[Primer] Boros Bullies.

[Kazekirimaru]

This is probably the best Boros deck I've seen yet. Aurelia's Fury is actually a pretty snug fit in here, eh?

I wish I didn't trade off my Foundrys now.

[Link]

needs a cooler name though

Flash Brighthammer?

[Alex]

We just call it "The only deck Boros Reckoner isn't that good in."

[rcwraspy]

Do you think Bonfires may be a sideboard option against the 30+ creature decks? And can you run through your sideboarding strategies in general?

Great looking deck!

EDIT: Also, why Act of Treason over Traitorous Blood? Double red mana cost?

[Alex]

The trample isn't relevant most of the time, and it taxes the mana less later on if you're trying to steal stuff with Restoration Angel.

I have a semi-sideboard guide (my sideboarding process from GP Charlotte) on MTGS, but I can't find it since when you're suspended you can't use the search function. If someone wants to find it for me, the thread title is "Win-a-box" or something like that. The sideboard is mostly the same.

[LP, of the Fires]

http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?t=491598

[Alex]

Thanks LK, I'm going to repost the post here so that I can link to it in the primer.

[Alex]

[deck]Creatures (28)
4 Stromkirk Noble
2 Reckless Waif
2 Stonewright
3 Ash Zealot
3 Nearheath Pilgrim
4 Boros Reckoner
4 Restoration Angel
4 Hellrider
2 Zealous Conscripts

Instant (8)
2 Aurelia's Fury
3 Boros Charm
3 Midnight Haunting

Mana (24)
4 Sacred Foundry
4 Clifftop Retreat
2 Slayers' Stronhold
1 Plains
13 Mountain

Sideboard (15)
1 Nearheath Pilgrim
2 Rhox Faithmender
2 Thundermaw Hellkite
2 Rest in Peace
3 Volcanic Strength
1 Rally the Peasants
1 Midnight Haunting
3 Act of Treason[/deck]


The deck performed a little beyond expectation so far. I had a few close games with Huminator, but aside from that it was smooth sailing.

This event was swiss, no top 8, and lasted six rounds. The turnout wasn't as good as I expected, as I played in a Modern event earlier where we went the full 8 rounds and then split to top 8.

Regardless, here's how it went. Keeping in mind that I haven't
eaten all day, I didn't have time in between this event and the modern event, so I've been playing with the shakes most of the afternoon.

Round 1 vs. traditional mirror, 2-0

He played first.

The first match was pretty unremarkable. He got me low-ish, I curved a Reckoner into a Restoration Angel and by that point he was basically scratching his head. I beat him to death with Resto and Slayers' Stronhold. There were some Midnight Hauntings in there too I guess.

Board: -3 Boros Charm, -2 Aurelia's Fury, +1 Nearheath Pilgrim, +2 Rhox Faithmender, +2 Volcanic Strength. I didn't bring in all 3 V.Strengths because I got the feeling like they weren't going to be too relevant, and that I was just going to soar over him.

Second match was even less remarkable. He came out of the gate really strong, but Nearheath into Reckoner pair slowed him down out of the gate, and Faithmender put the game out of his reach. Admittedly it took me a little while to find a threat to kill him
with, as my opening hand was basically land and those three cards. Eventually I found a Midnight Haunting and rode Slayers' Stronghold to victory again.

Round 2 vs. mono red, 2-1.

He played first.

This deck was a lot closer to the list Zeman used to play before Gatecrash spoiled on MODO. This game I played on curve the entire time, and he and I tried to race. Stromkirk Noble to Ash Zealot to Reckoner to Angel wasn't enough to stop me from getting blown out by Thundermaw. It was a close game, I had it the next turn on an alpha, and I'm fairly certain he topdecked T.Maw.

Board: -2 Zealous Conscripts, -2 Aurelia's Fury, -1 Mountain, +3 Volcanic Strength, +2 Rhox Faithmender. The game was over before Conscripts was going to become relevant. I considered putting in Act of Treason but decided to try and stall him instead of race him.

