Pauper: Rakdos Burn - Deck Tech and Sideboard Guide

Madness has always been a part of Pauper, but it was forgotten for a long time.

Because this format changed as the years went on, aggro decks had to become faster and faster to keep up with the power level in midrange and control decks. Cards were each time more and more powerful, and archetypes like burn evolved so much that now Mono-Red is no longer a burn deck: it is a creature-aggro deck like Red Deck Wins.

On the other side, Black Burn remained faithful to its roots, and, because it is restricted to its colors, adopted Madness to a certain degree. Then, after Blood Tokens came along, this mechanic became more viable. We can now say that Voldaren Epicure is the heart of Rakdos Burn, and also responsible for its revival as a competitive option.

Rakdos Burn is unlike traditional burn decks because it goes from aggro to midrange more seamlessly, and you can use it how you wish depending on what you need. If your match demands speed, then you can easily be more aggressive, but you can also switch it up and interact with your opponent's threats without losing any gas.

This list is a good mix of red and black; it deals with enemy threats really easily and can also go around damage prevention. There's a good amount of burn in it too.

Because it has many artifacts and cards that give us Blood Tokens, Galvanic Blast is a great option. You can also use Deadly Dispute, which only adds even more value to this strategy.

Highway Robbery is a recent addition, but it fits this archetype incredibly well: it gives us gas and also progresses our game plan at the same time. The biggest downside I see in Highway Robbery is that it is a sorcery, and I often end up removing it when I'm going through my sideboard. In general, though, it is a good card, even though I consider its slot more flexible.

Our creatures are essential for our strategy as well because they give us sheer firepower from a different angle and also some reach for combat interactions. Kitchen Imp, for instance, can attack or block through the air, and Voldaren Epicure progresses our game plan.

Goblin Tomb-Raider was a great addition: it adds more speed to our strategy.

Another great addition was Jagged Barrens, the Rakdos land from the OTJ dual land cycle that deals damage. The extra damage this card gives us really makes a difference.

Unlike Kuldotha, Rakdos mulligans well and can easily take advantage of a mana flood to create value through its card advantage spells. As for game style, you'll play this deck like I mentioned before: going from aggro to midrange and back as you need to.

An ideal starting hand for Rakdos Burn should look like the following:

Jagged Barrens is always a good start, and Epicure is definitely our best 1-drop, as it deals damage and creates a Blood Token - it is also a body on the board. Faithless Looting is much better when you play it from turn 3 onward because that's when you can use Madness and your mana to the max.

Now, we'll move on to how this deck performs in its main matchups. We'll show you a few sideboard options and suggestions for each match.

We prepared our sideboard considering the main decks in Pauper nowadays. As Grixis Affinity's popularity is rising rapidly, we'll, of course, use cards like Gorilla Shaman and Cast Into the Fire in many of our slots.

Vs. Grixis Affinity

This is the deck to beat in Pauper right now; it made its triumphant return after All That Glitters was banned. In this matchup, you'll need to be fast and suppress Affinity entirely.

Grixis needs to set up before it really gets into the game. This takes around 3-4 turns to happen, which might just give you enough time to unload your entire arsenal, or get enough resources to end the game right afterward.

Post-side, Rakdos will be well-prepared to deal with the threats Affinity puts in play.

In

Out

Vs. Kuldotha Red

This matchup will play out essentially like a mirror, but Rakdos doesn't have the same explosion as Kuldotha Rebirth. However, it has lifegain, and can put as much pressure as Red.

Remove your opponent's main threats and use your life points well - they'll be your main resource in this game.

In

Out

Vs. Caw-Gates

This is a fascinating match because the fact we use black might make all the difference in the world.

Caw-Gates creates a lot of value through lifegain and card advantage, and then finishes the game with massive amounts of damage. However, Rakdos dodges Prismatic Strands and takes advantage of its opponent's slower start to close out the game.

Use your burn well and always play around your opponent's damage prevention and lifelink. Pyroblasts are a bad choice here because Gates doesn't rely on counters that much, and will need its life points and Strands a lot more.

In

Out

Vs. Walls Combo/Cascade

This is a really favorable matchup. Walls relies a lot on its first three turns to set up its board. Axebane Guardian, Overgrown Battlement, and Saruli Caretaker are important, and you should get rid of them if you can. Whether it is the Cascade or the Combo version, killing these creatures, particularly the sources of colored mana, delays Walls' plans by a lot, which will put them in a really difficult situation. Quirion Ranger is another important creature you should worry about.

In

Out

Vs. Dimir Faeries

Dimir Faeries also found a good place in the metagame to stand in, but I believe it somewhat struggles against Rakdos Burn. Faeries don't do well against Flying creatures, and it's worth noting that Kitchen Imp doesn't die to Snuff Out. Red burn practically kills all of their creatures, and the fact you can interact at instant speed with Imps makes everything better.

On the other side, you should be careful with their counters, which are still quite strong, and Murmuring Mystic can shake up the game state and the board quite fast. Of course, there's also Thorn of the Black Rose and the Monarch, which, if they keep, may easily turn the game around.

In

Out

Rakdos Burn is a very fun deck that keeps the classic Burn spirit alive, and also brings the best Pauper can offer us nowadays. I believe this deck is an excellent option in the current metagame, and should keep bringing us results in the future.

What do you think of this deck? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below!

Thank you for reading, and see you next time!