Standard Discussion

[RadioshackRaider]

So I'm currently brewing a Temur Zada deck and I'm wondering, what else in green should I play that isn't Yasova or Swell of Growth. I've no yet finalised the list, but it seems like U/R Zada with some green for value. Any thoughts?

[square1]

So I'm currently brewing a Temur Zada deck and I'm wondering, what else in green should I play that isn't Yasova or Swell of Growth. I've no yet finalised the list, but it seems like U/R Zada with some green for value. Any thoughts?

Become Immense springs to mind. Infuse with the Elements could be interesting as a permanent buff to your team in a 3 color deck.

In red, Expedite and, blue, Slip Through Space give your team haste and unblockable respectively and draw a card for each creature you control when Zada is in play. Titan's Strength is a nice pump and gives you scry 1 for each creature.

For creatures, Savage Knuckleblade is the premier temur critter, and Surrak is no slouch either in both Dragonclaw and Caller of the Hunt forms. If you have them/can afford them, Den Protector and Deathmist Raptor work well together. Den Protector also has nice built in evasion that combos well with a pump spell strategy.

Zada rewards you for going wide, so in green, there's Whisperwood Elemental, and Nissa, Voice of Zendikar that can help with that.

Good luck!

[RadioshackRaider]

I want to try and keep the cost of the deck down, so Den Protectors, Deathmists, Nissas and Whisperwoonds are out. I'll play Big Knucks if I can get some, but I haven't seen him in a long time. I don't know about play anything with a double colour cost like Caller of the Hunt. Right now the cards I want to play are:
Zada x4
Expedite x3
Slip Through Space x4
Swell of Growth x4
Monastery Swiftspear x4
Stormchaser Mage x4
Yasova x2

I think I'll probably play Dragon Fodder too for token production, but after that I'm at a loss. I'll need some removal, but the best of it is Exquisite Firecraft, which is double red.

[Phi]

I think Titanic Growth is better than Swell of Growth, and extra token generators like Dragon Fodder and Hordeling Outburst can help you go wide, as well as fill your graveyard for the recommended Become Immense.

Basically, I think your deck has the potential to be a quirky Atarka Red variant, making all your creatures attack for a ton of damage with Temur Battle Strike.

[RadioshackRaider]

Titantic Growth won't allow me to play more land. The point is I want to draw a bunch of cards with Slip and Expedite, then use Swell to get more land out and keep the crazy train going. I feel like it could make the deck play itself on a turn every once in a while.

[fantôme]

The Zada train is a really cool idea - Dragon Fodder, Become Immense and Temur Battle Rage all seem really strong here. Sylvan Advocate is a really solid creature by itself, and is potentially bonkers since you can get the train going as early as turn five - I think you should be running at a minimum a dozen early-drop creatures so you can make use of all your combat tricks should Zada fail to show up. Zada also does unfathomable things with Arcbond and Chandra's Ignition, if you wanted to go in that direction. Vines of the Recluse could be an interesting combat trick versus other aggressive decks.

Looking forward to seeing how this deck shapes up.

[Lycodrake]

I really need to update my Dromoka deck now that OGW is out. I never really got around to adding anything from BFZ, either...hrm.
Granted, I'm thinking about making a mono-Glass deck, so maybe it's not as bad I haven't updated it? idk
[edit]
I"m mostly concerned that GW isn't up to the Tier 1 and 2 lists that I know people at my LGS will bring to FNM.

[RadioshackRaider]

So I've finished the fist version of my Zada deck, and I honestly don't know what I'm doing. I have a whole bunch of cards picked out, and this is what I've ended up with. I think Mono Red might be a stronger version. Here's the list http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/a-mess-3/ All help is appreciated. I'll put the list of what I considered for the deck and the sideboard I put together for some reason.

[jadamelio]

Im playing this deck right now it Jeskai instead of temur, advantages of white are replacing do nothing expedite with defiant strike and Jeskai Acedancy. Idk thats where Im at with it right now.

[jadamelio]

Follow up, I run 2 of Jeskai wind scout in addition to ×4 swift spear ×4 storm chaser. Currently testing Jori En.

[RadioshackRaider]

Expedite is drawing me some more cards and can allow for some more insanity and could mean I win games out of nowhere. I might play 3 of it and 3 Slips. They were both the draw to playing a Zada deck.

[jadamelio]

In a vacuum I've found expedite to be much less useful than defiant strike. Strike combos equally well with Zada, since it is almost a second slip.

If you are looking to do more of a card draw combo deck with zada, expedite serves just as well. My build is an aggro prowess deck.

[Phi]

So, how was Game Day? I ranked #7 in my local community, losing the first 2 rounds but winning the next 3.

[square1]

So, how was Game Day? I ranked #7 in my local community, losing the first 2 rounds but winning the next 3.

I went 2-1. Lost to BW Eldrazi aggro, beat BW warriors, UR Prowess. Was playing Temur aggro myself. An Eldrazi Ramp deck wound up winning the event. The curve of matter reshaper into thoughtknot into reality smasher into World Breaker looked pretty scary.

It was a little frustrating because I showed up at the scheduled time and they delayed it 2.5 hours so that people playing in game day at another store could come get a second shot.

[Booster]

Went 4-0, and won myself a sweet play mat. super Happy because I don't play a lot of standard and while Ive won game day before, that was a smaller tournament and I net decked (nothing wrong with net decking), but this time it was my own brew.

Here was my list, beat Abzan Rally, G/B Eldrazi, Mardu warriors and a bizarre WUBG list that was very good but I don't know what to call it.

http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/gideon-and-nissa-otp/

[Kapol]

I ended up going 2-1, getting second of four people. I beat Temur prowess and R/W aggro, and lost to Abzan red. I only beat Temur Prowess due to gaining 21 life off three Nissa's Renewals game one, and 14 life off two in game two. My opponent seemed convinced I cheated, was very salty about the loss, and complained that 'of course he lost to the deck his deck is best against due to draws.'

