Premodern Aluren Deck Guide (2026)
Premodern Aluren is a creature combo deck: resolve Aluren, then cast Cavern Harpy, Man-o'-War and a third creature for free until the loop wins. Everything is cast at instant speed, and the same loop gains unlimited life, makes mana, draws cards or deals damage, depending on the creature it recasts. The archetype has moved on from the blue-green Cloud of Faeries list of early 2026: most current lists play Spike Feeder, Wall of Blossoms and Wall of Roots, and the most successful MTGO pilots add Survival of the Fittest and Cabal Therapy. The reference list is otaba's Survival build from a run of 5-0 MTGO League finishes in August and September. This guide covers the loops, the three builds, key cards, mulligans, sequencing, every major matchup, sideboard plans and a budget path.
How the deck wins
- Find the enchantment. Four Aluren and four Raven Familiar are in almost every list, plus Survival of the Fittest, Intuition, Impulse or Sylvan Library depending on the build. Academy Rector is a fifth copy: hard-cast it for four, and when it dies, for example as the sacrifice for Cabal Therapy's flashback, it puts Aluren onto the battlefield from your library.
- Make 2GG by turn three. Birds of Paradise, Wall of Roots, Forests, Yavimaya Coast, Llanowar Wastes, City of Brass and Havenwood Battleground, which enters tapped and can be sacrificed for GG once, make a turn-three Aluren routine.
- Loop and win. Once Aluren resolves, loop Spike Feeder with Harpy and Man-o'-War for unlimited life, Wall of Roots for unlimited green mana, and Ghitu Slinger for 2 damage a loop until the opponent is dead. Survival finds whichever piece is missing, since the Wall of Roots loop pays for every activation. Without Slinger, loop Rishadan Cutpurse until they cannot pay, or Wall of Blossoms and Raven Familiar to draw into the missing piece.
Core cards
- 4 Aluren
- 4 Cavern Harpy
- 4 Raven Familiar
- 3 Man-o'-War
- 3 Wall of Blossoms
- 3 Wall of Roots
- 2 Spike Feeder
- 2 Soul Warden
- 1 Rishadan Cutpurse
- 3 Chain of Vapor
- 2 Intuition
- 2 Sylvan Library
- 4 Yavimaya Coast
- 4 Havenwood Battleground
- 3 City of Brass
Key cards
- Aluren: The whole deck. Any player may cast creatures with mana value 3 or less for free and with flash, so against creature decks resolve it only when the loop can start at once. Sphere of Resistance makes each of those free creatures cost one, which breaks the loops. There is no substitute: a list without four copies is a different deck.
- Cavern Harpy: The engine. When it enters it returns a blue or black creature you control, it is blue and black itself, and 1 life returns it to your hand. It is a Beast, so Engineered Plague naming Beast kills it, and Cursed Totem stops its return ability.
- Man-o'-War: The other half of the loop: it returns any creature, including green ones like Spike Feeder and Wall of Roots, and Harpy then returns Man-o'-War. Outside the combo it bounces Phyrexian Dreadnought, a reanimated fatty or an Oath creature.
- Spike Feeder: The life engine of current lists, in three of five. It enters with two +1/+1 counters, and removing one gains 2 life without mana, so every loop nets 1 life after Harpy's cost: the second counter has to stay on, or the Feeder dies as a 0/0 before it can be returned. Unlimited life ends races against Sligh and Goblins, unless Sligh already has Sulfuric Vortex on the battlefield. Soul Warden, in about half the lists, gains 1 life for every creature that enters and does the same job.
- Wall of Roots: Its mana ability needs no tap, so it adds G the turn it enters, once per Wall. Recast in the loop, each copy is a new Wall, which makes unlimited green mana for Survival activations.
- Survival of the Fittest: The second engine of the reference list, in about a quarter of current lists. For G it discards a creature card and finds any creature, which Aluren then casts for free: Squee is discard fodder that returns every upkeep, Ghitu Slinger the kill, Monk Realist and Uktabi Orangutan the answers.
