RED DECK WINS

This video is for those who go all-in. This is the story of Red Deck Wins.
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🌋 Matches in this video (order of appearance):
Keith Selden vs Kevin Rand - SCG Vegas - Standard (2014)
• SCGVEGAS - Standard - ...
Tom Ross vs Alex Bertoncini - SCG Invitational - Standard (2014)
• SCGINVI - Invitational...
Tom Ross vs Ben Friedman - SCG Invitational - Standard (2014)
• SCGINVI - Invitational...
Ross Merriam vs Patrick Sullivan - SCGLA - Legacy (2012)
• SCGLA - 2012 - Legacy ...
Gonçalo Pinto vs Wyatt Darby - PT Dominaria - Standard (2018)
• Pro Tour Dominaria Fin...
Javier Dominguez vs Lee Shi Tian - Mythic Championship - Standard (2019)
• 2019 Mythic Championsh...
Paulo Vitor Damo da Rosa vs Yam Wing Chun - PT Hour of Devastation - Standard (2017)
• Pro Tour Hour of Devas...
🛹 Jaws vs The Lyon 25:
• Jaws vs the Lyon 25
🎵 Music:
PUP - My Life is Over and I Couldn't Be Happier (Live at Audiotree Far Out):
• PUP - My Life Is Over ...
Lakey Inspired - Rainy Day:
• 41 LAKEY INSPIRED Ra...
Lakey Inspired - Fast Lane:
• Fast Lane
PUP - Familiar Patterns (Live at Audiotree Far Out):
• PUP - Familiar Pattern...
📘 Chapters:
0:00 Card Kingdom & Coalesce
0:15 Nord VPN
1:10 All-In
2:39 Paul Sligh & The Mana Curve
7:00 Four Turns
14:28 Red Deck Loses
19:36 Red Deck Wins
📓 Sources:
gametyrant.com/news/sligh-as-... - The origins of RDW
strategy.channelfireball.com/... - PT Magic Origins - Pat Cox Top 8 RDW
www.coolstuffinc.com/a/darwin... - Darwin Castle RDW 2013
magic.wizards.com/en/articles... - Deadguy Red
magic.wizards.com/en/articles... - The Art of Beatdown
magic.wizards.com/en/articles... - Famous Red Decks in Magic’s History (2004)
kitchentablemagic.org/2017/11... - Jay Schneider Interview
www.mtgtop8.com/event?e=1960&... - Goblin Guide Deck, Top 8 GP Pittsburgh 2011
www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/3858... - Paul Slight Original PTQ Atlanta Deck 1996
cardgamebase.com/how-to-beat-... - How to Beat Mono Red
infinite.tcgplayer.com/articl... - The Birth of the Mana Curve
commoncausemtg.wordpress.com/... - How to Sligh
www.spekkionu.com/2005/06/red... - Red Deck Wins
/ was_red_deck_always_th... - Is red deck always the one that wins?
magic.wizards.com/en/articles... - PT Columbus 2005 - Top 8 decklists - Shuhei Nakamura on RDW
www.classicdojo.org/history/sl... - Mike Flores Sligh History
magic.wizards.com/en/articles... - Boss Sligh Deck Tech
• The History of Red Dec... - The History of Red Deck Wins - Nizzahon
• SCGDAL - Deck Tech: Bo... - Boss Sligh Deck Tech - Standard 2013
• 4 Pool rush from JJu - 4 Pool rush from JJu
• SFV: The Ultimate Ryu ... - The ultimate Ryu Mirror
• Video - The Beast Chases Benny
• Did JAWS Ollie The Big... - Jaws Interview
#mtg #magicthegathering

[@cavedon.felipe]

Red Burn is a lesson on timing. Or, like my brother told me once: "It's the art of patience when you've got be fast".

[@ossiliere]

Perfect

[@aceundead4750]

Did he read The Art of War by Sun Tzu? That sounds like something Sun would've wrote in there.

[@horaciohernandez2850]

There's a saying in spanish which translates to "Go slow, because we're in a hurry"

[@Bluecho4]

I Have Mo' Burn, And I Must Wait

[@kirika119]

I love that

[@Holzfrevler]

"Life happens in the Redzone and death is the byproduct of time well spent." This stuff goes way beyong magic

[@Aluren00]

This one phrase blew my mind

[@cashclam1126]

I swear. Rhystic Studies and Jon Bois release banger videos that just suddenly have an amazing quote

[@ComradeAlpharius]

I've got tears in my eyes from that.

[@Mark-xs9wd]

Genuinely one of the hardest hitting quotes I’ve heard.

[@nvrumi]

This is my first time to this channel. However, I'll stick around just because RS is literate, his pace is perfect, and his material is articulate. Great quote.

[@maxw.2579]

"Never flinch. Never falter. Never fear." Flavortext of Fling

[@TheHive616]

Never fear... Just fling!

[@ELFudgeOreos]

For those who say playing mono red doesn't require a brain, the backstory of it being created because of a linear algebra class is vindicating.

[@mofire5674]

Sometimes you need a complex analysis to find the path of least resistance.

