Maybeboard


Catagorized Breakdown <--- Click Here

Overview:

Grand Warlord Radha leads a Gruul midrange aggro deck focused on ramping into an efficient creature base, then leveraging her ability to generate mana during attacks based on attacking creatures' power. This enables mid-combat casts of additional threats, extra combat phases, or overwhelming swings with trample and haste enablers. Threats deploy primarily via casting and tutoring (e.g., Natural Order, Tooth and Nail), with landfall synergies (e.g., Tannuk, Memorial Ensign) and ETB amplifiers like Terror of the Peaks providing value. The commander is essential for the core engine, synergizing deeply with wide boards and extra combats, though vulnerable to removal; recasting is feasible with ramp, but disruption slows momentum. Subtle land recursion (e.g., Crucible of Worlds effects) supports resilience and disruption (e.g., Strip Mine).

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Primer:

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Core Strategy Execution:

Early Ramp and Setup (Turns 1-3):

Deploy fast mana like Sol Ring, Chrome Mox, Mox Diamond, Llanowar Elves, Birds of Paradisefoil, or exile effects (Simian Spirit Guide, Elvish Spirit Guide). Play lands aggressively with Exploration, Azusa, Lost but Seeking, or Icetill Explorer for extra drops. Prioritize untapped duals (Stomping Ground, Taiga) and fetchlands (Wooded Foothills) to fix mana and thin the deck.

Board Development (Turns 3-5):

Cast efficient creatures like Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer, Allosaurus Shepherd, Delighted Halfling, or Fanatic of Rhonas to build power and protect green spells. Use Green Sun's Zenith, Worldly Tutor, or Imperial Recruiter to fetch enablers. Drop value lands like Gaea's Cradle or Boseiju, Who Endures; activate Crop Rotation or Strip Mine to disrupt opponents while fixing your base.

Aggressive Pressure (Turns 4-6):

Cast Radha and attack with 3+ creatures to generate 3+ mana in R/G. Use this to mid-combat cast threats like Terror of the Peaks or pump with Kessig Wolf Run. Tutor for finishers via Natural Order (sac Llanowar Elves for Terror of the Peaks) or Tooth and Nail (fetch Sekki, Seasons' Guide + Terror of the Peaks or Combat Celebrant + Rionya, Fire Dancer for infinte combats and/or damage).

Win Execution (Turns 5-8):

Combat Overwhelm: Swing wide, generate mana via Radha, untap with Aggravated Assault (fueled by Gaea's Cradle or Food Chain), or exert Combat Celebrant for extra phases. Amplify with Terror of the Peaks ETBs, Impact Tremorsfoil tokens, or landfall pings from Tannuk, Memorial Ensign.

Alternative Locks/Wins: Mill with Altar of the Brood + Food Chain loop; reset board with Obliterate or Jokulhaups to your advantage via land recursion (Crucible of Worlds effects, World Shaper). Infinite combats possible with Aggravated Assault + persistent attackers and Radha mana.

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Mulligan Priorities:

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  1. Keep hands with 2-3 lands (prioritize green sources and fetches) plus 1-2 ramp pieces (Sol Ring, dorks, or Moxen) for T3 plays.
  2. Seek early creatures (1-2 CMC like Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer, Allosaurus Shepherd) or tutors (Green Sun's Zenith at X= 0-2) to enable Radha quickly.
  3. Favor protection (Pyroblast, Deflecting Swat) or disruption (Blood Moon) in interactive pods; avoid land-heavy or high-CMC clunkers without acceleration. Since Radha is in the command zone, mulligan for setup to cast her T3-4, not reliance on her in opener.

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Key Tips:

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Mana Sequencing: Attack with high-power creatures first to maximize Radha's mana, then cast mid-combat (e.g., Terror of the Peaks for immediate ETB damage). Use Food Chain on dorks for burst creature mana without tapping out.

Protect the Engine: Shield Radha with Sylvan Safekeeper (sac lands) or Deflecting Swat; recast via ramp if removed. Prioritize Allosaurus Shepherd or Frenzied Baloth early against counters.

