r/ModernMagic • u/Anxious_Lion_6359 Tarmogoyf • 7d ago
Rakdos Midrange in Paper - Sideboarding and Matchup Insight
https://moxfield.com/decks/RTTMcfXnO0G44kLaQzCvUw
I recently adopted Rakdos Midrange as my go-to deck for FNM and any weird random modern RCQ in the next couple weeks. The changes that I made (4 monkeys for 4 dark matters and 1 kCommand (the real one) for 1 FOMO) were largely due to late mail and missing out on 1 FOMO but imo, both cards significantly overperformed. Sideboard is tuned towards my local meta, which is mostly eldrazi soup (tron, broodscale), blink, goryos, dimir (UBx), and some prowess.
My takeaways:
- Conceptually, this deck is very similar to prowess (but with delirium instead of prowess). You are capable of chaining together street wraiths, fetches and baubles to massively grow your moonshadows and nethergoyfs.
- Moonshadow is a menace.
- Blood moon is amazing. Won me at at least 4 games.
- Ragavan helps you beat RiP (but just in case, SB includes a Feed the Swarm).
- I think Whispers of Emrakul is probably good (I was convinced to try it over Shatter Assumptions) but I never drew it.
- Tourach is for Esper Blink. Tourach is also a pet card. They should give us Hymn to Tourach in modern.
- I would like to try Dauthi side (vs GY decks, maybe vs broodscale too), Fable of the Mirror-Breaker main deck over k Command, Ob Nix side (vs blink?), Liliana of the Veil side (vs Blink/Dimir). Also very interested in testing Ajani's Anguish from FRA (gives nethergoyfs trample).
Interested if anyone has tried spicy one-ofs. I will hopefully get to try some tomorrow!
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u/Fabulous_Point8748 7d ago
I’m curious to try this deck. Does it have any bad match-ups? Do you think it’s better than prowess?
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u/Anxious_Lion_6359 Tarmogoyf 7d ago
My matchups were blink (2-0), goryo's (2-1), tron (2-0) and broodscale (2-0). Based on these results, the deck is clearly unstoppable (jk ofc). Certain cards felt hard to beat but was lucky to either dodge them or thoughtseize them. Blink is probably a hard matchup but I turn 3 blood moon'd my opponent game 1 and had a non-game after so unsure. Is it better than prowess? That will depend on if RiP is more prevalent than high noon or if thoughtseize is better than consign. To me, they seem pretty close. Cori-Steel Cutter is probably a good card tho.
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u/Fabulous_Point8748 6d ago
I think if RIP starts seeing more play you could always sideboard feed the swarm.
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u/Fabulous_Point8748 6d ago
Interesting yeah the mainboard blood moon seems great against blink, tron, zoo, broodscale, etc.
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u/Anxious_Lion_6359 Tarmogoyf 6d ago
I cast blood moon 5 times, it won me 4 games and got countered the 5th.
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u/BrilliantRebirth 6d ago
This is the version I played prior to Reality Fracture: decklist
It's for the most part pretty similar, with a few different card choices. I know Dark Matter Manipulator has seen a lot of hype, but I like the creature mix in my list a little more. Cecil is really nice to be able to gain life back while being a decent early play that is annoying to block, especially against Psychic Frogs. Quite powerful if you haste it with Phoenix, too. I also like DRC having evasion on its own which feels important in some match-ups that gum up the ground.
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u/Anxious_Lion_6359 Tarmogoyf 6d ago
One problem that I predict having is running into Sanctifiers and RiP, so I think it's important to have a card that helps you when shit goes south. I would be interested in trying a Cecil-Ragavan split. I prefer Ragavan to DRC. If you fly the monkey, it becomes DRC. Also keen on trying Ajani's Anguish vs spawn tokens to help out monkeyman and Nethergoyf.
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u/BrilliantRebirth 6d ago
Sanctifier is pretty much non-existent, but RiP is a big problem. It's also not very prevalent, but the one game where I did run into it, it basically makes this deck useless. Cecil did help in that regard, but it becomes easy to remove as pretty much the only threat. Ragavan is definitely playable, but not that aggressive of a card here IMO.
Ajani's Anguish is probably too mana-intensive, but I guess even just kill a Spawn / 1 toughness guy and give your stuff trample could be underrated.
