With 2011 drawing to a close, this is an ideal time to examine the course of Legacy over the year. What trends do we see? There were a couple of major changes that completely turned the format on its head (Mental Misstep being printed, then Mental Misstep being banned). Is the format healthy? Legacy survived the most recent banned list update, but is anything going to change in March?
I think it should and will.
Before we look at the year in full, let’s take a moment to get an up-to-date look at what hot’s now. The next SCG Open is in Atlanta in two weeks, and there are often lots of random Legacy tournaments during winter break. What is the state of the format today, after the SCG Invitational and SCG Open in Charlotte?
The metagame doesn’t appear “stagnant,” per se, as many of the “popular” decks did not perform well. Additionally, it looks like we are seeing a changing of the guard with regards to what the top tier is. One thing is for sure: there sure are a lot of Stoneforge Mystic decks and Snapcaster Mage decks doing well, to say nothing of Brainstorm itself. Here are the top 16 players from the Charlotte Legacy Open, as well as all the 6-1 or better Legacy decks from the Invitational:
Charlotte Legacy Open Top 16
U/W Blade 3
Esper Blade
W/B/R Blade
Naya Maverick
Zoo 2
U/R Delver 2
RUG Tempo
Affinity
Aggro-Loam
Dredge
Painter
Ad Nauseam
SCG Invitational 6-1 or better
U/W Blade 3
Bant Blade
Naya Maverick 2
U/R Delver 2
Belcher
GSZ Bant
Sneak & Show 2
Seems pretty diverse, though the word Blade does appear a lot, right? Remember, Naya Maverick is really just another Blade deck. Let’s punch this data into our pre-Invitational Metagame data as discussed here. Once again, we have drawn the line for Tier 1 at occupying at least 5% of the field (at the top tables) and Tier 1.5 at 3% or higher. The suggested metagame projection (what to test against) is based on 67% existing metagame data, 33% most recent data.
Tier 1
| Archetypes | Pre-Invitational Meta | Invitational + Charlotte | New Suggested Meta |
| U/W/x Blade | 12.2% | 25.9% | 16.8% |
| RUG Delver | 16.8% | 3.7% | 12.4% |
| U/R Delver | 6.3% | 14.8% | 9.3% |
| BUG | 10.1% | 0.0% | 6.7% |
| G/W/r Maverick | 3.6% | 11.2% | 6.1% |
| Reanimator | 8.9% | 0.0% | 5.9% |
| Bant Blade | 6.0% | 3.7% | 5.2% |
Tier 1.5
| Archetypes | Pre-Invitational Meta | Invitational + Charlotte | New Suggested Meta |
| Merfolk | 6.4% | 0.0% | 4.3% |
| Misc Bant | 4.3% | 3.7% | 4.1% |
| Show & Tell | 2.1% | 7.4% | 3.9% |
| Zoo | 1.5% | 7.4% | 3.5% |
| Aggro Loam | 3.2% | 3.7% | 3.4% |
| Belcher | 2.8% | 3.7% | 3.1% |
| Dredge | 2.6% | 3.7% | 3.0% |
Tier 2
| Archetypes | Pre-Invitational Meta | Invitational + Charlotte | New Suggested Meta |
| RUG Control | 4.3% | 0.0% | 2.9% |
| B/W Blade | 2.1% | 3.7% | 2.6% |
| Elves | 2.6% | 0.0% | 1.7% |
| Affinity | 0.7% | 3.7% | 1.7% |
| Stax | 2.1% | 0.0% | 1.4% |
| Ad Naus | 0.0% | 3.7% | 1.2% |
| Painter | 0.0% | 3.7% | 1.2% |
| Mono-R Burn | 1.7% | 0.0% | 1.1% |
| U/B Control | 1.5% | 0.0% | 1.0% |
| Aluren | 0.7% | 0.0% | 0.5% |
A few decks have managed to change tiers in terms of popularity. Recent upstart, U/R Delver, has rocketed into the top tier with an extremely strong showing in Charlotte. This increase in popularity is just about exactly proportionate to RUG Delver’s decrease (as people who would have played RUG are just trading their Goyfs for Goblin Guide). RUG Delver is still showing up, but its numbers will surely continue to drop. The other new entry into Tier 1 is G/W/x Maverick. Formerly just G/W, the archetype has completely switched over to Naya with Punishing Fires / Grove of the Burnwillows, following in the footsteps of Fabian Gorzgen. Of particular note, this is the first non-blue deck to reach the top tier since Goblins (Zoo was top tier mid-year but generally used Mental Misstep).
