Recent major Magic: the Gathering tournaments have come to the online platforms to continue the events such as the MagicFest Online Season 2 – Weekly Championships. The Week 1 was in Standard format, held last weekend of April 2020. The tournament was topped by an updated Ikoria version of the Rakdos Sacrifice deck, with the use of the companion creature Obosh, the Preypiercer.

The deck was piloted by the username Jammernaut and finished first place out of the 470-player event.

Check out the decklist below.

22 LANDS
4 Blood Crypt
3 Castle Locthwain
4 Fabled Passage
5 Mountain
6 Swamp

26 CREATURES
4 Cauldron Familiar
4 Gutterbones
2 Judith, the Scourge Diva
4 Mayhem Devil
4 Serrated Scorpion
4 Whisper Squad
4 Woe Strider

4 INSTANTS and SORC.
4 Claim the Firstborn
8 OTHER SPELLS
4 Heraldic Banner
4 Witch’s Oven

SIDEBOARD
1 Obosh, the Preypiercer
2 Act of Treason
2 Bedevil
2 Disfigure
2 Drill Bit
2 Pharika’s Libation
4 Rotting Regisaur

Source:
http://mtgtop8.com/event?e=25444&d=383456&f=ST

I have recently talked with my teammate and friend Oliver regarding his take on the build of the Rakdos Aggro deck for Ravnica Allegiance Standard. He started building the list on his MTG Arena account while doing the dailies and observing each card components’ performance. He indicated that in order for Judith to be effective, the deck must curve low on creatures with at twelve one drops and six to eight two-drops. We have considered Gutterbones to be included in the one-drop pile but we will try to consider also the other options, especially for the Fireblade Artist to be efficient in dealing damage. His deck list suggestion is as follows:

4 Fanatical Firebrand
4 Fireblade Artist
4 Footlight Fiend
4 Goblin Instigator
4 Gutterbones
4 Judith, the Scourge Diva
4 Spawn of Mayhem

4 Theater of Horrors
1 Bedevil
3 Lightning Strike
2 Skewer the Critics

4 Bloodcrypt
4 Dragonskull Summit
7 Mountain
7 Swamp

It is a bit late to post this news as it is already 4 days past the recent Grand Prix in Birmingham but I am still glad to share this deck, with me being a big fan of Black Red Aggro deck archetypes. The deck was played by Simon Nielsen, who placed 8th after the 15 initial Swiss rounds. He defeated the Top seed BG Constrictor deck with the lethal Ribbons in the deciding game before winning the Semis Mirror matchup. The finals match was somewhat intense as the favor mostly goes with the UW Control player Leon Lahonen which had defeated Black Red decks left and right on the second day of the GP. Three matches later, Nielsen emerged as the winner and crowned champion of Grand Prix Birmingham. Here below is his decklist for Rakdos Aggro:

25 LANDS
1 Aether Hub
4 Canyon Slough
2 Cinder Barrens
4 Dragonskull Summit
11 Mountain
2 Spire of Industry
1 Swamp

19 CREATURES
2 Glorybringer
4 Goblin Chainwhirler
2 Pia Nalaar
2 Rekindling Phoenix
4 Scrapheap Scrounger
3 Soul-Scar Mage
2 Walking Ballista

9 INSTANTS and SORC.
4 Abrade
2 Magma Spray
3 Unlicensed Disintegration

7 OTHER SPELLS
2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
3 Heart of Kiran
2 Karn, Scion of Urza

SIDEBOARD
1 Angrath, the Flame-Chained
2 Chandra’s Defeat
1 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
1 Cut / Ribbons
1 Doomfall
3 Duress
1 Fiery Cannonade
1 Glorybringer
1 Heartless Pillage
1 Karn, Scion of Urza
1 Release the Gremlins
1 Vraska’s Contempt

Here is a HOU Standard deck that has recently found a version in the shell of Ramunap Red, utilizing the God Hazoret the Fervent. This Rakdos Aggro still utilizes the speed of Red while gaining access to Black’s resilience in the late game with cards like Cut / Ribbons for the final points of damage and the recursion of Dread Wanderer. Check out the decklist below.

