With the reprintings of the Zen fetches I'm finally interested in trying to build burn and was wondering what peoples opinions are on going RBW for things like Kolaghan's command vs going RGW for Atarka's Command. The later seems better poised to handle life gain scenarios while the former gives access to hand disruption and black removal.
Go Naya Colt, without the Cat. Atarka's Command and Destructive Revelry are worth more than K Command imo. I actually dont think I've unsleeved a single card since Atarka's...its been the same stable deck to me.
I am not sure why you say "we" here. May be YOU dont want to do that, but that doesnt mean NOONE wants to do that.
Burn is a well defined strategy and gameplan. Delving for a vanilla creature is clearly not part of that gameplan. That's why I said "we", as in the Burn strategy. If you want to Delve for Tasigur or Gurmag, maybe Grixis Delver is the deck for you.
I just want to pinpoint that there seems to be something new/unexplored that you dont see in 99% of all lists.
People like that show up from time to time, usually saying things like "don't know until you try it". People like that also tend to get upset when someone says that their "must try" ideas aren't actually worth trying. "Different" does not mean "better". For the record, Tasigur in black Burn isn't new, and it's seen sometimes. Black just doesn't have enough to offer, and delving for a vanilla creature isn't a reason to play black.
For the record, I didn't bring up Bedlam Reveler though I would play Reveler before Tasigur. I brought up Grim Lavamancer. If you feel the need to use your graveyard as a resource, Grim Lavamancer does a fantastic job of it.
What about dune burn? Does anyone have a successful list of this or would it be suicide due to too many shock lands? Main purpose would be to add bump in the night and atarkas command to my current boros build. Would dune-brood be a terrible idea or something worth trying out?
What about dune burn? Does anyone have a successful list of this or would it be suicide due to too many shock lands? Main purpose would be to add bump in the night and atarkas command to my current boros build. Would dune-brood be a terrible idea or something worth trying out?
With the reprintings of the Zen fetches I'm finally interested in trying to build burn and was wondering what peoples opinions are on going RBW for things like Kolaghan's command vs going RGW for Atarka's Command. The later seems better poised to handle life gain scenarios while the former gives access to hand disruption and black removal.
Go Naya Colt, without the Cat. Atarka's Command and Destructive Revelry are worth more than K Command imo. I actually dont think I've unsleeved a single card since Atarka's...its been the same stable deck to me.
Sounds good. The only thing I'm missing are all the older zen fetches as I have a playset of the kahns stuff. It looks like 10-12 fetches are standard and then there is the shock lands. Not cheap, but I think the prices are going to fall post release on the fetches and guides so it shouldn't be too bad. It's like 90% of the deck budget is mana.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
Ah Colt, so you're making the jump into modern man, good! I'm also looking at getting into burn now that the fetches are getting a much needed reprint.
I'm wondering how Naya burn fairs in the meta right now. I'm a fan of Atarka's Command and Wild Nacatl, so I think I'll just get the pieces for both decks, it'll be nice to be play burn again, it's one of my fav archtypes in all of mtg.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Standard Arena: Eh? Gruul or Die
Modern: Decks I'm playing right now: G Mono Green Tron (34-10-3 paper record, only SCG/Regionals/PPTQ record) C Eldrazi Tron (9-5) UG Infect RW Burn
Actually I'm already in modern, just I play fish mostly. Burn is the other budgety route I haven't taken yet and it plays different enough to be something I'll probably be into.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
Kataki isn't really a new development. It's shown up in Burn sideboards sporadically for years. I don't think there has been an increase in its use per se, since it only appears to have been included in a small number of lists this year. Stony Silence is still by far a more commonly used card as far as Affinity answers go.
That being said, Kataki attacks for 2 and will decimate an Affinity player's board if it goes unanswered. That's likely the main draw to it over Stony. Its a bit more narrow, however. Stony can be brought in against other matchups like Tron, as well as a couple of fringe decks, where Kataki would not be useful.
To be fair, you are posting in the Burn thread of the Tier 1 subforum of Modern decklists. People here are generally going to be discussing the best possible builds and the best possible strategies to win the deck. That is not necessarily what is the most "fun" or "different" way to play the deck. Those things are very subjective, which frankly are somewhat pointless to discuss given they are purely dependent on individual player preferences at that point.
