Next on my list of victims is a pair of great "enters-the-battlefield" creatures. Phyrexian Rager will help the deck run a little smoother, helping us find our fifth land or digging for the man himself. Gatekeeper of Malakir is a staple in every deck that can afford his casting cost, and he'll be even better in a deck that can upgrade his puny body into a legitimate threat.

So far, we've got some fine utility creatures that become dangerous with Sarkhan, but aren't very scary on their own. We're going to need some monsters to make sure the opponent is already behind when we drop Sarkhan the Mad. He's supposed to break their backs, not break when they swing back.

Plated Geopede is the quickest clock you can ask for on turn two, although it means we'll have to break out our fetch lands again. It's nice that in the late game, when you run out of lands and the 'pede overstays his welcome, you can upgrade the 1/1 into a 5/5 for good.

The last creature slot is a toss-up between awesome mythics. Hero of Oxid Ridge is great for ambushing Planeswalkers and sneaking past birds, all while making our random 2-power guys into random 3-power guys. Koth of the Hammer provides the same kind of explosive turn-four play, with the added bonus of producing a creature every turn for Sarkhan. The downside of the Planeswalker is that we won't be playing many Mountains, because we are primarily Black. Two of his abilities will be practically useless most of the time, and even his +1 could be difficult to pull off when we need for Gatekeeper.

I'm going with Hero for now, because I don't want to play any Mountains if I can help it. With twelve Red/Black duals in the format, it shouldn't be too difficult to find Red without the basics.

With twenty-six slots accounted for, we have precious little space for removal and discard—two of the primary reasons to be in Black/Red. We'll have to stick to the best of the best, and fill up the sideboard with what we're missing.

Inquisition of Kozilek has gone from being four more Duresses to being the premier discard spell in the format, all thanks to Caw-Blade. Grabbing the first Squadron Hawk can save you a lot of trouble down the line, but Stoneforge Mystic is the usual choice. Taking a critical piece of Valakut's ramp suite can slow your opponent down just enough to pull off a win. You can also put the screws on a Fauna Shaman before she can call for backup.

Lightning Bolt is also a no-brainer. For the final spot, I'd like to try Mortarpod, which combos nicely with Bloodghast and Tuktuk. I also like that it gives me a body to turn into a dragon if I need it.

Color Me Mad

This is the tricky part. I need triple Black and double Red. I also need plenty of fetch lands for Plated Geopede and Bloodghast.

4 Blackcleave Cliffs

4 Dragonskull Summit

4 Lavaclaw Reaches

4 Marsh Flats

4 Evolving Wilds

4 Swamp

1 Mountain

I couldn't get away with zero Mountains and still reliably get to double Red, so I'm using Evolving Wilds over a set of Verdant Catacombs. Now I effectively have seventeen Red sources, but only one land in my deck that can't produce Black for Gatekeeper.

"U Mad Bro?"

• Creatures (22)
• 4 Bloodghast
• 4 Plated Geopede
• 4 Gatekeeper of Malakir
• 4 Phyrexian Rager
• 4 Hero of Oxid Ridge
• 2 Tuktuk the Explorer

• Planeswalkers (4)
• 4 Sarkhan the Mad

• Spells (9)
• 4 Lightning Bolt
• 4 Inquisition of Kozilek
• 1 Mortarpod

• Lands (25)
• 4 Blackcleave Cliffs
• 4 Dragonskull Summit
• 4 Lavaclaw Reaches
• 4 Marsh Flats
• 4 Evolving Wilds
• 4 Swamp
• 1 Mountain

• Sideboard (15)
• 3 Manic Vandal
• 2 Go for the Throat
• 1 Doom Blade
• 4 Mark of Mutiny
• 3 Arc Trail
• 2 Duress

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The sideboard should be pretty obvious. Mark for Titans, removal for creature decks, Duress for control, Manic Vandal for equipment.

