As of 8/29/2021 this is the highest rated Sythis, Harvest's Hand deck on TappedOut! Thank you very much for the support!
Finally, after years of waiting, we get a proper enchantress commander in the form of Sythis, Harvest's Hand.
This is a prison deck designed for one purpose - to prevent our opponents from being able to play Magic.
History
This deck has been in the works for some time; the core of the deck was there and it was only missing a commander for it. Initially I had been running Sigarda, Host of Herons as the commander, but I then swapped to Yasharn, Implacable Earth when I was introduced to the stax/prison archetypes. When Sythis, Harvest's Hand was revealed, I knew instantly she would be the commander of the deck. However, a question quickly arose: Would the deck continue to be a stax/prison list, or would it be a combo-oriented list? Sythis' ability lends herself to appearing to be a phenomenal storm-esque commander, however, there are so many good cards in green and white that focus on taxing or shutting down our opponents I couldn't ignore them. After playing around for a bit, I decided I would build her as a prison list, winning through combat damage or forcing our opponents to scoop. Eventually, I would cut most of the support for the combat-oriented win, and focus mostly on the prison aspect of the deck. I now view this deck is now complete, only missing cards that are directly better than cards that I already have in the deck, (i.e; Living Plane would replace Nature's Revolt).
Why Prison?
As I said previously, I think Sythis, Harvest's Hand could be built either as a combo/storm list, or as a stax/prison list - and I've decided to go with the latter. I think it's far stronger and far more reliable than a storm/combo-based list due to the sheer amount of redundancy available and not being as reliant on top-decking or consistent card draw. Meaning, instead of having to repeatedly tutor/draw our deck for a specific card, we can sit back and focus on using a myriad of methods to shut down the board, eventually building into our plan to win the game later; we don't have as much of a sense of urgency to win as soon as possible and instead can bide our time and wait. However, the main method I've seen Sythis, Harvest's Hand be built is oddly enough auras. Personally, I don't like auras and I think the playstyle is a little gimmicky and easier to respond to. However, if you're interested in building Sythis, it's ultimately up to you to build her however you want to - I just think prison is the strongest method to do so.
Power Level and Competitiveness
In terms of competitiveness, I wanted to try and make the deck be able to hold its own in any meta, regardless of competitive level. The deck stomps casual pods, holds a commanding presence in more standard-esque pods, and is quite strong in high-powered pods. However, I do think the deck is lacking in regards to cEDH; albeit I do think if given the proper chance it could hold its own. I despise ranking decks based on a number, as I think everyone's definition is completely different. I would simply say this deck is in the "high power" tier of EDH decks, and possibly fringe-cEDH.
Suggestions and New Cards
While I'm always interested in making this deck better, it's gotten to the point where little can be done to do so. Most of the ways to improve the deck involve me acquiring $300 to $1500 cards, and I'm not that interested in dropping big bucks for it at the moment. Therefore, I'm calling the deck pretty much "done" at this point. Feel free to suggest things, but please know it probably won't be added.
Here is a list of the primary win-cons in the decklist. They are split into two parts, Prison Win-Cons (how we'd ideally win) and Alternate Win-Cons.
Prison Win-Cons:
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite + Living Plane
= Kill all our opponents' lands. This is the main win-con of the deck and the one I've used the most to close out games. Most of the time people just scoop, but if they're stubborn you can let on the beats with your 3/3 lands. I personally prefer winning via this method, as it instantly kills your opponents lands, and does not give them time to answer through something like using alternate mana sources like artifacts.
Linvala, Keeper of Silence + Living Plane
= Shut off all opponents lands. A backup to the Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite combo. Doesn't win the game on the spot, but it does shut off your opponents mana from lands, and with something like Collector Ouphe or Stony Silence out, it shuts off their mana completely. One advantage of this combo over the one involving Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite is it's three mana cheaper, but it allows them to keep their lands alive - they just cannot use them.
Alternate Win-Cons:
Opalescence + Parallax Wave
= Exile all our opponents' creatures. Pair with Living Plane to exile all our opponents' lands. So, this combo is kind of tricky; but here is a quick run down below.
Because of Parallax Wave's ability, it will return all exiled cards. However, because Parallax Wave is the only card so far to be exiled, it alone comes back with five counters on it.
Because of how the game works, all the other four creatures you targeted with the original Parallax Wave will not return, because the original Parallax Wave no longer exists.
