That quote is from none other than the great zemanjaski.Looks really good Khaos ~ can you give me some data on your key matchups when you get some testing done? We're pretty similar 75, with some notable differences, wouldnt mind seeing how it works.
Since you asked for it, Z, you’re gonna get it. And maybe a little bit more than what you bargained for.
Enjoy, everyone!
Section One: The Cards I’m Playing:
I first want to state that I don’t play on MTGO or Cockatrice (though I probably should). I play all of my games IRL and I bounce around playing at 3 different gaming stores, all of which have a sizable and diverse base. All of my experience, information, and decisions come from playing in my meta. The majority of
the players in my area are no slouches, and there are a lot of “top tier” decks to be found. Whether or not I’m qualified to give an “official” deck tech for the community remains to be seen. But anyway, without further ado, here is my deck.
[Deck]Creatures (30)
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Stromkirk Noble
3 Stonewright
4 Ash Zealot
4 Gore-House Chainwalker
3 Lightning Mauler
4 Pyreheart Wolf
4 Hellrider
Burn (8)
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Searing Spear
Land (22)
1 Hellion Crucible
21 Mountain
Sideboard
3 Bonfire of the Damned
4 Mizzium Mortars
2 Zealous Conscripts
2 Frostburn Weird
2 Hellion Crucible
2 Hound of Griselbrand[/Deck]
Rakdos Cackler: A 1-Drop 2/2 is just what the doctor ordered. The fact that he can’t block doesn’t mean much when I’m always turning him sideways. Cackler is great in the early game but lackluster as the game progresses. With that said, I still want 4 in my deck so I can see him in my opening hand.
Stromkirk Noble:[/b:
621lqqsm] This guy is a beast and has the potential to just run away with a game. There are many decks that play Humans so his evasiveness is pretty relevant. He’s actually pretty good in the mirror considering that Lightning Mauler, Stonewright, Gore-House Chainwalker, and Ash Zealot are Humans. Against a Control player, multiple Nobles can be a nightmare if they cannot answer him. Ideally, Stromkirk Noble will always be my first turn play. He’s just so good against a variety of decks. At the very least, he’ll eat a removal spell that should’ve been aimed at a Hellrider. As great as he is, however, he suffers the same fate as the Cackler in that his usefulness dwindles when you’re in late game topdeck mode. Still, he’s a must include as a set.
Stonewright: We should all know by now how good ole Stoney can be. Whether he’s buffing a First Striker for efficient blocks or acting as a game winning mana sink, Stonewright is one of the three synergistic components that hold the deck
together. However, if he’s so strong, then why do I only play 3? Well, Stonewright is one of those cards that you always want to see during the game but don’t want to topdeck multiples consecutively. In my experience, 3 is the magic number for our little Earth-bending human.
Gore-House Chainwalker: Two mana for a 3/2 creature that can’t block doesn’t seem like a likely candidate as a 4-of auto-include, but within the confines of the current Standard, the Chainwalker fits the curve just nicely. His 3 power means he will trade with a Thragtusk/Beast Token, kill an Auger of Bolas or Vampire Nighthawk, and make the controller of Garruk, Relentless think twice before fighting him off for a flip. Chainwalker is your go-to guy to get into the Red Zone; his sole purpose is to attack, attack, and then attack some more. Who cares if he can’t block? He can hold his own without Stonewright, but when paired with a friend, he can be a complete crusher.
Ash Zealot: I’
m in love with this girl. Ash Zealot is quite possibly the best 2-Drop in Red ever made. She definitely joins the ranks of Hellspark Elemental, Keldon Maurauders, and Plated Geopede, in my opinion. But, in Standard she IS the best Red 2-drop and she is a must have in every Red Sligh deck. For 2 measly Red you can have a 2/2 First Striker with Haste and some Flashback hate. Sign me up!
Lightning Mauler: Controversial in some circles and applauded as an all-star in others, Lightning Mauler usually sits on that edge of being very good or very lackluster. I had my doubts about this card at the beginning of this season but I always said that Mauler could be very good in a deck that played Pyreheart Wolf. And I was right. Some people like to play Mauler over Chainwalker (or vice versa) but I think that’s a mistake. Play both. Mauler actually has several good things going for him. For one, he’s a Human, which makes him synergistic in a themed deck or even when just playing Cavern of
Souls. Two, I really like his mana cost: having only one Red Mana in his cost is important when running Hellion Crucibles – getting color screwed on T2 can be pretty bad. Third, he can play the part of a Shred-Freak against Control or help recover from a boardwipe by (windmill) slamming him on the table and then casting/pairing with a Chainwalker to swing for 5. What Mauler brings to the game is extra speed during games where speed will make all the difference, especially when he bonds with Pyreheart Wolf. As good as he is 3 are the most I’ll play of Mr. Mauler. He’s good but I don’t want to see him as often as an Ash Zealot.
