Devastating Red version 2 - FNM Performance

The Goblin Bushwhacker - Devastating Summons combo is really devastating to the part of aggro decks likewise with control decks with DOJ's. I have seen many faces frown while putting up this combo during the fourth turn for the win. But being the meat of this deck, I made a few changes from last week's deck and placed a play set of Devastating summons and bushwhacker into the main deck just to have greater chance of drawing them. However, you have to note that you can read your opponents well when playing this deck, as sacrificing your lands early is a suicide reset button given your opponent can survive the turn your summons attack.

Basically, the modified deck finished great with a 3-1 record, admittedly lost by sheer misplay and wrong decision in my part, causing me to risk playing summons when he had a one card-hand, too bad it was negate. Of course, you can all argue that it's a bad move, but I did it to explore the gameplay of the deck and see whether it can manage to come back after a failed devastating summons play. But I noticed that an early failed devastating summons can be very difficult for recovery, but I did manage to recover/cast summons in late game for 3 to 4 lands, just to make sure you still have some lands to cast your burn spells in the next turns. Anyway, the changes are summarized below:


Main deck changes:
-5 mountains
-2 hellspark elemental
-1 burst lightning
+4 Arid mesa
+1 Goblin Bushwhacker
+1 Devastating summons
+2 Staggershock


Sideboard Changes:
-1 pithing needle
-1 Goblin Bushwhacker
-1 Devastating summons
-1 burst lightning
-2 chain reaction
+2 earthquake
+4 unstable footing

Final List of Version 2 Red Deck with Devastating Summons and Goblin Bushwhacker

Lands (23)
4 teetering peaks
4 scalding tarn
4 arid mesa
11 mountains

Creatures (21)
4 ball lightning
2 hellspark elemental
3 hell's thunder
4 goblin guide
4 plated geopede
4 goblin bushwhacker

Sorceries (4)
4 devastating summons

Instants (12)
4 seering blaze
4 lightning bolt
2 burst lightning
2 Staggershock

sideboard (15)
3 manabarbs
2 pithing needle
2 punishing fire
4 earthquake
4 Unstable footing

Key points and observations:
- summons plus bushwhacker is a risk so try to read the opponent's deck carefully. If the deck thrives with removals like path to exile, purge and other spot removals that are cheap to cast, the risk of successful devastating summons can be high. But if your opponents have burn spells, DOJ's, then the combo can hurt them as early as turn 4.

- you can cast 2 summons in turn 4, you can have 4 2/2 creatures while sacrificing 4 lands in turn 4. and just having enough mana to play and kick the goblin to swing for 14 damage!

- unstable footing can kill kor firewalker, IF and only IF, the firewalker is blocking your creature, the spell's effect doesn't make the firewalker's protection ability prevent the damage so the firewalker can be killed. Also, note that you can kill the firewalker by casting pyroclasm/volcanic fallout with unstable footing.

- I think this version is better than the first version since it is easier to handle with additional removal spells and greater chances to cast the combo.

- Staggershock is a great addition since it can kill 2 creatures with rebound ability. or deal 4 damage to the opponent. When dealing damage to the opponent, it is more 'dramatic' to cast it at the end of the turn of your opponent, so that the rebound ability quickly resolves during the start of your upkeep.