This week's Planeswalker Duel Deck is ready to party, just in time for the new year! Before we kick things off, take a moment to check out my introduction to the project, if you haven't already.
Sarkhan the Mad is pretty wild. At the time of its release, it felt like WotC was trying to experiment pretty wildly with different Planeswalkers, to very mixed results. Chandra Ablaze was focused on being very Red. Sorin was expensive, and required lots of one color to play. Jace the Mind Sculptor had 4 different abilities. Gideon Jura didn't have an ultimate and became a creature. And Sarkhan the Mad only counted down in his loyalty.
Sarkhan found a home in Jund, getting extra cards or turning some goofy creature into a fat dragon to break the mirror match. But other than that, he's been relatively homeless. When it came time to choose themes for this deck, Sarkhan's normal status as a Dragon enthusiast didn't do much for me. There have been a lot of Sarkhans, and the Dragon design space isn't that deep.
Fortunately, another plan began to take shape: Sarkhan seems tailor-made for the Rakdos Cult! Doesn't mind doing damage to himself. Sacrifices others for significant benefit. And there's a certain gleam in his eye... You can see it too. Just look.
Let's imagine he's run away and joined the circus:
Magic: The Gathering TCG Deck - Sarkhan the Mad by Andy Hurst
'Sarkhan the Mad' - constructed deck list and prices for the Magic: The Gathering Trading Card Game from TCGplayer Infinite!
Created By: Andy Hurst
Event:
Rank:
Freeform (Casual)
Market Price: $31.88
Smothering Abomination
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $0.68
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/104813_200w.jpg
Devoid (This card has no color.) Flying At the beginning of your upkeep, sacrifice a creature. Whenever you sacrifice a creature, draw a card.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/battle-for-zendikar/smothering-abomination
Borrowed Hostility
Color Identity:R
Market Price: $0.13
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/120463_200w.jpg
Escalate {3} (Pay this cost for each mode chosen beyond the first.)
Choose one or both —
• Target creature gets +3/+0 until end of turn.
• Target creature gains first strike until end of turn.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/eldritch-moon/borrowed-hostility
Rakdos Firewheeler
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $0.05
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/182119_200w.jpg
When Rakdos Firewheeler enters the battlefield, it deals 2 damage to target opponent and 2 damage to up to one target creature or planeswalker.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/ravnica-allegiance/rakdos-firewheeler
Garna, the Bloodflame
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $0.08
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/212314_200w.jpg
Flash When Garna, the Bloodflame enters the battlefield, return to your hand all creature cards in your graveyard that were put there from anywhere this turn. Other creatures you control have haste.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-2020/garna-the-bloodflame
Divest
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $0.02
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/219551_200w.jpg
Target player reveals their hand. You choose an artifact or creature card from it. That player discards that card.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/double-masters/divest
Murderous Redcap
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $0.42
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/180906_200w.jpg
When Murderous Redcap enters the battlefield, it deals damage equal to its power to any target. Persist (When this creature dies, if it had no -1/-1 counters on it, return it to the battlefield under its owner's control with a -1/-1 counter on it.)
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/ultimate-masters/murderous-redcap
Sarkhan the Mad
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $3.39
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/34908_200w.jpg
0: Reveal the top card of your library and put it into your hand. Sarkhan the Mad deals damage to himself equal to that card's converted mana cost. −2: Target creature's controller sacrifices it, then that player creates a 5/5 red Dragon creature token with flying. −4: Each Dragon creature you control deals damage equal to its power to target player or planeswalker.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/rise-of-the-eldrazi/sarkhan-the-mad
Bloodfell Caves
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $0.11
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/215898_200w.jpg
Bloodfell Caves enters the battlefield tapped.
When Bloodfell Caves enters the battlefield, you gain 1 life.
{T}: Add {B} or {R}.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/core-set-2021/bloodfell-caves
Auger Spree
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $0.19
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/215942_200w.jpg
Target creature gets +4/-4 until end of turn.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/jumpstart/auger-spree
Cinder Barrens
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $0.08
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/196737_200w.jpg
Cinder Barrens enters the battlefield tapped.
{T}: Add {B} or {R}.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-2019/cinder-barrens
Cauldron Dance
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $0.26
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/139914_200w.jpg
Cast this spell only during combat. Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. That creature gains haste. Return it to your hand at the beginning of the next end step. You may put a creature card from your hand onto the battlefield. That creature gains haste. Its controller sacrifices it at the beginning of the next end step.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-2017/cauldron-dance
Blade Juggler
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $0.02
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/183058_200w.jpg
Spectacle {2}{B} (You may cast this spell for its spectacle cost rather than its mana cost if an opponent lost life this turn.)
