Thirsty Thursday: In depth view of Junk Midrange

So I know I have briefly touched on junk midrange in the past, however, I am going in an indepth review of the deck that I won gameday with, the deck that I went 5-3 at states with, and going forward from there.

Disclaimer: This post is pretty long.

So, to understand junk midrange, I must first go through what I think the best decks, or the metagame, currently is. The reason? Junk midrange is a threats and answers deck. It plays threats your opponent must deal with, and answers to your opponents threats and plans.

Currently, the way I see it, the top decks in standard are:

Mono blue aggro, Gx devotion, Black devotion, UWx control, RDW, GW aggro, and multicolor midrange (boros, orzhov, naya, jund, junk)

So when going under each card's evaluation, I will reference the above decks. Any deck being made in standard at the moment must keep each of the above deck archetypes in mind.

Firstly, the mana base of the deck:

So 23 of the 24 lands are pretty self explanatory. Max out on the shocks, max out on the scry lands that fit your colors. 1 golgari guildgate, 4 forest, 1 swamp, 1 plains. The way the curve and colors work, this has worked best for me.
As for the 24th land:

Mutavault is a great flex spot. You usually do not want it until after turn 5, where it is great as a extra creature instead of just a land. I will explain how it does vs each archetype.
Vs Mono blue aggro: It acts as an extra blocker that can't be dispersed or cyclonic rift'd after they bounce your creatures.
Vs Gx devotion: Again acts as an extra blocker to get you there.
Vs Black devotion: It is able to block a blood baron, tap down a desecration demon in a pinch.
UWx control: Is a creature that survives wrath effects, acts as an emergency sac outlet to save another creature when devour flesh'd or far//away.
RDW: Acts as an extra blocker in a pinch.
GW aggro: Again, acts as an extra blocker. Most important vs something like soldier of the pantheon.
Midrange: Survives anger of the gods, gets around chained to the rocks, survives any sorcery speed removal, can tap down a desecration demon.


Now I will be going over the creatures of the deck.

This is the farseek of the deck. It helps you accelerate, mana fix, and is a blocker that cannot be targetted by the enemy. I'd rather have a farseek, but this creature is great at times as a blocker.

Scavenging ooze is a great card, and if I was not playing whip of erebos I would be playing it as a 4 of. Instead, since I mainly want to use it to interact with my opponent's Graveyard, I play a 2 of. It is a great 2 drop, that as a minimum, acts as a road block vs any aggressive decks. It is also a premium source of life gain.
Vs mono blue aggro: Again, it acts as a road block for the deck, allowing you to draw an answer. Additionally, if you can start killing their little guys, you can make this guy outclass theirs.
Vs Gx Devotion: An early road block while you set up your bigger guys, you will be killing all of their guys to make this guy big.
Vs black devotion: It is another target for them to kill. More importantly, it will stop their whip activations.
Vs UWx control: After a board wipe, you will be able to make this guy very big. Additionally, it is one of your few creatures that can block a blood baron.
Vs RDW: A road block and life gain means that you will be able to win easily vs RDW.
Vs GW aggro: An important road block vs soldier of the pantheon as most of your guys are multicolored.
Vs midrange: Depending on the deck, it will be fighting whip activations and opposing scavenging oozes.

One of the main reasons I play junk instead of jund!
Vs mono blue aggro: At the minimum, it acts as a persist blocker.
Vs Gx Devotion: Again, acts as a persist blocker. However, the token it makes can match the strength of a lot of the big green guys.
Vs black devotion: They have to use 2 removal spells to get rid of voice plus the token.
Vs UWx control: Forces them to think before they start casting spells on your own turn. Any wrath also still leaves you with a creature.
Vs RDW: Acts as a persist blocker and something that they have to use multiple burn spells (that would otherwise be redirected towards you)
Vs GW aggro: Probably worst in this matchup, it still acts as something that makes them think before they use a combat trick such as god's willing or selesnya charm during your combat step.
Vs midrange: Great vs any deck that is not running anger of the gods.

