Rx Burn

[GoblinWarchief]

You can't argue that playing 3 colors rather than 2 is not a cost. The cost is taking an average of 6 damages from your lands (fetch + untapped shockland) every game, or slow down your gameplan by fetching tapped shocklands, not to mention that sometimes you could be color screwed. I agree that atarka's command is on par with boros charm for powerlevel, but this doesn't change the fact that decks like zoo and affinity have an average faster goldfish than burn if undisrupted because they play more efficient creatures than us. Against these decks, everytime you take 3 damages you are possibly losing a drawstep because they might kill you before you kill them. Even against decks like abzan, g/w, really anything that can remotely present a race with creatures, taking too much damages from lands can result in one less drawstep, that may be the one you need to topdeck the final burn spells. Now, if i knew i would be playing all the time against control or combo, for sure i would be playing all the most efficient burn spells and don't care about damage at all .... but this is not the case, and while atarka's command deserves attention, it is not guaranteed that the 3 color build with command and charm is the best.
At this point i think we could consider 3 builds : boros with revelries in sideboard, naya with both command and charm maindeck, or even straight gruul if you decide that command is even better than boros charm and don't want to go tricolor. The best build probably depends from the metagame, the less aggro you see the more incentive you have to play 3color. If my meta was infested with affinity, i would probably just play mono red and be happy with it. Now the current top decks are infect, affinity, abzan, twin, and burn. Playing 3 colors you have a worse matchup against affinity and the mirror, but a better one against infect abzan and twin. The choice is up to you.
And by the way, congratulations for the result warwizard !

[LP, of the Fires]

Command lets you next level affinity by blocking there inkmoth that they thought was gonna kill you. Just sayin.

[Khaospawn]

+1

[GoblinWarchief]

That's sweet, but they will lose to it only once.

[Khaospawn]

Here's part 2 of my Primer series:

http://www.wizardscupboard.com/wordpres ... er-part-2/

[Purp]

Khans post a tl;dr sideboard guide for me

[Khaospawn]

give you one tomorrow. You want what I'm running?

[Purp]

My list (still missing guides but its what i have sleeved)

[deck]
4 Guide
4 Swiftspear
2 Grim
4 Eidolon

4 Bolt
4 Spike
4 Charm
4 Command
3 Searing Blaze
1 Lightning Helix
1 Skullcrack (or maybe its a 2nd helix, deck box isnt near me)
2 Shard Volley
4 Rift Bolt

3 Mountain
3 Sacred
2 Stomping
11 Fetches

Sb
4 Dest Rev
2 Path
2 Molten Rain
3 Kor
2 Deflecting Palm
2 Rending Volley
[/deck]

I imagine your's cant be too far off.

[RedNihilist]

I know I may sound stupid, but I don't get this:

-Don’t underestimate a Twin player’s resourcefulness. A Splinter Twin attached to a Snapcaster Mage or a Tarmogoyf can win games just as easily as putting it on a Pestermite.

What's the point of enchanting a goyf?
Make a copy on your EOT so I can attack with it while keeping the original goyf ready for blocks?
It doesn't seem very efficient to me.

[Khaospawn]

Yep. Believe it or not, it works. I've lost that way more than once.

Twin has to win somehow when the game drags on. You may be trying to topdeck some lethal burn, but they're going to try to find a way to survive and win in the meantime.

[Valdarith]

There's a bit of hyperbole in that statement because grinding with Twin that way isn't "just as easy", but it is a legitimate plan.

[Khaospawn]

When said Tarmogoyf is about 5 power, it can be.

[Khaospawn]

I did go back and edit that to avoid any confusion. Thanks for the feedback.

[Purp]

give you one tomorrow. You want what I'm running?

[Khaospawn]

ETA one hour. Not even home yet.

[Khaospawn]

I'm gonna use your deck as a reference for all of this. I can't find anything wrong with the list and my lists usually change by a couple cards and stuff every other day.

