Simon says Sligh

 

In preparation for SCG: Dallas (really Fort Worth but ok) I have been looking over standard decks to play.

 

My last foray into standard was at the Ohio Invitational with the below decklist:  

 

Standard Decklist

Maindeck:

 

Creatures (27)

4 Firedrinker Satyr

4 Foundry Street Denizen

3 Legion Loyalist

4 Rakdos Cackler

4 Burning Tree Emissary

4 Firefist Striker

4 Ash Zealot

Lands (17)

17 Mountain

 

Spells (16)

4 Madcap Skills

4 Lightning Strike

4 Shock

4 Titan's Strength 

 

Sideboard (15):

 

3 Gore House Chain Walker 

4 Searing Blood

4 Skullcrack

2 Mizzium Mortars

2 Seismic Stomp

 

For Dallas the three decks that I have been looking at with the most interest are Mono Red, Boss Sligh and Mono Blue. None of these got anything super flashy from M15 but they got a few small role players to fit into the deck or sideboard. I have played 0 games of standard since the invitational so my preference is to play a deck that is the same or similar to one I have already played before (thus Mono Red, Boss Sligh or Mono Blue) and all the better if it happens to be well positioned.

 

Here are the lists that I am thinking about trying out:

 

Simon says Sligh Decklist

Maindeck:

Creatures (27)

4 Firedrinker Satyr

4 Foundry Street Denizen

3 Legion Loyalist

4 Rakdos Cackler

3 Burning Tree Emissary --> Not running 4 seems really odd...

4 Firefist Striker

3 Ash Zealot

2 Frenzied Goblin --> I want to make blocking as difficult as possible for my opponent but I don't want to reduce the power of my creatures too much.

Lands (17)

17 Mountain

 

Spells (16)

4 Madcap Skills

4 Lightning Strike

4 Shock

3 Titan's Strength

1 Hammerhand  -->  Again I want to make blocking as difficult as possible for my opponent but I want to be able to get the opponent dead. Hammerhand is good at stopping your opponents creatures from blocking while you get your Frenzied Goblins and Firefist Strikers online.

 

Sideboard (15):

 

1 Harness by Force --> Harness seems like a good out to huge monsters. I think it is probably good on the draw versus decks with giant monsters. Allowing you to undo them trying to race you.

2 Borderland Marauder / 2 Eidolon of the Great Revel --> Borderland Marauder seems like a strict upgrade to Gore House Chain Walker. Eidolon is better in many ways BUT he doesn't get played off of Burning Tree Emissary.

4 Searing Blood --> Searing Blood + Skullcrack were the best cards in my sideboard at the Ohio Invitational. I probably wont be leaving home without these little guys.

4 Skullcrack

2 Mizzium Mortars / 2 Stoke the Flames --> Stoke the Flames goes to the face which may give it the nod over Mizzium Mortars. Though I am unsure about tapping down our team to be able to kill their Blood Baron, etc.

1 Seismic Stomp

1 Scouring Sands / 1 Forge Devil --> Hedging somewhat for the mirror esque matches and even versus mono blue.

 

 

Boss Sligh

 

Creatures (25)

 

4 Akroan Crusader --> I have not yet played with this little guy so it is quite tempting to try this deck out.

4 Ash Zealot

4 Firedrinker Satyr

3 Frenzied Goblin

4 Legion Loyalist

4 Rakdos Cackler

2 Rubblebelt Maaka

 

Lands (18)

 

18 Mountain

 

Spells (17)

 

4 Dragon Mantle

3 Hammerhand

4 Madcap Skills

2 Stoke the Flames --> This seems very well positioned in this deck since you can just convoke it out. I don't like losing all of the other removal though.

4 Titan's Strength

 

Sideboard (15):

 

2 Phyrexian Revoker --> Not sure how much I like this little guy though he is very disruptive.
2 Forge Devil
2 Goblin Rabblemaster --> He seems very powerful v. control though his high mana cost is a little worrying.
3 Eidolon of the Great Revel
3 Skullcrack
1 Harness by Force
1 Seismic Stomp
1 Mutavault

Mono Blue Decklist

 

Creatures (28)

 

4 Cloudfin Raptor

4 Frostburn Weird

4 Judge's Familiar

4 Master of Waves

4 Nightveil Specter

4 Tidebinder Mage

4 Thassa, God of the Sea

 

Lands (25)

 

20 Island

4 Mutavault

1 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx

 

Spells (7)

 

1 Domestication

1 Cyclonic Rift

3 Rapid Hybridization

1 Hall of Triumph

1 Bident of Thassa

 

Sideboard (15):

 

1 Claustrophobia

2 Domestication
1 Dispel
2 Dissolve
3 Gainsay
1 Mizzium Skin
2 Negate
1 Bident of Thassa
1 Jace, Architect of Thought
1 Jace, Memory Adept

Oh did I say mono blue got anything from M15...well it didn't aside from Jace, the Living Guildpact. Which does have potential but I am not 100% sure how good it actually is. He seems excellent when you are ahead or at parity on the board since he allows you to out tempo your opponent but in every other position he stops you losing but doesn't really add much to the board. I think Jace, Architect of Thought is probably just better at the moment.

I will also be looking forward to picking up my Tom Ross token (though I am going to need 10 of them). :)

-Cheers-