I did it! I finally did it! I broke past the ceiling that has held me down so many times. I made top eight in a large tournament (SCG Los Angeles: Standard Open). I knew that I was a solid competitor and that I could make it far in these events, but I always came up short. I struggled with this a lot. I love this game and would play it regardless of any success at the big tables, but I am competitive, and this validated a few things for me. First, it proved that I was good enough to make it to the final table so to speak. Second, it proved that a list that I built and tuned to the metagame was viable. Third, I was finally able to prove to myself that I could play and beat an established pro. I have played a number of pros and have lost close three-round battles on a number of occasions, but this had only exacerbated my fear that I was a perennial second string player.
That said, let me give you a brief flow of events leading up to the event. I have been running a RW Tokens list that I put together when Theros was released and have had quite a bit of success with it. I won two FNM’s and our game day. That list for anybody interested is this:
[deck title=BRW Midrange v1 by David Moline]
[Lands]
4 Temple of Triumph
4 Sacred Foundry
8 Mountains
8 Plains
[/Lands]
[Creatures]
4 Boros Reckoner
4 Scion of Vitu-Ghazi
3 Purphoros, God of the Forge
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
4 Anger of the Gods
4 Mizzium Mortars
4 Chained to the Rocks
4 Lightning Strike
3 Magma Jet
2 Assemble the Legion
2 Elspeth, Sun’s Champion
1 Spear of Heliod
1 Hammer of Purphoros
[/Spells]
[/deck]
I like this deck, and it is quite good against much of the field, but I didn’t like it against Esper and felt that would be one of the decks to beat at the open. (In the end, I never played against it all day, and I won’t complain.)
I started to mix in some black for hand disruption ([card]Thoughtseize[/card], [card]Rakdos’s Return[/card]) and removal. I then decided I could run Obzedat, Ghost Council; I have loved this card since I saw it in the spoiler and was very giddy over the thought of having it and Purphoros out. I still love the interaction, but I cut Purphoros because it would never be a creature in the deck, and cutting [card]Scion of Vitu-Ghazi[/card] also sapped a lot of its power. [card]Whip of Erebos[/card] seemed like an easy inclusion. with its wonderful interaction with the Ghost Daddy, it put away a lot of games and pulled me out of the fire in plenty of others. [card]Hero’s Downfall[/card] was, in my opinion, the pinnacle of removal in the format and another reason why I wanted black in the deck, and I was not wrong. The card is incredible and never got sided out all day. (I probably would have shaved two in the Esper matchup, but never came across it.) I sprinkled in some more black removal a la [card]Ultimate Price[/card], [card]Doom Blade[/card], and [card]Dreadbore[/card], and viola! You get this spicy collection of powerful cards that gives you good game against all comers.
[deck title=BRW Midrange v2 by David Moline]
[Lands]
4 Temple of Silence
4 Temple of Triumph
4 Sacred Foundry
4 Godless Shrine
4 Blood Crypt
3 Swamps
2 Plains
1 Mountain
[/Lands]
[Creatures]
4 Boros Reckoner
2 Obzedat, Ghost Council
2 Desecration Demon
[/Creatures]
[Spells]
2 Rakdos Keyrunes
2 Rakdos’s Return
3 Anger of the Gods
2 Mizzium Mortars
4 Hero’s Downfall
2 Dreadbore
2 Ultimate Price
1 Doom Blade
2 Whip of Erebos
2 Assemble the Legion
2 Elspeth, Sun’s Champion
[/Spells]
[Sideboard]
3 Duress
2 Thoughtseize
1 Anger of the Gods
2 Blood Baron of Vizkopa
2 Dreadbore
2 Glare of Heresy
2 Wear // Tear
1 Pithing Needle
[/Sideboard]
[/deck]
Some of the numbers may seem odd, but I like to diversify my threats and make them difficult to handle. [card]Obzedat, Ghost Council[/card], was everything I wanted him to be, and very rarely was he not good enough. There were only two maindeck cards that I had all four of; there is no need to go over why [card]Hero’s Downfall[/card] was one, but Reckoner may need some discussion.
