{"ops":[{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Deck Intro"},{"insert":"\nThis deck is helmed by "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Strax, Sontaran Nurse"}},{"insert":" and it is looking to utilize fight abilities, that can punch our own creatures for value and big, reflection damage, combos. Strax himself has an ability that allows us to pick a player at random, fighting one of their creatures, this ability has a chance of landing on us with the odds getting higher the fewer players that remain. Furthermore, Strax's fighting ability requires us to sac an artifact, so I have added an assortment of artifacts that want to end up in your yard, generating value in the process. Cards like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ichor Wellspring"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Nutrient Block"}},{"insert":" draw us cards, while "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Prized Statue"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Heaped Harvest"}},{"insert":" provide ramp. Below I will outline a few of the more intricate details of Strax's punchy combo. \n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Fighting tricks"},{"insert":"\nNow Strax's ability to punch a creature is random in that it picks a player at random and then allows us to target a creature of our choice that they control. However, we have a few ways to mitigate this randomness, particularly with redirect spells. If we are prepared to combo off, and we land on one of our opponents creatures we can use a redirect spell like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bolt Bend"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Deflecting Swat"}},{"insert":" to make Strax target one of our punching bags instead. Additionally, we have a few alternate ways to make two of our own creatures fight with spells like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Pit Fight"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bionic Blow"}},{"insert":" or the activated ability of "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ulvenwald Tracker"}},{"insert":". Finally, outside of Strax's innate +1/+1 counters growth we have a couple ways to pump him with the cards "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Unnatural Growth"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Xenagos, God of Revels"}},{"insert":".\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Punching Bags "},{"insert":"\nNow as mentioned previously this deck wants Strax to punch creatures, growing his power, and occasionally we want to punch out our own creatures. These punching bag creatures fall into 2 camps, the first being token generators like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Hornet Nest"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Broodhatch Nantuko"}},{"insert":". These creatures give us a number of insect tokens equal to the damage they take, which can provide a number of chump blockers or with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Hornet Nest"}},{"insert":" a bunch of evasive death touch attackers! The second camp features creatures that deal damage equal to the amount of damage that they take to a target opponent, which is the primary way that we are looking to eliminate our opponents. Creatures like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Brash Taunter"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Screaming Nemesis"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mogg Maniac"}},{"insert":" all fill this roll nicely, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Donna Noble"}},{"insert":" doubles up our punch-able bombs with her soulbond ability. \n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Damage Amplification"},{"insert":"\nNow you might be thinking, how is this damage actually going to eliminate players when Strax is only a 5/5 or even a 10/10 with some counters or a buff? Damage amplification will get us there, cards like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Fiery Emancipation"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Furnace of Rath"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Dictate of the Twin Gods"}},{"insert":" will double or even triple the damage that our punching bags take... But it doesn't end there, since our reflection damage creatures are permanents that we control dealing damage to an opponent, that damage will also double or even triple. This interaction can turn a measly 5 damage into a 45 damage one shot, with albeit a bit of setup. It is important to note that our damage amplifiers specify that they double or triple all damage dealt to any permanent or player from a source we control and not just permanents that opponents control to enable the double double or triple triple damage. Lastly for a bit more consistency the deck is running the new "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Pia, Aether Ascetic"}},{"insert":" as a way to tutor up one of these pieces.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Bit More Tech "},{"insert":"\nLastly I'd like to call out a few more cards and synergies that I think are fun. The deck includes the cards "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Pain for All"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Blazing Sunsteel"}},{"insert":" that can make any creature reflect damage or double up on a single fight trigger. Protection in the form of instant speed spells like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Strength of Will"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Gaea's Gift"}},{"insert":" and indestructible providing equipment like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Darksteel Plate"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mithril Coat"}},{"insert":" can both make Strax's fights safer as well as make your non-indestructible punching bags more than one use! I should mention our fourth source of damage amplification in the deck, the card "},{"insert":{"card-link":"City on Fire"}},{"insert":" has a high mana cost but it synergizes nicely with the deck, make some insect tokens to convoke it out for only 3 mana, quiet the bargain on a damage Tripler! "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Saryth, the Viper's Fang"}},{"insert":" is fantastic in the deck, giving protection to Strax when he is untapped and death touch when he is tapped and fighting opponents creatures, and she can even untap Strax to give him protection or the ability to fight again. If all else fails we can still just go wide and give some insets a buff with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Return of the Wildspeaker"}},{"insert":" or kill everyone with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Chandra's Ignition"}},{"insert":" off a buffed up Strax. while were at it we might as well just slap down all of our lands with some multiplied damage on "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Hexhaven Invigorator"}},{"insert":", or use Strax to buff our creatures with +1/+1 counters while "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Vigor"}},{"insert":" is on board. \n\n"}]}