TES Matchup Battles: Temur Rhinos

Matchup Battles

Temur Rhinos is a deck aimed at assembling a pair of [[Rhino Token]] from [[Crashing Footfalls]] by the first or second turn. [[Crashing Footfalls]] can't be cast off suspend by that early, but instead is cast off of a cascade trigger from [[Shardless Agent]] and [[Violent Outburst]]. The only card that you can cascade into Read More »

TES Matchup Battles: Death’s Shadow III

Matchup Battles

Death's Shadow is a UB deck that is centered around playing cards that cause you to lose life in order to play an early and big [[Death's Shadow]]. There isn't much of a comprimise in the rest of the deck since most of the Legacy staples already do damage to yourself or have an exact Read More »

TES Matchup Battles: Reanimator II

Matchup Battles

Reanimator is a type of deck that has seen play in every format since the early days of Magic's history. The strategy is to put an expensive creature into the graveyard and then put it into play with cards like [[Reanimate]], [[Exhume]], and [[Animate Dead]]. The creatures they are trying to reanimate are [[Griselbrand]] and Read More »

TES Matchup Battles: 8 Cast II

Matchup Battles

8 Cast is a deck named appropriately for playing eight cards like [[Thoughtcast]] in four copies of [[Thoughtcast]] and four copies of [[Thought Monitor]]. It's a slower artifact deck that aims to out card advantage the opponent with eight copies of cards that draw two cards, [[Emry, Lurker of the Loch]], [[Sai, Master Thopterist]], and Read More »

TES Matchup Battles: Gruul Initiative

Matchup Battles

Since the initiative mechanic has been released there have been many different decks trying to utilize it. Mono-white, Esper control, mono-black, and now Gruul decks have attempted to leverage the mechanic. Gruul Initiative is a red-green stompy deck playing eight copies of initiative creatures and [[Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes]] to present a fast clock Read More »

TES Matchup Battles: Cephalid Breakfast

Matchup Battles

Cephalid Breakfast is an Esper combo deck that is based around [[Cephalid Illusionist]]. When [[Cephalid Illusionist]] is targeted by either a [[Shuko]] or [[Nomads en-Kor]] then three cards will be milled into the graveyard. This will be repeated until the entire deck has been milled into the graveyard. In the process three copies of [[Narcomoeba]] Read More »

TES Matchup Battles: The EPIC Storm II

Matchup Battles

The EPIC Storm is a Storm variant that has had a constant evolving decklist. The current form leans into [[Galvanic Relay]] while also being focused on artifacts and [[Wishclaw Talisman]]. Being a [[Galvanic Relay]] deck gives The EPIC Storm the ability to play through counterspells and have more payoff cards instead of needing eight slots Read More »

TES Matchup Battles: Doomsday II

Matchup Battles

Doomsday is a rather simple deck in concept. Cast a [[Doomsday]] to make your library five cards and then win with a [[Thassa's Oracle]]. The actual execution can vary by scenario. For example, how much mana do you have? How many cards can you draw? Can you afford to pass the turn? Questions like these Read More »

TES Matchup Battles: Initiative

Matchup Battles

Initiative is a new Legacy deck built around the Dungeons and Initiative mechanic. A mono-white Stompy deck was born when two new white creatures - [[White Plume Adventurer]], [[Seasoned Dungeoneer]] - both of which have the Initiative mechanic were printed. These creatures with the combination of other disruptive creatures to maintain Initiative is what makes Read More »