On February 28, 2026, I locked up my first-ever undefeated Legacy League: a clean 5-0, piloting Mardu Energy. It felt glorious.

For the curious and the skeptics, here’s the 75:

Mardu Energy

Creatures (24)

4 Guide of Souls
4 Ocelot Pride
4 Ajani, Nacatl Pariah//Ajani, Nacatl Avenger
4 Amped Raptor
1 Hexing Squelcher
4 Orcish Bowmasters
3 Voice of Victory

Spells (11)

2 Cabal Therapy
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Thoughtseize
1 Forth Eorlingas!

Enchantments (2)

2 Goblin Bombardment

Lands (23)

4 Arid Mesa
2 Badlands
1 Elegant Parlor
2 Karakas
4 Marsh Flats
1 Plains
2 Plateau
2 Scrubland
1 Shadowy Backstreet
4 Wasteland

Sideboard (15)

2 Deafening Silence
2 Red Elemental Blast
3 Surgical Extraction
2 Disruptor Flute
1 Hexing Squelcher
2 Null Rod
2 Clarion Conqueror
1 Humility

The mainboard is pretty stock. I spiced things up by swapping one Cabal Therapy for a cheeky Forth Eorlingas! Zero regrets.

I’m tinkering with the balance between Voice of Victory and Hexing Squelcher. The local Dayton meta has shifted away from blue-heavy strategies. Adapt or die, right?

What Does MarDO?

*The strongest opening hands in the blind feature the combination of Ocelot Pride and Guide of Souls to build a wide board that generates life and energy. Guide of Souls can then make itself, Ocelot Pride, or any of the tokens into flying threats.

Mardu Energy is challenging to interact with due to the opening, the hatebears like Orcish Bowmasters and Hexing Squelcher that punish the opponent for trying to interact, and Ajani, Nacatl Pariah, which is card advantage and reach on an undercosted package.

Combine all that with the hand disruption package of Thoughtseize and Cabal Therapy, and this aggro deck can hit fast, hard, and get the opponent dead before they ever get off the ground.

*Additional deck analysis written by ForceofPhil.

Use Our Link to Buy Cards

Round 1 — The Identity Crisis | 2-1 Win

Sat down against what I thought was Abzan Maverick. Nope, surprise: Golgari Moonshadow Hogaak Dredge!

Game three was the decider. My literal surgical precision sealed it. Early Surgical Extractions dismantled their engine before spiraling out of control. Crisis averted.

Round 2 — Aluren Omni-Tell | 2-0 Win

A newer Legacy concoction blending Aluren and Omni-Tell.

Game one got spicy. My opponent stuck an early Aluren and went for the Acererak the Archlich combo. With the bounce trigger on the stack, I cast Swords to Plowshares to brick the combo. Chef’s kiss.

Game two was pure tempo: apply pressure, disrupt, close.

Round 3 – Yorion Mono-White Stoneblade | 2-1 Win

Grindy, value-heavy “fair Magic.” Fair doesn’t beat efficient pressure plus disruption.

Round 4 – Azorius Control | 2-0 Win

Mardu shines against classic blue-white control shells. Hand disruption plus steady tempo disallowed my opponent from stabilizing. Closed both games cleanly.

Round 5 – Paradox Engine Izzet Affinity | 2-0 Win

Yes, you read that right: Paradox Engine in 2026. We love a brewer. Fast starts met tighter disruption. Their engine never fully came online.

Guide of Souls by Ryan Valle

Join the Eternal Durdles on Patreon

Wrap Up

Was this a masterful skill expression? Maybe. Was it also possibly “better lucky than good”? Almost certainly.

No Dimir Tempo. No Doomsday. None of the usual “Welcome to Legacy” nightmares. But you can only beat what’s in front of you. On Feb. 28, 2026, Mardu Energy beat everything.

Legacy League. 5-0. Undefeated.

We ride again.

Want to share your tournament report?