Am I alone in thinking that MrFloppy was right and Savage Gorilla actually gives you something else to do with infinite mana? Drawing cards and killing creatures until you hit your wincon seems better than Ana.
Of course, this IS based on the fact that my group doesn't mind commons as generals.
I am not usually inclined to say 'no' to a general, but I really do think that battlemage does little to nothing for you - what does white add, exactly?
Were I you, I'd go for the Ana Battlemage instead - cutting white for black gives you the other half of the Transmute package, as well as other search spells (like Mystical Teachings), and far more guaranteed removal than in white - plus board sweepers.
Plus, the Ana Battlemage's second ability...
Holy henna, can a person die from their own commander due to commander damage?
....I think I need to build that deck. I've been looking for something to build a combo deck around, and Ana Battlemage might just be the ticket...
The one I like most overall is Scuttlemutt - but he does do more than most mana dorks.
The only deck I have which uses them is (amusingly enough) my Ascended Lawmage deck; I want to power her out on turn three so I can swing turn four. Cheap mana acceleration is thin on the ground in W/U so using mana dorks is the only way to get 'er done, and there's enough Scry and other card draw that I won't weep to topdeck one or two.
(plus, the only way to kill the Lawmage is edicts, which having some mana dorks on the ground forestalls...
Jeez, now I wish I'd've looked closer at my friend's 5-color control...
These are all just cards which are the best of the best in each color, and cards you should probably think of.
Totem auras are your friend. The best are definitely Snake Umbra and Eel Umbra, but if you have enough black Shade's Form is a totem aura from long ago.
Because you have access to black, I'd recommend all three board sweepers currently in pauper - Crypt Rats, Evincar's Justice, and Pestilence. With Dimir House Guard you can transmute for them as well.
Well, I was thinking more along the lines of "I cast Disturbed Burial with the buyback, oh, and I Extort the spell..." but that's because I have that Cavern Harpy deck which could reliably tutor up all three parts.
But yeah, Deepfire Elemental would be frightening as a general - so frightening I'm not sure it would ever stick on the table! Rix-Maadi is at least low-key and political (a funny thing to say about Rakdos cards!) where you can play friend to someone or enemy.
*slaps forehead* Street Wraith + Disturbed Burial is a perfect reusable draw engine. Great, now I need Street Wraiths for my black decks...
It seems like you're designing this thing more for one-on-one than multiplayer - a choice I can certainly respect, but my own take on cards will certainly differ. However...
Carrion Feeder, Blood Seeker, Blind Zealot, Kathari Bomber, Rummaging Goblin, and Viscera Dragger aren't... well, great choices. Or at least, there are better creatures. Carrion Feeder won't get big fast enough to deal serious damage (you'd need a huge supply of token creatures), Blood Seeker would certainly cut the heart out of any token strategy (and might be kept just because of token strategies being good!), Blind Zealot will probably not get through, Kathari Bomber generates very few tokens for its CMC, Rummaging Goblin - well, you've just got better draw spells available, and Viscera Dragger will (probably) cycle once, unearth once, and then go away.
The problem with ALL the Guildmage decks is that they are very, very mana-intensive, and that they are durdly to the extreme. Rakdos can be many things, but 'durdly' ain't one of them.
Also, the guildmage's abilities are... bad. 4 mana for a 2/1 token that exiles at end of turn? 4 mana for a -2/-2 that also requires you to pitch a card? Even with access to madness cards, it doesn't mean you'll have them in hand when you need the ability. Compare that to Sunhome, which creates Soldiers (important when Veteran Armorsmith and Veteran Weaponsmith buff Soldiers) and it can anthem its own creatures.
In Rakdos colors, there are two better commanders. Hellhole Flailer is the obvious choice; it's a very direct beatface general that can deal a scary amount of general damage fast. With Opal Palace in your deck...
