[Deck] Draco Explosion

[ddt15]

Draco Explosion


http://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=12484&type=card http://gatherer.wizards.com/Handlers/Image.ashx?multiverseid=178018&type=card


I've wanted to build a deck around this hilarious combo a long time, here's what I came up with:

The Combo:
4 Erratic Explosion
2 Draco

Search & Draw:
4 Enlightened Tutor
4 Mystical Tutor
4 Brainstorm
3 Ponder
1 Sensei's Divining Top

Protection:
4 Force of Will
4 Daze

Afterburn:
4 Fire/Ice
4 Lightning Bolt
1 Pyrite Spellbomb

Utility:
1 Chain of Vapor

Mana:
4 Lotus Petal
2 Island
4 Flooded Strand
3 Misty Rainforest
4 Tundra
4 Volcanic Island


The concept is simple: get Draco on top of your library, cast Erratic Explosion. This will leave him dead or at low enough life that any of your burn spells are lethal. Getting Draco on top of your library is the simplest with Enlightened Tutor. If you get Draco in hand, get a Brainstorm. The deck can also search with Brainstorm effects/Fetchlands. Mystical Tutor gets you Erratic Explosion, or extra burn/Enlightened Tutor if needed.

Most of the games the opponent will deal at least 1-2 damage to himself by Fetchlands/FoW, this allows you to
throw a single bolt in his face, now you can wait for the ideal opportunity to surprise him with 16 in the face.

Played some games against randoms and the deck is a blast to play, it performs quite decent although it could be because they never seem to see it coming.

No sideboard yet, comments/improvements welcome.

[gvbarroso]

I was working on a draco explosion list as well, and it's clear to me that we must fit it into a countertop shell...

I'm kinda drunk so thats pretty much all I can say for now

We need 4 SDT and 3-4 counterbalance...

[ddt15]

Why spend time setting up CB+Top when you could be setting up EE+Draco?

[Djenin]

I remember Tacosnape working on a deck like this quite some time ago.

Here is the link, it might give you some ideas.

http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?9063-%5BDeck%5D-Dracoplosion&highlight=dracoplosion

[Vacrix]

I've played against a deck like this once. I can't quite recall the exact build but I know for a fact that he played [CARD]Lim-Dul's Vault[/CARDS] and [CARD]Flame Rift[/CARDS]. I don't think he played with Enlightened Tutor. It might seem good but actually I don't think you should play Etutor. The advantage of using LDV is that you can for sure go off on turn 3. Etutor requires you to go off on turn 4.

EDIT:
Yeah just took a look at Taco's list. As usual with his lists, its baller. Try that.

[gvbarroso]

Why spend time setting up CB+Top when you could be setting up EE+Draco?

because you dont play this game alone, honey ;P

other decks will have ways to disrupt your combo...or faster combos that will leave you wondering ''why am I not playing THAT instead?''

thats why I believe draco explosion should be addressed as a combo-control deck, and 4 daze and 4 fow dont do the job by themselves =)

[Renato]

What do you think about Emrakul instead Draco? It is one less damage point, but can enable another win condition.

[AlterEgo]

...and can't be E-tutored because it's not an artifact.

[MMogg]

I have another lame suggestion for you to try, why not test out Long-Term Plans instead of E. Tutor? With Brainstorms and Ponder (the 4th replacing SDT), it would work quite well and could nab any card in your deck. Also, I was wondering if you ever tried Ancient Tomb or City of Traitors? If you were to replace those E. Tutors, that would cut out the need for splashing white and those :2: lands could add some speed.

[Renato]

...and can't be E-tutored because it's not an artifact.

We can use the design of Tacosnape with black to Lim-Dul's Vault and a better sideboard with Tobstalker and Perish to kill green dudes.

[Aleksandr]

Neads moar Mamag Jet

[NiRVeS]

I used to have an unpowered vintage (make that "vintage") deck revolving around Draco-Explosion. It was killed when did restricted Brainstorm though. Anyway, some cards you might consider:
- Dark Ritual + Doomsday. Sets you up for a kill on the next turn.
- Scroll Rack. Seriously, this is very good in conjunction with fetchlands.
- Burn package: I was very happy with Flame Rift, and I used to play 2 Fireblasts as well. Give 'em a try.

And yeah, Lim-Dul's Vault was practically made for this deck :).

Hope this gives you some food for thought,

Tom

EDIT: ow yeah, and you could even include the Emrakul/Shelldock Isle plan if you were to try a doomsday-shell. Sick!

[bleuisforwhimps]

Insidious dreams really, tutors the whole thing in one go at instant speed.would fit nicely in a R/B shell with discard and burn.

