Mono-Red Aggro by Kevin Rand 1st Place at StarCityGames Standard Open on 6/21/2014

Again we continue with what is slowly looking to be a dominance of Red as we continue creeping into The Bloody Summer. The strange thing being that usually Mono-Red aggro is best positioned at the beginning of a new Standard season when control is not yet prepared to take on an unknown meta, but the abundance of Midrange strategies have allowed Aggro to slip into the metagame and start to dominate. This deck has taken elements of both Festus Resendez winning list and Tom ‘The Boss’ Ross to come up with an amalgamation which delivers a forceful punch with precision and alacrity.

It’s hard to say if the meta will continue to be soft to Red based decks but judging by all its success I guess you’d be a fool not to join in. I’m hesitant to say that this is the best strategy but it is always a strong strategy in the hands of a compitant mage. The only caution I would provide is that people are certainly aware of the deck and should plan accordingly. Also, don’t be one of the fools who says that it’s just a simple Red deck and I can pilot it like an expert without practice. This deck requires a precise use of its resources and knowing when to go all out as opposed to ensuring you don’t over commit is crucial. Just make sure you drive it around the block at least a few times, but most of all feel the burn.

Eric J Seltzer