Well, rakdos is a very tough deck to pilot, so generally, I’d just say it’ll come with time.
Aside from that though, you need to sculpt your hand a little before you go off. And the timing of going off is important too, since you’re also having to balance how much damage you can dish out.
If your opponents are that deathly afraid of rakdos, I’m wondering what the meta generally looks like. Against my mates here, even if I smash rakdos in with double strike, it’s not really that close to a crippling blow.
If you add in defensive stuff, it’s not like it’s againsr the spirit of the deck, but more what you want the deck to be. Mines what you’d call a musket; it takes a bit of time to load up, then unloads a massive shot to the table... then takes another while to reload.
What’s your decklist look like?
I played at our local game shop, so there were random players that probably saw this deck for the first time. I was there for the first time, so I don't know the meta. I'll have to check with my regular playgroup how the deck performs there.
I think I want the deck to end games fast (for the whole table, even if I don't win) and have some more options to play at low mana. At the moment I have the feeling, that most low mana cards are enablers for bigger plays - and during those times when I wait for a good opportunity/the right draw/more mana, I can't do much.
Rakdos is an incredibly difficult deck to pilot. Before I revised it more towards demon tribal, I had a high win rate, but all too often I won through repay in kind+lich. I got rid of lich: it is a good combination of cards, but I don't like 2 card combos, however out of left field they are. I kept repay in kind as my deck does tend to kill itself quickly.
One of the things I have been having trouble with in mind is early game interaction, so I added a bit more. Innocent blood, terminate, dreadbore, bedevil, malicious affliction, etc. all help me deal with problematic cards from my opponents. I also focused a bit more on the sacrifice-yoink theme as it allows for a more interactive game than nothing + a huge explosive turn where I get my 2 cards and win.
Incidentally, I love the random element of plays in the deck. My favorite play of all in the deck has been black source, dark ritual, entomb, sire of insanity, reanimate. I have gotten it precisely twice (on my first turn) . This is what piloting this deck is all about, crazy stuff!
These could be good options to help with this issue, although I thought more about proactive cards instead of reactive ones. Like Taurean Mauler for example.
I don't have a lich and play with Wound Reflection and Archfiend of Depravity instead. Since usually my opponents have way more life than me, these should be able to help killing the table with Exsanguinate, Repay in Kind or multiple combat step shenanigans. I added Ashnod's Altar as an emergency sac outlet, or to generate 2 mana in a pinch. It is another possibility to kill the table with altar+Army of the Damned. These two cards can net 34 colorless mana to fuel Exsanguinate. Another card that worked really well for me is Dragon Breath since it can give Rakdos (or any other 6mana+ hitter) free haste. Aside from that, I used silenciaco's list to get started.
Also Anger is a potential cut, since often I didn't have the necessary mountain out and it was just a dead card in the graveyard...
I love this thread. It's so cool, that is still alive!
I tried to build a similar list and had a lot of 1v1 games and three multiplayer (4 player FFA) games so far. In 1v1 the deck is absolutely dominating. When Rakdos comes he usually has haste and connects and then it's game over. In multiplayer it was a different story so far. In one of the mp games I played an early doomsday (because I had it in hand, and you know, Rakdosstyle...) but could not use the 5 cards in the same turn, which lead to two players teaming up and killing me. After this I thought, "OK, maybe less risky more brainy?" and tried not to give them so much incentive to beat me (they still hated on me in the other games since they fear Rakdos). In the other two games I faced the problem of not having a realiable mana base. Cards like bubbling muck and rain of filth enable awesome plays, but only in one turn. That means if you don't have an awesome play at hand, you just have less mana than the rest of the table most of the time, and a less threatening board state (I had mostly one demon out whilst the other build their many threats standard stuff). That just lead to them beating me most often, because I was the easiest target and have a scary commander that could ruin their day.
Do you guys face similar troubles? And if so, how to compensate for this? So far I'm reluctant to add defensive cards(like Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs), because this would water down the Rakdos feeling.
I played at our local game shop, so there were random players that probably saw this deck for the first time. I was there for the first time, so I don't know the meta. I'll have to check with my regular playgroup how the deck performs there.
