[Primer] RDW

[Yarpus]

I miss playing Terribald. Never got even partially disappointed with him in RDW's SB. But I guess nobody plays classic control anymore.
Before FNM, strong Control player: So what'cha brewin today? Any crappy cards Yarpus?
Me: Terribald.
Him: Oh God. You are so stupid.

We play the game on FNM, he's Esper Control, I'm RDW with 2 SB Terribalds.
Me: T2 Terribald.
Him: AW SHIET NO, COUNTERSPELL.
Me: T3 Terribald.
Him: Ha Ha Ha. This couldn't be that bad, right? This guy is a crap?
His tears were delicious.

[Lightning_Dolt]

The choice is not between FotFB and BSV in my mind. The choice is between BSV and Thundermaw.

If I wasn't running BSV, I'd be running -2 BSV, -1 PoF, +1 Mountain, +2 TMHK.

On T4 / T5, you punish them for blocking. As long as you are curving out, they'll have to block, then you volley them in the face.

Can't really explain it more than that. You''l have to try it.

[Lightning_Dolt]

So for example (this just happened at FNM), T5, opponent has restoration angel mana up. You run your team (including hellrider) into it. He flashes in angel, your hellrider dies, and you volley him for the rest. Flames of the firebrand was backbreaking on T3, but it was BSV that put the final nail in the coffin.

Lost the match unfortunately. He was on 1 life at the end of gme 3. Apparently drawing 4x restoration angel is better than drawing 4x hellrider.

[Lightning_Dolt]

Thundermaw into double cackling counterpart is a pretty cool play. Scrubbing out vs random shit tonight.

[Valdarith]

Or they could just print a Chandra that's actually playable in the eternal formats. I'd take that.

[Lightning_Dolt]

Or they could just print a Chandra that's actually playable in the eternal formats. I'd take that.

We would all appreciate that lol.

[Platypus]

So, I went 4-1 at the local M14 Game Day with this:

[deck]
Lands (22)
19 Mountain
3 Mutavault

Creatures (28)
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Stromkirk Noble
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Lightning Mauler
4 Firefist Striker
4 Pyreheart Wolf
4 Hellrider

Spells (10)
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Searing Spear
2 Flames of the Firebrand

Sideboard (15)
3 Burning Earth
3 Mizzium Mortars
2 Traitorous Blood
3 Skullcrack
4 Volcanic Strength
[/deck]

I decided on Flames of the Firebrand maindeck instead of Brimstone Volley, because I expected at least a few red-based aggro decks and some other aggro decks. We were only 16 players, so perhaps a bit fewer than usual. Varied metagame, we have casual players and serious players. Surprisingly, no Jund deck in the whole tournament! Very odd, there's always some Jund players around. One BG deck (not sure though), four UWr decks, one plain UW, one Kibler's Gruul deck from WC, and the rest
was various other stuff.

Anyway, some short comments on the matches:

1. Maze's End deck, casual player. No big problems as would be expected. Ended 2-1 though, because I decided to start with a crappy hand second game. The deck was faster than I expected, so I lost. Should have mulliganed and won 2-0 really. Oh well, I'll learn someday. Boarded in Burning Earths (didn't see them) and Skullcrack (against Warleader's Helix, but didn't see those either).

2. UWr, serious player. Don't remember much about this match. 2-1

3. UWr, serious player. Didn't expect to win this one, because he's a good player. And I lost 1-2. It was tight though, got him down to 2 life the third game. Burning Earth gave him trouble and I know he commented to another player that Burning Earth does give UWr some serious problems and it has to be answered.

4. Mono Red, new player. The deck was a pile really, and he had started playing Magic some months ago. Still, he finished 3-2 with the deck so he has potential.
Didn't give me much trouble though, since he didn't even sideboard. 2-0

5. Kibler's WC deck, serious player. Was a bit worried about it because I can't really answer the Hellkites in any way. First game I mulliganed a hand that was maybe keepable, only to get a no-lander and my five card hand had only 2 Mutavaults as lands. Did go with it anyway, since at least I get a 2/2 attacker while I wait for my first Mountain. I lost the game anyway. Got a nut draw second game, first turn Cackler, second turn BTE+BTE+Volcanic Strength on the Cackler, plus third turn Wolf just in case. And in the third game I just have removal for all his threats. So, 2-1. He was surprised that a red deck with only Hellriders as late game cards could do so well this late before the rotation, but well...it just can.

