An ever-popular standard archetype in Magic: The Gathering, mono-red aggro is an ideal deck for newcomers to the game or ultra-aggressive players who want to end the game early rather than be part of long, drawn-out battles for board control.
With more cards than ever legal in the default Standard format, there are plenty of ways to build an effective mono-red deck, and there's probably no more satisfying way to win a game of Magic than having your opponents give up early as you tear their strategy apart.
Mono-Red Aggro Deck List
Aggro decks are naturally the most compact decks in MTGmeaning you usually don't use any single or double copies of cards, instead opting for a maximum of four copies of most cards in the deck, making it easier to keep track of what you have and haven't drawn yet.
This deck also limits the use of Enchantments, Artifacts, Vehicles, and other similar cards that typically require time to build or high mana costs. In addition to creatures and instant cards, there is only one sorcery card in this entire deck.
It is this simplified card structure that makes the deck great for beginners, but there is still the nuance of aggro decks this means you can't just casually blast all your creatures and spells and expect to win every matchup and achieve mythic in a MTG Arena ranked game.
|
Card name |
Card type |
A copy in the package |
|---|---|---|
|
He hired Claw |
Creation |
x4 |
|
Shock |
Immediate |
x4 |
|
Lightning burst |
Immediate |
x4 |
|
Lightning strike |
Immediate |
x4 |
|
Razorkin Needlehead |
Creation |
x4 |
|
Slickshot Show-Off |
Creation |
x4 |
|
Ghit Lavarunner |
Creation |
x4 |
|
Boltware |
Wizardry |
x4 |
|
Emberheart Challenger |
Creation |
x4 |
|
Witchstalker Frenzy |
Immediate |
x3 |
|
Rockface Village |
Land |
x4 |
|
Mountain |
Land |
x17 |
Magic: The Gathering – Dimir Mill Deck Guide
Here's how to target your opponents library and send their best cards to the graveyard, or better yet, banish them in MTG!
How this Mono-Red Aggro Deck works
Aggression is the name of the game and this deck is built to start dealing damage from turn one.
This is evident through the use of haste which allows creatures to attack on the same turn they are playedrather than having to wait a turn for the sickness summon to pass.
While this deck is built with haste as a key focus, there are plenty of other mono-red aggro decks built with mechanics like raid, threat, and bravery.
The spell cards in this deck are also cheap and do serious damage. This is great for targeting creatures or opponents, even with the highest mana cost card in the deck, Witchstalker Frenzy, possible cast for less if you already attacked with creatures during your turn.
Ideal starting hands
When it comes to ideal starting combinations for aggro decks, it can vary depending on how aggressive you want to play. Ideally, you want at least three mana, three creatures, and an instant spellbut since none of the creatures in this deck cost more than two mana, you can pretty easily start with just two mana in your hand and hope to draw one on turns one through three.
If you're going to continue with just two mana, it's best to try and have another instant in your hand, either remove the potential blocker or apply pressure with more direct damage to your opponent.
As tempting as it may be, try not to start with just one mana in your hand, even if you have a lot of one-mana cards in your hand, because aggro decks aim to overwhelm as soon as possible, and one spell cast per turn won't achieve that.
Changes you can make
It's hard to suggest too many obvious changes to this mono-red aggro deck in the current meta, but here are some card exchanges you may consider:
-
Remove – Impact, Include – Abrade
-
Remove – Lightning Strike, Include – Boulder Dash
-
Remove – Witchstalker Frenzy, Include – Charming Scoundrel
-
Remove – Witchstalker Frenzy, Include – Hexing Squelcher
Unfortunately, Lorwyn Eclipsed didn't bring any incredible additions for mono-red aggro outside of Hexing Squelcher. Still, the synergy isn't quite there to introduce a random goblin card, especially one without hastethough its ability to protect and the fact that it can't be countered is food for thought.
as it stands this mono-red-aggro deck is well balancedso any changes should be based on your experience with the deck and how other popular decks in the meta deal with your threat.
Magic: The Gathering – Dimir Mill Deck Guide
Here's how to target your opponents library and send their best cards to the graveyard, or better yet, banish them in MTG!
