[Primer] Dos Rakis

[shpedoinkle]

3 Toil / Trouble side is too many. 2 is the magic number.

On that note, a local friend and I got into a friendly argument on Toil / Trouble vs Skullcrack in the sideboard vs UWx decks in Standard. He's written for SCG so I always enjoy talking Magic with someone who is actually decent at evaluating cards (at least compared to the local crowd around here). He insists that Skullcrack is better here because it not only represents the same or more damage, but also costs one less mana and works at instant speed. My retort was that we will almost never be keeping our mana open from turn to turn and that Toil / Trouble was the better topdeck. It was an interesting conversation, and later on it moved on to why Azorius Charm will be falling out of favor in UWx due to Voice of Resurgence.

I'm still sold on Toil / Trouble, but I understand his point. If we want a better topdeck though, should
we just play Devil's Play?

Dropping to 2 Toil/Trouble, taking out one other card and adding 2 edict effects for those nast bant hexproof decks is my new plan.
I like the burn for 5-7 T3 argument instead of overextending into a board wipe, and being able to draw 2 when we need it, I like Rakdos's Return over Devil's Play and Toil/Trouble for topdeck because late game it is usually take four or five, discard hand.

Right now I expect in a 5 round local to see Junk Tokens, Junk Reanimator, Jund Midrange and Gruul Aggro. So I should really be concentrating on those.

Also, searching for decks I found this interesting "Rakdos" deck in the MTGO 4-0s:
http://www.wizards.com/Magic/Digital/Ma ... rn/5423927

Green for Deathrites Rakdos Aggro, I don't know what to think

Main Deck

60 cards





4 Blood Crypt
4
Dragonskull Summit
3 Godless Shrine
8 Mountain
4 Rootbound Crag
1 Stomping Ground

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
24 lands

4 Ash Zealot
4 Boros Reckoner
3 Deathrite Shaman
4 Falkenrath Aristocrat
1 Hellrider
4 Knight of Infamy
4 Stromkirk Noble
4 Thundermaw Hellkite

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
28 creatures



1 Mizzium Mortars
3 Pillar of Flame
4 Searing Spear

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
8 other spells


Sideboard
3 Appetite for Brains
1 Devour Flesh
3 Flames of the Firebrand
1 Mizzium Mortars
2 Olivia Voldaren
2 Sire of Insanity
3 Skullcrack

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
15 sideboard cards

[RDW]

TNM report to come. 3-0 -> ID into Top 4 -> split. Here's the current deck; nothing too outrageous.

[deck]Dos Rakis[/deck]

Round 1: Junk Reanimator (2-1)

Game 1: I won the dice roll. I lead with Stromkirk Noble -> Ash Zealot, but he plays mainboard Centaur Healers and eventually has a Thragtusk ETB 4-5 times and the game's out of reach. My 5/5 Stromkirk Noble'
s back on defense with a Boros Reckoner and Rakdos Cackler and I draw a few too many lands.

Sideboard for the play: He's on the dork plan, so I let me mainboard stay.

Game 2: I beat down with four one-drops which turn into lives 2-5 of a Falkenrath Aristocrat getting chump-blocked by Restoration Angels.

Sideboard for the draw: I stick with the mainboard again because I still haven't seen an Angel of Serenity (not sure if he's budget or not; or just trying to combo-kill me, because I saw two Craterhoof Behemoths off of a Grisly Salvage in the first game).

Game 3: He mulligans to five and isn't happy about it (one land). I beat him with a Rakdos Cackler and Ash Zealot until he scoops. He resolve a Voice of Resurgence that chump-blocks twice, but nothing else to mention here.

Round 2: Naya Midrange (2-1; should have been 2-0)

Game 1: This deck just prays on midrange strategies, which sucks because my opponent's a friend and he knows it. I beat him a bunch and
am able to 1-for-1 a Searing Spear for his Loxodon Smiter in conjuction with an Ash Zealot, then he gums up the ground a bit more and plays a Ruric Thar, the Unbowed. I double Searing Spear it EOT and come in with Falkenrath Aristocrat and Thundermaw Hellkite for the win.

Sideboard for the draw: +3 Mizzium Mortars, +4 Dreadbore, +2 Olivia Voldaren, +2 Rakdos' Return; -4 Rakdos Cackler, -4 Stromkirk Noble, -2 Spike Jester, -1 Pillar of Flame.

