[Primer] RDW

[Tyrael]

Borderland Marauder will definitely replace Gore-House Chainwalker

The main question being if it's worth playing a two-drop heavy RDW strategy or not. Also, is that Altac Bloodseeker even worth playing (it seems pretty strong but only time will tell I guess)? I'll definitely be testing those out.

[deck]4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Firedrinker Satyr
4 Foundry Street Denizen
4 Ash Zealot
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Firefirst Striker
4 Borderland Marauder
4 Altac Bloodseeker[/deck]

I'm also curious about this:

[NerdBoyWonder]

Borderland Marauder will definitely replace Gore-House Chainwalker

The main question being if it's worth playing a two-drop heavy RDW strategy or not. Also, is that Altac Bloodseeker even worth playing (it seems pretty strong but only time will tell I guess)? I'll definitely be testing those out.

[deck]4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Firedrinker Satyr
4 Foundry Street Denizen
4 Ash Zealot
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Firefirst Striker
4 Borderland Marauder
4 Altac Bloodseeker[/deck]

I'm also curious about this:

Altac Bloodseeker is something I'd want in a traditional RDW list with a cross between creatures and burn. In a BTE creature list I'd want both Borderland
Marauder and Chainwalker because they can get in for 3 and fight through Caryatids. I'd also probably drop Ash Zealot. I'd want more creatures to chain off of BTE. generator servant does that and allows us to "ramp" into different things. Here is a rough working list:

[deck]4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Firedrinker Satyr
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
3 Generator Servant
3 Gore-House Chainwalker
4 Borderland Marauder
4 Firefist Striker

2 Stoke The Flame[/deck]

Nothing else I can see at the moment.

[RaidaTheBlade]

Current list:

[deck]
Creatures (28)
4 Akroan Crusader
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Satyr Hoplite
1 Nyxborn Rollicker
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Ash Zealot
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
3 Prophetic Flamespeaker

Lands (20)
18 Mountain
2 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx

Spells (12)
4 Madcap Skills
4 Thunderous Might
4 Titan's Strength
[/deck]

It's not amazing or anything, but it's fun to play.
I cashed out of standard a few weeks back, so it's something fun and cheap.

[NerdBoyWonder]

Post-M15 theory list... Just tossing this out there. It is probably trash:

[deck](29) Creatures
4 Rakdos Cackler
3 Firedrinker Satyr
2 Legion Loyalist
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
3 Generator Servant
3 Gore-House Chainwalker
4 Borderland Marauder
4 Firefist Striker
2 Minotaur Skullcleaver

(11) Spells
4 Lightning Strike
4 Madcap Skills
2 Stoke The Flame
1 Blinding Flare

(20) Lands
20 Mountains[/deck]

[LP, of the Fires]

I don't think generator servants something you're looking to play.

The sac ability is only noteworthy if you have actually top end creatures you wouldn't mind hasting out.

In your list, the only thing it's popping out is...creatures that do the same thing it does. About the only time it's ability is relevant is I guess if you draw a FFS and need to haste through some bitches. If you're playing something like Fanatic of mogis or whatever, then it gets semi-interesting since you whiff on hitting four reasonably often and hasting out a 4/2 on 3 is not terrible but not particularly exciting since your losing devotion to pop out your devotion incentive.

It could also be Ok with goblin rabblemaster since that card should have haste anyways It should also be noted that I believe you can give multiple creatures haste with one activation
which may or may not be a BIG deal since you can use 1 of the floating mana on like a rabblemaster and the other mana on a firefist striker, but again, where talking low curve stuff that's you can likely just cast anyways. It starts doing cool shit when you cast turn 4 souls of shandalar.

[Tyrael]

I'm still not convinced that Stoke The Flames is where we want to be but I guess our burn choices are quite limited after all.

Altac Bloodseeker has been pretty damn good in testing so far, I might consider maindecking it once M15 rolls around.

[hoeiberg]

I'm with LP on the servant. Ramping is only fun when you have something to ramp into (I WILL be brewing a super casual UR brew with servant+Scuttling Doom Engine+Shrapnel Blast, but i almost guarantee it will be too janky to do anything )

Now as for the RDW discussion: What are you guys' thoughts on Hammerhand?


