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5 Modern Deck Featuring Outlaws of Thunder Junction
Titans & Turn Three Kills
Outlaws of Thunder Junction has been released and with it multiple cards that have Modern potential. Some cards slot right into existing decks while others require a bit of a buildaround.
In today’s piece, I’ll talk about a couple of Modern decks that I think will get a nice power bump with the new set, including instant speed Primeval Titans and turn-three combat damage kills.
Gruul Prowess
$472/152.52 Tix
Maindeck (60)
| Creature [20] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Dragon's Rage Channeler | $1.49 | |
| 4 Monastery Swiftspear | $0.69 | |
| 4 Questing Druid | $4.99 | |
| 4 Slickshot Show-Off | $22.99 | |
| 4 Soul-Scar Mage | $1.79 | |
| Artifact [4] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Mishra's Bauble | $0.79 | |
| Instant [14] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Apostle's Blessing | $0.35 | |
| 4 Lava Dart | $0.35 | |
| 4 Lightning Bolt | $1.29 | |
| 2 Mutagenic Growth | $1.49 | |
| 2 Unholy Heat | $0.35 | |
| Sorcery [1] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 Wrenn's Resolve | $0.99 | |
| Enchantment [3] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3 Underworld Breach | $13.99 | |
| Land [18] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Arid Mesa | $19.99 | |
| 2 Bloodstained Mire | $29.99 | |
| 1 Commercial District | $5.99 | |
| 3 Mountain | $0.01 | |
| 4 Scalding Tarn | $22.99 | |
| 3 Stomping Ground | $13.99 | |
| 1 Sunbaked Canyon | $7.99 | |
| 2 Wooded Foothills | $32.99 | |
| Sideboard [15] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 Jegantha, the Wellspring | $0.99 | |
| 2 Blood Moon | $7.49 | |
| 2 Destructive Revelry | $0.35 | |
| 2 Magus of the Moon | $10.99 | |
| 4 Pick Your Poison | $0.35 | |
| 3 Surgical Extraction | $0.99 | |
| 1 Turn the Earth | $0.35 | |
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Apprentice and MWS .dec
Let’s first dive into Andrea Mengucci’s recent favourite Modern deck that plays Questing Druid but does not wander into Counterspell territory - Prowess.
Modern Prowess strategies have been played on and off but they haven’t sat on the throne since Heliod Combo days.
Its power lies in a couple of key aspects: it’s interactive, it has a robust late-game with Underworld Breach, and, crucially, threatens turn three kills in those less interactive matchups.
While usually the two-drop of choice has been Sprite Dragon and in the past sometimes Khenra Spellspear or even Kiln Fiend, OTJ brings a new and improved two-drop that substantially increases the deck’s power, namely Slickshot Show-Off - a card whose name is a proper mouthful when pronounced out loud.
It looks like a flying hasty Kiln Fiend which already sounds like the perfect combination of the above cards. Plot here looks like flavour text that’ll largely be irrelevant…but is it?
The biggest downside of Sprite Dragon or Kiln Fiend is that they die very easily and so it’s super tough for you to bank on untapping with it. Here, you can set it up so that Show-Off becomes plotted on turn two and on turn three you play it for free with haste with all the mana untapped, allowing you to protect it with cards like Apostle’s Blessing, Spell Pierce, and other effects of that nature.
Slickshot Show-Off might just give Prowess that nudge to propel it into tier 1 for good.
