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Red is an easy color to design for until you realize that your entire set has nothing but direct damage, land destruction, and Goblins. Oh, wait, it's not that easy?

Red is, by far, the hardest color to design for me personally. I can easily fall into the trap or too much direct damage or bothering myself with worthless spells while all of the "good" spells are the same type. With this in mind, let's see where I took red:

First I wanted Red to have a more control-ish feeling. This meant stealing other creatures (Proud Ogre) and utilizing its lands as an alternate way to win and more than just making mana to burn the opponent to death with.

Here is a powerful Red legendary creature, Rize, and the Coldstone Altar which was originally called Altar of Rize:

If the Altar can end games (and end them in a -hurry-), then Rize can easily fill the role of face-beater until the altar is slapped down. The question is: How much are your lands worth to you, and what effect for the cost?

One of the other powerful Red legends, Smite, Nagrock Sorceress, is similar in the trade-off of resources (and in tandem, risk) versus the reward of sacrificing those resources.

Red is, as I said, the toughest to design for, but there are a few cards that I think excelled and they play fast and furious, just like I wanted them to.

Here are a few of my favorite red cards:

A player once asked me why this was rare. Was there anything special about this creature? Absolutely! By far, in my mind, the best red creature I've ever designed, ever, and nothing has come close.

The skill in this card is deceptive and, again, relates to resource management. You can play it for free, you can pay its mana cost, you can deal damage (or put damage on the stack) and bounce it, or you can bounce it to save it from destruction (ala Wrath of God). Rarely has Red ever been blessed with an almost unkillable creature, and I think this one is as balanced a card as I've ever produced.

I like uncounterable spells. There's something wonderfully comforting when you realize that nothing is going to stop this spell from happening. The cost may be a bit high, but the security in knowing that it will go off when you want with no interruptions is worth the pricetag.

Discard in Red? What the hell? I know! This is a card that I push the envelope with in terms of red, the idea that I can not only destroy lands in play, I can take them from your hand as well. Note that this uncommon has the same mana cost as a certain green uncommon who, in Fifth Dawn, proved to be a house (Eternal Witness). I wanted the spirit of that card in this one.

Bloodthirsty Blacksmith - Creature - Dwarf , Sacrifice an artifact: Add X red mana to your mana pool, where X equals its converted mana cost. Only when there are blood on the shards am I truly satisfied. 1/2 Uncommon #151/315

Brazen Strike - Instant Brazen Strike deals 2 damage to target creature. Mountain Blink (You may play this spell for no cost if you control an amount of Mountains equal or greater than its converted mana cost. Then remove it from the game.) "Gotcha!" Uncommon #152/315

Burning Effigy - Enchantment Burning Effigy deals X damage to target creature or player, where X equals the number of red permanents you control. The world shook, and suddenly there was fire everywhere. Rare #153/315

Burning Sea Chant - Enchantment Blue spells cost an additional to play. The Joondai knew nothing of these ancient rituals, but felt their effects nonetheless. Uncommon #154/315

Coldstone Barbarian - Creature - Human Barbarian Haste. Coldstone Barbarian cannot be the target of spells or abilities. Mountain Blink (You may put this creature into play anytime you could play an instant if you control an amount of Mountains equal or greater than its converted mana cost. It gains haste and is removed from the game at end of turn.) 3/1 Uncommon #155/315

Coldstone Bolt - Instant If this is your first resolved spell of the game, Coldstone Bolt deals 3 damage to target creature or player. Otherwise, Coldstone Bolt deals 1 damage to target creature or player. Common #156/315

Coldstone Brace - Enchantment - Aura Enchant Creature You may play Coldstone Brace anytime you could play an instant. Enchanted creature has first strike and "Sacrifice a mountain: +1/+0 until end of turn." Common #157/315

Coldstone Choice - Instant Choose one — Coldstone Choice deals 1 damage to target player; or destroy target artifact with a converted mana cost of 2 or less; or target creature may not block this turn. Common #158/315

Coldstone Gargoyle - Creature - Vulture Flying Sacrifice Coldstone Gargoyle: Target artifact or land is indestructable until end of turn. Protection comes at a price. 2/1 Common #159/315

Coldstone Imp - Creature - Goblin Mountainwalk Glug-glug, glug-glug. That's all I hear from the caves while I'm trying to sleep. What's so great about beer anyway? 1/1 Common #160/315

Coldstone Maurader - Creature - Goblin , Sacrifice Coldstone Maurader: Look at target opponent's hand and choose a land card from it. That player discards that card. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery. It steals what might've been yours. 2/1 Uncommon #161/315

