The Fericodons fit the staxy nature of my fatties, but they were unimpressive in execution. Sure, they're big and people don't like blocking them, but when they do, it doesn't hurt the table too badly. I'm trying out the new Neheb because I believe he can help me cast my more expensive colourless Creatures when I'm a mana or two short, he helps me recast Rakdos after an untimely demise, his Trample means he can get for pain mana or the ability to recast Rakdos and the rummage effect means that the cards that are inappropriate for the moment can be tossed away for more gas.
Adding Showstopper and Spawn of Mayhem are long overdue. I just didn't know what to cut as I knew I wanted to shift my deck's design. After seeing the hilarious results of Ruric Thar, the Unbowed dodge spot removal due to the smattering of Instants I can use to protect him, I thought to do the same with Rakdos. I added the Sandstone Oracle as a way to refill my hand after I am spent, to hopefully get more protection or gas.
A lot of the less than effective cards got cut for this and I've added a Vampiric Tutor to help with how the deck likes to chain off.
So you may think Spear Spewer isn't very good, but it's necessary to ensure that I can cast Rakdos on Turn 4. This is why Haste isn't good in my build: I'm dropping fatties after the combat step. These fatties all have abilities that make my board difficult to deal with or force you to answer them instead of Rakdos. All of those builds that introduce Haste then need to fill their deck up with one-shot pain effects, such as Gut Shot or Cave-In, that have a terrible opportunity cost when it comes to topdecks.
All of these big sorceries you're suggesting aren't going to be cheapened by Rakdos. Why play all of these reanimation Sorceries when I can play a free Artisan of Kozilek, or use Sheoldred, Whispering One to recur my Creatures while locking out my opponent's Creatures? Pox is in the deck list and Wheel of Fortune doesn't grow on trees.
Dread Cacodemon isn't in the list so I'm uncertain why you're even commenting on it. My list forces the table to collapse on me before I go off or they lose. If you're playing a more friendly Rakdos, then you don't need to do that and play whatever.
Also, a card that just came up to me that could be an all star in your deck, is Soul of New Phyrexia. The worst thing about having your stax pieces be creatures is that they die really easily, and because they're so fat and expensive it's a hassle to rebuild your board. SONP can be payed for entirely by Rakdos's ability, and protects your board both when he's on the board and when he's in the yard. You can even discard him to Tortured Existence in order to user his ability in a pinch.
Cuts for him are tough, though. Ulamog's Crusher is probably still great but feels clunky because of the "must attack" clause. Etali, Primal Storm seems like it could either be amazing or useless, so maybe it could go.
EDIT: Several more suggestions:
The new Risk Factor seems strong in your deck. Much better than Browbeat since the choice is narrowed down to a single player, and since it can convert a dead card to be a copy of it. Giving your opponent the choice between giving you cards or enabling Rakdos seems like "a rock and a hard spot" choice for them.
With this new discard tech Garna, the Bloodflame becomes considerable - and I haven't seen your opinion of this card. Not only it represents wrath recovery similar to SONP, which is your biggest weakness, but it also recovers all creatures you discarded and such. Both cards require you leave 5 mana open, both have additional advantages.
You've convinced me on the Augur, the rest I'm a little more hesitant.
I don't want colorless Creatures, even if they're free, I want Stax pieces on bodies which unfortunately tend to be coloured Creatures. The Eldrazi are in for either fuel for other chains or their Annihilator to eat my opponent's permanents. The must attack clause on Ulamog's Crusher is irrelevant, I'm swinging even into a Glissa, the Traitor because I'm looking to eat their permanents.
A lot of your suggestions for protection are great, but this is my 'balls to the wall' deck; I very rarely have any mana open. Hence Garna, the Blood Flame and Soul of New Phyrexia won't do anything for me, I don't have one or two mana open much less 5-6. The way I protect my board is with cards like Nullstone Gargoyle or eating their permanents so they can't cast spells because they have insufficient lands.
Grey Merchant is vitally imporant to make sure I don't die, it is frequently the target of a tutor-chain with Razaketh: Grey Merchant, sac it to fetch Artisan of Kozilek, play Artisan to get my Grey Merchant. Depending on how many pips I got on board, it can be devastating - the deck can quite easily put 7+ black pips on the board, not many players can repeatedly take 14 and survive. I also gain a buttload, which I need considering I'm also the focus of attacks before I spew Demons from every orifice.
I definitely want to include Spawn of Mayhem, I think it's great. I'm just waiting for its price to drop.
I like the Cacodemon just because I get to childishly say 'Caca'. If you're going for a more casual build, the Demon can fit; I'm not running it because I look at what else it is competing with with Triple Black: Necropotence, Myojin of Night's Reach and Razaketh, the Foulblooded. In this mean version, the Caca demon just doesn't measure up in comparison to those three cards.
