Decklist updated. Couldn't be arsed to track the changes but there are way fewer enchantments, more early game threats, and more removal overall.
I went to the Duel Commander tournament in Ann Arbor this weekend and placed 12th out of 32 overall. Another Radha decklist did make it to TOP 2(!!!) and chose to draw with a Doran decklist. They both won FTV: 20.
For Geist and Wydwen, it's usually in your favor (Geist, you just drop weenies and just use attrition... While, Wydwen is the same but 2 dragons usually bypass her post removal).
I just saw your list, you aren't running Chrome Mox, Lotus Petal, or Mox Diamond. Have you explained this already? I'm just wondering why you wouldn't run it. T1 Radha seems always good.
I just saw your list, you aren't running Chrome Mox, Lotus Petal, or Mox Diamond. Have you explained this already? I'm just wondering why you wouldn't run it. T1 Radha seems always good.
Because it's just better to play a mana dork on t1. You can't afford the excess card loss from these as Radha herself isn't strong enough as a stand alone. Throw all these resources into t1 Radha, then what? You're down three cards and don't have anything to show for it.
Because it's just better to play a mana dork on t1. You can't afford the excess card loss from these as Radha herself isn't strong enough as a stand alone. Throw all these resources into t1 Radha, then what? You're down three cards and don't have anything to show for it.
But he doesn't play mana dorks. How are you down 3 cards? You aren't throwing away the land and you will be up mana source despite using 2 cards to do so.
But he doesn't play mana dorks. How are you down 3 cards? You aren't throwing away the land.
Play a land (-1), play a Mox (-2) oh but the mox asks to imprint a non-land or for Diamond discard a land (-3). So yes, you're down three cards just for a t1 Radha.
Hi! I'm the Radha player who won the recent tournament in Ann Arbor. I figured I would show my decklist and explain some of my card choices.
This deck was designed to be both extremely flexible and as Wrath and removal proof as possible. This deck plays the most powerful and efficient 4 and 5 drops red and green have to offer, while taking advantage of Radha's ability to accelerate them out a turn earlier. The efficiency of the drops let you generate a virtual card advantage, and there were many games where 6 turns in I'd have a board advantage with more cards in hand then the Blue player across from me.
Card Choices
-Survival of the Fittest: Definitely my MVP of the tournament, this card does everything! There are so many neat tricks and tactics with this baby that it would take a whole thread just to list them all.
-Sneak Attack: This is my "sweet tech" card that sets my list apart from other Radhas, this card smashes face in combination with all your LD guys, the titans, and your 7 and 8 drops.
-Ruination: The red Armageddon, this card rarely resolves, but when it does it almost always results in a massive blowout.
-Birthing Pod: The 6-8 drops in this deck were put in to facilitate both Sneak attack and Birthing Pod. This deck has an extremely deadly birthing pod chain that can disrupt all of your opponent's permanents. Also don't forget you can Pod Radha, as she is expendable and usually easy to replay.
-Chandra, Pyromaster: I picked this one up on a whim and was pretty surprised by how well it playtested. There are a significant number of 1 toughness creatures in this format and the ability to have a removal proof pinger and card advantage engine in one is very useful.
Notable Exclusions
-Fauna Shaman/Blood Moon: I'm gonna nip this one in the bud cuz I know someone is going to be like "You play SotF and MotM, why don't you play Fauna Shaman/Blood Moon. My answer is pretty simple: I've tested both and they are strictly worse then their counterparts. I don't another Moon effect, and I have more than enough tutors to find Magus if I need him. Fauna Shaman is a piss poor excuse for Survival as she 1) has Summoning sickness, 2) can only be used once per turn 3) gets removed 90% of the time. Finally she eats up another 2-drop spot which I really dont want.
-Any other cool hasty 4or5-drop: I really want my list to be tight and effective in the face of removal, so the 4 drops I've included either have ETB abilities(Avalanche Riders, Huntmaster, etc.), are resistant to removal (Giant Solifuge, Vengevine, etc.), or are simply the best damage dealers of their cmc (Hellrider, Ghor-Clan Rampager, etc.). I don't need any more damage in this deck to win.
Anyways, thanks for reading. If you have any questions about the deck or my card choices or omissions feel free to ask. If people are interested I can make a Tournament report of my games and future thoughts for the deck.
I'm a bit concerned in your list to see the Kamigawa legend lands but no Mishra's, Muta, or Ravine. Radha likes her manlands, and Gruul has access to all the best ones.
I'm a bit concerned in your list to see the Kamigawa legend lands but no Mishra's, Muta, or Ravine. Radha likes her manlands, and Gruul has access to all the best ones.
Good catch. I edited my list as I was playing Raging Ravine.
I built this deck a week before the tournament, as I was playing Animar and found it kind of lacking. I couldn't get my hands on some of the cards I would have liked (like Jitte and Mishra's factory). After playingtesting I found I liked Treetop Village and Mishra's Factory a lot, and I will be replacing a land for factory.
Play a land (-1), play a Mox (-2) oh but the mox asks to imprint a non-land or for Diamond discard a land (-3). So yes, you're down three cards just for a t1 Radha.
I don't like your wording with being "down" three cards. That was what my post was implying. Would you regularly not play the land that turn?
Don't play a land (-0), Don't play a Mox (-0), and no imprint (-0). You don't play Radha t1 and you are not "down" three cards. Is my logic terrible or something?
BTW Lotus Petal doesn't need imprint but I guess that doesn't really matter.
I don't like your wording with being "down" three cards. That was what my post was implying. Would you regularly not play the land that turn?
Don't play a land (-0), Don't play a Mox (-0), and no imprint (-0). You don't play Radha t1 and you are not "down" three cards. Is my logic terrible or something?