Furthermore, the multiple pages of discussion here is a combination of new players becoming acquainted with the deck, and the metagame shifting and changing with new decks and new cards forcing Burn players to adapt sideboard and game plans. It's a bit simplistic to say that most of that discussion could just be erased.
People like that show up from time to time, usually saying things like "don't know until you try it". People like that also tend to get upset when someone says that their "must try" ideas aren't actually worth trying. "Different" does not mean "better". For the record, Tasigur in black Burn isn't new, and it's seen sometimes. Black just doesn't have enough to offer, and delving for a vanilla creature isn't a reason to play black.
I am not upset if noone trys this approach. Its just that I see the same old burn list since a looong time. That is just boring in my opinion. If you look backwards you could just erase a lot of pages in this thread sincethe cards people discuss are all the time the same =/. If you have a "tryworthy" approach how to play a modern burn deck in a different way , please share it with me =)
You're in the thread for Tier 1 Burn, and Tier 1 Burn is pretty well worked out at present to one of three builds: Nacatl (Nacatl and AC), Nocatl (AC, no Nacatl), Boros (maindeck Boros, green splash via DRev side) and you could perhaps argue that there's a 4th where DRev doesn't make an appearance at all. The primary way that these lists change is through sideboard tuning. Maybe something will show up that's worth testing in Amonkhet, but there is nothing really worth testing right now.
Abbot was a bust. Bedlam Reveler was a bust. Gonti's Machinations isn't even worth playing in RB Burn, much less a reason to shift to RB Burn. The last new card that was actually worth testing and that proved itself is Atarka's Command. The one before that was Eidolon of the Great Revel. I don't understand why you're on a quest for something to change, especially by bringing up things that have been suggested, dismissed as lacking by some, tried by others, and shown to be lacking. "Different" isn't necessarily "better".
Welcome to your first visit in an internet forum. Did you know that this forum, like most forums, is divided into different places for different topics? To discuss deck lists follow this link and choose your format: http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game
Due to my local meta having lots of Collective Brutality, I am also considering a Jund Burn build, albeit more grindy.
For context, I have been running a pretty stock Naya burn list without nacatl for a while now but due to me moving, I have had a switch in local meta towards being heavy on midrange and control, featuring CB of course. Combo is somewhat represented and aggro is almost non-existent with the exception of 1 bogles player and 1 affinity player who shows up once every blue moon.
Now onto the build:
Basically I'm swapping boros charm for Bump and switching lavamancer for Bedlam Reveler MD, for a grand total of 6 grindy cards MD, with a possible 3rd Bedlam reveler in the side. I think this gives me legs against the CB and fatal push decks in my meta. Any thoughts and opinions are appreciated.
Edit: grammar mistake
I tried this once. Grindy isn't what burn wants to do. You are losing the speed that makes this deck dangerous to begin with. When you start getting too far off of the gameplan you turn into a worse version of burn and a worse version 9f something else. If you want grindy get some goyf and go Jund.
Basically I'm swapping boros charm for Bump and switching lavamancer for Bedlam Reveler MD, for a grand total of 6 grindy cards MD, with a possible 3rd Bedlam reveler in the side. I think this gives me legs against the CB and fatal push decks in my meta. Any thoughts and opinions are appreciated.
Okay. A few thoughts/comments. Switching out of white is pretty costly against midrange/control-ish decks. Not having access to Path to Exile/Lightning Helix/Boros Charm means that you're going to be less able to deal with big threats these type of decks land midgame if they stabalize, and then struggle a bit to close the game out. You have no 1-for-one way to remove a Tasigur, the Golden Fang or Gurmag Angler in your 75, and no graveyard hate to slow down those delve cards, Tarmogoyf or delerium cards (Grim Flayer, Traverse the Ulvenwald). Bump in the Night also puts another sorcery speed spell in your deck that makes it a little harder to bottleneck your opponent's counter-magic mana at the end of their turn/start of your turn, making you slightly worse against blue decks.