I like that it does so many things (Falters a blocker, gives +1/+1, gives Haste, and triggers Heroic if that is your thing), and i LOVE that it is only 1 mana. What i don't like is that none of those effects are all that powerful (wouldn't pay 1 for any one of those), but all of it together might be worth the investment?

[NerdBoyWonder]

It should also be noted that I believe you can give multiple creatures haste with one activation which may or may not be a BIG deal since you can use 1 of the floating mana on like a rabblemaster and the other mana on a firefist striker, but again, where talking low curve stuff that's you can likely just cast anyways. It starts doing cool shit when you cast turn 4 souls of shandalar.

Being able to cast multiple 2 drops and give them haste was my incentive but I see your point and more than anything I believe Generator possibly would make me waste turns attempting to haste out multiple drops the following turns instead of dropping threat and swinging.

I'm still not convinced that Stoke The Flames is where
we want to be but I guess our burn choices are quite limited after all.

Altac Bloodseeker has been pretty damn good in testing so far, I might consider maindecking it once M15 rolls around.

In what shell are you testing her out in? As soon as I saw it spoiled I would want to try and get a 4/1 haste first strike reliably. Even if it isn't hasted a 4/1 first striking blocker would be pretty strong too.

Now as for the RDW discussion: What are you guys' thoughts on Hammerhand?


I like that it does so many things (Falters a blocker, gives +1/+1, gives Haste, and triggers Heroic if that is your thing), and i LOVE that it is only 1 mana. What i don't like is that none of those effects are all that powerful (wouldn't pay 1 for any one of those), but all of it together might be worth the investment?

Another tool for Boss Slight I
believe. That and Inferno Fist I believe is what Tom Ross was looking to add to his list. Rough Idea of where I would fit them. Inferno Fist replaces Shock and Hammerhand replaces Blinding Flare. I would possibly try to add in Frenzied Goblin some how also.

[deck]Creatures (26)

4 Akroan Crusader
4 Ash Zealot
4 Firedrinker Satyr
4 Foundry Street Denizen
4 Legion Loyalist
4 Rakdos Cackler
2 Rubblebelt Maaka
Lands (17)

17 Mountain
Spells (17)

4 Dragon Mantle
4 Madcap Skills
2 Lightning Strike
2 Inferno Fist
4 Titan's Strength
1 Hammerhand
Sideboard

2 Eidolon of the Great Revel
1 Lightning Strike
2 Magma Spray
1 Searing Blood
4 Skullcrack
1 Harness by Force
1 Mizzium Mortars
1 Peak Eruption
1 Seismic Stomp
1 Mutavault[/deck]

[Tyrael]

I think I'd definitely be running Frenzied Goblin in Boss Sligh now. The effect is too good to pass up.

Current RDW shell I'm testing:

[deck] RDW[/deck]

Definitely needs some more tweaking though

[RaidaTheBlade]

I actually plan on adding hammerhand to my devotion/boss sligh mix deck I posted.
Current plan is to look something like:

[deck]
Creatures (27)
4 Rakdos Cackler
3 Akroan Crusader
3 Satyr Hoplite
2 Nyxborn Rollicker
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Ash Zealot
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
3 Prophetic Flamespeaker

Lands (20)
18 Mountain
2 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx

Spells (13)
4 Madcap Skills
4 Thunderous Might
3 Titan's Strength
2 Hammerhand

Sideboard (15)
4 Skullcrack
3 Harness by Force
4 Boros Reckoner
1 Mountain
3 Seismic Stomp
[/deck]

Maybe switching the numbers of titan's strength and hammerhand.
A mix of more hammerhand and some inferno fist will be my 'replacement' for madcap post-rotation, as of right now.

[RaidaTheBlade]

Since I'm thinking about it, might as well explain my above deck. It's a kinda combo between Boss Sligh and devotion.

It has the same style of quick small creatures and buff spells/enchantment that boss sligh does, but takes a few queues from the devotion decks' explosiveness with BTE and nykthos.

