This Week in Legacy: The Pre-Show Bananza
Howdy folks! It's time yet again for another edition of This Week in Legacy! I'm your host, Joe Dyer, and this week we're going to be talking a little bit about the upcoming Banned and Restricted Announcement, with a bit of an eye on cards that people have been talking about in the current format. In addition, we've got some further BCDL Announcements, and some Challenges to look at.
Without further ado, let's dive right in!
Bananza!
March 31st, 2025 is our next upcoming Banned & Restricted Announcement, and I figured it would be a good idea to get some perspective on a lot of the cards that are firmly in people's minds and what we think could happen. There's a lot going on in Legacy right now, and I don't know if the format will be touched, but I have a suspicion that it might get touched.
So, what's on everyone's minds?
Entomb/Reanimate
I think primarily first and foremost, the top two at the forefront of most discussions I've seen has been either Entomb or Reanimate, leaning towards hitting Dimir Reanimator harder than just getting rid of their Tempo plan that occurred via Psychic Frog. It's worth noting that Entomb was a card that was originally banned in Legacy in 2003, during a period of time where Legacy (at the time called Type 1.5) bannings were tied to cards being restricted in Vintage (so yes, Entomb was restricted in Vintage at one point). It was not one of the cards that came off of the banned list in September of 2004 when Legacy was unshackled as Type 1.5 to become known as Legacy. In fact, Entomb remained banned until September of 2009 when it was released alongside stuff like Dream Halls and Metalworker.
Some of the arguments I've seen around that aspect is that Entomb shouldn't be considered a "pillar" of the format and is therefore up for possible banning. I do think hitting Entomb would very much bring Reanimator down a huge notch, but I also think Reanimate is a reasonable pick as well because of how efficient of a card it is at doing what it does.
The real question comes down to which one does Wizards actually ban? The camps seem to be pretty well split on this one. Personally I'd lean more towards Entomb if I had to touch one of these two. It offers a lot of efficiency to the deck and being forced to play something different would be interesting. HOWEVER...
Troll of Khazad-Dum
Reanimate has one huge selling point to it, one that all other Reanimation spells also have, and that's Troll of Khazad-dum. Being able to cycle a Troll to get an Underground Sea and then leverage that into a Reanimation spell on the Troll itself is pretty big, and sometimes games can be sealed just by a 6/5 with mega menace swinging into the red zone.
This brings up the good point of whether or not the true issue with Reanimator is Entomb/Reanimate or if it is the utterly free aspect of Troll that allows you to have an exceptionally strong backup plan of "bring back Troll and start swinging". A lot of decks have a really hard time with this card, and the fact that it's a creature that's also a land makes it really powerful.
Personally, I'd love to see maybe a combo of both Entomb and Troll hit the haystack. Removing a big part of the deck's mana consistency in general seems strong, which in turn means it's going to be hard for the deck to leverage cards like Wasteland since even a colorless land with Troll represents an on color land.
Dread Return / Thassa's Oracle
As was discussed last week, Oops! All Spells has certainly gone from a somewhat fringe deck to a mainstream Legacy strategy, and it's only natural to want to find ways to put a damper on that. Awkwardly, there's not a ton of great options here to ban. A number of cards banned outright kill the deck (like Balustrade Spy or Undercity Informer), while some of them seem like incredibly silly bans to begin with (banning for example Boggart Trawler or Jack-o'-Lantern).
There's certainly been a lot of talk about cards like Dread Return and Thassa's Oracle. The former here would have a pretty big impact on this deck and would actually likely kill it dead, while also having some splash damage on decks like Cephalid Breakfast and Dredge, decks people generally don't mind existing.
Thassa's Oracle however, would honestly seem like a pretty reasonable ban. Yes, it would impact other decks in the format like Breakfast, but there's a number of different alternate win conditions that existed for all of these Thoracle decks (Laboratory Maniac comes to mind) that the decks could reasonably adapt to that aspect. The amount of interaction available for dealing with a Lab Maniac for example versus a Thassa's Oracle is much greater, allowing decks playing actual removal spells to interact with a combo deck on that axis. It also forces these decks to really hone in on sideboard jukes for post board games.