[@aceundead4750]

Monored was my first deck, knowing nothing about synergy in MTG it was just random red cards of my buddy's that i liked the look of. Now my monored decks either follow the burn strategy, or attempting non-red things in red (like making copies whilst building up counters)

[@ELFudgeOreos]

@@aceundead4750 I've been thinking of like mono red etb tribal. No decklist at all but it's been bouncing around in my head for weeks

[@logannyf]

Linear algebra is one of the easiest math classes

[@SwiftrunnerXXY]

On the receiving end, a red deck looks straightforward and simple. On the RECEIVING end. If you're on the other side of the table, piloting it well is anything but, let alone putting it together.

[@BlackTungsten]

I lost my best friend a few months back, and I come to this video, because this is how he played, and this is how he taught me how to play Magic in exchange for me teaching him high school chemistry. He let me rummage through the "sock full of pennies", a huge bag of chaff he kept buried in his bedroom closet. And he'd give me such a whoopin', over and over again, then asked me if I learned anything. He taught me about InQuest, the Sligh curve, Combo Winter; everything he knew about this wonderful game. Eventually I'd beat him years later; I settled into Black nicely and took advantage of Red "not wanting cards in hand" with tricks like Hymn to Tourach. I miss him every day. And this video is a warm reminder of how he used to live.

[@holy_oreoo8594]

It maybe just a game to some, but for us, it's a trove of memories we wouldn't trade for anything ❤

[@callumstonehouse8407]

Rest in peace - I hope this comment finds you well, and still enjoying the best nature of Magic: to live fast and go all in ❤

[@j453]

Sorry for your loss friend

[@Hummeldon]

Your ability to interweave "unrelated" stories into the topic you are covering is unparalleled. I have never played Magic. I've only ever seen one Magic card in person, it was sitting under my cousins bed and I vaguely remember flames in the artwork and nothing more. But experiencing the stories of this community through your videos is something special and I'm always excited to learn. I aspire to tell stories the way you do.

[@christopherlundgren1700]

I'm not sure how you got here, but welcome!

[@krekire4152]

We hsve to know what fire art card this was.

[@TheKnightguard1]

Literally subbed for this comment. You had no other reason to be on this video than a passion for storytelling as you've fleshed out, and I think there might be a kindred spirit there. I admire the things you admire.

[@GrayVMhan]

I was like you a couple of years ago, now I have around 3k magic cards and this channel plus Magic Arena is to blame Edit: I built a whole deck around auras just cause the Rancor video got my all hyped about Rancor, still one of the best flavour texts ever

[@GoodMorningMagic]

This post made me smile so wide. Magic might be one tiny corner of the universe, but the art of storytelling is universal.

[@duskmantle2562]

"Just send it." The motto of every RDW player, every skateboarder, every Zerg-rusher, and every punk-rocker. Great work as always, Sam.

[@mighty6087]

Starcraft

[@hidood5th]

Also Tetris 99.

[@jurgenmeyer7602]

I'm more or less all of those things xD

[@jpmaglonzo9964]

Enduro/downhill riders

[@brunop.8745]

Also known as "F--k it, we ball"

[@goodguy1072]

My first pauper tournament I went against an infamous mono red player at our LGS. I asked him what his deck was called and he said one word to me that I will never forget. "Fast."

[@goodguy1072]

The game did in fact end fast

[@switchp8286]

Sounds like me, but it's more like "F A S T"

[@xero1134]

It's amazing to know that the concept of a mana curve came from the color and deck type that was designed to run near the bare minimum of what we could call a "curve"

[@MrTheWanz]

1-2-3 baby thats all i need les gooooooooooooo

[@FlyingDominion]

That's where the curve is most critical. Past that it might as well be a slope. Red brought calculus into what was the domain of algebra.

[@cookiebombcasualemail5284]

it's less of a curve and more of a handicap ramp because that's all we need babey

[@bh-w2297]

"9 fancy lands and 3 wordy creatures with dice on top of them" is an incredible line!!

[@Verlisify]

"The theoretical Red Deck with 40 Lightningbolts and 20 Mountains wins in 4 turns" "Sock full of pennies" "Lands entering tapped" So many banger lines

[@daplague7282]

"A bunch of basic mountains and a grip full of fire" is also solid

[@PsychoDiesel48]

100% This os why I love aggro. Gruul is my favorite for a reason. Love big creatures and fast mana.

[@Diana-tx2iz]

I think the line "The aptly-named Glorybringer that Darby peeled off of the top of his library" might be responsible for getting me into Magic

[@IslandPonder]

“Life happens in the red zone and death is a byproduct of time well spent.”

[@sablesalt]

"Base liquids" has got to be my favorite line from you

[@gg1223lol]

Actually having chills for that Hazoret missplay The heartbreak of seeing the finish line but not noticing the small obstacle on the way and tripping over it is an integral part of the learning experience of playing RDW

[@user-mp3tp6fd7x]

I almost cried out "NOOOO" at 4 in the morning

[@jaydenyamada2916]

"You Char to the face and knock the top of your deck, that's the play." Amazing work as always.

[@zingyllama4730]

-izard

[@traviswilson36]

Cringe

[@jainabraina]

"Basic mountains entering the battlefield tapped" is a beautifully poetic way to express the ethos of this archetype. Bravo.

[@CHEFPKR]

What I enjoy about Mono red the most is the risk versus reward in its play style. Either you burn bright and light everything up or you go out swinging. It's the best.

