Wee Dragonauts

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Rakarth

Guest
I hope you people realise I'm gonna be posting decks on here almost constantly:)

Ok, so this one basically attempts to abuse the Wee Dragonauts ability, +2/0 for every sorcery or instant I play until end of turn.

When I play it, if it's not stopped quickly then it will plow through life points as all the spells are aimed at being really cheap but useful as well. Pyromatics and Train of Thought with replicate and Grapeshot with the storm ability mean that I can play one spell and and replicate it once then get another two copies free with the Grapeshot so 5 instants right there giving them +10/0 in one go. I once got this and a Psychotic Fury for double strike and aimed for the dome:D

However, if the Dragonauts get countered or killed them I'm pretty much out. Vedalken Aethermage gets the Dragonauts out quick and Magnivore has always proved itself useful when he gets down as there are enough sorceries to warrant it I feel.

But I'm posting cause I want to know if there's anything that can be done to improve this deck. It's probably not the best mechanic to build a deck around but this is what I like doing, building fun decks and when they win it's so much more satisfying:cool:

10 Island
10 Mountain
2 Izzet Boilerworks
4 Wee Dragonauts
2 Frazzle
4 Pyromatics
1 Magnivore
4 Psychotic Fury
2 Train of Thought
4 Gigadrowse
2 Counsel of the Soratami
1 Magma Jet
1 Dead/Gone
3 Volcanic Hammer
3 Vedalken Aethermage
2 Mystic Speculation
3 Grapeshot
1 Blaze
1 Schismotivate

Sideboard:
2 Flowstone Embrace
1 Unnatural Speed
1 Stun
2 Telling Time
1 Peer Through Depths
2 Surveilling Sprite
1 Vedalen Aethermage
4 Runeboggle
1 Izzet Boilerworks



Rakarth
 
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Rakarth

Guest
I have played games wher I get mana-screwed but then again there are gmes where I'm overwhelmed. It never seems to even out or get to a point where I consistently get low mana for me to think about putting more in but I'll have a look.

Would more basic land in for spells be better or get rid of the boilerworks?

Rakarth
 
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Modus Pwnens

Guest
I hate to disappoint you, but neither replicate nor storm helps your dragonauts.
Replicate functions as an additional cost while the spell is on the stack (so any replicated spells don't add up for storm count either).
Both replicate and storm put copies of a spell on the stack, but since you don't play these copies, your dragonauts get +2/+0 if you play train of thought, regardless of how many times you replicate it, and also +2/+0 if you play grapeshot, regardless of it's storm count.

It was a very nice idea though, and it might still work if you replace those spells with some cheap burn/bounce to get any blockers out of the way and still fly in for a nice amount of damage.

Looking forward to your next deck(s) :)

PS: just to be on the safe side: criticism is meant constructive
 
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Rakarth

Guest
You are right, and the whole reeason I post is so my decks get better and are legal. Although I've been playing this deck for ages now and no-one said a thing:p

503.10. To copy a spell means to put a copy of the spell onto the stack; a copy of a spell isn’t “played.”

Oh well, it can be salvaged, I'll just need to find cheap burn now. So then, any ideas on this front? I think pyromatics will stay but now train of thought isn't as useful anymore it's gonna go. Grapeshot can stay cause it's cheap and given the amount of spells I will have to play in one turn now to pump up the Dragonauts it can help cause damage.

Thanks Modus for pointing that out though, and criticism is always taken constructively:)

Rakarth
 
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Modus Pwnens

Guest
You can't go wrong with something like shock or tarfire, maybe even an incinerate, although that's 1 mana too much for my liking ;)
As for bounce, chain of vapor is very good for just a single mana. I'm not too fond of boomerang, as it's double blue, but maybe echoing truth would be nice, since you'll only be targetting creatures anyway.
 
R

Rakarth

Guest
I will have to find some more single mana spells, shock and tarfire seem good and 2 mana for incinerate isn't too bad, although I can see what you mean about 2 mana being one too many:)

For bounce I do use peel from reality, mark of eviction, repeal and boomerang as these are pretty much the cards that are available. I have mostly cards from Ravnica.