When Blade Juggler enters the battlefield, it deals 1 damage to you and you draw a card.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/ravnica-allegiance/blade-juggler
Delirium
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $0.45
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/5027_200w.jpg
Cast this spell only during an opponent's turn. Tap target creature that player controls. That creature deals damage equal to its power to the player. Prevent all combat damage that would be dealt to and dealt by the creature this turn.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/mirage/delirium
Mountain
Color Identity:R
Market Price: $0.99
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/230467_200w.jpg
({T}: Add {R}.)Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/kaldheim/mountain
Carnival // Carnage
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $0.11
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/183064_200w.jpg
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/ravnica-allegiance/carnival-carnage
Footlight Fiend
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $0.08
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/183357_200w.jpg
When Footlight Fiend dies, it deals 1 damage to any target.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/ravnica-allegiance/footlight-fiend
Swift Warkite
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $0.16
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/96497_200w.jpg
Flying When Swift Warkite enters the battlefield, you may put a creature card with converted mana cost 3 or less from your hand or graveyard onto the battlefield. That creature gains haste. Return it to your hand at the beginning of the next end step.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/dragons-of-tarkir/swift-warkite
Dead Revels
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $0.02
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/183419_200w.jpg
Spectacle {1}{B} (You may cast this spell for its spectacle cost rather than its mana cost if an opponent lost life this turn.)
Return up to two target creature cards from your graveyard to your hand.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/ravnica-allegiance/dead-revels
Judith, the Scourge Diva
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $0.52
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/182949_200w.jpg
Other creatures you control get +1/+0. Whenever a nontoken creature you control dies, Judith, the Scourge Diva deals 1 damage to any target.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/ravnica-allegiance/judith-the-scourge-diva
Shenanigans
Color Identity:R
Market Price: $0.10
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/191351_200w.jpg
Destroy target artifact. Dredge 1 (If you would draw a card, you may mill a card instead. If you do, return this card from your graveyard to your hand.)
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/modern-horizons/shenanigans
Fireblade Artist
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $0.10
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/183210_200w.jpg
Haste At the beginning of your upkeep, you may sacrifice a creature. When you do, Fireblade Artist deals 2 damage to target opponent or planeswalker.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/ravnica-allegiance/fireblade-artist
Bituminous Blast
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $0.16
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/125392_200w.jpg
Cascade (When you cast this spell, exile cards from the top of your library until you exile a nonland card that costs less. You may cast it without paying its mana cost. Put the exiled cards on the bottom of your library in a random order.) Bituminous Blast deals 4 damage to target creature.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/planechase-anthology/bituminous-blast
Apprentice Necromancer
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $0.64
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/180825_200w.jpg
{B}, {T}, Sacrifice Apprentice Necromancer: Return target creature card from your graveyard to the battlefield. That creature gains haste. At the beginning of the next end step, sacrifice it.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/ultimate-masters/apprentice-necromancer
Mayhem Devil
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $0.37
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/188173_200w.jpg
Whenever a player sacrifices a permanent, Mayhem Devil deals 1 damage to any target.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/war-of-the-spark/mayhem-devil
Borrowed Malevolence
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $0.09
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/119674_200w.jpg
Escalate {2} (Pay this cost for each mode chosen beyond the first.)
Choose one or both —
• Target creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.
• Target creature gets -1/-1 until end of turn.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/eldritch-moon/borrowed-malevolence
Gravedigger
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $0.05
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/192882_200w.jpg
When Gravedigger enters the battlefield, you may return target creature card from your graveyard to your hand.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/core-set-2020/gravedigger
Rocky Tar Pit
Market Price: $0.47
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/171246_200w.jpg
Rocky Tar Pit enters the battlefield tapped.
{T}, Sacrifice Rocky Tar Pit: Search your library for a Swamp or Mountain card, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle your library.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-2018/rocky-tar-pit
Cremate
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $0.11
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/66543_200w.jpg
Exile target card from a graveyard. Draw a card.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/return-to-ravnica/cremate
Rakdos Carnarium
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $0.20
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/212449_200w.jpg
Rakdos Carnarium enters the battlefield tapped.
When Rakdos Carnarium enters the battlefield, return a land you control to its owner's hand.
{T}: Add {B}{R}.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-2020/rakdos-carnarium
Nantuko Shade
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $0.16
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/94313_200w.jpg
{B}: Nantuko Shade gets +1/+1 until end of turn.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-2014/nantuko-shade
Reassembling Skeleton
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $0.26
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/168595_200w.jpg
{1}{B}: Return Reassembling Skeleton from your graveyard to the battlefield tapped.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/core-set-2019/reassembling-skeleton
Lyzolda, the Blood Witch
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $0.47
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/13889_200w.jpg
{2}, Sacrifice a creature: Lyzolda, the Blood Witch deals 2 damage to any target if the sacrificed creature was red. Draw a card if the sacrificed creature was black.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/dissension/lyzolda-the-blood-witch
Blood Aspirant
Color Identity:R
Market Price: $0.07
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/206770_200w.jpg
Whenever you sacrifice a permanent, put a +1/+1 counter on Blood Aspirant.
{1}{R}, {T}, Sacrifice a creature or enchantment: Blood Aspirant deals 1 damage to target creature. That creature can't block this turn.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/theros-beyond-death/blood-aspirant
Blazing Specter
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $0.54
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/7438_200w.jpg
Flying, haste Whenever Blazing Specter deals combat damage to a player, that player discards a card.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/invasion/blazing-specter
Anathemancer
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $0.35
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/31695_200w.jpg
When Anathemancer enters the battlefield, it deals damage to target player equal to the number of nonbasic lands that player controls.
