Premodern Tron Deck Guide (2026)
Premodern Tron is a blue-white control deck built on the three Urza lands, Urza's Mine, Urza's Power Plant and Urza's Tower, which together make seven mana. It counters with Mana Leak, Prohibit and Miscalculation, answers creatures with Swords to Plowshares and, in most lists, Wrath of God, and wins with Soldiers from Decree of Justice, cycled at the end of the opponent's turn. It is a rare deck on MTGTop8, 12 of about 8,200 lists since April (0.15 percent), and its best finishes since then are Torpidmoloch's top four at the $1k at SCG CON Washington (37 players, May) and Simon Walters' second place at Eternal Masters in Australia (23 players, June).
How the deck wins
- Once all three Urza lands are out, a draw-go deck can hold up a counterspell and still cycle Decree of Justice for several Soldier tokens at the end of the opponent's turn, with the colored mana for both from its other lands, Chromatic Sphere or Skycloud Egg. The cycling is not a spell, so Mana Leak, Counterspell and Prohibit cannot stop it; only Stifle can counter the trigger.
- Colored mana is the tighter limit: Chromatic Sphere and, in two of three lists, Skycloud Egg turn colorless mana into the white for Wrath of God and Swords to Plowshares, and Adarkar Wastes, Skycloud Expanse, Flooded Strand and a few basics provide the rest. Masticore and Stroke of Genius, which can also make the opponent draw from an empty library, are the other ways to win once the lands are online.
- Mana Leak and Miscalculation counter early spells unless the opponent pays three or two more, and Prohibit counters a spell with mana value 2 or less, or 4 or less when kicked. Power Sink, in five of the twelve lists since April, counters almost anything once the Urza lands pay for X, and if the opponent does not pay, their lands are tapped.
Core cards
- 4 Urza's Mine
- 4 Urza's Power Plant
- 4 Urza's Tower
- 4 Swords to Plowshares
- 4 Impulse
- 4 Decree of Justice
- 4 Chromatic Sphere
- 4 Miscalculation
- 3 Stroke of Genius
- 2 Prohibit
- 2 Fact or Fiction
- 3 Mana Leak
- 2 Wrath of God
- 2 Masticore
- 2 Disenchant
- 3 Adarkar Wastes
- 3 Flooded Strand
- 2 Skycloud Expanse
- 2 Island
- 2 Plains
Key cards
- Urza's Tower: With Urza's Mine and Urza's Power Plant on the battlefield it taps for three colorless mana and the other two for two each, seven in all; without the full set each taps for one. All three are nonbasic, so Wasteland, Dust Bowl, Back to Basics and Price of Progress hit them, but Tsabo's Web does not, since they only have mana abilities.
- Decree of Justice: In every list, almost always four copies. Cycling it costs {2}{W} plus X and makes X 1/1 Soldiers at instant speed; it is an ability, so Mana Leak and Prohibit cannot counter it, and only Stifle stops the trigger. Hard-cast, it makes X 4/4 flying Angels, but that costs twice X plus four, is a sorcery and can be countered.
- Chromatic Sphere: In all but one list, mostly four copies: one mana to cast, one more to sacrifice it for one mana of any color and a card, which is how a mana base of mostly colorless lands casts Wrath of God on time. Skycloud Egg, in two of three lists, costs one to cast and two to sacrifice, and makes {W}{U} and a card.
- Fact or Fiction: In three of four lists since April and in all three since September, two to four copies: at instant speed it reveals the top five cards of your library, the opponent splits them into two piles, and you take one. Cast it at the end of their turn, like a cycled Decree of Justice, with the mana you kept up for counters and did not need.
- Impulse: In all but one list, almost always four copies: two mana at instant speed to look at the top four cards and take one. Early it looks for the missing Urza land or a colored source, later for a counter or Decree of Justice; a specific missing Urza land is among the four cards only about three times in ten.
- Swords to Plowshares: In every list, four copies: for one mana it exiles any creature, including Phyrexian Dreadnought, an Exalted Angel face up or face down and a reanimated Akroma, Angel of Wrath, though the controller gains life equal to its power. With the lands online it is cheap enough to cast in the same turn as a counter.
