RDW & WUB Control Post-Rotation

JSUOversoul · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 34

Hey guys, these are the two decks that I have been working on extensively since Shards was revealed. The RDW has done very well since I put the green splash into it (having Naturalize to take care of Runed Halos set to Flame Javelin & Demigod really helps), and the WUB control deck is only a couple of days old, but has actually tested pretty well. Just looking for input on improvements, I'd like to take one of these two decks to the first Shards-legal FNM down here where I live. Here's the lists:

Red Deck Wins

18 - Mountains
4 - Fire-Lit Thicket
2 - Ghitu Encampment

4 - Figure of Destiny
4 - Mogg Fanatic
4 - Ashenmoor Gouger
4 - Boggart Ram-Gang
4 - Hell's Thunder (this has tested VERY well)
4 - Demigod of Revenge

4 - Incinerate
4 - Puncture Blast
4 - Flame Javelin

Sideboard:
4 - Firespout
3 - Unwilling Recruit
3 - Pithing Needle
3 - Naturalize
2 - Everlasting Torment

I'm thinking about swapping the Needle for Spitebellows to help the deck deal with the increasing number of 4-toughness creatures in Standard. Maybe something else, but definitely something I'm thinking about.

WUB Control

4 - Reflecting Pool
4 - Arcane Sanctum
4 - Mystic Gate
4 - Sunken Ruins
4 - Adarkar Wastes
4 - Underground River

4 - Sower of Temptation
3 - Shriekmaw
4 - Mulldrifter
4 - Reveillark

4 - Bitterblossom
4 - Esper Charm
4 - Cryptic Command
3 - Terror
3 - Wrath of God
3 - Makeshift Mannequin

Sideboard:
1 - Terror
1 - Wrath of God
2 - Oona, Queen of the Fae
4 - Runed Halo
3 - Oblivion Ring
4 - Kitchen Finks

Also still experimenting with some swaps here & there with this. Like I said, it's only about 2 days old, so it's still in the early phases. I would like to find a place for Tower Gargoyle, but that means Reveillark probably needs to go and it's tested pretty well despite the small number of targets for it. Maybe 2 Battlegrace Angel & 2 Archon of Justice? Something in that ballpark, maybe? Esper Charm has done very well, also.

Anyway, any suggestions/help would be nice. I know some of you will say "go to 5-color control", but I played Q&T until I got sick of it, I'm ready for something that's not 5-colors for a little while. Thanks guys.

coolcreep · Joined: 18 Feb 2006 Posts: 406

Well, I haven't tested hell's thunder, but it seems like it would be pretty bad with a bitterblossom up. Have you tested it a lot against faeries?

ILikeBananas · Joined: 01 Aug 2006 Posts: 166

Yes Hell's Thunder is bad vs bitterblossom tokens, but RDW is pretty good vs faeries anyways. Hell's thunder is good in nearly all other MUs. I don't think one bad card will cripple a match up that is traditionally good. So the benefit very likely exceeds the cost. For the RDW, I recommend Stigma Lasher on the sb.

JSUOversoul · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 34

The Faeries matchup hasn't been that much of a problem, actually. And yeah, Hell's Thunder is the first thing to be boarded out in that match. And yes, it's pretty darn good in most other matchups. Any suggestions on the 3-color deck? That's the main one I'm looking for suggestions on.

Zerotlr · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 18

In the reveillark deck i think you should go into the bant colors and replace the esper for/or add the bant charm. Also Knight Captain of Eos seems like a sweet reveilalrk target.

Acid_Christ · Joined: 28 Aug 2004 Posts: 567

Red Deck Wins looks pretty Solid. I dunno about the Fire-Lit Thickets. Seems to me a simple Karplusan Forest would be better. Thicket can hinder your turn 1 drop if its your only land. Sure KF will deal some damage to you, but I think you should be dealing more damage in the race. Hell's Thunder is actually amazing. At first I was skeptical, but after it coming at me like a Flame Javelin for 4 to the dome a couple of times, I am convinced its good. Esp with the 4R and return it. Its like Red's version of Call of the Herd. I have been considering dropping Demigod because of this. It comes in turn 3, as well as turn 5 (demigod turn) in one card, allowing room for more burn/cheap creatures to be played earlier with and easy mana curve. Puncture Blast doesn't seem to do anything for me. As for the problem with 4 toughness creatures, you have Flame Javelin. And if you say "I want to throw it at their head not their creatures" then why would you want to use sb slots to kill creatures? I dunno though. I guess its up to personal opinion.

StarWizard · Joined: 01 May 2007 Posts: 8

Brodie · Joined: 07 Nov 2004 Posts: 23

JSUOversoul · Joined: 08 May 2007 Posts: 34

I had Stigma Lasher in the original build, and quite honestly, I wasn't impressed. I hardly ever got the "can't gain life" use out of the card... EVER. It was almost always shot as soon as it came down. Also, the Ram-Gangs and Puncture Blasts are essential in my meta, because I don't know about yours, but mine is COVERED in Kitchen Finks right now. Hence the reason for all of them being MD over Tarfire or Lash Out. Someone mentioned that Thickets will drag me down if it's my "only land". Well... that's why we can mulligan Wink

After that, it's free green with no ping. I know it seems kinda odd, but even the decks with Finks shot down the Lasher. It's personal choice, I guess, I just don't like the card. And I thought about Spitebellows because I've already heard people talking about building decks with some of the bigger-toughness creatures in the new set. I mean hey, there are some things that not even Flame Jav will kill, ya know? It would be nice to know that against a Colossus, I've got 7 chances to draw something that'll kill it after he comes down tapped out than 4 chances.

Seriously though, I'm pretty set on how the list will be for the red deck. I could really use more input on the 3-color deck. Thanks for the comments guys.

pretoryus · Joined: 04 Jul 2008 Posts: 4

what about r/g ?

lands

2 - karpulsan forest
15 - Mountains
4 - Fire-Lit Thicket
2 - Ghitu Encampment

creatures

4 tattermunge maniac
4 mogg fanatic
4 rip-clan crasher
4 boggart ram gang
2 boartusk liege ??
4 hell's thunder
4 demigod

spells

4 lash out
4 incinerate
3 flame javelin