As a side note, it is really interesting that both RUG Delver and Punishing Fires in Maverick originated in the Top 8 of GP Amsterdam at the hands of European players that pioneered technology that would prove to greatly shape the metagame on this side of the ocean. Despite no comparable tournament series to the SCG Legacy Opens, the Legacy scene in Europe has demonstrated a number of times over the past couple of years that it is not only alive and well, but extremely fierce. In addition, European Legacy tournaments draw an absolutely massive attendance. A Tournament Organizer in Europe could likely do very well for themselves setting up a similar tournament series to the SCG Opens.
Back to the changes in the metagame, BUG, Reanimator, and Merfolk all fail to perform in both formats. This is enough to drop Merfolk out of the top tier, and we should keep an eye on the other two to see if they are still dropping in a few weeks.
The rest of the Tier 1.5 consists of decks that did well in Charlotte, with the biggest movers and shakers being Zoo and Show and Tell (using Sneak Attack instead of Hive Mind). I would not be surprised if the climb continues, though standing in Zoo’s way are the questions of whether Naya Maverick is just a better G/W creature deck than Zoo and whether U/R Delver is a better red aggro deck? As for the Tier 2, RUG Control has fallen into it with no presence in Charlotte. This is an archetype likely to continue to fall out of favor. Mono-Red Burn is also likely to die out, as U/R Delver seems to pretty clearly obsolete it.
Here are some of the important decks that placed well in Charlotte, though I will refrain from much commentary on lists that are basically unchanged. If you’d like to skip the decklists section, just control-f “Skip,” and you’ll be all set.
First, the new top dog in the format (again). The U/W/x decks are often just blue/white, but splashes of black (for discard, Bob, and maybe Bitterblossom) or red (Grim Lavamancer, Red Elemental Blast) are relatively common. Actually splashes of green are also popular (Knight of the Reliquary, Noble Hierarch), but these are so popular, they have spawned their own Tier 1 strategy, Bant Blade. Bant Blade, Esper Blade, Raka Blade (U/W/r), and U/W are all so similar, they are probably more properly discussed as a single archetype (taking 22% of the field), as are RUG Delver and U/R Delver (taking 21.7%).
The SCG Charlotte Open Champ’s list was just about as stock as they come:
Creatures (12)
Planeswalkers (4)
Lands (24)
Spells (20)
It is worth noting that Geist of Saint Traft plus Karakas is just adorable—it really is. Also, it takes Knight of the Reliquary to make a “Bant” Blade, not just Krosan Grip in the sideboard.
Up next, we have a hold-out RUG Delver deck. Again, extremely stock, but listed for reference. Both U/W and RUG Delver should still be in any Legacy Gauntlet.
Creatures (12)
Lands (19)
Spells (29)
- 4 Brainstorm
- 4 Lightning Bolt
- 4 Force of Will
- 1 Sylvan Library
- 3 Daze
- 4 Stifle
- 3 Spell Snare
- 4 Ponder
- 2 Dismember
Sideboard
Another list that needs to be in the Gauntlet is U/R Delver (yeah, there are so many of these kind of decks we really do need to test against both). AJ Sacher list is probably the ideal to test against:
Creatures (15)
Lands (20)
Spells (25)
- 4 Brainstorm
- 4 Lightning Bolt
- 3 Force of Will
- 4 Chain Lightning
- 3 Price of Progress
- 1 Daze
- 3 Ponder
- 3 Spell Pierce
Sideboard
Chaos Warp is a fun addition from Commander, providing a potent answer to troublesome permanents (particularly enchantments and some giant monsters cheated into play).
