Today we are going to be doing something that I have wanted
to for some time now. The first deck I ever wrote about on this site is RUG
Threshold. As you may have noticed, the ‘article’ on it was short and lacked
polish. I think we can all agree that there is room for improvement, which is
what today’s post looks to do. Not only is this an improved version of the deck
for today’s metagame, but the article is also going to go into more detail on the
cards and general strategy of the deck. So with that, let’s revisit RUG
Threshold.
The main strength of RUG Threshold is its ability to play an
early threat and then stall the opponent long enough to win the game. The deck
does this in a variety of ways, which is what makes it so strong. Versatility
means that you can adapt to your opponent’s game plan while you continue to
employ your own. The act of doing so is known as Tempo, and RUG Threshold is
the poster child of the strategy. So how does it do these things?
Threats. One of the most important things you can do with
the deck involves dropping a threat early on. Ideally, this is done on the
first turn, so a good number of your creatures should therefore be 1-drops. In
this case, RUG’s T1 beaters are Kird Ape and Nimble Mongoose. The deployment of
fast threats is important not only to put pressure on your opponent, but also
because it means you can use the rest of your mana to stall your opponent while
maintaining that pressure.
Control. While being labeled as a Tempo deck, that usually
means that you are also a Control deck. As previously mentioned, RUG Threshold
has a variety of ways to do so at its disposal. The deck contains counter magic
to stop your opponent’s spells from resolving, while its package of Lightning
and Fire // Ice helps take care of any creatures they might be able to land.
The deck also contains forms of mana denial such as Wasteland and Stifle, which
can be crucial in stopping your opponent from casting their spells.
Threshold. The namesake of the deck, the Threshold mechanic
plays an important role in many of your strongest creatures. Both Nimble
Mongoose and Werebear require you to hit Threshold, which is why I included 4
Mental Note. Think of it as a cantrip that reads ‘add 3/7 to your Threshold’. The
card also works very well with Brainstorm. No fetch lands? No problem!
So that’s that, RUG Threshold 2.0. I hope you enjoyed
revisiting the deck, as I found it intersting to compare and contrast the two
versions. While this is not something I plan on doing that often, I can
certainly see myself revisiting other early articles in the future. And as
always, just as I have revised RUG Threshold. I encourage you all to tinker and
do the same. Happy Brewing!
RUG Threshold
Revisited
Land:
4 Volcanic Island
4 Tropical Island
4 Wasteland
7 Fetch lands
Total: 19
Creatures:
4 Kird Ape
4 Nimble Mongoose
4 Werebear
1 Serendib Efreet
Total: 13
Spells:
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Force of Will
4 Daze
4 Stifle
4 Brainstorm
3 Fire // Ice
1 Chain Lightning
4 Mental Note
Total: 28
Sideboard:
2 Grim Lavamancer
4 Tormod’s Crypt
1 Misdirection
2 Pyroblast
1 Red Elemental
Blast
2 Chain of Vapors
3 Counterspell
