Puppet Master

This deck just made me think of that movie franchise when I saw all the creepy toys we had to choose from. I figured I’d put together a Tribal deck. Nothing special, but it’s been performing well for me on the ladder. It’s kind of a mix of Boros Burn and Boros Convoke Aggro (without the convoke), with a lot of creatures that are just annoying to kill as they plink away at the opponent, and we finish them off with the plethora of burn spells we have at our disposal. The deck has a surprisingly good amount of interaction that can get us out of tough situations and really dish out the damage.

The Creatures:

Clockwork Percussionist – One of the best one-drops in the game, and when it dies, you get a free card. What’s not to love? It’s one of those creatures your opponent hates to waste removal on, but will regret it it if they don’t spank this monkey.
Piggy Bank – A solid creature, and even in death, it’s still helpful. While it doesn’t have great synergy with some of our other toys’ abilities, it still brings home the bacon.
Splitskin Doll – A great card advantage tool and a decent attacker. It also has great synergy with our next card, so keep an eye on your skin!
Arabella, Abandoned Doll – A scary little thing. Not too menacing at first, but its ability can really sneak in a win. If you can keep it alive, it won’t abandon you.

The Spells:

Burst Lightning – Replaces Shock and is better in every way. Early game burn or late game big burn when you pay the kicker and burst your opponent’s bubble.
Gleeful Demolition – Since most of our creatures are artifacts and benefit us when they go to the graveyard, this spell packs a lot of value. More bodies on the field to go wide or block, and a great combo with Warleader's Call, making you shout with glee.
Helping Hand – A utility card that can get some of our creatures back in a pinch, especially Arabella, Abandoned Doll. It’s just a handy card to throw in.
Get Lost – Solid removal for those big threats that need to be dealt with. Hopefully, they don’t find their way back.
Grab the Prize – Great card draw with a chance of a little burn on top to help grab control of the game.
Lightning Helix – Burn anything and, on top of it, gain some life back.
Boros Charm – So many options! Protect our creatures when we have a wide board, sneak in a double strike when a little piggy goes unblocked, or just smack the stuffing out of your opponent!
Warleader's Call – Combines both of our deck strategies: burn and aggro. Drop creatures in to get the little plinks of damage, or just overwhelm them and show them what playtime is all about.

Sideboard Mention:

Midnight Mayhem – This card has saved me a few times, but I swapped it out for Boros Charm when it became available. Mayhem has great synergy with the deck, but its cost is high on our curve. Still, the life gain comes in handy.

The Gameplan:

Get hits in when you can, as the game might come down to the wire. Your creatures are mostly expendable, but so much so that your opponent might choose not to kill them, believing that’s what you want them to do. This works to our advantage in the long run. That’s a sneaky advantage of this deck: something like Piggy Bank could easily be swapped for a powerhouse like Slickshot Show-Off. The latter would be instantly killed, while the Piggy might get a hit in, as not to give you a mana advantage. Both have their pros and cons, but in this case, I’m liking the little bits of damage.

This deck can go pretty hard against other aggro builds but really hits a wall against life-gain decks. It goes full aggro but can switch heavily to burn to close out the game.

Hope you enjoy this deck as much as I do! Feel free to reach out if you’d like to see more of my decks, and tag me if you use this build. Happy toying around!