Up next we have Naya Maverick, which has totally taken over G/W’s niche. I recommend including Gerry Thompson list in the gauntlet, which he discusses at length here.
Creatures (23)
- 4 Mother of Runes
- 1 Birds of Paradise
- 1 Scryb Ranger
- 2 Aven Mindcensor
- 1 Tarmogoyf
- 1 Gaddock Teeg
- 3 Noble Hierarch
- 4 Knight of the Reliquary
- 2 Qasali Pridemage
- 3 Stoneforge Mystic
- 1 Scavenging Ooze
Lands (24)
Spells (13)
Bant Blade is in the top tier but is similar enough to the other blue aggro decks, we can give it a miss this week (though it is also reasonable to test against Bant Blade instead of U/W, if you already have a lot of experience against U/W). Reanimator and BUG are both technically still top tier but were both blanked and are dropping in popularity (with the rise of Delver). Instead, I would give the combo slot this week to the Sneak Attack / Show and Tell deck that put up two good finishes in the Invitational and appears to be building steam.
Creatures (7)
Planeswalkers (3)
Lands (20)
Spells (30)
For reference, here are updated lists of Zoo and Dredge. These two archetypes are nothing new but are both important, and it’s nice to have updated lists available.
Creatures (23)
Lands (20)
Spells (17)
Creatures (23)
- 4 Putrid Imp
- 2 Ichorid
- 1 Flame-Kin Zealot
- 4 Golgari Grave-Troll
- 2 Golgari Thug
- 4 Stinkweed Imp
- 1 Angel of Despair
- 4 Narcomoeba
- 1 Sphinx of Lost Truths
Lands (12)
Spells (25)
Finally, we come to a couple of sweet brews. First, we have Gerard Fabiano B/W/r Blade, an archetype that historically performed well on average. This is because only Gerard plays it, and he almost always does well with it. It’s really not that different from the B/W Blade decks people play from time-to-time, but I do think Grim Lavamancer and Pyroblast are worthwhile additions. Liliana also seems like a great fit. Gerard builds such sweet decks!
Creatures (12)
Planeswalkers (4)
Lands (23)
Spells (21)
We also have a new-ish take on Painter, by Jonathan Suarez. Imperial Recruiter is nothing new, but abandoning blue is bold. Phyrexian Metamorph, Spellskite, Kargan Dragonlord, Magus of the Moon, Goblin Welder, Jaya Ballard Task Mage, and even Simian Spirit Guide provide tons of Recruiter targets, though it does seem strange that there is no way to access Trinket Mage. Suarez does have a potent Blood Moon game, but I have to imagine that Volcanics, fetches, and a Trinket Mage or two wouldn’t get in the way of that.
Creatures (19)
- 1 Goblin Welder
- 4 Imperial Recruiter
- 1 Jaya Ballard, Task Mage
- 4 Simian Spirit Guide
- 2 Magus of the Moon
- 4 Painter's Servant
- 1 Kargan Dragonlord
- 1 Spellskite
- 1 Phyrexian Metamorph
Lands (18)
Spells (23)
Koth, Liliana, Elspeth, and Jace the Mind Sculptor? The predictions of planeswalkers spreading in Legacy are definitely proving accurate!
“Skip”
Okay, let’s take a look at the year as a whole, as well as examining each of the three “eras” (Pre-Misstep, Misstep, and Post-Misstep). Let’s start with a massive chart featuring all 41 archetypes that put up numbers this year. I arrived at these numbers by scrapping data from every SCG Open, Invitational, and Legacy Grand Prix of the year. Taking a page out of Hall of Famer, Frank Karsten’s playbook, I then awarded five points for 1st, four for 2nd, three for 3rd/4th, two for 5th-8th, and one for 9th-16th. Additionally, I awarded three points to each Invitational Legacy deck that had a top record. Keeping the three eras separate, I then divided by the total number of points possible to arrive at the “Winner’s Circle Metagame.”