Crypt Champion has potential if you build around him; there's a lot of etb creatures in R/B at 3 cmc or less, and a 2/2 Double Strike is not a bad general after a few equips.
Adding Brainspoil and Gray Merchant of Asphodel won't earn you friends in multiplayer, but will ensure a lot of life - and you can fetch Fissure, Mana Geyser, or Skull Rend. That'll really piss off a multiplayer group, but it's a nasty amount of CA. Ditto Siphon Mind on that CA thing in multiplayer. Urborg Uprising is just one of those cards that never seems to go amiss in my black PDH decks, as does Recover. Vorrac Battlehorns fetches off your Shred Memory and there are few things scarier than an Ulamog's Crusher with trample.
As far as cuts...
If you take my advice and go flailer or champion, cut the Madness and Unearth cards. Vulshok sorcerer, Pyrite Spellbomb (because it either draws or damages, not both like nihil!), Go for the throat (an uncommon), mortis dogs, and lightning bolt are plain cuts to make. Three damage is peanuts even in PDH, better to use that slot on an X spell like Kaervek's Torch. I actually like the Invokers, but it is hard to use them except in the late game. For Act of Treason effects, go hard or cut them - either include them all: Portent of Betrayal, Traitorous Blood, Traitorous Instinct.
Seems like a lot of good stuff here, with an interesting general I hadn't considered.
There is some stuff you're missing, though.
Whitemane Lion and Kor Skyfisher will return some of your ETB stuff to your hand - and retrigger your Wardens. Auramancer, Mine Excavation, and Remember the Fallen will get some of your precious control auras and/or creatures back. Viridian Longbow will let you ping off smaller creatures and (in magical Christmas land) trigger your Stonybrook Schoolmaster. Angelic Renewal will cause no end of frustration to your opponents.
Cage of Hands, Forced Worship, and Shackles are all great controlly enchantments that you can move around as necessary - certainly better than straight Pacifism. No Journey to Nowhere or Oblivion Ring?
Second Thoughts is one of the few USEFUL white cantrips, as is Shelter. Gaze of Justice shouldn't be too hard to cast with all your tokens on the table.
Noble Templar is another plains early on, and a useful blockstick later on. Ivory Giant can let you swing through for some serious damage. Saltskitter could be a mean trick to play with a lifegaining creature on the table...
Amusingly enough, I've been thinking about a Dragonsoul Knight deck too - but as a Sliver deck with a touch of Voltron...
Mark of Fury is a great reusable haste effect too. Pentarch Ward does yeoman's work at all levels, as does Cho-Manno's Blessing - spot removal is the bane of any Voltron general without Hexproof.
Armillary Sphere will fetch two land AND it's colorless - seems like it'd make a good choice for pure CA. Horizon Spellbomb is another great colorless fixer, and you'll need those! Farhaven Elf is definitely better than Diligent Farmhand or Dawntreader Elk.
With access to B/U, you should load up on as many transmute effects as you find reasonable - Drift of Phantasms fetches your Elguad Shieldmate and/or Whispersilk Cloak, Dimir House Guard grabs Evincar's Justice or Archaeomancer, Brainspoil nabs your other two recycle sorcery/instant creatures.
Alexi's Cloak is strictly better than Diplomatic Immunity.
As far as cuts go?
Now, don't get me wrong, spot removal's important, but I'm not sure that you NEED all the spot removal. Terminate, Murder, Tragic Slip, Radiant's Judgment, wrecking ball, arrest... I mean, it's always hard to say what's good and what's not, and right now my brain has malfunctioned, so I'm gonna cut this short here.
? Does your group not use Commander damage? That's how my Twinclaws deck wins, and was the reason our group went from 30 life/16 commander to the more typical 40/21.
I'd sincerely recommend EVERY instant-speed protection spell you can include. Vines of Vastwood, Ranger's Guile, Sheltering Word, Apostle's Blessing, Gods Willing, Cho-Manno's Blessing... all of them read "Counter target destroy my general spell" and two of 'em even pump your general.
