[Deck] URG Aggro down the middle

[FoolofaTook]

This is an attempt to cut the middle against Aggro, Aggro-Control and Combo. It's basically designed to play like an aggro deck with a ton of control behind it.

Creatures

4x Kird Ape
4x Tarmogoyf
2x Storm Entity
4x Mishra's Factory
2x Faerie Conclave

Enchantments

4x Standstill

Control

4x Daze
3x Counterspell
2x Flash Counter

Disruption

3x Lightning Bolt
3x Pyroclasm
3x Krosan Grip
1x Berserk
3x Engineered Explosives
3x Chalice of the Void

Land Mana

2x Wooded Foothills
2x Flooded Strand
2x Polluted Delta
4x Taiga
3x Tropical Island
2x Volcanic Island

Creatures - Tarmogoyf is the primary beater with an assist from Storm Entity which can come on as a 5/5 with haste fairly easily in the midgame. Kird Ape is the early blocker and beater and Mishra's Factory and Faerie Conclave are both good against opposing control concepts.

Enchantments - Standstill is in the deck because of Tarmogoyf. An enchantment that not only is likely to land early but that you want to get on the board as soon as you can and that goes into the graveyard very quickly is perfect in this deck.

Control - 9 counters is where most aggro-control decks live these days. No Force of Will because the blue count is not high enough to support it. Flash counter stops enough key spells (StP, Brainstorm, Lightning Bolt, FoW, Daze, Counterspell, Cunning Wish, Dark Ritual, etc) to make it a viable two of.

Disruption - Lightning Bolt, Pyroclasm and Engineered Explosives are all effective anti-creature devices in the meta. The Tarmogoyf problem is handled by the inclusion of Tarmogoyf in the creature list and by Engineered Explosives. Krosan Grip is a no-brainer as non-creature removal, although whether 2 or 3 is the better number to have I don't know. Berserk is a surprise that doubles as creature removal. Note that it gets rid of an attacking Tarmogoyf early on if you can handle the life hit. Chalice of the Void fits in with the counters as the anti-combo element in the deck. It's designed to land for 0 most of the time and cut off the acceleration. It works with Storm Entity also as a pumper.

Basically the deck is designed to put out cheap threats early and gain tempo through Standstill, counters and removal. I suspect it has a pretty good matchup across the board at the moment with weaknesses primarily against slower control and landkill. I'm not even sure that landkill would be all that effective given the ability to get beaters out off as little as 1 mana.

[zulander]

Other than tarmogoyf, I really don't see the aggro. Kird Ape's good, but it looks like you're headed for the long game, whereas he shines in the early game.

[FoolofaTook]

Other than tarmogoyf, I really don't see the aggro. Kird Ape's good, but it looks like you're headed for the long game, whereas he shines in the early game.

Tarmogoyf's enough aggro.

[zulander]

Not doubting that, but even tarmogoyf can't help you when you're playing an aggro deck with 4 good aggro cards.

[xsockmonkeyx]

I think that Flash Counter is too narrow for Legacy. Something like Mana Leak or Spell Snare would be more effective I would think.

I dont understand the Storm Entity at all. It seems too situational to rely on.

Chalice doesnt look so hot when you are playing bolts, apes, and explosives in the main deck. Seems like something you would bring out of the side.

The single Berserk looks pretty random. Its never going to be as useful as Lightning Bolt #4 Would be.

You could try Serendib maybe. Its pretty good beats for 3 mana and is unboltable.

Control Magic is awfully good in these type of decks, and especially with so many Tarmogoyfs running around. Stealing someone's Goyf is just mean. Id try 2-3 in the sideboard because you are going to have trouble with anything that has toughness bigger than Lightning Bolt.

Add 4 Brainstorm plz ;)

[from Cairo]

I'm not sure I follow how this would be more desirable than UGR Thresh, instead of running a cantrip engine to access the stronger control elements you're running more weak control to support the good cards.