BTW Lotus Petal doesn't need imprint but I guess that doesn't really matter.
It's true that playing a land is card disadvantage, as you're losing a card from hand. It is made up in board advantage, however, and you need lands to win so...
But going all in on the Mox play for t1 Radha is too much of that same card disadvantage because Radha herself isn't a threat. Sitting with only mana and a couple of cards in hand is not going to win you a game. This works when trying to race down a real threat that does take over a game when resolved, such as Zur the Enchanter or Griselbrand, or hell even Kaalia of the Vast because these demand an answer, often immediately, or else you will probably lose. Radha just doesn't do this, so it's not worth the card disadvantage of such cards. Virtus and I had a nice discussion about the Moxen in his thread, and ultimately he came to the same realization that I did - it's just not worth the trouble.
I just saw your list, you aren't running Chrome Mox, Lotus Petal, or Mox Diamond. Have you explained this already? I'm just wondering why you wouldn't run it. T1 Radha seems always good.
Ya I think the last sentence here is really the heart of why you can't play mox or lotus petal. The fact is, T1 Radha isn't that good. If you cast mox or petal you go down a card to get a 2/2 Llanowar elves. Yay.... The issue is I want EVERY SINGLE CARD to be so devastating that my opponent has to deal with it or lose. A T1 Radha doesn't accomplish that in anyway. Even worse is topdecking a petal or mox, as this seriously hurts our strategy. I want every draw that isn't a land (and even some that are) to be threat.
@ Acardus
Mostly Natural Order isn't in this list because I couldn't get one before the tournament. I think a T3 Natural Order into a Terastodon or Primeval Titan sounds pretty awesome, but I'm also worried about how bad a countered Natural Order could go for me. I will try to playtest it and see how it goes.
I've used NO on Cockatrice... Since blue is the majority threat online, its easy to counter that card. However, we only sac irrelevant guys (usually dorks from turn 3+), they just lost an essential Counterspell while we bashed their heads.
The tournament was 32 players with Duel Commander banlist at Get Your Game On in Ann Arbor, MI. The decks ranged from rather inexperienced/casual to very strong with some experienced players there. It was a 5 round swiss, then a cut into top 8.
The top 8 were:
2 Wydwen
2 Doran
1 Nin
1 Geist
1 Teysa, Orzhov Scion
1 Radha (me)
I ended up splitting 1st/2nd with one of the Dorans, but I had a better overall record.
Round 1: Doran, the Siege Tower
Game 1 (Loss)
I drew an opener that had T-Don, so I mulled it and a Krosan Grip. Turned out be a huge mistake as he dropped t1 mox and jitte, into t2 Doran. I had no answer to his 5 toughness dude and he cleaned my board easily with jitte.
Game 2 (Win)
He had mana issues early and couldnt find a black source. I dropped a Magus of the Moon turn 3 into a naked board and he folded a couple turns later.
Game 3 (Win)
He led with a t1 Elves of Deep Shadow into t2 Doran. I dropped Bloodbraid Elf on t3, which hit an Imperial Recruiter finding Fight-Bear. I then used the Grim Lavamancer in my hand and the fightbear to kill Doran two turns later. I drew a Flametongue Kavu and used it to kill Doran a couple of times until I finally wore him down to zero life.
This was a very strong deck and pilot and I thought this was going to be the scariest matchup coming in to the tourament. This deck ended up being the other winner of the tournament. I made some mistakes in these games, but a lucky cascade in game 3 helped me win it.
Round 2: Thrun, the Last Troll
Game 1 (Win)
He got a t3 Thrun out this game, but I kept a Survival of the Fittest. He played Hall of Gemstone turn 4, which slowed me down, but I managed to chump block him while I slowly grabbed Kiki-Jiki+Zealous Conscripts to go infinite.
Game 2 (Win)
He played two mana dorks and got another t3 Thrun. I t3 cast Aftershock on his Rogue's Passage. Turn 4 I violent eruption, killing all his mana dorks, and drop an Orcish Settlers. I then proceed to kill all his lands and run him over a couple turns later.
Round 3: Wort, Boggart Auntie
Game 1 (Win)
He removes my Radha right after I play it, but I drop Domri Rade turn 3, which he cant answer. I kill his Wort by making it fight a Ghor-Clan Rampager, and then draw into Sarkhan Vol. He has now way to deal with the 20 flying damage coming in 2 turns and folds.
Game 2 (Win)
He keeps 5 and doesnt have any plays for the first 3 turns. I drop t3 Ravenous Baboons and kill his Blood Crypt, which is his only black source. He doesn't find another black source and after I beat him down he shows me the Doom blade and Warren Weirding in his hand.
Round 4: Wydwen, the Biting Gale
Game 1 (Win)
I drop a t3 Thrun which he promptly Diabolic Edicts. I then GSZ out Eternal Witness and cast Thrun again next turn. He doesn't have an answer for it the second time.
Game 2 (Win)
He plays a land tapped t2 (think it was Tolaria west) assuming ill Radha in response. I played Sylvan Library instead.
This Wydwen was actually Skankstar (link to decklist and primer). I play against him a lot and he's really good; he was most peoples favorite to win the tournament.
Round 5: Nin, the Pain Artist
I don't remember much about these game as they were very long. Our Nin player has by far the best Nin list i've ever seen and he's very solid with this deck. He actually helped me design this list so big shoutout to him!
Game 1 (Win)
All I can remember was i dropped t2 cavern.
Game 2 (Win)
Quarterfinals: Nin, the Pain Artist
Game 1 (Win)
We rematched immediately in top 8 and this game went on quite long as well. He made a mistake where he wastelanded one of my lands on t5. Next turn I dropped Thundermaw and he miracled bonfire for x=4.