[@InsolentCrow]

CHEFPK only has enough time out of the kitchen to play Red.

[@thomasfox0]

Ive been playing Burn since i was a child. I love the deck a ton, in all its iterations. It has some great advantages that are not known outside of the actual gameplay. First, your matches are usually quick. The best part of this is that you get time between rounds to chill or breathe. I cant say the same for Control (i will NEVER do control again in SCG major events). Second is mentioned here, pricetag. barrier of entry is VERY low. Lastly, low salt level. Either you win or lose and its quick. no swinging for an hour only for nothing to happen. I do hate when people say "BurN iS fOR simPLe PlaYeRs". its not. the plays are complicated and your timing has to be perfect. too late and you lose, too soon and you will lose. the mirror match is very enjoyable (control mirror makes me wanna gouge my eyes out). All around burn/rdw is amazing. everyone should play it.

[@BeCurieUs]

In a lot of ways, mono red lives the life mono black is themed to be.

[@itsacopy]

That's why Last-ditch effort is the red card that summons best the way of the RDW in one single flavor text. "If you're gonna lose, at least make sure they don't win as much."

[@curio_sphere]

i love it cuz it really speeds up games. Whether you win or die (usually first), you'll always have taken a hefty chunk out of the life of everyone around the table, including yourself, it's a great deck to bring to play with my very durdley friends. And staring at your hand mathing out whether you can make enough mana to kill the entire table in one turn is always exciting, I particularly love Neheb the eternal in commander for that.

[@tdimensional6733]

I love the line "A hasty dragon dropping in from the topdeck". It makes it sound like Glorybringer is body pressing you off the top ropes and that's hilarious to me

[@samditto]

Turn one: draw, play no lands, discard Iona, Shield of Emeria Turn two: play swamp, cast reanimate, Iona, Shield of Emeria enters then you choose red. My only loss when i played burn

[@AlleonoriCat]

That's just a clean gg, nothing but respect for that play.

[@LinkEX]

Interestingly, these very early knockouts are something you can't get with RDW. Despite probably being the quickest deck on average.

[@Booklat1]

@@LinkEX can always use swiftspear and blazing shoal in monored decks lol

[@AncientTyrant]

Nah: P1 Turn 1: Mountain, Grim Lavamancer P2 Turn 1: Island, Ponder, pass P1 Turn 2: Attack w/ Grim Lavamancer, P2 at 19 life. Mountain, pass. P2 casts Entomb, fetching Iona, Shield of Emeria P2 Turn 2: Swamp, Reanimate targeting Iona - P1 casts Lightning Bolt x2 + Fireblast. P2 dies to his own Reanimate.

[@KFin1337]

@@AncientTyrant they always have force

[@Kaleidoscope2412]

No colour has continued to epitomise the character that was laid out for it in the foundation of the game. Red is passion and energy; those that play mono red are much the same. Another wonderful video.

[@Doodle_Dud]

That and struggle to afford other modern decks. By no means knocking mono red, I love me some prowess burn :)

[@hectorloza5234]

Ironically after getting your Lightning Bolt video some odd months ago in my recommended, I got completely swept with every single one of your videos, from your showcases of the talented artists in Magic, the gameplay analysis and card theory, to a video that's so simple as looking at the frame that adorns the card. I've played Yugioh for almost 20 years and have been obsessed with cardboard and the game that goes with it, and have always wanted to watch something more entertaining and analytical; the algorithm tossing your videos my way brought me into a game that's now becoming my favorite. It so hard to describe how much I enjoy watching your videos, but its literally like a new episode of my favorite show dropped and when I get home it becomes an event. Thank you so much for sharing your your work, and putting so much effort into it, we love it and you alike.

[@RhysticStudies]

i'm saving this comment. thanks so much. i really appreciate it.

[@clayvision]

@@RhysticStudies just want to say as a former grinder and aggro/burn specialist, this video made my heart so happy

[@joachim160664]

The interesting thing about aggro, is that while the gameplan is simplistic, there are some big decisions to be made, that are VERY make or break. Sometimes you gotta hold an attack even though you really wanna go all-in.

[@ThelastProdigy]

Some of the most difficult games are usually against other aggro decks

[@arenkai]

God I miss live coverage... Imagine all the crazy plays and neat decks we're missing !

[@joe.5103]

It’s a hallmark of the game. Without it MTG doesn’t feel the same unfortunately.

[@TMOSP1]

12:00 had me jump out of my seat with excitement when I caught what happened. Can't destroy two of your own lands with a tapped Wasteland. God, that play was sick.

[@chaotemagick3]

I do not miss the abysmal camera work for live coverage. Unless you knew every card to the T you have no idea what's happening

[@joshturner9443]

@@TMOSP1 Oh man thank you for explaining, I figured there was something smart going on but I had no idea what

[@arenkai]

@@chaotemagick3 I'll take that over no coverage at all.

[@WereInHell]

Great video plus love to see the PUP love. I’m seeing them on the 15th and it’s gonna be my first mosh pit in 2 years. Gonna get so many bruises 🥲

[@RoofTopRenegade]

I saw them in colorado 2 weeks ago! first shows for me post panini and it couldnt have been better

[@jcpoly3205]

I saw them in chicago! it was an absolute blast, you’re gonna have an awesome time

[@Smilotron95]

Good to see you in the comments of a magic video! Didn't know you were a fan. Their set was nothing but bangers when I saw them last month.

