Pirate Stompy in Legacy! Yes you read that right. Pirates are running rampant online and it’s being whispered about in all the forums. No one is quite sure where it came from. It’s not like the deck has a bunch of Ixalan cards—some are running a few—but supposedly it’s tearing up MTGO like nobodies business. There have been many different rumors about what the list would be and below seems to be the most common list I’ve found.

Pirate Stompy

Creatures (15)
Rishadan Cutpurse
Rishadan Footpad
Sea Drake
Serendib Efreet

Spells (24)
Jace Beleren
Jace, the Mind Sculptor
Chalice of the Void
Chrome Mox
Force of Will
Hoodwink
Mox Diamond
Mox Opal
Parallax Tide
Trinisphere
Lands (21)
Ancient Tomb
City of Traitors
Island
Seat of the Synod
The Tabernacle at Pendrell Vale

Sideboard (15)
Chalice of the Void
Hurkyl’s Recall
Hydroblast
Propaganda
Submerge
Trinisphere

I’ve also seen rumors of this list with Smokestack, Siren’s Ruse, and Deadeye Navigator. You’ll see no matter what that it’s a really grindy deck. Rumors have that someone’s been going 4-0 with it then dropping so it doesn’t make the published 5-0 list. We shall see.

The deck runs the fun combo of Parallax Tide and Hoodwink which, if you stack all the triggers properly while holding priority, allows you to exile your opponent’s lands and then bounce Parallax Tide with Hoodwink preventing the lands from ever returning. Then you play fun creatures like Rishadan Cutpurse and Rishadan Footpad to make your opponent start sacrificing any other permanents that they have on board. The rest of the deck is basically just more lock pieces and more protection. Siren’s Ruse is a fun idea to add in because it lets you protect your creature and draw a card for two mana.

Overall the deck does look like fun if you’re like me and love to play decks that really shut your opponent down. It doesn’t seem like it is nearly as good as the rumors say though, after watching it play a little and talking to some people who were paired against it. Perhaps the successful deck is, like Brigadoon, constantly hidden—away at sea, probably not dangerous, but you hear stories from time to time.

But let’s get real. Pirate Stompy, or Popeye as it’s affectionately being called, is too good to be true. It doesn’t seem like you’re going to instantly 5-0 with it—though I frankly wouldn’t mind taking it out for a spin, If only for the chance to see the pure confusion on my opponents face when I cast commons from Mercadian Masques.

It is funny timing that this deck is blowing up right when a new Pirate themed set comes out with almost no cards from that set in the deck. I hope we see it get some play and hear some actual numbers on it, if only because I’m selfish and want another Trinisphere/Chalice deck to play. Unfortunately though it seems like Popeye is going to need some more spinach before we see it become a top tier Legacy deck.

Update:

This morning I got another list from fellow Hipster Nate Golia of Eternal Durdles. It is a bit different and can be found below.  You’ll see it runs more pirates than the original list I was given as well as a transformational sideboard that turns the deck into Sneak and Show. I think this is the greediest mana base I’ve ever seen in my life—there aren’t a lot of ways to cast their noncreature spells—but I will say that I still find it interesting.

Pirate Stompy

Creatures (18)
Rishadan Cutpurse
Rishadan Footpad
Rishadan Brigand
Phantasmal Image
Snapcaster Mage

Spells (22)
Force of Will
Chrome Mox
Chart a Course
Siren’s Ruse
Smuggler’s Copter
Chalice of the Void
Lands (20)
Ancient Tomb
Cavern of Souls
City of Traitors
Islands
Scalding Tarn
Wasteland

Sideboard (15)
Flusterstorm
Show and Tell
Surgical Extraction
Gristlebrand
Sneak Attack
Volcanic Island
Emrakul, the Aeons Torn

Will Popeye keep eating spinach? Or will the days of Pirates terrorizing Legacy come and go in a flash?

Kate hails from Worcester MA and also does a bit of Card Altering. Check her Stuff out on Facebook! She mainly plays legacy and modern though will occasionally find herself playing EDH.

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