Amulet Titan
(5 - 0)
100% in MTGO Modern League #8075 — 16-Apr-2024
Maindeck (61)
| Creature [12] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Arboreal Grazer | $0.35 | |
| 4 Primeval Titan | $4.99 | |
| 3 Dryad of the Ilysian Grove | $12.99 | |
| 1 Cultivator Colossus | $14.99 | |
| Artifact [8] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Amulet of Vigor | $21.99 | |
| 4 The One Ring | $79.99 | |
| Instant [6] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3 Summoner's Pact | $4.99 | |
| 3 Smuggler's Surprise | $4.49 | |
| Sorcery [3] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3 Explore | $0.35 | |
| Enchantment [4] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Urza's Saga | $42.99 | |
| Land [28] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 Gruul Turf | $0.39 | |
| 1 Tolaria West | $1.49 | |
| 2 Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle | $23.99 | |
| 4 Simic Growth Chamber | $0.35 | |
| 1 Boros Garrison | $0.35 | |
| 1 Slayers' Stronghold | $0.49 | |
| 1 Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion | $0.35 | |
| 1 Vesuva | $15.99 | |
| 2 Selesnya Sanctuary | $0.35 | |
| 3 Forest | $0.01 | |
| 3 The Mycosynth Gardens | $4.99 | |
| 2 Golgari Rot Farm | $0.39 | |
| 2 Boseiju, Who Endures | $49.99 | |
| 1 Cavern of Souls | $42.99 | |
| 2 Castle Garenbrig | $4.99 | |
| 1 Radiant Fountain | $0.39 | |
| Sideboard [15] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Cursed Totem | $2.99 | |
| 1 Engineered Explosives | $11.99 | |
| 1 Soul-Guide Lantern | $0.35 | |
| 3 Defense Grid | $3.49 | |
| 1 Boseiju, Who Endures | $49.99 | |
| 2 Endurance | $27.99 | |
| 1 Relic of Progenitus | $6.49 | |
| 1 Bojuka Bog | $1.79 | |
| 3 Dismember | $5.49 | |
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Amulet Titan is a deck that neither needs an introduction nor does it actually need any buffs. It’s been on the very top of the metagame for quite some time and is one of the most format-warping strategies. The mix of potential turn three (or even turn two!) wins and a stable late game with The One Ring makes is super tough to beat.
OTJ brings a card that might give the deck a whole nother angle of attack that’ll make it even harder to play against.
Smuggler’s Surprise is everything the deck wants and then some. Let’s break down the modes.
- Lands and creatures comprise a literal two thirds of the deck, so you’re not only likely to hit two cards but also to have some card selection between the cards you mill over. Nice effect to find that needed bounceland or introduce a bit of instant speed play when combined with, say, Endurance.
- The second mode is the most explosive one. It allows you to put up to two creatures straight onto the battlefield. It costs 6 mana to do it, so why would you pay for a Titan when you can put two into play for the same price? Most notably, you can do it instant speed if you want to!
- Last but not least, ‘all Primeval Titans gain hexproof and indestructible’ is a really strong effect to have available.
The scariest part is that you can even use all the modes if you can.
This card might completely flip how Titan decks play out from now on!
Dimir Control
Maindeck (60)
| Creature [20] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Snapcaster Mage | $18.99 | |
| 4 Dauthi Voidwalker | $15.99 | |
| 4 Grief | $27.99 | |
| 2 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse | $79.99 | |
| 4 Orcish Bowmasters | $54.99 | |
| 4 Satoru, the Infiltrator | $7.49 | |
| Artifact [4] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Aether Vial | $7.49 | |
| Instant [12] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3 Fatal Push | $2.49 | |
| 2 Spell Pierce | $0.59 | |
| 2 Counterspell | $1.99 | |
| 1 Sheoldred's Edict | $4.49 | |
| 4 Not Dead After All | $0.69 | |
| Sorcery [4] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Thoughtseize | $10.99 | |
| Land [20] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Island | $0.01 | |
| 2 Swamp | $0.01 | |
| 3 Watery Grave | $15.99 | |
| 3 Bloodstained Mire | $29.99 | |
| 4 Polluted Delta | $34.99 | |
| 4 Darkslick Shores | $1.99 | |
| 1 Castle Locthwain | $4.99 | |
| 1 Undercity Sewers | $13.99 | |
| Sideboard [15] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 Engineered Explosives | $11.99 | |
| 1 Nihil Spellbomb | $0.79 | |
| 1 Unmoored Ego | $0.49 | |
| 2 Ashiok, Dream Render | $1.29 | |
| 2 Legion's End | $0.79 | |
| 2 Dress Down | $1.79 | |
| 2 Sheoldred's Edict | $4.49 | |
| 2 Stern Scolding | $0.69 | |
| 2 Tishana's Tidebinder | $11.99 | |
$329.13 Tix @cardhoarder
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Apprentice and MWS .dec
Arguably the spiciest deck on the list. We have seen variants of Dimir Control with The One Ring and Snapcaster Mage, and Dimir Grief variants that mimic Rakdos Grief play-patterns but are of a more reactive nature. This strategy merges both a little bit and adds a super spicy twist.
