The primer is outdated. I'll try to update it after I'm home from GP Columbus.
This is a take on the classic Pox deck, which aims to strip your oppoenent of a variety of resources, and then finish the game slowly with a single threat while locking them out of the game.
That version of the deck has a few issues, one of which is topdecks in the late stages of the game. This version seems to circumvent that issue by creating an engine with Life from the Loam and several different utility lands.
This deck preys, in part, on the greedy mana bases of the Legacy format, primarily through its Life from the Loam
+
Wasteland
engine. By repeatedly wasting your opponents lands, you are denying them a chance to play spells and filling up your graveyard with more goodies.
Another benefit of taxing your opponents lands is the interaction with
The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale
, which, if they manage to stick a creature, will either die on upkeep or continue to tie up their lands.
Other utility lands allow you to stay alive and keep the board clean.
Cabal Pit
is a great answer to a lot of creatures, and is colorless, so it gets around Mother of Runes.
Barren Moor
allows you to draw/dredge at instant speed, which also allows your loams to turn into Draw spells when you are dredging in the mid game. Dark Depths + Thespian's Stage
gives you a quick finisher that can end the game on the spot, with
Mishra's Factory
serving as a 2/2 attacker or a 3/3 defender that can help stall.
As for the spells, there are some seriously powerful instants and sorceries in the deck.Abrupt Decay is a fantastic pseudo-catch-all that can answer most threats that slip through the cracks, and Maelstrom Pulse is extra insurance and a nod towards Gurmag Angler.
There is a heavy pox package, with, IMO, one of the most underrated cards available: Smallpox. This card is nuts; it is up to a 3 card tax on your opponents, and has the upside of potentially destroying basic lands. Pox is a bigger version of this, that can help sweep up the board and chunk your opponent from higher life totals once you have established board presence.
Sinkhole
is an powerful spell that is also underrated, and can really set your opponent off tempo, even if they start fetching basics from the deck.
There is also a strong discard package in the main deck, consisting of one of the strongest discard spells and one of the strongest walkers, Hymn to Tourach
+
Liliana of the Veil
. These spells are your game against combo, and can ruin your opponents day after they resolve.
Two utility spells in the main deck serve to drive your engine: Crucible of Worlds and Entomb. Both of these cards can either find you a missing Loam, or get a land you need into play/the graveyard and save you in sticky situations; however, they are primarily Loams number 5 and 6, so to speak.
Finally, there are four spells that serve to win the game.
Nether Spirit
is the only creature, and if you read his text box, it seems to make sense that this is the case.
Molten Vortex
has proven to be an excellent and efficient way to clock your opponent, and the first time I tried it as a one-of, I immediately went up to two and added a red splash. It also handles most threatening creatures, which is a nice bonus. And then there is the card that has a near-100% "make your opponent scoop" rate: Worm Harvest. This card synergizes with your plan of filling up the yard, and can pump out a large number of attackers/blockers quickly once you have established a hold on the game.
The sideboard gives you a chance in your harder matchups, which are fast combo (lack of force of will) and burn. There are also a few cards that make your already good matchups even better, by sweeping 1/1s away or locking key cards out from your opponent.
The deck is extremely fun to play (although admittedly less so for your opponents), and has a lot more game than most give it credit for. You destroy fair and creature matchups, and anyone who is trying to grind you out almost assuredly does it worse than you do (lands can potentially do what you are trying to do better with good draws).
Thank you for reading! Have fun destroying peoples lands (and subsequently, your friendships)!
--MAYBE BOARD--There are some cards I am currently testing, but I do not have access to consistent legacy practice partners at the moment. I have no idea if these cards are good, but they certainly have potential to be awesome.
Tournament Reports:If I ever take the deck to a big(ish) event, I will post updates and reports to reddit and add them to this list.
Tallahassee $500 Legacy:https://www.reddit.com/r/MTGLegacy/comments/3lqnaw/tallahassee_500_legacy_top_8_report_with_loam_pox/
Streams of myself playing the deck:Round 1 SFM Legacy 11-22:http://www.twitch.tv/southfloridamagic/v/27892052 (LOL at my 16 card sideboard registration error =P) Win
In the same link, I also play in top 4 starting at 5:33:00 against 4c Loam. Loss
