Season 1 of the SCG Tour is behind us and we’re already looking to the first Open of season 2 this weekend. Modern Horizons has brought us the Hogaak Bridgevine menace; but Team Nova has surprisingly decided to mostly avoid this strategy, instead choosing to try and beat it. If you’re not feeling the call of the Hogaak, take a look at what Team Nova is bringing to the table instead.
Drake Sasser
Drake Sasser's Izzet Phoenix
| Creatures (10) 4 Arclight Phoenix 4 Thing in the Ice 2 Crackling Drake Spells (32) 2 Pyromancer Ascension 4 Serum Visions 4 Thought Scour 4 Faithless Looting 4 Sleight of Hand 4 Lightning Bolt 4 Manamorphose 2 Gut Shot 2 Finale of Promise 1 Flame Slash 1 Echoing Truth | Lands (18) 4 Scalding Tarn 1 Polluted Delta 1 Flooded Strand 4 Spirebluff Canal 1 Fiery Islet 3 Steam Vents 3 Island 1 Mountain Sideboard (15) 2 Aria of Flame 1 Anger of the Gods 4 Leyline of the Void 1 Flame Slash 1 Jace, the Mind Sculptor 1 Flusterstorm 2 Force of Negation 2 Blood Moon 1 Beacon Bolt |
Anyone that follows me at all should not find this the least bit surprising. I wrote an entire guide to this version of Izzet Phoenix earlier this month and since then I have made only one change. I cut the sideboard Alpine Moon for a second sideboard Aria of Flame. I still find Aria of Flame to be a little slow for a card that does not impact the board or increase my resources in any way, but I do like it against decks trying to attack me with Leyline of the Void and Rest in Peace. With the uptick in those cards and the downtick in big mana decks both due to the Hogaak menace, I am very happy with that change and where the deck is at overall.
Harlan Firer
Harlan Firer's Grixis Whirza
I’m going against the grain as usual and not playing Hogaak this weekend. Maybe I’m dumb, maybe not (hopefully not).
I’m going to play Grixis Urza this weekend and have fallen head over heels for this deck. I even wrote my article this week about the deck, so go check that out if you haven’t already!
Chad Harney
Chad Harney's Hogaak Bridgevine
| Creatures (27) 4 Carrion Feeder 4 Gravecrawler 4 Insolent Neonate 4 Stitcher’s Supplier 3 Bloodghast 4 Vengevine 4 Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis Spells (14) 4 Faithless Looting 4 Bridge from Below 4 Altar of Dementia 2 Lightning Axe | Lands (19) 4 Marsh Flats 3 Bloodstained Mire 3 Polluted Delta 2 Blackcleave Cliffs 1 Gemstone Mine 3 Blood Crypt 2 Overgrown Tomb 1 Swamp Sideboard (15) 4 Leyline of the Void 4 Nature’s Claim 2 Assassin’s Trophy 1 Shenanigans 3 Thoughtseize 1 Lightning Axe |
Big shock, I know. Faithless Looting and broken graveyard decks have been my bread and butter since Creeping Chill was printed, so no surprise that I’m moving to Hogaak. I believe the green splash to be the better version of the deck right now. Being able to hardcast Vengevine can be a big boon when staring down a sideboard hate card. Assassin’s Trophy is also an incredibly versatile card that can answer sideboard hate, or other scary permanents like Devoted Druid. Let’s hope that I can beat the bell curve and have Leyline of the Void in my opener more than my opponents this weekend.
Matthew Dilks/Brad Carpenter – Izzet Phoenix
Matthew Dilks
Matt Dilks's Izzet Phoenix
| Creatures (8) 4 Arclight Phoenix 4 Thing in the Ice Spells (34) 3 Aria of Flame 4 Serum Visions 4 Thought Scour 4 Faithless Looting 4 Sleight of Hand 4 Lightning Bolt 4 Manamorphose 2 Finale of Promise 3 Surgical Extraction 1 Magmatic Sinkhole 1 Lava Dart | Lands (18) 2 Polluted Delta 4 Scalding Tarn 1 Fiery Islet 3 Island 1 Mountain 4 Spirebluff Canal 3 Steam Vents Sideboard (15) 1 Magmatic Sinkhole 2 Blood Moon 2 Anger of the Gods 2 Force of Negation 2 Narset, Parter of Veils 3 Ravenous Trap 1 Abrade 2 Spell Pierce |
So why no Amulet Titan? Unfortunately, the Hogaak and many of the other top decks are really tough for Amulet. Until there is a natural metagame shift or a forced one, Amulet is not where I would like to be for this weekend, a far cry from the last time my team played this format where we registered three copies.
Now that my deck has been pushed out of the format what do I do? My answer is to listen to some of the friends I have ignored over this first season: I’m playing Izzet Phoenix. I think aside from Hogaak, this is the best deck in the format and happens to have a fine to good Hogaak matchup. Aria of Flame and Magmatic Sinkhole are huge upgrades for the deck. Sinkhole gives us more answers to large creatures and planeswalkers like Narset, Partner of Veils while Aria of Flame offers this super fast win condition similar to Pyromancer’s Ascension without relying on the graveyard.
Brad Carpenter
I’m qualified for the Red Bull Arena event this weekend and as a result all of my focus has been on standard. That being said, if I was going to SCG Pitt I would play Izzet Phoenix since I have a lot of reps with the deck.
I chose Dilks’s list because he is a great player and has a great work ethic when it comes to testing, so I have full faith in his list and would play it blind. I’m sad to miss the first open of the season, but wish me luck in the Red Bull event and I’ll see all you beautiful people at SCG Worcester.