Hello and welcome to my first draft for the new Guilds of Ravnica standard season.
I'm still pulled in so many directions with this format, and I honestly thought I'd be starting with a RU(b) Dragons list playing Sarkhan, Niv-Mizzet, and possibly Nicol Bolas. It's something I'll probably end up exploring anyway, but this is another idea I want to look at.
I feel very good about the mono-red dragons core, and so I started asking what does the deck really need to help sure up its weaknesses. One of those weaknesses is the very aggressive starts out of The Flame of Keld-Style aggro, which I'm well aware is losing some pieces like Bomat Courier and Earthshaker Khenra. But low to the ground aggressive decks always tend to pop up, especially early in a format's life, and that brings my attention to the very interesting early sweeper we got out of Guilds - Deafening Clarion
This is a deck that can use both modes, possibly even the same turn, as both a sweeper for early aggression and the team lifelink to play catch-up later on by swinging with some huge dragons. Which brings me to another point - Going big. First impressions with the loss of Kaladesh through Hour and the overall power down of the format means we could see a midrange world, and while few things (like Carnage Tyrant) are safe from Assassin's Trophy, I want to be in a position to take advantage of the extra mana they give me, looking to punish anyone who would help me ramp up.
My first sketch feels too removal-heavy, but there's so many things I want to try out that just look absolutely FUN to play with. Though I will say I prefer answers that aren't dead in the face of creatureless control just in case Teferi and Nexus don't get a little break. So that brings me to the options:
Deafening Clarion - This is one of the few dead cards I'm looking at in the face of control, and with a couple ways to pitch it I'm perfectly okay with that.
Fight with Fire - I got a hunch we're going to be seeing a fair bit of this in any midrange decks that have red in them, because of the kicked mode. Settle and Assassin's Trophy both get lands into play, what better way to use all that extra mana than with a dome 10 for 9? Of course those two things from our opponent won't always be around to get us there, but I have another little ramp spell that can help out with that I'll touch on later. Starting it off with one, but could easily see it pushed 2-3 copies depending on how things shake out.
Lightning Strike - The definition of safe removal, seeing as it can always go upstairs. We want early interaction to avoid getting run over if we need it, should likely just be the full four copies here but trying out so many other things I trimmed one. For now.
Shock - Same as Lightning Strike
Spit Flame - I personally love this card, it's on-point with the deck and part of the dragons package. Being able to buy it back out of the graveyard is a powerful effect later on for grindy match-ups, and 4 for 3 at instant speed is not a terrible rate. Even against control, you pitch it to Sarkhan's rummaging and then buy it back later. Starting at one, could easily see more depending on the format.
Lava Coil - I strongly suspect this is going to be found in the 75 of almost every deck with red in it, most often in the sideboard. 2 mana for 4 damage is a good rate, even if it is sorcery, and the exile clause will still be relevant in the face of any potential graveyard/recursive shenanigans. Killing a turn 2 Steel Leaf Champion on the draw (since we won't always have the shock for Llanowar) or cleanly answering an opposing Phoenix is too good not to be aware of.
Response / Resurgence - We haven't even begun to play, so it's time to try things out, especially the split cards. Response looks very good to me as a removal spell we can cast for RR or RW, 5 damage will kill nearly any attacker for just two mana, and we are a go-big deck. The second mode of Resurgence is where this card checks the criteria of "Against control" when it can just threaten to be an extra combat step and close a game on the spot. I don't think I've seen an extra combat card be viable in standard since I got into Standard with Khans of Tarkir, but this is worth at least a test.
Integrity / Intervention - Not running this, but I want to mention it anyway. I firmly believe this will see play. One mana for +2/+2 is not a bad deal, and can be used to save a creature from damage-based removal, win combat, or even just be that last bit for lethal. And Intervention, while overcosted, is still a card I'd be happy to have the option of. I just don't know if this is the deck that wants it.
