Rakdos Cruel Control - This deck utilizes hand disruption and removal early game to set up board control and a strong midrange approach. All suggestions will be considered and appreciated. Here is a brief description of the cards included.
Discard
Duress + Distress - Both cards allow you to know what is coming and are useful in disrupting the opponents hand, this is a temporary budget decision over Thoughtseize.
Funeral Charm - This card has multiple uses, although it is mainly used for discarding it can also remove a */1 from the board or pump a creature for an unexpected trade or let my creatures go unblocked later in the game against black. This can be side boarded based on need.
Rakdos's Return
+ Blightning - Most of the time by mid game the opponent will be struggling with the card advantage. Sweep their hand to set up your big drops or finish them off with the direct damage - either way these cards hurt.
Read the Bones - While not a discard spell this helps a lot with deck speed and maintaining a card advantage into the middle or end of the game. Scry 2 plus draw 2 is almost always worth the 2 life it costs.
Removal
Terminate + Lightning Bolt + Dreadbore - All 3 of these cards offer low cost removal that maintains board control, deals with large threats or destroys combos before they happen.
Grasp of Darkness - This is for anything the other 3 removal spells cannot hit such as indestructible creatures. Also subject to side boarding.
Creatures
Augur of Skulls
- Key early game changer that builds heavily on the discard theme. Perfect turn 3 or 4 play that forces a tough decision to be made on cards the opponent was probably saving for a few more lands to play.The regenerate ability also makes him a great chump blocker to buy time.
Abyssal Nocturnus - this card has great synergy with Augur of Skulls and Blightning which cause him to swing for 6/6 feared damage. There is potential for huge damage here but is an expendable blocker if your discard spells have already been played.
Gatekeeper of Malakir
- The extra creature removal here is so clutch and greatly effects the tide of battle. If everything else fails isolating a creature and forcing the opponent to remove it themselves is brutal. .
Finishers
The larger creature spells in this deck are extraordinarily cost efficient each only costing 4 mana. This allows me to quickly get them on the board while the opponent is still reeling from the forced discard the few turns before they arrive.
Desecration Demon
- a 6/6 flyer that is completely absurd and deserves to be in every black deck. Additionally it is a built in removal machine while buffing itself in the process. This spell often results in a timely demise.
Phyrexian Obliterator - This is my favorite card in the deck. With all the cards already discarded, 5 permanents is a very steep cost to killing this horrific nightmare. Either swing away and force a quick response or keep him untapped and remain untouchable without avoiding a board wipe for the opponent. Exile is really the only removal option.
That about sums it up...+1 if you enjoyed it and feel free to comment on anything you see that may be helpful. Thanks everyone.
