With Bloomburrow’s arrival to Standard alongside the departure of four powerful sets via rotation, the format is sure to see some major changes. In some ways, this is exciting. The format had grown a bit stale, and a metagame shift can help spice things up.
Unfortunately, this does mean that players may be forced to invest in a new deck if they want to keep playing Standard. For MTG Arena enthusiasts, many top tier Standard decks will likely require a large number of Wildcards to build from scratch. The good news, at least, is that one particular cheap archetype featuring new toys has already proven itself on the ladder.
Content creator MTGJoe recently posted the decklist to Twitter that quickly brought him to Mythic rank on Arena. This deck definitely has some overlap with mono-red aggro decks of old, but the deck’s spicy Mouse package gives it a unique feel. Plus, it only requires 12 rare and 0 mythic rare Wildcards to build, which is a huge boon.
Well-Established Powerhouses
- Mana Value: 1R
- Rarity: Rare
- Stats: 1/2
- Text: Flying, haste. Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, Slickshot Show-Off gets +2/+0 until end of turn. Plot 1R (You may pay 1R and exile this card from your hand. Cast it as a sorcery on a later turn without paying its mana cost. Plot only as a sorcery).
At a baseline, this deck blends concepts from mono-red aggro and Heroic-style decks well. The goal is to use the deck’s blistering speed to get under various midrange and Domain strategies. Two of the best cards you have access to that remain legal in Standard are Monastery Swiftspear and Slickshot Show-Off. Both of these cards hit hard and pair nicely with spells.
Speaking of which, removal spells like Shock and Lightning Strike help clear away blockers, while giving you the option to burn the opponent out when applicable. Meanwhile, the presence of Monstrous Rage makes blocking a nightmare for the opponent. If they don’t have efficient removal at the ready, Slickshot Show-Off threatens to deal a ton of damage.
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Out with the Old and In with the New
- Mana Value: R
- Rarity: Common
- Text: Target creature gains trample until end of turn. It also gets +1/+0 until end of turn if you control a Mouse. Draw a card.
The one major downside for mono-red aggro post-rotation is the loss of Kumano Faces Kakkazan. Outside of Monastery Swiftspear, the one-drop option is a bit slim. We mentioned Hired Claw as a decent replacement, but it doesn’t quite fit the Prowess theme that this deck has going for it.
That’s where some underrated Mouse cards come into play. Heartfire Hero is a solid card to play, so long as you have ways to trigger Valiant and grow it. Monstrous Rage is obviously the premier option, but the addition of Might of the Meek is also very strong. You even get an extra power boost with Heartfire Hero, since it’s a Mouse.
With the implementation of a Valiant package, Emberheart Challenger becomes very appealing. As a 2/2 with Haste and Prowess for two mana, the floor on the card is already very high. Getting to generate card advantage when you target it is just the icing on the cake.
Notably, because Valiant triggers off spells AND abilities, you’ll even get a bonus when Mirran Banesplitter becomes Equipped to one of your Mice. This mono-red variant is rather synergistic, and if you can dodge removal-heavy matchups, there’s a lot to like.
The fact that the deck is very budget-friendly is also quite appealing. There’s definitely merit to splashing green for Questing Druid, Audacity and the like, though you’ll need more Wildcards for the manabase. That being said, the consistency this deck offers is powerful in its own right. If you’re a fan of aggressive decks, consider giving this build a shot on the ladder and see what you think.
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