Top 8 Solar Flare Deck

October 12, 2011 | Posted by Dee

Solar Flare was the best performing deck in last weekend’s StarCityGames Standard Open in Nashville. There were four copies of the deck in the top 8 and the top 16 had three more copies.

Solar Flare is an Esper Control deck with a small reanimation aspect. It’s not as flashy or powerful as a dedicated Esper Reanimation deck but with the loss of power, it gains a lot of consistency by being able to play more utility cards. Also, it is less vulnerable to graveyard hate because it attacks from a couple different angles.

Out of the top 8 decks, my favorite Solar Flare list was played by David Thomas. Check it out.

Solar Flare

Creatures (9)

Spells (25)

Lands (26)

Sideboard (15)

The other Solar Flare lists in the top 8 have certain things I don’t like. Christian Valenti’s deck did not have Liliana of the Veil. Now this may be a good move in certain metagames. For example, I don’t think Liliana is that great if red aggro and token decks are all over the place. However, with Solar Flare doing well, you definitely want to play her since she is a key card in the mirror.

Jonathan Medina and Trey Viers did not play Mana Leak in their Solar Flare lists. I think Mana Leak is a solid card in the mirror. Also, you’ll want to have some counterspells to keep Primeval Titan from resolving. The deck that won the tournament was a Kessig Wolf Run ramp deck that uses the green Titan to find Inkmoth Nexus and Kessig Wolf Run for the infect kill.

David Thomas’ list plays many cards that are commonly seen in Solar Flare decks. For example, he’s got the Sun Titan and Phantasmal Image combo. This combo is one of the most powerful things you can do for six mana in Standard. Casting Sun Titan and bringing back Phantasmal Image gives you two Sun Titans, plus the three drop from the second Titan, which could be Oblivion Ring or Liliana of the Veil. That’s a ton of value for just six mana.

Even if you don’t see Sun Titan, Phantasmal Image is good on its own against many decks. For only two mana, it provides a good tempo play by copying creatures ranging from Blade Splicer and Acidic Slime to Titans and Wurmcoil Engine. Also, it has great utility because it can destroy Geist of Saint Traft and Thrun, the Last Troll by the legendary rule.

Snapcaster Mage fits the deck well because it allows you to cast instants that go to the graveyard from Liliana and Forbidden Alchemy. Even if you don’t see those cards, being able to rebuy sorceries and instants is a strong ability.

Oblivion Ring is one of the best reasons to play white. It stops just about anything from planeswalkers and creatures to enchantments and artifacts. The exile effect is useful versus Wurmcoil Engine and other Unburial Rites decks.

Ghost Quarter is no Tectonic Edge but it should gain more value as Wolf Run Ramp gains popularity. It’s nice to have the option of destroying Kessig Wolf Run. Also, you can take out an Inkmoth Nexus and not have to spend a Doom Blade. Ghost Quarter can be reused with Sun Titan so that’s another plus.

The sideboard has some nice tech. Ratchet Bomb is a two mana wrath against tokens. Elesh Norn is a great Unburial Rites target that destroys small creature decks.

Dissipate is good in the mirror and versus reanimator decks. Also, having a hard counterspell is good against Wolf Run Ramp since it relies heavily on Primeval Titan.

Surgical Extraction is excellent against graveyard decks especially when you recast it with Snapcaster Mage.

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