Temur Moon - Jace and Friends

Modern Blue Moon Competitive Midrange RUG (Temur) Tempo

DEER

Land (22)

• 2x Breeding Pool
• 3x Forest
• 3x Island
• 3x Misty Rainforest
• 1x Mountain
• 1x Raging Ravine
• 3x Scalding Tarn
• 2x Steam Vents
• 1x Stomping Ground
• 3x Wooded Foothills

Creature (16)

• 4x Bloodbraid Elf
• 4x Noble Hierarch
• 2x Scavenging Ooze
• 4x Tarmogoyf
• 2x Tireless Tracker

Instant (6)

• 2x Izzet Charm
• 4x Lightning Bolt

Sorcery (8)

• 4x Ancestral Vision
• 1x Roast
• 3x Serum Visions

Enchantment (5)

• 3x Blood Moon
• 2x Spreading Seas

Planeswalker (3)

• 3x Jace, the Mind Sculptor

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Sideboard

Creature (5)

• 2x Fulminator Mage
• 2x Kitchen Finks
• 1x Thrun, the Last Troll

Sorcery (2)

• 2x Anger of the Gods

Instant (6)

• 2x Ancient Grudge
• 2x Cryptic Command *list*
• 2x Disdainful Stroke

Artifact (2)

• 2x Relic of Progenitus

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Introduction - The Rise of Temur?

Thanks to the 2/19 ban-list changes for modern, I think Temur may finally be a viable midrange archetype. With Bloodbraid Elf and Jace, the Mind Sculptor unbanned, and both being ready to warp metas and roflstomp Friday Night Magic's all around, I realized one three color combination had access to both of these powerful cards: Temur.

Before the Unban - Reasons for the Lack of Temur

Temur has never had much success in modern. This was just something you had to realize, similar to how Sultai also was hardpressed for a spot in the modern meta. Building a temur shell always ended up becoming a sort of combo deck like Scapeshift and Titanshift strategies, or warped into Summer Bloom builds. Usually, you just ended up cutting your blue cards and running Ponza. Whenever Temur midrange was attempted, it often suffered from poor removal options, and weaker attrition cards against decks like Jund or Abzan, or just flat out lost hard to Tron strategies or combo. You had to play weaker cards like Savage Knuckleblade and attempt to gain tempo and card advantage with strong, but clunky cards like Cryptic Command. More often than not, you were at a disadvantage, simply because you weren't playing insane 2 for 1 cards like Kolaghan's Command or efficient one mana 7/7's like Death's Shadow. But, because of everyone's two new favorite four drops, I think Temur midrange finally has a chance to shine, and can compete with the tier 1 decks.

After the Unban - Reasons for Possible Temur

The one thing Temur has always been good at is drawing cards and playing efficient beaters (I'm looking at you Ancestral Vision and Tarmogoyf). Another of Temur's strengths, is mana disruption. Between the iconic, game winning, Blood Moon, to the toned down Spreading Seas, our disruption can throw a solid wrench in the plans of our opponents. However, we've always had access to these cards. We've never had them with Jace, the Mind Sculptor or Bloodbraid Elf though. The combination of these cards is definitely enough to push Temur into the tier one position. The main goal of this deck is to out value your opponents with an overwhelming amount of cards, better dudes, and through disruption generated tempo.

The Creatures - Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger

Tarmogoyf

Ahh Tarmogoyf. Words fail to describe how I feel about this card. This Lhurgoyf is one of Magic's most efficient creatures, and is an absolute threat. While we don't play many cards that can boost his power and toughness to ridiculous means, our two mana 4/5 threatens our opponent, protects our lifetotal and Jace, the Mind Sculptors, and does almost everything we want in a big dumb beater.

Noble Hierarch

What is a zoo of big Temur dudes without their zookeeper? Noble Hierarch allows us to make our dudes bigger on offense, and gives us mana to ramp out our threats. Playing her turn one can allow for some really nutty swings if she isn't removed, and can let us play that devastating turn two Blood Moon. She also helps our manabase after Blood Moon is in play, giving us access to both colors of mana that get locked off by Blood Moon.

Scavenging Ooze

What Scavenging Ooze lacks in looks, it makes up for in raw versatility. Scooze gains us life, gets bigger and demands an answer, hoses our opponents Snapcaster Mage or other graveyard shenanigans, and is just another efficient beater. This list only plays two, as on turn two they're not our best play, but later in the game they become nuts. When fetching lands, keep in mind how many green sources you have, as the more the merrier for our little ooze.

Tireless Tracker

Man, does this card never get tired of getting us card advantage. Tireless Tracker is like Scavenging Ooze, in that this card gives our deck so much more utility, and lets us hold up mana to either draw cards off the clues he makes, or use it to answer threats. Tracker is also best friends with our Scalding Tarn, Wooded Foothills and Misty Rainforests, and he warrants us playing our 9 fetches in a Blood Moon deck. Unfortunately, he is also not the best turn three play, as you want to play him and a land in the same turn, as that way even if he is removed, he can still generate you card advantage.

Bloodbraid Elf

She was banned from modern for a reason, and while she's back in the format, we can't help but to play her. Bloodbraid Elf is the real deal. Not only does she give us some fast board presence with her Haste, but her cascade also means she is always ATLEAST, a two for one. Now, you might ask me, "Hey DEER, why do you say 'ATLEAST, a two for one' like that isn't already great?". Well that dear reader, is because Bloodbraid Elf can do much better than that. Cascading into Ancestral Visions is almost game winning. Ramping out BBE turn 3 and then cascading into Blood Moon or even Spreading Seas can make your opponents miserable. And while she does all this and more, she also kills an opponent's Jace, the Mind Sculptor on an empty board, assuming they just used his zero. Bloodbraid Elf is the meat that ties Temur together, and makes it into what could be a strong midrange shell.

