Pirate Stompy in Legacy! Yes you read that right. Pirates are running rampant online and it’s being whispered about in all the forums. No one is quite sure where it came from. It’s not like the deck has a bunch of Ixalan cards—some are running a few—but supposedly it’s tearing up MTGO like nobodies business. There have been many different rumors about what the list would be and below seems to be the most common list I’ve found.
Pirate Stompy
| Creatures (15) 4 Rishadan Cutpurse 4 Rishadan Footpad 4 Sea Drake 3 Serendib Efreet Spells (24) 1 Jace Beleren 2 Jace, the Mind Sculptor 2 Chalice of the Void 1 Chrome Mox 4 Force of Will 3 Hoodwink 4 Mox Diamond 2 Mox Opal 3 Parallax Tide 2 Trinisphere | Lands (21) 4 Ancient Tomb 4 City of Traitors 8 Island 4 Seat of the Synod 1 The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale Sideboard (15) 1 Chalice of the Void 2 Hurkyl’s Recall 3 Hydroblast 4 Propaganda 3 Submerge 2 Trinisphere |
I’ve also seen rumors of this list with Smokestack, Siren’s Ruse, and Deadeye Navigator. You’ll see no matter what that it’s a really grindy deck. Rumors have that someone’s been going 4-0 with it then dropping so it doesn’t make the published 5-0 list. We shall see.
The deck runs the fun combo of Parallax Tide and Hoodwink which, if you stack all the triggers properly while holding priority, allows you to exile your opponent’s lands and then bounce Parallax Tide with Hoodwink preventing the lands from ever returning. Then you play fun creatures like Rishadan Cutpurse and Rishadan Footpad to make your opponent start sacrificing any other permanents that they have on board. The rest of the deck is basically just more lock pieces and more protection. Siren’s Ruse is a fun idea to add in because it lets you protect your creature and draw a card for two mana.
Overall the deck does look like fun if you’re like me and love to play decks that really shut your opponent down. It doesn’t seem like it is nearly as good as the rumors say though, after watching it play a little and talking to some people who were paired against it. Perhaps the successful deck is, like Brigadoon, constantly hidden—away at sea, probably not dangerous, but you hear stories from time to time.
But let’s get real. Pirate Stompy, or Popeye as it’s affectionately being called, is too good to be true. It doesn’t seem like you’re going to instantly 5-0 with it—though I frankly wouldn’t mind taking it out for a spin, If only for the chance to see the pure confusion on my opponents face when I cast commons from Mercadian Masques.
It is funny timing that this deck is blowing up right when a new Pirate themed set comes out with almost no cards from that set in the deck. I hope we see it get some play and hear some actual numbers on it, if only because I’m selfish and want another Trinisphere/Chalice deck to play. Unfortunately though it seems like Popeye is going to need some more spinach before we see it become a top tier Legacy deck.
Update:
This morning I got another list from fellow Hipster Nate Golia of Eternal Durdles. It is a bit different and can be found below. You’ll see it runs more pirates than the original list I was given as well as a transformational sideboard that turns the deck into Sneak and Show. I think this is the greediest mana base I’ve ever seen in my life—there aren’t a lot of ways to cast their noncreature spells—but I will say that I still find it interesting.
Pirate Stompy
| Creatures (18) 4 Rishadan Cutpurse 4 Rishadan Footpad 4 Rishadan Brigand 2 Phantasmal Image 4 Snapcaster Mage Spells (22) 4 Force of Will 3 Chrome Mox 4 Chart a Course 4 Siren’s Ruse 3 Smuggler’s Copter 4 Chalice of the Void | Lands (20) 4 Ancient Tomb 4 Cavern of Souls 2 City of Traitors 3 Islands 3 Scalding Tarn 4 Wasteland Sideboard (15) 1 Flusterstorm 4 Show and Tell 1 Surgical Extraction 3 Gristlebrand 2 Sneak Attack 2 Volcanic Island 2 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn |
Will Popeye keep eating spinach? Or will the days of Pirates terrorizing Legacy come and go in a flash?
Kate hails from Worcester MA and also does a bit of Card Altering. Check her Stuff out on Facebook! She mainly plays legacy and modern though will occasionally find herself playing EDH.