Summary
Outlaws of Thunder Junction takesMagic: The Gatheringinto the wild west with new mechanics and returning card types that open possibilities for combos within any format it’s allowed in. The most important of these being the saddle and crime mechanics, which work well with cards that rely on targeting and additional effects.
While some combos offer plenty of value that make them hard to ignore, others can be potentially game-winning or set you up for an early advantage. All the most powerful synergies in Outlaws of Thunder Junction only require two cards to get them started, but can be easily more powerful with additional spells.
7Calamity, Galloping Inferno - Terror Of The Peaks
Explosive Damage Every Turn
On turn six, Calamity, Galloping Inferno and Terror of the peaks can help you deal a massive amount of damage in one turn and potentially finish off your opponent. By saddling Terror of the Peaks onto Calamity, Calamity creates a token copies of Terror, then chaos ensues.
First, when Calamity enters the battlefield, Terror deals four damage to your opponent, then when Terror saddles Calamity, Calamity createstwo token copiesof Terror, dealing another 10 damage. Then, everything attacks for another 14 damage, dealing a total of 28 damage in one turn.
6Forsaken Miner - Rakdos, The Muscle
Ideal Sacrifice Target For Rakdos
A relatively cheap synergy that easily protects your strongest creature, both Rakdos, the Muscle and Forsaken Miner are a match made in hell. It loops usingthe crime mechanic, giving Rakdos indestructible, while giving you access to your opponent’s spells.
You start by having both creatures on the battlefield, then sacrifice Forsaken Miner to Rakdos, then, by targeting your opponent’s library, you commit a crime, allowing you to immediately replay Forsaken Miner while triggering Rakdos' effects. This will only work if you target your opponent’s library rather than your own.
5Ornery Tumblewagg - Vadmir, New Blood
+1/+1 Counters And An Early 6/6
Both Ornery Tumblewagg and Vadmir, New Blood are cheap creatures that can get big fast while deploying Vadmir’s passive ability early. If you use additional cards that apply +1/+1 counters like Snakeskin Veil or Trash the Town, you can deploy Vadmir even faster.
By playing Vadmir on turn two and Ornery Tumblewagg on turn three, the following turn you saddle Vadmir onto the Brushwagg, adding the second counter for the second combat since Ornery Tumblewagg entered, then immediately doubling it to four after it attacks. This gives Vadmir its menace and lifelink abilities while jumping to 6/6 on turn 4.
4Tinybones, The Pickpocket - Betrayal At The Vault
Kill Two Creatures And Steal One Back
A way to deal with multiple threats in the late game while giving you large targets to choose from, combining Tinybones, Pickpocket and Betrayal at the Vault clears large threats and potentially gives Tinybones a clear target to your opponent’s face. Although it requires more than six mana to pull off, being in green certainly helps.
On a turn when Tinybones can attack, cast Betrayal at the Vault, allowing Tinybones to deal deathtouch damage to two creatures, and then swing to attack your opponent. When Tinybones deals combat damage, you can then cast any permanent from their graveyard, including the two creatures you just killed.
3Seraphic Steed - Wylie Duke, Atiin Hero
Free Angels, Lifegain, And Card Draw Every Turn
An ideal union in terms of saddle conditions and power, Wylie Duke, Atiin Hero and Seraphic Steed make perfect use of both of their abilities to get massive value every turn. Because Wylie Duke has vigilance, this is one of the few ways to tap it in Outlaws of Thunder Junction.
On turn four, after Seraphic Steed and Wylie Duke have both entered the battlefield on previous turns, Saddle Wylie onto Seraphic Steed, which satisfies its tap condition, drawing you a card and gaining one life. After Seraphic Steed attacks, you immediately create a 3/3 Angel token with flying, and you only neededone creature to saddle it.
2Ertha Jo, Frontier Mentor - High Noon
Five Mana For Ten Damage
Although it requires a bit of preparation to pull this off, you can dump a bunch of damage by combining High Noon’s triggered ability with Ertha Jo, Frontier Mentor’s passive one. High Noon’s primary ability also protects it, forcing your opponents to prioritize a single card each turn.
With High Noon on the battlefield and as soon as Ertha Jo enters, you can spend five mana to deal ten damage to any creature or player. You can also split the damage to two separate targets, giving you plenty of options to choose from while also satisfying any crime triggers you need for other cards.
1Insatiable Avarice - Caustic Bronco
Card Search And High Damage Potential
A sneaky way to deal a high amount of damage, Insatiable Avarice and Caustic Bronco can let you sift through your deck for just the right card to saddle for. As long as you have additional creatures to saddle Caustic Bronco and a high mana cost card like Hollow Marauder, you can mass deal decent damage to all opponents.
While Caustic Bronco is able to be saddled and attack, use Insatiable Avarice to find Hollow Marauder, or any other high mana value card from your library, then swing with Caustic Bronco to reveal it and make your opponent lose life equal to its mana cost. By spending an additional two mana on the spree cost, you can deal even more damage.
