This Week in Legacy: More Events Around the Globe

This Week in Legacy legacy Maverick BUG Control Miracles Twin Stompy Punishing Dack Hollow One Zoo

Welcome to another This Week in Legacy! This week we’ll be running through some smaller events that have occurred in the US and Japan, as well as some results from Magic Online.

MTGFirst Game Centre 40 Dual Land Shootout

MTGFirst Game Centre have put on an impressive event, with over $6000 in prizes up for grabs, in the form of duals. This brought some of the best and brightest Legacy players in the area, and it certainly shows in the Top 8, with format specialists such as Bob Huang and Anuraag Das bringing their signature decks to the Top 8:

Deck Player Placing Punishing Maverick Tyrik Strachan 1 BUG Control Patrick Lampkin 2 4c Loam Brendan Cevasco 3-4 Grixis Delver Bob Huang 3-4 4c Loam Matthew Vook 5-8 BUG Delver Kevin Brenneman 5-8 Grixis Delver Andy Vorel 5-8 Miracles Anuraag Das 5-8

Bob and Anuraag’s lists have already been well-covered in the past, and are certainly good benchmarks for the “stock” Grixis Delver and Miracles lists moving forward, though Anuraag’s spicy inclusion of a singleton Back to Basics and lack of Mentor sideboard plan is somewhat notable. But probably the most interesting deck from this event is the Punishing Maverick list which took first place:

If you do not fear combo and can go without your Thalias, Punishing Maverick can dismantle many, many fair decks, particular the popular Grixis Delver and Czech Pile thanks to Punishing Fire obliterating all those deck’s threats. There are a few interesting inclusions too. Voice of Resurgence we see once more popping up as a feasible option in Maverick and the Dark Depths combo has also been included, stretching the already awkward mana base of this Maverick list quite a bit.

$ 0.00 $ 0.00

I’m a big fan of Sigarda, Host of Herons as an option in any Green Sun's Zenith shell. She can really go over the top of so many decks and nullify frustrating cards like Diabolic Edict and Liliana of the Veil. In particular, she makes creating Marit Lage against many decks significantly less risky, and I’m sure the Crop Rotation package in the sideboard can make the Avatar out of nowhere a la Lands and Turbo Depths.

I’m quite a fan of these Red-less Czech Pile lists, particularly ones that have True-Name as a front and center threat. The mirror becomes quite a slog but True-Name really is a powerful draw once resources on both sides have been significantly depleted. It also gives the deck five slots that are quite proactive: the three drops Leo and True-Name. Instead of reactive Snapcasters, this list can shove a little more, and I’m sure the Wastelands gives this deck some tempo-esque draws that certainly is appreciated in certain matchups.

$ 0.00 $ 0.00

Also, the inclusion of Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver is a spicy one. I’m sure, again, in grindy control mirrors Ashiok can accrue a huge amount of advantage, especially stealing things like Snapcasters and Strix.

Although these decks often have issues with answering planeswalkers (like Jace in particular), I think the proactive angle this BUG Pile list has somewhat remedies that issue and is certainly a viable approach to Leovold-Deathrite-based control!

Find replays of coverage thanks to Snapcasters on their Twitch channel! Keep up the excellent coverage work guys!

Events in Japan

Next we’ll jump to events in Japan. An event that occurred last month was the 10th KMC Invitational, which is, from what I understand, an event exclusive to individuals who have qualified through the many events run throughout last year. There were twenty-two competitors battling on the 21st of January, and you can find coverage here and here (in Japanese), along with lists all the way down to 22nd place here (9-22), here (5-9) and here (Top 4).

Now, let’s look at some lists:

$ 0.00 $ 0.00

Azcanta + Counterbalance Miracles keeps showing its strength, but this one has a bit of a twist with the inclusion of Nahiri, the Harbinger and Emrakul, the Aeons Torn. I’m sure this gives a fast kill condition once the board is cleared, and Nahiri herself is excellent at accelerating the flip of Azcanta via her loot ability while also getting rid of frustrating permanents. Having a dorky fifteen-drop in your deck is a big deck building cost though, and there’s few times it will be useful other than when utilizing Nahiri’s ultimate. In a deck that churns through its deck so fast, having as few dead cards as possible is something I would prefer. But it seems to of worked in this case.

