Dies to Removal

Critique my Boros deck and I expect no less than complete honesty and some ass ripping for bad choices:

[deck]Creatures
4 Firedrinker Satyr
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Firefist Striker
4 Gore-House Chainwalker
3 Viashino Firstblade

Spells
2 Chandra, Pyromaster
1 Hammer of Purphoros
3 Legion's Initiative
4 Boros Charm
3 Magma Jet

Lands
4 Sacred Foundry
3 Temple of Triumph
2 Mutavault
11 Mountain
4 Plains

Sideboard
4 Mizzium Mortars
3 Burning Earth
3 Chained to the Rocks
2 Act of Treason
3 Frostborn Weird[/deck]


Reasons for this deck:

1. I want to make some use of Legion's Initiative in a playable red deck.
2. My meta jumps on every control bandwagon and I want to trollolol them with Initiative and Charms.

Testing wise it's been doing exactly what it needs
to do against UW and Esper.

You don't have enough first turn red for 8 one drops.

Viashino firstblade is just a bad card altogether.

A 24 land deck that curves it's creatures at 3 and only has 23 creatures (with BTE?) is going to stall out quick. At 24 lands, you should be considering some number of 4-5 drops. Chandra isn't digging you to anything powerful either.

4 boros charm and 3 legion's is a bit much defense. Overall you have too much support with not enough supporting it.

Basically, if you're trying to go small with legion support, chop lands and fix your mana base, add creatures, ween your support. And if you're using BTE, really consider some more batallion?

It's definitely a work in progress.

1. I was trying out Viashino with its synergy with Initiative. My meta tends to run a lot of Smiters and green decks, so it comes out as a creature they block and trade, or take lots of damage. If any case, I don't mind trading them in for Chandra's Phoenix.
2. I originally had two hammers to be able to work with 24 lands, but I can definitely cut down on another land now.
3. I tried to look into some four drops, but didn't find anything that really fit. Maybe Fanatics, but if this really is suppose to troll control decks, I suppose Stormbreath Dragon fits in.
4. It's definitely more defensive than your average aggro, but like I said it's more to troll the opponent for ever able to kill things. I can take off one charm and one Initiative for two dragons.
5. Creatures I had to cut included Truefire Paladin and Akroan Hoplite because of the mana requirement.


For now it'll
look like this:

[deck]Creatures
4 Firedrinker Satyr
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Firefist Striker
4 Gore-House Chainwalker
3 Chandra's Phoenix
2 Stormbreath Dragon

Spells
2 Chandra, Pyromaster
1 Hammer of Purphoros
2 Legion's Initiative
3 Boros Charm
3 Magma Jet

Lands
4 Sacred Foundry
3 Temple of Triumph
2 Mutavault
12 Mountain
3 Plains

Sideboard
4 Mizzium Mortars
3 Burning Earth
3 Chained to the Rocks
2 Act of Treason
3 Frostborn Weird[/deck]

I'm still having a hard time coming down on the white sources. Ten sources already feels low.

If you're trolling control, I don't think you need to do much different than be RDW or BAI right now. If they do wrath, play a couple more guys, maybe with haste, watch them cry again. You don't really need the defense.

Still, if the idea is just hating on verdict, drop non charm burn, chandra, her phoenix, a land (mutavault, you need to cast spells more than have the sometimes creature). Right now, you're weak to your own burning earth. 10-12 white is ok if all you are doing is playing legion's or boros charm for defense by turn 3-4.

Here's a list that Zemanjaski posted a week or so ago if you are interested.

[deck]4 Burning Tree Emissary
4 Dryad Militant
4 Firedrinker Satyr
4 Firefist Striker
4 Gore-House Chainwalker
4 Legion Loyalist
4 Rakdos Cackler

4 Boros Charm
4 Chained to the Rocks
4 Dynacharge

4 Sacred Foundry
4 Stomping Ground
4 Temple Garden
5 Mountain
3 Plains

Sideboard
4 Act of
Treason
4 Boros Reckoner
2 Flames of the Firebrand
2 Legion's Initiative
2 Pacifism
1 Wear // Tear[/deck]

And then swap chained to the rocks and Legion's initiative and you're good to go. Dump the wear // tear because you need more chained vs everything else.