- Stroke of Genius: In three of four lists, one to four copies: X cards at instant speed, cast at their end step with the Urza lands online, to refill after a counter war, or aimed at the opponent in a long game to make them draw from an empty library.
- Masticore: In two of three lists, usually two copies: a 4/4 for four colorless mana that you keep only by discarding a card each upkeep. With the lands assembled its {2} abilities, 1 damage to a creature or regeneration, are easy to pay, and against Goblins and Elves it shoots one X/1 for every {2}. Wrath of God and Incinerate stop the regeneration, and Swords to Plowshares exiles it.
Mulligan guide
Keep
- Two different Urza lands plus a colored source and a cantrip or Chromatic Sphere: two pieces plus Impulse is fine, since Impulse digs four deep for the third.
- Reactive hands with one Urza land, Swords to Plowshares, a counter and two colored sources: the deck works as a fine control deck even without the lands assembled.
Ship
- All three Urza lands with no colored source, no Chromatic Sphere and no Skycloud Egg: you make seven colorless mana on turn three and can cast only Masticore or another colorless card.
- One-land hands always, and reactive two-land hands against Stiflenought or Sligh, above all on the play, where you draw one card fewer before your third land drop.
Do not mulligan in search of the Urza lands: the deck has no way to search for them, and a seven-card hand that can cast its spells without the full set is better than a smaller hand that might find it.
Play tips and sequencing
- Play an Urza land you do not yet control before a second copy of one you do, so a third piece you draw completes the set at once: with two Mines and a Tower in hand, play a Mine and the Tower before the second Mine.
- Cast Chromatic Sphere on turn one and keep it on the battlefield: sacrifice it later when a colorless mana has to become white for Swords to Plowshares or Wrath of God, and draw its card then.
- Cycle Decree of Justice at their end step instead of casting it: the Soldiers arrive at instant speed, and you untap before your own turn. Hard-cast it for Angels only when you have mana to spare and they are tapped out.
- Choose X by what the opponent has: against Goblins cycle for just enough blockers and keep Swords to Plowshares up; against Landstill with counters up, cycle for as much as you can, since their counterspells cannot stop it, though their Powder Keg on zero counters and Wrath of God still kill the Soldiers.
- Against control, do not tap out on your own turn: Decree and Fact or Fiction are end-step plays, so pass with the lands untapped and let them act first.
- In the lists with Power Sink, save it for their big turn: cast it when they are tapped low, and if they do not pay, their lands are tapped and they lose their unspent mana.
Matchups
- Stiflenought (even): Swords to Plowshares exiles the Dreadnought, and Disenchant and Powder Keg at one counter kill it, but a turn-two Dreadnought behind Stifle and counters puts you on a two-turn clock before all three Urza lands are out. Stifle also counters the trigger when you cycle Decree of Justice, so bait it first. After boarding, Back to Basics, in about two of three of their sideboards since September, keeps your Urza lands and other nonbasic lands from untapping; counter it or destroy it with Disenchant. No meaningful match data.
- Goblins (even): Wrath of God, Masticore and Decree of Justice tokens hold off the swarm, but their Wasteland and Rishadan Port attack your Urza lands. After boarding, Circle of Protection: Red prevents the damage of one red source for each {1} you pay, which a wide board makes expensive until Tron is assembled, and their Tranquil Domain, Naturalize or, in mono-red lists, Anarchy can destroy it. No meaningful match data.
- Sligh (even): Game one is hard: your deck is slow while they burn you, and Price of Progress deals 2 damage to you for each Urza land and other nonbasic land you control. After boarding Circle of Protection: Red, in most sideboards, Warmth and the Blasts turn it around, though Sulfuric Vortex stops Warmth's lifegain. No meaningful match data.
- Enchantress (unfavorable): They out-draw you and Solitary Confinement blanks your entire token clock. Even with Disenchant, main deck in most of your lists, you are racing an engine that started first. No meaningful match data.