[@davidv9286]

Had an amazing time in the pit when they played in LA a few weeks ago.

[@connorthorud631]

Oh man, have a blast! They were the very last show I saw before the pandemic.

[@christopherlundgren1700]

I remember when I was first introduced to the concept of the "Sligh" deck, as I recall, back in an issue of The Duelist. I believe the article was titled "Thrash With Trash". Since the deck was full of attainable low-cost cards, I tried it out and immediately started obliterating my friends. It definitely changed the way I saw the game. RDW is not my favorite archetype, but I respect the hell out of it. There was a time when an early "Lightning Bolt you" was a sign that you were against a player that was new to the game; now, it's a terrifying declaration that you're already dead.

[@joshturner9443]

There's an equivalent in hearthstone too, miracle rogue type decks are often combo/burn style decks, and there's a joke that when a rogue Hero Powers on turn 2 and hits you in the face to deal 1 damage, they're either a new player or a very good player.

[@seleenshadowpaw3012]

@@joshturner9443 you wouldn't believe how often that turn two dagger actually got me the win in the end, it's almost absurdly hillarious how much 1 damage so early can decide so much.

[@cormoranoimperatore8413]

@@joshturner9443 I haven’t played hearthstone in a while but the old miracle rogue with the arcane giants was my favorite deck, incredibly fun. Last time I saw a standard miracle deck it just looked like aggro though. I say red deck wins looks more like a pirate warrior.

[@kylegonewild]

Red Deck Wins is the great equalizer. Even when it's not a top-tier deck, it's sitting there in the wings just waiting for that next piece of fuel to stoke the fires once again.

[@seraf8297]

It's the check that keeps combo and control decks from getting too out of hand. If your deck can't get on its feet by around turn 4, it's not gonna last long in the meta even if it's currently winning games because eventually the aggro decks will crawl out of the woodwork and take advantage of that space.

[@dontmisunderstand6041]

@@seraf8297 It's the opposite. Combo, control, and midrange are only ever viable when RDW isn't. It's an existence that forces power creep, because RDW is either a tier 0 deck or a tier 2 deck. In concept alone, it's impossible for it to be equally strong as a non-aggro strategy, because paradoxically that means its win rate would match hypergeometric calculations precisely. If it is *as* strong as other good decks, it can only lose to the inherent luck within card draws. Its strategy is to end the game before the opponent gets to play. At its worst, it's everything wrong with Yugioh, but with zero possible counterplay. And at its best, it's a noninteractive waste of time. Aggro decks are not a check that keeps control from getting out of hand. It's the reason they get out of hand in the first place.

[@egoalter1276]

I feel some trauma here. Aggro is the baseline. It is against which all meta is defined. It is the base mode of play. In its purest form, it is a hurdle to clear for any other strategy ro be viable, and in its optimal form it is closer to poker than a tcg. Much more based on mindgames then lomg complex interactions.

[@dontmisunderstand6041]

@@egoalter1276 As someone quite good at poker... you're wrong about that comparison. Aggro is the only style of deck that doesn't play like poker.

[@kylegonewild]

@@dontmisunderstand6041 Aggro already has a playing card game equivalent in Speed and similar shedding games.

[@robbylava]

You hear that? That's the sound of control players everywhere hissing and making the sign of the cross

[@TheDisquietingNight]

Which is fitting choice of response, since one of their colors is white, color for both clerics and (some) vampires

[@TheMartianBotanist]

Control player here, one of your ilk once Skullcracked me for lethal in response to a Sphinx's Revelation x=10 and I'm still in therapy about it.

[@heronator]

@@TheMartianBotanist You deserved it.

[@ToxicAtom]

@@TheMartianBotanist _"The lawmage's argument was clever and well reasoned, but Blunk's response proved irrefutable."_

[@DemonchefSakoto]

Bro I’d take getting my ass wrecked by the tony hawk pro skater deck over another 600 phrexian or eldrazi deck.

[@sarosu9999]

My favorite magic deck I've ever played with I call "24-bolt". 4 copies of every lightning bolt variant I can fit into a deck, a few wizards and discard outlets to enable them, and 17 mountains. Games with that deck are always short, but never boring, and I love every minute.

[@LinkEX]

"Games with that deck are always short, but never boring." Do your opponents agree with that notion? Lol.

[@pnyhmsmx]

@@LinkEX they have fond memories. They simply call it PTSD

[@ich3730]

if just turning mountains sideways and playing 1-3 random cards from your hand is "not boring" for you then we have very different views on fun

[@cashclam1126]

I need that list bro sounds sick

[@ToxicAtom]

@@ich3730: "Magic is a lot more fun when I just draw, play a land, and then watch my opponent do stuff. When I get to 3 Islands I can start actually doing stuff." Me: "Swiftspear, Shock, Skewer the Critics, punch for 3?"

[@thedeadmeme7877]

always remember "life points are a resource" and "the only point that matters is the last"

[@UrAvgDMG]

Your life total can make you lose, but your opponents life total can make you win

[@shayneweyker]

Another iconic quote from Dave Price was "There are no wrong threats, only wrong answers". While a good rule of thumb, even he realized it's not true when a dominant combo deck is just faster (he played Stasis vs. Jar combo) or midrange is too popular.

