Overview:

This Rakdos discard/hellbent deck leverages Malfegor's asymmetric board wipe to enable aggressive strategies fueled by empty-hand synergies. The deck focuses on forced discard mechanics, hellbent payoffs, and recursive threats to pressure opponents. Malfegor serves as both a reset button against creature-heavy boards and a catalyst for activating damage amplifiers like Anthem of Rakdos and Rakdos Pit Dragon. Secondary strategies include graveyard recursion via Feldon of the Third Path/Chainer, Nightmare Adept and incremental damage through discard triggers like Glint-Horn Buccaneer.

Primer:

Core Strategy Execution:

1. Early Setup (T1-3): Use rituals (Dark Ritual, Pyretic Ritual) and discard outlets (Bloodrage Brawler, Rotting Regisaur) to enable hellbent. Deploy key enablers like Cunning Lethemancer or Stronghold Rats to pressure opponents' hands.
2. Midgame Pressure (T4-6): Cast Malfegor to clear blockers and activate hellbent. Follow with damage amplifiers like Anthem of Rakdos or Taste for Mayhem on resilient threats like Hazoret the Fervent. Use Sire of Insanity to lock opponents out of resources.
3. Endgame Closure:
   • Combat: Deploy massive hellbent threats like Dread Slag (9/9 base) or Rakdos Pit Dragon (double strike) with evasion equipment (Whispersilk Cloak).
   • Burn: Leverage Glint-Horn Buccaneer pings and Demonfire with hellbent uncounterability.
   • Recursion Loops: Reanimate Archfiend of Sorrows with Chainer/Feldon for repeated board control.

Mulligan Priorities:

• Keep hands with 2-3 lands and at least one discard outlet (Rotting Regisaur, Bloodrage Brawler).
• Prioritize early rituals or Swiftfoot Boots to accelerate Malfegor.
• Avoid hands lacking discard payoffs or with only high-CMC cards.

Key Tips:

• Time Malfegor casts after setting up hellbent payoffs like Anthem of Rakdos.
• Use Feldon's Cane preemptively before mass recursion turns.
• Cryptborn Horror scales best after Malfegor's life loss triggers.
• Ill-Gotten Gains can disrupt opponents while refilling your graveyard.

Weaknesses:

Critical

• Foldsto graveyard hate (Rest in Peace, Leyline of the Void) that disrupts recursion engines
• Struggles against hand refill strategies (Rhystic Study, Smothering Tithe) that break hellbent

Moderate

• Vulnerable to artifact removal targeting key equipment (Whispersilk Cloak, Swiftfoot Boots)
• Slow recovery from board wipes due to limited card advantage

Minor

• Some anti-synergy between forced discard effects and Madness cards
• Mana base has several tapped lands slowing early plays

Most Important Cards:

• Sire of Insanity (Persistent discard lock)
• Anthem of Rakdos (Hellbent damage doubler)
• Glint-Horn Buccaneer (Discard ping engine)
• Chainer, Nightmare Adept (Recursion enabler)
• Archfiend of Ifnir (Board control)
• Hazoret the Fervent (Indestructible hellbent payoff)
• Feldon of the Third Path (Graveyard recursion)
• Demonfire (Uncounterable finisher)
• Blood Scrivener (Card advantage engine)
• Rakdos Pit Dragon (Evasive double-striker)

Attribute Ratings:

Speed: 5/10
Capable of threatening wins by T6-7 through combat or Demonfire, but lacks fast mana for explosive starts.

Resilience: 4/10
Moderate recursion and protection (Swiftfoot Boots), but over-reliant on graveyard and vulnerable to targeted hate.

Consistency: 5/10
Multiple discard outlets but limited tutors for key pieces like Anthem of Rakdos.

Interaction: 6/10
Solid targeted removal (Vandalblast, Bone Shards) and board wipes via Malfegor/Archfiend of Sorrows.

Rating Justification:

The deck demonstrates focused combat/discard strategies with T6-7 win potential but lacks the speed, protection, and redundancy of optimized lists. Its reliance on graveyard synergies and vulnerability to common hate cards place it in the upper casual tiers.

Power level: 4.0 - 4.5