What is R/g Gruul Sligh?
This archetype forgoes any late-game strategy or plan by going under the opponent as aggressively as possible. What green adds to the list is all-star Flinthoof Boar, GCR to trample through threats, and CA Rancor. We also get decent SB options by splashing green.. Tomoharu Saito's 18-list started this particular sligh variant which can have hyper aggressive starts with Burning-Tree Emissary.
Other great primers for similar archetype::
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[size=150:
1ywzi8v8]The Creatures[/size]
1 Drops
Arbor Elf: This is not a ramp deck. Don't be tempted by turn 2 Domri's or Wolfir Avengers. Ramp deals with tempo, but on his own Arbor Elf doesn't scare anybody. We need threats.
[card]Avacyn's Pilgrim[/card]: What did I just tell you?
Foundry Street Denizen: This guy has some potential in TurboGruul, but his 1 toughness really holds him back here. We can't afford to be playing cards that trade with mana dorks in our game plan.
Legion Loyalist: This is like above, he's too niche. Great enabler, great with Rancor, but on his own? Another /1 toughness.
Rakdos Cackler: Now here's a solid fighter. A 2/2 for 1, this guy is solid. An near auto-include in every deck that has red. He is mainboard potential for Ragehammer, wears rancor well, and is
key in having speed pre-board. Post-board he might come out against midrange match-ups where we have bigger baddies to play.
Reckless Waif: Too many slots for not enough juice. Can ruin BTE chains by making us not want to play them, and has a /2 backside. We want to avoid playing things that die to pillar post board unless they are REALLY worth it. Plus we have a decent game against control already and don't want to dedicate too much SB for it.
Stromkirk Noble: See Rakdos Cackler. Definitely important threat to have people sweating G1. Might be taken out Post-board as he can't swing past Augurs, Healers, or a lot of fatties on the draw.
Stonewright: This card has done a lot of work for a lot of people. In MonoR, Rakhammer, this guy is the go-to late game mana sink. The problem I have with him is his /1 toughness, AND the fact that we need to run some number of Temple Gardens if we want Reckoner.
Temple Gardens don't tap for R, which can limit the amount of "sinking" this guy does. This is for sure a card up for debate and further testing.
[card]Avacyn's Pilgrim[/card]: What did I just tell you?
Foundry Street Denizen: This guy has some potential in TurboGruul, but his 1 toughness really holds him back here. We can't afford to be playing cards that trade with mana dorks in our game plan.
Legion Loyalist: This is like above, he's too niche. Great enabler, great with Rancor, but on his own? Another /1 toughness.
Rakdos Cackler: Now here's a solid fighter. A 2/2 for 1, this guy is solid. An near auto-include in every deck that has red. He is mainboard potential for Ragehammer, wears rancor well, and is
key in having speed pre-board. Post-board he might come out against midrange match-ups where we have bigger baddies to play.
Reckless Waif: Too many slots for not enough juice. Can ruin BTE chains by making us not want to play them, and has a /2 backside. We want to avoid playing things that die to pillar post board unless they are REALLY worth it. Plus we have a decent game against control already and don't want to dedicate too much SB for it.
Stromkirk Noble: See Rakdos Cackler. Definitely important threat to have people sweating G1. Might be taken out Post-board as he can't swing past Augurs, Healers, or a lot of fatties on the draw.
Stonewright: This card has done a lot of work for a lot of people. In MonoR, Rakhammer, this guy is the go-to late game mana sink. The problem I have with him is his /1 toughness, AND the fact that we need to run some number of Temple Gardens if we want Reckoner.
Temple Gardens don't tap for R, which can limit the amount of "sinking" this guy does. This is for sure a card up for debate and further testing.
2 Drops
Ash Zealot: I hope I don't have to spend too much time on this card. First strike with Rancor? Enough said. If you're playing less than 4, it better be because you went the Experiment red route and not that you underestimate this card.
Burning-Tree Emissary: Don't underestimate the power of Gruul shamans. THIS is our form of ramp: accelerated pressure. The 2/2 body isn't always relevant, but dropping this and a Boar, dropping this and a Domri, dropping this and a hellrider... Acting as 4 extra green sources to fix our mana so we can keep very aggressive hands... The list goes on. This card is definitely a staple.
Firefist Striker: Suffers the same as Legion Loyalist and Foundy does. Great
card... with others. With enough haste, LM, and Boars getting his battalion is easy. However he dies to souls and mana dorks, so he usually is sided out G2. Great enabler to go around Smiters and Thrags though (not so hot against resto).
Flinthoof Boar: The card no one heard about outside of limited before Stomping Ground. This guy signifies everything we want out of our build, he is Gruul to the core. 3/3 for 2? Yes please. HASTE 3/3 for 3? Staple.
