Get ready to dive into the world of Magic: The Gathering and explore some of the most intriguing and innovative decklists from the Pro Tour Marvel Super Heroes event. These decks are not your average builds; they push the boundaries, offering fresh takes on established strategies and introducing unexpected card combinations. Let's dive in and uncover the secrets behind these spicy decks!
Jund Cosmogoyf: The Turn-Three Killer
Three players at the Pro Tour brought this unexpected archetype to the table. Jund Cosmogoyf is a deck that aims to deliver a turn-three kill, and it does so with a unique game plan. The key cards here are Cosmogoyf, Thud, and Serum Powder. By exiling 20 cards rapidly, often before the game even begins, this deck sets up a powerful combo. Spoils of the Vault and Plunge into Darkness further contribute to this strategy, digging for the right pieces while exiling a significant portion of your library. The payoff? A Cosmogoyf with 20+ power that, when sacrificed with Thud, deals lethal damage directly to your opponent, leaving them no chance to react.
What makes this deck particularly fascinating is the inclusion of Leyline of the Guildpact and Scion of Draco in the sideboard. This combination not only provides hexproof and trample to Cosmogoyf, turning it into an unstoppable force, but it also showcases the deck's adaptability and the player's strategic thinking.
Samwise Gamgee Combo: Infinite Drain
Jake Bailey's Samwise Gamgee Combo deck is a twist on a traditional sacrifice strategy. The main plan here is to create an infinite drain loop using Samwise Gamgee, Cauldron Familiar, and a sacrifice outlet. This deck embraces the sacrifice synergies to their fullest potential, with traditional outlets like Viscera Seer and Carrion Feeder, but the real innovation lies in the inclusion of Goblin Bombardment. Splashing red adds complexity to the mana base, but Modern's fetch lands make it manageable, especially with support from Gilded Goose and City of Brass. The result? A powerful combo deck that can drain opponents dry.
Azorius Loki: The Infinite Mill
Gaëtan Bossy's deck is a unique blend of cards that, at first glance, may seem random. But when you delve deeper, you uncover an amazing combo. The stars of this show are Loki, God of Mischief, Oswald Fiddlebender, and Grinding Station. Together, they create an infinite four-step combo that mills your opponent. The deck's main addition from Marvel Super Heroes is Loki, who not only enables Mox Amber but also acts as a card-advantage engine, drawing extra cards off Mishra's Bauble and Portable Hole. Grinding Station, Relic of Progenitus, and other targeted abilities keep the cards flowing, making this deck a true contender.
Bant Control: Unleashing Wilderness Reclamation
Rui Zhang, known for unconventional decks, brings a control strategy with a twist. This Bant Control deck utilizes sweepers like Wrath of the Skies, countermagic, and Teferi, Time Raveler to dictate the pace. The bold move here is venturing into green, unlocking Wilderness Reclamation as a powerful mana engine. With Planar Genesis, Reclamation can hit the battlefield as early as turn three, effectively doubling your mana. Consult the Star Charts keeps your hand full of interaction, and Waterlogged Teachings can tutor up big spells. This deck showcases the power of mana acceleration and efficient interaction, allowing for overwhelming card advantage and a humble Elemental to seal the deal.
Devoted Druid Combo: Infinite Mana, Infinite Wins
Thomas Feller's deck combines Devoted Druid and Vizier of Remedies, a classic combo in Magic's history. Vizier allows Devoted Druid to tap for infinite green mana without taking damage, and this infinite mana can be used to activate Walking Ballista, Duskwatch Recruiter, or Rhonas the Indomitable an infinite number of times. The inclusion of Tyvar, Jubilant Brawler adds an interesting twist, allowing Devoted Druid to tap for mana immediately. This deck has a powerful backup plan too, showcasing the potential of Badgermole Cub and mana creatures, especially with Nature's Rhythm to deliver a game-ending Craterhoof Behemoth.
Song of Creation: Drawing Your Way to Victory
Rasmus Enegren's Song of Creation deck is a wild combo build. The goal is to resolve Song of Creation and play a flurry of zero-cost spells, drawing two cards each time. Mox Opal and Mox Amber, when returned to the hand with Repeal, effectively become zero-mana spells. Malevolent Rumble can also find Moxen, making them mana neutral. With nearly half the deck costing zero mana, this deck can draw its entire library, cast Jace, Wielder of Mysteries, and win in an explosive turn. The addition of Bruce Banner provides a legendary creature to enable Mox Amber, and in a grindy game, he can surprise opponents with his 8/8 trampler form.
Mono-Blue Metalcraft: Efficient Counters and Artifact Synergies
Hall of Famer Gabriel Nassif presents a fresh take on blue artifact strategies. This deck stays mono-blue, incorporating Subtlety and Force of Negation for a powerful suite of free counters. Quantum Riddler acts as a card-draw engine, and Emry can recur disruption cards like Engineered Explosives and Tormod's Crypt. This build combines strong mana acceleration, artifact synergies, and card-advantage engines with efficient interaction, allowing Nassif to control the game as needed.
Hollow One: Embracing Chaos and Aggression
Hollow One is an aggressive deck that can deploy multiple copies of Hollow One on turn one, applying immense pressure. Faithless Looting, Street Wraith, and Burning Inquiry are key to this strategy. Detective's Phoenix and Moonshadow add to the deck's aggression, overwhelming opponents before they can stabilize. Direct damage from Lightning Bolt, Orcish Bowmasters, and even Mount Doom (a unique inclusion) can finish the job. This deck embraces the chaos of random discards, but its aggressive starts remain a powerful force.
These eight decks showcase the creativity and innovation that make Modern such an exciting format. If you're looking for a new deck to experiment with, these builds offer a fresh and spicy take on the game. Keep an eye on these decks at the Pro Tour Marvel Super Heroes event, as they might just be the key to victory!