I would very much like to see what a ban on Thassa's Oracle would do to Legacy. It's certainly a card that's presented a lot of challenges to the format, and has often been responsible for homogenizing several combo deck win cons into a single peg hole. Do I think it will happen here? Doubtful, but it's something that would be interesting to explore.
Sowing Mycospawn
Another card that I see often at the forefront of current discussions is Sowing Mycospawn. This card is often touted as being one of the primary reasons Control doesn't currently exist in large numbers in the format. I don't think that's utterly true myself, because I feel as if several complex factors led to the diminishing Control share, but Mycospawn certainly isn't good for those decks either.
The fact remains that this card is very powerful, and while Eldrazi's metagame share has not been all that insane (a big part of that is all the Red Stompy running around), any major shift in the metagame could result in this deck being propelled to the forefront again. I do think out of all of the cards in Eldrazi, Mycospawn is certainly the most egregious card there. It punishes both nonbasics and basic lands by getting a Wasteland and exiling the basic land at the same time, and the effect is a cast trigger, making it somewhat more difficult to deal with. It's also two separate triggers when kicked, meaning the only major way to interact is Consign to Memory.
I don't think I would shed a tear for this little guy if he did go away at some point, and I think it's reasonable to consider that it could get banned. Do I think it will happen this go around? I don't know, but again I wouldn't be upset if it did.
The One Ring
Something that I have started seeing pop up here or there is some sentiment over The One Ring, and especially how the card relates to decks playing Ancient Tomb. The fact remains that this card is exceedingly powerful and it has become pretty synonymous with Ancient Tomb, generally making it correct to play at least two copies in any Tomb deck.
Realistically, this is a card I could see getting banned down the line, but probably not this B&R. This B&R does feel like it will probably try to address Reanimator, but over time I think the Ring is a card that could go away as it works its way into more and more decks, while also really pushing Ancient Tomb decks higher and higher.
Nadu, Winged Wisdom
What I find utterly amusing is just how much many of us (myself included here, so no shade) really thought that Nadu was going to be the card that was everywhere after the banning of Psychic Frog and Vexing Bauble. It turned out to not be the case, honestly. There's a lot less Nadu these days than that initial rush, and it seems like the card has fully settled into a place in Legacy.
Honestly, I'm okay with this. Nadu does have some logistical issues in paper tournaments for sure, where it can present some challenges for finishing rounds on time, but I think that is manageable by the fact that the card's power level is seemingly just right in line with Legacy, and none of the decks seem to be that insane.
Could that change with a B&R? Maybe. It could certainly be that a B&R could shift things back to Nadu, but at this time I don't think Nadu needs to be banned, especially in two weeks here. And really, we can't predict the future, so there's no way to consider that Nadu would be insane after the B&R either that it would need to be banned ahead of that happening. After all, we all said that Nadu would be great after the last B&R, and here we are.
Changing Tides
Despite not looking like a very powerful set, the changing tides of Aetherdrift's release certainly did have a larger impact on Legacy than expected. We specifically called out in columns this past month two very big new cards in Stock Up and Ketramose, the New Dawn. Of these two, I think Stock Up long term has the largest impact overall on Legacy as a format. It is an extremely powerful card and I do think we'll continue to see it grow in popularity over time.
What does that mean for Legacy? It does mean that possibly the shifting nature of the format could shift to a space where decks that are full of bannable cards right now might not be as good going forward. I do think that addressing something out of Reanimator still needs to occur, and quite possibly something out of Oops, but I think as more people discover Stock Up it will be a very strong strategy.
Ketramose also has allowed for some unique 60-card D&T-like decks to exist, utilizing the synergy between Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd and Overlord of the Balemurk to accrue value. Having more options for non-blue strategy is really good.