Game 2 (Win)
I dropped a Grim Lavamancer turn 3 or 4 and used it to lock him out of ever drawing with Nin.
Semi-Finals: Wydwen, the Biting Gale
Game 1 (Loss)
I dropped a t2 Survival of the fittest but on the next turn he wastelanded my taiga which was my only green source and dropped Phyrexian Revoker naming Radha (which works sadly...). I couldn't draw a green source and to add insult to injury he played Jace and started fatesealing away my lands.
Game 2 (Win)
I dropped a Spellbreaker Behemoth into Prime time and proceeded to Kessig wolf run him for x=9000.
Game 3 (Win)
Game 3 was especially long and hard fought and I ended up winning it by hitting him with a Price of Progress for like 12 damage.
So all in all I went 7-0 with a 14-2 game record. I was happy with most of the list but Im testing Arc-Slogger over Terastedon and Mishra's Factory over Ghitu Encampment currently.
And which cards did you find useless during your match?
I did! He is actually the user Clucky in this thread. You can see his list at the top of the fifth page.
I have a list more of cards that really blew away my expectations. Parch, Ancient Grudge, Tattermunge Maniac, and Flinthoof Boar all were catalysts for winning games. The cheap modal removal was nice, ancient grudge had virtual card advantage, and the boar and maniac were so aggressive early and reduced my opponents life totals to low enough to prevent them from stabilizing.
Strangely the only card I was really disappointed by was Vexing Shusher. She never did anything the entire tournament despite being played in 3 to 4 of my games. I was either so far behind that it didn't matter when I drew her OR I was so far ahead that I could have been having my threats countered and it wouldn't matter.
I also was deeply saddened by Aftershock. There were some games it blew my opponents out of the water... but there were two games where I drew it at 2 life...
Meta that I can remember was:
2x Radha
2x Nin
2x Doran
2x Wydwen
2x Sigarda
2x Ruhan
1x Skithyrix
1x Uril
1x Jenara
1x Teysa, Orzhov Scion
1x Thrun
1x Wort B/R
1x Geist
1x Arcum
1x Gaddock Teeg
1x Zur
1x Sharuum
1x Kaalia
The rest I don't remember but I do recall a Vorosh player getting wiped the first round and dropping immediately and an Ashling (R) player who dropped in the 2nd round.
Surprisingly, there were no GAAIV lists. The Zur list was headed by an inexperienced player (tutored up things like Daybreak Coronet)
For Geist and Wydwen, it's usually in your favor (Geist, you just drop weenies and just use attrition... While, Wydwen is the same but 2 dragons usually bypass her post removal).
Geist. Ha. That match was painful. Game 1 I got land screwed and blown out, Game 2 he got land screwed and blown out. Game 3 I aggro'd out on him and reduced him to 6. My board is Thrun, the Last Troll and Kessig Wolf Run with 5 other lands (my Cliffrunner Behemoth and Radha, Heir to Keld had been Oblation 'd so I was up four cards and Thrun ran over his Snapcaster from the 2nd Oblation. He's at seven lands and windmill slams Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite. I untap, declare combat, pump Thrun with Kessig Wolf Run to force a block and he... does. Then my brain caught up with me.
Elesh Norn is out. Oh. Thrun dies and he plays Battlegrace Angel next turn for the stabilize and beats my face in. No way to recover.
So yeah. Always pay attention to your board. I'm still pretty new to the format but there was no excuse for such a rookie mistake like that. I even had Umezawa's Jitte in hand so I could have stalled out for a bit to remove his guys or pump Thrun through with the extra damage. Sad days.
I also kept trying to Green Sun for red creatures, that was embarassing.
Strangely the only card I was really disappointed by was Vexing Shusher. She never did anything the entire tournament despite being played in 3 to 4 of my games. I was either so far behind that it didn't matter when I drew her OR I was so far ahead that I could have been having my threats countered and it wouldn't matter.
I had a very similar experience playtesting this card. I found I liked Gaea's Herald better; granted I am playing a fwe more creatures in my deck. I also have been trying out Price of Glory. Blue players see this and usually **** bricks. Funny thing is its never actually resolved, but it always pulls a response from them, if not two cards, to deal with it. However it is a pretty dead card against many non-blue decks and I may take it out soon for a better threat.
Surprisingly, there were no GAAIV lists. The Zur list was headed by an inexperienced player
The last tournament we held, Skankstar, who plays Wydwen, and our regular Nin player destroyed all of the Zur decks that showed up. That may have affected people's deck choices. As for GAAIV, i have no idea why we didnt see any. I have noticed that a lot of people in USA prefer Geist and Jenara over GAAIV tho.
Clucky, are you and Skankstar the only folks in your meta who have posted decklists? Some really neat decklists there(would love to see the doran deck,) and was just curious if any of them had posted!
As far as I know, yes, Skankstar and I are the only players from our region that posted lists. I don't know what the whole list for the Doran player, but it was pretty standard aggro-disruption Doran stuff. I would guess it looked very similar to Emether's Doran list. If you havn't read any of Emether's primers I highly suggest looking at a few. I don't always agree with some of his individual card choices, but he's pretty amazing at deck design and does a very good job at explaining deck building in Duel Commander, which is very different from 60 card deckbuilding.
Were you at the tournament? What do you play? Thanks for the reply!
Alright friends, let's evaluate some cards from Theros.
Ember Swallower: Oh man, I really want to test this guy out. He's a 4/5 for 4 which is right on our curve. As long as we hit land drop #5, with Radha out and swinging he goes monstrous, reducing our opponents to 1 or fewer lands and we have a 7/8 on the board. Obvious downsides include 'getting bounced when you activate monstrous' or 'kill that guy at your upkeep/whenever.'