Gore-house Chainwalker: Now here's a card. 3/2 ahead of its curve? However it doesn't hold a candle to our Flinthoof Boar, and there's rarely room for both in a list. Tough cut, but he can't stay.
Gyre Sage: This card I'm on the fence about. It adds zero pressure when it comes down, its just a vanilla 1/2 body. It demands removal or bad things happen,yes, but most times its just going to slow you down, not your opponent. It can get
quite big with BTE+Boar->GCR, but that messes up your curve. This card is a bit too "rampy" for my tastes. If you want to play Increasing Savagery, there's a G/R thread made.
Lightning Mauler: BTE+LM is great, amazing. But without that? This guys going nowhere. Enabling other cards is great, but I rather have every card be a powerful card on its own in this deck. Less reliance on synergy, more reliance on cards working independently. Still, if you force removal around him against control, haste is the key to beating control match-ups. Definitely a goto card if you want to go "under" the meta, but he's not getting through even a lingering soul token. The fact that he dies to augur and trades with 1/4 of a lingering soul card is a huge drawback to me.
Mogg Flunkies: More reliance on others. Body is nice, drawback is huge.
Skarrg Guildmage: Going to copypaste what I said in the R/
g sligh thread. I think this guy is our stonewright. Stonewright requires two creatures to be effective, so you're extending your hand more than with guild mage by default. Skarrg is a threat by himself, he demands removal whereas Stonewright can often just demand you remove the soulbound creature and save on removal until you hit a board wipe. Stonewright turns 1 mana into 1 damage, very efficient, Skarrg turns 4 mana effecitvely into a 4/4 body, which is better on defense and is the same mana-to-damage ratio if only in increments of 4.
Giving your team Trample is just a bonus. Currently needs more testing as he has proven to only be better than Stonewright against control, but in a different way. Guildmage can come down after a boardwipe and do work, while Stonewright helps you not overextend with just two creatures before it.
Burning-Tree Emissary: Don't underestimate the power of Gruul shamans. THIS is our form of ramp: accelerated pressure. The 2/2 body isn't always relevant, but dropping this and a Boar, dropping this and a Domri, dropping this and a hellrider... Acting as 4 extra green sources to fix our mana so we can keep very aggressive hands... The list goes on. This card is definitely a staple.
Firefist Striker: Suffers the same as Legion Loyalist and Foundy does. Great
card... with others. With enough haste, LM, and Boars getting his battalion is easy. However he dies to souls and mana dorks, so he usually is sided out G2. Great enabler to go around Smiters and Thrags though (not so hot against resto).
Flinthoof Boar: The card no one heard about outside of limited before Stomping Ground. This guy signifies everything we want out of our build, he is Gruul to the core. 3/3 for 2? Yes please. HASTE 3/3 for 3? Staple.
Gore-house Chainwalker: Now here's a card. 3/2 ahead of its curve? However it doesn't hold a candle to our Flinthoof Boar, and there's rarely room for both in a list. Tough cut, but he can't stay.
Gyre Sage: This card I'm on the fence about. It adds zero pressure when it comes down, its just a vanilla 1/2 body. It demands removal or bad things happen,yes, but most times its just going to slow you down, not your opponent. It can get
quite big with BTE+Boar->GCR, but that messes up your curve. This card is a bit too "rampy" for my tastes. If you want to play Increasing Savagery, there's a G/R thread made.
Lightning Mauler: BTE+LM is great, amazing. But without that? This guys going nowhere. Enabling other cards is great, but I rather have every card be a powerful card on its own in this deck. Less reliance on synergy, more reliance on cards working independently. Still, if you force removal around him against control, haste is the key to beating control match-ups. Definitely a goto card if you want to go "under" the meta, but he's not getting through even a lingering soul token. The fact that he dies to augur and trades with 1/4 of a lingering soul card is a huge drawback to me.
Mogg Flunkies: More reliance on others. Body is nice, drawback is huge.
Skarrg Guildmage: Going to copypaste what I said in the R/
g sligh thread. I think this guy is our stonewright. Stonewright requires two creatures to be effective, so you're extending your hand more than with guild mage by default. Skarrg is a threat by himself, he demands removal whereas Stonewright can often just demand you remove the soulbound creature and save on removal until you hit a board wipe. Stonewright turns 1 mana into 1 damage, very efficient, Skarrg turns 4 mana effecitvely into a 4/4 body, which is better on defense and is the same mana-to-damage ratio if only in increments of 4.
Giving your team Trample is just a bonus. Currently needs more testing as he has proven to only be better than Stonewright against control, but in a different way. Guildmage can come down after a boardwipe and do work, while Stonewright helps you not overextend with just two creatures before it.
3 drops
Borderland Ranger: 2/2 for 3? That sounds awful considering our other cards. Yeah but this guy
plays an important role. There's no greater pressure than curving out on time and before your opponent, and this guy makes it happen. I wouldn't run too many because he is only 2/2, but dropping him with a 4 drop you wouldn't other wise be able to cast is gravy. Also is the nuts when curving into hellrider.
