Reanimator — Modern Strategy Guide

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Archetype Overview

This Reanimator list puts an eight-mana flyer into play on the second turn for two mana. Archon of Cruelty goes into the graveyard through a discard outlet, and Persist brings it back. Every time it enters or attacks, your opponent sacrifices a creature or planeswalker, discards a card and loses 3 life, while you draw a card and gain 3. Piloted by Chin Yao Han, this version finished Top 4 at the Regional Championship - MIT Championship on November 1, 2026, in an 83-player field.

The plan in one paragraph

Discard or mill Archon of Cruelty, cast Persist, and win with the swing it creates. Everything else in the list serves that. Gran-Gran, Psychic Frog, Seasoned Cryomancer, Fallaji Archaeologist, Bitter Triumph, Undercity Sewers and even Thoughtseize aimed at yourself put Archon of Cruelty in the graveyard. Flare of Denial and cheap removal protect it once it's there. When you don't draw Archon of Cruelty, the same creatures can still attack: Psychic Frog grows and flies, and Abhorrent Oculus is a 5/5 flyer for three mana once you've filled your graveyard.

Why the plan is strong

• The mana math is absurd. Persist costs {1}{B} and returns a creature that costs {6}{B}{B} to cast. Even with its -1/-1 counter, Archon of Cruelty is a 5/5 flyer.
• Archon of Cruelty does a lot at once. Each trigger removes a creature or planeswalker, takes a card from hand, and swings life by 6 in total. Because the opponent chooses what they sacrifice, it's weaker against a wide board and very strong against a lone threat, and it doesn't target the creature, so ward or hexproof don't stop it.
• It attacks the opponent on several fronts. Your first-turn plays can hit the graveyard, the hand with Thoughtseize and the board with Fatal Push. You can often take your opponent's answer before you commit.
• It has a real backup plan. Many reanimator decks stop working when the graveyard plan is answered. Here Psychic Frog and Abhorrent Oculus can win alone, and they don't need Archon of Cruelty.
• Free interaction protects the turn that matters. Flare of Denial can be cast by sacrificing a nontoken blue creature, so you can counter a spell even when you're tapped out.

Where it sits in the field

Reanimator took 6 of the 256 Top 8 slots across the 32 MTGTop8 Modern events with 32 or more players, in 5 of those events (source: MTGTop8 Top 8s, Oct 20-Nov 3, 2026). It also made Top 8 at the 404-player Regional Championship in Buenos Aires on October 24 (source: MTGTop8 Top 8s, Oct 20-Nov 3, 2026). That puts it a good way behind Broodscale Bloodchief's 48 slots and Rakdos Delirium's 34 over the same period (source: MTGTop8 Top 8s, Oct 20-Nov 3, 2026). So it's a real, but not dominant, option. This guide's list is one Top 4 in an 83-player event, and we don't have card-level data for other Reanimator lists in this period.

The weakness

The field is ready for graveyard decks. Grafdigger's Cage was in all 48 Broodscale Bloodchief sideboards and Tormod's Crypt in all 18 Pinnacle Affinity main decks (source: MTGTop8 deck lists, Oct 20-Nov 3, 2026). Read those cards before your event, and expect them. You're also vulnerable to mana disruption, because your land base is mostly nonbasic: Blood Moon was in 14 Rakdos Delirium main decks and 24 sideboards (source: MTGTop8 deck lists, Oct 20-Nov 3, 2026). Your life total also pays for a lot of your plays, so aggressive decks can punish a greedy start.

Who should pick it up

Choose this if you enjoy a deck with explosive starts and a fair backup, and if you're comfortable making choices about your own graveyard. It rewards players who know when to go all in on Persist and when to hold back. With an estimated total of about $421, it's a real investment, so try it before you buy all of it if you can. If you prefer a deck that isn't exposed to sideboard hate, you should look elsewhere, because you'll see plenty of it in games two and three.

Core Strategy & Game Plan

You're a combo deck in games where you have the pieces and a tempo deck in games where you don't. Your first question each game is simple: can you get Archon of Cruelty into the graveyard and cast Persist before your opponent stops you? If not, your second question is how to win with Psychic Frog and Abhorrent Oculus.

Step one: getting Archon into the graveyard

You have many ways to do it. It helps to sort them by when they're available.

• Thoughtseize on yourself (turn one). Target player means you can pick yourself. You reveal your own hand, choose Archon of Cruelty and lose 2 life. This uses one card and gives you a turn-two Persist.
• Gran-Gran (turn two). Whenever it becomes tapped, you draw and then discard. Attacking taps it, so a turn-one Gran-Gran loots on the second turn before you cast Persist after combat.
• Psychic Frog (turn two or three). Discarding a card for a +1/+1 counter has no mana cost. Cast it on turn two, and you can discard Archon of Cruelty right away, then cast Persist on turn three.
• Bitter Triumph (any turn with a target). Its additional cost lets you discard a card rather than pay 3 life. It kills a creature and sets up Persist for one card.
• Seasoned Cryomancer (turn three). Draw two, discard two. If you discard nonland cards, you also tap and stun that many creatures.
• Fallaji Archaeologist (turn two). Mills three, and you can take a noncreature, nonland card from among them, such as Persist. It finds Archon of Cruelty without needing it in hand.
• Undercity Sewers and Cephalid Coliseum. The first surveils 1. The second, with threshold, makes a player draw three and discard three.

Step two: returning it

Persist is your main tool. It's a sorcery that targets a nonlegendary creature card in your graveyard, so it can't return Gran-Gran, and Archon of Cruelty comes back with a -1/-1 counter. Unearth returns creature cards with mana value 3 or less, so it's not your Archon spell. It returns Psychic Frog, Emperor of Bones, Seasoned Cryomancer, Fallaji Archaeologist, Gran-Gran and Abhorrent Oculus without the counter. Abhorrent Oculus is a strong target because the six-card exile is a casting cost, and you don't pay it when you return it from the graveyard.

The Emperor line

Emperor of Bones gives you a second route that doesn't need Persist. At the beginning of combat on your turn, you exile up to one target card from a graveyard. If you then pay {1}{B} to adapt 2, the counters put the exiled creature card onto the battlefield under your control with a finality counter and haste, and you sacrifice it at the next end step. If you do it in your beginning of combat, Archon of Cruelty enters and attacks in the same turn, so you get two triggers. The finality counter means it's exiled rather than going back to your graveyard when you sacrifice it, so this uses up that copy. You can also take a creature from your opponent's graveyard. It's strong, but Persist keeps Archon of Cruelty around, so use Persist if you have the choice.

