Common MTG Pest-Maker Revolutionizes Dead Combo Deck

Since the release of MTG Avatar, many decks have emerged abusing the set’s Lessons package. Strategies like Izzet Prowess and Selesnya Company in Pioneer have gotten stronger by tutoring for situational sideboard cards as needed.

Although this set came out roughly 10 months ago, its strong lessons allow players to keep coming up with brews featuring the Learn mechanic. In fact, just today, a fun Rakdos deck 5-0d a Pioneer League out of nowhere, borrowing ideas from a fan-favorite combo shell.

Enabling Indomitable Creativity

The goal behind this deck piloted by Magic Online user OafMcNamara is to use Indomitable CreativityIndomitable CreativityDestroy X target artifacts and/or creatures. For each permanent destroyed this way, its controller reveals cards from the top of their library until an artifact or creature card is revealed and exiles that card. Those players put the exiled cards onto the battlefield, then shuffle. to cheat enormous haymakers into play. The only actual creature cards in the entire deck are Raph & Mikey, Troublemakers, Atraxa, Grand UnifierAtraxa, Grand UnifierFlying, vigilance, deathtouch, lifelink
When Atraxa enters, reveal the top ten cards of your library. For each card type, you may put a card of that type from among the revealed cards into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order. (Artifact, battle, creature, enchantment, instant, land, planeswalker, and sorcery are card types.), and Valgavoth, Terror Eater, so you’re guaranteed to reveal only bombs.

The key to making this strategy work is to have artifact and creature token makers that enable the powerful sorcery. Unsurprisingly, Fable of the Mirror-Breaker plays a crucial role here, netting you multiple bodies while also digging for Creativity. Similarly, Obsessive Pursuit provides a steady stream of Clues you can use as Creativity targets or for card advantage.

This brew gets a unique boost, however, from the inclusion of Hunt for SpecimensHunt for SpecimensCreate a 1/1 black and green Pest creature token with "When this token dies, you gain 1 life."
Learn. (You may reveal a Lesson card you own from outside the game and put it into your hand, or discard a card to draw a card.), which does everything this deck wants. If you have Creativity lined up, you can grab Pest Summoning from your sideboard to generate three tokens. If you don’t have your combo card ready, you can always search for Ruinous Waterbending to buy time or Decorum Dissertation to churn through your library.

You even have the luxury of tutoring Dai Li IndoctrinationDai Li IndoctrinationChoose one —
• Target opponent reveals their hand. You choose a nonland permanent card from it. That player discards that card.
• Earthbend 2. (Target land you control becomes a 0/0 creature with haste that's still a land. Put two +1/+1 counters on it. When it dies or is exiled, return it to the battlefield tapped.), which, with Thoughtseize and Duress, lets you resolve your impactful spells through countermagic. This flexibility is a huge boon and helps you beat a wide variety of matchups.

Taking on Different Roles

Despite being a combo strategy at heart, one of Rakdos Creativity’s biggest strengths is adapting its gameplay to the matchup at hand. Against aggro decks like Mono-Red or White Weenie, this deck can easily play like a control deck, for example. Fatal PushFatal PushDestroy target creature if it has mana value 2 or less.
Revolt — Destroy that creature if it has mana value 4 or less instead if a permanent left the battlefield under your control this turn. and Volcanic Spite stave off early pressure, while your Clue tokens and Fountainport grind the opponent into dust. All the while, incidental life gain from Pests prevents you from getting burnt out until you turn the corner with Creativity.

At the same time, against opposing combo decks like Abzan Greasefang, this deck can become an insurmountable force as early as turn four. Your discard spells also work wonders here, stripping the opposition of key pieces and slowing them down significantly.

Unfortunately, even with this dual approach in mind, some decks can still pose problems for Rakdos Creativity. Boros Land Destruction has the potential to obliterate your mana base, making it virtually impossible to cast Creativity after a certain point. Plus, with only three real win conditions, you risk getting punked by Erode, Get Lost, and Emergency Eject.

Beyond Boros, decks like Izzet Prowess can apply early pressure and back it up with Spell PierceSpell PierceCounter target noncreature spell unless its controller pays {2}., making it hard to stick cards like Fable on curve. In this sense, Rakdos Creativity is far from perfect. Nonetheless, there’s still a lot to like, and the Lesson package adds a lot of depth to a forgotten archetype.

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