I felt quite confident with the maindeck, but I think I'll drop the Skullcracks for Thunderbolts. We have a lot of UWr decks in
my metagame and Skullcrack really is no answer to Sfinx's Revelations. Thunderbolt takes down Restoration Angels and act as burn finishers at the same time.

[Lightning_Dolt]

Good report. Thanks for this. My buddy went to a PTQ in Chiba this weekend. He hung out with Saito who top 8'd with mono-red. His list had main deck chandra, phoenixes, mizzium mortars etc. Sounds innovative. He wouldn't share the exact list, but it should be up on the mothership website at the end of the week.

[RedNihilist]

I played pretty much the same list as Platypus, with different sideboard choices:

[deck]
Lands (22)
19 Mountain
3 Mutavault

Creatures (28)
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Stromkirk Noble
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Lightning Mauler
4 Firefist Striker
4 Pyreheart Wolf
4 Hellrider

Spells (10)
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Searing Spear
2 Flames of the Firebrand

Sideboard (15)
4 Burning Earth
4 Volcanic Strength
3 Electrickery
3 Hound of Griselbrand
1 Flames of the Firebrand
[/deck]

3 of the best local players where in Poland for Warsaw's GP, so I've got to admit that I know that winning was really feasible.
I expected to see the best players play Esper Control, Aristocrats 2.0 and Big Naya, but only the former showed up and I just dodged him.

The only defeat I faced was against a strange monored build with Legion Loyalist, Ash Zealot, Young Pyromancer, Boros Reckoner, Chandra's Phoenix, Traitorious Act, BSV,
Bonfire, Pillar, Shock, Searing Spear and I don't really know what else... I've won the first game, lost the second to Bonfire with X=2 on T3 into double BSV, and mulliganed to 4 on the last game (while STILL being manaflooded).

In the final game I've faced another fellow red mage who had just took out the Esper Control guy.
He played a more Slighy build with Legion Loyalist, Stromkirk Noble, Rakdos Cackler, Ash Zealot, Lightning Mauler, Chandra's Phoenix, Hellrider and Hellkite and maybe Firefist Striker, but I've won quite easily.
The guy is really nice and I've promised him any spare BTE I can find in my collection.

Also, he made me win my playmat so I can't unlove him ever.

EDIT: I know my report is not that good, but I don't feel like I've met any relevant deck, so I've just skipped it them.

[Lightning_Dolt]

I played pretty much the same list as Platypus, with different sideboard choices:

[deck]
Lands (22)
19 Mountain
3 Mutavault

Creatures (28)
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Stromkirk Noble
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Lightning Mauler
4 Firefist Striker
4 Pyreheart Wolf
4 Hellrider

Spells (10)
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Searing Spear
2 Flames of the Firebrand

Sideboard (15)
4 Burning Earth
4 Volcanic Strength
3 Electrickery
3 Hound of Griselbrand
1 Flames of the Firebrand
[/deck]

3 of the best local players where in Poland for Warsaw's GP, so I've got to admit that I know that winning was really feasible.
I expected to see the best players play Esper Control, Aristocrats 2.0 and Big Naya, but only the former showed up and I just dodged him.

The
only defeat I faced was against a strange monored build with Legion Loyalist, Ash Zealot, Young Pyromancer, Boros Reckoner, Chandra's Phoenix, Traitorious Act, BSV, Bonfire, Pillar, Shock, Searing Spear and I don't really know what else... I've won the first game, lost the second to Bonfire with X=2 on T3 into double BSV, and mulliganed to 4 on the last game (while STILL being manaflooded).

In the final game I've faced another fellow red mage who had just took out the Esper Control guy.
He played a more Slighy build with Legion Loyalist, Stromkirk Noble, Rakdos Cackler, Ash Zealot, Lightning Mauler, Chandra's Phoenix, Hellrider and Hellkite and maybe Firefist Striker, but I've won quite easily.
The guy is really nice and I've promised him any spare BTE I can find in my collection.

