This Wretched Mischief

The nice thing about aggro decks is that they still surprise people. Attacking on turn 2 for three damage, turn 3 for five for six damage? That can throw a lot of people off their game. Even in multiplayer you can make a big impact, if you're willing to take advantage of an opponent missing land drops or having no defenses up while trying to get to the long game.

Which I am.

I tested copies of Fatal Push and Lightning Strike, even though I really wanted to play Spark Jolt instead. Initially, I had split four Fatal Push with two Murder but I know how Murder behaves and I wanted to see how Fatal Push might work in a deck this light on controllable death effects.

The temptation to play Spark Jolt was high, though. One damage isn't much but one mana to do a damage to any target and then scry seemed (and still seems) like a a great tempo option. Midgame when I don't need any more lands, having the option to clear an unwanted card away seems good.

Then I remember that when Rats hits the midgame, I want my position to be nearly won anyway and three damage > one damage. It's just math.

The games I played against Matt and Noah all seemed to suggest that this was a really strong build. Perfect, no but it had the ability to make a stance.I mentioned the removal suite and that's when Matt suggested Kolaghan's Command.

Wwwwwooooooah that's as nice idea. It's such a versatile card that not running it seems foolhardy.

The drawback: it costs 3, a slot in Rats that is already stuffed with Relentless Rats.

However, when I tested the card, that wasn't a problem. Damage and discard are fantastic upsides and I've got enough mana (and enough one and two mana plays) that having the Command in doesn't hurt at all.

"I like Fatal Push more," Jason told me. So I cut Lightning Strike-when you're right, you're right. He also suggested Stensia Masquerade. While I still wish that there was a first strike cantrip in Red, I hadn't even considered a global enchantment. I added it in but it just didn't make a meaningful contribution to the combat math. You'd think it would, right? A first striking 2/1 is still more problematic than a regular 2/1. What's better than that?

A first striking 3/1, which is what Weapon Surge offers me. Not just messing with combat math, but more combat. Heck, I've won at least two games in testing because I hit the Overload on Weapon Surge and was able to get in two or three more points of unblocked damage.

So Weapon Surge stays.The other thing I learned came from Critical Card Theory: I do better with hands that have Rat Colony in the opening grip than I do without. I've started to actively look for them and, if I don't have one, understand exactly why I'm keeping it-usually turn three plays and removal is in hand.

The only other question is how many Fatal Push should be in the deck. There have been games when Murder would have been a great thing but I'm wondering if this is due to inexperience or if I just need that hard removal spell.

And if I do...why isn't that Terminate. Seriously. Sometimes I wonder what I'm thinking.