No Whispersilk Cloak? Yeah, Shroud's a bit annoying, but with even a few Exalted triggers and some pre-existing auras/equips you should swing hard.
I second Snake Umbra. Heck, every Umbra you can squeeze in - they also read "You can't kill my general, hahaha!"
I'd trim the generic cycling creatures - Deadshot Minotaur, Naya Sojourners, etcetera.
By the way, I must slap my own forehead... how could I NOT include Madcap Skills in my own Twinclaws deck??
Yeah, I considered Lumberknot for a while... but Drove of Elves is easier to use and is based off of PERMANENTS, not creatures - so Rancor gives it +3/+1, Fists of Ironwood gives it +3/+3 (thanks to the Saprolings!) and Trample, and Sprout Swarm is a continued buff that just gets better the more you ramp.
So now that the full spoiler for theros has come out, who else is making room in their pauper decks for a number of the new cards?
White has (IMHO) Gods Willing. Pretty small selection of new good cards, though the Bestow commons might have use in an Ethereal Armor deck. Gods Willing is another pro-color effect and Scry helps white.
Blue does better, with Aqueous Form, Benthic Giant, Nimbus Naiad, Omenspeaker, and Prescient Chimera. Aqueous Form is gonna be great with Ascended Lawmage, Benthic Giant is Hexproof fat, Nimbus Naiad gives evasion with its boost, Omenspeaker is another Augury Owl effect, and Prescient Chimera is a beefy (for blue!) creature with a solid effect.
Black adds Baleful Eidolon, Cavern Lampad, Gray Merchant of Asphodel, Read the Bones, and Viper's Kiss. The Bestow creatures are perfect for black, Read the Bones gives black another perfect draw card (it'll go in with Sign in Blood, rather than replacing it!) Gray Merchant is gonna be evil in mono-B, and Viper's Kiss is a welcome black enchantment removal that cripples Guildmage antics.
Red nabs Dragon Mantle, Ill-Tempered Cyclops, Messenger's Speed, and ANOTHER traitor effect with Portent of Betrayal.
Green's new candidates are Commune with the Gods and Time to Feed. Commune gives more digging, this time for enchantments too, and Time to Feed is ANOTHER common Fight card. Green removal is welcome in my book.
Fleetfeather Sandals are another welcome Haste-giving equipment.
As far as commanders go. IMHO Evangel of Heliod has potential; with all the white Soldier-only buffs and other good white cards it might make an good mono-W general. Spellheart Chimera may be the commander that Izzet was waiting for... sorry Gelectrode. I'm already thinking of an Infect deck with Pharika's Mender at its head. Centaur Battlemaster could get scary big scary fast, at instant speed too.
...Sheesh. I know what my best-loved format is, when a new set is fully spoiled and my thoughts turn not to Standard but to PDH.
Y'know, it always seems as though whenever I start a project, five others suddenly leap out at me with far more urgency. Anyway, here's the top red cards! Once again, these are in no particular order.
Chartooth Cougar is (like most of the landcycling creatures) a very versatile creature. Ogre Menial can finish a game quickly with enough mana or the right equipments. Nearheath Stalker is nice because it's a big creature (for red!) with Undying. Scorchwalker and Rubblebelt Maaka are either a buff spell or a nasty creature in their own right, though the Maaka isn't as good... Manic Vandal detonates an artifact and is a creature; while Keldon Vandals does the same thing the echo is bad - 6 mana for a 4/1 blow up artifact creature? Martyr of Ashes is one of two red board sweepers. Goblin Bushwhacker is just amazing in the right deck, or even the wrong one. Ghitu Slinger is just barely on the list; its burn is right on the cusp of usefulness.
