This is Experimental Frenzy:

Experimental Frenzy is the most paradigm-changing card to come out of Guilds of Ravnica. What I mean by that is that this card will both bend deck design decisions around it, and give birth to all new play patterns. The same sixty cards will play like two different decks with Frenzy on the battlefield or not. One of those two will be quite a bit better than the other.

I spent much of the last week working specifically on Experimental Frenzy. I've barely cracked the surface of the format transformation that this card will bring; but this is what I've learned so far.

Your Top 8 Most Important Experimental Frenzy Questions, answered:

1. You referenced new patterns in deck design; can we get a deck list?

Sure thing, friend!

Here is the list I've been playing on MTGO:

Mono-Red | Guilds Standard| Michael Flores

• Creatures (16)
• 4 Ghitu Lavarunner
• 4 Goblin Chainwhirler
• 4 Runaway Steam-Kin
• 4 Viashino Pyromancer

• Instants (14)
• 2 Risk Factor
• 4 Lightning Strike
• 4 Shock
• 4 Wizard's Lightning

• Enchantments (4)
• 4 Experimental Frenzy

• Artifacts (4)
• 4 Treasure Map

• Lands (22)
• 22 Mountain

• Sideboard (15)
• 2 Rekindling Phoenix
• 4 Banefire
• 4 Response // Resurgence
• 2 Risk Factor
• 2 Fight with Fire
• 1 Field of Ruin

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The initial shell of this deck is similar to the fast Wizard Red Decks we've seen around The Flame of Keld. The difference is that instead of that crappy enchantment, we're swapping in the awesome one from Guilds of Ravnica.

There are some concessions, though. The curve of this deck is super cheap, sure. That accommodates the low land count. It also helps you to play multiple cards per turn once you've untapped with Experimental Frenzy in play.

In addition you'll notice the four Treasure Maps. The main thing that can slow down a Frenzy deck once it actually has Frenzy in play is brick walling on consecutive lands. Cards like Risk Factor (including Risk Factor from the graveyard) and Treasure Map can change the top card of your deck, reducing the chances of getting stuck on consecutive lands.

Of course Treasure Map has had a decent career in Mono-Red in Standard already; it can also be just a good card here that gives the deck some card advantage outside of Experimental Frenzy, not to mention a helpful way just to find it. As a super secret it can also help play the White end of Response // Resurgence (though I confess I've never actually done that).

I do miss playing Fanatical Firebrand, but realistically, the deck needed room for Treasure Map and Firebrand is 1) bad against opposing Chainwhirlers, and 2) not a Wizard.

Finally, this deck has one Field of Ruin in the sideboard. Most Standard Red Decks play 1-5 Mountains in the sideboard; I chose Field of Ruin for a couple of reasons. First of all, matchups where your extra land comes in often have legitimate targets for it. More locally relevant, though, it's yet another card that can change the top of your library should you get stuck on multiple Mountains with Frenzy in play.

2. Isn't it annoying when your opponents don't just give up?

Yeah, it is.

I mean yeah. It SUPER is!

I had this whole map in my head before I actually played any games that I was going to get Frenzy out and just bury people in card advantage. To be fair, that is pretty much how it's worked out. But at the same time, I was surprised at how my opponents didn't all just curl up and die immediately.

The deck is actually kind of bad against large creatures. You'll note I have a ton of cards that can deal five (or even more) damage in the sideboard. Still doesn't feel like enough. I didn't play a lot of "go wide" stuff because I found Goblin Chainwhirler was doing what it has been doing well enough. I was losing more to Demanding Dragon than Legion's Landing if you grok.

Specifically, the deck is erratic at putting two burn cards together. You don't know how deep a second burn card might be (even if you've got the mana and velocity to reach it), so a 4/4 or a 5/5 you would be able to cleanly one-for-two in most other Red Decks will often live... If only because of your apprehension.

Secondly... And I'm not 100% sure how to say this... But most of the cards in this deck aren't very good. Other people are all packing five-star Golgari toys and you've got a bunch of stuff that, while not great, is at least largely super cheap. So you might start the turn with 2 power in play but end up attacking for ten thanks to conditional haste and a lot of cast triggers... Or you might pass with two 1/1 creatures for two in play.

But when everything goes according to plan? There is nothing in Standard like Experimental Frenzy. Teferi looks like a sad joke by comparison. You're all playing five cards per turn and finding weird paths through the opponent's defenses. It can be quite rewarding actually.

3. You alluded to some new play patterns... like what?

One of the most important tools to understand with Frenzy in play is that you can cast your instants on upkeep. This is true for instants generally, but it's super important to note here. If you don't play the instant on upkeep, you're likely to draw it. If you draw it, it's now dead and you're at the mercy of the top of your deck. You're minus-one card, maybe minus-two... Even more if it's a Risk Factor.

All other things being equal, you want to play as many cards as possible. That means casting every damn thing you can, whether it seems relevant or not. You'll sometimes just play Frenzy off of Frenzy just to get it out of the way! So it's pretty unlikely you'll want to draw an instant instead of casting it, even if it just means nugging the opponent for two.

