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Updating Mono Red Anax for the new cycle of Pioneer qualifiers
Quick intro
Olá!
Last weekend we had the City Class Showdown, equivalent to the Regional Qualifier in Brazil. I'm eager to tell you all about my deck of choice and my pre-event preparation. Initially, I was struggling to decide which deck to play in the current Pioneer meta . I had a few choices, but I wasn't sure which one to go with.
Finding the right deck to play
MONOGREEN DEVOTION
I began playing with the deck on Magic Online and achieved some positive outcomes, including a disheartening 9th place at the Pioneer Showcase. Yet I faced a considerable challenge: I had not played a single game with this deck in real life.
Despite seeming simple (casting a ton of mana and playing big creatures), in adverse situations not having played with it IRL can make a big difference, especially when your only alternative is to combo off with Karn's help.
Magic Online makes a tremendous difference mainly for two reasons:
- Magic Online (MTGO) automatically calculates the mana when you activate Nykthos, which prevents you from making mistakes in your calculations.
- Time management really changes, in Magic Online you have a significantly shorter time, but in IRL you have the pressure of being with your opponent right in front of you and judges and players on the side, and not in the comfort of your home.
I didn't want to put myself through a lot of stress and then regret not having played my best due to it. I wanted to be able to play in the simplest and calmest way possible, and that's how I feel when I'm playing with more aggressive decks. For that reason Mono-Green was out.
BANT SPIRITS
Despite not being an aggro deck, the deck rewards experienced players who are able to get the most out of their decks along the game. It also has a decent match against the top tier decks of the format, like MonoGreen and Rakdos. But I believed that I did not have enough time with the deck despite having some good results with it. For that reason, I discarded it.
MONORED ANAX
After considering all my options, I decided that the best deck for me would be one where I could maximize its potential and get the most out of it. I knew what to do with Mono Red Anax, and how to handle difficult situations, so I felt confident that this was the best choice for me.
The deck presented me with a problem: not being very well positioned in the metagame . But I believed that because the players wouldn't expect this deck in an event of this size, I might not face as many hate cards (and that's what happened, for example, not facing many Anger of the Gods and instead facing Brotherhood's End, making Anax even better. With that in mind, my choice was made.)
My decklist of choice
(6 - 2)
75% in City Class Games Showdown I @City Class Games [196 Players] — 19-Nov-2022
$99/64.71 Tix
Maindeck (60)
| Creature [31] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3 Anax, Hardened in the Forge | $0.35 | |
| 4 Kumano Faces Kakkazan | $0.59 | |
| 4 Bonecrusher Giant | $0.59 | |
| 4 Burning-Tree Emissary | $0.35 | |
| 2 Torbran, Thane of Red Fell | $2.29 | |
| 3 Kari Zev, Skyship Raider | $0.49 | |
| 4 Fanatical Firebrand | $0.35 | |
| 4 Phoenix Chick | $0.79 | |
| 3 Feldon, Ronom Excavator | $0.49 | |
| Artifact [2] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Embercleave | $6.99 | |
| Instant [4] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Lightning Strike | $0.35 | |
| 2 Play with Fire | $4.49 | |
| Land [23] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Castle Embereth | $0.49 | |
| 4 Den of the Bugbear | $6.49 | |
| 14 Mountain | $0.01 | |
| 1 Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance | $6.49 | |
| 2 Ramunap Ruins | $0.35 | |
| Sideboard [15] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3 Rending Volley | $2.29 | |
| 2 Goblin Chainwhirler | $1.29 | |
| 2 Roiling Vortex | $2.79 | |
| 2 Obliterating Bolt | $0.35 | |
| 2 Unlicensed Hearse | $0.69 | |
| 1 Roast | $0.35 | |
| 1 Hazoret the Fervent | $1.79 | |
| 2 Rampaging Ferocidon | $7.99 | |
$38.56 Tix @cardhoarder
$0.99 / Week @cardhoarder
$87.32 @tcgplayer
$112.41 @cardkingdom
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Similar Decks
Proxies
Archetype Analysis
Magic online format
Apprentice and MWS .dec
I'm not going to talk too much about the deck, as you can get all the details about it in my previous article . But there are some significant changes that I'd like to mention.
FELDON, RONOM EXCAVATOR
The previous list used Eidolon of the Great Revel, which has always had a place in my heart, but the new addition from The Brother’s War surprised me a lot. It’s a turn 2 drop that we can cast with Burning Tree Emissary, it has haste and even if it dies to a Stomp it will give us card advantage when it dies, by exiling cards from the top of our library. This will help us keep the pressure up with more spells, or increase the likelihood of making the next land drop.