Boros Reckoner: If there were ever a card that needed no help from other cards. This guy is power. Rancor hat him, trample with him, soulbound him to silverheart. Exponentially more powerful. Definitely a staple in some number here. Only draw back is he's slow and most people have cards to deal with him in their 75 at this point.
Crocanura: Interesting... card. Most everything else will evolve it, its not tied down with Defender either. Might have some potential, but there are much better options in the current meta.
Hellraiser Goblin: Nothing like saying every threat you have is going to
come swinging out the gates right? But he's a 2/2 and can allow your opponent to play around you easily when you're THAT predictable. Might get to see play after rotation with Raiders to improve our 4 drop.
Splatter Thug: Another card that needs to not be ignored. Definitely post rotation might have a spot. MORE first strike+trample shenagins? With a 3/3 body? Shouldn't be overlooked if our other 3-slot options go away.
Pyreheart Wolf: Great enabler for your team. On his own? At best swings for 3-4 with a rancor on him. Undying is very valuable against removal strategies, but I don't know if he's quite strong enough on his own. Could be better than Borderland ranger as a utility creature, depending on if you want evasion or CA. Definitely much better with Hellrider strategies than Hounds. Contests with Reckoner for the 3 drop. Reckoner is fine on his own, but slow and not resilient anymore. Pyreheart is great support for
everything you dropped before him, but is a weak 1/1 on his own.
Wolfir Avenger: Double GG cost is too harsh on this deck. This guy is for another deck altogether.
plays an important role. There's no greater pressure than curving out on time and before your opponent, and this guy makes it happen. I wouldn't run too many because he is only 2/2, but dropping him with a 4 drop you wouldn't other wise be able to cast is gravy. Also is the nuts when curving into hellrider.
Boros Reckoner: If there were ever a card that needed no help from other cards. This guy is power. Rancor hat him, trample with him, soulbound him to silverheart. Exponentially more powerful. Definitely a staple in some number here. Only draw back is he's slow and most people have cards to deal with him in their 75 at this point.
Crocanura: Interesting... card. Most everything else will evolve it, its not tied down with Defender either. Might have some potential, but there are much better options in the current meta.
Hellraiser Goblin: Nothing like saying every threat you have is going to
come swinging out the gates right? But he's a 2/2 and can allow your opponent to play around you easily when you're THAT predictable. Might get to see play after rotation with Raiders to improve our 4 drop.
Splatter Thug: Another card that needs to not be ignored. Definitely post rotation might have a spot. MORE first strike+trample shenagins? With a 3/3 body? Shouldn't be overlooked if our other 3-slot options go away.
Pyreheart Wolf: Great enabler for your team. On his own? At best swings for 3-4 with a rancor on him. Undying is very valuable against removal strategies, but I don't know if he's quite strong enough on his own. Could be better than Borderland ranger as a utility creature, depending on if you want evasion or CA. Definitely much better with Hellrider strategies than Hounds. Contests with Reckoner for the 3 drop. Reckoner is fine on his own, but slow and not resilient anymore. Pyreheart is great support for
everything you dropped before him, but is a weak 1/1 on his own.
Wolfir Avenger: Double GG cost is too harsh on this deck. This guy is for another deck altogether.
4 Drops
Archwing Dragon: If you really need someone going over the top each turn immune to sorcery, there's this guy. Not much synergy with Rancor's or other threats (unless you can cast rancor every turn as well, as a pseudo 5-drop), might not be that bad if its a control heavy meta.
Ghor-Clan Rampager: A solid card. Bloodrush mode is a threat everyone should be afraid of by now. His 4/4 body definitely makes the cut as well, trample is great too. A staple for this build, but 4 of might be too many, since he is lackluster against control and opens you up to 2-1s if not played properly.
Hellrider: Enough said? 4 mana is actually pretty steep for a sligh. Have
at least 2 of them if you run 20 lands, the full 4 if you run 22 lands. Run at your own risk for anything less.
Hound of Griselbrand: Undying is key against board wipes and MUs that try to get ahead by 2-1ing you. Can go toe to toe with anything mid range has to offer, and comes back stronger. With Rancor? Unstoppable. With GCR? Well I like to think of that as our Thrag+Resto combo, except 16 to the face is a LOT more fun that "I gain 5 bro" Has to fight with hellrider for a slot, but would definitely include if against Loxodon's and Thrags every night. Defintely SB material for sligh looking to have more resilience against control.
Huntmaster of the Fells: This guy... is value. Not power, not speed, just value. I don't know if he makes the cut here. Do I want to spend my 4th turn gaining life and having another 2/2 dude? Isn't that what BTE chains are for? Do I want to spend my 5th turn doing nothing so I can flip this
guy?
