Rakdos Forever

Today I thought I would try something different and discuss the constructed applications of the new R/B cards from Dragons of Tarkir.

I'm going to discuss all the cards that I think COULD have a home the current or future meta,  If it doesn't get mentioned, it's probably because I don't think it's constructed playable (that means a lot coming from me).

Other sites have reviewed this cards and I think some have been overhyped and some haven't been given their due credit.

BLACK

Blood-Chin Fanatic - a 3/3 for 3 with no evasion is probably not where the monoblack warrior deck wants to be.  The ability is nice to close out the game where the opponent is at a single-digit life total, I think this card could be a 2-of, but a warrior deck, it isn't good enough to warrant inclusion in every black deck.

Blood-Chin Rager - this guy's ability is pretty bonkers.  The only sad thing are his generic stats.  This is exactly what the black warrior decks need against Monored/token strategies.  I kind of wish this card was a 3/1.  The 2-point toughness is pretty irrelevant.  If it gets block by two creatures, it's probably deck.

Coat with Venom - well, color me intrigued.  I think this card is actually very good.  This can make you creatures survive a Wild Slash for 2-point toughness creatures survive a Lightning Strike/Bile Bight.  You can also 2-for-1 yourself and take down a big creatures if worse comes to worse.  Well, you know, I think AT WORST it becomes a bad pump spell.  TAKE ONE EXTRA DAMAGE.  YES.  I think this is miles ahead of Boon of Erebos.

Defeat - this card is ok.  Maybe it'll see play next year if there's a big multicolored theme in Zendikar.  But why does it have to be a sorcery?  Ugh.

Duress - a great card and a long staple of multiple formats, but I doubt you needed me to tell you that.  And it's just a common!  Coming to sideboards near you...

Foul-Tongue Shriek - this one is very interesting.  Channel Fireball called it a "win-more" card.  And I can see that.  But it's not often you're attacking with eight creatures in standard, but what about with three?  Is it playable if it's a condition Lava Spike that gains you three life?  I could see that.  Black doesn't have any burn effects and I've noticed that monored will generally ignore your creatures if you don't block, maybe this is what black needs to make the red matchup more palatable.

Minister of Pain - this is a great sideboard card for aggressive black decks against token strategies.  I think Drown in Sorrow is probably just strictly better for midrange/control players though.

Pitiless Horde - I really like this card, but there are a couple issues.  If I were playing a red deck and my opponent slammed down a Pitiless Horde I would probably be smiling because unless I mulled to two, I am definitely winning the game.  This card is terrible against token strategies and red in general.  3 toughness makes it very susceptible to Bile Blight as well, I think this is probably a VERY good card against control decks , the dash makes it so they can't ever tap out and fairly good against midrange decks.  Probably a sideboard card for now.

Self-Inflicted Wound - this is a great sideboard card, you know that, moving on...

Sidisi, Undead Vizier - this card is pretty strong.  6 is a lot of butts and deathtouch means this card is probably killing everything, with not a ton of cards being able to actually kill it.  I would be interested to see a deck with Sidisi and Bloodsoaked Champion.

Silumgar Assassin - this card is...alright.  It's not mediocre, but it's not good.  I don't think wizards could tell what this card was supposed to do.  So it kills a small creature and then can't be blocked by a big guy?  At best, you're paying 5B to kill two creatures against aggro and against midrange, you kill a Satyr Wayfinder just so your guy trades with a manifest token?  Yeah...I don't think this card will find a home.

Ultimate Price - this card is just GR8.  It was very good in a multicolored block, but there are not a ton of multicolored creatures that are currently played.  It's just a better-terror currently.

RED

Dragon Fodder - very good, finds a home in monored, moving on.

Dragon Whisperer - I don't understand the hype about this card.  It's awful.  Red decks are too mana hungry to do anything with this.  Yeah, sure, it's probably a better draw in the late game when you compare it do Dragon Fodder, but who cares.  This is not a deal-with-me-or-I-get-out-of-control type of card.

