This deck has come 2nd at FNM numerous times, its able to adapt to most situations even on a bad draw. It has early dominance on the field and swift removal for quick victories that can deal with most decks. It can discard cards fast to add to your total damage via Vile Manifestation or to draw additional cards. Late game can be devastating as you return your Archfiend of Ifnir from the grave and start cycling cards for a cheap board removal. It can adapt very easily.
What makes this deck special?
Personally I love the cycle mechanic for numerous reasons, its an instant so you can do it anytime, you can use it offensively or defensively for card advantage or with cards such as Flameblade Adept to keep your damage ticking over but I mostly like it for its flexibility. Its potential is insane if you think about it, its like having 100's of hands within one hand anything you don't need at any given time can be exchanged for something else, and almost every time you cycle something it will benefit you in some way. It can boost your creatures, it can gain you land advantage, it can give you much needed creature removal and with this deck in specific you could cycle and draw a Wander in Death to return a creature that just died, draw a Fatal Push to kill that aggro 1/1 that just won't die the possibility's are endless and that's why I like it.
Why cards are in the deck
Bloodrage Brawler: Not only is this one of the cheapest most powerful two drops in standard at the moment but it also benefits you from discarding an addition card. You may discard a spare Canyon Slough, a Archfiend of Ifnir for later use or even a spare cycling card such as Lurching Rotbeast to add to your Vile Manifestation's power.
Banewhip Punisher: For me this is literally the most underrated card in standard, with its ability its able to destroy any creature for one mana! It can be used to remove a cheap 1/1 creature or a 10/10 creature depending on the situation. This can also be re-used with Wander in Death at any point to remove time after time. However that said, against most control decks Banewhip Punisher is side-boarded.
Vile Manifestation: What if I told you that there was a creature card in standard with his opening stats being a 8/4 or 15/4 or 20/4 for only 2 mana? Well this card does exactly that. If you play him early hes essentially a cheap blocker that can't be removed that easily, sure you can push him or exile him but trading a 2 drop for a potential 3-4 drop is ok. But if you played or returned him late game after you've dropped a bunch of cycling cards his damage is outstanding for 2 mana if not the best??? If you cycle 8 cards and some how managed to get to turn 15 and you drop him, its crazy for 2 mana! I mean come on, this guy is core to cycling and must used in my opinion.
Lurching Rotbeast: This is actually my favourite common in Amonkhet, Its basically just a source card, you never actually cast this card unless you desperately need a creature but instead you cycle it every given time to add to the total pool for Vile Manifestation and to gain another card. This card is ideal in your starting hand as you can cycle it on your opponents end step after turn 1.
Cut//Ribbons: This card is ideal for this deck as it works as a cheap removal alternative and late game it can decimate your opponent if they don't keep an eye on it. Usually its used to remove anything in your path early to keep damage going through to your opponent, the only downfall to this card is the fact that its a sorcery.
Inferno Jet: This card is a hit and miss, if this card is drawn early you generally cycle it but if you can hold onto it till late game its quite a nice finisher. But in most cases you either cycle it or use it with Tormenting Voice
Wombo Combo: This combo is the secret to the deck which most people seem to miss even when its staring you in the face. It can be deadly once pulled off but in some cases it can be very dependant. So in order for this combo to work you'll need a Grisly Survivor on the board and a Bomat Courier in hand. In most cases you would want a clear battlefield however with a few removal such as Fatal Push or Cut / Ribbons this shouldn't be a problem anyway. (If your opponent has no land available you could potential win on this turn) So at this point you want to drop your Bomat Courier and swing immediately with both creatures. Your opponent will only see 3 potential damage and do either 2 of these things: 1.Block or remove your courier to stop your card advantage. or 2.Do nothing and wait to see what happens. With damage almost guaranteed you can now enable your combo by cycling any cards in your hand you have available and keeping at least one Mountain available (This works much better late game with more potential manner) at this point your Grisly Survivor could be at 4 maybe 6 damage, then sacrifice your Bomat Courier and discard your hand. If you have say 2-3 cards in hand thats another 6-8 addition damage. Not to mention if you did this after attacking with your Bomat Courier a few times you could pick up more cycling cards you exiled and cycle them for more damage. So when damage finally goes trough you can easily do 20+ damage and kill your opponent here depending on your land or hand available. With Built to Smash or a double strike this can change the circumstances dramatically.