Before I go into specific matchups, I will say that this is the card that made me not play 4 golgari charm in my 75.
Vs mono blue aggro: Acts as a big wall that can attack through. It will make them not want to trade because you will get to scry, and their main thing is that they have massive card advantage vs you in bident of thassa, which is somewhat negated.
Vs Gx Devotion: Is able to trade with any of the opposing creatures no matter how big.
Vs black devotion: Always keeping 2 mana up means this guy cannot be killed with hexproof. Additionally, you can swing fearlessly as you can profitably trade.
Vs UWx control: A wrath means you are scrying, A LOT. Additionally, outside of a blood baron, you will be trading with any creature.
Vs RDW: Cannot be mortars or burned at all. Any creatures dying means you are that much closer to victory and getting something that can get life gain.
Vs GW aggro: Dodges selesnya charm while beating a smiter in a straight fight. If they don't have a god's willing, their creatures are dying in combat to this thing.
Vs midrange: Great as it can't be spot removed and can trade with any creature.

The first of the big 3 combo. This thing is insane and I always want to play 4 even if it isn't always the easiest to do.
Vs mono blue aggro: It's probably the only way you are getting damage through once they clog the board with elemental tokens.
Vs Gx Devotion: Again, the only way you are getting damage through their big guys.
Vs black devotion: Dodges doom blade and ultimate price. Can only be killed by 3cmc removal which is nicer for you.
Vs UWx control: Cannot be hit by the sorcery speed wrath, something that control has a very very hard time dealing with.
Vs RDW: The lifegain this gives has always been relevant in any RDW matchup.
Vs GW aggro: Is bigger than most any GW creatures, they can only deal with this with a selensya charm
Vs midrange: It's a super efficient creature that will potentially be dealing 7 a turn. Also something that is hard to deal with as half the removal in the format is sorcery speed (chained to the rocks, detention sphere, mizzium mortars, etc.)

Part 2 of the 3 part combo. This creature was the other reason I wanted to play White over red. This creature living essentially ends any RDW from beating you. It also means any creature you play gains you life, and any tokens you have will get out of control. Additionally, it has 5 toughness, which is very relevant. The only hard thing is the GGWW mana cost.
Vs mono blue aggro: Can block everything except thassa, can gain you life to stay in the game, can create additional blockers.
Vs Gx Devotion: The life gain from this will be one of the ways you stay in the game.
Vs black devotion: Although it is a prime removal target, if it can get off one populate ability then you are making it that much harder for black to win.
Vs UWx control: A resolved trostani means that your opponent has to have a wrath effect otherwise your tokens will get out of hand.
Vs RDW: The lifegain and toughness means that your opponent is probably losing.
Vs GW aggro: Is able to block smiter and anything weaker.
Vs midrange: Again, the lifegain and toughness matter a lot in these close matchups. Any time you populate means any 1 for 1 removal that your opponents are using are sort of wasted.

So the final creature is an instant, but I count it as a 5/5 trample flash for 4 mana creature that has a CMC of 0 after leaving the stack. Probably one of the best creatures in the deck, it is great with a trostani on the field as you instantly can gain 5 life.
Vs mono blue aggro: Can trample over their creatures for those last points of damage.
Vs Gx Devotion: Is able to go toe to toe with most of the creatures here.
Vs black devotion: The fact that it has flash means that they have to keep mana open otherwise at the end of their turn you can cast it and swing for 5 damage out of nowhere.
Vs UWx control: Great because you can flash in someone after a wrath effect, it also importantly blocks a blood baron.
Vs RDW: Is able to defeat every one of their creatures in combat and is out of any burn range.
Vs GW aggro: Important because it blocks soldier of pantheon, also is as strong as their strongest creatures.
Vs midrange: It is just as efficient as any of the creatures that any midrange deck will be playing.

So that is all of the creatures that are in the deck. Before I talk about the removal (answers), I will be talking about one card that does not fit into either a creature or an answer.

This is part 3 of the big 3 combo. With lifelink alone, you are gaining great value and ability to race any deck. However, the fact that it can permanently bring back an obzedat is great. This plus an obzedat plus a trostani means you are gaining 12 life a turn and potentially dealing 7 damage to an opponent. It is an insane life swing.