Also, he made me win my playmat so I can't unlove him ever.

EDIT: I know my report is not that good, but I don't feel like I've met any relevant deck, so I've just skipped it them.

No
worries man! All reports are valuable and appreciated.

This list took three of the top 8 spots in the modo premier event (including 1st):

http://mtgo-stats.com/decks/70439

Can anyone explain the 1 ofs to me? Especially the faithless looting. I am not getting it.

[RedNihilist]

They just work well with Pyromancers (flashback is always a good thing with him) and Phoenixes (put them in the graveyard, then take them back), but it just doesn't seem like THAT kind of deck.
I'm puzzled as well.

Well, the core of the deck seems to be Pyromancer-Phoenix centered, with 12 + 2 burn spells that work well with the two, and an aggro shell (Cackler + Noble + BTE + Striker) that creates early pressure.
Hellrider is a must, but with only 20 lands you can't play too many of it - I guess he doesn't even expect to play it on curve.
The Faithless Looting just filters extra lands away, I guess - I've seen people trying WIld Guess for the same purpose.

[Platypus]

I'm thinking of having this sideboard for the same maindeck as my GD deck:

[deck]
SB
4 Burning Earth
4 Mizzium Mortars
4 Thunderbolt
3 Volcanic Strength
[/deck]

Burning Earths come in against UWr and Jund.
Thunderbolts against UWr.
Volcanic Strengths against Red-based decks.
Mizzium Mortars against various aggro deck (to get more removal and go a little more towards a control deck) and UWr.

I could possibly take out one Burning Earth and one Thunderbolt, but I'm unsure what to put in instead. Maybe two more Flames of the Firebrand, or perhaps one FotF and a fourth VS?

I have never played against Bant Hexproof decks in my meta. UWr/UW decks are always there. Jund or BG Rock decks are also to be expected. There's always a few aggro decks as well, both Human variants and R/x variants. I think this 75 will cover most of the decks commonly played. I might be able to participate in this week's FNM and will
try it out then.

[Jack]

How do you plan to use Thunderbolt? Is it a direct sub for Spear?
With the description of your meta, it looks pretty good. I could suggest Hound of Griselbrand, as your deck looks like one in which there's space for him. You could also try swapping the mb Flames with 2 of your sb Mortars.

[Platypus]

Pillars are pretty useless against the typical UWr deck. They only hit Snapcaster Mage and direct damage the opponent. Snapcaster isn't much of problem really. Ok, maybe he takes down a creature on the block but he goes down as well (which Augur of Bolas and Restoration Angel don't do). Thunderbolt is better direct damage and take down Angels.

So: 4x Pillar of Flame <-> 4x Thunderbolt.

Then the rest of my sideboard cards. Stromkirk Noble is bad as well, as are the other x/1 creatures, since they all die to Augur of Bolas. Stromkirk Noble is perhaps the worst, the rest have redeeming features. Lightning Mauler helps against Azorius Charm, and Firefist Striker and Pyreheart Wolf help by making blocking harder.

So: 4x Stromkirk Noble <-> 4x Burning Earth.

Mizzium Mortars...I'm not sure what would be best to take out for those. Perhaps 2x Firefist Striker and 1x Pyreheart Wolf, since those are a bit slow.
I want to keep the Lightning Maulers, at least on the play, because of the possible first turn Cackler, second turn BTE+LM play.

So final swap: 2x Firefist Striker, 1x Pyreheart Wolf <-> 3 Mizzium Mortars.

That's my current plan for UWr, I haven't thought much about the other match-ups yet.

FotF are kind of a flex spot, they can certainly be swapped with something from the sideboard depending on the current meta. Hounds would be sweet, but I don't know if I can fit them in the current build. I don't want to drop the Mortars, but I could perhaps fit in 2 in the sideboard somehow.

