Hellhole Flailer

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Legality

Format Legality
1v1 Commander Legal
Archenemy Legal
Block Constructed Legal
Canadian Highlander Legal
Casual Legal
Commander / EDH Legal
Commander: Rule 0 Legal
Custom Legal
Duel Commander Legal
Highlander Legal
Legacy Legal
Leviathan Legal
Limited Legal
Modern Legal
Oathbreaker Legal
Pioneer Legal
Planechase Legal
Quest Magic Legal
Tiny Leaders Legal
Vanguard Legal
Vintage Legal

Hellhole Flailer

Creature — Ogre Warrior

Unleash (You may have this creature enter the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it. It can't block as long as it has a +1/+1 counter on it.)

2BR, Sacrifice Hellhole Flailer: Hellhole Flailer deals damage equal to its power to target player.

wallisface on Hidetsugu Shakedown (Ogre tribal!)

1 year ago

Of the 3 cards you mentioned considering, Hellhole Flailer actually feels pretty decent, especially compared to your other ogre options. A 4/3 for 3 is (comparably) decent value, and it’s in the right maba-range to get hit with Unearth.

In general though, restricting yourself to only playing ogres is going to make the deck really struggle, particularly as the tribe generally has no synergy or reason to be tribal. Playing tribal only to “keep in theme” isn’t really a good approach towards building something that works.

kamarupa on Hidetsugu Shakedown (Ogre tribal!)

1 year ago

wallisface First of all, I really appreciate all the time and thought you're giving this deck. I'm def still looking for better instants and sorceries and thinking about what you've written and how the deck can be faster, stronger, more efficient, resilient, etc. Generally, I'm the sort of player that wants to either protect my big threats or have a way to bring them out of the graveyard. Given graveyards may get exiled, possibly even more than once a game, protection seems the smarter gambit in this deck, but I don't see many great options like I'm used to with green and white. Can you tell why I'm not a black/red player, lol?

While Wrecking Ogre's best target is a Vessel, it's not the only target. It can just enter on it's own or it could target Shakedown Heavy. I believe opponents will have to take advantage of Heavy's card draw option before damage is assigned, so if it gets through, I'd have time to Bloodrush a Wrecking Ogre on it. Additionally, I can use the pumps on Wrecking Ogre, which makes it fairly scary. While 5 MV might seem high, for +3/+3 and double strike, 5 is the low end of possible costs. The only other two spells that do the same (or better) are Sangrite Surge & Embercleave, both of which are worse. There are some 3-drop spells that grant +1/+1 and double strike like Uncaged Fury, but +1/+1 doesn't help Vessel kill an opponent, and 3 MV is still a fairly high cost. (not 1MV)

I'd def like to be able to do something other than scry on T1, I just haven't found anything that synergizes. A fatal push t1 isn't always a great game plan.

In my playtests, the deck works decently. I'm certain it could be better. As I mentioned in the deck's description, there aren't a lot of great creature choices in the Ogre tribe. Wrecking Ogre is at least partly in because 1) it's not legendary, 2) It synergizes with with both my 3-drop threats, & 3) It's an ogre. Other Ogres I considered: Hidetsugu, Devouring Chaos, Singe-Mind Ogre, Hellhole Flailer.

Vulnoth on Turbo Aggro Grind Time

3 years ago

Continuing where I left off.

continuing from creatures

Something to consider when addressing what to drop for my suggestions is how it affects your overall strategy and politics. Ashenmoor Gouger looks good because on paper it can deal damage, but consider what happens if you draw it 10 turns in and the table has all dug in for the long game. Hyper aggressive cards of the sort that do little else aren't going to help you after the first few turns. Hackrobat, Rakdos Firewheeler, Thrill-Kill Assassin, and the like are what you should look for when hacking cards out of the deck in the creature department. You might be gearing up to go fast and hit hard, but you still are playing the "long game", if you can even call it that.

Support

Onwards we march, starting with the strict spell category. Here, you should be looking for either utility or pure power. Spot removal cards like Go for the Throat work in regular 60 card formats, but lose a ton of value as the game is slowed enough for that one spell to have a diminished effect because it can only hit a single creature, often to little effect. Now Bedevil, on the other hand, is outstanding because you can hold it for either an artifact or 'walker, thus expanding your range and making it always live and effective.

  • Allure of the Unknown - A huge resource generation spell. Additionally, it plays into politics well by letting an opponent (or friend) have a card. Gotta keep the train moving.

  • Bituminous Blast - Perhaps not the most clutch of cards, but at least worth considering since EDH is slow enough for these types of spells to put in work, mostly because Cascade is nuts. I'd understand if it didn't make the cut, though.

