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Tetsuko Umezawa, Podracer (Tetsuko Tempo)

Standard* Aggro Competitive Primer Tempo Theme/Gimmick UR (Izzet)

Revedeka


Sideboard

3 drop (2)

1 drop (2)

6 drop (2)


                        

Tetsuko Umezawa, Podracer

Now this is podracing!

Now this is podracing! - Tetsuko, probably


General Gameplan & Win Conditions

Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive, a 2 mana 1/3 that makes all creatures with power or toughness one or less unblockable. This deck is build around Tetsuko, playing cards with 1 power or toughness in order to become unblockable, and preferably with an additional effect to go alongside their stats. This deck has the potential to kill on turn 4, with any 1 or 2 power creatures, a Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive, a Combat Celebrant and an Ovalchase Dragster. Furthermore, this deck increases tempo with card looting/advantage cards like Daring Saboteur and Champion of Wits, these cards ensure that you get the right pieces of the puzzle, and don't end up with nothing of value in hand after dumping everything in the first couple of turns. Lastly, this deck has to protect its frail creatures with counter spells. Since this deck doesn't really care about any of your opponent's creatures (special shoutout to Goblin Chainwhirler, the only creature we should care about) and thus we run Spell Pierce, the low mana cost is essential for this deck, as we don't get to hold up a lot of mana. Together, the aggro, the card advantage, and the anti-removal cards make for a board swarmed with unblockable creatures, which should be very hard to deal with.


Due to the tempo of this deck, the individual card discussion is sorted in the different converted mana costs of the card, instead of card type.

Bomat Courier

Bomat Courier is an early game creature, which can attack early and which doesn't require a specific type of mana until turn 3, where you might start to think about using his discard-and-draw ability. This card ensures the tempo will stay high. Together with Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive unblockable, which means that after you play your cards in turns 1-3/4, you can then discard your hand and draw 3/4 new cards. Because the card draw ability is very strong on this card, especially in this deck, your opponent will not want that to happen, and thus Bomat Courier might attract removal, which is perfect for a 1 drop.

Siren Stormtamer

Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive in an tempo deck pushes you towards creatures with 1 toughness, and it pushes you towards running a lot of creatures. As such, any type of removal will always be very effective versus this deck, and thats why Siren Stormtamer is in this deck. A 1 drop 1/ isn't too bad by itself, it is the only flying creature in the deck, and is unblockable with Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive. Furthermore, siren stromtamers ability allows you to counter spells and abilities targeting creatures you control, for 1 mana. This means that it will attract removal, otherwise your opponent can't kill your other creatures, and it will protect your creatures from Shock and Glorybringer. As an added bonus it can also protect the player itself, for if you cant afford to lose a card to Duress or can't take damage to the face from Lightning Strike.

Daring Saboteur

Daring Saboteur, a 2 mana 2/1 which loots whenever she hits your opponent, which should be every turn with Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive in play. 2 power means your opponent can't ignore this card too much, and the looting effect makes sure the tempo of the deck will stay at a high level.

Kari Zev, Skyship Raider

Kari Zev, Skyship Raider is a 2 mana 1/3, which in combat with Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive on the field essentially deals 3 damage, as her monkey friend is also unblockable with it's 1 toughness. However, Kari Zev, Skyship Raider can act without needing Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive, as she has menace and first strike. The 3 toughness makes her a bit better as a blocker or versus some removal. However, this deck runs only two copies, since Kari Zev, Skyship Raider is a legendary creature.

Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive

The card this deck is build around. In order to win games reliably, you want this card on the field. However, this deck can still steal games withour Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive. 1 power means Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive is unblockable, and 3 toughness means that Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive can still be used for blocks, and dodges some damage type abilities and removal. Most of your protection (Siren Stormtamer & Spell Pierce) should be used to protect Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive, as you can win games in turn 4 with tetsuko on the battlefield. Furthermore, the Ovalchase Dragster + Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive combo means that on turn 4 you have a 6 power unblockable creature, and don't have to risk your Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive at all.