Pyreheart Wolf: Ah, the reason why our deck can fully exist. Granted, Mono Red Sligh was still a strong deck before we discovered this gem, but the addition of the Wolf put Red over the top on the competitive stage. Pyreheart is the second component of a winning Mono Red Sligh list because he allows us to go around other decks’ larger creatures such as
Thragtusk, ensuring we can maximize our damage in a shorter amount of time. I play 4 because I always want to see this guy. He even makes for a great blocker in certain match-ups; his Undying is very relevant.
Hellrider: The third and final component to the deck and our main finisher. Hellrider takes advantage of the large mass of creatures Sligh plays and perverts that to the extreme. In fact, I always feel dirty when I have 2 on the field; it’s just not fair to the opponent. But hey, maybe that’s what they get for not answering all the creatures I’ve played. Hellrider tops our curve out at 4 and I must say, a full set of this Devil is mandatory. Hell, I’d play 8 in my deck if I could.
Pillar of Flame: The bane of Zombie decks everywhere, Pillar is actually quite useful in the mirror match (or basically against any other aggro deck you may face). The fact that it’s a sorcery speed Shock isn’t what makes it so good. Its
strength is not only in its ability to turn off Undying (such as on an opposing Pyreheart Wolf or Geralf’s Messenger), but also in its lone Red Mana in the casting cost. I favor a full set of this card in my deck for these reasons. Playing 4 means I’m always ready to take out any Undying creatures I may face, and I can maximize my mana in the early game by burning away an opposing critter and then playing one of my own. Besides, in the G/x match-up, nothing makes me happier than when I can turn my opponent’s elf into a pile of ashes.
Searing Spear: The best burn spell we have in Standard. Why wouldn’t we play a full set?
Mountain: Hands down the most powerful card in our decks. It allows us to cast things like Hellrider and burn spells. It’s so good that I play 21 of them. Nothing beats Mountain. Except for maybe another Mountain.
Hellion Crucible: This card is responsible for winning topdeck wars. This is your late game
mana sink when you don’t have a Stonewright. When facing a Control player, you have an uncounterable creature at your disposal. Hellion Crucible, simply put, wins games. I’d play more than 1 in the main if I could, but I desire consistency overall and I can’t afford the T2 color screw that can happen sometimes.
Sideboard:
Hound of Griselbrand: Against slower decks, this dog is a massive bomb. For one, he’s very hard to get rid of. Dies to Pillar you say? Well, most people don’t expect the Hound and instead use their Pillars on other threats such as Ash Zealot and Pyreheart Wolf. The Hound laughs in the face of Supreme Verdict and just comes back stronger. And don’t even get me started on how great he is when paired with Stonewright. Oh the humanity! The Hound is my extra fuel for the Fire to make it into the late game. If I could fit 4 in the board I would, but for now 2 will do just fine.
Hellion Crucible: I need more mana
sources to justify bringing in the Hounds/Bonfires and the Crucible just adds to my late game backup plan.
Mizzium Mortars: This is your answer to other aggro decks such as G/x Aggro, Mono Red Sligh, Dos Rakis, Naya Aggro, and anything else you may encounter. The fact that it deals 4 damage is important when you’re facing Smiters and the Overload ability can be just devastating for your opponent. Four of this card is a must.
Zealous Conscripts: The answer to dealing the last few point of damage against Reanimator once they get going. It’s also useful in the G/x match-up. Steal a Sublime Archangel or Wolfir Silverheart? Don’t mind if I do!
Frostburn Weird: This guy is your man when you’re up against those pesky hyper aggro decks. He blocks for days and when you swing in for the kill, it’s like he’s already paired with a Stonewright!
