While I've always been high on Nexus of Fate, people are a lot more interested in it now since it did so well at the Pro Tour. It boasted very high win rates against the decks at the Pro Tour. One reason is people weren't ready for it, so nobody had much hate for the deck. Secondly, Turbo Fog is an excellent way to beat the Green decks or just other midrange decks that use creatures to try and beat you. Where Turbo Fog usually falters is against control decks, control doesn't care too much about your Fog cards and they can win usually in a handful of different ways. I do not believe this Turbo Fog deck will be as amazing in the current metagame as it was at the Pro Tour, people just need to adapt. So today I'm going to be talking about ways to beat this deck. I've been playing Nexus of Fate since it came out and I know the cards I don't want to see across the table.

Negate

This is simple enough. Negate is an excellent way to counter a crucial Fog card once you build up enough power on the battlefield to one shot your opponent. It also doubles to counter Teferi, Hero of Dominaria which is their main way of winning.

Duress / Kitesail Freebooter / Doomfall

All cards are excellent ways to see what's going on and to potentially clear the way for an attack. They can still cast the Haze of Pollen in response, but you can grab a different spell from their hand or take another Fog.

Sorcerous Spyglass

While this doesn't stop the Turbo Fog deck from Fogging you, it does stop Teferi which is a huge draw engine and their main win condition. Spyglass doubles as hate against other decks like Aetherflux Reservoir, so it's a versatile card that any deck can play.

Vance's Blasting Cannons

Vance's Blasting Cannons is a great way to just accrue card advantage, especially in a burn heavy deck like a The Flame of Keld deck. When you transform it to Spitfire Bastion, Fogs won't matter nearly as much since not only will you have a lot of burn spells, but you will also have a land that is pinging your opponent for three damage every turn.

Guttersnipe

This is another great one in a burn deck, especially The Flame of Keld. Making your Shocks and Wizard's Lightnings deal two more damage each. You can also play it in non-burn decks like Grixis Control, Wizards, or Midrange if you rework some of your spells. One Guttersnipe is a problem for the Nexus of Fate decks, two is almost assuredly lights out.

Angrath, the Flame-Chained

Having your opponent pitch a card and dealing two damage are both excellent ways to pressure the non-creature decks. While Angrath does come in a little late, as long as you back him up with other cards like Duress type cards or Negate, he should be plenty.

Chandra, Torch of Defiance

Like Angrath but your opponent won't pitch a card. Here you're just shocking them every turn in hopes you can ultimate and kill them. Again, backing Chandra up with hand disruption like Duress or even Nicol Bolas, the Ravager will a help a ton. Negate and Jace's Defeat will also go a long way.

Walking Ballista

This card can be slow, but if you're playing a Winding Constrictor deck, Walking Ballista is one of your best ways to attack the Nexus deck, especially if you are also running Verdurous Gearhulk.

Cut // Ribbons

This is mostly of the Grixis decks but could play it too. You'll need a way to pitch this card via Champion of Wits or killing your own creature with Cut. The Ribbons half is the final reach we are looking for.

Torment of Hailfire

I can only imagine the Mirari Conjecture decks have an excellent matchup against Turbo Fog. Copying a Torment of Hailfire is just game over against that deck. Especially since you gain access to Duress and Negate post board. Probably the nightmare matchup for Fog decks.

Lost Legacy

I'm not a huge fan of this card but it does hit Teferi or Nexus of Fate. You would obviously want to name Teferi first but there are situations where you would name Nexus of Fate, usually if you've already killed 2-3 Teferis or your opponent already has an active one. The problem with this card is, if your opponent already has an active Teferi, it will basically do very little. However, if you can resolve it before Teferi comes down, it could very well just end the game by itself.

Fight with Fire / Banefire

Bother are decent ways to try and push those final points of damage but I think you're better off with Guttersnipe or Vance's Blasting Cannons.