I don't think he's aggressive enough. I don't think he has enough rage in his heart to make the cut.
Thundermaw Hellkite:This guy is expensive. Saito greedily ran 3 in his SB of the 20 land version, and his philosophy (I think) is this: In games where you get flooded, you want maximum power for your land. That's where you need Hellkites, hwoever if you're not flooded, you should have enough gas to beat control anyway. You're definitely not casting them on curve in Sligh, but his thoughts are worth consideration.
Zealous Conscripts: Another solid 5 drop that is just too expensive Can steal planeswalkers and everything in between. A 3/3 body though is weak. Stealing something then Domri -2ing it is golden, but is it worth it?
Ghor-Clan Rampager: A solid card. Bloodrush mode is a threat everyone should be afraid of by now. His 4/4 body definitely makes the cut as well, trample is great too. A staple for this build, but 4 of might be too many, since he is lackluster against control and opens you up to 2-1s if not played properly.
Hellrider: Enough said? 4 mana is actually pretty steep for a sligh. Have
at least 2 of them if you run 20 lands, the full 4 if you run 22 lands. Run at your own risk for anything less.
Hound of Griselbrand: Undying is key against board wipes and MUs that try to get ahead by 2-1ing you. Can go toe to toe with anything mid range has to offer, and comes back stronger. With Rancor? Unstoppable. With GCR? Well I like to think of that as our Thrag+Resto combo, except 16 to the face is a LOT more fun that "I gain 5 bro" Has to fight with hellrider for a slot, but would definitely include if against Loxodon's and Thrags every night. Defintely SB material for sligh looking to have more resilience against control.
Huntmaster of the Fells: This guy... is value. Not power, not speed, just value. I don't know if he makes the cut here. Do I want to spend my 4th turn gaining life and having another 2/2 dude? Isn't that what BTE chains are for? Do I want to spend my 5th turn doing nothing so I can flip this
guy?
I don't think he's aggressive enough. I don't think he has enough rage in his heart to make the cut.
Thundermaw Hellkite:This guy is expensive. Saito greedily ran 3 in his SB of the 20 land version, and his philosophy (I think) is this: In games where you get flooded, you want maximum power for your land. That's where you need Hellkites, hwoever if you're not flooded, you should have enough gas to beat control anyway. You're definitely not casting them on curve in Sligh, but his thoughts are worth consideration.
Zealous Conscripts: Another solid 5 drop that is just too expensive Can steal planeswalkers and everything in between. A 3/3 body though is weak. Stealing something then Domri -2ing it is golden, but is it worth it?
Burn Spells+Clan Defiance
Taken word for word from Zemanjaski
SideboardingX Cost Burn
[
card]Clan Defiance[/card]: This is Gruul style burn. Can create double as a blowout with Boros Reckoner to the face as a mana sink finisher, and also as 3-1 removal. Might be a bit too "midrange" for use in our decks however.
T1 Cost Burn
Electrickery: Brand new from RTR, this is quite a nice spell against decks with a lot of mana dorks or tokens. More of a sideboard card because it cannot burn the opponent out and will be dead against a lot of decks.
Geistflame: Always popular with Burning Vengeance players, Geistflame is one of the hardest working spells around. Unfortunately, it is better suited to decks with more mana and more time to use it - it just isnt high impact enough to warrant a spot in an aggressive deck. Could be considered for sideboard play, or maybe even as a singleton maindeck, although electrickery is possibly better.
[card]
Mugging[/card]: Our new 'shock' from GTC. Does not go upstairs. This is a problem.
Pillar of Flame: Normally Shock is not playable, but now is not a normal time. The zombie scourge is rife in the format, and Pillar of Flame is the very best card we have against that deck. Play 4, either in your maindeck or split with your sideboard. Also has upside against decks running Moorland Haunt.
Summary: Red decks should avoid running low impact burn spells. The idea is always to play high impact spells so that we can kill them with as few cards as possible (reduces the time for them to go bigger than us, increases our consistency, minimises dead draws). However, with Zombies being so popular at the moment, the common widsom is that a full four Pillar of Flame is necessary. Consider Electrickery as a sideboard card if tokens or mana dork decks are
popular where you play.
2 Cost Burn
Mizzium Mortars: While Mizzium Mortars is receiving a lot of rave reviews, do remember it is often a slow Flame Slash. Whether the card make the sideboard will depend entirely on what the critical number is in the format - are most creatures x/3 or smaller? If there are a lot of x/4s running around (such as Loxodon Smiter, Restoration Angel) then Mizzium Mortars will be worth some sideboard slots. Right now, with GW and UW being so popular, Mortars is very likely a solid maindeck choice.
Searing Spear: While terrible in any other deck, this sort of effect is the bread and butter of a red aggressive deck. When you need to top deck a win, this is the card you always want to be drawing. Play the full four.
