MTG Salvation

My favorite generals are the small utility ones, and I've been wanting to build me some mono-red EDH for a while. I toyed with Eron the Relentless and Norin the Wary as generals before my spike/johnny senses got the better of me.

The deck can play in two ways, really. If you're in a removal-light environment, Ashling can come down early and essentially go the distance on her own, especially if you pull early equipment for her. Tenza or the warhammer (or akroma's memorial) gets her tramply, so it's just a matter of building up counters until she's too big to deal with. Note that this sort of situation is most likely to happen in a duel.

Otherwise, she's the sweeper you can always count on drawing. The deck is happy to be flooded, 'cause theres always a place to pour that mana. Otherwise its the usual tricks - jack creatures (ideally generals), do damage, then more damage, and try to draw a couple cards as best as red can. I'm particularly fond of Pyrohemia/Manabarbs + Urza's Armor, and giving Ashling protection from red so she lives through her own blasts.

The deck's got some subpar choices that I'm working on fixing; the early creature drops are weak, but I find I'm often desperately in need of a warm body to carry a warhammer or sword to good effect. Any suggestions on replacements for Blood Knight, Udthen Troll, and Viashino Fangtail are welcome - survivability, evasion, and extraneous utility all pluses.

Similarly, Fury Charm, Flame Javelin, Jaws of Stone, and Fireball are on the chopping block for when I can find better replacements.

I have the feeling Candles of Leng are also no good, but I haven't had it in play often enough to say for sure.

