IntroductionOne of the best ways to build a new, fun MTG list is finding a specific interaction and building around it, making sure you can put it in motion as early as possible and as consistently as possible.In today's article, we'll take a look at the Jund Cosmogoyf list that Yuya Hosokawa and two other players took to the Amsterdam Pro Tour. This deck centers around finding and protecting a combo that turns the exile into a win condition. It plays several great cards, but in an entirely different way.Cosmogoyf, the Main PieceThe main card in today's list is Cosmogoyf, a creature that costs 2 mana and is as powerful as the number of your cards in exile (though it has +1 toughness). Just like the classic Tarmogoyf, which we are all used to, this is a cheap card that can grow very easily but doesn't have any evasion.The main game plan is putting a decent number of cards in the exile, casting Cosmogoyf, and sacrificing it with Thud to deal damage to the opponent equal to its power. As sacrificing it is part of Thud's additional cost, you can't remove Cosmogoyf to answer this combo. The opponent can counter this sorcery, but they can't wait for the sacrifice to take place and then use a removal on Cosmogoyf.The DeckThe list we'll see today was played by Yuya Hosokawa at the Amsterdam Pro Tour, and the most recent version to the day this article was written is the following:Making Cosmogoyf's Life EasierSerum Powder is one of the most important cards in this list and also one of the cards that make the mulligan less intuitive. When it is in your hand and you can mulligan, you can exile your entire hand and draw that same number of cards. This doesn't count as a proper mulligan, so it lets you look for a better hand and put 7 cards in the exile to grow your Cosmogoyf all at the same time.You shouldn't put a hand with Serum Powder in the exile just because. Oftentimes, exiling a hand blindly like this could cost you some of your main cards. Fortunately, this deck is quite redundant. It plays four copies of the main pieces and tutors that can get whatever you need. So, you can take this risk a bit more easily than you would with a common list.Devourer of Destiny is a follow-up to this effect. It works in the very first turn: When you reveal it in your opening hand, it lets you look at the top four cards in your deck in your first upkeep step, leave up to one at the top, and exile the rest. Besides setting up the next card you'll draw, each Devourer can put three or four extra cards in the exile, depending on how many you decide to keep. If you reveal multiple copies of this card, you'll be able to do this multiple times (each is a separate ability), removing a lot of cards from your deck and still getting to keep a few hand-picked ones.Gemstone Caverns also enters this equation when you're drawing first. It lets you exile a card from your hand to start the match with it in play with a luck counter on, which will accelerate mana and grow Cosmogoyf. Chancellor of the Dross, after you reveal it, is one of the best cards to pay for this cost, as this way it will have already played its main role in the first game.Tutors and RedudancySpoils of the Vault is both a tutor, a way to fill the exile, and one of the riskiest cards in this deck, all at the same time. When you cast it, you name a card and reveal the top cards in your deck until you find it. Then, you'll put that chosen card in your hand, exile the other cards you revealed, and lose one life point for each card you exiled this way.The simplest way to use it is to look for any piece you're missing, usually Cosmogoyf or Thud, but how many life points you have is definitely something to note before you play this card. Obviously, you shouldn't name any card that you have already exiled with Serum Powder (all copies) or any other effect because that means losing the match. So, you need to keep track of every card you've seen throughout your match really well to use this card.Plunge into Darkness is similar but is a bit more controlled. When you use this card, you can pay any number of life points, look at that same number of cards, put one of them in your hand, and exile the rest. This card doesn't guarantee you'll find what you need, but it lets you pick how much you're willing to invest and also turns nearly all cards you see into more power for Cosmogoyf.Mastering the balance between life points and damage is one of the most important steps to mastering this list. One life point is a lot of life points, and you can give up many of them if the opponent won't have another turn, but you also can't spend everything on a Plunge and then find out you're still missing mana or protection. Chancellor of the Dross is a lot of help in this case as well because the three points you gain with it will allow you to look a bit further to get your combo and exile fewer cards in the process.Summoner's Pact works as extra copies of Cosmogoyf, as it lets you find it without spending mana that moment. As the plan is winning before the next upkeep step, you'll rarely have to pay the mana this card costs. This card also finds Aloe Alchemist, which you can play through Plot to exile it and give a creature +3 power and Trample. Like so, you can set up a Cosmogoyf to the size you need or set up attacks in case you still don't have Thud.Protecting the ComboIn a world without Gitaxian Probe, Inquisition of Kozilek gives this deck a way to check if the road is clear before you invest life, cards, and mana into your combo. This list isn't interested in a long exchange of resources, and removing a counter, removal, or a problematic permanent can be enough to give you the turn you need.Pact of Negation plays a similar role when you play your combo. This card protects Cosmogoyf when you cast it or prevents the opponent from countering Thud, and all without costing any mana right then. Just like Summoner's Pact, the next upkeep step doesn't matter when the match is ending on that very turn.Cavern of Souls is another way to protect Cosmogoyf against counters. You can name Lhurgoyf with it and make sure this creature resolves. It doesn't protect Thud, though, so you still have to keep Pact or clear the opponent's hand with Inquisition when they have mana.The mana base completes this kit with lands that can create more than one mana color early on. Gemstone Mine, Blackcleave Cliffs, Blooming Marsh, Copperline Gorge, and Darkbore Pathway give you access to black, green, and red mana and don't force you to rely on fetchlands or lands that come into play tapped. This deck needs to cast spells in three different colors in a very short amount of time, which explains why it plays lands that offer speed instead of long-term stability.SideboardThis sideboard comes with a different game plan, specifically for when the opponent plays lots of interactions for your main combo. The two extra copies of Chancellor of the Dross, a Vampire, meet the four copies of Sorin, Imperious Bloodlord. Like so, you'll be able to use Sorin's -3 ability to put the Vampire directly in play from your hand.This line doesn't completely leave behind the Cosmogoyf game plan. Instead, it adds a threat that doesn't rely on putting that many cards in exile. Chancellor is a pretty big creature, has Lifelink, and still attacks the opponent's life points when it shows up in your opening hand. Post-side, then, a card that was just an ability before the match will have a real way to get into play.Chancellor of the Tangle gives you green mana in the first main phase when you reveal it in your opening hand. This could put Cosmogoyf in play earlier, help you cast your green spells, and also result in pretty fast hands when you also have Gemstone Caverns. Like other expensive cards in this list, you can also exile it with Serum Powder or even Caverns itself when you've already used its ability.Culling Ritual is an answer to cheap permanents that disrupt your combo. It destroys cheap cards in play and also returns mana for each permanent you remove this way. Like so, you can clear a problematic piece and also progress your main game plan all on the same turn.Duress is another discard and is perfect against opponents that rely on non-creature spells to interact with you. The third Cavern of Souls reinforces your plan against counters and makes Cosmogoyf impossible to counter.This sideboard allows you to adjust this deck according to what your opponent showed you. You can add more discards, adopt the Sorin game plan, or get ready to remove permanents that stop your combo.Final WordsThis deck looks like classic Modern Jund but from an alternative universe. Instead of heavily relying on attrition and playing a thousand ways to interact with the opponent, this version focuses on a single combo and protecting it. It also plays a Tarmogoyf from an alternative universe.What do you think? Tell us your thoughts in our comment section below.Thank you for reading, and see you next time!
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