Pyromancer Ascension (Post-October Rotation)

[SomeRandomDude]

// Deck file for Magic Workstation (http://www.magicworkstation.com)

// Lands
    4 [ZEN] Scalding Tarn
    8 [ZEN] Mountain (1a)
    9 [ZEN] Island (4a)
    4 [WWK] Halimar Depths

// Spells
    4 [M11] Mana Leak
    2 [ZEN] Chandra Ablaze
    2 [WWK] Jace, the Mind Sculptor
    4 [ZEN] Into the Roil
    4 [ZEN] Pyromancer Ascension
    4 [M11] Pyroclasm
    4 [M11] Call to Mind
    4 [M11] Lightning Bolt
    4 [ROE] See Beyond
    4 [M11] Preordain

The point is to ramp up to Pyromancer Ascension.

Mana Leak is just as good as a hard counter in this deck- with 1 Ascension- 6 mana to evade, 2 = 9. Etc. It makes for a surprise because nobody expects it in a Pyromancer Ascension deck, so they'll tap out for their big spell and whamo.

The deck also likes the Chandra/Into The Roil combo. In fact, its a 61 card deck (1, because I typically cycle through it pretty fast and 2, because the extra slot = extra Into The Roil).

Chandra is an alternate win condition, though you typically win off of calling to mind some Lightning Bolts.

[FM]

I have some qualms about 61-card decks, even if Gabriel Nassif DID win a Pro Tour with a deck sporting 61 cards. ALso, I have a problem in general with decks that depend on cards like Piromancer's Ascension, because the effect is powerful and it's devastating when you pull it off, but in general, the deck does nothing unless it has the namesake card (not literally, but game-winning-wise), and even if it has, it then needs to draw the other ones to ramp the Ascension up enough, and even THEN, if they blow it up, you're back to doing nothing. I like such cards as complementary strategy, but never as a main one, too many bad experiences already.
Nonetheless, Ascension IS a sweet card, so much that, like Polymorph and Warp World, it has spawned a lot of decks revolving around it (even though I don't like any of those, either).