Destructive Revelry: Worth? Slightly color heavy but still pops swords and the like for 2 mana and they get a slight nosebleed for it. Having trouble placing it in over Nature's Claim and Krosan Grip, though.
Purphoros, God of the Forge: Oh man, oh man do I want to get my hands on a copy. Drops on turn 3, provides +1 power to all my attacking creatures for 1 with Radha attack mana, and turns all of my dudes into CIP opponent shocks. He's also indestructible, making him pretty resilient. I doubt we'll ever get devotion to red to 5 but if we do it is a nice 6/5 body.
Anger of the Gods: Slagstorm that can't go to the face, but exiles those that die. Worth considering.
Boon Satyr: Did anyone else read that as Bestow Radha: 1GG? I want to pick one up to try.
Firedrinker Satyr: Better than Jackal pups and has a Radha mana sink? Let's go! I'm giving this card a shot at the moment.
Polukranos, World Eater: Oh man, this guy is right on curve AND with a fat body AND with removal that makes him bigger? Sign me up!
Polis Crusher: Another fatty on curve with a neat little monstrous trigger and doubles as a mana sink later game if we don't want to play our hand. I sure do love blowing up Rhystic Study! Also can't get Arrested or Turned into a Tree
You must play Xenagos, the Reveler. His +0 ability is absolutely absurd. Those 2/2's have haste. This guy on turn three is nuts. Then on turn 4, you +1 him and drop a Titan. Yeah. Play Xenagos.
Alright friends, let's evaluate some cards from Theros.
Ember Swallower: Oh man, I really want to test this guy out. He's a 4/5 for 4 which is right on our curve. As long as we hit land drop #5, with Radha out and swinging he goes monstrous, reducing our opponents to 1 or fewer lands and we have a 7/8 on the board. Obvious downsides include 'getting bounced when you activate monstrous' or 'kill that guy at your upkeep/whenever.'
Destructive Revelry: Worth? Slightly color heavy but still pops swords and the like for 2 mana and they get a slight nosebleed for it. Having trouble placing it in over Nature's Claim and Krosan Grip, though.
Purphoros, God of the Forge: Oh man, oh man do I want to get my hands on a copy. Drops on turn 3, provides +1 power to all my attacking creatures for 1 with Radha attack mana, and turns all of my dudes into CIP opponent shocks. He's also indestructible, making him pretty resilient. I doubt we'll ever get devotion to red to 5 but if we do it is a nice 6/5 body.
Anger of the Gods: Slagstorm that can't go to the face, but exiles those that die. Worth considering.
Boon Satyr: Did anyone else read that as Bestow Radha: 1GG? I want to pick one up to try.
Firedrinker Satyr: Better than Jackal pups and has a Radha mana sink? Let's go! I'm giving this card a shot at the moment.
Polukranos, World Eater: Oh man, this guy is right on curve AND with a fat body AND with removal that makes him bigger? Sign me up!
Polis Crusher: Another fatty on curve with a neat little monstrous trigger and doubles as a mana sink later game if we don't want to play our hand. I sure do love blowing up Rhystic Study! Also can't get Arrested or Turned into a Tree
Share your thoughts! Let's find our what from Theros is good for our deck. I'll update the decklist here in about a week after some testing.
While Theros certainly has a lot of strong cards in R/G, I'm looking to see if any of these cards are BETTER than what I play now.
Ember Swallower: This card is certainly interesting. as a 4/5 for 4 it wouldn't make the cut, but its ability to destroy lands is tempting. However I am worried that killing 3 of my own lands could just as easily kill me and the fact that your opponent can see it coing 2 turns away. Currently I'm not gonna play it but maybe someone can change my mind.
Destructive Revelry: I had been playing Hull Breach previously but I'm going to try this one out. I don't like Nature's Claim very much. Giving my opponent 4 life is not something I want to do and I have had exactly zero games where the 1 cmc difference has had any impact.
Purphoros, God of the Forge: These Gods are being way over-evaluated imo. Any time you get him to god form you should have had the game won. His 2 dmg effect seems a little underwhelming in a 30 life format. Giving your creatures +1/+0 doesnt seem good enough; he's just kinda a glorified Orcish Oriflamme then.
Anger of the Gods: Not playing any board sweepers and I'm not gonna start now.
Boon Satyr: Flashing this on at instant speed after declare attackers does seem pretty cool. If it gave trample or some evasion it would be a snap pick, but sadly it doesn't. I will probably playtest but I have the feeling its gonna disappoint.
Firedrinker Satyr: Rare Jackal pup. No thnx. Not playable in this format.
Polukranos, World Eater: Another card thats over-evaluated imo. His monstrous effect is very expensive and one time use. Other than that he is a very efficiently costed 4-drop. Problem is I can't just play all the efficiently costed 4-drops in magic, and I don;t think he's better than any of my other 4-drops.
Polis Crusher: Really same problem as Polly, just being efficient isnt enough. Pro enchantments really wont be relevant. Monstrousing for +3/+3 is nice, but you cant count on him as enchantment removal.
Stormbreath Dragon: He's not Thundermaw Hellkite, but he's probably the 2nd best dragon WotC have printed. His monstrous is ok, but not the reason I'd play him. Pro white tho is a game changer. I'm looking to make room for him.
Xenagos the Reveler: This guy. Wtf wizards. Xenagos is stronger than both Domri and Sarkhan imo and potentially grapples with Garruk Relentless as the best green planeswalker. I would definitely play Garruk if I could so this guy is a no-brains include for me. So many decks cannot deal with an endless 2/2 engine, and to top it off he has a decent +1 and a game ending ultimate.
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I went to the Duel Commander tournament in Ann Arbor this weekend and placed 12th out of 32 overall. Another Radha decklist did make it to TOP 2(!!!) and chose to draw with a Doran decklist. They both won FTV: 20.
