5C Cascade - BeckerDotDec 2.0

I've done a lot of play testing with this deck and I've found that the 8 to 10 lower spells (Converted Mana Cost of 3 or less) are the core of the deck. The deck changes dramatically when these spells change. The Mike Flores BeckerDotDec with its 4 Blightning and 4 Esper Charms as the 8 lower spells simply shred opponent's hands making them dependent on their top deck. I've found several decks that are quite a bad match-up for this strategy. Grixis Control counters these spells, draws more than discards, and often runs double negative main deck, and there isn't anything to stop their Cruel from going off except Deny Reality and there are no answers for Sphinx of Jwar Isle. Boros and Red Deck Wins (RDW) often empties their hands before much can be discarded and end up running off their top deck even without discard. I have also found it inconsistent against its "best match-up" Jund, after all Jund also Blightnings and many things that 5c Cascade can do. I also found that when running all 5 colors one must take full advantage of the sideboard.

The 2nd strategy that I tried was life gain (in addition to the Baneslayers and Captured Sunlight) the lower spells being quality creatures with lifelink. After hearing about the Naya Lightsaber commentaries that Naya simply runs better quality cards than many other decks and began thinking what are the best cards available. I ended up deciding on Rhox War Monk and Vampire Nighthawk. I had 1 Jenara for a while but the lack of lifelink was detrimental to the deck. The reason Blightning and Esper Charm were originally chosen was for the obvious 2 for 1 card advantage but if the hand is empty Blightning turns into a lightning bolt that only targets players (and planeswalkers) and Esper Charm usually draws you two lands (27 land deck.) While the RWM and VN often garner 2 for 1 and absorb removal leaving your Baneslayers to smash face. They also give you the crucial life gain against the meta-aggro. I found that with the lower spells being these lifelink creatures that its not as good against Jund and Grixis. So the sideboard changed dramatically (I used to run Blightning and Esper Charm in the side.) After seeing the Spread 'em deck I didn't see a reason why this deck couldn't convert to a Spread 'em deck after board. This works exceptionally well against many decks in the meta right now (including Valakut and Crypt.) The only other decks were decks that gain control through enchantments like Luminarch Ascension and artifacts like Eldrazi Monument (So I'm trying Solemn Offering.) So here is what after hours of play testing has created.

Non-Land

3 Baneslayer Angel

4 Bituminous Blast

4 Bloodbraid Elf

4 Captured Sunlight

4 Deny Reality

4 Enlisted Wurm

1 Maelstrom Nexus (thinking about changing this to Angel's Mercy)

1 Rafiq of the Many (thinking about changing this to Angel's Mercy)

4 Rhox War Monk

4 Vampire Nighthawk

Land

2 Arcane Sanctum

3 Crumbling Necropolis

4 Exotic Orchard

1 Forest

1 Island

2 Jungle Shrine

1 Marsh Flats

1 Mountain

2 Plains

4 Rupture Spire

3 Savage Lands

2 Seaside Citadel

1 Swamp

SideBoard

3 Ardent Plea

4 Convincing Mirage

4 Solemn Offering (I'm thinking about getting rid of these for Day of Judgement, possibly 3 Day and 1 more Ardent Plea)

4 Spreading Seas

Against the Meta

Boros, Vampires, and Red Deck Wins

Keep the Same

Jund and the new Esper Deck (choke out the white mana)

-4 Deny Reality

-4 Vampire Nighthawk

-2 Enlisted Wurm

-1 Angel's Mercy

+3 Ardent Plea

+4 Convincing Mirage

+4 Spreading Seas

Grixis

-4 Bituminous Blast

-4 Rhox War Monk

+3 Ardent Plea

+4 Spreading Seas

+1 Convincing Mirage

(Save Nighthawk for Sphinx of Jwar Isle, Deny Reality land)

Eldrazi Green

-4 Enlisted Wurm

+4 Solemn Offering

The hardest match-ups so far has been the new Esper deck and Naya Lightsaber