Legacy 2011 Year in Review
| Archetypes | Jan-Apr (Pre-Misstep) | May-Sept (Misstep) | Oct-Dec (Post-Misstep) | Yearly Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Merfolk |
10.3% |
12.5% |
4.3% |
9.0% |
|
U/W/x Blade |
0.3% |
10.1% |
14.4% |
8.3% |
|
BUG |
6.8% |
8.6% |
8.1% |
7.8% |
|
Zoo |
3.8% |
8.1% |
3.2% |
5.0% |
|
RUG Tempo |
0.9% |
1.3% |
12.3% |
4.8% |
|
Show and Tell |
0.9% |
8.8% |
4.6% |
4.8% |
|
Junk |
9.7% |
3.1% |
0.4% |
4.3% |
|
NO RUG |
0.9% |
11.1% |
0.0% |
4.0% |
|
Reanimator |
0.3% |
3.9% |
7.7% |
4.0% |
|
Countertop |
7.4% |
0.8% |
2.8% |
3.7% |
|
Dredge |
4.4% |
3.9% |
2.5% |
3.6% |
|
Bant Blade |
0.6% |
3.6% |
5.3% |
3.2% |
|
G/W/x Maverick |
2.9% |
0.8% |
5.6% |
3.1% |
|
U/R Tempo |
2.1% |
0.5% |
6.3% |
3.0% |
|
NO Bant |
5.9% |
0.8% |
1.8% |
2.8% |
|
Ad Naus |
2.9% |
1.3% |
3.5% |
2.6% |
|
B/W/x Blade |
2.9% |
2.3% |
2.1% |
2.4% |
|
Goblins |
6.5% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
2.2% |
|
Painter |
2.1% |
2.3% |
1.5% |
2.0% |
|
Elves |
2.6% |
0.8% |
2.5% |
2.0% |
|
5.6% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
1.9% |
|
|
Affinity |
3.8% |
0.8% |
0.7% |
1.8% |
|
U/W Control |
0.3% |
4.7% |
0.0% |
1.7% |
|
Bant |
1.5% |
0.0% |
3.2% |
1.6% |
|
Aggro-Loam |
0.0% |
2.3% |
1.5% |
1.3% |
|
Forgemaster |
2.1% |
1.0% |
0.0% |
1.0% |
|
Belcher |
0.0% |
0.0% |
2.1% |
0.7% |
|
Burn |
0.0% |
0.5% |
1.5% |
0.7% |
|
Enchantress |
1.2% |
0.3% |
0.4% |
0.6% |
|
Mono-U Control |
0.0% |
1.8% |
0.0% |
0.6% |
|
U/B/x Control |
0.6% |
0.0% |
1.1% |
0.6% |
|
Breakfast |
0.3% |
1.0% |
0.0% |
0.4% |
|
1.2% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.4% |
|
|
37-Land |
0.6% |
0.5% |
0.0% |
0.4% |
|
NO Pattern |
0.0% |
0.8% |
0.0% |
0.3% |
|
0.0% |
0.3% |
0.4% |
0.2% |
|
|
Buried Alive |
0.0% |
0.5% |
0.0% |
0.2% |
|
Stax |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.4% |
0.1% |
|
12-Post |
0.3% |
0.0% |
0.0% |
0.1% |
|
Horsemen (Mesmeric Orb) |
0.0% |
0.3% |
0.0% |
0.1% |
|
White Weenie |
0.0% |
0.3% |
0.0% |
0.1% |
Obviously the format changed radically with the printing of Mental Misstep, but Batterskull and Dismember also had a major impact on the format in May. Misstep getting banned was also huge, but it came at the same time as Delver of Secrets and Snapcaster Mage, to compound things. This makes evaluating a deck’s “average” strength over the course of the year a mostly academic curiosity. It does, however, give us an idea of what decks did the most winning this year. It is just so interesting looking at each archetype’s changes in popularity from one era to another.
For instance, Merfolk gaining with the printing of Misstep is not surprising, but the drop when it was banned was significantly greater (as a result of Snapcaster and Delver reducing the incentive to play Merfolk in one’s blue aggro deck).