[deck]
Creature 14
4 Goblin Guide
4 Monastery Swiftspear
2 Grim Lavamancer
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel

Burn 27
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lava Spike
4 Rift Bolt
2 Shard Volley
4 Boros Charm
4 Atarka's Command
3 Searing Blaze
1 Lightning Helix
1 Skullcrack

Land 19
3 Mountain
3 Sacred Foundry
2 Stomping Ground
4 Arid Mesa
3 Bloodstained Mire
4 Wooded Foothills

Sideboard 15
4 Destructive Revelry
2 Path to Exile
2 Molten Rain
3 Kor Firewalker
2 Deflecting Palm
2 Rending Volley
[/deck]

Affinity:
The thing with running Command main means that you're stuck in 3 colors for Game 1, which is very painful. I'd normally recommend cutting a color postboard, which would be White, but your sideboard isn't quite set up for that.

With that said, I'd probably do something like this:
On the draw-
Out: 4xEidolon of the Great Revel, 4x Boros Charm
In: 4x Destructive Revelry, 2xPath to Exile, 2x Deflecting Palm (to make them taste it when they attack with a Cranial Plating + dude)

On the play-
Out: 4xEidolon of the Great Revel, 2xBoros Charm
In: 4x Destructive Revelry, 2xPath to Exile

Twin:
I'm always cautious about siding in Revelry in this match sometimes because you're usually just guaranteed to hit a Spellskite (which isn't always bad). Sometimes Twin takes out the combo out, sometimes not. And other times, you just don't have access to the mana, especially when your land gets tapped down. 2 is about where I stand firm if they're gonna be brought in.

On the draw-
Out: 2xShard Volley (doesn't play nicely against Spellskite and hard counters), 2xRift Bolt (just too slow, especially on the draw and doesn't play well against the turn 2 Spellskite), 1xSkullcrack, 1xAtarka's Command:
In: 2xPath to Exile, 2xRending Volley, 2xDestructive Revelry

On the play-
Out: 1xSkullcrack, 2xShard Volley, 2xRift Bolt, 1xAtarka's Command
In: In: 2xPath to Exile, 2xRending Volley, 2x Molten Rain

This is your call if you want Molten Rain. I'd prefer to just remain proactive and try to not have potentially dead cards in hand, so I'd much rather have the Rains over Revelries.

Abzan:
This is the deck that Burn preys on, so there isn't much you need to add. Just the Molten Rains at this point. You can pretty much take out anything. I usually take out the Lavamancers on the draw since he dies so quickly.

Burn:
On the draw-
Out: 4xEidolon, 1xRift Bolt
In: 3xFirewalker, 2xPath

On the play-
Out: 1xEidolon, 4xCommand
In: 3xFirewalker, 2xPath

[Khaospawn]

Feel free to disagree with any of that. I only posted suggestions for the big 4.

[Khaospawn]

Also, take most of this with a grain of salt. I hate rigid sideboard plans. Be like water, y'know? Fluid, and able to go with the flow when needed.

[Khaospawn]

Playing this tonight:

[deck]
Creature 15
4 Goblin Guide
4 Monastery Swiftspear
3 Grim Lavamancer
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel

Spells 25
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lava Spike
4 Rift Bolt
1 Shard Volley
4 Searing Blaze
4 Boros Charm
4 Atarka's Command

Land 20
1 Teetering Peaks
4 Arid Mesa
4 Bloodstained Mire
4 Wodoed Foothills
3 Mountain
2 Sacred Foundry
2 Stomping Ground

Sideboard 15
4 Destructive Revelry
2 Path to Exile
2 Kor Firewalker
2 Volcanic Fallout
2 Skullcrack
2 Molten Rain
1 Deflecting Palm
[/deck]

I've beaten Junk and some R/G Wildfire deck in the 2-Mans. Also lost to Merfolk earlier in the day before changing the board around.

More games to come.

[LP, of the Fires]

Not in love with teetering peaks. Don't hate it either.

[LP, of the Fires]

Decent hedge between 19 and 20 lands, probably WAY better then megaliths.

[Khaospawn]

So far, it's been clutch. I could just be running hot though. I couldn't NOT try it, bro. Love the card.

[Khaospawn]

My favorite sequences to play are 1-Drop into Peaks or 1-Drop into Blaze. I've lived my fantasy numerous times tonight.

[magicdownunder]

---

Here is the promised report.

First off the most Important thing, the deck list.