The fair plan

Psychic Frog draws a card whenever it deals combat damage to a player or planeswalker, and it can grow by discarding and fly by exiling three cards from your graveyard. It's your best threat when Archon of Cruelty isn't available. Abhorrent Oculus needs six cards exiled from your graveyard to cast, but then it's a 5/5 flyer for three that manifests dread at the start of each opponent's upkeep. Be careful: both of these spend your graveyard. Don't exile Archon of Cruelty or a creature you plan to bring back.

Protecting the plan

Flare of Denial is the main protection. It costs {1}{U}{U} to cast normally, or you can sacrifice a nontoken blue creature instead. Gran-Gran, Psychic Frog, Fallaji Archaeologist, Seasoned Cryomancer and Abhorrent Oculus are all blue. Sacrificing a creature also puts it back in your graveyard for Unearth, and it gives you revolt for Fatal Push. Thoughtseize scouts ahead so that you know what's coming, and it can take the card that beats you.

The ideal game, turn by turn

1. Turn one: Gran-Gran, or Thoughtseize on yourself if your hand has Archon of Cruelty and Persist. Otherwise Thoughtseize on your opponent to see their answers.
2. Turn two: Attack with Gran-Gran, discard Archon of Cruelty to the loot, and cast Persist after combat. Your opponent sacrifices, discards and loses 3, and you draw and gain 3.
3. Turn three: Attack with Archon of Cruelty. That triggers it again, so your opponent loses another permanent and card. Hold up Flare of Denial by keeping a blue creature ready to sacrifice.
4. Turn four: Your opponent is usually at or near a lost position. Keep attacking while keeping your counterspell ready.

When the combo isn't there

If you don't have Archon of Cruelty or Persist, spend your turns developing and looting with Gran-Gran. Use Psychic Frog as your main attacker, and use removal on what stops it. The loot often finds what you need, and your graveyard grows for Abhorrent Oculus.

Card Choices & Breakdown

The payoff: Archon of Cruelty (4)

You play the full four copies because you need one in the graveyard early, and you can mill or discard several without trouble. You almost never cast it for {6}{B}{B}. An extra copy in hand is just discard fodder for a turn-two Persist. If your opponent responds to Persist by exiling your graveyard, having more copies in the deck helps you rebuild.

The enablers

• Gran-Gran (4): It's a one-drop that loots when it attacks. Becoming tapped is all it needs, so a block doesn't stop the trigger. It's legendary, so Persist can't return it, but Unearth can. Its second ability needs Lessons, and this list has none, so treat it as a 1/2 looter.
• Psychic Frog (4): Your best two-drop. Its discard ability is free and has no limit, so it's both an enabler and a threat. It's also a blue creature for Flare of Denial, and it's what you want to protect in a fair game.
• Fallaji Archaeologist (2): A 0/3 that blocks early and mills three cards. You can take a noncreature, nonland card, or skip that for a +1/+1 counter. It finds Persist and mills Archon of Cruelty at the same time, which is why it stays in despite its low power.
• Seasoned Cryomancer (2): Draw two, discard two, with stun as a bonus if you discard nonland cards. It's great at setting up and at slowing down a creature. In the graveyard, it can later draw two cards for {3}{U}{U} and by exiling itself.
• Emperor of Bones (2): It's your backup to Persist. It's only two copies, because it's mana-hungry and it's a black creature that can't be sacrificed to Flare of Denial. Its exile effect also doubles as a graveyard attack against your opponent.

Reanimation

Four Persist are the core of the deck. Two Unearth are for your cheap creatures and for Abhorrent Oculus. They also cycle for {2} when you don't need them, which is why two copies don't clog your hand. They can't return Archon of Cruelty, since its mana value is 8, so remember that before you plan on them.

Abhorrent Oculus (2)

This is the fair finisher. It's only two copies because the six-card exile is a real cost, and it competes with your other graveyard uses. A second copy is rarely castable soon after the first, but Unearth can return one for a single mana.

Disruption

• Thoughtseize (4): Its flexibility is the point. It takes the opponent's answer or threat, or it can target you to discard Archon of Cruelty. It costs 2 life either way, so it adds up when you're also paying for lands.
• Fatal Push (4): One mana for creatures with mana value 2 or less, or 4 or less with revolt. You turn on revolt with a fetch land, by sacrificing to Flare of Denial, or by losing a creature. Modern's creature decks are full of cheap targets, so it's a full four-of.
• Bitter Triumph (2): An answer to anything big, and to planeswalkers. Discarding as its cost makes it an enabler too. It's two copies because you already have plenty of cheap interaction.
• Flare of Denial (4): Counter target spell for free, by sacrificing a blue creature, or for three mana. It's four copies because it protects your most important turn. Be aware that it costs you a board presence when you use it for free.

Lands (20)

Twenty lands is a low count, but your curve is low and your plan functions on two or three mana. Your fetch lands, Polluted Delta, Bloodstained Mire and Marsh Flats, find Watery Grave, Undercity Sewers, Swamp and Island. They also enable revolt and put a land in the graveyard. Marsh Flats and Bloodstained Mire can find only Swamp types, while Polluted Delta finds both Island and Swamp types. Since Watery Grave and Undercity Sewers are both Island Swamps, every fetch can find either. Three Undercity Sewers enter tapped, but surveil 1 helps fill your graveyard. Two Cephalid Coliseum make blue mana at the cost of 1 damage, and with threshold, they refill your hand and graveyard. Otawara, Soaring City taps for blue, and its channel ability gives you a late-game bounce effect, which costs less with legendary creatures like Gran-Gran. You run just three basics: two Swamp and one Island. That's worth remembering against nonbasic hate.

Numbers that may surprise you

Two Fallaji Archaeologist and two Seasoned Cryomancer are low counts for enablers. That's because Gran-Gran, Psychic Frog and Thoughtseize already fill the role at lower cost, and you don't want too many creatures that do little when Archon of Cruelty is already in play. Two Emperor of Bones and two Unearth follow the same logic: useful backups, but not cards you want multiple copies of in your opening hand.

The Decklist

The 75 piloted by Chin Yao Han, Top 4 at the Regional Championship - MIT Championship (83 players, November 1, 2026). Estimated total: about $421.

