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    Chalice Bomberman/Bomberman Stompy

    “Bomberman” refers to Auriok Salvagers, an archetype more seen in Vintage, thanks to Auriok Salvagers powerful infinite mana combo with Black Lotus. Salvagers can also generate infinite mana in Legacy via Lion’s Eye Diamond, but this has remained a gutsy proposition due to LED requiring the discarding of ones hand, causing poor synergy with Force of Will and other controlling spells typically found in the shell, creating a very “all-in” combo turn. You can find more traditional combo-control versions of Bomberman on The Source here. These lists also typically leaned on Sensei’s Divining Top as a filtration option that worked when Hellbent, but with Top gone, Bomberman must re-calibrate itself.

    The KMC tournaments in Japan have always been a hotbed of innovation, and the 75th event found Tanaka Mikoto with a new take on the Bomberman combo:

    Lands: (18)
    4 Ancient Tomb
    4 Cavern of Souls
    4 City of Traitors
    4 Plains
    2 Tundra

    Creatures: (14)
    4 Auriok Salvagers
    4 Monastery Mentor
    2 Trinket Mage
    4 Walking Ballista

    Non-Creature Spells: (28)
    4 Gitaxian Probe
    4 Chalice of the Void
    4 Lion's Eye Diamond
    4 Lodestone Bauble
    4 Lotus Petal
    4 Mox Opal
    4 Urza's Bauble

    Sideboard: (15)
    2 Containment Priest
    2 Phyrexian Revoker
    1 Venser, Shaper Savant
    1 Disenchant
    1 Echoing Truth
    4 Leyline of the Void
    2 Serenity
    1 Engineered Explosives
    1 Ratchet Bomb

    From here, a few other variants have been seen, and Caleb Durwald took a modified version of the list to a stunning 3-0 win over Bob Huang in the Legacy Premier League Quarterfinals (beating Sneak & Show, Food Chain and Grixis Delver), that you can watch here.

    1.0 Main Deck

    1.1 The Combo


    The infinite mana combo is the lynchpin of the deck, allowing it to finish off a variety of decks in a hurry. It is notably unaffected by typical graveyard hate like Deathrite Shaman and can be stacked multiple times in a turn to play around cards like Surgical Extraction. Lion’s Eye Diamond is a bit of a brick when not comboing out, though some of the other creatures in the deck give it a little more utility than initially expected.

    Auriok Salvagers on the other hand, need not necessarily be used to combo to become a very potent threat. Its 2/4 body already dominates over many of the small creatures in Legacy and ground creatures like Pyromancer or Thalia will have a tough time with Salvagers on the table. Its ability is also highly potent in accruing some kind of advantage, in combination with a variety of the cards within the deck. It can either spew out creatures, create recursive removal or just give the deck raw card advantage.

    1.2 Win Conditions


    Unlike previous iterations of Bomberman where kill conditions were very lacklustre (eg. Pyrite Spellbomb) and needed a fair bit of setup, the win conditions of Monastery Mentor and Walking Ballista are very serviceable creatures in their own right.

    Monastery Mentor, in combination with the infinite combo, makes a board of infinite Monks that should kill the opponent on the following turn (or, if Mentor isn’t summoning sick, then and there). The nice part is that Mentor can be on board before comboing out and simply present a very difficult to answer threat. In combination with the variety of zero-mana artifacts the deck plays, the deck can have explosives draws, even on turn one, of Monastery Mentor into many, many Monks.

    Walking Ballista functions similarly. The Ballista can be played early, beatdown, even be used to kill some creatures, and once the infinite mana combo is assembled, an on-board Ballista can be pumped infinitely and then burn the opponent out or Ballista can be resurrected from the graveyard to assemble the kill. Ballista has huge amounts of utility and, in combination with Mentor, gives the deck a very solid fair angle of attack.

    1.3 Lock Pieces


    Although previous iterations of Bomberman utilised counterspells in order to stop the opponent, current lists focus on Chalice of the Void to do so. This synergises effectively with Lion’s Eye Diamond, which encourages playing out ones hand as quickly as possible. Chalice blocks a variety of annoying removal, allowing Mentor in particular to go unchecked. It also stops hate cards post-board that are typically played. And, like many of the other artifacts, it can be revived by Salvagers to annoy the opponent once more. Its well-known in Legacy how potent cutting off many of the opponent’s spells in their deck is.

    1.4 Cantrips

    Urza's Bauble
    Mishra's Bauble
    Lodestone Bauble


    Both Urza’s Bauble and Mishra’s Bauble are zero-mana “slow trips” that draw on the next upkeep. Although innocuous-looking, these importantly trigger Monastery Mentor, making Monks, but also act as an effective win condition with Auriok Salvagers. Auriok Salvagers can generate infinite mana and loop these trinkets infinite times, drawing the Bomberman player their entire library (on the opponent’s upkeep) which should easily lead to a combo kill on the following turn.

