Once in a while, if a strategy grows quite popular in one Constructed format, players will try to implement it into other formats with deeper card pools. For instance, we recently covered a Boros token control deck in Pioneer that borrowed a lot of ideas from the Standard version. The deck retained a lot of the same pieces but gained some elite upgrades like Fable of the Mirror-Breaker.
Today, we’re going to showcase another interesting example of an archetype having success being ported over to a different format. In this case, we’re talking about Modern Mill. Mill decks have been putting up strong performances in Modern for quite some time.
This weekend, the deck actually made an appearance in a Magic Online Legacy Challenge and put up a respectable result. It’s unlikely Mill becomes a tier one deck in Legacy anytime soon, but it’s cool to see it making a splash in an environment as powerful as Legacy. Plus, the deck is very cheap by Legacy standards, which is a nice bonus.
Typical Payoffs
- Mana Value: 3UU
- Rarity: Rare
- MTG Sets: Zendikar, Outlaws of Thunder Junction: Breaking News
- Card Text: If an opponent searched their library this turn, you may pay 0 rather than pay this spell’s mana cost. Target opponent mills thirteen cards.
As you might expect, a large portion of the best Mill cards in Modern have been ported over to the Legacy deck as well. In the creature section, we have Hedron Crab and Ruin Crab. These two one-drops form the backbone of the deck. If left unchecked, it’s easy for even a single copy of one of these cards to mill 20+ cards thanks to the presence of Fetchlands.
In the spell slot, of course a full playset of Archive Trap makes an appearance. Archive Trap is the most explosive element of the Mill deck, since it reliably costs zero mana. Not only is your opponent likely to shuffle their library on their own accord with a Fetchland at some point, but you can also force your opponent to shuffle with Field of Ruin or Surgical Extraction.
Surgical Extraction in particular is an awesome tool to have access to. It’s naturally strong in Mill decks, as you can exile any problematic card that your opponent puts into their graveyard from their library and nab all the remaining copies. In a format as combo driven as Legacy, though, it gains additional value. Exiling premier win conditions like Doomsday is fantastic. Meanwhile, getting to essentially freeroll graveyard hate is a huge boon against Reanimator.
Rounding out the Mill effects, we have Tasha’s Hideous Laughter, Fractured Sanity, and a singleton copy of Jace, the Perfected Mind. Tasha’s Hideous Laughter is capable of taking out a huge portion of the opponent’s library depending on the matchup. Fractured Sanity doesn’t have the same upside, but 14 cards is still a large amount. Plus, a single resolved Fractured Sanity gets you close to the threshold needed to draw three cards off of Jace’s -2 ability or Visions of Beyond.
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New Additions
- Mana Value: 3UU
- Rarity: Mythic Rare
- MTG Sets: Alliances, Eternal Masters, Amonkhet Invocations, Double Masters, Dominaria Remastered
- Card Text: You may pay 1 life and exile a blue card from your hand rather than pay this spell’s mana cost. Counter target spell.
As is expected, there are also a handful of upgrades that the Legacy Mill variant gets to utilize. First and foremost, Force of Will and Daze are the cream of the crop when it comes to interaction. Not only do they help keep opposing combo decks in check, but they also help ensure that your best spells resolve. Protecting your one-drops can be crucial in letting you cross the finish line.
Unsurprisingly, Brainstorm plays a role here, too. Even though this deck has a lot of redundancy, shuffling away excess lands and setting up your draws is important.
Lastly, Legacy Mill gets to use the power of Mystic Sanctuary to its advantage. Simply playing one copy lets you fetch it up later in the game and put one of your best Mill spells on top of your library. The opportunity cost in playing Mystic Sanctuary is incredibly low, and it does a great job letting you close out games.
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A Unique Option
- Mana Value: B
- Rarity: MYthic Rare
- Stats: */1+*
- MTG Set: Modern Horizons 3
- Card Text: Nethergoyf’s power is equal to the number of card types among cards in your graveyard and its toughness is equal to that number plus 1. Escape 2B, Exile any number of other cards from your graveyard with four or more card types among them. (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its escape cost.)
At the end of the day, it’s unlikely this archetype will be anything more than a fringe choice in the Legacy format. It does have the tools to beat slower strategies, like the multi-color control variants. Surgical Extraction and Extirpate out of the sideboard also give you a shot against a range of combo decks.
However, your lack of interaction in game one can be very costly against Grixis tempo and other Psychic Frog decks. Nethergoyf in particular comes down early and hits very hard, especially with you fueling your opponent’s graveyard.
Depending on the metagame you expect, though, Legacy Mill may be a reasonable choice. It’s very unique, and you can always cheese games if you draw multiple Archive Traps. Plus, outside of Force of Will, most of the deck is very cheap from a Legacy standpoint.
Though, this deck should probably be playing Underground Sea to make casting your black sideboard cards on curve more reliable. Nonetheless, you can get away without playing it for budget reasons. If you’re looking for something off-the-wall to break out at your next Legacy event without needing to spend a ton of money, Dimir Mill is a sweet option.
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