In older formats like Modern, it’s quite common to see a plethora of different combo strategies in the top echelon of decks. Belcher combo, Ruby Storm, mono-green Broodscale combo, and Grinding Breach are all elite archetypes with their own strengths.
With access to such a rich card pool, players are constantly coming up with unique combo archetypes to play. Even in Modern’s current stale state, we just recently saw an unorthodox Gyruda, Doom of Depths shell make some noise in Magic Online Modern Challenge.
This deck is pretty one-dimensional. Nonetheless, it’s not as easy to disrupt as you might think, thanks to some wild support elements. Before we get into these synergistic standouts, though, we first need to talk about exactly how the Gyruda combo itself works.
Gyruda Combo
- Mana Value: 4 (U/B) (U/B)
- Rarity: Rare
- Stats: 6/6
- Card Type: Legendary Creature- Demon Kraken
- MTG Sets: Ikoria, Multiverse Legends
- Card Text: Companion- Your starting deck contains only cards with even converted mana costs. (If this card is your chosen companion, you may cast it from outside the game.) When Gyruda enters the battlefield, each player puts the top four card of their library into their graveyard. Put a creature with an even converted mana cost from among those cards onto the battlefield under your control.
Gyruda is a very interesting card. Prior to the errata to Companions that forces you to now pay three mana to add a Companion to your hand, Gyruda was a force to be reckoned with in Pioneer.
The goal was to fill your deck with Clone effects, all with even mana values, that Gyruda could hit when it enters the battlefield. Assuming you hit one of your many Clones in the top four cards of your deck, you can copy Gyruda and get another trigger.
Of course, Gyruda is legendary. Luckily, some Clone effects like Spark Double still allow you to build out a big board of 6/6s.
In Modern, beyond just Spark Double, you can also get around the legend rule with Sakashima, the Impostor. There is a high density of other Clones, too, including Phantasmal Image and Phyrexian Metamorph, but they don’t have the luxury of helping you build out a large board of Gyrudas the same way.
Assuming you continue to hit Clones during your combo turn and don’t whiff off of a Gyruda trigger, eventually, you’ll be able to win in one of two ways. First, if you have enough power on board, you can choose to put Dragonlord Kolaghan into play off a Gyruda trigger instead of a Clone when you mill it and attack for a bunch of damage.
Otherwise, because Gyruda mills both you and your opponent off each trigger, you can deck both you and your opponent if you both have comparable cards in deck. From there, when you pass the turn, your opponent will lose first.
What’s nice about this combo is that, with Gyruda as your Companion, you have access to your main combo piece every game. The downside is that the combo is a little flimsy and clunky. Having to pay three mana to put Gyruda into your hand and six more mana to cast it is a lot. Luckily, this deck has a few tricks up its sleeve.
Speed Kills
- Mana Value: 1B
- Rarity: Rare
- Card Type: Enchantment
- MTG Sets: Innistrad
- Card Text: Creature spells you cast cost 2 less to cast. Creatures you control get -1/-1.
In order to help speed up the process in which you can cast Gyruda, this deck utilizes a few nonland cards that don’t see much play in Modern at all. First, we have Heartless Summoning. Heartless Summoning is a mediocre card in general but is the perfect card for this deck.
The difference between your Gyrudas having five power and having six on the turn you go off is minimal. However, getting to cast Gyruda for four mana instead of six is a huge boon.
The other weird nonland card you’ll find here is Diamond Lion. Diamond Lion is an awkward card for most decks, because you have to discard your hand in order to get the mana burst you want. In this deck, though, that extra three mana can come in handy to help you put Gyruda into your hand and cast it in one go.
Sometimes, you’ll want to use Phantasmal Image to copy Diamond Lion in the early turns of the game. From there, you’ll have six extra mana to work with when you untap. Alongside your lands, this should be plenty to put Gyruda into your hand and jam it.
Beyond just these two nonland cards, there are also a few lands that make your gameplan more reliable. Untaidake, the Cloud Keeper acts as a “Sol” land for your legendary spells, which is what this deck cares about. Meanwhile, Gemstone Caverns ensures that you don’t fall too far behind on the draw.
Surprisingly Resilient
- Rarity: Mythic Rare
- Card Type: Land
- MTG Sets: Avacyn Restored, Modern Masters 2017, Ultimate Masters, Double Masters, Tales of Middle-earth Commander, The Lost Caverns of Ixalan
- Card Text: As Cavern of Souls enters the battlefield, choose a creature type. Tap: Add colorless. Tap: 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.
At the end of the day, for an archetype that so heavily revolves around one card, it’s surprising how resilient this deck can be. Because Gyruda is a Companion, it can sometimes be difficult for the opponent to find a window to Thoughtseize it from your hand.
At the same time, the playset of Cavern of Souls completely blanks opposing Counterspells. If you have time to cast Gyruda, Cavern gives you an easy path to victory.
The key is having the time to set everything up. As cool as Diamond Lion is, it is quite easy to remove. If you don’t draw Heartless Summoning, you are at risk of just getting run over by Boros Energy.
The good news there, at least, is that The Meathook Massacre can potentially catch you right back up. Even Desert is more impactful than it looks, killing Ocelot Pride at the end of combat if it attacks.
This deck certainly has its flaws. Regardless, Gyruda combo is showing at least some promise with these neat innovations. We’re always happy to see some abnormal brews make a splash, especially in a hostile environment.
