Ever since the release of Modern Horizons 3, Boros Energy has been a force to be reckoned with in Modern. The combination of efficient threats and grinding power makes it a very difficult deck to play against. In fact, the deck’s core is so strong that it’s even been putting up consistent results in Legacy.
While most Legacy Energy decks are base Mardu, a unique Boros list just 5-0’d a Legacy League with some weird cards. This list is built to maximize some exciting Fallout and Commander cards that have seen minimal competitive play until now. With tons of exciting synergies available, this shell has a lot going in its favor.
Energy Staples and Eternal Additions
Just like traditional Boros Energy lists in Modern, this Legacy variant makes great use of a multitude of Modern Horizons 3 all-stars. Ocelot Pride and Guide of Souls are still your go-to one-drops. With token producers like Ajani, Nacatl Pariah and Voice of Victory in the mix, obtaining the City’s Blessing with Pride or racking up energy counters with Guide is super easy.
Perhaps the biggest difference between Legacy and Modern is the exchange of banned cards. You lose Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer, but gain Amped Raptor for extremely explosive early plays. Nearly every card in the deck has mana value two or less, so you’re chances of being able to play whatever card you exile are quite high. Legacy Energy decks also gain major interactive upgrades like Swords to Plowshares and Karakas, which are essential against Reanimator and Nadu, Winged Wisdom Combo.
This is all typical for any Legacy Energy deck, but the Fallout cards that appear in this deck are not. Found in the Science! Commander precon, Brotherhood Scribe, pairs perfectly with these well-established tools. The card is capable of enabling massive attacks in conjunction with Guide of Souls and your token producers.
Another Fallout Commander card, Synth Eradicator is one of your few three-mana plays, and it provides a ton of utility. Whether you choose to stockpile energy counters or relish the card advantage it provides when it attacks, Synth Eradicator is one of your strongest cards in grindy matchups. Its final ability then provides extra reach while threatening to remove pesky blockers. Finally, HELIOS One, which appears as a one-of in this list, can also provide extra energy turn after turn, or get rid of an opposing creature in a pinch.
Beyond Fallout, multiple cards from Outlaws of Thunder Junction Commander make an appearance as well. Lazotep Quarry functions as a free sacrifice outlet to transform Ajani or as a way to add pressure to the board in the late game. You can even tutor Quarry up with Sand Scout, a sweet Commander card that generates more tokens whenever you sacrifice one of your Fetchlands.
It’s not common to see a bunch of cheap Commander rares make a competitive splash together, but these cards have proven powerful. The question, however, is whether these cards are strong enough to justify moving past the black splash.
Tradeoffs
Choosing to stay straight Boros and fill your flex slots with these Commander cards has some important benefits. Getting to run extra utility lands is a luxury that typical Mardu lists don’t have, since their color requirements are much heavier. Lazotep Quarry and HELIOS One help alleviate the effects of flooding by providing you with ways to use your extra mana. You’re able to play additional basic lands too, exposing yourself less to Wasteland and Magus of the Moon when necessary.
Your other trade-off, the Fallout creatures, shine brightest against opposing creature decks. These cards are among your strongest against decks like Death & Taxes and the Energy Mirror, where they work to break open board stalls.
Abandoning the black powerhouses does have its downsides, though. Without Thoughtseize and Cabal Therapy, combo matchups like Doomsday Combo become significantly harder. Losing out on Orcish Bowmasters against all of the various Brainstorm decks in the format stings on top of that. Fortunately, you still have a lot of favorable matchups in the format.
Matchups
In order to have success in the current Legacy metagame, you need to have a strong game plan against Reanimator, and this deck delivers. Swords to Plowshares and Static Prison both serve as efficient answers to Murktide Regent and any big threat that gets resurrected, while Karakas lines up perfectly against Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student. On top of that, Voice of Victory’s static ability helps ensure that your removal spells don’t get tagged by Force of Will.
Another popular archetype, Izzet Delver has a hard time racing your barrage of attackers. The efficiency of your creatures renders Daze a minimal concern. Even if the opponent has a removal-heavy hand, Amped Raptor and Ajani are both capable of adding multiple creatures to the board when they stick.
Overall, this deck’s ability to apply pressure and back it up with interaction gives it a shot to beat nearly every deck in the format. Fast combo matchups are a problem if you don’t draw specific hate cards out of the sideboard, but these strategies aren’t super popular. For fans of the Energy mechanic and all that it has to offer, consider giving this deck a spin at your next local event.
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