- Raven Familiar: Dig before and during the combo: it looks at the top three cards and takes one, and inside a Harpy loop, which returns it directly, it digs through the library.
- Cabal Therapy: In the black and Survival builds, it names the counterspell or enchantment removal before you go off. Flash it back by sacrificing a spare creature, or Academy Rector to put Aluren onto the battlefield.
Mulligan guide
Keep
- Aluren and a way to 2GG by turn three: Havenwood Battleground, Forest, Yavimaya Coast, Birds of Paradise, Aluren, Cavern Harpy and Man-o'-War is the archetypal keep.
- Survival of the Fittest with green mana and a creature to discard, even without Aluren: Survival finds Raven Familiar or Academy Rector, and both lead to the enchantment.
- Against blue decks after boarding, Xantid Swarm with Aluren and enough mana: an attacking Swarm stops their counters for the turn.
Ship
- No Aluren and no way to find it: no Survival, Raven Familiar, Intuition, Impulse or Sylvan Library.
- One land without Birds of Paradise or Wall of Roots, and hands whose only green source is a single Havenwood Battleground.
- Loop creatures without the enchantment or an engine, the classic trap: Spike Feeder, Harpy and Man-o'-War do nothing on their own.
Aluren mulligans for a route to the enchantment and to 2GG, not for combo pieces, because Survival, Raven Familiar and Aluren itself find those later. Ask how the hand finds Aluren, how it makes 2GG by turn three, and which single card from the opponent beats it.
Play tips and sequencing
- Start the loop the moment Aluren resolves against creature decks. It is symmetrical: Goblins, Elves and Zombies cast their small creatures for free too.
- Gain life before you spend it. Loop Spike Feeder first; every other loop costs 1 life per Harpy return, and a Phyrexian Rager loop costs 2.
- Loop Wall of Roots before Survival. Bank the green mana first, then activate Survival as often as the turn needs.
- Mind the mandatory targets. Monk Realist must destroy an enchantment and Bone Shredder a creature, so with no other target they hit your own Aluren, Survival or loop creature.
- Combo in response to removal. If they activate Seal of Cleansing or Pernicious Deed, or cast Disenchant or Naturalize on Aluren, the enchantment stays until that resolves and your creatures have flash: finish the loop first. Against removal on a loop creature, return the target to your hand in response: pay 1 life to return Cavern Harpy and recast it to save Man-o'-War or another blue or black creature, or recast Man-o'-War to save any creature. Harpy cannot help while it is on the stack, which is the moment opponents wait for with Swords, Smother or Parallax Wave, and with Seal of Cleansing on Aluren. A second Harpy in hand covers all of these; a Man-o'-War or Chain of Vapor in hand still saves a targeted creature.
- Sacrifice Academy Rector for value. Flashing back Cabal Therapy with Rector puts Aluren, or Survival, onto the battlefield from your library.
- Watch your life with City of Brass and painlands. Each Harpy return costs 1 life too, so keep enough to reach the Spike Feeder loop, especially against Sligh.
Matchups
- Stiflenought (slightly favorable to even): Man-o'-War returns Phyrexian Dreadnought cleanly and Chain of Vapor answers it, and the combo can win before Dreadnought connects twice. The danger is Daze, Foil and Counterspell on Aluren and Stifle on Survival activations or Harpy's return. Cabal Therapy naming Counterspell and Xantid Swarm after boarding get the combo turn through. MTGDecks: 50 percent over 18 matches.
- Goblins (slightly unfavorable before boarding, close afterward): Aluren is symmetrical, so once it resolves they cast Lackey, Piledriver, Warchief, Matron and Sharpshooter for free as well. Game one is a race: resolve Aluren only when the Spike Feeder loop can start at once, since unlimited life ends it, and expect Mogg Fanatic or Goblin Sharpshooter to shoot your loop creatures. In the middle of a loop you can usually return the target to your hand in response, so those shots hurt most while your Cavern Harpy spell is on the stack. Their Pyroblast or Red Elemental Blast on that Harpy spell is harder to beat. After boarding come Hydroblast, Blue Elemental Blast or Engineered Plague naming Goblin, and Tsabo's Web for Rishadan Port. MTGDecks: 41 percent over 17 matches, limited data.
