Hybrid archetypes are those that combine parts of the three basic archetypes (aggro ,combo, control). Aggro-control decks are quite common in Legacy represented by decks like CounterTop, Merfolk, Dragon Stompy, and others. Combo-control decks are rare in Legacy but decks like Aluren and Solidarity can be out into this category. Aggro-Combo decks are not all that common, but decks like Elves are a good example of such an archetype in Legacy.
Sometimes a deck will come along that can combine elements of all three archetypes into one deck. This is a very difficult task to accomplish because there needs to be enough cards to support each of archetypes so that each element is strong enough to be worthy of inclusion in the deck. The benefits of this is that the deck can win through aggression or a combo finish but it also has control elements to limit the options of your opponent. If a deck could be best at all three archetypes at the same time it’s hard to imagine anything that could be better. A theoretical deck like this would most likely be the focal point of a whole format and would easily be its most dominant deck. If the deck cannot be the best at all three archetypes but instead makes sacrifices to include all three elements then this deck is most likely a healthy addition to a format and perhaps an important one if it is strong enough to compete with the format’s best decks.
These decks are also susceptible to the same weakness that shows up in other hybrid archetypes which is that they may draw the wrong elements of their deck at the wrong time. A deck that has elements of all three archetypes may suffer more from this problem than other hybrid archetypes. It may draw control elements when it really needs aggro elements. The reverse might also be true and the same goes for any parts of the combo that either drawn with other control elements and aggro elements or when other parts of the combo are necessary.
A new deck that has been developed by Michael Keller (Hollywood on The Source) is an aggro-combo-control deck. It has elements of all three archetypes and also happens to be a mono-green (with artifacts). Its design is based in part on Chalice Aggro decks similar to Dragon Stompy and Faerie Stompy, but with some important differences. One of the ways to analyze a complex deck like this is to take a look at the cards that support the individual strategies.
Aggro
4 Llanowar Elves
4 Elvish Spirit Guide
4 Tarmogoyf
4 River Boa
3 Cold-Eyed Selkie
3 Garruk Wildspeaker
2 Wickerbough Elder
3 Umezawa’s Jitte
Llanowar Elves and Elvish Spirit Guide are not really threats in that they will are likely to defeat your opponent under most circumstances. Their primary purpose to accelerate the deck into its more powerful spells earlier in the game. In combination with Umezawa’s Jitte they can switch from mana accelerants to real threats.
River Boa and Cold-Eyed Selkie really take advantage of the blue decks that see play in Legacy. River Boa allows for an unblockable creature on offense (against Island) and blocker that keep almost any attacking creature from dealing damage to the player. Cold-Eyed Selkie is not particularly aggressive but against blue decks he can provide a source of damage and card advantage. It’s important to understand that while these creatures are part of the aggressive element of the deck they also support other aspects of the game as well. River Boa can viewed as a control element because it can be used to hold back much larger creatures. Cold-Eyed Selkie can be a draw engine that draw into any of the other elements of the deck including more threats.
Garruk Wildspeaker is a big part of the deck’s aggressive element, but also supports the other elements as well. It can generate a 3/3 every turn which supports the aggressive element, but also allows the deck to have a control element as way to hold off other aggressive decks. He can allow for a quick kill via his overrun ability. Finally, it even acts as a mana accelerant by allowing the deck to play multiple spells in a turn.
Wickerbough Elder supports both the aggressive and control elements of the deck by because it can answer opposing artifacts and enchantments and still be a threat. What is even better is that the card becomes more aggressive after its used its ability.
Umezawa’s Jitte can make any of these threats even more lethal than they already are. It is a part of the aggressive element of the deck, but it is also a control element because it can remove an opponent’s creature or gain life and stay alive for a few extra turns looking for the right answer.
The aggressive part of the deck is really much more than that. While these cards are primarily included because they are threats that can defeat an opponent in combat, they have also been carefully selected so that they can support the control and combo elements of the deck as well.
Combo
4 Natural Order
1 Progenitus
1 Dryad Arbor
The combo part of this deck is both very simple and very compact. The combo is to cast Natural Order with sacrificing one of its green creatures in play into Progenitus. Dryad Arbor is included as another green creature to help reliably cast Natural Order with. All of the deck’s creatures are green so in some sense they all are part of the combo.