Bonfire of the Damned: This could easily be Flames of the
Firebrand, but I have a soft spot for this card. There have been many games I’ve won that I shouldn’t have simply due the explosiveness and unpredictability of this card. At times, I’ll hardcast for 3 and it’ll do the same thing Flames of the Firebrand would’ve done (if not better, when there are 4 or more Lingering Souls tokens on the field), and then there is the devastating Miracle option. During those games with gridlocked and complicated board states, a Miracle’d Bonfire can just turn things right around for you.
Section 2: The Top Cards I’m Not Playing:
Thundermaw Hellkite: This guy is the King of Red cards. So why am I not playing with him? He’s a big strong beater, yes, but he just doesn’t synergize well with the team of Red critters I’ve assembled. He’s more of a loner that can close out games, and while amazing, my postboard beater of choice will be the Hound of Griselbrand simply because he can come down a turn earlier.
Brimstone Volley: 5 damage for 3 mana is actually pretty good. The instant speed is also highly relevant – sometimes you have to kill that Silverheart target or Sublime Archangel on the spot. This is also the only burn spell that can kill an opposing Thundermaw Hellkite. So why don’t I play it? It’s conditional. I don’t want a conditional card. If I did, I’d play Vexing Devil too. I want a card that will always do what I want it to do when I draw it. I don’t want a bad Searing Spear when I can’t trigger Morbid. Granted, if I had a sac outlet like in Dos Rakis, I can see myself playing 2-3 copies. There are also times where I’m tempted to make an ill-timed attack just to trigger a Morbid activation. That’s just too risky for me.
Archwing Dragon: I’m just not a fan of this card. I don’t like that it doesn’t create board presence. I actually feel that it’s better in a deck that runs Cavern of Souls, which I don’t run here. True, it can be argued that it’s good against
certain Bant decks (and I can agree with that) but in my deck, it just underperforms.
Volcanic Strength: I don’t like this card for a couple of reasons. One, if your guy gets killed, then you just got 2-for-1’d. Two, it’s very easy to kill a guy enchanted with this card – Mizzium Mortars, Ultimate Price, Brimstone Volley, Dreadbore, etc. Besides, I feel very strong in the mirror match (or against any deck with Mountains in it) to begin with, and even better post board. Simply put, this card is not needed in my deck.
Flames of the Firebrand: If I didn’t already play Bonfire of the Damned I’d play at least 3 copies in my deck. It’s either one or the other when comparing these two cards and I’m going with the Bonfire (for personal taste).
Rakdos Shred-Freak: In a deck that plays Lightning Mauler, the Freak just isn’t needed. Besides, I do feel that the Mauler is a little bit more versatile than Mr. Razor Claws here.
[b:
621lqqsm]Reckless Waif: A little too situational for my tastes. This is a card that is brought in against only a handful of decks and is only good when in your opening seven cards. Not to mention, you may end up flipping her back unintentionally. Not really my style.
Grafdigger’s Cage/Tormod’s Crypt: Both of these don’t provide any source of damage to my opponent. I want to do damage. That is how I win.
Vexing Devil: Bad card is bad. Bottom line: he never does what I want him to do. That, and only mouthbreathers play Vexing Devil. It’s a trap! Don’t fall into it.
Section 3 : The Evolution of Khaos Red
I’ve always been a big fan of going with what you know best. So when it came time to make a deck for the new Standard season, I knew my choice would be in Red. At some point, I literally went over to the Dark Side and played with Dos Rakis for States and for about a month afterwards. Eventually, I hit some
roadblocks, most notably some insane fluctuations of mana screw and mana flood. I played the worst FNM of my Red Mage career in which I lost every single game due some highly improbable draws in back-to-back-to-back games. I made next to no mistakes when deciding what hands to keep and what cards to play out, but it would seem that fate had decreed I play Dos Rakis no more. In fact I became so discouraged I dropped from the FNM in the 5th and final round, shelved my deck, and started drinking.
Then I had my epiphany. I had put so much pride and effort into building Dos Rakis and trying to prove to everyone how awesome and ahead of the curve it was that with each time it lost, I took it personal. Even when some of those losses were due to variance. In the end, it’s my happiness that matters. I decided that if I was ever going to have some piss poor losses in a game of Magic, I would go down losing with something I truly felt comfortable with and had fun playing no matter what. So I went back to Mono Red.
n
I wanted to play all the cards I’d bought and wasn’t using. I wanted to use all my Thundermaws and Bonfires. I was going to try this new Pyreheart Wolf card. And dammit, I was going to foil this whole deck out! I wanted something sleek and aggressive for the first game, but then I wanted something that would just control the hell out of an opposing Aggro deck like G/W and go over the top with an unstoppable monster. So that’s what I did. I made the fastest deck I could and then started the transformational sideboarding.
