[Top 3] MTG Arena Best Mono Red Decks That Wreck Hard!

Updated:

09 Oct 2020

Do you have a need for speed?

No matter what format you’re playing right now on Arena, it’s more likely than not you have had a game stolen right from under your nose by a mono-red deck that’s just a little too fast for you to handle. It happens to everyone, well, except if you’re the one rushing down your opponents before they knew what hit them. Here are the top three mono-red decks on Arena for all of you who want to know the feeling of pure, unhalted aggression.

3. Standard Red Aggro

Embercleave, Illustrated by Joe Slucher

One of the most aggressive decks currently in standard, mono-red decks are one of the only decks pressuring the greedy ramp decks running rampant in the format. This is a classic build that relies on the extremely reliable Embercleave to kill your opponent before they can stop you.

What is great about this deck:

This deck excels at and gets rewarded for attacking.
Embercleave is the name of the game when defeating opponents quickly. This deck takes full advantage and runs four copies.
Just like meta’s of standard’s past, Anax, Hardened in the Forge and Bonecrusher Giants play a big role as resilient game-ending beaters.

How This Deck is Played:

Early aggression is important, if you don’t have access to a one or two mana creature at the start of the game it’s probably best to take a mulligan.
A new addition to the deck, Kargan Intimidator packs a punch while stopping opposing creatures from blocking it. So when your forces are trapped behind a Questing Beast, this warrior has got you covered.
Due to the prevalence of cards like Shatter the Sky and Storm’s Wrath, Anax Hardened by in the Forge can assure you a board presence even after your opponent board wipes.
As for removal, this deck runs several spells that can both pressure you opponent’s life total and remove pesky blockers. These cards include Stomp, Spikefield Hazard, Shock, and Roil Eruption.
Like in all things aggro, Embercleave is key. And attaching one to your own Anaz won’t just give it double strike and temple, but also +3/+3 due to the interaction of Devotion.

Cards:

4 Akoum Hellhound

4 Anax, Hardened in the Forge

4 Bonecrusher Giant

4 Castle Embereth

4 Embercleave

4 Fervent Champion

4 Kargan Intimidator

18 Mountain

4 Robber of the Rich

2 Roil Eruption

4 Shock

2 Spikefield Hazard

2 Torbran, Thane of Red Fell

Sideboard:

2 Claim the Firstborn

2 Embereth Shieldbreaker

2 Redcap Melee

3 Roiling Vortex

2 Soul-Guide Lantern

2 Spikefield Hazard

2 Thundering Rebuke

2. Historic Burn

Ghitu Lavarunner, Illustrated by Jesper Ejsing

Are you looking to take your aggro deck to the next level? Burn just may be the deck for you. With every new set introduced into the Historic format, all the most aggressive damage happy cards find a home in this mono-red burn.

What is great about this deck:

This deck is FAST, sometimes killing your opponent as soon as turn three.
Between card draw, utility lands, and the use of a companion, this deck won’t run out of gas too easily.
Between Wizard’s Lightning, Skewer the Critics, and Lightning Strike this deck loves cutting out the middleman and going straight for the face.

How This Deck is Played:

On the surface Jegantha, the Wellspring looks a little out of place in this deck. But because of this deck’s low colored mana costs, its inclusion as a companion is 100% free. So while we won’t be taping it for mana, Jegantha does present a big beater when we need it.
This version of mono-red benefits a lot from playing wizard creatures to turn their Wizard’s Lightnings into Lightning Bolts. This means on top of being some of the most aggressive creatures in the format, Ghitu Lavarunner, Grim Lavamancer, Soul-Scar Mage, and Viashino Pyromancer become just that much better.
Burn’s biggest problem in any format is running out of gas. Rumanap Ruins helps solve that problem by letting you turn your lands into damage late in the game.
Light up the stage and Flames of Keld also help with this problem, often effectively drawing you two cards and, in the case of Flames of Keld, help you set up for an explosive turn.
The sequencing of your plays is pivotal in this deck, so if you pick it up and try it out, be cognizant of cast triggers like prowess or Thermo-Alchemist’s ability.

Cards:

2 Bonecrusher Giant

4 Ghitu Lavarunner

2 Grim Lavamancer

4 Light Up the Stage

4 Lightning Strike

14 Mountain

4 Ramunap Ruins

4 Roil Eruption

4 Shock

4 Soul-Scar Mage

2 The Flame of Keld

4 Thermo-Alchemist

4 Viashino Pyromancer

4 Wizard's Lightning

Sideboard:

3 Abrade

2 Fry

2 Grafdigger's Cage

1 Jegantha, the Wellspring

2 Redcap Melee

3 Roiling Vortex

2 Soul-Guide Lantern

1. Historic Goblins

Muxus, Goblin Grandee, Illustrated by Dmitry Burmak

If you’re anything like me, you LOVE goblins. And even if you’re nothing like me I’m sure winning on turn three is just as attractive. Thanks to the introduction of Muxus, Goblin Grandee alongside Jumpstart, the historic goblins deck has taken a new shape.

What is great about this deck:

Goblins is a deck that benefits from a lot of very synergistic cards.
Big threats like Krenko, Mob Boss and Muxus, Goblin Grandee can be played surprisingly early, and put some serious pressure on your opponent.
For a deck that more resembles a combo deck than anything else, Historic Goblins can win without ever seeing it’s combo pieces by swarming the board and pumping up your team.

How This Deck is Played:

Almost any hand that starts with Skirk Prospector in it is a keeper. Due to its mana ability in combination with Goblin Instigator or Wiley Goblin, Mucus is castable as soon as turn three.
Even when you don’t have a perfect hand with a turn three Muxus, you have tools to get you there on later turns. Conspicuous Snoop and Goblin Matron can both get you closer to finding the goblin you need.
Goblin Ringleader is also a card that will allow you to refill your hand full of goblins on the off chance you run out of gas or you miss on your Muxus.
Gempalm Incinerator is one of the only ways to interact with your opponent’s deck in this build, but it’s a very efficient one. For two mana you can deal damage to a creature equal to the number of Goblins on the battlefield, and because it’s tied to a cycling ability, it can’t be countered by traditional counterspells!
Haste is very important in a deck like this. Whether it be to use Krenko’s tap ability as soon as he hits the field or attacking in with a Muxus on the turn you play him, haste stops your opponent from reacting to your pointy-eared threats. That’s why this list runs four Goblin Chieftains and four Goblin Warchiefs.

Cards:

3 Castle Embereth

4 Conspicuous Snoop

4 Goblin Chieftain

1 Goblin Cratermaker

4 Goblin Matron

1 Goblin Ringleader

4 Goblin Warchief

4 Krenko, Mob Boss

2 Mind Stone

17 Mountain

4 Muxus, Goblin Grandee