As Fast as Monored - Venerated Rotpriest + Mockingbird is Crazy | MTG Arena Standard Combo

Bringing back the Venerated Rotpriest combo deck with the Mockingbird clone.
Decklist: aetherhub.com/...
Discord: / discord
#mtg #mtgarena #mtgstandard #controldeck
Deck
4 Mockingbird (BLB) 61
3 Forest (ZNR) 279
4 Venerated Rotpriest (ONE) 192
4 Island (ZNR) 270
3 Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief (DMU) 201
4 Shore Up (BLB) 69
4 Royal Treatment (WOE) 183
4 Snakeskin Veil (OTJ) 181
4 Tyvar's Stand (ONE) 190
4 Experimental Augury (ONE) 49
4 Combat Research (DMU) 44
4 Botanical Sanctum (OTJ) 267
4 Hedge Maze (MKM) 262
4 Yavimaya Coast (DMU) 261
4 Aspirant's Ascent (ONE) 40
2 Mirrex (ONE) 254

[@HansMuller-rk9hc]

Just to give some hints on how to improve: The strong cards are gold rush and serum snare.
So ivy on the field gives you +6+6 stats for 0 mana. And Serum Snare can proliferate poison and +1+1 counters.
The fact that people only see rotpriest decks with 2 copies in opening hand is, that you have a secondary strategy to back those up.
Meaning you need to be able to play a normal game with for example frogs or cookies.
So you would use gold rush as a pump spell for damage and life gain and counters with wurmlet.
Or Serum Snare can proliferate your wurmlet while removing a blocker.
And Mocking Bird can copy the wurmlet.
Meaning when you go first with a hand like wurmlet/mocking bird/gold rush/ serum snare / ivy .
Your plays just do not look like you have 4 rotpriests waiting in your deck.
While you can kill your opponent on turn 3. With Rotpriest -> Ivy -> Mocking Bird -> Gold Rush -> Snare

[@bobibrews]

@@HansMuller-rk9hc that could work, but it's more of a balanced deck. I was trying to see if going all in on the Rotpriest as a combo deck worked, which I would say it doesn't. Going 4-4 is respectable in this meta, but I wouldn't play it to rank up.
Your version sounds like it should be a more meta-adapted version that is less combo, more resilient.

[@Rucarlos]

I don't see Rotpriest decks often, but when I do they always have like 2 copies in the opening hand

[@bobibrews]

@Rucarlos I did not have that much luck this time. Last game I had 3, but I was on mull to 4 and didn't have any green lands. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@SlimeHudson]

any reason you're not running invasion of ikoria? yeah it's not march of burgeoning life but it's still a 3 mana tutor for rotpriest onto the battlefield

[@bobibrews]

@@SlimeHudson that's a good callout. I was missing the March postrotation and forgot about that invasion cause I've never found a good deck for it. This is as good a home for it as any.

[@Polyakovlosha24]

The same problem - no rotpriest in your starting hand - you can not win

[@bobibrews]

@@Polyakovlosha24 Yup. This is as one-trick-pony as it gets.

[@109968shadowboy]

I run the draw card and give a poison to make up for the no rot priest.

[@bobibrews]

@@109968shadowboy That makes sense. It helps cycle through the deck and provides some reach. What would you cut?

[@109968shadowboy]

@@bobibrews I tried the attack cards that give flying and toxic but because the monster count is so low I feel like they’re not needed even though they have synergy with the rot priest. With how shitty the shuffler is having the ability to start poison will complement the proliferation.
I just feel like it is missing another win con or something to push the counters better.

[@bobibrews]

@@109968shadowboy I've seen this more as a bant or Golgari toxic deck that is less about Rotpriest and more about aggro poison. It's more resilient, but I wanted to try pure combo so that you wouldn't have to.
If you really want toxic aggro, probably bant is best.

[@109968shadowboy]

@@bobibrews I agree with that for sure. The deck will pop off and it feels so unfair but only when you’ve got the right stuff.
With how black and rackdos are in the meta it really does feel bad to play this deck.

[@yesterdayds]

Poison Ivy is fun, but as fast as mono- red it is not. Mono Red is now winning regularly on turn 3 and can win on turn 2 with the right draw. The new red leyline needs to be banned.

[@bobibrews]

@yesterdayds Yeah, you need more to go right with this deck to win turn 3 than you do for monored to win rurn 3.
I don't know why they are printing that red Leyline. They might have to ban in in Bo1. I doubt it will be a problem in Bo3.

[@SlapshockPlays]

a lame deck. i had to delete the deck after a few games. all you get are dead cards.

[@bobibrews]

@@SlapshockPlays that is the right action.