Bring Back The Red Dead

Commander / EDH RamaLama

SCORE: 60 | 84 COMMENTS | 13287 VIEWS | IN 23 FOLDERS


I like that you're playing Mono-Red since people view it as the weakest color in EDH. I mean that as nothing but a compliment! I really like scoffing at what as accepted, not to mention it looks like a solid and fun build!

One thing I would swap out however, would be Browbeat. Almost 9/10 a smart opponent will take the 5 damage which is a pretty negligible amount in EDH. Card advantage is king, and I feel like a good straight across replacement would be Wheel of Fortune.

Wheel of Fortune is a staple in almost every Mono-Red EDH for good reason. It gives red access to two things that it desperately lacks; Card advantage and disruption. Since Red is such a fast color, more often than not you'll want to empty out your hand to get things on the board and start swinging. Wheel can help you refill your hand, AND can effectively screw up your opponent's hand. Not to mention paired with Feldon of the Third Path, this card can be bonkers.

All that being said, +1 for making Mono-Red powerful!

June 27, 2016 4:23 p.m.

RamaLama says... #2

Thanks for the upvote and the suggestion, TheBoraxKid. I like the way you not only suggested a card, but also suggested a card to replace. Perhaps you know how helpful that is. It's always a grind trying to take anything out of a deck. Putting stuff in is easy.

I do agree with you that Wheel of Fortune is needed here, and will be on my next TCG order, thanks for that. I have a Sneak Attack on the way now which I'll have to find room for also. It's just too good not to include in this deck. Thank goodness the Eternal Masters reprint brought the price of that one down a hair.

You're right about solid red being eschewed by EDH players, and usually for good reason, so this one was a bit of a challenge. I did like Feldon's ability though, so it was just a matter of finding a lot of enter and exit the battlefield effects.

The one problem is keeping Feldon on the battlefield where he is sorely needed, hence all the protection.

June 27, 2016 6:12 p.m.

Ocelot44 says... #3

You should try Magus of the Wheel. With Feldon, you can keep recurring it and filling your graveyard until you've found what you need

June 29, 2016 10:40 a.m.

RamaLama says... #4

Hmm, and if I don't need it, it's a 3/3 for 3 which ain't too shabby. Thanks for the suggestion, Ocelot44. Not sure what to take out for it, but since I don't have one, by the time it gets here, maybe I'll find a place for it.

Thanks too for the suggestions on my group-hug page. I appreciate the time you've taken to help me out.

June 29, 2016 11:46 a.m.

Not a problem man! I try to be sincere with my suggestions, and there's nothing worse than someone simply linking a card with no input behind it.

That being said, how game changing have you found Vicious Shadows?

June 29, 2016 3:01 p.m.

RamaLama says... #6

Eh, it's situational, and a bit of a bear to cast at 7 mana, but not only do I have creatures going back and forth to the graveyard, but graveyard play in general is pretty rampant in EDH nowadays, and if you happen to catch that guy with his Reliquary Tower and a hand full of cards, then...

Having said that, I'm always open to suggestions for a replacement...

June 29, 2016 10:37 p.m.

Captain_MUD says... #7

Red Dead Redemption?

July 1, 2016 3:03 p.m.

Ocelot44 says... #8

No problem! If you wanted to be a real dick, you could run Bearer of the Heavens as well!

July 1, 2016 4:56 p.m.

I feel like Illusionist's Bracers isn't optimized in this deck because the commander does use a mana tap ability. I would recommend putting in Mindclaw Shaman, or Sandstone Oracle. Also, check out my commander squad! Thanks. -alex

July 2, 2016 2:43 a.m.

RamaLama says... #10

Thanks for the suggestions, alexander.rokicki.

Even though Feldon of the Third Path cost mana to activate his ability, the ability itself isn't a mana ability, so Illusionist's Bracers is allowed to copy it.

I'll certainly consider the two creatures though.


Yeah, Ocelot44, I guess when Armageddon just isn't quite epic enough...

I'm not sure I want to be "that guy".

July 2, 2016 4:24 a.m.

Magnivore says... #11

July 2, 2016 12:08 p.m.

Mgrabusky says... #12

This is just a fun card in red EDH, so, Thieves' Auction....

July 2, 2016 5:33 p.m.

freakingShane says... #13

The first comment suggests Wheel of Fortune, which is something I would agree with for this deck, and I see that you did.

Additionally, I think you should have Sensei's Divining Top. It may be a bit pricy, but I really don't see many decks that would not need one. Especially when playing EDH. Not to mention more artifacts means more good! Haha.

Just food for thought!

July 2, 2016 6:39 p.m.

RamaLama I really like your setup for this deck, and I as well run mono red. I've noticed some similarities that we both run, and I'd recommend checking out Big Z and his Stick of Destiny. Maybe swap some ideas around, and I'd love some advice as well. Have you thought of Gamble?

July 2, 2016 11:08 p.m.

What the hell is with Deal Broker? Is looting that important or did I miss some sort of hidden synergy?

July 3, 2016 12:13 a.m.

RamaLama says... #16

Thanks guys for all the upvotes and suggestions!!

That is an interesting idea of Cloudstone Curio, Magnivore. Most of my creatures are so mana intensive that I don't want to hard-cast them once, much less twice or more, just get them into the graveyard so that Feldon can do his thing. There are a few lower costed ones though which could be recast using the Curio. Hmm, something to consider.


Thieves' Auction is a fun card, Mgrabusky, but a lot of the cards on my battlefield are tokens, in one form or another, which cease to exist when exiled, and it's a 7 drop, yikes!!