4. How does your play change with or without Experimental Frenzy in play?

Well, if you don't have Frenzy in play, your priority is often to get Frenzy into play.

... But that doesn't mean you should jam it into play as quickly as possible.

Imagine you have a typical lands-and-spells seven-card hand. You start with seven, and because you are perfect you run out a Mountain and not-hasty Ghitu Lavarunner; you're now at five.

You draw your card for turn, play your second Mountain and a 2/1 Wizard. You've got four cards.

On your third turn you play your land and pass. You want to get Risk Factor in your graveyard, so you don't make a proactive play. You cast it at the end of the opponent's turn and - knocking that the jig is up - he inexplicably lets you draw three. You're back up to six!

That means when you draw for your fourth turn, you're back up to seven cards in hand. Should you run out Experimental Frenzy on turn four, that's like getting Mind Twisted for five.

So it's rare that you want to just jam Frenzy out as fast as you can. Against Blue decks I think that's okay, provided you can maneuver it (because they can counter Frenzy). You might be trading some card advantage near-term for tons of card advantage later. Ideally you should get paid back from your hand within a turn or two of the action.

The other big question is whether or not you should play a land from your hand the turn you cast Experimental Frenzy. All other things being equal, I have been playing the land pre-Frenzy. That is because there is no guarantee there is a land directly on top of your deck (unless you put it there with Treasure Map, but that's not all other things being equal). Imagine you only had loose and there was a Viashino Pyromancer on top. You'll really be kicking yourself for that extra .

If it's one of those super long games, though? Or you are on your second Frenzy after an earlier exchange or fracas? Wait to see if there is a land on top. You can cast anything in the deck with three open lands, and the vast majority with two. If you've flipped a Map or just have seven lands in play, you're much more likely to get value on the first Frenzy turn if you hold your land.

5. It's not like we're playing an all-different game, are we? Are there transferable skills you can apply to Experimental Frenzy decks?

The shell is still a Red Aggro shell. So your "count to twenty" skills should still be your count to twenty skills. That said, there is a ton of stuff that is counter-intuitive about playing Experimental Frenzy.

6. You've called Experimental Frenzy a "Necropotence-esque" card ... Necro had a backdoor in Nevinyrral's Disk; does Frenzy?

Yes! It's right on the card.

So I'll clue you in on something: People are not scared of your Risk Factors when you're playing Frenzy. You already have so much card advantage they tend to just let you draw three instead of risking four life points. But the joke can be on them!

Last week I had a game where I cast a bunch of Risk Factors (largely to fix the top of my deck). I was discarding for hand size. But at some point I just blew up my own Experimental Frenzy and my opponent's virtual jaw dropped. Yes, Mr. Opponent: You now get to deal with a Red Deck with eleven cards in hand. Hint: This isn't going to go well for you.

7. I assume Experimental Frenzy is the best card... What's the second-best? Risk Factor?

This is Runaway Steam-Kin:

This card is something special. Next to Experimental Frenzy itself, Runaway Steam-Kin is the most important new card in the deck.

Remember when I talked earlier about finding wild paths to victory? You'll be surprised how crazy things can get when you have multiple Runaway Steam-Kin and a Frenzy in play. The most important thing to remember is that you should usually be making whenever you have three counters on your Steam-Kin.

If you go to zero counters, but you use the to cast a spell, you're back up to one counter immediately! Trust me, this is tricky to internalize.

In some late games you'll find that you can get mana from Steam-Kin, you can get mana from lands (obvously), and you can even get mana from Treasures. I'd recommend you use Steam-Kin mana first. That's partially because you can often recoup all the mana by getting counters back on your Steam-Kin. Again, tricky to internalize.

8. Is there a reason Frenzy decks must be Mono-Red?

There are multiple reasons, actually. Having all your land come into play untapped is a reassuring thing. Goblin Chainwhirler is challenging to cast! Having a ton of small stuff like Ghitu Lavarunner and essentially all one-mana burn spells means that you can play more cards per turn once you have Frenzy in play.

None of these is a definitive reason to play Mono-Red, however.

I've already seen a version headlined by Wayward Swordtooth. Remember what I said about consecutive lands on top? Wayward Swordtooth not only undoes the only thing that will likely contain Experimental Frenzy, it turns that into an asset for card advantage and The City's Blessing. To the same end, these decks also seem to have Dryad Greenseeker. I mean the Greenseeker is a card advantage option in the abstract, but with Frenzy in play, it's like more Treasure Maps in terms of fixing your top card.

Experimental Frenzy is the coolest card to come out of Guilds of Ravnica. It's challenging to master, but unbelievably powerful and momentum-building once online. I hope these eight points make playing your Frenzies a little more fun, but more importantly, more successful. Like I said, before, this is an emerging strategy. Look for players to get better and better as we all learn what the card is capable of.

LOVE

MIKE