My B/R aggro deck that I took to 2nd place at gameday as well as 4-0 every fnm since. I will break it down for you:
The creature base includes some of the fastest creatures that Kaladesh has to offer.
Bomat Courier Inventor's Apprentice Scrapheap Scrounger and Pia Nalaar are all really good in this archetype.
Bomat Courier can get in early for 1-3 damage and then once you dump your hand, or flood out, it can draw you some essential gas to keep going. Also, one of the biggest downsides to this card is that after turn 2 or 3 it no longer can attack in most games. IT CAN CREW Aethersphere Harvester. a 3/5 flying lifelink? How nuts!
Scrapheap Scrounger is one of the best attackers in the format. You cannot kill it. This card is so good at putting pressure on early, as well as getting you back in the game after a board wipe. It's ability to crew anything in this deck is HUGE, as board wipes do not hit your vehicles.
Pia Nalaar is an absolute monster in this deck. She can pump up your vehicles, make your opponent unable to block, help get revolt for Fatal Push. She even creates an extra creature that can crew Aethersphere Harvester or help her crew Heart of Kiran If you are activating her abilities, you are probably winning.
Inventor's Apprentice is excellent against aggressive opponents. It's essentially a 2/3 for and normally will get in for 2 on turn two and three, as many deck's early creatures are 2/x. That extra point of toughness is really nice.
Aether revolt introduced us to a new friend. Glint-Sleeve Siphoner is really nice to have during board stalls. She not only has menace, but she also can use energy to draw extra cards. If there is one thing we know about aggro, its that one of the major challenges is running out of gas. I really enjoy playing this card with Aethersphere Harvester. Every time Glint-Sleeve Siphoner attacks it gives us 1 energy which can immediately be put to giving our 3/5 lifelink. If you don't have an Aethersphere Harvester you can draw a card on your next upkeep. Value? Check!
The last creature in the deck is not from Kaladesh! However, it is so good that I would call it the BETTER Veteran Motorist. DRUM ROLL???...... Forerunner of Slaughter is absurd in this deck. If it comes down on turn two and is able to untap, not only will it give your Heart of Kiran and Scrapheap Scrounger haste, it also is another 3/2 which can pack some serious punch. Topdecking one late game is almost never an issue, as it can give itself haste. YES. It is devoid. How about a turn 4 3/5 flying lifelink Haste? Sure! The many interactions with Forerunner of Slaughter makes it easily one of the best cards in the deck.
PLANESWALKERChandra, Torch of Defiance... I won't go too deep on Chandra, but we have found a deck that she excel's in. Period, end of story. She can curve into an extra Scrapheap scrounger or Heart of Kiran with her +1 add or she can +1 (net you an extra creature or burn your opponent for 2 and cycle your lands away) It is a good day when you are ticking Chandra up. But if your opponent plays a new creature that is going to be difficult for you to get rid of, her -3 deal 4 damage to a creature is really versatile. Yes. I have ultimated Chandra. It is stupid easy to do if your opponent is behind or you have a nice board state.
VEHICLESOur vehicles of choice are:Aethersphere Harvester and Heart of Kiran Aethersphere is so good in this deck and is underrated in the format. It successfully blocks your opponents Heart of Kiran It can gain you life, and it flies. 5 toughness and 3 cmc takes it out of most fatal push ranges, grasp of darkness, red burn, etc. Normally, opponents 2 for 1 themselves to take it down. The icing on the cake is the crew cost. EVERYTHING in this deck crews it. Bomat Courier doesn't do much after turn 3. Harvester makes it to where it is not a dead card. Pia's Thopter can even crew it.
Heart of Kiran Yes, this vehicle is good. Yes, Chandra crews it. Yes, it can come down turn 3 with haste thanks to Forerunner of Slaughter. Why is it not a 4 of?
Thanks to Mardu vehicles being so popular, anybody who is running black is playing 3-4 Fatal Push Mainboard. It really hurts to have your vehicle taken out so easily. Also, half of our creatures cannot crew it. Crew 3 really limits itself. Therefore, 2 is the right number for me.
REMOVALOur removal of choice is Fatal Push Unlicensed Disintegration and a surprising 2 Hungry Flames
Fatal Push is excellent game 1 against all opponents except control and combo. It is a huge tempo swing to be able to push your blocker and then play a creature. It is really, really good.
Unlicensed Disintegration is my favorite. I love this card. It kills any creature at instant speed. Vehicles, 8/8 Verdurous Gearhulk It also will burn the opponent for 3. This card lets me have my cake and eat it. I don't even sideboard them out against control because they hit my opponent's Torrential Gearhulk. This card is super fun when my opponent tries to combo off saheeli cat. It kills the cat and can redirect the 3 damage to the walker. 2 for 1. Thank you. PLAY 4 Unlicensed Disintegration Do not settle for less.
Hungry Flames is a weird inclusion. Most people like running a different removal spot, however, I really like this card. It kills most 1-3 drops. 3 damage is the sweetspot in this format, it also shocks the opponent. It gives you reach in the late game and often times it feels like Unlicensed Disintegration 5 and 6. Although it rarely happens, it has happened so I need to say it: The card reads "Hungry flames deals 3 damage to target creature and 2 damage to target player". You can target your own creature and burn your opponent. It is super situational but it actually won me a stalled control match where my opponent had no creatures.
SIDEBOARD:
Shock This card is good against the saheeli combo and small creature aggro strategies. Implement of Combustion excellent stop to saheeli combo and card draw against controlRelease the Gremlins I bring this in against the mirror, mardu vehicles, and any improvise or Metalwork Colossus deck.Ob Nixilis Reignited I bring this in against interactive decks. It's great against Torrential Gearhulk decks because you are able to draw extra cards until they play a creature and then -3 and kill it. Tempo Tempo TempoIncendiary Flow I like it against aggro matchups because it can hit the face or EXILE a creature. This is the kryptonite for Scrapheap Scrounger and Prized Amalgam Lost Legacy This card isn't GREAT but it is a really good answer to the current combo decks. I think it is important to bring in against these decks.
If you like the deck, please give it the good-ol +1. Please give me suggestions if you have them! I think this deck has good matchups against all 3 big decks right now,(mardu vehicles, b/g snake, saheeli combo), as well as the many t2 or scrub decks. The worst matchup is probably Aetherworks, because we do not have a lot of ways to interact with the combo, and a resolved ulamog is devastating. The deck isn't super popular right now, so I see no reason on altering our sideboard further for this deck.