My deck was mono-green Eldrazi ramp. Though I built it in less than 15 minutes including sleeving, thanks to waking up at 12:20 for an event at 1 20 minutes away from me. My only high end was 2 Bane of Bala Ged and 2 World Breaker, with only a single Reality Smasher to put on pressure. And I didn't have the Explosive Vegetation the deck really wanted. But it managed to do pretty well over all. I just couldn't get through a Siege Rhino deck with a ton of removal. Especially with some questionable keeps and hard mulligans.

[fantôme]

Congratulations you guys on some excellent game day records, especially to Booster for the 4-0 with a brew!

Once again I wasn't able to attend because of work, really frustrating that stuff came up last minute for the last two game days & pre-releases. I'm stating categorically here that NOTHING will keep me from the SOI pre-release, because gosh-darnit gothic horror is absolutely my jam.

Many have felt recently that Standard has been getting really stale, but sounds like there was a nice variety of decks out there this weekend. What was everyone's read on the dominance of Rhino/Jace/etc. and the excessive "loading screens" of fetches being cracked?

[square1]

Saw zero rhinos. Fetches weren't too bad. Everyone seemed pretty good about finding their land while the opponent did stuff or searching quickly.

Biggest slow down was hand attack and people writing down hand contents with all the thought knots and duress and such. People need to write more short hand. It's already feel bad enough as someone tears apart your hand. Painstakingly writing out full card names is just rub ins.

Jace was definitely out in force. I think everyone playing blue other than me ran a full play set.

[Booster]

I saw a few Rhino's but no Jace's, which did surprise me. But the Rhino problem is going away on its won soon, where as with the likelihood that the Graveyard will matter in SOI, I can see the Jace problem getting worse...

[Phi]

I saw plenty of Jaces and Rhinos, but faced Tasigurs more than anything, which surprised me.

[RadioshackRaider]

There was a sea of Abzan X at mine. Jaces and I assume Rhinos all day. I never heard or saw any one cast one. I saw some other decks, including two Zada decks. One Izzet, one Grixis. Makes me think it could work. I played B/R Eldrazi Aggro and went 2/2, placing 8th out of 14. Kinda salty that yet again a non-local showed up and won the mat. Nobody who comes to my LGS has won it since before Theros. Even the owner is getting annoyed at it now. He can't stop the more experienced and non-casual players from coming, but would love one of his actual customers to get it for once.

[fantôme]

So... Outracing aggro with lifegain: I've noticed some success with this in the past, and I always love a janky rare win-condition. Lunchbreak brew:

CrazyCatLady.dec

Click to Expand

4 Arashin Cleric
4 Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim
4 Felidar Sovereign
4 Jaddi Offshoot
2 Serene Steward
3 Nissa, Voice of Zendikar
2 Fruit of the First Tree
4 Oath of Nissa
3 Feed the Clan
3 Pulse of Murasa
3 Shape the Sands
4 Blossoming Sands
4 Jungle Hollow
4 Scoured Barrens
12 more lands

(Apologies tappedout isn't working for me at the moment).

Thoughts on removal I should be including, Feed the Cat for mostly only 5, deck even remotely viable?

[square1]

So... Outracing aggro with lifegain: I've noticed some success with this in the past, and I always love a janky rare win-condition. Lunchbreak brew:

CrazyCatLady.dec

Click to Expand

4 Arashin Cleric
4 Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim
4 Felidar Sovereign
4 Jaddi Offshoot
2 Serene Steward
3 Nissa, Voice of Zendikar
2 Fruit of the First Tree
4 Oath of Nissa
3 Feed the Clan
3 Pulse of Murasa
3 Shape the Sands
4 Blossoming Sands
4 Jungle Hollow
4 Scoured Barrens
12 more lands

(Apologies tappedout isn't working for me at the moment).

Thoughts on removal I should be including, Feed the Cat for mostly only 5, deck even remotely viable?

I think the deck is viable. I think you might be going too all in on some of the life gain elements though. Why not add some of the elements of the BW ally draft deck? Drana's Emissary is a solid evasive threat that fuels your life gain for example. Feed the Clans and Shape the Sands are very situational. You're in Abzan colors so you could bring in Dragonlord Dromoka + Foul-Tongue Invocation for more life gain and removal, Abzan Charm for more removal. Alhammeret's Archive could be some crazy tech, especially if you can get some card draw in there. And Sorin, Solemn Visitor giving lifelink would also be powerful. Just a few thoughts. The main thing I think is to make sure you're putting more pressure in other ways on your opponent so that they can't just kill Sovereign and win.

[fantôme]

I wanted to go as heavy into lifegain as possible, so that I don't have to apply much pressure and outpace my opponent's aggression with just the amount of life I have. Finding some sort of balance is probably more sensible though.

Shape the Sands is there to combo with Ayli and Fruit of the First Tree more than anything else, sadly Feed the Cat is fairly underwhelming here.

Good point that I shouldn't be relying solely on King Kitty as a win condition. Though neither a cat nor a lady (possibly?), Dromoka seems like a perfect backup plan. Definitely not a cat or a lady, Sorin and some tokens could also be an interesting direction.

Appreciate the thoughts, cheers.

[Lycodrake]

http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/23-03-15 ... e-eternal/
Updated - switched out the Rattleclaws and Map the Wastes for Leaf Gilders and Natural Connections, then switched Frontier Sieges for From Beyond.
Haven't played Standard since before OGW pre-release so I'm not certain if I'm taking the deck in the correct direction. Either way? I still like what the deck does and aim to have fun with it.
Advice would most certainly be welcome, though.