The Problem with Aggro

[Ephraim]

The Problem with Aggro
(Why Ephraim Loves to Play Control)​

I have tried time and time again to play aggro decks. There's something viscerally satisfying about Streetbreaker Wurm, Elvish Warrior, or a hive of slivers. The thrill of these decks, however, is ephemeral. Once the novelty of playing monstrous creatures wears off, even if the deck plays well, the experience of playing an aggro deck wants for variety. In contrast, I find that control decks, which frequently play a more reactive game, yield a widely varying experience. I am interesting in finding ways to add this depth to an aggro deck without pushing it so far that the deck becomes aggro-control. (Later, I'll post a RW deck that I play that straddles this hazy boundary.)

Sure, there are a few ways to spice up a bare-bones aggro deck. Combat tricks give the deck added subtlety and especially with red, a lot of good aggro cards serve double duty as board control. For the most part, however, an aggro deck's strategy varies little from game to game: play your creatures and attack with them.

In Predation, the deck I posted that revolves around Kavu Predator, I feel as though I have stumbled upon an aggro deck that is interesting and satisfying to play. I am having difficulty determining just what about the deck makes it that way, though. That is one of the ideas that I would like to see explored in comments.

 

[Oversoul]

The real problem with aggro...

















































...it isn't combo.

 

[Ransac]

The real problem with aggro.....


















































It doesn't run Millstone.


Ransac, cpa trash man

 

[Limited]

I know exactly what you mean: straight-up aggro either works or it doesn't. I get the feeling that it has more to do with the order of cards in my library and less to do with playing skill. With Aggro decks, I usually try to work in some cool interactions in order to surprise my opponents. These kind of surprises are the key to winning multiplayer games, in my playgroup anyway.

What I like about aggro decks is that your aren't putting all your eggs in one basket. For instance, if we look at the first version of the Kavu Predator deck you posted, I noticed it had only a few creatures and Kavu Predator was really the only threat. It packed a lot of spells that would boost the Predator, but one Eradicate would be enough to neuter the deck.
A more straight-forward Aggro deck (without the Collapsing Borders) might run out of gas before all your opponents are dead, or might attract a lot of attention which causes your opponents to team up against you.
So, the Aggro version with Collapsing Borders (which is still a great idea) has a bit of both. If the Kavu Predator is somehow negated (or you simply don't draw any) the deck still hits hard and fast, backed up by an enchantment that damages players playing mono or two colors. On the other hand, if you do get the Predator, you can still 'abuse' him.

Now, whenever I build a deck, I usually start out with an idea for an Aggro deck and look for the trick that'll make it work, or have a trick and try to build an Aggro deck to best abuse it. Is this immediately an Aggro-control deck? That, to me, usually depends on the trick.

For instance, I wanted to make a deck with Intet, the Dreamer and Mystical Speculation (Scry and Buy). I figured that spending 2U to scry three, and then 2U to play Intet's ability (if he was indeed unblocked) I should include a lot of cards costing more than 4UU in the deck. I included four copies of Intet, four Deep-Sea Kraken, two Dichotomancy, two Fury of the Horde and a lot of mana-acceleration.

I played that version of the deck twice, and both times I didn't have any fun. Waiting till you have enough mana to cast generic big spells felt very unfocused. I decided to rebuild the deck, and focus more on Aggro.

Creatures (21)
4x Gruul Guildmage
3x Indrik Stomphowler
2x Intet, the Dreamer
3x Loaming Shaman
2x Primordial Sage
4x Ogre Gatecrasher
3x Ogre Savant
Spells (16)
3x Fury of the Horde
4x Gruul Signet
4x Gruul War Plow
2x Mystical Speculation
3x Savage Twister
Lands (23)
6x Forest
4x Gruul Turf
3x Island
5x Mountain
2x Skargg, the Rage Pits
3x Terramorphic Expanse

Not a lot of cheap creatures, but a lot of good midrange creatures, backed up by Intet and Primordial Sage.