I have been tinkering with this deck a lot, and I really want to make Minotaurs a competitive tribal deck. After getting so much help from amonkhet and HOU, the tribe is in really good position to become an actual threat in modern. There are obviously still some weaknesses to the deck, (lacking a usable 1 drop being one) but I have had actually alot of success with this deck over the last little while. It wants to put pressure early, but lacking the solid 1 drops means it takes some timing, but overall the idea is get cows on the table and pump them up with neheb, rageblood, and warcaller for a 3-4 creature swing by turn 5. if you can keep you board alive, you basically win with that attack, and Inquisition of Kozilek makes sure you have time to get there. Anyway, the deck is really fun if nothing else, and if we can get a good 1 drop minotaur from the hurloon tribe in dominaria block, we can really explode.
Strategy:
The turn one play is either Gnarled Scarhide or Inquisition of Kozilek. Scarhide is our only 1 drop in tribe right now, and gets pretty good as we start dropping our lords, so if you don't know anything about your opponent and need to choose between scarhide and inquisition, drop the minotaur. Inquisition can really be helpful a few turns in against control, and having a cow on the table to pump with Rageblood Shaman or Neheb, the Worthy gets the clock started.
Turn two you are hoping for Bloodrage Brawler because he is just deceptively good. He is a big bod that more often than not is going to get first strike or trample on turn three, and he helps thin cards in your hand down a bit so you can activate Neheb, the Worthy by turn 4 or 5. This guy really is way better than I thought at first, and I wish I could get 4 more of him. Metallic Mimic Is also a great add in this build. It fills the 2 slot where minotaurs are really weak, and it usually soaks some removal so you can play Ragemonger safely on turn three setting up a stupidly explosive turn four.
Turn Three is where you are hoping for a lord of some sort. If you are ahead on the board then drop Rageblood Shaman, Neheb, the Worthy, or Felhide Petrifier. If you are behind then Boros Reckoner can swing momentum back to you no problem. the reckoner is also great against most burn that can stop that turn 4 kill they are shooting for.
Fatal Push, Lightning Bolt, and Ghost Quarter are our standard removal cards and don't really need an explanation.
As far as sideboard goes, it is also really simple but Dreadbore seems to be a super performer in the new Jace-meta. It obviously really helps against tron by dropping the Ugins and Karns that you normally wouldnt be able to get to, but sometimes people drop an early jace because they think it is safe to bolt, and you can surprise them.
Let me go on to say that Metallic Mimic has really found a home in minotaurs. Merfolk doesn't need him because of the good 2 drop lords they have, but minotaurs do not have that luxury. Mimic fits nicely into our weakest slot, and pumps up our dudes even after it dies. Most minotaurs start with 3 toughness, so getting an extra +1 puts our key cards like Ragemonger out of bolt range. The other part about mimic that matters is that you can pitch it when it has outlived its usefulness, and Felhide Petrifier turns the mimic into a 2 cost removal spell as well. Mimic is also an artifact which against some match ups is relevant as well. I really can't say enough good things about mimic in minotaurs.
Help:
I have been really trying to up this deck's playability so some suggestions would be great. I have found that I do very well against Jund, which has been taking over the metagame after the Bloodbraid Elf unban, because the fewer cards in my hand, the better when I drop Neheb.
I am running into some problem surviving board wipes against any control decks though, because the nature of Neheb, the Worthy is to empty your hand on the table when you can. So I have been thinking about adding in Boros Charm with a couple of white producers to survive a Supreme Verdict or two.
Let me know what you can see as weaknesses here, really Any suggestions are very welcome.
UPDATE
So I have played more over the last few months, and I officially joined the dark side. Blood Moon is in the main board. We have split mana, and we do need at least one black for most of our enablers, but the moon is just too good to have against the format right now to not include. I found that when I was playing it in the sideboard I would usually lose the first game, side in moon and hope to go two in a row. Now i find i usually WIN the first game, because people just dont know what the deck does.
Dropping the petrifier from the deck hasnt been a big deal as most of the time he was just a win more card. Having some extra targeted removal in the sideboard has been much better.
The decks I have most trouble with are Collected Company decks that get on the board fast than me, so kalitas and anger of the gods are great adds to the sideboard now that moon is in the main.
The deck is MUCH better this way, and I have been picking up a lot more wins.
Thanks so much for all the upvotes and great advice in the comments. I try all the recommendations and it is really shaping into a deck that can hang in the format. Lets keep working on it, and make minotaurs a thing in modern!