[Jack]

When boarding, think about how you want your 60 to look for game 2 instead of just putting better cards in. If we didn't do this, we'd never get to boarding in Hound. Hound only has a 2 word text box, so he doesn't seem like a direct answer to anything, but when you compare it and Thunderbolt, the only significant thing that hound lacks is flash. They both kill 4 toughness creatures, they both damage the opponent, and they both won't come down until turn 4. Your opponent gets more choice in what happens with bolt, but Hound is still a good card against control (or almost any deck. I explained this in a post in the KDW thread).
Let's get a discussion on this: given 6 slots, 2 main and 4 side, what numbers of Mortars and FotF should we be playing and where?

[Lightning_Dolt]

When boarding, think about how you want your 60 to look for game 2 instead of just putting better cards in. If we didn't do this, we'd never get to boarding in Hound. Hound only has a 2 word text box, so he doesn't seem like a direct answer to anything, but when you compare it and Thunderbolt, the only significant thing that hound lacks is flash. They both kill 4 toughness creatures, they both damage the opponent, and they both won't come down until turn 4. Your opponent gets more choice in what happens with bolt, but Hound is still a good card against control (or almost any deck. I explained this in a post in the KDW thread).
Let's get a discussion on this: given 6 slots, 2 main and 4 side, what numbers of Mortars and FotF should we be playing and
where?

If you are sure those six slots have to be those cards, I'd say two FotFB in the main, one in the side, and three MM in the side.

[Platypus]

When it comes to sideboarding I can admit right away that I'm not yet at the level of creating separate 60 card lists for different matchups and figure out the sideboard and what to swap from that. At the moment I'm not really sure about the maindeck either, I'm keeping a close eye on the KDW thread as well, because the decks are similar and there's a few things I like about the KDW lists.

Hounds would be sweet and they do take down 4 toughness creatures, and can take down Augurs which Thunderbolt can't. And other stuff as well, would be nice to have against Jund for example. However, having 4 Hellrider, 2-4 Burning Earths (I'd like at least 3 atm), and 2-3 Hounds (4 is too much) the deck might get too top heavy. Ok, Thunderbolts don't really get played early either, so maybe it's a moot point.

I could go with this SB as well:

[deck]SB
3 Burning Earth
4 Mizzium Mortars
3 Hound of Griselbrand
1 Flames of
the Firebrand
4 Volcanic Strength
[/deck]

Edit: The more I think about it, the more I like the Hounds. They're good against lots of decks.

[RDW]

Anyone have any experience with a monored first strike deck? Say, something like:

[deck]Creatures
4 Stonewright
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Ash Zealot
4 Boros Reckoner
4 Mindsparker
4 Chandra's Phoenix
3 Hound of Griselbrand

Spells
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Shock
4 Searing Spear

Land
21 Mountain

Sideboard
1 Mountain
3 Burning Earth
4 Skullcrack
4 Flames of the Firebrand
3 Traiterous Blood[/deck]

w/ SB plan:

Control: -4 PoF, -4 Shock; +4 Skullcrack, +1 Mountain, +3 Burning Earth
Aggro: -4 Rakdos Cackler; +4 FotF
Midrange: mixture of the above +Tblood depending on curve
Hexproof: -4 Shock; +4 Skullcrack

[Platypus]

Any last minute thoughts on this? I'm taking it to the FNM today. Mostly wondering about the SB and land count, I'm planning on boarding in BEs and Hounds against both UWr and Jund. But that gives me 10 4cc cards, so I'm wondering if I should add another Mountain to the SB as well (dropping a VS)? The mana curve still tops out at 4, but the average mana cost rises quite a bit (taking out at least Nobles). I don't want any more lands in the current maindeck.

[deck]
Lands (22)
19 Mountain
3 Mutavault

Creatures (28)
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Stromkirk Noble
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Lightning Mauler
4 Firefist Striker
4 Pyreheart Wolf
4 Hellrider

Spells (10)
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Searing Spear
2 Flames of the Firebrand

Sideboard (15)
3 Burning Earth
4 Mizzium Mortars
3 Hound of Griselbrand
1 Flames of the Firebrand
4 Volcanic Strength
[/deck]

[Jack]

How about instead of a 3rd hound, you play an extra Mutavault in the board?