Game 2: I kill all of his guys and resolve an Olivia Voldaren on 6 mana and Dreadbore his Boros Reckoner (I have Mizzium Mortars in-hand, but I'm at 6 life, so was wary of taking damage). He casts a Centaur Healer that I ping and steal on my turn, then I hit him for some damages and he resolves an Angel of Serenity. Had I domed the Boros Reckoner and had the Dreadbore for the angel, I would've had the game on-lock. I'll learn.

Sideboard for the play: I stay the same, although there could be an argument for, say, +2 Spike Jester, -2 Rakdos's Return or
something.

Game 3: I beat him with an Ash Zealot for a few turns then he gums-up the ground. I play two Falkenrath Aristocrats and then he Nevermores Thundermaw Hellkite (I had two in-hand with the fifth land), but it's still not enough because I just beat him again with the aristocrats and draw a burn spell.

Round 3: RUG Control (2-0)

Game 1: 1-2-burn-4-5 gets there with little stumbling. This guy's a friendly acquaintance, but gets really salty when he loses to aggressive strategies.

Sideboard for the draw: I'm not sure if he's on RUG Control or RUG Flash, so I bring in 2 Tribute to Hunger for 2 Pillar of Flame, and 1 Rakdos' Return for the third.

Game 2: I hit double Thundermaw Hellkite and around 9 points of burn during the game. He stalls for a bit with Jace faltering and Turn // Burn, but eventually the deck just gets there.

Round 4: Turbo Gruul (ID into Top 4, but 4-0 in games)

Game 1: I play Stromkirk Noble -> Spike
Jester -> double Boros Reckoner on the play. Just the right amount of pressure and control.

Sideboard for the draw: -10 one-drops, -2 Spike Jester; +4 Dreadbore, +3 Mizzium Mortars, +2 Tribute to Hunger, +1 Pillar of Flame, +2 Olivia Voldaren

Game 2: mono-removal -> Boros Reckoner -> Oliva Voldaren = win.

Sideboard for the play: none; I just can't lose the mirror with this sideboarding strategy.

Game 3: mono-removal -> Ash Zealot / Boros Reckoner defense -> Thundermaw Hellkite beats = win.

Deboard.

Game 4: 1-2-3-4 gets there in the mirror still.

Top 4: We split, but the seeds are: me, Turbo Gruul from above, 4CC, RUG Control from above. Pretty much guaranteed top-2 and I can't lose the mirror and this deck preys on greedy manabases and controlling strategies, so I think the 4CC would've been easy too. Had grading to do and they all wanted to take off, so it's all good. Got a fourth Thundermaw Hellkite with the store credit and am
considering adding a fourth to the deck. Not sure if it's worth it or not, but I really like these fliers... Considering: +1 Pillar of Flame, +1 Stonewright, +1 Thundermaw Hellkite, +1 Stensia Bloodhall in lieu of the 4 Rakdos Cacklers. They are really unexciting, but I am aware of their utility in game one races and as extra lives for the aristocrat...

[shpedoinkle]

Well this is what I was running tonight on cockatrice, NEVER drew the wolf run, having 5 4 drops and 4 5 drops was really fun to run, needs tweeking if I have dreams of taking it live. It's Rakdos Run.

//Main
4 Ash Zealot
1 Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch
2 Rakdos Cackler
4 Falkenrath Aristocrat
4 Thundermaw Hellkite[/url:
3t0cudw7]
4 [url=http://www.mtg-forum.de/db/magiccard.php?lng=en&card=Boros+Reckoner]Boros Reckoner
4 Stromkirk Noble
4 Knight of Infamy

4 Searing Spear
4 Pillar of Flame

4 Blood Crypt
4 Godless Shrine
4 Dragonskull Summit
4 Rootbound Crag
1 Stomping Ground
1 Kessig Wolf Run
7 Mountain

//Sideboard
3 Mizzium Mortars
4 Dreadbore
2
Blasphemous Act
2 Olivia Voldaren
2 Toil // Trouble
2 Deathrite Shaman

[Valdarith]

That terrible manabase just to run one Wolf Run is not worth it. You'll be sorry for running eight checklands.

[shpedoinkle]

That terrible manabase just to run one Wolf Run is not worth it. You'll be sorry for running eight checklands.

Tell me about it!
That was a problem I discovered during my cockatrice testing, a lot of T2 plays didn't happen that should have putting me down around 2-6 damage in a meta where you can't have that happening. So goodbye green.

