[Deck] RW Rifter (White-Based Control)

[morgan_coke]

I'd mostly like to agree with everything zombies said, except that I think the deck can still be solid if given a major workover. However, it won't be tier 1.

A more modern meta focused list would look something like this:

Enchantments
4x Lightning Rift

Planeswalkers
3x Elspeth, Knight Errant
2x Ajani Vengeant

Beats
4x Jotun Grunt
4x Ethersworn Canonist

Cyclers
4x Radiant's Judgement
3x Scrap
4x Clear

Instants
4x Swords to Plowshares
3x Shining Shoal

Lands
4x Forgotten Cave
4x Secluded Steppe
4x Plateau
6x Plains
5x Mountain
1x Kor Haven
1x Keep of Kher Ridges

Sideboard
3x Duergar Hedge-Mage
4x Thorn of Amethyst
4x Kitchen Finks
4x Gilded Light/Silence/Orim's Chant

That might not be exactly sixty cards, but you get the idea. Canonist and Grunt give you maindeck hate on graveyards and combo, while shoal + spare 'walker is vicious vs. significant amounts of the format. Plus you've got lots of artifact/enchantment hate maindeck too. And Radiant's Judgement kills Tarmogoyf, Tombstalker, Mystic Enforcer, Dreadnought, and cycles.

[Elfrago]

If one of the deck main problem is "lack of a clock" and another is "most red cards played now suck" then why not switch red with another color?

[Joon]

I'd play Rifter Landstill-like with Humilities (maybe even Moat(s)). You can now easily win with Elspeth through both of them if needed. Having space for Ajani main isn't bad either. Ajani Vengeant could be interesting but I think he's straight worse than Ajani Goldmane and Elsbitch.

I would, however, cut all creatures besides those the Walkers produce to make all creature-removal of your opponents useless.

Top would be cool but as you run zero shuffling effects it would be not nearly as good as in other control decks.

Then I'd play Wrath again (you know, Merfolk and other Tribal) and maybe the white Command which is a Akroma's Vengeance but might kill not your Humilities.

Then again I would never ever fucking never cut Decree of Justice Oo

[beastman]

If one of the deck main problem is "lack of a clock" and another is "most red cards played now suck" then why not switch red with another color?

There is the whole point of half the deck being red.
It would be a completely different deck if you took red out.

[Rood]

I'd play Rifter Landstill-like with Humilities (maybe even Moat(s)). You can now easily win with Elspeth through both of them if needed. Having space for Ajani main isn't bad either. Ajani Vengeant could be interesting but I think he's straight worse than Ajani Goldmane and Elsbitch.

I would, however, cut all creatures besides those the Walkers produce to make all creature-removal of your opponents useless.

Top would be cool but as you run zero shuffling effects it would be not nearly as good as in other control decks.

Then I'd play Wrath again (you know, Merfolk and other Tribal) and maybe the white Command which is a Akroma's Vengeance but might kill not your Humilities.

Then again I would never ever fucking never cut Decree of Justice Oo

Moat seems like it has 0 drawbacks in this deck if you run Dragon, Elspeth and DoJ. Quick list I drew up.

// Lands
2 [U] Plateau
6 [CST] Mountain (1)
9 [US] Plains (4)
4 [DDC] Secluded Steppe
4 [ON] Forgotten Cave

// Creatures
2 [ALA] Ajani Vengeant
2 [ALA] Elspeth, Knight-Errant
4 [SC] Eternal Dragon

// Spells
3 [ON] Renewed Faith
3 [LG] Moat
2 [US] Clear
4 [4E] Swords to Plowshares
4 [UL] Radiant's Judgment
2 [US] Scrap
2 [SC] Decree of Justice
4 [ON] Lightning Rift
3 [FNM] Slice and Dice

I really like the idea of running possible even a playset of Moats here, seems very solid especially decks like Zoo.

[ykpon]

Slice and Dice without Humility?

[Shawon]

I challenge you to find a metagame where this is playable. Edit: I will give you cookies if you post results.
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Hadn't even thought of merfolk. That is an incredible match though.
The thing is, with goyf and ponder and countertop being around now, as well as grip, this deck's threshold matchup decreases greatly.

Like others before me said, Rifter would probably perform favorably in an aggro-focused meta, however, that doesn't necessarily imply that it would perform poorly against control decks.

While CounterTop decks present a challenge to Rifter decks, I think, like many other decks that are threatened by CounterTop, the deck has outs to said strategy through its silver bullet removal (O-Ring, REB in the sb) and threats of their own (Blood Moon, Boil in the sb, Elspeth).

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I took a gander at some of the lists posted are mine. While Lightning Rift is an integral part of the deck, I think running cards such as Scrap, Clear, and Radiant's Judgment are unnecessary as their only real selling point for being in the deck is to support the cycling theme. Perhaps the deck doesn't run enough cyclers, but I can't imagine replacing Wrath of Gods or Humilities with these cycling cards.

Oh, Moat is definitely very powerful, but I keep it in the sb. Yeah, I didn't post my sideboard because when I made it, I didn't have any particular meta in mind, I made a very generic sideboard.

