Who needs Arclight Phoenix?

I have a confession to make.

My name is Jim Davis, and I love Crackling Drake.

Forget nickel and diming your opponent, graveyard hate, or multiple attack steps, Crackling Drake just does it in one shot while also drawing you a card for your trouble. This works great in Pioneer, but even better in Explorer where we don't yet have Treasure Cruise. The combination of Fable of the Mirror Breaker // Reflection of Kiki-Jiki and Crackling Drake is not only a fantastic one-two punch of great cards, but also makes the Izzet deck far less reliant on Treasure Cruise, allowing it to flourish in Explorer.

Plus, we've got Ox of Agonas anyway!

Time Stamps:

03:22 - Match 1

23:42 - Match 2

46:32 - Match 3

One-Punch-Drake | Explorer | Jim Davis

• Creatures (10)
• 2 Ox of Agonas
• 4 Crackling Drake
• 4 Ledger Shredder

• Instants (19)
• 1 Fading Hope
• 1 Shore Up
• 2 Spikefield Hazard
• 3 Spell Pierce
• 4 Consider
• 4 Fiery Impulse
• 4 Opt

• Sorceries (6)
• 1 Beacon Bolt
• 1 Maximize Velocity
• 2 Obliterating Bolt
• 2 Strangle

• Enchantments (4)
• 4 Fable of the Mirror-Breaker // Reflection of Kiki-Jiki

• Lands (21)
• 1 Mountain
• 2 Island
• 1 Otawara, Soaring City
• 2 Hall of Storm Giants
• 3 Stormcarved Coast
• 4 Riverglide Pathway // Lavaglide Pathway
• 4 Spirebluff Canal
• 4 Steam Vents

• Sideboard (15)
• 2 Rending Volley
• 2 Search for Azcanta
• 1 Beacon Bolt
• 2 Aether Gust
• 2 Disdainful Stroke
• 2 Anger of the Gods
• 1 Abrade
• 1 Mystical Dispute
• 2 Unlicensed Hearse

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Quite a show to start off the new year!

There's no doubt the Izzet shell of "tons of cheap spells and Ledger Shredder" is fantastic, and this is by far the best way to build the deck in Historic. When so many of your spells cost one and you get see so much of your deck each game, it feels more like you're playing Modern or Legacy than Explorer or Pioneer. Plus, the ability to sideboard counterspells or more removal gives you a wide array of game against everything.

If you like Izzet spells kinda stuff, I can't recommend this deck enough!