My take on Rakdos Aggro... just without zombies. Built around Chandra-Brimstone Volley for 10 direct, and Rakdos-Bump in the Night for a fifth turn 6/6. I've been able to work in at least one of those in perhaps 80% of games. Lots of creature removal in between to compensate for the scarcity of blockers. Rakdos's Return is sort of the black sheep here in that it doesn't play well with anything else, and by the time there's enough mana for X to be a non-insignificant value, it's cast on a near-empty hand. Haven't found anything suitable to replace it with though.
Recommendations for the land breakdown? Been playing around (literally and figuratively) with various combinations and nothing's bad [I]per se[/I], but I'm still looking for that ideal mix. Also, any sideboard/other advice?
ok. How soon do you start attacking vs. a deck playing delver? I understand delver is a 3/2 flyer and it can hurt. On the other hand, squadron hawks are all smaller than your creatures. If it takes two of them to one of yours, you've just gained card advantage and as you say, you already have late game recursion.
Never early enough, it feels. Serum Visions or a like card usually flips Delver in time for their third turn. The Squadron Hawk deck used Crusade, which put me down very quickly since I can't deal with enchantments until Karn comes out.
Eye of ugin should replace one myr turbine. You're right. For you, it is NOT a land, but it is a diversified method of searching. What does it do that myr turbine doesn't? You can find it with expedition map. That's very relevant. It can't be countered, which is likewise relevant. It also doesn't require you tapping 5 untapped myr, which can be a pain to achieve in a meta already saturated with anti affinity hate ancient grudge and qasali pridemage.
All good points. Okay, so Eye Of Ugin is definitely going in if you can also sell me on replacing Karn with All Is Dust.
It also acts as a cost reducer if you replace Karn with all is dust.
But how will All Is Dust deal with creatures like Platinum Angel or Tajura Preserver? I'm not trying to be difficult here, my apologies if I've given off that impression; I just like being thorough in choosing each modification for my decks.
- spidersilk net, + mox opal. Problem solved! Much better I think.
I've tried foregoing Spidersilk Net in the past, and the trashing I get from flyers demonstrates a need for more of a flying presence than Hovermyr alone.
Other than that, you really do need ways of searching up your threats better. Eye of ugin really is a good suggestion for you, even as a 1 of. According to your list, you already have 4 myr enforcer, so something cheaper is necessary. Your deck is *SLOW!*
In what regards? Adding a non-mana-producing land would just slow it down even more, no? And Myr Enforcer for me is pretty cheap, if I start with it in my opening hand I almost always have it out on or before turn four.
They all come in at two and have useful effects. The first two leave you replacements, and the third takes out one of theirs.
I never understood people's fixation with Myr Sire. It just feels like a worse version of Doomed Traveler. Besides, it's effectively playing two 1/1's, one of which you can't use for a while, for two mana, a cost for which I'd prefer Hovermyr any day. And I feel like I wouldn't be able to reliably get those latter two cards to die at the right time (RIP Skullclamp).
I've decided I'll put in three Mox Opal as they're legendary and having two of them at the same time would obviously be redundant, as well as adding a fourth Myr Enforcer since I've got even more going for Affinity now. I still can't figure out what to take out though... every card here has been more or less single-handedly responsible for enabling me to win at least one game in the past, as they all make specific and unique contributions (Spidersilk Net, for examples, differs from Hovermyr in that it helps me get that first artifact out easily, enabling Metalcraft and Affinity for no cost at all) to the deck. Unless, of course, there's an obvious way to combine two roles into one that I've missed?
Its "full potential" is accelerating you 1 mana ahead. Look at Affinity, most of their stuff is colorless and they still jam 3-4 Moxen in every deck. Why? It's basically a free land drop.
Very valid point. What do you recommend I take out to slip in the Opals?
Well, there are a few things that jump out at me. are you intent on making this pure colorless? If so, you might want to consider all is dust. It might be as useful or more so than karn.
You're absolutely right since I do intend pure colourless (unless there's an exceptional case for splashing something), I very much want to toss Karn now. My one worry is cards like Tarjuru Preserver though, or is that a basically irrelevant concern?
I'd suggest the spidersilk net , unless you're really worried about delver variants.
Do you mean Delver of Secrets? And what is it that you suggest about Spidersilk Net? It's there for two reasons - 1. helps to get Myr Enforcer out faster, 2. before I added it I was once so thoroughly trashed by Squadron Hawk that I knew I needed more of an anti-flying presence than Hovermyr alone, which dies rather easily.
Why no mana myr? If you could, run a few of the blue ones and run thoughtcast. You stand to barf your hand onto the field pretty quickly as is.
Well, I do have Palladium Myr, but that's mostly there for the infinite-mana combo with a pair of Myr Galvanizers to use on Myr Matrix. And as odd as it sounds given the Urzatron, my mana usually gets fully used up each turn anyways between pulling creatures out of my graveyard with Myr Resevoir and creating tokens, so I have plenty to do each turn already without needing more cards.
eye of ugin would like to be a one of (or two of), as well. Late game, going to fetch whatever colorless creature card you need to finish the job works well for you.
