@Lucas: I'd agree with MH that fetches can be helpful, but go ahead and cut those Mountains down to 19. I completely understand the budget requirement, but (this is all strictly my opinion) your Shard Volley and Flames of the Blood Hand counts could be pruned down to 2 each. If you're looking to keep this Mono-red, here are some options:
In my opinion, you should try Boros first if you're looking to splash another color. I've always been a Mono-Red purist (played Legacy Burn for years, RDW in Standard, etc.), but Modern has got me splashing other colors for the first time even when Legacy was splashing blue for Jace, the Mind Sculptor.
@GopZ I'm surprised by your lack of Lightning Bolts in your deck. Is that a meta-based choice?
@rps I, too, am interested in seeing this RWg decklist. I'm tearing my Legacy Burn deck apart (noone local to play with in the format) to make a Modern deck.
Rain of Gore and Relic of Progenitus are included due to the amount of lifegain and graveyard trickery in my local metagame. I've thought about adding in Bump in the Night since I have a splash of black. Any and all opinions are welcome, of course!
So it's ok to ban a card cuz you don't like it cuz that's essentially what you are saying when a card is too over powered too silly etc. Let's just ban it. So it's ok to ban someones cards just cuz you don't like them? That doesn't seem right. It seems no more right to shoot a black guy just cuz you don't like it, yet some people accept it anyways as ok.
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What I'm saying is I'm coming to the table with this deck of mine. And for the record MY playgroup doesn't care. It's people outside that group that get pissy. Anyways here I am all loves and giggles. You play whatever you want sound good? Yea? K I play whatever I want sound good? No? Well wait a minute you get to play infinity but I can't play unhinged? Who made you god? Now your getting pissy because I think k that's ****ed up? How is that not ****ed up? You threw the first punch dammit. You are the ones that talk about not fair not fair but you are the ones screaming ban. I seriously am just gonna take a step back now so I can shake my head at the logic of the naysayers.
Well, then you can keep playing in YOUR playgroup then. People outside the group are under no obligation to play with you.
Wow! I really like some of those suggestions. I'm honestly thinking about taking out a few of the 'Walkers as it's a lot of management if more than two are out. I'm not sure yet, since they never seem to stick around long enough. I'm definitely going to be throwing a Phthisis in the deck for funsies. I like the Voltron idea for this deck, and I've been thinking about finding ways to abuse the counter(s) mechanic. Some cards I'm considering (other than those already mentioned):
I got this deck in a trade, and while it's pretty darn fun so far, it needs some "oomph" added to it. I'm looking for ways to improve the deck, and I've listed some ideas I have at the end of this post.
He's a relatively newer player, starting during New Phyrexia, which is when I took my most recent break from the game. I started playing back in Ice Age, so I've seen a good deal of evolution in card power and abilities. I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised as I've had trouble convincing other people that Counterspell is better than Mana Leak (in mono-U) in our casual groups. Anyway, I'm hoping to convince him tonight when I have to two cards side-by-side and do a short play sim with some of the scenarios presented earlier in the thread. I'll let you know how it goes!
P.S. About my "Ice Age" comment: I'm a mediocre player, at best, but I would like to consider myself knowledgeable about the ins and outs of the game itself. I'm one of those oddball types who is good with learning rules, interactions, and other details but is not good at putting them into practice. I didn't want to sound like I'm trying to pass myself off as something that I'm not!
Wow! Thank you for all the great responses, everyone! @TheOnlyOne hit the nail on the head with my friend's reasoning: "I'll never use the Buyback ability." @Beyond_Malachi, I used a similar example to try and convince him, but your example was much better than mine. I also like @Magicmilton's idea with the Shock vs. Burst Lightning question. If nothing else, I'd at least like my friend to try a one-of Spell Burst in place of one of his Spell Blasts simply for the different card name. There's a few nasty removal decks at our FNM, so different "versions" of what's essentially the same spell could only be a good thing. Thanks again for all the fantastic input!
I'm planning on running Sligh/RDW at our next FNM, but my metagame has lots of lifegain decks (to include BW "infinite" combo lifegain deck). Does mono-red offer any options for this kind of metagame?
I may be completely wrong in my comparison between these two cards, but I'm trying to convince my friend Spell Burst is better than Spell Blast. The mana cost and the effect are the exact same, but Burst offers the option to Buyback. Am I wrong in my suggestion, or is my friend just not willing to see my point of view?
