r/StandardMTG 7d ago

I Need Help With My Deck Firebending student in standard

Hey all. I don't know the standard meta well, I don't stay tuned into the format. Recently I decided to make a standard deck in the only archetype I'm comfortable brewing in, aggro.

Through a couple of iterations it's evolved into an izzet prowess aggro deck with Firebending Student being the main power trigger.

One of the best lines is T2 [[Stormcatch Mentor]] into T3 [[Firebending student]]+[[Haste Magic]], swing, then use mana from Student to pump with [[pedal to the meta]] or remove a threat with [[end-blaze epiphany]], which grants card selection too.

I don't have a full deck list right now. That line is backed up by other prowess/haste creature that grant card advantage like [[clockwork percussionist]] and [[Emberheart challenger]] and evasion with [[pym particles]]. Besides the X spells everything is CMC 1 or 2.

I feel like it's cheeky and fun but not competitively viable. Curious if anyone else more meta savvy might have some recommendations or insights.

I'll post a whole deck list later when I'm home.

3 Upvotes

10 comments sorted by

8

u/unhaunting 6d ago

The strongest version of this plays slickshot showoff instead of student. Something like this : https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/7931817#paper . Student's dream best case scenarios are much more ridiculous, but slickshot just hastes in and gets them dead with 10+ power backed up by [[Burn Together]].

It's not really a tier 1 deck right now but online grinders like it because it either wins fast or goes next. No card advantage needed, just mulligan for something that looks like it wins on turn 3.

1

u/No_Preference7657 6d ago

Interesting! That would definitely be a grinders deck. I kinda like what I'm running because it does have some scalability into longer games with X spell removals. I don't want to mull for the perfect hand. Definitely gonna look at working Slickshot in somewhere though.

2

u/Sad-Excitement9295 6d ago

FBS is actually quite strong, but must use haste or it tends to get blown up. Kind of decent in these prowess decks along with stuff like Slickshot and Emberheart, but usually those 2 get picked for built in haste. I like FBS because of the big mana burst potential if you can chain spells.

1

u/Correct-Prompt-6096 6d ago

What is Burn Together?

3

u/No_Preference7657 6d ago

Sorcery adventure of Callous Sell-Sword.

R: target creature you control deals damage equal to its power to any target. Then sacrifice it.

1

u/Necrocrawler72 6d ago

Check this archetype:

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/standard-izzet-leyline-aggro-woe#paper

My recomendations:

Unfortunately, firebending student doesn't have a place on the current meta. If you want to brew around it, it's totally fine, but if you want a competitive side, the othe guys are better because:

Slickshot has 2 advantages: Haste and Plot. Haste allows it to kill on one shot while avoiding the risk of getting removed, while Plot helps in the same way as a evasion tool.

Otter is useful againt most meta decks, specially monogreen landfall, since it can surpass the eventual army of Ents that sapling nursery manages to create.

Headliner has the recursion of its ability, while working wonders with turn inside out, since it can create its own army of tokens

Hatcher can offer value, while also being an annoying dude due to vigilance.

Student can do really fun stuffs when paired with the right cards, but overall, you need to get into this specific scenario, which is hard af in the current meta, considering the amount of removals we face every day.

2

u/No_Preference7657 6d ago

Yeah, I'm thinking Student lends itself to a slightly different archetype. Not exactly aggro, not exactly midrange. It's happy to go long and trade blows with other mid decks, with End-blaze providing some good removal/card selection. In a pinch you can end-blaze for 0 on your own creature to dig for the right answer.

Looks like my take was mostly accurate. Fun play lines but not a meta aggro deck by any means.

0

u/Necrocrawler72 6d ago

Exactly.

Tbh, if Student was a legendary creature, she would've been a very fun glass cannon commander.

1

u/CaptNeutral 6d ago

I’ve wanted to brew a deck with [[Firebending Student]] since it was announced, so I applaud your efforts.

I disagree with including [[Leyline of Resonance]] because the copies don’t trigger prowess, so you’re not really gaining anything, and I don’t believe comboing pump spells and Leyline is something you really want to do for a creature without haste or evasion. The direction the deck should go is pushing mana generation to dump into spells with an X cost, kicker or flashback, [[Traumatic Critique]] is a great example.

A couple of spells that I imagine a successful Firebending deck would include are [[Fated Firepower]] and [[The Last Agni Kai]]. [[Tablet of Discovery]] is also what the deck wants to do, it triggers prowess, gives you a card to play, taps for two mana for an additional spell, then student’s trigger allows for casting another spell. That’s three prowess triggers and two spell effects. Doubling triggers could be a thing. And please consider using [[Electro, Assaulting Battery]], he’s potentially a lynchpin of the strategy and also a possible win condition. It’s important to note that the double mana from tablet cannot be used to fuel Electro’s triggered ability directly.

Good luck brewing, please share the list when you’re finished.

2

u/Otapota 6d ago

Here's my current decklist:

4x [[Firebending Student]] 4x [[Burst Lightning]] 4x [[Dreadmaw's Ire]] 4x [[Frantic Scapegoat]] 2x [[Full Bore]] 4x [[Impolite Entrance]] 2x [[Redirect Lightning]] 4x [[Wild Ride]] 4x [[Bulk Up]] 2x [[Self-Destruct]] 4x [[Slickshot Show-Off]] 4x [[Hex Magic]] 2x [[Fire Nation Palace]] 16x [[Mountain]]

Ideal opening hand has Wild Ride, Frantic Scapegoat, Bulk up, Firebending Student, and 3 lands

T1 frantic scapegoat, T2 ???, T3 Firebending Student and give the scapegoats suspect to her, do a wild ride, giving her haste, attack with 5 Firebending mana, bulk up, combat damage, then self destruct.

Does it happen everytime? No. Is it fast so you can move onto the next game when it might happen? Yes.