Rakdos Aggro by Ishida Ryuichirou
Top 4, 9th Qualifier God Challenge

24 LANDS
4 Foreboding Ruins
8 Mountain
4 Smoldering Marsh
8 Swamp

22 CREATURES
4 Ahn-Crop Crasher
4 Dread Wanderer
4 Earthshaker Khenra
3 Hazoret the Fervent
2 Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
1 Pia Nalaar
4 Scrapheap Scrounger

12 INSTANTS and SORC.
4 Abrade
2 Collective Brutality
3 Cut / Ribbons
3 Fatal Push

2 OTHER SPELLS
2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance

SIDEBOARD
1 Battle at the Bridge
1 Chandra’s Defeat
1 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
1 Doomfall
2 Glorybringer
1 Hour of Glory
2 Liliana, the Last Hope
1 The Scorpion God
2 Transgress the Mind
3 Triskaidekaphobia

Being a fan of Black Red or Rakdos aggro deck builds, I am happy to share the recent version of this strategy featuring creatures from the plane of Kaladesh. The deck was piloted by Jacob Hagen and finished in the Top 4 of StarCityGames.com Standard Open – Indianapolis. Here below is the decklist:

Maindeck
4 Aether Hub
4 Foreboding Ruins
11 Mountain
4 Swamp

4 Bomat Courier
4 Inventor’s Apprentice
4 Pia Nalaar
1 Reckless Bushwhacker
4 Scrapheap Scrounger

4 Fiery Temper
4 Incendiary Flow
4 Unlicensed Disintegration
2 Fleetwheel Cruiser
2 Key to the City
4 Smuggler’s Copter

Sideboard
2 Call the Bloodline
4 Galvanic Bombardment
2 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
2 Lightning Axe
1 Reckless Bushwhacker
4 Transgress the Mind

Source

The Rakdos guild may already left Standard but the aggressive deck concept is still with this latest build of the deck. I am obviously a fan of these two colors since gaining my first Pro point at Grand Prix Singapore 2011 with B/R Vampires. To continue this tribute, here is my take of the Rakdos aggro deck for Battle for Zendikar Standard. Do note that most of the card choices were referenced from the results of the TCG Player Standard States last weekend.

Creatures
1 Alesha, Who Smiles at Death
2 Ashcloud Phoenix
4 Bloodsoaked Champion
1 Drana, Liberator of Malakir
4 Flamewake Phoenix
4 Forerunner of Slaughter
2 Hangarback Walker
2 Kolaghan, the Storm’s Fury
3 Makindi Sliderunner
1 Pia and Kiran Nalaar
4 Thunderbreak Regent

Spells
2 Bone Splinters
4 Draconic Roar
1 Exquisite Firecraft
1 Murderous Cut
1 Ruinous Path

Lands
3 Bloodstained Mire
1 Polluted Delta
4 Wooded Foothills
4 Smoldering Marsh
6 Mountain
5 Swamp

The rise of Esper back as the tier one deck of Standard made me decide on adjustments on certain decks. The first I’ve discussed was Red Green Monsters, and for this post, the spotlight will now be turned to Rakdos Aggro. First off, here is an updated decklist:

Rakdos Aggro by Mark Ian Alloso
Standard

Lands
4 Blood Crypt
4 Temple of Malice
1 Rakdos Guildgate
9 Swamp
4 Mountain

Creatures
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Tormented Hero
4 Spike Jester
4 Pain Seer
3 Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch
4 Lifebane Zombie
3 Mogis’s Marauder

Spells
3 Dreadbore
3 Lightning Strike
2 Madcap Skills
4 Thoughtseize

Sideboard
3 Burning Earth
2 Doom Blade
2 Duress
2 Erebos, God of the Dead
3 Mizzium Mortars
2 Slaughter Games
1 Ultimate Price

The list of creature choices was somewhat a crossbred of a typical Rakdos aggro deck and that of the recent Mono Black aggro build. I like that my creatures are not only aggressive but also gain me card advantage. Pain Seer and Lifebane Zombie do the major work for that purpose. The zombie together with the playset of Thoughtseize lets me check what threats my opponent holds and which I can plan my next plays.