U/W/x surged to the top Tier with the printing of Batterskull, and it appears that Snapcaster Mage is helping it far more than the loss of Misstep hurts it.
Junk, Goblins, NO Bant, High Tide, and Affinity all died from Mental Misstep being printed, but none seem to have recovered. Maverick, Countertop, Ad Nauseam, and Elves were also victims of Misstep but are actually rebounding. U/R Tempo was another victim of Misstep, but the printing of Snapcaster and Delver has given it a new lease on life, as well as catapulting RUG Tempo to the top.
Looking at the decks that thrived much more in the Misstep era, we see Zoo, Show and Tell, NO RUG, U/W Control, and Mono-U Control. Show and Tell is a bit of an exception, as it generally did not use Misstep as often as most, though it did prey on it by having so few targets to hit. The rest of these decks all greatly benefit from Misstep providing a much-needed element to their game plan (while not getting to take advantage of Snapcaster or Delver).
In addition to RUG Tempo and U/R Tempo taking off in the world of Snapcaster and Delver, it is interesting to note that Reanimator and Belcher have as well. What is it about those two archetypes that have them better positioned for the current world than they were in the Pre-Misstep world?
If there is one constant, among strong performers, it is BUG, an archetype that doesn’t seem to have changed in popularity much, despite Misstep getting printed (and going in it), then Misstep getting banned and Snapcaster replacing it.
Let’s try narrowing the data all the way down to just discussing the four basic strategies.
| Archetypes | Jan-Apr (Pre-Misstep) | May-Sept (Misstep) | Oct-Dec (Post-Misstep) | Yearly Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Aggro-Control |
21.0% |
36.6% |
50.4% |
36.0% |
|
Combo |
31.3% |
38.1% |
28.5% |
32.7% |
|
Aggro |
29.6% |
17.7% |
13.4% |
20.2% |
|
Control |
10.3% |
9.6% |
1.9% |
7.3% |
People often ask about the relationship between these four families of archetypes. Think of it like a compass. Aggro is North, Midrange East, Control South, and Combo West. Aggro-Control is actually in the Midrange family (and Ramp is in the Combo family). Magic has more than four basic archetypes, but every basic archetype fits into one of these four basic strategies (or involves a blend between them).
Looking at the change in balance of power in the format, the first thing that jumps out is that Aggro-Control has been growing by leaps and bounds. Many of us warned that Mental Misstep was killing The Great Illusion in Legacy (that you don’t need to play blue). It would appear that replacing Mental Misstep with both Delver and Snapcaster has not exactly made for much of an attempt to put everything back into Pandora’s Box.
Both Aggro and Control are disappearing, as more and more decks that would have fallen into one of these two camps are fusing together to form Aggro-Control decks to try to combat the other Aggro-Control decks in the format. As we have discussed in past weeks, when Aggro-Control decks get “good,” they quickly become “great” (Faeries, Caw-Blade, etc.). Legacy is a format filled with half a dozen major and successful Aggro-Control decks.
Let’s try expanding the chart a little to include more of a breakdown of the Aggro-Control and Combo decks. These eight macro-archetypes are arranged with three types of aggro-control decks first, then three types of combo, then aggro, then control decks.
| Archetypes | Jan-Apr (Pre-Misstep) | May-Sept (Misstep) | Oct-Dec (Post-Misstep) | Yearly Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
U/x Tempo |
9.8% |
10.4% |
26.4% |
15.9% |
|
Blue Blade |
0.9% |
13.7% |
19.7% |
11.4% |
|
Merfolk |
10.3% |
12.5% |
4.3% |
9.0% |
|
Misc Combo |
18.3% |
7.0% |
11.9% |
12.4% |
|
NO/Show and Tell |
8.0% |
21.5% |
6.4% |
12.0% |
|
Graveyard Combo |
5.0% |
9.6% |
10.2% |
8.1% |
|
Non-Blue Aggro |
29.6% |
17.7% |
13.4% |
20.2% |
|
Control |
10.3% |
9.6% |
1.9% |
7.3% |
U/x Tempo has been good all year but has completely taken center stage as a result of Snapcaster and Delver. Blue Blade deck’s success began with the printing of Batterskull and continued to gain because of Snapcaster Mage. Merfolk is the one Aggro-Control strategy really suffering, losing Misstep and not getting to take advantage of the great new blue cards.
