Welcome to Gathering Magic's weekly quintet of Magic Online decks you should be aware of this weekend, whether you're playing a major online event, going to a Grand Prix, or hitting Friday Night Magic. In an era of big data, Magic Online provides some of the biggest data, so even a quick-and-dirty snapshot of recent activity gets you ahead of the competition. This week, with everyone's mind on the Battle for Zendikar prerelease, we'll take a look at Modern and Legacy briefly before heading to various new Limited formats.

The Modern Pro Tour Qualifier

Abzan: 2

Affinity: 3

Amulet Bloom: 2

U/R Twin: 2

Boros Burn: 2

Elf Company

Grixis Twin

Jeskai Control

Jund: 2

Living End

Naya Burn

Naya Company

R/G Tron

Tarmo Twin

W/U Merfolk

Zoo

The pillar cards of Modern continue on as they have been, but at least there are several configurations worth considering. The Naya Burn deck had Wild Nacatl and Mishra's Bauble, the latter of which fueled singletons of Grim Lavamancer and Become Immense while providing extra information for Goblin Guide. But my favorite innovations were in the Tarmo Twin deck:

Tarmo Twin ? Modern | Aztecs40, 16th Place, Pro Tour Qualifier

• Creatures (14)
• 1 Grim Lavamancer
• 2 Bounding Krasis
• 3 Deceiver Exarch
• 4 Snapcaster Mage
• 4 Tarmogoyf

• Spells (24)
• 1 Dismember
• 1 Dispel
• 1 Electrolyze
• 1 Spell Pierce
• 2 Cryptic Command
• 2 Spell Snare
• 4 Lightning Bolt
• 4 Remand
• 1 Roast
• 4 Serum Visions
• 3 Splinter Twin

• Lands (22)
• 1 Forest
• 1 Mountain
• 3 Island
• 1 Breeding Pool
• 1 Hinterland Harbor
• 1 Stomping Ground
• 2 Steam Vents
• 4 Misty Rainforest
• 4 Scalding Tarn
• 4 Sulfur Falls

• Sideboard (15)
• 1 Dispel
• 1 Roast
• 1 Ancient Grudge
• 1 Blood Moon
• 1 Desolate Lighthouse
• 1 Izzet Staticaster
• 1 Keranos, God of Storms
• 1 Negate
• 2 Pyroclasm
• 1 Spellskite
• 2 Thragtusk
• 1 Unravel the Aether
• 1 Vandalblast

Buy This Deck

From spoiling until this article, I'd missed that Bounding Krasis was another infinite combo with Splinter Twin. In Tarmo Twin, Bounding Krasis has several advantages over the Pestermite it replaces. The swing to Abzan in midrange decks means Lingering Souls is more prevalent than it used to be, and that makes a 3/3 more likely to connect and survive than a 2/1 flyer. And as a backup to Tarmogoyf, the seven-turn clock a 3/3 represents is much better than the ten-turn clock of a Pestermite. It's tougher on the mana, reducing the odds of an on-curve free win, but that's a rare instance in a format generally prepared for it, so the better body's worth it. Thragtusk is in the sideboard, not a usual inclusion for the archetype, but a very good one for the midrange matchup, particularly as it with a Splinter Twin can grind anybody out.

The Legacy of Fish

I hadn't seen Merfolk succeed in Legacy for a while, but Harbinger of the Tides gives it new options:

Merfolk ? Legacy | haneman

• Creatures (27)
• 3 Phantasmal Image
• 4 Cursecatcher
• 4 Harbinger of the Tides
• 4 Lord of Atlantis
• 4 Master of the Pearl Trident
• 4 Silvergill Adept
• 4 True-Name Nemesis

• Spells (13)
• 2 Echoing Truth
• 4 Force of Will
• 3 Chalice of the Void
• 4 Aether Vial

• Lands (20)
• 12 Island
• 4 Cavern of Souls
• 4 Mutavault

• Sideboard (15)
• 2 Arcane Laboratory
• 2 Back to Basics
• 1 Cursed Totem
• 1 Ensnare
• 2 Flusterstorm
• 1 Hurkyl's Recall
• 1 Relic of Progenitus
• 1 Tower of the Magistrate
• 2 Umezawa's Jitte
• 1 Vendilion Clique
• 1 Venser, Shaper Savant

Buy This Deck

I don't know if Harbinger of the Tides is enough to lift Merfolk's fortunes permanently in Legacy, but that the archetype can succeed when tilted to the extreme tempo side is interesting per se, and I'm sure entrenched Merfolk players don't mind the extra options.

Two Pools, Three Heads, Three Decks

While Bounding Krasis and Harbinger of the Tides are cool stories, they are so last set. Battle for Zendikar is upon us, and if the Community Cup coverage is any indication, it's an unusual, enjoyable format. So with a lot of us going to various types of prereleases—I'm judging a regular prerelease and playing in a Two-Headed Giant one with my wife—pondering over decks you are very likely to play this weekend is worthwhile.

