Academy

Standard* Artifact Combo Competitive Mill Mono-Blue Netdeck Tap/Untap Wheels

sylvannos

Artifact (19)

• 4x Lotus Petal
• 4x Mana Vault
• 4x Mox Diamond
• 3x Scroll Rack
• 4x Voltaic Key

Enchantment (3)

• 3x Mind Over Matter

Land (23)

• 4x Ancient Tomb
• 12x Island
• 4x Tolarian Academy
• 3x Wasteland

Instant (7)

• 3x Intuition
• 4x Stroke of Genius

Sorcery (8)

• 4x Time Spiral
• 4x Windfall

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Sideboard

Instant (9)

• 3x Capsize
• 4x Counterspell
• 2x Turnabout

Land (3)

• 2x City of Traitors
• 1x Wasteland

Enchantment (3)

• 3x Chill

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Maybeboard

Instant (4)

• 1x Abeyance
• 1x Arcane Denial
• 1x Power Sink
• 1x Red Elemental Blast

Land (3)

• 1x City of Brass
• 1x Tundra
• 1x Volcanic Island

Creature (1)

• 1x Gorilla Shaman

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My favorite combo deck of all time. This isn't legal in any format, currently, but it's what turned me into a Johnny after playing it in Extended and Vintage years ago. Currently, much of the deck is banned or restricted (for good reason I might add!).

This is simply to be used as a reference for those wondering why Wizards hates making combo decks viable in Modern and Standard. It also explains a lot as to why many of the cards in this deck were banned.

You win by hitting your opponent with either Braingeyser or Stroke of Genius. How do you get the mana to make them draw 54 cards and win by decking? By playing cheap artifacts, like Lotus Petal, Mox Diamond, or Mana Vault, you can power up Tolarian Academy and cast Mind Over Matter as quickly as possible.

Once Mind Over Matter is out, you start discarding cards to tap and untap Tolarian Academy for tons of blue mana. You then pitch this blue mana to your Braingeyser or Stroke of Genius on yourself to draw a ton of cards. You end up drawing into another "Target player draws X cards" to which you pitch your hand again to Mind Over Matter and build up your mana.

You can now force your opponent to draw their entire library with one spell and they lose the game.

Windfall can turn your opponent's opening hand into a forced mulligan while making you draw seven after you've discarded your whole hand. Time Spiral will untap your Tolarian Academy and give a fresh hand if you can't find Mind Over Matter.

While The Perfect Storm (also known as Grim Long or Meandeck Tendrils in Vintage) is arguably the strongest combo deck ever created, Academy takes a close second. It's certainly one of the most degenerate combo decks Magic has ever seen.

Date added	11 years
Last updated	1 year
Legality	This deck is not Standard legal.
Rarity (main - side)	29 - 2 Rares 15 - 6 Uncommons 4 - 7 Commons
Cards	60
Avg. CMC	2.41
Folders	History and Reference Decks, history, ideas