    Lodestone Bauble is another zero-mana slow trip, but to cycle needs one mana to be paid. The importance is, however, that Lodestone Bauble can target any player to draw a card. When looped, it can lead to the opponent drawing their entire library and then decking out on the next upkeep. It’s probably the worst of the Baubles, but offers powerful utility as an additional win condition that can sit in the graveyard after being used for its somewhat overpriced cycle effect.

    Gitaxian Probe

    A contentious inclusion due to its poor synergy with Chalice. But with Mentor it is certainly excellent to create Monks, and being able to see if the coast is clear to combo off is also a nice luxury.

    1.5 Mana

    Lotus Petal
    Mox Opal


    More zero mana artifacts that trigger Mentor, notably, but can also allow the deck to empty its hand incredibly quickly and assemble the combo before the opponent can even set up. Lotus Petal is a very traditional acceleration piece (and can be rebought with Salvagers if needed, particularly nice when looping Petals for Mentor, which can be done for a single White mana), but Mox Opal requires a bit more finesse. With Chalice and the trinkets it can be often turned on easily, but since the trinkets require sacrifice, Metalcraft isn’t always so assured turn after turn.

    Ancient Tomb
    City of Traitors


    Sol lands have been the backbone of Chalice of the Void decks, and this is no different. It’s nice that these effectively pay the mana costs of Mentor, Salvagers and Ballista as well.

    Cavern of Souls

    Apart from Ballista, the creatures in the deck are all Humans, which can lead to some excellent uncounterable lines with Mentor or Auriok Salvagers. Either of these creatures sticking create inevitability, as both abilities don’t need spells to resolve to get value from them – Mentor will still create Monks off trinkets even countered, and Salvagers can simply resurrect countered combo pieces.

    Ancient Den

    Although looking like a useless Wasteland-able White source, Ancient Den critically increases chances of Metalcraft for Mox Opal for very little cost and can lead to some slick curve outs. It adds a subtle consistency to the Metalcraft cards and I highly recommend using it if running four Mox Opals.

    Spire of Industry

    The best Gold land available to us, usable quite easily with all the trinkets on the battlefield. It also has advantages over Mana Confluence/City of Brass in that it can be used for pain-less colourless mana otherwise. With Spire included the deck can reach into a tri-colour mana base, but exposes the deck further to Wasteland and Blood Moon effects.

    Karakas
    Inventors' Fair


    Utility lands can be very effective. Inventors' Fair is excellent at finding one of the last pieces of the combo (LED or Ballista) while Karakas has general utility against many decks in the format like Death & Taxes and Sneak & Show.

    2.0 Sideboard

    2.1 Hatebears

    Containment Priest
    Ethersworn Canonist
    Phyrexian Revoker


    Hate bears are one of White’s most potent tools against the combo decks of the format. Priest very easily hits the Sneak & Show’s and Reanimators of the world, while Canonist can not only stop spell-chain combo, but also defend ours. Since Canonist only stops non-artifact spells, the Bomberman combo, since it only uses artifacts, can still work! Revoker is nice as a more blanket hatebear that also interacts with Metalcraft positively.

    Sanctum Prelate

    Prelate puts considerable strain on the mana (1WW is difficult to achieve) but importantly makes the Storm matchup a little easier. Since Chalice and Canonist are artifacts, a timely Hurkyl's Recall can mean ruins. Prelate has a similar effect to Chalice, but needs a Storm player to go through further hoops. It's also great against other combo decks.

    Lodestone Golem

    An expensive and speculative hate piece, but once again allows the combo to occur unhindered. Beatdowns quickly too, but do watch out making Mentor and Salvagers more expensive.

    Thought-Knot Seer

    Similar to Lodestone Golem in that it is a relatively expensive threat that provides a big body and disruption. Unlike Lodestone, it does not tax our non-artifact spells but its disruption is once off. It is also a feasible card in the main deck if one is looking for main deckable disruption on a body. It doesn't synergise with Cavern effectively, however.

    Hope of Ghirapur

    An even-more speculative sideboard inclusion because of its conflict with Chalice, but Hope, in conjunction with a Salvagers, can completely lock out an opponent, especially if they are a combo deck. Hope is neat, but I would be wary of the danger of cool things (that conflict with one of our main plans of Chalicing out the opponent).

