Topic: [Standard] R/B Rakdos Unleash

Link to this deck on Deckbox: http://deckbox.org/sets/416274

First off, I'm going to give credit to AjemanCinnajob on YouTube for the original design of this deck. So far I've added a few tweaks to the deck and heavy tweaks to the sideboard. Most notably I changed out 2x Pursuit Of Flight for 2x Mizzium Mortars.

Basic info on the deck and my budget:
Budget: $100 or less.
Win Condition: Kill my opponent quickly.
Level of Play: FNMs against good players with large budgets.
Sets: Return to Ravnica and newer suggestions please. (Older cards that are cheap are fine.)

One card I'm considering adding is Madcap Skills since it would allow me to swing for 5 on turn 2 and pretty much guarantee no blocks. Though I'm not sure about having anything more than 4x Deviant Glee (Creature Enchantments).

I have not yet gone to an FNM with this deck (I will most likely next week), though the best I have ever done at an FNM is 1/3, which is pretty terrible. Initially I would like this deck to go at least 2/2.

Last edited by Xeredian (2013-06-30 16:40:40)

Re: [Standard] R/B Rakdos Unleash

Well, I see a couple things i'd change right off.  You want to stay with RTR block cards so that's going to make your deck weaker overall to start off. I'll try to stay "budget" minded.

Creatures. You do need some more one drops.  Foundery street denizens would work if you can't get stromkirk noble.   Get rid of they keyrune,  You're losing tempo with it big time in a deck like this and that's going to hurt.  Get some burning Tree emissary's,  she's double red in the deck, but she can play off chainwalker, madcap skills and firefist striker. Get some firefist strikers, it makes it difficult for your opponent to block even without madcap.  Drop bloodfray giant and get some Exava, rakdos blood witch.  She's pretty decent for the cost 4/4 first strike/haste.  Splatter thug, hellhole flailer, and shred freak can probably go as well, they just don't have what you need.  You might consider, Ash Zealot.  Boros reckoner is really good.

lands.  Guild gates are slowing you down.  Get some Blood Crypts and Dragonskull summits. The rest of the 22 lands being mountains are fine.

Spells.  Get rid of deviant glee, it doesn't play off of burning tree emissary and that's really where you want to be imo.  Spear is fine. A couple mortars is okay too. 

Consider the list below.

Lands
4 Blood Crypt
4 Dragon Skull Summit
2 Sacred Foundry
10 Mountain

Creatures
4 Stromkirk Noble
4 Rakdos Cackler
2 Foundry Street Denizen
4 Burning Tree Emissary
4 Firefist Striker
4 Chainwalker
4 Boros Reckoner
4 Exava, Blood Witch

Spells
4 Searing Spear
4 Madcap Skills
2 Mizzium Mortars

Re: [Standard] R/B Rakdos Unleash

Removing keyrunes sounds reasonable. But do you think 10 shocklands would really be worth just playing Exava? I might as well just go all red in that case and not burn the money. I also haven't had any problems having the right mana when I need it, even with guildgates.

Re: [Standard] R/B Rakdos Unleash

The statement I made about guild gates isn't about having the "right" mana.  It's tempo. 

If you play a guild gate you lose tempo with is death to an aggro deck.  You want to hit your drops every turn like a steady heartbeat.  If you have to play a tapped land the that heart skips a beat and you're behind from then on out. This consistent tempo is the strength of aggro decks.  Which is why burning tree emissary is so good.  it allows you 2 beats on turn 2.  It puts your opponent in the position of trying to catchup to you.

I would consider playing guildgates in a budget midrange, but never in an aggro deck.  The key rune is the same thing as a gate in this deck.  You commit 3 mana, on turn 3 when you should be advancing your board. 

And lets be clear only 6 of the lands I suggested are "shock" lands (take 2 damage to com into play untapped).  The dragonskull summits are "check" lands.  and 8 black splashes aren't bad for having exava. 

i suggested exava for a couple reasons. One , the main one, it's a good aggro creature that's not rotating, and it can help finish the game.  Two, it was on the "theme" of your aggro plan.  There's nothing wrong with going Mono Red (RDW) and using something like hellrider, but the rider is rotating and it's important in the current meta to have a heavy hitter that comes out swinging on turn 4 to finish things.

Last edited by elpablo (2013-07-01 15:20:02)

Re: [Standard] R/B Rakdos Unleash

Thanks for all your suggestions. I'll be making some of the changes immediately, and probably invest in shock lands soon. The thing that turns me off to doing 4 Exava is that she's legendary and that would not allow me to have more than one on the battlefield at a time. I've had up to three bloodfray giants at a time, so 4 Exavas could slow me down.

Re: [Standard] R/B Rakdos Unleash

I don't know what your area is like, but FNM's have the potentially to be decently competitive. 

Exava is legendary, but that shouldn't stop you from playing her.  She's your bomb finisher, you want to be able to play one on turn 4.  Hellrider is better in that respect, but again, trying to stick to your budget.

Hellhole flailer, is okay, but for 3 drops, I'd rather play reckoner over and over again.