[jrsthethird]

Ran something like this in Extended many years ago. It was just U/R with Scroll Rack and Brainstorm to set up the top, Intuition to grab combo pieces (I ran 3 Draco and 3 Explosion) with Fire/Ice and manlands to punch in the extra 4. No FOW at the time so my protection was Counterspell + Mana Leak (didn't run enough Islands for Daze, with the manlands and Shivan Reefs and whatnot). I also had a Cunning Wish board to help when necessary.

I tried to make a list once RotE reminded me of the deck with all the huge CMC guys. How about this idea (very pertinent to me, since I just picked up a set of Trops): splash G instead of W, then you get Worldly Tutor (giving you the option of either Draco or Emrakul as tutor targets), and possible sideboard into a Show and Tell/Eureka strategy (with Emrakul) or Goyf beatdown.

[Meekrab]

...and can't be E-tutored because it's not an artifact.
But since E-Tutor is the only white spell in the deck, so you could just switch Tundras to Trops and run Wordly tutor.

[Willoe]

But since E-Tutor is the only white spell in the deck, so you could just switch Tundras to Trops and run Wordly tutor.

But why use Emrakul? It costs 1 less which equals 1 less damage point. And it cannot function as an alternate win condition since it costs 15 mana. In total, there aren't even that many mana sources in the deck.

If you use a UBR build and put in a single Savannah (fetchable by Misty Rainforest), you'd be able to play Draco for 6 with an upkeep cost of 0. With a Bolt at the opponent's head, Draco's a two turn clock. I think he should be considered a possibility. But that is mainly because piloting a somewhat competitive deck containing Draco as a part of a combo and a win condition by itself would be unspeakably epic.

[freakish777]

I'm still waiting for Wizards to print a 20 mana Sorcery before touching this deck. The second they do, I'm all over it though.

Your deck pretty obviously wants to play Burning Wish:

Erratic Explosion
Flame Rift (4 damage post Explosion, or some other sorcery burn spell, Chain Lightning maybe if you assume your opponent fetches at least once)
Firespout
Shattering Spree
Recoup

If you ditch white for black you get some fantastic sideboard options as well:

Perish
Virtue's Ruin
Duress
Edict effects
Deathmark

In blue you don't actually get a whole lot:

See Beyond (maybe to shuffle back a Draco, you could go to 1 Draco?)
Ancestral Vision (but this just slows the deck down)
Drafna's Restoration (in case you've discarded Draco)
Diabolic Vision
Eye of Nowhere
Exhaustion
Wash Out

[freakish777]

But why use Emrakul? It costs 1 less which equals 1 less damage point. And it cannot function as an alternate win condition since it costs 15 mana. In total, there aren't even that many mana sources in the deck.

You could SB a Show and Tell to BWish for...

[Finn]

Funny you should start this thread now. I was trying out Nightmare's Emrakul deck, Aeon Bridge. I found that I was doing much better when I switched to Blue/Black/Red with Erratic Explosion and Show and Tell as my enablers. Using Lim-Dul's Vault and seeing Erratic Explosion and Emrakul in the same 5-card set is super sexy. Having to find a way to deal the extra 5 damage is not.

[Combo Winter]

I think the best version is a UR control version like from the tempest era extended. Possibly the fire/ice should be firespouts but you need a few points to the face to finish. This is my list.

4 bolt
4 counterspell
3 spell snare
4 scroll rack
3 tfk
4 brainstorm
4 fow
2 fire/ice
2 cryptic command
3 explosion



2 draco
2 jace four drop

3 chrome mox
8 fetch
4 factory
4 volc
3 island
1 mountain

[Scrabble]

TFK is terrible in that list with just 7 realistic pitchable artifacts (you wouldn't want to ditch your Dracos). Fact or fiction is better probably. But I think I like the insidious dreams lists better, and maybe a control one is even fine. I remember someone posted a Black and red aggro deck basically with the random combo win. Thought it was pretty cool.

[Combo Winter]

I think tfk is fine as all your artifacts are terrible in multiples don't see the need of insidious dreams which is horrible card disadvantage as brainstorm+ rack and jace seems to be enough. The old extended decks played cunning whish which acts as another burn spell as well a eot getting fof so cutting tfk for 2 cunning which and another cryptic command wouldn't be bad.

[Tangle.Wire]

Hi i play this deck for while more or less since planeshift arrived :D i did not take it to tournaments yet but i really love the idea as its not worse than emrakrul/show and tell decks.

I sticked the combo into my classic dreadstill build after testing it due lim duls vault, library of leng/discard or straight with burning wish. But all of those list lacked since the where not fast enough. Knowing this i packed the list in a slower archtype and was very happy with the results.