Would cards like Rift Bolt be any good? Suspend it for 1 mana would mean that I can set up a turn where I play a few more spells than usual having payed the cost already? As far as I know the suspended card is played this time but I'm not sure. The reminder text reads:

Rather than play this card from your hand, you may pay R and remove it from the game with a time counter on it. At the beginning of your upkeep, remove a time counter. When the last is removed, play it without paying its mana cost

Instead of playing it, suspend it and then play it after the last counter is removed so I think this should be fine.
I'll have to have a look at this and post a new version when I'm done.


Rakarth
 
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Modus Pwnens

Guest
Yes, suspended cards are played when the last counter is removed (most of the time anyway).
I do like the bolt, as it's sort of a free spell. Main disadvantage it's unlikely you'll be able to suspend it alongside the dragonauts, but if you find your nauts stay around for a few turns, it's definately worth including.

Mark of eviction is a turn too slow, and you don't want to peel one of your creatures back to your hand. Repeal is way out of manarange. If you don't have anything better, boomerang will have to do.
 
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Rakarth

Guest
I think it'll have to be Boomerang although I haven't looked at what else I might have yet. Peel tends to be used as a quick save mechanism, saving one of mine from damage and getting an opponents creature off the field although I'm probably better at going for the throat quickly than playing a long game.

A big disadvantage is the Dragonauts toughness, 3 isn't that high and if they're blocked by a weenie flyer, the extra damage can be made up through burn or the like. I suppose it's a weakness you deal with given there cost and ability.

Would you prefer more burn than draw, as Reach Through Mists and Whispers of the Muse are a single mana for a single card, and Mystic Speculation allows scry3 and buyback is useful if I need it again.

Rakarth
 
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Modus Pwnens

Guest
Peel is a bit expensive to use in that way. First of all, against control decks it's useless most of the time, as you have to choose legal targets or you can't play it.
Second, it costs you at least a full turn, as a freshly summoned dragonaut can't attack.
You can consider running some cheap counterspells (mana leak, remand) to protect your creatures. The bounce is mainly used to bounce your opponents creatures, so your dragonauts aren't supposed to be blocked in the first place. Ignore ground creatures, and burn fliers as much as possible to clear the way.

Some draw prevents you from running out of gas too soon, but make it instant draw (telling time, council of the soratami) so you can draw at the end of your opponents turn, then have a hand filled with goodies to make the dragonauts grow. If neccesary, you can play telling time during your turn, but i think the council is too expensive, so use it during your opponents turn.

3 thoughness is nice, putting it just out of shock-range, and thoughness doesn't matters against direct removal such as terror.

Perhaps the inclusion of a different game plan would help, because if your dragonauts die, it'll be hard for you to win.
Maybe include one akroma, angel of fury?
 
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Rakarth

Guest
Instant draw is nice and adds to the stuff I'll have in my hand, although I was thinking using the draw as a spell to pump up the nauts anyway. I started using Magnivore as he fitted nicely with the theme of the deck and I tended to burn through sorceries and if my opponent has them as well then he just gets bigger. Currently there is only one though, I might try proxying more as well as testing on Apprentice.

Counsel is occasionally included but it's a sorcery so only playable in my turn, but Telling Time is good, I forgot about it being instant so gonna have to put them in.

Your right about Peel, how about giving the Dragonauts haste somehow? Red enchantments or spells? 4 Unnatural Speed would give me a single mana spell to play with the Nauts and give make thema 3/3 and lets them attack straight off.

Even playing it later on gives me the bonus just no extras like damage.

Rakarth
 
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Modus Pwnens

Guest
Reckless charge is a lot better. It gives an additional +3/+0 bonus (+5/+0 on dragonauts), it's a sorcery (magnivore) and has flashback (so you can play it again).
This just gave me another idea. Maybe add some fists of the anvil, it should be 6 damage.

Silly me, i thought council was an instant :$
 
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Rakarth

Guest
Reckles Charge is nice:D gonna have to get me that off eBay.

