Treasure Constructed is returning to MTG Arena with the summer Chronicles event, and with it comes a chance to go 6-0 in a flash.
The rewards aren’t as good in MTGA Chronicles events but playing Treasure Constructed can still be a nice change of pace. Similar in structure to Traditional Constructed, decks can only have four copies of a card and must contain a minimum of 60 cards.
Related: MTG basics: Tri-color pairings
Treasure Constructed, however, doesn’t follow a mana curve like Traditional in that at each upkeep, a player is rewarded one treasure token.
Reduced lands
Each treasure token is equal to one mana of any color. For players who are seeking to run mono-colored (or even dual) decks, a reduction in land equals more room for spells. Typically, a Mono-Red Aggro deck will run around 20 lands. In Treasure Constructed, players can go as low as 14 and not be “punished.”
Dual-colored decks should have more than mono, but can still run under 20 with ease. Begin with a number between 16 and 18 to test it out and see what works best for you. Adding ramp cards like Llanowar Elves and Paradise Druid can also ease the mana burden, allowing a dual-colored deck to run as low as 14 lands.
The mana curve
Control and Aggro are the most dominant archetypes in Treasure Constructed. Midrange suffers due to the mana ramp while Aggro pops off by turn two. Control takes advantage of the mana ramp, allowing players to drop their win-cons early and often while keeping the board state under their control.
Due to treasure tokens and any added mana ramp cards (Runaway Steam-Kin), having a good curve isn’t necessary. Players should still include one and two drops but primarily focus on beefing up the deck with more powerful spells and creatures at a higher mana cost.
Artifact decks
The only midrange deck that can overpower Aggro and Control in Treasure Constructed in an artifact deck. Treasure tokens are artifacts, which means cards like Gearsmith Prodigy and Ariel Engineer become major threats early in a match.
Artifact decks in Treasure Constructed can also flood the battlefield quickly using cards like Sai, Master Thopterist and Aviation Pioneer. And don’t forget about planeswalkers like Saheli, Sublime Artificer and Dovin, Grand Arbiter, who are both quick drops that produce artifact tokens. Plus there’s the obvious choice in Karn, Scion of Urza and Karn, the Great Creator.
Go big with multi-colored
For players who enjoy building janky decks with four and five colors, Treasure Constructed just became your ultimate playground. Treasure tokens don’t just add ramp, but they also provide one of any color mana.
This is extremely useful if a player wants to build around Nicol Bolas, Dragon-God or Zacama, Primal Calamity. Be sure to include plenty of board wipes, though, since your opponent will likely be ahead of you in tempo.
Related: Everything you need to know about Plane-cation Ixalan on MTG Arena in Treasure Constructed
The MTG Arena summer Chronicles event, Ixalan: Treasure Constructed, launches on Aug. 4.