- Sligh (even, highly draw-dependent): A pure race the draw decides. The saving grace is the Spike Feeder or Soul Warden loop: unlimited life ends the matchup on the spot, so you need no kill on board. While Sulfuric Vortex, main deck in about two thirds of their lists, is on the battlefield, the loop gains you nothing. Remove it before you start the loop: Chain of Vapor returns it to their hand, Monk Realist, in some lists, destroys it for free under Aluren, and after boarding so do Naturalize, Hydroblast and Blue Elemental Blast. If they sacrifice a land to copy your Chain of Vapor onto Aluren, run the loop in response while Aluren is still on the battlefield. A Vortex they cast once Aluren is out comes too late, since you can run the loop in response. With Rishadan Cutpurse you can still loop through Vortex: each round with Cavern Harpy costs you 1 life and them a permanent or {1}, until they have to sacrifice Vortex. Pyrostatic Pillar, main deck in the Black Vise build, needs the same answers: it deals 2 damage to you for every creature you cast under Aluren, free or not, so a loop gains life only with at least two Soul Wardens on the battlefield. Their burn kills Birds of Paradise and Soul Warden before Aluren resolves; once you are looping, a burn target can usually go back to your hand in response, except while your Cavern Harpy spell is on the stack. Price of Progress punishes nonbasic lands, and your City of Brass and painlands help them. Hydroblast and Blue Elemental Blast come in; expect Pyroblast or Red Elemental Blast on a Cavern Harpy spell. MTGDecks: 50 percent over 22 matches, limited data.
- Enchantress (even): They are slower, but Parallax Wave exiles loop creatures, Seal of Cleansing and Aura of Silence hit Aluren and Survival, and Solitary Confinement gives them shroud and prevents damage, so Ghitu Slinger cannot finish; Rishadan Cutpurse's sacrifice does not target and still works. Wave, Seal and Aura hurt most while your Cavern Harpy spell is on the stack, when Wave can exile one loop creature after another. At other moments, combo in response to Seal or Aura and save a Wave target by returning it to your hand. Keep Naturalize for Confinement and Wave, and expect Abeyance in your upkeep. MTGDecks: 38 percent over 13 matches, limited data.
- Landstill (favorable after boarding): Their clock is slow, but Counterspell, Mana Leak, Disenchant and Humility all stop your combo, and Humility turns off every enters-the-battlefield ability, so answer it before you combo. Continue in response to Disenchant, and bring Xantid Swarm, whose attack stops their spells for the turn, plus Naturalize for Humility and Tsabo's Web for Mishra's Factory and Dust Bowl. MTGDecks: 71 percent over 7 matches, very limited data.
- Mono Black (slightly unfavorable): Duress and Cabal Therapy take Aluren or Survival, Hypnotic Specter discards pieces at random, Wasteland hits Yavimaya Coast, City of Brass or Havenwood Battleground, and Engineered Plague after boarding can name Beast. Smother kills Soul Warden or Spike Feeder before Aluren resolves; in the middle of a loop you can usually save its target in response, so it hurts most while your Cavern Harpy spell is on the stack. Resolve Aluren behind a Therapy of your own, and bring Compost, which draws a card whenever a black card hits their graveyard. MTGDecks: 50 percent over 14 matches, limited data.
- The Rock (unfavorable): Duress, Cabal Therapy, Dust Bowl, Pernicious Deed, Smother, Engineered Plague and a real clock all work against you. Deed is not an automatic answer, since you can combo in response to the activation; the problem is that discard and mana denial often stop you reaching that point. Bring Compost, and Naturalize for Plague. Very limited data.
