Red Green Aggro is a straightforward archetype based on playing small beaters and burn spells. Red and Green is a powerful color combination that lead to many high ranking decks. Examples are:
Like any archetype, there are multiple ways to build a RG Aggro deck. For starters, you will want to decide how you want your deck to win and which subtheme(s) you would like to include. Examples of subthemes would be straight beats (Kird Ape, Tarmogoyf, Stormblood Berserker), hasted creatures (Groundbreaker, Ball Lightning, Boggart Ram Gang) or even a small recursion subtheme (Chandra's Phoenix, Demigod of Revenge, Hellspark Elemental) Mixing and matching aspects of each subtheme can also be done but know that one may weaken another (i.e contstantly recurring all your creatures may weaken Tarmogoyf). In general, your base for a deck will at least include:
Early Game
Since this is an aggro deck, providing the beats on the first 2 turns is extremely important. This is where Goblin Guide shines. You want to be dealing as much damage these turns as possible. Control decks are getting their manabase and hand stabilized and combo decks are filtering and setting up their combo. When playing against other aggro decks, this is when you decide if you are either the control deck or the beatdown. If your deck is built with a stronger late game then you may be able to hold off the beaters and save your mana for burn to be ceature removal. If your are going with a more all-in approach, then let those creatures attack.
You will want to be doing something on these turns. At this point, your burn spells should be killing your opponent's creatures to let creatures like Goblin Guide or Kird Ape deal damage. If you know you are playing a combo deck, calculate your combat math to deal the most damage and feel free to throw burn spells to their face if necessary.
Mid Game
The 3rd, 4th, and 5th turns will probably indicate whether you will be closing the deal soon (if you haven't already) or if you need to be praying for some good top decks. This is usually when you will be expecting combo decks to be comboing out, control decks to be able to start establishing control, and other aggro decks will be looking to close the deal. Spells and creatures that come down around these turns will not only have to be powerful to justify being cast at this point of the game (typically having to go against other similarly powerful creatures like an opposing Knight of the Reliquary or Tarmogoyf) but should be providing some sort of card/board advantage, be able to deal damage immediately, or have some sort of ability that is going to be disrupting your opponent's plan.
Late Game
Inevitably, some games will be going past turn 5. Once again you want to be doing something. other then just dropping top decked 1 drops. This is again where recurred creatures are valuable. Usually at this point it becomes dependent on the deck you are playing against whether you'll be able to win. For the most part, RG Aggro is not built to win a drawn out, late game battle.
Now one interesting thing is that only half the decks use Tarmogoyf and all use Goblin Guide and Lightning Bolt. Bloodbraid Elf is also in most of the decks and if you aren't playing Goyf, probably the best reason to be adding Green. So let's see some decks and results!
The 2006 deck was one I really liked back in the day, and tried out when Modern was just getting started. It did not work out like I hoped, and cards I loved back then (burning tree shaman, scab-clan mauler) were very hard to justify in the deck. I also found it hard to justify not including goyf (aside from the fact that I don't own any), so I found the strict port to be ungood. that turned off too the archetype, but I will try again.
The 2006 deck was one I really liked back in the day, and tried out when Modern was just getting started. It did not work out like I hoped, and cards I loved back then (burning tree shaman, scab-clan mauler) were very hard to justify in the deck. I also found it hard to justify not including goyf (aside from the fact that I don't own any), so I found the strict port to be ungood. that turned off too the archetype, but I will try again.
I remember that list as well. I really liked it, but it needs updating.
For one, we have Bolt, as well as Bloodbraid Elf.
Also, we have Stormblood Berserker, which is a better two drop than scab clan mauler.
However, I DO find burning tree Shaman to be good in this format, however, as it's a great way to add board pressure as well as severely hampering Twin.
I don't have my list at hand, but I am running Vengevine and Demigod of Revenge as x2 each topping out my curve. I am running 20 non-permanent (Incinerate, Bolt, Magma Jet, some others), 22 Land (4x Filters, Rootbound Crag, Fetches, basics- no shocks), and 18 creatures. I could see dropping the non-creature spells to 16, but I really think 12 is too few. My build is on the janky side as it was built more "for fun" rather than as something I bring to the tournament practice room, and I am currently lacking in ram-gang and Ball Lightning.
I've been testing a version of Adherent's 3-1 deck. I am really liking the Molten Rain in the MD. It gives a great tempo advantage, deals damage, and casting it off a cascaded BBE seems unfair.
Playing this deck. How do you guys feel about Figure of Destiny from Adherent's playlist? He doesn't play goblin guide and runs a playset of stonerain as well. would it be better to replace with another burn spell? Also thought about manamorphose. Probably not tho
I'll be testing out Strangleroot Geist when I get the chance. Also, I'll be including Fire-lit Thicket to help mana fixing just in case.