Skull Crack: One of a handful of anti-lifegain
cards we were given in GTC. Actively good against Thragtusk and Sphinx's Revelation decks, very likely worth some number of sideboard slots just to combat those decks. Not good enough to maindeck because it isn't actually removal.
Thunderbolt: Quite a difficult card to evaluate in a vacuum. Last season saw the format dominated by Insectile Aberration and Restoration Angel, and Thunderbolt was an incredibly good maindeck card. This season we're not sure what will rise to the top, but at least the card is never dead. If not a maindeck card, then definitely a good sideboard option.
Summary: Every red deck shoul start with a full set of Searing Spear. Beyond that, make choice depending on what is popular in the metagame.
3 Cost Burn
Annhiliating Fire: A mix between Searing Spear and Pillar of Flame. The question for this card is, do you need an
extra few copies of either of those cards? If not, look elsewhere. Annhiliating Fire is just too efficient for consideration unless you really need (slightly worse) additional versions of either of those spells.
Brimstone Volley: While a powerhouse early on in the format, as defensive measures have improved, it has become less and less reaslistic to burn out an opponent. Consequently, there has been a strong move towards more creature heavy decks that can produce more damage over time, and to make space, Brimstone Volley has largely dissappeared from competitive decks.
Fires of Undeath: A Limited All-Star, Fires is probaby a little too slow for a Rakdos deck. But if you are really set on making the grindiest possible BR deck, this could be a good fit.
Flames of the Firebrand: This seasons Arc Lightning, Arc Trail, [card]Forked Bolt[/
card]. Probably worth a couple copies in the maindeck and maybe a few more in the board. What you expect to face will largely inform how many copies you are after, and what the correct split is between main and board.
Summary: Much like with creatures, red is pretty light at the three spot. The only real decision is how many copies of Flames of the Firebrand you want in your 75, and how to split them between your maindeck and sideboard.
Other Burn Spells
Bonfire of the Damned: Easily the best red card in the format, and maybe the best card in the entire format, Bonfire of the Damned is unfortunately just not that good in red decks
The problem is that aggressive red decks run fewer lands, so the bonfire is inherently less powerful, and also more likely to get stuck in our hand. One thing to consider is that Bonfire is only going to be good
when we draw it. If most our our games go a maximum of 6 turns, the card is more likely than not going to be bad (7 starting cards vs. 5 draw steps). At the same time, for the versions running more land, this is definitely a card worth considering, though be sure to look at Mizzium Mortars first.
[card]Devil's Play[/card]: For those time when you want to just kill your opponent out of nowhere, there is this. Devil's Play is very slow, but I have heard it of been successful as a 1-of in decks with more land - sometimes you can just kill them in two turns with just this spell.
Thunderous Wrath: Much like Bonfire of the Damned, though the effect is even weaker. Does start to look attractive in a straight burn deck with ways to turn it on or discard it however.
Wrack with Madness: While it was amazing tech against last season's Phyrexian Obliterator, it really has no purpose in
the current metagame.
Summary: Well, these cards are all over the place. The standouts are the two red miracles - Bonfire of the Damned and Thunderous Wrath. They're usually pretty unreliable in a red aggressive deck, but if you make some deck building concessions, you might be able to make them work.
[
card]Clan Defiance[/card]: This is Gruul style burn. Can create double as a blowout with Boros Reckoner to the face as a mana sink finisher, and also as 3-1 removal. Might be a bit too "midrange" for use in our decks however.
T1 Cost Burn
Electrickery: Brand new from RTR, this is quite a nice spell against decks with a lot of mana dorks or tokens. More of a sideboard card because it cannot burn the opponent out and will be dead against a lot of decks.
Geistflame: Always popular with Burning Vengeance players, Geistflame is one of the hardest working spells around. Unfortunately, it is better suited to decks with more mana and more time to use it - it just isnt high impact enough to warrant a spot in an aggressive deck. Could be considered for sideboard play, or maybe even as a singleton maindeck, although electrickery is possibly better.
[card]
Mugging[/card]: Our new 'shock' from GTC. Does not go upstairs. This is a problem.
Pillar of Flame: Normally Shock is not playable, but now is not a normal time. The zombie scourge is rife in the format, and Pillar of Flame is the very best card we have against that deck. Play 4, either in your maindeck or split with your sideboard. Also has upside against decks running Moorland Haunt.
Summary: Red decks should avoid running low impact burn spells. The idea is always to play high impact spells so that we can kill them with as few cards as possible (reduces the time for them to go bigger than us, increases our consistency, minimises dead draws). However, with Zombies being so popular at the moment, the common widsom is that a full four Pillar of Flame is necessary. Consider Electrickery as a sideboard card if tokens or mana dork decks are
popular where you play.
