Do it all in one move! This deck is like a bag of tricks, so much tricks that the bag itself can do tricks!
At its' optimum performance, this deck can do this in just one combat phase:
Swing with Nightveil Specter, exile a card.
Scry using Aqueous Form on the Specter.
Draw from Bident of Thassa.
Damage triggers Hidden Strings cipher.
Cast the spell for free, extort it using Thrull Parasite.
Strings' recast triggers Consuming Aberration, they mill, it gets bigger.
Target two Agent of the Fates with the strings, opponent sacs two creatures.
Exile the cipher before it resolves (casting and targeting still occurs), add 2 +1/+1 counters on Nivmagus Elemental.
...would you like fries with that?
Card by Card Breakdown
Agent of the Fates: The backbone to this deck, once your opponent see what you can do when he's out, they would hold their precious creatures back.
Artisan of Forms: can be used to duplicate your own demon/nightfall/agent etc. Can also be used defensively by utilizing our cheap spells.
Consuming Aberration: due to all the cipher and cheap spells, can become lethal very quickly. Add aqueous form for a win.
Deathcult Rogue: really, he's 90% unblockable... Immune to doomblade and dark betrayal, reliable cipher activator.
Desecration Demon: Everyone knows this guy is just there to be a somewhat passive aggressive demon that could kill if ignored. Always worth the 4 mana.
Nightveil Specter: blocks the other popular nightveils, unblockable in some match ups, full of possibilities.
Nivmagus Elemental: One drop, can eat any leftover ciphers and spells
Thrull Parasite: One drop, can eat any spare black mana.
Aqueous Form: One mana, great on the aberration, goes hand in hand with the cipher cards and the bident.
Bident of Thassa: Since the deck runs on unblockable hits, this is a great tool to draw cards with.
Boon of Erebos: Spot regen, extra damage. The downside is that we have to pay 2 life. The good thing is that it usually save us from losing much more.
Hands of Binding: Unlike strings, we can't target our own creature but this can permanently keep two of our opponent's creature tapped. Cipher can still feed Aberration and Nivmagus when perma-tap is not needed.
Hidden Strings: By far the most useful tool in the deck, when it's out, each of our turn becomes a power turn. Remember that it can be used to untap our lands, so you can play it for 'free' by untapping the two mana you paid to cast it, then just cipher it.
Triton Tactics: Heroic enabler, and a surprise combat tactic, especially with Desecration Demon.
AEtherling: When playing against control, the hardest part is just getting him on the field. Once he's out, you know your opponent have very little time to go.
Duress: Works as prevention, we don't tend to worry about creatures because of our Agent, Demon, and Artisan - so Duress works just fine getting rid of Planeswalkers and other annoying spells.
Hero's Downfall: Here to take out planeswalkers.
Mizzium Skin: Sideboard in against control, protect our creatures, can trigger heroic.
Whip of Erebos: an extra tool to sideboard in against control, all our cards are cheap, we can usually spare the mana to whip something back - especially if our Aetherling was countered.
Special Interactions
Ciphered Hidden Strings can target Agent of the Fates with the help of Deathcult Rogue or Aqueous Form
Artisan of Forms can kill any creatures it fights as long as you have Triton Tactics or Boon of Erebos in hand and the one mana to play it. Just copy her opposition and mirror fight :) except that yours won't die due to the added toughness or regen.
When you trigger Hidden Strings, you can target creatures with it and then exile it with Nivmagus Elemental. The ciphered recast still trigger Aberration, it would then proceed to target creature/s, triggering Heroic, and then it would be exiled by Nivmagus Elemental, giving it two +1/+1 counters.
Opponent sac a creature to tap Desecration Demon? use Triton Tactics to untap it (can also target Agents to trigger heroic)
Aqueous Form lets you scry when attacking, Bident of Thassa lets you draw after :)
Ciphered Hidden Strings can trigger Consuming Aberration, you can also make it unblockable using Aqueous Form. Very scary in multiplayer.
Activate Bident of Thassa, force opponent to attack, body block using Agent of the Fates kill blocked creature using deathtouch, play Boon of Erebos to regen agent if he was to die. opponent sac a creature.
Ciphered Hidden Strings can trigger extort from Thrull Parasite and/or target Tormented Hero for similar effect. If you decide to use them in the deck :)
Note
I'm relatively new to magic, so any help and card suggestions to improve this deck is welcome. If you have any suggestions and criticisms, or combo in the deck I've not mentioned, every single one of them are welcome! I will consider and respond to every comment.
if you like the deck, why not +1 it :)
Thank you :)