But, whatever, I'll post it for kicks. Just observe with a grain of salt, though:

// Sideboard
SB: 1 [US] Rune of Protection: Red (Burn, red aggro, Goblins)
SB: 2 [4E] Red Elemental Blast (Merfolk, Blue decks, extra Storm hate)
SB: 2 [8E] Boil (ditto)
SB: 1 [10E] Aura of Silence (Enchantress, MUC, extra Storm hate)
SB: 1 [ALA] Relic of Progenitus (Loam, Ichorid, Threshold)
SB: 1 [SHM] Runed Halo (Combo, Burn, Control)
SB: 1 [TSB] Tormod's Crypt (Loam, Ichorid)
SB: 1 [9E] Sacred Ground (AggroLoam, EvaGreen/Team America, Pox)
SB: 2 [DS] Pulse of the Fields (Burn, aggro in general)
SB: 1 [ALA] Ethersworn Canonist (Combo)
SB: 1 [10E] Pithing Needle (versatile answer)
SB: 1 [LG] Moat (aggro, including Merfolk)

[Arrowni]

A year later I wonder why it doesn't have blood moons.

[Kilz88]

So I know this deck is old as dirt but seriously, inthe current meta it might be insane. I talking the old school lists but just add like, elspeth and maybe either ajani. Planeswalkers seem really good in this deck due to its lack of win. You can dedicate the lightning rift triggers to just creatures and get there with planeswalkers. Can we come up with a list? I will work on one and post it soon but gimme some ideas. :)

Added List:

// Lands
4 [DDC] Secluded Steppe
4 [EVG] Forgotten Cave
1 [NE] Kor Haven
4 [R] Plateau
5 [B] Mountain (1)
7 [5E] Plains (1)

// Creatures
3 [SC] Eternal Dragon

// Spells
1 [ALA] Ajani Vengeant
1 [HOP] Oblivion Ring
2 [ALA] Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 [LG] Moat
1 [CH] Blood Moon
1 [ALA] Relic of Progenitus
3 [6E] Wrath of God
4 [IA] Swords to Plowshares
2 [FNM] Slice and Dice
3 [FNM] Lightning Rift
1 [TE] Humility
3 [6E] Enlightened Tutor
3 [SC] Gilded Light
3 [ON] Renewed Faith
3 [SC] Decree of Justice

// Sideboard
SB: 1 [WL] Aura of Silence
SB: 1 [SHM] Runed Halo
SB: 1 [ALA] Ethersworn Canonist
SB: 3 [10E] Pyroclasm
SB: 2 [DS] Pulse of the Fields
SB: 1 [M10] Pithing Needle
SB: 3 [PS] Orim's Chant
SB: 1 [8E] Sacred Ground
SB: 2 [TSB] Tormod's Crypt

[Gocho]

As you wish: http://www.deckcheck.net/deck.php?id=27487

I like Rifter a lot, and Planeswalkers can help to make it competitive.
But Rifter always was a metagame deck, losing to Combo and beating Aggro.
I don't know how can we improve this, perhaps a set of Gilded Light, more Canonist or a set of Enlightened tutor.

[Master Shake]

This is really a deck where you take a hard look at Firespout. Slice and Dice is likely far to slow and activating Rift isn't a very solid reason for inclusion.

You play at least one Day of Judgment over a Wrath of God simply because the card's name isn't Wrath of God.

I seem to remember the deck playing Abeyance and Chant somewhere to push through bombs and to be amazing against combo game one, this doesn't seem like something that should change.

Playing 2 Humility in the main is a must - that card needs to resolve. There may also be considerable need for Story Circle, Rune or Circle of Protection Green/Red.

An cannonist in the main may be pretty good as well - it will be dead sometimes but... this is Rifter!

[Shawon]

If you want to make Rifter metagame-relevant, you have to be able to realistically answer an on-battlefield Iona or preventing it from ETB. Iona on White pretty much nails this deck in the ass as you are denied using your effective removal such as WoG and Humility. Dead//Gone comes to mind as a silver bullet against Iona calling white.

[JohnnyCage]

Hi all how's it going. Just dusted rifter off for a tourney last Thursday and had a blast. Better yet I went undefeated out of like 40 people. My match-UPS were pro-thresh pro-thresh goblins tempo thresh and then uwb fish and landstill I took first. Without further wait here is the list.
4 steppe
4 cave
3 arid mesa
1 ancient den
7 plains
6 mountains

3 e dragon
2 ajani ven
3 lightning rift
2 decree
3 humility
4 stp
2 fire spout
2 slice and dice
2 akromas ven
4 renewed faith
2 e tutor
3 abeyance
1 blood moon
1 ruined halo
1 o ring
1 rune pro red
Sb is
1 e tutor
1 crypt
2 boil
2 ruination
1 sacred ground
1 ruined halo
3 dead//gone
1 ethersworn
1 relic
1 aura of silence
1 serenity

[JohnnyCage]

Someone should actually pay attention to this deck. The way the legacy meta is shifting its getting stronger