Minimally, your deck needs Fatal Push in your 75 , but honestly, going Boros maindeck is going to be better against those matchups you want to be better in.
Bedlam Reveler looks good in the best case scenario where he draws you gas and is a relevant 3/4, but his floor is really low. You have to fully empty your hand first, then you might just draw 0-1 spells and 2-3 lands after not being to play him at a good time tempo-wise for a 3/4 creature, IE his floor is that he's a 3/4 that doesn't matter, and deals 0 damage. It's just not consistent enough to be good in a deck that demands consistency and stability from its cards like Burn does.
The GP Vancouver top 8 list is a very good Burn list to take against midrange/control type decks. I would try to take out about 2 of the 2 mana cards in favor of 1 mana cards from that list (probably -1 Searing Blaze, -1 Skullcrack, +1 Grim Lavamancer, +1 Shard Volley). Having 4 Lightning Helix maindeck with a less painful manabase often buys one more turn against midrange, Relic of Progenitus is great sideboard card against Jund/Junk/Death Shadow/Grixis, because it's a graveyard hate card that also cycles for gas when you need it to/it gets targeted by Kolaghan's Command, and I love running 4 of it in the side.
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.
Burn won't be on the receiving end of a ban anytime soon. It's been tier 1 in Modern for a long time and never meets any ban criteria while still remaining powerful.
Cheeri0s might get banned if it ever starts winning high-level events, but the deck has had plenty of time to do that since Sram was printed and has underperformed.
Both are good decks and unlikely to get banned but I'd go with Burn since it's consistently top tier.
Besides using creatures first to swing in and holding out to-the-face spells to the very end, what other tactics are there, assuming both pre/post-board? Cheers
Besides using creatures first to swing in and holding out to-the-face spells to the very end, what other tactics are there, assuming both pre/post-board? Cheers
So um post board I can bring in some answers. Note: I have NOT had a single face-off with deathshadow decks pre/during/post GP brisbane but I'm looking at the 8x disruptions they have and don't quite like it: 4x thoughsieze and 4x inquisition of kozilek, sometimes collective brutality comes in post-board? Based on your experiences will holding back our burn spells topdeck/replenish faster than they can disrupt our hand?
I understand, so basically what we turn into a control burn when facing this deathshadow decks?
So um post board I can bring in some answers. Note: I have NOT had a single face-off with deathshadow decks pre/during/post GP brisbane but I'm looking at the 8x disruptions they have and don't quite like it: 4x thoughsieze and 4x inquisition of kozilek, sometimes collective brutality comes in post-board? Based on your experiences will holding back our burn spells topdeck/replenish faster than they can disrupt our hand?
Cheers
Not so much a "control" deck, more of a reactive deck that wants to play the mid-late-game at instant speed. Figuring out how much discipline to have on turn 1 when you don't draw a creature seems important. You do still want to be able to apply some pressure to your opponent's life total really early (to keep the game short), but once their life total gets to about 12 I'd be trying to set up 4 spells (two at the end of their turn (or Rift Bolt the previous turn), two after untapping) to end the game). Granted, this doesn't always happen due to discard, but that's the type of kill you want to get, and they're going to lower their own life total once they feel like they need to enable their Deaths' Shadow to end the game as well, that can open another window for a kill. Learning how and when to do this is going to take some time, but this is the way that I've won games against the deck.
As for playing against their discard, there are a couple of things you can do. If you have more lands than you need in play, don't play them. I've seen discard spells blanked a few times. Sometimes you are going to end up with a mitt full of 2 mana spells, and that's tough to deal with against discard. That's one of the reasons that I'm trying to find a few more spots for 1 mana cards (and why I run 1 Shard Volley in the deck.
For reference, I'm running this, similar to the GP Van top 8 list +/- two cards, and slightly different fetch lands because I'm a crazy person.:
I used to think that Atarka's Command was a must, but I've cooled off on my opinion of it, because running 3 x Inspiring Vantage makes it so you only need to deal only 0-4 damage to yourself to set up the proper manabase turn 2 (R/W land + Mountain), instead of 4-6 damage playing/fetching two untapped shock lands.