Main Deck: Creatures (20)

• 4 Archon of Cruelty
• 4 Gran-Gran
• 4 Psychic Frog
• 2 Abhorrent Oculus: flex count, the fair finisher
• 2 Emperor of Bones: flex count, backup to Persist
• 2 Fallaji Archaeologist: flex count, mills and finds spells
• 2 Seasoned Cryomancer: flex count, loot with stun

Main Deck: Spells (20)

• 4 Fatal Push
• 4 Flare of Denial
• 2 Bitter Triumph: flex count, big-creature answer
• 4 Persist
• 2 Unearth: flex count, cycles when not needed
• 4 Thoughtseize

Main Deck: Lands (20)

• 4 Polluted Delta
• 3 Undercity Sewers
• 3 Watery Grave
• 2 Bloodstained Mire
• 2 Cephalid Coliseum: flex count, late-game refill
• 2 Marsh Flats
• 2 Swamp
• 1 Island
• 1 Otawara, Soaring City: flex slot, bounce on a land

Sideboard (15)

• 4 Consign to Memory: counters triggered abilities and colorless spells
• 3 Engineered Explosives: answers cheap permanents, artifacts and tokens
• 2 Harbinger of the Seas: land disruption, though it hurts you too
• 2 Mystical Dispute: cheap answer to blue spells
• 2 Requiting Hex: more cheap creature removal
• 2 Surgical Extraction: graveyard attack against specific cards

Mulligan Guide

Your deck can do unfair things on very few cards, so many hands look good. The trap is keeping a hand with pieces of the combo but no way to complete it. The question to ask is: how does this hand get Archon of Cruelty into play by turn three, and if it doesn't, what else does it do?

What makes a keepable hand

• Two or three lands with access to both colors. You can keep two lands with cheap plays, since your deck needs very little mana.
• Either the combo with an enabler, or a fair plan. Archon of Cruelty, Persist and a discard outlet is the dream. Psychic Frog, a removal spell and a discard spell is a fine fair start.
• Something to do with your first two turns. A hand with nothing to play until turn three gives your opponent a lot of time.

Here are some concrete hands. Each one assumes you know nothing about your opponent's deck.

Hand 1: Keep

Polluted Delta, Watery Grave, Gran-Gran, Archon of Cruelty, Persist, Thoughtseize, Fatal Push. This is close to the best possible draw. On turn one, Gran-Gran comes down. Turn two, it attacks, you discard Archon of Cruelty, and you cast Persist after combat. Thoughtseize and Fatal Push let you interact if your opponent shows you something. Keep this on the play or the draw.

Hand 2: Keep

Undercity Sewers, Swamp, Marsh Flats, Psychic Frog, Fatal Push, Flare of Denial, Bitter Triumph. There's no Archon of Cruelty, but you have a good threat, cheap removal and a counterspell, which is a strong fair start. Psychic Frog can loot through your deck by discarding spare cards. You may find Persist later. Keep this.

Hand 3: Mulligan

Polluted Delta, Thoughtseize, Archon of Cruelty, Persist, Gran-Gran, Fallaji Archaeologist, Flare of Denial. This one is tempting, because it holds the whole combo and most of it is cheap. But with twenty lands in the deck, a one-lander loses too often to missed land drops, and even on the draw you'd be relying on your next draws to do anything at all. Send it back on the play or the draw.

Hand 4: Mulligan

Swamp, Island, Watery Grave, Marsh Flats, Archon of Cruelty, Archon of Cruelty, Unearth. You've got four lands and two Archons, but no reanimation for them, and Unearth can't return an eight-drop. There's no enabler and nothing else to do early. Send it back.

Hand 5: Mulligan

Cephalid Coliseum, Cephalid Coliseum, Otawara, Soaring City, Persist, Emperor of Bones, Fatal Push, Thoughtseize. It looks like a hand, but all three of its lands make only blue mana. Persist, Emperor of Bones, Fatal Push and Thoughtseize all need black. You'd be doing nothing until you draw a black source. Send it back.

Hand 6: Keep with care

Undercity Sewers, Watery Grave, Bloodstained Mire, Abhorrent Oculus, Seasoned Cryomancer, Flare of Denial, Fallaji Archaeologist. There's no combo here, and Abhorrent Oculus needs six cards in your graveyard, but Fallaji Archaeologist and Seasoned Cryomancer start filling it, and each of those creatures can pay for Flare of Denial. It's a slower hand. Keep it in game one, and be more careful against fast combo.

On the play vs. on the draw

On the play, the second-turn Persist is far stronger because your opponent hasn't set up an answer. Value hands that have the combo. Two-landers are riskier because you've got no extra card. On the draw, you can be more relaxed about two-landers. But prefer hands with interaction, because your opponent's first play will already be on the table when you start. You'd usually choose to go first when you have the choice.

Against known matchups

• Against creature decks like Boros Aggro: value Fatal Push highly, and don't keep hands that cost you a lot of life early.
• Against Rakdos Delirium: a basic land matters because of Blood Moon, and so does the ability to take a threat with Thoughtseize. Keep hands that aren't all-in on one line, since it plays its own discard and removal (source: MTGTop8 deck lists, Oct 20-Nov 3, 2026).
• Against combo like Ruby Storm or Amulet Titan: Thoughtseize and Flare of Denial are worth more than Fatal Push. A hand of mostly creature removal is weak here.
• Against control like Scepter Chant: keep threats and discard. A second-turn Archon of Cruelty can win alone if you've cleared the way, so it's worth waiting until you can protect it.
• In games two and three: your opponent's graveyard hate is likely to show up. Value the fair plan with Psychic Frog and answers like Engineered Explosives or Consign to Memory. Don't keep hands that need Persist to work when you've already seen your opponent's graveyard hate.

Don't over-mulligan

Your deck has a lot of redundant enablers and cheap spells, so a six-card hand still works well. But a seven-card hand with both colors and a plan is usually better than going down a card looking for the perfect combo. Keep hands that do something real in the first two turns, even if the plan is the fair one.

Sequencing & Key Lines

The key rule is to make your opponent answer on your terms. Decide the turn you're going for Persist and set it up: fetch before you need revolt, look at their hand first, and keep a blue creature ready for Flare of Denial. Then do it in the order that gives them the fewest chances to respond.

