A-Raiyuu, Storm’s Edge Brawl Deck Guide

One of the biggest benefits of Magic: The Gathering Arena is giving some cards a second chance. Cards that arrive in the paper version of Magic: The Gathering might sometimes be a little undercooked, and Arena gives Wizards of the Coast the option of giving those cards a helpful tweak.

One of those cards is Raiyuu, Storm’s Edge, who got a bit more powerful thanks to the release of a Brawl deck in Arena. Alongside a stronger Raiyuu, several other samurai also saw their stats tweaked in this aggressive and combat-focused red-white samurai-warrior deck.

A-Raiyuu, Storm’s Edge Brawl Deck List

Here’s a full list of cards in MTG Arena’s A-Raiyuu, Storm’s Edge Brawl deck.

A-Raiyuu, Storm’s Edge Brawl Deck Themes

Since this is a deck built around Raiyuu, Storm’s Edge, you need look no further than the commander to understand this deck’s theme: attack with a single Warrior or Samurai, then attack again after Raiyuu provides you with an extra combat phase.

Raiyuu’s Arena buff
comes in the form an
additional power and toughness
, making him a 4/4 instead of a 3/3. And since he has first strike, Raiyuu himself is likely to be your best option for a samurai to attack alone.

There are plenty of other cards in this Brawl deck that support the theme of a single Samurai or Warrior attacking alone. Eiganjo Exemplar provides your lonely attacking Samurai/Warrior with a temporary +1/+1 buff. Imperial Subduer taps down a potential blocker. Peerless Samurai reduces the cost of your next spell. And Asari Captain gives your lone Samurai/Warrior a power boost equal to your entire army.

Many of these cards have
also received slight alterations to their stats for Magic Arena
, so don’t expect them to be the same as their paper versions.

However, merely having an attacking army doesn’t necessarily lead to victory. A-Raiyuu, Storm’s Edge also contains a plethora of spells to remove key defenses to ensure your critters can continue to attack unabated. Ossification, Borrowed Time, and Banishing Slash remove creatures the white way, while red deals direct damage with Lightning Strike, Moonrager’s Slash, and Kami’s Flare.

The plan for A-Raiyuu, Storm’s Edge is simple. Play lands, then play creatures, and then keep attacking. Most likely you’ll play A-Raiyuu, Storm’s Edge on your fourth turn and then attack with a single Samurai or Warrior. Your opponent will defend, you’ll hopefully win (with a Lightning Strike tipping the scales), and then A-Raiyuu will trigger a second attack to crush your opponent’s defenses.

A-Raiyuu, Storm’s Edge Brawl Deck Analysis

The overall strategy for A-Raiyuu, Storm’s Edge Brawl deck is sound, but some of the card choices seem a little unfocused. For example, it has several cards like Bladegraft Aspirant and Kami’s Flare that want there to be a bunch of equipment, but the deck has exactly five.

Also, many cards only affect Warriors when the deck is both Warriors and Samurai, cutting down on their overall usefulness. Several enchantments offer removal, but at the risk of being countered by an opponent that brings anti-enchantment spells to the battle.

There’s also the usual problem that red/white faces of running out of steam. The deck is mostly creatures at 35, including A-Raiyuu, but if those creatures all die from a Wrath of God, you don’t have anything to refill your hand.

Keeping your creatures alive is paramount
. If you know your opponent is packing a lot of mass removal, be sure to keep some creatures in your hand where they’ll be safe. Just play enough creatures to keep the pressure on your opponent.

For a deck that’s focused on having more combat, A-Raiyuu could also do with more combat tricks. Cards like Ossification are good, but your opponent can see them coming. Instead, a few spells that happen at instant speed can really trip up the enemy’s game plan and give you an opening for that second combat phase.

With that, we’re going to be cutting a lot of the chaff, throwing in a few more equipment to justify the existence of some equipment-focused cards, and improving the deck’s flexibility to respond to threats while also adding a few new tricks.

Cards To Replace

Impact Tremors is gone. This isn’t a token deck, which is also why Urabrask’s Forge is getting cut.

This deck has exactly one Dragon, Atsushi, the Blazing Sky, so Kolaghan Warmonger has little value. It’s gone, and so is Atsushi.

Furnace Punisher, Magmatic Sprinter, Alabaster Host Intercessor, Cleaving Skyraider, Angel of Unity, and Emeria Camptain are all out. They have little value, are too expensive, or only affect Warriors when this deck has more Samurai.

Imodane, the Pyrohammer is a great card when paired with spells that deal direct damage to creatures. This deck has exactly five of those spells, which aren’t enough to justify her existence. Plus, she’s a Knight, not a Warrior.

Cut In, Sacred Fire, Hold for Ransom, and Moonrager’s Slash are getting cut for better removal spells. Gleeful Demolition is a good card, but you probably don’t want to blow up your own artifacts.

The Shattered States Era is too expensive and too slow for an aggressive deck. And finally, we’re getting rid of two Mountains and two Plains which are being replaced with more flexible lands and/or mana rocks.

A-Raiyuu, Storm’s Edge Brawl Deck Upgrades

We’re adding more Samurai and Warriors in place of the creatures we’ve removed, and we’re also adding a ton of flexibility and efficiency alongside those promised combat tricks. Plus a bunch of equipment, since who doesn’t love equipment?

Other Tips For Playing A-Raiyuu, Storm’s Edge

• Your success with A-Raiyuu really boils down to your ability to gauge combat exchanges and employ your tricks to the greatest effect.
• The biggest threat to this deck is an opponent with mass-removal spells. Don’t overextend by playing your entire hand even when you’ve got a clear board. You never know when an enemy is just trying to bait you into playing all your creatures just to wipe them all away with a Farewell.
• On the other hand, keep this trick in mind in mirror matchups if you draw Burn Down the House.
• Sometimes, attacking with a single Samurai or Warrior will just get that creature killed. In those cases, it’s fine to forgo A-Raiyuu’s ability in favor of an all-out assault.
• Your burn spells should usually be aimed at removing creatures, but keep in mind that Play with Fire, Sacred Fire, and Lightning Strike can just as easily be aimed at your opponent’s life total to deal just that bit of extra damage you need to win the game.
• It’s usually important for aggressive decks to have lands that can be used the turn they come into play, but with so few dual lands, A-Raiyuu is in danger of the dreaded mana screw. If you have lands like Inspiring Vantage, Furycalm Snarl, Sacred Foundry, or Clifftop Retreat, they can help avoid mana problems.