The deck performed well overall, besting an Arcum Dagsson (2-0), Skithiryx, the Blight Dragon (2-1), and a Kaalia of the Vast (2-0). In the 3rd and 5th rounds respectively I lost to a Geist of Saint Traft (1-2) and Wydwen, the Biting Gale (0-2) deck. Had I been intelligent enough to take the Wydwen player's offer to draw, I probably would have been in the top 8 after points. Oh well, live and learn.
Always. Take. The Draw.
Thanks for reading!
And which cards did you find useless during your match?
Duel Commander
URG [Primer] Maelstrom Wanderer [Primer] URG
Duel Commander Current Projects:
RGWMarath, Will of the WildRGW
BRXMogis, God of SlaughterBRX
RWxIoras, God of VictoryRWx
WBxAthreos, God of PassageWBx
Created By: DarkNightCavalier
Sexy Sig by mchief111 @ Rising Studios
EDH
G Isao
Duel Commander
URG [Primer] Maelstrom Wanderer [Primer] URG
Duel Commander Current Projects:
RGWMarath, Will of the WildRGW
BRXMogis, God of SlaughterBRX
RWxIoras, God of VictoryRWx
WBxAthreos, God of PassageWBx
Created By: DarkNightCavalier
Sexy Sig by mchief111 @ Rising Studios
EDH
G Isao
Because it's just better to play a mana dork on t1. You can't afford the excess card loss from these as Radha herself isn't strong enough as a stand alone. Throw all these resources into t1 Radha, then what? You're down three cards and don't have anything to show for it.
Steel Sabotage'ng Orbs of Mellowness since 2011.
But he doesn't play mana dorks. How are you down 3 cards? You aren't throwing away the land and you will be up mana source despite using 2 cards to do so.
Sexy Sig by mchief111 @ Rising Studios
EDH
G Isao
Play a land (-1), play a Mox (-2) oh but the mox asks to imprint a non-land or for Diamond discard a land (-3). So yes, you're down three cards just for a t1 Radha.
Steel Sabotage'ng Orbs of Mellowness since 2011.
This deck was designed to be both extremely flexible and as Wrath and removal proof as possible. This deck plays the most powerful and efficient 4 and 5 drops red and green have to offer, while taking advantage of Radha's ability to accelerate them out a turn earlier. The efficiency of the drops let you generate a virtual card advantage, and there were many games where 6 turns in I'd have a board advantage with more cards in hand then the Blue player across from me.
1 Radha, Heir to Keld
Creatures (39)
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Elvish Mystic
1 Fyndhorn Elves
1 Grim Lavamancer
1 Llanowar Elves
1 Sylvan Safekeeper
1 Ulvenwald Tracker
2 Dwarven Miners
2 Gaea’s Herald
2 Orcish Settlers
2 Scavenging Ooze
3 Eternal Witness
3 Imperial Recruiter
3 Loaming Shaman
3 Magus of the Moon
4 Avalanche Riders
4 Bloodbraid Elf
4 Flametongue Kavu
4 Giant Solifuge
4 Ghor-Clan Rampager
3 Goblin Ruinblaster
4 Hellrider
4 Huntmaster of the Fells
4 Ravenous Baboons
4 Spellbreaker Behemoth
4 Thrun, the Last Troll
4 Wickerbough Elder
4 Vengevine
5 Acidic Slime
5 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker
5 Thundermaw Hellkite
5 Urabrask the Hidden
5 Zealous Conscripts
6 Primeval Titan
6 Ruric Thar, the Unbowed
7 Gruul Ragebeast
8 Terastodon
8 Woodfall Primus
Instants (8)
1 Lightning Bolt
1 Wordly Tutor
2 Parch
2 Price of Progress
3 Beast Within
3 Char
3 Krosan Grip
4 Violent Eruption
Sorceries (7)
1 Flame Slash
1 Green Sun’s Zenith
2 Boom // Bust
2 Hull Breach
4 Aftershock
4 Harmonize
4 Ruination
Artifacts (2)
1 Skullclamp
4 Birthing Pod
Enchantments (4)
2 Survival of the Fittest
2 Sylvan Library
3 Price of Glory
4 Sneak Attack
Planeswalkers (3)
3 Domri Rade
4 Chandra, Pyromaster
4 Sarkhan Vol
1 Barbarian Ring
1 Cavern of Souls
1 Copperline Gorge
1 Dryad Arbor
1 Fire-lit Thicket
1 Ghitu Encampment
1 Karplusan Forest
1 Kessig Wolf Run
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Mossfire Valley
1 Mountain Valley
1 Okina, Temple to the Grandfathers
1 Pendelhaven
1 Raging Ravine
1 Rootbound Crag
1 Scalding Tarn
1 Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
1 Skarrg, the Rage Pits
1 Stomping Ground
1 Taiga
1 Tectonic Edge
1 Treetop Village
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Wasteland
1 Wooded Foothills
5 Forest
6 Mountain
Card Choices
-Survival of the Fittest: Definitely my MVP of the tournament, this card does everything! There are so many neat tricks and tactics with this baby that it would take a whole thread just to list them all.
-Sneak Attack: This is my "sweet tech" card that sets my list apart from other Radhas, this card smashes face in combination with all your LD guys, the titans, and your 7 and 8 drops.
-Ruination: The red Armageddon, this card rarely resolves, but when it does it almost always results in a massive blowout.
-Birthing Pod: The 6-8 drops in this deck were put in to facilitate both Sneak attack and Birthing Pod. This deck has an extremely deadly birthing pod chain that can disrupt all of your opponent's permanents. Also don't forget you can Pod Radha, as she is expendable and usually easy to replay.
