[Single Card Discussion] Reckless Abandon

[Clark Kant]

Reckless Abandon R
Sorcery
As an additional cost to play Reckless Abandon, sacrifice a creature. Reckless Abandon deals 4 damage to target creature or player.

The card seems like it would be a devastating finisher alongside Fireblast and PoP in any red based decks that play creatures (Zoo, Goyf Sligh, and maybe even Goblins and Burn Variants with Mogg Fanatic, Hellspark Elemental, Jackal Pup/Spark Elemental or Keldon Marauders and such).

A Reckless Abandon + Fireblast can take out a full half of your opponents life for a single mana. So why are cards like Magma Jet that do half the damage at twice the cost (on the hope that maybe they'll get you another burn spell to use next turn) considered staples, when those slots could be given to finishers that end the game right then and there.

So I'm curious to see why you think the card sees next to zero play in legacy?

[Mayk0l]

The same reason Goblin Grenade isn't played in Goblins (besides the fact it's not a goblin); it sets you up for horrible two for ones. Fireblast does a 3:1 but it least it doesn't cost mana.

[quicksilver]

A Reckless Abandon + Fireblast can take out a full half of your opponents life for a single mana.

Not a full half. More like 2/5.

[Zach Tartell]

Not a full half. More like 2/5.

No - Reckless Goblin, swing. Mountain, swing, Reckless Abandon, Fireblast.

It's a terrible two turns, but it's kinda cool. All you need to do next is drop 2 LEDs and a Lotus Petal, Quicken during your upkeep, with quicken on the stack crack the LEDs, Hidseugo's Last Right FTW.

And you get to draw a card for turn if it doesn't work!

[Clark Kant]

No more like... Hellspark Elemental, swing, Reckless Abandon, next turn unearth Hellspark, swing, Reckless Abandon, Fireblast for 18 damage (enough to kill any opponent that plays fetchlands, all while only using a grand total of four cards and two turns).


The same reason Goblin Grenade isn't played in Goblins (besides the fact it's not a goblin); it sets you up for horrible two for ones. Fireblast does a 3:1 but it least it doesn't cost mana.

When paired with cards like Mogg Fanatic, Keldon Marauders, Hellspark Elemental (occasionally even the crappy Spark Elemental) and a few others that are played in plenty of sligh/burn lists already, it doesn't create any card disadvantage for you at all. Compare this to Fireblast which actually often does cost you the game if it doesn't resolve. Yet Fireblast sees a 100x the play that Reckless Abandon does.

Given the massive damage it does for the low cost, often enough to end the game right then and there, it seems like the risk is well worth the reward, same as Fireblast.

To illustrate, why wouldn't a list like this (which did well in a field of 474),

http://www.deckcheck.net/deck.php?id=25943

not want to replace subpar cards like Incinerate or I would argue Magma Jet for Reckless Abandon and maybe Jackal Pup/Sparky. It already sees fit to play Fireblast.

[Mayk0l]

How is Mogg Fanatic any good with Reckless Abandon?

[C.P.]

When paired with cards like Mogg Fanatic, Keldon Marauders, Hellspark Elemental (occasionally even the crappy Spark Elemental) and a few others that are played in plenty of sligh lists already, it doesn't create any card disadvantage for you at all. Compare this to Fireblast which actually often does cost you the game if it doesn't resolve. Yet Fireblast sees a 100x the play that Reckless Abandon does.

Given the massive damage it does for the low cost, often enough to end the game right then and there, it seems like the risk is well worth the reward.

The format is already full of good burns that is not awful topdeck. Sure, they are usually a point shorter than the Abandon, but they are generally better. One of the great things about burn is its versatility, which Abandon lacks.

Also, Fireblast > RA for these reasons:

1. Gets around Counterbalance.
2. Is a 100x better topdeck.
3. RA getting countered, assuming you saced a relevant creature(because you're making assumptions that those 2 lands were relevant for Fireblast), is just as devastating, if not more than Fireblast.

In Zoo/Burn style of decks, Land is usually unimportant after your 3rd one. Creature almost never is.

[rufus]

The card doesn't even compare favorably with Shard Volley.

The decks that would ostensibly play it are Burn and Sligh. Sligh has many superior alternatives, and doesn't want to sack critters, and Burn doesn't have enough critters to make it reliable.

[Gheizen64]

Is it in the sense that if they try to remove it in response, you can always ping them for 1. Not the best play, i concur. However, Hellspark elemental and Spark Elemental are perfect use for the card. But then i would probably rather play the +3/+0 card with flashback from odyssey. That + Hellspark elemental = recurring ball lightning!!1!!1!!!!!1!!!

[C.P.]

Is it in the sense that if they try to remove it in response, you can always ping them for 1.

This does not work. Sac is an additional cost, thus Fanatic cannot do anything, nor can your opponents kill it in responce.

[Clark Kant]

I think that in something like this...

http://www.deckcheck.net/deck.php?id=25943

Reckless Abandon and Spark Elemental (or Jackal Pup) would be better fits and more devastating over subpar cards like Incinerate and Magma Jet.