I questioned whether Reckoner was really needed or good enough to be in the deck at all, let alone as a four-of. I stand by this choice. Reckoner brick walls so many things and is hard to deal with profitably. He also has some very neat interactions with [card]Whip of Erebos[/card] and [card]Anger of the Gods[/card]. I killed a number of opponents by using [card]Anger of the Gods[/card] against my own Reckoners to deal the final few points of damage. Using the Whip on a Reckoner will almost always get at least three damage through because of its ability to redirect damage. This was quite useful when attacking planeswalkers. The only decks that Reckoner doesn’t shine against are Esper and UW Control. Even in those matchups he is still a threat they have to deal with.
The reason for the split between Anger and [card]Mizzium Mortars[/card] is quite simple: [card]Mizzium Mortars[/card] is the only way you can handle opposing Barons, which are strong against you. Three Mortars in the main aren’t unreasonable either as it deals with a lot of popular cards in the format, including [card]Stormbreath Dragon[/card] and [card]Loxodon Smiter[/card]. I liked [card]Anger of the Gods[/card] more going into this tourney because of Mono-Blue Devotion, Naya Tokens, and GW Aggro. I still think a split of these two cards is best, so depending on what you think you will face more you should tune the numbers accordingly.
The Keyrunes are also very good, but you don’t want too many of them. Likewise, [card]Rakdos’s Return[/card] is a beating against some decks, but against aggressive decks it doesn’t do too much so I wanted to limit that card. It was very good on a number of occasions, but it didn’t shine. Once again this is because of the match ups I faced more than the strength of the card. The same can be said of [card]Thoughtseize[/card].
[card]Dreadbore[/card] is a card that I think is a staple and could be increased to three- or four-of main. It kills everything but [card]Soldier of the Pantheon[/card] and [card]Fiendslayer Paladin[/card] while also taking care of Domri, Xenagos, Jace, Elspeth, and any other planeswalker attempting to get in your way. The two [card]Assemble the Legion[/card] were fantastic, and the ability of this deck to keep the board clear of threats and land this card is very powerful and one of its key points to win. The card single-handedly takes care of Mono-Black Devotion and most of the midrange decks once it gets running.
The two Elspeths, surprisingly, were the weakest of my kill conditions, and I could see these being switched out for a mix of [card]Stormbreath Dragon[/card], Blood Baron, or another Obzedat. Elspeth was by no means a bad card, and it won me a game or two, but most of the time I was wishing for another Assemble or Obzedat. It got sided out more than anything else, but that was because of the aggressive match ups. Going forward, I know that I will most likely be replacing them, but I wouldn’t fault anybody who wanted to keep them in.
The [card]Doom Blade[/card]/[card]Ultimate Price[/card] split seemed spot-on this tournament, but this is another case of a tunable split in favor of whatever match ups you think will be more prevalent. I, personally, will probably go to a one/one split and add the third [card]Mizzium Mortars[/card] in this slot.
The land should be talked about, as I think this was where I made the most glaring mistake. The duals are just fine and are mandatory. What I didn’t think about was that most of the duals tap for white, and the white is only needed in the late game. The basic lands should be all [card]Mountain[/card]s and Swamps, since these are the colors you will want early and untapped for removal. Luckily, I was not punished for this, but I could have been. I personally would run four [card]Mountain[/card]s and two Swamps simply because basic Swamp is the only land in the deck that you cannot use to cast Reckoner, and Reckoner is another card you want to land early.
The sideboard was very good for me all day. I think the only change I would make is to remove the [card]Pithing Needle[/card] and to add another Wear//Tear. One of the scarier cards that can be played against this deck is [card]Burning Earth[/card], and it almost cost me my match against Ben Lundquist. One of the other main reasons to be running [card]Pithing Needle[/card] is for planeswalkers, which this deck is already well-suited to handle with its [card]Dreadbore[/card]s and [card]Hero’s Downfall[/card]s. Cutting one or two Duress for something like [card]Slaughter Games[/card] would also be good. I think [card]Slaughter Games[/card] is well positioned and could put a lot of decks in bad spots.
My list at the tournament itself was slightly different, but that was because I could not find another Keyrune to save my life. This led me to want to cut the second [card]Rakdos’s Return[/card], and instead I put in a couple of [card]Pack Rat[/card]s, which would interact favorably with [card]Whip of Erebos[/card]. They pulled me out of one game, but I would have much preferred to have had the other Keyrune and Return.
