Creatures (21)
Planeswalkers (4)
Spells (10)
What an interesting new idea which has potential for huge card advantage once it gets going. Bant has the particular quality of combining acceleration with control and card advantage. This deck attempts to accomplish that in spades. It all starts with a ten pack of mana dorks with Mystics, Caryatids & Satyrs to get the plan into high gear. From there the threats start at converted cost of four with Polukranos, which doubles as removal for the deck, and Jace, which also doubles against aggro with the +1 ability. We then hit the five spot and the centerpiece for this deck from Prophet of Kruphix which provides the unique ability to be proactive on your turn AND their turn while always holding up mana to threaten countermagic. Then we hit the top of the curve at six with a diverse package including premier control finisher Aetherling, card advantage beast Prime Speaker & the truly diverse Primeval Bounty. As with any deck using both blue and white mana should there is a full four Sphinx’s Revelation and the life gain can be a key in surviving against fast aggro. The control aspect of the deck is limited to Plasm Capture that plays into the plan of mass card draw by providing more fuel to spew out more threats as quickly as possible. The rest of the deck is comprised of a small removal suite with Detention Sphere which can work to hold off a swarm and Curse of the Swine which is either a sweeper or can be used to remove indestructible Gods. This is definitely an idea to keep in mind moving forward as it may not yet be properly positioned but a few tweeks primarily with respect to shoring up the aggro matchup could turn this deck into a premier powerhouse.
Creatures (26)
Spells (10)
Sideboard
Here we have an interesting list that many have dubbed as Kibler Golgari. There were a few pros piloting this style deck at the GP last weekend but apparently it was ill positioned against the field on Sunday. With a high concentration of creatures this deck is heavily invested in turning cards sideways. The gold boardered creatures which are almost unique to this deck in Lotleth Troll, Dreg Mangler, Varolz and Reaper provide some hefty beef and synergy to the deck. The ability to turn every creature in the graveyard into a scavenge from Varolz works well with Lotleth allowing discard and works to get you some big beaters into play. Speaking of big creatures Polukranos, Boon Satyr and Reaper provide the deck with a fast clock to any decks that aren’t prepared for the onslaught. Utility from Scavenging Ooze and some acceleration from Mystic round out the package. The creatures are backed up by a strong removal foursome of Hero’s Downfall, Abrupt Decay, Putrefy and Golgari Charm to clear the board of most any threats. Thoughtseize also plays in as some light disruption and certainly one of the better black one drops in standard.
Creatures (17)
Sideboard
Now here’s a pretty wild looking deck. With a very strong curve of Soldier into Voice into Reckoner into Advent it has some serious beef out of the gate. Backed up with Satyr and Fleecemane with an Ooze for utility it has a very aggressive creature package. Using Chandra as a source of card advantage it also helps to slip by any nuisance blockers. Finally it is rounded out with a removal package of Chained to the Rocks & Lightning Strike, which doubles as reach to hit the dome, and Mizzium as a sweeper. The Charm is there for some real utility that can either push through some lethal damage with trample or surprise an alpha strike with a knight…but most important may be the exile mode as a way to deal with pesky Gods.
WOW !!! A huge congrats to Owen T with his back to back GP titles in two wildly different formats. This deck that he used to win the Standard GP was a real beaut to watch him pilot. The true MVP of this deck is a card that most held as an overpowered limited card, but not a huge constructed powerhouse. Owen showed how crazy Pack Rat can really play. A typical opening of turn one Thoughtseize into turn two Pack Rat often meant you were going to face down a plethora of rats in the next few turns, and activating Mutavaults buffs them as they are also rats. Not that this was the only line of play as turn three would often see Specter, turn four Demon and then turn five could have a potential 8 devotion Gray Merchant. And the one of Erebos is good for some card advantage but amazing at stopping opponents from regaining lost life, especially in the mirror match from their Gray Merchants. A full set of Underworld Connections makes sure that there is a steady stream of cards flowing to your hands at the cost of some minimal life points. The rest of the deck is a very powerful removal suite with Hero’s Downfall, Devour Flesh, Doom Blade and Ultimate Price to ensure there isn’t heavy resistance against your heavy beaters.
Creatures (16)
Spells (19)
Sideboard (15)
Matt Costa was able to pilot this deck to a win against Boros Aggro in the finals. Following along traditional Jund lines of incremental advantage into the midgame this deck combines power and versatility. The creature suite has two ‘monstrous’ heavy hitters at the top end with Stormbreath Dragon and Polukranos supported by utility from Reaper of the Wilds, Scavenging Ooze and Sylvan Caryatid. This is backed up by a very potent package of removal with Abrupt Decay & Hero’s Downfall for spot removal and Anger of the Gods & Mizzium Mortars as sweepers. Finally the deck is rounded out with Thoughtseize & Rakdos’s Return to disrupt the opponents hand and Read the Bones to ensure that the right answers show up at the right time.
G/R Devotion
Lands (23)
Creatures (27)
Planeswalker (10)
15 cards Sideboard
Boros Aggro Devotion – Midrange
Carlos Davi Montenegro
28 creatures
6 other spells
1 planeswalker
15 sideboard cards
We have another Boros deck that made Top 8 this weekend, but this one was in Chile at Grand Prix Santiago. The first one piloted by Benjamin Lundquist was like a White Weenie deck with red splash for Boros Charm and more answers in the Sideboard. You can check it out here. This version borrows from Mono-red devotion and RDW with a splash of white. Boros Charm is used again, but this time in the board. Chained to the Rocks is great and cheap white removal that demands using Mountain. Assemble the Legion, also in the board, can get quickly out of hand against decks without an answer.
The creatures are all red with as much red mana symbols to abuse the four of Fanatic of Mogis. Purphoros, God of the Forge in the Board mut also get activated quickly in this strategy. This deck is not like the other devotion or aggro decks, because it borrows from the control strategy. Using the Mizzium Mortars to sweep the opponents board is a powerful strategy in this aggro meta.
Rakdos Aggro (R/B)
Luis Navas
28 creatures
10 other spells
15 sideboard cards
Rakdos is back with Madcap Skills, Spike Jester and Rakdos Cackler taking us back to Return to Ravnica drafts. That’s some pretty quick beats when your getting hit turn 2 for 5, of course they’ll probably just burn it away. This is why it’s all about timing, dropping the madcap skills when its right just like in RTR draft. The black devotion Mogis’s Marauder is also a good card in draft and can end up a win condition even in constructed. Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch bringing out the beats and giving haste to its plethora of unleashed monster mash. This was definitely a great deck for Halloween…
Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right. Here I am stuck in the middle with you!