  • Captive Audience - Hilarious and effective. Instant enemy-maker, but if you haven't farted in the general direction of everyone at the table, others might turn a blind eye. In my experience, when Joe Shmoe poops out an army of dargons and you slap him with this, the table would generally point and laugh.

  • Cauldron Dance - A nice little shuffling of creatures, which is nice if you're rich in chunguses.

  • Kolaghan's Command - The best charm from its cycle, for good reasons. It's always live in EDH.

  • Spiteful Visions - Perhaps risky for politics, but it does put damage on board, thus making Rakdos live, and generates card advantage.

  • Fork/Reverberate/Wild Ricochet - copy spells, in my experience, tend to do a lot since they're just whatever everyone else is playing.

  • Beacon of Unrest - There will always be something in the grave, and self-recursion is a godsend in my books.

  • Scheming Symmetry - Helps your consistency and makes a friend.

  • Subversion - Nibbles at your opponents while sustaining yourself, and makes Rakdos live.

  • Generally any spell with X in its cost. As the game drags on, they only get better.

I did a brief skim of cards in Gatherer and from among my own decks, but don't be afraid to look at other decks or EDHRec for things that will help you. Just remember that your goal boils largely down to pinging to make Rakdos live, cards that Rakdos is payoff for, and utility general support that rounds out the deck.

Artifacts

Necessary gears to get the machine moving. Mostly it will boil down to mana rocks to accelerate your state, but there will be others that you want purely because they work well for you.

Lands

Here you can start to have some fun. Being 2-color, you do have to be somewhat mindful of what you're running, but you can definitely make use of a lot of offbeat lands since you're not trying to be a fool and mana fix 5 colors. Keep in mind that you may not necessarily need everything listed here, but it's just a matter of helping keep your ability to produce both colors consistent.

  • Temple of Malice - Slow lands may be unappealing, but Scrying usually helps.

  • Arch of Orazca - Yet another personal choice. All you need is to have 10 permanents at any point while controlling/playing a card with City's Blessing and you have it for the game. At which point, Arch becomes something to do with spare mana.

  • Reliquary Tower - Like Thought Vessel, it's worth considering, but is acceptable to pass on if you keep burning your hand up.

  • Command Tower - Staple.

  • Graven Cairns - Filter lands are always nice.

  • Rakdos Carnarium - Slow, yes, but in the long run gives more mana.

  • Shadowblood Ridge - Another pseudo Filter Land

Chopping Block

I encourage you to think these things out on your own or ask friends about this part, because understanding the process of what and why things stay or go is important to understanding your deck. Below are my suggestions for what needs to get yeeted.

  • Ashenmoor Gouger/Hackrobat/Hellhole Flailer/Rakdos Firewheeler/Thrill-Kill Assassin/Rakdos Guildmage - All just don't do that much. Awesome to drop in the first turns, but soon are just fodder. They're nice fodder for Lysolda and Judith, but overall too narrow in use and too low impact.

  • Void Winnower/Blood Moon - As someone who wins almost all his games through player politics, I advise against these types of cards that choke the entire table. Like infinite combos kept as panic buttons in decks, you really only get to pull it once before the group starts remembering what you have up your sleeve. After that, you risk being targeted because they'll know what you have.

  • Phyrexian Obliterator - BBBB in 2-color is a bold move for what's essentially a 5/5 unblockable.

  • Dark Ritual/Doom Blade/Go for the Throat - I personally would cut them, but feel free to play around with at least the removal spells for consistency in board control. Ritual, however, is just not suited for this format.

  • Everlasting Torment - It's the only card of its type in your deck, and actually makes you vulnerable to getting chump blocked.

  • Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth - Urborg serves almost no purpose in this deck.

  • Rakdos Guildgate - Guildgates are just packfiller.

  • Rakdos Signet/Rakdos Keyrune - In the modern day, your mana rocks mostly should be more useful than an overcosted creature, and if it only produces mana, it needs to be efficient like Sol Ring.

  • Lava Axe - Shouting "Catch" while literally throwing this is hilarious, but the card's just horribly overcosted.

  • Anthem of Rakdos - You will lose a lot of games you shouldn't lose because of this.

  • Ogre Battledriver - Giving a dude Haste to swing is nice, but it's a lot easier to just run a pinger like Goblin Fireslinger or Lobber Crew

  • Ob Nixilis, the Fallen - His Landfall is nice, but by nature isn't consistent, which is what you're looking for in ways to ping your opponent. Becoming a chungus is nice, but you're better off just skipping the hoops and playing an actual chungus.

  • Vial Smasher the Fierce - This one I'm not totally sold on cutting, but she seems more complicated than just running a pinger. Play around with her and see how Vial Smasher synergizes.

