MTG Salvation

We've just recently gotten Hero's Blade, but it is far from the only card that is useful for a legendary focused deck, we also have:

Goryo's Vengeance
Honor-Worn Shaku
Konda's Banner
Reki, the History of Kamigawa
Time of Need
Untaidake, the Cloud Keeper
Tenza, Godo's Maul
Eiganjo Castle, Minamo, School at Water's Edge, Shizo, Death's Storehouse, Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep, Okina, Temple to the Grandfathers

It feels like Hero's Blade might be the card that finally enables a deck revolving around this kind of stuff to work.

Some specific legends I might consider looking into (especially those that combo particularly well with hero's blade or in some cases with other legends that like hero's blade:

Alesha, Who Smiles at Death
Cho-Manno, Revolutionary
Grand Arbiter Augustin IV
Linvala, Keeper of Silence
Rafiq of the Many
Thrun, the Last Troll
Venser, Shaper Savant
Gaddock Teeg
Kataki, War's Wage
Melira, Sylvok Outcast
Isao, Enlightened Bushi
Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
Kemba, Kha Regent
Mirri, Cat Warrior
Vendilion Clique
Daxos of Meletis
Geist of Saint Traft

This thread is to discus potential cards and strategies related to this kind of potential deck revolving around using the legendary status in Modern.

I don't see this being played in anything other than an aggro or aggro+distruption deck. Any deck playing Goryo's Vengeance is going to reanimate a huge body that won't need the +3/+2. Time of Need could give you toolbox disruption but is probably too slow.

With an aggro route in mind, I'd look for a nice curve of 1-4 cmc legendaries. The obvious ideal play would be to T2 Hero's Blade and follow it up on T3 with a 3 drop. If you have a T1 mana dork, e.g. Noble Hierarch, you could T2 Blade + Isamaru, Hound of Konda.

Getting your legendary out of bolt range might be one of the more important things it does.

Here are a few more (mostly 3cmc):

• Anafenza, the Foremost
  
• Brimaz, King of Oreskos
  
• Doran, the Siege Tower
  
• Glissa, the Traitor
  
• Isamaru, Hound of Konda
  
• Mishra, Artificer Prodigy
  
• Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest
  
• Sygg, River Cutthroat
  
• Zur the Enchanter
  
• Day of Destiny

For me, the highest potential for a deck are:
Kemba, Kha Regent Great curve and synergy
Vendilion Clique 6 dmg clock with disruption. Too bad it's not out of bolt range
Geist of Saint Traft Great curve. Get him over blockers and out of range of 3 dmg board wipes
Brimaz, King of Oreskos Great curve. Solid standalone card
Isamaru, Hound of Konda Cheap. Out of bolt range
Zur the Enchanter 4 dmg flying clock with disruption
Venser, Shaper Savant Good on it's own with disruption. Out of bolt range.
Rafiq of the Many Get him out of bolt range. Supercharge his doublestrike for 14 dmg
Sygg, River Cutthroat Cheap and annoying

You could do a UWR tempo shell with Shu Yun, the Silent Tempest and GoST.

Bant is also very powerful. Kodama of the North Tree comes to mind.

I wouldn't want to underestimate Daxos of Meletis, he really benefits from getting larger than a 2/2 because of how his evasive ability works, and he gives a very nice bonus when he hits, and he's in the same colors as Geist of Saint Traft, another one that really loves Hero's Blade.

I think Bant or Abzan are the colours to consider, but probably Bant given that you get Geist and Daxos (along with Brimaz, Thalia, Clique, Teeg, Thrun and Linvala).

The question is - what does the deck do if it doesn't turn 2 Hero's Blade? What is the creature/spell ratio? Do you run things like Remand? Obviously 4 Path to Exile, but any other removal? Vapor Snag? Snapcaster Mage?

You could run Steelshaper's Gift to almost certainly have a Blade on turn two.

Also, what about Kira, Great Glass-Spinner? She is evasive, and as Hero's Blade's ability doesn't target, we should be fine with it.

I really like Alesha, Who Smiles at Death by the way. She can bring back many relevant legendaries (Geist, Doran, Sygg, Saffi Eriksdotter, fun stuff like Master of Cruelties etc.) and first strike is nothing to sneeze at, especially with Blade.

The best card to pair with Hero's Blade is not something else that has "legendary" in its text. It's Noble Hierarch. Why? Because with Hierarch, you have two nut draws:

T1 Hierarch, T2 Geist
T1 anything, T2 Blade, T3 Geist

Plus, Hierarch has the exalted bonus.

