A Standard R/W Aggro deck, meant for competitive play.
Gatecrash came out, and the format flipped over. But one card flew mostly under the Radar: Madcap Skills. A simple enchantment for 1R that gives a creature +3/+0 and a type of evasion. On a common. That doesn't see play. Wut?
So I started tinkering with it. I put it in RB Zombies, Fail. Tried to fit it into RG Aggro...fail. Put it in Monored, and it kinda worked! Yay! But the deck had the problem of falling a few points short. Back to the drawing board.
Then my friend Beowulf (Editor for TCS), mentioned Boros Charm, bane of Supreme Verdict, and the deck started falling together.
Here's the deck breakdown!
Best one-drop for T1? Stromkirk Noble. 4-of.
Best 1-mana burn spell printed in a while? Vexing Devil. 4 damage for a mana? 4-of.
Rakdos Cackler
carries the theme of a 1-drop curving into a Madcap, giving us 5 damage T2, or generally being an aggressive one-drop.
Two Drops
Ash Zealot 2/2 FS Haste for RR is good. Make it good against flashback and reanimator and it becomes a staple. 4 please.
Lightning Mauler Sometimes we need a Reckoner with haste. Sometimes we just need another hasty attacker. Versatility is rare in red, and this guy does it. He slides in at 3, not quite making 4.
Burning-Tree Emissary - Yeah, I'm playing this guy in a RW deck instead of RG. As a "free" creature, he fits in rather well ad another aggressive body. Have a 1-drop you want to drop a Madcap Skills on, but your black opponent has a Devour Flesh? Drop Emissary, train the 1-drop, and swing away! Want the ability to Emissary-Mauler on T2? We get damage! Free body coupled with a spear to an enemy dude? Sure! The green mana is sometimes awkward and not used, and as such this guy only manages to fit in as a 3-of.
Madcap Skills The namesake of the deck. Often acts as "searing spear to the face 5-8", 3 damage for 1R is nothing to scoff at. Should the creature stick around, however, this card quickly becomes ridiculous, making blocking awkward and smashing in fist-fulls of damage. This card also has a lot of synergy with our next card...
Boros Charm The king of charms loves Madcap Rush. Have a Boros Reckoner with Madcap Skills? Boros Charm for double-strike, swing 12. Control player ending your game with a Supreme Verdict? King Charm says no. Need that last bit of damage to win the game? 4 to the face! I'll take 4 please, best burn spell printed in a LONG time.
Searing Spear Pretty standard removal, sliding in at 3 in favor of the raw power of Boros Charm.
3 drops
4 Boros Reckoner Topping the mainboard curve is this monstrosity of a creature. 3 mana 3/3 is kinda bad. Option to give first strike? Kinda meh. Ability to reflect damage? In a format full of haymakers? Perfect time to print this guy. Reckoner took the format by storm, but has been on a decline lately, allowing decks like G/R Sage (rocking 4 Wolfir Silverheart) to thrive. I'm here to fix that.
Sideboard
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2x Brimstone Volley
2x Pyreheart Wolf - Comes in against Midrange, making their blocks awkward whjile being difficult to remove. Don't Madcap Skills this guy, we don't want him accidently getting Selesnya Charm'd.
3x
Reckless Waif
- The T1 of choice against Esper Cotnrol and Wolf Run Bant. a 3/2 for R swinging as early as T2 is a good deal. Side in 3 on the play, none on the draw, as we HAVE to hit this girl early for her to be useful.
3x Skullcrack - Bring this in against Esper, Wolf Run Bant, and heavy Thragtusk decks. 3 Damage isn't much. But when you bring the lifegain cancellation into view, it becomes a fair anti-control card. We'll run 3.
2x
Traitorous Blood
- Another Midrange Bullet. Most MIdrange decks rush to that quick Thragtusk against us, hoping that the 5/3 body and 5 life will allow them to take over the game. And it does against a lot of the aggro decks. We, on the other hand, just "borrow" their Thragtusk for a turn, and smash them with it. Trample is just a bonus.
3x
Volcanic Strength
- Stomping Ground, Sacred Foundry, and Blood Crypt decks are all on the rise with a large amount of people splashing these lands into their midrange decks for Kessig Wolf Run. Volcanic Strength loves those players, giving our creatures unblockability and the ability to just eat our opponent alive.
The Deck's Nut Draw
T1 - Rakdos Cackler (I know, not a Stromkirk Noble. I sowwy.)
T2 - Burning-Tree Emissary, Madcap Skills, swing for 5. (Opp at 15)
T3 - Vexing Devil (Opponent will usually drop down to 11, not expecting us to be able to get through for lethal this turn), swing for 7, Boros Charm the Cackler to make it 12, and Ba-BAM. Dead.
I hope you guys liked this deck, I'm still trying to figure out how to improve it. I'd like to thank Owlus, Beowulf, and Mathgeek for helping me evolve this deck into the powerhouse that it is today, and I hope it can only get better.
If you like the deck, please comment and +1, looking for all the feedback I can get!
(Fire // Ice is Toil / Trouble)
