Tapped Out: A Primer on Playing Modern Dredge

As an L1 Judge from Columbus, Ohio, I've had the pleasure of playing around with various formats over the past year. But among them all, one deck has consistently stood out to me as a force to be reckoned with - Dredge.

For those who may not know, Dredge is a strategy that's been around since the early days of Magic: The Gathering, but it experienced a resurgence in popularity when Odyssey rotated out of Extended. This change sent many anti-Dredge players rejoicing at having dodged what they perceived as a pesky problem.

But I'm here to tell you - Dredge is back and better than ever. In recent months, I've had the privilege of taking home wins (and splits) in not one but three tournaments: a Legacy 1K, a Modern PPTQ, and another Modern Super IQ event. And guess what? Each victory was achieved with none other than Dredge.

So why is this deck so effective? For starters, it's all about creating an advantage by getting ahead on the battlefield early. With cards like Griselbrand, Narcomoeba, and Geralf's Messenger, you're able to churn out threats left and right while your opponents are still trying to figure out how to get their own gameplan going.

But what really sets Dredge apart is its ability to adapt to any situation. Need a quick kill? No problem - just bring in some of the more aggressive cards like Scavenging Ooze or Prized Amalgam. Want to go tall and try for an eventual win? You can do that too, with creatures like Griselbrand providing plenty of value.

Of course, there are still those who might be thinking 'But I thought Dredge was dead?' And you're right - it did experience a lull in popularity after Odyssey rotated out. But the truth is, modern Dredge has evolved to become even more potent than its predecessors.

So if you're looking for a deck that's both challenging and rewarding to play, look no further than Modern Dredge. With practice and patience, I'm confident you can join me in the ranks of those who've found success with this powerful strategy.

Tapped out modern dredge primer