Hello BMoor,

I'm writing to ask for some advice on my Black/Red deck. My budget is probably midrange(although I do like to focus only common/uncommon), and this deck is for Standard play. The main focus of the deck is to try to inflict as much indirect damage to the opposing player as possible. It's a bit long-winded so I've written a lengthy post below, or you can just skip to my deck list where I sum up the key points as succinctly as possible.  

Seeing as how most of my spells are black, Smolder Initiate is a main component of my deck. The ability gets better when the opposing player uses black spells as well, plus the ability is almost impossible to counter and is doesn't rely on tapping the card(I try to avoid tapping because I feel it wastes the use of the card for attack/defense). Manaforge Cinder helps me sort out my mana problems, like when I don't pull any mountains and all I have are red spells. Sure it has a limit of 3 times, but I've never reached that limit before. Goblin Deathraiders is more of a chump card really, but 3/1 trample for 2 mana is nice. Even if they block with a 1/1(which usually happens) I still manage 2 damage, and any damage in my deck is good. Mudbutton Torchrunner has an excellent graveyard invoked ability, so I just attack with it each round, and I get a free Incinerate when it dies. Hissing Iguanar goes well with my entire deck, since I tend to attack as often as  possible. Plus, it's ability works on their creatures too. 

Blightning I think is just a ridiculous card, 3 damage and 2 discard for 3 is too good to pass up. I keep it in there since its not dependant on anything and if need be, can just be used as a incinerate to the player's health. Poison the Well is a bit expensive(which I don't like), but it can get rid of their special lands and if they are running multiple color, can really ruin their day. Again, it deals indirect damage.  

Incinerate is just standard burn, and useful all around really. Cheep too. Unmake is there to answer anything crazy that they bring out.

Unholy Strength you might ask why I include it, but it's served it's purpose very well, such as bringing out Smolder Initiate turn one, beef it up to 3/2, turn two(plus 1 damage since its a black spell anyway), attack for another 3 and they are down to 16 by turn 3. It also helps my creatures(which all have 1 toughness) last a bit longer.  

My deck has fared pretty well so far, but I really want to get it up to tournament standard(if that's possible lol, if not I'll just keep it for casuals). Please, slice and dice any way you see fit, I'm not in love with any of the cards. I kept a record and I tend to lose against 1) Elf Token decks(goblin not so much, but they get annoying), 2) Life gain decks, 3) Funky Blue Counter with something else decks and 4) Persist decks. That's why I assembled a 'possible' sideboard deck to help me out with them. Pyroclasm/Infest for the Token and Persists, Stigma Lasher for life gain(but I'm sure it'll cost me a small fortune) and Guttural Response for the blue counters. The only thing is, I don't know if I would have the luck to pull them out when I needed them, but I guess that's magic! I also don't have a 'be all and end all' type spell, so sometimes during long matches if all my creatures are dead, I rely on luck to pull out a few life drain spells.

Short Summary:

- Deck aimed at dealing as much indirect damage as possible through spells like Blightning, Poisen the Well and Smolder Initiate.

- Very Attack orientated, especially when cards like Mudbutton Torchrunner and Hissing Iguanar are in play. 

- Has fared OK, but needs help against token/life gain/counter and persist decks.

- Doesn't really have a 'be all and end all' spell, and sometimes relay on luck to pull a few life drain spells when all my creatures are dead. 

Deck List - 60 cards total:

Lands:

13 Swamps

7 Mountains

Creatures:

4 x Smolder Initiate

4 x Manaforge Cinder

4 x Goblin Deathraiders

4 x Mudbutton Torchrunner

4 x Hissing Iguanar 

Sorceries:

4 x Blightning

4 x Poison the Well
 

Instants:

4 x Incinerate

4 x Unmake

Enchantments:

4 x Unholy Strength

Possible Sideoard:

3 x Pyroclasm

4 x Infest

4 x Guttural Response

4 x Stigma Lasher

I love reading your articles and hope you can offer me some advice! Thank you for your time!

All the Best,

Ryan

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Well, thanks Ryan, for both the decklist and all the information that came with it.  I should have no problem with this diagnosis, and we'll have your deck purring like a kitten in no time!

So, black and red, with unpreventable pings is the theme of the day here.  You've already got a good foundation for that, but perhaps there are more effective tools at your disposal.  For example, when I see this deck, my thoughts keep returning to Spiteful Visions.  This card is like Howling Mine and Underworld Dreams all rolled into one, except it burns you too.  But with this on the field, each player gets an extra card and takes 2 every turn.  This could easily whittle down opponents, it scales well in multiplayer, and it makes your Blightnings all the more valuable.  It will also help you to draw more cards, something red and black aren't great at.  It will however, job you for two a turn like everyone else, and give your opponent an extra card each turn, so this may not prove to be the solution you want.

Next, I notice that you mention that you sometimes run out of creatures and have to hope you pull a life drain spell.  But by "life drain", you seem to mean "drain my opponent's life away, right into the sewer where nobody gets it".  You're playing black, Ryan.  You should mean, "drain my opponent's life away, and give it to ME."  Black is great at this, and it will help keep you alive while you look for more firepower.

To this end, I recommend pulling out Unholy Strength and adding in Syphon Life.  It's 2 damage for you, 2 life for me, and best of all, it has retrace.  Once you've played one, any extra lands you pull when you needed a spell, can become a spell!  Suddenly you're guaranteed to draw nothing but gas!

This also has the nice "side effect" of giving you some teeth against counterspell decks.  If they counter the first one, it still goes to the graveyard, where you can retrace it.  Counterspells thrive off of you running out of business spells.  With a retracer in the graveyard, you never will.

Now, then, for your difficulties with life gain and persist decks.  I know one card that singlehandedly makes both these strategies fall apart: Everlasting Torment.  When all sources of damage have Wither, your opponent's persist creatures will pretty much always have -1/-1 counters on them when they die, meaning they won't come back.  And when players can't gain life, well... that one speaks for itself.  Yes, that means you won't get the 2 life from your Syphon Life, but that's okay.  You can still play it just to smack the other guy for two.

I admit it's not a perfect solution, since life gain decks are usually white, and white is good at destroying enchantments.  But the odds of them having the enchantment hate in hand when you drop this thing are low enough that you'll usually get a few turns at least of making them squirm.  Just be ready to use them well.

All that really leaves on your "hates me" list is token rush decks, and you've already hit on Infest and Pyroclasm to wipe them out.

Finally, it really feels like you should have a fairly heavy hitter.  This "plague of flies" strategy is nice, but too susceptible to just losing momentum and petering out.  When each card is only good for a few points of damage, you need ten or more business spells to get through and seal the deal.  Like you mentioned, you've had that problem of running out of steam, hoping to pull a few more damaging spells.

I'm not saying you need a 6/6 flying trample for eight mana, or that you should spend the cash on a chase rare finisher like Demigod of Revenge (though he would certainly earn his paycheck for you if you decide you want to go get a few of him).  What I am saying is that currently, your biggest creature is a 3/1.  To remedy this, I recommend Ashenmoor Gouger.  As a 4/4 for 3 mana, you just can't go wrong here.  So it can't block.  Big deal.  You said yourself that you were mainly focused on attacking.

That just about covers all this deck's weak spots.  Well except that it can't destroy enchantments, but it's black/red, so that's to be expected.  I'm a deck mechanic, not a miracle worker.  But as the guy playing the deck, Ryan, you'll have to make those miracles happen yourself.  So get out there and fight! Show 'em what you're made of!

Good luck!

~BMoor