Rakdos Phyrexian Anvil

Crush Rakdos Midrange with the best deck in Pioneer

I’ve got an opinion that a bit of overconfidence based on small sample size is key to being a good brewer (after all if I don’t believe in my brews who else is going to). So with that caveat I’m going to go into detail on my new brew Rakdos Phyrexian Anvil, which I think is the current best deck in Pioneer.

I’ve played 7 leagues with it and have a 29-6 record with it for an 83% win rate. I’m really not sure how I came up with this idea, but I’m really proud of it. The deck is not only extremely strong, but extremely fun to play.

The Elevator Pitch

Beat all the decks that operate at 4 Mana Value or less, lose to the ones that care about 5 mana value or more*. Fortunately most decks keep their curves low and you crush <=4 MV decks and at least have a chance against the >=5 MV decks

*Note: It beats Boros Convoke, even though yes technically the convoke creatures are 5 MV

What’s the game plan?

It’s a very flexible deck so here’s stuff that happens:

• Cast Gleeful Demolition, play Grafted Butcher next turn, attack for 6 evasion. Their turn, they kill Grafted Butcher (possibly having never played against it before and not knowing what it does). Your turn bring it back, sacrificing a Terrarion to do so so drawing a card, attack for 6 evasive again

• Cast two Gleeful Demolition and attack for 12!

  

• Do regular Oni Cult + Meathook stuff and just grind them to dust, while they have no real way to interact

• They think they’ve finally stabilized, topdeck the one of Kroxa with 6 mana and a full graveyard and they have two cards in hand

• They think they’ve finally stabilized and then you chain Implement of Combustions and Voldaren Epicures to burn them out

• In the most outrageous of grindy situations, have a Grafted Butcher in play, one in the yard, and a Meathook in play and just keep sacing the Butchers to each other for one damage for 4 mana. Seriously why is no one playing Meathook, it’s amazing!

Post board:

• Bring in creature removal against the creature decks

• Bring in the aggro package of Fuseling and Shrapnel Blast to try and go under the linear decks or the 5+ MV decks trying to go over you

• Unlicensed Hearse against graveyard decks, one of against Rakdos Midrange and some control

What makes it so strong

Relevant Interaction

Over on Faithless Brewing, David is always emphasizing you have to engage with Pioneer on the terms the format demands and it’s always such a good point. I’ll look at lists I see online and go to myself “Where is the one man instant speed interaction or the wraths!?”. It’s always going to feel like a Play/Draw format if you don’t give yourself the tools to interact with your opponent when they are on the play.

This deck may have the best interaction suite of any deck I’ve played. It has:

• 8 S tier one mana instant speed removal spells. Fatal Push that is easily revolted in the main and Voltage Surge that is easily kicked in the board

• 3 Main Deck Wrath, that also act as wincons

And these numbers don’t do the suite justice. This deck has Phoenix style velocity, so you find your removal.

It’s aggressive

Some of the Gleeful Demolition on 2 games end surprisingly fast. And because it’s go wide token based aggression most decks struggle to slow it. Closing out games fast is a big way to increase win % in Pioneer, where the decks are so powerful your opponent can quickly take over if you give them a window.

But, it can also go long

Oni Cult is a long game plan in one two mana card. Experimental Synthesizer is a one mana 2.5 for 1 in this deck (also, how is this the first time I mentioning Synthesizer, it’s arguably the best card in the deck). Meathook provides it’s own kind of inevitability. And you’ll eventually draw the one of Kroxa.

Great velocity + a variety of ways to win

It’s not quite Phoenix, but you tend to see ~25 cards in a game. That kind of velocity is huge for reliably executing your plan. This velocity is also huge for adapting to what your opponent throws at you given the wide range of ways to win this deck has. Some games line up where you put on aggressive pressure. Some your opponent has no chance against the Anvil plan. However, you see enough cards you don’t have to hope for the “right half of your deck”, you’ll see it.

Low Land Count

I’ve got this theory that you want your deck to have either 19 lands or 25+ lands. This is a 19 land deck and it feels great.

Note for mulligan decisions: you have to keep a ton of one landers and believe in the heart of the cards

It’s doing something powerful

One of the things I always say is your deck needs to be doing something legitimately powerful to be competitive in Pioneer. Gleeful Demolition is one of the most powerful cards in Pioneer. You need to pair it with cards that help maximize it and Butcher + Meathook is a great way to do that

It destroys Rakdos Midrange

The curve is way lower with just as much card advantage and cards like Gleeful, Anvil, and Meathook that just line up super well against Rakdos. I think I’ve played the matchup 10 times and won them all.

Main Deck Wrath for Boros Convoke

I developed this deck before Boros Convoke came on the scene, but let me tell you, it was nice to be already running 3 Meathook main as Convoke started to come through. If the deck stays I could see going up to 4.

At the same time, Boros Convoke presents the biggest risk to Phyrexian Anvil at the moment, because the hate for Boros Convoke risks hitting us as well. Temporary Lockdown and Brotherhood’s End are both particularly nasty for Anvil.

Some More Matchups

Mono G is tough. Gruul Vehicles you are favored (helps attacking on the ground and Demolition can act as artifact removal). UW control comes down to if they are playing Temporary Lock down or not. Mono White Humans favored. Spirits favored especially post board. Rogues strong favored. Bring to Light or Enigmatic, tough. Lotus and Phoenix I don’t have enough data but both potentially tough. Greasefang, favored but very interesting matches with a lot of play. Strong favored against most non-tier decks, this deck is so consistent, efficient, and has a clock so tough for decks that are not fully tuned.

Enjoy

Best of all, the deck is fun with lots of play, constant novel situations, while still playing relatively fast. Good luck to anyone who gives it a try.

Lightweight Sideboard Guide

My sideboards and plans tend to change a lot, so take this more for directional ideas than hard rules. With this list you are mostly either cutting one of Terrarion or Epicure for removal. Or cutting Removal for Shrapnel Blast and Fuseling

Rakdos Midrange

+3 Voltage Surge, +1 Go For the Throat, +1 Hearse. -4 Epicure, -1 Terraion. Sheoldred is the key card for them in this match.

Abzan Greasefang

+4 Voltage Surge, +1 Go For the Throat, +2 Hearse. -4 Oni Cult, -1 Light Up, -1 Meathook, -1 Epicure

Mono Green Devotion

+ 4 Exuberant Fuseling, +4 Voltage Surge, +4 Shrapnel Blast. -4 Oni Cult, -1 Light Up, -3 Meathook, -1 Kroxa, -2 Push, -1 Terrarion

Mono White Humans

+4 Voltage Surge, +1 Go for the Throat. -4 Terrarion, -1 Light up the Stage

Lotus Field

+4 Exuberant Fuseling, +4 Shrapnel Blast. -4 Fatal Push, -3 Meathook, -1 Kroxa