Anarchist is a rare form of red graveyard recovery. Mogg War-Marshal is 2 goblins for the price of one. Soulbright Flamekin turns your creatures into tramplers, AND turns 6 mana into 8. Hammerheim Deadeye is a reasonably beefy creature that just destroys a flyer. Atog, in an artifact-heavy deck, is downright EVIL. Keldon Marauders is a cheap, reasonably sized creature with a handy ETB effect.
Goblinses... Goblin Matron is AMAZING tutoring with how many odd effect goblins there are. Goblin Tinkerer blows up artifacts, getting rid of pesky Bonesplitters and artifact lands at no cost to itself. Spikeshot Goblin is EVIL with buff spells and equipment. Goblin Lookout turns a 1/1 gobbo into a buff for your entire horde. Caterwauling Boggart turns that horde into a hard-to-block menace. Stingscourger is rare red bounce on a creature - and at 2/2, is an OK-sized gobbo. Goblin Medics does mean things with Viridian Longbow. Sparksmith can remove a creature of almost any size, but he IS a double-edged blade. Lavafume Invoker, once again, turns your horde into a massive beatstick. Goblin Chirurgeon protects your creatures WITH your creatures!
Man, if you thought BLACK was strapped for enchantments... Raid Bombardment turns your low-P horde into more damage. Bloodfire Infusion is the OTHER red sweeper. Dragon's Breath gives 6-CMC creatures haste AND firebreathing, and is reusable! Onslaught can let you get through for more damage with every creature spell. Mark of Fury gives haste for +1 red mana, and is reusable too!
Fireball, Torch, and Disintegrate all come out tops because of their versatility, and each has a different upside - Disintegrate exiles, Fireball splits, and Torch is hard to counter. Spire Barrage is a potential game-ender in mono-R. Pyrotechnics gets the nod because its damage can be split any way you want. Chandra's Fury hits the opponent, hits their creatures, and is instant-speed. Yamabushi's Storm exiles, making it +1 over Seismic Shudder, even if the latter is an instant. Electrickery is a better Instant-speed anyway, since it doesn't hit your creatures. Fiery Fall is either a Heat Ray or a land fetch card - usually the latter. Pyromatics isn't as strong as Fireball et al but still can hit like a brick.
Torrent of Fire is situational depending on the CMC of your spells - but with an Ulamog's Crusher out... Mob Justice and Massive Raid are the same spells, but one's instant speed (and more expensive!) Magma Spray is instant-speed Exiling. Brimstone Volley is 5 damage for 3 mana. Grapeshot is a combo card; not as good as Warrens but still usable.
Fissure and Aftershock are there for the same reason - no-strings-attached destroy target creature. There's a lot of fat out of the reach of some burn spells, and destroying it is aces. Empty the Warrens is BRUTAL if used properly; if not it's still at least 2 Goblins for dirt-cheap, more likely 4 or 6! Smash blows up an artifact and replaces itself. The three traitor cards are sheer utility; there's rarely a game that being able to filch an opponent's creature isn't handy at least ONCE. Awe for the Guilds turns your horde of goblins/soldiers/whatevers into an unblockable finishing strike. Faithless Looting is a hand filtering mechanic that is an auto-include in red IMHO. I prefer Icefall over Shattering Pulse for its land destruction ability. Balduvian Rage and Downhill Charge are both finishing moves.
Dynacharge and Weapon Surge are (once again!) horde boosters. Dead//Gone can bounce a pesky opposing creature or just kill a small one. Reckless Charge is handy next to Mark of Fury because of the +3/0.
Anyway, there's red! I've already got green sorted, and then multicolor. That'll will be divided up into color categories (Dimir, Jund, etcetera). Then, artifact/colorless, where you can already guess that Ulamog's Crusher is going to be a creature of choice...
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Of course, this IS based on the fact that my group doesn't mind commons as generals.
Were I you, I'd go for the Ana Battlemage instead - cutting white for black gives you the other half of the Transmute package, as well as other search spells (like Mystical Teachings), and far more guaranteed removal than in white - plus board sweepers.
