[Modern] RED DECK WINS Primer Updated 8/31/2011 (Still a work in progress...)
» INTRODUCTION
Welcome to the RDW (Red Deck Wins) Primer!
Red Deck Wins, commonly abbreviated to RDW, is a fast-paced aggro/burn deck that can usually be separated into two sub-types. The first of these two sub-types is a build that typically runs anywhere from twelve to eighteen creatures on average. It runs less burn than the second sub-type of the two sub-types, the more burn focused build, which usually runs fewer than twelve creatures while the majority of the deck is burn. Both of the decks aim to win by or before turn four, usually, and tend to lose steam after that point (the highest cmc in the deck tends to be four or less, so there aren't many big threats that can help out in the late game).
Why play RDW, you ask? RDW is a deck that's built on speed. If you like to end games quickly, RDW's a deck you'll enjoy. Because of this fast-paced strategy, your opponent has to waste resources and empty their hand quickly if they want to make it past turn three. Decks like control have trouble doing this since RDW runs a bunch of cheap spells and can therefore cast multiple spells in a turn, and in the cases of Hellspark Elemental and Hell's Thunder, the control player can't stop the damage by countering the source of it. RDW is also a very straightforward deck. If you don't like thinking about plays or determing the best time to go off with a combo, you'll probably like RDW. Most turns go play Mountain, play spell/creature, attack if you cast a creature, end. This lasts for three to four turns on average, and if you're doing it right, you win after that.
Enough introductions, though, let's get started breaking down the deck itself.
» THE DECK
Like I said earlier, RDW is typically broken up into two distinctly different sub-types. The first of these is the more creature heavy build, and the second version is the more burn oriented build. So far, in Modern at least, the creature heavy build has been more successful, so in the card explanations below I'll be focusing more on that build. If you're looking for sample lists and don't care about card explanations, head on down below and check out some of the lists I've supplied.
It's a 2/2 with haste for R. The "drawback" of having your opponent get an extra land draw every now and then works both ways -- they get an extra land (which shouldn't matter as the plan's to kill them off before they can play stuff) and you get to see what they're playing (which makes killing them off easier). Guide's a staple in all RDW builds in every format. It's just that good.
Turns fetches and used burn/creatures into cheap damage. The main problem I have with it is that it sucks vs. spot removal and it's useless until a turn after you play it. It's not necessarily a bad card, but by no means is it an all-star like Goblin Guide is.
I like Figure of Destiny a lot because it's really versatile. It can put pressure on your opponent early, eat removal, act as a threat late game, etc. It's also semi-staple if you splash White. The main reason I wouldn't run it in every build is because it can be a bit slow and investing a bunch of mana into it only to get PtE'ed sucks, but otherwise it's an awesome card.
Great card. You're guaranteed to get at least two damage in with this guy (unless he's countered), and if he doesn't get removed, he'll be putting in work.
Hellspark's basically a reccurable Lightning Bolt on a stick. He laughs at any kind of non-exile removal, usually gets in before the opponent can chump block him, and is overlal just a really good card.
I personally wouldn't run Ball Lightning in Modern. Zoo's pretty much guaranteed to have a creature out by then that can trade with it, and I guess you can still get some damage in which is good, but for three mana I just don't think it's necessary. Probably comes down to player preference.
A 4/4 with flying and haste that can be Unearth'ed for 1RR. Definitely a good card. It's a bit expensive to Unearth it, but the potential damage you can get in with it is what makes the card so good. It's also really good against Zoo since they have trouble blocking fliers.
One of, if not the, best card in the deck. Gets rid of most creatures played in the turns that matter, and it's super cheap and cost efficient. Staple.
Scry 2 helps the deck, consistency wise, a lot. The two damage can also be enough to end the game sometimes, and for two mana, it's definitely a card to consider running.
Thanks to fetches, Searing Blaze should almost always be doing three damage to a player and a creature, which essentially makes it a double Lightning Bolt. I don't see it being useful (in the main deck) at more than two or three, but it's definitely useful.
Good with Searing Blaze and they thin your deck so you draw more creautre/spells. The life loss doesn't really matter in this kind of deck because you should be ending the game before it becomes an issue.
