MTG – R/B Rakdos Philosophy, Strengths, and Weaknesses: A Magic: The Gathering Color Pie Study!

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[TheManaSource]

Let me know which color pair you'd like to see next! Hope you enjoy :)

[natoraishido]

Wedge, you forgot to mention the biggest weakness to RB/Rakdos: The fact that WotC hates it and rarely prints good cards in the color pair.

[felipegobattoscheibler]

I feel like there is another interpretation that might come out when considering how black's way of thinking interacts with red here. Perhaps, rather than red's impulsiveness dominating and hampering black's search for individual gain, we might think of the former giving a direction to the latter. In Rakdos, black's search for individual gain still shows, but red's need for immediacy is what gives it direction. Rakdos is a group of hedonists, who care only for immediate pleasure. They seek to experience pleasure rather than gain power over others (which might still be a means but not an end to them) or material wealth. To them, everything can be discarded in exchange for pleasure, because experiences are something no one can take away from you. The dopamine rush is what they seek, joy from sating your addictions. In an environment where all is ever changing such as that in which the Rakdos live, they ask themselves "why waiting so long for something that can be taken away from me if I can feel satisfaction right NOW?". This is my interpretation.

[kenreed]

My view point on Rakdos was always "There's a party and everyone is invited, if you want to be or not"

[sonicdueler]

your "i dislike red" is showing

[seb_social]

That is just one half red black. The more black than red variant is tactical and quick witted. It uses reds innate emotional passion to fuel it's quenchable ambition. It is patient but impulsive it will go for the long con but will change to a better plan if it suits him better. They believe the world should be a certain way not because personal gain but because they are passionate about and idea and that idea will exist hell or high water. A good example would be Wilson Fisk (King Pin) From the dare devil netflix show where his passion to make his city great fuels his ambition to get to the top so he can make his dream a reality. He thinks with his head bu acts with his heart. I wish magic would explore the black red side more like old political grenzo or 2/3 of marchesa instead of big murder monsters and pyscho anarchists.

[wobblyjoe]

I think you missed one of the most interesting thing about the Rakdos, which is they are the artists of Ravnica. Predominantly they create performance pieces that showcase freedom through sado-masochistic acts.

Bloodfray Giant is a performer that expresses his art through murdering and terrorizing his audience. Red's desire to express itself is present and is pushed to an extreme by black's self centered impulses.

I always interpreted the art on Showstopper to be performers that provided the greatest exhibition to the audience through suicide. This is a lot like a suicide black deck where the player's life total is sacrificed for power. But to the Rakdos on Showstopper they are sacrificing themselves to create an expression of emotion that no one could forget. It is artistic greatness at any cost.

The card where this is on display the most is Lyzolda, the Blood Witch. The audience of her performances throw themselves at her to be the next sacrificial victims. They have a desire to feel the exhilaration of pain that comes with her display of dominance over them. It also speaks to a very red trait to defy authority, because most people believe it is a natural law for a living being to be motivated by self preservation.

[TheDukeOfLukes]

Selesnya. You've done all the other Return to Ravnica guilds. Might as well finish them off before you move onto Gatecrash.

[SquirrelSword]

Simic is infinitely a more interesting color combination than any other left, except maybe orzov.

Especially if you look at both versions of Simic that have existed, the first run by Momir Vig and the second by Princess Ruto. Vig definitely leaned more blue, using his invention to manipulate life like it was a toy, while Ruto used accelerated adaptation, which is more automatic and far more green.

Either way, remember the Green/Blue motto: More and better.

[SOnZofHate]

Rakdos has always been my favorite two color combo, for I feel like I can personally connect to the ideals of both colors, but I suppose that can do the same for each color and any combination of them. That's what makes us Magic players, I feel. It's taking all of these ideals behind each color and being able to make a deck that focuses on the strengths of the deck, as well as being mindful of its weaknesses. In a way, the more educated I get about the lore of this game, the more I feel I can perform better in a tournament. I find the lore of this game extremely fascinating, and these lore videos and color-pie videos are one of the reasons I think this channel is the best MTG channel out there. Keep up the good work!

[callapratt]

Rakdos is my favorite guild. I love its strengths and can easily work around its weaknesses

[caleb-sbyq]

when you're done with the two colors you should do triple, starting with grixis

[ItsMeJax]

Rakdos is my favourite guild and colour combination in magic so i have many thoughts about it, but mainly I believe that in the end the philosophy of Rakdos is that it does what it wants not caring about others and to gain the power to do so. If both are achieved then there is one word for it, Chaos.

[shruiken]

Orzhov next, please!

This video does a great job of describing where Black/Red intersect, but I think it misses some of the flavor specific to Rakdos - they're the circus masters and carnival freaks. There's a party element to the guild that doesn't quite come out in any of the other B/R pairings.

[TheMilkMan]

I use Rakdos decks every time. My friends usually switch it up but I'm pure Rakdos 😈

[imjustajanitorbut]

I think you nailed it for the most part but sometimes chaos is just the goal, because ‘some men just want to watch the world burn.’

❤️Land destruction 🖤

[jasonmttjnmookkm.]

ORZHOV! I keep waiting for Orzhov. Black/White is one of my favorite pairings. I love this series, but keep anxiously awaiting Orzhov. Besides, Sorin is one of the planeswalkers that really deserves more of a spot light. Especially after everything he's lost. I am getting sick of the 'superfriends' ... Great, so new walkers are introduced. Yet, we keep seeing the same faces over and over again, banding together like a bunch of superheroes. Ick.

[PyroFace]

Are ya going to do three color combinations like Jund or Esper?

[KBgamer]

Gruul or Selesnya next, either one is fine with me

[IntuitionJo]

"No idea how Ravnica is even still standing." You can thank the Boros Legion for that.