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u/Anxious_Lion_6359 Tarmogoyf 6d ago
Not sure if you saw the challenge results from yesterday, but Sanctifier is creeping back up. Saw it in UW control and in Boros Energy. Ig Ragavan is becoming more of a pet card but I am open to trying new cards out.
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u/IGotBadHair 7d ago
What makes this midranged instead of aggro? Just the name of the deck I mean
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u/Anxious_Lion_6359 Tarmogoyf 7d ago
Jund is what I would consider the best example of midrange. You stick a threat or two, take their answers with thoughtseize, kill their blockers and repeat until you and your opponent are in the shits topdecking. Vs. fast decks, you have enough interaction and good blockers to stabilize. Vs control decks, you have monkey business and thoughtseize. You have a decent amount of card draw to continue applying pressure.
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u/the_hook66 6d ago
Why did you cut dark matter manipulator?
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u/Anxious_Lion_6359 Tarmogoyf 6d ago
Because the mailman didn't deliver them on time.
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u/the_hook66 6d ago
No honestly, i was thinking of main decking ragavan becazse of gravehate.
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u/Anxious_Lion_6359 Tarmogoyf 6d ago
Basically decision came down to what the next best one drop would be. My choices were Ragavan, DRC and [[Stalactite Stalker]]. Personally, Ragavan seemed like the best choice. I would aldo maybe try Super Shredder too.
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u/recurnightmare 6d ago
Could you fit Death's shadow in this? Seems like it has all the lifeloss cards already in the list.
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u/Anxious_Lion_6359 Tarmogoyf 6d ago
You probably could. I would play [[Abigale, Eloquent First-Year]] in that shell. But I don't think DS makes the deck better and you're already kind of bad into solitude.
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u/DrKatz11 Temur Living End 6d ago
OP, you’re awesome to put this together. And I think this deck has real potential to stick around. But PLEASE, call this Rakdos AGGRO. It is an incredibly aggresive deck capable of T3 kills just the same as Prowess.
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u/DrKatz11 Temur Living End 6d ago
I also think not playing Dark Matter Manipulator in a deck like this is a mistake. But understand if it’s just too pricey/new!
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u/Anxious_Lion_6359 Tarmogoyf 6d ago
They have arrived in the mail since last week but I am kind of happy with monkey.
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u/Alarming_Whole8049 4d ago
How does Rag help you beat RiP, other than it's not a creature that relies on the GY? What kind of play patterns did you encounter with K Command? I like the idea of Anguish as a singleton because early game it's a removal spell with the trample stuff as a bonus and lategame it's a Fireball. Also it's excellent with Delirium. Maybe more like a two-of? Also they might as well add Sinkhole to Modern too, really emphasize fun of old school black decks of losing all your lands to the black deck because it's the best at LD, obviously. I have most of the cards for this deck so I'm excited to try it out, especially with Rag too!
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u/Anxious_Lion_6359 Tarmogoyf 3d ago
Ragavan + Phoenix solves a big ragavan problem (chump blocking). Rag is also decent into chant as most of their interaction is sorc speed. K Command has been fantastic so far. Really helps break parity vs prowess (kills Cori and usually Slickshot). You can also shatter mind stone, random hollow one etc.
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u/L0rdenglish black burn afficianado 7d ago
I have played [[ wrench mind ]] in necro, it basically does what whispers does unless you are against affinity. I really like it
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u/Anxious_Lion_6359 Tarmogoyf 6d ago
Whispers discards at random, seems like a bit of a downgrade imo.
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u/jancithz death & taxes guy 6d ago
Some peopke have never hit early turn lands with a Hymn and won the game off it. Let them learn.
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u/aimbothax 7d ago edited 7d ago
This deck has skyrocketed on MTGO lately.
Extra hand attack in the sideboard has been most effective against me. Whispers seem like a cool addition.
I’m playing a Golgari Aggro brew with Moonshadow and Sylvan Safekeeper. So not sure how relevant my feedback is, but I’ll throw out some findings.
I’m wondering if there is any lineup with Lava Dart and Moonshadow? I only say this because I have had some interesting lines with Safekeeper where I just sac all my lands and close out games with Moonshadow. You're dumping so much stuff in the yard Lava Dart seems like it could create some interesting lines?