- Landstill (favorable): Cycling Decree of Justice is an ability their counterspells cannot stop, the Urza lands give you more mana and Stroke of Genius draws you more cards in the long game, so their Standstill does little. Masticore pings their Soldiers and an animated Mishra's Factory, and Tsabo's Web keeps their Factories, Faerie Conclave and Dust Bowl from untapping without touching your Urza lands. Their Powder Keg on zero counters destroys your Soldiers, and a Dust Bowl aimed at an Urza land is what to save Teferi's Response for. No match data.
- Elves (favorable): Wrath of God kills a board of Elves, Powder Keg on one counter takes every one-mana creature, and Masticore shoots one creature for every {2}, and Mana Leak, Prohibit and Miscalculation counter Survival of the Fittest. Their Nantuko Vigilante, turned face up, destroys Masticore or Powder Keg, and Caller of the Claw rebuilds after a Wrath. No match data.
- Mono Black (even): Their discard hurts a deck that wants to hold cards, Wasteland can destroy an Urza land, and Cursed Scroll picks off your tokens, but you have far more card advantage, Wrath of God and Masticore handle their creatures, and a large Decree of Justice or Stroke of Genius ends it. Limited data: 38 percent over 8 matches.
- UG Madness (even): Wrath of God is strong against Wild Mongrel, but Circular Logic taxes your sweepers and Roar of the Wurm rebuilds through them. No match data.
- The Rock (even): Pernicious Deed eats your Chromatic Sphere and Powder Keg but never your lands, and even a Deed for zero destroys your Soldier tokens. Your mana advantage is the edge in a grind. No match data.
- Reanimator (slightly unfavorable): Swords to Plowshares and Wrath of God answer a reanimated creature, and Prohibit, Mana Leak and Miscalculation stop Reanimate, Exhume and Animate Dead once you have two lands, but a turn-one or turn-two Akroma, Angel of Wrath or Phantom Nishoba comes too early for them. After boarding Tormod's Crypt, in two of three sideboards, exiles their graveyard in response to the reanimation spell, and Meddling Mage can name Reanimate or Exhume. No match data.
- Deadguy Ale (even to slightly favorable): Vindicate, Duress and Wasteland, in four of five of their lists, buy them time, and they will destroy the Urza land you are least likely to replace. They have to turn that time into damage from Hypnotic Specter, Nantuko Shade or Exalted Angel: once your mana is online, Decree of Justice and Stroke of Genius win the long game. Mana Leak and a kicked Prohibit can counter Phyrexian Arena; Wrath of God and Masticore handle their creatures, and Swords to Plowshares answers Exalted Angel. No match data.
- Aluren (unfavorable): Counter Aluren itself, and expect Intuition or, in a third of their lists, Survival of the Fittest at your end step, Xantid Swarm after boarding to stop your counters on their turn, and in some lists Show and Tell as a cheaper way to put Aluren onto the battlefield. Disenchant, main deck in about half your lists, destroys a resolved Aluren, but with the loop pieces in hand they can go off in response, since Aluren gives their creatures flash; after boarding Meddling Mage can name Aluren or Cavern Harpy. If Aluren resolves, Prohibit still counters a Cavern Harpy spell without kicker, since Harpy has mana value 2, and Miscalculation or Mana Leak does too if they cannot pay. Swords on a loop creature works best while a Harpy spell is on the stack; at any other moment Harpy, returned to hand for 1 life and recast, returns Man-o'-War to their hand before Swords resolves, and a recast Man-o'-War returns any other creature. No match data.
- Terrageddon (unfavorable): Their Wasteland destroys an Urza land, Rishadan Port taps them, and Armageddon resets a deck that needs seven mana for its best turns. Bring Teferi's Response and Sacred Ground from the sideboard, and punish their slow draws with Wrath of God and Masticore.
- MUD (even): No meaningful match data. The Urza lands make three mana from one land and Tsabo's Web does not stop them, but Winter Orb lets you untap only one land, and Rishadan Port and Mishra's Helix tap Urza's Tower. Masticore, Decree of Justice and Disenchant fight back, Akroma's Vengeance answers the lock pieces, and after boarding Meddling Mage names Tinker.