- Terrageddon (even): Wasteland and Rishadan Port hit Havenwood Battleground, Yavimaya Coast and City of Brass, Armageddon stops a hardcast Aluren, and Aura of Silence taxes Aluren and Survival by two. Swords to Plowshares and maindeck Naturalize answer loop creatures and the enchantments. Both hurt most while your Cavern Harpy spell is on the stack; at other moments, combo in response to Naturalize and save a Swords target by returning it to your hand. Tsabo's Web after boarding stops Rishadan Port. Limited data: 46 percent over 13 matches.
- MUD (unfavorable): Sphere of Resistance makes every creature you cast through Aluren cost one, and Winter Orb, Tangle Wire and Rishadan Port keep you off 2GG, so a hardcast Aluren is very hard. Triskelion and Fire shoot Birds of Paradise and your loop creatures. You can usually save a target by returning it to your hand in response, but not while your Cavern Harpy spell is on the stack, which is when Triskelion and Fire hurt most; under Sphere every recast costs one mana, and every Harpy you recast gives Triskelion another shot. Bring Naturalize and Uktabi Orangutan for Sphere and Winter Orb, and Tsabo's Web for Rishadan Port. MTGDecks (Tinker Welder): 20 percent over 5 matches, very limited data.
- Full English Breakfast (even): Two fast engine decks, so speed and a well-timed Cabal Therapy decide games. Aluren lets them cast Hermit Druid, Volrath's Shapeshifter and Psychatog for free too, so resolve it on a turn you can go off. They bring Monk Realist and Naturalize for Aluren and never cut Hermit Druid; your Tormod's Crypt after boarding exiles their graveyard after a Hermit activation. Very limited data.
- Stasis (even): Once Aluren is out, both players cast small creatures for free at instant speed, so Stasis stops mattering. Protect Aluren from Annul and their Chain of Vapor, which also answers your own. Cursed Totem from their sideboard stops Cavern Harpy's return ability, Spike Feeder and Wall of Roots. No meaningful match data.
- UG Madness (slightly unfavorable): Wild Mongrel attacks the life total your Harpy loops depend on, Arrogant Wurm arrives at instant speed, and Daze and Circular Logic protect their clock. Aluren hands them free creatures too; Man-o'-War buys tempo back, and a running Spike Feeder loop wins the race. Very limited data: 60 percent over 5 matches.
- Elves (even to slightly unfavorable): They race, and Aluren lets their creatures with mana value 3 or less be cast for free and at instant speed too: mana Elves, Wirewood Symbiote and Multani's Acolyte arrive during your combo turn. Man-o'-War on Priest of Titania or Symbiote buys a turn, Ghitu Slinger and Bone Shredder, in some lists, kill Elves, and Nantuko Vigilante can destroy Aluren itself. Engineered Plague naming Elf comes in for the black lists. MTGDecks: 67 percent over 6 matches, very limited data.
- Replenish (even to slightly unfavorable): Both are enchantment combo decks. Abeyance in your upkeep stops Harpy's return, Spike Feeder and Survival for the turn. Parallax Wave exiles loop creatures and Seal of Cleansing hits Aluren, and both hurt most while your Cavern Harpy spell is on the stack. At other moments, combo in response to Seal and save a Wave target by returning it to your hand. Bring Naturalize for Opalescence and Parallax Wave, and Xantid Swarm: once its attack trigger resolves they cannot cast spells for the rest of the turn, so go off after combat. It does not stop an Abeyance cast in your upkeep, or Parallax Wave and Seal of Cleansing activations, which are abilities. MTGDecks: 36 percent over 11 matches, limited data.
- Oath of Druids (slightly unfavorable): Sphere of Resistance makes every creature you cast through Aluren cost one, so the loops stop being free, and Wasteland, Rishadan Port, Thermokarst and Winter's Grasp attack your green mana. Your creatures turn Oath on for them whenever you have more of them on the battlefield, and Swords to Plowshares exiles a loop creature unless you return it to your hand in response; under Sphere each Harpy or Man-o'-War you recast costs one mana, and Swords hurts most while your Cavern Harpy spell is on the stack. Man-o'-War returns the Oath creature, and Naturalize, Uktabi Orangutan and Tsabo's Web come in for Oath, Sphere and Rishadan Port. Very limited data: 20 percent over 5 matches.
