A monored deck consisting mostly of burn spells and early game powerhouses (Monastery Swiftspear, Minotaur Skullcleaver, Valley Dasher) and then three possible "win conditions" through Chandra Ablaze, Rakdos Pit Dragon, and/or Demonfire.
THOUGHTS (Jan. 24, 2015): Sitting at a CMC of six, Chandra Ablaze hinders the Hellbent abilities of Rakdos and Demonfire. While her ability to discard might seem like a blessing at first, it's actually a curse since by the time you're able to play her, she'll likely be the last thing in your hand. Moreover, the deck is plenty capable of direct damage on its own. When I edit this deck, I think she'll be one of the first things to go. You could and also probably should sub in two more Searing Blazes instead of the two Bolt of Keranos. It's a good card, and the scry is wonderful, but Searing Blaze is a much, much stronger card in every way (instant vs sorcery, 3 to creature AND player vs 3 to player, two mana vs three mana).
Guttersnipe could be a worthy addition to the deck, the synergy is painfully obvious, but a 2/2 for a CMC of three just for two extra damage per spell seems... wasteful? The additional damage granted by adding him seems overkill. I feel like there have to be better options. Not a bad choice, but he's situational at best. I'd never dream of running him against a burn, counterburn, or heavy removal deck.
Most of my victories with this deck tend to come from removing enemy threats, using spare burn for direct damage, maintaining at least one or two creatures on the board for three turns, and then playing Rakdos or Demonfire for the kill.
Most of my losses tend to come from losing all my creatures, burning through all my spells while my opponent is still healthy and/or still has superior board presence, and then being forced to play off the top of my library. At 3 toughness, Rakdos is rather vulnerable. Even if you're at full life and your opponent is vulnerable (=<10 life), you're in a very precarious position if they kill your Rakdos and you've got nothing left in your hand.
A fun combo is swinging with Swiftspear and watching your opponent block it, thinking it will die, and then popping Searing Blood, which procs prowess, hopefully keeping your Swiftspear alive and killing the enemy creature, all the while popping your opponent for three.
Alas, there are many other possible cards to include, but this is what's been on my mind the most lately. I appreciate any and all feedback.
