So for the past few months I've been running R/G Aggro in Standard with mixed results. The more I play the deck, the more I start to realize that everyone's figuring out how to deal with it--and quite effectively. Control boards in 4 Supreme Verdicts, Junk Aristocrats makes chump blockers for days, and I still haven't figured out how to deal with Bant control's flash Advent. Unless the meta seriously changes (or Theros is really nice to Gruul), I don't see R/G aggro lasting much longer. So, I've started to look into other possibilities for decks. Something that has the right level of power and endurance. Something that people aren't generally expecting.
All signs have pointed me towards RWU.
This is a fairly new deck to hit the metagame in Dragon's Maze, which is nice because no solid list has been nailed down for it yet. There are the more aggressive geist versions that feature buttloads of burn, the more controlling sphinx's revelation versions, and the more creature oriented reckoner/restoration angel midrange versions. I like to think of this deck as maybe the best of all three worlds and I built it with a single purpose--it's hard to deal with. Here are just a few examples:
Thundermaw Hellkite - I'm still trying to find a deck that can effectively answer this dragon. So far I've found none. He's resistant to some of the best removal in the format (abrupt decay, azorius charm, etc.) as well as almost ALL of the burn (mizzium mortars, searing spear, pillar of flame, etc.). Meanwhile, he absolutely murder junk aristocrats and Aristocrats: Act II and takes a big heaping dump on just about every other deck in the format. Bant Control has no flyers to block. R/G Aggro has no hand to defend with by turn 5 or 6. Naya can do nothing to kill it. The only deck that has a chance at fighting it off is Junk Reanimator's Angel of Serenity, and thanks to Thundermaw's ability, the angel is invalidated for a turn anyway, and all it takes is one restoration angel to flicker him for another 5 points.
Geist of Saint Traft - This guy has been the talk of the WU metagame since Innistrad basically. People would put Geists in their sideboard just so they could legend-rule out enemy geists. That being said, especially after the legend rule changes, how on earth are people going to deal with Geist of Saint Traft? They have a few options:
1. Block it with a bigger creature.
2. Wrath it.
3. Force them to sac it.
This deck has ways to deal with every approach.
1. Restoration Angel, burns, counters--pretty much every card in this deck can act as creature removal one way or another.
2. ...Okay, this deck can't really counter a supreme verdict, and probably can't counter a miracled terminus either, but you're only going to see this cards in the control mirror. This mirror should be handled like every control matchup--don't commit too many creatures to the board. Play your geist, keep it alive, and if they wrath it, don't sweat. You've still got Thundermaw Hellkite and Assemble the Legion as very viable win-cons, and now that they've wasted their wrath on one creature, you can have some fun.
3. There are very few cards in Standard that have this effect right now (that are actually being played, that it.) Far and Away is the only one that comes to mind, and it'll only really be seen in Esper Control. However, the strategy here is the opposite. Now you want to have more creatures on the battlefield. Luckily, Young Pyromancer (who will come out in M14, proxied in for Goblin Electromancer right now) will help you with that. It means you can commit more creatures to the battlefield without wasting card advantage when they wrath. Like always, control should be handled with caution.
Assemble the Legion - This is one card that has seen a startlingly low amount of use since it's unveiling in Gatecrash--which is strange, because it's most likely the best card in the deck. It's an enchantment, and there is very little enchantment hate in Standard right now. Almost none, in fact. It's actually very rare when you see someone sideboard a ray of revelation. That makes Assemble the Legion a card they basically can't interact with. Which is basically doomsday for any deck. What's great about Assemble the Legion is besides outright destroying it (which we've already discussed), they have almost no way to slow it down. Supreme Verdict? I still get 5 more next turn. Terminus? Oh, now it's 6 more. Mizzium Mortars? All you're doing is stalling. When they run out of removal, it's game over. And trust me--they WILL run out of removal. The only card that might ever pose a problem for Assemble the Legion is Izzet Staticaster, and if you're playing this deck even remotely right, staticaster should never live long. Ever.
Young Pyromancer - Now this card isn't a game-changer, but it does something that's absolutely extroardinary to see in control/burn decks--it cushions early damage. Every counterspell or burn spell that you cast gives you a chump blocker in addition, which can really cushion the fall against aggro decks. Now I never expect this card to live long--especially since geist and thundermaw are immune to a lot of the burn removal red mages are throwing about nowadays--but a 2/1 for 2 isn't a bad deal on its own, and his ability is extremely useful in a deck like this.
Boros Charm - What? Why is this card on the list? As was mentioned about Warleader's Helix in an article I read (I wish I could remember where...), the awesome thing about the numbers is that 4 of the biggest planeswalkers in standard right now (Domri, Liliana, and both Garruk's) go up to 4 loyalty counters after their first activation, and 3 more (Tamiyo, Jace, Ral) start at 4 loyalty counters. This means that Boros Charm--while it can also make your geist indestructible or give your thundermaw double-strike--is essentially an instant-speed planeswalker killer. That's pretty awesome.
Now that I've spent a ridiculous amount of time talking about how great this deck is, that's not why I put it up here. It's because I need help. I want to make it better.
Here are some weaknesses with it that I see right off the bat.
1. It tries to do too much. Or at least I think it does. The counters combined with the burn make an awkward combination. Since this deck does use a lot of creatures, I want to spend most (if not all) of my mana on my turn. I don't want to feel exposed tapping out to play a Thundermaw Hellkite, but if I'm holding 2 Render Silents in my hand, I'm pretty stuck until next turn. Maybe I'm just overthinking it. What do you guys think?
2. Boros Charm and Turn//Burn are two cards that I'm consistently worried about whether they're going to pull their weight. With all the burn in the deck, Turn//Burn just seems excessive and expensive against most matchups (save Naya and maybe Jund). Boros Charm--while I literally just talked about how convenient it was--will probably end up being 4 to the face more than anything. Maybe I sideboard it and bring it in against Jund or Esper walkers? Not sure yet. Would love your advice!
I'm really getting ready to buy this deck and sleeve it up, but I really need the community's help! If you have any criticism at all, I'd love to hear it! Thanks for your time!