Here is a brief list of the match ups and how I would sideboard with a brief explanation of why.
Naya Midrange: -1 [card]Rakdos’s Return[/card], -2 [card]Thoughtseize[/card], -2 [card]Ultimate Price[/card], +1 [card]Anger of the Gods[/card], +2 [card]Dreadbore[/card], +2 [card]Glare of Heresy[/card].
This is pretty straightforward: remove the hand disruption and the two [card]Ultimate Price[/card] because it kills only a couple of creatures in their deck, and add Anger for Voice and a few other early drops; [card]Dreadbore[/card], which kills everything including their planeswalkers if they have them; and [card]Glare of Heresy[/card] for Reckoners, Smiters, [card]Assemble the Legion[/card], Aurelia, Elspeth, and [card]Chained to the Rocks[/card].
UW Control: I boarded incorrectly in this match up because I thought it was Mono-Blue Devotion splashing white. It didn’t matter as I steam-rolled game two anyway. If I had known the match up, I would have sided this way.
-3 [card]Anger of the Gods[/card], -2 [card]Mizzium Mortars[/card], -2 [card]Ultimate Price[/card], -1 [card]Doom Blade[/card], -2 Reckoner, +3 Duress, +2 [card]Thoughtseize[/card], +2 [card]Glare of Heresy[/card], +2 Blood Baron, +1 [card]Pithing Needle[/card]
You want to cut your bad red sweepers and your spot removal that doesn’t hit planeswalkers for added hand disruption and difficult-to-handle threats. I like [card]Glare of Heresy[/card] in this matchup over Wear//Tear because it hits not only [card]Detention Sphere[/card] but Elspeth as well.
Mono-Blue Devotion: -1 [card]Rakdos’s Return[/card], -2 [card]Assemble the Legion[/card], +1 [card]Anger of the Gods[/card], +2 [card]Dreadbore[/card]
I feel like Mono-Blue is in a bad spot against this deck already, and the only things that need to be brought in is the extra [card]Anger of the Gods[/card] and [card]Dreadbore[/card] for [card]Nightveil Specter[/card] and Jace. If you see Bidents or they splash for [card]Detention Sphere[/card]s, then the Wear//Tears are also good to side.
Naya Tokens: -2 [card]Desecration Demon[/card], -2 [card]Rakdos’s Return[/card], -2 [card]Thoughtseize[/card], -1 Keyrune, +2 Wear//Tear, +2 [card]Glare of Heresy[/card], +2 [card]Dreadbore[/card], +1 [card]Anger of the Gods[/card]
This is another match up that I felt was strong. It normally comes down to a board stall, and Obzedat and [card]Whip of Erebos[/card] take over the game. The Demons come out because they don’t match up well with tokens, especially [card]Assemble the Legion[/card]. There is something to be said for keeping in the hand disruption, but most of the other cards eliminate the threats you are worried about and do so without draining your life. I would like to try keeping a [card]Rakdos’s Return[/card] in against them in favor of a Wear//Tear to see if that gives more reach.
Boros Aggro: -2 [card]Thoughtseize[/card], -2 [card]Assemble the Legion[/card], -2 Elspeth, -2 [card]Rakdos’s Return[/card], -1 [card]Obzedat, Ghost Council[/card], +1 [card]Anger of the Gods[/card], +2 Blood Baron, +2 [card]Dreadbore[/card], +2 [card]Glare of Heresy[/card], +2 Wear//Tear
This is an interesting matchup, and I played it twice during the tourney. The first game is difficult but very winnable, especially if you are on the play. The sideboard games get a lot better for you. One of the scariest cards they can play against you is [card]Burning Earth[/card], and for that reason alone I think the sideboard needs a third Wear//Tear. This deck will probably rise in prevalence thanks to its success, and if it does then BWR will be very good to combat that. You want to take out the hand disruption and expensive threats and board in all the removal you can, along with the Blood Barons, which are incredibly good against them.
