Creature (27)
- 3x Beastcaller Savant
- 2x Bounding Krasis
- 1x Dragonlord Ojutai
- 1x Dromoka, the Eternal
- 2x Icefall Regent
- 4x Mantis Rider
- 4x Rattleclaw Mystic
- 2x Savage Knuckleblade
- 4x Thunderbreak Regent
- 4x Woodland Wanderer
Planeswalker (1)
Land (25)
- 1x Canopy Vista
- 1x Cinder Glade
- 3x Flooded Strand
- 2x Forest
- 1x Frontier Bivouac
- 2x Island
- 1x Lumbering Falls
- 2x Mountain
- 1x Mystic Monastery
- 1x Plains
- 1x Prairie Stream
- 1x Shivan Reef
- 4x Windswept Heath
- 4x Wooded Foothills
Instant (5)
Sorcery (2)
Sideboard
Enchantment (3)
Instant (7)
Sorcery (3)
Maybeboard
Introduction
This is based on the Four-Color Dragons deck that the DEX-Protection team played at PT BFZ.
Name in reference of: 
This deck is designed to do what every midrange deck does: play value creatures and gum up the board. This is primarily a Temur Deck with a splash of white for Mantis Rider, Jeskai Charm , and Woodland Wanderer. There is also a Dragon Subtheme (7 total Dragons) to generate extra value from Draconic Roar. Most of the creatures in this deck have flying as well, which is a very relevant keyword for a format being dominated by Mantis Riders. Not having means you don't have the best removal or Siege Rhino , but I think this deck can make up for that through sheer attrition.
The Cards
Ramp Creatures:
Rattleclaw Mystic: Dropping value creatures on turn #s smaller than their CMCs is the name of the game here, so this card is great. It also produces , so the mana-fixing is always welcome.
Beastcaller Savant: Similarly to Rattleclaw Mystic, the ability to produce all your colors is invaluable. With and costs as well as Woodland Wanderer, you need to be able to produce different colors at different times, and these guys fit the role perfectly. The fact they have haste lets you get them out for effectively since they can return one mana immediately, allowing you to play it and a 3 drop on turn 3 assuming you dropped another dork the last turn.
Beatsticks:
Mantis Rider: The premiere card of this standard format. This is the new Siege Rhino : you either run it or you want ways of dealing with it. It comes out swinging immediately and flies right over their Jace, Vryn's Prodigy ; having Vigilance makes it a decent defense-player as well.
Savage Knuckleblade : While never really seeing play, a 3 mana 4/4 with 3 relevant abilities is an alright card. It can be played off-curve without penalty by giving it haste, making a T3 Mantis Rider into a T4 Knuckleblade a very scary sequence. It provides somewhat of a mana sink, letting you pump it should you have nothing else to do, sometimes allowing for the last points of damage or profitable blocking. The ability to bounce back to your hand to dodge removal in the late game should also not be ignored.
Thunderbreak Regent : Yet another value creature. Rewards you for your opponent having removal and has the Dragon creature type to boot.
Woodland Wanderer: I constantly made the joke this would be Siege Rhino copies 5-8, but surprisingly, this card has not seen much play yet. It's a very respectable body, almost always coming down as a 6/6 as early as turn 3, and it has two relevant keywords as well. Knowing what creature to play when is something you need to be able to do, since your other creatures die to Languish but this one does not.
Icefall Regent: I didn't play when Dungeon Geists was legal, but I'm told it was pretty good during its time. This is a Dungeon Geist and Frost Titan lovechild, if ghosts and titans have dragon babies. It also has 4 power which is relevant for your Stubborn Denial s.
Dromoka, the Eternal: I've always liked this card and since it was printed I've always hoped it would see some standard play. It's a 5/5 flier for 5, which is not nothing. Since you have a lot of manadorks, as the game goes on they just sit around and eventually act as chump blockers, and Dromoka + other dragons let's them grow into beefy bodies that can attack or block, making them into threats themselves. It also perfectly curves out with Thunderbreak Regent , which will get you a trigger the turn it comes down. Has the chance to get around Crackling Doom.