Turn one choices

1. Gran-Gran. Best when you already have Persist, or want a steady loot. It needs to survive to attack on turn two, so it's better on an empty board.
2. Thoughtseize on your opponent. Best when you need to know whether your line is safe. It takes their interaction, and it tells you what else they hold.
3. Thoughtseize on yourself. Best with Archon of Cruelty and Persist already in hand, when speed matters more than information. You'll have used your one-mana spell on setup, but your second-turn Persist is guaranteed if it resolves.
4. Land sequencing: Undercity Sewers on turn one if you've no one-drop, so you take the tapped land when it costs nothing. If you're playing a one-drop, use a fetch or Watery Grave.

The second-turn combo line

1. Play your land.
2. Attack with Gran-Gran. When it taps, draw then discard. Discard Archon of Cruelty.
3. In your second main phase, cast Persist. Your opponent sacrifices, discards, and loses 3. You draw and gain 3.

If you have Psychic Frog and want to do this on turn three, you can discard Archon of Cruelty right after Psychic Frog resolves, then cast Persist the following turn. Do your discard at the latest safe moment, because a card in the graveyard is exposed to graveyard hate, and an opponent's end-of-turn response can ruin your plan. Discard during your own turn right before you need it if you can.

Thoughtseize before Persist

If you have the mana, check their hand first. The extra turn cost is sometimes worth it. If your opponent is holding Solitude, they can exile Archon of Cruelty at instant speed. If they're holding Fatal Push, your enabler is at risk, though Archon of Cruelty isn't, at mana value 8. Adjust to what you see. The exception is when your opponent is already developing a fast clock or combo, and you need to go now.

Branch points

Persist now or wait for Flare of Denial backup? Against open mana, wait until you can pay for or sacrifice for Flare of Denial if you can do so without losing the race. Against a tapped-out opponent, go. Against a graveyard answer already on the battlefield, stop and answer it first or switch to the fair plan.

Which creature for a free Flare of Denial? Sacrifice the creature you need least. Gran-Gran once it has done its job is usually first, and Fallaji Archaeologist is second. Psychic Frog is usually the one you want to keep. If Unearth is in hand or graveyard value matters, a creature you sacrifice can come back.

Self-mill or hold? Fallaji Archaeologist can mill Archon of Cruelty, but it can also mill your Persist. If you have Unearth and creature targets, that's fine. Take the Persist from among the three when it's there, or the counter if you need a bigger body.

Protecting the graveyard

Be careful with Psychic Frog's flying ability and Abhorrent Oculus's cost. Both exile cards from your graveyard. Check before you pay: are you exiling your own future Archon of Cruelty or a creature you plan to Unearth? Count your graveyard and prefer to exile lands, used spells and creatures you won't need.

Revolt timing

Fatal Push checks revolt when it resolves. Crack a fetch before you cast it, or sacrifice to Flare of Denial earlier in the turn, and it can hit creatures with mana value up to 4. Don't crack your fetch land too early if you might need it as the trigger for Fatal Push on the opponent's turn, unless you also need the mana. A held fetch land is a flexible revolt enabler.

The Emperor line

1. Have at least {1}{B} available at the beginning of combat on your turn.
2. At the beginning of combat, Emperor of Bones's trigger exiles Archon of Cruelty from your graveyard.
3. With that trigger resolved, still in the beginning of combat, activate adapt 2. The counters trigger the return.
4. Archon of Cruelty enters with haste and a finality counter, which triggers it. Attack and it triggers again.
5. Sacrifice it at the next end step. It's exiled due to the finality counter, not returned to your graveyard.

Adapt only works if Emperor of Bones has no +1/+1 counters already, so a second use on the same copy isn't easy.

Playing around interaction

The most common interaction you'll face is cheap removal and graveyard hate. Fatal Push is in 27 of 34 Rakdos Delirium lists, Thoughtseize is in all of them, and Grafdigger's Cage appeared in sideboards across Broodscale, Delirium and Pinnacle Affinity (source: MTGTop8 deck lists, Oct 20-Nov 3, 2026). Before the turn you go for it, think about which of those they could have and how you would respond. Remember that Flare of Denial can counter a graveyard-hate spell if your opponent casts it in response to Persist, as long as it's a spell and you have a blue creature available.

The small edges

• Declare your attack with Gran-Gran before casting creatures. If it's blocked, the loot still happened on the attack.
• Use Seasoned Cryomancer when you've got a nonland to discard and a creature to stun, so you get full value.
• Keep a basic in your land sequencing against any deck you've seen playing Blood Moon or Harbinger effects.
• Consider Cephalid Coliseum's threshold when you've seven cards in your graveyard. It's a big refill late, but it can discard cards you wanted to keep.

Matchup Matrix

These are reads from card text and list contents, not recorded match results. They assume both decks do what they're built for. The archetypes below are chosen from the Top 8 data (source: MTGTop8 Top 8s, Oct 20-Nov 3, 2026).

Broodscale Bloodchief (Even)

This is the most-played deck in the data, with 48 of 256 Top 8 slots (source: MTGTop8 Top 8s, Oct 20-Nov 3, 2026). It wants to assemble Basking Broodscale and Blade of the Bloodchief, which feed each other through Eldrazi Spawn. Fatal Push kills Basking Broodscale at two mana, and Thoughtseize takes Blade. Your Archon of Cruelty forces sacrifices, but be careful: a wide board of Spawn gives them something cheap to sacrifice. Kozilek's Command can exile creatures. Grafdigger's Cage is in all 48 sideboards (source: MTGTop8 deck lists, Oct 20-Nov 3, 2026), so expect it after game one. For that side of the matchup, see our Broodscale Bloodchief Modern guide.

Rakdos Delirium (Unfavored)

It plays Thoughtseize in all 34 lists, Fatal Push in 27, and often Blood Moon (source: MTGTop8 deck lists, Oct 20-Nov 3, 2026). Your nonbasic-heavy mana hates Blood Moon, so fetch your basics out early when you suspect it. Its creatures can grow large, and Nethergoyf and Moonshadow can both be big bodies for a one-mana spell. If Archon of Cruelty sticks, it's still great. Win by resolving it after you've stripped their interaction. For that side of the matchup, see our Rakdos Delirium Modern guide.

Pinnacle Affinity (Unfavored)

Tormod's Crypt is in all 18 lists at 3-4 copies (source: MTGTop8 deck lists, Oct 20-Nov 3, 2026), so even game one is hard. Kappa Cannoneer has ward {4}, but the edict from Archon of Cruelty doesn't target it. Your opponent still chooses what they sacrifice, though, so they'll give up a smaller creature. Psychic Frog can win without needing a stable graveyard if you're careful, so lean on it in this matchup. For that side of the matchup, see our Pinnacle Affinity Modern guide.

