fbpx

Daily Digest: The Calling

Heroic has been a powerful option that not a lot of people reach for in the current Standard format, but a new spin on the deck to speed it up and make it more aggressive might be just what the deck was missing as every other deck in the format has gone through its convoluted changes.

Todd Anderson and Tom Ross have been the two people winning with Heroic as of late, although I’m sure Logan Mize is crushing some people with the deck at a local IQ. Outside of Hangarback Walker, which has basically been shoved into every Standard deck out there, there hasn’t been a ton of innovation on the deck as of late. I think white and red have quietly gotten some additional tools in the last couple sets that might give people some additional options.

Seeker of the Way sees play in most Heroic decks as a pseudo-Heroic creature – it also gets a small bonus for the turn while you’re pumping your other creature, which gives you more than one threat off of the same number of spells. Another Prowess creature might be a nice addition, and Monastery Swiftspear is just that. It also gives the deck an additional one-drop alongside Favored Hoplite, and Satyr Hoplite can give you even more. By being a W/R Heroic deck, you end up being far more aggressive.

You lose out on the card drawing of Ordeal of Thassa, but you kind of make up for it with Dragon Mantle. Defiant Strike was already one of the best cards in the deck, and being able to play something that triggers Heroic and also draws you a card gives you a quick way to grow one of your creatures.

The big thing I like about being red is Temur Battle Rage. Instead of trying to sneak through Hangarback Walkers with stuff like Aqueous Form or Stratus Walk, you can just trample over them. Given the results from Grand Prix London, this is even more important than ever.