And I also think that such a list would fare quite well given the absurdly fast three turn clock that it puts opponents on (way faster than any zoo or goyf sligh variants and comparable to combo decks).

[Wrath_Of_Houlding]

It would fit in the above list...if you sac the Hellspark or the Maruaders when they're on their way out anyway, you're really not setting yourself up for a 2-1 at all...and Marauders even do their ping regardless of how they leave play.

[Nazgath]

Click to see my List. (http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showpost.php?p=346096&postcount=988)


Reckless Abandon R
Sorcery
As an additional cost to play Reckless Abandon, sacrifice a creature. Reckless Abandon deals 4 damage to target creature or player.

The card seems like it would be a devastating finisher alongside Fireblast and PoP in any red based decks that play creatures (Zoo, Goyf Sligh, and maybe even Goblins and Burn Variants with Mogg Fanatic, Hellspark Elemental, Jackal Pup/Spark Elemental or Keldon Marauders and such).

A Reckless Abandon + Fireblast can take out a full half of your opponents life for a single mana. So why are cards like Magma Jet that do half the damage at twice the cost (on the hope that maybe they'll get you another burn spell to use next turn) considered staples, when those slots could be given to finishers that end the game right then and there.

So I'm curious to see why you think the card sees next to zero play in legacy?
The Burn build which I've played on public MWS in the past few days features Reckless Abandon, and I've been very pleased with the card.

Magma Jet is an incredible card which gives your deck a more consistent turn 4 win, and it isn't like 36 Bolts have been printed yet. You can question its inclusion as a 4-of, but a 2-of is mandatory in my opinion.





Also, Fireblast > RA for these reasons:

1. Gets around Counterbalance.
2. Is a 100x better topdeck.
3. RA getting countered, assuming you saced a relevant creature(because you're making assumptions that those 2 lands were relevant for Fireblast), is just as devastating, if not more than Fireblast.
I don't think anybody is disputing how good Fireblast is. You're comparing Tarmogoyf to Nimble Mongoose here.


The card doesn't even compare favorably with Shard Volley.
I never understood how people would want to run Shard Volley alongside Fireblast. Shard Volley is horrible.

[lordofthepit]

It's not a great card, but I agree that it should at least be on the radar.

The thing is, to make better use of the card, you're going to have to run creatures like Hellspark Elemental and Keldon Marauders, which is certainly possible. Not the best cards available for burn, but it can still make the cut. But how many Abandons can you support with those 8 creatures?

Unfortunately, you're going to have to get more creative with crappier creatures like Ball Lightning or get more creative with Mishra's Factories or Genju of the Spire to get more use out of it. Not sure if that's what I want to do.

[DrJones]

This card is just not as good as goblin grenade, fling or shrapnel blast. Sorcery speed makes it unable to use on creatures that are about to die, so it's always one-for-two, and 1 damage over lightning isn't worth losing a creature. It also has the same problem auras have, and that is that some times you don't have a good target for it, so it becomes a dead card.

[JeroenC]

It needs to be an instant. Like this, it's too situational to be any good.

[Gheizen64]

It's not a great card, but I agree that it should at least be on the radar.

The thing is, to make better use of the card, you're going to have to run creatures like Hellspark Elemental and Keldon Marauders, which is certainly possible. Not the best cards available for burn, but it can still make the cut. But how many Abandons can you support with those 8 creatures?

Unfortunately, you're going to have to get more creative with crappier creatures like Ball Lightning or get more creative with Mishra's Factories or Genju of the Spire to get more use out of it. Not sure if that's what I want to do.

Hellspark elemental and mogg fanatic make 16 creature. Or some 2 power creature instead of fanatic. Hellspark also make 20 "virtual" creature and it's the stronger card compared to Marauders (maybe not in legacy, where faeries are not as present as in extended and standard).

[lordofthepit]

Hellspark elemental and mogg fanatic make 16 creature. Or some 2 power creature instead of fanatic. Hellspark also make 20 "virtual" creature and it's the stronger card compared to Marauders (maybe not in legacy, where faeries are not as present as in extended and standard).

I would only run Hellspark Elemental and Keldon Marauders for the purpose of saccing to Reckless Abandon. Mogg Fanatic can make it 12, but you'd be light on burn, and there's no synergy in saccing Fanatic to Abandon. I don't know how you get 16 without running a clearly suboptimal creature. I don't count "virtual" creatures, because you still need to draw into your creature.

[Fonzy]

It's not that good because it's a sorcery, so you can't use it nullify removal pointed at your dudes or as a combat trick to kill big dudes.

[Otter]

The other problem with running sufficient creatures to make it work is that running creatures really sucks in burn. Not to say that burn is a good deck anyways, but I'd really rather just Flame Rift someone to the face than play a Hellspark and get it sent farming. About the only real likable quality of burn is the virtual card advantage from making all of their removal dead. Turning all of their removal back on for the purpose of playing a mediocre spell like Reckless Abandon just doesn't make any sense.

edit -- not to say that burn absolute can't run creatures, stuff like Keldon Marauders is still solid since it gets in for some damage even if they kill it, but running the scope of creatures required to sustain Reckless sounds like a disaster

[Gheizen64]

Otter said it perfectly.

