Hello everyone. With such a quick turnaround time between Lorwyn Eclipsed and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, I'm doing things a little differently than normal. Usually, I bring you a series of articles where I look at decks focusing around a specific color. But, this time I'm changing things up a little bit.

I'll still bring you one deck that is a single-colored deck, with two other decks being comprised of the remaining colors. Last week, I brought you a Mono-Black deck, so this week, you'll get a Mono-Red one. Let's get started.

Mono-Red Aggro

I always start things off with a mono-colored deck, which happens to be my favorite color this time, Red. Let's check out the deck.

Mono-Red Aggro | ECL Standard | Spuga, aetherhub.com user

• Creatures (26)
• 2 Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might // Temple of Power
• 4 Burnout Bashtronaut
• 4 Fanatical Firebrand
• 4 Hexing Squelcher
• 4 Hired Claw
• 4 Nova Hellkite
• 4 Razorkin Needlehead

• Instants (12)
• 4 Burst Lightning
• 4 Lightning Strike
• 4 Shock

• Lands (22)
• 18 Mountain
• 4 Soulstone Sanctuary

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Hexing Squelcher is a terrific card for two mana. The fact that it both is uncounterable and provides uncounterable to your spells, while also having and providing ward 2 to your creatures brings a ton of value. With that being said, you'll want to get out there and cause as much damage as you can with this Goblin Sorcerer while you can, because it's sure to be a target for your opponent's removal spells.

In fact, this deck is chockfull of creatures your opponent must deal with. Fanatical Firebrand can attack for some fast damage, or can be sacrificed to act as removal. Burnout Bashtronaut can gain double strike with ease since this deck has direct damage spells that can target your opponent. Even Razorkin Needlehead has to be dealt with quickly, as it will deal 1 point of damage to your opponent each time your opponent draws a card.

In the late game stages of a match, you'll want to play Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might. While this God is in play, any Red source you control that deals noncombat damage will deal a minimum of 4 points of damage. That makes sacrificing your Fanatical Firebrand even more powerful if you're able to wait a while.

The damage dealt by both Hired Claw and Nova Hellkite is boosted, and it also makes every noncreature spell in this deck a massive threat. This boosted damage should allow you to win the game within a turn or two.

Azorius Flash

Next, I'll take a look at a White/Blue deck that wants to hold its mana open in order to play nearly every card in its deck on the opponent's turn. Let's take a look at the deck.

Azorius Flash | ECL Standard | HelloGoodGame, aetherhub.com user

• Creatures (27)
• 2 Aang, Swift Savior // Aang and La, Ocean's Fury
• 2 Enduring Curiosity
• 2 Glen Elendra Guardian
• 2 Kutzil's Flanker
• 2 Resolute Reinforcements
• 2 The Wandering Rescuer
• 3 Spectral Sailor
• 4 Disruptor of Currents
• 4 Floodpits Drowner
• 4 Invasion Reinforcements

• Instants (11)
• 3 Into the Flood Maw
• 4 Get Lost
• 4 No More Lies

• Enchantments (2)
• 2 Virtue of Loyalty

• Lands (20)
• 4 Plains
• 5 Island
• 1 Fabled Passage
• 2 Multiversal Passage
• 4 Floodfarm Verge
• 4 Hallowed Fountain

• Sideboard (11)
• 1 Anafenza, Unyielding Lineage
• 1 Cathar Commando
• 1 Doorkeeper Thrull
• 1 Rhys, the Evermore
• 1 Tishana's Tidebinder
• 1 Werefox Bodyguard
• 1 Elspeth's Smite
• 1 Into the Flood Maw
• 1 Spring-Loaded Sawblades
• 1 Aang's Iceberg
• 1 Lofty Dreams

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With the exception of Virtue of Loyalty, which can also be played as an Adventure (Ardenvale Fealty), every card in this deck has the ability to be played on your opponent's turn. No longer do you need to fear tapping all of your mana to cast a creature only to have it snuffed out by your opponent's Instant speed removal.

They'll still be able to use that Instant to remove your creature, but if they want to do it the moment it enters the battlefield, they'll likely be doing it during their own turn, which won't leave that mana available during your turn.

In addition to Flash, both Disruptor of Currents and The Wandering Rescuer have Convoke. Since you're able to use creatures that just entered the battlefield this turn to help with Convoking a spell, you'll often be able to bring enough creatures into play to overwhelm your opponent.

In a similar manner, the Waterbending ability found on Aang, Swift Savior can be paid in full or in part by tapping your creatures, and you are able to tap creatures for this even if they have entered play this turn.

The transformed side of Aang, Swift Savior, Aang and La, Ocean's Fury, has both reach and trample, allowing it to be an effective blocker or attacker depending on your need. As an attacker, you'll put a +1/+1 counter on each tapped creature you control when Aang and La attacks, turning your meager force into powerful threats very quickly.

Golgari Slivers

The final deck I have for you is a Black/Green deck that features a creature type that got a lot of support from Changelings. Let's take a look at the deck.

Golgari Slivers | ECL Standard | AbojiiMTG, aetherhub.com user

• Creatures (12)
• 4 Blossoming Tortoise
• 4 Llanowar Elves
• 4 Mutable Explorer

• Instants (4)
• 4 Requiting Hex

• Sorceries (8)
• 4 Deadly Cover-Up
• 4 Shared Roots

• Enchantments (4)
• 4 Unholy Annex // Ritual Chamber

• Artifacts (8)
• 4 Firdoch Core
• 4 Thrumming Hivepool

• Lands (24)
• 4 Forest
• 4 Swamp
• 2 Ba Sing Se
• 2 Fabled Passage
• 2 Restless Cottage
• 2 Soulstone Sanctuary
• 4 Overgrown Tomb
• 4 Wastewood Verge

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Mutable Explorer is one of my favorite creatures from Lorwyn Eclipsed. When this Shapeshifter enters play, you'll create a tapped Mutavault token. This is important, because that Mutavault token can be used to boost your mana production each turn. It will also be able to be used as a creature whenever you need it to be, plus it counts as having all creature types.

Another neat card from Lorwyn Eclipsed is Firdoch Core. While I don't think this Artifact is destined to become the next mana rock of choice, it works very well in this deck. Like the Mutavault token Mutable Explorer creates, Firdoch Core has the Changeling ability, giving it every creature type. It also taps for mana and can become a creature for when you need it.

Having as many creatures with the Changeling ability is important, because they are the only creatures in Standard that can help you cast Thrumming Hivepool for less than six mana. They also receive all of the benefits Thrumming Hivepool has to offer. Double Strike and Haste are nothing to sneeze at, and you'll often be able to attack for a lot of unexpected damage the turn this Artifact comes into play.

Once you have a copy of Thrumming Hivepool in play, you'll begin creating new 1/1 Sliver tokens during your upkeep, keeping the pressure on your opponent.

Wrapping Up

While certain color combinations might not always excite me, I'm looking forward to trying out each of these decks. Normally Golgari decks aren't my cup of tea, but I think I'm more excited to try this one out than the Mono-Red deck.

What do you think of these decks? Feel free to share this article with your friends anywhere on social media. And be sure to join me here again next week as I continue my search for innovative decks in Standard. I'll see you then!

- Mike Likes