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Main » Articles » Chandra Brews

Chandra Brews

Adrian Sullivan
Posted on July 5, 2019
 Reddit

Core Set 2020 might be new, but it sure has me feeling nostalgic.

In part, that might be because I was an early adopter when it came to Chandra.

I loved Chandra Nalaar right away. Initially, it was because Chandra Nalaar could take down a Tarmogoyf, but later it was because it could take down Baneslayer Angel. Most people had it pegged as the worst of the Lorwyn Planeswalkers, but I just kept finding success with it, so it always had a corner of my heart.

Also on memory lane lately is a much more unusual card:

Obsidian Fireheart

This was a hell of a cool card, especially because of how inexorable the card was. It was such a huge body for the time but if you got to untap, any long game would inevitably go your way.

Of course, together, these to cards have me thinking about a very specific card in the new set:

Chandra, Awakened Inferno

Talk about retro! For one more mana than Chandra Nalaar, you add on the ability to take out planeswalkers, as well as the uncounterable portion of the card. Without the need for an additional mana investment, you can get an even better inevitable kill than Obsidian Fireheart, and you get to add a sweeper on top of it.

This is fantastic stuff.

Thinking about these cards took me down a fun memory lane:

Sully Sligh | Zendikar Standard | Adrian Sullivan, 8th Place, SCG Open

One of the things I absolutely loved about this deck is that you started out so wildly aggressive, but if you were playing against a deck that could head to a long game, you could sideboard to meet them. Take this potential post-board configuration of spells:

This set of spells is very nearly the kind of setup you'd see for a Big Red deck, but, of course, we really haven't seen a Big Red deck do well in a while. Currently, the big reason we don't see Big Red is that one of the best decks in Standard has long been Red - normal, old Red. Red, as we normally see it, pushed over Big Red because of one card:

Experimental Frenzy

As a result of this card, Red just wallops Big Red in a long game. Typically, even if Big Red wanted to run this card themselves, they still lose, because their slower, more expensive spells mean they tend to be behind in the life race and if they should get an Experimental Frenzy down, they can cast less spells.

Fortunately, as I wrote last week, Red now has an answer. With my answer at the red-dy (har-dee-har), I reapproached Big Red with a vengeance.

I basically came to two takes, both centering a different Core Set 2020 card.

Cavalier of Flame
Chandra, Acolyte of Flame

I'm sure there is a deck that could make use of both of these cards. They are both incredibly powerful, but the two Red decks I came to both were working to maximize these cards.

Let's hit Chandra, Acolyte of Flame first.

This card, in many ways, just makes me think of Snapcaster Mage.

Chandra Burn | Core Set 2020 Standard | Adrian Sullivan

My initial build of this deck tried to push Chandra, Acolyte of Flame a bit more, including Electrostatic Field and even more Instants and Sorceries. Eventually, though, I came to a simple conclusion: there were just a large number of creatures that I wanted to run! Ember Hauler joined the team of regulars,

Skewer the Critics also came back, in large part, because there needed to be enough cards for Chandra, Acolyte of Flame to target. There are enough ways to deal damage for Spectacle to be a reasonable expectation, but not so many that four feels correct. Still, a mid- or late-game six damage from Skewer plus Chandra feels excellent.

Even with these extra spells, I felt like I was pushing it at three copies of Chandra, Acolyte of Flame. Just having it make two 1/1 elementals is not a reasonable reason to play her. This is why, in part, I also have Chandra, Fire Artisan. I could also imagine Chandra, Acolyte of Flame pumping up other planeswalkers, especially the two Sarkhan and Angrath, the Flame-Chained, but I haven't explored those yet.

While this was fun, it wasn't as intriguing as going down the path offered by a Big Red deck employing Cavalier of Flame.

A 6/5 for five mana is reasonable when paired with abilities that matter, and every one of Cavalier of Flame's abilities is a big deal. Filtering through cards in hand is huge, and it immediately ask us a question: can we find more ways to discard cards or take advantage of discarding cards?

One of the big potential payoffs is Glint-Horn Buccaneer, which can easily put forth the threat of a ton of damage in conjunction with Cavalier of Flame or other discard abilities, and is quite serviceable on its own. Between Neheb, Dreadhorde Champion, Cavalier of Flame, and Chandra's Regulator, there are quite a few cards that can help out the Buccaneer while still being good on their own. Even without help, a late-game Glint-Horn Buccaneer can create a powerful filtering effect so long as you've held onto a single card to fuel it.

While I'm still toying with the details, I'm excited about this initial build:

Big Red | Core Set 2020 Standard | Adrian Sullivan

I'm absolutely loving the Cavalier of Flame deck. It provides enough access to scary, damaging cards that Command the Dreadhorde doesn't get to necessarily run away with the game without a lot of help from Wildgrowth Walker, it has access to difficult to deal with cards for control, and enough haste to pressure planeswalkers. I can tell the deck is close, even if I'm also certain the numbers are off more than I'd like.

Neheb, Dreadhorde Champion is at its worst versus Teferi, Time Raveler, if only because it is an expensive creature that might not get to do anything before being bounced. That being said, the other creatures in the mix (including Chandra, Acolyte of Flame's elementals) can help be a part of punishing Teferi, Time Raveler, and there is plenty of incidental damage to ruin someone's day.

Chandra's Regulator feels surprising in the deck. With so many discard outlets at large, running three did not feel excessive, and the duplication of Chandra abilities has felt so good, I've ended up diversifying my Chandras! Even the weakest of the lot, Chandra, Novice Pyromancer feels excellent when you have a Chandra's Regulator in the mix, and when you don't, the extra mana is something the deck can make use of.

One card I've been looking for is a solid way to sacrifice Cavalier of Flame that feels worthwhile. Thud seems to be the best one thus far, but not good enough for me to actually play, though maybe I just need to lean into it, discarding it when bad, and doing 6+ graveyard lands when it is good.

Finally, Chandra, Awakened Inferno has been playing beautifully in this deck. It doesn't kill any of our own creatures with her -3 ability, and the other two abilities are versatile enough that the deck is able to pivot between more aggressive and more controlling depending on its needs.

Each of these decks only has four Chandra each, but I wish I could figure out how to fit in more, I've been loving her many incarnations so much!

The imminent Prerelease for Core Set 2020 is upon us, and while I'm finally now settled into my apartment in Brooklyn, I don't actually think I'll be able to make an event. If I do, though, look for me somewhere in Brooklyn-land this Sunday, where I'll be ecstatic to be casting Chandra-based spells, just like I have been on Arena. Also, now that I'm set up again, you can see me streaming again soon!

I'll see you, Chandra in hand!

- Adrian Sullivan

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TAGS articles, standard, constructed, analysis, decklist, adrian sullivan, core set 2020 standard, 07052019

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