Searing Rays

Sorcery

Choose a color. Searing Rays deals damage to each player equal to the number of creatures of that color that player controls.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	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
Oathbreaker	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Premodern	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Tiny Leaders	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (3)

EnbyGolem on $10* Burn

3 years ago

Thank you so much for your insight, ellie-is!

My original decklist had 2 Guttersnipes but I actually just took them out earlier this week. In the games I've played so far, I've found that it very consistently gets removed immediately and at best, I've only been getting in 1 or 2 spells. This is even worse in multiplayer where there are 3 other people that prioritize getting rid of it as soon as it drops. Sinking 3 mana to get it out and resulting in little or no value has been really rough and has straight up lost me several matches. I tried sideboarding it but I ended up cutting them to afford that Searing Blood and an extra Incinerate.

The inclusion of Lava Dart is really interesting though and would pair very well with more trigger-based creatures like Guttersnipe. I do think that that build would have more explosive potential but it would also be easier for opponents to throw it off track. I will definitely have to think about it!

I agree, Landslide is terrible in multiplayer! I basically have to have at least 2 sideboard cards so I can swap them out for those matches. In regular 1v1 though, it can do a lot of damage and close out games in tight spots! I really want Flame Rifts instead of Searing Rays but they are just a little too expensive to include with this configuration. I do really like how the current build does not require any creatures to function. It is really nice if I can get an Electrostatic Field or Thermo-Alchemist out to chip in damage while also blocking any aggro creatures but the deck still functions fine without them. You are right though, adding 2 more alchemists might be really nice too...

I do reeeally like Rolling Earthquake and they have been an absolute bomb in the matches I have played! They used to be side-boarded for multiplayer only but they have actually been wrecking it in 1v1 as well. I would just swap them out for regular Earthquaketo save on money but they also actually run $.69 from the site we've been using which is the same exact price I got Rolling Earthquake for, surprisingly.

I do really like Satyr Firedancer as a sideboard option - maybe I can shift some card around to include it!

And thank you for your thoughts on the nonbasic lands. I agree as well - the price is just so tough to get as it is and I would rather spend anything extra on an adaptive sideboard :)

Thank you again for all the suggestions! I have a lot to think about!

ellie-is on $10* Burn

3 years ago

Have you tried Guttersnipe Yet? I think it might be a solid addition, even if you only run a couple of them! On such a tight budget you're probably not going to be consistenly winning turns 4-5, so it's okay to spend turn 3 setting up by playing it if it means every spell you cast after that will hit twice as hard (and that's a huge difference if you're playing 3 or 4 burn spells the next turn!).

If you don't add Guttersnipe, I'd think about adding additional Thermo-Alchemists for the same reason.

But most importantly: I'd add 4x Lava Dart! Depending on how your playtest has been I'd remove either one of the sorceries or Shock. While Lava Dart's single point of damage is nothing amazing on its own, it's amazing for creature removal and as triggers for all your creatures. And once you cast it, you can flashback it by sacrificing the same mountain you've just tapped, getting twice the triggers (or you can flashback it later in the game when the opponent has already forgotten about it). It might not seem amazing but once you try it you'll probably never want to go back. It's an amazing tool for closing out a game in a deck that likes it when you cast instants! And killing all of your opponent's mana dorks early on will help you reach the turns you need to reach to win with your deck.

Also, the creatures, and Guttersnipe included will be great for multiplayer and it might be worth removing Landslide to focus on them :) Unless everyone is running the same color, Guttersnipe will deal a lot more total damage to your opponents over time than something like Searing Rays ever could.

Finally, if your budget allows for it I'd add more Searing Bloods! You can cut lightning strike for it, and if you need things to cut for budget reasons I think it'll be okay to let Rolling Earthquake go. And Satyr Firedancer from your maybeboard is a great sideboard card against creature-heavy decks!

Edit: Also, I wouldn't worry about adding nonbasic lands! I'd definitely recomend them outside of such a tight budget, but their advantage is really very small most of the time and such a tiny advantage wouldn't justify needing to cut other, more important cards so you can fit into the budget!

Freakjob on Queen Marchesa: Politics, Aikido, and Control

5 years ago

Hey there, love the deck, had it on my watch list for ages now.

I'm in love with this interaction and wanted to get your thoughts on it: Repercussion and utilizing damage-based sweepers such as Incite Rebellion and Blasphemous Act . Seems like a perfect way to turn an enemy's strength into a weakness. I know you don't like wraths, but this would be a win condition similar to Rakdos Charm. Obviously the deck needs to be lighter on creatures than your opponents' decks, and might be a little too cute, but if you're already encouraging combat between your opponents' creatures, this would help speed up the clock.

On a related note, I'm curious how you draw the line between damage redirecting rattlesnakes such as Stuffy Doll , Spitemare , Mogg Maniac , and Truefire Captain , compared to cards such as Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs and Marchesa's deathtouch? I read your comment where you say opponents have to attack you to get Stuffy Doll to work, but by having a clear, "you know exactly what will happen to you if you attack me," card laid out, much like Master of Cruelties, people should choose to attack elsewhere, therefore fulfilling its purpose as a rattlesnake; what's the difference?

Also wanted to bring up a few cards I haven't seen you or anyone else discuss:

Outmaneuver - found this while digging, and it looks HILARIOUS. Use on an opponent's attack against someone else to turn a blocked attack into a slaughter.

Similarly, because I love infect, Tainted Strike to turn a painful attack into an unexpected lethal one. Again, usable on an opponent's creature, your own Gisela, or a Sunforgered+Boros Charmed anything.

Traitor's Roar - expensive CMC, not an instant, but, another option for anti-tall tech, and can be conspired for even more massive damage. Not great, just wanted to mention it. In a similar vein, Agonizing Demise .

Searing Rays - another I found and just wanted to mention, since it's not great. Almost always going to be a worse Stronghold Discipline , but one mana cheaper, and useful for a mono-color heavy meta (Elves, etc.)

Lastly, because it's so beautifully perfect for an Aikido deck in art, flavor, effect, flavor text, everything: Turn the Tables . Just look at that art; the casual and hilarious smackdown! Read that flavor text; confident as hell! I know, 5 CMC is a lot to hold up, but I love it too much, picked one up in foil. I'm sure you can appreciate it, even if you'd never run it.

Shame you changed to such a drastically different meta; I've read what kind of decks you face now, and those are certainly trickier to "Aikido" around to victory. My meta is much more creature-combat focused, so I'm looking forward to something along your initial lines!

Again, great deck!