I made this deck because I REALLY like Savage Knuckleblade and wanted to get into Standard. It's a pretty casual deck, but I would like to take it to an FNM or two and see how it does. From there, I'll probably keep adapting this deck as new metas appear and hopefully I'll be playing this deck for a while to come.
Mainboard:
Savage Knuckleblade - The cornerstone of this deck. One alone can win games just on its size, speed, and pressure and it also sets the tone of this deck: get early control of the board and stave off their threats and removal!
Surrak Dragonclaw - A last minute addition to this deck that somehow ended up being just the thing it needed. While Savage Knuckleblade can slowly push you to victory, Surrak can speed things up a little and can go a long way in keep things from reaching your goal. He's big, he drastically mitigates the effects of chump blocking, and flash lets you hold your mana open for counters.
Surrak, the Hunt Caller - Exactly what the doctor ordered. Now this deck can reliably race faster decks or, at the very least, give them a run for their money. Replacing Temur Ascendancy with the new Surrak means I no longer have a 3-drop vying to be played instead of a Savage Knuckleblade or taking up mana I could hold open for other stuff. What does that mean? My tempo stays up and I get to beat more face!
Boon Satyr
- While fragile, Boon Satyr is yet another ferocious enabler that also lets you keep your mana open for either an ambush or, more likely, your counterspells. While it doesn't do the most work of any creature in this deck, its wide application makes it a great asset.
Heir of the Wilds
- A consistent, safe, turn-2 creature. It's a 2/2 with deathtouch. Next... Wait, what's that? This thing is actually pretty amazing? Yeah, this card works way harder than its mana cost would imply. Yeah, it's a 2/2 with deathtouch, BUT it's also a 3/3 with deathtouch! Heir goes a long way both offensively (eeking out damage your opponents are too afraid to block) and defensively (sitting there just scaring your opponent's and their big threats) and can shift the tide of battle the turn it comes in.
Frost Walker
- More often than not it just acts as a 2-mana ferocious-enabler, but I cannot begin to overstate how useful that alone is. Otherwise it's a 2-drop that eats their removal (have two on the field?
Bile Blight
can't actually resolve against them) and can wall bigger threats they don't want to lose or can swing in for big, early-game damage. It is an integral part of this deck.
Rattleclaw Mystic - Previously this guy did very little. With the newest addition to the deck (Surrak, the Hunt Caller), the Mystic now allows for this deck to function much faster against aggro decks and can hopefully let me outrace them.
Dissipate - A plain old counter spell. It's pretty hard for this deck to deal with a Stormbreath Dragon or Siege Rhino AFTER they hit the field, so why not take care of them BEFORE they can even do their thing.
Temur Charm
- Sheer utility. Keep your mana open and suddenly you have an answer or a counter spell. Need to win the game? Well, it's got you covered there, too.
Crater's Claws
, Lightning Strike - Removal and extra damage. Both have proven to be invaluable at different points in the game. Lightning Strike is generally more efficient, but Crater's Claws can win games.
Stubborn Denial - Wow! What a card! In this deck it just function way too consistently to be fair! Spot removal? Nope. Board wipe? Nope. Planeswalker? Nope. Savage Knuckleblade might be what kills your opponent, but this is what keeps your opponent from killing Savage Knuckleblade! ... And everything else (including you)!
Sideboard:
Temur Ascendancy - A haste enabler that draws me cards? Yes please. That said, it's lack of board presence when it first comes out can be an issue. Side out Surrak, the Hunt Caller against control decks to keep up the fuel without losing the haste.
Anticipate - A new card that needs testing. Side out Rattleclaw Mystic against control decks.
Barrage of Boulders
- What does this deck hate? ... Lots of things... It's not the greatest deck... BUT TOKENS ARE AWFUL!!! They can chump block all day and stall out until I'm dead. This deals not only with those tiny tokens, but also lets my big guys through even against a bigger board state.
Disdainful Stroke - Hate big things? This is your deal. Hits Ugin, Garruk, Rhinos, and Polukranos. With the advent of DTK, I can see this also hitting Thunderbreak Regents and the Dragonlords (besides Dromoka). Side in against control or G/R devotion/aggro.
Reclamation Sage - A good, all-around card. Fairly expensive for its main purpose, but I like that it also nets you a body to work with. Side in against Whip and GW Devotion.
Setessan Tactics - Not exactly a board wipe, but it's pretty much a board wipe. Pretty niche, though, and only really helps against aggro decks.
Temur Battle Rage - Punch through your opponent's defenses. Plain and simple.
!!!PLEASE READ BELOW BEFORE COMMENTING!!!
I love suggestions (and critiquing). Do keep in mind that I am working on a budget and keep any card suggestions reasonable on that basis.
Please no suggestions like Goblin Rabblemaster or Stormbreath Dragon! Those can't help me (and I have to go cry in a deep, dark, damp pit in the ground every time I think about being unable to afford them)! I'd like to keep additions to no more than $2 for a specific card.
Anything over $0.50 should play a significant role AND have no cheaper alternatives (
Dissolve
, for example, costs 5x more than Dissipate and their respective effectiveness is negligible).
- Current budget: $60
- Budget used: $54
- Remaining: $6
PLEASE note that I have NO plans to increase the budget of this deck and that, even if I do, I have neither any plans nor desires to run more expensive cards unless I can pick them up at an incredibly cheap prize (and I mean incredibly cheap; the kind of price that makes you think "this is either a fake or this person doesn't know what they're doing").
