Re-Armed and More Dangerous Than Ever: Kayo Super Slam Updates

Kayo. Is. Back.

Super Slam is crazy strong for Brute. It was only a few short months ago when I was debating some small card optimizations: 

"Sirens of Safe Harbor does a Smash with Big Tree impression that is sort of a 3-block, maybe I should run that since it also gives value when discarded?"

"Is Sea Legs even worth trying to enable?" 

"Should I absolutely maximize consistency by cutting Bloodrush Bellow for Savage Beatdown, presenting the Armory Deck special (sixty "6's") and never missing on Wild Ride or Pulping?"

The time for such paltry considerations is over.  Super Slam gave Kayo so many new tools to work with that some cards in the set that would have easily been automatic inclusions had they dropped in an expansion slot or other supplementary product have already been power crept out of the deck entirely.

Take a look at Rough Up.

This card in Kayo is literally just a red Smash with Big Tree that blocks for 3. I was scouring the depths of the generic card pool looking a card that pretended to be that, which is how I came across Sirens of Safe Harbor. And now they just gave us the actual 3-block version of that card - on a Brute card no less (which notably means it can get buffed by Bloodrush Bellow) - and I don't even think it's going to make it into the deck.

Before Super Slam, the trio above would all have at least merited consideration for the deck, if not an automatic slot. These are all above average cards. And we're just going to pretend like they don't exist. Why? This is mid-card talent. Let's take a look at the main events.

"Swing Big but better" is not a card I expected from this set, but here we have Show of Strength. The downside to this card is so much less punishing than giving away a Quicken (and plenty of decks aren't running actual 6s, so it's just Swing Big without any downside into plenty of matchups). Reckless Stampede is an awesome sideboard card to have access to, as it can do what Reckless Swing did for the deck previously and give some extra closing power. You don't want it in every matchup, but it sounds like an excellent way to close out a game against a Florian or Verdance - decks that don't clash particularly well and want to block you out a lot. Smashing Ground is just a fever dream good blue for the deck; it makes having lots of blue on Bloodrush turns far less punishing, and gives Kayo more generically good main deck disruption.

Strongest Survive and Buckwild are both cycles, which means there are blue versions that we can run in the deck as faux-6's (and we will absolutely be running them). Show of Strength is an incredibly pushed card, but I think Strongest Survive is destined to have the biggest impact in Kayo. It's a Brute attack with good stats that will usually demand at least one card, and there are plenty of decks that will need to block with two or more to avoid discarding to its on-hit effect. 

Go again in Kayo has always been at a premium, and until now that void has been filled by Runner Runner, Sea Legs, Pulping, and even yellow Agile Windup. Not anymore! Buckwild gives Kayo anywhere from 3-9 more go again effects (we absolutely want the blues, but I'm less sure how many reds and yellows we want), no randomness involved, without forcing you to run more cards that can't block. (R.I.P. Runner Runner, you were my favorite card in the deck.) 

Flex Speed only works for Kayo in red, but that's just fine. Its go again is enabled by Bloodrush Bellow or even a single Might token, which Kayo pretty reliably has on hand. You can also work Apex Bonebreaker into your blocks to try and make sure you have a Might when you need it, or just pay a resource into this shiny new toy…

Gauntlets of Tyrannical Rex is incredible. I think it compares favorably with Tiger Stripe Shuko in terms of power level and value potential over the course of a long game. On a normal Kayo turn, we usually want to swing a trio of 2-cost attacks. Wild Ride/Bare Fangs with Agility, Mandible Claw with go again, and end on another 2-cost. But hands don't always work out as ideally as you'd want, and sometimes it's only two attacks, leaving a random resource to go to waste. No more! Gauntlets of Tyrannical Rex lets you get your point of value out of that extra resource, whether you swing your weapon or another attack. Apex Bonebreaker is still a solid option, but I suspect that T-Rex Gauntlets will become the default arms.

Now we get to some of the more niche additions. Blue Vigorous Smashup is going to do for Kayo what Energetic Impact wanted to do for the deck. Disturb the Peace is targeted aura hate specifically against Guardians, and will be very important if the "Guitar-dian" or "Lord Farquaad" end up being good. Challenge the Alpha is tech for the mirror or other Brutes. I'm not sure if Challenge is good enough or if the meta will ever narrow enough for Disturb the Peace to justify spots in the 80, but they're cool options to be aware of regardless.

Now that we've gone over the shiny new toys, let's take a look at the list.

We've got our usual Brute power card suspects in Bloodrush Bellow and Beast Within, with Cast Bones in the sideboard against defensive decks.

Red Bare Fangs, alongside Swing Big and Show of Strength, gives the deck nine 2-for-8's.

Flex Speed, six Wild Ride, six Buckwild, and three red Pulping give us a stellar assortment of go again attacks

The disruption we run is highly customizable now. I erred on the side of aura hate here, but you can tune this to whatever your anticipated meta needs (check out the Maybe board for some ideas).

Reckless Stampede is an incredible closer and makes Reckless Swing expendable from our blue base, which in turn ups our consistency.

With so many new, powerful blues, we can finally increase the blue count without compromising the deck's power level. Agile Windup, Assault and Battery, and Buckwild help us go wide. Strongest Survive and Smashing Ground give some solid disruption. Run Roughshod and Give 'Em a Piece of Your Mind are great blues on Bloodrush turns. Vigorous Smashup gives extra value on defense. Mighty Windup gets the nod for the final blue slot for its synergy with Mandible Claw (and with the prevalence of Gravy Bones, more access to Claw attacks to keep the board state under control is extra valuable).

Once unthinkable, this list notably doesn't have blue Wrecker Romp. Without Apex Bonebreaker in the list, the extra value that we tend to get from it defensively is lessened to it just being a true popper in blue. If Illusionists make a comeback, maybe that's enough for it to earn its slot back in the list, but for now it's another casualty of the deck getting a massive power-up. If you're worried about the count of blue 2-blocks, you could always run Smash Instinct (and it might end up being right to do so). Fearless Confrontation can be a sidegrade for Mighty Windup if you want another 3-block and some unique defensive utility while still being able to discard it to turn on Mandible Claw (shout out to my teammate Sophie for this suggestion) - you can steal a whole turn from a Kayo who recklessly attacks with a Flex Speed with only a single Might boosting its power, and you can do the same trick against Boltyn who needs their power higher than base in order to give go again (you wait for them to activate Boltyn ability and expend the Soul, then boom, their turn is deader than Eirina).

Editor's Note: Too soon, Kevin.

It's no secret that Kayo is an early frontrunner for best deck in the Super Slam CC format, and if you are playing any Pro Quests this season it's a deck you absolutely must have a game plan for if you're serious about winning a Pro Tour invite. As for me, I'm planning on running this Super Slam Superstar right up until he LL's.