What I think now is, Exava is great because of the first strike (go ahead and block with your Smiter/Resto) and not being able to be searing speared, having the 4th Thundermaw and Reckoner was great mid game and somehow even with 25 lands I still had to mull away a lot of 1 landers.
I don't know what I would take out to run an Exava or the 4th Thundermaw/Reckoner though, tonight I might cut two 1cc creatures(
from the primer MD list) for the Reckoner and Exava and try and fit a Thundermaw in the SB.
The KOI is staying because of too much Junk Voice based decks.

[RDW]

Been playing some Dos Rakis midrange on Cockatrice and it's shitting on everyone:

[deck]DRM[/deck]

[RDW]

I'm not sure if swapping out the Rakdos Cacklers and the third Pillar of Flame for 3 Exava, 1 Stensia Bloodhall, and the fourth Thundermaw Hellkite was right or not, but it's loads of fun. The creature base is such that they all can be played offensively or defensively, and they're efficient in either mode. I've played a lot yesterday and today and have literally gone 12-2 in sets of three on Cockatrice. I've beat various UWX control decks, RBX midrange decks, Aristocrats variants, and RG(x) Aggro decks. My two losses were to Bant control and Junk Aristocrats, and to be fair the Bant guy saw three wurms game one and two of 'em and a SCM game two, and the Aristocrats guy got a turn-two demon in game one, and saw two priests and one of every other good card in the third. More to come...

[shpedoinkle]

I have played a decent amount of Junk Aristocrats, the new deck of the day, a lot depends on the build and their gameplan. Tragic Slip (out of SB) after they sac something to aristocrat or varolz is a virtual 2 for 1 and I am sure to save removal for the priest because when I don't I lose.

Junk midrange is weird, I think we can race them with our flyers/KOI
I think the worst thing I have seen was Druid's Deliverance t5 and t6 with Advent of the Wurm Tokens/Intangible Virtue killing my two fatal alpha strikes in a race, then townshipping for I want to say 3 7/7 vigilance tramplers.

I am trying -1 cackler, -1 stonewright, -4 Jesters, +1 Exava, +1 Reckoner +4 KOI. from the primer list. I think that way I can go 1 drop, 2 drop, 2 OR 3 drop, 4 drop pretty often
I'm running 3 tragic slip SB too btw

[TheWizardOfFoz]

Sorry if this has perhaps been discussed before but I was curious to what you guys think of "Sire of Insanity" in the sideboard against the control matchup? For the equivalent CMC of a Rakdos Return for 4 we're forcing control to discard their entire hand and hitting them with a 6 power body to boot, my friend is quite a competitive player and plays control, Sire is so scary to him he's removed Sphinx's revs from main deck entirely believing it to be almost useless in the current meta.

Saying that however, adding a 6 CMC creature would probably require the manabase to be altered to accommodate, at the very least we'd need a Stensia Bloodhall in the sideboard to come out when he does.

[Valdarith]

It's not a bad idea, but you'd definitely want at least 24 land postboard. I've considered this possibility as well since it also provides us a dude.

[zemanjaski]

Sorry if this has perhaps been discussed before but I was curious to what you guys think of "Sire of Insanity" in the sideboard against the control matchup? For the equivalent CMC of a Rakdos Return for 4 we're forcing control to discard their entire hand and hitting them with a 6 power body to boot, my friend is quite a competitive player and plays control, Sire is so scary to him he's removed Sphinx's revs from main deck entirely believing it to be almost useless in the current meta.

Saying that however, adding a 6 CMC creature would probably require the manabase to be altered to accommodate, at the very least we'd need a Stensia Bloodhall in the sideboard to come out when he does.

Your friend is bad.

[windstrider]

Sorry if this has perhaps been discussed before but I was curious to what you guys think of "Sire of Insanity" in the sideboard against the control matchup? For the equivalent CMC of a Rakdos Return for 4 we're forcing control to discard their entire hand and hitting them with a 6 power body to boot, my friend is quite a competitive player and plays control, Sire is so scary to him he's removed Sphinx's revs from main deck entirely believing it to be almost useless in the current meta.

Saying that however, adding a 6 CMC creature would probably require the manabase to be altered to accommodate, at the very least we'd need a Stensia Bloodhall in the sideboard to come out when he does.

