Tuesday, June 14, 2016

So What If It's True?

This was a slice of my thought process:
Start over.
What if the choices are wrong? Should I remove Lightning Bolt? Chandra's Phoenix isn't coming back as easily as I want, because my direct damage is going towards their creatures: should they get replaced? Maybe I break down and just add a red Planeswalker.

Which one? Ugh, Chandra is so cliche but there's 6 of her and what are my other choices? Tibalt? Hell no. Koth doesn't fit and Sarkhan isn't a planeswalker when he does damage.

Less Kuldotha Phoenix. The numbers don't lie; you can't reliably cast it from the graveyard anyway. Cut one, add in another card.

Gah. Cut the Spirit Guides, add in land? Maybe more direct damage? Avacyn's Judgement? It can hit creatures and players and it can scale up....
No no.

Watch this match, hey, burn! Maybe I should add in Grim Lavamancer...no. Great one drop, but I don't want to exile my graveyard.
And so on.

Eventually, I decided was that Simian Spirit Guide wasn't helping me. Yes, a turn one Fire Diamond or Wild Guess was going to be good but I never felt like that really set the edge of the game for me, providing an advantage my opponent couldn't ignore.

So how do I address the issue of time? Jason thought the deck needed to be sped up and that's usually how we think of time. I kept looking at ways to add more direct damage that would fit. Most direct damage isn't damaging enough and Kindle really adds in a "missed opportunity" effect, for me.

When nothing seems right, it's hard to change my thought process up. Still, I found inspiration in the durdlely blue deck LSV is playing. What if I extend the amount of time I have, instead of shortening my opponent's?

What do Phoenixes represent? Life.

So what if I lean into the Kuldotha Phoenix needs?

I present to you, Rize 2.0:
4 Flamewake Phoenix
4 Chandra's Phoenix
2 Firewing Phoenix
4 Demigod of Revenge

2 Chandra, Pyromancer

3 Prism Ring
4 Fire Diamond
3 Wild Guess
4 Tormenting Voice 
4 Fiery Temper
4 Lightning Bolt

4 Braid of Fire 
 3 Great Furnace
16 Mountain
That's right everybody: Prism Ring secret tech.

I thought about Dragon's Claw, because that card shores up the Burn match and can help against other decks, too. But Prism Ring doesn't conflict with all the spells at my 2CC spot: I can play it turn one and gain life off the next spot in the curve.

If I was to sideboard, cards like Overmaster and Young Pyromancer seem to be good options, along with Blood Moon and Magus of the Moon. However, old school cards like Earthquake should be on my radar, along with artifact destruction, because artifacts are pesky.

5 comments:

  1. Price of progress is also a great sideboard card...like switching tactics and going for burn.

    Also another thought is possibly adding sneak attack or through the breach also with ancient tombs, city of traitors, or crystal veins.
    The thought of sneak attack is since your dudes don't care if they die paying 1r for a Phoenix is pretty sweet. Also sneak attack is cheaper now if you don't have them.

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  3. Also if you are planning on running it against legacy players sideboarding against disruption is good. Trinisphere or defense grid.

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    1. Also graveyard hate like tormod's crypt

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    2. Defense Grid would be brilliant; I've always thought that card was good, as well as playing into the artifact theme.

      And Tormod's Crypt is a classic. Don't face dredge without it (unless you have better options in White).

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