Howdy folks! I'm Joe Dyer, and it's time yet again for another monthly look at the Legacy format! Things are getting crazy out there in the world of Legacy, with the release of War of the Spark and Modern Horizons really doing a lot for the format overall.
Things have been certainly interesting in Legacy as of late, as the format is adjusting and working around the new releases, so let's get right to talking about the good stuff.
Dreadhorde Arcanist
This card is well, super powerful. I didn't get much of a chance to discuss this card last month, because it was really just starting to get going but it definitely seems like this card is not a flash in the pan. This card is great, and it's definitely shaping up to be a real part of the format in various Delver strategies, including UR and Grixis Delver. To this point, we're seeing UR Delver take point in a lot of big finishes with this card.
UR Delver - MzFroste | 5th Place Legacy Challenge 6/16
4 Brainstorm
2 Chain Lightning
4 Daze
4 Delver of Secrets
4 Dreadhorde Arcanist
4 Flooded Strand
1 Force of Negation
4 Force of Will
3 Island
4 Lightning Bolt
1 Mountain
4 Ponder
4 Preordain
4 Scalding Tarn
1 Spell Pierce
1 True-Name Nemesis
3 Volcanic Island
4 Wasteland
4 Young Pyromancer
2 Abrade
1 Blood Moon
1 Flusterstorm
1 Force of Negation
1 Izzet Staticaster
1 Null Rod
2 Pyroblast
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Tormod's Crypt
2 Winter Orb
The fact is that there are so many powerful things to cast with this card (especially the hilarity of Surgical Extraction flashed back with this) that it's no surprise that this is seeing the play it is. This is definitely a card to continue to keep your eyes on.
Wrenn and Six
(Lovingly borrowed from Chad Harney on Twitter)
Memes aside, this card is most assuredly one of the more egregiously powerful cards to come out recently. Printed in Modern Horizons, this two mana Planeswalker allows for some really powerful interaction, including the ability to recur Wasteland over and over and over and... well you get the point. It's not just the land destruction recursion that makes this powerful. Imagine being able to over utilize Brainstorm with your fetch lands every turn and still be able to be on color and immune to Wasteland. Does that sound familiar? (cough Deathrite Shaman cough)
From talking to other Legacy players this card is everywhere across the format because of how consistent and powerful it really is.
Czech Pile - Svaca | 3rd Place Legacy Challenge 6/16
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Badlands
4 Baleful Strix
1 Bayou
1 Bloodstained Mire
4 Brainstorm
1 Fatal Push
2 Force of Negation
3 Force of Will
2 Hymn to Tourach
4 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 Jace, the Mind Sculptor
2 Kolaghan's Command
2 Lightning Bolt
4 Polluted Delta
3 Ponder
2 Scalding Tarn
3 Snapcaster Mage
1 Thoughtseize
1 Tropical Island
3 Underground Sea
4 Verdant Catacombs
1 Volcanic Island
2 Wasteland
3 Wrenn and Six
1 Flusterstorm
2 Liliana's Triumph
1 Marsh Casualties
2 Narset, Parter of Veils
2 Nihil Spellbomb
2 Pyroblast
1 Red Elemental Blast
2 Sylvan Library
1 Toxic Deluge
1 Wasteland
Personally, I feel like Wrenn and Six is a lot more like DRS in that it allows decks to continue to cheat on manabases and be more immune to land destruction effects. I'm also not sure how I feel about that bringing back the ability to play decks like Czech Pile again, but the card itself is incredibly powerful.
Echo of Eons
Have you ever wanted to cast Timetwister in Legacy? Have you also ever wanted to make it so that you only Draw 7 and your opponent draws nada?
Well, this is the decklist for you. Enjoy.
Narset Storm - Mis4Tune | 8th Place Legacy Challenge 6/16
4 Brainstorm
2 Cabal Therapy
4 Chrome Mox
4 Dark Ritual
4 Echo of Eons
3 Entomb
2 Island
4 Lion's Eye Diamond
4 Lotus Petal
2 Monastery Mentor
4 Narset, Parter of Veils
4 Polluted Delta
4 Ponder
2 Preordain
4 Scalding Tarn
1 Swamp
2 Tendrils of Agony
4 Thoughtseize
1 Tundra
1 Underground Sea
1 Chain of Vapor
1 Darkblast
4 Defense Grid
2 Echoing Truth
2 Massacre
2 Price of Betrayal
3 Surgical Extraction
The Real Impact of WAR and MH1
The real impact I've heard from Legacy players in regards to these sets is actually mostly one of financial impact. This year has been unprecedented in regards to the amount of support that has been printed for eternal formats such as Legacy, and there is some debate on how much shakeup is too much. Both War of the Spark and Modern Horizons changed a lot of how the format is structured, and there is always some measure to be said about changing things too quickly and in big ways. These sets have amped up the power level for sure, but even moreso they've forced Legacy and other eternal format players to stand up and take notice during spoiler season. This can be somewhat of a win/win for Wizards since it gets these players to be concerned about purchasing newer cards, but at the same time is it good for the format to have this much shakeup in such a short time?
Even Core 2020 has shown already that Wizards is in a period of high power level printings and reprints and it's a Core set. Is it possible that this is simply too much in too short of a time? I personally feel like Wizards could have maybe slowed down these sweeping changes and impactful cards, giving the format time to adjust and learn.