Taking out what is arguably one of the top
three cards in Standard is a bad move. If that's your friend's way of thinking, then be sure to play him and laugh at the wins.

I appreciate what Sire of Insanity does, but it just doesn't feel like that's where this deck wants to be. Go with a fourth Thundermaw and run them over.

[Valdarith]

It's the equivalent of taking out Boros Reckoner postboard because your opponent is playing black removal. It's just not something you do.

In a more sledgehammer build, I think Sire could do some work. I'm talking a deck that runs a set of 5 cmc cards mainboard and a ton of great topdecks.

[Link]

Trying Tbloods over Zealous Conscripts in this deck, with no hellrider/pyreheart, what is ZC add except a burden to hit 5 mana on curve and a meager 3 damag? I think being able to steal out games while stuck at 3-4 mana is pretty important against the decks you want threatens for, instead of searching for that 5th land when they play out more thrags/hellkites/etc.

[RDW]

Trying Tbloods over Zealous Conscripts in this deck, with no hellrider/pyreheart, what is ZC add except a burden to hit 5 mana on curve and a meager 3 damag? I think being able to steal out games while stuck at 3-4 mana is pretty important against the decks you want threatens for, instead of searching for that 5th land when they play out more thrags/hellkites/etc.

I don't think Dos Rakis needs threatens at all, to be completely honest. Usually quick decks want them to steal fatties and then hit them for the final strike with it, but we aren't fast enough (in general) to take advantage of this, so it ends up being a 3-mana, 4-6 damage burn spell, which is fine, but I'd much rather just keep Lava Axing them with Thundermaw Hellkites.

[rcwraspy]

Trying Tbloods over Zealous Conscripts in this deck, with no hellrider/pyreheart, what is ZC add except a burden to hit 5 mana on curve and a meager 3 damag? I think being able to steal out games while stuck at 3-4 mana is pretty important against the decks you want threatens for, instead of searching for that 5th land when they play out more thrags/hellkites/etc.

If you're going to run threaten effects, there are a few things that I'd think about, though I'm not sure how much these things should weigh in.

1. I'd want Falkenrath on board to sac their dude if I'm not swinging for lethal. That requires a post-T4 play.

2. ZC is another haste 3 power creature

3. ZC is a human, which is nice for Falkenrath

[RDW]

Trying Tbloods over Zealous Conscripts in this deck, with no hellrider/pyreheart, what is ZC add except a burden to hit 5 mana on curve and a meager 3 damag? I think being able to steal out games while stuck at 3-4 mana is pretty important against the decks you want threatens for, instead of searching for that 5th land when they play out more thrags/hellkites/etc.

If you're going to run threaten effects, there are a few things that I'd think about, though I'm not sure how much these things should weigh in.

1. I'd want Falkenrath on board to sac their dude if I'm not swinging for lethal. That
requires a post-T4 play.

2. ZC is another haste 3 power creature

3. ZC is a human, which is nice for Falkenrath

And if you're going to play threatens at all, ^^ is right.

[LP, of the Fires]

Conscripts synergizes with thragtusk in addition to being able to randomly ultimate planeswalkers and generally gives you more lines of play then thundermaw hellkite which is just a big dumb creature. I'd also add concripts is PROBABLY better in a lower curve deck putting 2 at the top of the curve where in a full on midrange list, I'd rather just play all the thundermaws.

May try toying with Dos Rakis again. The deck isn't bad, but I've had fairly bad luck with it every time I've tried picking it up since GTC.

[Valdarith]

My favorite play with Conscripts was during a VERY long game where I had flooded out with nine mana on board. I had an empty boardstate and 10 life against mostly black control. I cast Conscripts to steal Griselbrand, pay 7 life to draw 7 and find an Aristocrat, play Aristocrat, swing away, then sac Griselbrand to Aristocrat.

I REALLY like Conscripts. I actually started running them mainboard in a more aggressive Dos Rakis shell before DGM came out, and I actually ended up preferring it to Thundermaw Hellkite at the time. I'm not sure if I would favor it as much now since I haven't played the deck since DGM was released.

[windstrider]

Conscripts can certainly lead to some blowout plays.

[RDW]

Conscripts can certainly lead to some blowout plays.