-Chandra, Pyromaster: I picked this one up on a whim and was pretty surprised by how well it playtested. There are a significant number of 1 toughness creatures in this format and the ability to have a removal proof pinger and card advantage engine in one is very useful.
Notable Exclusions
-Fauna Shaman/Blood Moon: I'm gonna nip this one in the bud cuz I know someone is going to be like "You play SotF and MotM, why don't you play Fauna Shaman/Blood Moon. My answer is pretty simple: I've tested both and they are strictly worse then their counterparts. I don't another Moon effect, and I have more than enough tutors to find Magus if I need him. Fauna Shaman is a piss poor excuse for Survival as she 1) has Summoning sickness, 2) can only be used once per turn 3) gets removed 90% of the time. Finally she eats up another 2-drop spot which I really dont want.
-Any other cool hasty 4or5-drop: I really want my list to be tight and effective in the face of removal, so the 4 drops I've included either have ETB abilities(Avalanche Riders, Huntmaster, etc.), are resistant to removal (Giant Solifuge, Vengevine, etc.), or are simply the best damage dealers of their cmc (Hellrider, Ghor-Clan Rampager, etc.). I don't need any more damage in this deck to win.
Anyways, thanks for reading. If you have any questions about the deck or my card choices or omissions feel free to ask. If people are interested I can make a Tournament report of my games and future thoughts for the deck.
Steel Sabotage'ng Orbs of Mellowness since 2011.
Good catch. I edited my list as I was playing Raging Ravine.
I built this deck a week before the tournament, as I was playing Animar and found it kind of lacking. I couldn't get my hands on some of the cards I would have liked (like Jitte and Mishra's factory). After playingtesting I found I liked Treetop Village and Mishra's Factory a lot, and I will be replacing a land for factory.
Duel Commander
URG [Primer] Maelstrom Wanderer [Primer] URG
Duel Commander Current Projects:
RGWMarath, Will of the WildRGW
BRXMogis, God of SlaughterBRX
RWxIoras, God of VictoryRWx
WBxAthreos, God of PassageWBx
Created By: DarkNightCavalier
I don't like your wording with being "down" three cards. That was what my post was implying. Would you regularly not play the land that turn?
Don't play a land (-0), Don't play a Mox (-0), and no imprint (-0). You don't play Radha t1 and you are not "down" three cards. Is my logic terrible or something?
BTW Lotus Petal doesn't need imprint but I guess that doesn't really matter.
Sexy Sig by mchief111 @ Rising Studios
EDH
G Isao
It's true that playing a land is card disadvantage, as you're losing a card from hand. It is made up in board advantage, however, and you need lands to win so...
But going all in on the Mox play for t1 Radha is too much of that same card disadvantage because Radha herself isn't a threat. Sitting with only mana and a couple of cards in hand is not going to win you a game. This works when trying to race down a real threat that does take over a game when resolved, such as Zur the Enchanter or Griselbrand, or hell even Kaalia of the Vast because these demand an answer, often immediately, or else you will probably lose. Radha just doesn't do this, so it's not worth the card disadvantage of such cards. Virtus and I had a nice discussion about the Moxen in his thread, and ultimately he came to the same realization that I did - it's just not worth the trouble.
Steel Sabotage'ng Orbs of Mellowness since 2011.
Ya I think the last sentence here is really the heart of why you can't play mox or lotus petal. The fact is, T1 Radha isn't that good. If you cast mox or petal you go down a card to get a 2/2 Llanowar elves. Yay.... The issue is I want EVERY SINGLE CARD to be so devastating that my opponent has to deal with it or lose. A T1 Radha doesn't accomplish that in anyway. Even worse is topdecking a petal or mox, as this seriously hurts our strategy. I want every draw that isn't a land (and even some that are) to be threat.
@ Acardus
Mostly Natural Order isn't in this list because I couldn't get one before the tournament. I think a T3 Natural Order into a Terastodon or Primeval Titan sounds pretty awesome, but I'm also worried about how bad a countered Natural Order could go for me. I will try to playtest it and see how it goes.
Who're your matchups at the tourney?
Duel Commander
URG [Primer] Maelstrom Wanderer [Primer] URG
Duel Commander Current Projects:
RGWMarath, Will of the WildRGW
BRXMogis, God of SlaughterBRX
RWxIoras, God of VictoryRWx
WBxAthreos, God of PassageWBx
Created By: DarkNightCavalier
The top 8 were:
2 Wydwen
2 Doran
1 Nin
1 Geist
1 Teysa, Orzhov Scion
1 Radha (me)
I ended up splitting 1st/2nd with one of the Dorans, but I had a better overall record.
Round 1: Doran, the Siege Tower
I drew an opener that had T-Don, so I mulled it and a Krosan Grip. Turned out be a huge mistake as he dropped t1 mox and jitte, into t2 Doran. I had no answer to his 5 toughness dude and he cleaned my board easily with jitte.
Game 2 (Win)
He had mana issues early and couldnt find a black source. I dropped a Magus of the Moon turn 3 into a naked board and he folded a couple turns later.
Game 3 (Win)
He led with a t1 Elves of Deep Shadow into t2 Doran. I dropped Bloodbraid Elf on t3, which hit an Imperial Recruiter finding Fight-Bear. I then used the Grim Lavamancer in my hand and the fightbear to kill Doran two turns later. I drew a Flametongue Kavu and used it to kill Doran a couple of times until I finally wore him down to zero life.
This was a very strong deck and pilot and I thought this was going to be the scariest matchup coming in to the tourament. This deck ended up being the other winner of the tournament. I made some mistakes in these games, but a lucky cascade in game 3 helped me win it.