It was a success. And granted the deck is not quite the same as when it was built back at the end of November, but it has evolved into what it is now. Most of its evolution I owe to some of the people here. Some of it I just owe to myself saying “Screw what everybody else is doing. This is what I want.” Overall, it’s been a blast to play and watch it grow.
Eventually some of the changes I made were like wearing a badge of honor. When zemanjaski started testing Hound of Griselbrand,
I was intrigued. As one that is always preaching about Red’s consistency and tight curve, I loved the results Z was getting with the Hound. I quickly became enamored with the thought of my curve topping at 4 and yet still had a monster capable of going over the top. I took Thundermaw out and started rocking the Hound, much to the chagrin of my opponents. And I proudly tell people, I don’t need no stinkin’ Thundermaw in my deck to win.
As always, this deck is a work in progress. And while there is still room for improvement, I know I can’t do it without some of the feedback and support I get from my fellow Red Mages. Your thoughts and criticisms are always welcome and appreciated.
Section 4: How to Play This Deck
So now that you know the cards in the deck, how does it play? Well it’s quite simple. You want to swiftly bring your opponents life total to zero with a critical mass of cost efficient and aggressive creatures. The three main components of the deck are
Stonewright, Pyreheart Wolf, and Hellrider. These three creatures compliment the remaining creatures and turn the deck into an evasive, damage-dealing machine. The burn is used to clear a path for your creatures or to provide reach when closing the gap in the opponent’s life total.
This deck preys upon other decks that use ambitious mana bases and other creatures to make mana. When a deck stumbles, Mono Red will be there to take them down.
This deck wants to be the Beatdown deck. It is aggressive and all-in. There is no plan B for Game 1.
Going into Game 2 is a different story.
Depending on your position in Game 2 or 3 (on the play or on the draw), you may have to play the role of the Control Player. The sideboard change lets you do this by transforming into a midrange deck that will go over the top with Hound of Griselbrand or a sneaky theft from the Conscripts
If you are to remain the Beatdown player for Game 2 or 3, then you simply toolbox for an edge. For example, against Junk
Reanimator, you still want to be the Beatdown deck so it’s all a matter of siding in the Bonfires and Conscripts and removing some lower impact spells.
The strength of this deck, I’ve noticed, is in its blinding fast speed and its ability to sideboard properly against certain decks.
Section 5: Sideboarding
When I think back to the past seasons I’ve played in, I find it amazing that I ever won a game past Game 1. I literally knew next to nothing about sideboarding! At least, that’s how I feel now. I must say, I’ve learned a lot in the past few months about sideboarding, so when I look back it’s easy to see where I went wrong.
With that said, I think two posts I made a month back makes a pretty good introductory point about sideboarding.
Sideboarding properly is a highly underrated skill. I feel like I'm just now beginning to grasp the bigger picture.
At first, when we sideboard, we just find things to side in that improve our game against
certain match-ups. For example, back in the day when Mono Red had to face Kor Firewalker, we Red players sided in Unstable Footing so it wasn't an auto-loss for us.
Later, we learn to "tool box." Sometimes we have certain SB slots to improve our games and sometimes we have slots to just completely hose other decks. A good example of this is siding in several Pithing Needles against Super Friends (the earliest Planeswalker Control deck) or just siding in Kor Firewalker against Mono Red (if you were playing White Weenie). This is what the majority of people do when they sideboard. Their SB is just a big toolbox of answers for everything.
The next step is transforming. I've seen combo decks take out its key pieces and sideboard in 15 little creatures and become an Aggro deck. Doing something like this can really "next-level" your opponent. When they go to their toolbox to side in combo-hate they end up getting blown out by creatures, since they took out
all of their creature removal. In our meta, it's hard to "next-level" someone when transforming in Red, but it can happen.
Sometimes you might struggle trying to build a solid 60. I struggle with my 15. And even then, I wrack my brain constantly trying to get things right, and even second guessing myself. When you sideboard correctly, it makes games so much easier. When you're wrong, not so much. But you learn. And then you get better.
Edit:
Sideboarding gets even crazier when you get into Game 3. Questions to ask are:
Are you on the draw or on the play?