Rix Maadi's draw is frontloaded unlike Corpse Augur's backloaded draw. As shermanido37 pointed out, the deck looks to keep pushing forward so aggressive draw is important.
Plague Spitter has the least amount of synergy from my suite of pingers, so it got the axe for the Spear Spewer. The rest of them can sit there with big butts and stop token spam chip damage and then EOT poke for extra damage.
With Spectacle now being defined as 'You may cast this if an opponent took damage this turn', it seems like there is going to be a host of cards for Rakdos. Rafter Demon can help Rakdos come down for his second cast or the Rafter can disrupt my opponents. I don't think it'll make the cut but I'm sure there's going to be some kind of obnoxious Spectacle Creature that Rakdos is going to want.
The Haunt of Hightower looks to be within Rakdos' wheelhouse but I don't what I would cut for it. It is just another wincon; not a Stax piece to protect Rakdos. Though I have been thinking as of late to slow the deck down and put in more protective elements; such as, Undying Evil, Rush of Vitality or Without Weakness. I've put in a bunch of these types of cards in my Ruric Thar, the Unbowed and the blowouts have been unreal. The decks are pretty similar in that I land an obnoxious Commander and try to win before they can be answered.
It's not draw per se, just card filtering. But it's still quite powerful.
Have you thought of Archfiend of Despair? Wound Reflection + Tainted Remedy is great to have on a giant body.
Yeah, the Archfiend is in the deck. It's bloody nonsense; it's so good I'm thinking it should go in a lot more of my B/X decks.
I'll have to feel it out with more games to figure out if it should be Gearhulk or Augur or whatever. The Gearhulk is just to help me refill my hand, as most people don't want to eat random damage. In my meta Gearhulk practically reads "Draw 3" and that's before you consider my deck's ridiculous average CMC. Corpse Augur is also fuel, dies from blocking, being blocked or getting wrathed. The Stoneshaker Shaman is just a stax piece to hurts decks that try to keep interaction open.
I did contemplate War's Toll after shermanido comparison being too similar to Tectonic Instability. I decided to go with a like-for-like cut, trading a card advantage engine for Sunbrid's.
In a way, it's a little funny how you're eyeing Sunbird's Invocation for inclusion, given the fact that you've got no way to cheat the mana cost and have started targeting what snippets of ramp have been lurking around the deck. Playtest the hell out of it, I guess, and see how it fares.
The irony is not lost on me. I've just seen some absurdities if a Sunbird sticks, or even if it just gets one card off. Considering how much colorless Creatures I have, I can see spending my turn playing Sunsbird's, playing some colorless Creature and digging deep into another behemoth that hits the field. If they answer the Sunbird's, they need to content with whatever I put into play. If they dealt with what I put into play, then I might have a whole turn to Sunbird on the next turn. I think it is worth trying out, at the very least.
was also kinda surprised that Zo-zu the punisher and ankh of Mishra weren't in but upon further consideration they are more reactive than proactive like the stax deck your trying to build.
I don't think Angrath is worth spending a turn playing, even if he is a repeated-able pain source. As for the Ferocidons and Hidetsugu, the deck gets focused quickly and fast as it has a reputation when I bring it to the table. I need the lifegain from the Ferocidons, even if it gives my opponent breathing room. With life halfing, the Hidetsugu would put me even lower than my opponents. I have seen Hidetsugu being used against other pain-based decks like Neheb, the Eternal.
As for why I don't have Zo-Zu the Punisher et. al, it is as you guessed: I want pain on my turn. I don't have a Winding Canyons to cheat Creatures out on other turns. I also feel like a lot of decks that put slots towards that sort of pain strategy then don't have room for what the premise of the deck is: hatebears, if they were 5/5 and probably flied. I rather stick some Demon that stops players from doing particular plays than something that just reduces their life total.
As soon as Meteor Golem was spoiled, I knew it was going into this deck. There's just too many things that can cause a hiccup, this solves that. As with my decision to cut Rocks, it made sense to axe the last one I want to.
1 Neheb, Dreadhorde Champion
1 Silverclad Ferocidons
Mid-Tier: Marchesa Aggro Rose Asmadi Get Dire Tymna Ikra Woke Women Tiana Aura Angel Ruric Thar SMASH Smasher Kraum Mana Positivity Zur Slides
Filthy Casual: WUBRG Jodah WUBRG WUBRG Fatties WUBRG Gahiji Vigilant Vengeance Ezuri Mysterious Morphs
1 Spawn of Mayhem
1 Rakdos, the Showstopper
1 Sandstone Oracle
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Undying Evil
1 Imp's Mischief
1 Bolt Bend
1 Sin Prodder
1 Ulamog's Crusher
1 Disciple of Bolas
1 Geode Golem
1 Bane of Bala Ged
1 Stoneshaker's Mischief
1 War's Toll
A lot of the less than effective cards got cut for this and I've added a Vampiric Tutor to help with how the deck likes to chain off.
