Welcome to my Burn deck!
This is my Legacy Burn deck. I have been tuning and playing this list for the last several years with varying results. Burn does have its advantages and disadvantages, and it will definitely put in work in the right meta. If you want to learn more about the deck, read my primer below!
Doesn't
Grim Lavamancer
look like he's finna drop the hottest mixtape of 2019?
You should play burn if you like:
-An inexpensive Legacy deck. You can build versions of this deck for around $200 now that
Goblin Guide
has been reprinted. That's around the cost of a top tier standard deck, and this deck doesn't even rotate!
-A deck that is simple and straightforward to pilot and sideboard.
-Short match times. You can potentially win as early as turn 3, and I've spent upwards of 30+ minutes after matches scouting the rest of the room and seeing what everyone else is playing.
-Holding a unique position in the meta. This deck has a unique place in the metagame due to cards such as
Eidolon of the Great Revel
and
Price of Progress
. If your meta has lots of fair decks and you're a fan of preemptively attacking the metagame instead of just playing a pet deck all the time, this list might be for you.
-Turning powerful cards against your opponent. Cards like Fetchlands, Non-basic lands,
Thoughtseize
,
Gitaxian Probe
, and some others can help our gameplan just as much as it helps your opponent's at times. At GP Louisville I would tell my opponent they were doing the lord's work every time they cracked a fetchland or paid phyrexian mana and it was pretty humorous and entertaining for both my opponent and the players sitting next to me.
-Perfect color consistency. Being a mono-colored deck, you will never find yourself not having the correct colors to cast your spells. Since your manabase is all basic lands, you also become immune to
Wasteland
.
You shouldn't play burn if you don't like:
-Near-linear strategy. I don't consider piloting the deck to be 100% linear like many others perceive it to be, but there are definitely more complex decks to play in Legacy. Different strokes for different folks I guess!
-Not running
Force of Will
in your deck.
We do have some anti-combo tools especially after game 1, but if you don't like losing to turn 1 combo, and these blue cards are a must for you but you like the general gameplan of Burn, check out U/R delver instead!
-Having unwinnable matchups. There's a few decks that Burn simply cannot beat and while all but one are very fringe, if running into an unbeatable matchup bothers you, you should look elsewhere. Keep in mind most Legacy decks do have a few hard to beat or unwinnable matchups. This deck can also fold to the right hate cards.
-Not having any form of library manipulation or card draw. Burn can lose to itself through mana flooding when you have a low hand size, which is made worse by not having a draw or manipulation engine. If you play burn, you have to accept that sometimes you're just going to lose to bad luck. If you like running
Brainstorm
, see my suggestion above on looking at U/R delver.
-Playing control decks.
Why the hell are you even looking at this deck Mr. Control Player? You should have known this deck isn't for you before you scrolled down and started reading.
The idea behind Burn is to kill your opponent as quickly as possible with efficient damage spells. The cards run in burn represent consistency (when multiple cards lead to the same effect) and efficiency by squeezing the most possible damage out for the least possible mana, with 3 damage for 1 mana being the gold standard in this deck. In this section, I'll not only discuss the cards I personally run, but also discuss other cards that can be played in the deck as well. This is just my personal list after all, it's not the end-all-be-all authority on Legacy burn decks.
The Core (AKA one-mana spells)
These cards are mandatory 4-ofs, no exceptions or substitutions.
The core of the deck is virtually 16 copies of
Lightning Bolt
. Between Bolt,
Chain Lightning
,
Rift Bolt
, and
Lava Spike
, you have a ton of spells that deal 3 damage for one mana. These cards are non-negotiable due to their 3-damage-for-one-mana efficiency, their ability to hit players, and their usefulness while in topdeck mode.
2+ CMC support spells
The cards shown here are more flexible than the 1-drop spells. You can adjust the numbers in this configuration or even take out cards based on your meta or personal preferences.
Searing Blaze
is admittedly somewhat matchup specific and many players don't even run this card in their main, but I like running it for the virtual card advantage it generates. I see it as 2
Lightning Bolt
s stapled together as one card. I was convinced to run this card because before I tried it out, there would be quite a few games where I would lose by a margin of ~3 points or so because I had to use a burn spell to take out a creature instead of pointing it at my opponent's face. I like it as a 3-of because I don't like drawing the card as often as my 1-drops, and if I'm in a matchup where this card becomes useless, such as storm or lands, having it as a 3-of makes it easy to take cards out when it comes time to sideboard, as most of my sideboard cards are also 3-ofs.