Shivan Fire - This is on-flavor, and absolutely a consideration for the deck. I'm not going to start with it just because it doesn't check the "Against control" box, and we already have enough cards we're gonna want to rummage away.
Justice Strike - I think this card is a little too narrow, though it could end up doing well against some of the biggest threats around. It's largely the green ones though like Ghalta and Ferox. The later can be chumped indefinitely by Rekindling Phoenix.
A note on all the enchantment-based removal - Conclave Tribunal, Seal Away & Ixalan's Binding - I just want to say this now: I do NOT like enchantment-based removal right now. I think it has the potential to be very good, but I'm worried this format is going to be heavily-laden with incidental enchantment-hate. Assassin's Trophy, Vraska, Relic Seeker, Thrashing Brontodon, Knight of Autumn, opponent's enchantments, etc. Maybe I'm wrong, but going in I'd be very wary of relying on these too heavily when there's a chance your opponent can just destroy them and get back their huge threat.
Again, it's very likely I'm overdoing the removal/answers by a lot. It's a matter of finding out what works, what doesn't, and what threats I want to be playing. I am a firm believer in the saying "There are wrong answers, there are no wrong threats" as I'm often one who beats people down with mana dorks even when I can't resolve my dragons (and I play dragons whenever I can).
Sarkhan, Fireblood - Did I mention I love dragons? I think Sarkhan is absolutely the real deal as a 3-mana Planeswalker that can just help smooth my draws, then ramp me into the big stuff. It's not hard to see him casting a turn four Niv-Mizzet, Parun in the RU(b) builds, but here he's going to be going for the mono-red core of DOM/M19 dragons, since the only other "Dragon" we got from GRN is limited fodder. Even when he's not getting to use that second plus one ability for ramp, just rummaging and sculpting my hand every turn is a very powerful effect, and very important here for getting rid of the dead cards game one. This is one legend I'm not unhappy to run four copies of, you just pitch the extra copies before anything else. Although it's important to note that he can sneak in on later turns. By casting Sarkhan and adding Mana, you can essentially get a one-mana PW at four loyalty followed up by a powerful dragon.
Dragon's Hoard - Of course I can't just gush about Sarhan without mentioning the other card that shares the 3-mana ramp role with him. It might look like a Manalith with upside, but that upside is very real when you're expecting grindy games. Turning every dragon into a can trip is pure value you just don't get in mono-red very often, and splashing white isn't really helping with the card draw of the deck. This and Spit are how we build card advantage, and it gets out of control if you start to untap with Lathliss, let alone pull a Sarkhan -7. It's very likely I want more one-mana removal spells just for the line of turn 3 Hoard into Shock/Shivan.
Runaway Steam-Kin - I saw this thing spoiled and I kind of dismissed it at first. It's such an Izzet card thematically, it's cute. But then as I poured over the full spoiler and really looked back it, I just fell in love with this little elemental. The important thing is that it's on ANY red spell, not just Instants as Sorceries you might expect. This is a multi-faceted two-drop, followed up by any one red spell makes it a 2/2 which is par for a 2-mana creatures, but then if you get it to 3/3 or 4/4 you have a great body for your mana, doesn't even care if those spells get countered, and then it can turn into a mana-battery to power out a huge turn with big dragons or double/triple-spell. With the deck being so predominantly red, very few spells won't trigger it. The only maindeck card that won't is Dragon's Hoard.
It also has a great little interaction post-board when I'm going aggressive boarding in Tajic, Legion's Edge. You curve Steam-Kin into Tajic, trigger Kin (2/2), swing with both, mentor trigger to put a counter on Kin (3/3) and you're hitting for 6 on turn 3. Xmas land follows this up with Aurelia, Exemplar of Justice, trigger Kin (up to 4/4), use the buff on Tajic (5/2), swing and get another Mentor trigger pushing Kin up to a 5/5 - There's nothing saying it can't have more than three +1/+1 counters, just that its first ability only triggers if it has less than three on it.