I bought Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch back in the party as she can hammer through defenses in the late game and can win you games by herself. She does not have Flying or Intimidate but First Strike seems decent enough.

The sideboard plan features Burning Earth again as my trump card versus Esper decks. It might not even look enough, with Duress, Erebos, and Slaughter Games already added to the list. The rest are for boarding versus the current aggro deck matchups in the metagame.

Here is what the sideboard in-and-outs would look like against the current Standard top decks. You will notice the variance in the cards that are boarded out as per the given Control matchup.

Versus Esper Control

-3 Lightning Strike
-2 Madcap Skills
-3 Mogis’s Marauder
-1 Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch

+3 Burning Earth
+2 Duress
+2 Erebos, God of the Dead
+2 Slaughter Games

Versus Mono Black Devotion/Orzhov Control

-3 Lightning Strike
-2 Madcap Skills
-2 Mogis’s Marauder

+2 Duress
+2 Erebos, God of the Dead
+2 Slaughter Games
+1 Ultimate Price

Versus Blue White Control

-3 Lightning Strike
-2 Madcap Skills
-1 Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch
-2 Mogis’s Marauder

+2 Duress
+2 Erebos, God of the Dead
+2 Slaughter Games
+2 Doom Blade

Versus Jund Monsters

-3 Lightning Strike
-2 Madcap Skills
-1 Tormented Hero

+3 Burning Earth
+2 Doom Blade
+1 Ultimate Price

Versus Red Green Monsters

-3 Lightning Strike
-1 Madcap Skills
-1 Tormented Hero

+2 Doom Blade
+2 Mizzium Mortars
+1 Ultimate Price

Versus Mono Blue/Azorius Devotion

-2 Madcap Skills
-3 Rakdos Cackler

+2 Doom Blade
+3 Mizzium Mortars

Versus Boros Burn

-3 Dreadbore
-1 Lightning Strike
-2 Madcap Skills

+2 Duress
+2 Erebos, God of the Dead
+2 Slaughter Games

Versus Orzhov Aggro

-2 Madcap Skills
-4 Spike Jester

+2 Doom Blade
+3 Mizzium Mortars
+1 Ultimate Price

I hope this sideboard plan helps if you ever pilot the decklist on your next FNM or any other Standard tournament. I also do hope that you Burning Earth those Esper net deckers lol.

I guess this will be a wrap on this deck update. Until the next post and thanks for reading.

Good news that I’ve learned last weekend was the Rakdos aggro deck winning a Grand Prix in Santiago, Chile. It was the Chilean Luis Navas that piloted the deck and also made his name and his countrymen proud. The deck archetype triumphed over the field of Mono Blue Devotion and Esper control decks. The deck was earlier featured as a tech in Day 2 of the GP coverage. Here is the list:

Main Deck
4 Exava, Rakdos Blood Witch
4 Mogis’s Marauder
4 Rakdos Cackler
4 Rakdos Shred-Freak
4 Spike Jester
1 Thrill-Kill Assassin
4 Tormented Hero
3 Xathrid Necromancer

2 Doom Blade
4 Lightning Strike
4 Madcap Skills

4 Blood Crypt
8 Mountain
10 Swamp

Sideboard
2 Burning Earth
2 Dreadbore
2 Erebos, God of the Dead
2 Mizzium Mortars
1 Rakdos Guildgate
4 Thoughtseize
2 Whip of Erebos

Exava is a good fit and hitter for a four drop which somewhat represents the likes of Falkenrath Aristocrat. Also, she is a Human which supports Xathrid Necromancer.

I have a few in mind for my personal preference in the deck which I will give detail in part three (on this time I hope there’s discussion).