(NB: While not specifically built for Multiplayer, there are definitely multiplayer aspects to it. It would probably work better as a 1v1 deck but it's funnier this way.)
Motivation
This deck was built as a proof of concept for a different kind of aggro deck - throwing pump spells at your opponent until they die. As much as that sounds like a bad idea, it's a riot to run. And surprisingly, it works very well. Radha's extra mana leads to very explosive turns dropping very early on, leaving your opponent scrambling to put up a defense (which invariably gets overrun in the follow-up turns).
Building this deck is easy - look through your box of spares for red and green pump spells, throw in some creatures that benefit from them (Kiln Fiend and Prowess/Heroic dudes are good), and pepper in some contingency plans. Fine-tuning comes later - which is where I'm currently at. Suggestions are appreciated.
Wasteland Viper - A star one-drop in this deck. There's plenty of trample to push through blockers - having a base body with deathtouch or giving a creature deathtouch at will can both end to surprise wins.
Satyr Hoplite, Kiln Fiend - The Hoplite makes me wish I had more cheap Heroic. Both of these are explosive drops early on.
Guttersnipe - Doesn't need to attack to kill players. Also helps the deck scale out to multiplayers.
Hunted Troll - Amazing. Don't leave home without your troll. Will always drop turn 3 if he's in your starting hand, regenerates, will easily trample over the blokers he makes, and has massive power to boot. In multiplayer, it's not unusual for someone to kill the troll just for you to steamroll someone a turn later because they forgot you can pump another player's Faerie tokens.
Akroan Conscriptor - A "late" drop, but incredibly valuable. Turns a handful of damage into an insurrection.
Other 4+ drops - these guys almost exclusively double as pump spells. A notable exception is Bloodbraid Elf, which can pump herself and swing on turn 3 thanks to Radha.
Brutalizer Exarch - This deals with virtually every problem permanent. The cost hurts though, wish there was something equally reliable at a lower cost (or better body).
Fling - Serves the same purpose as the above cards. If someone tries to remove your massive creature, just Fling it. Can also act as a source of double strike.
Violent Outburst - Punches well above its weight in this deck. Casting more spells does matter to a degree, so any cascade is welcome.
Infiltration Lens - Remember that this triggers once per blocking creature. It's cheap, acts as a pseudo-unblockable source, and is totally bonkers with Lure effects.
Rancor - Adds trample, gives a solid power boost, sets off Heroic. Not much to say.
These are cards that need to get cut, but I haven't yet found a suitable replacement for.
Rubblehulk, Skargg Goliath - The heaviest hitters in the deck, but also the clumsiest. They're okay if the game drags on forever, but really it shouldn't get to this. Looking for creatures that hit just as hard without costing more than 4. Troll Ascetic and Thrun, the Last Troll would both be nice choices. Mistcutter Hydra was also a consideration (Putrefax would be funny but I'd feel bad running infect).
Brutalizer Exarch - amazing card, awful cost. He's borderline right now, but I don't know what would take his place.
Street Spasm - Originally meant to be a token sweeper to synergize with Radha's extra mana. While not awful per se, it is a turn I'm investing in thinning down blockers without doing much actual damage.
Ring of Kalonia, Ring of Valkas - Something cheap that gives trample/haste and incremental pump. I can't help but feel there's much better options, although none spring to mind.
Make a Wish - I don't even know. There's a lot of alternatives here, although Past in Flames would be my ideal one.
Shiv's Embrace - Decent, but again, it costs 4. The flying is relevant in many, but not all matches, and the firebreathing is a nice sink of Radha's attack mana. Dragon Mantle was one consideration; Canopy Cover was another.
Lands - Just generally lacking. Like everything else here, mana base is just scraps I had lying around. Stomping Grounds, Khalni Garden and Kessig Wolf Run should all be in there.