- Full English Breakfast (slightly unfavorable): Survival of the Fittest and Hermit Druid come down early, so interact from turn two: Swords to Plowshares answers Hermit Druid, Mana Leak, Miscalculation and Prohibit stop Survival, Unearth and Animate Dead, Disenchant destroys Survival, and Masticore shoots Hermit Druid and Birds of Paradise. After boarding Meddling Mage, Tormod's Crypt and Phyrexian Furnace are your best tools, and their Duress and Xantid Swarm protect the combo turn. No match data.
- Stasis (unfavorable): The Urza lands stay tapped under Stasis, and Root Maze makes new ones enter tapped. Prohibit counters Stasis even without kicker, since Stasis has mana value 2, and Mana Leak and Miscalculation do unless they pay; Meddling Mage from the sideboard names it, and lists with Fire // Ice will try to kill the Mage with Fire. No meaningful match data.
- Replenish (unfavorable): Your clock is Masticore and Decree of Justice, so the game goes long. Save Mana Leak, Miscalculation or a kicked Prohibit for Replenish itself, since Attunement activations are not spells, and use Disenchant on Opalescence or Parallax Wave; Wrath of God only hits their enchantments once Opalescence has animated them, and the next Replenish returns what you destroy. Decree of Silence on the battlefield counters your next three spells and their Defense Grid after boarding makes your counters cost three more on their turn, but cycling Decree of Justice is an ability, so it gets around both. Bring Meddling Mage naming Replenish and Tormod's Crypt. No match data.
- Oath of Druids (unfavorable): Their Wasteland destroys an Urza land, Rishadan Port taps another, and Sphere of Resistance taxes your expensive spells. Keep your creature count at zero while their Oath is out, since Decree tokens and Masticore turn it on, and counter Sphere and the land destruction where you can. Disenchant, Swords to Plowshares and Wrath of God answer Oath and Terravore; after boarding Teferi's Response counters land destruction or a Wasteland or Port activation aimed at your land and destroys that Port, and Sacred Ground returns your destroyed lands. No match data.
- Psychatog (even): Two control decks, and yours has the bigger late game: the Urza lands pay for Stroke of Genius and Fact or Fiction, and a cycled Decree of Justice makes more Soldiers than one Psychatog can block. Their Duress, Counterspell and Foil fight your few big spells, so cycle Decree at the end of their turn, where their counters cannot reach it. Swords to Plowshares answers Psychatog at any size, and Masticore can shoot it for {2} at a time, though they can answer every shot with a pump. No match data.
- Clerics (even): Wrath of God and Masticore kill their creatures, but while Rotlung Reanimator is on the battlefield every Cleric that dies, Rotlung itself included, leaves a 2/2 Zombie, even under Wrath; Swords to Plowshares exiles and leaves none. Their Duress and Cabal Therapy have time to work against a slow control deck, and Rishadan Port, in most of their lists, taps an Urza land. Counter Graveborn Muse, and keep Swords to Plowshares for Dark Supplicant or the Scion of Darkness it puts onto the battlefield: the Supplicant's ability is not a spell, so your counters cannot stop it. After boarding expect Engineered Plague naming Soldier for your Decree tokens and Gloom, which makes Wrath, Swords and Disenchant cost three more. No match data.
- The Solution (unfavorable): Meddling Mage and Lightning Angel pressure you before your setup is ready, and their burn goes to your face. Meddling Mage names Wrath of God, though it cannot stop Decree of Justice being cycled. Masticore kills Mother of Runes and Meddling Mage, since Mother cannot protect against colorless damage. After boarding Circle of Protection: Red prevents the damage from their burn and from Lightning Angel, which is red, and Hydroblast destroys the Angel. No match data.
- Dromar Control (even): Two control decks: their Vindicate attacks your mana, Duress takes a counter, and Mana Leak and Meddling Mage, both in almost every list, fight your big spells, though the Mage cannot stop Decree of Justice from being cycled. Decree of Justice and Stroke of Genius give you the bigger late game. Keep Swords to Plowshares for Exalted Angel, which every list plays; Masticore, an artifact creature, can block Shadowmage Infiltrator despite fear. After boarding expect Engineered Plague naming Soldier for your tokens. No match data.
