So a little while ago, I came across this deck, RB control in pauper and I began developing the list. Would love any input you guys can offer. Card selection and deck primer to come.
Rakdos control is a deck that seeks to play powerful removal and build tempo with cards that either filter your draws to smooth out the late game, such as Magma Jet, build tempo against aggressive decks like Moment of Craving, or gain lots of value Evincar's Justice. Eventually, the plan is to drop a creature that makes you the monarch (Thorn of the Black Rose or Crown-Hunter Hireling) and get so ahead on tempo that you can just drop a Gurmag Angler and pound in for the win.
Card Selection
Creatures
Thorn of the Black Rose - Our essential card draw engine. With the level of board control and removal in the deck, Thorn is usually just a 4-mana Phyrexian Arena. Additionally, Thorn survives Evincar's Justice and often trades with a creature in the late game. 4-of.
Crown-Hunter Hireling - Another great draw spell but not nearly as powerful or essential as Thorn. Decent beater but only if the opponent is consistently taking the monarchy from you. 1-2 alongside Thorn.
Burning Prophet - A new and relatively untested card filtering engine. If you drop prophet early she can be a decent 2 or even 3 power beater. Often, prophet will just eat a removal spell but is an instant 2-for-1 as long as you can pop off an activation before she dies.
Gurmag Angler - Fairly self explanatory. 5/5 beater for 1-2 mana in the late game. Just be careful not to exile that Chainer's Edict!
Magma Jet - The epitome of what this deck wants to do. Kills most pesky early beaters in the format and filters our mana. A+ 2-for-1. 4-of.
Chainer's Edict - An essential Pauper removal spell. Great against big mana decks and Ulamog's Crushers. In the long game, edict can really come back to bite the unsuspecting opponent. Plan for the future and be careful not to exile them with your Gurmag Anglers. 4-of. If your meta is incredibly geared towards tiny leaders or elves, the argument could be made to cut 1-2 of these for different removal but this should be very rare.
Terminate - Our main catch-all removal spell, Terminate does wonders against matchups that grind out big creatures or stall the game out with tough to burn walls. Generally you want to be playing 4. If big mana decks are rare in your meta then the argument could be made for 2-3 in favor of more Evincar's Justices or Moment of Cravings.
2 Burning Prophet
4 Thorn of the Black Rose
1 Crown-Hunter Hireling
4 Gurmag Angler
1 Firebolt
4 Lightning Bolt
2 Raven's Crime
4 Chainer's Edict
4 Magma Jet
3 Night's Whisper
4 Terminate
3 Evincar's Justice
3 Pristine Talisman
4 Bloodfell Caves
6 Mountain
4 Rakdos Carnarium
7 Swamp
3 Gorilla Shaman
2 Duress
4 Pyroblast
4 Molten Rain
1 Evincar's Justice
1 Pristine Talisman
Creatures
Thorn of the Black Rose - Our essential card draw engine. With the level of board control and removal in the deck, Thorn is usually just a 4-mana Phyrexian Arena. Additionally, Thorn survives Evincar's Justice and often trades with a creature in the late game. 4-of.
Crown-Hunter Hireling - Another great draw spell but not nearly as powerful or essential as Thorn. Decent beater but only if the opponent is consistently taking the monarchy from you. 1-2 alongside Thorn.
Burning Prophet - A new and relatively untested card filtering engine. If you drop prophet early she can be a decent 2 or even 3 power beater. Often, prophet will just eat a removal spell but is an instant 2-for-1 as long as you can pop off an activation before she dies.
Gurmag Angler - Fairly self explanatory. 5/5 beater for 1-2 mana in the late game. Just be careful not to exile that Chainer's Edict!
Lost Legion
Spells
Lightning Bolt - 4-of. 'nuf said.
Magma Jet - The epitome of what this deck wants to do. Kills most pesky early beaters in the format and filters our mana. A+ 2-for-1. 4-of.
Chainer's Edict - An essential Pauper removal spell. Great against big mana decks and Ulamog's Crushers. In the long game, edict can really come back to bite the unsuspecting opponent. Plan for the future and be careful not to exile them with your Gurmag Anglers. 4-of. If your meta is incredibly geared towards tiny leaders or elves, the argument could be made to cut 1-2 of these for different removal but this should be very rare.
Terminate - Our main catch-all removal spell, Terminate does wonders against matchups that grind out big creatures or stall the game out with tough to burn walls. Generally you want to be playing 4. If big mana decks are rare in your meta then the argument could be made for 2-3 in favor of more Evincar's Justices or Moment of Cravings.
Firebolt
Evincar's Justice
Raven's Crime
Duress
Sideboard