IntroductionIf you'd like to check out the most popular cards in other colors, click here for white, here for blue, and here for black.At this point, I believe most of you can guess which type of effects will show up in this article. This ranking, however, is a bit more diverse than it seems because red is essentially a support color.Red sees play in aggressive decks, such as Winota/Yoshi-Kraum , lists that lean more towards midrange , and tempo lists (like the most played list in the format, Spiderman 2099 ).Top 10 Red Staples in Duel Commander1 - Lightning BoltWithout a question, this is one of the most iconic and elegant cards ever released. As a 1-of, it is much more relevant as a removal than as reach (effects that can end the game by dealing damage to the opponent directly after they stabilized, with blockers and such), and we'll mention this a lot when we discuss the next cards.2 - FuryIn terms of tempo, a free spell that heavily impacts the board is incredibly strong. Pyrokinesis occupies our 5th slot, and it has the upside that it works at instant speed. So why is Fury ahead?A reasonable answer is that it is a 3/3 and has Double Strike (which means it deals a lot of damage, particularly if you also give it Haste), but I believe the real answer is Animate Dead and Emperor of Bones.Reanimate effects that let you reuse ETBs are what makes this Elemental the second most played red card in Duel Commander (it is almost tied with Lightning Bolt).3 - Detective’s PhoenixReckless Charge wasn't viable for a long time, and it always made me sad. I used to play Standard at the time, and I've always thought this card was fantastic. This Phoenix is just powerful enough to compete against what sees play nowadays. It gives you Flying and Haste and also makes your cards more resilient. It is incredible and ends an absurd number of matches by just attacking through one of the best angles of all: the element of surprise.4 - Galvanic DischargeNo, honey. We have Lightning Bolt at home.Galvanic Discharge is the closest thing to a second Bolt in the game, as it deals 3 damage at instant speed. Because of cards like Snapcaster Mage and Flashback, as well as Static Prison and Guide of Souls, interacting with energies has its upsides. Namely, this way Discharge can kill a few big creatures from time to time.5 - PyrokinesisThis is a Fury at instant speed. It's also a tempo play and, as such, usually trades 2 for 2. You'll rarely be able to kill 3 creatures with it, and oftentimes you use it just to kill one, but you gain a lot of tempo when you spend 0 mana to interact with the board. It's simply too good to pass on.6 - Ghostfire SliceDealing 4 damage with just one card is incredible. Most Commander decks are not multicolored, which means most Commander decks use a multicolored creature in the command zone.This card won't be an efficient way to remove an Ocelot Pride, Mother of Runes, or an Emperor of Bones, but you will be able to play around protection from red with it (and sometimes you might stumble upon a Sanctifier en-Vec on your way). If your opponent is not building their board, you might even have the luxury of paying 4 mana for this card.Its biggest problems are a few unpleasant matchups, like Cloud of Phelia, but those are very specific situations, so they don't really make this card any less useful.7 - Hexing SquelcherOur top 10 most popular blue cards included a lot of counters, and our last articles had a lot of removals. So, naturally, a card that stops counters and taxes removals found its way into this article.Consider Hexing Squelcher as a more aggressive Voice of Victory that sees play in nearly all decks. You must remove it if you're playing a control list (and you'll usually spend a lot to do it, including 2 life!) and it widens your board really well against aggressive lists.8 - Flame Slash and Chain LightningAfter discussing so many similar instant speed effects, it's time to see two sorceries. There are many threats with Haste in Duel Commander (including Broadside Bombardiers, Tersa Lightshatter, and basically all other creatures played through an Arena of Glory), so cards that work at sorcery speed are definitely at a disadvantage. They're also worse in terms of tempo because you'll lose a lot of momentum if you have to wait until your turn to remove these threats.That being said, Flame Slash deals 4 damage. This is more relevant than it seems, particularly as Aragorn, Chaos Defiler, and many other troublesome targets see play in this format.9 - OliphauntCan we really call this card a cantrip? Besides fixing mana for you by getting Surveil lands like Raucous Theater or dual lands like Taiga, Oliphaunt is also a respectable threat. You probably shouldn't consider casting it with your sixth land drop, as it's not realistic, but playing an Animate Dead or even attacking once with an Emperor of Bones should be reason enough to play this card.Oliphaunt is decent enough, and, as there aren't many effects like this in this color, it earned a spot in our top 10.10 - Pyrogoyf and Headliner ScarlettI bring up Broadside Bombardiers so often that I was ashamed to put Headliner Scarlett in this slot. The question is, the card that almost made it into this list is Pyrogoyf, so I wanted to add another 4-drop next to it. Pyrogoyf is, finally, a playable version of Flametongue Kavu, and it interacts really well with blink effects and other goyfs. It's a must in nearly all red decks and can end games quite easily.But Headliner Scarlett is one step ahead in terms of ending the game. Actually, the fact this card doesn't see a lot of play is a clear example of how power level works in this format. This is a red Dark Confidant, but what makes it stand out is its stats, 3/3, as well as Haste and the fact it prevents creatures from blocking. This interaction, however, is lethal in most Duel Commander board states and is often one of the only outs for certain matchups.Honorable MentionsIn Duel Commander, is extremely versatile! I must stress that because red cards usually don't have complex designs. They're often burn, loot, or impulse draws. In DC, though red offers many aggressive options, it also includes a great midrange tool that offers you ramp and card advantage. Magus of the Moon is an excellent Stax piece (as great as its counterpart, Blood Moon, which was even banned), and even the aggressive red cards are quite versatile, like Bombardiers, which has a great boast effect.Removals, threats that work through different angles, and lots of speed. That's what defines red, one of the most popular support colors in the game, and it actually sees a lot of play. Some players have even argued it could be the strongest color in the format.Nonetheless, no Monored list truly sees play in the meta. Aggressive decks that use burn are much happier in Boros colors, as then they can play powerful effects like Taii Wakeen, Perfect Shot, and powerful 1-drops, like Ocelot Pride.Mana BaseIn terms of the mana base, red has some pretty great options. Arena of Glory is probably the best utility land in the format, and Den of the Bugbear, the second best manland (we can't ignore Cactus Preserve).Cori Mountain Monastery and Sokenzan aren't powerful in the same way (the amount of mana you pay for the effect you get isn't worth it), but they're free enough.Final WordsThis is our second-to-last article in this series! At the moment I write this article, I am waiting for the meta to change because Spiderman 2099 is still dominant, and I believe every day the possibility that WotC ends up banning it grows. Once it leaves the format, the most popular cards will probably change, particularly as red decks have historically always played more creatures.If you like red strategies, I believe there is no better format than Duel Commander.What do you think? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.Thank you for reading, and see you next time!
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