Regardless, part of playing in this format is adjusting to the metagame changes, and I'm sure there will be even more to look forward to with the London Mulligan on the horizon.
Legacy Playoffs - Q2
It is worth noting that last month (6/23 to be exact) boasted the second quarter Legacy Playoff event for the big Legacy Format Championship at the end of the year in January. These events require Format Points to enter, so they're usually stacked with the top of the top competition.
The Top 8 of this event was as follows:
- Maverick - MentalMisstep
- UR Delver - Condescend
- LED Dredge - Ark4n
- Sneak and Show - Griselpuff (Bob Huang)
- UR Delver - LearnToLove6
- Death and Taxes - XJCloud (John Ryan Hamilton)
- BUG Depths - Negator77 (Thomas Hepp)
- UR Delver - ManaManvanturk
This was an interesting Top 8 of this event, with some pretty powerful wizards at the top of the heap. Even just Top 8'ing this is enough to queue for the Format Championship, so congrats to everyone involved!
One competitor I'd like to shine a light on is Negator77 (Thomas Hepp) who is one of the format's most wonderful people and is always willing to help others in the format. Thomas was actually already queued for the Championships from the last Quarterly, so his placing here actually bumps that down to 9th place for qualifying. Still, Thomas' weapon of choice is the deck BUG Depths, a deck he is well known for in the community for helping develop.
BUG Depths - Negator77 | 7th Place - Legacy Playoff 6/23
4 Vampire Hexmage
2 Duress
2 Inquisition of Kozilek
3 Sylvan Scrying
4 Thoughtseize
4 Brainstorm
4 Crop Rotation
1 Stifle
2 Expedition Map
4 Mox Diamond
2 Pithing Needle
2 Bayou
1 Bojuka Bog
4 Dark Depths
2 Gemstone Mine
3 Misty Rainforest
4 Polluted Delta
1 Sejiri Steppe
4 Thespian's Stage
1 Tropical Island
1 Underground Sea
4 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Wasteland
2 Pithing Needle
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Assassin's Trophy
3 Flusterstorm
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Karakas
3 Surgical Extraction
1 Sylvan Safekeeper
This is a great list and I am always in awe of Thomas and his play level. Congrats on the finish!
Monthly Spice
Something new I'm going to start doing with this article is a few spice lists chosen at random every month to post. This oughta be fun!
Our first one is what happens when you think you can get away from Hogaak in Modern... you just get Hogaak'ed in Legacy instead!
Hogaazk Zombardment - UsaZ
4 Altar of Dementia
3 Badlands
2 Bayou
4 Bloodghast
4 Bloodstained Mire
4 Bridge from Below
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Carrion Feeder
4 Faithless Looting
4 Gravecrawler
4 Hogaak, Arisen Necropolis
4 Insolent Neonate
2 Polluted Delta
4 Stitcher's Supplier
3 Swamp
2 Thoughtseize
2 Undiscovered Paradise
2 Verdant Catacombs
3 Cryptbreaker
2 Goblin Bombardment
2 Golgari Charm
4 Hymn to Tourach
2 Surgical Extraction
2 Tormod's Crypt
Our second list comes from Wrenn and Six and Karn, the Great Creator AND Smokestack!
Wrenn Staxx - EryngaLv2
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Chalice of the Void
2 Chandra, Torch of Defiance
4 City of Traitors
2 Ensnaring Bridge
1 Fiery Confluence
4 Goblin Rabblemaster
4 Grove of the Burnwillows
4 Karn, the Great Creator
4 Mox Diamond
4 Punishing Fire
1 Simian Spirit Guide
2 Smokestack
3 Snow-Covered Mountain
2 Sylvan Library
2 Taiga
2 Trinisphere
4 Wasteland
3 Wooded Foothills
4 Wrenn and Six
2 Boil
1 Engineered Explosives
1 Ensnaring Bridge
1 Fiery Confluence
2 Force of Vigor
1 Liquimetal Coating
1 Mycosynth Lattice
2 Sorcerous Spyglass
2 Tormod's Crypt
2 Trinisphere
Our final list is Ninjas. Yup. Ninjas.
UB Ninjas - yozo
4 Baleful Strix
1 Bloodstained Mire
4 Brainstorm
2 Changeling Outcast
3 Chart a Course
3 Fatal Push
4 Force of Will
4 Gurmag Angler
3 Ingenious Infiltrator
2 Plague Engineer
4 Polluted Delta
4 Prismatic Vista
2 Scalding Tarn
3 Snow-Covered Island
3 Snow-Covered Swamp
4 Stitcher's Supplier
1 Tasigur, the Golden Fang
3 Underground Sea
2 Wonder
4 Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow
2 Back to Basics
1 Bitterblossom
2 Flusterstorm
2 Liliana's Triumph
1 Pithing Needle
2 Plague Engineer
2 Surgical Extraction
3 Thoughtseize
Some great lists! If you'd like to see a list featured that is extra spicy, please feel free to reach out to me!
Wrapping Up
That's all the time we have this month folks! It's been a crazy year so far for Legacy and next month we will be examining the impact of the London Mulligan on the format as well as talking about Core 2020 cards that end up seeing play in the format!
Make sure to hit me up on Twitter if you want to chat! I'm always around Discord as well!
Until next time, may all your Magic BE ETERNAL!!!