Coldstone Ogre - Creature - Ogre : Switch Coldstone Ogre's power and toughness until end of turn. Not quite dumb, not quite smart, the Coldstone Ogre was as interesting as ogres ever got. 1/5 Common #162/315

Coldstone Rockjumper - Creature - Goblin Sacrifice a Mountain: Return Coldstone Rockjumper to its owner's hand. Mountain Blink (You may put this creature into play anytime you could play an instant if you control an amount of Mountains equal or greater than its converted mana cost. It gains haste and is removed from the game at end of turn.) 3/1 Rare #163/315

Coldstone Slaves - Creature - Orc Haste Recursion (When this creature is put into a graveyard from play, put a token creature into play of the same type, color, power, and toughness as this creature.) Born of rock, slave to rock, forever doomed to live in the shadow of the Coldstone Keep. 1/1 Common #164/315

Coldstone Spiritburner - Creature - Spirit Haste : Coldstone Spiritburner deals 1 damage to target creature. The skies erupted in flame, and her cries shrieked across the countryside. 3/3 Uncommon #165/315

Coldstone Viashino - Creature - Viashino Haste At the end of your turn, return Coldstone Viashino to your hand. Handsome little bugger, ain't he? I raised him me-self. - Proud Ogre 2/1 Uncommon #166/315

Dragon's Flame - Enchantment - Aura Enchant Creature Enchanted creature gains: ": +3/+0 until end of turn." The rocks fell from above, caving them in, and then they felt the heat begin to rise. Uncommon #167/315

Dwarven Zealot - Creature - Dwarf When Dwarven Zealot comes into play, add to your mana pool. He brings friends wherever he goes. 2/2 Common #168/315

Energy Dispersal - Instant Destroy target artifact creature. That creature's controller may then deal damage equal to that creature's power to target creature or player. Sparks begat sparks. Uncommon #169/315

Ghoulish Deceptor - Creature - Elemental , Sacrifice Ghoulish Deceptor: deals 4 damage to target tapped creature. Trust me once, shame on you and your whole ignorant family. 2/2 Uncommon #170/315

Goblin Shaman - Creature - Goblin : Reveal the top card of your Library. If it is a Goblin, draw a card. Otherwise, Goblin Shaman deals 2 damage to you. "I see...rock in your future." "Wow, you're good." 1/1 Common #171/315

Iron Mist - Enchantment Tap three untapped creatures you control: Destroy target artifact. Play this ability only any time you could play a sorcery. Mist of fury, mist of pain. Coldstone mountain, Coldstone flame. Uncommon #172/315

Lightning Burst - Instant Lightning Burst deals 4 damage to target equipped creature. Careful with that thing...you could hurt yourself. - Nagrock Champion Common #173/315

Lightning Flux - Enchantment You may sacrifice 2 Mountains instead of paying Lightning Flux's mana cost. Whenever a creature is put from hand into play, its controller chooses a target creature. Lightning Flux deals 2 damage to that creature. Rare #174/315

Marzan Burning - Sorcery Destroy all plains. Marzan Burning then deals X damage to all white creatures, where X equals the number of Plains destroyed this way. The Marzan plain erupted in flame, and then there were no Marzan to be found. Rare #175/315

Nagrock Berserker - Creature - Spirit Trample, haste When Nagrock Beserker deals combat damage to a player, it deals that amount of damage to you. 6/1 Rare #176/315

Nagrock Champion - Creature - Orc : Destroy target artifact with converted mana cost equal or less than Nagrock Champion's power. : Nagrock Champion gets +1/+0 until end of turn. My first word was smash. And so was my second, and third... 2/3 Uncommon #177/315

Nagrock Deceptor - Creature - Soldier First Strike Recursion (When this creature is put into a graveyard from play, put a token creature into play of the same type, color, power, and toughness as this creature.) 2/2 Common #178/315

Nagrock Decoy - Creature - Goblin Sacrifice Nagrock Decoy: Deal 1 damage to target creature or player. Stand here? No? Over here? What do you mean "Closer to the ledge?" 0/1 Common #179/315

Nagrock Dragon - Creature - Dragon Flying : Nagrock Dragon gains double strike until end of turn. He's tame...mostly. 5/5 Rare #180/315

Nagrock Might - Instant Nagrock Might deals X damage to target creature, where X equals the amount of damage dealt to target creature this turn. Up the blade, down the pain. - Nagrock saying Common #181/315