Sometimes You Need Utility:
Bounding Krasis : My latest test in anti-aggro strategies. This deck is feeling more like a tempo deck more and more as I play it as opposed to midrange, and the ability to tap one of their guys during combat to save yourself some life or get another attacker through, or even baiting some profitable blocks by untapping one of your own guys is always welcome. Versatility.
The 'Walkers:
Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker : I found myself lacking in some games against bigger creatures. Placing Sarkhan down and -3ing to kill one of their guys and turning into a 4 damage indestructible force for subsequent turns is good enough to fill the spot.
Other Spells:
Draconic Roar: The new Lightning Strike. Can also burn them for 3 some of the time.
Radiant Flames: Consistently a 3 damage sweeper for 3. It's a great panic button against aggro decks, but be wary that it will kill your Dorks, Mantis Riders, and even Icefall Regents if used for 3 colors.
Stubborn Denial : Your best (and pretty much only) answer against sweepers and boardwipes. Ferocious should almost always be on, so you should have no problem using this as a 1-CMC Negate. Pay attention to the opponent's mana, however, as you may be able to sneak this in even when you don't have a 4-power creature.
Strategy
In the early game, you want to establish your mana. You need to get your 4 colors as quick as possible, while still playing around the Battle Lands by getting at least 2 basics by turn 3. You can either fetch for one Battle Land on turn 1 and then 2 basics afterwards or 2 basics into a Battle Land turn 3; either way works, but depending on your other lands (Shivan Reef, for example), you might have to prioritize basics so that your Battle Lands etb untapped.
You want to start dropping creatures as quickly as possible. Establishing a board and going wide is your win condition. Curving out is very necessary. Woodland Wanderer will likely take priority over all other plays on turn 3, but do not take that as law. Playing off-curve may be necessary to deal with your opponent's early threats and requires situational awareness.
You will be playing slower than the aggro decks, but faster than control decks. You want to be ending the game in the mid-late stages. Getting across the finish line gets tough after about turn 10 because the control player will likely be very well-established and ready to kill/counter whatever you play.
Mulligan Strategy:
While this deck usually has consistent hands, mulligans may be necessary. An ideal hand includes ~3 lands of varying colors, 1-2 dorks, and 2-3 other threats.
- Ex: Wooded Foothills, Windswept Heath, Beastcaller Savant, Savage Knuckleblade, Shivan Reef, Mantis Rider, Plains
Keepable hands (i.e. not the nuts but good enough) will have 2 lands and a dork or 3 lands, as well as at least one creature that can be played on turn 3.
- Ex. Thunderbreak Regent, Wooded Foothills, Draconic Roar, Wooded Foothills, Savage Knuckleblade, Flooded Strand, Woodland Wanderer
Bad hands will look like either of the following:
2 or less lands, no dorks, 2+ noncreature spells, and creatures with CMC 4 or greater.
4+ Lands, 1 or more dorks, 1 or more noncreatures, and no actual threats.
Ex. Prairie Stream, Rattleclaw Mystic, Savage Knuckleblade, Icefall Regent, Thunderbreak Regent, Mantis Rider, Savage Knuckleblade
Ex. Windswept Heath, Wooded Foothills, Wooded Foothills, Rattleclaw Mystic, Flooded Strand, Mountain, Draconic Roar
Budget Cuts and Other Factors
Budget:
The biggest cut would be the Mana Base, obviously. You could run Evolving Wilds and the trilands from KTK, as well as the pain lands from Origins, but there will be an extreme drop in the consistency of the deck.
The other major price-tag would be the 2 Dragonlord Ojutai s, but those can easily be substituted with 2 more Icefall Regent.