Things to remember
The first time you do it, nobody sees it coming. The second time, they'll be prepared. This depends heavily on the match - if they're likely to have spot removal, hit them hard and fast the moment they tap out. Otherwise, take some time to set up the kill.
Remember that Radha's mana won't make it to the Declare Blockers step. As annoying as that is, it's not the only mana you have available to you, and there should be more than enough sources of trample to compensate.
4-drops are fine, as Radha can drop them after her, but I wouldn't run anything beyond that unless it's really durable or has Bloodrush or a similar ability.
In multiplayer, you can pump other people's creatures. This has advantages other than being hilarious. For starters, you don't need creatures at all to kill someone; but even if you do have creatures, that unblocked token off on the side is the last thing they'd expect you to get the kill with. Learning how to make the most of this is where the real fun lies.
Radha is there to speed you up, and provide a body if you're desperate. If she's died a few times or got tucked, don't worry too much.
Feedback is appreciated - I haven't yet gotten any cards for this, but I'm enjoying the theme enough that I might go and improve on it. And if you do try it out, tell me how it goes and if you find any cool interactions. Let's go claim some scalps!
I've actually been thinking of building a more Aggro deck, how does this work for you in a Pod?
edit: Looking it over....
I would add in Reclamation Sage to deal with some problem permanents, and I would also cut out Shiva's Embrace and/or Dragon Mantle in favor of Stonewright; Stoney is constantly useful until he's killed, and grants two creatures Firebreathing instead of one.
Also, Oracle of Bones could be considered as BBE 2.0; it's 3 hasted power for 4 mana and a free spell. Of course, BBE is considerably better, but it would be nice to have the redundancy.
I see some problems with this deck... It would run out of gas really quickly. The strategy seems to be that you empty your hand of pump spells, but what happens when someone wipes the board? One well-timed Fated Retribution or Rout and you're toast. Soul's Majesty would be a useful addition, along with things like Praetor's Counsel, Momentous Fall and Harmonize.
Also, you have a lot of instants and sorceries going on, so why not Young Pyromancer to give you some extra dudes? There's also Psychotic Fury, which should read "Give Radha double strike until end of turn and draw a card" in this deck. Seedtime is a decent choice if a blue player gets scared and Cyclonic Rifts the board on your turn.
Great idea though. I'm trying to build a Radha deck, too!
I've been running a Radha deck for a while now and I love it, I can't say that it's budget like yours is, but I think that there are a few gems that you might be able to find useful.
I agree with much of what the above posters have stated, but Mercury01 has nailed it:
I see some problems with this deck... It would run out of gas really quickly. The strategy seems to be that you empty your hand of pump spells, but what happens when someone wipes the board? One well-timed Fated Retribution or Rout and you're toast.
These are both valid concerns, which you can address in two ways, either coming up with more draw spells, or recursion for the spells you've cast. I'd say that Charmbreaker Devils would really find a great home in here. As would Anarchist he's a bit expensive in terms of mana, but if you can splurge a bit, a Cloudstone Curio (about $4) would really make him and an Eternal Witness (if you can shell out a few bucks). If you are truly strapped for cash you can always go for something like Elixir of Immortality which would probably serve you pretty well. You don't run that many artifacts and I think either of these two would serve you better than the rings you're currently running.
I really like Mercury's suggestions of sneaking in some extra attack phase cards, although I think Aggravated Assault (about $4) is the choice card here. It's fairly cheap and although it's mana intensive, you can probably activate it when you need it. Which leads me to another point mana--is there a reason you're not running more mana help? I run [/card]Mwonvuli Acid-Moss[/card], Skyshroud Claim as my two sorcery speed ramp sources, and although they don't drop the cards you want on the field, Realms Uncharted and Sprouting Vines are both solid instant speed spells.