[deck]

4 Goblin Guide
4 Monestary Swiftspear
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
2 Grim Lavamancer
1 Zurgo Bellstriker

4 Lighting Bolt
4 Lava Spike
4 Rift Bolt

4 Atraka Command
4 Boros Charm
3 Searing Blaze
2 Skullcrack
1 Shard Volley

3 Mountain
12 red fetch
2 Sacred Foundry
2 Stomping Ground

Sideboard
3 Destructive Revelry
2 Molten Rain
2 Pyrite Spellbomb
2 Path to Exile
2 Deflecting Palm
2 Lightning Helix
1 Skullcrack
1 Searing Blaze[/deck]

Notes, 4 Command, no less, seriously. i was averaging 4 damage every time i cast it ( average obv it ranged from 3 to 6( depending on lifegain and number of guys) i really feel its wrong to shave any number of these.

Zurgo, he was okay. nothing i want to write home about. his benefits where simply another 2 power 1 drop and another late game haste guy, also his synergy with command is real. First cut would be him for the 4th Skullcrack.

NO FIREWALKER! WHAAAA.. yeah i know, i decided to be reactive to firewalker and go through him instead of trying to bomb him out in the mirror, this had the benefit of giving me percentage points in other matches while only shaving a few off the mirror match.

I worked the night before so i wasn't sure how i would be with 0 sleep, so i was downing caffeinated MIO energy, a couple of caffeine pills, trail mix and a protein bar, hoping i would of tested enough to generate the needed muscle memory if i started falling asleep.

My team showed up in charleston wv at lost legion games 6 of us, me on naya burn, Richard adams on u/r twin, brandon harless on esper gifts, Kody Faulkner also on gifts, Brian Means on mono blue merfolk, and a new guy Thomas on grixis Delver.

Yeah bunch of dirty Island playing bastards right?

61 players turned out for the event including, Tom "the Boss" Ross and Chris Van Meter, Really guys you come to spike Wv states, bring it.
Tom is on infect (duh) CVM was on bloom titan. CVM had placed 2nd the day before at the T2 states and had won Wv states the previous year.

Round 1: Gabriel on naya burn mirror ( also the winner of the t2 states the night before so i know he is actualy good)

Game 1: I mulligan to 5 on the play vs the mirror.....yeah...i still won guide gets there.

Game 2: Out goes my eidolons and some rift bolts, in come skull crack, spellbombs, palms and helices.
I can't remember the exact game but I remember deflecting palm wrecking me.

Game 3: Back in goes the Eidolons out comes the commands.
this game is interesting, i have a board presence and am beating down turn 3 he drops a Eidolon!!! I respond with 2 spells to the dome and spellock him at 5 life. we play the looking at each other game for a bit since he cant attack or dies to my guys and if i attack i unlock his hand. I build my mana then vomit my hand, helix, he responds with palm going to 3, i respond with crack, he responds with palm, going to 1, i respond with bolt.

I hear from the crowd, MONO RED COUNTER WAR!! Many laughs are had.

1-0

I talk to him after the match and asked why he kept the eidolons in, he said he hadnt tested the deck and didnt know they where supposed to go out of the deck on the draw in the mirror. He spends the rest of the day asking me match up specific questions.

Round 2: cant rember his name but he was dressed, and im not kidding like a 1950s newspaper man, stripped shirt black suspenders, hat with, i shit you not, a badge that said "Press Pass" on it LULZ freaking win. also i got paired down blah.

oh yeah he was Mardu burn controlish thing...

We shuffle for game 1 aaaaaand judge comes gets me problem with my deck list....fuck... I miss registered wrote 2 Destructive revelries instead of 3... so game loss and fixed deck list.

Im kind of salty now, figure im just gonna lose the next game and my day just sucks. But thats why we play right?

Game 1: open hand goblin guide, and beats insure. main deck deflecting palm keeps him alive for a turn but i have to much avalanching damage.

Game 2: Out goes Eidolon and searing blaze, in comes spellbomb, skullcrack, helices.
This game wasnt even close, fast start guide and double swiftspear, he tries to palm to keep alive and skullcrack counters it and he dies to the prowess damage.

