We Don't Need No Stinkin' Copter

Posted on October 14, 2016

I actually got some super-secret insider information on Jace, Vryn's Prodigy. Did you know that he is a Transformer? He didn’t rotate out of Standard. Instead he has transformed into a flying helicopter that still loots for you all the while killing your opponent in the sky. I’m not quite sure if he’s an Autobot or Decipticon. That still remains to be seen. I know new Standard hasn’t been around a long time, in fact it’s still pretty fresh, but I for one am already tired of our flying Jace overlord. So today I’m bringing you decks that don’t play Smuggler's Copter and have also done very well in Magic Leagues. These lists all went undefeated. So if you’re already tired of Smuggler's Copter like I am, then get ready to feast your eyes on some really sweet decks.

First up, we’re going to start with W/B Control. This one isn’t traditional with a bunch of removal, card draw, and Planeswalkers. Instead it focuses on legendary creatures that are tutorable and angels. Let’s take a look.

W/B Angel Control ? Kaladesh Standard| JACKROSE1835

We saw this deck in the previous season early on but the Planeswalker version of the deck took over. However, now that control decks have to deal with Planeswalkers and Vehicles, trying to control the game with Planeswalkers can be tough. So, instead we control the game with small creatures and big Angels. If you read my article last week I went over how you really want to pass the 3 toughness test since everybody is playing spells to kill 3 toughness creatures due to Smuggler's Copter dominance. You really don’t want your guys to die to Spatial Contortion, Harnessed Lightning, Skysovereign, Consul Flagship, or even trade with the Copter itself. The best way to do this? Play Always Watching. Always Watching allows all your 3 toughness creatures to get out of range of all the things we mentioned, even your creature land, Shambling Vent. Some of the flying creatures paired with Always Watching can end the game by themselves. Creatures like Gisela, the Broken Blade, Aerial Responder, and Linvala, the Preserver are powerful when left unchecked and Always Watching ensures that they are safe from all the 3 toughness removal spells.

The Small MVPs

You may be quick to dismiss Thraben Inspector or Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim but don’t. Jace uses these small creatures to bridge him into the mid-late game. Thraben Inspector may not be flash, but that’s okay. Making a Clue Token and chump blocking, trading with things like Veteran Motorist, or even being sacrificed to Ayli are all very good things since it basically cantrips with the Clue. Late game, at the very least he is a 1/2 creature that cantrips for 3 mana. If you have an Always Watching on the battlefield, then he’s even better.

Now let’s talk about Ayli really quick. She not only trades with basically any ground creature but she gains you life and flips Avacyn by sacrificing creatures for you. Instead of having your creatures removed by your opponent’s spells you can sacrifice them to Ayli to gain some much needed life. This deck has nineteen ways to gain life. That’s a third of your deck which in turn, makes Ayli’s Anguished Unmaking ability turn on very, very quickly. Once her second ability is online your opponent is forced to deal with it quickly or risk losing their best permeants to her ability.

Angel on angel action doesn’t quite do it for you? Well how about Torrential Gearhulk? I know that hulk rubs the right way.

U/W Flash Hulk ? Kaladesh Standard| JRAFFE

This deck is not playing on its own turn Game 1. In fact, everything in the deck can be played on your opponent’s turn. This gives your opponent the huge burden of trying to play around spells and creatures the entire game. They can very easily try and play around things and just play around the wrong ones and lose. Once the deck has 6 mana open the choices it has are enormous, especially if it involves a loaded graveyard and Torrential Gearhulk.

Jraffe has the option of playing like a control deck with his counter spells and removal or he can play a very tempo based game thanks to Spell Queller, Archangel Avacyn, and Torrential Gearhulk. Deciding which role you need to take is the key to success with this deck. I really love Torrential Gearhulk. It’s easily my favorite hulk of the series. The fact that you can cast Torrential Gearhulk targeting Glimmer of Genius and then block your opponent’s creature to kill it gets me super excited. That play is a four for one, that’s the equivalent value of a very good board wipe, except Torrential Gearhulk is at instant speed. Where can I sign up?!

I think I’ve appealed to most of my readers. I’ve given you two awesome decklists that don’t play Smuggler's Copter!