Plus, the Ana Battlemage's second ability...
Holy henna, can a person die from their own commander due to commander damage?
....I think I need to build that deck. I've been looking for something to build a combo deck around, and Ana Battlemage might just be the ticket...
The only deck I have which uses them is (amusingly enough) my Ascended Lawmage deck; I want to power her out on turn three so I can swing turn four. Cheap mana acceleration is thin on the ground in W/U so using mana dorks is the only way to get 'er done, and there's enough Scry and other card draw that I won't weep to topdeck one or two.
(plus, the only way to kill the Lawmage is edicts, which having some mana dorks on the ground forestalls...
These are all just cards which are the best of the best in each color, and cards you should probably think of.
Totem auras are your friend. The best are definitely Snake Umbra and Eel Umbra, but if you have enough black Shade's Form is a totem aura from long ago.
I cannot recommend Trinket Mage enough. With artifact lands he can fix your mana. With Executioner's Capsule and Dispeller's Capsule he can go for removal, Nihil Spellbomb and Relic of Progenitus can ruin graveyards, and for equipments he's got Bonesplitter, Copper Carapace, Neurok Hoversail...
Neurok Stealthsuit is a good way to protect your general as well.
For counterspells, spring for the best - Counterspell, Arcane Denial, Condescend, Faerie Trickery, Rewind, Syncopate, Traumatic Visions, Repulse, Deprive.
Because you have access to black, I'd recommend all three board sweepers currently in pauper - Crypt Rats, Evincar's Justice, and Pestilence. With Dimir House Guard you can transmute for them as well.
If you're gonna have Archaeomancer, you should probably get Mnemonic Wall and Izzet Chronarch in on the action. With all that ETB, Kor Skyfisher, Whitemane Lion, Dream Stalker, Momentary Blink, and Ghostly Flicker would be your friend.
But yeah, Deepfire Elemental would be frightening as a general - so frightening I'm not sure it would ever stick on the table! Rix-Maadi is at least low-key and political (a funny thing to say about Rakdos cards!) where you can play friend to someone or enemy.
It seems like you're designing this thing more for one-on-one than multiplayer - a choice I can certainly respect, but my own take on cards will certainly differ. However...
Carrion Feeder, Blood Seeker, Blind Zealot, Kathari Bomber, Rummaging Goblin, and Viscera Dragger aren't... well, great choices. Or at least, there are better creatures. Carrion Feeder won't get big fast enough to deal serious damage (you'd need a huge supply of token creatures), Blood Seeker would certainly cut the heart out of any token strategy (and might be kept just because of token strategies being good!), Blind Zealot will probably not get through, Kathari Bomber generates very few tokens for its CMC, Rummaging Goblin - well, you've just got better draw spells available, and Viscera Dragger will (probably) cycle once, unearth once, and then go away.
Cavern Lampad, Spearpoint Oread, Chartooth Cougar, Faceless Butcher, Liliana's Shade, Liliana's Specter, Pith Driller, Rubblebelt Maaka, Scorchwalker, Soldelvi Adnate (admittedly better if you'd kept the Fireball/Kaervek's Torch/Disintegrate), or Warren Pilferers are all better overall creatures. Bloodpyre Elemental might well have a place as well.
Anyway, gotta go, so I'm cutting this short.
The problem with ALL the Guildmage decks is that they are very, very mana-intensive, and that they are durdly to the extreme. Rakdos can be many things, but 'durdly' ain't one of them.
Also, the guildmage's abilities are... bad. 4 mana for a 2/1 token that exiles at end of turn? 4 mana for a -2/-2 that also requires you to pitch a card? Even with access to madness cards, it doesn't mean you'll have them in hand when you need the ability. Compare that to Sunhome, which creates Soldiers (important when Veteran Armorsmith and Veteran Weaponsmith buff Soldiers) and it can anthem its own creatures.