Call me crazy, but I think currently that 3 Searing Blaze and 3 Skullcrack are adequate. I've just found recently that I just don't want to see two of those cards in my hand at the same time.
I do not like Rest in Peace in Burn anywhere near as much as Relic of Progenitus, because relic cycles for gas. I know RIP is stronger hate, but it doesn't really serve the goal of the deck. In the case of the Expertise Breaking // Entering deck, I just board out all my creatures so that Kari Zev's Expertise doesn't have a target, which is I like the board being set up with 13 non-creature cards. Kataki's good against Affinity, but he doesn't always win games, and I'd just rather live with my 4 x Destructive Revelry and my bad affinity matchup.
As for Collective Brutality, I've seen it used most commonly in the kill a creature and discard instant/sorcery modes. The drain is contrary to their game plan.
Go Naya Colt, without the Cat. Atarka's Command and Destructive Revelry are worth more than K Command imo. I actually dont think I've unsleeved a single card since Atarka's...its been the same stable deck to me.
Spirits
Burn is a well defined strategy and gameplan. Delving for a vanilla creature is clearly not part of that gameplan. That's why I said "we", as in the Burn strategy. If you want to Delve for Tasigur or Gurmag, maybe Grixis Delver is the deck for you.
People like that show up from time to time, usually saying things like "don't know until you try it". People like that also tend to get upset when someone says that their "must try" ideas aren't actually worth trying. "Different" does not mean "better". For the record, Tasigur in black Burn isn't new, and it's seen sometimes. Black just doesn't have enough to offer, and delving for a vanilla creature isn't a reason to play black.
For the record, I didn't bring up Bedlam Reveler though I would play Reveler before Tasigur. I brought up Grim Lavamancer. If you feel the need to use your graveyard as a resource, Grim Lavamancer does a fantastic job of it.
Four color is way too greedy and painful.
Sounds good. The only thing I'm missing are all the older zen fetches as I have a playset of the kahns stuff. It looks like 10-12 fetches are standard and then there is the shock lands. Not cheap, but I think the prices are going to fall post release on the fetches and guides so it shouldn't be too bad. It's like 90% of the deck budget is mana.
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
I'm wondering how Naya burn fairs in the meta right now. I'm a fan of Atarka's Command and Wild Nacatl, so I think I'll just get the pieces for both decks, it'll be nice to be play burn again, it's one of my fav archtypes in all of mtg.
Modern: Decks I'm playing right now:
G Mono Green Tron (34-10-3 paper record, only SCG/Regionals/PPTQ record)
C Eldrazi Tron (9-5)
UG Infect
RW Burn
1. (Ravnica Allegiance): You can't keep a good esper control deck down... Or Wilderness Reclamation... or Gates...
2. (War of the Spark): Guys, I know what we need! We need a cycle of really idiotic flavor text victory cards! Jace's Triumph...
3. (War of the Spark): Lets make the format with control have even more control!
That being said, Kataki attacks for 2 and will decimate an Affinity player's board if it goes unanswered. That's likely the main draw to it over Stony. Its a bit more narrow, however. Stony can be brought in against other matchups like Tron, as well as a couple of fringe decks, where Kataki would not be useful.
Modern: R Skred -- WBG Melira Co -- URW Nahiri Control
Legacy: R Mono Red Burn -- UWB Stoneblade
Commander: R Krenko, Mob Boss -- WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon -- WUBRG Maze’s End
Other: R No Rares Red (Standard) -- URC Izzet Tron (Pauper)
Furthermore, the multiple pages of discussion here is a combination of new players becoming acquainted with the deck, and the metagame shifting and changing with new decks and new cards forcing Burn players to adapt sideboard and game plans. It's a bit simplistic to say that most of that discussion could just be erased.
Modern: R Skred -- WBG Melira Co -- URW Nahiri Control
Legacy: R Mono Red Burn -- UWB Stoneblade
Commander: R Krenko, Mob Boss -- WUBRG Scion of the Ur-Dragon -- WUBRG Maze’s End
Other: R No Rares Red (Standard) -- URC Izzet Tron (Pauper)
You're in the thread for Tier 1 Burn, and Tier 1 Burn is pretty well worked out at present to one of three builds: Nacatl (Nacatl and AC), Nocatl (AC, no Nacatl), Boros (maindeck Boros, green splash via DRev side) and you could perhaps argue that there's a 4th where DRev doesn't make an appearance at all. The primary way that these lists change is through sideboard tuning. Maybe something will show up that's worth testing in Amonkhet, but there is nothing really worth testing right now.
