Rakdos Deck Wins

[Ebizonics]

Deck
Lands: 4 Blood Crypt 4 Dragonskull Summit 10 Mountain 4 Swamp Spells: 4 Bonfire of the Damned 4 Searing Spear 2 Pillar of Flame 2 Dreadbore Creatures: 4 Rakdos Cackler 4 Vexing Devil 4 Ash Zealot 4 Rix Maadi Guildmage 4 Vampire Nighthawk 2 Hellrider 2 Krenko, Mob Boss 2 Thundermaw Hellkite

the curve here is very low. still have some late game threats just in case, krenko combos with hellrider nicely. nighthawk is a flyer in a deck that cant really compete with flyers. i think bonfire is mad under rated in a quick red deck. a mircled bonfire for 3 destroys most decks, and as for zombies and undying. left out hellhole flailer because he does what vexing devil does at 1 for 7. rix maadi is gonna be the most used card in this deck i can see it now. im still not convinced that ash zealot is the best 2 drop right now. i see her going to the sideboard. but a 2/2 first strike haste cant be that bad right?

I think i will put 2 dreadbore and 2 pillars in the sideboard. playing zombies, buh bye dread bore hello 4 pillars. playing tokens, buh bye pillar hello dreadbore. gotta have the removal for those damn 8/8 tokens. i think dreadbore is the best removal right now. no murders.no tragic slip.

[Tantaburs]

I wouldn't run Krenko without any other goblins. I also think not running slips is a mistake as it is really your only way to deal with aristocrat. Hellkite at 5 seems a little high on the curve.

I would probably take out the hellkites and krenko for 4x aristocrat. Not sure how i feel aboit bonfire in this deck as if you draw it at the wrong time it is a dead card since the game should be over before you can hard cast it. I really dislike the guildmage as you want to be tapping all your mana for creatures as often as possible so i would probably take them out and add either slips or. flailers. Maybe replace the spears with mortars.

[Ebizonics]

Originally Posted by Tantaburs

I wouldn't run Krenko without any other goblins. I also think not running slips is a mistake as it is really your only way to deal with aristocrat. Hellkite at 5 seems a little high on the curve.

I would probably take out the hellkites and krenko for 4x aristocrat. Not sure how i feel aboit bonfire in this deck as if you draw it at the wrong time it is a dead card since the game should be over before you can hard cast it. I really dislike the guildmage as you want to be tapping all your mana for creatures as often as possible so i would probably take them out and add either slips or. flailers. Maybe replace the spears with mortars.

krenko by himself is fine. with hellrider he is great. bonfire is in there in case it gets to turn 5+ in which case the hellkite, hellrider,krenko are powerhouses. designing a deck for the first 4 turns is not my cup o tea. i like to be prepared. the guildmage when used witha spear is amazing.

[redthirst]

Originally Posted by Ebizonics

designing a deck for the first 4 turns is not my cup o tea.

It's not really RakDW then, is it?

If you just want to play some midrange thing then go ahead, but at least have some focus in the deck.

You're playing half aggro creatures and half midrange ones. You're playing cheap burn like an aggro deck mixed with a full playset of Bonfires like you're playing for the late game. You're playing a mana base that's going to have trouble getting Vampire Nighthawk into play on turn 3 about half the time and will statistically not have the mana to cast a Hellkite until turn 7 or 8.

And no matter what you're doing, Vexing Devil is not the card you're looking for.

[Artificial Alchemist]

Originally Posted by redthirst

It's not really RakDW then, is it?

If you just want to play some midrange thing then go ahead, but at least have some focus in the deck.

You're playing half aggro creatures and half midrange ones. You're playing cheap burn like an aggro deck mixed with a full playset of Bonfires like you're playing for the late game. You're playing a mana base that's going to have trouble getting Vampire Nighthawk into play on turn 3 about half the time and will statistically not have the mana to cast a Hellkite until turn 7 or 8.