In Rakdos colors, there are two better commanders. Hellhole Flailer is the obvious choice; it's a very direct beatface general that can deal a scary amount of general damage fast. With Opal Palace in your deck...
Crypt Champion has potential if you build around him; there's a lot of etb creatures in R/B at 3 cmc or less, and a 2/2 Double Strike is not a bad general after a few equips.
Altar's Reap, Kaervek's Torch, Disintegrate, and Fissure are functionally identical to cards you already have - or better.
Adding Brainspoil and Gray Merchant of Asphodel won't earn you friends in multiplayer, but will ensure a lot of life - and you can fetch Fissure, Mana Geyser, or Skull Rend. That'll really piss off a multiplayer group, but it's a nasty amount of CA. Ditto Siphon Mind on that CA thing in multiplayer. Urborg Uprising is just one of those cards that never seems to go amiss in my black PDH decks, as does Recover. Vorrac Battlehorns fetches off your Shred Memory and there are few things scarier than an Ulamog's Crusher with trample.
As far as cuts...
If you take my advice and go flailer or champion, cut the Madness and Unearth cards. Vulshok sorcerer, Pyrite Spellbomb (because it either draws or damages, not both like nihil!), Go for the throat (an uncommon), mortis dogs, and lightning bolt are plain cuts to make. Three damage is peanuts even in PDH, better to use that slot on an X spell like Kaervek's Torch. I actually like the Invokers, but it is hard to use them except in the late game. For Act of Treason effects, go hard or cut them - either include them all: Portent of Betrayal, Traitorous Blood, Traitorous Instinct.
There is some stuff you're missing, though.
Whitemane Lion and Kor Skyfisher will return some of your ETB stuff to your hand - and retrigger your Wardens. Auramancer, Mine Excavation, and Remember the Fallen will get some of your precious control auras and/or creatures back. Viridian Longbow will let you ping off smaller creatures and (in magical Christmas land) trigger your Stonybrook Schoolmaster. Angelic Renewal will cause no end of frustration to your opponents.
Cage of Hands, Forced Worship, and Shackles are all great controlly enchantments that you can move around as necessary - certainly better than straight Pacifism. No Journey to Nowhere or Oblivion Ring?
Second Thoughts is one of the few USEFUL white cantrips, as is Shelter. Gaze of Justice shouldn't be too hard to cast with all your tokens on the table.
Noble Templar is another plains early on, and a useful blockstick later on. Ivory Giant can let you swing through for some serious damage. Saltskitter could be a mean trick to play with a lifegaining creature on the table...
I can't think of anything else right now.
Mark of Fury is a great reusable haste effect too. Pentarch Ward does yeoman's work at all levels, as does Cho-Manno's Blessing - spot removal is the bane of any Voltron general without Hexproof.
Armillary Sphere will fetch two land AND it's colorless - seems like it'd make a good choice for pure CA. Horizon Spellbomb is another great colorless fixer, and you'll need those! Farhaven Elf is definitely better than Diligent Farmhand or Dawntreader Elk.
With access to B/U, you should load up on as many transmute effects as you find reasonable - Drift of Phantasms fetches your Elguad Shieldmate and/or Whispersilk Cloak, Dimir House Guard grabs Evincar's Justice or Archaeomancer, Brainspoil nabs your other two recycle sorcery/instant creatures.
Alexi's Cloak is strictly better than Diplomatic Immunity.
As far as cuts go?
Now, don't get me wrong, spot removal's important, but I'm not sure that you NEED all the spot removal. Terminate, Murder, Tragic Slip, Radiant's Judgment, wrecking ball, arrest... I mean, it's always hard to say what's good and what's not, and right now my brain has malfunctioned, so I'm gonna cut this short here.
I'd sincerely recommend EVERY instant-speed protection spell you can include. Vines of Vastwood, Ranger's Guile, Sheltering Word, Apostle's Blessing, Gods Willing, Cho-Manno's Blessing... all of them read "Counter target destroy my general spell" and two of 'em even pump your general.