Mid-Tier: Marchesa Aggro Rose Asmadi Get Dire Tymna Ikra Woke Women Tiana Aura Angel Ruric Thar SMASH Smasher Kraum Mana Positivity Zur Slides
Filthy Casual: WUBRG Jodah WUBRG WUBRG Fatties WUBRG Gahiji Vigilant Vengeance Ezuri Mysterious Morphs
So you may think Spear Spewer isn't very good, but it's necessary to ensure that I can cast Rakdos on Turn 4. This is why Haste isn't good in my build: I'm dropping fatties after the combat step. These fatties all have abilities that make my board difficult to deal with or force you to answer them instead of Rakdos. All of those builds that introduce Haste then need to fill their deck up with one-shot pain effects, such as Gut Shot or Cave-In, that have a terrible opportunity cost when it comes to topdecks.
All of these big sorceries you're suggesting aren't going to be cheapened by Rakdos. Why play all of these reanimation Sorceries when I can play a free Artisan of Kozilek, or use Sheoldred, Whispering One to recur my Creatures while locking out my opponent's Creatures? Pox is in the deck list and Wheel of Fortune doesn't grow on trees.
Dread Cacodemon isn't in the list so I'm uncertain why you're even commenting on it. My list forces the table to collapse on me before I go off or they lose. If you're playing a more friendly Rakdos, then you don't need to do that and play whatever.
Mid-Tier: Marchesa Aggro Rose Asmadi Get Dire Tymna Ikra Woke Women Tiana Aura Angel Ruric Thar SMASH Smasher Kraum Mana Positivity Zur Slides
Filthy Casual: WUBRG Jodah WUBRG WUBRG Fatties WUBRG Gahiji Vigilant Vengeance Ezuri Mysterious Morphs
I don't want colorless Creatures, even if they're free, I want Stax pieces on bodies which unfortunately tend to be coloured Creatures. The Eldrazi are in for either fuel for other chains or their Annihilator to eat my opponent's permanents. The must attack clause on Ulamog's Crusher is irrelevant, I'm swinging even into a Glissa, the Traitor because I'm looking to eat their permanents.
A lot of your suggestions for protection are great, but this is my 'balls to the wall' deck; I very rarely have any mana open. Hence Garna, the Blood Flame and Soul of New Phyrexia won't do anything for me, I don't have one or two mana open much less 5-6. The way I protect my board is with cards like Nullstone Gargoyle or eating their permanents so they can't cast spells because they have insufficient lands.
Grey Merchant is vitally imporant to make sure I don't die, it is frequently the target of a tutor-chain with Razaketh: Grey Merchant, sac it to fetch Artisan of Kozilek, play Artisan to get my Grey Merchant. Depending on how many pips I got on board, it can be devastating - the deck can quite easily put 7+ black pips on the board, not many players can repeatedly take 14 and survive. I also gain a buttload, which I need considering I'm also the focus of attacks before I spew Demons from every orifice. I definitely want to include Spawn of Mayhem, I think it's great. I'm just waiting for its price to drop.
I like the Cacodemon just because I get to childishly say 'Caca'. If you're going for a more casual build, the Demon can fit; I'm not running it because I look at what else it is competing with with Triple Black: Necropotence, Myojin of Night's Reach and Razaketh, the Foulblooded. In this mean version, the Caca demon just doesn't measure up in comparison to those three cards.
Definitely agreeing with your assesstment of Spear Spewer:
1 Rix Maadi Reveler
1 Spear Spewer
1 Corpse Augur
1 Plague Spitter
Plague Spitter has the least amount of synergy from my suite of pingers, so it got the axe for the Spear Spewer. The rest of them can sit there with big butts and stop token spam chip damage and then EOT poke for extra damage.