This is definitely true, but this meta's pretty diversified and Zealous Conscripts is terrible against aggro (yay, steal a bear! >.<) and Esper no non-land permanents control, whereas Thundermaw Hellkite is always good. What's not to love about a repetitive Lava Axe? In my Br zombies from the past, I loved two conscripts above four aristocrats at the top of my curve, but Dos Rakis wants 3-4 5-drops and Zealous Conscripts just isn't good enough to fill that role, IMO. And, with 3-4 5-drops in the mainboard, we'd be hard-pressed to add any more into the SB... Just my 2c.

[Link]

yeah I love the effect she gives, its just the top end of this deck seems clogged already, using mana efficently when it reaches 5. Aristocrat into ZC is awesome, but the 5th land has just been hard to find when it counts in testing sometimes, so being able to Aristocrat into tblood is a lot more consistent, if less powerful (and like I said, ZC doesn't add to hellrider triggers or pyreheart wolf, so how much power is ZC adding besides taking planeswalkers which good players never try to greedily ultimate anyway?)

[LP, of the Fires]

How does ZC not add to pyreheart/hellrider? It's still a creature, it still swings. Half the time, it actually is MUCH better then thundermaw as it can steal something to clear blockers paving the way for victory. When I was playing Mono-red, I actually kept a tally on how the two five-drops compared to each other in games where I played them. Conscripts came out slightly ahead.

Dos Rakis is different. If you're going with a lower curve more aggressive rakis deck, I prefer conscripts as a finisher. If you go with a bunch of 4 and 5 drops, I like hellkite.

[Valdarith]

Conscripts can certainly lead to some blowout plays.

Thundermaw Hellkite is always good.

Selesnya Charm says hello.

[RDW]

Meh. I like ZC also, but I've gone to the Thundermaw Hellkite side and it's so good.

[Link]

[quote="[url=viewtopic.php?p=70631#p70631:qmmvhmsz]LP, of the Fires » Wed Jun 12, 2013 2:06 pm[/url:qmmvhmsz]":qmmvhmsz]How does ZC not add to pyreheart/hellrider? It's still a creature, it still swings. Half the time, it actually is MUCH better then thundermaw as it can steal something to clear blockers paving the way for victory. When I was playing Mono-red, I actually kept a tally on how the two five-drops compared to each other in games where I played them. Conscripts came out slightly ahead.

Dos Rakis is different. If you're going with a lower curve more aggressive rakis deck, I prefer conscripts as a finisher. If you go with a bunch of 4 and 5 drops, I like hellkite.[/quote:qmmvhmsz]

It does add to those, I'm just saying that this deck doesn't play hellrider OR Pyreheart, so you aren't getting more value

[windstrider]

I have three slots in my sideboard that I'm less than thrilled by right now. Currently they have 2x Tribute to Hunger and one [card]Toil // Trouble[/card] occupying them. I'm interested in trying out Toil // Trouble, so that slot's ok if not exactly exciting, but Tribute just doesn't feel like it belongs even though I know it's useful.

I'm tempted to try Exava, Rakdos Blood-witch since she's a beater and pseudo-Aristocrat #5. But with Lingering Souls appearing again, Flames of the Firebrand looks good too.

Thoughts? Ideas?

[LP, of the Fires]

Depends on what's played locally assuming you aren't going to a high profile tourney.

If I went to something big, I wouldn't play flames as it's so mediocre in a lot of matchups. I'd rather go elecktrickery. For Dos Rakis and your LGS though? Flames might be the perfect card. You could always just play Blasphemous act as well since you have reckoner and FA.

[RDW]

My current deck is:

[deck]Dos Rakis by RDW[/deck]

With the usual sideboard plan.

[Link]

Its really interesting that all of us have come around to the same SB plan with exactly 1 flex splot:

Slaughter Games? Toil//Trouble? Blasphemous Act? I suggested a third tribute for the hexproof MU to Nuwen, but I have no idea what's correct here.


As for Exava, her lack of evasion is especially troubling. I rather play 1-2 Rakdos, Lord of Riots and really just go to town from time to time (greedy as he is to play) >____>b

6/6 Flying Tramplers are pretty well positioned right now, who knew

[RDW]

Its really interesting that all of us have come around to the same SB plan with exactly 1 flex splot:

Slaughter Games? Toil//Trouble? Blasphemous Act? I suggested a third tribute for the hexproof MU to Nuwen, but I have no idea what's correct here.


