Japanese Winter Legacy Championships – Spicy Decklists Inside

GP Nagoya this weekend held not only the limited main event, but the winter 2016 Legacy Championships for Japan. 121 players showed up to battle, and three of the Top 8 decks are pretty spicy!

Punishing Reanimator

Creatures (12)
Deathrite Shaman
Kozilek, the Great Distortion
Grave Titan
Griselbrand
Iona, Shield of Emeria
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Ashen Rider

Spells (27)
Entomb
Exhume
Reanimate
Animate Dead
Faithless Looting
Pushing Fire
Sensei’s Divining Top
Liliana of the Veil
Unburial Rites

Lands (21)
Bloodstained Mire
Badlands
Grove of the Burnwillows
Scrubland
Verdant Catacombs
Swamp
Mountain
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Bayou
Sideboard (15)
Red Elemental Blast
Yixlid Jailer
Null Rod
Magus of the Moon
Goblin Rabblemaster
Blazing Archon

The site lists the Kozilek as the Butcher of Truth variety, but the redditor in the original post (and the construction of the deck itself) seems to suggest that it is the new Oath of the Gatewatch Kozilek.

Thought-Post

Creatures (9)
Primeval Titan
Thought-Knot Seer
Emrakyl, the Aeons Torn
Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
Kozilek, the Great Distortion

Spells (25)
Ancient Stirrings
Punishing Fire
Sensei’s Divining Top
Pithing Needle
Kozilek’s Return
Expedition Map
Candelabra of Tawnos
Crop Rotations
Ugin, the Spirit Dragon

Lands (26)
Cloudpost
Glimmerpost
Grove of the Burnwillows
Vesuva
Taiga
Maze of Ith
Cavern of Souls
Karakas
Windswept Heath
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Eye of Ugin
Forest
Sideboard (15)
Sphere of Resistance
Surgical Extraction
Warping Wail
Red Elemental Blast
Krosan Grip
Sundering Titan
Reclamation Sage
Choke
Bojuka Bog
Pithing Needle

A Punishing Fire version of 12-Post, also featuring Thought-Knot seer. Thought-Knot provides a lot of utility for 12-Post, as it’s a great clock and disruptor. Also, Kozilek’s Return helps against decks that go wide, like Death and Taxes (and is also Mother of Runes-proof too!)

A New Take on Esper Stoneblade

Creatures (10)
Tombstalker
Stoneforge Mystic
Deathrite Shaman

Spells (31)
Dark Ritual
Brainstorm
Hymn to Tourach
Liliana of the Veil
Daze
Thoughtseize
Swords to Plowshares
Ponder
Lingering Souls
Snuff Out
Umezawa's Jitte
Batterskull

Lands (19)
Marsh Flats
Polluted Delta
Bloodstained Mire
Underground Sea
Scrubland
Wasteland
Bayou
Sideboard (15)
Engineered Plague
Spell Pierce
Engineered Explosives
Pithing Needle
Disenchant
Surgical Extraction
Darkblast
Chill
Cursed Scroll
Hydroblast
Karakas
Swamp
Nihil Spellbomb

Dark Ritual out Liliana on turn 1 and Daze the Force. Seems. Good. It can play a fair Stoneblade game, but it also incorporates a fast Liliana clock to just wipe your opponent out from a different angle.

What are your thoughts on these decklists?