I've been having a lot of fun with this aggro war list. It shares many similarities with older/traditional aggro war lists that you see running around, but it uses a lot more buff cards and in particular runs 2x Incoming Raid. This changes a few creature choices as well.
Between a few variants, I'm 10-5 overall, and I've gone up to Diamond as a result.
Deck Code: GU_1_6_HAFHAFBDoBDoCDqCDqIDjIDjCBBCBBOAGOAGCAZCAZCClCClKBvIDkIAZIAZKBhKBhCEcCEcIDmBDJBDJKBiKBiCCL
The deck is pretty cheap. My last change was to remove Sole Survivor in favor of an extra Another Round. In the 15 games I played, I practically never saw SS, and didn't need it to win. It's also slow for a deck where all but one card is 4 mana or less.
I've been seeing this card pop up more often over the past month, so I decided to try it out. Initially, I just replaced Another Round with it. I quickly grew to prefer it. It's much more flexible than AR and it's faster: all of the effect happens that turn. Meanwhile, Another Round buffs a creature in hand (which sometimes you don't have).
Then I ran into a deck running both! Both?! That's crazy! ...I think I'll try it. 😆
Turns out, it works really well. We run a lot of cheap cards that come with survival mechanics (e.g. protected or hidden and sometimes ward).
So let's just see how far we can push it. Here's the buff cards I'm running:
Redfume can make even a token 1/1 into a 6/6. That's why this list runs Bloodguards where my older lists didn't.
Bloodguard also combos nicely with Incoming Raid which gives you 2x 3/2s. Lastly, I've found the combo with Grand Hall to be really nice against hidden rush deception. Swinging 8 hp (they take 4 damage and you heal for 4) decides many games in your favor. The frontline also forces them to waste their GP to get through. You can often swing 12 or even 16 HP - at which point it's game over. All because of annoying 2/1s with leech.
The other cards are mostly standard. Note the lack of 1 drops other than Axewomen. You basically cap at 4 mana, so even going first, pipping out a 2 drop is usually a good play. The deck I first saw running both Raid and Another roundhad Commander Pyros in it, so I've been trying it out. It's only shown up in 1-2 games so far, so it's hard to make a determination. Helping keep buffed creatures alive seems valuable, though. I never him before because his effect doesn't make sense in a deck otherwise full of low-HP creatures.
Cunning Challenger remains a wildcard, but as you'll see in the gameplay vid, he wins games.
So there are two extremes:
I don't know exactly what the expected value of the card is, but it's certainly more than a 4/5 vanilla creature. Even in the worst-case scenario where you get nothing from tempt fate, Challenger basically has a built-in frontline. He has to be removed the turn he's played or he will quickly get out of control.
I'd say most of the other cards are pretty standard aggro war fare. Feral Shapeshifter is amazing in this deck given all the buffs.
Not much to say here. Always pick Slayer GP. Almost never trade going first. Going second get board with blitz creatures/relics and then never trade again. Incoming Raid is a great tool to help manage their board without trading. If you are ahead, buff your creatures to push even more damage. The exception is against aggro light (as you'll see in the gameplay vid). Their only win condition is to establish a board and buff it. Keep their board clear.
Matched up against a $1k Aggro Light deck. This is, of course, the problem of going in Diamond or Mythic. Luckily, our $50 deck has some juice AND we went first.
Raids are great cards, but we don't want to hold them - especially going first. We want cheap creatures to play early and establish our board. I decide to hold Bloodguard because he fits the curve nicely and we have cards to play on turns 1, 2, and 3.
I consider playing Axewoman turn 1. It saves a pip. However, I opt for the much better line of putting out Master Tactician out on turn 1. On turn 2, I'll be able to attack with both creatures instead of just one. Plus, I'll get to make sure of Tactician's shield before he gets levied. Thinking of the pip, we have cards to play for the next several turns, so no need to save it. Our most expensive card is 5 mana!
Perfect. We trade out, and now he is very far behind on the board. I assume he is going to levy, but he pips out a god power instead. Must have a terrible hand. This might be where he loses the game.
Trade and get Oddi down. He's great for trading or going face to reducing mana costs.
The first HBK. It's expensive for a reason! Thankfully, we have a decent answer to get rid of it. Importantly, this lets us play Cunning Challenger onto an empty board against an opponent with no way to remove it. For tempt fate: the +1 HP does nothing for us really, so we roll the dice and win. We'd get to roll again next turn anyway though, so our expected value of this card is through the roof. Twin strike against aggro light is nuts.
Now blade drops. Well, we knew what we were in for at the start I suppose. Our tempt fate options kind of suck, and we miss anyway. No big deal. We can clear the Blade easily.
I could have played another Challenger, but with Grand Hall in hand, I want more bodies on the board. I go with Bloodguard + Valka's Captain.
Always remember the Sanctum! I honestly wasn't paying attention to it, but when he played Eiko I was put in a tough situation. I didn't want to trade out 2 creatures, so I looked to it for help. Luckily, help was there.
Challenger has been on the board for 6 turns. He has twin strike and overkill and afterlife. I have dominated the board, and even another HBK isn't going to save him. I attack first to pop ward so I don't waste the Grand Hall buff on a creature that's going to die.
As soon as Grand Hall hits, that's the game. GG!
The decks is fun and fast. The aggro light matchup is a bit slower because of the need trade rather than rush face. With this deck makeup, it's very rare that I have multiple buff cards in hand with nothing to buff. I think it's happened 1 game in 15. At 5 and 6 mana you can start playing cheap creatures and buffing them on the same turn if you have to.
Give it a spin and let me know what you think!