Start Angry, End Mad

Match 1 – Vampires

Game 1 – My opponent gets the ball rolling with Viscera Seer followed by Vampire Lacerator. My Bloodghast desperately wants to block, but the creatures keep moving through his ethereal body. Mr. Opponent plays a Bloodghast of his own to add to his already advantageous position.

I have to Gatekeeper, although I know he'll probably just sacrifice the 'ghast. He doesn't—Seer hits the bin. An Arc Trail wipes my board and lets his team get through again. I play land (Bloodghast returns!), Plated Geopede, and save a Lightning Bolt for his Lacerator, effectively stabilizing the board. A Go for the Throat drains my Geopede, and the opposing Bloodghast relentlessly assaults.

I attack with Bloodghast and play my trump: Sarkhan el Loco. The 5/5 Dragon turns his back on me, though, when hit by Mark of Mutiny. The attack brings me down to 2 life. The +1/+1 counter would prove costly, however, as on my turn, I tally up 6 from the Dragon, 6 from Sarkhan's ultimate, and the final 3 from a Lightning Bolt.

I board in Arc Trails and Go for the Throats for Bloodghasts and a Hero. The Bloodghasts are a liability when I'm trying to survive the early turns, while the Hero is easily blocked by Lacerators and Gatekeepers.

Game 2 – My turn-two Mortarpod seems anemic in the face of his Kalastria Highborn, but an Arc Trail the following turn takes care of her and her Bloodghast buddy. A kicked Gatekeeper hits my opponent's board, but whiffs when I sacrifice my germ token in response. I play a Phyrexian Rager, finding a Sarkhan the Mad, and my opponent plays a land (returning Bloodghast) and a Vampire Lacerator. He isn't through just yet—he sacrifices all three creatures to drop Demon of Death's Gate. The 9/9 has me on a two-turn clock.

After I attack with the Rager, I play Sarkhan and upgrade it to a 5/5. I could have hit the Demon, but I was hoping the opportunity to hit me for 9 would tempt my opponent into ignoring my Planeswalker for a turn. My plan works, and I fall to 6. After combat, he Inquisitions me (seeing all land) and simply plays a land to bring back Bloodghast.

I rip a Hero of Oxid Ridge (must be nice, I know), and attack for 10 with it and the Dragon. Then, I use Sarkhan's ultimate to deal the final 6 damage and steal the win.

2–0.

Match 2 – Blue/Black Control

Game 1 – His Inquisition takes my first Geopede, and Doom Blade deals with the second. My third-turn Bloodghast puts an end to that foolishness and begins my assault. The following turn, he is joined by another 'ghast, which my opponent promptly returns to my hand with Into the Roil. I see why the following turn, as a big Jace bounces the second 'ghast. I have the Lightning Bolt to take care of the Planeswalker, and replay one of the Vampire Spirits.

Unfortunately, a Wurmcoil Engine rains on my parade. I have two Gatekeepers that could neutralize the threat, but that one Mountain in my deck list prevents me from getting to . I lose to the Lifelinker.

I board in the Mark of Mutinys and Duresses for two Tuktuks, three Gatekeepers, and a Mortarpod.

Game 2 – My Inquisition sees Preordain, Go for the Throat, and a bunch of land. I opt for the Preordain. With no 2-drop, my next play is Phyrexian Rager, which gets its Throat ripped out. My opponent's Tectonic Edge preemptively destroys a Lavaclaw Reaches, which I replace with another, plus a second Rager.

Spreading Seas gives my opponent a nice two-for-one, which he follows up with an Inquisition (taking Gatekeeper, the last action spell in my hand). I have another Lavaclaw, so I play it and keep attacking with the Rager. When I attack the following turn, a Creeping Tar Pit trades with the Reaches. He Inquisitions me again, finding a Mark of Mutiny. I rip Hero of Oxid Ridge and attack, putting him at 7. When his draw step yields nothing, he concedes.

