Standard Knuckleblade (or Savage Knucklebudget)

Standard* Phelgming

SCORE: 31 | 57 COMMENTS | 8121 VIEWS | IN 21 FOLDERS


DeepFriedwater says... #1

I personally would axe the Elvish Mystic. He only nets you 1 green, and Rattleclaw Mystic is strictly better as a Mana Dork. and I would use that spot for say 2 Yasova Dragonclaw and 2 Goblin Rabblemaster's because they are more useful into the late game, as I have noticed in the late game that 1 dork won't make as much of an impact on the game. also Sagu Mauler May work out in here too, but he may be a little bit big for what you are trying to do.

February 21, 2015 12:44 p.m.

Phelgming says... #3

Elvish Mystic actually serves a pretty important role: he's the only 1-drop I've got going in this deck (I may look for others to replace him based on your suggestion to axe him) and I like having a developing board from the get-go plus he acts as additional mana to help with Savage Knuckleblade's first two abilities since they can be pretty draining.

I may go for Yasova Dragonclaw and Sagu Mauler as per your suggestions, but Goblin Rabblemaster is far and away too expensive for my price range.

Thanks for your suggestions!

February 21, 2015 1:09 p.m.

Jamesfurrow says... #4

I'd personally cut the Elvish Mystic myself and put in place more bombs. Your going to be more of a green red aggro splashing the blue for minor control. So things like suggested Sagu Mauler will be relevant for you. Yes green does have ramp but your stalling early on so your bombs can land. I'd suggest your bomb be 2 Hornet Queen because that board presence is tough to deal with. Also consider what each color in the wheel likes to do. Red loves to make openings Lightning Strike does that wonderfully Magma Jet helps your blue though which wants to close up any loose ends or problems. Green is like that dog that wants to play and doesn't care how. It's fine going aggressive or passive. Just search for the bombs you will want and I'm certain something will show up. I'm sorry I didn't suggest many cards but i instead hope showed you a style of temur.

February 21, 2015 4:36 p.m.

Phelgming says... #5

I will definitely consider cutting Elvish Mystic. It's not a necessary part of the deck so much as it was something that made everything feel more comfortable. I need to consider whether or not that means I have to add more land.

As for your suggestions, I'm fairly certain I can make good use of Magma Jet and will see how it plays out. Hornet Queen may be out of my budget and it's not really something that sees play in stuff like this (especially since I'm cutting ramp and have no way to cheat it into play). As for Sagu Mauler, it's not really something I want to put in this deck either thematically or as a way to win and I feel the fact that it sees next to no play anywhere backs my line of thinking that it's genuinely not very good outside of limited.

I should note that I don't want this deck to be a "Temur-minded" deck or a "GREEN-BEAT-FACE!!!" deck so much as it is something that plays off each of its colors and blends them into a sleek, flexible package instead of something that stalls until its bombs hit the field. I suppose that would make this more of a midrange or tempo deck rather than aggro or control.

In any case, thank you for your suggestions!

February 21, 2015 8:13 p.m.

juanidpm says... #6

I like the deck.I would meabe cut some rampers, since your curve is not too high.and since turn 3 or 4 you will prefer to draw something diferent from a mana dork.Arc Lightning seems more like a Sideboard card to me, meabe replacing it for Ashcloud Phoenix or some 4 drop to fill the curve?.Personally i dont like 4 Dissipate, if you still want to keep that ammount of counters, i suggest Dissolve Instead, the scy is much better. On the other hand, i think for this kind of deck is better to use Stubborn Denial because you will trigger feroucious easily and prevent removal.Meabe Treasure Cruise over Shamanic? If you delve it to 1 you can still cast something that turn instead of wasting 5 mana, but im not really sure about this one, needs some testing :P

Overall, i really like the deck, its a little diferent than my Previous Temur Aggro list, but nice overall :D

+1 for me :D

February 22, 2015 9:47 p.m.

Phelgming says... #7

I am now thoroughly convinced: I shall cut my Elvish Mystics (at least a few). In my goldfishing, they really only managed to help a little while I constantly found myself wishing I had better quality mana and creatures. I may add a few Rattleclaw Mystics to improve my mana spread while maintaining a little ramp and generating a bit more of a threat in the process.

Treasure Cruise is an obvious call I really should have thought of and I'm a little ashamed for having overlooked it. My only worry is that this deck does not enable dredge very well and I may not be able to cast it as efficiently as I'd like. If I run it as a two-of to replace Shamanic Revelation, I think it should work fine.

Ashcloud Phoenix is edging on the far limits of my budget, but it is something I've considered adding. I've also considered Flamewake Phoenix. One activates ferocious and one works off it so either might work, but I'm leaning more towards the latter as it's both cheaper (money-wise) and allows for a more consistent, mana-efficient threat.

