We interrupt your regularly scheduled program to bring you something you never find in this column: Legacy!
With Grand Prix New Jersey this coming weekend and a surprising number of my shopmates planning to be in attendance (it’s a solid eleven hours on the road
one-way or a hefty plane ticket), there’s a lot to be excited about even from a local perspective. Legacy, if anything, has been growing in popularity in
Louisville. I hear more and more people looking to trade into buying Legacy staples or shelling out the big bucks to buy them outright.
Legacy has always been a format I love to watch and I love to play, but I am terrible at it. Legacy requires a staggering amount of mental energy,
and every moving part in your deck makes it all that much more difficult. I like complex interactions in Standard, and most of the time I can get my head
around them. Modern is also doable, but difficult. Legacy, on the other hand, is loaded so full of possibilities, many of which I forget at the time or,
more likely, don’t know to begin with. I’ve watched dozens of matches play out where one small misstep costs a player the game. They’ll inform the TO of
the winner and go back to discussing the game, which often sounds like this.
“Aww man, if I had played my Bayou second instead of my Wasteland, I would have been able to Thoughtseize your Force of Will and resolved two Tarmogoyfs
and been able to Wasteland your Dryad Arbor, giving ’em each two power.”
“Yeah, I had to decide whether I was going to Daze your Deathrite Shaman, but that might have put too few cards in the graveyard for me to cast this
Treasure Cruise six turns from now.”
Obviously these are extrapolations, but do you see what I mean? I have a strong respect for good Legacy players. Although this might ruffle some feathers,
I would argue that, from a skill-only perspective, a good Standard player is considerably worse than a good Legacy player. This may just come from the fact
that many Legacy players have been playing longer, invest more money in their hobby, and thus, expend more mental energy or, possibly, that Legacy is just
a nurturing format for critical thought in a way that more fair formats can’t match.
This is a great asset. Legacy, more than any other format (even Vintage), is wide open for brewers everywhere if you’re willing to dedicate the time,
effort, money, and education required to do the format justice. Nearly every brew ever made is Legacy-legal by default, and when you have nearly every
printed Magic card at your disposal, your imagination is the only thing holding you back.
Such a high-profile Legacy event comes at an interesting time in the season; not only has Khans of Tarkir done its best to change Legacy as we know it
thanks to ringers like Treasure Cruise and Dig Through Time, but just last week, Commander 2014 debuted, adding a finite set of Legacy/Vintage-only
additions to the stables. Several standouts are already getting talked up around the water cooler, and three in particular stand out to me. Two are
related, so we’ll incorporate those into one list, while the other opens up a new direction for a familiar archetype.
So let’s…oh, hold on, I’ve got to give you this first.
DISCLAIMER: Author is not a Legacy builder, so these lists are for entertainment purposes only. Knowledge of card base is limited to Mirrodin Block
cards and beyond with limited exception. Do not attempt to use or alter without trained grinder supervision. Improper use of these decks can lead to
serious ego injury and tournament death.
Just sign here. And here. Okay, let’s go!
Of the Legacy playables, I’d argue that Masterwork of Ingenuity is the lowest hanging fruit, but it bears analysis not just as a sideboard card against
Stoneblade decks, but also as an integral part of a budget friendly list, as far any Legacy deck is budget (less than $500, I’d say.)
Naturally, Batterskull is perhaps the most powerful Equipment in current Legacy decks. Instead of copying it reactively, we could take a rough shakedown of
the best Equipment available and the Plains we need to cast them.
Creatures (20)
Lands (19)
Spells (21)
I should get a sticker and write in child-like handwriting, backwards letters and all, reading “My frist ligacy dek” and slap it on the deckbox.
Creatures
Are there better creatures in the format? You bet there are; because I can claim ignorance, we’ll focus on theme. Court Homunculus, most times, is going to
be an easy 2/2 for one mana. These aren’t at all new to Legacy, and Modern even has its own share or better. But Court Homunculus is an artifact,
which plays a critical role in reaching a timely metalcraft, and it holds a Sword along with the best of them. A couple of these back-to-back are fairly
aggressive, especially given their seemingly low power level and “fire-and-forget” durability.