Second game was a lot different. I kept a really suspect hand with a bunch of spells and only 2 lands, 1 being a basic mountain and the
other being a Clifftop Retreat. I was rewarded by drawing one more, which was enough to dump all the spells in my hand short of a Restoration Angel. I eventually drew that fourth land in time to be able to trick him into attacking poorly, and he lost 2 of his 3 guys in the exchange. A few turns later I gained infinite life and we were back to shuffling.

Board: -1 Volcanic Strength, +1 Rally the Peasants. I wanted to try it out, and I wasn't too worried about losing to this guy, especially knowing that he had very few tricks of his own.

Third game was not even close. By turn 4 I had gained seven hundred million life. We played for a few turns, I drew my card for turn, showed him a Volcanic Strength and he scooped it up.

Round 3 vs. Ben Stark Esper, 2-0.

This is the deck I was most worried about playing against. Normally bant control is not a huge deal because they only run 3-4 Supreme Verdicts, but this list has 6, which is pretty rough because at any moment they can have
a huge revelation and draw multiple more. Despite that, I'm not sure this matchup was good for them, because I steamrolled this guy. In the first game he just didn't really get off of the ground. He played a turn 4 Supreme Verdict, killing 2 Ash Zealots and my Stromkirk Noble. In hand I was holding Restoration Angel and a Hellrider. After a few turns of me turning those two sideways in his direction, and him not finding a board wipe, we were on to game 2.

Board: -2 Zealous Conscripts, -3 Nearheath Pilgrim, +1 Rally the Peasants, +1 Midnight Haunting, +2 Thundermaw Hellkite, +1 Rest in Peace. I wanted to up my threat density, basically. I added in the Rest in Peace in hopes of randomly turning off Snapcaster Mage, because I didn't want to be playing Nearheath and Conscripts at all. Removing Conscripts does open me up to getting Jace'd, but that was a risk I was willing to take to be able to just beat him down.

Second match I kept a hand with a bunch of land, Aurelia's Fury, and a Reckless Waif.
Normally I would NEVER do this, but the way I saw it, all of his board wipes weren't going to get him very far if I only played one dinky little guy. Waif flipped immediately, and I started going to the head with her. I didn't draw another threat until 3 draw steps later, but it was Thundermaw Hellkite. I decided to slowroll him for as long as I could, and watched him slowly die to Merciless Predator. Eventually he was forced to Snapcaster block her, flashing back Azorious Charm to cycle. By this point, he was at about 4. End step he Revelations up to 9, drawing 5. He resolves a Jace, mills me for 10. On my upkeep, I decide to try shooting him with Fury to see if the coast is clear. In my hand I'm holding Thundermaw, and decide the gamble was worth it, since I really needed to resolve something before Jace killed me. He didn't counter the Fury, so I drew my card, and it was a Boros Charm. Slammed Thundermaw, gave it double strike. He tried to counter the Thundermaw, but apparently didn't read Aurelia's
Fury. Oops. He kind of punted it, but I was playing around his counter magic regardless via Fury, so it wasn't like I was about to be caught with my pants down either.

Round 4 vs. Naya, 2-1.

Game one was a short one. I curved perfectly. Midnight Haunting into Hellrider was a beating, and a beating that he also didn't expect. He thought I was just representing Boros Charm for infinite life shenanigans, and we joked about it while we shuffled.

Board: -3 Midnight Haunting, -1 Aurelia's Fury, +1 Rally the Peasants, +3 Act of Treason. I know people are going to yell that I should board Volcanic Strength in here, but I saw a few burn spells from him and decided that trying to simply steal the win from him out of nowhere was safer.

Game two was a lot different. I kept a fairly tricky hand, including Zealous Conscripts, Act of Treason, and Restoration Angel. Sadly, my land draws were pretty light for a while, and he came out of the gate pretty hard, beating me down with the
Gyre Sage, Emissary, Flinthoof, Thundermaw nonsense. I didn't get a chance to play much beside my 1 Stromkirk Noble, which was outclassed pretty quickly.

Board: I decided to keep my deck the way it was. He lucksacked pretty hard, and there wasn't really anything I could have done against it no matter what I had boarded in.

