BOLAS FOR FREE! Fires of Invention Grixis Combo CC #51

This video features a Grixis combo deck with Fires of Invention, Fae of Wishes, Nicol Bolas, Dragon God and Planewide Celebration. I played the deck in a Standard Event on MTG Arena where the goal is to win 7 games before you lose 3. This is a best-of-one format. I don’t enjoy best-of-three as a casual format, and I consider this deck a mix of competitive strength and casual jank. This deck should lose matches against Simic Flash, UW Control, Izzet Flash, and similar meta decks. This deck should defeat many other midrange decks like Cat/Oven combo aside from Rakdos. Aggro is a very tough matchup where going first or second matters a lot. I prefer playing Standard Events to ranked ladder because there are gold rewards (500 gold and three cards if you get to seven wins) in Standard Events, and I use the gold to buy cards from the next set, saving me a lot of money vs ranked ladder.

Today I cut several games from the video to keep it a reasonable length. Here is a list of cut games -

Game 3 vs Gruul Aggro - I died on turn 4 because I went second, through a Thought Erasure and a ¼ blocker. Opponent top-decked two clutch spells in a row for perfect lethal.

Game 5 vs Rakdos Aggro - The opponent was clearly on a budget Rakdos deck featuring cards like Hackrobat, Murder, and Forbidden Friut. I won easily.

Game 7 vs Golgari Adventures - Opponent scooped after drawing seven lands and I Thought Erasured their Lucky Clover.

Game 8 vs Simic Ramp - I play Thought Erasure turn two and take their only significant threat, but they drew awesome threats like Lovestruck Beast and Questing Beast every turn for the rest of the game. I had turn four fires, turn five bolas, but never drew another spell the entire game.

Final Record was 5-3

The next deck in the Color Challenge will be Simic. Monday will be a meta update video, so Simic will air on Tues. Let me know what Simic deck I should play in comments!

I hope you enjoy the video, please smash Like, hit Subscribe, and leave a comment if you have fun!

A few other people have made Grixis Fires decks if you want more. My version is streamlined, built for Bo1, and suits my playstyle, but there are other interesting takes on the deck:

Decklist - MTG Arena Export
Deck
4 Fires of Invention (ELD) 125
3 Fabled Passage (ELD) 244
4 Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God (WAR) 207
4 Blood Crypt (RNA) 245
4 Fae of Wishes (ELD) 44
4 Sphinx of Foresight (RNA) 55
4 Thought Erasure (GRN) 206
2 Castle Vantress (ELD) 242
4 Brazen Borrower (ELD) 39
4 Narset, Parter of Veils (WAR) 61
4 Watery Grave (GRN) 259
4 Enter the God-Eternals (WAR) 196
4 Temple of Epiphany (M20) 253
2 Steam Vents (GRN) 257
4 Interplanar Beacon (WAR) 247
1 Island (ANA) 57
3 Swamp (ANA) 58
1 Mountain (ANA) 59

Sideboard
2 Casualties of War (WAR) 187
1 Planar Cleansing (M20) 33
1 Planewide Celebration (WAR) 172
2 The Elderspell (WAR) 89
1 Deliver Unto Evil (WAR) 85
1 Liliana, Dreadhorde General (WAR) 97
1 Karn, the Great Creator (WAR) 1
1 Covetous Urge (ELD) 207
1 Unmoored Ego (GRN) 212
1 Tamiyo, Collector of Tales (WAR) 220
1 Kaya's Wrath (RNA) 187
1 Thought Distortion (M20) 117
1 Chandra, Awakened Inferno (M20) 127

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[dakotajones]

I think i like the old intro more, but i love the content just as much as ever <3

[DuckFanatic]

I think you have the wrong colors on the thumbnail, although I really wanted to see you cast Fires with green, blue, and black.

[Brainfly-]

Hey guys! New-intro-music-man here. This was something I made for fun, as an experiment with sound FX to match the intro visuals (the swooshy sound to match the logo animation and the rumbling thunder to match the lightning effect on the words) and I made a new tune to go with it. I'm a big fan of CGB's, so the new music actually making it in got me super hyped :)
I appreciate any constructive feedback that has been posted over the past couple of videos, both positive and negative ("new music sux" is not constructive though 😉 ) and hope that those who aren't into it won't let it get in the way of the great content that comes after!

Cheers!

[Kazz]

I like the thunder with the outro! It looks in sync with the brand on the outro

[usagi]

I commented in the last video about the new intro. It is not that I do not like the new one, rather, I am "branded" by the one I am use to. Also, great content all around. Keep up the awesome work!

[Sythog]

I liked previous opening more tbh. But it's also possible that I got used to the old one. Probably I need some time to get used to the new one.

Cheerz 😊

[chaosmastermind]

You assume way too much that your opponent is roping because they are thinking.
Don't give them that much credit.
They are likely drooling and staring blankly at the screen.

[Hamurowful]

Oh man, i loved the new intro, just perfect volume!

[oncrn]

Watching CGB’s face as he’s being tortured by mono red is like watching everyone else’s face when they play one of his 10, 000 counter decks

[majist]

Ok ok good job brainfly for donating your time. You sir are a scholar. I will do my best to embrace the change lol. I just got used to the old one lol.

[Faststartmarketer]

.. and let the firey-Grixis nonsense, get it on!!!!

P.s. great new intro.

[thelisanalgaib]

ever thought of a Repeated Reverb in the sideboard? triple up a loyalty effect or the Planer Celebration

[mikehalloran]

I don't get it? What's all this talk about a new intro? He still says, "It's me, CGB." Isn't that what we subscribe for?

[darksteed]

Awww, I played against you on Friday night when you used this deck (monoblack - candyman64) and you didn't include us... 😭

[Slithy]

I know one thing for sure - that intro is an intro and those colors on the thumbnail are colors.
Am smart.

[gee]

Thx CGB, the intro/outro music is great

[rickeportalatin]

Yes Arena does it. The problem is that the screen freezes and the game goes on while you are looking at the start screen. You have to close and log on again. Ricke

[credoakinuchi]

Keep it up with the awesome content! 😄

[shaneokeigan]

I think both intros are fine. I didn’t even notice it had changed.
I did notice the Sultai thumbnail. But oh well, the title has the correct colors.

[DieselGamingHD]

Any deck I play runs into an auto loss with Simic Flash, like how did that deck not win it all? It always has the counter and all 4 nightpack ambusher.... this deck is so hard to build answers to.