Hell's Thunder could be worth consideration as well. It's tough enough to withstand a lightning bolt, and while it's not super-cheap to unearth, the actual damage density of the card is excellent, getting a total of 8 damage without wasting 2 cards in a deck with little/no card advantage is good.
You should add magma jet to your spell list. I suspect it will be a necessary card to improve the deck's consistency.
Hell's Thunder could be worth consideration as well. It's tough enough to withstand a lightning bolt, and while it's not super-cheap to unearth, the actual damage density of the card is excellent, getting a total of 8 damage without wasting 2 cards in a deck with little/no card advantage is good.
You should add magma jet to your spell list. I suspect it will be a necessary card to improve the deck's consistency.
Perhaps Goblin Bushwhacker, maybe Shrine of Burning Rage, though I don't know that either of them necessarily make the cut. If 1-toughness guys become a problem, Hero of Oxid Ridge could see play, but I really don't think 1-toughness chumps will be too much of a problem, at least for now.
As a primer, what this really needs is a few lists. I would suggest one burnwillows list, one creature-heavy list, and one burn-heavy list (probably with lavamancer).
Edit: A burn-heavy list might run earthquake or slagstorm to beat zoo/gobbos/merfolk/WW.
In the MWS world, for many players, winning also makes you a noob.
The same applies to:
-Knowing the rules.
-Netdecking.
-Not netdecking.
-Using old versions of a card (yeah, it has hapenned to me: "Ugh... ugly pic noob")
-Knowing English.
-Using phases.
-Countering spells.
<@MarkRosewater> THis is a secret we've carefully guarded but for this chat I'm going to spill the beans.
<@MarkRosewater> Some cards in Magic are better than others.
<@MarkRosewater> Ssh, don't tell anyone.
Lava Spike is definitely worth mentioning for creature-light builds. It's also crucial to maximize your number of 1-drops so you always have something to play on turn 1. RDW thrives on maximizing mana efficiency, and if you can't use all of your mana each turn, you're only letting the clock run longer for your opponent to set up their win con.
I think flames of blood hand should be there as an option somewhere. Also lava spike is pretty strong.
I also disagree with figure and grim being 4 and 3 stars. They are definitely better then hells thunder IMO. Hells thunder is good but slow and is useless against all decks with flying. Figure is just a little different to play and you have to make sure you don't pump a lot of mana to then get pte'd. But grim and figure both win games very often. Also searing blaze should be 4 star. It is strong and since "it's always doing 3 damage" it quickly becomes a great 2 for 1 vs a lot of decks. Especially zoo. And when it's not it's still a 2 cmc for 3 dmg that could be combined with say grim lavamancer to kill a fat goyf.
Affinity? Without arti lands? I'd stick with a few Smash to Smithereens. It'll take out Arcbound Ravager or Master of Etherium or Cranial Plating and bolt the opponent at the same time. Huge tempo gain. Usually you only need to kill one of the above to stall another turn for the win. With only Darksteel Citadel to work with in terms of artifact lands, I wouldn't be worried about Affinity enough to specifically board against them.
The one thing about stigma lasher over the leyline is that it isn't a dead draw in multiples as you can attack with it. Pushing four leylines in reduces the aggressiveness of the deck more. I'm not saying that lasher is better then leyline (it's MUCH less reliable for turning off lifegain) but there is a justification for it.
I also think it's worth mentioning that rachet bomb's a pretty important SB card for a deck like this as it can remove hate in a way that mono-red would not otherwise be able.
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The one thing about stigma lasher over the leyline is that it isn't a dead draw in multiples as you can attack with it. Pushing four leylines in reduces the aggressiveness of the deck more. I'm not saying that lasher is better then leyline (it's MUCH less reliable for turning off lifegain) but there is a justification for it.
I also think it's worth mentioning that rachet bomb's a pretty important SB card for a deck like this as it can remove hate in a way that mono-red would not otherwise be able.
I was just sorta curious. I'm considering Lasher over Leyline, since it helps the MUs where removal isn't a worry anyway.