What Do You Think?
I want to turn some things over to my readers. What do you think gets touched on March 31st, 2025? What cards do you want to see talked about? Are there any unbannings you might like to see? Let me know in the comments below.
Buffalo Chicken Dip Legacy Announcements
In addition to this upcoming weekend's BCDL 20 in Houston, TX (tournament link here), our good friends over at Buffalo Chicken Dip Legacy have also announced another Columbus, OH event! April 26th, 2025 in Columbus, OH at The Warp Gate is Buffalo Chicken Dip Legacy 21! You can find that tournament link here.
In addition, Robert Wilson (Primary TO of BCDL) also hinted at another Buffalo Chicken Dip Legacy Open the first weekend of August (August 2nd-3rd). The first event (the Open) will be the Saturday and the winner will receive an Unlimited Mox Jet, while the Sunday will be a regular BCDL event. Once firmer details are available, we'll let you know.
Legacy Challenge 32 3/12/2025
The first Challenge event of the weekend was the Wednesday event. This event had 38 players in it thanks to the MTGO website.
You can find the Top 32 decklists for this event here.
| Deck Name | Placing | MTGO Username |
|---|---|---|
| Eldrazi | 1st | choutin |
| Izzet Tempo | 2nd | O_danielakos |
| Coveted Jewel Combo | 3rd | TonyScapone |
| Jeskai Control | 4th | hermanomlg |
| Blue Painter | 5th | XanaZero |
| Mono Green Cloudpost | 6th | Jumba |
| Azorius Tempo | 7th | DethFrmAbove |
| Oops! All Spells | 8th | karatedom |
This is a weirdly interesting Top 8 here. At the end of the event it was Eldrazi that won.
There's certainly an interesting amount of flex spots here in these lists. Seems like Devourer of Destiny is that threat in this space in this list, which is neat.
In Second Place we had Izzet Tempo.
Pretty standard Izzet Tempo fare here, but I don't really think there needs to be a ton of frills to a deck like this. It's an efficient machine and does the job well enough.
Legacy Challenge 32 3/14/2025
The second Challenge event of the weekend was the Friday event. This event had 44 players in it thanks to the MTGO website.
You can find the Top 32 decklists for this event here.
| Deck Name | Placing | MTGO Username |
|---|---|---|
| Eldrazi | 1st | renatoaraujo |
| Gruul Stompy | 2nd | ice_nine_BIGFAN |
| Dimir Tempo | 3rd | _INF_ |
| Dimir Tempo | 4th | _Batutinha_ |
| Eldrazi | 5th | Flossed |
| Dimir Reanimator | 6th | SHAKELION |
| Kuldotha Stompy | 7th | PunishingWaterfalls |
| Blue Painter | 8th | Raydan |
Quite a bit of Tempo and Ancient Tomb. At the end of the event it was Eldrazi that won again.
Not much change from the list that won the previous event, other than the fact that we have a main deck Nulldrifter. That card is certainly quite powerful.
In Second Place we had Gruul Stompy.
I do remember 84 years ago when Minsc & Boo, Timeless Heroes was a premier Legacy control card. Sad how far the Hamster man has fallen. But hey, this deck looks great!
Legacy Challenge 32 3/15/2025
The third Challenge event of the weekend was the Saturday event. This event had 40 players in it thanks to the MTGO website.
You can find the Top 32 decklists for this event here.
| Deck Name | Placing | MTGO Username |
|---|---|---|
| Izzet Tempo | 1st | habsburger |
| Dimir Tempo | 2nd | _INF_ |
| Coveted Jewel Combo | 3rd | samus_ssp |
| Dimir Tempo | 4th | ReformedPaolo |
| Dimir Tempo | 5th | Ark4n |
| Sneak and Show | 6th | JPA93 |
| Gruul Stompy | 7th | chanel-santini |
| Red Painter | 8th | kanican |
Combo and Tempo all over here, along with some Stompy. At the end of the event it was Izzet Tempo that won.
