You never know when inspiration might strike you. This week, I was chatting with a friend after a Standard tournament, discussing older decks we had enjoyed. I mentioned a later version of my Bloodstrike deck that included Ranger's Guile for some great removal blowouts, and he mentioned his fondness for Kiln Fiend. That got us thinking about Modern. Kiln Fiend is still legal there, as are its cousins Nivix Cyclops and Wee Dragonauts. Decks such as Birthing Pod, Storm, and Affinity don't play much removal, and a deck like this can potentially outrace any of them. Here's the list I arrived at.

"Kiln Fiend"

• Creatures (11)
• 3 Wee Dragonauts
• 4 Kiln Fiend
• 4 Nivix Cyclops

• Spells (30)
• 4 Brute Force
• 4 Dispel
• 4 Mutagenic Growth
• 4 Titan's Strength
• 3 Artful Dodge
• 3 Distortion Strike
• 4 Assault Strobe
• 4 Gitaxian Probe

• Lands (19)
• 3 Island
• 4 Mountain
• 4 City of Brass
• 4 Gemstone Mine
• 4 Shivan Reef

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The Creatures

Nivix Cyclops is backup number one for Kiln Fiend. Although it comes down a turn later, it has the advantage of being naturally immune to Lightning Bolt, Lightning Helix, and Anger of the Gods, making it much harder to deal with.

Wee Dragonauts is the second backup, requiring a bit more oomph to deal lethal damage due to the fact that it only gains 2 extra power per spell. It does have flying, reducing your reliance on Distortion Strike and Artful Dodge if your opponent has creatures.

The Spells

Assault Strobe makes winning on turn three or four a piece of cake. After casting the Strobe, you only need two more spells—or just one copy of Brute Force or Titan's Strength—to make it up to 20 damage. Of course, there's no need to stop there. I've dealt as much as 42 damage on turn four thanks to this card.

Mutagenic Growth can also be used to counteract a Lightning Bolt. It only gives Kiln Fiend an extra 5 power, but it doesn't cost any mana to do so, making it among the most efficient spells in the deck.

Gitaxian Probe also can be cast without paying mana, and it provides excellent utility for this deck. Not only does it give Kiln Fiend +3/+0 for free, it draws a card to replace itself, helping make sure you have enough spells to pump the Fiend for lethal damage. Even more useful is the ability to look at your opponent's hand. By determining what, if any, instant-speed removal spells he has available, you can know whether it's safe to go all-in on Kiln Fiend.

Alternatively, Dispel will make sure it's safe regardless of what kind of removal your opponent has. While the pump spells often take care of Lightning Bolt, Dispel will deal with cards like Path to Exile, protecting Kiln Fiend from anything that could kill it after you've invested all your spells.

The only problem left to address is creatures. Kiln Fiend doesn't have trample, so any creature your opponent has can stop you from going in for 20 damage. Fortunately, Distortion Strike and Artful Dodge take care of that problem quite nicely. Both can be cast on successive turns if you somehow manage to deal less than lethal damage on the first try. Distortion Strike has the additional advantage of giving Kiln Fiend 1 more power, while Artful Dodge can be cast for its flashback cost immediately if you need another spell with which to pump up the Fiend.

Playtesting

Pyromancer Storm – Game 1

I drew Titan's Strength, played my Mountain, and passed. My opponent cast Thought Scour, and he then paid 2 life to cast Gitaxian Probe. He played a Misty Rainforest and passed the turn.

I drew Kiln Fiend, cast it, and passed back. He activated the Rainforest during my end step, fetching a tapped Steam Vents. My opponent cast Pyretic Ritual followed by Grapeshot, killing my Kiln Fiend. He passed the turn.

I drew Assault Strobe and paid 2 life for Gitaxian Probe, seeing Past in Flames, two Desperate Ravings, and a Scalding Tarn. I drew a Mountain, played it, and cast Wee Dragonauts. I ended my turn. My opponent cast Serum Visions, played a Scalding Tarn, and passed the turn.

I cast Assault Strobe and Titan's Strength, and I paid 2 life for Mutagenic Growth, making the Dragonauts a 12/4 with double strike while keeping mana open for Dispel—just in case. I attacked for the win.

Game 2

My opponent paid 2 life for Steam Vents and cast Goblin Electromancer. He ended his turn. I drew Gitaxian Probe, played my Mountain, and cast Kiln Fiend before passing.

My opponent used Misty Rainforest to find an untapped Steam Vents, and he then cast another Goblin Electromancer. He cast Desperate Ravings and passed the turn. I drew a Mountain, played it, and cast Nivix Cyclops. I ended my turn.

My opponent cast Desperate Ravings for its flashback cost and then cast and flashed back another Desperate Ravings. He passed the turn. I drew Gemstone Mine and played it. I paid 2 life to cast Gitaxian Probe, drawing another Mine, and then attacked with both creatures. My opponent blocked each with a Goblin Electromancer, and the two Electomancers died along with my Kiln Fiend. I cast my second Nivix Cyclops and passed the turn.

My opponent cast Pyromancer Ascension. He cast Serum Visions to put a counter on it, and he then paid 2 life for Gitaxian Probe. My opponent cast Desperate Ritual, but I countered it with Dispel. He cast Thought Scour and passed the turn. I drew a second Titan's Strength, and I cast one on each Cyclops and attacked for 20.

Wrap-Up

Many players are currently turning to noninteractive combo decks in Modern, and if that continues to be the case, Kiln Fiend seems to be a great place to be. Although somewhat vulnerable to removal depending on the draw, it slaughters other combo decks by virtue of being consistently fast. Whereas Storm may win on turn four with a great opening hand, this deck does so almost every game, provided a lack of disruption. If you want to win matches and still have plenty of time to go grab lunch in between rounds, this may be the deck for you.