- White Weenie (slightly unfavorable): Their clock is fast and Armageddon, in most of their lists, takes out the Urza lands you need for everything, unless Sacred Ground, in half your sideboards, returns them. Wrath of God, Decree of Justice and Masticore are your answers; a Wrath after they commit two or three creatures is the turn that swings the game. No match data.
- BW Control (slightly unfavorable): Their Dust Bowl and Vindicate destroy the Urza land you cannot replace, and Haunting Echoes, main deck or sideboard in four of five lists, can then exile every other copy of that land from your library, since Urza lands are not basic. Duress takes Mana Leak, Prohibit or Stroke of Genius before your mana is online, and Gerrard's Verdict makes you discard two more cards of your choice. Once all three Urza lands are out, Stroke of Genius and a bigger Decree of Justice give you the stronger late game. Swords to Plowshares exiles Exalted Angel and Eternal Dragon, which otherwise returns from their graveyard, and their Wrath of God kills Masticore, which cannot regenerate from it. After boarding expect Engineered Plague naming Soldier. No match data.
- Gro-a-Tog (unfavorable): A tempo deck with Counterspell, Foil and, in about half the lists, Daze punishes slow mana, and Armageddon, in two of three main decks, destroys your Urza lands along with theirs. Sacred Ground, in half your sideboards, returns your lands after Armageddon, though their Ray of Revelation can destroy it first. Wrath of God and Masticore are your best cards, Swords to Plowshares exiles Quirion Dryad or Psychatog, and Decree of Justice cycled in their end step dodges their counters and Meddling Mage. No meaningful match data.
- Pit Rack (slightly unfavorable): Their discard takes the expensive cards you hold for the Urza lands, Bottomless Pit makes you discard a card at random in each of your upkeeps, and Wasteland, in almost every list, destroys an Urza land. Wrath of God and Masticore beat their creatures, but Masticore's upkeep discard also empties your hand for The Rack. Decree of Justice can be cycled at instant speed in response to their discard, though The Rack still deals damage every upkeep. After boarding expect Engineered Plague naming Soldier for your tokens and Gloom, which makes Wrath of God, Swords to Plowshares and Disenchant cost three more. No match data.
- Rebels (even): Their searches are abilities, so Mana Leak, Prohibit and Miscalculation cannot stop them: counter Lin Sivvi when she is cast and save Wrath of God for three or more Rebels. Masticore is your best card: it kills their X/1 searchers one by one, and Mother of Runes cannot protect them from colorless damage, though Whipcorder can tap it. Some lists play Dust Bowl for your Urza lands or Meddling Mage for Wrath of God, and Aura of Silence in their sideboard makes your artifacts and enchantments cost two more. No match data.
- Contamination (unfavorable): Contamination breaks your mana: every Urza land makes one black mana, and Swords to Plowshares, Wrath of God, Decree of Justice and your counters need white or blue. Only Chromatic Sphere and Skycloud Egg, which are artifacts, still make colored mana, so each can pay for one Swords, Disenchant or counter, and Disenchant can destroy Contamination that way. Counter it when it is cast, though Duress and Cabal Therapy, in nearly every list, go after the counter you hold for it, and Wasteland and Rishadan Port go after your Urza lands. Masticore, which is colorless, is your best card once Contamination is out, but their Innocent Blood makes you sacrifice it if it is your only creature. No match data.
- Turbo Lands (slightly unfavorable): Their Wasteland and Rishadan Port, in most of the few recorded lists, go after your Urza lands, and Port taps one in your upkeep. Glacial Chasm, in some lists, prevents all damage to them, so neither Decree of Justice tokens nor Masticore can damage them while it stays. Counter Exploration and Horn of Greed with Mana Leak, Prohibit and Miscalculation, and once Horn of Greed has thinned their library, Stroke of Genius aimed at them can make them draw from an empty library. No match data.
- Fluctuator (slightly favorable): Mana Leak, Prohibit and Miscalculation answer Fluctuator and Songs of the Damned, and unkicked Prohibit covers both. Disenchant, main deck in about half your lists, destroys Fluctuator, and Annul and Tormod's Crypt come in after boarding, the Crypt best in response to Songs. Your clock is slow, so keep a counter up every turn; expect Misdirection and Miscalculation from their sideboard. No match data.
