U/R/w Counter Burn in Extended Post Rotation?

Shunohaku · Joined: 30 Oct 2005 Posts: 11

That is the question I want to answer. Last Extended season I did pretty well with a U/R Counter Burn build. And this season with the addition of some new cards (and subtraction of a few too) I am curious to see if this deck can be re-created.

I apologize if this is already a posted topic, but I ran a search for "Counter Burn", "Counter-Burn", and "Counter/Burn" and got back nothing. So I assume there is no posts on this subject yet.

Okay first off here is my current build.

// Lands
1 [CHK] Boseiju, Who Shelters All
2 [A] Plains (1)
4 [A] Mountain (1)
4 [ON] Flooded Strand
4 [RAV] Sacred Foundry
5 Island (3)
4 [AP] Shivan Reef

// Creatures
2 [SH] Shard Phoenix
3 [AP] Lightning Angel

// Spells
2 [IA] Pyroclasm
4 [IA] Counterspell
4 [AP] Fire/Ice
4 [IN] Fact or Fiction
2 [IN] Urza's Rage
2 [LG] Force Spike
3 [SH] Mana Leak
3 [IN] Absorb
4 [RAV] Lightning Helix
3 [AP] Prophetic Bolt

// Sideboard
SB: 2 [IA] Pyroclasm
SB: 2 [SOK] Kataki, War's Wage

Creatures
Shard Phoenix is at first glance just a 2/2 Flyer for 5 mana. But with the addition of Sac and Return abilities he is a recurring blocker/2 damage spell. Lightning Angel is 4 mana for a 3/4 Flyer with Haste and Vigilance. Not a bad deal if you ask me.

Spells
Carefully timed Counterspells, Force Spikes, Mana Leaks, and Absorbs keep your opponent's board free of pesky Mongrels, Piledrives, Ravagers, and whatever else they play that you just don't want to make it on the board. Pyroclasm is a nice board sweeper. Especially if your environment includes a lot of Affinity and Goblins. Fire/Ice is great both ways. It is damage to your opponent's dome, an ability to kill two 1/1's instantly, or to tap your opponent's only creature and draw yourself a card. Fact or Fiction. Good drawing spell. Enough said. Lightning Helix is great with it only costing 2 mana for 3 damage and 3 life as the reward. 5 mana for 4 damage and an "Impulse"? Sounds like Prophetic Bolt to me.

Sideboard
Obviously not done yet, but the 2x Pyroclasms are for Affinity/Madness/Goblins matchups and the 2x Kataki is for Affinity matchups as well.

Anyways that's my current build and my thoughts on it.

This will most likely not be the final build and like I said I don't even know if this deck can hold its own in the current environment, but I would like to try.

Any thoughts or constructive comments would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Shun

Rath · Joined: 31 Aug 2004 Posts: 100

Okay, this is usually the question i normally ask someone when playing a rogue or unknown deck in a partially known metagame.

What advantages does this deck have over the normal control builds? Tog? ScepterChant? What disadvantages does it have? Answer those questions for yourself and you will find some answers.

ChristPunchr · Joined: 01 Sep 2004 Posts: 359

Good call, rathe.
I am reasonably certain scepter chant would be a far more reliable choice.