This Week in Legacy: Legacy is Fine!
Howdy folks! It's time yet again for another edition of This Week in Legacy! I'm your host, Joe Dyer, and this week we're going to be taking a look at the statement from Wizards about Legacy in the recent Banned & Restricted Announcement. In addition to that we've got some info on Bazaar of Boxes Series 17 and the Challenge data from last week.
Without further ado, let's dive right in!
Banned and Restricted Announcement 2/9 - No Changes for Legacy
We had our first Banned and Restricted Announcement of the year this past Monday, and for Legacy we had no changes overall, but I do want to address and look at the statements made about the format in the article, which you can find here.
Now, I am realistically okay with no changes this go-around. While there's a lot of hubbub in the format right now over cards like Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student, I always firmly believe in letting the format breathe, and new cards have been injected into the format as well recently that have an opportunity to impact things (Hexing Squelcher for example), so I like more organic solutions and format growth that way.
Let's look at how Wizards sees the format right now and talk about what this all means.
From a purely informational standpoint it does feel like these blurbs are getting rather short when there's no changes, and I do personally wish there could be some more information given. Maybe it's just that we've been spoiled by the very intense format check-ups that the Pauper Format Panel has given us over the past few years, but it would be nice to see a more thorough review overall. Now, I do know there's always that Weekly MTG Stream that appears the day after these (and this article was written before that), but I also disagree with having information present in those that isn't present in this wrap-up. I do think that anything relevant presented in those streams should be retroactively added to this review somewhere so that the information doesn't just inevitably disappear or get misconstrued down the line.
At the same time, if there was information to share in response to questions here, why not add it to the article in the first place? It just feels very strange to me. This is nothing against the people writing these either, I just wish there was more.
From an informational standpoint, it is correct that Underground Sea is a top dog in Legacy, and that Dimir Tempo is one of the format's most popular decks. It also happens to predominantly be one of the format's best Tamiyo decks, but Tamiyo herself tends to just be good across the format (something that really isn't noted here in the impact that card actually has on the format) in just about any deck she's in. It calls out Dimir Tempo as "public enemy number one", a statement which I don't fully buy into. Yes, Dimir Tempo is popular, and you do need to have a plan for Tempo decks in general (most of which is just understanding what is important in the matchup, what your role is, and what exploits their game plan) but I don't specifically believe just Dimir Tempo is the most played deck in the format does it truly make it a "public enemy number one", especially since Izzet Tempo is nearly just as popular. I think it's agreeable to say Tempo in general is "public enemy number one", but that's realistically always been Legacy for a long time.
The article then goes on to talk about other decks that are seeing surges in play, from Lands to D&T to fair Gaea's Cradle decks. And yes, some of these decks are definitely doing fairly well. Cradle Control got a pretty big boost from Badgermole Cub, and Affinity Stompy (the Artist Formerly Known as 8Cast) has proven to have solid staying power. What is omitted from this list is realistically more concerning to me. All of the decks listed are predominantly fair to roleplayer type decks (Lands rides a line here because it is a true roleplayer deck that can be prison, combo, and midrange). None of the decks listed are Combo decks, and we know that while Tempo decks are popular... Combo decks are also exceedingly popular in Legacy and have been since the bans.
What we saw happen after the bannings was decks like Omni-Tell, Sneak and Show, Oops, Doomsday. These decks have all taken a slice of the pie and they all seem to be doing rather well despite how prominent Dimir Tempo is (a deck that for many of these decks is a fairly poor matchup overall) and I think that is largely because Dimir's prominence has brought up decks that are generally good vs Dimir but are also fair decks, and the combo decks prey on those other decks and then hope to outskill or dodge the Dimir matchup. Some of these decks the issue only gets worse if they play red due to the increasing play rate of things like Hexing Squelcher. I don't fully expect these statements to be totally up to date though. I have to believe this was written before Squelcher was released, which is fine. It's the complete omission overall of no discussion of Combo, when it seems to be such a big portion of the current Legacy format, which seems strange to me.
Overall, as I said before, I agree with the fact that nothing has to change. What I continue to worry about is how in touch Wizards is with the format and the overall narrative presented not being as transparent or as thorough as we arguably know they could be. We've seen how thorough and transparent statements can be from the PFP. Can we apply that to other formats in a positive and constructive fashion? I feel like doing so would better the community's perspective of what Wizards thinks about the format and how things are going. My worry inevitably comes from a place of love and care and the desire to have a bigger picture of the format I enjoy so very much.
