In the last two weeks I've played 2 drafts, a FNM with a Grixis Control (UB control derivative) and a Modern Tournament with a RG Tron that a friend let me borrow.
This just to say that I've lost my grip on RDW, which is always the best deck around (
![(:<3 :love2:](./images/smilies/love2.gif)
I think I'll try to build around the following shell:
[deck]
Creatures
4 Stromkirk Noble
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Ash Zealot
4 Young Pyromancer
4 Chandra's Phoenix
4 Hellrider
0 Boros Reckoner
0 Pyreheart Wolf
Burn
4 Pillar of Flame
4 Searing Spear
0 Shock
0 Brimstone Volley
0 Flames of the Firebrand
Sexy Ladies
0 Chandra, Pyromaster
Lands
3 Mutavault
Mountain
SIDEBOARD
0 Burning Earth
0 Spare cards
[/deck]
First considerations (brainstorming):
Right now I'm boarding 24 creatures and
8 burn spells.
This is the first RDW build I'm putting together using YP, so I'm probably going to misplay anyway, as I've played with it only in a more spell-heavy lists similar to Travis Woo Izzet Blitz.
The burn compartment is probably too light at the moment (we do want have a deck working around YP and Phoenix, don't we?), so I guess we want at least 12-15 spells... Chandra works well with Phoenixes, but I'm not sure she could steal burn slots.
Also, playing her may not be too compatible with my usual 22 lands and 4 Hellriders, I guess I'll have to bid farewell to one of them and get down to 3.
23 creatures + 22 lands takes us to 45, which leaves 15 burn slots - I guess the number could make sense.
Now, I want to spend my non-working time testing out Chandra, so I'll just put her in a 2-of, 8 slots are reserved for Searing Spear and Pillar of Flame (my meta features Voices, Phoenixes and Strangleroot Geists, so I'd rather avoid boarding less than 4 of them in my G1) = 10 reserved
slots.
I'd try to have the other 5 cards be 3 Shocks (cheap, instant) + 2 Volleys.
Cards I won't play ATM:
Pyreheart Wolf: I love him, but I think it's time to move on. I'm boarding less creatures now, so he'd probably underperform.
Firefist Striker - Lightning Mauler: X/1, they need other creatures to work well, they are first choices in BTE builds but I'm trying to brew something different.
BTE: Ash Zealot is WAY prettier than you, sister.
Cards I'd like to play, BUT:
Boros Reckoner: Yeah, nice and everything, but it doesn't work well with Mutavaults and he's overall quite slow. Could get in the sideboard, though.
Stonewright: There's a voice inside my head that keeps saying that he could do wonders with Ash Zealot / Phoenix / post-Verdict Mutavaults. It's too early to have such thoughts, though.
Mizzium Mortars: Sorcery, can't go for the dome. First sideboard choice.
Flames of the Firebrand: I'm trying to have more reach with BSV. I can't say I'm not going back on this card in
the near future, though.