Yeah, freakingShane, I have two copies of Sensei's Divining Top, and had one in this deck for a bit, but I have eleven EDH decks, and it was just needed more in one of the others. I have three copies of Mirri's Guile which I run in decks with green in them, and one of those decks has both because knowing what the top couple of cards are is very important in that deck. So, if my 'rithmatic is right, I'm going to need six more Tops at about $25.00 each, and that's why this one doesn't have one yet.


DivingBaconKing_Heisenberg, I like the Gamble idea. I can search for a card that I want to go to the graveyard anyway, so that the normal downside, really isn't a downside.

Cool deck, and you're right, they are similar in a sense, you pay 3 to pull big costly creatures out of your library, and I pay 3 to pull them out of my graveyard. Have an upvote.


Legendmaster333, it is vitally important to feed certain cards into my graveyard early on in the game, so much so that, depending on what my opening hand looks like, I may skip my first land drop, giving up tempo in order to discard, So aside from all that drafting mumbo-jumbo in the text box of Deal Broker, it allows me to feed my graveyard with good but costly enter/exit the battlefield creatures, which I can then pop copies of into play for three mana using Feldon's ability.

July 3, 2016 9:02 a.m.

maddoxmtg says... #17

I had a lot of fun with feldon. Vedalken Orrery and Jokulhaups in response to feldon targeting a Blightsteel Colossus in response to the trigger was always fun. Other than that, Clock of Omens, Staff of Domination, Kurkesh, Onakke Ancient, all fun cards in this deck.

July 12, 2016 8:43 p.m.

You should put Soul of New Phyrexia and Scuttling Doom Engine in here.

July 19, 2016 4:07 p.m.

RamaLama says... #19

Thanks for the suggestions, Squirrel_of_War.

I'm not sure about Soul of New Phyrexia, but I kind of like the Scuttling Doom Engine idea. One to consider for sure.

July 19, 2016 7:07 p.m.

wisegreenbean says... #20

Pretty light on answers to artifacts, I see. I'd recommend you pick up some, since they're such a common problem and red has such an abundance of strong artifact removal. Vandalblast is notable, as is Shattering Spree. If you want something recurrable, Ingot Chewer, Viashino Heretic, Hoard-Smelter Dragon, Reckless Reveler, and Manic Vandal are a few noteables. Not that I am suggesting you put in all of them, but perhaps 2 or 3 faves.

Your lack of Duplicant disturbs me. An all-star in my feldon deck. mono-red EDH is also the most natural home forRuination.

Phyrexia's Core is a great utility land.

I see 2 sources of ramp, and I suspect that is inadequate. Mind Stone is nice as it is amusingly recurrable. Same for Burnished Hart, Wayfarer's Bauble, and Commander's Sphere.Thran Dynamo is crazy value. In a deck with near no enchantment answers, Unstable Obelisk is respectable.

Speaking of near no enchantment answers: Spine of Ish Sah is quite nice with all the ways you have to sac artifacts.

Suggested cuts: Goblin Marshal, Mogg War Marshal, Vicious Shadows, Where Ancients Tread. Also, Bosh, Iron Golem, who seems very appealing at first glance, but unfortunately cannot sac your Feldon tokens profitably, as they have CMC 0.

August 5, 2016 3:13 p.m.

Ocelot44 says... #21

@wisegreenbean

The tokens DO have CMC, as they copy everything about the card.

August 5, 2016 4:29 p.m.

wisegreenbean says... #22

Holy magical dick wagons you are right and all my hopes and dreams are suddenly coming true.

My other advice still stands, but keep Bosh til the day you die and he's going into my deck like yesterday.

August 5, 2016 5:56 p.m.

RamaLama says... #23

Man...where to begin...

First of all, thanks wisegreenbean for the thought you put into trying to improve my deck. I'll try to put as much thought into my reactions to your suggestions.

I haven't felt the need for a lot of artifact removal, usually just an occasional annoying Lightning Greaves, but your point is well taken and I should include one or two. I'll look into that.

Duplicant would be a great addition to this deck, thanks for that. I don't currently have one, but it will be on my next TCG order, oh, and sorry that it not being here disturbed you. /;-)

Not a big fan of Ruination here though. I don't know if you noticed or not, but I have quite a few non-basic lands in this deck that I'm pretty fond of. I think I'll have to pass on that one.

Phyrexia's Core? Sure, especially if I'm adding Duplicant. That's an easy add in place of a basic. Thanks.

I actually have four sources of ramp, not two, with Solemn Simulacrum, Gauntlet of Power, Gilded Lotus, and Sol Ring, but I can see maybe adding a Thran Dynamo. I have an extra couple in my binder.

I see that you and Ocelot44 have already discussed why Bosh is such an all-star. I've won more than one game just sacrificing him and bringing his ghost back.

Anyway, thanks for the suggestions.

August 5, 2016 6:55 p.m.

Lanzo493 says... #24

If you want more land destruction, there's always Faultgrinder and Goblin Gardener, but I'm against those kinds of cards anyway. Mostly, though, it's because my meta isn't very competitive and doesn't have good land destruction targets.

Duplicant is a powerful option with Feldon because it can get rid of almost any creature that's ailing you. Chancellor of the Forge is my favorite goblin token maker because he gets so big so easily. Steel Hellkite is just about red's only answer to enchantments, so that could be a good card for you if you run into that problem.

The last two cards I'll suggest are not creatures, but still good. Mesmeric Orb lets you mill yourself for free, but it can help the other players. Lastly, I think that All Is Dust is the perfect boardwipe for a deck with a lot of colorless artifacts and creatures that don't stay dead. Well, these are just my opinions from the experiences I've had with my deck Feldon Never Gets Any Love. Feel free to accept or reject anything I say.

August 13, 2016 4:52 p.m.

maddoxmtg says... #25

Oh yeah. Mesmeric Orb and Basalt Monolith is a full deck self mill.

August 14, 2016 2:59 a.m.

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