Legacy Card Picks from Dominaria United
Examining useful cards for my favorite eternal format
Card: Haughty Djinn | Art: Mike Jordana
Dominaria United is upon us! By now, I am sure most of you have picked up a pack or twenty, and started plotting what singles might slot into the metagame of your favorite format.
I’ve been doing just that and today would like to talk about a few cards that have caught my attention and that I think may find a place in Legacy decks.
Gamechangers
Before I get into my breakdowns, Dominaria United is an awesome set. The landscape of Standard is set to see a huge overhaul with the influx of cards like Liliana of the Veil and duals such as Sulphurous Springs, Adarkar Wastes, etc. Additionally, several tribal archetypes got boosts (looking at you Merfolk).
However, there do not seem to be any cards that have come out as clear leaders such as we saw recently with Ledger Shredder. The set is still young though, so maybe that will change.
Often, new sets do not bring many cards to Legacy or Vintage. Dominaria United, however, may bring more than a couple that folks will be brewing with.
Without further ado, onto my picks!
Founding the Third Path
If ever there was a card from this set that fits nicely into Legacy, it's one of the new sagas, Founding the Third Path. This card will slot into UR Delver, as it easily synergizes with cards like Murktide Regent and Expressive Iteration. Additionally, how often are you scraping by in a close game and just need one more Lightning Bolt to put your opponent down?
Founding the Third Path brings us a new tool.
I’ve already picked up two copies and will be testing it in my BUG Murktide Deck (…which I lovingly call Stifletide) to see how quickly I can set up an early-game Murktide or Uro.
Temporary Lockdown
Jeskai Control is a perennial front-runner in Legacy and this could provide some tools to deal with Elves, Painter, etc. It could also make a great sideboard against 8-Cast if you can get it onto the field quickly enough. Conversely, another good home for this card is Mono-White Prison.
With the number of mana-value 1 or 2 cards running around in this format, I look for this to be a staple in a few decks.
Vodalian Hexcatcher
A couple of months back, I ran up against Merfolk at Monday Night Legacy and laughed at first. I wasn’t laughing when he took me down and by the end of the match, I had a new-found respect for Merfolk.
With Hexcatcher, the Legacy Merfolk deck has new tools to put pressure on the opponent. With the plethora of low-casting cost Merfolk, Aether Vial, and access to Force of Will / Negations, Hexcatcher adds another card for Merfolk enthusiasts looking to upend their LGS.
I don’t expect to see Merfolk rising to the top of the meta any time soon, but it will throw a monkey wrench into anyone’s plan who isn’t prepared for it. I expect to run up against a couple of decks using it in the coming months.
Cut Down
Creature removal for one mana? Yes, please! Cut Down is squarely aimed at Delver of Secrets and I think this card will find a home in the black brewmaster’s bag of tricks alongside staples such as Thoughtseize and Inquisition of Kozilek.
Like most black removal, it has drawbacks. But with the number of low-casting cost creatures running around in the format, this will be poised to stop the usual suspects such as Monastery Mentor, Allosaurus Shepard (and friends), and any other runts who enable combos or hit quickly.
Also dovetails nicely into the rash of new Merfolk decks I predict we will see in the next couple of months.😉
Rundvelt Hordemaster
How did this stinker make it through playtesting without triggering the alarm? Someone at Wizards really wanted to see Goblins succeed and this enabler is almost like a Bolas’ Citadel for Goblin decks.
Maybe that’s a stretch, but how many Goblins are throwing themselves at something for effect? A quick search on Scryfall for “Goblins” and “sacrifice” returns 76 cards. Plenty of tools to move things along.
This spicy brew already posted a 5-0 record during a recent Legacy League. I like what they are doing and the inclusion of Hordemaster only makes a deck like this more powerful.
Get yours before they reach “we need this reprinted!” prices.
Haughty Djinn
This may be a fringe pick but I like the Djinn who is trying to grow off of the same cards that power Murktide Regent. It may be a bit steep on the curve for a three-mana value creature but I am willing to bet a few people are going to give this a whirl. Also works well alongside Dragon’s Rage Channeler. This card won't upend UR Murktide, especially given the non-bo between it and delve, but it is interesting and not without upside.
I haven’t picked up my copies yet but will be giving the Djinn a shot at some point. I can see a scenario where you are using this early and ramp into a Murktide later. Maybe that is a poor strategy but I can’t stop thinking about how this card might be useful.
Electrostatic Infantry
Coming in on the fringe with Haughty Djinn is Electrostatic Infantry. This 1/2 dwarf wizard may not be a stomper, but I can see a scenario where this dude quickly becomes a formidable stomper alongside his friends Lightning Bolt, Lava Spike, and Rift Bolt in Red Burn.
Wrapping Up
We don't see Legacy-par cards that are playable from each expansion set. While there are no archetype starters in Dominaria United that we know of yet, it's nice to see that a few cards may slot in and stir things up a bit in Legacy.
As always, thanks for reading.
What are your favorite picks for Legacy from Dominaria United? Got a spicy brew to share? Let us know in the comments or on social media!
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