No Whispersilk Cloak? Yeah, Shroud's a bit annoying, but with even a few Exalted triggers and some pre-existing auras/equips you should swing hard.
I second Snake Umbra. Heck, every Umbra you can squeeze in - they also read "You can't kill my general, hahaha!"
I'd trim the generic cycling creatures - Deadshot Minotaur, Naya Sojourners, etcetera.
By the way, I must slap my own forehead... how could I NOT include Madcap Skills in my own Twinclaws deck??
...I just realized I never posted that list.
White has (IMHO) Gods Willing. Pretty small selection of new good cards, though the Bestow commons might have use in an Ethereal Armor deck. Gods Willing is another pro-color effect and Scry helps white.
Blue does better, with Aqueous Form, Benthic Giant, Nimbus Naiad, Omenspeaker, and Prescient Chimera. Aqueous Form is gonna be great with Ascended Lawmage, Benthic Giant is Hexproof fat, Nimbus Naiad gives evasion with its boost, Omenspeaker is another Augury Owl effect, and Prescient Chimera is a beefy (for blue!) creature with a solid effect.
Black adds Baleful Eidolon, Cavern Lampad, Gray Merchant of Asphodel, Read the Bones, and Viper's Kiss. The Bestow creatures are perfect for black, Read the Bones gives black another perfect draw card (it'll go in with Sign in Blood, rather than replacing it!) Gray Merchant is gonna be evil in mono-B, and Viper's Kiss is a welcome black enchantment removal that cripples Guildmage antics.
Red nabs Dragon Mantle, Ill-Tempered Cyclops, Messenger's Speed, and ANOTHER traitor effect with Portent of Betrayal.
Green's new candidates are Commune with the Gods and Time to Feed. Commune gives more digging, this time for enchantments too, and Time to Feed is ANOTHER common Fight card. Green removal is welcome in my book.
Fleetfeather Sandals are another welcome Haste-giving equipment.
As far as commanders go. IMHO Evangel of Heliod has potential; with all the white Soldier-only buffs and other good white cards it might make an good mono-W general. Spellheart Chimera may be the commander that Izzet was waiting for... sorry Gelectrode. I'm already thinking of an Infect deck with Pharika's Mender at its head. Centaur Battlemaster could get scary big scary fast, at instant speed too.
...Sheesh. I know what my best-loved format is, when a new set is fully spoiled and my thoughts turn not to Standard but to PDH.
1 Chartooth Cougar
2 Ogre Menial
3 Nearheath Stalker
4 Scorchwalker
5 Rubblebelt Maaka
6 Manic Vandal
7 Martyr of Ashes
8 Goblin Bushwhacker
9 Ghitu Slinger
10 Emrakul's Hatcher
1 Anarchist
2 Mogg War-Marshal
3 Soulbright Flamekin
4 Keldon Vandals
5 Hammerheim Deadeye
6 Atog
7 Keldon Marauders
//BEST GOBLINSES
1 Goblin Matron
2 Goblin Tinkerer
3 Spikeshot Goblin
4 Goblin Lookout
5 Caterwauling Boggart
6 Stingscourger
7 Goblin Medics
8 Sparksmith
9 Lavafume Invoker
10 Goblin Chirurgeon
Chartooth Cougar is (like most of the landcycling creatures) a very versatile creature. Ogre Menial can finish a game quickly with enough mana or the right equipments. Nearheath Stalker is nice because it's a big creature (for red!) with Undying. Scorchwalker and Rubblebelt Maaka are either a buff spell or a nasty creature in their own right, though the Maaka isn't as good... Manic Vandal detonates an artifact and is a creature; while Keldon Vandals does the same thing the echo is bad - 6 mana for a 4/1 blow up artifact creature? Martyr of Ashes is one of two red board sweepers. Goblin Bushwhacker is just amazing in the right deck, or even the wrong one. Ghitu Slinger is just barely on the list; its burn is right on the cusp of usefulness.