Game three he came out of the gates at a much more reasonable pace. His Gyre Sage sat around not doing much for a few turns, which was long enough for me to build up a decent hand. My board was also pretty empty, but I was ready for whatever it was he played, having both Act of Treason and Restoration Angel in my hand. Eventually he resolves a freaking Thundermaw Hellkite, and I get hit for a bunch. Thankfully I had taken no damage before that. I hit my turn, steal his TMaw, hit him with it, and bounce it with Restoration Angel while the return trigger is on the stack. He calls a judge, judge tells him I get to keep it, and he just scoops it up on the spot. I'm pretty sure I had
him on next attack step, but I didn't do the math. Maybe he had.





...I'll finish this later, my first meal of the day just got here.

Edit: After a short suspension from MTGS, I am not going to bother finishing this post, it is mostly for archival purposes.

[Self Medicated]

Great primer so far Alex. Are you planning on writing up a sideboard plan?

Edit: Derp. Saw that you wrote up your boarding plan from the tournament. Keep it up man!

[rcwraspy]

I may go to the SCG IQ in Boston this coming Saturday (April 20th) and am considering sleeving this up for it.

[Alex]

I may go to the SCG IQ in Boston this coming Saturday (April 20th) and am considering sleeving this up for it.

Make sure you actually play with it for a little before doing that. The deck does take a little experience to play well.

[rcwraspy]

I may go to the SCG IQ in Boston this coming Saturday (April 20th) and am considering sleeving this up for it.

Make sure you actually play with it for a little before doing that. The deck does take a little experience to play well.

Definitely - if I don't get enough time with it I'll take Gruul aggro or Naya Blitz instead. All I'm missing are copies 3+4 of Midnight Haunting and the Rhox Faithmenders in the side (that I may slot as something else) so I've been testing with it already. I like that you're an aggressive midrange creature build playing almost like UWR Flash.

[Alex]

I drew a lot of inspiration from playing UWR in Modern, actually, so yes this deck is very much like that.

[Christen]

I'd like to drop here and say that attacking with Rhox Faithmender pumped by the stronghold feels like cheating.

[Self Medicated]

Alex, I am planning on playing your deck in most of the standard tournaments at my LGS for the foreseeable future, with just a few slight changes. Let me know if the changes make sense, if they won't really affect anything, or if they're actually hurting the deck.

[deck]Lands (24)
4x Clifftop Retreat
10x Mountain
3x Plains
4x Sacred Foundry
3x Slayers’ Stronghold

Creatures (26)
4x Boros Reckoner
4x Hellrider
4x Nearheath Pilgrim
4x Restoration Angel
4x Stonewright
4x Stromkirk Noble
2x Zealous Conscripts

Spells (10)
3x Boros Charm
1x Krenko’s Command
4x Midnight Haunting
2x Searing Spear

Sideboard (15)
1x Aurelia, the Warleader
2x Bonfire of the Damned
2x Dynacharge
3x Mark of Mutiny
1x Paraselene
2x Rest in Peace
2x Rhox Faithmender
2x Volcanic Strength
[/deck]

[Alex]

I mostly have issue with the sideboard. Paraselene is way too slow to stop hexproof decks. Ray of Revelation might be a one-shot, but you can sometimes make them suicide swing, so it's worth playing over Paraselene. Also, Mark of Mutiny is strictly worse than both of the other threatens since it fights for a spot on the curve with both Restoration Angel and Hellrider. You play Act of Treason and Traitorous Blood because they're both @ 3, so they fit better since your only relevant 3 drop is Boros Reckoner.

Playing less [card]Krenko's Command[/card] isn't bad, it's just different. Searing Spear is a good card and I would never fault someone for playing it.


Edit: See below.

[Self Medicated]

I mostly have issue with the sideboard. Paraselene is way too slow to stop hexproof decks. By the time you cast it, it's very likely that you're just already dead. If you want to beat those decks, play Rolling Temblor or more Rhox Faithmenders. The deck can't really interact with Faithmender very well. Also, Mark of Mutiny is strictly worse than both of the other threatens since it fights for a spot on the curve with both Restoration Angel and Hellrider. You play Act of Treason and Traitorous Blood because they'
re both @ 3, so they fit better since your only relevant 3 drop is Boros Reckoner.