RDW and midrange will eat you alive game 1. If you're ok with that just to troll control more, go for it. You could switch dynacharge but it's so good for this type of deck.

Wow I really like that list. Thanks, although I should be thanking Zem too.

Not having a non-creature means of interacting with PW's (other than the Charm you are holding up against Verdict) is an issue with the loss of Oblivion Ring. JAoT is going to be frustrating as hell...

At what point with that deck does your opponent have the time to tap out for Jace and not instantly lose?

At what point with that deck does your opponent have the time to tap out for Jace and not instantly lose?

at the point after he wrathed you, while you had no boros charm on your hand or mana open?

Assuming they do wrath and you didn't have protection, then you play two more guys and if they Jace the turn after with +1, you have dynacharge and legion's initiative to counter the -1 power and finish UWx off. And of course boros charm. And the fact that almost all your creatures have more than 1 power.

Jace doesn't hurt the deck near enough for control to drop it turn 4 or 5 on a populated board when they've been bleeding life the first three turns.

So, Adrian Sullivan was rocking this and Top 4'd the SCGO in Milwaukee.

[deck]
Creatures (24)
4 Ash Zealot
4 Boros Reckoner
4 Chandra's Phoenix
4 Firedrinker Satyr
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Stormbreath Dragon

Planeswalkers (2)
2 Chandra, Pyromaster

Lands (25)
13 Mountain
4 Mutavault
4 Sacred Foundry
4 Temple of Triumph

Spells (9)
3 Boros Charm
4 Lightning Strike
2 Mizzium Mortars

Sideboard (15)
3 Frostburn Weird
3 Chained to the Rocks
1 Boros Charm
1 Chandra's Outrage
3 Shock
1 Wear // Tear
1 Tajic, Blade of the Legion
2 Mizzium Mortars[/deck]

I think this is the appropriate place to discuss it. I'd really like to work on this deck. This was kind of the direction my testing was leading me anyway.

At first glance, I think the sideboard is a mess, and that's what needs to be fixed first.

I like the Wear // Tear inclusion as the pro tour has shown us that hexproof auras is still a thing (ugh)

This looks better to me:

Adam Jansen
Pro Tour Theros - Standard

[deck]
Lands (25)
13 Mountain
4 Mutavault
4 Sacred Foundry
4 Temple of Triumph

Creatures (23)
4 Ash Zealot
4 Boros Reckoner
4 Chandra's Phoenix
4 Firedrinker Satyr
4 Rakdos Cackler
3 Stormbreath Dragon

Spells (12)
4 Boros Charm
2 Chandra, Pyromaster
4 Lightning Strike
2 Mizzium Mortars

Sideboard (15)
1 Assemble the Legion
2 Burning Earth
4 Chained to the Rocks
2 Mizzium Mortars
3 Shock
1 Stormbreath Dragon
2 Wear // Tear[/deck]

I'm considering moving away from Young Pyromancer now that the meta is starting to adjust to him. Here's a list I'm thinking of going with.

[deck]
Creatures (20)
4 Firedrinker Satyr
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Ash Zealot
4 Chandra's Phoenix
4 Skynight Legionnaire

Spells (17)
3 Chained to the Rocks
4 Magma Jet
4 Lightning Strike
4 Boros Charm
2 Chandra, Pyromaster

Lands (23)
4 Sacred Foundry
4 Temple of Triumph
2 Boros Guildgate
4 Mutavault
9 Mountain
[/deck]

Some things I'm considering include some number of maindeck Mizzium Mortars, a third Chandra, cutting a land, and fewer Boros Charm. I like four damage for two mana plus indestructible against sweepers, but it's suboptimal in aggro mirrors which makes having four a little rough. I'm not sure I like having Mizzium Mortars mainboard because I already have Chained and both it and Mortars are totally dead against UW. I'd probably rather have
Warleader's Helix or even Flames of the Firebrand. The latter is a way to deal with Nightveil Specter and does serious work on Master tokens and WW.

Yep, -1 Boros Charm, -1 Mountain, +2 Flames of the Firebrand.

Also, sideboard:

[deck]
1 Chained to the Rocks
2 Glare of Heresy
2 Last Breath
3 Mizzium Mortars
4 Skullcrack
1 Boros Charm
2 Peak Eruption
[/deck]