This is a Red-Splash alternate list for my Modern Deck, Smallpox Vehicles. This deck is pure, all-in aggro, focusing on aggressive synergies and covering the mono-black version's weaknesses instead of investing in discard synergies. The
Smallpox
version tried to undo the self-harm done by the spell, as it is devastating for most opponents, but recovering from Smallpox either by dredging
Dakmor Salvage
or casting most of my creatures from the grave just slowed my clock and turned it into a midrange deck without a powerful finisher.
Pack Rat
will remain in the deck, however, as it is too good to cut and can win games all on its own.
This Rakdos version of the deck weaponizes the fetchland
Bloodstained Mire
to trigger revolt on
Fatal Push
, allowing us to hit bigger creatures. It also allows us to reanimate
Bloodghast
much more consistantly than the mono-black version could. A playset of Mutavaults that couldn't fit in the
Smallpox
version now make an appearance here, serving as an emergency crewer and a way to more easily get
Gravecrawler
back on the battlefield. We split between
Blood Crypt
and
Canyon Slough
for two reasons.
Canyon Slough
in this deck is incredibly flexible. If we draw fetchlands in the early game,
Blood Crypt
will be our first target. We only need two, as there isn't much red in the deck even after sideboarding. We won't fetch
Canyon Slough
, but we'll play it in the early game after sideboarding if we have to fix but lack a
Bloodstained Mire
. Otherwise, it gives us a way to cycle and draw again if we start to flood out but don't have a
Pack Rat
.
The sideboard in this deck is all about fighting graveyard hate, Tron and Combo decks.
The Tron player is an especially bad matchup because, land for land, he can deploy bigger threats than we can and will stonewall us if we can't kill him fast enough. Tron's beasts can chump block us on the ground for days, and no matter who our opponent is, they are guaranteed to sideboard in graveyard hate for games 2 and 3.
Pithing Needle
and
Phyrexian Revoker
serve double-duty. They shut off whatever
Scavenging Ooze
and
Relic of Progenitus
that our hand disruption doesn't grab, but they also neutralize planeswalkers, most notably Tron's
Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
and
Karn Liberated
. I include both the needle and revoker because a) Revoker dies to
Fatal Push
but can crew and attack, and b) Needle doesn't die to
Fatal Push
but it can't crew or attack.
Blood Moon
hoses nonbasics, which won't hurt us too much after sideboarding but shuts Tron off completely.
In terms of fighting graveyard hate,
Inquisition of Kozilek
already gets
Relic of Progenitus
,
Rest in Peace
,
Dryad Militant
,
Scavenging Ooze
, and others.
Duress
, however, will get
Leyline of the Void
, something Inquisition can't do.
As for Combo decks, our only hope is to get rid of combo pieces before they're cast. Bring in all copies of
Duress
but leave in the
Lightning Bolt
s for direct damage. Inquisiton and Duress together can get just about everything.
