Rakdos the Showstopper Commander Deck Tech

[@duesexistat5016]

Just came here for memories sake. This was my first non-precon commander. I’ve always liked R/B and this card feels very much that! I can say all these years (and games) later, it’s not a strong deck, but darn it, it’s fun! Thanks DJ.

[@randyman410]

Got this dude as a promo, I've been waiting for this deck tech

[@Zaros2400]

Me too! Personally, I kinda went sorta tribal with him, but this seems way more fun!

[@bobbytheend]

Built my deck around him always being a board clear of sorts and he’s been really strong. Panharmonicon, Conjuerer’s Closet, and all the good demons make this deck strong.

[@brendanpowell9953]

RIGHT when this monster got revealed, I was excited to build a commander deck with him! I never got around to it, but with this video I might be pushed to do it

[@Zaros2400]

20:07 Another option that basically does the same thing, but adds a creature to it and only affects your side is Gharna, Bloodflame. Just one more "Oh shit" button to push if things go south for your board. Iirc, she's either a 5 or 6 drop.

[@Zepherus85]

I’ve actually built a version of the deck and took the enter the battlefield direction, phanarmonicon / conjuror closet to give an idea. There are a decent amount of demon with good etb effects and I run a few non demon creature with worthy etb (black and red gearhulk, gonti, gray merchant and dire fleet dare devil). So far I had a lot of fun with the deck and find it quite consistent. I decided to run thum because for 2 mana it just makes rakdos ability so much more consistent and added a few coin flip card that benefit from it (manacrypt and mirror March)

[@iisaka_station]

I was trying to figure out how to build around Rakdos. This looks awesome

[@Lasor4]

Thanks for the great suggestions, DJ! Got me prerelease Rakdos card and the guild kit all ready to be converted :D

[@armityle27]

One of the new cards from RNA I'd recommend is "Mirror March". Yeah, it's a coin flipper, but when you have it and Showstopper, you get a LOT of flips suddenly. Or Belzenloks. Or Overseers. Or Sower. Or Runescarred. The application of a number of tokens etb effects is insanely fun.

[@zanerich9460]

It's technically possible for you to get 100 showstoppers and still kill nothing

[@armityle27]

@@zanerich9460 sure but the chances are so low it's irrelevant. I'd also not be mad if I did that

[@zanerich9460]

@@armityle27 I know I've had super luck with showstopper, 80% of the time he's a one sided board wipe

[@lordsoth-en4nb]

I feel like Sneak Attack also needs a mention. If you ever get stuck with these large demons in your hand you can pay a red to throw it into play and smash your opponent with it.

[@badalphas]

11:17 There's a good reason that Sin Prodder doesn't see much play - it's is an extremely risky card. The lure is strong for a 3-drop 3/2 with menace that has a backdoor draw/ping effect. Sounds great on its surface: Get your early combat damage in (6, 9, even 12 points?), then just let it sit there after the board is filled with bigger creatures, yielding card/ping/blocker value. All good, right? The problem is that the opponent gets to decide what you keep. In the early game, they'll always let you have the big spells (because why not, those aren't coming out any time soon), but will ALWAYS deny you land (because they suffer no downside from doing so). I yanked Sin Prodder from my decks when it became obvious that dropping him early meant waiting till turn 8-10 to get past 3-4 lands. So play that card at your own peril, kids...

[@alexortega1108]

Thank you DJ! Use this deck on the next Game Knights! Too cool, I've been working on this deck since allegiance launched! Thanks for the tips man, much appreciated 🤘

[@JChristensen64]

I was waiting for you to do a deck on this commander :)

[@cyclonicriftpodcast1602]

Looks like a fun deck! I love that at the bare minimum he's a flampler (which is one of my favourite unofficial keywords)

[@MarvelOfRain]

I think Krak's Thumb is still pretty good. It synergizes with Rakdos really well and makes him more consistent for just 2 mana! If you kill 1 - 2 creatures it is already worth it. It is putting in any other coin-flipping that is the mistake.

[@ashadeofnight]

This deck looks much much better than I expected!

[@40Found]

Nice deck. The reanimator board wipe strategy is a unique take on this commander. I wasn't very excited at first when I saw Rakdos but this could be interesting

[@mwedreitheshadow]

One thing I've been toying with is using Helm of the Host. There are a lot of creatures that would benefit from having multiple of them on the field here, plus you could basically use showstoppers board wipe every turn. there are also a few other ETB triggers that could be good with it such as rune-scarred demon, overseer, belzenlock and even solemn simulacrum

[@IsaacTreat]

Ooh! I've been waiting for this one! Hot dann!