[Clark Kant]

The mods can feel free to lock the thread. I think pretty much all of the points to be made about the card from both sides have already been made.

Keldon Marauders, Hellspark Elemental and Mogg Fantastic are good enough creatures that most burn decks already play them (or probably should) anyways, Hellspark adds much needed reach without having to play card draw, and the other two creatures are just too good not to play.

And 12 creatures is enough to absolutely support 2-3 Reckless Abandon. If you wish to play more, then obviously, stuff like Spark Elemental or Jackal Pup which are also solid threats can be cosndiered.

Reckless Abandon does absolutely make for a fantastic finisher, even just a very minimal amount of playing with it proves this point.

Here's just a quick and dirty sample list...

Creature [12]
4 Mogg Fanatic
4 Hellspark Elemental
4 Keldon Marauders

Instant [16]
4 Fireblast
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Manamorphose
4 Price of Progress

Sorcery [14]
4 Chain Lightning
4 Lava Spike
4 Rift Bolt
2 Reckless Abandon

Land [18]
18 Mountain

Given that Hellspark readily provides you with another burn spell at a moment's notice, I honestly prefer Manamorphose to Magma Jet for my card draw, but I know that's a touchy subject. So if you like Magma Jet, play it over Manamorphose.

And as I said previously, if you're willing to play Jackal Pup (possibly even instead of Mogg Fantastic) or Spark Elemental (both solid cards in their own right), then you can easily go up to 4 Reckless Abandon. The deck already wins on turn three more frequently than any other aggro or burn list, but making that shift makes the turn three win ever more likely.

And I actually do think that approach has merit as well. Because like I said, Reckless Abandon makes for a really really strong finisher, ranking right up there with Fireblast and PoP.

[Otter]

If you're gonna test it, I'd suggest trying something like an 8 Pup build with Pups & Tattermunge Maniacs. Fanatic's synergy with Reckless equates to turning it into a Shard Volley, which seems like a horrific waste. If you're going to play the thing in the first place, you might as well start with a build that gets the full mileage out of it. If you decide later that Fanatics are just too good against the meta to leave out, so be it, but if you want to evaluate Shard Volley itself, play a creature base with as much synergy with it as possible.

[Clark Kant]

Ok then, to try out a full playset of Reckless Abandon, a creature base that looks like this perhaps?

4 Jackal Pup
4 Spark Elemental
4 Hellspark Elemental
4 Keldon Marauders

I dislike Tattermunge Maniac. Very rarely, you'll have to hold off on attacking with Jackal Pup for a turn after your opponent's goyf just came into play, until it loses summoning sickness and he starts swinging with it. Once that happens, you can resume attacking with creatures again. Maniac doesn't give you that option.

[heroicraptor]

I dislike Tattermunge Maniac.

Agreed. Here's the list I came up with:

// Lands
18 [UNH] Mountain

// Creatures
4 [FNM] Jackal Pup
4 [FD] Spark Elemental
4 [CNF] Hellspark Elemental
4 [PLC] Keldon Marauders

// Spells
4 [A] Lightning Bolt
4 [LG] Chain Lightning
4 [CHK] Lava Spike
4 [TSP] Rift Bolt
4 [UD] Reckless Abandon
3 [EX] Price of Progress
3 [VI] Fireblast

// Sideboard
SB: 1 [EX] Price of Progress
SB: 4 [10E] Pithing Needle
SB: 4 [GP] Shattering Spree
SB: 4 [A] Red Elemental Blast
SB: 2 [SHM] Smash to Smithereens

[Clark Kant]

The list looks solid. I like it a lot. It has a faster clock than burn and every aggro deck in the format so it has a shot at trying to race combo atleast. It can easily win by turn 4-5 even if some of it's early spells get dazed or FoWed. And stuff like Hellspark that recur and Pup that are permanent, present a harder time to control decks unless they resolve a Countertop or something.

[skeezixian]

Well what if you copied Reckless Abandon with an Izzet Guildmage's ability, would you need to sacrifice a second creature?

[hyc8028]

Well what if you copied Reckless Abandon with an Izzet Guildmage's ability, would you need to sacrifice a second creature?

No

[ScatmanX]

Well what if you copied Reckless Abandon with an Izzet Guildmage's ability, would you need to sacrifice a second creature?
Even sexier, is Copying goblin grenade with Wort, the raidmother. =D

[TsumiBand]

Did I miss a memo about Goblin Guide suddenly becoming bad in fast decks? It seems like grasping at straws between Tattermunge Maniac and Jackal Pup is an issue that Goblin Guide settled a while ago.

[ReAnimator]

Did I miss a memo about Goblin Guide suddenly becoming bad in fast decks? It seems like grasping at straws between Tattermunge Maniac and Jackal Pup is an issue that Goblin Guide settled a while ago.

You missed the memo that this was a savage necro from 2009.