    2.2 Graveyard Hate

    Tormod's Crypt
    Leyline of the Void
    Faerie Macabre


    Crypt is excellent as additional graveyard hate of choice, because it can be looped with Auriok Salvagers if graveyards need to be wiped multiple times (eg. vs. Dredge), and can be found with some of the splashable tutors. However, Leyline of the Void stops fast combo like BR Reanimator a bit more effectively, but of course is a pretty dead draw when not in ones opening hand. Faerie is also tutorable in some versions, and can be essentially uncounterable, relevant against Chancellor of the Annex primarily. Note that cards like Rest in Peace or Relic of Progenitus do not synergise with the deck’s game plan.

    2.3 Removal

    Swords to Plowshares
    Spatial Contortion
    Warping Wail
    Blessed Alliance


    Swords to Plowshares is one of the most efficient removal spells in Magic and since we have White mana readily available, this is excellent in matchups where we cut Chalices, such as BUG matchups and against Death & Taxes. Spatial Contortion and Warping Wail (with Wail having a little more utility) can function similarly off the abundance of colourless sources, but doesn’t have anti-synergy with Chalice of the Void in matchups like Delver, where you want both Chalice and removal. Blessed Alliance is also an option for removal that gets around Chalice but is a little more conditional (but can lead to blowouts against Marit Lage, for example).

    Disenchant
    Engineered Explosives
    Seal of Cleansing
    Devout Witness
    Forsake the Worldly
    Cast Out


    These are nice general answers to the hate that can come up against Bomberman, such as Pithing Needle and others. Of course, White has many variants on Disenchant that can be utilised, even on a stick - War Priest of Thune comes close, while Devout Witness is a viable inclusion for repetitive artifact and enchantment destruction, especially against problematic Stompy decks. Engineered Explosives is a potent tool, especially since it can be looped with Auriok Salvagers to continually wipe the board. Sunburst = 2 is very feasible for the deck, with Opals or Petals making Sunburst = 3 reasonable at times as well. EE can be a very reasonable main deck card as well.

    Ensnaring Bridge

    Pseudo-removal, in that creatures can no longer attack. Excellent due to this deck's ability to empty its hand very quickly, it can buy significant amounts of time and helps out against Sneak & Show. Note that the Mentor kill is less feasible with Ensnaring Bridge in play.

    2.4 Transformational

    Stoneforge Mystic
    Umezawa’s Jitte
    Batterskull


    Boarding into some strange Mentor Stoneforge Stompy hybrid is also a possibility, leaning on the power of equipment and the plethora of bodies available to gear up. This can really catch people with their pants down, but takes up a critical amount of sideboard slots.

    3.0 Splashes

    3.1 Blue


    Trinket Mage has been a long friend of Bomberman thanks to its ability to find two parts of the combo – Lion’s Eye Diamond or Walking Ballista. The only piece that cannot be found is the Salvagers themselves. Trinket Mage also makes silver bullets in the main deck or sideboard a little more impressive (eg. Pithing Needle, Tormod’s Crypt) and also can find things such as Chalice.

    Meddling Mage

    Another powerful hatebear option that also can effectively defend the combo kill. It's great with Gitaxian Probe/Baubles as well, shutting off any spells that are known information.

    Venser, Shaper Savant

    A flexible “removal” spell that can be cast off Cavern of Souls, and is particularly great against Sneak & Show. A bit mana-intensive and can be found in the sideboard typically. Excellent with Karakas for the Karakas lock.

    3.2 Red


    Unlike Mage, which can get Lion’s Eye Diamond, Imperial Recruiter can instead get Ballista, Mentor or Salvagers, which makes him much more impressive at backing up the “fair” grind plan of the deck. He also makes a variety of silver bullet hate bears in the sideboard reasonable to find.

    Manic Vandal

    A tutorable Shatter option, which is helpful against cards like Pithing Needle or opposing Chalices set to zero.

    Magus of the Moon

    Post-board the deck can masquerade as a Stompy deck, bringing Magus of the Moon against greedy multi-coloured decks. Magus can be powered out on turn one quite easily with backbreaking results. Just be careful about locking oneself out of White mana to cast the rest of the deck’s spells.

    Daretti, Scrap Savant / Nahiri, the Harbinger

    Very interesting grindy cards that synergise effectively with the gameplan of the deck. Daretti can do a Goblin Welder impression quite well (while not running into our Chalice) which is great for turning wasted mana rocks into cards thanks to the trinkets. His ultimate also leads to mountains of cards being drawn with the trinkets in the deck which can be revived at eot to loop again. Nahiri in particular deals with weird problem permanents, and her ultimate finds any piece of the combo.

    3.3 Black


    Dark Confidant is incredible in the Bomberman shell due to the deck having an abundance of zero cost spells and hence taking damage from his ability typically being of little consequence. Hence, Bob living (often helped by Chalice) means that the deck can continue to churn through cantrips to either fuel explosive Mentor draws or dig for the combo.