What are your thoughts on the BnR? Leave a comment and let me know what you think!
Bazaar of Boxes Series 17
This past weekend was yet another Bazaar of Boxes event, this one being Series 17! These events are an amazing showcase of growth and building community Legacy events, and I'm always thrilled to hear from Michel De Jong about them. This particular event was held in the Koning Willem II Stadion in Tilburg, The Netherlands, and I have to admit I don't think you could find a cooler venue for a Legacy event than a freaking stadium.
It is absolutely super incredible to see, and their turnout for this event was around 98 players which is very solid! The event was also sponsored by folks like MTGO, CardMarket, and UltimateGuard. You can find all of the pictures from the event and a lot more over on the Bazaar of Boxes website here. As always these events are streamed, so here is the Twitch VOD link but I do know the full video is coming to their YouTube soon!
You can find all of the decklists for this event here and the data sheet here.
Dimir Tempo was the most played deck of the event at 12 copies, boasting a 57.58% non-mirror win rate. Outside of that, Cradle Control looked great here, as did Eldrazi and Beans. One thing I will note was there was very little Oops in the event (1 copy) and a large smattering of 1-2s of decks.
Let's take a look at the Top 8.
| Deck Name | Placing | MTGO Username |
|---|---|---|
| Dimir Tempo | 1st | Tim van der Lans |
| Cradle Control | 2nd | Bastiaan Boel |
| Affinity Stompy | 3rd | Pingu24 |
| Boros Energy | 4th | Stefan Weijers |
| Eldrazi | 5th | jerko jovic |
| Mardu Energy | 6th | Finn Veldhoven |
| Cradle Control | 7th | Thijs Witteman |
| Dimir Tempo | 8th | Raphael Lecocq |
Dimir and Cradle Control both took up half of this Top 8, and at the end of the event it was Tim van der Lans on Dimir that won.
Going for the more straightforward approach here, no frills, and realistically, there doesn't need to be. That is one of the great things about the Tempo strategies is you don't necessarily need to push the envelope or change things up to understand the raw play patterns of the deck.
In Second Place, we had Bastiaan Boel on Cradle Control.
I am joking when I say this, but should we call this deck 8Cub now? I mean, we got Badgermole Cub and Scythecat Cub. Both adorable little guys. I love the singleton Toxicrene in the sideboard here. Giving a GSZ deck a way to shut off lands is pretty cool, and it being a 2/4 is also great at putting it out of Bolt range.
Bazaar of Boxes also does a Brewer's Cup challenge where the most spicy Brew receives a special prize. This event's winner was Marc Griekspoor on Simic Birthing Ritual!
Okay, this is absolutely a deck I want to play around with at some point. Seems super cool.
Legacy Challenge 32 2/4/2026
The first Challenge event of the weekend was the Wednesday event. This event had 43 players in it, thanks to the MTGO website.
You can find the Top 32 decklists for this event here and the data sheet here.
Dimir Tempo was the most played deck, and it had a pretty good win rate. Izzet had a really strong win rate here, as did Oops. Doomsday rode the 50% line while Mardu Energy performed poorly.
Let's take a look at the Top 8.
| Deck Name | Placing | MTGO Username |
|---|---|---|
| Dimir Tempo | 1st | xfile |
| Izzet Tempo | 2nd | O_danielakos |
| Izzet Tempo | 3rd | CrazyMorango |
| Izzet Tempo | 4th | giabella |
| Lands | 5th | Sprouts |
| Dimir Tempo | 6th | AndrewWa |
| Living End | 7th | MeninooNey |
| Izzet Tempo | 8th | i_b_TRUE |
Lot of Tempo in this Top 8 (with only two decks not being a Tempo deck) with the winner being Dimir Tempo.
This is pretty straightforward from what we've come to expect out of the Dimir shell. I have seen a few builds playing around with Moonshadow, but this is definitely much more traditional. I personally don't much care for the builds playing Hymn to Tourach because I really don't think Hymn is actually all that great in the current format.
In Second Place we had Izzet Tempo.
Proft's Eidetic Memory is a pretty sweet little card here. Seems excessively easy to enable when you've got stuff like Brainstorm and the incentive to cast multiple draw spells a turn thanks to Cori-Steel Cutter being able to make Monks. Being able to boost your Delver or DRC by +3/+3 or more is superb.
Also in this Top 8 we had Living End!
Okay, this is pretty sick. I love that this is very much just like Modern Living End, but with dual lands and Force of Will. I love when people do this, not going to lie. It's such a cool idea to take inspiration from other formats. One of my older friends in the Legacy scene used to tell me this all the time, about how newer formats can sometimes inform older formats, and it always results in very exciting deckbuilding.