I took out the Painter's Servant for a Pili-Pala. I loveXenograft and Conspiracy in this deck, and my mana base supports both of those, methinks. Thank you, Vash and Von! Great suggestions! I thought about adding Coat of Arms to put a bit of pressure on my opponents. Will it fit? I can see quite a few artifacts that could stand to be taken out.
I'm glad you considered Reality Acid. While I'm certainly not sure how well it would work overall, especially since once you pulled off the bounce trick you might not be able to do so again. I still plan on trying it out once I get the deck fully built. If nothing else, it will at least get rid of one permanent.
Quick question: What's the win-con(s) of the deck?
@rps I, too, am interested in seeing this RWg decklist. I'm tearing my Legacy Burn deck apart (noone local to play with in the format) to make a Modern deck.
Editing to include my decklist:
3 Eidolon of the Great Revel
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Goblin Guide
2 Grim Lavamancer
Spells
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Lava Spike
4 Rift Bolt
4 Skullcrack
4 Boros Charm
3 Searing Blaze
3 Lightning Helix
2 Shard Volley
3 Arid Mesa
3 Wooded Foothills
3 Bloodstained Mire
4 Sacred Foundry
1 Stomping Ground
1 Blood Crypt
4 Mountain
2 Rain of Gore
1 Lightning Helix
3 Destructive Revelry
2 Pyroclasm
3 Combust
2 Deflecting Palm
2 Relic of Progenitus
Rain of Gore and Relic of Progenitus are included due to the amount of lifegain and graveyard trickery in my local metagame. I've thought about adding in Bump in the Night since I have a splash of black. Any and all opinions are welcome, of course!
I couldn't have said it better myself.
I think I may head the counter(s)/Voltron route and see what happens!
1 Skullbriar, the Walking Grave
Creatures
1 Grave Titan
1 Pack Rat
1 Varolz, the Scar-Striped
1 Desecration Demon
1 Wild Beastmaster
1 Reaper of the Wilds
1 Primordial Hydra
1 Chancellor of the Tangle
1 Vorapede
1 Genesis Hydra
1 Soul of the Harvest
1 Garruk's Horde
1 Ob Nixilis, Unshackled
1 Spiritmonger
1 Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord
1 Sylvan Caryatid
1 Rakshasa Deathdealer
1 Predator Ooze
1 Troll Ascetic
1 Vampire Nighthawk
1 Terra Stomper
1 Crypt Ghast
1 Terastodon
1 Nighthowler
1 Arbor Colossus
1 Deadbridge Goliath
1 Corpsejack Menace
1 Putrefy
1 Murder
1 Fated Return
1 Grim Return
1 Silence the Believers
1 Moment's Peace
1 Savage Summoning
1 Doom Blade
1 Sprouting Vines
1 Tragic Slip
1 Go for the Throat
1 Sudden Spoiling
Sorceries
1 Jarad's Orders
1 In Garruk's Wake
1 Diabolic Tutor
1 Undercity Plague
1 Cultivate
1 Primal Surge
1 Explosive Vegetation
1 Creeping Corrosion
1 Life's Legacy
1 Treasured Find
1 Farseek
Enchantments
1 Grave Betrayal
1 Deathreap Ritual
1 Asceticism
1 Death's Presence
1 Deadbridge Chant
1 Underworld Connections
1 Deathrender
1 Elbrus, the Binding Blade
Planeswalkers
1 Liliana Vess
1 Liliana of the Dark Realms
1 Vraska the Unseen
1 Nissa, Worldwaker
1 Garruk, Primal Hunter
1 Garruk, Caller of Beasts
1 Garruk, Apex Predator
Lands
1 Command Tower
1 Rogue's Passage
1 Opal Palace
1 Encroaching Wastes
1 Woodland Cemetery
1 Tainted Wood
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Mosswort Bridge
1 Golgari Rot Farm
1 Temple of Malady
1 Golgari Guildgate
13 Swamp
10 Forest
Cards I definitely want to switch out include the following:
Wasteland in place of Encroaching Wastes
Demonic Tutor in place of Diabolic Tutor
Other cards I want to include:
Birds of Paradise
Tarmogoyf
Elvish Piper
Verdant Catacombs
I also feel that the deck is just a little too slow and that the mana base is a little too wonky in terms of B and G mana.
P.S. About my "Ice Age" comment: I'm a mediocre player, at best, but I would like to consider myself knowledgeable about the ins and outs of the game itself. I'm one of those oddball types who is good with learning rules, interactions, and other details but is not good at putting them into practice. I didn't want to sound like I'm trying to pass myself off as something that I'm not!
Quick question: What's the win-con(s) of the deck?