Duskmourn is finally here, and we’re already seeing a bunch of unique strategies come out of the woodworks. Powerhouses like Leyline of Resonance are quickly starting to make their presences felt across multiple formats. There’s a lot of room for innovation, and Duskmourn has a lot of very strong options to choose from.
One of the cooler archetypes to arise during the first few days of Duskmourn tournaments is actually a strange take on mono-red aggro in Pioneer. This isn’t your typical Monastery Swiftspear and Play with Fire beatdown deck. In fact, neither of those cards make an appearance here! Instead, the deck is heavily focused on synergies with Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might. With some sweet new additions, Ojer aggro may finally have legs once again in Pioneer.
Ojer and Torbran Lead the Charge
- Mana Value: 2RR
- Rarity: Mythic Rare
- Stats: 4/4
- MTG Sets: The Lost Caverns of Ixalan
- Card Text: Trample. If a red source you control would deal an amount of noncombat damage less than Ojer Axonil’s power to an opponent, that source deals damage equal to Ojer Axonil’s power instead. When Ojer Axonil dies, return it to the battlefield tapped and transformed under its owner’s control. Temple of Power– (Transforms from Ojer Axonil, Deepest Might). Tap, Add R. 2R, Tap: Transform Temple of Power. Activate only if red sources dealt 4 or more noncombat damage this turn and only as a sorcery.
Back when Ojer was first printed nearly a year ago, there was a lot of hype surrounding its main ability. Being able to increase any source of noncombat damage you deal to four points is a big deal. This puts a ton of pressure on the opponent to kill Ojer. Then, even if they do, you get an extra land out of things, which can help you cast multiple spells in a turn or activate Den of the Bugbear.
While the deck didn’t quite have enough in the way of powerful sources of noncombat damage to have long-term success, there were some specific cards that synergized well with Ojer that still pulled their weight on their own. For instance, Kumano Faces Kakkazan is a great turn one play. Later in the game, if you have access to Ojer or Torbran, Thane of Red Fell, Kumano can dome the opponent for a bunch of damage. Similarly, Spikefield Hazard can pick off copies of Llanowar Elves when applicable or get played as a land. Once you slam Ojer, Spikefield Hazard becomes a four-damage burn spell.
Ojer really shines alongside creatures that are capable of repeatedly dealing noncombat damage. At the top of that list, we have Eidolon of the Great Revel and Rampaging Ferocidon. Once again, these are solid creatures by themselves that become incredibly scary in conjunction with Ojer.
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New Tools
- Mana Value: RR
- Rarity: Rare
- Stats: 2/2
- MTG Sets: Duskmourn
- Card Text: Razorkin Needlehead has First Strike during your turn. Whenever an opponent draws a card, Razorkin Needlehead deals 1 damage to them.
As cool as this strategy was, what the deck really lacked were other one-drops and two-drops to fill the void. Ojer is at its absolute best when you can curve out with threats. From Goblin Chainwhirler to Bonecrusher Giant, this archetype has had no shortage of solid three mana cards. The problem comes in games where you don’t draw Kumano or Eidolon and simply can’t put enough pressure on the opponent. Traditional assertive red threats like Monastery Swiftspear and Slickshot Show-Off just aren’t that good here. They don’t combo with Ojer and there aren’t enough noncreature spells present to maximize them.
Fortunately, a Bloomburrow and a Duskmourn creature fill these slots perfectly. On turn one, Hired Claw does everything you want. It attacks for a lot of damage if left unchecked. You can always pump it if you don’t have a ton else to spend your mana on. Of course, after jamming Ojer, you can then attack with Hired Claw right away and deal four damage to your opponent. If the opponent can remove Ojer from there, you still got your money’s worth. If they can’t, they likely just die.
At two mana, Duskmourn gave this deck a premier 2/2. Anytime the opponent draws a card, they take a damage. This is particularly problematic for Izzet Phoenix decks that play a boatload of cantrips and Treasure Cruise. The damage adds up quickly, especially if Ojer or Torbran are in the mix.
While these are likely the most important recent additions to Ojer aggro, there’s one more Duskmourn card worth mentioning: Screaming Nemesis. Screaming Nemesis is simply a nuisance. If the opponent blocks, you can send additional damage at their face or one of their creatures. Damage-based removal lines up very poorly against it, making it a top-tier threat versus Izzet Phoenix.
It’s also excellent versus Angels and other life-gain strategies. All you need to do is aim a Spikefield Hazard at it yourself, trigger Screaming Nemesis to deal a damage to the opponent, and none of their life-gain payoffs work anymore. All these new inclusions make your gameplan more robust and consistent than ever.
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Poised for a Breakout?
- Mana Value: 7U
- Rarity: Common
- MTG Sets: Khans of Tarkir, Commander 2016, Commander Anthology Vol. II, Ultimate Masters, Time Spiral Remastered, Commander 2021, New Capenna Commander, Outlaws of Thunder Junction Commander, Modern Horizons 3 Commander, Mystery Booster 2
- Card Text: Delve (Each card you exile from your graveyard while casting this spell pays for 1.) Draw three cards.
Overall, this deck does have some things going for it in the current Pioneer metagame. From Razorkin Needlehead to Screaming Nemesis, this deck has a lot of cards that line up well against Izzet Phoenix. Rampaging Ferocidon combined with Ojer gives you a much better shot against Angels than typical mono-red aggro builds. Your creatures are rather burly, which can be helpful against midrange decks and Temporary Lockdown strategies.
Where this deck can run into issues is with the fact that it’s slower than traditional red aggro shells and runs less removal. Right now, Rakdos aggro is all the rage. Rakdos aggro is incredibly fast and runs a bunch of pump spells, making it easy for this deck to just get run over. Similarly, Boros Heroic seems to be getting more popular thanks to Leyline of Resonance, which is far from ideal for mono-red Ojer.
With this in mind, you’ll really have to assess the metagame at hand before deciding whether registering this archetype is a good choice. It’s nice to see Ojer finally getting some love, though, and this deck should serve as a sweet choice for your next FNM at the very least.
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