Dodged bullet, talked to him he is new to competitive magic, he wanted to play burn but he couldn't afford guides so he played more control, so i told him i had a extra set to get ahold of me next time and if no one else was using them he could.

2-0

Round 3: Garret meadows on esper gifts.

Garret is a friend who does pretty well, he topped 8ed the tcgplayer modern the week prior with that list

game 1: I win the dice roll and, well this happens the count to 20 was fast.

game 2: in comes rains, path, skullcrack, and 2 reverly, out 3 blazes, grim, and something else. (cant rember now) Guide starts things off, and the game snow balls for him, turn 3 he kitchen finks, crack. i burn some on my turn not willing to attack into finks. he durdles a couple turns, then drops trading post with no mana up. I swing in he blocks with finks, i crack and trigger prowess killing him before post became active. To be fair he had some mana issues game 2 and stalled on 4 lands.

3-0

Round 4: this is a 6 round event so if i win here i should be able to draw in. My opponent ( who manages to top is on tribal zoo.

Game 1: bit of a blur, i know it was turn 1 guide, turn sac land into shock wild nactal, into searing blaze into scoop.

Game 2: Much the same but a goyf joined the fray and i just went over the top with my burn spells.

4-0
round 5
me and brian are now both 4-0, richard, brandon and kody are all 3-1 the new guy thomas is out. We realize that 4-0-2 is in, but me and brian decide that if our team needs it we would play for them on the last round.

4-0-1

round 6

looking at the pairs brandon, richard and kody are all 4-1 and me and brian playing our matches would not help them out so we drew locking us into top 8.

Kody is paired vs Tom Ross here, Gifts vs infect. i watched it, it was amazing Tom got a bit unlucky but kody played perfectly and beat him. when the dust cleared brandon lost richard and kody both where 5-1 and in the top 8. our 6 person group had gotten 4 peeps in the top 8 and seeded 1,2,3,5 so we would not get paired against each other until the semifinals.

top 8 was 2 naya burn, 1 esper gifts, 1 u/r twin, 1 death and taxes, 1 tribal zoo, 1 merfolk, 1 Abzhan.

Quarterfinals:

I get paired vs Abzhan. I know this guy we have played several times in the past and he IS a good player. So i am a bit nervous.

Game 1:
He was 4th i was 5th he goes first.
Leads things off with a Mana dork ( Hierarch) I send guys to the dome. he drops a dark confidant ( Thank you?? ) to try to draw some stabilization and block. I just let it sit and send burn over the top. he drops a vault of the archangel and attacks with goyf and Bob i command and on to game 2.

Game 2: im on the draw so i bring in Palm, crack, and rain taking out 4 guides and a lava spike.
Things where looking good until he dropped phyraxian unlife!!! DOOOM DOOOM. I just couldn't deal enough damage to it before lingering souls and goyf ate me followed by a Rhino.

Game 3: In comes some Destructive revelries and the guides come back in due to the play.
I start things off nice and quick and land a early lavamancer, he slams a unlife. but i chip him down and skullcrack his life gain. i brick for a couple turns on lands, they where sac lands so i was able to keep feeding lavamancer. turn before he kills me i rip command off the top with him at 7 poison.

SemiFinals. HOLY HELL.....ALL 4 OF US WON OUR QUARTER FINALS!!!
The entire top 4 was my team.

Im paired vs Kody on gifts, Richard and Brian vs each other ( twin vs merfolk)

Game 1: he is on the play but mullys bad down to 5 on the play vs burn GG.

Game 2: in come, crack, path, spellbomb, rain, and 1 reverly. out go blazes, shard volly, i shave some other spells cant rember what atm)
how did this game count LOL. at the end of my turn 3 he thirsts for knowledge dumping Iona and unburial rites, turn 4 gets iona. NICE DECK heh

Game 3: im on the play with a hand full of spells and 2 lands keep. turn 1 spellbomb shuts off his firewalker if he has it,he drops turn 2 spellskite but all my spells are target opponent and i just jam spells on his upkeep to the face. skullcrack stops his batterskulls game saving attack ( god damn skullcrack is good) counting to 20 is hard work.

Finals!!!
Richard beat brian so its naya burn vs twin.