[@claytonnewlon3747]

I mean, that’s exactly why it’s true, right? Jar was the right threat, there just weren’t any “right answers” to it in the format.

[@cyreni9756]

Memory Jar? Or something else?

[@shayneweyker]

@@cyreni9756 Yes, Memory Jar. Just before it got banned in Extended

[@owenheller378]

Red: All In Green: Go Big or Go Home White: Strength In Numbers Black: Sacrifices Must Be Made Blue: There's Always a Chance

[@traviswilson36]

You forgot one; Magic players: let's blow all our money on a useless hobby!

[@thefastestlink5637]

@@traviswilson36 let people like what they like. There’s no need to berate others for playing a game that to you is stupid, but for them is a hobby.

[@pikapuffin368]

@@traviswilson36 what’s your hobby, then?

[@traviswilson36]

@@pikapuffin368 your mom

[@Foxpawed]

Correction; Black: Greatness At Any Cost.

[@ExhaustedElox]

Oh God, that Hazoret misplay is so crushing.

[@Interesting_Failure]

I always liked how the razor's edge of viability that red aggro constantly rides was proved so thin when Ramunap Ruins, a card that looks completely stupid from every other perspective (five mana, sac a land, deal 2 damage? I'm paying 1 life for my colored mana so I can get extra Ember Shots?) tips it over the side into a level of brutality that breaks the format in half.

[@seraf8297]

Leave it to Mono-R to beat the opponent to death with their own severed limb when their weapon gets knocked out of their hands

[@tinfoilslacks3750]

Critical Mass baby!!

[@meatwad7133]

This man legit created one of the core fundamentals of all Tcgs, holy shit his importance reaches far beyond magic the gathering, and not many people even know his name.. Great video !

[@Floodle9358]

As a resident mono-red warrior, I started tearing up a bit at the end. I love your videos, they are great and I’d say this is the first time the video subject was about a deck that I play. My RDW journey started in Amonkhet block when I first learned to play Magic, seeing the Ramunap Red decks played at the pro tour I just had to build it myself. Eventually I built a cheap version of the deck with cards that I thought were fun and good. But that dinky deck paid for its self in winnings at my LGS. Once I had gotten the turn 4 kills I was hooked for life! Now, I’ve gotten to #1 mythic on arena playing Red Deck Wins. I was jamming out to some punk rock, and when I got to the top I piped out of my chair and celebrated. This video has captured that feeling exactly. Of style and fun and flamboyance that goes in to it all! Absolutely wonderful video! Probably my favorite yet due to the personal connection I feel to RDW! Can’t wait for many more videos from you in the future!

[@ThomasCann]

Haha, same! Somehow my eyes were all glossy when he stuck the landing.

[@leClyks]

@@ThomasCann I feel you

[@somefishhere]

He connects with the vibe

[@ontil68]

The beginning is the same bud! 👏

[@radical_ans]

Imagine being the random person on the walkway looking over as he lands the 25 step ollie. Witnessing a feat of athletic greatness as you walk to the store or something.

[@basabromander2778]

Still remember seeing that glorybringer topdeck for the first time. I had just started watching magic competitions, and that moment made my jaw drop. Last game, last round, last life point, last card. Absolutely incredible. Only wish we could've seen their faces at the exact moment he drew and played it.

[@styfen]

I was part of the group who built that 2000 English Championship deck. It was created at Hampton Court Palace the very night before the English Nationals. Dan had sat down in the servant quarter's kitchen with John, myself and several others. Dan in particular was at a complete loss of what to play because he did not like Counter-Rebels as an archtype. So he plumped to play through John's "mad science" box of deck ideas. When Dan asked about one deck, John called it "just a stupid red deck he threw together". Dan gave it a try and by the end of the first game, someone asked from another table "who won?" and someone else simply stated "Red Deck Wins". The deck went against another deck and won, again the phrase "Red Deck Wins" was uttered. After the third game this phrase became a mantra that we were all calling out with a mixture of surprise and delight. Dan decided to refine and pilot the deck for the English Nationals, and as a Welsh national who was already qualified I built a second copy of the deck for someone else to pilot. That deck I loaned made it all the way to the finals, losing to a Counter-Rebels deck also built with my cards. It was defeated because the Counter-Rebels deck had multiple Circle of Protection:Red which I had put in the sideboard after very firm requests from the deck's pilot player (due to their concerns over the RDW/Counter-Rebel match up). Great times.

[@chucklemaster9809]

In my experience, Red aggro is frequently criticised as "mindless" or even "braindead", but I think it's more about where the thought takes place. My red aggro decks require a lot of forethought in their design and construction, so that when I play them, I don't **need** to think. I did all my thinking before I got to the table so that the fire and lightning can do the rest.

[@pnyhmsmx]

Yeah, preparation before combat. Tactics and strategy are concepts that people misuse too. Even if Red's strategy is simple, knowing what are the best tactics according to the meta and deck you play against aren't always easy to make.

[@matthewradabaugh1635]

Oh yeah. Me and my burn friend have spent countless hours debating one land slot and one spell slot.