[Platypus]

^ Wouldn't have helped much today. Went 2-2, a bit disappointed with that really.

First match: UW Control, serious player. First game a Runechanter's Pike equipped Augur of Bolas caused some trouble, but it wasn't enough for him to win with it. Second game I got out two Hounds and there wasn't much he could do after that. 2-0

Second match: UW Detain/exile homebrew, new player. The detains slowed me down a bit, but I had enough removal and can't block effects in both games so it was quite an easy win. 2-0

Third match: BWG token deck, serious player. First game I had to mulligan to 5 (first no land, then all lands, wtf...), still got a somewhat decent hand. Unfortunately, Intangible Virtue hit the table early and I soon got overwhelmed by 2/2 Vigilant spirits. Got him down to 5, but there it ended. In the second game the IV hits early as well, and the game went the same way. 0-2

Fourth match: Some Naya Midrange,
serious player. I just couldn't keep up with the stuff he played. It wasn't even close, biggest problem was Boros Reckoner. Sided perhaps badly in the second game, but I was already tilted so I didn't care too much.

Well, didn't go so well today. Got a bit unlucky in the pairings as well. In the third or fourth match I could have been paired against the Maze's End deck I played first round on Game Day, and I would probably have gone 3-1 then in the end.

Thoughts on the deck...never saw the need for Burning Earth today, but maybe I should have used them in the third match. Today I really would have liked those Legion Loyalists. And Ratchet Bombs in SB would have been great. Hounds were good though. I'm thinking of dropping the maindeck FotFs and the one in the sideboard and move either two Hounds or two Mortars to the maindeck in order to put three Ratchet Bombs in the sideboard.

[Lightning_Dolt]

I went 0-3 at fnm. Matches against Jund, UWR, and U/R delver. My 22 land deck seems to think I need three lands, or eight. Testing all night vs jund and it seems to be continuing to do that. I need to sit it down and have a heart to heart where I explain that I need exactly four lands and no more. Or just stop playing luck based games as I'm getting seriously frustrated. GP in a week. I'm not happy with where I am when I think about that.

[Platypus]

^What was your list?

[Lightning_Dolt]

[Platypus]

Sorry, the picture doesn't show up here.

Edit: ok, now it does.

[RedNihilist]

[deck]
Lands (22)
19 Mountain
3 Mutavault

Creatures (28)
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Stromkirk Noble
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Lightning Mauler
4 Firefist Striker
4 Pyreheart Wolf
4 Hellrider

Spells (10)
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Searing Spear
2 Flames of the Firebrand

Sideboard (15)
4 Burning Earth
3 Electrickery
3 Hound of Griselbrand
1 Flames of the Firebrand
4 Volcanic Strength
[/deck]

1st FNM
I start against a double-splashed (white and green) homebrew Izzet Blitz, after a quick 2-0 the guy asked me for advice and after 6-7 games I recommended him to take out AT LEAST the green splash (he was just playing Farseek and Advent of the Wurm - DAFUQ?).
2-0

Gr stompy: I rush him in the first game, he manages to go big in the second, then gets stuck at two lands in the third game.
2-1

Turbofog / Maze end deck: he was just too slow. T4 killed him in the first game, mulliganed to 6 in
the second in order to get a more explosive hand as I didn't want to start with 4 mountains, started with Mutavault - Firefist Striker - Mountain - Mountain - Mountain - Burning Earth.
2-0 for t3h lulz.

There were 11 players and we only played 3 turns, so I managed to finish second even with a 3-0-0.

2nd FNM at another store
Dega Midrange:
G1: he manages to survive the early game by playing a removal on everything I throw at him, then lands a Baron. I figure out I can't race him so I stop attacking hoping to find some card that can help me out, only to get Bonfired out of the game.
G2: I lack TBlood and Mizzium Mortars in the side, so I try to board in Burning Earth and Hound of Griselbrand in order to have a creature resilient to removal.
I manage to build a good starting board position taking him down to 12, then he drops a Reckoner and I choose to spear him ASAP in fear of some Blasphemous Act trick but that means bidding farewell to my Pyreheart Wolf, he plays
Vampire Nighthawk, I cast Burning Earth, he spends 5 minutes thinking then decides not to scoop and manages to play around it a little thanks to lifelink and Warleader's Helix.
Inevitability is inevitable, though.
G3: he mulls to 4, I punch him to the moon.
2-1