  • Master of Cruelties - Another I'm not totally sold on chopping, but he can only attack alone, which bottlenecks your options.

I know this all is sort of messy, but when making edits, start with comparable replacements (i.e. swapping a creature for a creature), run a few test turns, and see how things work.

Corvaxis on Rakdos's Revelry

4 years ago

bushido_man96 Thanks for the suggestions. I really like Spear Spewer , Thermo-Alchemist , Palace Siege , and Retreat to Hagra . Palace siege is the only higher CMC card of that bunch. Typically I want to try and keep the mana cost on the lower end, and stick to effects that would damage all opponents, so these fit that nicely. My goal is to keep in as many tutors as possible, so I'm thinking I should probably replace some of the mismatched cards like Hellhole Flailer and Hound of Griselbrand , unless do you think there's better replacements?

Scion of Primal Hunter on MulticolRakdos suicidal charge! (Under 80$)

5 years ago

IlGuale Hi there, unfortunately my three slot are full l, I tend to keep my mana curve slim and tight. I can't renounce Hellhole Flailer. He is one of my main beater and sac meat!

Thanks for your appreciation!

DjustGreat on Rakdos Aggro Help

5 years ago

Looking to make my super-budget red/black aggro a lot better now that I have some cash to invest in it. Where should i start?

Creatures: 4x Crimson Muckwader 2x Desecration Demon 4x Diregraf Ghoul 4x Hellhole Flailer 3x Hellrider 4x Lightning Mauler 4x Rakdos Cackler 4x Vampire Nighthawk

Land: 4x Bloodfell Caves 8x Mountain 10x Swamp

Instant/Sorcery: 2x Shamble Back 2x Doom Blade 1x Hideous End 4x Burst Lightning

Thanks for any/all suggestions!

ZendikariWol on If Only I Had Thorns Like a Thistle

5 years ago

From my Marchesa deck:

Blood Tyrant is great if it can survive. Dark Impostor is really scary if you can exile a few commanders. Drana, Liberator of Malakir is pretty scary. Hellhole Flailer is decent removal. Malakir Cullblade HOLY SHIT that got big fast. Marchesa's Smuggler can come out of nowhere. Ob Nixilis, the Fallen is really, really big. Fervor doesn't seem that great, but it can destroy removal-centric control decks. Rhystic Study is SO MUCH DRAAAW. Nicol Bolas, Planeswalker is easily the best artifact/enchantment removal in Grixis. Blasphemous Act is awesome when death is impermanent. Killing Wave is in the same boat. Rakdos's Return ANNIHILATES combo players. Use Sudden Demise on the G or W player, or even on your guys. Bident of Thassa is just awesome.

And there's still an entire Meren deck to cover.

Attrition. Champion of Stray Souls is good for those who fall through the cracks or just as a bluff. 'Even if you DO finally kill my guy he'll just come back'. Corpse Traders against combo players. Disciple of Bolas is good draw and it can be a TON. Slum Reaper is good, and wildly asymmetrical. Stronghold Assassin, in your build, is recursive Attrition. Vampiric Rites is really good early game. Westvale Abbey  Flip is stupid difficult to remove, starting as a land and then an indestructible creature.

And finally, my favorite one of all: Vindictive Lich. I normally use it as a political piece, letting people pick the fate that seems least bad. Through that, I learn what their unique kryptonite is. I then use that once I am strong enough that I don't need any alliances.

Xica on Im a poor modern player …

6 years ago

I would say that the rakdos list is somewhat weak Hellhole Flailer & Rakdos Cackler have strictly better versions, if you intend to use them as beaters (like Goblin Guide) - you could of course abuse them with something like Rage Forger, but in the end the deck just doesn't seem to have a clear plan, at least to me.

If you are willing to add some more recursive creatures like Gravecrawler (as black has plenty such options), you could build an aristocrats deck with 4x Viscera Seer + 2x other sacrifice outlet & 4x Blood Artist & 4x Zulaport Cutthroat
And then alter it slowly into the deck that was called "next level abzan".
In the maintime (due to the life leech) you can use spells like Imp's Mischief to protect your stuff - since without single target removal the deck is hard to deal with to say the least.
Maybe some number of Duress to combat both removal and planeswalkers.
...the options are endless.
(and there are nice mass reanimation spells, like Immortal Servitude)

However i would try to stay clear of Smallpox as it works best in WB planeswalker decks - and stuff like Liliana of the Veil is not cheap.
And you definietly should not play Pack Rat in such a build, as both compete for the same resources, cards in your hand.
The rat is best in Life from the Loam + Squee, Goblin Nabob builds - at least in my opinion, where its played alongside stuff like Zombie Infestation & Seismic Assault

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