    Kitesail Freebooter

    One of the newer additions to the deck, Kitesail Freebooter is an excellent piece of disruption in both the main deck or the sideboard, ripping away removal or countermagic that can get in the way of the combo and letting one see if the coast is clear. Against combo, Freebooter can slow down the opposing deck and give the Bomberman player a bit more time to set up the combo or simply beatdown with a motley crew. It's also uncounterable off Cavern, of course.

    Infernal Tutor

    Everyone knows the interaction with Infernal Tutor and LED, and this can lead to combo turns which are easily game-ending (Salvagers in play, IT > crack LED > get Ballista > win). However, since this deck is a Stompy deck at heart, it can empty its hand very quickly, especially with the trinkets which, thanks to their delayed trigger, leads to empty-handed moments. Infernal Tutor works well in these situations too as just actual Demonic Tutor for whatever missing piece! Note that the mana base often needs tweaks to function with Infernal Tutor, since it is a non-Human spell.

    Collective Brutality

    Probably the best flexible discard/removal spell printed for any Black-based Stompy deck in recent times, as it very effectively gets around Chalice, has relevant modes all round and can be escalated by pitching useless junk that Stompy decks often end up having in hand (note that the escalate is great to throw Ballistas, LEDs or other win cons that Salvagers can eventually revive for the kill). Like Infernal Tutor, it needs mana base modifications to accommodate, however, being a non-Human coloured spell.

    Magus of the Will

    An uncounterable Human in many situations, and with Chalice to defend him, Magus of the Will can get an untap and go crazy generating absurd amounts of mana and cards with the trinkets that are likely to be lying in the deck’s graveyard. The trinkets can also simply be used on the opponent’s turn to avoid them being exiled too!

    Orzhov Pontiff

    A deck like this is certainly in the market for an effective sweeper, and Orzhov Pontiff is often just that – uncounterable off Cavern too!

    4.0 Matchups

    Coming soon!

    5.0 Decklists

    5.1 White-Blue

    Tanaka Mikoto’s original list:

    http://www.hareruyamtg.com/en/k/kD26353S/

    Caleb Durward’s LPL list:

    https://i2.wp.com/itsjulian.com/wp-c...ize=1024%2C576

    5.2 White-Black

    Katayose Takahito's White-Black list feat. Magus of the Will:

    http://www.hareruyamtg.com/en/k/kD26759S/

    5.3 White-Red

    Katayose Takahito's Mentorless Bomberman:

    http://www.hareruyamtg.com/en/k/kD42020S/

    ChemicalBurns156’s White-Red Bomberman (06/03/18):

    Creatures: (15)
    3 Auriok Salvagers
    4 Monastery Mentor
    4 Walking Ballista
    3 Imperial Recruiter
    1 Magus of the Moon

    Non-Creature Spells: (26)
    3 Lion’s Eye Diamond
    4 Chalice of the Void
    4 Urza’s Bauble
    4 Mishra’s Bauble
    1 Lodestone Bauble
    4 Mox Opal
    4 Lotus Petal
    2 Engineered Explosives

    Lands: (19)
    3 Ancient Tomb
    2 City of Traitors
    4 Cavern of Souls
    3 Flooded Strand
    2 Plains
    2 Plateau
    2 Ancient Den
    1 Inventors’ Fair

    Sideboard: (15)
    1 Ethersworn Canonist
    1 Sanctum Prelate
    2 Containment Priest
    1 Magus of the Moon
    1 Devout Witness
    1 Manic Vandal
    3 Leyline of the Void
    2 Swords to Plowshares
    1 Cast Out
    1 Nahiri, the Harbinger
    1 Phyrexian Revoker

    6.0 Videos

    6.1 White-Blue

    Vs. Miracles (pre-ban)

    Game 1:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfVHdFeEESk
    Game 2:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4F_A1KkPM1M
    Game 3:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KH8zLodVniE

    Vs. Sneak & Show, Food Chain and Grixis Delver:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sOdV4ogxqg

    6.1 White-Black

    Caleb Durwald's League:

    https://www.channelfireball.com/vide...acy-bomberman/

    Anuraag Das's Legacy Challenge:

    https://www.twitch.tv/videos/157798525

    7.0 Further Reading

    Tanaka's Mikito's blog post detailing the deck (Japanese):

    http://mtgkmc.blog.fc2.com/blog-entry-500.html

    AngelBaka's detailed reddit post outlining White-Black card choices:

    https://www.reddit.com/r/MTGLegacy/c..._an_effective/
    Last edited by ChemicalBurns; 03-27-2018 at 08:04 AM.

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