[@wizardsmix7961]

You guys do realize that every other deck also does this, except to an even greater extent. In comparison to all these other decks it’s still brainless lmfao.

[@oORoOFLOo]

that's with every deck tho...

[@jackstrawFW]

Exactly!

[@tehlime]

I knew almost nothing about Magic the Gathering (aside from the fact that boys I went to grade school with loved it) before I found your channel about a year ago, and I absolutely love hearing you explain the nuances of card designs, decks, games, etc - you craft your videos extraordinary well, and it’s genuinely exciting to learn more about Magic through your work!

[@Siiromo]

The use of PUP as a musical through line in this video is going underappreciated and I can't believe how I had never made the conscious connection with their style and the all-in nature of aggressive strategies. Phenomenal video.

[@theprojectdaemon]

I'm the kind of person who plays just about every style of deck, I'll give anything and everything a shot, but nothing is more consistent to me in every format than RDW; the one deck that I will always build, the one deck I will always play, the one deck that has me doing what, on the surface, looks like the most straightforward, simplistic plays, while doing turns and turns worth of math in my head.

[@stevenluoma1268]

@12:40 I think pointing out that tapping the Wasteland is why Sullivan wins is a good idea.

[@DK492tube]

I've rewatched that section a few times to try and fully understand. Was Sullivan just waiting for Merriam to tap out to be sure there was no response? Why wait until his own end step?

[@robotabc773]

@@DK492tube had he not tapped the Wasteland for mana, he could've tapped it to sacrifice it in response to Price of Progress, putting him one damage away from lethal.

[@DK492tube]

@@robotabc773 ah of course, ty!

[@RobertJW]

And Merriam’s assumption is that the game will be decided on Merriam’s turn following the Vortex trigger, that Sully’s line wants the Vortex in play. Only to find out that the Wasteland, not the Vortex, is the relevant permanent.

[@stevenglowacki8576]

Yeah, I think it was a very subtle thing that a lot of people are going to miss. The line required the opponent to tap their Wasteland that was protecting them from Price of Progress.

[@TheKingNaesala]

This episode hit me right in the guts. You make RDW feel punk as hell. I've dropped the game over shitty business practices in the past few years but man if hearing about the badassness doesn't make me want to swing by the boxes of cheap cards at my LGS and slam together a RDW to play with friends.

[@pnyhmsmx]

If you've got friends, might as well play with them. Just don't buy sealed since Wizards makes money selling sealed products to distributors and stores unless it's direct to the customers like Secret Lairs or digital micro transactions on Arena.

[@_jase]

I'm so glad you included jaws epic Ollie in describing red decks because it is excaltly like that

[@williamchristensen7354]

"It started with a daydream." What a hell of an opening line!

[@adbirk19]

The nostalgia is fucking real with this one. I remember watching live like half of these matches in my teenage years. It brings back the whole meta-game of the time, pros I'm now big fans of first being seen. Whole thing was a trip.

[@Dom9606]

one of the decks I first properly built and optimised was a mono red burn deck, still very proud of it

[@marcmothersole8265]

Same, that’s why it will always be my favourite archetype :)

[@Fenzle]

Same, as a kid I dunno why but glass canons are really attractive. Same with kamikaze.

[@TheIronRegalia]

Sam, this is by far my favorite video you have put out. I watch it all the time, especially when I am feeling down or discouraged. It helps remind me of my roots in magic, my first deck being a terrible mono red aggro, but it also reminds me of who I am as a person. My ambitions, that fire I have inside me to accomplish my goals and dreams, that spark of creativity. Thank you for taking the time to make this beautiful homage for those red mages everywhere, to keep our proverbial mountains “entering the battlefield tapped”. Cheers, to many more inspiring videos.

[@Lava_Spike]

What a wonderful trip down memory lane! One of the earliest and memorable things about Red Deck Wins when I started playing Magic was an old article by Mike Flores for Star City Games called "The Philosophy of Fire". It talks about the calculus of trading cards for life to hopefully win. It made such an impression on me that I still refer to it to this day. So thanks again for the video!

[@lightspiritz]

All cozied up in my blanket time for another great vid, thanks Sam!

[@Mr_Myst13]

I love every single second of this... It reminded me of my love for the simplistic yet intense strategy of red deck wins, and just what red as a color in Magic is for me in general... Keep up the good work, as always!!!

[@drudeger]

I find myself coming back to this video quite a bit, it's one of my favorite video essays on youtube. your writing style and way with words can't be overstated, this video has so many good quotes. and your storytelling abilities really just bring it all together. idk I just really love your work. also this video made me want to play mono-red aggro if I ever decide to get back into playing the game again haha.

[@Martini_1911]

As a long time lover of RDW style decks, this video really spoke to me. Honestly what I love most about red decks is trying to pilot them optimally, finding the line that maximizes your damage each turn, and so many victories are won when your opponent is on the cusp of stabilizing.

[@matterhorn731]

Great video! My favorite moment piloting a red deck was back in 2018. I was pretty new to FNM and my blue-white control opponent was one of the best players at the shop. I'd gotten him low, but he'd just slammed a sideboard Lyra Dawnbringer, hoping to stabilize off her lifelink. I did the math. I could kill him, but not if he gained 5, and I did need to attack... So I swung with everything _except_ one Fanatical Firebrand. He blocked my Viashino Pyromancer. Before damage, I sacced the Firebrand to kill my own Pyromancer. No blocked Pyromancer, no 5 points lifelink, and the rest of my board has lethal!

