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Death’s Shadow is my favorite Magic card. It’s no surprise to anyone who follows my articles, much less to those who know me before I started creating content. It was the card that gave me my first Top 8 in a non-local store Modern tournament —also my first time piloting Grixis Shadow, in 2017— and for years, it was my deck of choice in the format until power creep took it out of the picture.
There’s something unique about Death’s Shadow. In a vacuum, it’s a pretty bad card, but there’s a certain appeal when building around it, as it rewards good decisions on its list and, especially, when managing an essential resource in a Magic game. On the other hand, it punishes bad plays during the game in a way that few creatures do, whether on the side of its controller (that Thoughtseize you didn't play earlier could be the two damage you need to deal in the next few turns) or for the opponent (did I calculate its potential damage count correctly? Did I consider a combination of Shock Land and Temur Battle Rage? What if they have Street Wraith?).
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It's an iconic creature, difficult to build around, but it single-handedly creates some of the best strategies that have ever marked Magic and Modern. And with Duskmourn having such a horror-oriented aesthetic, including allusions to the number 13, and Wizards' tendency to reprint former Modern staples in Standard over the last years, it was inevitable to build some expectations of a possible Death's Shadow reprint for Pioneer.
Well, now that the official previews are over, we know that Death’s Shadow is not in Duskmourn. A wasted potential, a disappointment in a set that, from a thematic point of view, was already quite disappointing, and since they didn’t give us Death’s Shadow, we’ll need to build our own.
Despite not having the creature itself, Pioneer has two variants of it: Scourge of the Skyclaves and Shadow of Mortality - each with their own differences and peculiarities when compared to the original card. I lost count of how many weird lists I've made to "try" a Death's Shadow on Pioneer, but they never worked, and with the Metagame gone by, I gave up on the idea because it was impossible to play Scourge of the Skyclaves in a format with Amalia Benavides Aguirre, and Vein Ripper on turn 3 was better than any attempt to play a cheap, high-powered creature in the format.
Times have changed, and now one of the best decks in the format - if not the best - would be the perfect home for Death's Shadow. While it's best remembered for its Tempo variants in the 
colors, with Gurmag Angler and Stubborn Denial, Shadow is, naturally, an Aggro card. It doesn't generate value, it generates a clock - a Tempo play so big that it wins in two combat phases if the opponent doesn't respond.
One of its last appearances pre-Modern Horizons 2 was in Rakdos lists with Monastery Swiftspear, Soul-Scar Mage and its cousin Scourge of the Skyclaves. Right now, the same home exists in Pioneer with Rakdos Prowess, and it might be a good time to build a Death’s Shadow of our own.
The Decklist
This is the list I’ve been running in both MTGO and MTGArena ranked matches.
Yes, it’s Rakdos Prowess as we know it today, but with the addition of Scourge of the Skyclaves and a few cards to enable it. Other cards will be discussed below, but let’s get straight to the point.
Why play Scourge of the Skyclaves?
Because you really, really want to play Death’s Shadow on Pioneer.
Okay, that’s not the best explanation, so let’s go over my experience with the card and the format’s Metagame. Rakdos Prowess is by far the most fun deck I’ve played on Pioneer in years: it does some crazy stuff, but it doesn’t feel unfair. It has free-win turns, but it can’t hit that button at any time because it requires a setup and/or a good topdeck. It's a very fast and resilient Aggro, but it doesn't get to the point of oppressing the format - instead, it seems to regulate things, along with Izzet Phoenix, to prevent greedy decks from being left unchecked - If you play Pauper, Rakdos Prowess is to Pioneer what Kuldotha Red is to the commons format (Izzet Phoenix would be Affinity in this comparison).
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But Rakdos Prowess has inherent weaknesses, and not all of them can be resolved without major concessions. One of the most common in my games was the lack of staying power: any creature at the top is only as good as what you have in your hand to increase its power or sequence spells. Sometimes, this will win you the game, other times, it will cost you dearly.
Players have sought to take advantage of Dreadhorde Arcanist to mitigate these bad turns and generate card advantage, and I believe is a good take, but what if we need a little more? What if what we lack is the clock? And how do we solve the game in topdeck mode without having to create a new setup? Do we increase the amount of Claim // Fame? Or would Bonecrusher Giant be a solution that also works to stop the opponent's Slickshot Show-Off?