Amulet Titan (Even)

Their plan is to play many lands and land Primeval Titan or Scapeshift. Thoughtseize and Flare of Denial are your best tools. Fatal Push has few good targets, and Bitter Triumph is your answer to Primeval Titan. If you reach Archon of Cruelty first, your opponent's sacrifices and discards hit hard, because they may have only one creature in play. For that side of the matchup, see our Amulet Titan Modern guide.

UrzaTron (Favored)

Tron wins with big colorless plays, and it needs time to set up. A second-turn Archon of Cruelty forces them to sacrifice a creature or planeswalker, including Karn, the Great Creator, and takes cards from hand. Note that their sideboard often has Tormod's Crypt in 13 of 13 lists (source: MTGTop8 deck lists, Oct 20-Nov 3, 2026). Be ready for it in games two and three.

Scepter Chant (Even)

Silence and Orim's Chant can stop you from casting spells at key times, and Solitude exiles a creature at instant speed. All 12 lists also run Teferi, Time Raveler, and Archon of Cruelty's edict can take a planeswalker if no creature is around. Use Thoughtseize to clear the way before Persist. Consign to Memory helps from the sideboard. For that side of the matchup, see our Scepter Chant Modern guide.

Living End (Even)

When Living End resolves, all creature cards in each graveyard return and all creatures on the battlefield are sacrificed. That actually gives your graveyard's Archon of Cruelty a return with no -1/-1 counter, so keep an eye on what's in your yard. They run 4 Force of Negation and 4 Subtlety (source: MTGTop8 deck lists, Oct 20-Nov 3, 2026). Flare of Denial and Thoughtseize are key to timing. For that side of the matchup, see our Living End Modern guide.

Boros Aggro (Favored)

Fatal Push answers its cheap creatures, and Archon of Cruelty's 3-life drain and gain pulls you out of reach while the edict shrinks their board. Your risk is paying too much life from your own lands and spells. High Noon and Wrath of the Skies are in all 10 sideboards (source: MTGTop8 deck lists, Oct 20-Nov 3, 2026), so read those before you sideboard. For that side of the matchup, see our Boros Aggro Modern guide.

Ruby Storm (Even)

You win if you interact at the right moment. Thoughtseize takes their key card, and Flare of Denial counters a big spell, including on a turn you've tapped out. Your own clock with Archon of Cruelty is fast, and its discard trigger reduces what they can do with their hand. For that side of the matchup, see our Ruby Storm Modern guide.

Sideboard / Tech Guide

Your sideboard does three jobs: stop triggers and colorless spells, attack specific cards in graveyards, and clean up artifacts. Most of it is cheap, so it fits your curve. Think carefully before taking out your combo pieces, since they are often still the fastest way to win. Keep the number of creature-only answers low against decks with few creatures.

The cards at a glance

• Consign to Memory (4): One blue mana, plus {1} per copy. Counters a triggered ability or a colorless spell. It hits artifacts on the stack, Eldrazi spells and enter-the-battlefield triggers.
• Engineered Explosives (3): Destroys nonland permanents at one mana value. With your two colors, sunburst gets you zero, one or two counters. So it covers mana values 0, 1 and 2.
• Harbinger of the Seas (2): Nonbasic lands are Islands, so it attacks land-based decks. It also turns your own nonbasics into Islands, which costs you black mana, so plan your basics.
• Mystical Dispute (2): One mana against a blue spell, or three mana for any spell. Counters unless they pay {3}.
• Requiting Hex (2): One mana for a creature with mana value 2 or less, with optional blight for 2 life.
• Surgical Extraction (2): Chooses a graveyard card, then exiles all copies of it from graveyard, hand and library. Paid with {B} or 2 life.

Broodscale Bloodchief

In: 2 Requiting Hex, 2 Consign to Memory, 2 Engineered Explosives. Out: 2 Abhorrent Oculus, 2 Unearth, 2 Seasoned Cryomancer.

Requiting Hex adds more ways to kill Basking Broodscale. Engineered Explosives set at zero clears Spawn tokens, and Consign to Memory counters its colorless spells like Kozilek's Command. Expect Grafdigger's Cage in their deck (source: MTGTop8 deck lists, Oct 20-Nov 3, 2026), so you want answers and a fair plan. Otawara, Soaring City can return an artifact if you need to buy a turn.

Rakdos Delirium

In: 2 Requiting Hex, 2 Surgical Extraction. Out: 2 Abhorrent Oculus, 1 Seasoned Cryomancer, 1 Fallaji Archaeologist.

Requiting Hex deals with small early creatures, and Surgical Extraction can attack a key graveyard card, which also reduces their delirium count. Their Blood Moon and Cage pushes you to a less graveyard-dependent game, so you might prefer fetching basics early. Don't take out too many ways of winning, because you'll need to race.

Pinnacle Affinity

In: 3 Engineered Explosives, 4 Consign to Memory. Out: 2 Emperor of Bones, 2 Unearth, 2 Bitter Triumph, 1 Fallaji Archaeologist.

Consign to Memory counters colorless spells, which means artifact spells like Tormod's Crypt and Mox Opal. Engineered Explosives at zero or one mana value can clean up cheap artifacts. Your plan is to get under Tormod's Crypt or make them spend it. If you set Engineered Explosives to two, remember it also destroys your own Psychic Frog.

Amulet Titan

In: 2 Harbinger of the Seas, 4 Consign to Memory. Out: 4 Fatal Push, 2 Fallaji Archaeologist.

Consign to Memory stops Amulet of Vigor as a colorless spell or a Primeval Titan trigger. Harbinger of the Seas shuts off Simic Growth Chamber, Gruul Turf and Urza's Saga's abilities. Note that Harbinger of the Seas leaves you with Islands, so keep your basics and black mana in mind.

UrzaTron

In: 2 Harbinger of the Seas, 4 Consign to Memory. Out: 4 Fatal Push, 2 Unearth.

Harbinger of the Seas turns Urza's lands into Islands, which stops their mana entirely. Consign to Memory counters Karn, the Great Creator, Ugin, Eye of the Storms and Kozilek's Command, because they're colorless spells. It also handles Tormod's Crypt.

Scepter Chant

In: 2 Mystical Dispute, 4 Consign to Memory. Out: 4 Fatal Push, 2 Unearth.