To counter some of the wrath issues you're bound to encounter, I think a relatively cheap Cauldron of Souls is exactly what you're looking for. I also think you can benefit from a pair of reeboks (Swiftfoot Boots)
I applaud your desire to create something unique. There are so many cookie-cutter decks out there, it's awesome to see someone branching out. I'm working on something similar with Autumn Willow and auras. The deck is super cheap, but it's actually pretty effective, and fun to play
Good luck out there
Keep us posted on how it goes
Ely
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(NB: While not specifically built for Multiplayer, there are definitely multiplayer aspects to it. It would probably work better as a 1v1 deck but it's funnier this way.)
Motivation
This deck was built as a proof of concept for a different kind of aggro deck - throwing pump spells at your opponent until they die. As much as that sounds like a bad idea, it's a riot to run. And surprisingly, it works very well. Radha's extra mana leads to very explosive turns dropping very early on, leaving your opponent scrambling to put up a defense (which invariably gets overrun in the follow-up turns).
Building this deck is easy - look through your box of spares for red and green pump spells, throw in some creatures that benefit from them (Kiln Fiend and Prowess/Heroic dudes are good), and pepper in some contingency plans. Fine-tuning comes later - which is where I'm currently at. Suggestions are appreciated.
The List
2 Radha, Heir to Keld
Creatures (21)
1 Ulvenwald Tracker
1 Wasteland Viper
1 Satyr Hoplite
2 Kiln Fiend
2 Young Pyromancer
3 Boon Satyr
3 Slaughterhorn
3 Setessan Oathsworn
3 Guttersnipe
4 Hunted Troll
4 Rubblebelt Maaka
4 Ghor-Clan Rampager
4 Briarhorn
4 Bloodbraid Elf
5 Centaur Battlemaster
5 Wrecking Ogre
5 Akroan Conscriptor
5 Zhur-Taa Swine
6 Rubblehulk
6 Brutalizer Exarch
8 Skargg Goliath
1 Brute Force
1 Reckless Charge
1 Titan's Strength
1 Prey's Vengeance
1 Giant Growth
1 Ranger's Guile
1 Assault Strobe
1 Vines of Vastwood
1 Primal Bellow
1 Rouse the Mob
2 Mortal's Resolve
2 Fury Charm
2 Colossal Might
2 Predator's Strike
2 Phytoburst
2 Increasing Vengeance
2 Savage Surge
2 Fling
3 Rush of Blood
3 Violent Outburst
3 Hunter's Insight
3 Wildsize
4 Increasing Savagery
4 Might of Oaks
5 Blessings of Nature
6 Revenge of the Hunted
6 Armed//Dangerous
1 Street Spasm
1 Infiltration Lens
1 Rancor
2 Prowler's Helm
2 Ring of Kalonia
2 Ring of Valkas
2 Swiftfoot Boots
3 Wild Defiance
3 Vow of Wildness
4 Make a Wish
4 Surreal Memoir
4 Shiv's Embrace
5 Reforge the Soul
5 Runes of the Deus
6 Epic Proportions
1 Skargg, the Rage Pits
1 Kazandu Refuge
1 Teetering Peaks
18 Forest
15 Mountain
Key Cards
Bad Cards
These are cards that need to get cut, but I haven't yet found a suitable replacement for.
Rubblehulk, Skargg Goliath - The heaviest hitters in the deck, but also the clumsiest. They're okay if the game drags on forever, but really it shouldn't get to this. Looking for creatures that hit just as hard without costing more than 4. Troll Ascetic and Thrun, the Last Troll would both be nice choices. Mistcutter Hydra was also a consideration (Putrefax would be funny but I'd feel bad running infect).
Brutalizer Exarch - amazing card, awful cost. He's borderline right now, but I don't know what would take his place.
Might of Oaks - The cost doesn't really justify the power. Might end up getting cut for Stonewood Invocation.
Street Spasm - Originally meant to be a token sweeper to synergize with Radha's extra mana. While not awful per se, it is a turn I'm investing in thinning down blockers without doing much actual damage.
Prowler's Helm - This wants to be Basilisk Collar.
