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The mono red conspiracy

or: Why won't burn just go away??

In every format, no matter how many restrictions are in place, mono red burns thrives. But why is this? Does Wizards design set to give mono red an advantage or is it just the simplicity of the archetype?

You see, what makes mono red so good is the fact that it's just one archetype that doesn't require too much preparation. This is actually the first thing that makes it so easy to play, but also makes it so hard to beat. Mono red has the ability to burn through your opponent in a hurry, which is something that almost every other color has to deal with.

Another thing that mono red has going for it is its ability to just win on turn one. You don't have to play anything specific, just any creature and you win. If you do have to do anything to win, it's usually just burn. If you want to win on turn two, you're going to have to find a way to do it.

I know what you're thinking, "That's just what mono red does." But what about other formats?

In limited, I think we all know why mono red is good. It's just good against anything. You don't really need to prepare anything and you can just play whatever creature you want. Your opponent has to deal with you playing a creature. Even when you can play a creature, you don't really need to. Most of the time you'll be able to just cast a few burn spells and it's game over.

The problem with mono red in other formats is that you usually have to prepare something. Even when you do play a creature, you usually have to play a lot of creatures. You're not just playing a creature and winning on turn one. You need to have some sort of plan to win.

Limited doesn't have this problem because your plan is to play a creature. You can play any creature you want and it's just game over.

There is one safe spot however, and that safe spot is Commander. Commander is a format that's based on strategy, not mechanics. You're not relying on random rolls, but on building a deck that has a plan. There is no plan for mono red, it's just plain aggressiveness.

So just play commander.