MTG Matt Murdock and Ninja Turtles Team Up in New Strategy to Buff Partner Dog

Legacy is one of the most cutthroat formats in all of MTG, and the barrier to entry is extremely high, making brewing a nightmare. That said, every once in a while, a new idea works, like this Mono-White Legends deck revolving around the dog Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful.

After going 5-0 in a Magic Online Legacy League this week, this white beatdown deck is a great way to try the format without investing in Dual Lands. Built to maximize a plethora of Universes Beyond legends, this strategy has plenty of cool inclusions throughout.

Yoshimaru in MTG Legacy

As you might expect from an aggressive white deck in an Eternal format, Ocelot PrideOcelot PrideFirst strike, lifelink
Ascend (If you control ten or more permanents, you get the city's blessing for the rest of the game.)
At the beginning of your end step, if you gained life this turn, create a 1/1 white Cat creature token. Then if you have the city's blessing, for each token you control that entered this turn, create a token that's a copy of it. and Guide of SoulsGuide of SoulsWhenever another creature you control enters, you gain 1 life and get {E} (an energy counter).
Whenever you attack, you may pay {E}{E}{E}. When you do, put two +1/+1 counters and a flying counter on target attacking creature. It becomes an Angel in addition to its other types. are two of your go-to one-drops. The Cat threatens to build a wide board state on its own, and with Guide’s life-gain trigger, you don’t even have to attack to do it.

What makes this deck really interesting, though, is the third one-drop: Yoshimaru, Ever Faithful. This Dog has made a name for itself in Commander thanks to the infamous Partner mechanic, which doesn’t apply in Legacy. That won’t stop Yoshimaru from being a monster in this deck.

Succeeding with Yoshimaru lies in growing it every turn, which the massive influx of Universes Beyond legends has made easy. In the one-mana slot, Zack Fair does an excellent job protecting Yoshimaru on the cheap.

Zack Fair is also a great tool to reset with Leonardo, Cutting Edge‘s Sneak ability, as long as you have an open lane to attack. With Guide of Souls and Haliya, Guided by Light gaining you lots of life over the course of the game, Leonardo is a natural inclusion.

As Yoshimaru and Leonardo continue to rack up +1/+1 counters, Mikey & Leo, Chaos & Order can generate card advantage turn after turn. All the while, Matt Murdock, Justice Seeker taxes your opponent’s removal spells, and Urdnan, Dromoka Warrior enables some ferocious attacks.

If these legendary creatures weren’t enough, this deck also uses 11 legendary lands to further accelerate Yoshimaru’s growth. Karakas is particularly impactful, protecting all of your legends while letting you replay cards like Loran of the Third PathLoran of the Third PathVigilance
When Loran enters, destroy up to one target artifact or enchantment.
{T}: You and target opponent each draw a card. for extra disruption.

The only downside is that this is a mana-intensive process, but luckily, Mox AmberMox Amber{T}: Add one mana of any color among legendary creatures and planeswalkers you control. provides a nice burst of acceleration, which creates explosive starts with Yoshimaru.

Mono-White in a Busted Environment

While this deck may seem a bit underpowered in Legacy, it lines up decently against the format’s fair decks. Having 12 must-kill one-drops gives you a strong chance to overload opposing interaction, and the efficiency of your threats makes Daze less concerning.

Izzet Delver decks, in particular, can struggle to answer Yoshimaru once it sticks, since it quickly grows out of Lightning BoltLightning BoltLightning Bolt deals 3 damage to any target. range. If the Dog prompts a Force of WillForce of WillYou may pay 1 life and exile a blue card from your hand rather than pay this spell's mana cost.
Counter target spell., you’re thrilled, since you can easily keep the threats coming and punish the opponent for pitching extra resources.

While Dimir Tempo does have access to stronger removal, the deck’s reliance on Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student and Bilbo, Thief in the NightBilbo, Thief in the NightSpells you cast from anywhere other than your hand cost {1} less to cast.
Whenever Bilbo attacks, you may cast an artifact, instant, or sorcery spell from your graveyard. If an instant or sorcery spell cast this way would be put into your graveyard, exile it instead. makes Karakas a major weak spot. Karakas also hoses Hogaak, Arisen NecropolisHogaak, Arisen NecropolisYou can't spend mana to cast this spell.
Convoke, delve (Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for {1} or one mana of that creature's color. Each card you exile from your graveyard pays for {1}.)
You may cast this card from your graveyard.
Trample, which is the new hotness in Legacy.

As a mono-white deck, however, you’re naturally at the mercy of combo decks. Even with a fast Mox Amber draw, racing strong starts from Doomsday or Reanimator is nearly impossible.

The good news, at least, is that your sideboard is filled with anti-combo cards like Mindbreak Trap and Leyline of the VoidLeyline of the VoidIf this card is in your opening hand, you may begin the game with it on the battlefield.
If a card would be put into an opponent's graveyard from anywhere, exile it instead.. Still, you really need to draw them to stand a chance.

Forgoing a Fetch-Dual manabase in favor of more legendary lands also comes at a cost, since you can’t splash other disruptive tools. While Orzhov Death and Taxes decks get to lean on Thoughtseize, for example, you don’t have that luxury.

With limited access to MTG’s strongest tools, Mono-White Legends offers a swingy matchup spread, giving you varying results depending on the room. This means that the deck is unlikely to have a major breakout, but it’s a really fun strategy to try in an eternal format.

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