Need improvements: Budget Gruul Ramp Aggro
Deck Help forum
Posted on Dec. 1, 2013, 1:23 a.m. by MonsterFinder221
deck-large:quite-a-gruul-ing-match I can't quite put a finger on what's wrong with it, should i add more ramp creatures? or more +x/+x cards?
MonsterFinder221 says... #3
@Slycne. I was thinking of using the ramp part of the deck to make it a fast-paced aggro deck. Any suggestions on how I'm going to do this?
December 1, 2013 2:38 a.m.
The problem is that those two ideas don't really mesh well together.
A ramp deck fundamentally uses its first several turns to accelerate itself into bigger spells much earlier than it would naturally be able to make land drops. A classic scenario would be a bunch of Arbor Elf type creatures and you finish off with a Craterhoof Behemoth .
An aggro deck instead wants to spend its first few turns developing the board with really aggressive creatures. Ideally anything that's above the normal vanilla level. An aggressive RG curve out would be something like Kird Ape , into Burning-Tree Emissary + Flinthoof Boar , which puts an impressive amount of power on the board right away.
The one area where these do somewhat overlap is when a specific format lacks good quality one drops. So instead a slightly more midrange aggressive deck will use a T1 mana dork to jump into a 3 drop Turn 2. Avacyn's Pilgrim into T2 Loxodon Smiter was a pretty common play in standard last season.
December 1, 2013 3:39 a.m.
MonsterFinder221 says... #5
Hmm, the element that brought me into Gruul is it's aggro-aspect, like combining Mask of Avacyn
and/or Titanic Growth
with Madcap Skills
and putting those into Furnace Scamp
is my kinda thing. But what other kind of deck can i make this into?
Your suggestions and opinions matter!
Slycne says... #2
I think the problem you're having is that the deck isn't working towards a single goal. It's got a bunch of little 1/1 guys, mana creatures, auras, combat tricks and then 2 really expensive creatures. This leads to some very inconsistent draws because you're bound to draw elements of one plan without the support. For example, Akroan Crusader is just a terrible not aggressive 1/1 if all you have is a hand of other 1/1s and mana creatures.
What do you want the deck to do? Be a quick aggro deck, a deck formulated around auras or a ramp deck that wants to put big creatures on the board.
December 1, 2013 2:17 a.m.