Joe Dyer is back with another edition of This Week in Legacy, and this time he’s diving headfirst into the sewers. The topic is Sewer-Cam Combo, a deck that has taken the Legacy format by storm since the release of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Dyer hosts the weekly recap series, and this week he’s explaining why he thinks this combo build deserves attention.
The deck centers around Sewer-veillance Cam, a card that initially looked like it would only support Painter strategies. Then players started pairing it with Pinnacle Emissary as a backup plan, merging Affinity Stompy and 8Cast lists into a new combo build. The result is a deck that can play Force of Will without needing Painter to have a Painter in play to cast Pyroblast.
But the real push, Dyer argues, came from Loki, God of Mischief. The trickster god gives the deck a powerful way to continue targeting players or permanents. Cards like Baubles and Emry help trigger Loki’s ability to draw an extra card per turn, which accelerates the deck’s conversion of speed, protection, and raw power.
The Four Builds That Work
Dyer lays out four distinct builds that players have tried or are currently having success with:
- Affinity Stompy versions that include Emissary and Kappa Cannoneer as win conditions. Cannoneer is a huge payoff, basically letting you one-shot your opponent with a Cannoneer.
- Combo-focused builds that play Legion Extruder as a payoff.
- Deeper builds that get to play Jegantha, the Wellspring as a companion.
- Hybrid builds that add the Aphetto Alchemist/Hawkeye’s Bow combo, which also works with Welder.
Dyer’s personal favorite is the hybrid version. He likes it because the combo isn’t as reliant on the graveyard as the main combo, and it works with both halves of the deck while also fitting with Loki. He also points out that the deck is a complicated engine and a solid puzzle to solve.
A Quote From Dyer
“When you’re playing Loki, players in paper are playing copies of Tolaria as a deckbuilding hedge (which is goofy as heck).”
The deck’s versatility is its biggest strength. There’s no single best way to build it, which opens up a lot of experimentation and deckbuilding challenges. Dyer describes the format as a “fun format” that rewards clever interactions.
The MTGO Weekly Recap
The weekly recap sheet is standard fare for Dyer’s column. This week, the data showed around 303 decklist entries, which he calls “pretty great.” The graphical data reveals that Dimir Tempo was the most played deck of the week at 34 copies, but its overall win rate wasn’t insane at 47.3% non-mirror.
Dyer interprets this as typical cycling of metagame forces. He thinks Dimir Tempo is a fine deck to play. Tron was second on the list at 26 copies, with a worse win rate of 43.1% non-mirror. Dyer is “kind of okay” with this, suggesting that people are pushing back on Tron and figuring out how the new version works.
Both Boros Energy and Eldrazi tied for third at 20 copies each. Eldrazi performed significantly better with a 63.4% non-mirror win rate compared to Boros’s 46.9%. Dyer notes that Eldrazi had a lot of Top 8s and consistency, while Boros won a fair share of Challenge events. Both decks are pretty good, but Boros is especially strong right now.
“Eldrazi has a bunch of Wasteland effects and is super aggressive, so it’s good versus stuff like Tron,” Dyer explains.
Other Control
“Other Control” rounded out the top list at 18 copies. Most of these decks turned out to be a new form of Azorius Control that’s been popping up. Dyer expects this to get its own classification soon, noting that Azorius isn’t going anywhere because new cards like Bilbo, Quantum Riddler keep giving the archetype tools.
Warping out a Riddler and then re-casting it for 2UU instead of 3UU is “pretty groovy” with Bilbo in play.
The Fun Interactions
Dyer’s love for the deck comes through in the small details. He recalls using a copy of Legolas’s Quick Reflexes as a kill spell with Aphetto Alchemist, shooting-gunning his opponent’s board into non-existence. That kind of clever interaction is what makes the deck fun for someone who enjoys solving puzzles.
He also points out that players in paper are using copies of Tolaria as a deckbuilding hedge when playing against Loki. That’s a goofy move, but it shows how creative the deckbuilding space has become.
Why the Deck Works
The key advantage of Sewer-Cam Combo is its flexibility. It can adapt to different matchups by swapping in different win conditions. The hybrid version with Alchemist and Bow gives you a second combo that isn’t as graveyard-reliant, which broadens your options.
Dyer’s enthusiasm is infectious. He frames the deck as something truly unique and new, worth keeping an eye on, especially in paper where it’s easier to pilot than on MTGO.
The Format Looks Great
Dyer wraps up the recap with a positive assessment of Legacy as a whole. He’s happy with the gameplay and thinks the format is fun. He encourages readers to enjoy Legacy right now and to look forward to Eternal Weekend.
The column ends abruptly with a question left unfinished: “Are you enjoying Legacy right now?”
Dyer’s casual tone makes the recap feel like a conversation with a friend rather than a formal report. He uses phrases like “goofy as heck” and describes Tolaria as a “deckbuilding hedge,” which gives the column a warm, welcoming feel.
The column’s unfinished question is a small touch that adds personality. It’s the kind of open-ended note that invites readers to respond, whether they agree or disagree.
For anyone following Legacy, this recap offers a snapshot of where the format stands. Sewer-Cam Combo is a real contender, and Dyer’s affection for it is hard to miss. Whether you’re a seasoned player or just curious about what’s hot, this week’s recap is a good starting point.
Dyer’s final message is simple: enjoy the game. The format is fun, and there’s plenty to watch as the season progresses.
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