Competitive Temur
Standard forum
Posted on Dec. 30, 2014, 7:54 a.m. by JakeHarlow
I'm wondering about the format right now, and each clan's competitive deck archetypes. Four of the five are well-known to me. But what about Temur? What does the competitive Temur deck for Standard look like?
There are so many possibilities. I feel like a rampy Monsters strategy with blue cards for draw and control seems the most obvious approach. Temur is so diverse in the format. Is Temur Monsters the strongest? Temur Aggro? Temur Control with all the flash creatures? Or is there a more midrange approach that works?
I guess what I'm really asking is:
When a Temur list Top 8's an event, what does the deck list typically look like? What about the sideboard? What is the overall strategy?
The reason I'm wondering is at least partly that I recently assembled a Temur Monsters list. I overlooked some great cards in the construction of the deck, though. This prompted me to wonder, with so many seemingly-viable approaches, what Temur strategy has proven most effective thus far?
ChiefBell is pretty right no spot there. It is basically a RG midrange deck that utilizes some blue to keep their creatures alive. No many decks can hang with the creatures that Temur runs so the main worry is how to keep your threats alive in the face of removal. The answer is to counter said removal. This is why you see most Temur lists running 3-4 Stubborn Denial maindeck instead of something like Dissolve. Yea, Dissolve hits those pesky Siege Rhino, Stormbreath Dragon, etc, but a 1 mana hard counter for Hero's Downfall is so much more important to this deck. We also have Disdainful Stroke in the sideboard against those Rhinos and Dragons.
I play Temur, and I don't want to plug my deck here so if you want to see it its on my profile. I play a healthy median between aggro and midrange. It plays more like a monogreen list splashing red for Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker and blue for counters.
December 30, 2014 9:44 a.m.
One possibility is:
Sylvan Caryatid, Courser of Kruphix, Savage Knuckleblade, Polukranos, World Eater, Stormbreath Dragon, Stubborn Denial, Crater's Claws, Anger of the Gods. Throw in lands and a few other cards and you have a beast of a deck.
December 30, 2014 10:12 a.m.
Rasta_Viking29 says... #5
Temur is poorly positioned right now though. It needs some additional umph in Fate to hang with the other midrange decks in the meta.
December 30, 2014 10:59 a.m.
I built a Temur Chord deck, and it was super sweet. Did super well at FNM too. Just slam in some one of threats, 4 Chord of Calling, 4 Goblin Rabblemaster, 4 copies of the caryatid-Courser combo, 4 Elvish Mystic, some small countermagic in the main (Temur Charm would fit this role nicely), and you have one hell of a deck.
December 30, 2014 11:17 a.m.
JakeHarlow says... #7
Hmm. Ok, this makes sense. I figured that a rampy Monsters core would be the best option, supported by blue utility. I agree that Temur doesn't have the greatest metagame position right now. I'm still fascinated by the color scheme, though. I'm 7 cards away from building a Temur deck. I was having a hard time choosing between Aggro or Monsters (ended up going more of a midrange Monsters route). Seems like Temur has an excellent base for Aggro, though:
Anyhow, I'm wondering if a Flash list would be any good...run a lot more countermagic, and have cards like Surrak Dragonclaw, Prophet of Kruphix, Boon Satyr, maybe a singleton Dictate of Karametra, etc. I feel like you could sit on counters, and EoT your creatures to try and dodge removal. Seems a bit fringe but perhaps it's worth exploring?
Also, why do folks not run Rattleclaw Mystic? Is it because of all the removal around, especially Bile Blight? What cards help Temur against the format's strongest midrange decks? I think either Reclamation Sage or Destructive Revelry (or even some combo of both) are great for hostile Whips, Coursers, and Jeskai Ascendancy, not to mention Banishing Light. Is Treasure Cruise an OK sideboard piece? I furthermore think Chandra, Pyromaster is a good card against a lot of matchups. Of course, that Disdainful Stroke is a must in at least a 2-of slot...
December 30, 2014 2:09 p.m.
I feel like the best Temur deck currently is the Rampy midrange sort of thing that's squarely on the aggro side of it. I'm not sure Courser of Kruphix fits in, I kind of like a deck that stops at Stormbreath Dragon, since I don't think Temur has the tools to go long like Mardu and Abzan, or even Jeskai do.
December 30, 2014 5:54 p.m.
JakeHarlow says... #9
Yeah, Temur needs ways to stay with control. Temur Ascendancy cantrips your big guys, so you can replace your losses to removal a bit more readily than normal. Is the Ascendancy used much for this in Temur?
December 30, 2014 8:53 p.m.
Quadsimotto says... #10
I know of at least one kid who plays Temur at the shop i go to. He is running a R/G monsters with counters in it. He fares well each outing i have seen him in and not that his deck is super stacked or sweet he is just a great player. Doesnt stall but doesnt rush, thinks about his plays and is very respectful win or lose. I have always liked playing against him regardless of his age.(except when he was running rakdos.. I hated playing that deck it was stupid good and he piloted it like a damn champ wrecking shop every damn week)
ChiefBell says... #2
Gruul monsters splash blue for counterspells seems about right. Blue enables them to counter their biggest threat - decent black removal.
December 30, 2014 8:07 a.m.