Legacy Challenge 32 2/6/2026
The second Challenge event of the weekend was the Friday event. This event had 35 players in it thanks to the MTGO website.
You can find the Top 32 decklists for this event here and the data sheet here.
Dimir Tempo was the most played deck but its win rate sat right in the middle. Mono Black Reanimator looked very good here, as did Red Stompy. Oops had a very mid win rate at around 45% non-mirror.
Let's take a look at the Top 8.
| Deck Name | Placing | MTGO Username |
|---|---|---|
| Mono Black Reanimator | 1st | Matiuzzzo |
| Cradle Control | 2nd | romariovidal |
| Affinity Stompy | 3rd | Stanshine |
| Red Stompy | 4th | TeaW1thRum |
| Dimir Tempo | 5th | Ozymandias17 |
| Doomsday | 6th | wonderPreaux |
| Sneak and Show | 7th | TheGrimLavamancer |
| Red Stompy | 8th | SiL3nTGoaT |
This is a pretty solid-looking Top 8. Not a huge amount of overlap. At the end of the event it was Mono Black Reanimator that won.
Seems like Colossal Grave-Reaver has gone the way of the grave? I haven't seen it in a hot minute in these lists, so maybe it just was cute and not actually super good. Just maxing out on all your threats and using discard effects to get a big creature in the graveyard to win with. Seems pretty straightforward. The copies of Shallow Grave are also pretty great, because you can get your Archon triggers or draws off Griselbrand with haste.
In Second Place, we had Cradle Control.
This is a pretty solid-looking list. Decks with main-deck Endurance seem really well-positioned at the moment, since they can clear graveyards and keep Murktides at bay, while also having a lot of tools and threats to deal with typical Tempo cards like Barrowgoyf. I love many of the silver-bullet cards here, and I think this deck was bolstered really well by the presence of Badgermole Cub.
Also in this Top 8 we had Affinity Stompy.
Main deck Harbinger of the Seas is a real choice. I am here for it, honestly. There are a lot of decks it can impact, where it seems pretty unbeatable, especially in Game 1.
Legacy Challenge 32 2/7/2026
The third Challenge event of the weekend was the Saturday event. This event had 50 players in it thanks to the MTGO website.
You can find the Top 32 decklists for this event here and the data sheet here.
Dimir Tempo was the most played deck here by a LOT. Literally 28% of this metagame. The win rate was around 55.56% non-mirror, whic his pretty good. Izzet also did very well, and across the board most of the decks besides Affinity did pretty good.
Let's take a look at the Top 8.
| Deck Name | Placing | MTGO Username |
|---|---|---|
| Dimir Tempo | 1st | ReformedPaolo |
| Cradle Control | 2nd | vegecookies |
| Dimir Tempo | 3rd | Ark4n |
| Doomsday | 4th | m_himukai |
| Beanstalk Control (Non-Yorion) | 5th | trunks132 |
| Red Painter | 6th | _INF_ |
| Mardu Energy | 7th | oskiyaa |
| Cephalid Breakfast | 8th | TrbnN |
This is a pretty diverse Top 8 overall, even though there was so much Dimir. Dimir did win the event, however.
This is another fairly stock-looking list. I know that some people don't like seeing a lot of the same lists week in and week out, but Dimir is absolutely the most popular deck in the format, and so it's just going to happen naturally when the deck is both good and popular. Most of these lists are not really that innovative either, because a lot of MTGO subculture does promote copy-pasting lists.
In Second Place, we had Cradle Control.
Singleton Hogaak is kind of sick inclusion. You can GSZ or Natural Order for it, but honestly it also feels like just being able to cast it with a combination of convoke and delve seems very realistic given the number of mana dorks to tap for convoke the deck plays, along with cards like Thoughtseize and Once Upon a Time to fill the graveyard along with fetchlands. Feels pretty easy to get him on board and start swinging for damage.
At the bottom of the Top 8 we had Cephalid Breakfast.
Really have not seen a ton of this deck since the Nadu ban. Personally, I think the deck is probably still very good, but people are definitely latching onto playing other things, and the Nadu ban had an impact. Still, I love Breakfast, and I think this is a solid-looking list. Including stuff like Barrowgoyf is pretty sweet as a good backup plan to start beating in the face with the Tempo plan if you need to.
Legacy Challenge 32 2/8/2026 - 1
The fourth Challenge event of the weekend was the first Sunday event. This event had 36 players in it, thanks to the MTGO website.
