The best MTG Outlaws of Thunder Junction Commander decks and precons – Ranked

As with every set, Outlaws Of Thunder Junction also introduces four brand-new preconstructed Commander decks. Each of these decks offers a unique playstyle from each other, and has varying power levels. They are all fun to play straight out of the box, and can be upgraded with more cards to increase their power levels. Some of the decks are stronger than the others when comparing them all. These are all the best Outlaws Of Thunder Junction commander decks, ranked.

4. Desert Bloom

The Desert Bloom deck as the name might imply is heavily focused on the Desert land types. Outside of usually having an effect such as cycling, they function as regular lands, though some cards care about you controlling Deserts to use their effects. 

Desert Bloom is heavily built around playing cards out of your graveyard, with plenty of ways to do so with the cards included in the deck. The lands that are stuck in the graveyard can help discount spells, including the main commander Yuma, Proud Protector. 

Since Desert Bloom is focused heavily on ramp, getting as many lands onto the battlefield as you can is easily accomplished so you can start taking advantage of your higher costed spells. 

While Desert Bloom has the most value when it comes to reprints, it’s the weakest of the four Commander decks in Outlaws Of Thunder Junction. The biggest problem is that while it can get lands back from the graveyard, it requires you to actually draw those cards and ensure they stay on the battlefield. When Desert Bloom gets going, it can snowball rather quickly. However, after a board wipe the deck can especially struggle with playing catch up to everyone else, especially if you were sacrificing your lands to use the effects of your permanents. 

3. Grand Larceny

Grand Larceny is a Sultai (green/black/blue) deck that is less about playing your own cards, but rather, playing the cards in your opponents’ decks. The cards inside Grand Larceny let you easily exile cards from your opponents’ library to then cast it for mana of any color later. The one downside is you don’t get to cast the spells for free, in most cases anyway. 

Luckily, Grand Larceny has the perfect colors to have a plethora of support cards in the decklist that let you cast your opponent’s spells. In addition to that, Grand Larceny includes cards that make it cheaper to cast cards you are trying to cast that aren’t yours. This allows you to stay lighter on investing in mana to make sure you can cast spells the turn you exile them from your opponent’s library. 

The mana curve of Grand Larceny is rather low, letting you keep mana up to cast the spells of your opponents while still playing your own spells so you aren’t falling too behind on your own board state.

The power of Grand Larceny is a bit odd. While it can perform its strategy consistently and do it way, ultimately, the strength comes from what spells you actually take from your opponents. If you whiff on getting any good spells, your board state isn’t going to have much going for it. However, if you still their powerhouses, your board suddenly becomes the biggest threat out of everyone else. It’s awkward to place Grand Larceny, but because of its reliance on your opponents’ cards, its on the lower half of the Outlaws Of Thunder Junction decklists. 

2. Most Wanted

Most Wanted is the deck that is built around the new mechanic that cares about creature types, outlaws. Outlaws are any creature that are either Assassins, Mercenaries, Pirates, Rogues, or Warlocks. With the exception of one card (Academy Manufacturer), every creature in the deck is an outlaw, ensure that you will always have your outlaw payoffs going off.

✓ Johnny’s Annotation:

Outlaws With Multiple Creature Types:

Some creatures have multiple creature types that are all outlaws. For example, there are ways to give creatures other creature types. While outlaws can be given new creature types, they still only count as one outlaw even if they have multiple outlaw creature types.

The deck shares its focus between creatures and Treasure tokens, capable of generating a lot of both of those. Thanks to the side that creates Treasure tokens, this lets you always have access to mana to be able to cast your creatures so the deck synergizes fantastically as soon as you open it from the box.

Most Wanted is a very aggressive deck, capable of having explosive turns once it hits the middle of the game once your mana output is firmly established. All of the creatures included in Most Wanted have great effects that make bringing your opponents’ life totals down to zero much easier by turning your creatures into big threats that need answering. 

The deck has a simple game plan, and as such, is consistent in what it’s trying to do. This lets it stand above the other Outlaws Of Thunder Junction decks. It’s a bit simplistic, but that hardly makes it bad. It’s a solid deck out of the box, making the upgrades you would need to include minimal.

1. Quick Draw

Quick Draw does what Izzet (red/blue) does best, cast a ton of spells. It’s a spellslinger deck, with its face commander Stella Lee, Wild Care caring about your second spell being cast each turn. The creature selection is filled with creatures with effects that trigger whenever you cast instant and sorcery cards. 

Since Quick Draw is heavily focused on spells, the amount of creatures is a bit low. However, it counteracts this thanks to cards that create creature tokens when you cast your noncreature spells. This can rapidly flood the battlefield with creatures, making it difficult for your opponent to ever get in for damage since you’ll have so many blockers up.

Quick Draw is filled with cantrips – one mana spells that usually draw a card. This helps on turns when you want to cast a ton of spells at once while keeping your hand refresh so you don’t run out of cards and are left with nothing. The deck has many ways to copy spells as well, including on its commander to get even more spells each turn. Since you don’t have to cast the copy, you can copy spells without having to worry about paying a mana cost. 

✓ Johnny’s Tip:

Upgrading Quick Draw:

If you want to take the best preconstructed deck and make it better, Quick Draw benefits from cards that have Storm. This lets you copy a spell for every other spell cast that turn, and since you’re casting so many spells, your storm count can easily hit high numbers. There are also cantrips such as Brainstorm that give you more options for cheap spells and filtering so you only draw good cards.

There is little downside to Quick Draw, and is why it’s the best commander deck of the four Outlaws Of Thunder Junction preconstructed decks. The strategy is very consistent, and thanks to its low curve and get going very early in the game. It’s an aggressive deck that if not kept in check, can very quickly snowball to uncontrollable amounts to make it easy for you to close out games. In terms of upgrades, it hardly needs much to improve the list, with the land selection the only weak part of the deck.

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That’s everything we have on the best MTG decks from Outlaws of Thunder Junction, which we’re excited to play when the paper release swings around. There’s not much between all of the decks, so it’s going to a tough choice between them all. While the Commander decks are a good intro to casual MTG, it’s going to be hard to come across the best Outlaws of Thunder Junction cards in them.

Best MTG Outlaws of Thunder Junction decks – FAQs

Which deck is best for competitive Commander from Outlaws of Thunder Junction?

We’d recommend the Quick Draw deck as the most suitable for Commander, though it’s going to need a few serious improvements so you’re not taken out by the first board wipe you encounter. We’d recommend adjusting it with a few cards such as other Storm cards and Brainstorm.

Is Outlaws of Thunder Junction worth it?

We’d definitely recommend having a look at the latest set from Wizards of the Coast. Receptions so far have been largely positive – in terms of mechanics and play-style, while the overarching story elements have satisfied the rest of the community.