Kambal, Consul of Allocation

Kambal is an excellent way to just drain your opponent out of the game, especially since Nexus of Fate decks typically run few to zero creatures. He also doubles as a sideboard card for the Mono Blue Sai / Aetherflux Reservoir decks since it would be nearly impossible for them to kill you with Aetherflux Reservoir if you have an active Kambal.

Insult // Injury

One of the best ways for Red to completely ignore Fog affects and push in double damage. Just one well timed Insult will dismantle a Bant Fog opponent. Narrow card but very powerful against the Nexus Fog opponent.

The last thing I want to talk about is a deck I believe is very well positioned right now. It's a deck that Love-Quandra took to a 5-0 finish in a league. It's an Abzan control deck which looks great against the current metagame.

Abzan Control | Magic 2019 Standard | Love-Quandra

• Planeswalkers (5)
• 2 Vraska, Relic Seeker
• 3 Karn, Scion of Urza

• Instants (7)
• 3 Vraska's Contempt
• 4 Fatal Push

• Sorceries (6)
• 3 Cleansing Nova
• 3 Doomfall

• Enchantments (14)
• 1 Thopter Arrest
• 2 Baffling End
• 3 Ixalan's Binding
• 4 Seal Away
• 4 The Eldest Reborn

• Artifacts (2)
• 2 Treasure Map

• Lands (26)
• 1 Forest
• 3 Plains
• 5 Swamp
• 1 Evolving Wilds
• 2 Sunpetal Grove
• 2 Woodland Cemetery
• 4 Concealed Courtyard
• 4 Isolated Chapel
• 4 Scattered Groves

• Sideboard (15)
• 4 Duress
• 4 Glint-Sleeve Siphoner
• 3 Kitesail Freebooter
• 2 Ruin Raider
• 2 Sorcerous Spyglass

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Ixalan's Binding and The Eldest Reborn are amazing cards against Teferi, Hero of Dominaria. Ixalan's Binding is also fantastic on cards your opponent is playing multiples of like The Scarab God, Nicol Bolas, the Ravager, Chandra, Torch of Defiance, and Hazoret the Fervent. Heck, you can even use it early to stop a Gift of Paradise and hinder your opponent from ramping up if you have multiple in your hand.

Cleansing Nova looks a bit odd but at worst it's a Fumigate that doesn't gain you life, and at best you haven't played many enchantments / artifacts yet and you can blow out your Mono-Blue Sai opponent. The big Green decks tend to run Vivien Reid and Thrashing Brontodon, so they could very well destroy some of your enchantments with the Brontodon and make your Cleansing Nova even better. So, the trade off here is to lose the one life gain from Fumigate for a narrow but very real other mode of blowing up all artifacts and enchantments. I don't mind that since the deck is choke full of removal against creature decks. The deck only has five win conditions in Karn, Scion of Urza and Vraska, Relic Seeker but it also plays 4 The Eldest Reborn to buy back its planeswalkers for when they die.

The Sideboard has a ton of hand disruption and other ways to draw cards against control decks. You just shave your removal for the full playset of Duress and Glint-Sleeve Siphoner. You still also get Kitesail Freebooter and Ruin Raider as ways to disrupt your opponent and draw even more cards. The only thing I might switch up here is adding an Arguel's Blood Fast to the Sideboard and/or Kambal, Consul of Allocation. Otherwise, the deck looks geared to combat the metagame. Great against creature decks, Mono-Blue Sai deck, and even looks solid against Nexus of Fate decks, especially after Sideboard. So, if you like grindy decks or non-Blue control decks, you should give this deck a spin.

Well, that's all I have for you today. Hopefully this has helped hone your decks to combat Nexus of Fate, or it has at least given you some ideas. I'm sure I've even missed some cards that are good great against the Turbo Fog matchup, but this is a great starting point. This weekend I'll be in Orlando for the Grand Prix, so if you're in attendance and see me, make sure to stop and say hi!

As always, thanks for reading guys!

I'll see you all next Friday,

Ali Aintrazi

Follow me @AliEldrazi

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