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Red Deck Loses (RDL) is a deck I threw together in about 10 minutes, about 11 minutes before I left for FNM. The idea was to burn like crazy but most likely fall short. That did not happen. Not only was I beating people, I was doing it convincingly and making them mad since this entire deck can be built for well under $100.

RDL aims to win the game in as few turns as possible by using efficient burn/creature spells to maintain an early damage curve to allow for a turn 5-7 explosion of Rift Bolt s, Cheap Burn and Grapeshot all while maintaining more card advantage than should be allowed!

So people can hopefully stop asking this question over and over:
RDW = Creatures
RDL = Burn



One of the best reasons to play RDL is that unlike all the people you will be competing against, you can take pride in knowing that your $50 deck is not only holding its own against decks that cost 6+ times as much, but actually beating them regularly.

Another major selling point is that it is next to impossible to stop by traditional means. This deck laughs at counter spells, flying creatures, trampling creatures, creatures with shroud, bounce and so much more. The beauty of this design is that when you decide to go off, you have so many spells flying around that it is impossible (pre-sideboard) to stop them all!

Perhaps the most important reason to play RDL is because it is really fun, and really powerful. This is the type of deck you play when you want to dictate the tempo, and this deck stomps on the accelerator turn 1 and never lets up.



RDL works by efficiently spending the first 3 turns getting in damage with creatures, setting up its hand for the big finish, and then executing the big finish. Ideally it wants to go off by turn 5, but if it takes a turn or two longer it is usually within reason to still expect to win.

The first few turns are ideally spent aggressively attacking with Mogg Fantastic and Keldon Marauders while using Incinerate to either keep the road clear or smack the dome of your opponent. Browbeat early on keeps the pressure on by either refilling your hand or doing the 5 damage and dropping your opponent dangerously close to Rift Bolt+Grapeshot territory. In the interim cards like Mudbutton Torchrunner help pile on the damage while holding off ground assaults.


Creature Spells Show
Burn Spells Show
Other Cards to Consider Show
Potential Sideboard Material Show
Anti-discard Deck Tech Show


Sample Decks Show



Because of this deck's rather unique path to victory, there are not a lot of current standard decks that present a great deal of problems for RDL. Since RDL aims to just burn face ASAP a lot of creature based decks simply cannot get 20 in on the RDL deck before they get burned for 20 to the face. The notable exception is Doran Doran which has a faster clock than RDL. Later versions of RDL have included more creatures (most notably Mudbutton Torchrunner) to attempt to slow down Doran and his attacking hordes. Results have been mixed, but these changes have given RDL a chance where previously there was none.

Every deck has one or two creatures at least that really must be dealt with (like Mad Auntie , Scion of Oona , Imperious Perfect , Treetop Village among others, and this deck does run Incinerate for that reason. Burning out 1 tough creature with 1 Incinerate can buy RDL all the time it needs to finish the job.

Also, as previously mentioned, any deck which has a reliable source of life gain is a big problem for RDL. While the dreaded Martyr of Sands seems to have lost favor of late, it is still devastating. The other major life gaining card RDL must worry about is Loxodon Warhammer (which is run in decks like The Rock). In game 1 it can be worked around by burning the creature attached to the warhammer, but games 2 and 3 there must be a sideboard answer for Warhammer, which usually takes the form of Fury Charm or Pithing Needle.

In recent times Lark/Blink has burst on the scene with tremendous results and is probably THE deck to beat right now. RDL wins game 1 far more than any other current archetype does, but games 2 and 3 can be trouble with the sideboarded Aven Riftwatcher . Some kind of graveyard disruption is essential to having a chance post board against Lark ( Tormod's Crypt ) or else good old Cryoclasm .

The last major archetype that gives RDL problems is discard. Most good discard decks will dominate the first game, but since the RDL player knows its weaknesses, the sideboard will turn the tides in games 2 and 3 with additions like Guerrilla Tactics and Dodecapod.

SPECIAL NOTE:
Management wishes to inform everyone that they will no longer be discussing the benefits of Grapeshot. Please note that it has been discussed ad nauseum throughout the many pages of the thread, and everything that can be said about it has been said countless times, so if you want to know about Grapeshot, you are going to have to read the thread.

