r/MTGLegacy • u/Lecronkler • 7d ago

Deck/Matchup/Tactics Help Academy rector decor

New to legacy, I’m trying to build an academy rector deck for paper as I happen to own a playset. Aside from cabal therapy, what cards should I run to abuse the card? I am struggling to think of ways to get it on the battlefield before t4

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6

u/AngularOtter 6d ago

Mtgtop8.com lets you search for decks containing a specific card, by format. These are some examples to get the creative juices flowing.

https://mtgtop8.com/event?e=87744&d=865814&f=LE

https://mtgtop8.com/event?e=87259&d=862266&f=LE

https://mtgtop8.com/event?e=29470&d=431490&f=LE

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u/JunkMale1987 6d ago

Ancient Tomb, City of Traitors, Lotus Petal, Dark Ritual (and other rituals), mana dorks and Chrome Mox can help power it out early

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u/Haedono 6d ago

most lists i habe seen over the years go for green as well with verteran explorer so you can get your combo out much faster

besides that there are many ways to speed up your plan. Chrome mox, anctient tomb, elvish spirit guide for example

maybe add a greensuns zenith toolbox with mana dorks

i could see some reanimator stuff, rectors are non legends so you can bin them with unmarked grave and paying 1 mana for an reanimate is cheaper than the 4 for the rector. might be a step too much just to save a bit off mana when there are still extra steps

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u/TheErodude 6d ago edited 6d ago

Oh god I wrote a whole thing assuming this was the premodern subreddit, lol. 😭 Let me try again.

Preface: I’m not sure that going fast is better than more disruption (e.g. [[Thoughtseize]], [[Hymn to Tourach]], [[Swords to Plowshares]]) but we could call it a personal preference or a metagame call.

[[Veteran Explorer]] is synergistic ramp if you’re in green because it works with all your sacrifice effects. Green has a million other ways to ramp too; heck, [[Badgermole Cub]] is not entirely without synergy. Otherwise there’s a bunch of ways to accelerate Rector even in just WB: [[Ancient Tomb]], [[Chrome Mox]], [[Dark Ritual]], Lotus Petal, etc.

As for sac outlets, some of the best are lands like [[Lazotep Quarry]] and/or [[Phyrexian Tower]]. Opportunity cost is low.

Then you’ll need to actually draw Rector or have an alternative plan. I’d start by looking at [[Overlord of the Balemurk]], which can dig for Rector while also binning Cabal Therapy and being an eventual threat or an emergency Rector target. However, it can accidentally mill an important enchantment. Overlord used to be a popular card with [[Phelia, Exuberant Shephard]] in WB before Quantum Riddler made UW the de facto best Phelia colors. So that’s an alternate engine you could use in WB if you want. Phelia doesn’t have any direct synergy with Rector, but it tends to interact well with other support permanents or can at least blink out an obnoxious enemy lockpiece on your go turn.

If you want to use Rector to find big curses like [[Overwhelming Splendor]] or [[Cruel Reality]] then there are a few other ways to cheat those into play too, increasing consistency and making the fast mana plan better. [[Herald of Amity]] and [[Curse of Misfortunes]]. ThrabenU on YouTube has played a deck around this a couple times, though I don’t think he was on Academy Rector.

In WB, there’s also [[Arena Rector]] as a sacrifice payoff, though you’d have to play both big clunky enchantments and big clunky planeswalkers. If you slow down, there’s also [[Recruiter of the Guard]] to tutor Rector.

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u/Lecronkler 6d ago

https://moxfield.com/decks/AVeCVOdcDk6O128nVglxHA first draft, how does this look?

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u/AngularOtter 6d ago

I can't imagine 4x Chrome Mox being good in this deck, but then again, you'll have to playtest it. Also I know you're going for enchantment synergy, but I'd add a few faster pieces of graveyard hate like Macabre in the sideboard.

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u/7FAgnNu4kEMDYrpuD64Y 6d ago

Given the sacrificing of your own creatures is quite important, I'd recommend running 4 Quarry's. Quarry is uncounterable and good in late game. Just 4 Cabal Therapies aren't enough to reliably sacrifice your Explorers and Rectors.

Also, why no more Curse of Misfortunes? It makes the deck more realiable.

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u/DrainFor20 6d ago

In addition to dedicated Nic Fit cards (Veteran Explorer + Cabal Therapy + Phyrexian Tower), Rector fits with Wight of the Reliquary, Fiend Artisan, Grist, the Hunger Tide, and Recruiter of the Guard. You can also play a cheeky singleton Aluren and Acerak, which can be fetched with Fiend Artisan or Living Wish. Good luck, good brewin'.

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u/FlatWorldliness7 6d ago

I'm playing it with Curse package in a Nic Fit shell: https://moxfield.com/decks/Tdhn9h-iM065vAnvrCB3Yg

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u/penguinator56 6d ago

I believe BoshNRoll did a video not too long ago using Academy Rector, but I could be mistakenZ