Repeat until you've exiled all your opponents' creatures. Keep in mind you can do this at instant speed, so long as you have one counter on Parallax Wave to target itself and refresh the amount of counters on it. However, you need to do it in response to the usage of the other counters, otherwise the opponents' creatures will return.
Cloudstone Curio - This is in the deck to enable us to interact more with our own boardstate to accomplish a myriad of things such as exiling a large number of tokens with On Thin Ice, or allowing us to draw more cards off of our one-drop enchantments.
Meekstone - This is meant to give us an additional method of protecting against combat damage, seeing as the deck only runs four creatures with power three or greater.
Null Rod - This is in the deck as a method to actively hate on artifacts, such as mana rocks.
Aegis of the Gods - This protects us against targeted player effects, such as "target player sacrifices a creature" or "target player discards a card", etc. Bonus points because it itself is an enchantment.
Alseid of Life's Bounty - This allows us a method of protecting a creature or enchantment. Bonus points because it itself is an enchantment.
Birds of Paradise - This is one of the best mana dorks in the game. I run it over Elvish Mystic and the like because it can tap for any color, and flying is nice.
Collector Ouphe - This is in the deck because our plan is to slow down and lock people out of the game, and denying them access to their mana rocks is a great method to accomplish that task.
Destiny Spinner - This is in the deck to give our creatures and enchantments protection against counterspells. I've decided it over Allosaurus Shepherd because it is much cheaper money-wise, allows our white creatures and enchantments to be uncounterable, and is an enchantment itself.
Drannith Magistrate - This card is in the deck to deny others access to their own commanders. This can shut down lists that are reliant on their commanders near-singlehandedly.
Endurance - This card is one of the neatest cards in the deck. It allows us to have a method of mass recursion (albeit to our own libary, not the battlefield), shut down graveyard-based decks, and have an answer to the Thassa's Oracle and Demonic Consultation combo, as you force them to reshuffle their library back into the deck before the Thassa's Oracle trigger resolves, cucking them from winning.
Eternal Witness - This is in the deck for a form of recursion.
Kataki, War's Wage - This card acts as another form of artifact hate. Paired with cards like Collector Ouphe, they cannot tap their mana rocks to save them, and forces them to use land-based or creature-based mana if they want to keep them.
Linvala, Keeper of Silence - This card is another one of our win-cons, pairing again with Nature's Revolt to prevent our opponents from tapping their lands for mana. Now, keep in mind this is not as rude as the Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite combo due to their lands sticking around, and the opponents could choose to continue playing in hopes of dealing with either part of the combo.
Manglehorn - This card acts as another artifact hate piece, forcing artifacts to enter tapped and denying our opponents from using mana rocks the turn they come out. It also acts as a piece of artifact removal.
Mesa Enchantress - This is another one of our enchantresses. She isn't absolutely needed, but she still helps us to draw cards. Note she is a may ability, and does not need to be removed when attempting to draw our entire deck.
Sanctum Weaver - This is the best mana dork in the deck, as many-a-time she taps for 5~10 mana rather easily. A creature version of Serra's Sanctum, except it can also tap for green mana. It's also an enchantment itself.
Verduran Enchantress - This is another one of our enchantresses. She isn't absolutely needed, but she still helps us to draw cards. Note she is a may ability, and does not need to be removed when attempting to draw our entire deck.
Yasharn, Implacable Earth - This card is in the deck to provide us a way to hate on sacrifice decks and provide us a method of land-fixing. Note, it does not ramp us, but allows us to find lands we may potentially need, therefore getting us lands we might not of had access to previously.
Abundant Growth - This card is in the deck to provide an immediate source of card draw; it's basically a cantrip and can draw us multiple cards for one mana if we have enchantress effects out. Plus, it's mana fixing - although we do not really run it for that reason.
Aura of Silence - This card is in the deck for additional artifact and enchantment hate, and can act as a removal spell.
Authority of the Consuls - This card prevents decks from dropping armies, giving them haste, and then swinging for game. In a way, it acts as both protection and a prison-esque effect.
Carpet of Flowers - This card is in the deck due to it being a one-drop enchantment and the potential to provide free mana for us. At it's absolute worst it is one mana to draw one card with an enchantress out, and it can be abused with Cloudstone Curio to get mana during each mainphase.
Choke - This card acts as hate towards blue-based decks. Not only does it shut off basic Islands, but it also shuts off things like Steam Vents or Underground Sea.