So what are we doing with that mana? Well that should be obvious - DRAGONS!!!!
Verix Bladewing - The seven-drop Broodmate Dragon that masquerades as a 4-drop when we really need it to. Stripping away the Wily Goblins I toy with in M19 standard denies the potential of a turn 4 kick (Wily into Sarkhan into Verix), but I'm still happy with it as a dragon we can cast mid-game if we NEED to, but really gets better when we can pay the full cost.
Demanding Dragon - A 5/5 flying for 5 with a punisher where both modes emulate haste. A token strategy could dampen the trigger a bit while control decks are just going to get domed by it, but it's stays untapped to block. The biggest reasons this card isn't seeing play right now are all rotating - it doesn't block Hazoret very well and Glorybringer just does the job better giving you control over what you want to kill. Once Stormbringer leaves the format though, DD will be happy to fill the void.
Lathliss, Dragon Queen - I'm maybe a bit higher on this card than I should be, but I absolutely LOVE the Queen. Sarkhan can ramp into her turn four, and then she demands an immediate answer. Making 5/5 dragon tokens is no joke, and the tokens themselves trigger Hoard, which gets into this snowball effect of casting dragons, making more dragons, which us allows me to keep drawing/rummaging into even more dragons!
...and her team pump is nasty. +1/+0 for two mana feels bad when it's only Lathliss, but you start pumping two, three creatures with it? You can play defense until you get 1-2 other dragons and suddenly turn all your mana into lethal on the spot.
Rekindling Phoenix - The Honorary Dragon. No he doesn't trigger Lathliss or Spit, Sarkhan doesn't ramp into him (though he does help with the consistency of having the land and creature to cast one on turn four), but this thing is just an MVP that basically demands to be a four-of in the main. Throwing this down against mono-green forces them to find Ghalta or just lose. This is a deck that loves the defensive ability to chump indefinitely, assuming they can even find something strong enough to not die in combat attacking into it. This deck wants time, and Phoenix is a great way to get it.
And then just one more nonland card in the main to mention:
Risk Factor - This is the card that makes me excited for Jump-start. Out of all the mechanics of GRN, I think Jump-start had the most build-up and disappointment. There are a total of ten Jump-start cards, most of which feel underpowered, overcosted and basically unplayable on the front. In order to get value out of casting something twice, you want to be actually casting it the first time. Chemister's Insight was the first exception, but it feels safe. They knew they could print that and while nobody would be raving about it too loudly, it will likely be a standard inclusion for awhile.
Risk Factor is the one that actually makes me excited for it, and yes, it's a punisher effect. But it's such a pushed one that I'm all but certain it will see play. Easy to cast, instant speed, reasonably costed. This is a late-game card for a deck that is actively trying to pressure an opponent's life total, as four damage is a decent chunk. Sure they'll often choose that when they're high, but how many of those can they take? And then turning a late game land into Jump-starting this again? There's just so much going here, including interactions with Steam-Kin, that I want to start off with two of these. I wouldn't go above that, it's definitely a late-game card, but I totally see scenarios where this is just "Draw 3" in red at instant speed.
And then I'm just going to briefly touch on the manabase:
I'm not sure Field of Ruin is important right now, odds of color-screwing someone are going to be fairly low and the only targets you might want are Azcanta, the Sunken Ruin, Arch of Orazca & possibly Spires of Orazca (that hasn't seen play in awhile, but it's a card that exists!). I think a gate or two is probably fine, though this current build swings so heavily to red that I probably don't have the numbers where they should be. It's a question if this deck wants Chainwhirler, or Warboss, while also having enough white for the other/sideboard options like Tajic, Legion's Edge and Settle the Wreckage, the second benefits from Dragon's Hoard which times perfectly the turn before, but unfortunately with this being so much a sorcery-speed deck it's pretty telegraphing if that's the plan. Could also go with Cleansing Nova which would also get the benefit from Hoard for fixing, but also the ramp aspect being able to play it turn four.