Natural Order and Show and Tell decks surged in popularity as a result of Mental Misstep, mostly because the key spells don’t involve casting one-cost spells. With Misstep banned, they have been restored to just two more random combo decks in the metagame.
Graveyard combo decks have been steadily growing, though it is not conclusive what this is from. My theory is that graveyard combo decks generally perform well against counterspells, so the more blue people play, the better it is for them. This is balanced, however, by the natural limitation on graveyard combo decks: any increase in graveyard combo’s success is followed by an increase in graveyard hate.
Continuing our examination of the format’s evolution over the course of the year, let’s take a look at each of the eras on its own. The clues are all there to paint a picture of what the future likely holds. Is this format healthy? What is the solution? Mental Misstep appears to have had a profound impact on the philosophy of the player-base. Where is the format going?
Here is a list of the top 10 archetypes from the Pre-Misstep Era. For context, remember this was the first time Legacy was played after Survival of the Fittest was banned.
| Archetypes | % of Jan-Apr Metagame |
|---|---|
|
Merfolk |
10.3% |
|
Junk |
9.7% |
|
Countertop |
7.4% |
|
BUG |
6.8% |
|
Goblins |
6.5% |
|
NO Bant |
5.9% |
|
5.6% |
|
|
Dredge |
4.4% |
|
Zoo |
3.8% |
|
Affinity |
3.8% |
Here, we see a “mere” 48.0% of the field packing Force of Will. This is a lot of diversity, with almost nothing even hitting 10%. There is also a wide range of strategies getting played, with 4 Aggro, 3 Combo, 2 Aggro-Control, and 1 Control deck filling out the top 10. Survival’s ban was controversial, but everyone had to admit the format was now extremely diverse, healthy, thriving, and fun.
Then Mental Misstep was printed.
| Archetypes | % of May-Sept Metagame |
|---|---|
|
Merfolk |
12.5% |
|
NO RUG |
11.1% |
|
U/W/x Blade |
10.1% |
|
Show and Tell |
8.8% |
|
BUG |
8.6% |
|
Zoo |
8.1% |
|
U/W Control |
4.6% |
|
Reanimator |
3.9% |
|
Dredge |
3.9% |
|
Bant Blade |
3.6% |
Sure, Batterskull and Dismember also had a pretty big impact, as well, but Mental Misstep actually threatened to wake the format up from its blissful slumber. It did not take long before Mental Misstep was widely regarded as a “strong card,” but some pundits (such as Drew Levin) actually suggested the card would be banned and might be in the same league as Brainstorm and Force of Will.
Well, when all was said and done, Brainstorm occupied 61.8% of the winner’s circle metagame, Force of Will 66.9%, and Mental Misstep about 76.3%! Now that Zoo had adopted Mental Missteps, every single deck in the top 10 featured blue cards. That Mental Misstep was eventually banned surprised many players, especially since it was designed for the format, but looking at the math, it was inevitable. It wasn’t that it was so popular that it was banned; it was because the format had completely devolved into being 100% about using Mental Misstep or beating it. Only blue decks were viable because of Misstep, and the combo decks that succeeded all did so because of being slanted against Misstep.