So the first up on our list of removal is doom blade. It is a great removal.
Vs mono blue aggro: It hits cloudfin raptors that are too big, tidebinder mages that have your guys locked down, and most importantly master of waves.
Vs Gx Devotion: Hits every creature they have.
Vs black devotion: Doesn't hit any creature here. Sideboard it out.
Vs UWx control: Will only really hit an aetherling here. Sideboard it out.
Vs RDW: Hits every creature they have except rakdos cackler.
Vs GW aggro: Hits every creature they have.
Vs midrange: Depending on the build. Vs naya it will hit every creature they have. If vs orzhov or jund you should probably be siding these out.

This piece of removal is even better! The reason that you do not just run 4 of this and 0 doom blade is that the aggro decks are too fast, you want to be killing their stuff on turn 2 if you are not putting up a blocker.
Vs mono blue aggro: Hits master of waves most importantly again, but can also hit nightveil specter that doom blade cannot to turn off thassa.
Vs Gx Devotion: Can hit every creature plus garruk.
Vs black devotion: This can actually hit the creatures! Great in this matchup.
Vs UWx control: Can hit any creature that is not blood baron. More importantly, it hits elspeth and jace.
Vs RDW: Hits every creature they have, however it is a bit slow.
Vs GW aggro: This can be a bit slow in this matchup, as you will spend 3 mana to cast and they will spend 1 mana to gods willing or brave the elements.
Vs midrange: A great great card as it will hit all creatures and all problem planeswalkers.

You always want a diversification of answers as each will answer a different thing. That is what this does, and it is great at 2 mana.
Vs mono blue aggro: Most importantly it hits nightveil specter.
Vs Gx Devotion: Hit's their lower guys like mystic or satyr. Might want to sideboard out.
Vs black devotion: Can hit nightveil specters which is nice and pack rats. Might want to sideboard out though.
Vs UWx control: Hits detention spheres and ashioks. Also as a bonus can't be countered.
Vs RDW: Hits pretty much everything except fanatic of mogis. Notably it can hit the hammer of purphoros.
Vs GW aggro: It can hit a lot of things, most importantly a boon satyr or a smiter or an unflinching courage. However, it cannot hit a soldier of pantheon.
Vs midrange: Important targets not said above include: Boros reckoner, chained to the rocks, bow of nylea, and any tokens like advent of the wurm or elemental tokens from voice of resurgence.

This is my flex removal spell. I feel like in a threat and answer deck you will want 8-12 removal spells. This fills spots 7 and 8.
Vs mono blue aggro: You will probably sideboard this out, however, it is tech to sacrifice your own creature to gain life.
Vs Gx Devotion: Same as with the mono blue deck.
Vs black devotion: This is great as they will sometimes run out a solo desecration demon or something that you can get rid of.
Vs UWx control: Again, great as it is one of your few ways to deal with a blood baron.
Vs RDW: Great as the tech to gain you some life. Also, if they are swinging with a solo mutavault you can gain huge tempo vs them.
Vs GW aggro: Same as with mono blue deck.
Vs midrange: Most midrange decks will only run out 1 or 2 threats at a time, so this can actually be good depending on the matchup. Additionally, it can deal with sylvan caraytids on turn 2.

The last removal spot is actually experimental. I have heard that vraska has done a lot of work for people in rock and junk decks and so I want to test her. The fact that she can hit any nonland permanent that isn't blood baron is great. I can see her being good hitting some big creatures my other removal cannot hit, and is an actual threat as I can keep ticking her up to shoot with her again.












So to officially recap what we have gone over so far, here is the main deck and its numbers:

//lands
4 overgrown tomb
4 temple garden
4 godless shrine
4 temple of silence
4 forest
1 swamp
1 plains
1 golgari guildgate
1 mutavault

//creatures
4 voice of resurgence
2 scavenging ooze
4 sylvan caryatid
4 reaper of the wilds
4 obzedat, ghost council
3 trostani, selesnya's voice

//removal
2 devour flesh
2 hero's downfall
2 abrupt decay
2 doom blade
1 vraska the unseen

//other spells
4 advent of the wurm
2 whip of erebos


Now let's move to the sideboard.

Vs mono blue aggro: You will want to sideboard this in as it can hit master of waves and every creature except nightveil specter. In this match, it is doom blade #3.
Vs Gx Devotion: Most of the time, it can hit everything except burning tree emissary. Again you will want to board this in.
Vs black devotion: Great as a doom blade substitute, it can hit the desecration demon.
Vs UWx control: Would not board in here. It can only hit aetherling really.
Vs RDW: Depends on the build. Cannot hit boros reckoner or rakdos cackler. I would not board in.
Vs GW aggro: Would not board in. Most of their creatures are multicolored. (Dryad militant, voice of resurgence, loxodon smiter, fleecemane lion just to name the ones off the top of my head)
Vs midrange: Most midrange decks have multicolored creatures, would not board in.

