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Pioneer: Rakdos Demons - Deck Tech & Sideboard Guide

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Rakdos Demons is the latest version of Rakdos Midrange and is solidifying itself as the current best deck in Pioneer. In this article, we dive deeper into this new phase of the archetype!

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traducido por Romeu

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revisado por Tabata Marques

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Índice

  1. > The Decklist
    1. Maindeck
    2. Sideboard
  2. > Sideboard Guide
    1. Rakdos Demons
    2. Izzet Phoenix
    3. Selesnya Company
    4. Rakdos Prowess
    5. Enigmatic Zur
    6. Lotus Combo
    7. Azorius Spirits
    8. Azorius Humans
    9. Niv to Light
    10. Jund Sacrifice
  3. > Wrapping Up

After a year with a few bans and a dozen new additions, 2025 begins with Pioneer in the same way it began in 2024: the status of best deck has returned to Rakdos Midrange, which tends to occupy this position due to its ease in adapting to the Metagame while taking advantage of many new features that emerge with each release.

The latest sets, in fact, have transformed this archetype. After a turbulent period with a “combo-kill” from Rakdos Vampires, which caused Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord to leave the format, the new iteration of the archetype aims to take advantage of Unholy Annex and, to extract value from the enchantment, has adopted a new creature core that has been named Rakdos Demons.

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In this article, we delve into the current iteration of Rakdos Midrange, with a Sideboard guide for Pioneer's main matchups today!

The Decklist

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This is basically the standard list we've seen in Challenges over the past few weeks. Like its predecessor, Rakdos Demons is an extremely flexible archetype, with some removal slots, discards, and the entire Sideboard being customizable based on what you expect from the Metagame. The list above is, however, a good gateway into a more diverse environment.

The strategy here involves being the classic Midrange that wins the game through favorable trades and an efficient clock. What sets Rakdos apart from previous versions is the interaction between Unholy Annex and a dozen cards to turn it into a Phyrexian Arena with benefits, ensuring a constant flow of card advantage and a clock throughout the game.

Another important new feature is the greater diversity of permanent types that made it possible to use Fear of Missing Out, whose ability greatly increases our potential to win games with Unholy Annex's tokens or Archfiend of the Dross.

Maindeck

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The classic creature package.

Bloodtithe Harvester was one of the enablers of Rakdos Midrange. For two mana, it offers a relevant body to pressure the opponent while also doubling as removal and hand filtering for its controller, having interactions with Fatal Push and Fable of the Mirror-Breaker.

Fable of the Mirror-Breaker is the glue of many strategies in Pioneer today and does a bit of everything we need: it speeds up mana, puts two bodies on the board, filters the hand and even has a late-game ability capable of winning games with Archfiend of the Dross or permanently controlling the board with Bloodtithe Harvester, not to mention a potential “combo-kill” with Fear of Missing Out.

Fear of Missing Out amplifies our clock by granting an extra combat phase, it also filters our hand and its interaction with Fable of the Mirror-Breaker makes it a respectable threat on the board: with the enchantment transformed, we can tap it to create a copy of Fear of Missing Out, attack to trigger the copy's ability and untap Fable to create another copy, which will repeat the process as long as its controller has mana available.

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The “demon package”.

Unholy Annex has become part of the heart of Rakdos Midrange. With it, we have both a way to draw extra cards each turn and also a means to increase the pressure against the opponent and still create a 6/6 token with the other side of the enchantment, complementing the number of threats we have in the deck.

Archfiend of the Dross complements this plan and is another huge, evasive body that interacts well with our game plan, turning each removal we use into potential damage against the opponent.

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Blade of the Oni turns any creature equipped with it into a 5/5 demon with Menace. Be it a Fable of the Mirror-Breaker token or even a Fear of Missing Out. Without targets, it's still a 3/1 for two mana that interacts with Unholy Annex.

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Hand disruption has become much more important in Pioneer today than it was in early 2024, and while they're a common side out against both Aggro and attrition games, Thoughtseize and Duress are essential for maintaining early control of the game and extending the game for two turns so we can start generating value with our other cards.

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The removal package.

Except for Fatal Push, whose function of dealing threats through mana value and being able to go from a Thalia, Guardian of Thraben to an Unholy Annex's token makes it extremely flexible.

Go for the Throat deals with any threat regardless of mana value and is an appropriate response against Zur, Eternal Schemer, the Overlord cycle or Niv-Mizzet Reborn without losing its usefulness against Aggro decks either, and artifacts are too low in the current Metagame for its drawback to matter right now.

Torch the Tower and Anoint with Affliction are aimed at exiling troublesome permanents. Affliction has some useful targets, such as an overgrown Heartfire Hero or Unstoppable Slasher while Torch the Tower deals better with Arclight Phoenix.

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Our mana is built to ensure color consistency on the right turns, and the numbers are quite adaptable. Today, a set of Blood Crypt, Blightstep Pathway and Haunted Ridge seem ideal for our game plan while the other lands function as two-ofs, but substitutions are valid if we don't have a full set of them.

Mutavault guarantees another body on the board to attack and is also a way to always have a demon to trigger Unholy Annex, ensuring easy access to the benefits of the enchantment even on an empty board.

Sideboard

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Enchantment-based archetypes have grown considerably in the last few weeks, and we need ways to deal with them.

Since most of these strategies involve going big and trying to generate more value than Rakdos Midrange can handle, Invoke Despair is an ideal answer due to the three-for-one potential it offers both on the board and in the opponent's life and/or cards in its controller's hand. It is also a core card in the mirror.

Withering Torment is a cheap answer against enchantments and is also useful in other games where we want more removal, but it doesn't usually play against Aggro due to the life loss from its cast.

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Torch the Tower and Anger of the Gods complement our matchup against Aggro and play in Prowess games, as well as against Selesnya Company and Izzet Phoenix, and against any go wide in the current Metagame.

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Go Blank is an answer to graveyards that can also play in Midrange mirrors or against Control decks, being particularly lethal if used at the right time against Izzet Phoenix or Lotus Combo.

Unlicensed Hearse complements the graveyard hate and also works against Cauldron Familiar, providing ways to stop Jund Food's engines.

Hidetsugu Consumes All is a suitable option against Jund Sacrifice, but it also works in some games against Aggro where the opponent has a significant amount of one-drops, such as against Humans.

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Liliana of the Veil and Reckoner Bankbuster are our tools when we need more attrition in the game, Liliana is also an important answer against Goodstuff decks, but it can lose value as removal when cards like Beza, the Bounding Spring or Overlord of the Mistmoors come into play.

Sideboard Guide

Rakdos Demons

IN

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OUT

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Izzet Phoenix

IN

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OUT

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Selesnya Company

IN

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OUT

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Rakdos Prowess

IN

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OUT

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Enigmatic Zur

IN

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OUT

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Lotus Combo

IN

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OUT

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Azorius Spirits

IN

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OUT

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Azorius Humans

IN

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OUT

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Niv to Light

IN

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OUT

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Jund Sacrifice

IN

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OUT

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Wrapping Up

That's all for today!

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!

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Thanks for reading!