Satoru is a ⅔ menacing two-drop that pitches to all the blue and black Incarnations and Forces - that’s a decent start. However, the real value lies in its triggered ability that is worded somewhat odd but let me break it down.
If Satoru or any other nontoken creature enters play and they weren’t cast or no mana was spent - draw a card. In OTJ it’s meant to trigger off Plot but in Modern there are various effects that make creatures enter play when you don’t pay for their cost - Incarnations, Bloodghast, Ephemeral, and many more.
What this deck takes advantage of in particular is Aether Vial, an old but not forgotten classic and former pillar of the format. Any creature that’s vialed in, will draw a card off Satoru, including Satoru himself. Between this interaction and Grief being evoked, you get to draw a ton of cards whilst adding to the board.
Will Satoru push the Grief envelope in Modern?
Jund Saga
(2 - 4)
33% in MTGO Modern Challenge 32 #12630966 [52 Players] — 16-Apr-2024
Maindeck (60)
| Creature [13] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer | $49.99 | |
| 1 Haywire Mite | $3.99 | |
| 4 Orcish Bowmasters | $54.99 | |
| 4 Tarmogoyf | $9.99 | |
| Artifact [4] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 Lost Jitte | $11.99 | |
| 1 Nihil Spellbomb | $0.79 | |
| 1 Lavaspur Boots | $2.99 | |
| 1 Shadowspear | $27.99 | |
| Instant [9] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Sheoldred's Edict | $4.49 | |
| 3 Lightning Bolt | $1.29 | |
| 2 Fatal Push | $2.49 | |
| 2 Unholy Heat | $0.35 | |
| Sorcery [6] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Inquisition of Kozilek | $0.39 | |
| 4 Thoughtseize | $10.99 | |
| Enchantment [4] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Urza's Saga | $42.99 | |
| Planeswalker [4] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Wrenn and Six | $32.99 | |
| Land [20] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 Blood Crypt | $18.99 | |
| 4 Bloodstained Mire | $29.99 | |
| 1 Forest | $0.01 | |
| 1 Overgrown Tomb | $15.99 | |
| 1 Mountain | $0.01 | |
| 1 Stomping Ground | $13.99 | |
| 2 Boseiju, Who Endures | $49.99 | |
| 3 Wooded Foothills | $32.99 | |
| 1 Ziatora's Proving Ground | $11.99 | |
| 1 Swamp | $0.01 | |
| 3 Verdant Catacombs | $20.99 | |
| 1 Raucous Theater | $5.99 | |
| Sideboard [15] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Alpine Moon | $1.99 | |
| 1 Engineered Explosives | $11.99 | |
| 1 Kolaghan's Command | $1.49 | |
| 1 Haywire Mite | $3.99 | |
| 1 Pithing Needle | $0.69 | |
| 1 Boseiju, Who Endures | $49.99 | |
| 1 Sheoldred's Edict | $4.49 | |
| 1 Tireless Tracker | $0.59 | |
| 1 Tourach, Dread Cantor | $2.29 | |
| 1 Jegantha, the Wellspring | $0.99 | |
| 1 Soul-Guide Lantern | $0.35 | |
| 1 Cursed Totem | $2.99 | |
| 2 Pick Your Poison | $0.35 | |
$352.95 Tix @cardhoarder
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Jund Saga is a fan favourite strategy that gives the old Jund Midrange players a taste of what the deck used to be. Between a flurry of interaction and must-answer creatures, it’s a solid shell. It also utilises Wrenn and Six as a value engine which provides repeatable Urza’s Saga recursion - an end game that’s nigh-unbeatable for fair strategies. And speaking of Urza’s Saga, the deck got two very interesting toys.
