Howdy Budget Brewers! It's that time of the week for us to take a gander at some of the more budget options we can play at our local FNM's. While our main goal is ultimately to just have some fun, it's all gravy if we're able to win some matches as well. It's true, janky combo's are my bread and butter but I've been known to sprinkle in a dash of control or a smidgen of aggro. Then, sometimes a smattering of something in between the two. We tackle new and exciting ways to play that's easy on our wallet, and can have some fun at the local level!
I've come out from a cough syrup induced syrup haze long enough to bring you something new and neat I played against randomly on Xmage this week that fits our bill in every way possible.
The Dreaded Tron
Combined these three lands create 9 colourless (or waste) mana. This can lead to some very oppressive things being played. Ever since Modern's creation, Tron was a force to be reckoned with, even though at the beginning of the format 12 Post was available and legal to play.
There's been many versions and iterations of Tron through the years, beginning with a version that I played fondly for a time: U/W Tron.
U/W Tron wasn't really a Tron deck the way you think of today's Tron decks. That is to say, there wasn't a single copy of Expedition Map in the list. The point of the deck wasn't really to assemble Tron and do unfair things, it looked to control the game and Mindslaver lock the opponent out of the game.
Eventually, U/W Tron turned into a combo / control deck where it controlled the game and then attempted with a Gifts Ungiven and Unburial Rites package. Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, or Iona, Shield of Emeria on turn 4 made for games to end quickly. If the game didn't end quickly there was always the backup plan of hard-casting an Emrakul, The Aeons Torn.
Following the 2012 Modern Pro-Tour, 12 post was banned. Wizard's decided 12 mana out of 3 lands was just too much, Tron then took the format by storm as the format's big mana deck. The original U/W Tron lists were discredited because it seemed to lack focus. It tried to ramp into Emrakul, but at the same time it tried to control the game and combo with Gifts and Rites.
In 2012 on MTGO, 'TheKid' played a Mono-Green Tron list that took 1st in an online PPTQ that was a lot more focused on a single game plan. Play Emrakul, The Aeons Torn as soon as possible. Assembling Tron with Expedition Maps and Sylvan Scryings as soon as he could. It also played Chromatic Sphere and Chromatic Star like it does now in order to cycle through the deck.
The oncoming years saw more variations of Tron, that all centred around the 3 lands. Karn Liberated soon found a home in the deck and the deck truly became busted. Playing Karn as earlier as Turn 3 it was able to control the board until it won with overpowered humongous Eldrazi. This version of Tron, G/R Tron is considered by many the most competitive build.
There was also a Mono-U version of Tron that was like the original U/W Tron in where it didn't care that much about putting Tron together. Instead it just looks to control the game and win via Mindslaver lock.
Now a days, some people are opting to play G/W instead of the long King G/R. Opting to play Path to Exile given the aggressive nature of the current Modern Format. Not only this, there's also a pure colourless version of Tron known as Eldrazi Tron. The newest iteration using some of the newest Eldrazi creatures from Battle for Zendikar and Oath of the Gatewatch, it's also given Walking Ballista a home in the modern format.
We're going to look at a slightly different, but still powerful Tron build. I got the deck-list when I played on Xmage against an Ottawa native by the handle of @Earthbound2Eric. They were someone who apparently orders cards from Wizard's Tower. It seems it is a small world after all. He combined the power of the Tron lands and Myr combo's to really win the game out of nowhere.
The cost of the deck is right around $98 bucks on TCGPlayer so we come in under our $100 budget. There's a couple of cards that are slightly over $5 but you're easily able to pick up more played copies for cheaper.
Playing the deck is pretty fun, and the game plan is much the same as any Tron deck. Assemble Tron and power through to win the game. In the games I played with the deck, it felt powerful and I didn't really care what my opponent was doing… except Grixis Control. That match was terrible. Seems that Kolaghan's Command into Kolaghan's Command into Snapcaster Mage into Kolaghan's Command on turns 3, 4, and 5 of the game is a winning recipe versus us.
Darksteel Juggernaut is an all-star and hard to deal with even if he's only a 1/1 - he's going to keep on swinging in.
Besides that, the deck has loads of ways to win. Myr Battlesphere is a one card army that does everything. It makes Myr Token's and it uses those tokens to generate a win!
Sorry guys, that's all I have this week. Give me a shout in the comments if you've come across anything new and crazy to write about! Thanks for joining me while I try to Untap the Multiverse!
Have an idea for something you'd like me to brew up? Give me a shout in the comments!
Or in the usual social media ways -
Twitter - @maibuddha
