Starke of Rath

Gameplan

Starke turns mono-red into a repeatable removal engine: tap him to destroy any artifact or creature, then accept that the targeted permanent's controller takes Starke. Use this offensively against opponents (trading your commander for a key threat) or destroy your OWN creature/artifact so you keep him, fueling a sacrifice-and-recur loop. Back it up with steal-back tech like Homeward Path and you get to fire him every turn while still building a red beatdown or value board.

Key Cards

• Homeward Path — Lets every player reclaim their commanders—use it to snatch Starke back after gifting him to remove a threat.
• Thousand-Year Elixir — Grants pseudo-haste and an untap so Starke can activate the turn he lands and twice per turn.
• Sword of the Animist — Equipment ramp keeps Starke relevant as a body even when you're using him as removal fodder.
• Goblin Bombardment — A free sac outlet that lets you destroy your own creature with Starke for value while staging aristocrat triggers.
• Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker — Copies Starke for an extra destroy each turn while you keep the original.
• Conjurer's Closet — Blink Starke at end step to dodge gifting him away, effectively resetting any control change.

Upgrade Path

Add untap and blink enablers (Thousand-Year Elixir, Conjurer's Closet, Cloudstone Curio) plus Homeward Path so you can fire Starke every turn without permanently losing him. Round out with mono-red staples for ramp and card advantage—Sol Ring, Wheel of Fortune, Outpost Siege—and a tight removal/burn suite so a stolen Starke never snowballs against you. For higher power, lean into a sacrifice/recursion package (Goblin Bombardment, Feldon of the Third Path) to convert his self-targeting into a relentless value loop.