EDIT: changed topic from Rakdos Steal 'n Sac to Hazoret's Favor - to turn the thread into a discussion of HF generally rather than rakdos specifically. The card has a lot of fun potential that I'm trying to tap; don't care that much what colors it's in.
___________________________________________________________


I haven't touched this archetype since Origins, but am getting back around to it now mostly wanting to mess around with Hazoret's Favor (especially since it made it on a few people's 'worst cards in Duels' lists, but I think it has some fun potential).

I built a version a day or two ago, but don't have the list memorized. That's fine because it wasn't very good. Main issue in testing is I built it too reliant on stealing opps creatures and not containing enough of its own fodder - so V2 I want some more token/thopter generators.

Cards I'm starting to put together for V2:
Hazoret's Favor - the build around

Nantuko Husk - sac outlet
Bontu the Glorified - sac outlet

Pia Nalaar - thopter fodder (flying Favor target), conditional sac outlet
Pia and Kiran Nalaar - same as above
Hanweir Garrison - fodder generator
Scrapheap Scrounger - recurrable fodder
Dread Wanderer - same as above
Sanitarium Skeleton - same as above, wouldn't run more than 1 or 2 copies if any

Eldrazi Obligator - steal
Act of Treason - steal
Kari Zev's Expertise - steal
Hijack - steal that hits vehicles too


Others considering:
Kari Zev, Skyship Raider - she's in V1, and has some nice mini synergies being with monkey token and Bontu, being able to sac/sry right after damage resolves, but it's a little clunky overall due to trigger timing.

Chandra's Ignition - one issue I ran into with V1 is token spam decks are a pain in the ass for steal n sac strategies, so wanting something like this to blow up wide token boards.

Carrier Thrall - sac fodder, free cast option if I run KZ's Expertise
Dragon Fodder - same as above

Bone Splinters - sac outlet, would only run 1 or 2 if any
Vampiric Rites - sac outlet that gives gas, but would only run 1 if any

Wrangle - steal, just leary about the 4 power cap

Any thoughts? Anyone have success with this archetype recently? Suggestions on ratios of steal to sac cards?

This is what I did with V2

2 x Dread Wanderer
1 x Sanitarium Skeleton
1 x Vampiric Rites
3 x Shock
2 x Bone Splinters
2 x Abbot of Keral Keep
1 x Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
2 x Scrapheap Scrounger
2 x Wrangle
1 x Bontu the Glorified
3 x Weaponcraft Enthusiast
4 x Nantuko Husk
2 x Hazoret's Favor
2 x Kari Zev's Expertise
3 x Act of Treason
1 x Hijack
1 x Liliana, the Last Hope
3 x Treasure Keeper
1 x Chandra, Torch of Defiance
1 x Never//Return

8 x Swamp
8 x Mountain
2 x Smoldering Marsh
2 x Dragonskull Summit
2 x Cinder Barrens



I still want to play around with the thopter generators, but I mostly stuck to revising the original shell I was working with in V1.

Deck has some really fun synergies with recurrable creatures. Sanitarium Skeleton + Vampiric Rites is just gas if the game runs long - I ground down an Opp on the ladder with that pair (plus a Scrounger for extra gas) just before posting the list here.

I'm still not sure if I have the correct ratios of sac outlets to steal cards plus fodder generators, but the recurrable creature package feels right. V2 is running much smoother than V1 so far in testing at least.

I decided to try Gruul to see how it played. There are some hella fun things about this version, but I know it's not optimized yet. This is my first rough draft. Hazoret's Favor + Evolutionary Leap is fun times.

2 x Abbot of Keral Keep
2 x Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
2 x Pathmaker Initiate
3 x Rot Shambler
4 x Elvish Visionary
3 x Voltaic Brawler
2 x Evolutionary Leap
2 x Wrangle
2 x Hanweir Garrison
2 x Khenra's Charioteer
2 x Hazoret's Favor
2 x Kari Zev's Expertise
3 x Act of Treason
1 x Hijack
1 x Nissa, Voice of Zendikar
2 x Pia and Kiran Nalaar
1 x Arlin Kord
1 x Devils' Playground
1 x Chandra, Flamecaller

7 x Mountain
7 x Forest
2 x Cinder Glade
2 x Rootbound Craig
2 x Timber Gorge
2 x Hanweir Battlements

Not much to sac your steals to there, maybe running prey upon would be worth it?

Yeah, just 4 total sac outlets. I'll prob cut half of the steal cards in the Gruul version - I just duplicated the Rakdos version and subbed out the black cards for Gruul V1. Want to get in some more test games to see what should get in/out.

Only tested 2 games so far, and both times I drew Sac outlets early on. Need to see what happens when I don't. The game I had HF and EL out together was a blast - every turn I was casting a creature, giving it +2 and haste, then evoleaping with it before HF's kill trigger and getting another creature to rinse and repeat. There's a fun idea there, it's just getting the rest of the deck to a point where not drawing one of 2 rare spells doesn't cripple its chances of winning. Currently the Rakdos version feels more solid in testing.

Heh, it's funny that I've seen 2 steal n sac decks using Hazoret's Favor on twitch today. One was a Rakdos version that some random streamer I tuned into briefly was playing against. It ran Bloodflow Connoisseurs tho so I didn't care much for what I saw if it (counters crats is a trap IMO). The other appeared to be just mono red, and it was in a CGB Q4tB stream from yesterday. That build was kinda interesting (ran Flings, which I thought might be worth looking into/testing), but the pilot punted hard on a play and I didn't get to see as much of the deck as I'd have liked.

Funny anyways that I just started to think about HF recently and then I see 2 different takes on it today.

I was just thinking Favor could make Akoum Stonewalker really worthwhile. 5/1 trample with every land drops seems worth the 2R.

Good call. I'll prob work that into the Gruul version.

Gruul V2

2 x Abbot of Keral Keep
2 x Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
3 x Akoum Stonewalker
4 x Elvish Visionary
3 x Voltaic Brawler
2 x Evolutionary Leap
2 x Wrangle
2 x Hanweir Garrison
2 x Tireless Tracker
2 x Khenra's Charioteer
2 x Hazoret's Favor
2 x Kari Zev's Expertise
2 x Act of Treason
1 x Hijack
1 x Nissa, Voice of Zendikar
2 x Pia and Kiran Nalaar
1 x Arlin Kord
1 x Chandra, Flamecaller

7 x Mountain
7 x Forest
2 x Cinder Glade
2 x Rootbound Craig
4 x Evolving Wilds
2 x Hanweir Battlements


This one is playing better than V1, 3-0 in ladder testing. Akoum won me a test game, and Tireless Tracker clue digging helped me assemble pieces in another - so happy with both changes. HF and EL are bonkers together, and I haven't lost a game yet when I've had both out.

The firebird is a great card vs the right deck.

Hit me up if you see me next time you are on duels. Love to see it in action.