As for Exava, her lack of evasion is especially troubling. I rather play 1-2 Rakdos, Lord of Riots and really just go to town from time to time (greedy as he is to play) >____>b

6/6 Flying Tramplers are pretty well positioned right now, who knew

Exava does have evasion. She's a 4/4 first-striker with haste; who the fuck wants to block that? To be fair, Lingering Souls chump blocks sound miserable, but she
can eat them up so your FA can come down. Rakdos's double-B cost makes me wary, and the fact that--in my version at least--dealing damage on turn four is certainly not guaranteed. Could work, though. I really like this deck.

[LP, of the Fires]

FWIW, my board is fairly different from everyone elses, but then again, I don't play this deck much really, I just like building things and toying with them from time to time.

[RDW]

What deck are you on, LP?

[Link]

Its really interesting that all of us have come around to the same SB plan with exactly 1 flex splot:

Slaughter Games? Toil//Trouble? Blasphemous Act? I suggested a third tribute for the hexproof MU to Nuwen, but I have no idea what's correct here.


As for Exava, her lack of evasion is especially troubling. I rather play 1-2 Rakdos, Lord of Riots and really just go to town from time to time (greedy as he is to play) >____>b

6/6 Flying Tramplers are pretty well positioned right now, who knew

Exava does have evasion. She's a 4/4 first-striker with haste; who the fuck wants to
block that? To be fair, Lingering Souls chump blocks sound miserable, but she can eat them up so your FA can come down. Rakdos's double-B cost makes me wary, and the fact that--in my version at least--dealing damage on turn four is certainly not guaranteed. Could work, though. I really like this deck.

Junk rites wants to block it, so they can re-animate the thrag you just killed. Like I said Rakdos' double B is greedy, but that's why he should only be played as an experimental 1-2 of. You can also use pillar to turn him on T5, or reckoner to guarantee he'll turn on.

Exava's unleash haste clause is also irrelevant for the deck, but I'd look out for interesting synergies with Theros there.

[RDW]

Yeah, the unleash clause is irrelevant for sure, esp. since I took out the Rakdos Cacklers for her, and they'd be near-dead draws anyway. You have a point against Junk Rites for sure, but this deck already shits on them, so I'm fine with that. Will reconsider alternatives, but what other changes would you make to my deck?

[Link]

I don't have as much experience with the deck as others here, so take their advice first, but I'd suggest a 3rd Stonewright based on testing with him. I also don't like Stensia MB.

the version we've been using has the 4 cacklers though, and I still think he's awesome. Having 1 drops to punish greedy hands, and Cackler->Spike Jester can steal so many G1s. He also eats pillars that are going to be aimed at your Ash Zealot+Stonewright or Spike jester

Then again I'm just a more "low-curve" kind of guy, with the maximum # of hellkites I'd play being 3 and 24 land to go with him (and even then I like 23 as a number better >_>b)

[redthirst]

I'm not against replacing the 24th land with a 3rd Stonewright, personally.

[RDW]

I don't have as much experience with the deck as others here, so take their advice first, but I'd suggest a 3rd Stonewright based on testing with him. I also don't like Stensia MB.

the version we've been using has the 4 cacklers though, and I still think he's awesome. Having 1 drops to punish greedy hands, and Cackler->Spike Jester can steal so many G1s. He also eats pillars that are going to be aimed at your Ash Zealot+Stonewright or Spike jester

Then again I'm just a more "low-curve" kind of guy, with the maximum # of hellkites I'd play being 3 and 24 land to go with him (and even then I like 23 as a number better >_>b)

Stensia's there for my 25th land for the fourth dragon... I've been running that version for the past
few weeks, but really fell in love with Thundermaw Hellkite after the most-recent event and wanted to add the fourth. I swapped 2 cacklers for the dragon and 25th land to support it, then just felt like 2-of cackler wasn't as good, so dropped them for more big/big beaters in Exava.

I've been running 3 hellkites on 24 land, but would drop down to 2 hellkites if I werd to go down to 23 land. Hmph.

[windstrider]

I'm hoping to get some testing in today with various sideboard choices: Flames of the Firebrand, Blasphemous Act, Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch, and Legion Loyalist.

If tokens are truly a thing again, then Loyalist could be a good deal. The first strike and trample could help out as well.

[RDW]

3-0 at Thursday $3 for 3 rounds. Beat Bw Zombies 2-0, Junk Rites 2-1, and Naya Midrange 2-0. Ran my Exava list, but not sure what I'll be playing at the IQ this Saturday.