Round 2: Thrun, the Last Troll
He got a t3 Thrun out this game, but I kept a Survival of the Fittest. He played Hall of Gemstone turn 4, which slowed me down, but I managed to chump block him while I slowly grabbed Kiki-Jiki+Zealous Conscripts to go infinite.
Game 2 (Win)
He played two mana dorks and got another t3 Thrun. I t3 cast Aftershock on his Rogue's Passage. Turn 4 I violent eruption, killing all his mana dorks, and drop an Orcish Settlers. I then proceed to kill all his lands and run him over a couple turns later.
Round 3: Wort, Boggart Auntie
He removes my Radha right after I play it, but I drop Domri Rade turn 3, which he cant answer. I kill his Wort by making it fight a Ghor-Clan Rampager, and then draw into Sarkhan Vol. He has now way to deal with the 20 flying damage coming in 2 turns and folds.
Game 2 (Win)
He keeps 5 and doesnt have any plays for the first 3 turns. I drop t3 Ravenous Baboons and kill his Blood Crypt, which is his only black source. He doesn't find another black source and after I beat him down he shows me the Doom blade and Warren Weirding in his hand.
Round 4: Wydwen, the Biting Gale
I drop a t3 Thrun which he promptly Diabolic Edicts. I then GSZ out Eternal Witness and cast Thrun again next turn. He doesn't have an answer for it the second time.
Game 2 (Win)
He plays a land tapped t2 (think it was Tolaria west) assuming ill Radha in response. I played Sylvan Library instead.
This Wydwen was actually Skankstar (link to decklist and primer). I play against him a lot and he's really good; he was most peoples favorite to win the tournament.
Round 5: Nin, the Pain Artist
Game 1 (Win)
All I can remember was i dropped t2 cavern.
Game 2 (Win)
Quarterfinals: Nin, the Pain Artist
We rematched immediately in top 8 and this game went on quite long as well. He made a mistake where he wastelanded one of my lands on t5. Next turn I dropped Thundermaw and he miracled bonfire for x=4.
Game 2 (Win)
I dropped a Grim Lavamancer turn 3 or 4 and used it to lock him out of ever drawing with Nin.
Semi-Finals: Wydwen, the Biting Gale
I dropped a t2 Survival of the fittest but on the next turn he wastelanded my taiga which was my only green source and dropped Phyrexian Revoker naming Radha (which works sadly...). I couldn't draw a green source and to add insult to injury he played Jace and started fatesealing away my lands.
Game 2 (Win)
I dropped a Spellbreaker Behemoth into Prime time and proceeded to Kessig wolf run him for x=9000.
Game 3 (Win)
Game 3 was especially long and hard fought and I ended up winning it by hitting him with a Price of Progress for like 12 damage.
So all in all I went 7-0 with a 14-2 game record. I was happy with most of the list but Im testing Arc-Slogger over Terastedon and Mishra's Factory over Ghitu Encampment currently.
I did! He is actually the user Clucky in this thread. You can see his list at the top of the fifth page.
I have a list more of cards that really blew away my expectations. Parch, Ancient Grudge, Tattermunge Maniac, and Flinthoof Boar all were catalysts for winning games. The cheap modal removal was nice, ancient grudge had virtual card advantage, and the boar and maniac were so aggressive early and reduced my opponents life totals to low enough to prevent them from stabilizing.
Strangely the only card I was really disappointed by was Vexing Shusher. She never did anything the entire tournament despite being played in 3 to 4 of my games. I was either so far behind that it didn't matter when I drew her OR I was so far ahead that I could have been having my threats countered and it wouldn't matter.
I also was deeply saddened by Aftershock. There were some games it blew my opponents out of the water... but there were two games where I drew it at 2 life...
List was updated on the front page!
Meta that I can remember was:
2x Radha
2x Nin
2x Doran
2x Wydwen
2x Sigarda
2x Ruhan
1x Skithyrix
1x Uril
1x Jenara
1x Teysa, Orzhov Scion
1x Thrun
1x Wort B/R
1x Geist
1x Arcum
1x Gaddock Teeg
1x Zur
1x Sharuum
1x Kaalia
The rest I don't remember but I do recall a Vorosh player getting wiped the first round and dropping immediately and an Ashling (R) player who dropped in the 2nd round.
Surprisingly, there were no GAAIV lists. The Zur list was headed by an inexperienced player (tutored up things like Daybreak Coronet)
Versus Wydwen I was forced to mull to 5 both times, both times he turn 1 Duress/Inquisition of Kozilek taking my Lightning Bolt and Magus of the Moon respectively. GG.
Geist. Ha. That match was painful. Game 1 I got land screwed and blown out, Game 2 he got land screwed and blown out. Game 3 I aggro'd out on him and reduced him to 6. My board is Thrun, the Last Troll and Kessig Wolf Run with 5 other lands (my Cliffrunner Behemoth and Radha, Heir to Keld had been Oblation 'd so I was up four cards and Thrun ran over his Snapcaster from the 2nd Oblation. He's at seven lands and windmill slams Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite. I untap, declare combat, pump Thrun with Kessig Wolf Run to force a block and he... does. Then my brain caught up with me.
Elesh Norn is out. Oh. Thrun dies and he plays Battlegrace Angel next turn for the stabilize and beats my face in. No way to recover.
So yeah. Always pay attention to your board. I'm still pretty new to the format but there was no excuse for such a rookie mistake like that. I even had Umezawa's Jitte in hand so I could have stalled out for a bit to remove his guys or pump Thrun through with the extra damage. Sad days.
I also kept trying to Green Sun for red creatures, that was embarassing.
I had a very similar experience playtesting this card. I found I liked Gaea's Herald better; granted I am playing a fwe more creatures in my deck. I also have been trying out Price of Glory. Blue players see this and usually **** bricks. Funny thing is its never actually resolved, but it always pulls a response from them, if not two cards, to deal with it. However it is a pretty dead card against many non-blue decks and I may take it out soon for a better threat.