Finally, we come to the Post-Misstep World, replaced by those two new blue wizards we discuss so much:
| Archetypes | % of Oct-Dec Metagame |
|---|---|
|
U/W/x Blade |
14.4% |
|
RUG Tempo |
12.3% |
|
BUG |
8.1% |
|
Reanimator |
7.7% |
|
U/R Tempo |
6.3% |
|
G/W/x Maverick |
5.6% |
|
Bant Blade |
5.3% |
|
Show and Tell |
4.6% |
|
Merfolk |
4.3% |
|
3.5% |
While Blade decks appear to be very popular, it is important to note that only 27.2% of the field played Stoneforge Mystic. Stoneforge Mystic happens to be white’s best creature, which causes a lot of decks to end up with “Blade” in their name, but why is that bad? It is really nothing more than a white Tarmogoyf, and honestly, white could use the help. The joke always used to be that the three best blue creatures of all time are Tarmogoyf, Dark Confidant, and Stoneforge Mystic. Well, now that Delver of Secrets and Snapcaster Mage have been printed, that’s not even true anymore. That said, almost exactly half of the Stoneforge Mystic decks were not blue, including the first Tier 1 non-blue deck since Goblins. If anything, Stoneforge is actually one of the healthiest aspects of the format!
Tarmogoyf is a bit more obnoxious, getting played in 50.0% of the winner’s circle decks. Of these almost 80% are blue. Is this a problem?
Not necessarily.
It does raise some flags, as that is a lot of the field, but Tarmogoyf actually only appears in two of the top 10 decks as a 4x, and sometimes in two more as a tutor target. For the most part, Tarmogoyf seems to be one of the more popular cards for fringe archetypes!
What about Snapcaster Mage? Well, 52.5% of the winner’s circle metagame employed him, which is definitely scary high when you factor in that he (by definition) only appears in blue decks, which are dominating in record numbers. Five of the top 10 decks use him, but no single deck among those is outrageously popular. Both Blue Blade and Delver Tempo decks are certainly suspect, since they each account for well over twenty-percent of the field. That said, they are split into a variety of strategies with no clear “best” deck week-in and week-out.
Do I think Snapcaster Mage is on the watch list? No question, whatsoever. Will he or should he be banned in March? In a word, “no.” This format is not stagnant; there is not just a single deck dominating it; and everyone is enjoying it immensely. What is the problem with Snapcaster? He is number three in line behind the two “Untouchables,” Brainstorm and Force of Will. For years, these two cards have gotten get-out-of-jail-free cards because of what they bring to the format (man, where are those when you need them?).
Force of Will makes the format “playable,” helping limit fast combo, while Brainstorm makes the format “playable,” by making it actually fun (at least 25% joking, I swear…). Unfortunately, Brainstorm is now getting played in 75.0% of top decks, and Force of Will 77.1%. The format may be dynamic, enjoyable, and semi-balanced, but there is no question the illusion that you don’t need to play blue is in real jeopardy. If not for Maverick and Zoo’s recent resurgence, it would be easy to call it a lost cause. That said, when 3/4ths of the format starts with the same eight cards, something needs to change. It would be one thing if I thought that more people would move away from these cards. Sadly, I have thought people should play more Brainstorms and Force of Wills for a long time. Mental Misstep was the gateway blue card that pulled a number of people over to the Dark Side. Misstep may be gone, but they have had a taste (and might already own blue duals…).
What is the solution?
Legacy is actually not in bad shape, of course. There are a ton of decks getting played, and in fact 20 different archetypes appear among these three top 10 lists, as well as over 40 archetypes appearing over the year. No single deck or strategy is dominating, even if most of the top strategies are fueled by Brainstorm and Force of Will. Something needs to change, but the only cards truly ban-worthy on paper are Brainstorm and Force of Will, both of which continue to get the free pass until compelling evidence is presented to argue otherwise. Brainstorm is definitely on the watch list, despite its untouchable status. Obviously, just about everyone would jump to throw Snapcaster Mage under the bus before it ever came to that, but there is another way.
Time to unban something!
The Legacy banned list features 60 cards, which is a nice round number, but a high one. Maybe the solution to loosening blue’s iron grip on the format is to unban something that promotes non-blue decks. Let’s take a quick look at the top candidates:
Demonic Consultation
Demonic Consultation is an extremely powerful tutor and can lead to blisteringly fast combo decks, generally based around Tendrils of Agony and rituals. This is potentially troublesome if it actually forces more people to play Force of Will. Another potentially big Demonic Consultation-based strategy is that of aggro-control. Consult has often been excellent in decks like CounterSliver. Would it just help Brainstorm decks?
