Defining Archetypes In Modern – Combo

Combo decks differ from all other archetypes due to the fact that they do not have to win the game at any particular point. Many combo decks are designed to operate as quickly as possible, but are not aggressive in terms of the damage they do; instead, the way they go about winning the game is more of a one-shot approach than repeated attacks. Combo decks aim to establish a combination of cards in play that create an interaction that is either very hard to beat or outright kills the opponent. Many combos will be infinite, meaning that the same action or series of actions can be repeated infinitely to gain the same advantage over and over again, likely resulting in a game-winning effect. Examples of these advantages could be damage, card draw, or life gain. Common Modern combos include Scapeshift for lethal damage via Valakut, the Molten Pinnacle and many Mountains, and Kitchen Finks + Melira, Sylvok Outcast + Viscera Seer for infinite life, Codex Shredder + Lantern of Insight to ensure you never draw a useful card.