And no matter what you're doing, Vexing Devil is not the card you're looking for.

agree with everything this guy said. ash zealot is also the best red 2 drop in the format currently and you will stumble on your curve trying to cast him with only 18 red sources. Also not going to be fluid trying to curve him into vampire nighthawk as well.

[Ebizonics]

so playtesting it, i have no problem casting nighthawk, krenko was a mistake, this deck is very fast and can last. i love it

Deck
Lands: 4 Blood Crypt 4 Dragonskull Summit 10 Mountain 4 Swamp Spells: 4 Bonfire of the Damned 4 Pillar of Flame 4 Searing Spear 2 Dreadbore	Creatues: 4 Rakdos Cackler 4 Vexing Devil 4 Ash Zealot 4 Rix Maadi Guildmage 4 Vampire Nighthawk 2 Hellrider 2 Thundermaw Hellkite

[Ebizonics]

riz maadi is severely underrated. not tapping for his ability is insane.

i really think cryptborn horror and hellhole flailer are dood, but i dont exactly know what to drop to put them in. maybe go to 3 spears and 3 pillars and throw 2 cryptborns in, and try that then try 2 flailers, see which works better.

[Deathslizer]

What about zealous conscripts or Rakdos himself ?... And perhaps reforge the soul for reloading your hand ?..

[Rivaltuna]

from my limited testing, rix madi guildmage is really dirty. he's just so EFFICIENT, if you don't tap out for a haste guy, he makes your opponents life and choices quite difficult, and helps you deal with getting land flooded.

ash zealot is a great early game opener, and i'd say is a good choice. Nighthawk is more of an answer in this deck than a real aggressor, but he's too much value to be ignored. if you wanted to cut a card, i'd say cutting to 3 vampire nighthawk is totally fine.

also, i'd recomend running 2 rakdos, lord of riots in the main, maybe even a desecration demon to give the deck some midgame heavy threats.

[Ebizonics]

gonna playtest more tomorrow, am gonna try rakdos, and rakdos' return in there. there is a 2 drop unleash with deathtouch i might try also.

[ribu]

Working on something similar, really wanting to fit Rakdos into a deck for upcoming standard:

Deck
Lands 4 Rakdos GuildGate 4 Blood Crypt 4 Dragonskull Summit 6 Mountain 4 Swamp 1 Evolving Wilds Sorcery/Instant 3 Bonfire of the Damned 4 Dreadbore 3 Rakdos's Return 3 Tragic Slip 2 Ultimate Price	Enchantment 4 Furor of the Bitten Creature 4 Rakdos Cackler 4 Ash Zealot 2 Rakdos, Lord of Riots 3 Hellhole Flailer 2 Thundermaw Hellkite 1 Tibalt, the Fiend-Blooded

The Current build has 4 Vexing Devil, but I'm not sold on it right now. I'm thinking of replacing it with either Stromkirk Noble, Rix Madi Guildmage, or Stonewright.

[Tantaburs]

So far the deck lists posted have been more R/B Midrange then Rakdos deck wins. here is my list

Deck
Lands 4 Blood Crypt 4 Dragonskull Summit 2 Cavern of souls 8 Mountains 4 Swamps Sorcery/Instant 4 Pillar of Flame 4 Searing Spear 2 Tragic Slip	Creature 4 Rakdos Cackler 4 Ash Zealot 4 Hellhole Flailer 4 Vexing Devil 4 Crimson Muckwader 4 Falkenwrath Aristocrat 4 Rakdos Shred-Freak	Sideboard 2 Grafdigger's Cage 2 Pithing Needle 3 Dreadbore 3 Rakdos Charm 1 Curse of Death's Hold 2 Knight of Infamy 2 Tribute to Hunger

the deck is really fragile but I accepted that was going to be the case when I went RakDW over Jund Zombies. Its fast as all hell though gotten multiple t4wins.