2 Cost Burn
Mizzium Mortars: While Mizzium Mortars is receiving a lot of rave reviews, do remember it is often a slow Flame Slash. Whether the card make the sideboard will depend entirely on what the critical number is in the format - are most creatures x/3 or smaller? If there are a lot of x/4s running around (such as Loxodon Smiter, Restoration Angel) then Mizzium Mortars will be worth some sideboard slots. Right now, with GW and UW being so popular, Mortars is very likely a solid maindeck choice.
Searing Spear: While terrible in any other deck, this sort of effect is the bread and butter of a red aggressive deck. When you need to top deck a win, this is the card you always want to be drawing. Play the full four.
Skull Crack: One of a handful of anti-lifegain
cards we were given in GTC. Actively good against Thragtusk and Sphinx's Revelation decks, very likely worth some number of sideboard slots just to combat those decks. Not good enough to maindeck because it isn't actually removal.
Thunderbolt: Quite a difficult card to evaluate in a vacuum. Last season saw the format dominated by Insectile Aberration and Restoration Angel, and Thunderbolt was an incredibly good maindeck card. This season we're not sure what will rise to the top, but at least the card is never dead. If not a maindeck card, then definitely a good sideboard option.
Summary: Every red deck shoul start with a full set of Searing Spear. Beyond that, make choice depending on what is popular in the metagame.
3 Cost Burn
Annhiliating Fire: A mix between Searing Spear and Pillar of Flame. The question for this card is, do you need an
extra few copies of either of those cards? If not, look elsewhere. Annhiliating Fire is just too efficient for consideration unless you really need (slightly worse) additional versions of either of those spells.
Brimstone Volley: While a powerhouse early on in the format, as defensive measures have improved, it has become less and less reaslistic to burn out an opponent. Consequently, there has been a strong move towards more creature heavy decks that can produce more damage over time, and to make space, Brimstone Volley has largely dissappeared from competitive decks.
Fires of Undeath: A Limited All-Star, Fires is probaby a little too slow for a Rakdos deck. But if you are really set on making the grindiest possible BR deck, this could be a good fit.
Flames of the Firebrand: This seasons Arc Lightning, Arc Trail, [card]Forked Bolt[/
card]. Probably worth a couple copies in the maindeck and maybe a few more in the board. What you expect to face will largely inform how many copies you are after, and what the correct split is between main and board.
Summary: Much like with creatures, red is pretty light at the three spot. The only real decision is how many copies of Flames of the Firebrand you want in your 75, and how to split them between your maindeck and sideboard.
Other Burn Spells
Bonfire of the Damned: Easily the best red card in the format, and maybe the best card in the entire format, Bonfire of the Damned is unfortunately just not that good in red decks
The problem is that aggressive red decks run fewer lands, so the bonfire is inherently less powerful, and also more likely to get stuck in our hand. One thing to consider is that Bonfire is only going to be good when we draw it. If most our our games go a maximum of 6 turns, the card is more likely than not going to be bad (7 starting cards vs. 5 draw steps). At the same time, for the versions running more land, this is definitely a card worth considering, though be sure to look at Mizzium Mortars first.
[card]Devil's Play[/card]: For those time when you want to just kill your opponent out of nowhere, there is this. Devil's Play is very slow, but I have heard it of been successful as a 1-of in decks with more land - sometimes you can just kill them in two turns with just this spell.
Thunderous Wrath: Much like Bonfire of the Damned, though the effect is even weaker. Does start to look attractive in a straight burn deck with ways to turn it on or discard it however.
Wrack with Madness: While it was amazing tech against last season's Phyrexian Obliterator, it really has no purpose in
the current metagame.
Summary: Well, these cards are all over the place. The standouts are the two red miracles - Bonfire of the Damned and Thunderous Wrath. They're usually pretty unreliable in a red aggressive deck, but if you make some deck building concessions, you might be able to make them work.
Sam Black and AJ Sacher's teachings have led me to this:
Sideboarding at its highest level, is creating a solid 60 card deck EACH time you side board. You can't just take out random 1-ofs of cards and cram in relevant tech. You need to cut the weak aspects and add more relevant parts. In aggro, there are different types of boarding.
1. Transformational Board. This type of boarding includes taking out weaker 1-drops and cards (firefist striker) for cards that are stronger on their own and better for a long game (Thundermaw Hellkite, Ruric Thar). This type forgoes the "sligh" plan for having a longer more valuable game
plan that won't fold to the opponents SB plan of "stop them in their tracks and stabilize.
2. Augmenting Board. This boarding keeps you on the low and sleek curve, but it cuts the less relevant cards for cards that will augment your weaker creatures. For instance, instead of cutting Stromkirk because its bad against Boros Reckoner, you cut Mauler because the haste is less relevant in post board games, and you add in Volcanic Strength so your stromkirks can go AROUND Reckoner and continue to grow.
