Best Build Search: Rhythm of the Wild #2 (Jund) (Standard)

I've been taking a look at the Ravnica Allegiance spoilers closely and a few individual cards have stood out. The fun part of this set is that it opens up equal possibilities to all mana bases, so deck builders can really explore and experiment. I'm going to do a series of "Best Builds" where I attempt to take a card I find interesting and find it a home.

Best Build Card #1: Rhythm of the Wild.

I have seen multiple pro's use this card to build gruul decks over the past week. My logic is that with this mana base we do not need to limit ourselves to two color decks. Three colored decks are easily made with the release of RA.

Here is my second attempt (Jund)

Why Jund?
Adding black improves the decks removal options significantly.
Black brings options for recursion.

Deck Construction:

a) Rhythm of the Wild
*the deck is built around maximizing this card, however I do not want to play a full set. While the card is not wasted in multiples, you still would rather see more creatures over a second copy.

b) Llanowar Elves
*my past experience playing stompy aggro (an archetype that I do very well with) is that games that you play a 1cmc mana dork and it is not killed before you get to use it on turn 2 have a far better win percentage then games where you don't draw it or it is killed. I don't have the exact numbers on this, but it feels significant.

c) Growth-Chamber Guardian
I'm on the bandwagon for its inclusion in any deck that can easily put +1/+1 counters on it, and Rhythm does that. Getting 3/3's that get you another copy for your hand without extra work is pretty sweet.
At worst it is a bear that has the potential to draw another bear as a mana sink mid to late game.
*GCG is one of those sweet combat trick creatures that can keep an opponent on edge during attacks, they always have to consider the pump when blocking if it has no +1/+1 counters.

d) Gruul Spellbreaker
having its own riot is nice, especially since it stacks.
shutting down opponents removal on your turn is exactly what stompy decks need (especially Settle the Wreckage).

e) Kraul Harpooner
*at first I was looking at this as a sideboard card, but it has so much potential in this deck. The format is heavy with flyers, making this not only strong removal but also a card that can pump itself. A Harpooner with haste could be a very big unsuspected swing for only a 2cmc commitment.

OK, to this point the list is pretty stock with other lists I've seen online. here is where I move into my own direction.

1. I'm not playing Pelt Collector. I'm not a huge fan of playing 1 drops in stompy decks. PC does grow and has the potential to hit 3/3 consistently and sometimes grow even bigger, however it is an awful top deck. I'd much rather play x4 copies of a real threat on an increased curve. I want to maximize Llanowar Elves by hitting a 3cmc creature into a 4cmc creature as often as possible.

2. I'm not playing Steel Leaf Champion. It is powerful but I want to have more flexibility to play certain 4/5cmc creatures. SLC is a serious strain on the mana base.

3. Thrash//Threat is a card which has its uses, but the token does not work with Rhythm. I'm avoiding all token generators (apologies also to Regisaur Alpha).

4. No Carnage Tyrant in the main. I prefer to cap out at 5cmc in stompy. That is just how I prefer the decks to play.

Now for the rest of my list:

f) Rekindling Phoenix
*even better in this deck. Hello haste. Oh you killed it...hello 5/4 with haste.

g) Doom Whisperer
this is a pretty intimidating card to drop either with haste or a +1/+1 counter (usually with haste).
making it uncounterable limits the ways you can deal with it as it already has stats that puts it out of reach of a lot of the formats removal favorites.

h) Ravenous Chupacabra
*not the most threatening creatures from an aggressive standpoint, but removal on a stick still holds value.

i) Midnight Reaper
*built in card draw is nice for an aggressive deck such as this one. They have to kill creatures to survive, and if nothing else Reaper must be removed, thus eating up some removal out of the opponents hand.

*I have 5 remaining slots available to bolster the decks removal. I would prefer that these slots be versatile, having an alternate purpose other than being spot removal would be nice.

*I also want removal that can kill three creatures in particular in the early game: Tocatli Honor Guard, Wildgrowth Walker, Adanto Vanguard.

j) Lava Coil
*it is still the most dependable way to kill of the trouble cards early in games, while also offering utility in killing of a solid number of mid game threats as well.

k) Bedevil
*sometimes it might be hard to cast cleanly on turn 3, however it is not likely that we will cast this until after we have first established a board presence.

l) Find // Finality
*I want to play a pair of these in the main, but the list is pretty tight. I've made room for one, as Find is such a great tool to get you back in games.

Sideboard:

1) Replacement for Lava Coil
*In this format even the control decks play a decent amount of creatures. I want to be able to reach higher than Lava Coil to target Doom Whisperer and Niv-Mizzet.

Replacement- Bedevil (the rest of the set)

2) Cry of the Carnarium
clear replacement for Golden Demise as I feel the exile portion is much better then the ascend portion offered previously.
our sweeper for pure aggro and sweepers (answers Vanguard)
*can be hard to cast on turn 3 because the mana base just does not stretch far enough to play double black on turn 3. That is fine however as we can trade in combat the first few turns before dropping this once we get our second black source.

3) Deathgorge Scavenger
really strong in this deck with the possibility of haste as you can trigger it twice on entry.
graveyard shenanigans exist in the format, it is nice to have an option to answer it that still comes on a strong body.

4) Replacement for Ravenous Chupacabra
*against more control based decks Chupacabra is a weak card.

Replacement: Vine Mare
*Nullhide Ferox is simply too restrictive and I want it to be a 4cmc creature that is difficult to remove.

5) Dead Weight
a replacement for Shock
I will take sorcery speed to have access to 1cmc removal for Adanto Vanguard.
*Also can chop a midrange creature down to size, to where it is not such a problem anymore.

6) Shapers' Sanctuary
against heavy removal based decks this can draw you a high number of cards throughout a game.
still triggers with targeted exile removal, important that it does not use phrasing that involves dying.

7) Assassin's Trophy
*it is nice to have a catch all in your back pocket.

8) Banefire
*a control finisher (I expect control to be everywhere in the new format).

In Naya I used my remaning two sideboard slots on Settle the Wreckage. This was mainly as an answer to hexproof creatures. Jund does not have a quality sweeper for bigger creatures, especially one that does not take all mine with it as well.
The game plan to deal with hexproof creatures is to deal with them through combat or out race them. Not always the plan you want, but cards like Plaguecrafter are simply going to get a Llanowar Elves or an explore creature most likely. Trading down is not what you want to be doing.

9) Find // Finality
*just so good against slower matchups.

10) Lava Coil
*I want to have access to more 2cmc exile emoval.