Modern is a broad and diverse format, but often we see staple archetypes that become the backbone of the format. One of those is Mono-Green Tron which often stirs plenty of discourse amongst players as it’s frustrating to play against but becomes a delight if you decide to pilot it.
If you want to get good in Modern, knowing what you are playing against gives you a better understanding of how to beat those decks. With Modern being so vast, having that format knowledge allows you to use cards optimally, as well as finding different tools against certain archetypes. Fortunately, there are plenty of tools to deal with Mono-Green Tron.
What is Mono-Green Tron?
Hailing from the days of Extended, Tron uses Urza’s Mine, Urza’s Power Plant, and Urza’s Tower to power out powerful threats. When having one of each of these Urza lands out, you have the option to cast a seven mana spell as early as turn three. Usually, you see Karn Liberated as the ideal turn-three play. It goes further, this is ideally followed up with Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
Ulamog, the Ceaseless HungerWhen you cast this spell, exile two target permanents.
Indestructible
Whenever Ulamog attacks, defending player exiles the top twenty cards of their library. which is enough for you to concede. It’s not just Karn and Ulamog that are issues, Wurmcoil Engine
Wurmcoil EngineDeathtouch, lifelink
When this creature dies, create a 3/3 colorless Phyrexian Wurm artifact creature token with deathtouch and a 3/3 colorless Phyrexian Wurm artifact creature token with lifelink. can be backbreaking against aggressive decks, and Walking Ballista
Walking BallistaThis creature enters with X +1/+1 counters on it.
{4}: Put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.
Remove a +1/+1 counter from this creature: It deals 1 damage to any target. can pick off small creatures.
Since Extended is no more, Tron is a mainstay of Modern and has remained a strong option since the introduction of the format ten years ago. Admittedly, it can be quite frustrating to play against since their gameplan is not only resilient but very straightforward at the same time. There’s nothing more frustrating than your Tron opponent drawing into ‘Natural Tron’, or being able to find what they need at the right moment. Since War of the Spark, Karn, the Great Creator allows a better game one since your opponent can find an artifact card they need to shore up against your deck. Whether it be an Ensnaring Bridge to stop you from attacking, or a Trinisphere to prevent you from comboing off, Tron is prepared to deal with whatever comes their way.
Read More: 10 Best Modern Cards from MTG’s Innistrad: Midnight Hunt
The Goal of Mono-Green Tron
If you ever encounter Mono-Green Tron in Modern, the opponent’s decklist will be something similar to this.
Sometimes, you may see a Jegantha, the Wellspring as a companion as it’s free within the list, but don’t expect to see a Walking BallistaWalking BallistaThis creature enters with X +1/+1 counters on it.
{4}: Put a +1/+1 counter on this creature.
Remove a +1/+1 counter from this creature: It deals 1 damage to any target. in the mainboard if so. The goal for Tron is to deploy these Urza lands through using Expedition Map
Expedition Map{2}, {T}, Sacrifice this artifact: Search your library for a land card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle., Ancient Stirrings or Sylvan Scrying
Sylvan ScryingSearch your library for a land card, reveal it, put it into your hand, then shuffle. to find these, then cast haymaker threats to get on the board. It may seem a simple approach, but it’s one that’s powerful and can get through a lot of hate if needed.
On occasion, you’ll see different variations on Tron with Gruul, Selesnya, and Mono-Blue being the other options. But for consistency, Mono-Green Tron is the preferred option as players want a clean mana base since the Green is for your tutors. It’s the cleanest, most consistent, and most successful variant of Tron – so expect Mono-Green when jamming games of Modern.
Read More: Is Lurrus of the Dream-Den Too Good for MTG’s Modern Format?
How to Beat Mono-Green Tron?
Now you know what to expect and their game plan, how do you go about beating the menace of Modern?
As Tron cares about using their lands for maximum value, attacking their land base is a surefire way to slow things down. Spells such as Pillage
PillageDestroy target artifact or land. It can't be regenerated. are great at removing an Urza land, allowing you to get ahead while the Tron player has to recalibrate their turn. Often you want to attack Urza’s Tower since this land generates the most mana, but could depend on any other information such as what they revealed off an Ancient Stirrings for example. Other options include Ghost Quarter and Field of Ruin
Field of Ruin{T}: Add {C}.
{2}, {T}, Sacrifice this land: Destroy target nonbasic land an opponent controls. Each player searches their library for a basic land card, puts it onto the battlefield, then shuffles. if you want to run some hate in your land base. You can also follow this up with Surgical Extraction
Surgical Extraction({B/P} can be paid with either {B} or 2 life.)
Choose target card in a graveyard other than a basic land card. Search its owner's graveyard, hand, and library for any number of cards with the same name as that card and exile them. Then that player shuffles. to permanently all the copies of an Urza land of your choice, but be careful, your opponent can grab one of these exiled lands off Karn, the Great Creator‘s minus ability.
While it’s all well and good taking them off Tron, you need to follow it up with pressure to close out the game. Mono-Green Tron’s topdecks are very powerful, and them casting an Ugin, the Spirit Dragon on turn eight may be enough. They can still play the fair game even without cheating ahead on mana, and that’s where Obsidian Charmaw
Obsidian CharmawThis spell costs {1} less to cast for each land your opponents control that could produce {C}.
Flying
When this creature enters, destroy target nonbasic land an opponent controls. comes into the fold. From Modern Horizons 2, Obsidian CharmawObsidian CharmawThis spell costs {1} less to cast for each land your opponents control that could produce {C}.
Flying
When this creature enters, destroy target nonbasic land an opponent controls. is the ideal card for the Mono-Green Tron match-up. It’s evasive, destroys a land, and is a win condition all rolled into one. In terms of favorable matchups against Tron, Red-based decks often have a great history against the archetype.
Read More: Ten Most Expensive MTG Cards From Modern Horizons 2
Best Archetypes To Beat Mono-Green Tron
There are a handful of archetypes that can put Mono-Green Tron in its place, such as:
- Mono-Red or Izzet Prowess
- Gruul Ponza (or Gruul Midrange)
- Infect
- Storm
- Ad Nauseam
- Mono-Green Tron (if you are on the draw)
As it usually takes a handful of turns for Mono-Green Tron to assemble their ‘combo’, being aggressive as possible is a great way to leverage this. Swinging in with a Monestary Swiftspear or casting multiple Lightning Bolt
Lightning BoltLightning Bolt deals 3 damage to any target.s is more than enough to close out the game. It would put the Tron player on the back foot, forcing them to cast a Wurmcoil EngineWurmcoil EngineDeathtouch, lifelink
When this creature dies, create a 3/3 colorless Phyrexian Wurm artifact creature token with deathtouch and a 3/3 colorless Phyrexian Wurm artifact creature token with lifelink., or using Karn, the Great Creator to grab a Chalice of the Void
Chalice of the VoidThis artifact enters with X charge counters on it.
Whenever a player casts a spell with mana value equal to the number of charge counters on this artifact, counter that spell. to stay in the game.
Any strategy that is quick out of the gates such a Prowess or Infect, would be an easy win for you. Going further, Mono-Green Tron can struggle against dedicated Combo strategies such as Storm and Ad Nauseam because they have little in the way of interaction. Mono-Green Tron runs a handful of sideboard slots to counter these archetypes, but not enough to keep the Combo at bay. Mono-Green Tron will remain a permanent fixture of Modern for as long as the format exists, but there are plenty of cards to keep it at bay.
Read More: Can Izzet Phoenix Rise from the Ashes with Innistrad: Midnight Hunt?