Having both allows it to use a stupidly broken card in the form of Thunderous Might. This card regularly gives +4/+0 or more, sometimes ludicrous amounts.

I've had many many games where I've gone turn 1 1-drop, turn 2 zealot, turn 3 bte into bte into nykthos into zealot into thunderous might on a zealot.
In those plays, I swing for 3 or 4 damage turn 2 (1or2 from one drop, 2 from ash), and then 15/16 turn 3 (1or2 from 1drop, 2 each from 2 zealots, and 10 extra from thunderous might).

It's super powerful and explosive, and just feels great. That said, if you opponent gets too much removal and you falter a bit, then
it's not pretty, but the same is true of most boss sligh-esque builds, so -shrugs-

[Aodh]

Been running the BAIR list on Cockatrice. Literally shitting on kids.

[deck]Creatures
4 Cackler
4 FDS
4 FSD
3 Legion Loyalist
4 Ashley
4 BTE
4 FFS
4 GHC

Pumps and Stuffs
4 Chains
4 Maaka
4 Titan's Strength

Land
4 Mana Confluence
4 Sacred Foundry
9 Mountain

Sideboard
4 Boros Charm
4 Mizzium Mortars
4 Searing Blood
3 Peak Eruption[/deck]

[Valdarith]

I actually plan on adding hammerhand to my devotion/boss sligh mix deck I posted.
Current plan is to look something like:

[deck]
Creatures (27)
4 Rakdos Cackler
3 Akroan Crusader
3 Satyr Hoplite
2 Nyxborn Rollicker
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Ash Zealot
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
3 Prophetic Flamespeaker

Lands (20)
18 Mountain
2 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx

Spells (13)
4 Madcap Skills
4 Thunderous Might
3 Titan's Strength
2 Hammerhand

Sideboard (15)
4 Skullcrack
3 Harness by Force
4 Boros Reckoner
1 Mountain
3 Seismic Stomp
[/deck]

Maybe switching the numbers of titan's strength and hammerhand.
A mix of more hammerhand and some inferno fist will be my 'replacement' for madcap post-rotation, as of right now.

nI don't understand what you need Nykthos for.

[PirateKingAtomsk]

It's psuedo devotion where his 2 and 3 drops all add 2 devotion allowing hand dumps off of bte chains like he decribed in his post. It's not always the case but he only runs 2.

[Valdarith]

I still don't get it. You're not doing anything powerful off Nykthos like dumping turn three Stormbreath Dragons, going monstrous, etc. It's like a really bad devotion deck.

[Purp]

1 Mountain 1 Nykthos opening 7s are unkeepable. Only one creature you have is castable off of a colorless

[Elricity]

Needs more fireball to go with your Nykthos!

[LP, of the Fires]

Agree with others on nykthos. Go big or gtfo.Bte is good by itself. Mutavault would be a million times better in your deck. Mountain would be that times three.

[Elricity]

Friends don't let friends play reckoner on 18 sources.

[LP, of the Fires]

Posting bad brews, don't mind me. These are just deck ideas that I want to be good and are likely...not.

[deck]4 Firedrinker Satyr
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Generator Servant
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
4 Boros Reckoner
4 Fanatic of Mogis
3 Stormbreath Dragon
2 Soul of Shandalar

4 Mizzium Mortars
2 Magma Jet

2 Chandra, Pyromaster

20 Mountains
3 Mutavault[/deck]

Medium Big Red. Occupies a shitty space between devotion red and RDW. Board control, some slight ramping capabilites. My wet dream.

[deck]4 Foundry Street Denizen
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Firedrinker Satyr
4 Frenzied Goblin
1 Legion Loyalis
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Firefist Striker
4 Chandra's Phoenix
2 Goblin Rabblemaster
3 Rubbelbelt Maka

2 Lightning Strike
2 Searing Blood

4 Mutavault
18 Mountain[/deck]

Typical week one deck. Doing cute shit? Trying new cards? Oops, you're dead. Can't block won't block.

