[MTG] Saint's Lookin' for Advice (new deck- Golgari Midrang)

[SaintTape]

Hello!

I am looking for advice on some of my old MTG decks.

This deck has been one of my pet decks for a long time. It is a casual legacy deck that focuses on Savra and Shambling Shell to generate an engine that leaves an opponent without creatures. Other cards in the deck are removal, more fodder for the engine/ engine pieces, or mana fixing. The deck has a very full 3 and 4 slot.

I just wanted to see if anyone has any ideas for cards that might help smooth out the strategy. The question, most often, for me is what to take out, as opposed to what to put in.

Creatures: 19
4x Birds of Paradise
2x Viscera Seer
2x Imperious Perfect
4x Shambling Shell
1x Stinkweed Imp
2x Creakwood Liege
2x Savra, Queen of the Golgari
2x Gleancrawler

Non-Creature: 19
2x Tragic Slip
3x Abrupt Decay
1x Demonic Tutor
2x Dismember
3x Maelstrom Pulse
3x Victimize
1x Garruk Wildspeaker
2x Grave Pact
1x Vraska the Unseen
1x Life's Finale

Land: 22
4x Overgrown Tomb
2x Verdant Catacombs
2x Woodland Cemetery
7x Forest
7x Swamp

[Superior Firepower]

look up this guy. Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund

[SaintTape]

Superior Firepower

look up this guy. Karrthus, Tyrant of Jund

I really want to keep it mono-red. I should probably mention that...

[Superior Firepower]

well. consider this i play circle of protection: red....

[SaintTape]

Superior Firepower

well. consider this i play circle of protection: red....

Then I am still screwed, as Karrthus is red.

This is mostly for casual play...I'm not looking to be super competitive, I just want to be able to see if anyone has any ideas for it I've missed for a mono-red dragon tribal, so I can keep up with my friends.

Additionally, building with Karrthus would turn this into an entirely different deck, since then I'd undoubtedly want Broodmates and other Jund-based strategies. It would be a completely new deck.

[Superior Firepower]

SaintTape

Superior Firepower

well. consider this i play circle of protection: red....

Then I am still screwed, as Karrthus is red.

This is mostly for casual play...I'm not looking to be super competitive, I just want to be able to see if anyone has any ideas for it I've missed for a mono-red dragon tribal, so I can keep up with my friends.

Additionally, building with Karrthus would turn this into an entirely different deck, since then I'd undoubtedly want Broodmates and other Jund-based strategies. It would be a completely new deck.

multicolored decks also means other kinds of spells.

[SaintTape]

Superior Firepower

multicolored decks also means other kinds of spells.

I am well aware of that. I am still unwilling to change the deck from mono-red.

[Superior Firepower]

Superior Firepower

SaintTape

Superior Firepower

well. consider this i play circle of protection: red....

Then I am still screwed, as Karrthus is red.

This is mostly for casual play...I'm not looking to be super competitive, I just want to be able to see if anyone has any ideas for it I've missed for a mono-red dragon tribal, so I can keep up with my friends.

Additionally, building with Karrthus would turn this into an entirely different deck, since then I'd undoubtedly want Broodmates and other Jund-based strategies. It would be a completely new deck.

multicolored decks also means other kinds of spells.

just dont play a black spell deck. (assassins)

[SaintTape]

Superior Firepower

just dont play a black spell deck. (assassins)

I'm sorry, I don't understand...I'm not playing a black deck, and as for an opponent black deck...little creatures like assassins and kill spells aren't frightening in the least...

[Emrakul]

Mono red dragons isn't easy. All the relevant spells cost 6+ mana and the ones that cost less aren't quite as exciting (although there are plenty of 4 and 5 mana options). The biggest issue I see is your playing far too few lands to consistently cast 6 drops. There are a few options and if you like them I can post some baseline deck lists if your interested. First off is the acceleration plan. You play a few of the larger most impacting dragons and accelerate into them with spells like Seething Song/desperate ritual/rite of flame (a more or less all in plan). Second plan is to play a more controlling plan and stall till you hit dragon mana (using burn spells to kill opposing creatures until you can cast a large fatty and take over the game). Plan 3 is to play the smaller dragons (maybe with some small accel plan) they will have less impact but be much easier to cast. Plan 4 is to play the combo styled dragon storm deck, where you only play 4-6 dragons in the deck but you use the ritual plan to power out a dragonstorm and then kill them the turn you play it (usally with bogarden hellkite to deal 20 but play a couple of hasty dragons to finish them if you accidently draw the hellkites). If any of these plans sound good, I'll try to elaborate further. Good luck and hopefully this is helpful.

[SaintTape]

Emrakul

Oh gosh, some actual, legitimate advice heart

I know mono-red dragons is a little finicky...but you know. You build something and it's yours and that's part of the reason I play it.

I've mostly been running plan 2 & 3, usually with the higher-drops focusing on additional control (Bogardan, Kilnmouth, Flameblast) or making the littler guys more frightening (Moonveil) without giving up dragons. I've actually been dropping many of the higher cost dragons lately...there used to be a few more, along with more an acceleration backbone, but I wasn't enjoying it. Either way, I'd love to hear any ideas you've got.

Also, sideboard ideas. I'd love to hear any you have. I just recently threw one together with Ancestral Grudges, more board clear like Slagstorm, Anarchy for those pesty white enchantment stratagies, and Guttural Response.

[Emrakul]

Lol I always try to give legit advice XD. As far as boarding goes its very tough for mono red to beat enchantments (anarchy is thinking out side of the box and its something I would have missed.) I wouldn't worry too much about CoP:red in casual cause most players won't play it main deck (and most of the time sideboarding doesn't happen in fun games) (If they are playing it they will prolly beat you anyway cause it gives red decks of all types headaches). I wouldn't worry about ancient grudge without the mana to flash it back. There are better shatter effects in mono red (with shatter storm being the best all around arti hoser). It sounds like you want to play more of the slower based controlsy style, a few sweepers like slag storm to slow fast rushes, lightning bolts/flame slashes to slow the small to mid sized beaters then dragons to trump there late drops sounds like a plan. I'd start on 24-26 lands to make sure you hit 6 mana in a timely fashion. Without knowing your meta I cant give you a great sideboard other then say play alot of generic hosers like boil, shatterstorm, combust, volshock refugee. Hope this helps. Good luck.

[SaintTape]

Emrakul

Yes, you've given me some good ideas, thank you!

Oh, one more thing...
what would you think about taking out of the deck for land?

[Kaim Arouet]

The furnace whelps for starters.

[Emrakul]

Dragon Tribal (2.0)
14 dudes
4x Hellkite charger
2x Kargan Dragon Lord
2x Furnace Whelp
1x Flameblast Dragon
1x Moonveil Dragon
2x Bogardan Hellkite
2x Balefire dragon

21 spells
3x Burst Lightning
4x Lightning Bolt
2x Banefire
4x Sphere of the Suns-(could be mindstone/everflowing chalice)
2x Staggershock
1x Sword of Light and Shadow
1x Gauntlet of Power
4x Flame Javelin

Land: 25
25x Mountain


Its a little rough but its a start. Dragonspeaker shaman was cut for being a bit slow and fragile. more land was added so its easier to cast your spells. Slight reconfiguration on some of the numbers. Theres still plenty of space for tweaking. Hope this helps.