I have not used it in this deck, but in other decks it is really nice. It acts like Finks lite in that it stops opposing aggro quite nicely, and while you do not get the life boost you have cheaper casting cost.
Primer in Progress
7 Forest
4 Karplusan Forest
7 Mountain
4 Strip Mine
2 Llanowar Elves
3 Orcish Lumberjack
2 Orgg
1 Shivan Dragon
2 Whirling Dervish
1 Channel
1 Crumble
4 Fireball
4 Howling Mine
3 Incinerate
2 Jokulhaups
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Stormbind
3 Zuran Orb
3 Anarchy
2 Crumble
2 Lhurgoyf
3 Pyroblast
3 Pyroclasm
2 Whirling Dervish
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Deranged Hermit
4 Llanowar Elves
3 Masticore
2 Rofellos, Llanowar Emissary
3 Skyshroud Poacher
3 Yavimaya Elder
4 Plow Under
11 Forest
2 Gaea's Cradle
4 Karplusan Forest
2 Mountain
4 Rishadan Port
2 Treetop Village
2 Ancient Hydra
4 Blastoderm
2 Boil
1 Masticore
1 Splinter
3 Thran Foundry
2 Uktabi Orangutan
5 Mountain
4 Karplusan Forest
4 Rishadan Port
2 Dust Bowl
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Chimeric Idol
4 Fires of Yavimaya
4 Blastoderm
4 Saproling Burst
3 Jade Leech
3 Two-Headed Dragon
1 Earthquake
4 Kavu Chameleon
3 Earthquake
3 Flashfires
2 Reverent Silence
2 Tangle
1 Obliterate
4 Blurred Mongoose
4 Thornscape Familiar
4 Thornscape Battlemage
4 Urza’s Rage
2 Flametongue Kavu
4 Skizzik
4 Ghitu Fire
4 Raging Kavu
4 Shivan Oasis
1 Keldon Necropolis
10 Forest
9 Mountain
2 Flametongue Kavu
3 Gaea's Herald
2 Jade Leech
3 Overabundance
4 Thunderscape Battlemage
1 Wallop
4 Karplusan Forest
8 Mountain
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Basking Rootwalla
3 Grim Lavamancer
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Phantom Centaur
4 Wild Mongrel
4 Firebolt
2 Reckless Charge
4 Violent Eruption
4 Volcanic Hammer
4 Compost
2 Flaring Pain
3 Moment's Peace
3 Naturalize
3 Static Orb
4 Karplusan Forest
6 Mountain
1 Pendelhaven
2 Skarrg, the Rage Pits
4 Stomping Ground
2 Burning-Tree Shaman
4 Giant Solifuge
4 Kird Ape
3 Llanowar Elves
3 Magus of the Scroll
4 Scab-Clan Mauler
3 Tin Street Hooligan
4 Char
4 Seal of Fire
3 Stonewood Invocation
1 Call of the Herd
4 Cryoclasm
2 Giant Growth
2 Jaya Ballard, Task Mage
1 Magus of the Scroll
3 Naturalize
2 Stone Rain
9 Mountain
2 Pendelhaven
1 Skarrg, the Rage Pits
4 Stomping Ground
2 Treetop Village
4 Greater Gargadon
4 Mogg Fanatic
4 Mogg War Marshal
3 Sulfur Elemental
4 Tarmogoyf
3 Tin Street Hooligan
4 Incinerate
4 Rift Bolt
4 Seal of Fire
1 Ancient Grudge
4 Cryoclasm
4 Martyr of Ashes
3 Pithing Needle
3 Threaten
Like any archetype, there are multiple ways to build a RG Aggro deck. For starters, you will want to decide how you want your deck to win and which subtheme(s) you would like to include. Examples of subthemes would be straight beats (Kird Ape, Tarmogoyf, Stormblood Berserker), hasted creatures (Groundbreaker, Ball Lightning, Boggart Ram Gang) or even a small recursion subtheme (Chandra's Phoenix, Demigod of Revenge, Hellspark Elemental) Mixing and matching aspects of each subtheme can also be done but know that one may weaken another (i.e contstantly recurring all your creatures may weaken Tarmogoyf). In general, your base for a deck will at least include:
4 Bloodbraid Elf
Early Game
Since this is an aggro deck, providing the beats on the first 2 turns is extremely important. This is where Goblin Guide shines. You want to be dealing as much damage these turns as possible. Control decks are getting their manabase and hand stabilized and combo decks are filtering and setting up their combo. When playing against other aggro decks, this is when you decide if you are either the control deck or the beatdown. If your deck is built with a stronger late game then you may be able to hold off the beaters and save your mana for burn to be ceature removal. If your are going with a more all-in approach, then let those creatures attack.