- RG Zoo (slightly unfavorable): Zoo is fast, and its green half ignores your red-specific sideboard: Circle of Protection: Red prevents only red damage and Warmth gains life only off red spells, so Elephant tokens, Quirion Dryad and Treetop Village get past both. Wrath of God and Masticore are your best cards, though Incinerate stops Masticore from regenerating; Decree of Justice makes blockers at instant speed. Expect Pyroblast and Red Elemental Blast for Power Sink and Stroke of Genius. No match data.
- Zombies (slightly unfavorable): A fast swarm with Wasteland for your Urza lands and Duress and Cabal Therapy for Wrath of God and Decree of Justice. Masticore, Powder Keg and a Wrath of God cast after they commit three or more creatures do most of your work, but while Rotlung Reanimator, in most lists, is on the battlefield, each Cleric that dies, Withered Wretch and Shepherd of Rot included, leaves a 2/2 Zombie, so exile Rotlung with Swords to Plowshares first. A Decree of Justice cycled at instant speed makes blockers, but Shepherd of Rot and Gempalm Polluter make you lose life without attacking. After boarding expect Gloom, which makes Wrath, Swords to Plowshares and a hard-cast Decree cost three more, and Engineered Plague naming Soldier for the tokens. No match data.
Sideboard guide
- vs Sligh, Goblins, RG Zoo and The Solution: Circle of Protection: Red, Warmth, Hydroblast, Blue Elemental Blast. Circle of Protection: Red is in almost every sideboard: once the lands are online, each {1} prevents the next damage from one red source of your choice. Warmth gains 2 life for each red spell they cast, and the Blasts counter a red spell or destroy a red permanent.
- vs Land destruction: Terrageddon, Oath of Druids, Goblins, Gro-a-Tog, White Weenie and Landstill: Teferi's Response, Sacred Ground. Teferi's Response counters Wasteland, Rishadan Port or Dust Bowl targeting your land and draws two; a Port or Dust Bowl is destroyed as well, while a Wasteland is already sacrificed. Sacred Ground returns every land their spells or abilities destroy, Armageddon included.
- vs Graveyard decks: Reanimator, Full English Breakfast, Replenish and Fluctuator: Tormod's Crypt, Phyrexian Furnace. Tormod's Crypt is in two of three sideboards since April: it costs nothing and exiles a graveyard in response to Reanimate, Exhume, Replenish or Songs of the Damned. Phyrexian Furnace, in a few lists, exiles one card at a time.
- vs Enchantress, Replenish, Stasis, MUD, Oath of Druids and Fluctuator: Disenchant, Annul, Akroma's Vengeance. Disenchant and Annul handle single pieces; Akroma's Vengeance destroys every artifact, creature and enchantment at once, your own Spheres and Masticore included, and cycles when you do not need it.
- vs Combo and control: Meddling Mage. Meddling Mage names the key card (Stasis, Replenish, Exhume, Tinker, Stifle or a counterspell) and buys the time the deck needs to set up.
Budget and upgrades
Typical cost: $340–$560. The reference list (Francesco Ninci, top four of 34 at a Magico Conclave Etrusco league event in Riparbella, Italy, August 21) costs about $560 with its sideboard at the Premodern-era printings tracked here. The Urza lands and the counters are cheap. Four Decree of Justice are about $75, and two each of Enlightened Tutor, Meddling Mage and Tormod's Crypt in the sideboard about $205 together. Lists with three or four Flooded Strand cost about $830 to $960.
- The core is cheap: the twelve Urza lands cost about $1 to $2 each, Decree of Justice about $18, Impulse and Chromatic Sphere about $1.50, and Mana Leak, Prohibit and Miscalculation under a dollar.
- Play Adarkar Wastes, Skycloud Expanse and basics instead of Flooded Strand (about $120 each): the fetch lands only thin and fix a little here.
- Skip Tsabo's Web, Enlightened Tutor and Masticore at first and play a third Wrath of God or another counter in their place. That build costs about $410 with sideboard.
- Swap the two Meddling Mage in the sideboard for Annul to get near $340.
Every deck that costs under $500 with reprints is on our budget decks page, priced from a real tournament list.
