Tested Lurrus in Modern Abzan Traverse the Ulvenwald Midrange last night. Unless sticking 2-3 of this guy in my sideboard is a legit strategy, Lurrus-as-Companion isn't as good against opposing midrange decks as I thought. It dies to removal a lot (especially since my opponent knows it's coming), waiting for 5 mana to cast a dead guy the same turn I resolve Lurrus takes too long, and Mishra's Bauble doesn't come in a timely fashion all the time so Turn 3 Lurrus has instant value. Sticking Lurrus for long enough is GG in my favour, but that applies to a lot of cards. Maybe, just maybe, Lurrus is better in the maindeck?
So is this going to wind up banned in some formats?
This gives lots of eternal combo decks a disgusting level of consistency. You're not only starting with an 8th card in hand, but its a combo engine. You can cast this off black lotus or lion's eye diamond and then recast them the same turn, and the next turn, you'll have 6 mana available. In legacy you can cast LED -> crack LED -> cast Lurrus from sideboard -> cast LED from graveyard, next turn crack LED -> cast underworld breach from graveyard or crack LED -> cast LED from graveyard -> crack LED -> flashback past in flames with +1 mana open. All on top of whatever you're doing normally.
Burn decks with splash mana have basically 0 opportunity cost to run this, giving them extra lategame reach. All you give up is the protection of basic lands- already given up for RB- and you can start recurring goblin guides, eidolons, swiftspears, etc.
There are plenty of archetypes that can't slot this in, sure, like any stoneforge packages or gurmag angler, and combo has to give up simian spirit guide. But we're talking about deck building where black combo vintage archetypes would gladly give up their 1-of restricted necropotence if it meant having Lurrus in their sideboard recurring mox/lotus/chalice/vault/sol ring.
Just the fact you could have a completely empty hand and board in a long game with nothing but lands and mana rocks, and then cast this from your sideboard, then cast snapcaster from your bin, and use it to flashback yawgmoth's will, resolve a ton of rituals/rocks and pull a win out of nowhere- how nutty is that?
A couple of things wrong with what you're saying: Underworld Breach is banned in Legacy, and Yawgmoth's Will exiles itself upon resolution. I guess you can Snapcaster Yawg Win if it got countered, though.
I doubt Legacy Storm variants want to cast Lurrus on a turn where they can't/won't combo off, but 2 extra Storm whenever they want to crack a LED is pretty tempting.
Legacy Burn is pretty much all mono-red--they've determined that no splash is worth the vulnerability to land destruction. Additionally, I actually think that Burn wants the 15th sideboard slot more than it wants Lurrus--Lurrus tries its best to grant inevitability, but it's a tempo sink in a deck that won't even play Light Up the Stage.
It's tough to make Lurrus enable a fast combo deck--besides being 2 extra Storm count, I suspect it'll fit in aggro and midrange decks only. Big maybe for control decks and slower combo decks if they're willing to give up planeswalkers and 3+-cmc permanents.
Seems good in Modern Traverse the Ulvenwald non-Death's Shadow Midrange as long as you're willing to give up planeswalkers--you can crack a Mishra's Bauble every turn with this guy, then recur your dead guys. You even get to spam cool toys like graveyard hate rocks and Executioner's Capsule!
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A couple of things wrong with what you're saying: Underworld Breach is banned in Legacy, and Yawgmoth's Will exiles itself upon resolution. I guess you can Snapcaster Yawg Win if it got countered, though.
I doubt Legacy Storm variants want to cast Lurrus on a turn where they can't/won't combo off, but 2 extra Storm whenever they want to crack a LED is pretty tempting.
Legacy Burn is pretty much all mono-red--they've determined that no splash is worth the vulnerability to land destruction. Additionally, I actually think that Burn wants the 15th sideboard slot more than it wants Lurrus--Lurrus tries its best to grant inevitability, but it's a tempo sink in a deck that won't even play Light Up the Stage.
It's tough to make Lurrus enable a fast combo deck--besides being 2 extra Storm count, I suspect it'll fit in aggro and midrange decks only. Big maybe for control decks and slower combo decks if they're willing to give up planeswalkers and 3+-cmc permanents.