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Thread: RBW Dega

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    RBW Dega

    Ive been developing a Dark Boros deck for a while now and have been slowly tweaking it. I need to do more testing to it to manage the final small changes. Overall its a solid build on its own currently.

    Main Board 60 Cards

    4 Grim Lavamancer
    4 Goblin Guide
    4 Zealous Zealot
    4 Dark Confidant
    4 Soulfire Grand Master
    4 Boros Reckoner

    4 Thoughtseize
    4 Lightning Bolt
    3 Lightning Helix
    4 Blightning

    4 Arid Mesa
    4 Marsh Flats
    4 Sacred Foundry
    4 Blood Crypt
    3 Mountain
    1 Plain
    1 Swamp


    Side Board 15 Cards

    4 Stigma Lasher
    4 Fulminator Mage
    3 Path to Exile
    1 Hide / Seek
    2 Wear / Tear
    1 Dreadbore

    The main deck is built for fast aggro with low cost creatures that will have high impact on the board. Board support takes care of life lose, creature control, and hand control.
    There are considerations of additions that I have had but I like to keep this deck mainstreamed to predominately be red.

    With the inclusion of Soulfire Grand Master I took out Basilisk Collar. I also switched Tidehollow Sculler for blightning, which should grant me 2 discards, 3 damage, and 3 life gain when Soulfire Grand Master is in play.
    Last edited by ghostfire86; 10-04-2015 at 03:23 PM. Reason: Update Deck

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    Re: RBW Dega

    The list seems pretty solid. I'm assuming the "Zealous Zealot" is [cards]Ash Zealot[/card], which seems pretty good in a world of Snapcaster Mages.

    Without any actual testing of the list, here are my initial thoughts:

    Vexing Devil seems suspect. It suffers from the same problem it always has, namely that the opponent will always choose the mode that they are better equipped to handle. I think there might be a WBR (Dega) list out there for the Devil though, possibly fetching multiples with Ranger of Eos and recurring them with Orzhov Charm or Proclamation of Rebirth.

    Boros Reckoner might be a little slow for the format. Also, he's just not the force that he was in Standard, the removal in Modern (outside of Lightning Bolt) tends to be non-damage-based (e.g. Path to Exile, Abrupt Decay, Vapor Snag, etc.).

    I'd probably look to replace both Vexing Devil and Boros Reckoner with other low cost threats. Tidehollow Sculler comes to mind as a reasonable piece of disruption with legs, though the mana cost is perhaps a little prohibitive (assuming you want to stick with the heavy red base).

    Terminate and Dreadbore are fine cards. I think Terminate is the better of the two in Modern, at the moment. I'd be more inclined to run other options though. The 4th Lightning Helix seems like a decent choice, but I could also see an argument for Magma Jet (it's nice to set up a cheaper flip for Dark Confidant) or Path to Exile (cheaper, instant, still handles most everything you'd specifically want Terminate for).

    As for the sideboard, I guess it depends what you're expecting the meta to look like, but I feel like Blood Moon and Fulminator Mage is a bit excessive. I'd be more inclined to run Molten Rain in this style of deck, but Blood Moon might just be the better choice overall. Also, while Hide / Seek is really cute, I think Wear / Tear is likely to serve you better. I'd also perhaps consider Rakdos Charm as a versatile piece of yard/artifact hate that can randomly just destroy an over-zealous Twin player and Shattering Spree alongside a copy of Kataki, War's Wage might help you destroy Affinity.

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    Re: RBW Dega

    For the main board I'm thinking that a 4th lightning helix and dropping the 1 dreadbore would be better for overall life sustainment in addition to burning the opponent.

    Vexing Devil does give your opponent the option of choice that would better suite there situation at that time. I use him in a number of other decks and my overall experience is its a really good lightning bolt or a cheap beat stick. Each serves my purposes.

    Boros Reckoner fit the color pattern while being a moderate sized creature that makes most opponents rethink attacking or blocking. I don't really want this to be control deck relying on cards like thalia, guardian of thraben. If I did this would be a different deck build entirely that already exists.

    Side Board I am tweaking around with. high priest of penance is a horrid card when I think of the fact that for it to be of use it needs damage. hide/seek is great but your right wear/tear does what I need. I think I will keep 1 hide/seek for the local Tron Deck. kataki, war's wage is great against affinity, but I usually have mixed feelings on him none the less.

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    Re: RBW Dega

    Shouldn't you have Path to Exile for Pod and Twin matchups?

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    Re: RBW Dega

    75% of the creatures in the Pod deck list can be killed with lightning bolt, lightning helix, terminate. If they have birthing pod in play the instant sac effect beats path to exile. The concern comes into if they are running sun titan or Sheoldred, Whispering One. In this case you should be side boarding in the rest in peace and hide / seek, wear-tear. Use thoughtseize to force discard key cards that are present at the time. Then aggro rush your opponent for the kill.

    Depending on the type of Pod Deck they are most likely running a lot of non basic lands. In this case side in land hate cards to slow them down in their plays.

    Ive not seen twin/pestermite combo use in my area.