You can find the Top 32 decklists for this event here and the data sheet here.
Izzet Tempo was the most played deck of this event and despite a Top 8 its overall win rate was below 50%. Dimir and Oops also sat below 50% despite the latter having a Top 8 appearance too. Mono Black Reanimator looked pretty good here.
Let's take a look at the Top 8.
| Deck Name | Placing | MTGO Username |
|---|---|---|
| Red Stompy | 1st | SiL3nTGoaT |
| Izzet Tempo | 2nd | azmyk1231 |
| Lands | 3rd | Stardustpigeon |
| Oops! All Spells | 4th | xDingusKhan |
| Boros Energy | 5th | DominiqueTutor |
| Dredge | 6th | MyPotatoes |
| Mono Black Reanimator | 7th | Matiuzzzo |
| Omni-Tell | 8th | kyataoka |
Very diverse Top 8 here. At the end of the event it was Red Stompy that won.
Four main deck Hexing Squelcher is crazy good, especially when you consider that you can also still play four Chalice of the Void and catch your opponent in two traps of being able to cast one drops and also being able to counter your spells. Seems like this card is definitely making the rounds even more, and I'm not surprised at all to see it here.
In Second Place we had Izzet Tempo.
Not sure I care too much for the two Tamiyo in Izzet (I think more than likely the three Delver plan is probably better), but I do love me some Stock Up. Two copies of that card for some late game refill action is pretty sick.
Further down the Top 8 we had Boros Energy.
New card Kinscaer Sentry shows up here, which is kind of sweet since it lets you push a creature into play from hand, and since many of the creatures this deck is playing are mana value 1-2 you don't even need to attack with a lot (including the Sentry of course) to get something into play. The only card I'm sort of surprised to not see is again, Hexing Squelcher.
Legacy Challenge 32 2/8/2026 - 2
The final Challenge event of the weekend was the second Sunday event. This event had 47 players in it, thanks to the MTGO website.
You can find the Top 32 decklists for this event here and the data sheet here.
Dimir Tempo was again the most popular deck, but its overall win rate was rather low. Red Stompy did extremely well here, while the rest of the decks above the cutoff either overperformed (Beans/Izzet) or underperformed massively.
Let's take a look at the Top 8.
| Deck Name | Placing | MTGO Username |
|---|---|---|
| Red Stompy | 1st | SiL3nTGoaT |
| Mono White Energy | 2nd | Imiak |
| Beanstalk Control (Non-Yorion) | 3rd | unstar |
| Izzet Tempo | 4th | giabella |
| Red Stompy | 5th | hermanomlg |
| Death and Taxes - BW (Yorion) | 6th | FarmerLGG |
| Lands | 7th | Srogers90 |
| Dredge | 8th | MahfuzVanGogh |
Another fairly diverse Top 8 here. At the end of the event, it was the same Red Stompy player who won the previous event that won.
One really good callout here is the playset of Orcish Bowmasters in the sideboard, as well as the copy of Chaos Defiler. Seems kind of sweet to have as options in specific matchups. I love Chaos Defiler so it's just a really exciting thing to see it in a list that's not Painter.
In Second Place, we had Mono White Energy.
SQUADRON HAWK?! SQUADRON HAWK?!?!?!? Okay, I got it out of my system. Y'all can enjoy this list now. It's pretty cool.
At the bottom of the Top 8, we had the Dredge master himself on Dredge.
Extremely straightforward version of Dredge here. This looks like a list I would enjoy, having played a lot of the deck in the past.
Around the Web
- Fenruscloud is Jeskai'ing with Loch Mare. Check it out here.
- BeExcellent has a 5-0 burn deck with Moonshadow. Check it out here.
- Some paper Legacy with Grixis Control vs Natural Order! Check it out here.
- TueLikesTempo is doing some Izzet things. Check it out here.
- SONG & SHOW.
The Spice Corner
Now that Leagues are posted throughout the week, let's find some Spice!
Aluren and Tell? Show and Aluren? You decide!
Some Goblins Stompy action featuring Hexing Squelcher, but also Taster of Wares and Grub's Command!
Lands playing Vibrance? More likely than you think.
Wrapping Up
That's all the time we have this week folks! Thanks for continuing to support the column and join us next week as we continue our journey into Legacy!
As always, you can reach me at all my associated links via my Link Tree! In addition I'm always around the MTGGoldfish Discord Server and the MTGLegacy Discord Server.
Until next time!