ROILING VORTEX
This card was once a favorite on older lists, but has since been overshadowed by cards like Portable Hole and Temporary Lockdown.
Keruga Fires is a deck that recently appeared and, despite having cards that can deal with their key enchantment, this card is one of the best things we can play after they cast Fires of Invention, punishing our opponent for casting his free spells.
OTHER CARDS
The rest stayed fairly similar, with the same main deck and sideboard choices based on what I was expecting to face in the tournament: MonoGreen, Rakdos Midrange, Monowhite, Abzan, and Phoenix, with a small chance of running into some Keruga and Lotus along the way. To my surprise, aside from Lotus, these were exactly the decks I faced.
Matchup guide
MONOGREEN
One of the main factors in play was whether or not you could kill Llanowar Elves on turn one. Having Old-Growth Troll or Lovestruck Beast on turn two was devastating for the deck, with the former being particularly dangerous due to its high devotion, which could enable even more powerful cards to follow.
Phoenix Chick helps in the race when our opponent doesn't have a Cavalier of Thorns, taking precious points. But without a doubt, the main card is Embercleave, capable of stealing complicated games. And Rampaging Ferocidon helps a lot after sideboarding against life gains and when trying to increase the board.
RAKDOS MIDRANGE
Despite appearing to be a bad match-up due to the endless amount of removals and life gain, my sideboard plan was proving to be very effective, giving me a good win rate against the deck. The best thing to do was try to play on equal footing, with turn 3 drops being very effective and Embercleave as always stealing games.
KERUGA FIRES
This matchup could be a good one on paper, but I was very worried about one card: Temporary Lockdown. Having a Wrath that even takes out Kumano Faces Kakkazan was terrible, and Leyline Binding dealt with whatever was left over.
The presence of Omnath and Kenrith made the situation even worse. Due to these cards and Fires of Invention, I had the idea of returning to using Roiling Vortex, as it could be a good card to come back after Fires. Even so, I would still be at a clear disadvantage, but I did not believe I would face many in the tournament due to it being a relatively new deck.
MONOWHITE HUMANS
This version with Phoenix Chick and Feldon leaves G1 at a disadvantage, as they neither block nor attack very well (Phoenix can still take a few points from above) and the opponent's clock with big creatures sometimes requires playing a bit backwards and attempting to steal games with the deck's burn spells.
After sideboarding, the plan remained the same, so that made me feel a bit safer.
ABZAN GREASEFANG
Despite having few answers to the Greasefang + Parthelion II combo, the match is still in our favor.
Phoenix is really dominating by flying over and avoiding tokens from Esika's Chariot, and I think the absence of Eidolon is really felt here, but the fact that Feldon punishes chump blocks from Stitcher's Supplier and Satyr Wayfinder could benefit us.
LOTUS FIELD
The lack of Eidolon was especially noticeable here, as it was one of the best cards for punishing our opponent every time they played low-cost/free spells, but with Vortex in the sideboard, we can face an Ultimatum without fear.
KERUGA FIRES
Matchups can be tricky due to the impact of Temporary Lockdown, which is often better than a Wrath spell. However, with Feldon and Vortex in the sideboard, we can be more aggressive with creatures that can deal some damage, and the enchantment is one of the best answers after Fires of Invention.
Final Words
With only a few days before the event, I hadn't had enough time to properly prepare in terms of playing games, but I had done a good job of studying the environment I could expect, and I also have extensive experience with the deck, so it didn't affect my preparation that much. The preparation was excellent, done together with friends of a very high level, as well as Magic Online grinders.
I haven't achieved my dream of making it to the Pro Tour yet, but I'm very happy. Even with a deck that wasn't well-positioned in the meta, I was able to get the most out of it and finish with a respectable placement. I'm pleased with the outcome, having two friends make it to the top 8 and feeling sure that I'm on the right track to reach my goal.
I hope you enjoyed this article, a bit different from the usual. Depending on the feedback I get, I'll think about doing more articles like this one, focusing on other aspects of the game as well.
Until next time!
If you liked this article maybe you will also find interesting on of the following ones What is New in Standard with March of the Machine?, 5 New Emerging Decks from Karlov Manor's Firsts Tournament, 5 Modern Decks Featuring Murders at Karlov Manor, Two Deck Formats: Is Wizards Neglecting Constructed?, Metagaming: This Week in Modern
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Hi, my name is Lucas de Almeida Hervás. I'm 31 years old, married, and I live in Indaiatuba/SP, Brazil. I've been playing Magic the Gathering since 2009, but I've been making a living off of it since 2019 through leagues and tournaments on Magic Online. For those who don't know me, I'm 2.17 meters tall, hence the nickname "the tallest Magic player in Brazil."
