It’s time for the first Top Level Podcast Deck Doctor episode!

Our Patrons probably already know this, but one of the higher level rewards on our Patreon page is “mini-deck doctor” … So in anticipation for that cool feature coming up — and in the tradition of “Mike’s Do-Nothing Naya Deck” (“That deck actually did everything, not nothing!” -Mike), Patrick unleashes his Innovations on a couple of Mike’s current Standard decks.

Up first: Rakdos Midrange

3 Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet
4 Goblin Dark-Dwellers

1 Ob Nixilis, Reignited
1 Chandra Flamecaller

1 Dark Petition
4 Read the Bones
2 Transgress the Mind
4 Tormenting Voice

4 Fiery Impulse
4 Grasp of Darkness
1 Ultimate Price
3 Ruinous Path
2 Kolaghan’s Command

4 Blighted Fen
4 Drownyard Temple
4 Foreboding Ruins
4 Mountain
4 Smoldering Marsh
6 Swamp

sb:
4 Reality Smasher
1 Dark Petition
1 Duress
2 Grip of Desolation
1 Infinite Obliteration
3 Languish
1 Ob Nixilis, Reignited
1 Ruinous Path
1 Virulent Plague

“Have you ever Pyromancers Goggle’d a Kolaghan’s Command?”
-Patrick

Doctor Patrick’s Notes:

• There are no sweepers; which seems terrible in the current Standard metagame
• With main-deck Dark Petition, the deck should have at least one Languish
• Another good main deck sweeper is Kozilek’s Return (especially if Saito’s U/R Flying deck is popular)
• Three copies of Ruinous Path is too low… You’d play five if you could (and B/W decks do!)
• Eight colorless lands is not super realistic; the deck either has to find a way to play more colorless lands (possibly with an Evolving Wilds package) or far, far fewer
• The advantage of going two colors is great mana — twelve sources of red and only fourteen sources of black do not make this deck a favorite for Grasp of Darkness or third-turn Ruinous Path
• Playing more colored lands will likely make Reality Smasher impossible to sideboard consistently… “colorless is a color”

Deck 2: Selesnya Ramp

3 Secure the Wastes

3 Oath of Nissa
4 Ruin in their Wake
3 Nissa’s Pilgrimage
3 Explosive Vegetation

3 Dromoka’s Command

1 Season’s Past

4 Sylvan Advocate
2 Nissa, Vastwood Seer
4 Tireless Tracker
4 Ulvenwald Hydra
1 World Breaker
1 Dragonlord Dromoka

1 Drownyard Temple
4 Evolving Wilds
9 Forest
4 Fortified Village
1 Wastes
1 Plains
1 Mirrorpool
3 Westvale Abbey

sb:
1 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
1 Secure the Wastes
3 World Breaker
1 Dragonlord Dromoka
4 Reality Smasher
1 Seasons Past
3 Clip Wings
1 Dromoka’s Command

“I think ‘Selesnya Ramp’ is a weird way to describe your Tokens deck.”
-Patrick

Doctor Patrick’s Notes:

• Ulvenwald Hydra is a weird top of the curve… You’re not really ramping to anything bigger
• This deck does make bigger Tireless Trackers than anyone else
• Cut Drownyard Temple! … Nobody runs out of land for World Breaker
• This deck has almost no removal, isn’t fast, has no permission or discard, isn’t the biggest, and doesn’t draw the most cards

There you have it! Our first Deck Doctor episode! To learn how to get your ideas featured in a future Deck Doctor, check out our Patreon page.

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