Main Deck - 60 cards, 13 distinct
Name | Edition | $ | Type | Cost | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rarity | Color | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Creature (28) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Ash Zealot | $0.21 | Creature - Human Warrior | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Boros Reckoner | $0.59 | Creature - Minotaur Wizard | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Burning-Tree Emissary | $0.33 | Creature - Human Shaman | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Flinthoof Boar | $0.15 | Creature - Boar | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Hellrider | $0.89 | Creature - Devil | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Rakdos Cackler | $0.14 | Creature - Devil | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Stromkirk Noble | $0.29 | Creature - Vampire Noble | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Instant (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Searing Spear | $0.12 | Instant | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sorcery (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Pillar of Flame | $0.04 | Sorcery | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Enchantment (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Rancor | $1.00 | Enchantment - Aura | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Land (20) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
12 | Mountain | $0.09 | Basic Land - Mountain | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Rootbound Crag | $2.62 | Land | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Stomping Ground | $11.25 | Land - Mountain Forest |
Sideboard - 15 cards, 4 distinct
Name | Edition | $ | Type | Cost | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Rarity | Color | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Instant (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Skullcrack | $0.25 | Instant | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Sorcery (3) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | Mizzium Mortars | $0.91 | Sorcery | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Artifact (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Grafdigger's Cage | $2.58 | Artifact | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Enchantment (4) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Volcanic Strength | $0.08 | Enchantment - Aura |
Notes
http://www.starcitygames.com/article/25628_Frog-In-A-Blender.html
But Frog in a Blender is something I would love to revive because, in its essence, it is pure aggression. It does everything it can to obliterate the opponent before they can get their feet off the ground. Burning-Tree Emissary gives you a much-needed tempo boost, allowing you to take complete control of the board in the early part of the game. The best part is that it also gives you a free source of mana fixing!
Red decks can't afford to have their lands come into play tapped. This means Stomping Ground, Rootbound Crag, and Mountains are pretty much all you can play. Forests are out of the question thanks to Boros Reckoner, but Flinthoof Boar and Rancor just fit perfectly into the deck. Burning-Tree Emissary is the perfect solution on multiple fronts!
Of course, 20 lands doesn't really seem like a lot. That's because it isn't. One thing the deck can't do is get mana flooded, but I'm not entirely sure that a few more lands would hurt that much. After all, you really, really, really want to cast Hellrider on turn 4 without any hiccups. Of course, your deck is full of gasoline that you can just keep pouring onto the fire if you don't draw more than a few lands.
The early aggression of the deck can't be matched by any other deck in the format. Your early threats are bigger, faster, and occasionally allow you to cast two more spells in the same turn. Burning-Tree Emissary not only acts as a way to boost tempo, but he also acts as easy mana-fixing for Rancor and Flinthoof Boar. If you've drawn a Flinthoof Boar or Rancor that you can't cast due to Mountains being your only lands, Emissary can fix that and sometimes cast an additional spell! With such a low curve, I don't think it will be uncommon for Emissary to regularly cast two spells, which should mean a lot!
While you can't hybridize the mana given by Burning-Tree Emissary into all red in order to cast Ash Zealot or Boros Reckoner, you still get a reasonable body with a pretty huge upside if you have something to do with the mana. Whether that means just using Searing Spear to kill a creature so that your Stromkirk Noble gets to rumble on through or just casting another one-drop, the tempo boost will help you easily outclass a number of "reasonable" draws from your opponent.
Of course, you still have a little trouble beating cards like Thragtusk and Huntmaster of the Fells, as the massing of bodies onto the board as well as the incremental life gain can be problematic. If the opponent isn't starting off the game with Farseek, you should be fine, but an early removal spell into Farseek into Thragtusk can just end the game on the spot.
Of course, that is unless you happen to draw a lot of Boros Reckoners. Boros Reckoner is an actual Magic card. I know that is hard to believe. It doesn't die in combat very easily. It doesn't die to red removal without causing some serious pain. It can trade with multiple creatures without much work. Boros Reckoner is one of the best additions that Gatecrash has to offer Standard, and I'm very much looking forward to putting a Rancor on it and bringing the beats.
In the past, cards like Rakdos Cackler have been pretty solid at what they do. They provide you with an early body to get some beats in while you kill their creatures and play more of your own. However, he does need some help. One of the reasons why I really liked the old B/G version of Zombies was because of Rancor, and I don't think this deck is any exception. The fundamentals are the same, though the execution is a little different. The removal is better because it can go to the dome, and the suite of creatures in this deck is actually more aggressive than Dreg Mangler and Geralf's Messenger.
Let that sink in for a moment...
While this Frog in a Blender / R/G Aggro or whatever you want to call it deck is fast, the real test will be to see if it can overcome its most hated enemy. Thragtusk will always be a problem for aggressive decks, if only because the life it gains buys the slower player more time to find an actual answer. This is especially true if you're "playing fair" like most red-based aggressive decks. Your creatures don't have hexproof, and you aren't doing silly things like casting Spectral Flight, but you are blazing fast.