There is a very good argument to run a fetchless build and play
Searing Blood
instead, since most creatures that die to both are 2 toughness or less, and there's absolutely no problem with that, especially if you're on a budget. Personally I prefer blaze because it doesn't require the creature to die before it deals damage, so you can bounce damage off of bigger creatures if you need to. I've won games through playing Blaze on my opponent's
Tarmogoyf
or 20/20
Dark Depths
token in the past, and while that's pretty anecdotal, I feel this card is much more flexible than Searing Blood in that regard.
Price of Progress
is a pretty bipolar card. It's an absolute lynchpin in certain matchups if it resolves (most notably against Grixis Delver, Shardless BUG, and Lands), but potentially useless in other matchups (most notably the Burn mirror). Still, the vast majority of decks run a number of nonbasic lands, including mono-colored decks, and while you probably won't get to deal 6+ damage most of the time, dealing 4 damage for 2 mana, or even dealing 2 damage and gaining a prowess trigger for 2 mana is still not too bad, which is why we like drawing this bad boy pretty often.
I like to view Price as a hate card that gives the burn deck a unique position in the meta. We force opponents to play around it, either by making them dilute their mana base through fetching basics, or by forcing them to keep up
Wasteland
to destroy their own lands in response to Price. If our opponent doesn't have too much on board, I'm fine with them blowing up their own lands.
We generally don't like running 3CMC cards in this deck (
Rift Bolt
doesn't count) due to our low land count and our general need for speed. Therefore, in order for a 3CMC spell to occupy a slot or 2 in our deck, it needs to be a game changer, and
Sulfuric Vortex
definitely is one. I'd approximate that I win 85% of games I get to resolve this spell. Blocking lifegain while having a recurring
Shock
every turn on a single card is huge.
Alternatively,
Everlasting Torment
could be an acceptable substitution for the vortex as your 3CMC game changer if you're worried about damage prevention effects shutting your deck down, but I believe those kinds of hate cards are fairly rare, and frankly I'd rather have the additional damage output that Vortex provides.
While
Fireblast
is a 6CMC card, we will almost never actually pay any mana to cast this card. 4 damage for free is always a nice finisher to end the game. Most lists run a full playset, but I personally opt to run 2 copies as I don't like having multiple copies of this card in my opening hand, nor do I like drawing more than 2 copies per game. You're not going to reasonably cast more than 2 per game anyway, and if you can, you're mana flooding so badly that you're going to lose the game anyway. Just a tip, if you're going to sacrifice untapped lands to cast this card, be sure to float the mana beforehand so you don't get ruined by a
Daze
or
Spell Pierce
.
Creatures
Because sometimes the best burn spells in the game just so happen to be creatures!
Generally not even a creature as efficient as
Tarmogoyf
is good enough to be played in the deck. The efficiency of creatures is best realized in the early game. For example, a turn 1 Goblin Guide that is also unblocked on turn 2 represents 4 damage for 1 mana. In the same vein,
Another benefit of these creatures (and why we don't just simply run a creature-less spell deck) is the fact that damage is repeatable over the course of multiple turns. This generates huge virtual card advantage for us, as we do not have to spend cards to get extra damage out of our creatures.
Goblin Guide
is easily the most efficient mono-red creature, having a 2/2 body for one mana combined with haste. The drawback is also rather irrelevant and can even benefit us at times, since it can tell us what card our opponents are about to draw next. I've personally been able to bait out a
Force of Will
and resolve a more important burn spell because of Guide's drawback.
While I believe it to be the second most efficient red creature in the game,
Monastery Swiftspear
does have the potential to output more damage than Guide at times with a big enough hand due to its prowess ability. If you open with Swiftspear on turn 1, then cast 2 burn spells on turn 2 and attack, Swiftspear has dealt 4 damage for 1 mana over the course of 2 turns. The 1/2 body does get a little awkward late-game, however, especially when you have no cards in hand.
