Deck Tech: Junk Loam

I haven't played Aggro Loam regularly for almost two years now. While a very powerful and flexible archetype, I was ultimately frustrated by its fundamental inconsistencies. One idea I always tinkered with was playing a 3-color Loam deck, in the hope that shedding the 4th color could ameliorate some of these consistency issues. This led me to play various Naya and Jund Loam builds at some weeklies here and there, but none were very successful.

I never fully explored Junk colors since I was loath to play Aggro Loam without Punishing Fire. Until now, the only Junk Loam variant I had played was the relatively combo-centric Junk Depths deck with Living Wish. However, a new printing has made a "fairer" Junk Aggro Loam deck appear much more appealing to me than before.

Collective Brutality slots very naturally into an Aggro Loam shell for several reasons.

• Interaction with a CMC of 2, so it plays well with Chalice on 1.

• It affords maindeck interaction with combo decks via the discard ability, and to a lesser extent the drain ability.

• Versatile maindeck card overall, with utility in fair matchups as a Disfigure as well. This versatility is very valuable in a non-Blue deck with little card selection.

• Cost of Escalating is often low since you have cards that are bad draws late game or in certain matchups, or cards that don't mind being in your graveyard.

Without further ado, here is the list I decided to start with:

Junk Loam, 7/2/17
Creature Spells (11) 4x Dark Confidant 1x Tarmogoyf 1x Gaddock Teeg 1x Scavenging Ooze 4x Knight of the Reliquary	Noncreature Spells (23) 4x Mox Diamond 4x Chalice of the Void 2x Sylvan Library 2x Green Sun's Zenith 2x Life from the Loam 3x Abrupt Decay 3x Collective Brutality 2x Liliana of the Veil 1x Maelstrom Pulse
Lands (26) 4x Verdant Catacombs 3x Windswept Heath 3x Bayou 2x Scrubland 1x Savannah 1x Dryad Arbor 1x Forest 1x Swamp 1x Horizon Canopy 1x Cabal Pit 1x Dark Depths 1x Thespian's Stage 1x Maze of Ith 1x Karakas 4x Wasteland	SB: 2x Thalia, Guardian of Thraben SB: 2x Containment Priest SB: 4x Leyline of the Void SB: 1x Toxic Deluge SB: 1x Reclamation Sage SB: 1x Garruk Relentless SB: 2x Swords to Plowshares SB: 2x Thoughtseize

The spell-base is very similar to a "stock" 4C Loam list, essentially just swapping Brutality in for Punishing Fire.

In the manabase, I tried to keep the number of utility lands to a minimum. The Dark Depths combo can be comfortably accommodated, which I felt was stretched thin in 4 colors. Notably, I eschewed Barren Moor/Tranquil Thicket entirely, playing Horizon Canopy as my only Cycling land. While atypical for an Aggro Loam deck, this change was motivated by an intent to be less reliant on Loam and to curve out more easily with untapped lands.

I have played this exact list in 3 different weekly tournaments and prized at all of them. Matches have been as follows:

Miracles (2-0)
Omni-Sneak (2-1)
Czech Pile (1-1)
UR Delver (1-2)
Punishing Zoo (2-1) <--(My list!)
RG Lands (2-0)
Goblins (2-0)
Manaless Dredge (2-0)
Slivers (2-0)
Omni-Sneak (0-2)
Omni-Sneak (2-1)
BR Griselbrand (2-1)

Some observations thus far are as follows:

• Collective Brutality is never bad but never amazing. Its versatility is indeed valuable, but its definitely an inefficient spell by Legacy standards.

• Deathrite Shaman and Baleful Strix are both quite problematic for this deck. The lack of Punishing Fire is very palpable against decks with those cards such as Czech Pile. Cabal Pit is absolutely necessary since it grants you some form of repeatable removal. Another possibility is running Darkblast in the sideboard.

• The manabase is quite solid. The basic Swamp feels unnecessary and there can also be room for another utility land in place of the 3rd Bayou or a fetchland. For additional utility lands, another Cycling land, Bojuka Bog, and a manland are all possibilities.

• The Maelstrom Pulse can probably become a 3rd Liliana.

• The sideboard has felt fantastic overall, I would like to somehow fit in a Golgari Charm though.