Consign to Memory counters Isochron Scepter as a colorless spell and handles Solitude's enter trigger. Mystical Dispute is an extra counter when they tap low. They also play 12 of 12 Mystical Dispute and Consign to Memory in their own sideboards (source: MTGTop8 deck lists, Oct 20-Nov 3, 2026), so don't overcommit.

Living End

In: 2 Surgical Extraction, 2 Mystical Dispute, 4 Consign to Memory. Out: 4 Fatal Push, 2 Bitter Triumph, 2 Unearth.

Surgical Extraction can exile every copy of Living End once one reaches a graveyard, including the copies left in their hand and library. Consign to Memory counters triggered abilities they rely on. Your removal has little to do here, because their creatures mostly matter once Living End resolves.

Boros Aggro

In: 2 Requiting Hex, 3 Engineered Explosives. Out: 2 Flare of Denial, 2 Thoughtseize, 1 Seasoned Cryomancer.

You want to stop paying life, so cut Thoughtseize. Engineered Explosives set at one can clear a board of one-drops. Requiting Hex's blight option gives you some life back. Their High Noon and Wrath of the Skies may change what's safe to commit.

Ruby Storm

In: 4 Consign to Memory, 2 Surgical Extraction, 2 Mystical Dispute. Out: 4 Fatal Push, 2 Bitter Triumph, 2 Fallaji Archaeologist.

You've got almost no creature targets, so take out removal. Surgical Extraction can remove Past in Flames from their graveyard, and Mystical Dispute and Flare of Denial counter key spells. Consign to Memory can stop triggered abilities they rely on.

Playing through graveyard hate

You should expect it. If it's a Cage on the battlefield, Otawara, Soaring City can bounce it for a turn, Engineered Explosives can destroy it when the mana value fits, and Consign to Memory can counter it as a colorless spell while it's on the stack. If you can't answer it, shift to Psychic Frog and Abhorrent Oculus, and don't throw away your card economy trying to make the combo work.

Tech Choices & Variations

The core of this deck is the discard engine, Persist and Archon of Cruelty. Don't cut those. The flex slots below are where you can tune it to your field. We don't have card-level data for other Reanimator lists in this period, so treat these as suggestions from this list and the broader Modern data, and test them before you register them.

Oculus count

Abhorrent Oculus is the fair finisher, but needing six cards in your graveyard makes it slower than it looks. Two copies is reasonable. In a field full of graveyard hate like Grafdigger's Cage or Tormod's Crypt, a card that doesn't rely on a stable graveyard during the mid-game would be better, but Abhorrent Oculus still cares about the graveyard when you cast it. In a field with little hate, you might trim it for more of the combo, since Archon of Cruelty is simply stronger.

Emperor of Bones

Two copies give you a route to Archon of Cruelty that isn't Persist. It also gives you a small, repeated graveyard attack against your opponent, and it can steal their creatures. It's a black creature, so it can't pay for a free Flare of Denial, and it costs extra mana to activate. Going down to one frees up a slot for a blue creature. Going up to three makes your deck more resilient to Persist being countered or discarded.

Unearth

Two Unearth are for your cheap creatures and Abhorrent Oculus, with cycling as a fallback. Going up gives more resilience against creature-heavy removal decks. Going down helps if you find you're mostly casting Persist, or that your graveyard targets are thin. Its cycling cost is {2}, so it's rarely a dead draw.

Fatal Push and Bitter Triumph split

Four Fatal Push is right when your field is full of cheap creatures, and Boros Aggro and Broodscale are good examples. If your local field is mostly big-mana or spell combo, you could trim Fatal Push for a third Bitter Triumph. Bitter Triumph is the more flexible card since it enables your plan and hits planeswalkers, at the price of a discard or 3 life.

Flare of Denial

Four Flare of Denial is what makes your key turn safe, and sacrificing also gives you revolt and graveyard value. It's a card-economy cost, though. If you're seeing lots of hate in your local field, the free cast can feel expensive, because you're trading a creature for a spell. Against fast decks it's worth it. Against slow creature decks, you could trim one for Requiting Hex from the sideboard.

Land mix

• Cephalid Coliseum: It costs 1 damage per tap for blue, and it offers late-game value with threshold. Replace one with a Swamp or Island if you're worried about Blood Moon or your life total.
• Undercity Sewers: Three copies cost you tempo when they enter tapped, but surveil 1 helps. Trim one when your field punishes slow starts.
• Otawara, Soaring City: A flexible answer built into a land. You could add a second copy if bounce effects matter a lot in your field, although a second copy adds another legendary land that doesn't make black.
• More basics: Your deck has only three. Against Blood Moon, adding one Swamp in place of a nonbasic makes you more resilient, but you lose a dual color source.

Sideboard changes to consider

• More Surgical Extraction: if your field has lots of Living End and Past in Flames decks. It's also handy against reanimator mirrors.
• More Requiting Hex: if your field has many cheap creatures and you'd like more cheap removal.
• Fewer Harbinger of the Seas: it's a powerful but risky option, since it hurts your own mana. If your field has little Tron or Amulet, cut it first.
• More Engineered Explosives: if artifacts and tokens are heavy, such as with Pinnacle Affinity at 18 of 256 Top 8 slots (source: MTGTop8 Top 8s, Oct 20-Nov 3, 2026).

Tuning for a local field

• More Broodscale: keep all four Fatal Push and Requiting Hex in your 75.
• More Rakdos Delirium: add a basic, and consider cutting Abhorrent Oculus if you're seeing a lot of removal and Cage.
• More combo: value Thoughtseize, Flare of Denial and Consign to Memory above Fatal Push after sideboarding.
• More artifacts: keep your Consign to Memory and Engineered Explosives ready, and consider Mystical Dispute less valuable.

Budget Options

This list has an estimated total of about $421. That's not unusual for competitive Modern, but it's a lot to invest in a deck you haven't tried. Prices change, especially for lands and reprints, so check current listings. Here's where the cost likely sits and what you can change.

Where the cost is likely to be

• The fetch lands. Polluted Delta, Bloodstained Mire and Marsh Flats are likely the biggest line in total.
• Psychic Frog. A premium, in-demand two-drop as a four-of.
• Thoughtseize and Flare of Denial. Two four-of spells that may be costly at full count.
• Watery Grave and Otawara, Soaring City. The dual and the utility land.
• Archon of Cruelty and Abhorrent Oculus. They may cost more than other creatures in the list, depending on demand.
• The sideboard. Engineered Explosives, Surgical Extraction and Consign to Memory may add up.