As for Dissolve, it would be the preferred counter spell and I'd much rather have it over Dissipate, but it costs 5x as much. $1 a copy certainly isn't much and other cards in my deck do cost more than that, but the deciding factor is that the scry 1 just isn't worth it to add another ~$3.50 to my deck's price tag when I can easily fill its slot with another, much cheaper card (and the exile is still somewhat relevant seeing as how dredge is a thing). I will, however, put extra consideration into where I place my Stubborn Denials (either main deck or side board) as well how many I use.

Thank you very much for your suggestions and for the words of encouragement!

February 22, 2015 11:59 p.m.

UberNoobFitz says... #8

Reading the comments and seeing how you mentions Ashcloud Phoenix might be pushing the budget a bit. Have you considered Flame-Wreathed Phoenix? I still think it can be quite powerful and quite a bit less expensive :) So if you were looing for something similar that would be my pick ! I wish you luck with your deck i sure love temur colors ! :)

February 23, 2015 12:15 a.m.

Phelgming says... #9

I'm not sure if it's got quite the amount of oomph I'd like it to have, but it's pretty good and it's by far the cheapest phoenix of the three so I'll definitely consider it.

Thanks for the suggestion!

February 23, 2015 12:58 p.m.

Personally I would cut 2 Dissipate's for 1 more Temur Charm and one more Stubborn Denial

February 25, 2015 7:40 a.m.

Nuwanda says... #11

Surrak Dragonclaw should go in there. It's a great creature to flash in because it can't be countered and it gives other creatures you control trample.

March 2, 2015 1:11 a.m.

Phelgming says... #12

@ Deepfriedwater: I'll definitely consider that and your comment has been on my mind for a few days now. The main reason I want to keep those Dissipates in is because it's a lot easier for this deck to counter something like a Stormbreath Dragon than to kill one. Stubborn Denial is fantastic and I love it in this deck, but one of its main functions here is to prevent removal which can fairly easily and regularly be done by bouncing Savage Knuckleblade back to my hand (which also means I keep mana open for a Dissipate or a Boon Satyr). All-in-all, I'll probably take one out for a Temur Charm, but I'll probably leave the Denials in the sideboard depending on what decks I'm facing.

@ Nuwanda: I'm fairly certain I will. At the very least he'll probably be added to the sideboard and may eventually hit the main deck. One problem this deck has is that it can very easily be chumped out and it's just not fast enough to overpower token decks. Surrak Dragonclaw does a lot of things and the only reason I'm not fully sold on him is the fact that he costs 5 mana which is a pretty heavy investment. For now, I'll sideboard him against control and see where things go from there.

March 2, 2015 2:02 p.m.

Alright I would honestly cutAll 3 arc lightning from the main and add 3wild slashI'd side 2 arcarc lightning over themagma jet

March 3, 2015 2:15 p.m.

Phelgming says... #14

I'll consider it. I don't really want to add Wild Slash since it's pretty expensive for what it does ($1 for a better Shock seems like a lot), but it would probably help. That said, Arc Lightning is incredibly helpful against one of this deck's biggest weaknesses: getting chump blocked. I'll test it out a bit and see how things go. Either way, I've been told to move Arc Lightning to the sideboard in a previous comment so I'm inclined to believe it's something I should do.

Thank you for the suggestion!

March 3, 2015 7:05 p.m.

andrewB88 says... #15

Temur Ascendancy is good since you've got more than a few 4 power creatures, helps you draw. plus Haste, is great. Main board them for treasure cruise.

Temur Sabertooth(TCG MID is $0.26) to help you keep your guys alive, since you can bounce creatures back, and get indestructible, great for chump blocks. plus you can bounce Rattleclaw for mana.

Mana Leak(TCG MID $0.53) is a good vs stubborn denial.

I'd dump Cruise while good for draw it also is harder to play as you have to delve where as mana leak is 1U. It'll speed up the deck a bit.

Boon Satyr are so/so if you get rid of them replace them with Sabertooth.

March 9, 2015 1:24 a.m.

andrewB88 says... #16

Bow of Nylea also may be a viable option, also doesn't set Frost Walker to sack itself, because its not direct. Gives you the option to hit flyers, or pump your guys.

March 9, 2015 1:54 a.m.

Phelgming says... #17

You make a strong argument for Temur Ascendancy. I think I will try that out and see how things play out. That said, I've been thinking about Jace's Ingenuity a lot recently and this deck plays really well when it can be as light on its feet as possible and instant card draw would go a long way (I constantly found myself wishing Dig Through Time wasn't so expensive). Temur Ascendancy, Jace's Ingenuity, and Treasure Cruise will all definitely be in contention for that card draw slot.

