The (not so) latest deck list I’ve come up with, which is still with the same mana color choice from my previous post, is another take of the potential of the Black Red control archetype in Innistrad Standard. This version though focuses on to abuse Chandra’s fiery pet, the Chandra’s Phoenix.

Here is the first version list:

Creatures
4 Chandra’s Phoenix
2 Grave Titan
2 Solemn Simulacrum
1 Wurmcoil Engine

Spells
1 Black Sun’s Zenith
1 Sorin Markov
2 Chandra, the Firebrand
4 Distress
2 Tezzeret’s Gambit
1 Batterskull
2 Arc Trail
2 Nihil Spellbomb
3 Slagstorm
3 Geistflame
1 Tribute to Hunger
3 Doom Blade
3 Sphere of the Suns

Lands
7 Mountain
4 Dragonskull Summit
1 Stensia Bloodhall
7 Swamp
4 Blackcleave Cliffs

It may look very similar to the previous one, but I personally think that this is the better list. Let us check what Chandra’s Phoenix can offer to us:

1. Recursion – this is the primary reason why it is a four-of in the deck. It can trade for early critters and works well with cheap shot burn spells like Geistflame and Arc Trail.

2. Evasion – Flying really matters in the metagame recently (keyword: Squadron Hawk) and the phoenix makes it better with the additional Haste. It can keep in check Planeswalkers and can provide early attack damage.

As a usual control deck, we have:

Mass removals – Slagstorm and Arc Trail does the trick.

Hand disruption – provided by Distress which the most decent discard at the moment. I’m happy to include a set in the deck.

Mana acceleration – to cope up with the popular Wolf Run ramp, I included two Solemn Simulacrums and three Sphere of the Suns for mana ramp. Also the sphere is for payment of the blue mana for Tezzie’s gambit.

Planeswalkers – of course we have Chandra, the Firebrand and Sorin Markov. I am also considering Karn though I’d have him as a sideboard for the meantime.

Bad-ass creatures – we have two Grave Titans and a Wurmcoil Engine.

I won’t have a specific list for the sideboard just as I know the metagame will shift a bit again with the recent tournament results. I think I’ll run a copy or two of Memoricide as Wolf Run Ramp is still a very popular choice.

The deck will undergo some playtest against top decks as I’ll prepare my team for the weekend’s Game Day tournament. Just stay tuned for a sideboard update on this list. Thanks and until the next post. 🙂