Enlightenment of the Dragonclaw | Temur Aggro

Standard* Aggro Competitive RUG (Temur) Tempo

Spootyone

Creature (25)

• 3x Courser of Kruphix
• 3x Polukranos, World Eater
• 4x Rattleclaw Mystic
• 2x Reclamation Sage
• 1x Sagu Mauler
• 4x Savage Knuckleblade
• 4x Stormbreath Dragon
• 4x Sylvan Caryatid

Planeswalker (3)

• 1x Kiora, the Crashing Wave
• 2x Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker

Land (23)

• 3x Forest
• 4x Frontier Bivouac
• 3x Mountain
• 3x Shivan Reef
• 2x Temple of Abandon
• 4x Wooded Foothills
• 4x Yavimaya Coast

Instant (6)

• 1x Aetherspouts
• 3x Stubborn Denial
• 2x Temur Charm

Sorcery (3)

• 3x Crater's Claws

---

Sideboard

Creature (4)

• 2x Ashcloud Phoenix
• 2x Surrak Dragonclaw

Planeswalker (1)

• 1x Nissa, Worldwaker

Instant (4)

• 2x Back to Nature
• 2x Disdainful Stroke

Sorcery (6)

• 3x Anger of the Gods
• 3x Arc Lightning

---

Control isn't working for me in these colors. I'm now playing a much more traditional (read: powerful) green deck. But I've got my own touches on it!

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

I present to you my Temur Aggro deck.

This deck began as Midrange "Monsters" featuring the likes of Polukranos, World Eater and Stormbreath Dragon. That bored me. I then decided the way I could fun in these colors was by running by best effort at Control. While I spent many weeks fine-tuning and experimenting with that archetype, it turns out that there were a number of problems with it (details can be found in the update below titles "the last straw"). Now, I am convinced that the best way to run these colors is in Aggro. Being able to switch things up to play more of a Tempo game gives this archetype strength. Let us begin.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The Creature Core

~-~-~--~-~-~

The curve in this deck starts at 2 with Heir of the Wilds. Being a "bear" with upside that can easily become a 3/3 means he easily deserves a spot and the deathtouch means getting through caryatid/courser is a piece of cake. Things get a bit heavier on 3, though, as this is where a grand majority of my creatures lay. The two most hard-hitting and innately powerful creatures here are Goblin Rabblemaster and Savage Knuckleblade. Knuckles triggers ferocious, can tango with midrange creatures, can protect itself, and more. I many times only need it on the field with mana up to protect it to win. Rabblemaster, on the other hand, is an army in a can. This means that while he cannot protect himself or trigger ferocious, he demands an answer, as not doing so will allow him to fill the board with threats that take over the game. Boon Satyr is the next most important creature. Also able to trigger ferocious and with the added utility of flash and bestow allow me to play around control decks and midrange decks in ways they can't always prepare for while keeping up mana for knuckleblade activations, counterspells, or burn spells. Lastly, there is Fanatic of Xenagos. Fanatic isn't the game-breaking card you'd expect given everything else so far, but he's not bad.

Higher up in the curve is Polis Crusher . I know some deck like to use this slot for Polukranos, World Eater, and I don't blame them. That said, it's nice to ahve a creature that dodges both Suspension Field and Banishing Light , along with Chained to the Rocks . He can also attack through Courser of Kruphix and Nyx-Fleece Ram and has an added bonus of having trample and a monstrous ability. His mana is a bit easier to cast in this deck too, so I really enjoy having him around.

Finally, we top things off with Surrak Dragonclaw. 6/6 for 5? Check. Flash so I can catch the opponent off-guard or leave up open mana for counters? Check. Uncounterable so there can be no control shenanigans? Check. Able to grant this to my other creatures from then on? Check. Ability to give a huge knuckleblade or rabblemaster or boon satyr bestow trample? Check. In case you didn't realize by now, the card is incredibly powerful as a top end in an aggressive creature deck like this. He helps me combo off with Temur Ascendancy too, which we should address now.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

The Spell Core

~-~-~--~-~-~

I don't really enjoy your traditional aggro deck since it feels like I'm not using my brain as much as I'd like to. I'm not saying aggro is for dumb players, because it isn't. But I love being able to play reactive spells too (no offense aggro players). As such, I'm enthralled that I'm still playing blue and therefore have access to some really cool spells. Negate is, in my opinion, the strongest counterspell in the format right now. Being able to protect your threats from kill spells, react to someone counter one of YOUR spells, or even just denying a superfriends deck their win cons makes it a powerful card. Stubborn Denial very easily becomes a 1-mana negate in this deck, but due to it's unstable nature I only run a total of 3 in the 75. I like being able to commit to the board and not worry about a board wipe since I know I have the counter backup. It's great!

On a similar vein, Temur Charm can help to stall the opponent from wrecking my chance at victory. I can either hold back to Mana Leak their spells or I can use the charm as a kill spell against midrange. And it's also amazing against Elspeth as a surprise "hey, I actually just win here" trick. Temur Ascendancy is my favorite card to use against control matchups or agianst other midrangey-type decks that wish to 1-for-1 me into oblivion. My absolute favorite thing to do with ascendancy is to chain multiple of them out and combo out a bunch of creatures in one turn to swing with them all (given the haste). Surrak is a great enabler of this since his uncounterable ability and granting ability mean I can start the chain off well.

Lastly, I have Stoke the Flames and Crater's Claws . Crater's claws is a fantastic card to use for a kill spell or a finisher on the opponent's dome. Since I play very conservatively and fear my own ferocious enablers dying, I choose to also play stoke. Stoke has the added benefits of being instant-speed, good regardless of ferocious, and I can do something like play a rabblemaster at 5 mana and then use him and his token to convoke out the kill spell while increasing my board position.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

And if I still haven't convinced you, I urge you to take another look at Surrak. Seriously the dude punched a bear in half.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~

If you enjoyed the deck please grant me the love of your +1s. I also accept pizza and hugs, but I'll leave the choice up to you.

---

Quick SB Explanation

The sideboard is still in it's early stages. I'll quickly address it.

• Lightning Strike = Brought in against aggro as a kill spell.

• Harness by Force = Brought in against midrange as a surprise win when they think their safe.

• Negate = Extra copy to bring in against control.

• Stubborn Denial = Extra copy to bring in against control.

• Singing Bell Strike = Brought in against Midrange decks when I'm on the aggressive and trying to out-tempo them.

• AEtherspouts = Brought in against Midrange decks when I'm on the aggressive and tring to out-tempo them.

• Reclamation Sage = Brought in to battle against artifacts and enchantments, most specifically things like Whip of Erebos and Banishing Light .

• Bow of Nylea = Brought in against aggro and burn so that I can gain life since I"m slightly slower than them.

• Temur Ascendancy = Extra copy to bring in against control.

Top Ranked	Achieved #2 position overall 10 years ago
Date added	10 years
Last updated	9 years
Legality	This deck is not Standard legal.
Rarity (main - side)	10 - 5 Mythic Rares 33 - 3 Rares 11 - 7 Uncommons
Cards	60
Avg. CMC	3.03
Tokens	Emblem Kiora, the Crashing Wave, Emblem Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker, Kraken 9/9 U, Morph 2/2 C
Folders	Good decks , RUG, Powerful weapons , Standard Decks, Decks to Watch, Things to Consider, Found Decks, Khans Decks, Cool decks I like, Decks to Build