In the original build of this deck, it was maindeck'd. However, because of how fast RDW is, I moved it to the sideboard as it was a dead card. However, against any non aggro matchup you will always want to side in as many as you can.

One of the cards I always want to run as 4 of in my 75, but in my current iteration I only have 2 in my sideboard.
Vs mono blue aggro: Wipes out all tokens as long as they only have 1 master of waves. Also destroys a bident of thassa.
Vs Gx Devotion: Probably would not side in, but it does give you a combat trick in regeneration.
Vs black devotion: Would definitely side in. Hits whip of erebos and regenerates vs their spot removal.
Vs UWx control: Would definitely side in. Hits detention sphere, regenerates vs a wrath, kills all elspeth tokens.
Vs RDW: Questionable to side in. The regeneration is not as big of a deal, and most of the creatures will be unleashed or naturally x/2. I would side them in before when I had 4, but maybe not as 2.
Vs GW aggro: Same as with RDW. It does hit unflinching courage though.
Vs midrange: Most likely siding in. Regenerates vs spot removal and hits chained to the rocks and assemble the legion.

I'm not going to comment on this too much as it is something I plan to take out. I used to play 4 elvish mystic in the deck as well, and then it was a bit better. It was mainly for the mono green and mono blue matchups, as I had no way really to deal with all of their creatures. However, I think this flex spot should be scavenging ooze (as an additional road block or vs black devotion for whip targets), skylasher (for mono blue), or underworld connections (to shore up all my midrange and control matchups)

This is a great sideboard card that I wish I had at states.
Vs mono blue aggro: Would not side in.
Vs Gx Devotion: Would not side in.
Vs black devotion: Would not side in.
Vs UWx control: It hits elspeth and detention sphere. I would side in if you see those as they are somewhat problematic cards.
Vs RDW: It does hit boros reckoner but would not side in.
Vs GW aggro: Great in this matchup as it hits almost all of their creatures. Most importantly it hits a voice of resurgence.
Vs midrange: It hits chained to the rocks, boros reckoner, assemble the legion, elspeth, or any creatures with white in them.

MVP sideboard card when it gets brought in, and can single handedly win games.
Vs mono blue aggro: Dodges everything except an overloaded cyclonic rift, ratchet bomb ticked to 1, or a mutavault.
Vs Gx Devotion: Would not side in
Vs black devotion: I could see merit in siding it in here, as they make themselves lose a lot of life and this is a fast clock at midgame.
Vs UWx control: Definite side in, as it can't be countered and if they don't have a blocker they are taking a lot of damage. Also dodges azorius charm.
Vs RDW: Would not side in.
Vs GW aggro:Would not side in.
Vs midrange: Probably not siding in, most midrange decks don't have blue in them.

A great sideboard card that has seen its way in and out of my sideboard depending on what I predict the meta to be.
Vs mono blue aggro: Would probably not side in.
Vs Gx Devotion: Would definitely side in. It can take a polukranos, a nylea, or some other big problematic creature.
Vs black devotion: Would definitely not side in.
Vs UWx control: This has good merit and I would side it in depending on the build. It hits obzedat and blood baron. Additionally, it can't be blocked by elspeth tokens and let's you see your opponent's hand.
Vs RDW: Would not side in.
Vs GW aggro:Would definitely side in as you get to hit any creature in their deck.
Vs midrange: Most likely you can side this in. Most creatures are multicolored so you will most likely hit almost every creature.



So to recap the sideboard:

//sideboard
1 ultimate price
3 thoughtseize
2 golgari charm
2 merciless eviction
2 glare of heresy
3 mistcutter hydra
2 lifebane zombie


I would definitely consider adding a 25th land in the main deck now that I have so much more scry power and have a higher top heavy curve. It is something else to test as well.
Anyway, that is my deck and its in depth review, and my thoughts when sideboarding in and out; as well as the changes I am currently contemplating going forward with the deck.