I would suggest adding Porcelain Legionnaire to your creatures list. I think he is HIGHLY underrated. He get's past Flashfreese, Celestial Purse, and Circle of Protection: Red which are RDW's bane. A 2 mana 3/1 first striker is a serious card for consideration IMO>
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Zeldrex, that actually may not be true. Jund runs finks, bant runs finks, mono white control runs Martyr of Sands, which is downright brutal. In those games, you may be able to get away with burning out stuff in the way and running in with the lasher anyways, and at least if they block lasher with finks, finks doesn't come back. Lasher may be better anyways just because it's not a dead draw later in the game, it's not a dead draw in multiples, and it actually deals damage as well.
A few things are certain in my mind about lasher, though:
1: Don't run him if you aren't running Searing Blaze, you can't afford to play him and have him unable to get in, and searing blaze also kills Martyr of Sands so that they can't sneak in an activation before you can hit them.
2: Don't run him without Grim Lavamancer, because he himself is entirely likely to die, and because lavamancer can clear the way for him.
3: Don't forget that both Leyline of Punishment and Stigma Lasher turn off the Grove of the Burnwillows + Punishing Fire
4: Decks running him might want to consider Red Sun's Zenith to get in with lasher without having to worry about finks blocking.
5: Stigma Lasher may present problems when your opponent plays a Dark Confidant on turn 2, because they will gladly throw away their dark confidant to kill lasher when they see that you're a deck with no lategame plan that needs to hit them fast. To some degree, you want them to keep that confidant.
Despite all this, I think lasher merits play potentially.
Been playing with a few lists, testing is kinda minimal, but...
Why do so many lists try to pull of 20 lands? And some try 20 lands with 4 CIPT; which makes you wonder how they plan to keep tempo. Even WITH a list that caps its curve at 2, you're mulling ~30-40% of the time because of a no-land hand.
RED DECK WINS
Primer Updated 8/31/2011
(Still a work in progress...)
» THE DECK
Creatures:
Spells:
Lands:
» SAMPLE LISTS
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Magma Jet
4x Searing Blaze
4x Rift Bolt
4x Shrine of Burning Rage
4x Staggershock
4x Hell's Thunder
3x Lava Spike
3x Earthquake
4x Scalding Tarn
14x Mountain
4x Blood Moon
4x Leyline of Punishment
4x Slagstorm
3x Guttural Response
» MATCHUPS
Thanks to Nezumi for the banner!
The Punishing Fire/Grove of the Burnwillows combo may be worth mentioning. Not every list will want to run it, but it's definitely a consideration.
Hell's Thunder could be worth consideration as well. It's tough enough to withstand a lightning bolt, and while it's not super-cheap to unearth, the actual damage density of the card is excellent, getting a total of 8 damage without wasting 2 cards in a deck with little/no card advantage is good.
You should add magma jet to your spell list. I suspect it will be a necessary card to improve the deck's consistency.
Added them.
Anything else I should add?
Thanks to Nezumi for the banner!
As a primer, what this really needs is a few lists. I would suggest one burnwillows list, one creature-heavy list, and one burn-heavy list (probably with lavamancer).
Edit: A burn-heavy list might run earthquake or slagstorm to beat zoo/gobbos/merfolk/WW.
Cascading into additional hasty creatures or burn seemed like a good idea, and the turn four spot doesn't have much of anything better, does it?
LEGACY:
BURGAd Nauseum TendrilsGRUB
MODERN:
RWGBurnGWR
EDH:
RNorin the WaryR
UWBrago, King EternalUW
{B}{CARD}CARDNAME{/CARD}{/b}
Put CARD tags for Punishing Fire in the Burnwillow Grove section.
Tag Searing Blaze in the land section.
EDIT: BloodBraid Elf/Hero of Oxid Ridge merit some consideration for closing out a game.
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4x Lightning Bolt
4x Magma Jet
4x Searing Blaze
4x Rift Bolt
4x Shrine of Burning Rage
4x Staggershock
4x Hell's Thunder
3x Lava Spike
3x Earthquake
4x Scalding Tarn
14x Mountain
4x Blood Moon
4x Leyline of Punishment
4x Slagstorm
3x Guttural Response
It's far from perfect, and could use some replacements/finishing touches, but it could be a decent idea of what a low-creature list looks like.
