[Opinions][Standard]Where's the Tear Gas?

It's not that I don't like Rakdos, but rather that I'm still trying to figure out decent configurations myself.

I've updated the decklist in a few ways. 

At the one drop, I've upped the count of Slumbering Dragon to three.  It can serve as a more effective deterrent this way as I'm more likely to pull them.  Deathrite Shaman also finds its way in here for a variety of reasons, to stop Gravecrawler/Geralf's Messenger/Undying/Scavenge and whatever else.  Also, if I have to miracle Reforge the Soul early, it can let me use any dumped mana to ensure balance.

At the two drop, Gore-house Chainwalker gives way for an additional Thrill-Kill Assassin.  The added one power is nice for the Chainwalker, but deathtouch proves much more useful, especially when Curse of Stalked Prey is on the board.  Grim Roustabout is gone - two for a 1/1 regen or a 2/2 regen that can't block isn't enough advantage to warrant it.

At the three spot, Splatter Thug is a beast with first strike - making him require something the opponent would have at the four spot to stop.  Short of Loxodon Smiter, ramping into Deadbridge Goliath, or a pumped Lotleth Troll nothing is likely to stop him that early.

At the four drop, 3x Desecration Demon is just monstrous.  Rakdos, Lord of Riots helps speed things up even more.  That and he's a 6/6 flying trampler.  Do any damage and he helps get Griselbrand or Chaos Imps onto the field.  I dropped Bloodfray Giant as he can easily be stopped by items at the same cost or less (i.e. Deadbridge Goliath or Loxodon Smiter).  I also dropped Traitorous Instinct (despite it being a potential bomb) as the four drop was far too crowded. 

Other changes, I've swapped Necropolis Regent for Griselbrand as a high end bomb - one that can replenish my hand too.  I've added some small scale spot removal in Pillar of Flame and Tragic Slip.  I also tossed 2x Reforge the Soul into the mainboard to refill my hand once I've dumped everything - this can either keep up the pressure or help me in the event of a Supreme Verdict or Mutilate (after all, if a major aggro deck has one weakness, it's board wipes).

The sideboard now has Cremate in case extra drawing and/or graveyard removal is needed.  More Tragic Slips to provide removal if I'm somehow getting overpowered or outpaced.  And Slaughter Games and Shimian Specter for either mirror games or in case I run into a deck that really bogs me down.  Side those six in and BAM! I'm surgically extracting anything that was overly threatening.

So now I'm open to thoughts.  I know Rakdos isn't the most popular guild and this is a really RTR heavy build, but any thoughts would be welcome.  On the one hand I'm troubled to be at 65 cards, but every piece here has a use and works together quite well.  For instance, Rix Maadi Guildmage works wonders when paired with Tormented Soul, Havoc Festival or Stab Wound.  Tormented Soul and Stab Wound almost guarantee Rakdos, Lord of Riots can hit the field any turn.  Curse of Stalked Prey helps me keep outpacing them and can force them into unfavorable blocks.  It keeps going on and on.

Thoughts?

I guess perhaps they could make use on the sideboard.  The dragons offer the only real defense the deck would have - outside of things at the four drop.  My thoughts on Havoc Festival are just that when it hits the board if I have Rix Maadi Guildmage, they're dead in two turns.

Those would take me to 61.  Where does the one other card come from?

I can see your point.  At the six drop I'd much rather be dropping Griselbrand, Chaos Imps or some combination of the smaller creatures.

After getting thoroughly destroyed at FNM, this deck has undergone some MAJOR changes.  Somehow with only 22 lands, I was land flooded for 7 of my 12 total games (each of the 4 rounds I forced a game 3) - but zero match wins.  I even sided out two lands after it happened three times to try and reduce the likelihood of it happening, only to see it take place five more games.