Playing less [card]Krenko's Command[/card] isn't bad, it's just different. Searing Spear is a good card and I would never fault someone for playing it.

I can see your point about Paraselene. Also, you might have missed it, but Mark of Mutiny is 3 CMC also. I'd rather play Traitorous Blood though.

[Alex]

Also it should be noted that you basically never want to be playing Stromkirk Noble on the draw, so you will generally be boarding in Dynacharge in that slot, which is also occasionally hilarious against auras.

[Alex]

This is what happens when you hit post before you finish your post. Thanks, iPhone!

[Alex]

I mostly have issue with the sideboard. Paraselene is way too slow to stop hexproof decks. By the time you cast it, it's very likely that you're just already dead. If you want to beat those decks, play Rolling Temblor or more Rhox Faithmenders. The deck can't really interact with Faithmender very well. Also, Mark of Mutiny is strictly worse than both of the other threatens since it fights for a spot on the curve with both Restoration Angel and [
card]Hellrider[/card]. You play Act of Treason and Traitorous Blood because they're both @ 3, so they fit better since your only relevant 3 drop is Boros Reckoner.

Playing less [card]Krenko's Command[/card] isn't bad, it's just different. Searing Spear is a good card and I would never fault someone for playing it.

I can see your point about Paraselene. Also, you might have missed it, but Mark of Mutiny is 3 CMC also. I'd rather play Traitorous Blood though.

Either is fine, but the +1/+1 is less relevant to you than it is to your opponent most of the time. See the ACTUAL final version of my post, and forgive me for being bad at technology.

[Self Medicated]

So what do you think about Bonfire of the Damned instead of Rolling Temblor?

[Alex]

Probably less clunky than Temblor. I admit I more or less just forgot Bonfire was a card.

[Self Medicated]

Ok, I know Sundering Growth is double , but is it possible to play this over Ray of Revelation? I'm thinking the added benefit of taking out an occasional artifact is worth considering.

[redthirst]

How quickly do you need an answer to problematic enchantments/artifacts? If you're willing to wait a few weeks, Wear//Tear is probably perfect in those slots.

[Self Medicated]

How quickly do you need an answer to problematic enchantments/artifacts? If you're willing to wait a few weeks, Wear//Tear is probably perfect in those slots.

This is true.

[Alex]

How quickly do you need an answer to problematic enchantments/artifacts? If you're willing to wait a few weeks, Wear//Tear is probably perfect in those slots.

You need to answer them fast, Spectral Flight on Geist of Saint Traft is literally GG every single time.

I wouldn't worry so much though, the auras list isn't very popular anymore. Sundering Growth is iffy, if you're playing a bit more white you can pull it off though. Basic plains help.



Wear//Tear will be the single best card going forward through the Maze, though.

[Self Medicated]

I'm actually thinking about putting in Urgent Exorcism as a one of in the SB to see how it does against Obzedat. Of course, it's mainly there for enchantments.

[Pyreheart Bezerra]

I may go to the SCG IQ in Boston this coming Saturday (April 20th) and am considering sleeving this up for it.

Make sure you actually play with it for a little before doing that. The deck does take a little experience to play well.

+1 This. I playtested for a few hours and took it to some weekday tourneys at the LGS before the PTQ this weekend, and I still felt like I was underplaying the true potential of the deck. You are right Alex, it provides a strong player with many outs. Too bad Im not a strong player...yet.
Is gideon a card that would fit in the deck, maybe sideboard
for control. I play it in my R/w/b midrange deck. Is a win condition all on his own. Plus he pairs nicely with Gisela and Aurelia.

[Alex]

There's only one Planeswalker I would consider playing in the 75, and that's Ajani, Caller of the Pride. He's actually really good because Double Strike is a relevant ability to simply be able to hand out in a deck like this. He's certainly a card I would want against Esper and Bant because they HAVE to deal with him, and Esper specifically has a really tough time killing him.

Gideon is pretty whack because he doesn't do anything in control matchups that you can't just do with an end of turn Angel.

[zemanjaski]

Ajani isn't good

[zemanjaski]

And I can dig up games on video which highlight just how bad he is if necessary (long time viewers know exactly which match I have in mind).