Just Regular Type

Here's a visual spoiler of a prerelease pool. If you prefer a text list, here it is:

Battle for Zendikar Prerelease Sealed

• Colorless (6)
• 1 Desolation Twin
• 1 Ulamog's Despoiler
• 1 Eldrazi Devastator
• 3 Kozilek's Channeler

• White (10)
• 1 Angel of Renewal
• 1 Expedition Envoy
• 1 Kor Entanglers
• 1 Angelic Gift
• 1 Felidar Cub
• 1 Inspired Charge
• 1 Makindi Patrol
• 2 Sheer Drop
• 1 Smite the Monstrous

• Blue (12)
• 1 Ugin's Insight
• 1 Halimar Tidecaller
• 1 Ulamog's Reclaimer
• 2 Anticipate
• 1 Brilliant Spectrum
• 2 Cloud Manta
• 1 Incubator Drone
• 2 Oracle of Dust
• 1 Wave-Wing Elemental

• Black (10)
• 1 Smothering Abomination
• 1 Retreat to Hagra
• 1 Rising Miasma
• 1 Grave Birthing
• 1 Kalastria Healer
• 1 Mind Raker
• 1 Nirkana Assassin
• 1 Silent Skimmer
• 1 Swarm Surge
• 1 Voracious Null

• Red (15)
• 1 Processor Assault
• 1 Belligerent Whiptail
• 2 Kozilek's Sentinel
• 2 Lavastep Raider
• 3 Nettle Drone
• 2 Reckless Cohort
• 1 Shatterskull Recruit
• 1 Stonefury
• 1 Valakut Invoker
• 1 Volcanic Upheaval

• Green (16)
• 1 Woodland Wanderer
• 1 Infuse with the Elements
• 2 Rot Shambler
• 1 Blisterpod
• 1 Broodhunter Wurm
• 1 Call the Scions
• 1 Earthen Arms
• 1 Lifespring Druid
• 1 Natural Connection
• 2 Plummet
• 2 Reclaiming Vines
• 1 Swell of Growth
• 1 Tajuru Beastmaster

• Multicolored (4)
• 1 Angelic Captain
• 1 Munda, Ambush Leader
• 1 Grovetender Druids
• 1 Ulamog's Nullifier

• Artifacts (2)
• 1 Pilgrim's Eye
• 1 Hedron Blade

• Lands (10)
• 1 Shrine of the Forsaken Gods
• 1 Blighted Gorge
• 1 Blighted Steppe
• 1 Blighted Woodland
• 1 Evolving Wilds
• 2 Looming Spires
• 1 Mortuary Mire
• 1 Sandstone Bridge
• 1 Skyline Cascade

Buy This Deck

There are two things to note before reviewing the colors. First, having so many nonbasic lands means the pool seems smaller than it is. Second, as creatures castable with colorless mana have different synergies with different colors' strategies, it's a mistake to put all of them in the first deck draft regardless. Several considerations make cards like Ulamog's Despoiler fantastic or fringe. It's important to note the quality of the colorless-mana creatures, but their evaluation should depend on the rest of the pool.

With all that in mind . . . the pool has the two R/W rare Allies, Angelic Captain, and Munda, Ambush Leader. The trouble with them is that they're the two that ask for the most linear Ally deck. The pool does have eleven Allies in Naya, including Grovetender Druids and Angel of Renewal, and with a fair amount of mana fixing, that might be enough. As severely tempted as I am by the three Nettle Drones, three Kozilek's Channelers, and the Desolation Twin, using both Ally rares is too good to pass up. Here's what I would submit:

Prerelease Deck ? Battle for Zendikar Sealed | Brandon Isleib

• Creatures (16)
• 1 Pilgrim's Eye
• 2 Rot Shambler
• 1 Lifespring Druid
• 1 Woodland Wanderer
• 1 Expedition Envoy
• 2 Reckless Cohort
• 1 Makindi Patrol
• 1 Grovetender Druids
• 1 Munda, Ambush Leader
• 1 Kor Entanglers
• 1 Shatterskull Recruit
• 1 Angelic Captain
• 1 Angel of Renewal
• 1 Tajuru Beastmaster

• Spells (6)
• 2 Sheer Drop
• 1 Call the Scions
• 1 Smite the Monstrous
• 1 Swell of Growth
• 1 Natural Connection

• Lands (18)
• 6 Forest
• 6 Plains
• 3 Mountain
• 2 Looming Spires
• 1 Evolving Wilds

Buy This Deck

All the Allies are in, and while their curve is a little too slow for my tastes, the bottom of the curve fills in well with Pilgrim's Eye, Lifespring Druid, Call the Scions, Swell of Growth, and Natural Connection. Looming Spires made the cut as the spell land due to the two Reckless Cohorts, which I'd like to still have alive when Angelic Captain shows up. Woodland Wanderer's combination of converge, vigilance, and trample comes together beautifully in this deck, a hedge against my evenly split mana base. While winning the prerelease with this might be unrealistic, there's more than enough synergy to make a winning record eminently achievable.