The last tournament we held, Skankstar, who plays Wydwen, and our regular Nin player destroyed all of the Zur decks that showed up. That may have affected people's deck choices. As for GAAIV, i have no idea why we didnt see any. I have noticed that a lot of people in USA prefer Geist and Jenara over GAAIV tho.
Were you at the tournament? What do you play? Thanks for the reply!
Ember Swallower: Oh man, I really want to test this guy out. He's a 4/5 for 4 which is right on our curve. As long as we hit land drop #5, with Radha out and swinging he goes monstrous, reducing our opponents to 1 or fewer lands and we have a 7/8 on the board. Obvious downsides include 'getting bounced when you activate monstrous' or 'kill that guy at your upkeep/whenever.'
Destructive Revelry: Worth? Slightly color heavy but still pops swords and the like for 2 mana and they get a slight nosebleed for it. Having trouble placing it in over Nature's Claim and Krosan Grip, though.
Purphoros, God of the Forge: Oh man, oh man do I want to get my hands on a copy. Drops on turn 3, provides +1 power to all my attacking creatures for 1 with Radha attack mana, and turns all of my dudes into CIP opponent shocks. He's also indestructible, making him pretty resilient. I doubt we'll ever get devotion to red to 5 but if we do it is a nice 6/5 body.
Anger of the Gods: Slagstorm that can't go to the face, but exiles those that die. Worth considering.
Boon Satyr: Did anyone else read that as Bestow Radha: 1GG? I want to pick one up to try.
Firedrinker Satyr: Better than Jackal pups and has a Radha mana sink? Let's go! I'm giving this card a shot at the moment.
Polukranos, World Eater: Oh man, this guy is right on curve AND with a fat body AND with removal that makes him bigger? Sign me up!
Polis Crusher: Another fatty on curve with a neat little monstrous trigger and doubles as a mana sink later game if we don't want to play our hand. I sure do love blowing up Rhystic Study! Also can't get Arrested or Turned into a Tree
Stormbreath Dragon: ....I want it, I want it, I WANT IT!
Xenagos, the Reveler: I'd rather play Domri Rade (which I picked a copy up of) or Sarkhan Vol.
Share your thoughts! Let's find our what from Theros is good for our deck. I'll update the decklist here in about a week after some testing.
Anger is a double edged sword in my build since I rely on the weenies and dorks. Radha players are often don't run cheap sweepers.
Dragon is already in a lot of Radha decks and produce a lot of results especially against Zur and Geist which they became a priority on removing them.
Revelry is a good addition to already good 2cmc removal (the other is Artifact Mutation but for artifacts) and PoP.
All these from watching and playing Radha on Cockatrice.
Duel Commander
URG [Primer] Maelstrom Wanderer [Primer] URG
Duel Commander Current Projects:
RGWMarath, Will of the WildRGW
BRXMogis, God of SlaughterBRX
RWxIoras, God of VictoryRWx
WBxAthreos, God of PassageWBx
Created By: DarkNightCavalier
You must play Xenagos, the Reveler. His +0 ability is absolutely absurd. Those 2/2's have haste. This guy on turn three is nuts. Then on turn 4, you +1 him and drop a Titan. Yeah. Play Xenagos.
While Theros certainly has a lot of strong cards in R/G, I'm looking to see if any of these cards are BETTER than what I play now.
Ember Swallower: This card is certainly interesting. as a 4/5 for 4 it wouldn't make the cut, but its ability to destroy lands is tempting. However I am worried that killing 3 of my own lands could just as easily kill me and the fact that your opponent can see it coing 2 turns away. Currently I'm not gonna play it but maybe someone can change my mind.
Destructive Revelry: I had been playing Hull Breach previously but I'm going to try this one out. I don't like Nature's Claim very much. Giving my opponent 4 life is not something I want to do and I have had exactly zero games where the 1 cmc difference has had any impact.
Purphoros, God of the Forge: These Gods are being way over-evaluated imo. Any time you get him to god form you should have had the game won. His 2 dmg effect seems a little underwhelming in a 30 life format. Giving your creatures +1/+0 doesnt seem good enough; he's just kinda a glorified Orcish Oriflamme then.
Anger of the Gods: Not playing any board sweepers and I'm not gonna start now.
Boon Satyr: Flashing this on at instant speed after declare attackers does seem pretty cool. If it gave trample or some evasion it would be a snap pick, but sadly it doesn't. I will probably playtest but I have the feeling its gonna disappoint.
Firedrinker Satyr: Rare Jackal pup. No thnx. Not playable in this format.
Polukranos, World Eater: Another card thats over-evaluated imo. His monstrous effect is very expensive and one time use. Other than that he is a very efficiently costed 4-drop. Problem is I can't just play all the efficiently costed 4-drops in magic, and I don;t think he's better than any of my other 4-drops.
Polis Crusher: Really same problem as Polly, just being efficient isnt enough. Pro enchantments really wont be relevant. Monstrousing for +3/+3 is nice, but you cant count on him as enchantment removal.
Stormbreath Dragon: He's not Thundermaw Hellkite, but he's probably the 2nd best dragon WotC have printed. His monstrous is ok, but not the reason I'd play him. Pro white tho is a game changer. I'm looking to make room for him.
Xenagos the Reveler: This guy. Wtf wizards. Xenagos is stronger than both Domri and Sarkhan imo and potentially grapples with Garruk Relentless as the best green planeswalker. I would definitely play Garruk if I could so this guy is a no-brains include for me. So many decks cannot deal with an endless 2/2 engine, and to top it off he has a decent +1 and a game ending ultimate.