Dragon Lord's Servant - if you play this against me on turn 2, regardless of what deck I'm playing, I will assume I've gotten a bye for the round.  Yeah, make your dragon deck, fine.

Impact Tremors - so this could be good in token strategy decks.  That's probably about it though.  I could see the inclusion of 2 of these in a R/x deck with Rabblemaster/Hordeling Outburst/Dragon Fodder/Raise the Alarm.

Ire Shaman - heyyy, so red is able to draw cards now, but in a real terrible way, they really have been pushing this flip draw crap lately.  If your initial investment is 3R, aren't you just better off playing Frontier Siege...? *eerie theme music*

Kolaghan Stormsinger - another one of the "maybe this is good enough."  Shakes head, it's not, initial investment of 3R for a 2/2 and giving another creature haste is meh.  Holy god though, imagine if this card was R: Dash, when this creature comes into play, another target creatures gains haste until EOT.  That would be a card.

Lightning Beserker - people have been calling this guy overrated.  Have you read him???  This is the best firebreather red has ever had, and he's way above Stonewright who was already played in some decks.  If your opponent ever taps out on an empty board, this guy is just a free burn spell.  Also, this card is just ridiculous because you can attack into your opponent's bigger creatures with no fear.  I'm sorry, Channel Fireball, but this is not a singleton.

Magnetic Chasm - another one of these falter effects?  Fine, maybe it's playable as a 2x in sideboards.  Maybe not.

Qal Sisma Behemoth - I love this card, but sadly, I don't think this is his time to shine.  Red decks right now are too mana hungry and too low to the ground to play him and G/R is ramping to better things.  I thought about some deck with this, Gurmag Angler and then a ton of removal.  It will probably have to wait though.  Running this guy out after your opponent plays Dragon Fodder is SUPER depressing.

Rending Volly / Roast - these cards are GR8, duh.

Seismic Rupture - this card is interesting.  If you want to play a deck with multiple colors and have an Anger of the Gods type of effect, this is it.  2 damage is as good as 3 damage is this format, I don't think the creatures not being exile is relevant.  I think this will see some play.

Twin Bolt - maybe this is playable.  There hasn't been an effect like this an instant speed for a good while (was electrolyze the last one?  Maybe?).  I like the idea of having this in the sideboard.  There are certainly decks that just get BLOWNNNNNNN OUTTTT by this card.  Maybe the capitalization wasn't necessary, but I just needed to remind the audience how exciting the prospect of getting a 2-for-1 is.  Yes, maybe your Arc Lightning will get 3 guys and maybe you'll also find a thousand dollars in the trash can,  Anything is possible.  Also, you might just be close to dead on turn three.  You got your 3-for-1, but you're now at eight life.  Whooooo.

Zurgo Bellstriker - probably the best R one-drop since Rakdos Cackler (2012-2014, lest we forget).  People are saying "should we play 2 or three?"  No.  Play four.

Multicolored

Kolaghan's Command - wow, did this command get nerfed.  Consider the possibilities and how much mana they cost:

Target player discards a card - B (Raven's Crime/Funeral Charm/etc.)
Two damage to target creature/player - R (Shock)
Return a creature card from the graveyard to your hand - B (Raise Dead)
Destroy target artifact - 1R (Shatter/Wear/etc.)

I say that this card is nerfed because it's generally worse than all the cards out there that do similar things (Blightning, Shatter to Smithereens, etc.).  Too bad this didn't cost BR, then I would be giving it my full endorsement.  Unless you're destroying an artifact, you're probably losing mana on the investment.  Yes, I understand the card can give you 2-for-1s, but how often will that happen?  Your best chances for that are probably "Shock and Raise Dead" or "Shock and Discard".  I love the idea of making my opponent discard during their draw step though...

So yeah!  I hope you enjoyed.  Maybe we'll do something similar for the other colors (probably by someone else, because, let's face it, what are the only colors I ever play?).