I’ve been eyeing this decklist for quite sometime now ever since I saw its variation on ArenaDecklist’s Twitter account, and a few players took this list to Mythic last season. I couldn’t write an article about this deck till I played it for myself.
Sultai Flash Is Simic Flash with a Twist
I managed to complete the list sometime near the end of last season, but never got around to piloting it to Mythic because I was focused on playing Simic Flash and Temur Elementals. Now, I’m back on the climb this season.
On a 5-game today, I’ve managed to score a decent 4-1 run, losing only to WB Vampires.
There are different variations to the Sultai Flash list, and I’ve tried them 3 variants last week, but this one happens to be the most consistent one yet.
Sultai Flash by Chrolony (5-0 Standard League 7/22)
Lands
1 Forest
2 Island
Creatures
Spells
Sideboard
2 Negate
2 Opt
Sideboard
2 Negate
Less Counters, More Removals
What sets Sultai Flash apart from Simic Flash is its reliance on its access to black removals such as Disfigure, Tyrant's Scorn, and Cast Down.
In a meta where aggro decks try to win by turn 5, these 3 removals give you breathing room during the early parts of the game and out-tempoing the opponent during the middle and end part of the game.
Tyran’t Scorn and Cast Down gets rid of Dreadhorde Arcanist and Tenth District Legionnaire in Boros Feather decks.
Disfigure, Cast Down, and Tyrant’s Scorn gets rid of Risen Reef, Leafkin Druid, Hydroid Krasis, and even the Cavaliers.
Dire Fleet Poisoner?
Some variations of the deck run at least 2 copies of Dire Fleet Poisoner, which is a 2/2 Pirate with Flash and Deathtouch and gives one Pirate you control +1/+1 and Deathtouch. But it runs Lookout Dispersal instead of Sinister Sabotage because it has 12 Pirate creatures on deck.
What About Scapeshift Decks?
Scapeshift and its variants are Sultai Flash’s worst matchup because it doesn’t really have any distinct answer against a horde of Zombies. If you manage to catch Scapeshift with a counter spell, you’re eventually going to have to race them down.
Arena Notes
I run 9 removal spells on my mainboard, which is more than enough for me to out-tempo my opponent during the early phases.
Against aggro decks, you have to reserve your removal spells for key targets such as Risen Reef and Knight of Ebon Legion since these can get decks out of control easily.
I don’t really have an issue against Esper and Grixis Control, since it usually just boils down to me being able to catch their removal and Planeswalker spells. You have 14 counter spells in total (2 in your sideboard), so unless you’re running a bad hand, you can catch a few spells in between.
There are other decklists that run Assassin’s Trophy. They are effective at getting rid of Planeswalkers but I don’t really want to have my opponent gain a land in exchange.
Bottom Line: Is It Better than Simic Flash?
It feels a lot better than Simic Flash because of its access to removals, and it does a better job at protecting you against aggro decks.
However, the playstyle isn’t really that different at all, so you still have to do most of your spells on your opponent’s turn.
Check out Todd Stevens as he pilots Sultai Flash on stream:
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