While this card does not have haste, it can still deal damage to your opponent immediately, and does serve a very important purpose in the deck. If you've looked at a number of Legacy decklists like I have, you'll notice the vast majority of cards that get played in Legacy are 3cmc or less.
Eidolon of the Great Revel
is your absolute best turn 2 play especially if you're going first, as your opponent will have to either waste a counterspell, take damage to advance their board, or take 2 damage to remove Eidolon. I'm personally okay with Eidolon being removed immediately, as even though my creature essentially turned into an ineffecient 2 mana shock, my opponent had to use a card and mana that he/she now can't use on another creature I have on board. Also, if it's removed early in the game, my opponent most likely had to waste his/her turn removing it instead of advancing their board state.
This card is also very effective against combo decks like Storm and High Tide, as it prevents your opponents from comboing off without killing themselves. This card is what keeps burn competitive, even in the face of faster combo decks.
Grim Lavamancer
happens to be an exception to the immediate damage rule due to its great late-game potential of essentially re-using cards from your graveyard and turning them into
Shock
s. If it lasts long enough to shake off the summoning sickness, the late-game value it has is tremendous. Because it's a late-game card and because drawing more than 2 of it becomes kind of clunky, however, I personally only run 2 in my deck.
Sideboard Cards
My general approach to sideboard construction with this deck is to run 4-6 different cards that either have broad applications in multiple different matchups, or hose decks that we have unfavorable matchups against. Since we are not running any tutors or library manipulation, I also generally like running no less than 2 copies of any given card, and I prefer running 3-4 copies. I'm not a big fan of singletons or a bunch of 2-ofs in the board since nothing sucks more than losing games 2 and 3 because you didn't draw your sideboard cards. With that said, not only am I going to discuss the cards I personally run in my deck, but I'll also discuss other completely valid sideboard inclusions in this section as well.
Mindbreak Trap
is a huge boon against combo matchups. We have some combo protection in the main deck in the form of Eidolon, but siding in the trap against decks like Storm, and Belcher gives us 7 cards in our deck to help defend against combo. I prefer the trap over other cards like
Pyrostatic Pillar
because it gives us protection from turn 1 combo. If the trap gets
Duress
ed out of my hand turn 1, I'm okay with it because it means they're not going to combo off that turn anyway.
The key to using
Red Elemental Blast
is to bring it in against the right deck. Just because a deck has blue in it doesn't mean you want Blast instead of a burn spell. It works best against Jace/control decks, Show and Tell, U/R Delver, and High Tide. Usually it is less optimal to bring it in against decks like RUG Delver, Grixis Delver, Shardless BUG, Storm, and Reanimator as typically those decks don't have any one blue spell or permanent that will shut down our strategy.
I also prefer playing this spell over
Pyroblast
just because I've played against a smartass that ran
Spellskite
as his secret legacy tech for Merfolk one time. It's a very rare occurrence I admit, but I'd rather not be caught with my pants down next time if I do run across it again.
Definitely a mainstay as a minimum 3-of in the sideboard,
Smash to Smithereens
has definitely earned its spot. It's the perfect example of a sideboard answer that simultaneously helps you advance your gameplan in a
Searing Blaze
-like fashion. It's perfect against
Aether Vial
and
Stoneforge Mystic
decks, and it serves as a good answer to
Chalice of the Void
on one.
Ever since
Sensei's Divining Top
got banned in Legacy, I switched my copies of
Exquisite Firecraft
back to this card.
Vexing Shusher
is a better card against
Chalice of the Void
decks, as even though the tax on your manabase is heavy, it at least guarantees all of your spells will actually resolve. I may adjust the quantity or even take this card out depending on how good Chalice becomes in the Legacy landscape, but I'll just have to wait and see.
Running 4-5 pieces of grave hate is pretty much mandatory in Legacy if you want to be prepared for Dredge and Reanimator decks. Grave hate is also decent splash damage against Lands because it will kill their
Life from the Loam
engine. There's several different options you can choose for grave hate, but I went with
Tormod's Crypt
because it costs 0 mana, so it doesn't prevent you from making a turn 1 play if you happen to get it in your opening 7, and because I happen to have a foil playset of that card. Keep in mind that if you choose to go with
Leyline of the Void
, a playset is pretty much mandatory and you will need to mulligan more aggressively as this card is horrible to topdeck.