- Psychatog (even to slightly unfavorable): Counterspell, Foil and Duress fight the enchantment, and Smother and Sickening Dreams kill Birds of Paradise and your loop creatures. Once Aluren is out, you can usually save a Smother target by returning it to your hand in response, so Smother hurts most while your Cavern Harpy spell is on the stack, and that Harpy spell is also what their Counterspell and Foil will aim at. Man-o'-War returns Psychatog to their hand and makes them cast it again, Xantid Swarm protects the combo turn after boarding, and Tormod's Crypt shrinks Psychatog. Don't start a life-costing loop while Psychatog threatens lethal. Very limited data: 0 percent over 5 matches.
- Reanimator (favorable): You hold answers to a single big creature: Man-o'-War and Chain of Vapor return it to a hand that cannot cast it, though Putrid Imp can discard it again, and when you Chain their creature they may sacrifice a land to copy the spell onto Aluren. Your combo ignores combat, but their Cabal Therapy and Duress go after Aluren, and a turn-one or turn-two reanimation can beat you. A Man-o'-War in your graveyard also returns their creature if they cast Exhume. After boarding Gilded Drake takes Akroma, and Tormod's Crypt, in a few sideboards, exiles their graveyard. Very limited data.
- Tron (favorable): Tron is slow but holds two-mana counters, so resolve Aluren when they are tapped low; Xantid Swarm after boarding and, in the lists that play it, Cabal Therapy protect the combo turn. Disenchant, main deck in about half their lists, destroys a resolved Aluren, so keep the loop pieces in hand and go off in response, and after boarding Meddling Mage can name Aluren or Cavern Harpy. Swords to Plowshares on a loop creature hurts most while your Cavern Harpy spell is on the stack, since at other moments you can save the target by returning it to your hand. Prohibit counters a Harpy spell even without kicker, and Miscalculation or Mana Leak does too unless you can pay. No match data.
- Clerics (even to slightly unfavorable): Their Duress and Cabal Therapy can take Aluren before it resolves, and Therapy can name Cavern Harpy. Aluren also lets them cast their Clerics for free and with flash. After boarding Engineered Plague naming Beast kills Cavern Harpy as it enters and breaks the loop, so keep Naturalize or Monk Realist for it. A Harpy loop with Soul Warden out gains you more life than Cabal Archon can drain, Spike Feeder gains 2 life for each counter, and Compost draws a card for every black card that goes to their graveyard. No match data.
- The Solution (even): Meddling Mage, Mother of Runes, Counterspell, Swords and Disenchant are all live, and a Mage naming Aluren is close to game over. Man-o'-War and Chain of Vapor answer the Mage; start the combo the moment Aluren resolves, since they can cast their Mage through it too. No meaningful match data.
- Dromar Control (even to slightly unfavorable): Dromar Control has counters, Duress and Meddling Mage, in almost every list, which can name Aluren, so cast Aluren when they are tapped out or after an attacking Xantid Swarm has stopped them from casting spells that turn. Swords to Plowshares and Vindicate do little against Cavern Harpy, which you return to your hand for 1 life in response, but Engineered Plague naming Beast, in almost every Dromar sideboard, kills Harpy as it enters; Naturalize destroys the Plague. Bring Xantid Swarm and Compost, which can draw a card each time one of their black cards goes to their graveyard, and keep Man-o'-War or Chain of Vapor for Meddling Mage, though Chain of Vapor on their Mage lets them sacrifice a land and copy it onto your Aluren. No match data.
- Deadguy Ale (unfavorable): Their discard is the problem: Duress takes Aluren or Survival of the Fittest, Hypnotic Specter takes cards at random, and Gerrard's Verdict two cards of your choice. Vindicate and the Disenchant in about half their main decks destroy a resolved Aluren, so keep the loop pieces in hand and win in response, since Aluren lets you cast creatures with flash. After boarding expect Engineered Plague naming Beast, which kills Cavern Harpy as it enters, and Aura of Silence, which makes Aluren cost two more; Naturalize answers both. Compost draws a card whenever a black card goes to their graveyard, and under Aluren their Specters, Shades and Wretches are free too. No match data.
