I made this deck awhile back when I decided I would like to make a Mono Red Burn Deck. It was very powerful in 1v1 games, and just the other night I broke it out in a multiplayer match, and ending up winning with a triple kill! I didn't think Mono Red had what it takes to do that in multiplayer. With that being said, I wanted to post my decklist and see if anyone had any suggestions as to what cards might be better fits in the deck. Right now it's a pretty budget build:
As it stands, the deck functions well enough even with a measly 16 Mountains due to the low curve, which is a pretty impressive feat. When playing multiplayer, I play a reactive game instead of heavily aggressive; and instead focus on getting enough mana to drop a Sulfuric Vortex and still have some mana up to cast a spell defensively.
My question to all of you is this:
- What cards would you suggest I add/remove to the deck? There are a lot of burn spells out there.
- If I were to build a "Sideboard" (It's casual magic so more or less its just a collection of cards that would be good to trade in for certain games), what should it look like?
- As far as my mana base, what lands work well in a burn deck? The mountains seem to do just fine; but I am sure there are decent options out there.
Here is a small list of cards I have compiled that seem like good inclusions:
You're not likely to get many 32-counterspell decks in casual Magic, but you might consider Vexing Shusher if people start trying to counter the fatal burn spell/s.
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This is basically legacy burn with pheonixs instead of guides. I'd play flame rift over flame javelin, especially for multiplayer. Cut searing spear for rift bolt, and lightning strike for lava spike. I personally really like volcanic fallout as a way to beat countermagic. If you're playing multiplayer, Browbeat is probably a decent card. In 1v1 its too slow (they let you draw, and you end up killing them turn 4 which you would have done anyways). The cards you listed that discard at random are better if you are playing grim lavamancer though I only recommend that card if you are playing with fetches. Searing Blaze is a good replacement for staggershock if you are playing against a lot of creature based decks. Finally 16 lands is a little low with a significant number of three cmc cards in the deck. Playing 18-20 maximizes your number of 2 or 3 land opening hands. I like 18.
Lightning Strike and Searing Spear aren't good enough. Instant speed gives you some reactive flexibility in multiplayer, but with only 16 lands, mana efficiency is very important. 2 mana is too much to spend on that effect. They should be replaced by 1 mana Bolts: Rift Bolt and Chain Lightning. Being half the mana cost should matter more often than sorcery speed, even in multiplayer. Chain Lightning was reprinted recently but might still be out of budget.
Lava Spike is good in 1v1 but garbage in multiplayer. The combo burn plan (ignore creatures and cast 7 Lightning Bolt at opponent's face by turn 4) only works in 1v1, and Lava Spike is bad outside that gameplan. But if you're playing mostly 1v1 then Lava Spike is premium.
Searing Blood seems good if opponents will have enough targets for it. It's even more likely to find a target in casual multiplayer. Don't play Searing Blaze with 16 lands and 0 fetchlands, since you'll whiff on the Landfall too often.
If you plan on playing more multiplayer with burn, Ankh of Mishra might be worth it. It's pretty bad in 1v1, but with even 3 players it gives you at least a Staggershock if both other players play at least one more land right after it, and even more value as the game drags on. It also hoses ramp and fetchlands. It might make you a target, but no more than Sulphuric Vortex already does.
Flame Rift is much better than Flame Javelin in 1v1. Why spend 3 when you can spend 2? But in multiplayer I'd stick with Flame Javelin. Instant speed, being able to hit a creature, and not making yourself too vulnerable are all useful.
Eidolon of the Great Revel is great in 1v1 and even better in multiplayer, but might be out of your budget.
If you want non-Mountain lands, reasonable ones are Barbarian Ring (more burn) and fetches like Bloodstained Mire (only good as enablers for Searing Blaze and Grim Lavamancer, not for "deck thinning"). But non-Mountain lands make Fireblast awkward so they're usually not worth the risk.
Volcanic Fallout is a great sideboard card for 1v1 against aggro/tokens and probably maindeckable in multiplayer (replacing Staggershock). Smash to Smithereens is probably your best SB artifact removal for casual. Shattering Spree is a situational card for competitive Legacy, where you need to cheat around Chalice of the Void and Trinisphere or not get outraced by Affinity. Depending on your opponents, you might want SB answers to big creatures: Roast, Combust, Rending Volley. Boil makes monoblue players cry for getting caught tapped out. Blood Moon hoses wallets. It may cost $50, but it makes their $1600 manabase feel bad.