Extra
Searing Blaze
effects are welcome against most decks that win by swarming and attacking with creatures. I generally like bringing this card in against Elves, Death and Taxes, Delver Variants, Merfolk, and the Burn mirror.
Ensnaring Bridge
is generally at its best against a deck that cheats out a huge "I win" creature, like Show and Tell or Elves. It's not as effective against Reanimator, however, as they tend to just go for
Iona, Shield of Emeria
anyway.
One of the best answers for decks that rely on a bunch of activated abilities to win. Most notably, it hits Death N Taxes, Lands, and planeswalkers. However, I'd personally rather have a burn spell against a deck that's only activated abilities are
Deathrite Shaman
and fetchlands.
Protip: You name the card for
Pithing Needle
upon resolution. So if you play the card and your opponent asks what you're naming, that means they let the spell resolve and it's too late for them to respond to the card.
General Gameplan
Show
MULLIGANS: Typically this deck is not too mulligan friendly, as starting out the game with fewer cards in hand hurts your chances of winning much more so than it hurts other decks in the format. With that said, since the cards played in Burn all do similar things, most hands are generally keepable regardless of the nonland content.
That said, I recommend you mulligan any hands that have less than 2 lands. It may be tempting to keep a one-land hand, especially when it's full of 1CMC burn spells, but don't do it. 90% of the time, one-landers must be mulliganed. When I first started playing the deck I can't tell you how many times I lost because I kept a one-land hand and didn't draw a second land for the rest of the game. There are exceptions, such as if you mulligan to 5 but have a few playable spells, or if your opening hand/hand of 6 contains a crucial sideboard card, but these exceptions are rare. I also recommend mulliganing any 4-land hands that don't contain any creatures. You'll run out of gas too easily with only 3 spells in your hand. Obviously any hand with either 0 or 5+ lands is an immediate mulligan, no exceptions.
Sequencing is very important in this deck if you want to maximize the value of your cards. Generally the order you should play your cards is as follows:
- Creatures. Ideally your turn 1 play should be either a
Goblin Guide
or
Monastery Swiftspear
, and the best turn 2 play you can make will be
Eidolon of the Great Revel
. These creatures can repeat their damage over a number of turns, but it's best to play them as early as possible since they will be outclassed later in the game. Additionally, Eidolon is a must on turn 2 if you have it because it forces your opponent to take damage while they try to develop their board.
Grim Lavamancer
is the lone exception here.
-
Rift Bolt
and
Lava Spike
. If you don't have a hasty one-drop creature in your hand turn 1, these are the next turn 1 plays you should make instead. After you do play any creatures you may have, it's best to dump Lava Spike and use your spare mana to suspend Rift Bolt. One of the best sequences you can get in Burn if you don't have a turn 2 Eidolon is to have a creature turn 1 followed up by 2 Spikes on turn 2 for a total of 10 damage. Rift Bolt can additionally help you dodge any
Daze
or
Spell Pierce
action early on in the game.
- Support spells.
Searing Blaze
and
Sulfuric Vortex
are both great to plop down early on to either get rid of an annoying blocker or to stunt your opponent's development and establish a repetitive damage source.
Grim Lavamancer
might also come online at this point and he should probably be played as soon as your graveyard can support him.
-
Chain Lightning
and
Lightning Bolt
. Since these cards can target both creatures and players immediately, it's best to hold them until after you play
Lava Spike
and
Rift Bolt
because of their superior flexibility. This applies to Bolt more so than Chain Lightning as it is an instant. Bolt is basically like
Brainstorm
in this deck. You don't want to cast it until it's absolutely necessary.
- Finishers.
Price of Progress
and
Fireblast
. While both are very powerful cards, they're also best suited as your game-ending cards. Price only becomes more effective the more lands your opponent plays, and the alternate casting cost of Fireblast dictates a late-game play for maximum mana efficiency.
Of course there are definitely exceptions to this order and it's all going to depend on the situation at hand, but you should definitely put your reps in with the deck and develop a general feel for its gameplay. With enough experience, you'll know when to break these guidelines and when to stick with them.