Game 3 – This replay was lost, but I distinctly remember attacking with Bloodghasts, Bolting a Jace, and Mark of Mutinying a Wurmcoil for the win. Something like that.

2–1.

Match 3 – Eldrazi Green (with Red)

His was an interesting build, kind of a Valakut deck without any Valakuts. Instead, it played like Eldrazi Green, with Bolts and Arc Trails to buy some time.

Game 1 – I keep a rather slow, controlling hand in the dark. When Inquisition reveals a hand full of ramp and Primeval Titan, I know I'm in trouble, but I nab the Explore and press on.

He plays an Overgrown Battlement he just drew (I would have taken it with Inquisition), and I play a useless Tuktuk. He plays a Growth Spasm, and my Hero of Oxid Ridge pushes Tuktuk past his defenses for a total of 6 damage. Primeval Titan hits the board and finds Eye of Ugin and Eldrazi Temple, while my Gatekeeper is only good for taking out the Battlement. Soon, he searches up an Ulamog and nails my Hero, but it was all academic by that point.

Mark of Mutiny comes in, and the Doom Blade/GftT package. I briefly consider the Duress, but it doesn't hit Battlement or Titan, so I decide against it. This may be a mistake. To make room, I cut Tuktuk, Mortarpod, and the Ragers. Three-mana 2/2s just seem too slow.

Game 2 – My hand is significantly faster this time, with two Plated Geopedes. Unfortunately, he plays an Arc Trail that utterly destroys my game plan. Even after I Doom Blade his Titan, I simply don't have enough pressure to stop him from finding an Eldrazi and annihilating me.

0–2.

Looking Back in Anger

The suite of removal in the main deck and sideboard, together with Sarkhan to finish things, makes the deck quite strong against creature decks. I had no problem besting an Elves deck, various Vampires lists, and a Boros deck during testing. The control matchups were worse, and came down to whether I was able to get the drop on them with Bloodghasts. Any time Gideon got involved, things tended to get ugly, but the Blue/Black and Grand Architect–based decks were decent matchups.

Valakut is a tough nut to crack for aggro decks, particularly when they have sweepers in the board. You can steal some wins with Mark of Mutiny, but a proficient player won't let that happen. There isn't a great answer here, which is why aggro decks are underplayed right now. Cut your losses and move on, I say.

I've tried Abyssal Persecutor, but found him a little clumsier than the Red 4-drops. He's slower, for one, and he also gets blocked all day by Sword-carrying Birds. Once you factor in the times when you need to get rid of him but can't find a Sarkhan, you realize you're better off with Hero of Oxid Ridge.

Speaking of Hero, I've played a few matches with Koth instead, and I'm starting to lean toward the Planeswalker. The scenario where Hero comes down, makes your team unblockable, and you bash through a bunch of walls and 1/1s? Yeah, doesn't come up so much. Instead, your opponent can generally block and kill the Hero on the first attack, meaning he's a fine Jace-killer—but not much more than that.

The mana base I use when I play with Koth is janky, but I haven't had any trouble yet. It might just be the small sample size, but I've had a Mountain in each of the ten or so games I used these lands:

4 Blackcleave Cliffs

4 Dragonskull Summit

4 Evolving Wilds

3 Marsh Flats

2 Scalding Tarn

4 Mountain

4 Swamp

Then it's just a simple swap from Hero to Koth. You don't get turn-three Gatekeeper so often, but that isn't really an integral part of your game plan. Playing him later, after the opponent chump-blocks your Geopedes and plays his big guy, is better most of the time anyway.

If nothing else, I hope this article gets you thinking about Sarkhan the Mad. What about pairing him with Vengevine? Or a Goblin Guide deck packed with burn, and Sarkhan to beef up your 1-drops or draw your Lightning Bolts?

We don't have much time before this Planeswalker rotates from Standard. Let's give him a proper sendoff.

Thanks for reading,

Brad Wojceshonek

bradwoj at gmail dot com

BJWOJ on Twitter