Hi Goretast.

Flame Rift is useful after you have Rakdos, Lord of Riots on the battlefield. Casting the spell gives you a 12 generic mana discount for just 2 mana cost. Rakdos, Lord of Riots himself attacks for 6 (assuming at least one opponent doesn't have a flyer). Compared to only attacking with your commander, casting Flame Rift will help you cast creature spells with 7+ generic mana in their cost, matching 9 cards in the deck. And the probability of having one of those 9 cards in your hand on turn 5 (assuming one card drawn per turn) is 70.4%. In this scenario, Flame Rift is certainly valuable.

Having said that, something needs to be removed from the deck to add this explosiveness.

What do you suggest be cut?

A few small improvements:

• Coalition Relic -> Coldsteel Heart
• Rakdos Carnarium -> Mana Confluence
• Homeward Path -> Command Beacon

How has Magmatic Insight played for you? I've been considering it as a rummaging tool in my deck and would love to know about your experience with it!

X-Factor11105, due to the math around the # of mana sources in the deck and Rakdos, Lord of Riots costing 4 cmc, I can't say I recommend that specific rummaging effect due to the requirement to discard a land. I consider Tormenting Voice an upgrade. I like rummaging in the deck in the early turns to smooth out draws and find pieces (mana or enablers or payoffs) that are missing from your hand.

jpermar that's helpful to know! So how come you're running it over Tormenting Voice ?

For what it's worth, I have run a Bladewing the Risen that wants to rummage in order to fill the yard with Dragons, so I'm wondering if the mana efficiency of Magmatic Insight is more worthwhile than including Tormenting Voice , especially when Thrill of Possibility does the same thing at instant speed.

Do you think Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire and Dream Devourer are a little too slow to activate to find their way in here? You'd need to look into how Devourer stacks with Rakdos (eg. does the total mana cost of a creature, if foretold after any damage is dealt, keep that reduced CMC, minus two?) but both are flavor fits and get the tools you want into hand / onto the field a bit. One may slot in over Pilgrim's Eye , though I'm not sure about the second spot...

Significant improvements with some old cards and some new cards

• Bloodgift Demon -> Sandstone Oracle
• Syphon Mind -> Knollspine Dragon
• Demonlord Belzenlok -> Valakut Awakening  ^Flip
• Cathartic Reunion -> Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire
• Magmatic Insight -> Nullpriest of Oblivion
• Tormenting Voice -> Burning-Rune Demon
• Maga, Traitor to Mortals -> Deflecting Swat
• Sword of Feast and Famine -> Hypnotic Specter
• Swiftfoot Boots -> Abrade
• Mind Twist -> Myojin of Night's Reach
• Geode Golem -> Tibalt's Trickery
• Command Beacon -> Mountain
• Swamp -> Mountain
• Swamp -> Blightstep Pathway  ^Flip

Overall, the changes are a reduction of rummaging in favor of tutors and enablers, switching around the protection to instant-speed responses, and addition of Myojin of Night's Reach , which is a wincon.

Hi X-Factor11105.

The deck already had Tormenting Voice but I just posted an update (see above) that removes both Tormenting Voice and Magmatic Insight . I also agree with your recommendation of Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire . He's perfect in this deck!

I'm confused by your suggestion of Dream Devourer . I may be missing something, but it doesn't seem to do anything for this deck.

Thanks for your feedback!

Whats your opinion on Bond of Agony? I really like it as its variable cost can be useful in different scenarios. Its arguably much better after Rakdos is already out, but I think it has tremendous potential for upside afterwards.