Quest for the Holy Relic

Quest for the Holy Relic could be a quality deck in the new Standard since it is very difficult to defeat its God draws, and it plays itself.

Yes, it is all-in, but it should have decent game against Valakut, and cards from Mirrodin Besieged seem like it should make the deck more successful. Notably, Kor Outfitter + Brass Squire. Craig Wescoe had a great write-up of a mono-white list in his article, and I think his list should be put together with a Quest list to be more effective in multiple ways.

Things I was thinking about:

4 Quest for the Holy Relic
4 Squadron Hawk
4 Vengevine
3 Glint Hawk
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Memnite
4 Fauna Shaman
2 Stoneforge Mystic
1 Brass Squire
1 Kor Outfitter

It's a start...

This deck has been nowhere in the competitive metagame, which causes me to write it off. Until it has some kind of a decent finish I don't think it's worth it. I mean, the deck doesn't even have an identity. There's the UW version, the Mono W version, and the GW version.

The deck doesn't even know the best way to build itself yet.

While I completely agree, the deck received some major additions from Mirrodin Besieged in Signal Pest to help trigger Mox Opal, which means Metalcraft, which means you can hit Quest or Metalcraft in whatever build you would like.

Would Pyroclasm wipe the board? Sure, but playing creatures then makes Quest active and ready to swing.

I just remember getting crushed by it in the grinders for the Invitational, and the list still sticks out as a solid ALL-IN type of deck that is easy to play, easy to pick up, and gets free wins.

This type of deck would benefit someone with less testing and play experience, since you can simply win games for free.

I built a list that looks like this:

4 Glint Hawk
4 Memnite
4 Ornithopter
4 Signal Pest
4 Stoneforge Mystic
4 Ardent Militia (the new 1/1 that becomes a 3/3 with Metalcraft, but this should probably change to Vedalken Certarch, but I did want a better attacker)
2 Sunspear Shikari

1 Flayer Husk
1 Sword of Body and Mind
1 Argentum Armor
4 Quest for the Holy Relic

4 Spell Pierce

2 Mox Opal
4 Seachrome Coast
2 Glacial Fortress
4 Contested War Zone
7 Plains
3 Island

I thought about adding a Bonehoard or a Strandwalker.

The design is to be faster than Valakut, more controlling than Kuldotha Red, and to use Spell Pierce to stop the Ratchet Bombs and Pyroclasms that would destroy my deck.

It's not bad, plus the number of broken draws can be dirty.

I think it was Chapin who said "Don't play a bad version of something else" or something close to that. While the deck may have gotten stronger from Mirrodin Besieged, isnt its all-in strategy simply worse then KRed?

I just think there is unexplored design space here, and I don't think that the Kuldotha Red aggro deck is the only place where the Signal Pest/Contested War Zone space can be utilized.

You'd be surprised at how fast the deck is, although it doesn't have the late game of sandbagging a Goblin Bushwhacker with Kuldotha Rebirth/Devastating Summons.

Quest is both early and late game, it's just a ticking time bomb that when it explodes, you win the game.

I'll let Joey comment as he's the one who has at least played the deck a handful of times. From our previous testing sessions with the deck, he never once was in a game when he failed to have the Turn 1 Quest. A turn 2 Stoneforge can get whatever it wants, but a removal spell is coming down before anything dumb gets to happen.

I don't know. I just approach decks like this a little differently. 550 players at SCG Indianapolis. Best case scenerio there were 10 playing Quest? Maybe 20? I'll take the odds that I wouldn't play the deck at SCG Washington D.C. and prepare / analyze matchups with Valakut, KRed, UB Control, UW Control, etc.

Now - if you think the deck is worth playing, then I would invest the cognitive resources into giving it a proper analysis. Use Elves as an example. Nowhere in Standard, but we tweak the deck and practice lots of games because Joey and I think it's good. If you think Quest is good, invest some time in it. But if you don't think there is a 1% chance you're going to play it ever, I wouldn't bother. Again, personally.

While I don't think I would play it, I would think about it.

Plus, it wouldn't be a terrible deck for a new player with less testing to take to a tournament since the deck kinda plays itself.

Drop Quest.
Play Creatures.
Sacrifice Quest.
Profit.

Of course, it isn't as easy as that, and I think I would rather play Vampires if I had to play an aggressive deck right now.

Vampires + Contested War Zone -- ooh.

I will be disappointed if anyone were to play Quest in DC. Not only is KRed just as fast, it can play removal and direct damage, which history has shown make far better company for an aggro deck than countermagic.

Green Quest is too slow, Blue Quest isn't sure what to do (do I tap out? do I try and win? Why to I have CIPT land!?!?), and white Quest needs a nut draw with a Quest to beat KRed, and otherwise simply cannot pump out enough creatures fast enough to maximise Signal Pest like red can. I have to agree with Kevin Chapin- KRed does the same thing, only more consistently and can play burn. And KRed never has a dead topdeck of Argentum Armor or a late game Quest.

Deck was a major player at the Pro Tour, being played by most of the French pros. Posted reasonable results, often 21+ points.

Especially the GW version, which can just win matches, then follow up with Vengevines if need be.

Hasty creatures never looked so strong in Standard. The lack of instant white removal is problematic, especially since Condemn just puts Vengevine back into the deck to be searched out by Fauna Shaman.

Just draw Quest for the win....

I also think the deck needs to run a Sword of Body and Mind to get with Stoneforge Mystic, and it can run a more aggressive curve with Steppe Lynx and Stoneforge Mystic to pair up with Squadron Hawk.

I nominate you. You have the most knowledge with the deck and have put some thought into how certain match-ups will play out and what's needed.

Can I has Valakut, please?

While I don't think that the all-in plan of GW Quest holds up over a 10-round tournament, Valakut needs some serious tweaking before I think it is ready for DC.

We need to test.

A LOT.

4x Lightning Bolt makes it's way into the main to deal with UW.

I'll play Valakut, I know how to beat the control matchup. That being said, I will not be playing Summoning Trap when UW is playing 4x Spell Pierce. Seems... not what I want to do.

Marc and I are testing right now on MWS. Step up your game.