Creatures Wrap-up

Basically, our assortment of various creatures should alone be enough to keep our opponents on their toes. While some of our creatures can be a little clunky, and there are others that could make the cut ( Vendillion Clique is very viable that I just couldn't find space for in my list), their overall potential, utility, value, and just plain power, puts Temur on a scale comparable or better than Jund.

The Non-Creatures - Cogs that Help Turn 'Em Sideways

Ancestral Vision

1 blue to draw three cards. While it's no Ancestral Recall, Ancestral Vision is as damn close as we can get in Modern. Not a terrible first turn play, and not too bad of a draw at later stages in the game either. When the spell is finally cast, almost nothing feels better than drawing those cards you waited so long for. However - you know what feels infinitely better than suspending it? Casting it for free off of the cascade trigger for Bloodbraid Elf and netting your cards immediately. Honestly, I think that's all I have to say about that.

Blood Moon

If you've ever played against or with Blood Moon you know this card can be game breaking. Simply getting it to resolve against decks like Tron can stall their game plan enough so you can get far enough ahead to win, or just outright win. Against most other greedy three color decks that stretch out their manabase like Jund and Jeskai, it can give them the biggest headache ever. Any Ponza player will also tell you that ramping out a turn two Blood Moon is a dirty, dirty feeling that most opponents can't contend with. Because our deck runs 3 copies of this card, we have a fairly high chance of playing it on those optimal second and third turns, and also are never unhappy to cascade into it off of Bloodbraid Elf. Word of warning - Blood Moon is a double edged sword. We play enough basics to support it, but make sure to not fetch out your non-basics if you plan on playing Blood Moon early in the game. Also, I am a little torn on Blood Moon right now. Due to the current prevalence of Field of Ruin in most decks, more and more decks are playing higher numbers of basic lands. Between the tendency to screw yourself, and also more basics in the general meta, this is my most debated card in the list, and in my opinion, first cut for something else. However, this card can just win you games, so take my advice with a grain of salt.

Izzet Charm

"Izzet" good? "Izzet" a weird meta flex slot? The world may never know. Honestly though, I love everything Izzet Charm does for our deck. It gives us more small removal, can counter scary and relevant things, and gives us card selection. Holding up mana and countering turn three Liliana of the Veil is a very important thing for this deck, or even just using it to counter a Thoughtseize type effect, to protect our valuable cards is good enough. While all the modes are weaker than other cards you can play at the same mana cost or even lesser, Izzet Charm's versatility is what slots it into my deck. However, if you're not all together sold, Electrolyze, more copies of Roast, or even Cryptic Commands would be good in it's place.

Lightning Bolt

I really don't think I should have to explain this one. Not much to Lightning Bolt honestly - it's our premier removal in bad colors for it. It gives us the last bit of reach we need sometimes to finish the game. Overall, just a fantastic card. Our deck plays four copies currently, though playing with three and experimenting with different removal options works as well.

Roast

"Boom! Roasted!" Is probably what you say to your opponent when you cast Roast. Roast is our big removal option, and can be a little clunky, so we only run the one copy. However, it can often end Tarmogoyf standoffs, and char up other pesky big creatures like Tasigur, the Golden Fang, Hollow One, and Gurmag Angler.

Serum Visions

You get to look at three cards for one blue. That's almost an Ancestral Recall. In reality, Serum Visions is in here to make our turn one better, and also to set up our Bloodbraid Elf for the best potential cascade. Pretty much a staple in blue decks anyways right now, Serum Visions helps tie the deck together, and gives our dudes the backup support they need to get there.

Jace, the Mind Sculptor

He's back. After his long exile with his friend Stoneforge Mystic, Jace, the Mind Sculptor - possibly the best planeswalker ever printed - has returned to modern. Oh yeah, and we get to play him. Jace, the Mind Sculptor does everything our style of deck has ever wanted to do. He can win the game on his own, lock the opponent out of the game with his plus two, draw us cards with his zero WHICH ALSO SETS UP OUR Bloodbraid Elf TRIGGERS, and give us removal/tempo with his minus one. We have the protection for him to get there with our suite of giant dudes, or we can play him after exhausting our opponents resources on our other cards. All in all, Jace, the Mind Sculptor is perfect in our deck, and will always do work.

Spreading Seas

Do you really hate man lands? Or really just want to give your opponent a head ache casting their spells? Well then, Spreading Seas is the card for you!! Not only does this little gem help us screw over our opponents mana base, we can hit basics with it, mitigating Blood Moons weakness. Oh yeah, and it replaces itself when you play it, and makes our Tarmogoyf bigger. This card is great.

Conclusion - Temur in the Spotlight

If you guys have made it this far, thank you for reading. Overall, Temur has a unique chance to shine with it's suite of threats, disruption, and card advantage. I will update my results with the deck, as they play out at my local FNM's. If anyone has any questions and suggestions, please feel free to ask!! Also, upvotes are much appreciated :)

--- DEER
May your topdecks be forever in your favor!

Top Ranked	Achieved #3 position overall 6 years ago
Date added	6 years
Last updated	6 years
Exclude colors	WB
Legality	This deck is Modern legal.
Rarity (main - side)	7 - 1 Mythic Rares 30 - 6 Rares 14 - 8 Uncommons 2 - 0 Commons
Cards	60
Avg. CMC	2.24
Tokens	Clue
Folders	Midrange, Interesting Modern Decks, Modern