Rakdos' Return
Standard forum
Posted on Aug. 4, 2014, 2:48 p.m. by Zurnic
I'm wondering what people think about boarding in some number of rakdos return against certain aggro decks like GW. Ripping away their hands and maybe killing a planeswalker seems pretty good. For the purpose of this conversation I'm talking about a Jund midrange shell, but this could apply to most decks capable of running it. Thoughts?
omnipotato says... #4
I think you'd wanna board Rakdos's Return in against control not aggro. Against aggro you need to stem the tide of creatures and by turn 6 or so when Rakdos's Return is actually effective, you're already either have board control or you don't. If you do, then Rakdos's Return will just make an easy job already easier, and if you don't, it won't help you gain it.
Against control decks though, the hand is their biggest resource, and if you can hit them with a big Rakdos's Return when they're tapped out and can't counter or play Sphinx's Revelation you're golden.
August 4, 2014 2:58 p.m.
Epochalyptik says... #5
I would posit that Rakdos's Return is unlikely to resolve because it's a sorcery and can only be played at a time when any astute control player probably hasn't allocated too many resources to something else, but I also don't follow Standard at all.
August 4, 2014 2:59 p.m.
That's generally the accepted application of the card. I was playing against a friend's brew and doing Rakdos's Return
for 2 to empty their last powerful cards was good the two times it happened. I do agree though that it does nothing if you're behind on board already. Just found it interesting how good it was and I wanted to see if anyone else had considered it.
August 4, 2014 3:01 p.m.
Yeah. Typically it's used after they tap out for Elspeth, Sun's Champion to kill it and empty their hand.
August 4, 2014 3:02 p.m.
omnipotato says... #8
Epochalyptik current iterations of control decks are way more tapout-oriented than counter-oriented. Control decks consistently tap out for sorcery-speed spells like Jace, Architect of Thought , Elspeth, Sun's Champion , Supreme Verdict , etc. and usually only have max 4-6 hard counters
August 4, 2014 3:06 p.m.
I use 3x mainboard...its a superb card...it could work against aggro if you have ramp. Only drawback against g/w is if you hit smiters with it...
August 4, 2014 3:14 p.m.
There is that chance unfortunately, although a random 4/4 doesn't matchup so well against Polukranos.
August 4, 2014 3:37 p.m.
ChrisHansonBiomancin says... #11
Rakdos's Return is easily mainboard material, though it is certainly stronger against midrange or control. I used to play a Jund midrange deck, and while I would normally side it out v aggro, it still managed to win some game 1's in those situations.
August 4, 2014 5:21 p.m.
slovakattack says... #12
Why use Rakdos's Return when you could use Blightning ? Blightning is many times more cost effective, and B/R doesn't really have the ramp necessary to dump, say, a 7 mana Rakdos's Return at a relevant turn.
August 4, 2014 6:17 p.m.
erm, this is standard? and yes jund has plenty of ramp...
August 4, 2014 6:21 p.m.
slovakattack says... #14
Derp, forgot Rakdos's Return was standard, my bad.
August 4, 2014 6:29 p.m.
i know there shouldn't be deck lists here...but shameless plug taking advantage of card in question:
Epochalyptik says... #2
ITT: Why spelling and punctuation are important in an autolinking system.
Rakdos's Return
August 4, 2014 2:51 p.m.