[Alex]

He's not great, but he does serve a purpose in a list like this one. Control actually does just lose to him if he resolves a lot of the time.

He's just better than Boros Reckoner in any matchups vs. Azorious Charm. The biggest problem is that I only get 15 slots in my board and not like 17.

[zemanjaski]

Being better than the worst card in your deck in a matchup is no great accomplishment

[Alex]

Being better than the worst card in your deck in a matchup is no great accomplishment

The biggest problem with my sideboard the way it is right now is that it really doesn't have much going for it postboard against control, though. I'm seriously considering playing Ajani as a 2of for this reason, especially since the Searing Spears really aren't carrying their weight. (I don't usually board them in unless I'm on the draw against an aggro deck, and even then they aren't awesome.)

Of course there are other cards that I could probably board in that will do a better job of that. Maybe a second Aurelia, or something like Devil's Play.

[zemanjaski]

I can't remember your up to date deck list exactly, but are you running enough white sources to bring in Thalia?

[Alex]

Yes, but there's no way I'm playing Thalia in a deck that plays as many instants as mine does.

Besides, I don't actually care about board wipes, I just need a threat that they can't answer.

[zemanjaski]

Ajani's abilities line up really poorly against Azorius Charm and Supreme Verdict, in my opinion, which makes him pretty unexciting.

I'll give it some thought. You could just have Hound of Griselbrand, who is wrath proof and combines nicely with Slayer's Stronghold. Still has the unfortunate weakness to Azorius Charm though.

[Alex]

Ajani's abilities line up really poorly against Azorius Charm and Supreme Verdict, in my opinion, which makes him pretty unexciting.

I'll give it some thought. You could just have Hound of Griselbrand, who is wrath proof and combines nicely with Slayer's Stronghold. Still has the unfortunate weakness to Azorius Charm though.

I'm not really trying to dodge wraths as much as I am trying to find things that control doesn't have answers for. Azorious Charm is only good for so long, and Ajani can just sit there and become an increasingly scary threat to them. If they're just Azorious Charming my Restoration Angels, chances are they aren't doing much to stop Ajani, so you can just build towards an ult and try and get a win that way.

If I was
playing a control deck against a deck like mine, I'd probably board out my wraths, so I can see Ajani ult actually just winning you a game.

[rcwraspy]

Ajani's abilities line up really poorly against Azorius Charm and Supreme Verdict, in my opinion, which makes him pretty unexciting.

I'll give it some thought. You could just have Hound of Griselbrand, who is wrath proof and combines nicely with Slayer's Stronghold. Still has the unfortunate weakness to Azorius Charm though.

I'm not really trying to dodge wraths as much as I am trying to find things that control doesn't have answers for. Azorious Charm is only good for so long, and Ajani can just sit there and become an increasingly scary threat to them. If they're just Azorious Charming
my Restoration Angels, chances are they aren't doing much to stop Ajani, so you can just build towards an ult and try and get a win that way.

If I was playing a control deck against a deck like mine, I'd probably board out my wraths, so I can see Ajani ult actually just winning you a game.

I'm going to be testing the list with 2x Assemble the Legion in the side for the control matchups - that may be what you're looking for.

[Alex]

Ajani's abilities line up really poorly against Azorius Charm and Supreme Verdict, in my opinion, which makes him pretty unexciting.

I'll give it some thought. You could just have Hound of Griselbrand, who is wrath proof and combines nicely with Slayer's Stronghold. Still has the unfortunate weakness to Azorius Charm though.

I'm not really trying to dodge wraths as much as I am trying to find things that control doesn't have answers for.
Azorious Charm is only good for so long, and Ajani can just sit there and become an increasingly scary threat to them. If they're just Azorious Charming my Restoration Angels, chances are they aren't doing much to stop Ajani, so you can just build towards an ult and try and get a win that way.

If I was playing a control deck against a deck like mine, I'd probably board out my wraths, so I can see Ajani ult actually just winning you a game.

I'm going to be testing the list with 2x Assemble the Legion in the side for the control matchups - that may be what you're looking for.

I'm not big on Assemble the Legion, although I've kind of wanted to play it with Sublime Archangel for a while now.