Atarka Red deck based off of those appearing in the SCG Opens in the first two weeks of BFZ season. The biggest change is the addition of Den Protector. Sometimes that card is slightly awkward when Delving for Become Immense, but only very slightly. With all the fetchlands and pump spells we're throwing, there is usually a huge pile of Delve fuel in no time.
Game one is all about pumping and then double-strike trampling:
Become Immense + Temur Battle Rage
or
Temur Battle Rage
+
Titan's Strength
or
Abbot of Keral Keep
+
Atarka's Command
+
Temur Battle Rage
.
Turn 4 kills are very possible, and I've pulled off one turn 3 kill already.
Games 2 and 3 we bring in the Thunderbreak Regents, the Den Protectors and the other Hangarback Walkers in place of either cheap creatures, pump spells, or a combination of the two. Here we rely less on the trample combo and more on just beating down with Atarka's Command and going over the top with fliers.
Versus the mirror, the strategy is to bring in all the extra removal to keep killing off their creatures until you can start landing Thunderbreak Regent.
Sideboard Notes:
Arc Lightning
- For aggro matchups.
Boiling Earth
- For aggro matchups with lots of one-toughness creatures.
Fiery Impulse
- For the mirror, plus for any matchup against decks running three-toughness creatures (e.g. Deathmist Raptor, Mantis Rider, and Liliana, Heretical Healer
).
Goblin Heelcutter
- Bring in against slower decks that put up one or a few large threats/blockers, but not against decks that flood the board.
Hangarback Walker - Run all four every chance you get.
Naturalize - response to some control decks that run
Orbs of Warding
; also ok against decks running a lot of
Silkwrap
.
Roast - mostly anti-Siege Rhino, but also good against other four- and five-toughness must-kill enemy creatures.
Thunderbreak Regent - Bring in almost always.
Den Protector - Helps prevent stalls when games 2 and 3 go long.