RW Devotion (Mono-Red splash white): -2 [card]Thoughtseize[/card], -2 Elspeth, -2 [card]Assemble the Legion[/card], -2 Rakdos’s return, +1 [card]Anger of the Gods[/card], +2 [card]Dreadbore[/card], +2 Blood Baron, +2 [card]Wear[/card] // [card]Tear[/card], +1 [card]Glare of Heresy[/card]
This is actually a more difficult match up than the Boros Aggro deck because of its ability to deal direct damage and land large, hasty threats. The sideboarding is pretty much the same as Boros Aggro, but your Glaring Heresy is not as good and neither are your Barons.
BWR Midrange: -3 [card]Anger of the Gods[/card], -1 [card]Doom Blade[/card], -2 [card]Ultimate Price[/card], +2 Blood Baron, +2 [card]Thoughtseize[/card], +2 Duress
This is an interesting matchup, and there are multiple ways to build this color combination so it really depends on what you see. If it’s the more popular version that is a little more creature-centric, then I would board as listed above. The situational removal is bad, and so is the [card]Anger of the Gods[/card]. You replace these with your own difficult-to-kill threats and hand disruption and have a very grindy match.
Mono-Black Devotion: -1 [card]Doom Blade[/card], -3 [card]Anger of the Gods[/card], -2 Keyrune, +2 Blood Baron, +2 [card]Dreadbore[/card], +2 Wear//Tear
This matchup seems fairly good, especially after sideboard. You want to remove any and all [card]Doom Blade[/card]s for obvious reasons and also the [card]Anger of the Gods[/card]. The only relevant thing that it hits is [card]Nightveil Specter[/card], and most of your other removal kills that as well. You want to side in your Blood Barons and [card]Dreadbore[/card]s, and also the Wear//Tears for [card]Underworld Connections[/card], which is strong against you.
Esper Control: -3 [card]Anger of the Gods[/card], -1 [card]Doom Blade[/card], -2 [card]Ultimate Price[/card], -4 [card]Boros Reckoner[/card],-1 [card]Whip of Erebos[/card], +3 Duress, +2 [card]Thoughtseize[/card], +2 [card]Glare of Heresy[/card], +2 Blood Baron, +2 [card]Wear // Tear[/card]
I didn’t play this matchup, but this is how I would board for it. You want to remove all the [card]Anger of the Gods[/card] and any spot removal that doesn’t hit planeswalkers. I would cut the [card]Boros Reckoner[/card]s as they are low impact in this matchup and make room for some very impactful sideboard cards. The [card]Thoughtseize[/card]s and Duresses are self-explanatory. The [card]Glare of Heresy[/card] hits [card]Detention Sphere[/card] as well as Elspeth. The [card]Wear // Tear[/card] is pretty much for [card]Detention Sphere[/card]. The Blood Baron is very good against them as their only way to kill it once it resolves is to play Verdict. It’s interesting to note that in this matchup, you want to keep your Mortars in for opposing Blood Barons.
Before I wrap this up I’d like to give a shout out to everybody who poured out their love and support. The amazing outcry of motivation and well wishes was one of the reasons I was able to keep myself going and rack up the wins. The HeavyMeta SVU tweeted me in full force and kept my confidence high. @KevyMetall was cheering me on the whole way and in general making me feel far cooler than I actually am. My friends Justin, Chris, and James, who went to the tournament with me, were incredibly helpful and pushed me to succeed. My good friend Brian Zunter, who is no stranger to what it takes to make top eight or qualify for the Pro Tour, was also key in helping me figure out my breakers and give me a heads-up on what to expect.
This success has renewed my drive and spirit to compete, and my new goal is to qualify for the Pro Tour or win an SCG Open or Invitational. I hope that you all join me on this quest, which will include my diving into the deep end and tackling Legacy.
I lost in the top eight because of mistakes brought on by fatigue and hunger. I very clearly had the advantage in both games that I lost but made horrible mistakes. The deck had what it takes to go all the way, and I just wish I could have held it together through that one final match of the day. I am very pleased with this list and will keep running it. It’s well positioned against the field and highly adaptable to any metagame, with access to very powerful sideboard options.
I hope that I covered everything. If I missed a match up or you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment and I will address it as soon as I can. You can also hit me up on Twitter. My tag is @raginggumby. I would be more than happy to discuss the deck or anything else you’d like to talk about.