Ring of Kalonia, Ring of Valkas - Something cheap that gives trample/haste and incremental pump. I can't help but feel there's much better options, although none spring to mind.
Make a Wish - I don't even know. There's a lot of alternatives here, although Past in Flames would be my ideal one.
Surreal Memoir - On the fence about this. It's durdly, but pumps twice for a total of two heroic triggers (or four Guttersnipe/Kiln Fiend/Young Pyromancer triggers).
Shiv's Embrace - Decent, but again, it costs 4. The flying is relevant in many, but not all matches, and the firebreathing is a nice sink of Radha's attack mana. Dragon Mantle was one consideration; Canopy Cover was another.
Lands - Just generally lacking. Like everything else here, mana base is just scraps I had lying around. Stomping Grounds, Khalni Garden and Kessig Wolf Run should all be in there.
Things to remember
Feedback is appreciated - I haven't yet gotten any cards for this, but I'm enjoying the theme enough that I might go and improve on it. And if you do try it out, tell me how it goes and if you find any cool interactions. Let's go claim some scalps!
[Clan Flamingo] Tier Archivist
[15:21] <@CC> Remember, if you argue, you are an idiot.
Untrophied Wins:
Perfect MCC Scores: 2
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edit: Looking it over....
I would add in Reclamation Sage to deal with some problem permanents, and I would also cut out Shiva's Embrace and/or Dragon Mantle in favor of Stonewright; Stoney is constantly useful until he's killed, and grants two creatures Firebreathing instead of one.
Also, Oracle of Bones could be considered as BBE 2.0; it's 3 hasted power for 4 mana and a free spell. Of course, BBE is considerably better, but it would be nice to have the redundancy.
Also, if you're going for a combat-focused solution, why not make extra combat phases? You're spoiled for choice in red: Relentless Assault, Sieze the Day, World at War... You can use Radha's attack trigger mana to mitigate the costs of Hellkite Charger, Savage Beating, and Aggravated Assault.
Also, you have a lot of instants and sorceries going on, so why not Young Pyromancer to give you some extra dudes? There's also Psychotic Fury, which should read "Give Radha double strike until end of turn and draw a card" in this deck. Seedtime is a decent choice if a blue player gets scared and Cyclonic Rifts the board on your turn.
Great idea though. I'm trying to build a Radha deck, too!
I agree with much of what the above posters have stated, but Mercury01 has nailed it:
These are both valid concerns, which you can address in two ways, either coming up with more draw spells, or recursion for the spells you've cast. I'd say that Charmbreaker Devils would really find a great home in here. As would Anarchist he's a bit expensive in terms of mana, but if you can splurge a bit, a Cloudstone Curio (about $4) would really make him and an Eternal Witness (if you can shell out a few bucks). If you are truly strapped for cash you can always go for something like Elixir of Immortality which would probably serve you pretty well. You don't run that many artifacts and I think either of these two would serve you better than the rings you're currently running.
I really like Mercury's suggestions of sneaking in some extra attack phase cards, although I think Aggravated Assault (about $4) is the choice card here. It's fairly cheap and although it's mana intensive, you can probably activate it when you need it. Which leads me to another point mana--is there a reason you're not running more mana help? I run [/card]Mwonvuli Acid-Moss[/card], Skyshroud Claim as my two sorcery speed ramp sources, and although they don't drop the cards you want on the field, Realms Uncharted and Sprouting Vines are both solid instant speed spells.
To counter some of the wrath issues you're bound to encounter, I think a relatively cheap Cauldron of Souls is exactly what you're looking for. I also think you can benefit from a pair of reeboks (Swiftfoot Boots)
I applaud your desire to create something unique. There are so many cookie-cutter decks out there, it's awesome to see someone branching out. I'm working on something similar with Autumn Willow and auras. The deck is super cheap, but it's actually pretty effective, and fun to play
Good luck out there
Keep us posted on how it goes
Ely