[Elricity]

First deck probably needs 25 land to support the curve, generator servant aside and I'm not sure firedrinker fits that kind of build unless you're trying to live the curve out dream. Otherwise it's not bad.

[hoeiberg]

Posting bad brews, don't mind me. These are just deck ideas that I want to be good and are likely...not.

[deck]
4 Firedrinker Satyr
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Generator Servant
4 Eidolon of the Great Revel
4 Boros Reckoner
4 Fanatic of Mogis
3 Stormbreath Dragon
2 Soul of Shandalar

4 Mizzium Mortars
2 Magma Jet

2 Chandra, Pyromaster

20 Mountains
3 Mutavault[/deck]

Medium Big Red. Occupies a shitty space between devotion red and RDW. Board control, some slight ramping capabilites. My wet dream.

Generator Servant + Soul of Shandalar? I like your style.
I'm with the people saying 25 lands though, and maybe use some of that sweet mana fixing in standard to splash white for Chained? (I know it's less cool, sorry )

[Elricity]

I've played the 2-6 curve aggro deck in the past. It needs 25 lands, with 3-4 being spell lands. Particularly to support the mana dumps. Mutavault is probably better but you do have Nykthos as an option.

[LP, of the Fires]

Surprisingly that deck is actually good. I changed 2 mortars to 2 strikes, but everything else being the same, I jammed some games against stuff like devotion blue, black, and esper and the deck performed well.

As far as the land count goes, it should be 24 all things considered, but I was on the YOLO plan.

The firedrinker's in there because the deck needs some type of one mana play(not playing shock) and with BTE, I figured FDS would be better then cackler. If white mana where added to the deck, I think I'd just put all the chains in the board since I actually like the way the main plays a lot as is.

For sideboard purposes, I just know there'd be a lot of removal and if we add white, it would include enchantment removal. The biggest reason why I'm wary of adding white is CIPT lands. Having perfect mana is pretty sweet and I don't think I want to change that. Anyways, potential sideboard:

[deck]2 Mortars
3
Anger of the Gods
3 Harness by Force
3 Goblin Rabblemaster
1 Chandra(I'd be cutting a chandra from the main for a 4th mutavault. Either that, or this is the mutavault slot)
2 Hammer of Purphoros
1 Nykthos[/deck]

Overall, this might have potential, but good luck beating a polukranos.

[Elricity]

Why exactly are you wanting to wrath your own board?

[LP, of the Fires]

The better question is in what matchup would I want anger and how would my postboard deck look like in said matchup?

[Elricity]

That's why I'm asking. Your post board looks like +6 anti aggro cards, -6 weenies, leave in 18 cards that die to anger. Anger in these kinds of decks always feels like "hope I draw it by turn 3 to sweep, start playing creatures, and hope I never draw one after turn 5." Doesn't BTE and reckoner already solve the aggro problem?

[LP, of the Fires]

There's agro, then there's master of waves

[LP, of the Fires]

Actually got to do some testing and this deck is absurd:

4 Frenzied Goblin
4 Foundry Street Denizen
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Firefist Striker
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Firedrinker Satyr
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
4 Rubblebelt Maaka
2 Chandra's Phoenix
2 Searing Blood
4 Lightning Strike
2 Mutavault
18 Mountain

Cut all the cute bullshit and realized you should just be killing people with rabblemaster.

[zemanjaski]

Rabble master is good you say? SWEET

[LP, of the Fires]

The core of the deck is rabblemaster and the goblin sub-theme: really just any Psully deck with rabblemaster thrown in.

The point of contention is if you should add in legion loyalist and some form of pump package: not so much for goblin synergies, but as a trump to MoW. You could go boros and add shit like chained to the rocks, But I'd rather stay in the clubhouse looking for answers to keep the consistent curve and to try to stay on the aggressive plan.

I also think goblin shortcutter might be better then Chandra's phoenix.

[zemanjaski]

Yeah Phoenix looks turd and Shortcutter is mega underrated.

[Valdarith]

I was just going to suggest Shortcutter as a sub for Phoenix. Does it need the full four Loyalists or can it get away with 2-3? Maybe cut a couple Firefist Striker since Shortcutter and Loyalist give a similar effect?

