Budget MTG Burn Deck Puts Up Insane Day 1 Run at $35,000 Event

This past weekend, 449 players gathered to compete in the Canadian Regional Championship. With $35,000 in prizes on the line, it’s only natural that most players brought top-tier decks for the best chance to win.

Still, a few curveballs emerged, some of which found moderate success. One of the event’s wildest decks, Mardu Burn, boasted an elite 8-1 record on day one. Valued at $250, this deck is quite budget-friendly by Modern standards.

As Streamlined as It Gets

As is typical for Modern Burn, this deck is looking to deal lethal damage to the opponent as quickly as possible. Nearly every nonland card from Lightning BoltLightning BoltLightning Bolt deals 3 damage to any target. to Lava SpikeLava SpikeLava Spike deals 3 damage to target player or planeswalker. deals three damage to the opponent. While each individual burn spell isn’t too threatening, this deck relies on building up a critical mass to overwhelm the opposition.

Part of what makes this decklist very unusual, however, is the lack of efficient creatures. Burn decks have historically leaned on hasty threats like Goblin GuideGoblin GuideHaste
Whenever this creature attacks, defending player reveals the top card of their library. If it's a land card, that player puts it into their hand. and Monastery SwiftspearMonastery SwiftspearHaste
Prowess (Whenever you cast a noncreature spell, this creature gets +1/+1 until end of turn.), which when unanswered, can deal more than three damage. This shell eschews these cards in favor of extra redundancy, utilizing weaker burn spells like Shard VolleyShard VolleyAs an additional cost to cast this spell, sacrifice a land.
Shard Volley deals 3 damage to any target.. The deck even goes as far as to splash black for Bump in the NightBump in the NightTarget opponent loses 3 life.
Flashback {5}{R} (You may cast this card from your graveyard for its flashback cost. Then exile it.).

While this plan removes the high-upside draws involving multiple early creatures, it does blank opposing removal spells. Additionally, not having to worry about topdecking a creature instead of a burn spell when the board is gummed up has some value.

In theory, not having any cards that deal more than three damage, including Boros CharmBoros CharmChoose one —
• Boros Charm deals 4 damage to target player or planeswalker.
• Permanents you control gain indestructible until end of turn.
• Target creature gains double strike until end of turn., would leave you extremely vulnerable to flooding. Thanks to Barbarian Ring, however, you have decent flood protection at little cost. All of your burn spells naturally go to the graveyard to fuel Threshold, as do your Fetchlands. In some cases, sacrificing a land to Shard Volley can turn on Threshold when other burn spells wouldn’t.

If that weren’t enough, this deck goes as far as to play Mishra’s Bauble and Cycling cards like Street WraithStreet WraithSwampwalk (This creature can't be blocked as long as defending player controls a Swamp.)
Cycling—Pay 2 life. (Pay 2 life, Discard this card: Draw a card.) and Edge of AutumnEdge of AutumnIf you control four or fewer lands, search your library for a basic land card, put it onto the battlefield tapped, then shuffle.
Cycling—Sacrifice a land. (Sacrifice a land, Discard this card: Draw a card.) to make Barbarian Ring more reliable! This deck may be strange, but it sure is consistent!

An Unexpected Performance

In a format as competitive as Modern, it’s safe to say that no one saw this day one performance coming. The deck’s pilot, Jeremy Hughes, rallied off seven straight wins to end the day 8-1, beating up top tier decks like Izzet Prowess and Mono-Green Broodscale along the way.

Unfortunately, this magical run wasn’t meant to last, as they finished day two at 8-6. This ultimately put the deck’s limitations on full display, as stronger pilots were able to navigate around this burn shell’s gameplan with ease.

This decklist also simply doesn’t have what it takes to beat consistent sources of life gain. As such, it isn’t too surprising that it lost to Boros Energy featuring 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. and 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., as well as Grixis Reanimator abusing Archon of CrueltyArchon of CrueltyFlying
Whenever this creature enters or attacks, target opponent sacrifices a creature or planeswalker of their choice, discards a card, and loses 3 life. You draw a card and gain 3 life..

All things considered, if you’re looking to have the best tournament results possible, Mardu Burn is far from an elite choice. Still, the fact that the deck is extremely cheap outside of the manabase and also very simple in nature could make it a neat go-to for someone looking to get into Modern. It’s fun to see a deck featuring meme-worthy card choices like Flourishing Fox and Zirda, the DawnwakerZirda, the DawnwakerCompanion — Each permanent card in your starting deck has an activated ability. (If this card is your chosen companion, you may put it into your hand from outside the game for {3} as a sorcery.)
Abilities you activate that aren't mana abilities cost {2} less to activate. This effect can't reduce the mana in that cost to less than one mana.
{1}, {T}: Target creature can't block this turn. showcase some competitive firepower every now and then.

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