Scourge of the Skyclaves came to mind the moment I considered Bonecrusher Giant. Both have been side by side in my many variants in 2022, and I tend to really like the giant in any archetype with red on Pioneer because it does a bit of everything we want: it interacts with smaller creatures, it's a respectable body to attack and block, and it punishes the opponent's removals - especially the ones that have been used to deal with Rakdos Prowess lately.
It didn't take long for me to remember the Death's Shadow lists with Lurrus of the Dream-Den and wonder, "what if?". Out go the flex slots (Reckless Rage, Dreadhorde Arcanist) and Kumano Faces Kakkazan to enter Scourge of the Skyclaves and Thoughtseize.
The absence of Kumano Faces Kakkazan is probably the most controversial take. My relationship with this card is a bit turbulent: there are games where it is the best possible turn 1 and others where it is the worst topdeck you could wish for because you will need two more turns to have a creature in play.
It was removed from the list so that Thoughtseize could enter. I don't like discard against Prowess mirror, and it is a bad card against Izzet Phoenix if played at the wrong timing. It is possible to keep Kumano in the list, but this comes at the price of interacting less with some troublesome strategies for Rakdos Prowess (Midranges or Combos that can be faster than our clock) - If the Metagame maintains a more aggressive trend, it is possible that even Fatal Push will enter this maindeck slot, or the already mentioned Bonecrusher Giant.
The other difference was in the mana base. Fortunately, Rakdos Prowess is already an archetype that ran nine ways to lose life with its lands now that Sulfurous Springs entered the format, but the damage calculation for Scourge of the Skyclaves differs from Death’s Shadow in one crucial way: it considers both players’ life totals.
This means that you need to align your points to avoid falling too far behind in the game. If your Thoughtseize cast with the mana from a painland will get you to 13 life, the damage you have to deal that turn needs to leave your opponent with the same or less than that. Otherwise, we need to save the painland and stick with 14 because that extra point might make a difference later on.
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The crucial number for Scourge of the Skyclaves is 10, with the ideal minimum being 14. At the very least, you want it to be a 6/6, and ideally, you want it to be a 10/10. Sure, we can play it on turn three as a 4/4 to speed up our clock, but these numbers ensure that it doesn't die to Lightning Axe and also threatens to combo-kill every turn - we'll get to that, but first, the mana base.
In previous lists, I've used some of Battle for Zendikar's Spell Lands to replicate the effect of Modern's Fetch + Shock Lands. I like how Shatterskull Smashing can be used to trigger the Valiant with Heartfire Hero and Emberheart Challenger or to get two blockers out of the way, but in addition to costing a lot of mana, the situations where paying 3 life is paying too much are frequent these days and the potential for anti-games from a Thoughtseize is pretty nasty.
The other reason not to go with Spell Lands is Jegantha, the Wellspring. Of all the Aggro I've played with her as a Companion, Rakdos Prowess is one where it matters the most, and even with 19 lands, having the option of a 5/5 that dodges Fatal Push is often what we need to keep the gas running.
Increasing the number of Deserts worked better. Not only because of the life loss they cause by generating colored mana, but also because we gain more reach with Ramunap Ruins if the game goes long, and I like the extra removal of Ifnir Deadlands against Fable of the Mirror-Breaker or other unwanted 2/2s.
Finally, the other reason to run our "Death's Shadow" is that, with both players at ten or less life, this is a Splinter Twin. And if you've faced or played Rakdos Prowess recently, you know how easy it is to get your opponent to ten life.
Unlike the other threats, Scourge of the Skyclaves has the advantage of staying power. It doesn't rely on other cards to become large after playing it and, consequently, has the power to hold Aggro mirrors because the opponent doesn't want to make unfavorable trades, and if they try, they might be punished by Callous Sell-Sword on the return, or by any other spell that grants Trample to our creature.
It is possible to add Dreadmaw's Ire instead of Titan's Strength to increase the potential to get over blockers, but the reactive properties, top filtering and the slight power increase in Titan's Strength still have an advantage in the current versions.
How does Rakdos Shadow work ?
Having pointed out all the benefits and drawbacks of including Scourge of the Skyclaves in Rakdos Prowess, it's important to consider how it works in practice, so here are some tips on things I've learned from playing with the card over the last few days.