What you must keep

• Archon of Cruelty and Persist. The whole deck is built around them. There's no substitute.
• Psychic Frog. It's your best enabler and threat. A big loss if you cut it.
• Gran-Gran. It gives you the second-turn line. It's also probably not among the more expensive parts.
• Thoughtseize. It's both your enabler and your disruption.

Acceptable swaps

• Fetch lands to basics and duals. Replacing some with Swamp, Island and additional Undercity Sewers cuts the most. You lose revolt for Fatal Push, and you lose a lot of graveyard filling and mana smoothing. This is your biggest saving, and your deck still functions, but Fatal Push becomes weaker.
• Cut Otawara, Soaring City for an Island. You lose the bounce. It's usually a small loss in most games.
• Flare of Denial down to two. You lose some protection on your key turn. It hurts most against combo and control, so replace it with something like Requiting Hex, which is cheap and works in matchups you face.
• Abhorrent Oculus down to one or none. You lose some of your fair plan. Replace it with Unearth or a copy of Fallaji Archaeologist, which adds graveyard filling.
• Cephalid Coliseum for basics. It's easier on your life total and helps against Blood Moon. You lose the threshold refill.
• Sideboard: Start with Requiting Hex, Mystical Dispute and Harbinger of the Seas, and add Engineered Explosives, Surgical Extraction and more Consign to Memory when you can.

What you give up

A budget version loses consistency first. Without fetch lands, Fatal Push's revolt and your graveyard count both suffer, and your colors are less reliable. The core of the deck still works, and the second-turn Archon of Cruelty line is still real. You just draw into it less often and have less interaction around it. If you cut too much protection, you become more all-in, which makes you more vulnerable to the graveyard hate in the field.

A sensible upgrade path

1. Start with the combo. Four Archon of Cruelty, four Persist, four Gran-Gran, Fallaji Archaeologist, Seasoned Cryomancer and a basic-heavy mana base with Undercity Sewers. This already plays the deck's main line, and it's the part that shows you whether you like it.
2. Add Psychic Frog and Thoughtseize. These add the most power to your plan and your disruption.
3. Add the interaction. Get Fatal Push, Bitter Triumph and Flare of Denial to their full counts, which lets you play real games rather than just racing.
4. Upgrade the mana. Move to Watery Grave and then Polluted Delta, and finally the other fetch lands. This is a gradual change, and it pays off more each step.
5. Finish the sideboard. Consign to Memory, Engineered Explosives and Surgical Extraction are matchup-specific, so buy them according to your local field. Buy Harbinger of the Seas only if your field has Tron or Amulet.

When you buy, remember the next Banned and Restricted announcement is listed for November 30, 2026 (source: Wizards of the Coast Banned and Restricted announcement, Oct 12, 2026), so check the outcome before committing heavily to any deck.

Common Mistakes

Reanimator is simple on paper, but most games are lost through bad sequencing, poor graveyard management or chasing the combo when the plan has changed. These are the mistakes to watch for.

1. Putting Archon in the graveyard too early

The longer Archon of Cruelty sits in your graveyard, the more chances your opponent has to exile it or set up against it. Don't discard it on turn one unless you plan to cast Persist on turn two. Holding it until the turn you're ready denies your opponent information, and it stops instant-speed graveyard hate from getting easy value. The main exception is when you're using Thoughtseize on yourself as your best available line.

2. Exiling your own win condition

Psychic Frog's flying and Abhorrent Oculus's cost both exile from your graveyard. It's very easy to pay those costs automatically and exile a card you needed. Before you do it, ask if you're exiling Archon of Cruelty or a creature that Unearth wanted to return. You're choosing the cards, so choose carefully. Keep in mind Abhorrent Oculus's cost is six cards, which often uses most of your graveyard.

3. Forgetting what Persist and Unearth can't do

Persist targets a nonlegendary creature card, so it can't return Gran-Gran. Unearth targets a creature card with mana value 3 or less, so it can't return Archon of Cruelty. Don't plan a line around either of these mistakes. Also, Persist returns its target with a -1/-1 counter, so it's a 5/5 Archon of Cruelty. Check your math against blockers or damage before you attack.

4. Using a free Flare on the wrong creature, or at the wrong time

A free Flare of Denial needs a nontoken blue creature. Emperor of Bones and Archon of Cruelty are not blue, so they can't pay for it. Don't count them. And don't use it on a spell you could survive, because losing a creature and a card is a real cost, especially if you're short on threats. Save it for the spell that actually beats you, or for protecting the turn your Persist matters most.

5. Paying too much life

Fetch lands cost 1, Watery Grave can cost 2, Thoughtseize costs 2, Bitter Triumph can cost 3 and Cephalid Coliseum costs 1 per use for its mana. Against aggro, these add up very quickly. Archon of Cruelty gets you 3 back per trigger, but only if it arrives in time. Against fast decks, take Watery Grave tapped when you can, discard to Bitter Triumph rather than paying life, and don't cast Thoughtseize on yourself unless it wins you the game.

6. Going all in against graveyard hate

After game one, your opponent will have answers. If they're holding up mana or have shown a graveyard piece, a single Persist is a big risk. Force them to answer Psychic Frog and Abhorrent Oculus, use Thoughtseize first, or have Flare of Denial ready. Don't discard your whole hand to set up a turn that one instant can undo. If a Cage-type effect is already on the battlefield, stop going for the combo until it's gone.

7. Getting caught without basics

With only three basics, Blood Moon or similar land disruption can lock you out. When you're playing against a deck you know has it, fetch your Swamp and Island early rather than your duals, and keep the land mix in mind. Remember that Bloodstained Mire and Marsh Flats can find Swamp but not Island unless it has the Swamp type, while Polluted Delta can find either. It's the kind of small decision that matters after sideboarding.

8. Misusing the Emperor line

Emperor of Bones's reanimated creature has a finality counter, so if it would die, it's exiled instead, and you sacrifice it at the next end step. That burns your Archon of Cruelty, so don't use it if Persist is available unless you need the double trigger now. And remember that the trigger exiles at the beginning of combat, so you need to have mana up then. Emperor of Bones has to be on the battlefield before that step, and adapt won't work if it already has a +1/+1 counter.

Tournament Prep & Final Notes

Reanimator is easy to learn and hard to master. You can pick up the main line in one evening, but the deck's real skill is in how you handle your graveyard, your life total and your opponent's hate. Your preparation should focus there.