I always find it interesting when Tempo decks cut Delver of Secrets. It usually means something else is going on that's really good. In this case, it's Stock Up it seems like. The card does seem very strong indeed, and only having DRC + Murktide seems very good alongside the increased card selection.
In Second Place we had Dimir Tempo.
Very interesting list here. No Delver again, but I think Nethergoyf is a strong card in that one mana value threat slot. Kaito also seems very strong here with stuff like Tamiyo and Bowmasters.
Legacy Challenge 32 3/16/2025 - 1
The fourth Challenge event of the weekend was the first Sunday event. This event had 38 players in it thanks to the MTGO website.
You can find the Top 32 decklists for this event here.
| Deck Name | Placing | MTGO Username |
|---|---|---|
| Dimir Tempo | 1st | Lavaridge |
| Blue Painter | 2nd | Chris_McNasty |
| Jeskai Control | 3rd | jibeta |
| Sneak and Show | 4th | Jumba |
| Sneak and Show | 5th | Bezerra_da_Silva |
| Blue Painter | 6th | ScreenwriterNY |
| Dimir Reanimator | 7th | silviawataru |
| Dimir Reanimator | 8th | Ozymandias17 |
Some Tempo, some Combo, even a Control deck. At the end of the event it was Dimir Tempo that won.
Little bit of a different take on this list, and really going big on Kaito for sure. Baleful Strix and Kaito seems quite amusing.
In Second Place we had Blue Painter.
I don't think people will truly realize just how good of a card Stock Up is for a bit that it might seem like this card has done some shifting of the metagame just a little bit. It seems very good in any deck like this that can cast it well, but especially blue Ancient Tomb shells.
Legacy Challenge 32 3/16/2025 - 2
The final Challenge event of the weekend was the second Sunday event. This event had 73 players in it thanks to the MTGO website.
You can find the Top 32 decklists for this event here.
| Deck Name | Placing | MTGO Username |
|---|---|---|
| Ketramose Blink | 1st | Dreddybajs |
| Cephalid Breakfast | 2nd | Thalai |
| Dimir Tempo | 3rd | Oceansoul92 |
| Dimir Tempo | 4th | Mogged |
| Red Stompy | 5th | Mox_Emperor |
| Dimir Tempo | 6th | JakeTMS |
| Dimir Tempo | 7th | mashirorc |
| Grixis Control | 8th | lordoflifegain |
Lot of Dimir Tempo in this Top 8, but at the end of the event it was Ketramose that brought the new dawn.
I really like this list a lot. It's a really cool deck, and seems to be doing very well for itself. Barrowgoyf is a pretty sick inclusion as well.
In Second Place we had Cephalid Breakfast.
In such a weird turn of events, as we discussed earlier, the omnipresence of Nadu, Winged Wisdom has really been on the downswing in Legacy. It seems like the card has settled in, and while there's some paper event logistics, it seems like it's just fine for Legacy. I like the one of Stock Up here. Seems great.
My Video of the Week
Yo, I heard y'all like Horses.
Around the Web
- StrassDaddy has a 5-0 with Esper Control. Check it out here.
- Fenruscloud is crushing with BANT CONTROL. Check it out here.
- Eternal Durdles is talking about Load Bearing in Deck Building. Check it out here.
- The Legacy Archive has Rhinos vs Turbo Depths. Check it out here.
The Spice Corner
Now that Leagues are posted throughout the week, let's find some Spice!
METALWORKER.
GLARB.
THIS TOWN AIN'T BIG ENOUGH FOR THE BOTH OF US.
Wrapping Up
That's all the time we have this week folks! Thanks for continuing to support the column and join us next week as we continue our journey into Legacy!
As always you can reach me at all my associated links via my Link Tree! In addition I'm always around the MTGGoldfish Discord Server and the MTGLegacy Discord Server.
Until next time!