There are drawbacks to playing the combo in the deck. Drawing Progenitus leads not only to a dead draw, but makes the 4 Natural Orders substantially worse. A countered Natural Order can lead to being behind on cards and without a way to find the combo it might be drawn in the wrong situation or not drawn when it would be best to have get something else.
Control
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Trinisphere
4 Wasteland
Chalice of the Void and Trinisphere are the cards that are used in other Chalice Aggro decks and their function here is very similar. Chalice of the Void especially set at 1 on turn 1 can be game-breaking event because so many of Legacy’s decks play cards at 1 mana. Llanowar Elves inclusion as the only 1 mana spell in the deck may seem sub-optimal, but it’s important to note that Llanowar Elves will either see play before a Chalice of the Void or drawing it afterwards does make the card dead, but in most situations this will be worth it because your opponent will most likely be much more impacted than making your remaining elves useless.
The same is true for Trinisphere though with its additional cost its more likely a turn 2 play than on turn 1. These cards can prevent an opponent from playing any relevant spells They are very powerful control elements and the main ones for this deck. Wasteland’s place in the deck is very interesting as it does not show up in other Chalice Aggro decks, but it can be an important way to keep an opponent trapped by a Trinisphere. Being able to Wasteland your opponent when he gets to 2 lands while a Trinisphere is in play will set them back at least two turns and perhaps many more if he or she only had 3 lands in hand and now must draw more lands to even make a play.
Trinisphere can make the cost of some of the cards in this deck more expensive and that is a drawback, but with a good deal of mana acceleration and many of the cards in the deck costing at least 3 mana anyways it is still worth playing because of its impact on most opposing decks.
Here is the deck in its complete form –
Creatures (22)
- 4 Llanowar Elves
- 4 River Boa
- 4 Elvish Spirit Guide
- 4 Tarmogoyf
- 3 Cold-Eyed Selkie
- 2 Wickerbough Elder
- 1 Progenitus
Planeswalkers (3)
Lands (20)
Spells (15)
Sideboard
Testing Mono-Green Chalice Aggro
While I have not played this deck, I did have a chance to test against Michael Keller the night before a tournament in Vestal, NY. I was playing Permanent Waves (see this latest article) and the matchup turned out to be very difficult for Permanent Waves. The games that began with Chalice of the Void or Trinisphere were usually lost unless the threats of the deck were a bit too slow to kill me before I found an answer to the artifacts. Since Permanent Waves cannot really go off before turn 3 and many times not until turn 4, Mono-Green Chalice Aggro had a few turns to draw these cards as well.
When I was able to answer these cards with Force of Will, the games were much more in my favor. The problem was that he could draw more than one and then my ability to answer the cards via Cunning Wish was usually too slow and I was dead before I found Cunning Wish, wished for the answer, cast the answer, and off. The games were he was only able to play aggressive elements I was easily able to race those, but those were the minority of the games.
The Natural Order combo did come up in a few games where he was able to cast it and be able to race me with Progenitus. Most of these games also involved other control elements and even Wasteland was a factor by hitting one of the 2 Tropical Islands.
In the end I only won about 2 games out of 6 or 7 (I did not keep an exact count). This matchup was difficult because his deck had all three elements in the deck. It was most important that his deck had control elements, but without a swift clock or a combo to race me none of the individuals parts by themselves would have been enough. There was enough overlap in the cards that their ability to play multiple roles allowed the deck to make for a more difficult matchup.
Michael came in 3rd place the next day with this deck in a 59 person tournament. His tournament report from the Vestal tournament can be found here and his write up on the deck can be found here. The tournament report will give you a feel for how the deck plays out against many of the different Legacy decks and his write up provides much of a foundation for understanding and playing the deck.
Conclusion
Mono-Green Chalice Aggro is not the only deck in Legacy to combine all three archetypes into one deck. Decks like Dreadtill and Ichorid are other examples of such decks. Like those decks its design is complex because it must make three parts of the deck work as a whole. It largely accomplishes this by making many of the pieces overlap in one more than function in the deck. It has a similar weakness as other hybrid archetypes in that it make draw the wrong cards at the wrong times. This like other decks before it show that it is possible to play aggro-combo-control in Legacy.