I also disagree with figure and grim being 4 and 3 stars. They are definitely better then hells thunder IMO. Hells thunder is good but slow and is useless against all decks with flying. Figure is just a little different to play and you have to make sure you don't pump a lot of mana to then get pte'd. But grim and figure both win games very often. Also searing blaze should be 4 star. It is strong and since "it's always doing 3 damage" it quickly becomes a great 2 for 1 vs a lot of decks. Especially zoo. And when it's not it's still a 2 cmc for 3 dmg that could be combined with say grim lavamancer to kill a fat goyf.
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Is Affinity worth SBing Shattering Spree for?
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LEGACY:
BURGAd Nauseum TendrilsGRUB
MODERN:
RWGBurnGWR
EDH:
RNorin the WaryR
UWBrago, King EternalUW
I also think it's worth mentioning that rachet bomb's a pretty important SB card for a deck like this as it can remove hate in a way that mono-red would not otherwise be able.
I was just sorta curious. I'm considering Lasher over Leyline, since it helps the MUs where removal isn't a worry anyway.
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A few things are certain in my mind about lasher, though:
1: Don't run him if you aren't running Searing Blaze, you can't afford to play him and have him unable to get in, and searing blaze also kills Martyr of Sands so that they can't sneak in an activation before you can hit them.
2: Don't run him without Grim Lavamancer, because he himself is entirely likely to die, and because lavamancer can clear the way for him.
3: Don't forget that both Leyline of Punishment and Stigma Lasher turn off the Grove of the Burnwillows + Punishing Fire
4: Decks running him might want to consider Red Sun's Zenith to get in with lasher without having to worry about finks blocking.
5: Stigma Lasher may present problems when your opponent plays a Dark Confidant on turn 2, because they will gladly throw away their dark confidant to kill lasher when they see that you're a deck with no lategame plan that needs to hit them fast. To some degree, you want them to keep that confidant.
Despite all this, I think lasher merits play potentially.
Why do so many lists try to pull of 20 lands? And some try 20 lands with 4 CIPT; which makes you wonder how they plan to keep tempo. Even WITH a list that caps its curve at 2, you're mulling ~30-40% of the time because of a no-land hand.
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GVorinclexG -- RGodoR -- BSheoldredB -- UTalrandU -- WDarienW -- XKarnX -- WRBKaaliaBRW -- RUGMaelstrom WandererGUR
With the exception of Spark Elemental. Most people don't see him worth running.
List that I've been thinking about:
4 Goblin Guide
3 Spark Elemental
3 Grim Lavamancer
4 Hellspark Elemental
4 Keldon Marauders
Burn (22)
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Rift Bolt
4 Lava Spike
3 Shard Volley
4 Burst Lightning
3 Searing Blaze
4 Arid Mesa
4 Scalding Tarn
12 Mountain
2 Volcanic Fallout
3 Dismember
3 Smash to Smithereens
3 Tormod's Crypt
2 Blood Moon
2 Magus of the Moon
I also really want to play Browbeat in this format.
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w00t! it's legal! My "casual" RDW is quickly transitioning into a viable modern deck. Thanks for the primer.
EDIT: is Volcanic Fallout / SlagStorm too slow for the format? Seems good against Zoo, WW, Merfolk or any other creature dependent strategy.
here's my list so far (I'm OCD about "4 of's"):
4 Spark Elemental
4 Hellspark Elemental
4 Lava spike
4 lightning bolt
4 needle drop
4 magma jet
4 browbeat
4 riftbolt
4 slagstorm
4 volcanic fallout
4 teetering peaks
4 Smash to smithereens
4 molten rain
4 vulshok refugee
3 Flames of the Blood Hand
Any thoughts? More lands? More creatures? More Grim Lavamancer?
GVorinclexG -- RGodoR -- BSheoldredB -- UTalrandU -- WDarienW -- XKarnX -- WRBKaaliaBRW -- RUGMaelstrom WandererGUR