" x3 Goblin Guide >_< Cool deck. I have a more burn-y version that's similar in theory to this one. Kiln Fiend, burn Spells, ect. My advice? Clean up your list a little bit. Scalding Tarn and Arid Mesa are really only best when you use all 8 or none at all. At the price of the life lost, you get steady and predictable landfall and lategame you are less likely to topdeck lands when you need a Lightning Bolt. You have very few Landfall cards, so you're really just paying the life for nothing (the odds for improved draws lategame are small even with 8). Dread Sanctuary? Am I missing something? No, really. It wouldn't hurt to stretch your mana curve a little bit. Everything's 1, 2, or 3-cost! I get it - keeping everything cheap means you can pay for the burn spells when they need it, and ensures lands to pay for abilities like Spikeshot Elder. Right now, you have a lot of answers for the first couple turns, but you'll inevitably run out of steam as the opponent gets higher-cost, more powerful cards, leaving you behind.
I'm thinking about swapping Cunning Sparkmage for Chandra's Spitfire (which I do not own yet). I'd love having the equivalent of two sets of Kiln Fiends. I originally built the deck with the idea that I'd be sniping creatures off the board with Sparkmage + Basilisk Collar, but that didn't happen ONCE in my 10 or so games. Either I hadn't drawn them both before I won or I took care of the creatures with other spells, namely Searing Blaze. What do you think?
Thanks for replying to my deck! I'd love to have Koth and a few Goblin Guides, but unfortunately I don't have the money. But you are right, they would be helpful. ESPECIALLY Koth.
could somebody explain to me what oust is for? is it to reuse the kor's effects or something??
whoa - nomads' assembly! how'd i miss that? thanks, guys.
Why do you say Skitter of Lizards is bad? It's Raging Goblin, but with the added, strengthening Multikicker. But yeah, the Terramorphic Expanses were there to help with Landfall back when this deck had Cosi's Ravager. They're the first to go, trust me. I only have one Basilisk Collar at the moment, but good suggestion - I'll try to get another (they're not exactly cheap, so 2 will have to do).
I was just wondering what a good elemental deck would look like the other day. This is so much better than anything I could have imagined - sweet deck!
... Dang. AWESOME deck. Have you considered Perimeter Captain instead of Valiant Guard? The only downside is that it has defender and your aura cards would be useless on it, but other than that it is superior in every way (except maybe power lol)
Nice deck, but what's with all the life gain cards? Isn't it distracting you from the whole "4-turn kill" focus??