Do you need to be the aggressor or the defender?
Is your opponent going to "next level" you by transforming?
Will your opponent possibly go back to their Game 1 plan?
Will you try to "next level" you opponent?
Sometimes it can be a total mindfuck trying to answer these questions on the fly
or in a tight match. Eventually though, it will get easier.
Sideboarding isn’t always a simple process. Each deck you face will dictate what you’ll have to change in order to gain an advantage in the match.In regards to testing, sometimes I'll just focus on my Game 2 and 3 games by playing as if I'm already sideboarded. If I'm already confident in my Game 1 Aggro Sligh deck, for example, I'll play game after game in my midrange version so I have a better feel for it. When you transform, you're playing a completely different deck. It helps to get used to playing that deck too, along with your main one.
However, it’s always a good idea to have a starting point when thinking about the possible decks you’ll face. What I’ll do next is list my plan of action against some of the decks I’ve encountered so far.
Section 6: Match-ups
VS Hyper Aggro:
You definitely want to all-out transform
here. The key is to survive your opponent’s initial wave with removal and blocking until he/she is exhausted. Then open the floodgates and mop up with a finisher.
Out: -4 Stromkirk Noble, -4 Rakdos Cackler, -4 Gore-House Chainwalker, -3 Lightning Mauler
In: The whole freakin’ sideboard.
VS Control Strategies (Bant Control/Esper/RWU)
The key is to not overextend. Lean heavily on Chainwalker, since he can plow directly into an Auger, and on Stonewright. Sandbag you creatures and don’t be afraid to bait them with an extra one to incite a board wipe if it means reestablishing a more menacing presence afterwards.
Out: -4 Pillar of Flame, -4 Rakdos Cackler
In: +2 Zealous Conscripts, +2 Hound of Griselbrand, +2 Frostburn Weird, +2 Hellion Crucible
Note: If the player is on the Lingering Souls plan, then don’t be afraid to sub in Bonfires instead of the Frostburn Weird. In some cases, swap your Spears out for the Bonfires.
VS Midrange Strategies (Naya/Jund/
Junk)
Midrange can be very difficult to face since their threats are usually pound for pound larger and better than our creatures. Fortunately, our main strategy is to still go around these threats with the Wolf and Company. The key is to find the right balance of removal and threats postboard.
Against decks like Naya and Junk, I propose going for the full transformation plan since Mortars and Bonfires are very effective against this style of deck because of the abundance of large creatures.
Against Jund, however, I prefer to stay on the aggressive side. Mortars are still valuable since they can kill the nefarious Olivia Voldaren.
Out: -4 Rakdos Cackler, -4 Pillar of Flame, -1 Stromkirk Noble, -1 Gore-House Chainwalker
In: +2 Hound of Griselbrand, +2 Zealous Conscripts, +2 Hellion Crucible, +4 Mizzium Mortars
VS Junk Reanimator
This is probably Mono Red’s most difficult matchup. And why wouldn’t it be? Junk Reanimator has access to life gain and
giant critters. On one hand, they can play aggressively and on the other, like a Combo deck.
I’ve had results adhering strictly to the Aggro plan as well as resorting to the midrange transformation. One thing is important: use the Zealous Conscripts. Originally my deck just ran 4 Hound of Griselbrands, but sometimes I’d get locked out by the Angel of Serenity when my opponent was at less than 10 life. Swinging with that stolen Angel can mean the difference between winning and losing.
Pillars are actually pretty good in this match-up because you can burn away a mana dork and set them back a turn. I like having 1-2 Bonfire in the deck for added security – it’s my “Hail Mary” play that may just steal me the win.
Out: -4 Rakdos Cackler, -4 Stromkirk Noble
In: +2 Zealous Conscripts, +2 Hound of Griselbrand, +2 Hellion Crucible, +2 Bonfire of the Damned
Section 7: Conclusion
I don’t claim to be a master of Red. Nor do I claim to have all the answers to the format. I
even don’t claim to have the best deck.
I’m simply trying to do the best job I can with what I’ve got, as well as trying to have as much fun as I possibly can.
Again, all of my board notes and match-ups (other than the rogue decks I’ve face, which I’ve omitted) are from personal experience in my local meta. These decks and choices do not reflect any playing or testing done on MTGO.
Any thoughts, opinions, and advice on the deck are most welcome. In the meantime, keep turning critters sideways and light your opponent's up!