[Dadanman]

This is my play on the Rakdos Wins Deck:

Deck
4 Rakdos Shred-Freak 4 Rakdos Cackler 3 Rakdos, Lord of Riots 4 Geralf's Messenger 4 Vexing Devil 4 Pillar of Flame 4 Dreadbore 2 Rakdos's Return 4 Thunderbolt 3 Thunderous Wrath	4 Blood Crypt 4 Dragonskull Summit 6 Mountain 4 Rakdos Guildgate 6 Swamp

SIDEBOARD

Deck
3 Murder 3 Knight of Infamy 2 Devil's Play 3 Ultimate Price 4 Stromkirk Noble

[Ebizonics]

Deck
Lands: 4 Blood Crypt 4 Dragonskull Summit 10 Mountain 4 Swamp Spells: 3 Pillar of Flame 3 Searing Spear 2 Dreadbore 2 Bonfire of the Damned Creatures: 4 Rakdos Cackler 4 Stromkirk Noble 4 Vexing Devil 4 Ash Zealot 4 Rix Maadi Guildmage 2 Hellhole Flailer 2 Falkenrath Aristocrat 2 Hellrider 2 Thundermaw Hellkite

im still playtesting some og the cards, rakdos shredfreak is good sometimes, and horrible other times, it suuuuucks against other aggro/token decks/green ramp. its best against control. i think the stromkirk and shredfreak would be the interchangeable slot for each other. stromirk noble is good, but really only on turn 1 -3 im finding. he really diminishes the value of vexing devil. if i cant play vexing devil till turn 4 he doesnt do his job. and stromkirk after turn 3 is useless, im on the fence about stromkirk and shredfreak.

i havent tried trhill kill assasin yet but in the 2 drop slot i feel he would be better past turn 4 as a card to cast while either waiting for enough land to throw down the hellrider or hellkite than the rest of the cards. im gonna test him in the stromkirk slot, i think the lack of haste is its downside but having a 3 toughness seems to be reallly good in this format, i see him being really aggro while unleashed and make them use a good creature to block in order to trade. it would take 3 tokens to kill it.

i am going to keep zealous conscripts in the sideboard. it really depends on the opponent having a good enough creature to steal. i value thundermaw hellkite over zealous conscripts in the main deck because he is a guaranteed 5 damage and zealous is a 3 + ? but i think sideboarding him in against a thragtusk deck or any green ramp would be good, but against token deck and other aggro he isnt that clutch, i find myself holding him until the right moment and that not a card i want maindecked.

2 dreadbore in sideboard and 2 in main. its good to have but 4 maindecked is a dead card. would rather have burn most times to clear the way/damage to the face.

cryptborn horror...i cant make up my mind, im going to keep him in sideboard, im sure theres a matchup that he works good. but again im usually keeping him in my hand till a good time to play him. ive won and lost several games with him just sitting in my hand.

bonfire. lots of differing opinions on bonfire in this. i tried this deck with brimstone volley instead and i didnt get the same results when topdecking. it was better in my hand but as a 2 drop bonfire is just better. im going to try mizzium mortar tomorrow, but i cant see myself liking it more than a bonfire.

hellhole flailer is clutch. as is falkenrath aristocrat. but haing more than 2 of each is a bit much. i dont want to run more black sources and at this number of gold cards the mana is perfect. i have been able to turn 2 an ash zealot or rix maadi every game, without fail. with 8 duals and 4 swamps, that 12 sources of black. and 18 sources of red. its perfect.

[Lornick]

Originally Posted by Tantaburs

So far the deck lists posted have been more R/B Midrange then Rakdos deck wins. here is my list


the deck is really fragile but I accepted that was going to be the case when I went RakDW over Jund Zombies. Its fast as all hell though gotten multiple t4wins.

Best list in this thread so far imho. It clearly has a focused plan. How are the Crimson Muckwaders working for you?