- Zombies (slightly unfavorable): A fast clock with Carnophage and Sarcomancy, Duress and Cabal Therapy for Aluren or Survival, Withered Wretch for your graveyard and Wasteland for your green mana. Aluren hands them free Zombies too, and Engineered Plague naming Beast after boarding kills Cavern Harpy. A running Spike Feeder loop wins the race, and Compost draws off their black cards. No match data.
- White Weenie (even): Aluren is symmetrical, so their one- to three-drops become free too, but your loops win on the spot. Expect Aura of Silence, which makes Aluren cost six, and Seal of Cleansing or Disenchant, so combo in response. Their clock is usually faster than your setup. Very limited data.
- BW Control (even): Their discard is what you fear: Gerrard's Verdict costs you two cards of your choice, Duress and Cabal Therapy take Aluren before it lands, and Vindicate destroys it, though Aluren gives your creatures flash, so you can combo in response. Their Wrath of God is no answer to a loop that wins in one turn. After boarding expect Aura of Silence, which makes Aluren cost six, and Seal of Cleansing. Very limited data: 67 percent over 6 matches.
- Gro-a-Tog (unfavorable): Counterspell, Daze and Meddling Mage naming Aluren are built to stop you: bait with Intuition or a creature first, and cast Aluren with an extra mana for Daze. Once Aluren resolves you can combo in response to anything. Very limited data.
- Pit Rack (slightly unfavorable): Their discard is exactly what you fear: Duress and Cabal Therapy take Aluren, and Bottomless Pit takes a random card every upkeep. They have no answer to a resolved Aluren, so cast it the first turn you can. Very limited data.
- Rebels (slightly unfavorable): Their counters and Meddling Mage are the problem: Counterspell and Mana Leak stop Aluren. Cast it on a turn they tapped out; once it resolves you can go off at instant speed, even in response to Disenchant. Man-o'-War and Chain of Vapor buy time against their board. No match data.
- Contamination (slightly unfavorable): Resolve Aluren before Contamination: under the lock, Aluren and most of your creatures need green or blue mana your lands no longer make (Birds of Paradise and Wall of Roots still make {G}), but once Aluren is on the battlefield your creatures with mana value 3 or less cost nothing. Their Duress and Cabal Therapy go after Aluren. No meaningful match data.
- Turbo Lands (even): Glacial Chasm prevents Ghitu Slinger's damage, so win with the Rishadan Cutpurse loop instead: each Cutpurse makes them sacrifice a permanent unless they pay {1}, and that goes through Chasm. Their Seismic Assault kills Raven Familiar, Rishadan Cutpurse and Soul Warden, and Seal of Cleansing destroys Aluren, both best for them while your Cavern Harpy spell is on the stack. At other moments, combo in response to Seal and save an Assault target by returning it to your hand. Chain of Vapor on their Horn of Greed lets them sacrifice a land to copy it onto Aluren. No match data.
- Fluctuator (even): Two combo decks with little interaction: Chain of Vapor bounces Fluctuator, and once Aluren resolves, the Spike Feeder or Soul Warden loop gains unlimited life, which beats their damage kill. Resolve Aluren before their kill turn, usually turn three or four. Miscalculation from their sideboard counters Aluren unless you pay {2}. No match data.
- RG Zoo (slightly unfavorable): Zoo is a fast creature deck with main-deck Naturalize, two in most lists, so resolve Aluren only when the Spike Feeder or Soul Warden loop can start at once, and remember it gives them free creatures with flash too: Jackal Pup, Mogg Fanatic, Grim Lavamancer and Quirion Dryad. Their burn kills Raven Familiar and Spike Feeder before Aluren resolves and hurts most mid-loop while your Cavern Harpy spell is on the stack; at other moments you can save the target by returning it to your hand in response. After boarding they add Tranquil Domain, Hull Breach and Pyroblast or Red Elemental Blast for Cavern Harpy; bring Hydroblast and Blue Elemental Blast in the blue lists. No meaningful match data.