Mid-Tier: Marchesa Aggro Rose Asmadi Get Dire Tymna Ikra Woke Women Tiana Aura Angel Ruric Thar SMASH Smasher Kraum Mana Positivity Zur Slides
Filthy Casual: WUBRG Jodah WUBRG WUBRG Fatties WUBRG Gahiji Vigilant Vengeance Ezuri Mysterious Morphs
Mid-Tier: Marchesa Aggro Rose Asmadi Get Dire Tymna Ikra Woke Women Tiana Aura Angel Ruric Thar SMASH Smasher Kraum Mana Positivity Zur Slides
Filthy Casual: WUBRG Jodah WUBRG WUBRG Fatties WUBRG Gahiji Vigilant Vengeance Ezuri Mysterious Morphs
Mid-Tier: Marchesa Aggro Rose Asmadi Get Dire Tymna Ikra Woke Women Tiana Aura Angel Ruric Thar SMASH Smasher Kraum Mana Positivity Zur Slides
Filthy Casual: WUBRG Jodah WUBRG WUBRG Fatties WUBRG Gahiji Vigilant Vengeance Ezuri Mysterious Morphs
Mid-Tier: Marchesa Aggro Rose Asmadi Get Dire Tymna Ikra Woke Women Tiana Aura Angel Ruric Thar SMASH Smasher Kraum Mana Positivity Zur Slides
Filthy Casual: WUBRG Jodah WUBRG WUBRG Fatties WUBRG Gahiji Vigilant Vengeance Ezuri Mysterious Morphs
Doom Whisperer is so far the only card I am interested from Ravnica at this time.
Mid-Tier: Marchesa Aggro Rose Asmadi Get Dire Tymna Ikra Woke Women Tiana Aura Angel Ruric Thar SMASH Smasher Kraum Mana Positivity Zur Slides
Filthy Casual: WUBRG Jodah WUBRG WUBRG Fatties WUBRG Gahiji Vigilant Vengeance Ezuri Mysterious Morphs
Mid-Tier: Marchesa Aggro Rose Asmadi Get Dire Tymna Ikra Woke Women Tiana Aura Angel Ruric Thar SMASH Smasher Kraum Mana Positivity Zur Slides
Filthy Casual: WUBRG Jodah WUBRG WUBRG Fatties WUBRG Gahiji Vigilant Vengeance Ezuri Mysterious Morphs
1 Geode Golem
1 Demon of Wailing Agonies
Mid-Tier: Marchesa Aggro Rose Asmadi Get Dire Tymna Ikra Woke Women Tiana Aura Angel Ruric Thar SMASH Smasher Kraum Mana Positivity Zur Slides
Filthy Casual: WUBRG Jodah WUBRG WUBRG Fatties WUBRG Gahiji Vigilant Vengeance Ezuri Mysterious Morphs
Mid-Tier: Marchesa Aggro Rose Asmadi Get Dire Tymna Ikra Woke Women Tiana Aura Angel Ruric Thar SMASH Smasher Kraum Mana Positivity Zur Slides
Filthy Casual: WUBRG Jodah WUBRG WUBRG Fatties WUBRG Gahiji Vigilant Vengeance Ezuri Mysterious Morphs
1 Sower of Discord
1 Sunbird's Invocation
Mid-Tier: Marchesa Aggro Rose Asmadi Get Dire Tymna Ikra Woke Women Tiana Aura Angel Ruric Thar SMASH Smasher Kraum Mana Positivity Zur Slides
Filthy Casual: WUBRG Jodah WUBRG WUBRG Fatties WUBRG Gahiji Vigilant Vengeance Ezuri Mysterious Morphs
1 Mana Confluence
1 Mountain
Mid-Tier: Marchesa Aggro Rose Asmadi Get Dire Tymna Ikra Woke Women Tiana Aura Angel Ruric Thar SMASH Smasher Kraum Mana Positivity Zur Slides
Filthy Casual: WUBRG Jodah WUBRG WUBRG Fatties WUBRG Gahiji Vigilant Vengeance Ezuri Mysterious Morphs
1 Sunbird's Invocation
1 Outpost Siege
Mid-Tier: Marchesa Aggro Rose Asmadi Get Dire Tymna Ikra Woke Women Tiana Aura Angel Ruric Thar SMASH Smasher Kraum Mana Positivity Zur Slides
Filthy Casual: WUBRG Jodah WUBRG WUBRG Fatties WUBRG Gahiji Vigilant Vengeance Ezuri Mysterious Morphs
As for why I don't have Zo-Zu the Punisher et. al, it is as you guessed: I want pain on my turn. I don't have a Winding Canyons to cheat Creatures out on other turns. I also feel like a lot of decks that put slots towards that sort of pain strategy then don't have room for what the premise of the deck is: hatebears, if they were 5/5 and probably flied. I rather stick some Demon that stops players from doing particular plays than something that just reduces their life total.
Made this swap:
1 Meteor Golem
1 Talisman of Indulgence
Mid-Tier: Marchesa Aggro Rose Asmadi Get Dire Tymna Ikra Woke Women Tiana Aura Angel Ruric Thar SMASH Smasher Kraum Mana Positivity Zur Slides
Filthy Casual: WUBRG Jodah WUBRG WUBRG Fatties WUBRG Gahiji Vigilant Vengeance Ezuri Mysterious Morphs