The list:

2 jace the mindsculptor
3 Draco

3 Erratic explosion
3 stifle
4 Lightning bolt
4 force of will
3 counterbalance
3 senseis diving top
4 standstill
3 spell pierce
4 spell snare
4 brainstorm

lands

4 polluted delta
2 scalding tarn
4 volcanic island
3 wasteland
4 mishras factory
3 island

I would like to run a third jace but the maindeck is very tight at the moment, also i miss cards like engineered explosives or echoing truth in the maindeck. For the sideboard i would run 3-4 dreadnought + stifle #4. Also i think about cutting 2-3 slots for grim lavamancer and maybe another island as land #21

[optml]

I like that there is a thread around the draco and erratic explosion combo!
I'll post my decklist on here, that I have been using as soon as I get a chance, as any feedback would be great.

Has anyone looked at the New Phyrexia impact on it? Perhaps a Gitaxian Probe to deck thin and ensure they have nothing to stop your explosion? Or a mental misstep? I find free counterspells to be important in this deck as you a lot of the time you are tapped out for sorceries.

The post will be here later today.

[optml]

Ok, this is the deck I run (or would like to run, as I am missing the Force of Will and instead run daze instead. I also don't have Lim-dul's, which I realise is the 'go-to' cards for the other posts on here, but as I don't run it my build is just red/blue. Yes, yes I know it could be potentially improved with the addition of LDV, but such is life. I would be very interested in hearing thoughts or improvements about this deck that keep it Red & Blue. I will explain any peculiar / unorthodox additions after the decklist. Anyway, without further ado...

Main Deck

Creatures

2x Grid Monitor
3x Draco
1x Hell's Thunder

Instants & Sorceries

4x Brainstorm
2x Remand
4x Erratic Explosion
3x Daze
2x Psionic Blast
2x Char
2x Flame Rift
2x Ponder
4x Preordain
2x Slagstorm
2x Redirect
2x Long-Term Plans

Non-Creature Permanents

1x Chandra Ablaze
1x Jace, the mind sculptor

Lands

4x Scalding Tarn
6x Mountain
8x Island
2x Forgotten Cave
1x Boseiju, Who Shelters All


Sideboard I'll include if needed, but really depends on your meta.

I should say that it is not, as the majority of you will have figured, Tier 1,2, or even 3, but I like the concept and it can get games for you depending on your match-up.

I know that some of my card choices are fairly unconventional, but hopefully, once you have read the reasons below, get an idea as to why I have chosen them. Also, I am aware that including 2-of's will be frowned upon, but what is Magic if not fun? I think if you wanted to increase the consistency of it, upping to 4-of's could be considered.

- The main issue I have with the deck is that it doesn't kill with the main combo (yes... yes... it does if they have self-inflicted, but let's not be pedantic!). As such, a number of cards are focussed on dealing 4 damage but to increase their efficiency and the staying power of the deck ensures that this 4 damage can target both players and their creatures (most of them). The following cards fall under this category:
Char
Psionic Blast
Flame Rift
Chandra Ablaze

- Creatures: Grid Monitor. One of my all-time favourite cards, so perhaps my viewpoint is biased. My thoughts are about him are:
Pros:
Very big toughness for 4 colourless. Can block even a 5/6 Tarmogoyf, as well as any number of legacy beefcakes.
Has 4 power, exactly the amount needed for a win.
Apart from one Hell's thunder, his drawback is negligible. I should say that Hell's thunder is in to try and sneak the additional 4 damage in when they aren't expecting. If you do draw a second monitor, you have plenty of ways to get him back into your deck.
Awesome Picture

Cons:
Is the only artifact and permanent creature I play, so will be receiving ALL kinds of hate. Feel free to remove him if they do run copious artifact and creature removal. On a side note, he absorbs a lot of damage, so against burn decks I find him invaluable as they usually need 2-3 spells / creatures in order to take that bad-arse down!

- Disruption. Many people disregard Remand, but I like the card 'advantage' it gets you. In a lot of cases early game, it is almost a Time Walk: Draw a card, then take an additional turn.
N.B. If using to defend an erratic explosion, remember to put draco underneath a land, or you will be drawing him!
Jace... No explanation needed.

- 3 Draco. I used to run 4 but I would often draw 2 when really any number of things would have been more valuable than him (damage, Grid monitor, counterspells etc.)

- Long-Term Plans. I'm a big fan of this. 1) Opponents don't get to know what you search for. 2) It sets up Draco just wonderfully

I am always looking to improve it, so any suggestions would be much appreciated!

Ancient Tomb but it was getting wastelanded an awful lot
compulsion. I'm still a big fan, but it just sort of fell by the way-side. I may well add it back.

Criticisms are welcomed, but be prepared for a sarcastic response.