What about Gigadrowse? It was in there because of replicate but it has it's use for stoping blockers if they're fliers and it's cheap but would more useful draw and burn be better? I kind of think that if my burn can't kill a creature cause it's too big then tapping it is the next best thing assuming I can't bounce it I suppose.

Rakarth
 
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Modus Pwnens

Guest
If you can't burn it, it's probly worth the trouble of bouncing it. If you can't burn or bounce it, i don't think you can tap it either, as it'll have most likely shroud. Maybe include a brute force to bash through it? Simic Sky Swallower is going to stop you, best you can do is trade a dragonaut for it..
 
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Rakarth

Guest
Yeh I think that Brute Force might be a good idea, it's not reckless charge but +3/+3 and the +2/0 from the instant should be enough to see enough most attackers/blockers I should think.

Is there anything in U/R that can bring cards back should the nauts got owned during the game? Or will that be diversifying the deck more than I should, as I'd have a recovery spell when a burn instant or similar might kill a game off?

Rakarth
 
Y

YoungBeard

Guest
Would cards like Panoptic Mirror and Isochron Scepter work with the Dragonauts? They make a copy of a spell, and then you play the copy.
 
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Rakarth

Guest
Fists also looks good. I don't know about the Isochron Scepter as it still makes a copy, the card itself does say play but the Comp. rules on copies seem to make out that a copy is never played and exists only on the stack so i don't think the ability would trigger. Although I'm not sure about this.

Rakarth
 
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Modus Pwnens

Guest
I am sure of this. Isochron Scepter first makes a copy of the imprinted spell, then you play it. So it is actually played (state based effects aren't checked while resolving the ability, thus the copy does not ceases to exist, which it normally would if it is in a zone other than the stack).
Panoptic mirror is a bit too expensive for this deck, and with a lot of 1-mana spells, I'm not too sure about the scepter either. The latter is worth trying though.
 
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Rakarth

Guest
The Scepter might prove useful, it allows a card to be used repeatedly although still costing two mana so it wouldn't give much more advantage than suspending a Rift Bolt or two and coordinating the effects with them coming in to play.

The Scepter would also need to be played for 2 meaning I'd lose the 2 mana for somthing else. I don't think that it would give me a sufficient advantage to include it, unless I were to draw it on the first two turns? This would give me time to play it before the Nauts are even out and could set up the few turns after they get out.

However I don't think relying on drawing it to start with balances with it taking up a slot for another 1 mana instant or possibly another Magnivore which diversifies the deck more.

Thanks for all suggestions though :D

Rakarth
 
R

Rakarth

Guest
Right, my exams are over and it's back to doing something with my life :p Here's the newest incarnation of this deck and thanks to all who gave advice

10 Island
10 Mountain

Creatures
4 Wee Dragonauts
4 Vedalken Aethermage

Spells
4 Psychotic Fury
4 Brute Force
4 Electrostatic Bolt
3 Reach Through Mists
1 Whispers of the Muse
2 Telling Time
1 Eye Of Nowhere
2 Boomerang
4 Unsummon
2 Annul
1 Shatter
3 Fists Of The Anvil
1 Dead/Gone

The deck is a lot faster now and can deal wth artifacts and enchantments although not too many. The bounce is useful to as it gives more power to the Dragonauts as I tend to bounce the creature in my turn and not when it comes into play or opponents EOT like I suppose you would normally.

I also managed to play a game with it like this and it worked like a dream, now that all the spells are as cheap as I can make them I can play at least three wwith ease and Psychotic Fury is superb, 2 mana which is higher than the other cards but for that I double the damage I get so on its own get 3 damage twice and I get a free card :D

Telling Time hasn't come up yet but I don't know if it will be as useful as other cards. I was thinking of having Magma Jet instead with its bonus of Scry 2, possibly Dust Corona (Enchant Creature - +2/0 and can't be blocked by flyers) although it's an enchantment. I also considered Rift Bolt but all of mine are in a suspend deck at the moment :)

Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

Rakarth
 
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