$ 0.00 $ 0.00

The rest of the list is relatively stock, including the sideboard. However, having two Blue Elemental Blast effects is quite a bold statement, but perhaps an expectation of Red Stompy decks and Sneak & Show, not uncommon in Japan, makes these warranted.

The third-placing Miracles lists was even odder:

Instead of Snapcaster and more conventional counterspell options, Yasutaka Masayuki capitalised on the 22-person metagame and main decked three Pyroblasts! Main deck Rest in Peace is certain to shut off many a combo and fair deck and of course the combo of RiP + Helm of Obedience along with Energy Field is included. Ensnaring Bridge furthers this list as less controlling than other Miracles lists. It is certainly more prison-control, with the cantrip + Predict engine merely there to accrue resources to deploy hateful enchantments.

$ 0.00 $ 0.00

I’m quite a fan of Runed Halo as a White card applicable against both combo and fair decks. It’s been quite potent in Modern in many of the White-based control decks there, perhaps now is its time for crossover format success.

Other exciting lists include many Aluren lists featuring Jace, Vryn's Prodigy and Hanweir Garrison in Dragon Stompy!

Another event in Japan was the Hareruya Legacy Cup, a fifty-eight person event. These events occur every now and then at Hareruya and brings out some of the heavyweight players for larger prize support.

A list from this event was this bizarre Twin Stompy list:

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen this deck, and the technology of Jace, Vryn's Prodigy, Izzet Charm, and Impulse as card filtration options that get around Chalice are well-established. A card I think is most interesting is Ash Barrens.

$ 0.00 $ 0.00

The Pauper staple is important I imagine to transform colorless mana from Ancient Tomb into basic lands if needed, as two-colour Stompy decks can have somewhat awkward mana situations at times. This is exacerbated by running Blood Moon main as well – with fetchlands turned off, Islands to cast the combo can be difficult to eventually draw into if you’ve turn one Blood Mooned the opponent. Ash Barrens remedies all these issues, while also being a colorless land that can tap for mana if ever needed. I certainly like the flexibility it provides in this deck’s mana.

Magic Online

Lastly, let’s have a look at some exciting lists from Magic Online!

This is a very clean Punishing Dack list, that capitalizes not on Leovold, Emissary of Trest or Notion Thief but instead using Punishing Fire to fuel Young Pyromancer. If anything, it’s like Grixis Control that melded with the Punishing Fire engine. Although it didn’t go too spectacularly in the Challenge with a 3-4, I think this idea has quite a bit of potential!

This is… bizarre. I guess you can call this… Tezzerator Pod? Instead of the expected Nic Fit shenanigans with Birthing Pod, this deck has an artifact subtheme that allows Baleful Strix and Glint-Nest Crane to keep the cards flowing, get them sacced to Pod and chain all the way up to… Griselbrand?! I guess that’s why Myr Enforcer is in the deck! Nonetheless, this is some interesting use of the artifact lands and incredibly creative deck building.

$ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00 $ 0.00

Conclusion

That wraps up another TWiL! As always, here is some links from around the internet:

‘Til next time.

Sean Brown

Email: sean_brown156@hotmail.com

Reddit: ChemicalBurns156

Twitter: @Sean_Brown156

What I’m Playing This Week

The Source is always a hot bed of innovation, and in the wake of the recent Modern Pro Tour, from the New and Developmental Decks section comes Hollow One in Legacy courtesy of gkraigher:

There is probably some fine-tuning to do, especially the land ratio to make Mox Diamond actually feasible. But Legacy has access to eight Goblin Lores with Control of the Court, and Burning Inquiry and perhaps Collective Brutality are synergistic cards that are relevant disruption against combo too. Maybe this can work!

$ 0.00 $ 0.00

The Spice Corner

Welcome to the Zoo. This is essentially creature-heavy Burn. As always, these decks are very poor against combo with only Eidolon as disruption, but this deck is probably a nightmare for Delver decks and decks like Death & Taxes who can’t deal with a fast start backed up with some timely removal. Also, Merfolk Branchwalker is an interesting inclusion!