“But Ali! I want to play an aggro deck, I just don’t want to play Smuggler’s Copter. I don’t want to play that sweet Angel deck or U/W deck!”

Say no more, fam. I gotchu.

G/R Aggro ? Kaladesh Standard| NICHORAS (5-0)

Here you. Kill your opponent’s so quickly, you’ll have time between matches to do whatever it is aggro players do between matches. This deck is super scary in that it’s very reminiscent of the old G/R Become Immense / Temur Battle Rage deck. If my opponent untaps with Electrostatic Pummeler I’m going to be extremely scared. That thing can kill you out of literally nowhere. Being at twenty life might not even be enough if they have the right cards in hand.

Imagine this scenario. Do nothing until turn three where we cast Electrostatic Pummeler. Untap, play a land and cast Larger than Life on Pummeler. Our opponent tries to remove it in some way then you cast Blossoming Defense. Swing with your 7/7 hexproof Pummeler and then cast Built to Smash on it before activating its ability to make it a 20/20 hexproof Trampler. That’s lethal even if you do nothing else until turn three, not even gain any energy. That’s pretty insane if you ask me. If you have extra energy laying around you can make your Pummeler even bigger.

There you go aggro lovers. A sweet, sweet aggro deck without Smuggler's Copter. You have Nichoras to thank for that one!

Now if you’re tuning in for a ramp deck, don’t worry, I gotchu you guys too. Here’s a Simic one working with Atherworks Marvel as the Eldrazi summoner. Why ramp when you can just cast it on turn four with this Marvel?

G/U Marvel ? Kaladesh Standard| KOZSTER

Planeswalkers (1)
1 Nissa, Vital Force

Kozster has a pretty great Marvel build. He’s decided to cut the Red and just go straight for the Aetherworks Marvel plan. This also means he has a better mana base and will lose a lot less to not having the right colors. The plan for this deck is to just generate a bunch of energy so that it can activate Aetherworks Marvel as soon as it comes into play. You also have Aether Theorist, Glimmer of Genius, and to a lesser extent Tireless Tracker to dig into your Marvel. What’s great about Kozster’s list is that again he is only two colors which allows him to run a singleton Geier Reach Sanitarium. The Sanitarium is great because it lets you get rid of the Eldrazi Titans if you draw them and helps you dig into the Marvel.

I really like Confiscation Coup here. Especially since we can steal almost anything we want since this deck can generate so much energy. Even stealing something as small as a Smuggler's Copter isn’t bad at all since we can easily crew it and can very much benefit from the loot aspect of the Copter. Stealing something like Skysovereign, Consul Flagship would actually be pretty insane and could easily swing the game heavily in our favor. Big fan of the Confiscation Coup!

All right, we got one more list. This one revolves around the new artifact giant, Metalwork Colossus.

U/R Colossus ? Kaladesh Standard| JABERWOCKI (5-0)

This deck is trying to overload the battlefield with artifacts so that it can drastically reduce the casting cost of the Colossus. It has eight artifacts that cantrip and Glint-Nest Crane that essentially cantrips. If you untap with a Foundry Inspector, you can easily just take over the game by playing a massive number of artifacts. God forbid you have two Foundry Inspectors, then you can really empty your hand.

What’s great about the deck is that it’s not all in on Metalwork Colossus. You can easily just win the game on the back of a Skysovereign, Consul Flagship or Elder Deep-Fiend. Games two and three if you’re playing against a black deck that might have Lost Legacy you can add more threats in Thought-Knot Seer and Lashweed Lurker, you also gain Negates so their Legacies might not even resolve. This deck can easily play Reality Smasher too if control decks ever gain traction. I’m not sure how fast this deck can empty its hand but I think I’d like access to another Sea Gate Wreckage depending on that question.

And that’s all we got ladies and gentlemen. I hope you can enjoy one of these copterless decks if that’s why you clicked on this article. I know I personally really like the UW flash and BW angel deck. I mean who doesn’t like casting Torrential Gearhulk and Melding Brisela? Hopefully the same people that like winning with Electrostatic Pummeler.

As always, thanks for reading.

Ali Aintrazi

@Alieldrazi on Twitter

Follow me on Twitch