Cryptolith Rite - This card allows us to use our enchantresses and hatebears as mana dorks in addition to their passive effects, allowing us to potentially play and draw more cards.
Elephant Grass - This card forces our opponents to pay a tax if they want to attack us. It does have a cumulative upkeep tax, but it is only one mana to cast. At worst it is one mana to draw a card and potentially protect ourselves for an entire turn cycle from being attacked.
Exploration - This is useful both as a one-drop enchantment, and allows us to play multiple lands per turn.
Flickering Ward - This is useful both as a one-drop enchantment, and as protection for a creature, most likely Sythis, Harvest's Hand naming either Blue, Black, or Red.
Ghostly Prison - This acts as protection, or at least deterrance, against decks that want to constantly swing. Now, this won't stop everyone, but it can make them choose to attack someone else giving this deck more time to establish a lock.
Grasp of Fate - This acts as a method of targeted removal, except it allows us to remove up to three things - one per each opponent.
Greater Auramancy - This gives all our enchantments shroud. When paired with Sterling Grove, it itself cannot be targeted, and therefore none of your enchantments can be targeted by single-target removal. Boardwipes still affect them though.
Ground Seal - This acts as graveyard hate and allows us to draw an additional card.
Kenrith's Transformation - This allows us to deal with problematic creatures and allows us to draw an additional card.
Living Plane - This is our primary win-con in the deck when paired with either Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite or Linvala, Keeper of Silence. Essentially, it turns every land into a mana dork. These lands are now creatures, and are affected by things that affect creatures, such as summoning sickness.
On Thin Ice - This is honestly probably my favorite removal spell in the deck besides Silence and Orim's Chant. A person in my playgroup is obsessed with Dark Depths, and as such most of us now run lands that can copy other lands to get a free Marit Lage. I cannot tell you how many times I've sent a Marit Lage to the Shadow Realm with this card. With Cloudstone Curio and one other cheap enchantment you can remove entire armies of tokens, as the tokens do not come back from exile.
Rest in Peace - This is in the deck because for some reason beyond myself, I absolutely hate playing against graveyard-based decks. I take a preventative approach towards dealing with future threats, and this is my preventative approach towards graveyard-based decks.
Root Maze - This is another piece of artifact and land hate. Now, this card does screw us over a fair amount, as it prevents us from playing and using something like Serra's Sanctum immediately. However, I think it is worth it because it's just one mana and it also prevents our opponents from using and playing lands immediately.
Sterling Grove - This gives all our other enchantments shroud and acts as a tutor for enchantments. Pair with Greater Auramancy for 100% single-target protection for our enchantments, including our enchantment creatures.
Suppression Field - This is activated ability hate. Now, it does NOT affect mana dorks, however - it does affect planeswalkers and fetchlands, which is why I've chosen to include it. However, this card is very much a double-edged sword because of that so it can screw us over, but I still think it's worth it.
Utopia Sprawl - This is mana ramp, and with an enchantress out a form of card draw.
Wheel of Sun and Moon - This is in the deck because with our enchantresses out, we tend to draw a lot of cards. We only run one method of getting no max handsize and we may not draw it every game. Most of the time we will cast it on ourselves, but it can be used as additional hate for graveyard-based decks.
Wild Growth - This is mana ramp, and with an enchantress out a form of card draw.
Enlightened Tutor - This is the best tutor in this deck, as it can fetch any enchantment or artifact for only one mana - albeit it does go to the top of our library and not our hand.
Force of Vigor - This is phenomenal enchantment and artifact removal, as it can be cast without paying a mana cost.
Krosan Grip - This is one of the best single-targeted enchantment and artifact removal spells in the game since our opponents cannot respond to it.
Nature's Claim - This is great single-targeted removal for artifacts and enchantments. The lifegain for our opponents is negligible.
Path to Exile - This is great single-targeted removal that can bypass the indestructible keyword. The only downside is our opponent gets a free basic land.
Silence - Look, here's the thing. I'm gonna be honest with you, I'm kind of retarded. I thought for the longest time you could use this as a counterspell, but as it turns out you cannot counter spells that have already been cast with it. I've removed Orim's Chant for that very reason. However, Silence can stay because you can use it at the beginning of someone's turn, or when they begin to combo off to still kind of stop them.
Swords to Plowshares - This is great single-targeted removal that can bypass the indestructible keyword.
Veil of Summer - This card is mostly protection against blue and black spells, but it can also be used in a worst case scenario to draw us a card.
