Alchemy has been the talk of the Magic community for the past week, and it’s available to play on MTG Arena today. While opinions on the format have been mixed so far, I think it’s going to be a super fun way to play Magic. If you want to learn more about the format, check out our explainer article!
But enough about Alchemy in the abstract. If you’re looking to start playing the format today, here are three decklists you should try.
Omnath Storm the Festival
This deck is looking to abuse two of the cards buffed in Alchemy: Omnath and Druid Class. Let’s start with Druid Class, because the new version really helps Omnath and is one of the bigger reasons I like this deck.
Druid Class was a solid card in its original printing, but the amount of mana it took for the payoff was so astronomically high that it was really hard to justify. Now, with the third mode costing just three mana to activate, you can afford to put the card in way more decks. The ability to play multiple lands in a turn is really appealing, too.
Omnath, on the other hand, is one of the more powerful Magic cards printed in the last two years. This Omnath may be a shadow of its former self, but it’s still quite good. One of the keys to Omnath has always been using the mana ability right away, and thanks to the new and improved Druid Class, this becomes very easy. If you’re able to curve Omnath into a followup play and maximize your mana, your opponents will be in a world of trouble. The deck also has access to Wrenn and Seven, which will keep the lands coming and allow you to trigger Omnath multiple times!
The last key ingredient in this deck is Storm the Festival – a card that has been all but pushed out of Standard by Alrund’s Epiphany. Storm can find Omnath, Wrenn and Seven, or the lands you need to help trigger Omnath. I had high hopes for this card when it was first previewed in Standard, and I’m excited to see what it can do in Alchemy.
I always like to be proactive whenever I’m playing a new format, and this deck’s powerful interactions make it a strong contender. It’s a tad more linear then I would like, but that’s something we can work around as the format shapes up.
Jund Wolves
Players have been trying to make a Werewolves deck work since Midnight Hunt’s release. While there have been some promising builds out there, the deck has been lacking real traction. But thanks to the Alchemy format, that might all be changing. With some of the hardest match-ups like Mono-White and Izzet Epiphany hobbled by nerfs, and some new digital-only Werewolf cards available in Alchemy, this could be Werewolves’ time to shine. Sign me up!
Bloodrage Alpha is a great addition to these decks for other creature match-ups. Having the right balance of tribal support and interaction will often make or break decks, so this card is a welcome addition. It won’t surprise me when this card is at least a one-of in every Wolf deck.
Another big get for this deck is a great one-drop and a very good boy. Tenacious Pup is a stellar opening play; it’ll allow you to curve out in any green creature deck, but it obviously has some great synergies here. This pump spell attached to a body is one of the best digital-only cards in the whole set, if you ask me.
Rahilda is the last Werewolf card I want to highlight here. It’s a great sideboard option for control decks, but it might end up being a main deck all star. It reminds me a lot of Robber of the Rich: it’ll often get a spell from your opponent, and in this deck, it’ll help you reach a critical mass of Werewolves.
Jund Wolves is a flavorful and exciting deck that got some serious help from these changes. It’s a solid choice whether you’re looking to crush the ladder or just have fun with Alchemy.
BW Snow
Okay, this one is actually a Standard deck, but it benefits a lot from the Alchemy changes. Alrund’s Epiphany was a nightmare for this deck, so it stands to benefit a lot from the nerf. The birds were annoying at times, forcing you to spend mana on tokens that you’d rather not interact with. Goldspan Dragon posed a similar problem: you’d answer it, your opponent would recoup the mana they spent on it, and you would be punished. Thanks to Goldspan’s change, this play pattern won’t come up in Alchemy. Finally, Esika’s Chariot only makes a single Cat token in Alchemy, so it’s much less of a problem on turn four.
This deck just goes to show that Alchemy decks don’t need flashy new spells – which is great news for players with limited wildcards. Creature decks got a huge buff with the Alchemy changes, and this deck eats midrange and creature decks for breakfast. Here’s hoping all your opponents are playing Werewolves.
Alchemy is out now, and I’m extremely hyped to play it. Make sure to follow me on Twitter at @masoneclark so you don’t miss any new content. Now go out and have fun in this exciting new format!
Mason Clark is a grinder in every corner of the game who has played at the pro level and on the SCG Tour with Team Nova. Whether he’s competing in Standard, Historic or Modern, Mason plays with one goal in mind: to be a better player than he was the day before. Check out his podcast, Constructed Criticism, and catch his streams on Twitch.