[@jari5790]

Beautiful line, you love to see it

[@project_swift]

My god this was a brilliant video. Got me all teary and emotional. Well played Rhystic Studies, well played.

[@hosersupreme]

This - so much this

[@BebehCookieIcecream]

PUP, Jaws, amazing pro play moments, wonderful writing, seamless editing. Rhystic Studies.

[@clevestinson7996]

Love this video, love the concept of rdw, love how you incorporated the story of jaws vs the Lyon 25. There is a picture of what his trucks looked like after the impact online somewhere. It’s amazing he rolled away, he bent both axles completely out of alignment

[@Gothstana]

7 years later and Aaron Homoki's Lyon 25 ollie still sends chills down my spine. What an absolute freak, love it.

[@monterraythehomeless]

I can't think of another channel where I'm immediately genuinely ecstatic EVERY time I see new content. Don't think you could make a bad video if you tried.

[@SuperToastytoast]

The parallel storytelling is phenomenal

[@blade6321]

"Who says you have to be at fenway to watch the fireworks?" I came here to escape from my beloved Sox's abysmal start to the season, how could you! This video reminds me of King Felix. It was a different era of baseball then, when you could throw 110-120 pitches as a starting pitcher. I think it's healthier for the game, but there's something beautiful about that commitment and recklessness.

[@metalblizzard6024]

When Eidolon dropped, I built mono red for standard and modern, and after 1-week I said this card is a bomb and bought 100 of them. Best random investment of my life lol.

[@pnyhmsmx]

Did you sell the extras?

[@miguelitomarques8]

I play red aggro 90% of the time. The other 10% is aggro rakdos. Even my red dragon deck is built on haste and damage by casting. My friends call me "Chandra's husband" lol

[@starmanda88]

Love that nickname!

[@underscore_5450]

Aggro Rakdos so much fun

[@tcgplayercom]

goated

[@georgem7502]

The artistry of your videos is outstanding; I’m looking forward to this one

[@LinkmasterZable]

Sam, this expresses everything I love about my chosen play style in words I've never thought of. Thank you

[@jacobl1139]

This video is one of the few pieces of media that make me emotional and over come with tears. Not only is this a well crafted video about the style of decks I play the most, but a tribute to wearing your heart on your sleeve and giving it your all. God bless you, Sam

[@JordanKarim]

This was simply amazing. Thank you for coming to the table with the same passion and fire that you talked about today! You are so appreciated

[@TheTinmanstudios]

Another amazing video - thanks for making these.

[@GoodMorningMagic]

A delightful watch. Nostalgia, truth, and history all in one video. Keep it up, Sam. Great stuff. :)

[@ToxicAtom]

Gavin? What are you doing all the way down here

[@ccoughlin2284]

A smile on my face the entire time, RDW is my hands down favorite archetype, and still to this day the only play experience that gets my heart thumping and hands shaking! Just watching this got me in the same place, great video!

[@RyanKavanagh1996]

easily my favourite video of yours. So incredibly done

[@parentalcon]

Your videos are real treasures of the community. I hope you do what you do for a long time to come!

[@captainchaos5705]

Red Deck Wins is a deck I have an odd relationship with. I'm a control player at heart, and maaaan does it hurt to play against RDW. But it's not the unga bunga caveman deck a lot of people assume it is. There's a lot of math involved and there's strategy in when to use what abilities. It's not a deck I care to play, but I respect those who do

[@pnyhmsmx]

One of the most effective ways to play red is to weaponize blue magic philosophy against the blue mage. Abusing the effectives of the stack versus commitment to the board state. Burn spells nullify the blue mages tools that happen to be : bounce spells, tap spells, stat/ability modifiers, creatures only good for blocking. Blue mages also hate when you use abilities to replace actions performed by spells, i.e. Barbarian Ring dealing shock damage.

[@captainchaos5705]

Ironically my favorite deck of all time is burn's old cousin storm. I don't wanna play 7 bolts, I wanna play 20 grapeshots

[@motw_ru]

This ending is unbelievably good. Sam’s storytelling definitely got better with time. What a live letter to magic.

[@chanlennox8133]

So so so good. Thank you for existing.

[@Leftoverpotatoes]

such a great study! loved the music and skateboarding parallels!!

[@theokchannel2081]

Love the work that you do man!, Also love Red and for vorthos reasons I started building a red deck for pioneer a couple of months ago but with the meta changing and my inner contrarian, the red in me, begs to go against the grain and be free to do what I like rather than what...wins

[@ReplayStation]

One of my favorite decks is a huge cheap mono red glass cannon. A bunch of hasty 1/1s and Cavalcade of Calamity and either Torbran or Chandra's Spitfire as finishers. It's a dumb, but effective and only costs like $12 in paper.

[@christopherknop417]

Amazing how you bring the two most favourite hobbies of mine into such an elegant and profound connection.The feeling of landing an insane trick by committing into everything you got is really similar to the feeling of winning a game by going all-in on your aggressive gameplan and the right timing.