Worldly Tutor - This is one of the best creature tutors in the game, with the only real downside being it goes to the top of our library instead of our hand.
Finale of Devastation - This card is just too good. It's a tutor in addition to an Overrun effect if we want to pay more mana for it, which we can easily do.
Sylvan Tutor - This is a good tutor for creatures. My one problem with it is its an essentially a sorcery-speed Worldly Tutor, but it's still only one mana.
There are some cards that should be an obvious include in an enchantress deck, but I don't want to run them for various reasons.
Argothian Enchantress - Two reasons why she isn't here - the first being her ability is not a 'may' ability; she forces you to draw a card. This wouldn't be a problem if we could target her with our own Beast Within or something, but that leads to the second reason - she has shroud and cannot be targeted by spells, specifically our own. This could be averted by running a sac outlet like Ashnod's Altar or Phyrexian Altar, but they aren't useful at all in decks like this since we run an abundance of artifact hate. Now, you could get around this with Cloudstone Curio, but I still think she's just not worth it.
Earthcraft - I run this deck in real life, and I'd rather not spend $200 on a single card just for one deck. In addition, this is a prison deck, and not a combo deck. If I were running a combo deck, for sure it would be in it.
Rule of Law - This goes for any Rule of Law type effect like Deafening Silence too; I would absolutely love to run these cards in this deck, however, we want to actively try and flood the board to both draw as many cards as possible and lock out our opponents as fast as possible. We seek to try and play two or more enchantments a turn, and these type of effects are just non-bo's with Sythis. However, if they did print an enchantment that read "Players cannot cast more than one creature spell a turn", it would definitely be in the deck.
Smothering Tithe - The deck runs quite a fair amount of artifact hate, such as Stony Silence, Collector Ouphe, Root Maze, and I'm considering adding in a Null Rod for extra redundancy. All of these stop us from using the Treasure tokens generated by Smothering Tithe. Plus, the deck works just fine without it.
Sol Ring - This goes with every other mana rock like Mana Crypt or Chrome Mox- they just don't jive with the deck. I'm running cards like Collector Ouphe and Stony Silence and I don't want to worry about my mana rocks being dead cards. Plus, the deck is cheap enough CMC-wise and I run mana accelerants like Utopia Sprawl, so I don't think the deck needs mana rocks.
Starfield of Nyx - I do not like this card due to it making our enchantments easier to kill via effects like Wrath of God, Blasphemous Act, etc. Plus most of our enchantments are one-drops and two-drops, so we'd have a lot of 1/1's and 2/2's; not very useful in a deck that isn't very combat-oriented.
Cloudstone Curio + Sanctum Weaver + Concordant Crossroads + any 1-drop enchantment = This combo is our main method of generating infinite mana, although it does require a little bit of setup. In order to execute the combo, you need at least four enchantments out on the board whenever you tap the Sanctum Weaver for mana. Tap the Sanctum Weaver for mana, cast a 1-drop enchantment bouncing the Sanctum Weaver to your hand. Cast Sanctum Weaver bouncing the 1-drop to your hand. Tap the Sanctum Weaver for mana because she has haste due to Concordant Crossroads. Repeat Ad Nauseum. However, be careful! With Sythis, Harvest's Hand out, we immediately draw the deck and kill ourselves because she is a MUST ability. Make sure to kill Sythis before starting the combo, or specify the amount of loops you want to do.
Here are some not-so-nice interactions between cards in the decklist:
Rest in Peace/Ground Seal + Endurance/Eternal Witness/Regrowth - The former two cards both shut us off from our graveyard, while the latter three all focus on mostly targeting cards in our graveyard. However, I despise graveyard decks and I think Rest in Peace is just broken for its CMC, so they can stay.
These are cards that are in the deck that I'm debating about changing/cutting. You can find what I think on new cards that could go into this deck below.
Archon of Sun's Grace - Removed due to the card not performing as intended or desired. Cut in favor of Endurance for an immediate effect in graveyard recursion or removal.
Avacyn's Pilgrim - This deck does not need mana dorks due to having a CMC of 2.10. Cut in favor of Kataki, War's Wage for additional artifact hate.
Craterhoof Behemoth - Removed due to a change of deck ideology. Cut in favor of Opalescence for an additional non-combat based wincon.
Fyndhorn Elves - This deck does not need mana dorks due to having a CMC of 2.10. Cut in favor of Drannith Magistrate to provide an additional prison effect and attempt to lock our opponents' generals out of the game.