More or less its a choice of Chalice, Grip, Standstill and Flash Counter- vs Brainstorm, Portent, Predict/Serum Visions and Force of Will (I guess the land base would change a bit but not a whole lot of difference). Chalice hits a handful of your cards, Grip is situational - an awesome sb card, but very possibly a dead MD draw, Standstill is alright, but as a draw engine doesn't seem overwhelmingly better than Brainstorms and Portent, and Flash Counter is far worse than Force of Will.

I mean maybe the deck plays out differently than it looks, but it looks like a creature light Zoo set up, with counter protection and burn. If I was looking to play undercosted fatties with counters and burn I would probably just go for Thresh.

[FoolofaTook]

I dont understand the Storm Entity at all. It seems too situational to rely on.

Storm Entity always lands as at least a 3/3 with haste and frequently a 5/5. That's enough for me to include it as a 2-of in an aggro deck with red and lots of low and no CC spells.


Chalice doesnt look so hot when you are playing bolts, apes, and explosives in the main deck. Seems like something you would bring out of the side.

Chalice would always be a 0 Chalice and it's purpose would be to mess with combo and feed Storm Entity. It'd get sided out when combo was not the opponent.


The single Berserk looks pretty random. Its never going to be as useful as Lightning Bolt #4 Would be.

The unexpected event tends to be the killer. Having Tarmogoyf come in for 10 and trample over the opponent's Goyf on turn 4 or 5 is probably a win. Ditto for Storm Entity.


You could try Serendib maybe. Its pretty good beats for 3 mana and is unboltable.

Serendib's are fine. They're kind of slow in this deck for the early game and small for the midgame.


Control Magic is awfully good in these type of decks, and especially with so many Tarmogoyfs running around. Stealing someone's Goyf is just mean. Id try 2-3 in the sideboard because you are going to have trouble with anything that has toughness bigger than Lightning Bolt.

Control Magic might be a decent sideboard card. 4CC is a lot for a deck running the kind of mana base this one has. The beats that I can see with toughness outside bolt range are Jotun Grunt, Phyrexian Negator, Tarmogoyf, Serendib Efreet and maybe a couple of others. Engineered Explosives will handle the grunts and goyfs, bolts and/or clasms will more than handle the negators and REB's in the SB will handle Serendibs.


Add 4 Brainstorm plz ;)

Brainstorm would be in the deck if it was not designed to be a Goyf beatdown deck. Standstill is just superior to Brainstorm when Tarmogoyf is the answer and blue is the supporting color.

I don't want to get rid of any counters for Brainstorm because as other people have pointed out this deck will get to the midgame fairly often. That leaves me removing the Chalices and opening myself up to great weakness vs non-turn 1 combo to get Brainstorm in. It's a great card but it's not worth making the deck very weak vs combo.

[kirdape3]

Blatantly incorrect. If you're behind on the board and/or they can break the Standstill to minimize the damage, Standstill's actually worthless or even worse.

Brainstorm's the best card in the format in terms of power level.

If you want to play worse cards when you can play better cards in their place (as in, replace Standstill with Brainstorm), then be my guest.

[FoolofaTook]

Blatantly incorrect. If you're behind on the board and/or they can break the Standstill to minimize the damage, Standstill's actually worthless or even worse.


Please Blow up my Standstill with Engineered Explosives a turn before my Tarmogoyf lands. In fact I'll put Standstill out to encourage you to do that if I see EE on the board with 2 counters.

[Cavius The Great]

Here is a URG aggro deck off the top of my head.

Creatures:22
4 Kird Ape
4 Coiling Oracle
4 River Boa
4 Serendib Efreet
3 Ohran Viper
3 Fire Imp

Spells:16
4 Brainstorm
4 Daze
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Force of Will

Lands:22
4 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand
4 Tropical Island
3 Volcanic Island
3 Taiga
4 Island
1 Wooded Foothills
1 Forest

SB:15
4 Krosan Grip
4 Tormod's Crypt
4 REB
3 Pyrokinesis

That's just off the top of my head. It's definitely something to work with, let me know what you guys think.

[Hatthehat]

The first list isb a bit all over the place no FoW even,Berserk is not a right fit for the deck even.