Although Consult would appear in some Brainstorm decks, as well as some fast combo decks, you have to remember the status quo is 75% blue. Even if half the Consult decks are blue, they could easily lower the total number of Brainstorms and Force of Wills getting played. Consult provides an extremely powerful tool for Junk, a deck that isn’t far from being able to compete. Aggro-Loam might use it, and perhaps some sort of B/x aggro deck would emerge. Some Belcher or other fast non-blue combo decks may use it as well.
Why was it banned? It is an extremely powerful tutor, restricted even in Vintage (though to be fair, it is definitely worth considering unrestricting it in Vintage this year). Does it need to stay banned? Maybe not. It does have a steep drawback; it is skill-testing; it goes in a variety of decks; it would actually be good; and it can be fun.
Verdict: Worth strongly considering
Mind Twist
One of the most infamous cards in the game’s history, Mind Twist was one of the few cards ever banned in Vintage. Times have changed however, and now it is not only unbanned but unrestricted. Maybe it is time to do the same in Legacy? After all, other than Dark Ritual, what good ways are there to Mind Twist? Using traditional rituals leads to card parity. Ancient Tomb, City of Traitors, and various Moxes are good, but how fast are you really going to be able to Mind Twist anyway? It’s not like there is any shortage of free countermagic, and people could always use Misdirection (though admittedly, that is a blue card).
One problem with Mind Twist is that it may not be that good, but if it is, it can get unfun pretty fast. Would Junk use Mind Twist? Would Mind Twist be used exclusively in dedicated “Mind Twist decks?” Would that even be good? That can’t possibly be nearly as unfair as Belcher, right? Besides, people could use anti-discard cards if they wanted, as there are plenty of them.
Verdict: Safe, but decent chance that it isn’t even that good.
Land Tax
Land Tax is probably the card most requested to be unbanned by Legacy players. Is it finally time? In its favor, it is an extremely powerful card for quite a number of non-blue decks (even if it does go in some blue decks). It promotes basic land usage; it is skill-testing; it is interesting to build around; and the format is so powerful now, it is not like it is even that brutal when it works.
The problems? First of all, tournament organizers have it out for this card. It involves tons of shuffling, increased cheating, and can drag games to a crawl. It is also very powerful in a way that gets not healthy really fast.
I sympathize with the TOs who want their events to run at a reasonable pace and, out of respect for Land Tax’s power, have argued against unbanning it on multiple occasions. That said, I think the time has come to give Land Tax a fair examination. Fetchlands, Brainstorming, Jace, Tops, and more leave no shortage of these types of effects in the format. I actually think Land Tax might contribute enough to the format to make up for the mild strain it puts on things. Additionally, the format has gotten so strong, it is actually reasonable to think Land Tax could exist without toppling things. Besides, if nothing else, it can throw a bone to the loyal fans who have been fighting for it for so many years. Additionally, it’s not like it couldn’t get banned again, if needed. I am not convinced it is the most fun card to unban, but if Consult isn’t safe, Land Tax should be considered (Mind Twist is probably a gimme).
Verdict: Probably safe, but the strain it puts on tournament play makes it a longer shot. Worth strongly considering.
Worldgorger Dragon
Another random combo card that isn’t actually any better than the other cards that are legal. Even with Entomb legal, it is not clear that this is even better than Reanimator targets like Iona and Jin Gitaxias. Even if it was, graveyard hate exists and is easy. Unfortunately, Worldgorger Dragon decks tend to be blue fast combo decks.
Verdict: Safe, but doesn’t do what we are trying to do at all. Should be taken off at some point on principle, but we can do better if we only get to unban one card.
What do you think? Can any of these cards be unbanned? If you could unban one, which would it be? Or do you think Snapcaster Mage or Brainstorm needs to be banned? Legacy is alive and well, so it is not an absolute must that something be changed in March (at least not yet), but the way things are going, I have a suspicion a shake-up is coming…
Patrick Chapin
“The Innovator”