[@ThomasCann]

The editing here is incredible. I choked up and got shivers at the end. I didn't know that was possible. Exceptional. Thank you.

[@runic6668]

It's brilliant, I've watched this video like 20 times, has genuinely made me wanna build burn in modern and legacy

[@iamryan9234]

Oh snap, he’s back!

[@brendanforcucci8750]

Absolutely spectacular video. Thank you very much for creating this

[@MrBuga69]

This is such an awesome video, Jaws went to my high school and is something of a local legend, seeing him pop up in this context put a huge smile on my face. Keep up the great work!

[@vaporjester6523]

Ayo, that callback to the Bolt/ What Makes A Card Iconic video with the music selection when he started talking about the amount of turns it takes for a 40 Bolt deck to kill you was fire!

[@StoicDivinity]

been playing MTG since 2000 - Red Deck Wins is always a blast to pilot

[@janmelantu7490]

It’s fun to play and fun to play against. Nobody likes losing to a blue control deck. When you play against Red Deck Wins, even if you lose, you’re actually *playing magic*.

[@kereminde]

@@janmelantu7490 ... and then there is the evils of Izzet burn...

[@crispycaveman9164]

I've watched this like a dozen times. It just gets better the more I watch it

[@Resuarus]

This feels so much different in tone than your normal videos, and you still nailed it. Flawless execution. Another corner of Magic to fall in love with.

[@SilverAlex92]

"...He looks at Hazoret, asking what would him do... He turns siedways and attack". Probably my favorite momment of the entire video. Both heartwarning and heartbreaking how the kid found the winning lining, trusting everything on hazoret, cardinal god of mono red players, and it payed off. Except that he missed the executionand ended up loosing. It emcapsulates everything about Red Deck Wins. Its high risk high reward plays, its phyolosphy of always being on the offensive, and how despite how simplistictic it looks, its actually a surprisignly deep and nuanced archetype, full of choices that often look very simple (do I bolt the blocker or face?), but making a single mistake can totally cost you the game. Thats the power of red deck wins. Its fast, its cheap, its powerful, execute it perfectly and your opponent will die before they even get to the lategame, but miss a single step and it will punish equally hard if not harder than your opponent.

[@jari5790]

I got into bouldering and playing rdw around roughly the same time. Ever since that I'd always compare the two. The single minded drive to reach your goals, no matter what obstacles you face. Obvious aesthetic similarities aside, the feeling I get when I reach the top of a problem is the same as the feeling of a lethal lightning bolt at judt the right time

[@nestorcuz6738]

I love videos like this. Thanks for making it.

[@hellosurge4622]

One of your best videos yet. Keep going RS!

[@CodyDockerty]

RDW is the essence of "think smarter, not harder"

[@alexcapps9290]

This is amazing. As a RDW player your analysis is spot on. I hate when people call rdw "easy" then drop lurrus on the battlefield....

[@egoalter1276]

Calling red easy is a fundamental misreading of the game. For all the fancy combo interactions and infinite loops, at the end of the day, the game deciding actions happen entirely in the combat phase (umless you play mill, or some alternate wincon I guess). The entire aim of magic is to succed in the combat step more consistently than your opponent, and everything else you do merely supports that. Rdw (and all other creature aggro and midrange decks) focus on simply optimising the combat step through good play, rather than try and circumvent having to meaningfully engage with it. It is magic at it purest, and involves perhaps the most plannimg and quick math of any deck archetype.

[@Ringtailed79]

15:48-16:08 is the most succinct summary of red's competitive philosophy I've ever heard

[@underscore_5450]

God, I fucking love your videos. It's like the coolest documentary I've ever seen. And the way you tie together themes throughout the vid? Masterful

[@spinakker14]

I'm more of an analytical and careful person, so when I started playing magic I thought I'd be a blue control player outsmarting and denying my opponent's every move, absolutely dominating the game until they give up. Then as I played more I realized that I have no patience for that and I want to go as aggressively and quickly as possible. Also, couldn't afford the expensive decks. My best moment was when I almost won a local competition with a sock full of pennies deck. I made one mistake, which is further proof that still a lot of math and thinking goes into a "dumb" deck.

[@pnyhmsmx]

When I first started playing the game, the color black got my attention for flavor and graveyard abuse. Then I eventually gravitated to blue for power and reminding me how Yu-Gi-Oh tempo works. But yeah blue being constantly pricy helped me gravitate to red. Helps that red has the option to damage the players without to commit permanents since blue has lots of options to affect the board state apart from counter spells.

[@spinakker14]

@@pnyhmsmx reminds me of a pro tour match during the ravnica-theros standard when a burn deck faced against a control deck, with relatively few creatures, really fascinating

[@gavcanflip]

The red deck was never my jam, but there's a poignant nostalgia for it now. What an incredible video Also, Dominic Di Tommaso, a parkour athlete with Team Farang, front-flipped Lyons a couple of years ago. Gnarly clip, highly recommend

[@cameronstage7465]

I have seen almost your entire collection of videos, and this video is by far my favorite.

[@sensudubs4421]

I played magic competitively many years ago and my go-to modern deck was Burn. It felt good to pilot, and I had a lot of victories thanks to that deck. Listening to this video brings back a lot of memories.