You actively want to avoid 1- and 2-drop legends since they don't curve with either of the above draws. Remember you have to play Blade before the legendary creature; doing it the other way around doesn't let you equip it for free. Play support cards (mana dorks, Path, counters) in the 1- and 2-drop slots and hard-hitting legends at 3.

I would probably play stuff like Inquisition of Kozilek as another onedrop to get rid of counters/removal, and maybe a Stubborn Denial or two for added protection.

Without trample this deck seems really soft to Lingering Souls btw.


Edit: What bout Tuktuk the Explorer? He seems perfect with Blade...

I've tried this a bit, but it didn't impress me much. Maybe you'll have better luck

If you are building to rely on the interaction, you probably will be unhappy. If you slide the interaction into an already known build as another wincon type play, you probably will be happier. As been mentioned prior Bant seems to be the deck for this. You get some very powerful Legendary creatures to pump.

Here, threw together this untested list:

Teferi is kinda slow and color heavy for most of the strategies suggested so far. Maybe a more control/tempo leaning type of deck.

The problem with most hero's blade builds I've seen is that they play bad legends to enable the blade.

I want to revisit this thread now that we have the flip walkers

Also fun legendary's like Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit. I'm glad this came back up. Missed it the first time around and the deck idea intrigues me.

Surrak, the Hunt Caller is good to pair with the Blade because it makes him big enough to give himself haste on an empty board.
Probably not good enough without the Blade though.

Sheepz over in the Death and Taxes thread was experimenting with hero's blade. This is the most recent list of theirs I could find:


It plays Isamaru but I would bet that the new Gideon would be a good choice as well.

Was thinking about this recently as well. A deck based on Glissa, the Traitor, Tasigur and Grisly Salvage + a slew of mana dorks seems like enough synergy to get somewhere.

Thassa provides ridiculous evasion and a potential body and scry. Thassa goes with Geist like PB&J

Edit: Man, a captain sisay reprint would be fun as heck for this deck

Quote from sf45 »

Sheepz over in the Death and Taxes thread was experimenting with hero's blade. This is the most recent list of theirs I could find:

Equinox2793's DeckMagic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards
Creatures 4 Flickerwisp 4 Restoration Angel 4 Leonin Arbiter 3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben 1 Aven Mindcensor 4 Æther Vial 1 Brimaz, King of Oreskos 2 Blade Splicer 3 Isamaru, Hound of Konda 2 Kitchen Finks 3 Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit	Non-Creatures 4 Path to Exile 2 Hero's Blade Land 4 Ghost Quarter 4 Mutavault 1 Tectonic Edge 2 Horizon Canopy 2 Eiganjo Castle 10 Plains	Board 3 Stony Silence 2 Mark of Asylum 2 Mirran Crusader 2 Rest in Peace 2 Kor Firewalker 2 Spellskite 2 Disenchant

It plays Isamaru but I would bet that the new Gideon would be a good choice as well.

Probably the most realistic list that I have seen thus far.

Quote from AvalonAurora »

Here, threw together this untested list:

Equinox2793's DeckMagic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards
Lands 2 Breeding Pool 1 Hallowed Fountain 2 Temple Garden 2 Plains 2 Island 2 Forest 4 Flooded Strand 4 Misty Rainforest 4 Windswept Heath 1 Horizon Canopy Creatures 4 Noble Hierarch 2 Geist of Saint Traft 1 Daxos of Meletis 1 Vendilion Clique 1 Kira, Great Glass-Spinner 1 Grand Arbiter Augustin IV 1 Linvala, Keeper of Silence 1 Rafiq of the Many 1 Venser, Shaper Savant 1 Gaddock Teeg 2 Kemba, Kha Regent 1 Reki, the History of Kamigawa 1 Isamaru, Hound of Konda 1 Yasova Dragonclaw 1 Sygg, River Cutthroat	Spells 4 Hero's Blade 4 Path to Exile 3 Time of Need 1 Day of Destiny 2 Steelshaper's Gift 1 Sword of Fire and Ice 1 Sword of Light and Shadow	Sideboard 1 Kataki, War's Wage 1 Thrun, the Last Troll 1 Burrenton Forge-Tender 1 Spellskite 2 Rest in Peace 1 Hushwing Gryff 1 Torpor Orb 1 Remand 1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben 1 Unravel the Æther 1 Sigarda, Host of Herons 1 Ghost Quarter 1 Detention Sphere 1 Leyline of Sanctity

Hmm maybe a collected company version similar to this has potential

The time of need toolbox seems pretty silly. There is already a working deck that's basically built of legends, so maybe adding this to that archetype could work. Something like:

Why isn't this in deck creation like every other deck like this?