[@AffinityForCommander]

Everyone loves a good coin flip! Or 20! Nice one DJ! 😁

[@Uberdemon0666]

I just built a similar deck. I made a deck that could have multiple potential commanders. Judith, Rakdos (any) and Genzo Dungeon Warden. Part aristocrat, part demon tribal. Slower game, but chuck you demons into the yard. As long as no graveyard hate good to go. Combos: Genzo and Junk Troller or Champion of stray souls with liliana contract. You will need some tokens too. Skull sifter, Ogre slumlord, dramas chosen, and vampire envoy.

[@timothyvandenberg2905]

Jumbo Just Rocks!

[@colinjerista2551]

I literally just started working on this list! It looks really fun, glad to see that our lists agree Plus, can we really trust the imps?

[@michaelgordon7204]

It kind of breaks my heart as a rakdos player and a fan of the original rakdos the defiler that it doesn't say non demon permanents

[@noahklein9536]

Sower of Discord is also great when you think about it because if you want, you can target YOURSELF so that if anyone hits you, they hit themselves too

[@baconbombsmtg2384]

It seems like virtus's maneuver is criminally underrated for commander. This seems like a perfect deck for it.

[@cjams115]

What about Ra ZaKeth? The one from Hour of Devestation that tutors

[@Sucrose_Mother]

Make a maralen of the mornsong shadowborn apostle deck! :o

[@dhost3911]

Would love to see an Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim tribal deck!

[@cablebeck4940]

Great video man. 2 things: 1- In your decklist you have Talisman of Impulse which taps for red or green. I'm guessing that's an accident? 2- Why not add something like Conjurer's Closet so you can wipe the board more often if you want?

[@CommissarGiraffe]

I built mine slightly demon tribal with all the best flicker effects I could get and it just wrecks kids

[@sealamander4607]

you forgot Pyrohemia

[@adambarkman1326]

Sarkhan the Mad might not even be a bad addition as he has some card advantage and a unique type of removal in his targetted sacrifice. I find he tends to get overlooked often.

[@mournfulslasher940]

Any updates you would make to the deck now?

[@alanmartinez6877]

Rakdos is the kind of card that just screws everyone over including yourself. Think chaotic evil with havoc festival, sulfuric vortex, etc. embrace the chaos and watch everyone panic.

[@Samonosuke]

Quick question, how do you know certain cards will be reprinted, etc? Im super new to this format, just started a week ago on Magic and playing with some friends. I have actually started with Rakdos as my commander cause I thought he was cool. Sincerely a new player :P

[@T3HSqueaky1]

I use him as the commander for my "Group Hate" Deck. Just all awful symmetrical cards that dont prevent playing the game... but make it hurt like Mana Barbs, Citadel of Pain, Storm Cauldron, Anhk of Mishra etc.... It tends to become the enemy of the table fairly quickly, but its great fun when one player keeps it alive to drain everyone else

[@Spidermanfan937]

* Comes out to Sexy Boy when you cast him for the first time each game .

[@w00dm31st3r]

Havoc Festival and Archfiend of Despair is a neat interaction

[@thelunchlady8276]

If you're not playing Havoc festival in a Rakdos deck, you ain't playing Rakdos!

[@alexisnunez3533]

You forgot seizen perverter of Truth. 3BB For a 6/5 demon spirit. At the beginning of each players upkeep that player loses 2 life and draws two cards. It’s the demon of group hug.

[@asvp_merkk_4306]

Can we get a deck tech on Kaalia?

[@iiGiacomo]

I feel like you could include just krark’s thumb. It doesn’t seem like it would take up a slot of a great playable

[@thedarkone246]

Fuck yeah! Ive been waiting for an excuse to build a rakdos deck

[@isaiahkahler1316]

I definitely believe “thee” Rakdos Commander is Rakdos, Lord of Riots. That deck, when built correctly, is infinitely more powerful.

[@joshuanolte9126]

By that you mean rakdos, lord of eldrazi

[@JonLeitheusser]

In your decklist, you have Talisman of Impulse, but it should be Talisman of Indulgence.

[@ryanmcleod5148]

What about doom whisperer

[@chincwcn]

can this beat those USD5000.00 commander deck? will lucifer be pleased with me for using this deck? will I be allowed to enter heaven if I use this deck?

[@spyguy4558]

@Jumbocommander You have Talisman of Impulse in your deck-list instead of Talisman of Indulgence

[@dungeonrancher]

No Stone-Throwing Devils? Bet you they stay on the board longer than zombie crocodemon.

[@d9_1056]

No conjurer's closet or erratic portal?

[@d9_1056]

Helm of the host would also be hilarious. Same with panharmonicon, and strionic resonator. Patriarch's bidding could potentially do work as well.

[@joshuagonzalez4767]

Conjurer’s Closet, Voyager’s Staff, and (I know you don’t like it for this deck) Krark’s Thumb is an excellent package for abusing Rakdos’s ETB.