Land Synergies: Leverage Crucible of Worlds + Strip Mine for disruption/recursion; pair with Exploration for explosive turns. Watch for Blood Moon—it hurts opponents more but plan basics accordingly.

Extra Combat Optimization: Fuel Aggravated Assault with Radha mana or Gaea's Cradle; combine with Combat Celebrant for double extras. Use Rionya, Fire Dancer post-sorcery/instant casts for token copies in combat.

Disruption Timing: Hold Force of Vigor, Pyroblast for key threats; deploy Collector Ouphe against artifacts. If behind, get Defense of the Heart into play and pray it isn't removed in the following turn cycle.

Pitfalls to Avoid: Don't overextend into wipes without recursion ready (World Shaper, Six); sequence land drops for Tannuk, Memorial Ensign landfall without telegraphing. In multiplayer, target the leader to generate Treasure via Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer.

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Weaknesses:

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Critical<<

Highly reliant on creature board for Radha's mana and wins; mass wipes (Wrath of God-style) devastate, with limited instant-speed recursion beyond Sylvan Safekeeper or Endurance. Stax like Cursed Totem or Winter Orb cripples ramp dorks, extra lands (Exploration), and activations (Aggravated Assault, Combat Celebrant).

Moderate<<

Graveyard hate (Rest in Peace) neuters recursion (World Shaper, Six, Noxious Revival) and flashback (Faithless Looting), slowing recovery. Mana screw from aggressive fetches/life payments (Ancient Tomb, Mox Diamond), though mitigated by basics and fixing; Blood Moon can backfire if opponents adapt faster. Limited answers to flyers/hexproof; relies on Terror of the Peaks or pumps, but ground stalls against evasive decks.

Minor<<

Singleton variance in tutors means occasional whiffs on key pieces like Terror of the Peaks. High red commitment for some spells (Fireblast, Obliterate) strains green-heavy ramp in color screw scenarios.

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Important Cards:

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Terror of the Peaks (ETB damage amplifier, win extender)

Gaea's Cradle (Explosive creature-based ramp)

Tooth and Nail (Entwine for combo threats/finishers)

Aggravated Assault (Extra combats enabler)

Sol Ring and Mana Vault (Early acceleration)

Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer (Early pressure, Treasure/ramp)

Allosaurus Shepherd (Protection for green spells/Radha)

Crucible of Worlds (Land recursion/disruption)

Food Chain (Mana for mid-combat casts)

Fast Mana (Moxen, dorks, Gaea's Cradle) enables T3-4 Radha and T5-7 wins via ramped threats and extra combats, assuming average disruption.

Protection (Deflecting Swat, Force of Vigor, Allosaurus Shepherd) and recursion (World Shaper, Crucible of Worlds) allow recovery from removal/wipes, but creature-heavy build folds to repeated mass removal without full rebuild.

Redundant Ramp (10+ pieces) and Tutors (Green Sun's Zenith, Natural Order, Imperial Recruiter) provide ~50-60% odds of assembling core (Radha + 3 attackers + finisher) by T5 via hypergeometric estimates on 20 cards seen; mulligans rarely cripple due to command zone access.

Strong targeted Removal (Lightning Bolt, Artifact Mutation), counters/redirection (Pyroblast, Deflecting Swat), and stax (Blood Moon, Collector Ouphe) disrupt at low cost, though light on board wipes beyond expensive resets like Obliterate or Jokulhaups.

Suggestions

Updates Add

-1 Fireblast +1 Ghostfire Slice

More versatile, lowers curve, doesn’t set back on lands

-1 Neheb, Dreadhorde General +1 Wheel of Fortune

Neheb held this slot, for lack of the wheel, but now…wheel and lower curve

-1 Faithless Looting +1 Tannuk, Ensign Memorial

Less on curve, static card draw and burn (Tannuk was replaced with Professional Face-Breaker but coming back for the card draw and burn)

When the time it’s released and available I’m preemptively going to state that Formidable Speaker will replace Imperial Recruiter

Formidable has both a better body and tutor effect

Comments View Archive

Casual

90% Competitive