Draconus

Hey, all!

I have been tinkering with Praxis since Horus was released, trying to assemble a list using ramp that is both fun and competitive.

Plan
We're looking to flood board as quickly as possible with our big boys. In order to do this efficiently, we have our ramp tools Initiate of the Sands and Power Stone. Both are necessary in order to (quickly) reach the top-end of our curve-- Initiate is often removal bait against aggro, which makes our big boys more sticky.

Ramp is the backbone of this list but without being able to cycle, we would struggle to have things to play. Friendly Wisp, Temple Scribe, Amber Acolyte, and Heart of the Vault insure that we are reaching our threats in a consistent and efficient manner.

The Meta
At the moment, Tavrod, Auric Broker is king. He's found in a number of lists, most commonly Argenport midrange and Armo(o)ry. He's the guy to beat and to achieve that within the context of Praxis, I think we need to maintain pressure throughout turns one through five to have a chance.

With lists running Harsh Rule, Vanquish, Slay, and Auric Runehammer like candy, it becomes increasingly difficult to hold any kind of board presence. Therefore, slower cards like Xenan Obelisk and Mystic Ascendant struggle to find relevance when units are repeatedly shoved into the void.

Which brings us to...

The Initiative
So we've established that we need to keep consistent pressure while our board is getting quite literally Annihilated. So let's talk about Soulfire Drake and the controversial Waker of Ancients. I don't think you can have an opinion of Waker unless you've actually played her in a list and have gotten a feel for the card.

Waker of Ancients allows massive tempo swings that are needed to create that pressure so our opponent isn't free to play passively with removal. This card becomes even stronger when we've activated Soulfire Drake's entomb effect. Having charging 5/4s, 6/6s with killer, among other things closes the game faster than you might think.

Soulfire Drake is so strong when sibling to fatties like Heart of the Vault and Predatory Carnosaur. Also meeting face with five damage or baiting a Torch (and still getting value) is a tremendous achievement in this meta. I've ran a list with Mystic Ascendant in place of Drake and while I felt the list was decent, it's just too slow for this meta. Also, with the assistance of Obliterate, we give our list a bit more reach to knock down those pesky relic weapons and push for lethal.

The Discount
Yes, yes, Crimson Firemaw dies to hammer. But as I stated, this list is about pressure and tempo. Having an aggressively stat'd 5/4 flyer on four which threatens to allow you to play one of your fatties for real cheap the following turn is just too good. You might suggest Xenan Obelisk in place of this card but chances are you'll be embarrassed by the obscene amount of removal that exists in the meta right now.

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This list is a work in progress and I'm open to all kinds of suggestions. I just want to watch Tavrod, Auric Broker and all his Argenport friends to die in a blazing fire.