This is a tuned version of a Zuberi list I got from MarvinTheImp, which it looks like he himself got from
sifudanny. I want to give them full credit for initiating the list, which I've linked
here. I've just tinkered with the power base a little bit.
Why the new power base?
After playing with his list for a while, I felt a little pressed for two things- undepleted power and Justice influence. I wanted to retool the deck to focus consistently on improving my odds of having turns 2 and 3 plays, as I find the deck to perform very well in the mid-to-late game, but was having trouble getting off the line against aggressive decks. I also wasn't hitting JJJ for Icaria on 8 as often as I'd like, and was sometimes even missing JJ on curve for
Harsh Rule. From Marvin's list, I shaved a
Heart of the Vault and a
Rise to the Challenge in exchange for two
Bulletshapers, which gave me extra Justice and Fire influence as well as an early body to get in the way of
Oni Ronins and the like. The acceleration isn't particularly relevant most of the time, but it's not negligible either. Playing a turn 4 or 5
Heart of the Vault against aggressive decks shouldn't be underestimated. Adding the Justice and Fire influence from the two
Bulletshapers made me comfortable going down a Fire source (
Seat of Glory) and up a
Justice Sigil, which did wonders for the undepleted power situation.
Rise to the Challenge always felt a bit slow to me in my initial testing, so I wasn't heartbroken losing it. The second cut being a
Heart of the Vault was a conscious effort to demand less Time sources, but it's obviously extremely powerful, and I could see switching it back in for a
Purify very easily. I have in fact tested that version, and it seems alright.
Why pair Rakano with Time instead of Shadow?
That's the big question. FJS Cookbook is obviously very popular right now, and losing
Vara, Vengeance-Seeker,
Slay, and
Statuary Maiden is a real cost. For me, the overwhelming most important reason is
Desert Marshal. This little guy is in the exact right place right now. He's incredible against
Champion of Fury and great against most parts of both Skycrag Aggro and Haunted Highway. He's also instrumental against Talir Combo (where silencing
Auralian Merchant is a huge game) and
Caiphus, Wandering King decks. Having 7 maindeck silence effects and more available via the Merchant is exactly where I want to be right now.
Heart of the Vault is a secondary concern, but with Cookbook increasingly a target for
Bores and other relic hate, unconditional card advantage feels great to have. Will FTJ continue to be the best Cookbook shell? Is it even the best shell right now? I'm not sure. It feels pretty powerful to me, though.