Unearth {5}{B}{R} ({5}{B}{R}: Return this card from your graveyard to the battlefield. It gains haste. Exile it at the beginning of the next end step or if it would leave the battlefield. Unearth only as a sorcery.)Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/alara-reborn/anathemancer
Mudbutton Torchrunner
Color Identity:R
Market Price: $0.05
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/128904_200w.jpg
When Mudbutton Torchrunner dies, it deals 3 damage to any target.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/modern-masters-2017/mudbutton-torchrunner
Light Up the Stage
Color Identity:R
Market Price: $0.37
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/182127_200w.jpg
Spectacle {R} (You may cast this spell for its spectacle cost rather than its mana cost if an opponent lost life this turn.)
Exile the top two cards of your library. Until the end of your next turn, you may play those cards.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/ravnica-allegiance/light-up-the-stage
Tenacious Dead
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $0.12
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/167900_200w.jpg
When Tenacious Dead dies, you may pay {1}{B}. If you do, return it to the battlefield tapped under its owner's control.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/battlebond/tenacious-dead
Blood Cultist
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $0.14
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/27619_200w.jpg
{T}: Blood Cultist deals 1 damage to target creature.
Whenever a creature dealt damage by Blood Cultist this turn dies, put a +1/+1 counter on Blood Cultist.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/shards-of-alara/blood-cultist
Swamp
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $0.99
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/230466_200w.jpg
({T}: Add {B}.)Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/kaldheim/swamp
Agonizing Demise
Color Identity:B,R
Market Price: $0.13
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/52130_200w.jpg
Kicker {1}{R} (You may pay an additional {1}{R} as you cast this spell.)
Destroy target nonblack creature. It can't be regenerated. If this spell was kicked, Agonizing Demise deals damage equal to that creature's power to the creature's controller.Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/duel-decks-ajani-vs-nicol-bolas/agonizing-demise
Zulaport Cutthroat
Color Identity:B
Market Price: $0.35
ImageURL: https://tcgplayer-cdn.tcgplayer.com/product/222543_200w.jpg
Whenever Zulaport Cutthroat or another creature you control dies, each opponent loses 1 life and you gain 1 life.
Buy This Card! https://shop.tcgplayer.com/magic/commander-zendikar-rising/zulaport-cutthroat
We're looking to sacrifice our own stuff for fun and for profit. Our main fodder is skeletons, so they can come back at some point for more hijinks. Because we have Swift Warkite, Cauldron Dance, Dead Revels, Garna, and Gravedigger, we'll be trying to take advantage of some enters-the-battlefield abilities or death triggers. Reader, if you happen to find it fun when cards change zones, then this is the deck for you!
The removal here isn't terribly plentiful, considering that we're a Black/Red deck, but boy do we have some absolute bangers. Bituminous Blast is amazing; we'll get to torch a creature and then get a free card on top of it, too. Agonizing Demise and Augure Spree can kill most things. And some of our creatures like Redcap and Rakdos Firewheeler don't kill as much, but they get to change zones so much that they might be able to cumulatively make a greater impact. It's been making the rounds in Standard and Historic these days, so it's far from a hidden gem, but look to have Mayhem Devil in play when you start going off and watch the damage pile up.
Poor Judith had a tough time finding a home in Standard while she was around, but she's an All-Star in a deck where we're looking to send monsters to the grumper. We're playing several creatures that have unimpressive bodies, and Judith gives them a more impressive presence immediately.
The goal is obviously to sacrifice gold creatures to get both benefits. But even if we can only choose one, the options are solid. Dealing damage and drawing cards are great, and Lyzolda seems like a great forgotten gem that can produce a potent effect in a game. This kind of project is exactly the kind of environment that Lyzolda needs to thrive.
A little weird to have a single Eldrazi in a deck that also has a card like Lyzolda that cares about color. But the effect is so extremely potent that we must include it. We don't want to run out of cards in this deck, and with the Abomination around, it's likely that we won't. Do not sleep on the fact that Abomination also presents a 4/3 flyer for only 4 mana, too. That can end a game in short order.
This doesn't exactly fit into the game, but I do think it's a rad creature from yesteryear that deserved some shine, and the ability is solid. I feel like there's a fine chance that a paper reprint set will downshift this like Vintage Masters did, but until then, just make sure everyone respects this Former World Champion.
One of the great feelings of casual magic, and this project specifically, is that there will be a lot of unique situations and game states that come up that we've never seen before. Just all new stuff. Maybe it'll be incredible, or it'll be a catastrophe, or even meme fodder. Cauldron Dance creates a lot of special situations. You'll need to make sure you read this to really understand what you're getting, but swapping out cards from the yard with cards in hand can be super fun, and grants even more benefits to your sacrifice outlets. If you've never played the Dance before, treat yourself! It's an extremely fun Magic card.