Relevant Sideboard Cards by rcawraspy
Sample Decklists
Mizzium Mortars - Realistically we're never using this for its overload cost. If the game's going that long, it's not in our favor anyway, even if we do clear their board. But having a couple of these against Augur, Resto angel, and some other x/3 or x/4 in the meta is nice.
Pillar of Flame - should be in your 75 somewhere. Many decks only run Spear MB, so this should likely be a
4-of SB. The best answer to Voice of Resurgence and great against other aggro decks.
Electrickery - decent early against Naya Blitz and one of the best ways to deal with an Invisible Stalker in those Bant Enchant matchups.
Flames of the Firebrand - a very undervalued card but oh so good against Naya Blitz and the mirror. Sometimes it's a more expensive Searing Spear, but every once in a while it's a 3-for-1. It's usually a 2-for-1, which is good enough in my book.
Domri Rade - the little engine that could. He laughs at Azorious Charm and helps us keep chugging along. Good for longer matchups and, as mentioned, especially good against UW/x decks.
SKullcrack - it's a trap! We rarely if ever want to be keeping mana open for this, and when we do it's just a guessing game. And the opponent has an equal opportunity to guess WHY
we kept mana up. Can help against opponents chaining Thragtusk or Sphinx's Revelation, but I wouldn't suggest it.
Volcanic Strength - great against any deck running mountains. Be careful of being 2-for-1'd, but honestly this deck doesn't care about that TOO much. It sacrifices that sort of play for burst strength. Bring in against Naya Blitz, the mirror, and creature-based RDW. Could bring in game 2 and side back out game 3 against Jund - they're often bringing in Tragic Slip which this gets past.
Ash Zealot - one of Red's best 2 drops ever, but can't be chained from a BTE. Therefore not a mandatory MB card for us, but can be tech in the SB against aggro and token decks. On the draw I'm not unhappy swapping 4 Stromkirk Noble for 4 Zealots.
Legion Loyalist - this isn't typically a 1-drop. You usually want to drop this then swing with
an army turns 3+ for a bit of a sorcery speed combat trick. Can be chained from BTE and is super relevant against tokens or other aggro (first strike and trample? yes please).
Madcap Skills - with Firefist Striker MB I don't think we need this any longer, but it's an extra blocking = bad effect. Super techy on an Ash Zealot.
Pyreheart Wolf - if Reckoner is MB, this should be a heavy consideration SB. Bring in against any deck that can give you a clogged board state.
Traitorous Blood - my favorite of the threaten effects for this deck, as the trample is super relevant and the double R is easy. You're bringing this in against Jund and Junk Rites mostly, though it can also be useful against "sledgehammer" aggro builds.
Against Naya Blitz: Pillar and Flames of the Firebrand
Against RDW: Volcanic Strength, Pillar, Flames
Against Jund Midrange: Volcanic Strength (
for game 2 only), Ash Zealot, Traitorous Blood, Pyreheart Wolf
Against Junk Rites: Pillar, Traitorous Blood, Pyreheart Wolf, Ash Zealot
Against Esper and Flash Control: Domri, Pyreheart Wolf, Ash Zealot
Pillar of Flame - should be in your 75 somewhere. Many decks only run Spear MB, so this should likely be a
4-of SB. The best answer to Voice of Resurgence and great against other aggro decks.
Electrickery - decent early against Naya Blitz and one of the best ways to deal with an Invisible Stalker in those Bant Enchant matchups.
Flames of the Firebrand - a very undervalued card but oh so good against Naya Blitz and the mirror. Sometimes it's a more expensive Searing Spear, but every once in a while it's a 3-for-1. It's usually a 2-for-1, which is good enough in my book.
Domri Rade - the little engine that could. He laughs at Azorious Charm and helps us keep chugging along. Good for longer matchups and, as mentioned, especially good against UW/x decks.
SKullcrack - it's a trap! We rarely if ever want to be keeping mana open for this, and when we do it's just a guessing game. And the opponent has an equal opportunity to guess WHY
we kept mana up. Can help against opponents chaining Thragtusk or Sphinx's Revelation, but I wouldn't suggest it.
Volcanic Strength - great against any deck running mountains. Be careful of being 2-for-1'd, but honestly this deck doesn't care about that TOO much. It sacrifices that sort of play for burst strength. Bring in against Naya Blitz, the mirror, and creature-based RDW. Could bring in game 2 and side back out game 3 against Jund - they're often bringing in Tragic Slip which this gets past.
Ash Zealot - one of Red's best 2 drops ever, but can't be chained from a BTE. Therefore not a mandatory MB card for us, but can be tech in the SB against aggro and token decks. On the draw I'm not unhappy swapping 4 Stromkirk Noble for 4 Zealots.
Legion Loyalist - this isn't typically a 1-drop. You usually want to drop this then swing with
an army turns 3+ for a bit of a sorcery speed combat trick. Can be chained from BTE and is super relevant against tokens or other aggro (first strike and trample? yes please).