Obvious stuff: Molten Disaster, Ion Storm. Workin' on them.



~~~~~~~~~ UPDATED ~~~~~~~~

Whew, it's been nearly three years since I first posted this baby, and the EDH scene has changed dramatically. Believe it or not, I'm still playing Ashling, but the deck has been rebuilt from the ground up, since the original was literally stolen from me at gunpoint

Still, like the noble Shard Phoenix, the deck rises anew. This old list looks fairly quaint, so lets see if we can't update it a bit, and maybe add a bit of class to the thing:

Obviously a fairly generic mono-R goodstuff deck at this point, though it has evolved for my casual local meta. There are a lot of big creatures and spells rolling around, which means there are always good targets to copy and/or steal, and everyone has a few ways of stealing creatures, hence the higher-than-average number of sac outlets (if I can't have my stuff, nobody can!). Not many counterspells either, hence the concentration of tap-out-ridiculous effects - I love Scrambleverse as a way to shake up games, since my board ends up being tragically empty compared to a field of multicolor decks.

There are a few so-so pet cards like Riptide Replicator, and I'm a fan of plodding card advantage engines, hence the Explorer's Scope + Sensei's Divining Top, and the Spine of Ish Sah + Claws of Gix.

I do keep a sideboard of slightly more competitive cards for when I take the deck to less familiar territory.



Still pretty low-key, all in all. If anybody sees any other combo options that would slot in easily, let me know.

I'd say Starstorm is pretty obvious. It's hard to get instant wrath effects, nevermind in red.

I've said before I'm not a big fan of Candles of Leng; might as well be a Jayemdae Tome. For two more mana at the outset you ALWAYS get the card you're paying four mana for. If you happen to have, say, a mountain in your graveyard and the Candles gets you a mountain you don't get it. Rare occurence to be sure but avoidable for the cost of two mana.

Hey, I just started this format and the second deck I built this week (to battle the first) was Ashling the Pilgrim.

I think this is a great general. Fast/cheap for easy and much replay. Built in board control and direct general damage without taping. Puts pressure on while keeping removal in hand. Yeah I am liking this one. (but not as much as my general,later on that)

I seems like we are all liking the Starstorm and maybe up the repayable damage. And I would also agree with more/better draw/card filter. Wheel of fortune?

If it is a group game I think Insurrection can be fun.


Later,
Dr.KnowMaD

Starstorm- check
Insurrection- check
Rolling Thunder- I'll give it a try
Wheel of Fortune- We'll see if I can trade for one; suckers are pricey for a goofy sideline format like EDH.

My trouble with Candles of Leng is that I'm almost always tapping out with this deck. Just a single activation of the Candles is a Vedalken Orrery I'm not casting, or two +1/+1 counters that aren't making ashling bigger than the Rafiq of the Many that would otherwise be attacking next turn, etc. Card advantage is king in this format, but this deck almost wants its mana more - ergo Jayemdae Tome isn't the fix I'm looking for (I should note that I've never been reduced to topdecking with this deck).

What about critters? Assuming I'm not interested in the land destruction/blastminer package, does anyone have cool creatures that could back Ashling up in early turns?

Breath of Fury + Insurrection is one of my fav tricks in my mono red Akroma deck. I will be posting my list on the database.

This deck really wants Anger, considering you won't ever have to chump to get him into your 'yard in this deck.

Viashino Heretic is also awesome. There's always artifacts around, and this guy can just go to town on some people (especially that person playing with DSC).

Other small red guys that can work out nicely for artifacts are Ingot Chewer and Keldon Vandals (although admittedly, they shine much more in my Sedris deck). Certainly options that I think you'd be better off running than the weenies though.

Kumano, Master Yamabushi, Ryusei, the Falling Star, Crater Hellion, Volcano Hellion (since you've got Stuffy Doll), and Furnace of Rath all also might be worth a slot.

Lastly, if a lot of people play Blue in your group (which tends to happen in highlander formats, I find), see how tossing in REB or Active Volcano works out for you.

EDIT: Solemn Simulacrum should be in here for card advantage purposes that mono-red sometimes struggles with.

EDIT2: Duplicant? Price of Progress?

Browbeat is pretty terrible in EDH. Might I suggest Farsight Mask instead?

WHERE'S SKULLCLAMP???

There needs to be a public service announcement that people are insane if they don't run Skullclamp. It's that good.... Seriously. Put it in and thank me later.

Needs more gauntlet of might and gauntlet of power because lots and lots and lots of mana + big creatures is generallly a gd thng

I think you need more ways to destroy utility lands like Prahv, Spires of Order, Volrath's Stronghold, etc. Try Dust Bowl if you don't have a Wasteland or Stripmine and Aftershock. Aftershock is better than Smash anyways. This deck also looks to have serious problems dealing with enchantments. I think Oblivion Stone and Nevinyrral's Disk are a necessity. I'd even run Gamble to have a good chance of tutoring for them. Apocolypse if you're really desperate. Sprinjack Pasture can make endless goats to carry equipment. For cheap guys try Dwarven Blastminer or Quicksilver Amulet to get your guys out faster. Unless your general gets hindered or somesuch just play him. Whispersilk Cloak could help protect her if that has been a problem.

I've been looking at a pilgram deck for a while. I'm building one atm and that stuffy doll is screaming for a shivan meteor

Someone should point a shivan meteor at a dark steel colossus just to prove a point.

but as mentioned in other posts you need lighting grieves and skull clamp

^^ Its still Indestructible?

Since you're playing monocolored You should play Extraplanar Lens. If you switch your mountains for Snow-Covered Mountains even other red decks wont get a benefit since the lens cares about the name of the card

More Heartless Hidetsugu!

I like Jaya Ballard and Painter's Servant. Good times I tells ya.

Oh yeah! I forgot to mention, Furnace of Rath + Repercussion. My personal favorite mono R combo.

Braid of Fire doesn't cause burn in the new rules. I'd use it.

Quote from Miamoto

Braid of Fire doesn't cause burn in the new rules. I'd use it.

work well with your pyrohemia and avatar of fury. late game with ghitu fire.

does anyone have any idea's as to how to deal with white? and there enchantments that protect them?

Pithing Needle for CoP and Story Circle, Flashfires for their lands and Anarchy for everything else.

Also Omen of Fire...and don't forget Capricious Efreet, a must for any red EDH deck.

Solid, except for a few minor details
Shatterstorm > Smash IMHO,
Spire barrage, flameblast dragon, hellkite charger, are all good cards from recent sets. Also, where's the red akroma?
Gorrilla shaman takes to much mana for anything but moxen.

Other than that I approve wholeheartedly

Sol ring is a worthwhile investment. You can pick them up for around $8.

If your looking for creatures might I suggest Rakka Mar as a token generator. A little slow but if left unchecked can make an army of 3/1 elemental tokens.

Scythe of the Wretched seems like a pretty solid combo for this general in multiplayer.

Also throw in a Blade of the Bloodchief for a faster reloading time.

Quote from Donald_McDonald

I think you need more ways to destroy utility lands like Prahv, Spires of Order, Volrath's Stronghold, etc. Try Dust Bowl if you don't have a Wasteland or Stripmine and Aftershock. Aftershock is better than Smash anyways. This deck also looks to have serious problems dealing with enchantments. I think Oblivion Stone and Nevinyrral's Disk are a necessity. I'd even run Gamble to have a good chance of tutoring for them. Apocolypse if you're really desperate. Sprinjack Pasture can make endless goats to carry equipment. For cheap guys try Dwarven Blastminer or Quicksilver Amulet to get your guys out faster. Unless your general gets hindered or somesuch just play him. Whispersilk Cloak could help protect her if that has been a problem.

Blood Moon, Enough said, rapes the Extended scene and would tear a hole in alot of the current EDH mana bases

Check this necro out! Posted updates to the deck. Thanks to everyone who's checked on the deck over the months to make such excellent suggestions. Consider them all taken into account during the costruction of v2.0

The deck still eschews land destruction, for the usual unfun reasons. I now pack about as much indirect enchantment destruction as red can wrangle, however: Chaos Warp, Steel Hellkite, Spine of Ish Sah, Capricious Efreet, Word of Seizing + Claws of Gix. I like a diplomatic game, so that's often enough for me.

Card drawing is still an issue, which I've tried to make up for with card quality tools like Sensei's Divining Top and Crystal Ball, and land thinners like Journeyer's Kite and Explorer's Scope.

It's not flashy, but If I have something like a Reverberate in hand and someone plays an early-game Kodama's Reach or Tidings, I've found it's often the best play to just copy it. They can't all be Time Stretches, and red needs the help where it can find it. I really need to get a Fork.

I could put in Skullclamp, but with the low creature count and minimal recursion options, I'm not sure how good it'd end up being. I guess conventional knowledge would be 'just play it'. Chandra Ablaze is also on the short list, once a copy finds it's way into my hands.

If anybody else has a clever idea or two, or knows of interesting interactions with Ashling with any new sets, feel free to point them out. She's always been such solid utility that there hasn't been pressure to find clever synergies.