Temur Sabertooth is an amazing suggestion. This deck definitely needs a four-mana threat and Temur Sabertooth might just be what I'm looking for. The only problem I have with it is that it's a lot more defensive than I'd like. Either way, it protects itself, it protects my other creatures, and I liked it as soon as I saw it so it may just get added.

Unfortunately Mana Leak isn't Standard-legal so I can't actually play it in this deck. If it were, I might consider it. As things stand, I've already got some great counter spells and Stubborn Denial in particular does an incredible amount of work to keep my threats alive (and keep enemy planeswalkers at bay).

I'm afraid Bow of Nylea doesn't really do enough for my board presence and doesn't generate enough card advantage to be worth cutting anything else for. It's very versatile, but none of its versatility really pushes this deck forward. The biggest help it would be is to push past massive creatures with deathtouch to try and eek out a win, but odds are that wouldn't quite do it. All that said, it is a great suggestion and I may keep an eye out for situations where it might be helpful.

Thanks for your great suggestions and for your support!

March 9, 2015 5:03 p.m.

andrewB88 says... #18

I'd say i have 2 digs that I'd trade, depending on what you have.

March 9, 2015 5:27 p.m.

Phelgming says... #19

I'm not really interested in trading. Thank you for the offer, though!

March 9, 2015 8:25 p.m.

Comfordor says... #20

I run a temur deck with the strategy of getting creatures on the BF and counter removal. It runs pretty well.

I'd suggest

  • Temur Ascendancy - 2-3 of - most of your creatures trigger ferocious (great card draw engine) and gives all your creatures immediate board presence with haste!

  • Monastery Siege 2 of - choosing dragons, makes removal of your creatures so much more difficult. Plus it's 3 mana which is great. Leaves your counter spells open to counter board wipes and your opponents card draw (if versing control)

  • Winds of Qal Sisma - 4 of - this is a personal favourite of mine. You mentioned Arc Lightning to remove chump blockers (who can take down Frost Walker easily, sigh) this card will take care of all that. You can use it offensively and defensively.

  • Shamanic Revelation - 1 of - it's a good card draw and life gain. Synergizes with Monastery Siege, more creatures more life.

All these cards are pretty cheap and should all come within budget. Hopefully they help you, also here is my deck for reference if you want to look at it as a whole


No! My Monsters are Staying! Playtest

Standard Comfordor

SCORE: 45 | 27 COMMENTS | 7104 VIEWS

March 11, 2015 7:01 a.m.

Dwirpled says... #21

Dissipate you could cut out for Dissolve just because the scy is helpful... Anger of the Gods could be considered instead of Barrage of Boulders.. like this deck thanks for sharing :) hope u do well

March 11, 2015 7:11 p.m.

Phelgming says... #22

@Comfordor:

Second suggestion for Temur Ascendancy and I'm pretty convinced. The only reason I've been hesitating is because it offers no immediate benefits (card advantage is conditional, doesn't generate a threat, and haste is only relevant if I play creatures AND am in a position to attack), but I think the benefits outweigh the downsides. I will swap them out for Treasure Cruise and see how things go. At the very least it won't be a dead draw in the early game and it can be a source of haste until the new Surrak is released. Crosses fingers for the price to drop like the original's

Monastery Siege has the same issue as Temur Ascendancy wherein it has no immediate impact on my board state. Compound that with the fact that almost all my creatures either all die to board wipes (Surrak Dragonclaw and Savage Knuckleblade are the only things that survive even something like a Drown in Sorrow), or have some form of protection (mainly the Knuckleblades' ability to return to my hand), or can get countered (until I get Surrak out anyway) and suddenly Monastery Siege doesn't seem all that relevant. It also doesn't actually save my creatures if my opponent has their mana up. It'll slow their efforts to tire me out, sure, but it won't stop them. I'd much rather have my counters for their board wipes, removal, and planeswalkers and my removal for their own creatures and, again, planeswalkers.

Winds of Qal Sisma is... Interesting... I feel I could use it if I could find a place for it, but I feel like all my answers to chump blocking are better than it right now (Barrage of Boulders, for example, lets my damage get through and can win me the game). I don't have defensive answers, but I've found that if I'm put on the defensive with this deck then that generally means I'm going to lose one way or another anyway.

Shamanic Revelation was a part of an earlier version of this deck (the very first version, in fact). It did well during goldfishing, but I decided to swap it out for Treasure Cruise. After playing against actual decks, I found all aspects of it to be lacking. The greatest number of creatures I had at any time was three and that was on only one occasion, I could usually cast Treasure Cruise for less mana, and the life gain would never have been relevant. I'm afraid it's just not good enough for this deck.

