How to build a mono-red aggro in MTG standard

An ever-popular standard archetype in Magic: The Gathering, mono-red aggro is an ideal deck for those new to the game, or ultra-aggressive players who want to end games early as opposed to being part of long, drawn-out battles for board control.

With more cards than ever legal in the Standard format, there are many ways to build an effective mono-red deck, and arguably, there's no more satisfying way to win a game of Magic than having your opponents give up early as you tear their strategy apart.

Mono-Red Aggro Deck List

Aggro decks are of course the most compact decks in MTGmeaning you usually don't use any single or double copies of cards, instead you choose a maximum of four copies of most cards in the deck, making it easy to keep track of what you have and haven't drawn yet.

This deck also limits the use of enchantments, artifacts, vehicles, and other such cards that typically require time to build or a high mana cost. Beyond the creature and instant cards, there is only one sorcery card in this entire deck.

It's this simplified card structure that makes the deck great for beginners, though there is still a nuance to aggro decks that means you can't just sloppily blast all your creatures and spells and expect to win every matchup and reach mythic in MTG Arena ranked games.

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How this mono-red Aggro deck works

Aggression is the name of the game, and this deck is built to start doing damage from the first turn.

This is evident through the use of haste, which allows creatures to attack on the same turn they are playedrather than having to wait a turn for the summon to pass.

The spell cards in this deck are also cheap and deal serious damage. This is perfect for targeting creatures or your opponent, with even the highest mana cost card in the deck, Witchstalker Frenzy, possible to roll for less if you've already attacked with creatures during your turn.

Ideal starting hands

When it comes to ideal starting hands for aggro decks, it can vary depending on how aggressively you want to try to play. Preferably you want at least three mana, three creatures, and an instant spellbut given that none of the creatures in this deck cost more than two mana, you can pretty easily start with just two mana in hand and hope to draw one on turns one through three.

If you're going to continue with just two mana, it's best to try to have an extra card in your hand, either because remove a potential blocker or apply the pressure with more direct damage to your opponent.

Changes you can make

In the current meta, it's hard to suggest too many obvious changes to this mono-red aggro deck, though here are some card swaps you may consider:

• Remove – Bump, include – Grind

• Remove – Lightning Strike, include – Boulder Dash

• Remove – Witchstalker Frenzy, Include – Charming Villain

• Remove – Witchstalker Frenzy, Include – Hexing Squelcher

Lorwyn Eclipsed unfortunately didn't come with any incredible additions for mono-red aggro beyond Hexing Squelcher. Still, the synergy isn't quite there to introduce a random spell card, especially one without hastethough its ability to parry and the fact that it can't be countered is food for thought.

As it says, this mono-red-aggro deck is well balancedso any changes should be based on your experiences with the deck and how other popular decks in the meta handle your threat.

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