For some, even Thunderbreak Regent might be a little demanding. In its place, I suggest Ashcloud Phoenix ; however, you will not have the dragons to trigger Draconic Roar, so be forewarned. At this point, you could possibly consider replacing the Draconic Roars with Crater's Claws , but that would be a personal choice more than anything.
Meta-Based Cuts and Changes:
If aggro is popular at your store, you might want a pair of Radiant Flames in the main instead of Stubborn Denial , since the aggro decks these days seem to be much less burn-oriented than those that came before.
If you're playing against a lot of decks that are running Anafenza, the Foremost, Siege Rhino , Thunderbreak Regent , and other such creatures with large butts, you might want to forgo 2 Draconic Roars for Valorous Stance, perhaps more if 3 damage just isn't killing anything. You may also find cutting Jeskai Charm for Dromoka's Command to be helpful if there are enchantments running rampant, as well as just removing Rhinos with Savage Knuckleblade .
In a meta ran by control, you may want to cut your Jeskai Charm s or Draconic Roars for more Stubborn Denial s or perhaps even mainboard a Dispel or two. You could also replace the Yavimaya Coast with a Lumbering Falls if you feel so inclined.
Sideboarding
Other Variations of This Deck
For those who want to play a more combo-esque build, you can view my Four-Color Company list here:
4 Color Company
Standard
SCORE: 2 | 331 VIEWS | IN 1 FOLDER
Note that the Collected Company list was ultimately dropped in favor of this one, so it still doesn't have a proper description written and the list is definitely not as refined, but you may like it as a springboard for your own brew.
Performance Report
Round 2: Mardu Allies. Firemantle Mage + Chasm Guide on the rebound with March from the Tomb and Rally the Ancestors proved to be too much. 0-2.
Round 3: Played against my buddy's 4 Color Aristocrats. I made a lot of stupid mistakes like swinging when I didn't need to and fetching the incorrect lands, which tilted me for the rest of the match. Never got a red land game 2 so I didn't get to cast half my hand. 0-2.
Changelog
In: 1x Cinder Glade, 1x Prairie Stream, 1x Mystic Monastery, 1x Frontier Bivouac, 2x Radiant Flames (From Sideboard), 1x Whirler Rogue
Out: 1x Forest, 1x Island, 1x Shivan Reef, 2x Jeskai Charm, 1x Draconic Roar (Moved to Sideboard), 1x Sarkhan Unbroken (Moved to Sideboard)
Thought Process: Mana Base needed work, had a hard time getting a few times. Aggro Decks have proven to be a hassle, so Radiant Flames main is currently being tested. Whirler Rogue is also a test, since it makes 3 bodies for blocking the aggressive decks as well as giving you finishing power when the board gets gummy; gives you another 4 drop as well.
Sideboard:
In: 2x Dromoka's Command, 1x Draconic Roar (From Main), 1x Sarkhan Unbroken (From Main), 1x Radiant Flames
Out: 2x Ashcloud Phoenix, 2x Radiant Flames (Moved to Main), 1x Valorous Stance
Thought Process: Ashcloud Phoenix and Valorous Stance never got boarded in; never seemed necessary. Radiant Flames needed to be mainboarded for aggressive matchups. Dromoka's Command is poking its head in because the Esper Deck sure loves its Stasis Snare, and Aristocrats plays Abzan Ascendancy as well as Evolutionary Leap, plus it can be used to de-gum the board slightly. Sarkhan Unbroken goes from main to side because he is a reactive card, and was only beneficial against control. I was always having to play other things when I was playing against creature-heavy decks, which helped me realize Sarkhan has a specific purpose.
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| Date added | 9 years |
| Last updated | 9 years |
| Legality | This deck is not Standard legal. |
| Rarity (main - side) | 2 - 1 Mythic Rares 42 - 6 Rares 9 - 8 Uncommons |
| Cards | 60 |
| Avg. CMC | 3.11 |
| Tokens | Dragon 4/4 R, Emblem Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker, Morph 2/2 C |
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