Madcap Skills - with Firefist Striker MB I don't think we need this any longer, but it's an extra blocking = bad effect. Super techy on an Ash Zealot.
Pyreheart Wolf - if Reckoner is MB, this should be a heavy consideration SB. Bring in against any deck that can give you a clogged board state.
Traitorous Blood - my favorite of the threaten effects for this deck, as the trample is super relevant and the double R is easy. You're bringing this in against Jund and Junk Rites mostly, though it can also be useful against "sledgehammer" aggro builds.
Against Naya Blitz: Pillar and Flames of the Firebrand
Against RDW: Volcanic Strength, Pillar, Flames
Against Jund Midrange: Volcanic Strength (
for game 2 only), Ash Zealot, Traitorous Blood, Pyreheart Wolf
Against Junk Rites: Pillar, Traitorous Blood, Pyreheart Wolf, Ash Zealot
Against Esper and Flash Control: Domri, Pyreheart Wolf, Ash Zealot
Recent
[deck="Donovan Harvie, 1st place PTQ]4 Ash Zealot
4 Boros Reckoner
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Flinthoof Boar
3 Ghor-Clan Rampager
3 Lightning Mauler
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Stromkirk Noble
Lands (18)
10 Mountain
4 Rootbound Crag
4 Stomping Ground
Spells (12)
2 Volcanic Strength
4 Searing Spear
2 Mizzium Mortars
2 Mugging
2 Pillar of Flame
Sideboard
4 Reckless Waif
2 Volcanic Strength
4 Skullcrack
2 Thunderbolt
1 Pillar of Flame
2 Traitorous Blood[/deck]
[deck="Zach McKeever SCG IQ, 1st Place]Creatures (32)
4 Ash Zealot
3 Boros Reckoner
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Flinthoof Boar
2 Ghor-Clan Rampager
3 Hellrider
4 Lightning Mauler
n4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Stromkirk Noble
Lands (20)
12 Mountain
4 Rootbound Crag
4 Stomping Ground
Spells (8)
4 Searing Spear
1 Mizzium Mortars
3 Mugging
Sideboard
3 Tormod's Crypt
1 Boros Reckoner
1 Ghor-Clan Rampager
3 Triumph of Ferocity
2 Skullcrack
2 Blasphemous Act
1 Mizzium Mortars
2 Traitorous Blood[/deck]
[deck="Fate's Top8 NC States Tournament]
35 Creatures
4 Stromkirk Noble
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Lightning Mauler
4 Firefist Striker
4 Flinthoof Boar
4 Boros Reckoner
4 Ghor-Clan Rampager
3 Hellrider
21 Land
11 Mountain
4 Stomping Ground
4 Rootbound Crag
2 Temple Garden
4 Spells
4 Searing Spear
Sideboard
4 Volcanic Strength
4 Pillar of Flame
2 Elecktrickery
2 Skullcrack
3 Domri Rade[/deck]
4 Boros Reckoner
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Flinthoof Boar
3 Ghor-Clan Rampager
3 Lightning Mauler
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Stromkirk Noble
Lands (18)
10 Mountain
4 Rootbound Crag
4 Stomping Ground
Spells (12)
2 Volcanic Strength
4 Searing Spear
2 Mizzium Mortars
2 Mugging
2 Pillar of Flame
Sideboard
4 Reckless Waif
2 Volcanic Strength
4 Skullcrack
2 Thunderbolt
1 Pillar of Flame
2 Traitorous Blood[/deck]
[deck="Zach McKeever SCG IQ, 1st Place]Creatures (32)
4 Ash Zealot
3 Boros Reckoner
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Flinthoof Boar
2 Ghor-Clan Rampager
3 Hellrider
4 Lightning Mauler
n4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Stromkirk Noble
Lands (20)
12 Mountain
4 Rootbound Crag
4 Stomping Ground
Spells (8)
4 Searing Spear
1 Mizzium Mortars
3 Mugging
Sideboard
3 Tormod's Crypt
1 Boros Reckoner
1 Ghor-Clan Rampager
3 Triumph of Ferocity
2 Skullcrack
2 Blasphemous Act
1 Mizzium Mortars
2 Traitorous Blood[/deck]
[deck="Fate's Top8 NC States Tournament]
35 Creatures
4 Stromkirk Noble
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Lightning Mauler
4 Firefist Striker
4 Flinthoof Boar
4 Boros Reckoner
4 Ghor-Clan Rampager
3 Hellrider
21 Land
11 Mountain
4 Stomping Ground
4 Rootbound Crag
2 Temple Garden
4 Spells
4 Searing Spear
Sideboard
4 Volcanic Strength
4 Pillar of Flame
2 Elecktrickery
2 Skullcrack
3 Domri Rade[/deck]