Abbot was a bust. Bedlam Reveler was a bust. Gonti's Machinations isn't even worth playing in RB Burn, much less a reason to shift to RB Burn. The last new card that was actually worth testing and that proved itself is Atarka's Command. The one before that was Eidolon of the Great Revel. I don't understand why you're on a quest for something to change, especially by bringing up things that have been suggested, dismissed as lacking by some, tried by others, and shown to be lacking. "Different" isn't necessarily "better".
I tried this once. Grindy isn't what burn wants to do. You are losing the speed that makes this deck dangerous to begin with. When you start getting too far off of the gameplan you turn into a worse version of burn and a worse version 9f something else. If you want grindy get some goyf and go Jund.
Okay. A few thoughts/comments. Switching out of white is pretty costly against midrange/control-ish decks. Not having access to Path to Exile/Lightning Helix/Boros Charm means that you're going to be less able to deal with big threats these type of decks land midgame if they stabalize, and then struggle a bit to close the game out. You have no 1-for-one way to remove a Tasigur, the Golden Fang or Gurmag Angler in your 75, and no graveyard hate to slow down those delve cards, Tarmogoyf or delerium cards (Grim Flayer, Traverse the Ulvenwald). Bump in the Night also puts another sorcery speed spell in your deck that makes it a little harder to bottleneck your opponent's counter-magic mana at the end of their turn/start of your turn, making you slightly worse against blue decks.
Minimally, your deck needs Fatal Push in your 75 , but honestly, going Boros maindeck is going to be better against those matchups you want to be better in.
Bedlam Reveler looks good in the best case scenario where he draws you gas and is a relevant 3/4, but his floor is really low. You have to fully empty your hand first, then you might just draw 0-1 spells and 2-3 lands after not being to play him at a good time tempo-wise for a 3/4 creature, IE his floor is that he's a 3/4 that doesn't matter, and deals 0 damage. It's just not consistent enough to be good in a deck that demands consistency and stability from its cards like Burn does.
The GP Vancouver top 8 list is a very good Burn list to take against midrange/control type decks. I would try to take out about 2 of the 2 mana cards in favor of 1 mana cards from that list (probably -1 Searing Blaze, -1 Skullcrack, +1 Grim Lavamancer, +1 Shard Volley). Having 4 Lightning Helix maindeck with a less painful manabase often buys one more turn against midrange, Relic of Progenitus is great sideboard card against Jund/Junk/Death Shadow/Grixis, because it's a graveyard hate card that also cycles for gas when you need it to/it gets targeted by Kolaghan's Command, and I love running 4 of it in the side.
Chandra, Torch of Defiance - Oops! All Chandras.
Prime Speaker Zegana - Draw for Power.
Pir & Toothy - Counterpalooza.
Arcades, the Strategist - Another Brick in the Wall.
Zacama, Primal Calamity - Calamity of Double Mana.
Edgar Markov - Vampires Don't Die.
Child of Alara - Dreamcrusher.
Cheeri0s might get banned if it ever starts winning high-level events, but the deck has had plenty of time to do that since Sram was printed and has underperformed.
Both are good decks and unlikely to get banned but I'd go with Burn since it's consistently top tier.
Besides using creatures first to swing in and holding out to-the-face spells to the very end, what other tactics are there, assuming both pre/post-board? Cheers
More 1 mana spells in your deck. Jam Eidolon of the Great Revel ASAP. Relic of Progenitus to manage Delerium/Tarmogoyf and then turn it into gas later in the game. Path to Exile and Deflecting Palm can come in. Be patient with your instant speed burn spells. Wait for them to commit to the Death's Shadow plan and burst them down. Temur Battle Rage seems like their strongest win-con in the matchup. I also think that less painful mana-bases and Lightning Helix are key to buy an extra turn when they don't draw Temur Battle Rage.