Game 1 Richards on the play and, it dosnt matter i come out swinging for a home run and find it never giving him the breathing room to combo and smash face.

Game 2: in 3 destructive revelries and 2 path. This game is CLOSE, we battle back and forth jockeying for board position. he knows I have both white and green ways of stopping combo so he has a 50/50 chance when comboing off and decides to out tempo me, looks like it will fail but i drop eidolon and he responds with Vendilion Clique. eating my removal spell then racing me to spell lock.

Game 3: im on the play so i bring in 2 Rains. and take out 2 skullcracks.
My open hand is 0 lands and ship it back. My 6 is sacred foundry, bolt, spike, guide, charm, molten rain. Yeah its risky but i didnt think i was going to see a better 5 and with 2 top decks i would be back in business.
Foundry into guide. swing for 2. him sac land take 1 go. me top deck fetch. swing burn go. him island grim lavamancer go. me top deck fetch crack both take 4 stomping ground, mountain rain your steam vent swing.

he plays another blue source snap caster block kills guide. now i am playing burn on his upkeep. and he has no red source. finally tops deck one but its to late and i burn him out in the next 2 turns.

he shows me multiple lighting bolts in hand. he could of raced me but the rain did it. The rain won me the finals!

got a sweet play mat , states medal, a box of dragons, 15 points and a invite to the invitational in columbus.

for a photo of my ugly ass,

https://www.facebook.com/events/1397061 ... 091715222/

any questions?

Props:
my whole team, we dominated this year.
CVM and tom ross, I know you guys came here looking for a easy win and more points. but props because good players coming here forces us to be more competitive. So yall come back now.
skullcrack and Molten Rain: Just my MVPS.
Lost legion, well run no real errors, needed a time clock to be sure but smooth as usual.

Slops:
Charleston Wv convention center, why you cancel the reservation 3 weeks before the event and force Lost legion to have states in a cramped shop.
Lost Legion, really not the best prize support. 61 players 30 bux entry and what 5 boxes given out at the most? and you didnt have to rent the center? come on =/

Looks like I'll be playing Modern again soon

Thanks for the list and type-up (same for all the other guys)

[RedNihilist]

YAY \o/
I missed your videos bro

[Purp]

Is mulling until you hit a fire walker a viable strategy for the mirror?

Also, do you snap sideboard in 4 reverlry vs amulet combo?

[BlakLanner]

I wouldn't go below 6 looking for a Firewalker and, even then, I only slightly raise the required power of my opening seven to keep it. It isn't like Leyline against Manaless Dredge, they can beat it, even if it is difficult.

I certainly bring in a few Revelries, but I don't think I bring in the full set. Path and Deflecting Palm (and maybe Molten Rain if you have it) are also viable options to blunt their attacks. Finding enough cards to cut is the hard part.

[warwizard87]

i just dont run it anymore, most decks are running it vs us so i figured i would just plowthrough it and bring in answers to it, ie spellbomb that also have usefullness against other decks like affinity.

[magicdownunder]

i just dont run it anymore, most decks are running it vs us so i figured i would just plowthrough it and bring in answers to it, ie spellbomb that also have usefullness against other decks like affinity.

Solid approach - Firewalker is rather narrow, I wouldn't recommend running them unless you KNOW the meta is heavy on burn (....like MODO 8-Man (at least when I was still active)).

[Valdarith]

i just dont run it anymore, most decks are running it vs us so i figured i would just plowthrough it and bring in answers to it, ie spellbomb that also have usefullness against other decks like affinity.

Solid approach - Firewalker is rather narrow, I wouldn't recommend running them unless you KNOW the meta is heavy on burn (....like MODO 8-Man (at least when I was still active)).

Burn is the second-most represented deck online according to mtggoldfish.

I ran 4 Dragon's Claw in my Grixis Delver sideboard in Friday's Modern daily. Yeah, it's that popular.

[Purp]

All my prep is for GP CHarlotte. That being said, I feel like I have to have 4 Firewalker and 4 Destructive Rev in my sb, to help hedge with what might be popular matchups.

[Khaospawn]

3 has been good enough for me.

[magicdownunder]

Well I just 3-1 playing the same DE as Xilez, I lost my final match against Junk running Leylines (it was close M1 (which I lost after I hit my 7th land, I only needed 1 burn to end it but ) M2 and M3 were one sided matches).

