Top 10 Red Cards

Red is an odd colour in that it has the weakest top end cards and the narrowest range of things that it does yet it still seems to be the highest win percentage colour in the cube. I mentioned in the black list that red had a sharp fall off in power after not many cards, seven to be precise. Another issue with the red cards that made the list very tricky is that they are often quite niche cards that fit into few archetypes. This meant that this list is based a little more on power level than the other factors.

10. Fireblast
9.   Sulphuric Vortex
8.   Arc Trail
7.   Wheel of Fortune
6.   Goblin Welder
5.   Faithless Looting
4.   Inferno Titan
3.   Bonfire of the Damned
2.   Goblin Guide
1.   Lightning Bolt

Good old Bolt has to get first place on this list as it is one of the few cards in red that is great in every deck. It is the first burn spell you reach for regardless of your archetype. Faithless Looting is the only other red card in this list that manages to find a multitude of homes due to its cheapness, quality and versatility. Guide, Vortex and Fireblast are always agro cards unless things have gone very wrong in your drafting. Although narrow in application they are three of the most notable agro cards, the best one drop beater, the best threat and the best burn finisher. Fireblast is rarely seen outside of mono red and so comes low on the list and the Vortex is also restricted in where it may be played due to the self harm element thus requiring a deck that should have the tempo advantage. Goblin Guide is flexible where he may be played and can easily fit into any aggressive creature deck, in addition to this he is quite a jump above the other stand alone one drop dorks.



Bonfire and Inferno Titan are two of the best control cards out there, Bonfire is certainly the best mass removal spell and Titan is the best of the cycle and well up there in contention for top end threats. Bonfire is unique where as Titan has reasonable alternatives and so the Bonfire I rate higher. Goblin Welder is powerful enough to design whole decks around however does very little unless you do go to this length. Wheel of Fortune is another unique card which offers card advantage to a colour usually not able to get it, not only that but it offers about as much card advantage going for one of the cheapest rates of mana per card. Arc Trail is a bit of an odd card to find in this list however it is both card advantage and extreme tempo while never being dead. It sees a lot of play in many different archetypes and frequently ends games on turn two by being a one sided board sweeper. In cube with so many utility dorks and very low curves Arc Trail is a fearsome card deserving of its slot despite being an obvious drop off in power from the likes of Welder of Wheel.