The first is a highly controversial Lost Jitte. Some say it’s really strong, others mock the first group, as the only thing that’s in common with the original Jitte is the name with their power totally incomparable.
What’s crucial here is that Lost Jitte can be found with Urza’s Saga and that’s a feature that can make or break a newly printed artifact. While the effects are far from game breaking, giving your 6/6 Construct or 4/5 Goyf unblockability is definitely useful.
Another addition is Lightning Greaves with again the important change of being Sagable. A powerful play pattern involves end step making a Construct, making another one before Saga’s third chapter resolves, find Boots, equip to the new Construct and smash with both for a ton of damage. In the later stages, your Tarmogoyfs will be able to get into the red zone out of nowhere. You’ll also be able to have a hasty undashed Ragavan! On top of all of that, the creature gets +1/+0 and Ward which is a very tasty icing on this shoe-like cake.
Mono Black Coffers
(3 - 5)
37% in Sunday $10K RCQ @ SCG CON Atlanta [151 Players] — 14-Apr-2024
Maindeck (60)
| Creature [7] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Orcish Bowmasters | $54.99 | |
| 3 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse | $79.99 | |
| Artifact [3] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3 The One Ring | $79.99 | |
| Instant [11] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 March of Wretched Sorrow | $0.49 | |
| 4 Fatal Push | $2.49 | |
| 3 Cling to Dust | $0.35 | |
| Sorcery [9] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Inquisition of Kozilek | $0.39 | |
| 4 Thoughtseize | $10.99 | |
| 1 Deadly Cover-Up | $0.49 | |
| 2 Insatiable Avarice | $5.49 | |
| Planeswalker [4] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Karn, the Great Creator | $7.49 | |
| Land [26] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Demolition Field | $1.49 | |
| 10 Swamp | $0.01 | |
| 4 Field of Ruin | $0.49 | |
| 2 Takenuma, Abandoned Mire | $13.99 | |
| 4 Cabal Coffers | $24.99 | |
| 4 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth | $39.99 | |
| Sideboard [15] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 Cityscape Leveler | $14.99 | |
| 2 Shadow of Doubt | $2.79 | |
| 1 The Stone Brain | $1.99 | |
| 1 Ensnaring Bridge | $15.99 | |
| 4 Dauthi Voidwalker | $15.99 | |
| 1 Oblivion Stone | $0.79 | |
| 1 Sundering Titan | $0.69 | |
| 1 Damnation | $22.99 | |
| 1 Elixir of Immortality | $0.79 | |
| 1 Relic of Progenitus | $6.49 | |
| 1 The One Ring | $79.99 | |
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Coffers is among the best big mana strategies in Modern right now, utilising a Swamp-heavy manabase, a lot of land destruction, and the namesake Cabal Coffers. The deck operates on a very specific axis so a new card would have to clear that particular bar. But here we are!
This is our monoblack Painful Truths. Drawing three cards is excellent to un-mulligan in the early game and pull far ahead when low on resources in a top deck war. You will also be able to target your opponent to make them lose 3 and trigger your Sheoldred or Bowmasters, creating your own small fireball.
The first mode of putting a card on top is unlikely to be played on its own but in a proper late game I can very much see paying five mana to both tutor a card on top and then draw three, including that card. There will be spots when you desperately need to find The One Ring or Karn, the Great Creator and it will do just that.
Conclusion
As you can see, Outlaws of Thunder Junction has got numerous exciting additions to both tier decks and some less popular strategies. I’m excited to see how many more gems we can find!
And as always - hold my hand and let’s pass the turn together. Cheers!