I understand, so basically what we turn into a control burn when facing this deathshadow decks?
My current decklist (not been updated pre-brisbane GPT's, lol!):
Creatures 13
4 Goblin Guide
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
4 Monastery Swiftspear
1 Grim Lamamancer
Spells 27
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lava Spike
4 Rift Bolt
4 Atarka's Command
4 Boros Charm
3 Searing Blaze
2 Lightning Helix
2 Skullcrack
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Bloodstained Mire
3 Arid Mesa
2 Sacred Foundry
2 Stomping Grounds
2 Inspiring Vantage
3 Mountain
2 Rest in Peace
3 Path to Exile
2 Deflecting Palm
4 Destructive Revelry
1 Searing Blaze
1 Skullcrack
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Kataki, War's Wage
So um post board I can bring in some answers. Note: I have NOT had a single face-off with deathshadow decks pre/during/post GP brisbane but I'm looking at the 8x disruptions they have and don't quite like it: 4x thoughsieze and 4x inquisition of kozilek, sometimes collective brutality comes in post-board? Based on your experiences will holding back our burn spells topdeck/replenish faster than they can disrupt our hand?
Cheers
Not so much a "control" deck, more of a reactive deck that wants to play the mid-late-game at instant speed. Figuring out how much discipline to have on turn 1 when you don't draw a creature seems important. You do still want to be able to apply some pressure to your opponent's life total really early (to keep the game short), but once their life total gets to about 12 I'd be trying to set up 4 spells (two at the end of their turn (or Rift Bolt the previous turn), two after untapping) to end the game). Granted, this doesn't always happen due to discard, but that's the type of kill you want to get, and they're going to lower their own life total once they feel like they need to enable their Deaths' Shadow to end the game as well, that can open another window for a kill. Learning how and when to do this is going to take some time, but this is the way that I've won games against the deck.
As for playing against their discard, there are a couple of things you can do. If you have more lands than you need in play, don't play them. I've seen discard spells blanked a few times. Sometimes you are going to end up with a mitt full of 2 mana spells, and that's tough to deal with against discard. That's one of the reasons that I'm trying to find a few more spots for 1 mana cards (and why I run 1 Shard Volley in the deck.
For reference, I'm running this, similar to the GP Van top 8 list +/- two cards, and slightly different fetch lands because I'm a crazy person.:
Creatures 13
4 Goblin Guide
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
4 Monastery Swiftspear
1 Grim Lavamancer
Spells 27
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lava Spike
4 Rift Bolt
1 Shard Volley
4 Boros Charm
3 Searing Blaze
4 Lightning Helix
3 Skullcrack
3 Wooded Foothills
3 Bloodstained Mire
3 Arid Mesa
3 Scalding Tarn
2 Sacred Foundry
1 Stomping Grounds
3 Inspiring Vantage
2 Mountain
3 Path to Exile
4 Relic of Progenitus
2 Deflecting Palm
4 Destructive Revelry
2 Kor Firewalker
I used to think that Atarka's Command was a must, but I've cooled off on my opinion of it, because running 3 x Inspiring Vantage makes it so you only need to deal only 0-4 damage to yourself to set up the proper manabase turn 2 (R/W land + Mountain), instead of 4-6 damage playing/fetching two untapped shock lands.
Call me crazy, but I think currently that 3 Searing Blaze and 3 Skullcrack are adequate. I've just found recently that I just don't want to see two of those cards in my hand at the same time.
I do not like Rest in Peace in Burn anywhere near as much as Relic of Progenitus, because relic cycles for gas. I know RIP is stronger hate, but it doesn't really serve the goal of the deck. In the case of the Expertise Breaking // Entering deck, I just board out all my creatures so that Kari Zev's Expertise doesn't have a target, which is I like the board being set up with 13 non-creature cards. Kataki's good against Affinity, but he doesn't always win games, and I'd just rather live with my 4 x Destructive Revelry and my bad affinity matchup.
As for Collective Brutality, I've seen it used most commonly in the kill a creature and discard instant/sorcery modes. The drain is contrary to their game plan.