Tilonalli's Summoner

Tilonalli's Summoner is a one power/toughness 2 drop which isn't great, however if you can spare some mana, her power quickly increases. Getting the city's blessing isn't hard to do, but even without that Tilonalli's Summoner is very strong. Both Tilonalli's Summoner and her elemental tokens are unblockable with Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive. However, due to having multiple on the battlfield doesn't add anything extra, and due to Tilonalli's Summoner being mana intensive, I decided to put only 2 in the deck. However, the power level of this card in this deck is definitely not to be underestimated, and even running 4 in the mainboard would make for a fine version of this deck.

Champion of Wits

Champion of Wits, a 3 mana 2/1 means it can deal some damage, and to add to that Champion of Wits lets you loot for 2 when entering the battlefield. This card is already on the high end mana-curve wise, and will often ensure you will make some strong drops in the following turn, it might just find you an Ovalchase Dragster or Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive. Other than that, the eternalize effect makes it a draw 4 discard 2 4/4 creature, which means that a potential late game for this deck still has a lot of power left in it.

Combat Celebrant

One of the corner stones in this deck, Combat Celebrant is a 3 mana 4/1, which is a very strong stat line when paired with Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive. Furthermore, Combat Celebrant' ability to creature 2 combat phases means that games will be ended on turn 4. If you get this down in turn 3, with a Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive and any 1+ power creature on the board, and play a turn 4 Ovalchase Dragster, you can deal 20 damage in one turn when exerting Combat Celebrant.

Keldon Overseer

A single Keldon Overseer, the 3/1 stat line for 3 is fine, the fact that is has haste makes the stats pretty good. Playable on turn 3 when drawn early, but in the late game might win you the game. Getting your hands on a Glorybringer is game changing, however due to this only being good in the late game, and requires your opponent to have a strong creature, only one copy in the deck

Ovalchase Dragster

Another cornerstone of this deck. a 4 mana 6/1 with haste which is very easily crewed abuses the power of Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive perfectly. Tetsuko can crew the Ovalchase Dragster while still making it unblockable, and swing for 30% of your opponents life. More often than not setting a 2 to 3 turn clock on your opponent, and with Combat Celebrant has the possibility to kill the turn it enters the battlefield.

Chart a Course

Another one-of in this deck, Chart a Course should give you that niche two card draw for just 2 mana in your second main phase. Most of the times you just get to draw two without discarding, and even without that Chart a Course is still solid. Giving essentially the same effect as the ETB effect of Champion of Wits, while being one mana cheaper.

Spell Pierce

This deck will often be way faster than other decks, and doesn't care about your opponents creature that much. The reason it doesn't care about creatures is because they won't be able to block you, and you will almost always win trades. Because of this, the thing you need to be most scared about is mainly removal. This combined with the fact that this deck can't keep up a lot of mana since you want to get your creatures on the battlefield, makes Spell Pierce a very strong card. With the tempo of the deck, your opponent will almost never have enough mana up to pay the Spell Pierce cost, and even if they keep it up, it means that they are not developing their board in anyway.

Supreme Will

Another one-of, Supreme Will will counter any spell unless your opponents pays a large sum of mana, or lets makes you look at the top 4 cards of your library. If you ever get to a position where you got a solid clock on your opponent, keeping up the mana for this card is well worth it. The second ability is also nice to play at the end of your opponents turn, for if you just need that Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive or Ovalchase Dragster.


Abrade

Abrade is a must have sideboard card for any red deck in the current standard format. Killing almost every troublesome creature, and killing any artifacts, including your Heart of Kirans and what not. Very cheap and versatile card which will often be boarded in versus mono-red since that deck might be able to race you, perhaps versus mono-green monument versus their artifacts and small creatures before they get to summon Ghalta, Primal Hunger. Other than those decks, Abrade is of course very strong versus God-Pharaoh's Gift.