Izzet test deck - this guy is a friend of mine who borrowed a deck I was testing with ideas taken from the brewery thread
[deck]
Lands (20)
10 Mountain
4 Steam Vents
4 Sulfur Falls
2 Hallowed Fountain

Creatures (16)
4 Young Pyromancer
4 Nivix Cyclops
4 Boros Reckoner
4 Guttersnipe

Spells (24)
4 Faithless Looting
3 Desperate Ravings
3 Izzet Charm
4 Shock
4 Pillar of Flames
4 Searing Spear
2 Artful Dodge

Sideboard (15)
2x Think Twice
3x Mizzium Skin
4x Rapid Hybridization
4x Negate
2x Artful dodge (?)[/deck]

I knew the deck inside out, yet he managed to win the second game.
It ended 2-1 for me, at the end of the
day he didn't manage to get over a score of 2-2-0 but he said he found the deck very funny to play.

Domri Naya
She's the girlfriend of the player I fear the most in the whole tournament, and she seems to be piloting his deck.
G1: I start with a Noble, she plays a pilgrim, I swing then pillar the dork, she plays a Voice, I pillar that as well and play a Firefist Striker, she plays a Reckoner, I play Pyreheart Wolf, she casts Domri and removes both the Noble and the Striker ending up without creatures.
I remove the first Domri and a second as well while swinging the Wolf, an Hellrider and a Mutavault, she then lands two Hellkites but gets killed a turn before killing me.
G2: I keep a STUPID hand with Mutavault, Firefist Striker, Volcanic Strength, Mountain, Searing Spear and double Burning Earth, only to draw another Firefist Striker, another Volcanic Strength, another Burning Earth and scooping before getting rightfully killed.
Time to pile shuffle.
G3: I aggro the hell out of her with the usual
can't block / won't block plan, then she overload Mizzium Mortars when our life is 20-5 for me and my hand consists of only a Pillar and the Hellrider who would have closed the match the following turn.
I draw BTE and play it alone.
She starts playing creatures (right now she only had a Smiter) and I just value my BTE too much to block.
I draw a land, another BTE that I instantly cast, she doesn't kill me, I pillar her face, cast Hellrider and kill her with the Hellrider triggers.
Had she seen ANY kind of removal or a Scavenging Ooze, I would have been dead.
2-1

???
I get paired with the aforemontioned that I was in fear of meeting, but being the only two guys at nine points we just split our entrance in the top 4.

-
In the meanwhile my girlfriend had just lost from him and told me that "he's playing some kind of Bant".
Our girlfriends are both 2-1-0 and get paired, he watches the game while I prefer to buy myself a drink.
There's no point in watching girls fight without mud
involved. Also, mine is prettier, nicer and seems like to be stronger as well, as she managed to get in the top 4 with us
-
TOP 4:
I get paired with my girlfriend (Junk Hexproof) while on the other table mr.Bant Guy gets to play against some kind of BG.
I'm losing the third game but Leda (yeah, she's got a name as well) decides to surrender because she felt I had more chances than her.
Girls

Final match.
OHMYGOD THE PAIN.
G1 goes like:
T1 dork
T2 farseek
T3 verdict
T4 thragtusk
T5 zegana
T6 kessig wolf run, strike for a million.

G2 goes like:
T1 dork
T2 farseek
T3 faithmender
- I play burning earth -
T4 thragtusk
T5 thragtusk
T6 restoration on thragtusk
T7 I run away crying

Sometimes you hope
nightmares just vanish into the past.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89esFmj7sZk

With that said, I'm just going to revisit my sideboard as 4 Burning Earth are just too much and I feel like that they nice and all, but I want something more proactive.
Also Electrickery just didn't do anything good for me (I expected to face a certain amount of Aristocrats, but I'm happy they've just seem t have disappeared).

[Lightning_Dolt]

Sorry, the picture doesn't show up here.