I probably would if it could tap for mana, but I already have Myr Turbine for fetching.
I've playtested this deck several times on Magic Workstation to moderate success, but the player pool there seems rather limited so I'm not quite sure how accurate that perception is. Is there a more popular free software used for MTG?
4 Diregraf Ghoul
4 Guttersnipe
3 Rakdos, Lord of Riots
4 Vexing Devil
Instant: 12
4 Brimstone Volley
4 Ultimate Price
4 Undying Evil
4 Blood Crypt
4 Dragonskull Summit
7 Mountain
7 Swamp
Planeswalker: 3
3 Chandra, the Firebrand
Sorcery: 8
4 Bump in the Night
4 Dreadbore
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Rakdos Charm
3 Sever the Bloodline
4 Slaughter Games
Had only moderate success tonight, but knocked off three Thragtusks to win a close game (creature removal \o/). Therefore, a good evening.
4 Guttersnipe
4 Rakdos Cackler
3 Rakdos, Lord of Riots
4 Vexing Devil
4 Brimstone Volley
4 Ultimate Price
Land: 23
4 Blood Crypt
4 Dragonskull Summit
3 Chandra, the Firebrand
Sorcery: 11
4 Bump in the Night
4 Dreadbore
3 Rakdos's Return
My take on Rakdos Aggro... just without zombies. Built around Chandra-Brimstone Volley for 10 direct, and Rakdos-Bump in the Night for a fifth turn 6/6. I've been able to work in at least one of those in perhaps 80% of games. Lots of creature removal in between to compensate for the scarcity of blockers. Rakdos's Return is sort of the black sheep here in that it doesn't play well with anything else, and by the time there's enough mana for X to be a non-insignificant value, it's cast on a near-empty hand. Haven't found anything suitable to replace it with though.
Recommendations for the land breakdown? Been playing around (literally and figuratively) with various combinations and nothing's bad [I]per se[/I], but I'm still looking for that ideal mix. Also, any sideboard/other advice?
Never early enough, it feels. Serum Visions or a like card usually flips Delver in time for their third turn. The Squadron Hawk deck used Crusade, which put me down very quickly since I can't deal with enchantments until Karn comes out.
All good points. Okay, so Eye Of Ugin is definitely going in if you can also sell me on replacing Karn with All Is Dust.
But how will All Is Dust deal with creatures like Platinum Angel or Tajura Preserver? I'm not trying to be difficult here, my apologies if I've given off that impression; I just like being thorough in choosing each modification for my decks.
I've tried foregoing Spidersilk Net in the past, and the trashing I get from flyers demonstrates a need for more of a flying presence than Hovermyr alone.
In what regards? Adding a non-mana-producing land would just slow it down even more, no? And Myr Enforcer for me is pretty cheap, if I start with it in my opening hand I almost always have it out on or before turn four.
I never understood people's fixation with Myr Sire. It just feels like a worse version of Doomed Traveler. Besides, it's effectively playing two 1/1's, one of which you can't use for a while, for two mana, a cost for which I'd prefer Hovermyr any day. And I feel like I wouldn't be able to reliably get those latter two cards to die at the right time (RIP Skullclamp).
Very valid point. What do you recommend I take out to slip in the Opals?
Never heard of it, is it much like Magic Workstation?
An excellent card, but I'd feel like I wouldn't be tapping its full potential in a colourless deck.
Also, @the people who have posted already, do you all typically play in person or online? If the latter, which software/sites do you use?
Do you have any specific lands in mind other than the obvious basic ones?
You're absolutely right since I do intend pure colourless (unless there's an exceptional case for splashing something), I very much want to toss Karn now. My one worry is cards like Tarjuru Preserver though, or is that a basically irrelevant concern?
Do you mean Delver of Secrets? And what is it that you suggest about Spidersilk Net? It's there for two reasons - 1. helps to get Myr Enforcer out faster, 2. before I added it I was once so thoroughly trashed by Squadron Hawk that I knew I needed more of an anti-flying presence than Hovermyr alone, which dies rather easily.
Well, I do have Palladium Myr, but that's mostly there for the infinite-mana combo with a pair of Myr Galvanizers to use on Myr Matrix. And as odd as it sounds given the Urzatron, my mana usually gets fully used up each turn anyways between pulling creatures out of my graveyard with Myr Resevoir and creating tokens, so I have plenty to do each turn already without needing more cards.
I probably would if it could tap for mana, but I already have Myr Turbine for fetching.
4 Myr Servitor
4 Hovermyr
4 Myr Galvanizer
4 Palladium Myr
4 Myr Enforcer
3 Myr Battlesphere
3 Karn Liberated
Non-Creature Artifacts [18]
4 Spidersilk Net
4 Expedition Map
4 Myr Reservoir
3 Myr Turbine
3 Myr Matrix
4 Darksteel Citadel
4 Urza's Tower
4 Urza's Mine
4 Urza's Power Plant
My apologies in advance if I've broken any posting/formatting guidelines; it's my first time on MTG Salvation.