[@Big_John_832]

I’m afraid I’m going to have to disagree with taking out cards to abuse the etb, I had conjurers closet, blade of selves, krarks thumb and helm of the host to abuse the etb and have managed to make several people just rage quit in the middle of a game from the constant board wiping in my favor. But I also run a oppressive pkg of pay life to play the game cards too like Vial Smasher, Kaervek, Polluted Bonds, Painful Quandary, wound reflection and Dictate of the twin gods to ensure extra pain.

[@drinksbydave]

I think you should go back to all yout deck specs from 5 years ago and do a big update in comparison then to now 😉

[@humanuserofinternetwebsite9007]

The downside to sin prodder that you didn't discuss is that the trigger happens before your draw, meaning that you're essentially letting your opponents filter your draws. It feels bad to have this card out, topdeck the boardwipe you desperately need and have to turf it.

[@herzer1313]

Well but these are just feelings. Statistically speaking there is no down side, besides when you play tutors, which place a card on the top of your library.

[@humanuserofinternetwebsite9007]

@@herzer1313 Letting your opponents filter your draws isn't a "feeling". Think about how good scry is. This is your opponents scrying you. It is 100% a real empirical downside.

[@MikeTheBFG]

I remember when command beacon was 25 dollars now it's like 6.

[@nathanielkeller5366]

Sorin Markov is a huge flavor nonbo DJ. Pretty sure he created a super angel out of a moon to banish any and all demons she encountered..... Doesnt belong in the deck lol

[@Yourbeautiful666]

Nathaniel Keller He’s a great card that ruins someone’s life total on entering. It’d be a waste not to run him in a big mana deck. Also, there’s nothing better than playing against a life gain deck and hitting them with a Sorin Markov.

[@nathanielkeller5366]

@@Yourbeautiful666 you totally missed the point. Its a commentary on flavor not whether or not Sorin is good.

[@incogneat0901]

a guy in my group has basically this deck and it's annoyingly good.

[@orohyuno]

I would never leave Krark's Thumb out of this deck, even if the only coin flippin' card was the commander.

[@AdamTheSavage08]

I disagree with taking krarks thumb out of the deck. Only because of the 50% boost to the consistency of your commander

[@theballguy2197]

What about grave betrayal to get back all those juicy creatures that you just killed on your opponents side of the field

[@wasf8569]

In my build, I have Hellcarver Demon (the worst demon ever) and Doomsday. If you manage to cast doomsday and hit someone with Hellcarver. You cast a bunch of demon and then insurrection and win the game. It's so funny to pull this off!

[@thedanyboyftw]

Hey, could you do a video on a Yuriko Commander deck?

[@germanmartinezgarcia2652]

Thantis the war weaver whit curses deck

[@thiagoalexandrenakao9071]

The problem with this Rakdos is to have to do 30 flip coins on etb, omg that must take forever

[@d9_1056]

It'd be hilarious at my table. We use this massive coin that came with my deluxe edition of a video game, and it smacks so hard when it lands.

[@LapahnYT]

Nah it's pretty fast. Played about 15 games now in my playgroup and we use the Pokemon coin flip app on a smartphone. You just start at the next players first creature and then flip for each creature. Takes like a minute or two to go through all of em unless there are tons of triggers happening, but those would happen with any board wipe too.

[@KhârnTheAngry]

No downside for price if you proxy :P

[@aarong2606]

wheres that conjurer's closet!!

[@penisland9354]

I built him as demon tribal with the enchantment that wins me the game if i have 4 demons

[@inkibusss]

Sorry DJ, I love your stuff but I don't agree with you on this one. I built my deck in a reanimator/etb trigger style and it tends to wreck players who underestimate the power of a one sided board wipe on a stick.

[@mortycremwatch]

Nikki Henk this sounds really interesting. Do you have a list to share?

[@EliseLogan]

Liliana's Contract. *nodnod*

[@SubCruz]

I am building a rakdos deck but with all the "Rakdos" on it hehehehehehehe

[@mortycremwatch]

You need to be careful casting Kothophed against white decks. They can wipe you out with Smothering Tithe

[@jevry4307]

i don't get it, why build a boardwide tribal deck but have your commander be one of the worst boardwipes in your deck? yeah you can play demons to make it better, but then you'l make your other boardwieps worse

[@jongrandboy4294]

jevry he showed a lot of board wipes that have good synergies with the rest of the deck. I also don’t see a one sided board wipe coming from the command zone as bad imo

[@royalcollectables]

YOU👏WIN👏THE👏GAME👏!!! LOL

[@171relic]

Hi

[@oom-3262]

Tbh I prefer the og rakdos.

[@mannyramirez5630]

Ammit is terrible in commander lol

[@crovax1375]

Here's a fun fact. If you play Mirror March with Rakdos the Showstopper you will no longer have friends!

[@MrWh33lz]

No such thing as too many commander decks.

[@Tuturial464]

Steal the game