Sorry, fixed it. I'm trying to reverse engineer what Saito is playing (since he's not sharing) based on what my friend saw from him at the PTQ. My list was:

[deck]Creatures (24)
4 Stromkirk Noble
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Ash Zealot
4 Young Pyromancer
4 Chandra's Phoenix
4 Hellrider

Spells (14)
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Searing Spear
2 Shock
2 Flames of the Firebrand
2 Chandra, Pyromaster

Lands (22)
4 Mutavault
18 Mountains

Sideboard (15)
4 Burning Earth
3 Mizzium Mortars
3 Skullcrack
3 Volcanic Strength
2 Electricketry[/deck]

After testing all night vs Jund, I've made the following changes:
-1 Mutavault
+1 [card]Mountain[/card:
22fj64l1]
-2 Shock
+2 Stonewright

Not sure if Chandra is actually good, but Saito is playing two in the MD. She seems to die almost immediately, which keeps me guessing as to how good she actually is.

If I continue with this deck, the next changes will probably be:

-1 Chandra, Pyromaster
-1 Pillar of Flame
+2 Shock

Today I am going to test _megafone_'s new list, which can be found here: http://mtgo-stats.com/decks/70827

[Lightning_Dolt]

I'm a fan of this list too:

http://mtgo-stats.com/decks/70828

Well, except the MD Burning Earths.

[LP, of the Fires]

I picked up random scrubs deck at FNM tonight to play matches between rounds and though he was playing Reverbrates which are exactly as aweful as you think they are, his deck had X amount of brimstone volleys and I was content with seeing exactly 1 every game. I'd play this after considering pers pref and all that.

[deck]Creatures (23)
4 Stromkirk Noble
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Ash Zealot
4 Young Pyromancer
4 Chandra's Phoenix
3 Hellrider

Spells (14)
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Searing Spear
2 Shock
3 Brimstone Volley
2 Chandra, Pyromaster
1 Mizzium Mortars

Lands (21)
3 Mutavault
18 Mountains

Sideboard (15)
4 Burning Earth
2 Mizzium Mortars
3 Skullcrack
3 Volcanic Strength
2 Electricketry
1 Mutavault[/deck]

[Valdarith]

21 lands with five four drops? Pretty greedy.

[LP, of the Fires]

I prefer mana screw over flood every day of the week and I'm happy with most games where I'm on 2/3 lands.

Though if I'm being COMPLETELY honest, I really just want to play maindeck mortars and value that much more then a land. I also think it's worth noting that chandra doesn't really care about being cast on curve. She's less important to your overall game plan and is more of a value card that gives you extra angles so if we further lie to ourselves, we're only playing 3 four drops+2 mana sinks.

I am very happy with version of the deck all BS aside though. Low curve, good mana, and 5 decent top end spells that you can curve into but don't need to. Brimstone volley is a lot of reach and makes the young pyro tokens better.

[Platypus]

Based on my experience on GD and the decks I faced yesterday I've done the following changes to my deck:

[deck]
Lands (22)
19 Mountain
3 Mutavault

Creatures (28)
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Stromkirk Noble
2 Legion Loyalist
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Lightning Mauler
3 Firefist Striker
3 Pyreheart Wolf
4 Hellrider

Spells (10)
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Searing Spear
2 Mizzium Mortars

Sideboard (15)
3 Burning Earth
2 Mizzium Mortars
3 Hound of Griselbrand
3 Ratchet Bomb
4 Volcanic Strength
[/deck]

There are at least two token/populate decks in my local meta, and since it seems like people won't change their decks much before the rotation I have to prepare for those two as well. Flames of the Firebrand doesn't cut it, because the Spirit token deck run Intangible Virtues and the other deck creates Centaur and Wurm token (I think the GWB have those as well). So, Ratchet Bombs in the sideboard and two Legion
Loyalists maindeck (I might try to fit in a third in the sideboard as well, probably at the expense of one VS or one BE) to either get past those vigilant tokens or destroy them. Ratchet Bombs act as a general sweeper as well, if needed.

One more possible change might be changing the Pyreheart Wolfs to Chandra' Phoenixes, but I'm unsure about it. Wolves have been good so far.