Two-Headed Giant Type

While listing all twelve packs' contents in text form below would be unhelpful, the combined pool in visual form is here. Before looking at this pool, I assumed it and many other Two-Headed Giant pools would file neatly into an Ally deck and an Eldrazi deck. But Hero of Goma Fada and Resolute Blademaster aren't exciting enough to pull me into Allies, and the other rares aren't aggressive at all:

Two-Headed Giant Sealed Pool Rares

• Rares (12)
• 1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
• 1 Void Winnower
• 1 Hero of Goma Fada
• 1 Ugin's Insight
• 1 Prism Array
• 1 Ob Nixilis Reignited
• 2 Painful Truths
• 1 Guul Draz Overseer
• 1 Serpentine Spike
• 1 Oran-Rief Hydra
• 1 Sanctum of Ugin

Buy This Deck

So there are ridiculous mythic Eldrazi and an equally ridiculous Planeswalker in the mix. Prism and Array and Painful Truths would love a five-colored deck, but with no Evolving Wilds in the pool, relying on Pilgrim's Eye, two Lifespring Druids, and Natural Connection seems risky. Instead of that, wanting to use the great black cards and the colorless cards but needing different game plans without too much cuteness (as opponents in best-of-one rounds can win quickly if nothing goes on early), I, speaking for two people, would build these:

B/R Devoid ? Battle for Zendikar Sealed | Brandon Isleib

• Creatures (14)
• 2 Forerunner of Slaughter
• 1 Culling Drone
• 1 Zulaport Cutthroat
• 3 Kozilek's Sentinel
• 2 Dominator Drone
• 1 Malakir Familiar
• 1 Mind Raker
• 2 Skitterskin
• 1 Guul Draz Overseer

• Spells (9)
• 1 Bone Splinters
• 2 Complete Disregard
• 3 Touch of the Void
• 1 Swarm Surge
• 1 Ob Nixilis Reignited
• 1 Serpentine Spike

• Lands (17)
• 9 Swamp
• 6 Mountain
• 1 Looming Spires
• 1 Blighted Fen

Buy This Deck

There were several tweaks available. The four Mind Rakers in the pool would be fantastic in the format ("each opponent discards a card") if I felt more confident in my exile package. Instead, going with Skitterskins as part of a Forerunner of Slaughter devoid beatdown strategy seems more advantageous, with eleven colorless creatures for Swarm Surge and sixteen colored spells for Kozilek's Sentinel (whose early toughness also provides the defensive component often necessary in multiplayer). Swarm Surge seems to be much better in Two-Headed Giant than in duels, as it can be set up easier by doing all necessary chump-blocking with the teammate's creatures as much as possible to make the crack-back nasty.

With a load of early removal in Complete Disregard and Touch of the Void, the deck should be able to play an aggressive role; if nothing else, it should stop the onslaught long enough for the deck below to get going.

G/U Eldrazi Ramp ? Battle for Zendikar Sealed | Brandon Isleib

• Creatures (15)
• 1 Mist Intruder
• 1 Pilgrim's Eye
• 2 Lifespring Druid
• 3 Eldrazi Skyspawner
• 3 Eyeless Watcher
• 1 Kozilek's Channeler
• 1 Deathless Behemoth
• 1 Oran-Rief Hydra
• 1 Void Winnower
• 1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger

• Spells (7)
• 2 Anticipate
• 1 Natural Connection
• 1 Adverse Conditions
• 2 Reclaiming Vines
• 1 Ugin's Insight

• Lands (18)
• 7 Forest
• 7 Island
• 3 Fertile Thicket
• 1 Sanctum of Ugin

Buy This Deck

Here, the plan is absurdly simple: ramp like your life depends on it, use Fertile Thicket and Anticipate to keep the deck moving, and reach Void Winnower or Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger, with Sanctum of Ugin helping one find the other. If the opposing team starts strong, blocking with creatures other than Eldrazi Scions is probably correct, as the top end is so good that it's worth going all in for. Two Reclaiming Vines is a choice I wouldn't make in normal prerelease Sealed, but multiplayer gives them more targets; there were three Reclaiming Vines and four Plummets in the sideboard, and it might be that one of each is correct in the abstract. With more land creatures than normal, I lean toward Reclaiming Vines.

I'd be stoked to play either of these decks, and while the opposing team's power level is probably similarly high, the constant pressure of the B/R deck and the mythic Eldrazi in the G/U deck should be great fun to play out.

Conclusion

I'm excited to see how Battle for Zendikar affects Eternal formats—it doesn't have truly ridiculous reanimator targets like Emrakul, the Aeons Torn, brutally efficient weenies like Goblin Guide, or Jace, the Mind Sculptor—but until that shows up, I'm more than happy to see how the prereleases go. It's a weird set in that I'm excited to play a lot of it, but I'm not looking for any one card. This weekend's festivities should be a load of fun, and I hope you make it to some of them.