So I started thinking, what is the biggest problem Rakdos faces?  Opposing creatures that can either keep pace, or even nullify any of your elements.  If you're unleashing EVERYTHING and can't get the job done in 6-7 turns, you're likely screwed.  Further, if you're unleashing everything, then you have ZERO defenses.  So this build brings in a few different looks - namely flyers with lifelink.  It certainly helps me outrun you if you have to worry about me gaining life while bringing the beats, much less when they're evasive creatures that I can even keep back to block if necessary *gasp!*

To that end, Thrill-Kill Assassin, Chaos Imps, and Gore-house Chainwalker all bit the dust for Daggerdrome Imp, Vampire Nighthawk (not very creative, but a classic), and some added removal spells (kicking Tragic Slip up to 4x, Pillar of Flame and Annihilating Fire - I know Searing Spear is the same damage for less, but when you see Gravecrawler and Geralf's Messenger as much as I have, it's worth the extra mana).

I also dropped Reforge the Soul for Sign in Blood as the one time I actually did hard cast it to replenish my hand, I pulled crap and ended up giving him the pieces to win the game.  Two life also isn't much of a price when you're attacking with lifelink.

Now Griselbrand sits alone atop the curve as the only card that costs more than four - as a result, I dropped the land count to 20, as the thought of getting land flooded even more is less and less appealing.  It's simple now, as most of the deck can be played with two mana, I just mulligan until I have two lands in hand like back in the olden days.

But what do people think about this deck as a whole?  Is it stronger now than it was?  Any pieces you think are missing? 

What about the sideboard? 

I can say with certainty that Slaughter Games can be a boatload of fun, but beyond that, I'm flexible there.  I figure Liliana of the Dark Realms could offer some added removal or land to work toward Griselbrand or toward her ultimate to dump a HUGE Rakdos's Return.  Cremates are to remove anything pesky from the graveyard. 

Am I overlooking anything?

I'm completely with you on the guildgates - when received at the right time, they can be really useful.  Otherwise, they're a dead land drop turn.  I might change them for Evolving Wilds as I think about it more, given that the wilds serve an extra purpose in thinning out the deck, increasing the odds of getting the other items I'm looking for.  I'd obviously prefer to change those over to Dragonskull Summits or Blood Crypts - but sadly that ends up costing like $100 for seven cards (not something most of us are looking to do).

For the Tormented Soul vs. Diregraf Ghoul pairing, I can definitely see where you're coming from, a 2/2 that can be used to chump certainly looks more appealing, until you factor in Curse of Stalked Prey - which lets those souls grow every turn - also giving me another guaranteed hit per turn to ensure I can play Rakdos, Lord of Riots on turn four.

You're saying to make the curve lower?  If I have even two lands here I'm likely able to play my entire hand.  The problem I ran into before was that I would get land flooded and then by the time I'd draw something of consequence nothing I had was even remotely big enough to make a difference.  This is why I've aimed a BIT more mid-range, but still on the fast side.  This way I can actually answer a Loxodon Smiter or Restoration Angel or Thragtusk.  If you're going pure aggro, Thragtusk and Centaur Healer absolutely DESTROY that strategy.  Despite how much everyone is saying the format is aggro-heavy at the moment, it's certainly not a problem to stop given all the options out there. 

I'm definitely interested in a Dreadbore or two and could easily see trading my Rakdos's Return for one.  I'd drop a Tragic Slip and that would give me the space for 2x.  The question is just coming up with them (I've opened more than a box and haven't gotten a single one - had a full playset of Abrupt Decay and two Vraskas, but no Dreadbores.  But is that really the only thing keeping this from being really competitive though?  I can say at my LGS, outside of two people, I really didn't see much in the way of PWs hitting the field.  That might be a fluke though as a lot of people weren't playing decks that had really adjusted for RTR - a few G/B zombies, but I ended up playing someone who was still trying to run U/W delver.

Vexing Devil could be nice, but I'm just not seeing it given that the life gain is washed out by the afore mentioned Thragtusk/Centaur Healer.  I'd much rather have those spots with Annihilating Fire or something to that effect that I can choose to either remove a threat or ding their life total.

I hear you about the need for consistency to have an effective aggro strategy, which again is a reason why I think I'm moving more toward mid-range, as I like the versatility that affords.

What about the sideboard?  Do I need to make a shift there?