Lightning Mare

A big portion of the current meta is made up of control decks. Almost all control decks run blue, and the current standard meta is no exception. UB midrange which is semi-control, UW control, jeskai control, they can all take games of this deck. Lightning Mare is a great card who can deal with those control decks. Not being able to be countered or blocked by blue creatures/spells with the 3/1 statline for 2 makes this an auto-include for the sideboard. On top of this, Lightning Mare can also pump itself for extra damage. However, the downside of this card is the double red casting cost, which is not waht this deck wants. You will often times struggle when trying to cast this on turn 2.

Essence Scatter

When discussing Spell Pierce, I explained why I think non-creature spells are the most troublesome for this deck, and while that remains true, there are some creatures that can decimate your board. The main one to look out for is Goblin Chainwhirler which mono-red plays, it can wipe out your board of 1 toughness creatures, other than that Ghalta, Primal Hunger or Glorybringer or any other creatures that just win your opponent the game the turn it is summoned or the turn after is where you want to board in Essence Scatter.

Fight with Fire

Much like Essence Scatter, this can be used versus creatures that win your opponent the game more slowly. Kills The Scarab God and The Locust God (for a turn at least), and when kicked, can win you the game on the spot.

Negate

For when your opponent doesn't have much trouble paying the cost for Spell Pierce, which includes deck that ramp a lot with cards like Llanowar Elves or Grow from the Ashes, for one mana more (which can definitely hurt you) you ensure that the spell gets countered.

Spell Pierce

Versus decks that require the fourth copy of Spell Pierce, non-ramp deck that run a lot of instant and sorceries.

The Locust God

Try to board this games in match ups that tend to get grindy. If for any reason you can't end the game within 6 or so turns, you might want to add this card and give yourself a bit of lategame power. A recurring threat which requires an answer from your opponent. Of course the tokens it creates are unblockable with a Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive on the battlefield.



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Suggestions

Updates Add

After putting a lot of work into it, I finished a modern deck using Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive, and let's just say that the modern version is gonna be a little better versus Goblin Chainwhirler, if only that card was played in modern. Check it out!


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Speaking of Goblin Chainwhirler, it is one card that absolutely destroys this deck, and also the one of the most played cards in standard. I have looked for answers to this card, and found two possible answers. Either you play or put black in your sideboard, and run Divest and Harsh Scrutiny (both can also hit Walking Ballista, another problematic card) and it also gives access to Glint-Sleeve Siphoner, even though Daring Saboteur fulfills the same role in a sense. OR you play more counters spells, and slightly move the deck from aggro to control.

In my opinion the black splash asks too much from this deck. The mana fixing in standard is not great, and those discard spells are all one drops, which want to be played as soon as possible, while you still want to end the game on turn 5. Furthermore, black doesn't really add anything creature wise, so it doesn't help you win the game. Because of these reasons, I don't think a black splash or sideboard plan is going to work.

The only option is running more counters. Essence Scatter, Syncopate, Disallow, and Admiral's Order all come to mind as decent spells. Because the main targets are Walking Ballista and Goblin Chainwhirler which are creatures, Admiral's Order isn't a great option, since you wont be able to play it for its raid cost. Syncopate is very mana intense the further the game goes, but with the tempo this deck has, your opponent does want to play Goblin Chainwhirler as soon as possible. However, it is a little bit worse versus Walking Ballista since it just costs less. Through this process, I believe that running 4 Essence Scatter and 2 Syncopate in the sideboard is the best answer we can come up with.

With this, the sideboard changes will be:

What do you guys think about these changes? Let me know in the comments!

Comments

Top Ranked
  • Achieved #1 position overall 6 years ago
Date added 6 years
Last updated 6 years
Key combos
Legality

This deck is not Standard legal.

Rarity (main - side)

4 - 2 Mythic Rares

18 - 0 Rares

21 - 11 Uncommons

4 - 2 Commons

Cards 60
Avg. CMC 2.14
Tokens Champion of Wits 4/4 B, City's Blessing, Elemental 1/1 R, Insect 1/1 UR, Ragavan
Folders potential deck ideas, tetsuko, Interesting Standard Decks, Standard decks, Standard Decks, Standard, Neat Stuff, Decks, Dominaria, Why not...
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