Anarchist is a rare form of red graveyard recovery. Mogg War-Marshal is 2 goblins for the price of one. Soulbright Flamekin turns your creatures into tramplers, AND turns 6 mana into 8. Hammerheim Deadeye is a reasonably beefy creature that just destroys a flyer. Atog, in an artifact-heavy deck, is downright EVIL. Keldon Marauders is a cheap, reasonably sized creature with a handy ETB effect.
Goblinses... Goblin Matron is AMAZING tutoring with how many odd effect goblins there are. Goblin Tinkerer blows up artifacts, getting rid of pesky Bonesplitters and artifact lands at no cost to itself. Spikeshot Goblin is EVIL with buff spells and equipment. Goblin Lookout turns a 1/1 gobbo into a buff for your entire horde. Caterwauling Boggart turns that horde into a hard-to-block menace. Stingscourger is rare red bounce on a creature - and at 2/2, is an OK-sized gobbo. Goblin Medics does mean things with Viridian Longbow. Sparksmith can remove a creature of almost any size, but he IS a double-edged blade. Lavafume Invoker, once again, turns your horde into a massive beatstick. Goblin Chirurgeon protects your creatures WITH your creatures!
Man, if you thought BLACK was strapped for enchantments... Raid Bombardment turns your low-P horde into more damage. Bloodfire Infusion is the OTHER red sweeper. Dragon's Breath gives 6-CMC creatures haste AND firebreathing, and is reusable! Onslaught can let you get through for more damage with every creature spell. Mark of Fury gives haste for +1 red mana, and is reusable too!
Fireball, Torch, and Disintegrate all come out tops because of their versatility, and each has a different upside - Disintegrate exiles, Fireball splits, and Torch is hard to counter. Spire Barrage is a potential game-ender in mono-R. Pyrotechnics gets the nod because its damage can be split any way you want. Chandra's Fury hits the opponent, hits their creatures, and is instant-speed. Yamabushi's Storm exiles, making it +1 over Seismic Shudder, even if the latter is an instant. Electrickery is a better Instant-speed anyway, since it doesn't hit your creatures. Fiery Fall is either a Heat Ray or a land fetch card - usually the latter. Pyromatics isn't as strong as Fireball et al but still can hit like a brick.
Torrent of Fire is situational depending on the CMC of your spells - but with an Ulamog's Crusher out... Mob Justice and Massive Raid are the same spells, but one's instant speed (and more expensive!) Magma Spray is instant-speed Exiling. Brimstone Volley is 5 damage for 3 mana. Grapeshot is a combo card; not as good as Warrens but still usable.
Fissure and Aftershock are there for the same reason - no-strings-attached destroy target creature. There's a lot of fat out of the reach of some burn spells, and destroying it is aces. Empty the Warrens is BRUTAL if used properly; if not it's still at least 2 Goblins for dirt-cheap, more likely 4 or 6! Smash blows up an artifact and replaces itself. The three traitor cards are sheer utility; there's rarely a game that being able to filch an opponent's creature isn't handy at least ONCE. Awe for the Guilds turns your horde of goblins/soldiers/whatevers into an unblockable finishing strike. Faithless Looting is a hand filtering mechanic that is an auto-include in red IMHO. I prefer Icefall over Shattering Pulse for its land destruction ability. Balduvian Rage and Downhill Charge are both finishing moves.
Dynacharge and Weapon Surge are (once again!) horde boosters. Dead//Gone can bounce a pesky opposing creature or just kill a small one. Reckless Charge is handy next to Mark of Fury because of the +3/0.
Anyway, there's red! I've already got green sorted, and then multicolor. That'll will be divided up into color categories (Dimir, Jund, etcetera). Then, artifact/colorless, where you can already guess that Ulamog's Crusher is going to be a creature of choice...