Nagrock Ogre - Creature - Ogre Nagrock Ogre cannot attack or block unless you have exactly 5 cards in your hand. Big, dumb, and mean. He meets all the prerequisites of Ogres. 5/5 Rare #182/315

Nagrock Painbringer - Creature - Human Warrior Sacrifice two mountains: Gain control of target creature until end of turn. Sacrifice a creature you control: Nagrock Painbringer deals X damage to target creature, where X equals the power of the sacrificed creature. 3/3 Rare #183/315

Nagrock Protector - Creature - Orc His blood runs dark red, the darkest of all the other Nagrock. That is from eating only what he finds in the Coldstone Keep, mainly rocks, herbs, and goblins. 5/2 Common #184/315

Nagrock Strike - Instant Nagrock Strike deals 2 damage to target creature or player. Mountain Blink (You may play this spell for no cost if you control an amount of Mountains equal or greater than its converted mana cost. Then remove it from the game.) The Nagrock are famous for their deceptions. Common #185/315

Proud Ogre - Creature - Ogre When Proud Ogre comes into play, gain control of target creature without flying. That creature gains haste. Return it to its owner's control at end of turn. My pet...how I've missed you. 3/3 Uncommon #186/315

Rillaan Starshine - Legendary Creature - Human Wizard , : Copy target red instant or sorcery spell. You may choose new targets for that copy. She once attended the Joondai Academy. Now it is her life's work to see it burn. 2/2 Rare #187/315

Rize, Coldstone Keeper - Legendary Creature - Human Rogue First Strike Sacrifice a Mountain: Rize, Coldstone Keeper deals 1 damage to target creature. Sacrifice two Mountains: Rize, Coldstone Keeper deals 2 damage to target player. Today Coldstone is defiant. Today we are free. 3/2 Rare #188/315

Rocky Ground - Sorcery Creatures you control gain +1/+0 and Rocky Ground deals 1 damage to all creatures without flying. Creatures that attack this turn do not untap during their controller's next untap step. "The Joondai will suffer under our swords!" - Rize, Coldstone Keeper Common #189/315

Ruby Knight - Creature - Human Knight Haste Protection from Token creatures "Fear not these new beings. Do not forget their blood runs red the same as yours." - Rillaan Starshine 2/1 Uncommon #190/315

Scale Shard - Instant Target creature loses Recursion until end of turn. Scale Shard then deals 3 damage to that creature. "They said this one was different! But he seems to cook just as easily as the rest!" - Rize, Coldstone Keeper Common #191/315

Scorn of the Dragon's Eye - Instant Target creature gains Double Strike until end of turn. As it sears itself into your flesh, you feel its power rush into your bones. Common #192/315

Searing Torch - Sorcery Searing Torch cannot be countered. Searing Torch deals X damage to target creature. "Witness my fury! You will never forget your mistake Marnin!" - Rilaan Starshine Rare #193/315

Shadow Burn - Enchantment When there are no creatures in play, destroy Shadow Burn. At the beginning of your upkeep, put a charge counter on Shadow Burn. At the end of each turn, Shadow Burn deals X damage to all creatures, where X is the number of charge counters on it. Rare #194/315

Smite, Nagrock Sorceress - Legendary Creature - Human Sorceress Haste : Smite deals 1 damage to target creature or player. , Sacrifice a Mountain: Put a 5/1 red Orc creature token with haste into play under your control. Sacrifice it at end of turn. Hello. How do you wish to die? 3/2 Rare #195/315

Stone Rain - Sorcery Destroy target land. The fires came down upon us, relentless, the burning embers falling onto the shoulders of our loved ones. Common #196/315

Tortured Existence - Enchantment Whenever a creature you control is put into a graveyard from play, you may put a revenge counter on Tortured Existence. Remove two revenge counters from Tortured Existence: Tortured Existence deals 2 damage to target creature or player. Rare #197/315

Tortured Giant - Creature - Orc At the beginning of your upkeep, tap two untapped Mountains you control or Tortured Giant deals 3 damage to you. He's a big'un all right...he needs the whole place all to himself. 3/2 Rare #198/315

Unbridled Blow - Instant Unbridled Blow deals 4 damage to target creature or 2 damage to target player. Some say the weapons from Coldstone Mountain are forged by the devil himself. Common #199/315

Untempered Anger - Sorcery Tap target untapped creature. It deals damage to its controller equal to its power. Holding on to the ledge, the Joondai begged for her life. "Here," Rillaan said. "Let me help you." Uncommon #200/315