[LP, of the Fires]

It's possible that I'm supposed to be playing shock, but I prefer my early testing to be performed wIth dignity.

[Self Medicated]

Does it need the full four Loyalists or can it get away with 2-3?

Does it need loyalist at all?

[FreekMagic]

Hey guys,

After reading this topic and deciding to play more MTGO I figured this would be the deck for me.
I reactivated my account and found some tix laying around.

[deck]Creatures (27)

4 Akroan Crusader
4 Ash Zealot
4 Firedrinker Satyr
4 Foundry Street Denizen
4 Legion Loyalist
4 Rakdos Cackler
3 Rubblebelt Maaka

Spells (16)

4 Dragon Mantle
4 Madcap Skills
2 Lightning Strike
2 Shock
4 Titan's Strength

Lands (17)

17 Mountain

Sideboard

2 Electrickery
2 Lightning Strike
2 Magma Spray
4 Skullcrack
1 Harness by Force
2 Peak Eruption
2 Seismic Stomp
[/deck]

So after playing the deck for 10 matches I found that I was lacking a solid sideboard plan.
After some "meta scouting" on Mtggoldfish and mtgo-stats I thought I should at least have a plan for the following decks;

vs Mono Black Devotion
+4 Skull crack -4 [card]
Dragon Mantle[/card]
+1 Harness by Force -1 Shock
Skull crack to counter the live swing that Gray Merchant brings, Harness for Desecration Demon.

vs Mono Blue Devotion
+2 Electrickery -1 Rubblebelt Maaka
-1 Dragon Mantle
Only Played 1 match against Blue Devotion, I fear the Master of Waves.

vs Azorius Control
+2 Lightning Strike -2 Shock
No idea really, the match already felt really solid, the 1 match I played. I think the 1 point of extra reach might help.

vs U/w Burn
+2 Magma Spray -2 Lightning Strike
+2 Peak Eruption -2 Dragon Mantle
Magma spray to remove the Chandra's Phoenix en
help vs Young Pyromancer. Peak Eruption for Chained tot the Rocks.
I feel like I'm going to much on the defensive in this plan.

The Seismic Stomp is a nod to other creature decks. I might want to chance it to Searing blood.

Could you guys please give me some advise on this matter?

[NerdBoyWonder]

Actually got to do some testing and this deck is absurd:

4 Frenzied Goblin
4 Foundry Street Denizen
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Firefist Striker
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Firedrinker Satyr
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
4 Rubblebelt Maaka
2 Chandra's Phoenix
2 Searing Blood
4 Lightning Strike
2 Mutavault
18 Mountain

Cut all the cute bullshit and realized you should just be killing people with rabblemaster.

Rabblemaster was my MVP card for the prerelease. Shortcutter or loyalist would be solid in this list.

[Valdarith]

Something I'm thinking about.

[deck]
Creatures (33)
4 Foundry Street Denizen
4 Frenzied Goblin
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Firedrinker Satyr
3 Legion Loyalist
4 Goblin Shortcutter
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
2 Pyrewild Shaman
4 Rubblebelt Maaka

Spells (7)
4 Lightning Strike
3 Stoke the Flames

Lands (20)
2 Mutavault
18 Mountain
[/deck]

I think it's time for Pyrewild Shaman to finally make an entrance in Standard. It allows for a more grindy gameplan and with Goblin Rabblemaster in the deck you're not usually going to have a problem getting off damage for the trigger. It's a more expensive Titan's Strength here without the scry but with the possible upside of a true card advantage engine. Plus it's a Goblin. Flavor!

I like that this deck can run 20 land but still run a low curve. One of the drawbacks of Boss Sligh is the low land count which results in frequent mulligans. There are no RR cards in the deck
besides Stoke the Flames which means I could probably get greedy and go to three Mutavault and seventeen Mountain, but I value being able to play two one drops on turn two so eighteen feels like the sweet spot.

Stoke the Flames may or may not be correct. I like that it allows you to tap your goblins down in case you have a Rabblemaster out and don't want to attack, but that's probably a corner case at best. Nevertheless, I feel like it's a much better Mizzium Mortars here since it can go to the dome.

