Junk Rally Breakdown

Posted on December 3, 2015

As I explained last week, I will be focusing this week on a singular deck that I have been working on. As the 5k here in Lansing looms ever closer, now just two weeks away, I have not only begun testing more on Magic Online, but also keeping notes on what matchups need work. Some of this has led to improvement in play and adapting to each matchup and knowing what cards are most important where—all of these come from testing.

One of the biggest things Raymond Perez Jr. has shown me is the value of these countless hours. Knowing exactly how to pilot the deck you are playing will earn you wins alone, even if the power level is slightly lower than the field. This has been something I learned years ago when I was actually grinding, as I was typically unable to have more than one deck built at a time, thus limiting my options for a season. Now, with Magic Online releasing the new set earlier, testing is much easier; that was not an option years ago, and it’s something I am still learning to adapt to. I have always preferred testing in person—Magic Online comes with no dialogue most of the time, and that has been a barrier for me; instead, I am forced to answer my own questions, which requires additional time.

For the next two weeks, I am going to be testing as much as possible, and to supplement that, I have found a few smaller events, including a StarCityGames Invitational Qualifier this weekend. This will give me some of the face-to-face testing I prefer while allowing me to have a finely tuned list, meaning I stand a chance of actually doing well. Part of my hindrance to play in events is my lack of testing. I am not a person who enjoys going X–3. For the first time since Heroic this time last year, I have put enough hours into a deck to feel confident, so let’s get to the list as it stands today.

4 Sultai Emissary — This card was suggested in the comments section two weeks ago, and Shawn expanded in great depth last week as to the card’s benefits, and after testing it, I have certainly been convinced. I am still not sure playing zero copies of Elvish Visionary is correct, and I may look at a few small tweaks, adding a copy or two over a Liliana, Heretical Healer and something else potentially, but for now, the Emissary wins the day.

4 Nantuko Husk — I tried to cut this to three just to see what happens, and I immediately regretted it—there are no choices here, as this cog has no replacements.

4 Grim Haruspex — Similar to the Husk, this card is almost always great, and the addition of the Emissary does increase the usefulness by a nonzero amount. I do find myself ’boarding these out in some matches, but since it is rarely a dead card, it should still start as a set in the main.

4 Rally the Ancestors — Of course, the namesake is also a full set, as the deck really thrives off the reach against most midrange and late-game decks. Based on the metagame, if you find a lot of Atarka Red or other hyper-aggro decks running around, you can cut this down a bit, but going into a blind field, I want as many as I can have. Don’t feel bad ’boarding these out—my play against Anafenza, the Foremost decks has many times involved this being cut to a two-of.

4 Collected Company — Though clunky at times, it just does far too much to not also be a full set. This deck relies on consistency to win, and though some spots do have some play, this ties too much together to fall into that category. I started ’boarding these out from time to time just to see what happened, and similar to Husk, that is rarely if ever correct.

3 Liliana, Heretical Healer — These were cut down to three to test out a new one-of, and so far, I have still been able to find at least one regularly. This one is also metagame-dependent and may go back to a four-of for the tournament if I am not pleased with the wildcard spot, but for now, I am placing the extra in the ’board.

4 Zulaport Cutthroat — A clear all-star, this card never is cut and will always be a set—learning how and when to play this card is key to a lot of the midrange matches. Against aggro, I have found playing Cutthroat on turn two is usually a fine line of play, but against the rest of the field, it depends greatly—that’s another piece of information only testing will glean, as there is no real steadfast rule here.

4 Catacomb Sifter — This is the card that initially drew me to this deck, and even with the lack of synergy between Sultai Emissary and Liliana, the card still proves to be among the best plays you can make against the field on turn three. Late copies are still fine draws, and against any aggro deck, having two in the opener and any support usually allows you to gum up the board long enough to get rolling.

1 Murderous Cut — I had Abzan Charm in this spot, and I still go back and forth on which is better, but Cut seems to catch more aggressive draws, and that is typically where the deck struggles. Having an early answer to Anafenza is huge, and still being able to cast other things potentially that turn is what has tipped the scales.

2 Fleshbag Marauder — I have still been happy with just the two in the main. I have been up to a set and down to zero, and though it can be terrible in certain matches, it can also swing tempo so hard in others. The addition of Sultai Emissary has helped a great deal, allowing you two creatures on turn three, something the deck could not do before with this guy.