I think I want the deck to end games fast (for the whole table, even if I don't win) and have some more options to play at low mana. At the moment I have the feeling, that most low mana cards are enablers for bigger plays - and during those times when I wait for a good opportunity/the right draw/more mana, I can't do much.
These could be good options to help with this issue, although I thought more about proactive cards instead of reactive ones. Like Taurean Mauler for example.
Here is my list:
Someone will die! Probably me...Magic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards
1 Rakdos the Defiler
1 Overseer of the Damned
1 Master of Cruelties
1 Sire of Insanity
1 Lord of the Void
1 Hellcarver Demon
1 Havoc Demon
1 Archfiend of Despair
1 It that betrays
1 Anger
1 Doom Whisperer
1 Treasonous Ogre
1 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
1 Final Fortune
1 Burnt Offering
1 Rain of Filth
1 Shallow Grave
1 Dark Ritual
1 Sacrifice
1 Demonic Consultation
1 Savage Beating
1 Entomb
1 Insidious Dreams
1 Infernal Contract
1 Ill-gotten Gains
1 Demonic Tutor
1 Torrent of Souls
1 Doomsday
1 Mizzix's Mastery
1 Living Death
1 Sign in Blood
1 World at War
1 Exsanguinate
1 Bubbling Muck
1 Pain's Reward
1 Army of the Damned
1 Final Parting
1 Faithless Looting
1 Repay in Kind
1 Nights's Whisper
1 Liliana's Contract
1 Fervor
1 Wound Reflection
1 Mass Hysteria
1 Necromancy
1 Animate Dead
1 Dragon Breath
1 Fellwar Stone
1 Sol Ring
1 Ashnod's Altar
1 Talisman of Indulgence
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Sulfurous Springs
1 Hanweir Battlements
1 Crypt of Agadeem
1 Exotic Orchard
1 Reflecting Pool
1 Foreboding Ruins
1 Rogue's Passage
1 Command Tower
1 Dragonskull Summit
1 Homeward Path
1 Graven Cairns
1 Lake of the Dead
1 City of Brass
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Blood Crypt
16 Swamp
3 Mountain
I don't have a lich and play with Wound Reflection and Archfiend of Depravity instead. Since usually my opponents have way more life than me, these should be able to help killing the table with Exsanguinate, Repay in Kind or multiple combat step shenanigans. I added Ashnod's Altar as an emergency sac outlet, or to generate 2 mana in a pinch. It is another possibility to kill the table with altar+Army of the Damned. These two cards can net 34 colorless mana to fuel Exsanguinate. Another card that worked really well for me is Dragon Breath since it can give Rakdos (or any other 6mana+ hitter) free haste. Aside from that, I used silenciaco's list to get started.
Also Anger is a potential cut, since often I didn't have the necessary mountain out and it was just a dead card in the graveyard...
I love this thread. It's so cool, that is still alive!
I tried to build a similar list and had a lot of 1v1 games and three multiplayer (4 player FFA) games so far. In 1v1 the deck is absolutely dominating. When Rakdos comes he usually has haste and connects and then it's game over. In multiplayer it was a different story so far. In one of the mp games I played an early doomsday (because I had it in hand, and you know, Rakdosstyle...) but could not use the 5 cards in the same turn, which lead to two players teaming up and killing me. After this I thought, "OK, maybe less risky more brainy?" and tried not to give them so much incentive to beat me (they still hated on me in the other games since they fear Rakdos). In the other two games I faced the problem of not having a realiable mana base. Cards like bubbling muck and rain of filth enable awesome plays, but only in one turn. That means if you don't have an awesome play at hand, you just have less mana than the rest of the table most of the time, and a less threatening board state (I had mostly one demon out whilst the other build their many threats standard stuff). That just lead to them beating me most often, because I was the easiest target and have a scary commander that could ruin their day.
Do you guys face similar troubles? And if so, how to compensate for this? So far I'm reluctant to add defensive cards(like Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs), because this would water down the Rakdos feeling.