I might be able to go to one Standard FNM in September before the rotation, and I'll try the above deck then.

Edit: I just realised we have at least three tokens decks running around, the third one being a RW homebrew. So, more reasons for those Legion Loyalists and Ratchet Bombs.

[LP, of the Fires]

Been testing the list I posted above and beat a UW controlly deck after getting my opener of stromkirk>double cackler miracled terminus'd on the second turn.

[Lightning_Dolt]

After some testing vs Jund, _megafone_'s new list is not bad, and probably better than the second list. I would however, change the Faithless Looting to a second Chandra. Faithless Looting is no fun to top deck, when you are on top decks.

Today I'll be testing, plain, normal, average RDW to see if maybe I'm trying to hard to be innovative and play something sexy. Sometimes the old ways are the best ways.

[LP, of the Fires]

I will say that I'm a convert to young pyromancer and have enjoyed not playing burning-tree emissary. Brimstone volley has also been 10/10 all day.

[Lightning_Dolt]

I will say that I'm a convert to young pyromancer and have enjoyed not playing burning-tree emissary. Brimstone volley has also been 10/10 all day.

Do you have a current list?

I was testing this today:

[deck]Creatures (28)
4 Stromkirk Noble
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Burning Tree Emissary
4 Young Pyromaster
4 Firefist Striker
4 Chandra's Phoenix
4 Hellrider

Spells (10)
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Searing Spear
2 Flames of the Firebrand

Lands (22)
3 Mutavault
19 Mountains[/deck]

I thought this deck list was pretty safe, based on averages of what everyone on MODO are playing. However, this build did not play as well as I had imagined it might. It still seems to land screw / flood all the time. I think _Megafone_'s list
might be the current best list. I do not feel good about my GP in six days. Nothing I've played it testing overly well.

Anyone have super-secret meta breaking tech?

[Platypus]

No secrets, but I used the same manabase and curve in my two latest tournaments. And I had very little problems with mana screw/flood. Maybe it's something with your shuffling? A friend of mine nearly always suffers from mana problems, no matter what mana base or curve he uses, and I'm starting to think it has something to do with shuffling techniques.

[Khaospawn]

I will say that I'm a convert to young pyromancer and have enjoyed not playing burning-tree emissary. Brimstone volley has also been 10/10 all day.

Do you have a current list?

I was testing this today:

[deck]Creatures (28)
4 Stromkirk Noble
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Burning Tree Emissary
4 Young Pyromaster
4 Firefist Striker
4 Chandra's Phoenix
4 Hellrider

Spells (10)
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Searing Spear
2 Flames of the Firebrand

Lands (22)
3 Mutavault
19 Mountains[/deck]

I thought this deck list was pretty safe, based on averages of what
everyone on MODO are playing. However, this build did not play as well as I had imagined it might. It still seems to land screw / flood all the time. I think _Megafone_'s list might be the current best list. I do not feel good about my GP in six days. Nothing I've played it testing overly well.

Anyone have super-secret meta breaking tech?

Take out Young Pyromancer and replace it with Lightning Mauler.

[Lightning_Dolt]

No secrets, but I used the same manabase and curve in my two latest tournaments. And I had very little problems with mana screw/flood. Maybe it's something with your shuffling? A friend of mine nearly always suffers from mana problems, no matter what mana base or curve he uses, and I'm starting to think it has something to do with shuffling techniques.

My shuffling technique is 1 pile to count, then 8-12 mashes.

[Platypus]

How do you do those mashes? I usually take about half of the deck from the bottom and then mash it together with the top so that a few cards (those that were in the middle) from the bottom pile don't mash but goes to the top. Then I do the same for about 20 times at least. I hardly ever do pile shuffling, I don't trust that they do any good at all. Pile shuffling can cause some interesting ordering of your deck, if it's very ordered before. Like if you have all lands on top, then do two six-pile shuffles, you end up with a deck with very even distribution of lands. I haven't checked what pile shuffling does to a somewhat randomized deck, but I wouldn't be surprised if the deck ends up being less randomized.

Try doing more mashes, 20+ at least, and see if it makes any difference.