An ideal start:
Turn 1 Rakdos Cackler
Turn 2 Ash Zealot
Turn 3 Burning-Tree Emissary into Flinthoof Boar, give it haste
Now, that's a lot of damage. Imagine if this is backed by a Hellrider on the fourth turn or just a few removal spells to get rid of any defenders the opponent might have thrown in play. Of course, this isn't even a "nut" draw, as I'm sure that entails Rancor in some form or fashion.
While I'm not sure if this deck will overtake Standard, it will be what I'm playing this week in preparation for SCG Open Series: Edison. If it turns out to be as good as I think it is, then I just might be coming home with a trophy (or two)! Frog in a Blender...ah the memories. Playing with this deck just reminds me of when I started playing Magic in the first place. Nostalgia is a hell of a drug.
But Frog in a Blender is something I would love to revive because, in its essence, it is pure aggression. It does everything it can to obliterate the opponent before they can get their feet off the ground. Burning-Tree Emissary gives you a much-needed tempo boost, allowing you to take complete control of the board in the early part of the game. The best part is that it also gives you a free source of mana fixing!
Red decks can't afford to have their lands come into play tapped. This means Stomping Ground, Rootbound Crag, and Mountains are pretty much all you can play. Forests are out of the question thanks to Boros Reckoner, but Flinthoof Boar and Rancor just fit perfectly into the deck. Burning-Tree Emissary is the perfect solution on multiple fronts!
Of course, 20 lands doesn't really seem like a lot. That's because it isn't. One thing the deck can't do is get mana flooded, but I'm not entirely sure that a few more lands would hurt that much. After all, you really, really, really want to cast Hellrider on turn 4 without any hiccups. Of course, your deck is full of gasoline that you can just keep pouring onto the fire if you don't draw more than a few lands.
The early aggression of the deck can't be matched by any other deck in the format. Your early threats are bigger, faster, and occasionally allow you to cast two more spells in the same turn. Burning-Tree Emissary not only acts as a way to boost tempo, but he also acts as easy mana-fixing for Rancor and Flinthoof Boar. If you've drawn a Flinthoof Boar or Rancor that you can't cast due to Mountains being your only lands, Emissary can fix that and sometimes cast an additional spell! With such a low curve, I don't think it will be uncommon for Emissary to regularly cast two spells, which should mean a lot!
While you can't hybridize the mana given by Burning-Tree Emissary into all red in order to cast Ash Zealot or Boros Reckoner, you still get a reasonable body with a pretty huge upside if you have something to do with the mana. Whether that means just using Searing Spear to kill a creature so that your Stromkirk Noble gets to rumble on through or just casting another one-drop, the tempo boost will help you easily outclass a number of "reasonable" draws from your opponent.
Of course, you still have a little trouble beating cards like Thragtusk and Huntmaster of the Fells, as the massing of bodies onto the board as well as the incremental life gain can be problematic. If the opponent isn't starting off the game with Farseek, you should be fine, but an early removal spell into Farseek into Thragtusk can just end the game on the spot.
Of course, that is unless you happen to draw a lot of Boros Reckoners. Boros Reckoner is an actual Magic card. I know that is hard to believe. It doesn't die in combat very easily. It doesn't die to red removal without causing some serious pain. It can trade with multiple creatures without much work. Boros Reckoner is one of the best additions that Gatecrash has to offer Standard, and I'm very much looking forward to putting a Rancor on it and bringing the beats.
In the past, cards like Rakdos Cackler have been pretty solid at what they do. They provide you with an early body to get some beats in while you kill their creatures and play more of your own. However, he does need some help. One of the reasons why I really liked the old B/G version of Zombies was because of Rancor, and I don't think this deck is any exception. The fundamentals are the same, though the execution is a little different. The removal is better because it can go to the dome, and the suite of creatures in this deck is actually more aggressive than Dreg Mangler and Geralf's Messenger.
Let that sink in for a moment...
While this Frog in a Blender / R/G Aggro or whatever you want to call it deck is fast, the real test will be to see if it can overcome its most hated enemy. Thragtusk will always be a problem for aggressive decks, if only because the life it gains buys the slower player more time to find an actual answer. This is especially true if you're "playing fair" like most red-based aggressive decks. Your creatures don't have hexproof, and you aren't doing silly things like casting Spectral Flight, but you are blazing fast.
An ideal start:
Turn 1 Rakdos Cackler
Turn 2 Ash Zealot
Turn 3 Burning-Tree Emissary into Flinthoof Boar, give it haste
Now, that's a lot of damage. Imagine if this is backed by a Hellrider on the fourth turn or just a few removal spells to get rid of any defenders the opponent might have thrown in play. Of course, this isn't even a "nut" draw, as I'm sure that entails Rancor in some form or fashion.
While I'm not sure if this deck will overtake Standard, it will be what I'm playing this week in preparation for SCG Open Series: Edison. If it turns out to be as good as I think it is, then I just might be coming home with a trophy (or two)! Frog in a Blender...ah the memories. Playing with this deck just reminds me of when I started playing Magic in the first place. Nostalgia is a hell of a drug.
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