Out of Date Guide
For those of you who didn't know, this is a Valakut Breach modern deck. This archetype is strong in both the early and late game, however does have its downfalls. Both of these will be covered in the sections below.
What is RG Breach?
RG Breach is a ramp/combo deck which focuses on ramping mana quickly to either cheat in cheap game-ending threats, or killing off your opponent in the long game with Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle and land drops.
Win Conditions
- Through the Breach + Worldspine Wurm
/Emrakul, the Aeons Torn: The advantage from a single attack, especially when as early as turn 4, is enough to end the game.
- Primeval Titan + Through the Breach
: Primeval Titan drops two Valakut, the Molten Pinnacles upon entering the battlefield, and then two Mountains upon attack, resulting in 12-18 damage, which should be lethal considering shocks and fetches.
- Hardcasting Primeval Titan: It's slower, however your opponent now has a big creature to try to get rid of, as well as the Titan fetching two mountains every attack for 3-9 damage each.
- Summoning Trap, hardcasted or triggered: Flipping a Worldspine Wurm, Emrakul, the Aeons Torn, or Primeval Titan creates similar effects to those listed above.
- Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle + land drops/ramp spells: Not a main win con, but helps finish off opponents easily. Burns away even if Primeval Titan or Worldspine Wurm can be dealt with.
The Pros and Cons
The Pros:
- Multiple win cons. You won't be hopeless after extraction effects shutting down a win con - You can make a comeback.
- Lategame potential with Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle. Later in the game, drops with at least one Valakut on the battlefield can result in 3-9 damage each, which can swing the advantage drastically.
- Instant speed win cons. Through the Breach and Summoning Trap are instants, so they can overload your opponent's counterspells. Technical play can be difficult to pull off in some cases, however when done right, even a dirty blue player can fall helpless.
The Cons:
- Weird mana base. Your win cons are mostly reliant on access to , especially for ramping. However, Valakut forces you to play as many Mountains as possible. Maxing out on Stomping Grounds and Wooded Foothills will help this, however hands with no green sources do occur.
- No way to control draws. Unfortunately, the all-famed Serum Visions is not playable in this deck, so the luck of your topdecks are crucial. However, with Valakut, even topdecking a land is beneficial.
- Bad Twin matchup. Twin can tap your Breached card, forcing it to be sacrificed without its attack. This does not lose to Twin every time, however definitely gives a disadvantage.
Technical Plays
Valakut Rulings/Mechanics
This section is just a list of rulings and mechanics focused on Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle and associated cards that apply to this deck's mechanics for those who don't have experience with said cards/mechanics.
- Stomping Ground is still a Mountain. While it is not basic, it does count for both Valakut and Farseek, as well as Fetches.
- Valakut needs 5 Mountains (and/or Stomping Ground) on the battlefield before its effect triggers. The 6th Mountain triggers, not the 5th.
- With Primeval Titan, both lands enter simultaneously. If you search for two Mountains while there is a Valakut and 4 other Mountains, both will trigger on Valakut, since they both see 5 other Mountains.
Be careful of one of those Mountains being destroyed in response. Let's say you execute this play, and you get Mountain A and B, and the opponent destroys A. A will resolve, triggering Valakut, then goes to the graveyard (due to being destroyed). B will only see 4 Mountains, and the effect will fizzle.
Land Sequencing
Most of your non-ramp spells require in order to be cast. The most common of these include Obstinate Baloth, Primeval Titan, Summoning Trap, and two ramp spells in a single turn. Try to get two sources by your 4th land drop.
The problem with Forest is that it will delay Valakut triggers, thus taking out potentially necessary damage. There are a few scenarios when managing with two sources:
- Two Stomping Grounds, the rest are Mountains. This is optimal and will give the best Valakut results.
- One Stomping Ground, one Forest. Acceptable alternative, however not optimal.
- Two to three Forests. Works around Blood Moon. Besides that, not good.
- Four plus Forests. You're running too many Forests.
Sandbagging Fetches for Spells
If you're just one land short of an important spell, keep Fetches uncracked. The Fetch would otherwise thin your deck of the last necessary land. When you draw the land, you can play it, crack the fetches simultaneously to get the mana sources needed, then play the spell.
In other decks, players may have to weigh the benefits of thinning the deck and shocking lands for the correct mana base. However, in this deck, the most diversity you'll need is . There is no risk in executing this in this deck.
Sandbagging Lands at Six Mana
This deck curves out at six mana (you will rarely be in a game where you have to hardcast Worldspine Wurm). Therefore, there is less reason behind cracking extra Fetches or playing lands every turn when you're at six mana. When keeping extra lands to be played, there are nice advantages, mostly revolving around Valakut.
- Valakut is already on the battlefield and you have reason to trigger it or build up to the trigger.
- You have two Mountains in hand. Go ahead and play one. They can't be played in the same turn anyways.
- You think deck-thinning outweighs the extra damage from Valakut. It's really up to your decision of the boardstate.
- You have only one and topdecking a win con outweighs the price of a shock.
Using Instants to Overload Counterspells
This only works when you have two Instant speed win cons (Through the Breach/Summoning Trap) in hand. Pass turn with enough mana to play one of the Instant speed threats. On your opponent's end step, play one of the win cons. If they let it resolve, put down Primeval Titan or Worldspine Wurm and attack with it on your turn. If they counter it, play the second threat on your turn and hope they don't have a second counter.
This also beats Remand, since it'll go back to your hand to be replayed on your turn.
If you have Primeval Titan + Summoning Trap
in hand, cast the Titan without waiting till the end step. If they don't counter it, get your Titan combo rolling. If they do, play Summoning Trap for free.
Through the Breach Bluff
This takes serious balls to do, and will screw you over when you're wrong. Playing Through the Breach without a creature to put out could take out a counterspell from when you do have a creature to put out, but if they let it resolve, you just wasted a win condition.
Common Questions from Opponents
"Why do you run Anger of the Gods and not Pyroclasm?"
Quite simply, Kitchen Finks. In addition, I have the expendable mana and time, so that extra effect in some matchups is worth lugging around in the other games.
"Why did you change Emrakul, the Aeons Torn to Worldspine Wurm?"
Refer to the update titled "Welcome the Wurm"
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