My first complete Noble format deck. R/B deck based around Rakdos the Defiler. Hes not an easy card to play. It's high risk-high reward and you have to be extremely careful. You don't want to play him then swing on an opponent with 2 black mana open or a blue mana open and then you sacrifice half your permanents and he gets hit with a
Go for the Throat
or Unsummon. This deck works in 3 different ways: Damage, Discard, and Defiler. With Rakdos the Defiler being the centerpiece, you need to ensure you can use him properly and leave your opponent helpless. In order to do this, you need to utilize the discard in the deck.
Discard:
Blightning-One of the best cards in the deck by far. 3 damage to target player AND that player has to discard 2 cards for 3 mana. Cant beat it.
Despise-It's a great early game card allowing you to get rid of early game threats or big creatures before they come into the picture.
Hymn to Tourach
-I love making my opponent get rid of 2 cards they need and for 2 mana you cant pass up a random discard let alone 2.
Black Cat
-Another random discard source...On a stick! your opponent will either discard at random or allow you to get in for one damage every turn. Goes great with
Rakdos Ickspitter
allowing you to control the time of discard.
Ravenous Rats
-Turn 2 discard is never bad. And its almost guaranteed you can have a Blightning come in turn 3 leaving your random discard spells to be even more mean.
Bloodhusk Ritualist
-On the fence about this one. The only downside is the swamp kicker. The dual color makes it difficult for it to be as useful but its still not bad if you can get pay 2 red and 3 black to get a 2 card discard. It's fate has yet to be decided.
Damage/Control:
Rakdos Guildmage
-This card is okay. You can discard a land you may not need and kill any creature with 2 or less toughness or make a hasty goblin. May or may not stay in but its in for now.
Rakdos Ickspitter
-Good for removing small creatures or even forcing the random discard by killing your own
Black Cat
. 1 life is a small price to pay for that.
Blind Zealot
-Good for getting in for 2 damage every turn with intimidate and can be used in a pinchto get rid of a creature you don't like.
Burst Lightning
-A good 2 damage for 1 mana instant with a bonus if you have extra mana open.
Dark Temper
-A good burn card but since every permanent in the deck is black it's just an instant kill card.
Brimstone Volley
-Good to begin with and with all the control in the deck, Morbid is almost always guaranteed to be available.
Terminate-Perhaps my favorite 2 cost instant removal ever. With the only downside being it needs 2 different mana (which is no problem in this deck) it trumps
Go for the Throat
and Doomblade because it doesn't discriminate color or creature type AND it kills regenerating creatures. Gotta have 4 of em.
With all of the tools in the deck, you should either be able to win through burn, or make them discard so Rakdos the Defiler Is a useful resource without fear of getting interrupted. Please leave any criticism, compliments, and suggestions. but remember I can only have 1 Rare/Mythic, 4 Uncommon and the rest Common. So for replacement ideas be aware of the rarity of the original card please and thanks.