Stoneforge Mystic, naturally, was at the foundation of the deck. The ability to seek Batterskull or any Sword is known, but the ability to find a one-mana
copy of any equipment and then cast it is particularly exciting, and that’s where we want to get ahead. Turn 2, Mystic for Batterskull/Masterwork of
Ingenuity, then turn 3, put one into play with the Mystic and copy the other one for one mana. Nice! What deck can beat two bulky lifegainers? Actually,
don’t answer that. Puresteel Paladin is a new face to the Legacy side of equipment decks, but the ability to shift Batterskull around at will and drawing
off every one-mana Batterskull you cast is exceptionally powerful for a color that doesn’t replace its spells. They work great in multiples too, and at the
drop of a hat, you can suit up and battle with any one creature.
Etched Champion has darkened the door of Modern Affinity for a long time, but the ability to block indefinitely as well as skate by an army of Pyromancer
tokens unharmed is perhaps the best way to close out a game or handle an ugly board. Finally, Grand Abolisher seems like the perfect hate card against any
shenanigans your opponent could be packing. No counterspells, no removal; just quiet, one-sided casting and smashing. No mess.
Equipment
Here’s the fun stuff! Batterskull you already know well, and if you’re this deep into reading about a Legacy deck, I feel like it’s enough to just say this
is an outstanding equipment. Finding the right number of Masterwork of Ingenuity was tough; on one hand, it has the potential to give you an enormous tempo
swing if you’ve got what you need in play. If you don’t have an equipment though, this is a dud. Similarly, Sword numbers are tricky too, but I felt Fire
and Ice would be the best, as it provided protection from anything in the Delver list as well as a slick cantrip and burn trigger. Maybe I should just play
four of that one and call it a day. What do you think? A single Swiftfoot Boots helps you assemble an unstoppable creature on one turn, even if you just
topdecked a creature. In a perfect world, you rip a Puresteel Paladin, play it to make your equips free, then jam in for a lot.
Nonequipment Artifacts
Mox Opal is a non-committal Mox (unlike Chrome, for example, which can’t do anything with another artifact). This helps offset the low mana count too.
Chalice of the Void can be put on one or zero, most likely, depending on the spells you fear the most. One stops Lightning Bolt, Delver of Secrets, any
one-mana library manipulation, and Thoughtseize, so I think you might park it there frequently; very little in this deck costs one mana, and each of those
can be snuck past the Chalice. Aether Vial, for example, sneaks by your Court Homunculus. This adds to your metalcraft and allows you to use your mana and
phases more efficiently. This lets you “flash” in a Stoneforge Mystic, get an equipment right away, then stick it on the next turn. Aether Vial also fixes
mana passively; a lot of these creatures are WW, and with a large number of non-colored lands, this makes those Plains + colorless producers less awkward.
Lands
Unlike in Standard, Legacy landbases directly support the plan both in color and theme. Ancient Tomb seems like a great choice given the amount of
lifelink Batterskull offers and the ability to Chalice on turn 1 for one mana, potentially train-wrecking your opponent’s plan. Mishra’s Factory is the
Mutavault for artifact decks, and even a quick activation can turn metalcraft on instantly. Ancient Den cheats the system, adding to metalcraft while also
providing a white mana. Six Plains and a singleton Karakas means that 11/19 land sources produce white. Plains have diminishing returns, and the draw step
is really critical for this deck, so you want only the bare minimum to make the deck function.
Sideboard
Perhaps the most exciting card in the sideboard is Containment Priest, the anti-Cheatyface card. No reanimation/Sneak Attack/Show and Tell for you! This
card is absolutely clutch for this format, though it’s not an auto-in for every white deck. Here, however, you’ll be happy to have an instant bear. Aether
Vial’s activation is a nonbo, but it’s likely that, if you have both out at once, your Containment Priest will draw enough ire to bite the dust and let you
keep at it. If the Priest sticks, you’re probably winning. The other bear, Ethersworn Canonist prevents spell-oriented shenanigans, giving you a full
breadth of protection from the typical fare of Legacy cheese. Kor Firewalker is our out to the ever-present, ever-cheap mono-red list. Kor Firewalker is a
tough shell for that deck to crack. If you’re considering playing a fun list like this, you might be benefited by prepping against burn lists, as they’re a
particularly cheap way to get into any format. Spellskite helps you conserve your spent mana on equipping in case things go wrong and, with a Mox Opal, you
can redirect a burn spell without taking pain. Finally, I want to try a singleton of Nahiri, the Lithomancer. At five mana, she’s only coming in for the
grindy games, but she can take you from no threats to all the threats in a hustle. With an aggressive draw though, she can come down on three.