1 Whisperwood Elemental — This one came from left field and still has its quirks that have kept me from adding an additional copy to the main, but when this card is good, it is great. Whisperwood Elemental allows you a game plan that can involve very few Cutthroats coming back from a Rally and, in addition, leaves you a board after to untap with. I have won games without a Cutthroat just by bringing this and a Husk back with a few creatures. It also gives you an additional threat control, and midrange decks have to deal with and a stop for aggro when you have expended all of your resources to stay alive. The mana cost does make the card feel bad in the opener, but it does give you something to play toward while also having some great interactions with Grim Haruspex.

1 Ruthless Ripper — This is an odd one I am trying out, and so far, I have had a great deal of success with it. I could see a second in an aggro-heavy metagame, but so far, this has been a real Swiss army knife in the deck. Against decks like Atarka Red, this is a fine play on turn one to stem the bleeding from Monastery Swiftspear or Zurgo Bellstriker, and against midrange or control, it can do anything from eat an unexpecting Anafenza to draw out a removal spell. The key is that the deck doesn't really play anything other than Haruspex normally, so if your opponent has the opportunity while you are tapped out to kill it, he or she typically will. Yet another card that plays well with Emissary and Whisperwood Elemental, I cannot see adding any more morph to the deck, but this has really been a spicy one-of.

Sideboard

And of course, what deck would be complete without the best fifteen cards? The ’board for this deck is still not set and is tuned highly for the aggro matchup, as that tends to be more of the field online. I am hoping this weekend may clue me in on what a more well-rounded metagame demands, but for now, this is what I will be brining.

4 Arashin Cleric — This card is not great in a number of decks, but the interactions it has with Rally still keeps it as a solid four-of in this deck. Typically, I will be ’boarding out some number of copies of Rally the Ancestors, Whisperwood Elemental, and a single Grim Haruspex to fit these in.

2 Abzan Ascendancy — This card is beginning to be ’boarded in less and less, but in the midrange matches, it still does a lot of work at creating a board that is tough to clear. The additional Whisperwood Elemental has been coming in against a greater number of decks, pushing this out, as the Elemental keeps the creature count up and interacts favorably against board sweepers in much the same way.

1 Whisperwood Elemental — Sadly, this probably cannot be more than a two-of ever—even in the matches in which it is good, you cannot risk drawing too many too soon, as it does require early pressure to fully capitalize off the effect, and that is harder to achieve when you cannot cast half of your hand. I have also begun bringing this in against Abzan over a Rally, as it still has game against Anafenza even if it does not match up well against Siege Rhino.

2 Murderous Cut — A mainstay for most lists, this is simply your most efficient form of removal and plays well into the grave theme—you typically have a few extra lands, even more so with Emissary manifesting them.

3 Duress — Though you do have an inevitable clock for most decks, it is handy to be able to interact with some opponents, and as Duress is all we have right now for real discard against control, we will take what we can get. It also has a great deal of flexibility against more aggressive decks if you see Dragon Fodder and Hordeling Outburst in the first game.

1 Liliana, Heretical Healer — I have the extra copy in the ’board to replace any of the silver bullets in matchups in which they are not as great. The biggest boon to having the fourth is against ramp; she is great at tearing apart the opponent’s hand, and considering that match can get out of hand if you do not have an extremely fast draw, I will take all the help I can get.

1 Ruthless Ripper — I usually bring this in against aggro, but even Savage Knuckleblade–based midrange decks can suffer from the unexpected morph, and getting past that wall is a hurdle this deck lacks answers for otherwise if the opponent has a few quick flyers.

1 Sandsteppe Citadel — That was a lot to work through, and though most selections at this point have been made clear by the Rally variants in general, I do feel this version has merit over four-colored Rally in a number of matchups, and that is why I am sticking to it. I will work on breaking down some of the more popular matchups with some board guides after I gain more data and testing, but for now, this is the shortened list. From a flavor perspective, this deck looks like the storyline of Liliana into the dark Planeswalker we know her as, and to me, that wins some extra bonus points.

Rally the Darkness ? Battle for Zendikar Standard | Ryan Bushard

Against control, I find hitting your land drops and having all of your colors in the first four turns is extremely critical, and while I typically prefer to smash all of my land into the main, the draws against other decks that have too many lands make this the correct choice.

That is all for this week. I hope to get some play in Sunday at the IQ and have a better idea of any changes I may need to make, but for now, these are the seventy-five I will be battling with. Next week, I will go back to covering a greater deal of Standard as a whole and update you on the results of the weekend. This week has been relatively quiet in terms of results, so there is nothing new to cover, but as Standard has proved so far, that will not last long!

Ryan Bushard

@CryppleCommand