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Magma Jet
4 Lightning Strike
4 Searing Spear
4 Incinerate
4 Skullcrack
4 Staggershock
4 Sulfuric Vortex
4 Flame Javelin
4 Fireblast
As it stands, the deck functions well enough even with a measly 16 Mountains due to the low curve, which is a pretty impressive feat. When playing multiplayer, I play a reactive game instead of heavily aggressive; and instead focus on getting enough mana to drop a Sulfuric Vortex and still have some mana up to cast a spell defensively.
My question to all of you is this:
- What cards would you suggest I add/remove to the deck? There are a lot of burn spells out there.
- If I were to build a "Sideboard" (It's casual magic so more or less its just a collection of cards that would be good to trade in for certain games), what should it look like?
- As far as my mana base, what lands work well in a burn deck? The mountains seem to do just fine; but I am sure there are decent options out there.
Here is a small list of cards I have compiled that seem like good inclusions:
I especially like Kindle and Flame Burst, as they scale over time with each copy previously cast, making for a good finisher spell.
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Relic of Progenitus is worth considering, as burn decks can sometimes have issues with not only reanimation, but creatures that can return from the dead (cf. Recurring Nightmare, Firemane Angel).
You're not likely to get many 32-counterspell decks in casual Magic, but you might consider Vexing Shusher if people start trying to counter the fatal burn spell/s.
As for sideboard, smash to smithereens or shattering spree are better options than shatterstorm. Relic of progenitus and surgical extraction are good graveyard hate options. Eidolon of the great revel/pyrostatic pillar is a good answer to draw go control and storm variants. Vexing susher is sure to piss someone off, as will anarchy, pyroblast and red elemental blast. I prefer pyroblast because it can kill non-blue phantasmal images, but REB is harder to misdirect.
Lightning Strike and Searing Spear aren't good enough. Instant speed gives you some reactive flexibility in multiplayer, but with only 16 lands, mana efficiency is very important. 2 mana is too much to spend on that effect. They should be replaced by 1 mana Bolts: Rift Bolt and Chain Lightning. Being half the mana cost should matter more often than sorcery speed, even in multiplayer. Chain Lightning was reprinted recently but might still be out of budget.
Lava Spike is good in 1v1 but garbage in multiplayer. The combo burn plan (ignore creatures and cast 7 Lightning Bolt at opponent's face by turn 4) only works in 1v1, and Lava Spike is bad outside that gameplan. But if you're playing mostly 1v1 then Lava Spike is premium.
Searing Blood seems good if opponents will have enough targets for it. It's even more likely to find a target in casual multiplayer. Don't play Searing Blaze with 16 lands and 0 fetchlands, since you'll whiff on the Landfall too often.
If you plan on playing more multiplayer with burn, Ankh of Mishra might be worth it. It's pretty bad in 1v1, but with even 3 players it gives you at least a Staggershock if both other players play at least one more land right after it, and even more value as the game drags on. It also hoses ramp and fetchlands. It might make you a target, but no more than Sulphuric Vortex already does.
Flame Rift is much better than Flame Javelin in 1v1. Why spend 3 when you can spend 2? But in multiplayer I'd stick with Flame Javelin. Instant speed, being able to hit a creature, and not making yourself too vulnerable are all useful.
Eidolon of the Great Revel is great in 1v1 and even better in multiplayer, but might be out of your budget.
If you want non-Mountain lands, reasonable ones are Barbarian Ring (more burn) and fetches like Bloodstained Mire (only good as enablers for Searing Blaze and Grim Lavamancer, not for "deck thinning"). But non-Mountain lands make Fireblast awkward so they're usually not worth the risk.
Volcanic Fallout is a great sideboard card for 1v1 against aggro/tokens and probably maindeckable in multiplayer (replacing Staggershock). Smash to Smithereens is probably your best SB artifact removal for casual. Shattering Spree is a situational card for competitive Legacy, where you need to cheat around Chalice of the Void and Trinisphere or not get outraced by Affinity. Depending on your opponents, you might want SB answers to big creatures: Roast, Combust, Rending Volley. Boil makes monoblue players cry for getting caught tapped out. Blood Moon hoses wallets. It may cost $50, but it makes their $1600 manabase feel bad.