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Maindeck
At its core, Rakdos Prowess is an Aggro-Combo. Just as it can win games on beatdown, it has explosive turns that grant the famous “free win” against unprepared opponents.
Heartfire Hero and Slickshot Show-Off are the biggest contributors in this spectrum. One can be pumped and then sacrificed with Callous Sell-Sword for lethal damage, while Show-Off only requires one attack and two 3-power pumps to total 20 damage between combat and the sacrifice effect.
Monastery Swiftspear and Emberheart Challenger are closer to the Aggro spectrum, with Challenger being essential to maintaining card advantage in while Swiftspear guarantees clocking from the first turn.
We need more speed in most games and our pumps, especially those that grant Trample, do the job of forcing unfavorable blocks or passing damage even if our creature dies in the process.
Claim & Fame is our attrition element, also capable of winning games when it returns Slickshot Show-Off or Emberheart Challenger to the battlefield with pumps, and its potential is amplified by Scourge of the Skyclaves.
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In addition to Deserts, our Duals combination also guarantees the life loss needed to enable Scourge of the Skyclaves while benefiting us by entering untapped and providing us with access to both colors.
Den of the Bugbear and Hive of the Eye-Tyrant (which replaced the second copy of Den because we now have Thoughtseize in Game 1) give us some extra breathing room when games go on for longer. Sokenzan, Crucible of Defiance serves the same purpose, and we can use it at instant speed for surprise attacks.
Sideboard
The sideboard is constantly changing. Most of the numbers and needs have been switched as the Metagame adapts, so consider some of these slots as flexible.
At least six slots are needed for removal. Fatal Push is a must-have and Reckless Rage interacts well with most of our creatures, but we can swap it out for Torch the Tower or Redcap Melee.
Two flexible slots can include more removal. In this case, Abrade deals with the creatures we want to resolve from Prowess, answers Arclight Phoenix and Ledger Shredder, and also destroys Witch’s Oven and Mayhem Devil.
Kolaghan’s Command is an experimental and flexible card for attrition games. I might want it for Jund Sacrifice as well, and there are situations where it creates positive trades on the mirror.
Unlicensed Hearse is our standard answer against Arclight Phoenix, Greasefang, Okiba Boss, Cauldron Familiar, and any other deck looking to exploit the graveyard. It's also a threat if the game goes on too long.
Rampaging Ferocidon is our answer against Angels' lifegain and also works against go-wide Aggro like Humans or Boros Convoke.
Ob Nixilis and Urabrask's Forge help in longer games, but these slots change frequently. I don't know which one I prefer, or if I want Hazoret the Fervent, or if I should look for more answers with Liliana of the Veil, or if cards like Case of the Crimson Pulse would be the solution.
Personally, I like the results of both, but they also have flaws: Ob Nixilis, the Adversary is great with Heartfire Hero and Scourge of the Skyclaves, but bad topdeck on an empty board, while Urabrask’s Forge fills the gap with always having a threat in play while suffering from the problem of how many turns it takes before your tokens start to matter.
Sideboard Guide
Izzet Phoenix
IN
OUT
Rakdos Prowess
IN
OUT
Azorius Control
IN
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OUT
Jund Sacrifice
IN
OUT
Atarka Red
IN
OUT
Niv to Light
IN
OUT
Selesnya Angels
IN
OUT
Boros Convoke
IN
OUT
Nykthos Ramp
IN
OUT
Abzan Greasefang
IN
OUT
Conclusion
Rakdos Prowess is the big new addition to Pioneer after the bans, and its nature is very close to the Aggro-Combo shells, where it can win the game in classic beatdown while having highly explosive turns with Slickshot Show-Off and Heartfire Hero - a similar home to where Death's Shadow started having results with the former Shadow Zoo.
What Scourge of the Skyclaves does is pull the deck more into the combo spectrum with Callous Sell-Sword, opening up less room for greedy strategies while, at the same time, adding a new layer in games where we are in the race because it locks down the opponent's attacks and can win the game in one attack with Ancestral Anger or Monstrous Rage.
It’s not up to me to say whether this version is better or worse than the ones that have taken over the Leagues and Challenges in recent weeks, but it’s a different take and a good way to take advantage of the closest card to Death’s Shadow that we have in Pioneer in a list that seems almost made to fit it.
If you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to leave a comment!
Thanks for reading!
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