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For my reject rare challenge, I've chosen a bad uncommon. Yeah, that's right: "Screw you, authority!"
In a way, bad uncommons are worse than bad rares, as you probably have more of them lying around in your unused box, wailing out to you like a banshee in the night. However, for our purposes this is a good thing, as we're going to want four of...
The Mogg Cannon.
This bad boy makes creatures bigger, gives them evasion, and makes them die. This is beneficial in several ways. You can "break" Mogg Cannon by utilizing a few of the following:
1. Use creatures that don't stick around until the end of the turn (such as Viashino Sandstalker.)
2.Use creatures that are going to die anyway (like Ball Lightning and Blistering Firecat).
3. Use creatures that you want to die (like Academy Rector, Symbiotic Beast, or Rukh Egg).
4. Use creatures that aren't yours.
The most interesting point here is the last one, since it allows you to whack your opponent with his best creatures, then kill them by loading them into your hideous suicide machine. Some of the best cards in this category are Red - cards like Threaten, Blind with Anger, and Temporary Insanity. Red also has several good cards in the other categories as well - so actually, Mogg Cannon is custom-made for red! Behold:
Mono-Red Mogg Cannon
4 Mogg Cannon
4 Ball Lightning
4 Viashino Sandstalker
4 Threaten
4 Blind with Anger
2 Rukh Egg
2 Temporary Insanity
2 Viashino Cutthroat
2 Pyroclasm
4 Mana acceleration cards (Chrome Moxen and Sol Ring if you've got em, or Fire Diamond and Talismans if you don't)
4 Lightning Bolt/Incinerate/Magma Jet/Shock/whatever
20 Mountains
4 Ghitu Encampment
This deck subjugates pure aggro, as you systematically destroy their little guys with your burn and Pyroclasms and then load their big boys into the cannon and send them packing. Six mana with an active cannon or two should spell doom for an aggro deck. Use a Threaten on any big flying blockers they have, and then load a Ball Lightning or Sandstalker into the cannon. That's an easy ten-plus damage right there - and all at the low low cost of destroying your opponent's best creature. (And a card, and the Cannon - The Ferrett, who doesn't want to get too eager about this)
There is also a mono-blue version of this deck that uses Ray of Command, Treachery, Legacy's Allure, and Vedalken Shackles and relies slightly less on the Cannon, as a lot of your theft cards can be permanent. However, this is supposed to be a showcase on the goon-launcher, so there's not a lot of fun to be had just stealing everything forever. You want it flying through the air at 700 mph, screaming all the way.
Also, consider splashing White into the mono red version in order to run some more control-ish cards like Wall of Hope (a great combo with Breath of Darigaaz or some other Earthquake-style effect) and Captain's Maneuver. I find this version runs much better in multiplayer, as you can even use False Prophet as a political type of board sweeper - not unlike the Pernicious Deed shenanigans that Anthony Alongi dreams about.
Furthermore, if you really love the cannon, consider looking at the more expensive Fodder Cannon as well. It feels more at home in an Arcane deck with Cunning Bandit, though, so you can actually afford to steal a creature and blast something with it in the same turn.
Finally, I offer you a small bad rare bonus section!
- General's Regalia plus Cho-Manno is a three-mana Circle of Protection: Everything.
- Sunder is a crazy card that lets Gro-A-Tog remove lands and not have to splash White for Armageddon.
- Phyrexian Tyranny can be stupid in a deck with Howling Mine, and tons of Draw-Sevens. Combo it with Obstinate Familiar or Words of War. Oh yeah!
- I'm sure that Inner Sanctum can be broken somehow.... Good luck.
Salvaging Station and Pentavus is mad synergy in a deck packed full of Spellbombs.
Peace,
Owen Leskovar (oleskovar at hotmail.com)
