Best B/R Ways to Remove Threats in Libraries
Commander (EDH) forum
Posted on Feb. 25, 2016, 8:40 a.m. by Sloanan
What up, young bloods. So I've got this Rakdos Eldrazi deck (not put on here yet, but I'll get to it at some point) that generally speaking does really well for me. Like kill-at-least-two-people-the-turn-Rakdos-gets-out kind of well. Soooooo because of how well it does, my playgroup has started to bring in some hate cards to keep Rakdos from going off or at least negate some of the massive life loss I'm dealing out.
Thing is, I don't like that. So I want to get rid of their threats before they even get a chance to pull them out. BR typically has some good stuff to get rid of things ( Cranial Extraction, Thought Hemorrhage, Memoricide, Slaughter Games, etc.). Getting rid of one card is fine and dandy (I know my playgroup well enough to know which cards to get rid of), but I want to get rid of multiple cards without taking up a fifth of my library with Memoricide effects.
I'm currently stuck between Nightmare Incursion (I use Urborg, so this could pretty easily get big), Sadistic Sacrament (My current frontrunner because of the ramp game I've got going on), or Bitter Ordeal. I like Bitter Ordeal a lot, but I feel like I'd have to combo it out to make it really efficient in a commander game (plus I can target each opponent once it combos out). Thing is, I'm not sure what the best combo is in Rakdos colors to make it worth a shot.
So now I ask you, dear reader. In Rakdos colors, what's the best way to get rid of multiple threats in an opponent's library? Sadistic Sacrament is looking best for me right now, but I'm open to any other ideas.
Coinman1863 says... #3
Also with the new/changed rule saying that you can produce any color of mana, you can probably cast whatever you get with grasp which brings it value up a little bit.
February 25, 2016 9:13 a.m.
Karns_Pyromancer says... #4
I run Sadistic Sacrament and Praetor's Grasp. Both are really good. Bitter Ordeal is alright, but have you lead into it with a boardwipe.
February 25, 2016 9:20 a.m.
Raging_Squiggle says... #6
Sadistic Hypnotist is a solid option. Make your opponents always have 0 cards in hand. Plus Black/Red has some decent recursion options so it'd work out in your favor.
February 25, 2016 11:15 a.m.
if it's strictly creatures and you wanna hate on someone specific Life's Finale as a board wipe should help out
February 25, 2016 12:44 p.m.
DiamondFlavor says... #8
Bitter Ordeal seems fine if you just use it alongside incidental deaths. Like, main phase 2 after combat or in conjunction with spot removal, board wipe, or sacrifice. The nice thing is you can target different opponents with each copy from Gravestorm.
You can also use it to truly "combo out", but that requires infinite death triggers. Acquiring those triggers is easy enough in BR, but if you're there already you're almost certainly winning by other means, and I get from the original post that you intend to be proactive / protective with these effects.
Stranglehold and Ob Nixilis, Unshackled are tools that can help you without directly taking cards from the library.
Leyline of the Void is slightly off-topic, but it's a potent denial card that will make opponents think twice about many plays. Many EDH decks cherish recursion and the graveyard as a resource, and Leyline shuts that down. It also works well paired with mill if you run anything like Altar of Dementia.
buildingadeck says... #2
Praetor's Grasp is also very good, allowing you to steal things from your opponents.
February 25, 2016 8:48 a.m.