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Ingenious MTG Combos to Try with Rites of Initiation

Red has always loved flipping the board state on a whim, and Rites of Initiation embodies that chaotic joy in a single, spicy moment. This one-mana instant from Vintage Masters (set code VMA) asks you to discard any number of cards at random, then buffs every creature you control by +1/+0 for each card discarded this way, until end of turn. It’s a syrupy flavor of risk and reward: you might toss a handful of your least-loved cards to power up a squad of eager attackers, or you might flirt with disaster and bin a clutch spell you needed. Either way, the card shines as a creative centerpiece for clever, tempo-friendly, and occasionally explosively unpredictable lines of play 🧙‍♂️🔥💎.

At its core, the card’s flash-in-the-face mechanic sits squarely in red’s wheelhouse: fast tempo, a dash of chaos, and a payoff that scales with how many cards you’ve managed to refresh into your hand. The instant is colorless in its raw intensity but is unmistakably red in its approach to risk, reward, and the rush of turning a single mana into a potentially game-turning buff. The art by Bradley Williams captures the moment of initiation with a spark of arcane brazenness—perfect for a deck that wants to punch above its weight in a single turn. If you’re building a red deck that prizes high-ceiling turns and heart-pounding outcomes, Rites of Initiation is a natural fit 🧙‍♂️🎨.

Line 1 — The Handful of Knockout Comb

• Goal: Maximize immediate payoff by casting Rites when you’ve filled your hand with cards you’re not afraid to part with.
• Prereqs: A comfortable hand size (7+ cards helps) and at least one solid attacker on the board.
• Play order: On your turn, cast Rites of Initiation. If you’re lucky or savvy with draw effects, you’ll discard a large number of cards at random—ideally enough to pump your creatures to a formidable size (+7/+0 or more in a single swing).
• Follow-up: Use a punchy one-mana spell or a pump effect to capitalize on the sudden broad buff. Think simple (Giant Growth or a like-minded boost) or a carefully timed combat trick to ride the surge into victory.
• Flavor note: The chaos of random discards makes each swing a little theatre—perfect for a competitive casual table or a joyfully impish commander game 🧙‍♂️🔥.

Line 2 — Graveyard Repetition with Will-power

• Goal: Recycle Rites or repeat the effect to stack more buffs over multiple turns.
• Prereqs: Access to a graveyard-based engine (for example, Yawgmoth’s Will or a similar recursion effect) that can reanimate or replay Rites from the graveyard, plus enough mana to pay for another casting or two.
• Play order: Cast Rites of Initiation, discard a significant portion of your hand, buff your board. Then, using your graveyard engine, replay Rites later in the same game plan for additional rounds of random discard and fresh buffs. Each repetition compounds the temporary power swing.
• Follow-up: Keep a couple of counterplay options handy: protection for your key threats or multiple attackers that benefit from the +X/+0 boost to force through damage even if opponents try to race you down with removal. This line leans into control-element confidence as you chain the fun 🧙‍♂️⚔️.
• Note: This is a high-variance line that rewards careful sequencing and board awareness—great for inventive brewers exploring the limits of red’s chaos with a taste of graveyard shenanigans.

Line 3 — Wheel of Misfortune, Then Burst of Bravery

• Goal: Fill the hand to a crowd-pleasing size, then unleash a massive buff in a single turn by discarding as many cards as possible.
• Prereqs: A wheel or other source of repeated hand-refreshing draws (think classic red draw-wheels from older eras) that lets you refill your hand, followed by Rites of Initiation.
• Play order: Use the wheel effect to refill your hand, then cast Rites and discard as many as you safely can. The more cards you discard, the bigger your buff, turning a handful of voters on the board into a roaring crowd ready to swing for lethal damage.
• Follow-up: A complementary pump spell or a rapid-fire attack with tokens or a duo of efficient creatures closes the game while your opponents are still sorting through the chaos. Red loves chaos; this is chaos with a plan 🧡🎲.

Line 4 — Tokens, Pumps, and a Devastating Swing

• Goal: Use Rites to power up a board of tokens or small creatures, turning a crowded battlefield into a blunt instrument.
• Prereqs: Token producers or cheap creatures that scale well with a big temporary buff (for instance, a horde of 1/1s that suddenly become 4/4s or 5/5s with the buff).
• Play order: Cast Rites, discard a large chunk of your hand, and watch your board swell. Then unleash a line of pumps or a finisher that leverages the +X/+0 boost to erase your opponent’s life total in one go.
• Note: This is particularly satisfying in a mono-red or red-heavy deck where the mass buff makes every token feel like a tiny avalanche of damage—pure, gleeful, glass-half-full planning 💥🎨.

Line 5 — Commander Core, Budget Breaker

• Goal: Build a lean, budget-conscious commander shell around Rites of Initiation for social, high-variance explosions.
• Prereqs: A deck built to maximize card draw, hand size, and mass-buff payoff without blowing your budget on ultra-rare staples.
• Play order: Use accessible draw spells to bulk up your hand, cast Rites on a turn where you’ve got a few healthy creatures on board, then push for a dramatic end of turn hit with your pumped team.
• In the moment: The randomness of the discard is a conversation starter and a high-wire act—perfect for table dynamics and storytelling as you press your luck for that surprising swing. Red shines when you can laugh at chaos and still win 🧙‍♂️🔥.

Beyond the combos, the card’s red aura—its willingness to gamble with your own cards for a momentary elevation of your board—makes it a wonderful talking point about design. The rarity is uncommon in Vintage Masters, and while it’s not a staple on every table, it regularly finds a home in ambitious red trick decks, especially those that want to combine fast aggression with a touch of reckless genius. The set’s 2014 frame and intense, old-school flavor give the card a nostalgia boost for players who love vintage vibes and the thrill of unpredictable outcomes. If you’re in the mood to experiment, Rites of Initiation invites you to embrace risk as the engine of reward, then celebrate the moment when the board bursts into life 🌋🎲.

As you prototype these lines, remember the core idea: you’re trading safety for a potentially colossal payoff. That’s red at its most iconic—bold, loud, and a little mischievous. If you’re chasing the glow of a perfect turn, Rites of Initiation rewards creativity, careful hand management, and a willingness to gamble on the surprise outcome. It’s a card that invites you to write a little drama into your next match, one random discard at a time 🧙‍♂️⚡.

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