Legacy is one of MTG’s oldest and most ruthless formats, especially when it comes to trying brews. Because of this, when a brew does something interesting, it makes it all the more exciting. This past Friday, a Soldier Typal deck 5-0d a Magic Online Legacy League, certainly fitting the unorthodox mold. While this deck may not be the most competitive, it is capable of some gnarly draws.
Building Around the Soldier Type
While Soldiers may seem like a rather weak creature type to build around, the payoffs this deck utilizes provide decent rewards for staying on theme.
Enlistment Officer
Enlistment Officer
First strike
When this creature enters, reveal the top four cards of your library. Put all Soldier cards revealed this way into your hand and the rest on the bottom of your library in any order.
, for example, provides a solid burst of card advantage, while
Siege Veteran
Siege Veteran
At the beginning of combat on your turn, put a +1/+1 counter on target creature you control.
Whenever another nontoken Soldier you control dies, create a 1/1 colorless Soldier artifact creature token.
doubles as board protection and a massive damage dealer.
Where Soldiers gets its biggest edge, however, is with the presence of
Preeminent Captain
Preeminent Captain
First strike (This creature deals combat damage before creatures without first strike.)
Whenever this creature attacks, you may put a Soldier creature card from your hand onto the battlefield tapped and attacking.
, capable of cheating in massive threats like
Captain of the Watch
Captain of the Watch
Vigilance (Attacking doesn't cause this creature to tap.)
Other Soldier creatures you control get +1/+1 and have vigilance.
When this creature enters, create three 1/1 white Soldier creature tokens.
with just one attack.
Palace Jailer
Palace Jailer
When this creature enters, you become the monarch.
When this creature enters, exile target creature an opponent controls until an opponent becomes the monarch.
or
Brutal Cathar
Brutal Cathar
Whenever this creature enters or transforms into Brutal Cathar, exile target creature an opponent controls until this creature leaves the battlefield.
Daybound (If a player casts no spells during their own turn, it becomes night next turn.)
helps this further, clearing potential blockers to get multiple Preeminent Captain attacks.
Unfortunately, as rewarding as Preeminent Captain is, your odds of actually getting to turn it sideways are quite low without some protection. To help, this deck comes prepared with four copies of
Chalice of the Void
Chalice of the Void
This artifact enters with X charge counters on it.
Whenever a player casts a spell with mana value equal to the number of charge counters on this artifact, counter that spell.
, which can shut off all one-mana removal spells. In games where you don’t draw Chalice, a quick
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
First strike
Noncreature spells cost {1} more to cast.
backed up by
Wasteland
Wasteland
{T}: Add {C}.
{T}, Sacrifice this land: Destroy target nonbasic land.
can also mana screw your opponent.
Given how reliant this deck is on slamming these two and three mana plays ahead of schedule, your accelerants also play a super important role. Both
Chrome Mox
Chrome Mox
Imprint — When this artifact enters, you may exile a nonartifact, nonland card from your hand.
{T}: Add one mana of any of the exiled card's colors.
and
Ancient Tomb
Ancient Tomb
{T}: Add {C}{C}. This land deals 2 damage to you.
give you a chance to play Chalice turn one, and if you have them both in your opening hand, you can even slam Preeminent Captain right away.
More Fun Than Competitive
As a whole, what makes Mono-White Soldiers intriguing is that it has a reasonable game plan against the various tempo decks of the format. Both Dimir Tempo and Izzet Delver rely on one-mana cantrips for consistency, making Chalice, Thalia, and
Esper Sentinel
Esper Sentinel
Whenever an opponent casts their first noncreature spell each turn, draw a card unless that player pays {X}, where X is this creature's power.
all nuisances. From there,
Cavern of Souls
Cavern of Souls
As this land enters, choose a creature type.
{T}: Add {C}.
{T}: Add one mana of any color. Spend this mana only to cast a creature spell of the chosen type, and that spell can't be countered.
completely blanks
Daze
Daze
You may return an Island you control to its owner's hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost.
Counter target spell unless its controller pays {1}.
and
Force of Will
Force of Will
You may pay 1 life and exile a blue card from your hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost.
Counter target spell.
, making it trivial to resolve your impactful threats.
While playing this anti-tempo strategy might sound good in theory, especially with Dimir on the rise thanks to
Bilbo, Thief in the Night
Bilbo, Thief in the Night
Spells you cast from anywhere other than your hand cost {1} less to cast.
Whenever Bilbo attacks, you may cast an artifact, instant, or sorcery spell from your graveyard. If an instant or sorcery spell cast this way would be put into your graveyard, exile it instead.
, there are still numerous concerns that hold it back. The biggest problem Mono-White Soldiers faces by far is that it can’t race fast combo decks like Storm and Reanimator. You essentially need sideboard cards like
Deafening Silence
Deafening Silence
Each player can't cast more than one noncreature spell each turn.
and
Surgical Extraction
Surgical Extraction
({B/P} can be paid with either {B} or 2 life.)
Choose target card in a graveyard other than a basic land card. Search its owner's graveyard, hand, and library for any number of cards with the same name as that card and exile them. Then that player shuffles.
to steal games, which isn’t a reliable plan.
On top of your weakness to combo, your lack of removal can also come back to bite you against Death and Taxes. This strategy can easily out-grind you with
Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd
Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd
Flash
Whenever Phelia attacks, exile up to one other target nonland permanent. At the beginning of the next end step, return that card to the battlefield under its owner's control. If it entered under your control, put a +1/+1 counter on Phelia.
while also keeping your best threats in check thanks to
Solitude
Solitude
Flash
Lifelink
When this creature enters, exile up to one other target creature. That creature's controller gains life equal to its power.
Evoke—Exile a white card from your hand.
and
Swords to Plowshares
Swords to Plowshares
Exile target creature. Its controller gains life equal to its power.
.
Ultimately, these issues keep Mono-White Soldiers from being anywhere near the top tier of Legacy archetypes. Still, there’s no denying that the deck is fun, so if you’re looking to catch your tempo-loving friends off guard at your next FNM, consider taking this deck for a spin.
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