Sideboard guide
- vs Stiflenought, Landstill, Psychatog, Tron, The Solution, Dromar Control and Stasis: Xantid Swarm, Cabal Therapy. Three or four Xantid Swarm, in nine of ten sideboards: once it attacks, they can't cast spells that turn, so Aluren and the whole loop resolve. The Survival lists add a fourth Cabal Therapy, and some blue lists Show and Tell. Against Landstill add Naturalize for Humility and Tsabo's Web for Mishra's Factory, against Psychatog Tormod's Crypt. Out: slow toolbox cards such as Academy Rector and Monk Realist, and a Wall of Blossoms.
- vs Enchantress, Replenish, Oath of Druids, Terrageddon and MUD: Naturalize, Uktabi Orangutan, Tsabo's Web. Three Naturalize for Solitary Confinement, Parallax Wave, Opalescence, Oath of Druids, Aura of Silence and Sphere of Resistance, and Uktabi Orangutan, found by Survival, for Sphere, Winter Orb and Cursed Totem. Two Tsabo's Web keep Rishadan Port, Mishra's Factory and Treetop Village tapped and draw a card. Out: Cabal Therapy against Oath of Druids and MUD, where the threats are already on the battlefield.
- vs Mono Black, The Rock, Deadguy Ale, Clerics and Zombies: Compost, Cabal Therapy, Naturalize. Compost, in half the sideboards, draws a card whenever a black card hits their graveyard, from their discard spells to their dead creatures, and the fourth Cabal Therapy fights their discard. Naturalize and Monk Realist answer Engineered Plague naming Beast, which almost every Mono Black, Deadguy Ale and Clerics sideboard has, so keep Monk Realist in against them.
- vs Reanimator, Full English Breakfast and Psychatog: Tormod's Crypt. Three Tormod's Crypt exile their graveyard in response to Reanimate or Exhume, after a Hermit Druid activation, or before Psychatog grows. Out: Academy Rector and a Wall of Blossoms.
- vs Sligh, Goblins and Elves: Hydroblast, Blue Elemental Blast, Engineered Plague. Not in the reference list, but common: Hydroblast and Blue Elemental Blast in the blue-heavy lists counter burn and kill red creatures, Engineered Plague naming Goblin or Elf in the black lists. Spike Feeder stays in: once its loop starts, unlimited life ends the race. Against Sligh, destroy Sulfuric Vortex before you start the loop.
Budget and upgrades
Typical cost: $840–$2,960. The reference list (otaba, 5-0 in an MTGO Premodern League, 21 September) costs about $2,960 with its sideboard at the Premodern-era printings tracked here, and four Survival of the Fittest are about $1,690 of that, or 57 percent. Four Aluren add about $380; Survival, Aluren, Intuition and Academy Rector are all on the Reserved List. The blue-green build without Survival that ScreenwriterNY took to an MTGO Challenge top eight costs about $840.
- Start with a blue-green build without Survival or Intuition: four Aluren, Cavern Harpy, Man-o'-War and Raven Familiar, Wall of Roots, Spike Feeder and Sylvan Library, on Forests, Islands, Havenwood Battleground and Yavimaya Coast. That costs about $840, or about $540 with tournament-legal reprints where your events allow them.
- Then add Birds of Paradise, City of Brass and Llanowar Wastes for a black splash with Cabal Therapy, which is still inexpensive.
- Buy Survival of the Fittest (about $420 each) and Intuition (about $360) last. Both are on the Reserved List, so there are no cheap reprints.
- Never cut the core: four Aluren, four Cavern Harpy and Man-o'-War are the deck, and the mana base needs enough green sources for 2GG on turn three.
Every deck that costs under $500 with reprints is on our budget decks page, priced from a real tournament list.