Check the format first

There were no changes to Modern in the October 12 Banned and Restricted announcement, and the next one is listed for November 30, 2026 (source: Wizards of the Coast, Oct 12, 2026). Your event may fall after that, so check for changes before you travel. The metagame data here covers only Oct 20 to Nov 3, 2026, so you may need to update your matchup expectations.

What to practice

1. Goldfish the second-turn line. Do it enough to know exactly what your hand needs, how to sequence Gran-Gran, and how Thoughtseize on yourself compares.
2. The fair plan. Practice winning without Archon of Cruelty at all. It matters most in games two and three, where the hate shows up, and it's what many players skip.
3. Broodscale Bloodchief. It has 48 of 256 Top 8 slots (source: MTGTop8 Top 8s, Oct 20-Nov 3, 2026), so you will likely face it. Practice killing the engine and what to do when Grafdigger's Cage comes down.
4. Rakdos Delirium. At 34 Top 8 slots (source: MTGTop8 Top 8s, Oct 20-Nov 3, 2026), it's the second-most-common deck, and it's a hard matchup for you. Practice sequencing around Thoughtseize, Fatal Push and Blood Moon.
5. Your sideboard plan. Write it down for each of the matchups above. It's a lot of cards moving in and out, so don't work it out during your rounds.

Rules interactions to know cold

• Thoughtseize on yourself. It says target player, so it can be you. You pick the nonland card, and you lose 2 life regardless.
• Gran-Gran's trigger. It happens whenever it becomes tapped, not just on attacks. The order is draw, then discard.
• Archon of Cruelty's triggers. Enter and attack each trigger separately. It targets the opponent, not the creature. Your opponent chooses what to sacrifice, then discards a card of their choice, and loses 3.
• Persist and legendary creatures. It can't target Gran-Gran or other legendary creature cards. It returns Archon of Cruelty with a -1/-1 counter.
• Unearth's limit. Mana value 3 or less only. Returning Abhorrent Oculus doesn't pay the six-card cost, because it isn't being cast.
• Flare of Denial's alternate cost. Only a nontoken blue creature counts. A face-down manifested creature is colorless, so it can't pay for it.
• Fatal Push's revolt. It checks whether a permanent left the battlefield under your control this turn. A fetch land, or a sacrifice to Flare of Denial, does it.
• Emperor of Bones's finality. The creature gets a finality counter, gains haste, and is sacrificed at the next end step, so plan the attack in the same combat.
• Engineered Explosives's sunburst. It counts colors of mana spent to cast it. You have only blue and black, so it can have zero, one or two counters.
• Harbinger of the Seas on your own lands. Your nonbasics become Islands too, including those you need for black, so you need basic Swamp to keep casting black spells.

Time management

When the combo works, your games are fast, which gives you room for slower matches. Fair-plan games take longer, so be aware of the clock. Don't take a long time on every Psychic Frog decision. Decide early whether you're attacking or discarding this turn. Shuffle your deck efficiently, because fetch lands can use up a surprising amount of clock over a whole round. If you're short on time, prefer the proactive line, since you need your opponent to act.

Scouting your field

Modern's top decks in this period were Broodscale Bloodchief, Rakdos Delirium, Pinnacle Affinity at 18 Top 8 slots, Amulet Titan at 17 and UrzaTron at 13 (source: MTGTop8 Top 8s, Oct 20-Nov 3, 2026). Check what your event's players tend to bring, and adjust your flex slots. A room with more Rakdos Delirium wants more resilience against Blood Moon. A room with more artifacts wants more Consign to Memory.

Closing assessment

This is a powerful list with a real fair plan, and it can end games on turn two or three. Its drawback is that the field already has plenty of tools aimed at the graveyard, so you'll often need to play through them after game one. The matchup verdicts in this guide are reads from card text and list contents, not recorded match results, and they rest on this one list plus the Modern-wide data, since we don't have card-level data for other Reanimator lists in this period. Test the matchups you expect to face. If you enjoy explosive starts and are willing to make careful choices with your graveyard, it rewards the work.

Frequently Asked Questions

How does Modern Reanimator win games?

It puts Archon of Cruelty into the graveyard through a discard outlet, then returns it with Persist. Each trigger makes the opponent sacrifice, discard and lose 3 while you draw and gain 3.

How do you get Archon of Cruelty in play on turn two?

Play Gran-Gran on turn one, attack on turn two to loot Archon away, then cast Persist after combat. Thoughtseize on yourself on turn one sets up the same second-turn line.

Can Unearth or Persist return every creature in the deck?

No. Persist can't target legendary creature cards, so it can't return Gran-Gran. Unearth only returns creature cards with mana value 3 or less, so it can't return Archon of Cruelty.

What are the hardest matchups for Modern Reanimator?

Rakdos Delirium and Pinnacle Affinity are read as unfavored, because of Blood Moon, discard, removal and Tormod's Crypt. These are reads from card text and list contents, not recorded results.

How do you play around graveyard hate with this deck?

Keep Archon of Cruelty out of the graveyard until you are ready, use Thoughtseize first, and hold Flare of Denial. If hate lands, shift to Psychic Frog and Abhorrent Oculus.

What should you sideboard against Broodscale Bloodchief?

Bring in Requiting Hex, Consign to Memory and Engineered Explosives to kill Basking Broodscale, stop colorless spells and clear Spawn tokens. Take out Abhorrent Oculus, Unearth and Seasoned Cryomancer.

What are the best budget swaps for Modern Reanimator?

Replacing fetch lands with basics and Undercity Sewers saves the most, but weakens the revolt on Fatal Push. Keep Archon of Cruelty, Persist, Psychic Frog and Gran-Gran.

What should you practice before a tournament with this deck?

Practice the second-turn line, winning without Archon of Cruelty, and written sideboard plans. Then focus on the Broodscale Bloodchief and Rakdos Delirium matchups, since they are the most common in the data.

Metagame Context

Built from the Top 4 list at the Regional Championship - MIT Championship (83 players, November 1, 2026), piloted by Chin Yao Han. Metagame context: MTGTop8 standings and deck lists for the 32 Modern events with 32 or more players, plus Wizards of the Coast announcements, from 2026-10-20 to 2026-11-03 (brief dated 2026-11-03). Matchup verdicts are reads from card text and list contents, not recorded results.

Source: tournament results. Decklist and placements as reported by the event organizer.