Aura Shards - Removed due to a change of deck ideology. Cut in favor of Null Rod to fit with the theme of artifact hate and taking preventative measures towards locking our opponents out of the game.
Dawn of Hope - Removed due to not taking full effect of this card and being slow. Cut in favor of Shapers' Sanctuary to provide a method of card draw when our opponents attempt to remove our creatures.
Grasp of Fate - Removed due to literally never playing this card. Cut in favor of Snow-Covered Forest, because then at least it might see play.
Growing Rites of Itlimoc - Removed due to not being able to take full effect of the card and our reletively low creature count. Cut in favor of On Thin Ice for additional creature removal.
Luminarch Ascension - Removed due to a change of deck ideology. Cut in favor of Meekstone to provide additional hate against larger-powered creatures.
Shapers' Sanctuary - Removed due to the card not performing as intended or desired. Cut in favor of Abundant Growth for an immediate cantrip effect.
Autumn's Veil - Removed due to a lack of blue-based removal in my playgroup. Cut in favor of Orim's Chant.
Orim's Chant - Removed because I'm retarded and didn't understand how this card worked. Cut in favor of Seal of Cleansing to provide additional artifact and enchantment hate.
Grand Abolisher - I always preach about how taking preventative measures is the best way to deal with threats, and I realized how much of a hypocrite I am because I don't run arguably the best preventative creature in Magic. I want to include it, but I'm unsure of what card to cut for it.
Guardian of Faith - I could see this situationally being useful to help against a boardwipe, but beyond that it doesn't particularly have a use.
Moon-Blessed Cleric - I was considering this card as a replacement to Idyllic Tutor as I wanted a creature to tutor enchantments. However, it putting the card we tutored for on top of our library is a deal-breaker. If it put it into our hand it would 100% be in the deck.
Curse of Silence - I like this card as it's a one-drop, however it's situationally useful in shutting down a single card out of a possible 300 other cards (assuming a four-man pod).
Rite of Harmony - If this deck was a combo-oriented deck, it would most certainly be included. However, keep in mind this is a prison list, and therefore it is not terribly useful for us.
Boseiju, Who Endures - This will be in the deck. Cutting a forest for it. It's too good.
Commune with Spirits - Considering this as an additional tutor, but it only hits the top four. It's alright, but unsure if I'd actually end up using it.
Jukai Naturalist - Normally I wouldn't consider cost-reduction cards because the CMC is already so cheap, but it's also an enchantment. I don't think it's gonna make the cut, but it could be something.
Spirited Companion - I'm considering this card because with any of our enchantresses out it's basically paying two mana for at least two cards. However, the two-mana slot in this deck is highly contested, so I'm unsure if it will make the cut.
Archivist of Oghma - I like this card in higher-powered games, particularly when there are an abundance of fetch lands. However, my personal playgroup does not run many fetches beyond things like Evolving Wilds and Terramorphic Expanse. As such, I don't think this card would make the cut for my personal list. However, if I were to play this deck in more higher-powered pods, I would probably end up replacing something like Lightning Greaves or something.
Sylvan Library - Unsure of what it would directly replace, but it would be in the deck.
I try to respond to every comment. If you have a question on why [X] card isn't in the deck, or why [Y] card is in the deck, feel free to ask. I don't bite, I swear!
I've been experimenting of late, and I've decided to actuate the changes I've made behind the scenes to this list. Several of the changes are slightly controversial. However, I feel as if the deck is stronger with said changes. Without further ado, the following changes have been made:
Aura Shards has been replaced with Null Rod. I love Aura Shards; it's a card that I've ran with success for a very long time. However, I feel as if Null Rod, a card that easily fits in with our theme of artifact hate and my tendency to take preventative measures, is stronger due to it not relying on my ability to continuously play creatures.
Grasp of Fate has been replaced with Snow-Covered Forest. I will be completely honest here, I don't think I've ever actually cast Grasp of Fate in a game either due to not needing it or not drawing it. I've ran this deck for over a year now, and have never casted this card. Therefore, I am putting in something that will arguably be more useful - a basic land.
Shapers' Sanctuary has been replaced with Abundant Growth. I have not gotten as much of a use out of Shapers' Sanctuary as I would've liked, and therefore I'm replacing it with something that gives a more immediate effect - the ability to instantly draw a card instead of having to rely on your opponents.
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