Succeeding as a Red Mage in Magic the Gathering

Mono red decks have always had to adapt to the metagame. A couple Standard seasons ago, red mages played Flames of the Blood Hand to stop the lifegain of Loxodon Hierarch. And way back in the day, I remember sideboarding four Anarchies to stop Circle of Protection: Red.

In today's Standard format, there are a lot of things that give red mages a headache -- from Primal Command and Flashfreeze to the new kid on the block, Kitchen Finks, from the newest set, Shadowmoor. However, I still think mono red burn is viable to play in your local Friday Night Magic tournament. Here are a couple reasons why.

1. Burn spells work well against Bitterblossom, which is one of the most powerful cards in Standard.

2. There are many great burn spells today that cost two or less mana. There's Rift Bolt (which basically costs one mana because of suspend), Incinerate, Shard Volley, Shock, Tarfire, and Lash Out. A red mage can deal a lot of damage even if he only has three lands in play.

3. Mono red burn can just get lucky and win. Anyone who's been burned by three Shard Volleys in a single game knows this is true.

4. Red decks got excellent additions in Shadowmoor. Shadowmoor has a 2/1 for one mana (Tattermunge Maniac), a 3/3 haste creature for three mana (Boggart Ram-Gang), and a burn spell that deals four damage for three mana (Flame Javelin).

So, what cards should a red mage play in current Standard? I'm glad you asked. Let me take you through my thought process of building a mono red burn deck from 0 to 60 cards.

Obvious Inclusions

I think the next four cards are automatic inclusions.

4 Mogg Fanatic
It costs one mana. It's a burn spell on a 1/1 body so it fits perfectly in any burn deck.

4 Keldon Marauders
Another great creature. If you're on the play and you have it in your opening hand, it usually deals five damage. If it doesn't deal combat damage to your opponent, it will still deal two damage and oftentimes trades with a creature. All this for the bargain price of two mana.

4 Rift Bolt
The best one mana burn spell in Standard.

4 Incinerate
The best two mana burn spell in Standard.

4 Flame Javelin
The best three mana burn spell in Standard.

Boggart Ram-Gang or Countryside Crusher?

Ah, the big debate between red mages. Which creature is better? Boggart Ram-Gang has haste and wither while Countryside Crusher can get bigger than 3/3 and he also improves your draws. I'm going with Boggart Ram-Gang because red burn decks want to deal damage as fast as possible. Plus, Ram-Gang's wither ability is very useful against big Tarmogoyfs and persist creatures like Kitchen Finks.

I could play both of them, but I don't want too many spells in my three casting cost slot. I already have eight cards because of the four Flame Javelin.

Other Creatures

4 Tattermunge Maniac
Since you want to deal a lot of damage quickly, a 2/1 for one mana definitely fits the bill.

4 Blood Knight
This guy shines in the current environment. He can brawl with most of the creatures in the Faerie deck. He blocks Doran without blinking. He can't be blocked by Kitchen Finks or Oversoul of Dusk. He is Kithkin's worst nightmare. And don't forget his first strike ability. If you have a burn spell, he can take down a 4/5 Tarmogoyf and live to tell the tale.

Other Burn Spells

Shard Volley definitely goes in the deck. The question is, "How many?" Four seems to be too many because of the lands you have to sacrifice. Two seems to be too few because you want to draw multiples. I think three is the best number.

What about Shock and Tarfire? Those spells are good but probably not good enough. There are too many creatures with three toughness running around - Tarmogoyf (usually), Wren's Run Vanquisher, and other Keldon Marauders and Ram-Gangs. And two damage to the dome for one mana is not enough damage to make a dent on your opponent's life total.

Also, I'll pass on Lash Out because it can only target creatures. I'd rather have a creature in its place. I have enough removal.

Lands: Ghitu Encampment or Keldon Megaliths?

22 lands should be enough. All of them need to produce red mana because of the casting costs of Flame Javelin and Boggart Ram-Gang. Also, I don't want too many lands that come into play tapped, so I have to choose between Ghitu Encampment and Keldon Megaliths. Keldon Megaliths seems slightly better because it can go to the dome when my opponent stabilizes the board with removal and blockers.

The Main Deck So Far

4 Keldon Megaliths
18 Mountain
4 Tattermunge Maniac
4 Mogg Fanatic
4 Keldon Marauders
4 Blood Knight
4 Boggart Ram-Gang
4 Incinerate
4 Rift Bolt
4 Flame Javelin

I have three spots left to fill. It's a metagame gamble, but I'm going with Magus of the Moon to fill those spots. Yes, Magus is hardly a great draw against another burn deck, but against much of the field, Magus dominates. A huge majority of Standard decks rely heavily on nonbasic lands.

Bonus Section: Sideboard Considerations

The sideboard will depend on your local metagame. Here are some ideas to get you started.

You should definitely have the fourth Magus of the Moon.

Lash Out is great against creature swarm decks.

Everlasting Torment stops lifegain.

Greater Gargadon is good in the mirror match.

Smash to Smithereens can slow down decks that rely too much on artifact mana while also dealing damage. Also, it's a great foil for Dragon's Claw.

Vexing Shusher and Guttural Response are excellent against counterspells.