MTG的Thunder of Thunder Junction将两张卡的连击介绍给标准

2024-03-30 09:10:53

Magic: The Gathering’s newest set, Outlaws of Thunder Junction, just introduced a two-card winning combo to the game’s Standard format, and all you need is five mana, three of them black, and a dream.

Black has long been one of the most powerful colours in Standard, thanks to the absolute chokehold Sheoldred, the Apocalypse has had since her debut in Dominaria United. However, with this combo, black players can now outright win on the same turn they’d normally play Sheoldred.

The card introduced in Outlaws of Thunder Junction is Rush of Dread, a sorcery that costs two black mana and one generic. However, it also uses the set’s new spree mechanic , that requires to pay at least one of a number of additional costs.

For Rush of Dread, you’re going to be looking at the last cost. For two additional generic mana, you can force na opponent to lose half of their life, rounded up. That means, in total, the cost of this card will be three generic, two black.

As noticed by MTGGoldfish’s SaffronOlive on Twitter , Rush of Dread combos off of a card introduced in last year’s The Lost Caverns of Ixalan. Bloodletter of Aclazotz costs one generic and three black mana, and it doubles the amount of life an opponent loses in your turn. With just this on the board, at least five mana, and Rush of Dread in your hand, you can win the game.

With Bloodletter of Aclazotz out, cast Rush of Dread out and pay its spree cost of two generic to make your opponent lose half of their life. Bloodletter of Aclazotz’ ability is what is known in Magic as a “replacement effect”, and replaces that loss of half your opponent’s life and says “actually, they’re going to lose all of it”.

The result is that you win you the game regardless of how much life your opponent has.

This combo is legal in just about every format, bar Pauper. Commander, Pioneer, Modern, Vintage, and Legacy could all put it to use.

Of course, this is a slow combo, as it requires a creature in play and for you to cast a sorcery. Anybody in Standard who is aware of this combo will be packing some removal like Bitter Triumph, Infernal Grasp, or Fading Hope to get rid of the Bloodletter before it’s too late. Alternatively, they could just counter the Rush of Dread with An Offer You Can’t Refuse or other counterspell.

Regardless, though, this combo is sure to beef up black’s power in the format massively. Any of the top decks that use black, like the Dimir, Esper, and Rakdos Midranges, can benefit from it. Throw in a little bit of ramp, and you could be closing out the game in a matter of turns.

So far, Outlaws of Thunder Junction looks like a much stronger set than we’ve seen from other recent outings like Wilds of Eldraine and Murders at Karlov Manor. With plenty of spicy legendary creatures, and cards like Rush of Dread, it could make for a very interesting Standard format before both it and The Lost Caverns of Ixalan rotate out in 2027.

Outlaws of Thunder Junction launches on April 19.