To sum up why Grapeshot is a great card for RDL:
- It synergies terrificly with suspended cards like Rift Bolt and Wheel of Fate
- It synergies greatly with cheap burn like Shock and Shard Volley
- It divides its damage into increments of 1 so you can send each damage wherever you want (like your own Mud Buddy)
- It is virtually uncounterable
- It synergies well with your opponent's counter spells
- On average and with very little planning it is 2 mana for (on average) 3-4 damage and 1 card


-EDIT-Slapped on the Pre-Archetype tag. I'll do some work in the next couple of days to make the O.P. more appealing/informative (specific card suggestions, sideboard options, etc)...I also updated my current version of the deck in the O.P.

Just updated the O.P. to make it more deserving of the tag "pre-archetype"



...To Yourradiogeek for the AWESOME banner!
...To Hodoku for the excellent red borders.
...To ddrfr33k and Wulfpak for believing

-4 chromatic star
+4 spark elemental

Also consider just plain turning this into dragonstorm, same burn them down playstyle except more competitive

Karthage wrote:

-4 chromatic star
+4 spark elemental

Also consider just plain turning this into dragonstorm, same burn them down playstyle except more competitive

I do not have an exact decklist for you, but last night I dueled a Dragonstorm deck for fun and we each won two games. I also split 4 games against fish afterwards (again, I do not have an exact decklist).

I will try out the Spark Elemental, that seems like a logical replacement, especially as a 1 drop, which takes a little sting out of going second since you'll either start them at 17 or you will get them to 18 and eat a Birds or mana elf.

Dang, more good suggestions! I've got a lot to think about

I think I should at least make a case for Browbeat in this deck, as having run it in the deck I cannot possibly see it being removed. If they take the 5 damage, I am usually shocked because it makes no sense to me but I'm like "thank you!". If they let me draw 3 cards I now have 3 more cards to refill my hand of cheap burn to either ramp up storm or to drop a Marauders or something similar. Basically, no matter what they choose they are getting screwed...it is also a very nice card to draw in the off chance that both decks empty their hands in a longer game because at that point it is nearly a certainty that I am drawing 3 cards.

I'm not surprised because if I were on the other end of this thread I would probably be seriously questioning Chromatic Star myself, but I really like it in this deck. In fact, it is my favorite turn 1 drop by far. Turn 1 drop star, turn 2 tap mountain sac star for red, draw a card, drop Keldon Marauders/Incinerate or even a second star/Mogg Fanatic. And then the turn I try to storm out if I happen to have 1 in hand it can easily be played to ramp up storm. Actually, I like having 1 in play when I try to storm out because I filter my first mana through it to draw the extra card to potentially draw into another 1 drop to boost storm even higher.

The one card I am surprised nobody has said too much about is Needle Drop. The early card draw is huge, the free damage from playing it on the same turn as a Marauders is very nice, and the ability to ramp up storm later is great. I almost laughed at myself when I even considered using it, but after seeing it in action, I refuse to remove it

The one thing I neglected to do for this deck was to create a sideboard...after last night, I am thinking that artifact destruction is a must given how 3 of my 4 opponents ran warhammers. To a much lesser degree I am concerned with Story Circle, although I'm thinking the bigger threat from white is Rule of Law (Rule of Law + Story Circle is instant scoop I'm thinking)

Such a simple deck intrigues me so. Let me give it a shot.

Land: 20
17 x Mountain
2 x Keldon Megaliths
1 x Kher Keep

Creatures: 12
4 x Mogg Fanatic
4 x Keldon Marauders
4 x Spark Elemental

Spells: 28
4 x Shock
4 x Tarfire
4 x Incinerate
4 x Rift Bolt
4 x Needle Drop
2 x Wheel of Fate
4 x Grapeshot
1 x Loxodon Warhammer
1 x Beacon of Destruction

SB:
4 x Sudden Shock
4 x Ingot Chewer
3 x Tormod's Crypt
4 x Cryoclasm

SB is shoddy, but is a good start. This one may be a little slower, I think. But can refill with a timely wheel.

Also note Keldon Megaliths can skirt around Story Circle. At least I'm 90% sure.