Thank you for your suggestions and for the link to your deck! They've all got me to thinking about different ways I can go about protecting my threats!


@Dwirpled:

Dissolve is definitely better than Dissipate in most cases, but it's also $1 a copy to Dissipate's $0.20. I've actually addressed this before in a previous comment and it is something I would definitely do if I didn't have a budget, but I just can't justify spending almost $4 more because of scry 1. That and the exile on Dissipate is at least somewhat relevant thanks to delve being a thing.

Anger of the Gods is another card I'd definitely add if I wasn't working on a budget and it's actually at the top of my list of cards to add if I can afford to. That said, it would cost almost $8 more to run it over Barrage of Boulders. It also kills most of my own creatures which just isn't worth it when the point is that I can't push my creatures through in the first place.

Thanks for the suggestions and thank you for the support! I appreciate both!

March 11, 2015 7:52 p.m.

Comfordor says... #23

At the least, Monastery Siege will exhaust opponents mana with any targeting spells to you or your pernaments. LIke 5 mana for Hero's Downfall or Crackling Doom or 4 mana for a Lightning Strike, those spells are now inefficient. It pretty much puts the brake on your opponents removal or burn. And as said earlier, leaves your counter spells open to counter board wipes. (Which remain the same cost)

Winds of Qal Sisma is my favourite card in my deck lol.

Yeah you are right in saying those cards do not do anything immediately, but after that turn, you will see the benefits.

But hey, the cards may not suit you or your strategy/play style. I recommend with any suggestion, Play testing or experimenting with them to get a feel for them and decide whether or not they are suited

Hope my input has helped bud!

March 11, 2015 10 p.m.

Phelgming says... #24

I understand where you're coming from very well. My point is just that removal will hit my threats no matter how inefficient I make them. Unless I can hard counter something, I won't be keeping my threats be it targeted removal or not (and making removal inefficient only to lose a threat or hard counter the removal anyway doesn't seem optimal for me). What I'm trying to say is that in the end I need my counters no matter what; saving them for board wipes only means my threats still get picked off one-by-one. Making things inefficient for decks that have nothing better to do for many turns but remove or deny my threats doesn't really get me anywhere unless I try to stall out their mana (and stalling is kind of their whole shtick). For decks that don't rely on removal, Monastery Siege most likely does nothing. I say all this under the belief that the format is saturated with non-targeted removal or high aggro. In the meantime, with that three mana and card space, I can have either another threat or something that will stop removal instead of just making it inefficient. That means a lot more to me than stopping a specific subgroup of cards.

Please bear in mind that your deck and my deck are pretty different in style and execution. Just know that, despite writing Winds of Qal Sisma off, I did run a test or two against a few decks I can expect to see and found that it did very little for me. That and I'm sorry, but I'm just not a big fan of Fog effects. This deck can either be played fast or win out on stalemates, but it can't really go on the defensive or hope opponents block or attack in certain beneficial patterns. Winds would probably work very well for me against opponents who can go much wider or much taller than me and then attack in force, but it actually does little to nothing about actually advancing my win condition. That said, I feel I do have a pretty poor match-up against devotion decks (which can go wider AND taller than me if I don't get quick kills) so at the very least I may consider Winds for sideboard against those, but it's not something I can afford to run against or for anything else when it's so situational and dependent on my opponents acting a certain way.

I threw in Temur Ascendancy and it does actually do a lot of work and feels very good (in goldfishing). That said, I'm not yet sure how much that one turn means. Turn 3 is VERY important to this deck and it can mean getting out a Savage Knuckleblade or keeping my mana open for either a counter or a Boon Satyr. By playing Ascendancy, I can gain a lot of card advantage and tempo afterwards, but I lose what could prove to be a massive amount of tempo on what could be considered my most important turn (this also goes for Monastery Siege). Compare this to Treasure Cruise which does a lot of work later on when I have less of a need for tempo and just need more fuel. While Cruise might be a dead draw in the early game, Ascendancy is risky early and not nearly as good later. For now, I REALLY like it and I think it will pull its weight, but it is unproven and I'll be keeping an eye on it.

In any case, thanks a lot! I'm gaining a lot of insight into how my deck works on its own, what I want for it, and how I can expect it to work against others!

March 12, 2015 12:09 a.m.

FatherTime says... #25

This might be farfetched, but I do like Nylea, God of the Hunt. On top of Surrak Dragonclaw's ability to not be able to counter and give trample, Nylea gives you a potential threat that is not easily removed, gives more trample, and is a creature due to your Boon Satyr devotions/assumed mystics/heirs on the field.

March 13, 2015 11:36 p.m.

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