This
is the kind of Equipment deck I can get behind; it’s fair, fun, and uses a lot of familiar powerhouses and innovative tech!
Containment Priest is the first deck’s best friend, but it might be this next deck’s worst nightmare.
This little critter has rustled up a bit less attention, but the potential for the Spiritkeeper is immense. To get this efficient beater that’s a lot
better when it dies, this creature has the potential to create enormous amounts of Spirit tokens.
To leverage this, we’re gonna dig into a familiar archetype: Dredge. The concept, and some cards, were derived from this core, but there’s enough deviation
to keep those savvy to the archetype interested.
Creatures (28)
- 2 Putrid Imp
- 4 Golgari Thug
- 4 Stinkweed Imp
- 4 Narcomoeba
- 4 Street Wraith
- 4 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
- 2 Griselbrand
- 4 Hallowed Spiritkeeper
Lands (8)
Spells (24)
- 4 Cabal Therapy
- 4 Lotus Petal
- 4 Lion's Eye Diamond
- 4 Dread Return
- 4 Gitaxian Probe
- 2 Unburial Rites
- 2 Treasure Cruise
Sideboard
We’ll do this one functionally.
Threats
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite doesn’t see a ton of Legacy play, but she is perhaps the mightiest of targets given our metagame today. Able to sweep every
Delver threat under the rug, Elesh Norn not only kills lots of things, but she pumps Spirit tokens to monumental heights. Seven toughness is very
challenging to kill, and the faster you get her going, the better. Griselbrand is similarly powerful. Just as big and able to recover from behind,
Griselbrand is the stabilizer target for reanimation.
Reanimators
Dread Return still sees a lot of play, and it’s just the best there is when it comes to reanimation spells. If you have a Hallowed Spiritkeeper in play,
you can sack it or the creatures it makes to reanimate with minimal impact to your board. Unburial Rites even shows up as copies five through six.
Even more than that though, alongside Lion’s Eye Diamond, you can play a land, cast and crack the Diamond, and immediately cast whatever you just tossed.
Turn 1 Elesh Norn, anyone? Griselbrand’s a great one too. If you cracked Lion’s Eye, you can draw an all-new hand, too!
Dredgers and Enablers
Any Dredge player knows that it’s pretty infrequent to cast your dredge creatures with the exception of Stinkweed Imp, perhaps. We’ve got eight dredgers
here, and that’s actually pretty low; most play twelve or more. Here, we augment dredge through free draw spells. Street Wraith counts as a creature and a draw spell, allowing you to instantly dredge on-demand to help you prepare for your next turn. Gitaxian Probe lets you check to see if the
coast is clear, then you can fire away with the reanimation spell du jour. Nacromoeba, alongside Dread Return, gives us free enablers on the dredge. Even
Treasure Cruise shows up in this list. If you happen to have three dredgers in the yard when you cast this, you can replace all three draws to add another
dozen cards to your yard! Cabal Therapy is a staple too, giving you a way to easily dispatch your Hallowed Spiritkeeper and get a card out of their hand
too.
Lands
Thanks to the fact that you use very little actual mana in this deck, eight lands and four Lotus Petals seemed like enough. Nothing fancy, just prismatic
lands!
Sideboard
The board features six ways to break problem, graveyard-hating spells like Leyline of the Void, Grafdigger’s Cage, and Rest in Peace. Iona is a game-ending
spell against a mono-colored list. Even if the deck isn’t exactly mono-colored, just call the color they need to win and you’ll move straight to game 3.
Lingering Souls seems like a good, all-around insurance plan against aggro and high-hate decks, as four copies can provide plenty of gas to get you through
the game without your strategy. I added a Sun Titan just for fun; it gets Lion’s Eye Diamond and Hallowed Spiritkeeper back, or whatever you sacrifice to
reanimate it. Why not?
Before we wrap up, today is Veteran’s Day in the U.S., and I’d like to take a moment to thank our service members for their sacrifice and their efforts; we
will always be grateful for your service, and we are indebted to you for our life of peace and prosperity. Thank you.
These decks are just for fun, but I hope they’ll at least inspire some discussion of these new spells as well as generate interest in the second-most
powerful format in Magic. Do any of the new Commander 2014 cards have you brewing for Legacy or, dare I say it, Vintage?