[Pyro Force]

Something I'm thinking about.

[deck]
Creatures (33)
4 Foundry Street Denizen
4 Frenzied Goblin
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Firedrinker Satyr
3 Legion Loyalist
4 Goblin Shortcutter
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
2 Pyrewild Shaman
4 Rubblebelt Maaka

Spells (7)
4 Lightning Strike
3 Stoke the Flames

Lands (20)
2 Mutavault
18 Mountain
[/deck]

I think it's time for Pyrewild Shaman to finally make an entrance in Standard. It allows for a more grindy gameplan and with Goblin Rabblemaster in the deck you're not usually going to have a problem getting off damage for the trigger. It's a more expensive Titan's Strength here without the scry but with the possible upside of a true card advantage engine. Plus it's a Goblin. Flavor!

I like that this deck can run 20
land but still run a low curve. One of the drawbacks of Boss Sligh is the low land count which results in frequent mulligans. There are no RR cards in the deck besides Stoke the Flames which means I could probably get greedy and go to three Mutavault and seventeen Mountain, but I value being able to play two one drops on turn two so eighteen feels like the sweet spot.

Stoke the Flames may or may not be correct. I like that it allows you to tap your goblins down in case you have a Rabblemaster out and don't want to attack, but that's probably a corner case at best. Nevertheless, I feel like it's a much better Mizzium Mortars here since it can go to the dome.

Been playing around with the idea of an all goblin deck since rabblemaster was spoiled. Stoke seemed a bit of a win more tbh, in almost every case where i've used it, titan's strength would have sufficed to get that damage through anyways, or forcing removal on something not named rabblemaster. Also, as tempting as spike jester
is, the black splash is just painful. Just don't

As an aside, this is the kind of deck i like Eidolon in. All your pump doesn't trigger him, and it tends to eat removal quickly, paving the way for rabbler.

[Valdarith]

Something I'm thinking about.

[deck]
Creatures (33)
4 Foundry Street Denizen
4 Frenzied Goblin
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Firedrinker Satyr
3 Legion Loyalist
4 Goblin Shortcutter
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
2 Pyrewild Shaman
4 Rubblebelt Maaka

Spells (7)
4 Lightning Strike
3 Stoke the Flames

Lands (20)
2 Mutavault
18 Mountain
[/deck]

I think it's time for Pyrewild Shaman to finally make an entrance in Standard. It allows for a more grindy gameplan and with Goblin Rabblemaster in the deck you're not usually going to have a problem getting off damage for the trigger. It's a more expensive Titans Strength here without the scry but with the possible upside of a true card advantage engine. Plus it's a Goblin. Flavor!

I like that this deck can run 20 land but still run a low curve. One of the drawbacks of Boss Sligh is the low land count which results in frequent mulligans. There are no RR cards in the deck besides Stoke the Flames which means I could probably get greedy and go to three Mutavault and seventeen Mountain, but I value being able to play two one drops on turn two so eighteen feels like the sweet spot.

Stoke the Flames may or may not be correct. I like that it allows you to tap your goblins down in case you have a Rabblemaster out and don't want to attack, but that's probably a corner case at best. Nevertheless, I feel like it's a much better Mizzium Mortars here since it can go to the dome.

Been playing around with the idea of an all goblin deck since rabblemaster was spoiled. Stoke seemed a bit of a win more tbh, in almost every case where i've used it,
titan's strength would have sufficed to get that damage through anyways, or forcing removal on something not named rabblemaster. Also, as tempting as spike jester is, the black splash is just painful. Just don't

As an aside, this is the kind of deck i like Eidolon in. All your pump doesn't trigger him, and it tends to eat removal quickly, paving the way for rabbler.

It might be winmore. Requires testing. Titan's Strength could just be better. Though it is interesting to note how cute Eidolon is with Stoke the Flames. All sorts of cute. I think it's best as a sideboard card here, but I could see finding some maindeck room for him. For instance, four Shortcutter could be too many, and the two toughness from Eidolon is very relevant.