You will want to be doing something on these turns. At this point, your burn spells should be killing your opponent's creatures to let creatures like Goblin Guide or Kird Ape deal damage. If you know you are playing a combo deck, calculate your combat math to deal the most damage and feel free to throw burn spells to their face if necessary.
Mid Game
The 3rd, 4th, and 5th turns will probably indicate whether you will be closing the deal soon (if you haven't already) or if you need to be praying for some good top decks. This is usually when you will be expecting combo decks to be comboing out, control decks to be able to start establishing control, and other aggro decks will be looking to close the deal. Spells and creatures that come down around these turns will not only have to be powerful to justify being cast at this point of the game (typically having to go against other similarly powerful creatures like an opposing Knight of the Reliquary or Tarmogoyf) but should be providing some sort of card/board advantage, be able to deal damage immediately, or have some sort of ability that is going to be disrupting your opponent's plan.
Late Game
Inevitably, some games will be going past turn 5. Once again you want to be doing something. other then just dropping top decked 1 drops. This is again where recurred creatures are valuable. Usually at this point it becomes dependent on the deck you are playing against whether you'll be able to win. For the most part, RG Aggro is not built to win a drawn out, late game battle.
CARDS
Creatures
SAMPLE DECKS
3 Boggart Ram-Gang
3 Chandra's Phoenix
3 Demigod of Revenge
4 Goblin Guide
3 Grim Lavamancer
4 Burst Lightning
4 Incinerate
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Molten Rain
1 Copperline Gorge
2 Fire-Lit Thicket
3 Karplusan Forest
4 Raging Ravine
2 Rootbound Crag
8 Snow-Covered Mountain
2 Everlasting Torment
2 Fulminator Mage
1 Naturalize
3 Shattering Spree
2 Sulfur Elemental
2 Tormod's Crypt
3 Tree of Redemption
4 Bloodbraid Elf
4 Boggart Ram-Gang
3 Chandra's Phoenix
4 Goblin Guide
3 Groundbreaker
4 Hellspark Elemental
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Rift Bolt
3 Searing Blaze
2 Copperline Gorge
4 Karplusan Forest
12 Mountain
4 Rootbound Crag
4 Ancient Grudge
4 Blood Moon
3 Combust
4 Nihil Spellbomb
4 Grim Lavamancer
4 Kird Ape
4 Stormblood Berserker
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Gut Shot
2 Incinerate
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Searing Blaze
4 Shrine of Burning Rage
8 Mountain
2 Mutavault
4 Scalding Tarn
4 Stomping Ground
3 Ancient Grudge
4 Ball Lightning
2 Kargan Dragonlord
2 Molten Rain
1 Smash to Smithereens
3 Volcanic Fallout
4 Burning-Tree Shaman
4 Goblin Guide
3 Hell's Thunder
3 Magus of the Moon
4 Simian Spirit Guide
4 Tarmogoyf
4 Blood Moon
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Tarfire
2 Forest
1 Kessig Wolf Run
4 Misty Rainforest
6 Mountain
3 Stomping Ground
4 Verdant Catacombs
3 Choke
3 Combust
2 Flashfires
4 Shattering Spree
3 Sulfur Elemental
Reprint Opt for Modern!!
FREE DIG THOROUGH TIME!
PLAY MORE ROUGE DECKS!
I remember that list as well. I really liked it, but it needs updating.
For one, we have Bolt, as well as Bloodbraid Elf.
Also, we have Stormblood Berserker, which is a better two drop than scab clan mauler.
However, I DO find burning tree Shaman to be good in this format, however, as it's a great way to add board pressure as well as severely hampering Twin.
Gonna post my decklist later
EDH: Xenagos, God of Revels.
Reprint Opt for Modern!!
FREE DIG THOROUGH TIME!
PLAY MORE ROUGE DECKS!
Sexy Sig by mchief111 @ Rising Studios
EDH
G Isao
This is my deck list right now.
Bloodbraid Elf x4
Boggart Ram-Gang x4
Goblin Guide x4
Demigod of Revenge x4
figure of destiny x2
Lightning Bolt x4
Molten Rain x4
Burst Lightning x4
Searing Blaze x3
Volcanic Fallout x2
Lava Spike x4
Raging ravine x3
Arid mesa x4
Mountain x10
Rootbound crag x4
thinking of trading my figure of destiny for grim lavamancers.
Sexy Sig by mchief111 @ Rising Studios
EDH
G Isao
Big thanks to Rivenor for the sig!
Reprint Opt for Modern!!
FREE DIG THOROUGH TIME!
PLAY MORE ROUGE DECKS!