Anyhow, the cards I'm really thinking about are Shard Volley, Grim Lavamancer, Lightning Helix, Searing Blaze and Skull Crack - trying to work out the right numbers is really tough.

- - - - - - - - - -

Here is the list I'm currently running:

[deck=MDU's Naya Burn v1]Lands 20
4 Arid Mesa
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Sacred Foundry
4 Stomping Ground
2 Bloodstained Mire
2 Mountain

Creatures 14
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
4 Goblin Guide
4 Monastery Swiftspear
2 Grim Lavamancer

Direct Burn 12
4 Lava Spike
4 Boros Charm
4 Atarka's Command

Flexible Burn 14
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Searing Blaze
4 Rift Bolt
2 Lightning Helix

Sideboard 15
1 Skullcrack
2 Volcanic Fallout
2 Pyrite Spellbomb
2 Path to Exile
2 Deflecting Palm
2 Kor Firewalker
4 Destructive Revelry[/deck]

EDIT: Do you guys support the "Bolt the Bird Rule"? I didn't in the past but I think I will follow it for now on vs Junk at least...

[Purp]

I went 0-2. Lost a close one to abzan splashing blue for ojutais command, and then in round 2 i was drunk and not paying attention. Trying not to fall into the trap of building my deck for modo, but instead for the gp.

[Purp]

I have also been losing games keeping 1 landers, granted I am on 19, maybe I should go to 20.

[magicdownunder]

I went 0-2. Lost a close one to abzan splashing blue for ojutais command, and then in round 2 i was drunk and not paying attention. Trying not to fall into the trap of building my deck for modo, but instead for the gp.

MODO meta is mainly Grixis, Twins, Junk, Robots and Burn + a little of everything else.

Won't the GP be pretty much the same?

I have also been losing games keeping 1 landers, granted I am on 19, maybe I should go to 20.

That is just variance, I don't think you'll be getting huge changes between 20 or 19 lands.

[Purp]

I would say yes for the most part. But cards like firewalker or spell bomb. Molten rain even...

[magicdownunder]

Atarka's Command is a really powerful card, so much so that I'm really thinking about revisiting Vexing Devil.... (seriously he either tanks up a removal or deals 4 damage).

- - - - - - -

How important is Eidolon of the Great Revel in the current format? I find that he ends up being a minor blockers lots of the time now with all the annoying delve creatures popping up the format.

- - - - - - -

I have quite a number of video recorded now (filled with some really terrible plays, though I'm relearning) here is my current list

[deck=MDU's Naya Burn]Lands 20
4 Arid Mesa
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Sacred Foundry
4 Bloodstained Mire
2 Mountain
2 Stomping Ground

Creatures 10
4 Goblin Guide
4 Monastery Swiftspear
2 Grim Lavamancer

Flexible Burn 16
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Searing Blaze
4 Rift Bolt
4 Shard Volley

Direct Burn 14
4 Lava Spike
4 Boros Charm
4 Atarka's Command
2 Skullcrack

Sideboard 15
2 Skullcrack
2 Volcanic Fallout
2 Path to Exile
2 Kor Firewalker
3 Deflecting Palm
4 Destructive Revelry[/deck]

I really dislike the Grim Lavamancer and I wouldn't mind finding a way to force 4x Eidolon of the Great Revel back into the list but I'm not sure how (+ I don't think he helps much in our tough MUs anyways).

So far I think the format is really lifehappy so I wouldn't play any list with less then 8 anti-lifegain cards somewhere in the 75, I think Lightning Helix really needs some more considerations since games usually slow down on M2-3 (post board) the extra 3 life and buy turns.

EDIT:
Thunderous Wrath .... lols, YOLO?

[Valdarith]

Wizards prints the best red two drop of all time -- a Legacy and Modern all-star -- and you choose NOT to play him?

Anything less than four is flat out wrong. The card is AMAZING.

[Valdarith]

Also you're giving up significant percentage in the mirror to play Atarka's Command in the 60. If I were on that plan I'd just play small Zoo. And I don't think 4 Shard Volley can realistically be supported.