Despite The Hobbit releasing over three weeks ago, the Standard format is still undergoing impactful metagame shifts. Thanks to a massive ban announcement taking out many of Standard’s core players, brews are now capable of performing well.
For example, a unique Jund Sacrifice shell just went undefeated in a Magic Online Standard Challenge. Utilizing a variety of tokens to its advantage, this archetype can deal a flurry of damage to the opponent out of nowhere.
Sacrificing Artifacts for the Win
While many classic sacrifice decks are focused on sacrificing creatures for value, this deck played by Magic Online user filpin emphasizes artifacts instead. Your initial objective is to build up a critical mass of artifacts, which is made possible by consistent token generators like
Obsessive Pursuit
Obsessive Pursuit
When this enchantment enters and at the beginning of your upkeep, you lose 1 life and create a Clue token. (It's an artifact with "{2}, Sacrifice this token: Draw a card.")
Whenever you attack, put X +1/+1 counters on target attacking creature, where X is the number of permanents you've sacrificed this turn. If X is three or more, that creature gains lifelink until end of turn.
and
Magda, the Hoardmaster
Magda, the Hoardmaster
Whenever you commit a crime, create a tapped Treasure token. This ability triggers only once each turn. (Targeting opponents, anything they control, and/or cards in their graveyards is a crime.)
Sacrifice three Treasures: Create a 4/4 red Scorpion Dragon creature token with flying and haste. Activate only as a sorcery.
.
Mutagen Man, Living Ooze
Mutagen Man, Living Ooze
Trample
Activated abilities of artifact tokens you control cost {1} less to activate.
When Mutagen Man enters, create X Mutagen tokens. (They're artifacts with "{1}, {T}, Sacrifice this token: Put a +1/+1 counter on target creature. Activate only as a sorcery.")
plays a unique role here, reducing your tokens’ activation costs and creating tons of sacrificable tokens itself.
Then, by sacrificing these tokens, you get to maximize a handful of different payoffs. Obsessive Pursuit certainly fits the mold, turning even your puniest creatures into big threats. Then, to further increase your clock,
Biotech Specialist
Biotech Specialist
When this creature enters, create a Lander token. (It's an artifact with "{2}, {T}, Sacrifice this token: Search your library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.")
Whenever you sacrifice an artifact, this creature deals 2 damage to target opponent.
and
The Sackville-Bagginses
The Sackville-Bagginses
When The Sackville-Bagginses enter, you may sacrifice another creature or artifact. If you do, draw a card and create a Treasure token.
Whenever you sacrifice a token, target opponent loses 1 life.
each provide a steady stream of life drain while adding to your token count as a bonus. With the help of
Umbral Collar Zealot
Umbral Collar Zealot
Sacrifice another creature or artifact: Surveil 1. (Look at the top card of your library. You may put it into your graveyard.)
letting you sacrifice Clues and Landers for free, you can easily set up big turns.
Given how essential these two drops are to your game plan, it’s important to have ways to recur them should they be answered. Fortunately,
Lively Dirge
Lively Dirge
Spree (Choose one or more additional costs.)
+ {1} — Search your library for a card, put it into your graveyard, then shuffle.
+ {2} — Return up to two creature cards with total mana value 4 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield.
does just that, making it much easier to win attrition battles. With
Nature’s Rhythm
Nature’s Rhythm
Search your library for a creature card with mana value X or less, put it onto the battlefield, then shuffle.
Harmonize {X}{G}{G}{G}{G} (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its harmonize cost. You may tap a creature you control to reduce that cost by an amount of generic mana equal to its power. Then exile this spell.)
adding some extra redundancy to the archetype, you should have no problem assembling a kill over time.
A New Powerhouse
Despite being a new archetype in the Standard scene, Jund Sacrifice has a ton of appeal in the current metagame. Against decks like Mono-Green Landfall that don’t feature much in the way of removal, a quick Biotech Specialist can apply pressure very quickly. Being able to tutor up
Ouroboroid
Ouroboroid
At the beginning of combat on your turn, put X +1/+1 counters on each creature you control, where X is this creature's power.
is also a huge boon in creature matchups, speeding up your clock significantly.
At the same time, though, this deck is also designed to grind control decks into dust. Artifact tokens aren’t easy to interact with, allowing you to run away with card advantage using Clues. While connecting in combat isn’t always easy against waves of removal, Biotech Specialist and Umbral Collar Zealot essentially threaten combo kills out of nowhere.
The main thing this deck fears is cards that mess with your tokens and ways to get value from them.
Clarion Conqueror
Clarion Conqueror
Flying
Activated abilities of artifacts, creatures, and planeswalkers can't be activated.
, for example, shuts down all of your synergies, and you don’t have many ways to remove it. A well-timed
Ultima
Ultima
Destroy all artifacts and creatures. End the turn. (Exile all spells and abilities from the stack, including this card. The player whose turn it is discards down to their maximum hand size. Damage wears off, and "this turn" and "until end of turn" effects end.)
may have a devastating effect as well if you try to stash your artifact tokens long-term.
Fortunately, neither of these cards sees much play at all anymore since the
Badgermole Cub
Badgermole Cub
When this creature enters, earthbend 1. (Target land you control becomes a 0/0 creature with haste that's still a land. Put a +1/+1 counter on it. When it dies or is exiled, return it to the battlefield tapped.)
Whenever you tap a creature for mana, add an additional {G}.
ban. As such, Jund Sacrifice is the perfect deck to exploit Standard’s current metagame, and the deck’s recent 9-0 tournament finish showcases its true power. There’s still plenty of time for players to further explore within the archetype, too, so don’t be surprised if it starts to pop up more and more moving forward.
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