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    Re: RBW Dega

    Quote Originally Posted by ghostfire86 View Post
    What kind of Zealot is it?

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    Re: RBW Dega

    Quote Originally Posted by ghostfire86 View Post
    If they have birthing pod in play the instant sac effect beats path to exile.
    Birthing Pod has timing restriction.

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    Re: RBW Dega

    yeah play it as a sorcery. your right. In any case the current plan still works against birthing pod.

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    Re: RBW Dega

    Continuous issue with life lose due to my own cards vs instead of opponent attacks. Basilisk Collar helped sure up a lot of the hemorrhaging. Overall this build for Dark Boros has proven itself effectively quick and deadly hosting an onslaught of creatures ready for attack.

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    Re: RBW Dega

    Deck updated at the top.

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    Re: RBW Dega

    Have you considered a Prowess-based list? I was brainstorming something for Modern a week or so ago, and seeing this just reminded me of it.

    Here's what I sketched out:


    4 Monastery Swiftspear
    4 Abbot of Keral Keep
    3 Seeker of the Way
    2 Gurmag Angler

    4 Mishra's Bauble
    3 Gitaxian Probe
    3 Crimson Wisps
    2 Defiant Strike
    4 Lightning Bolt
    4 Inquisition of Kozilek
    2 Legion's Initiative
    2 Lingering Souls
    2 Zealous Persecution
    1 Kolaghan's Command

    4 Bloodstained Mire
    4 Arid Mesa
    2 Sacred Foundry
    2 Blood Crypt
    1 Godless Shrine
    3 Blackcleave Cliffs
    2 Mountain
    1 Swamp
    1 Plains

    No sideboard yet, just a rough sketch. I really like the interaction between Legion's Initiative and the Abbots. Something to consider, maybe.
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    Re: RBW Dega

    Quote Originally Posted by Delvis View Post
    Have you considered a Prowess-based list? I was brainstorming something for Modern a week or so ago, and seeing this just reminded me of it.

    Here's what I sketched out:


    4 Monastery Swiftspear
    4 Abbot of Keral Keep
    3 Seeker of the Way
    2 Gurmag Angler

    4 Mishra's Bauble
    3 Gitaxian Probe
    3 Crimson Wisps
    2 Defiant Strike
    4 Lightning Bolt
    4 Inquisition of Kozilek
    2 Legion's Initiative
    2 Lingering Souls
    2 Zealous Persecution
    1 Kolaghan's Command

    4 Bloodstained Mire
    4 Arid Mesa
    2 Sacred Foundry
    2 Blood Crypt
    1 Godless Shrine
    3 Blackcleave Cliffs
    2 Mountain
    1 Swamp
    1 Plains

    No sideboard yet, just a rough sketch. I really like the interaction between Legion's Initiative and the Abbots. Something to consider, maybe.
    My biggest question is "No grim lavamancer?"
    Exploit what you deck does man. Your dropping lots of cards in the grave that should be recycled into some use.
    I agree that the Abbot and Initiatve are nice but if you are to rely on then I would say run 4 Initiatve stream the deck to use initiative better by adding other enter battlefield effects like wall of omens or blade splicer.

    Why Mishra's Bauble? Would be a close second.

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    Re: RBW Dega

    Quote Originally Posted by ghostfire86 View Post
    My biggest question is "No grim lavamancer?"
    Exploit what you deck does man. Your dropping lots of cards in the grave that should be recycled into some use.
    I agree that the Abbot and Initiatve are nice but if you are to rely on then I would say run 4 Initiatve stream the deck to use initiative better by adding other enter battlefield effects like wall of omens or blade splicer.

    Why Mishra's Bauble? Would be a close second.
    Grim's a good idea. He fights with Angler for cards in grave, though, and without Thought Scour I'm concerned about my ability to dump into the grave. I usually play him as a 1-of in my Grixis lists, and that's probably what I would do here, probably cutting a Seeker.

    I like the interaction between Initiative and Abbot but it's purely a value-added thing. Wall of Omens is very far away from what I would want to be doing with this deck, and Blade Splicer has a subpar interaction with it (since you won't get the first token back, and the fresh one won't be able to attack right away). Initiative triggers Prowess and gives a power boost to your aggressive dudes, more or less functioning as a two-mana Glorious Anthem that can help my guys dodge removal and has a nice EV with Abbot. It's entirely possible that the effect of Initiative is so good that I might want 4, but it's never proven itself in a competitive deck so 2 is where I would want to start.

    Mishra's Bauble is to shrink the deck and trigger Prowess, and is a free spell to play off an Abbot, which lets you play him on turn 2 more often, something you don't typically do. Its ability also works well with Abbot, where you can crack it and take a look at the top card to see if it's worth playing your Abbot.

    Another card I'd consider for the main deck is Orzhov Charm, since it's caveat-free removal and the other two modes are very relevant (bouncing your own Abbot for value, reanimating a Swiftspear or Grim). That might take the Lingering Souls slots, and I'd move those to the sideboard because they are simply broken in the matchups where they are good. Dunno. There are lots of card options to consider and I haven't sleeved this up yet. Am strongly considering doing so, though.
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