Karn Arena Rector Nicfit (Post Okoban)

Legacy* Artifact BGW (Abzan, Junk) Combo Competitive Control Snow Superfriends

Bobmans

Land (20)

• 1x Bayou
• 2x Cavern of Souls
• 3x Forest
• 2x Phyrexian Tower
• 1x Plains
• 1x Savannah
• 1x Scrubland
• 2x Swamp
• 4x Verdant Catacombs
• 3x Windswept Heath

Planeswalker (12)

• 1x Elspeth, Sun's Champion
• 4x Karn, the Great Creator
• 1x Kaya, Ghost Assassin
• 2x Kaya, Orzhov Usurper
• 1x Nissa, Vital Force
• 2x Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
• 1x Vraska, Golgari Queen

Sorcery (6)

• 4x Cabal Therapy
• 2x Thoughtseize

Creature (10)

• 4x Arena Rector
• 2x Opposition Agent
• 4x Veteran Explorer

Instant (10)

• 3x Assassin's Trophy
• 4x Once Upon a Time
• 3x Path to Exile

Enchantment (2)

• 2x Sylvan Library

---

Sideboard

Artifact (8)

• 1x Chalice of the Void
• 1x Engineered Explosives
• 1x Ensnaring Bridge
• 1x Liquimetal Coating
• 1x Mycosynth Lattice
• 1x Pithing Needle
• 1x Tormod's Crypt
• 1x Witch's Oven

Enchantment (6)

• 3x Carpet of Flowers
• 3x Leyline of the Void

Creature (1)

• 1x Walking Ballista

---

Karn Arena Rector Nicfit

Nicfit Superfriends list that generates synergy between:

• Veteran Explorer and Cabal Therapy base engine.
• Arena Rector with Superfriends.
• Karn, the Great Creator with toolbox.

This deck tends to play a midrange plan with a comboesque finish. This with either Ugin or Karn Lattice.

Vraska, Nissa and Kaya fight either on the offensive, but mainly on the defense until Ugin lands or Karn turns the boardstate.

Like most Nicfit lists, this deck plays to not loose until it can win. This means your trying to develop a board state where you can land , protect and trigger Arena Rector. You evaluate and might answer threats. You may wait with playing out Veteran Explorer until it can give you an advantage to be used in that turn.

Cards choices:

• Veteran Explorer + Cabal Therapy : When playing Arena Rector you want to both ramp and have sacrifice outlet's. These two cards are still unmatched in Legacy. On top, Cabal Therapy is a very interesting card to play with. While enabling the engine, it also offers protection.

• Arena Rector : At first I played with Academy Rector . Later Arena Rector (for Ugin, the Spirit Dragon ) was included. What I found was that Overwhelming Splendor and Cruel Reality where often kind of lackluster and easily answered. For most match ups Ugin already proved to be enough of a threat. So I decided to get rid of Academy Rector and focus on Arena Rector as a main strategy.

• Karn, the Great Creator : After removing Academy Rector from my list I was looking for a replacement. Most Arena Rector Nicfit lists run a 'default' Green Sun's Zenith (GSZ) package with cards like Eternal Witness and Knight of Autumn . Such a package felt super clunky, GSZ also plays kind of weird. On top of that, the combo match up is really bad. At the same time Karn, the Great Creator was a fairly new and a card I really liked. At that time I was already trying play 'regular' Nicfit lists with Karn. Then I realised that Karn is a perfect fit in Arena Rector lists. Karn provided an alternative win condition (hating out Rectors is super easy). On top of that, Karn's static ability shuts down fast artifact cards like Lion's Eye Diamond . And the cherry on top was that Karn can find Artifacts needed to combat combo decks or protect you and your planeswalker with Ensnaring Bridge .

• Sylvan Library : This card is the best replacement for Sensei's Divining Top in Nicfit shells. Important against control decks, this card offers card selection and when needed card advantage.

• Once Upon a Time (OUaT): This card is a bit weird. Often it transforms into a Land. Less common, but sometimes it does find a needed Explorer or Rector. Why play it. Getting to 4 or 5 mana without missing a land drop is so important for this deck. OUaT often makes sure this happens more consistently. So rather think of this card as a way to increase consistent transitioning from early to midgame. This card is not a tutor.

• Oath of Nissa : Oath of Nissa sort of fills a similar role as OUaT. But this card does more thing. It can find Planeswalkers and it can fix mana colors.

• Thoughtseize (TS) Only relying on Cabal Therapy is not enough. Mostly I tend to switch between 2 and 3 TS.

• Assassin's Trophy (AT): The reason for AT over Abrupt Decay is the ability to hit Leyline of the Void . An opponent starting with Leyline can in a lot of cases mean your very good opening hand instantly become a really really bad hand. You should legitimately be afraid of that card and of any other gravehate for that matter. Crop Rotation into Bojuka Bog , Rest in Piece, Surgical Extraction , Faerie Macabre (Less common, but GW Reclaimer is more popular) and Scavenging Ooze .

• Kaya, Orzhov Usurper : There hasn't been a more impressive walker out there then Kaya. They offer removal for a lot of card, including a Chalice of the Void or Delver of Secrets  . Also the added gravehate helps against cards like Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath or make Dreadhorde Arcanist less effective.

• Vraska, Golgari Queen This card is a multitasker in this list. The plus ability offers a sacrifice outlet for Veteran Explorer and Arena Rector . Also the card can turn food or Astrolabe into card draw. But mainly, this card kills an opposing Oko, Thief of Crowns .

• Nissa, Vital Force : Nissa can provide a quick clock or a good defense. Sometimes Nissa can revive an Ugin, Karn or another Planeswalker.

• Ugin, the Spirit Dragon : The most bad ass Planeswalker to jam into the battlefield. Often this card makes you win against more fair match ups. It lands, wipes the board and bolts the opponents face into defeat.

• Phyrexian Tower : Ramp and sacrifice outlet. Nothing more to add.

• Cavern of Souls : Both and only creatures in the deck are Human. Opponents know that Arena Rector is a must counter. And a Chalice of the Void on one stops Veteran Explorer .

When having either Phyrexian Tower and/or Cavern of Souls on hand, it is sometimes better to keep in on hand instead of playing it out only losing it to Wasteland . Save the card until you can play it out together with a Veteran Explorer or Arena Rector.

Sideboard:

• Leyline of the Void : Having a Leyline in play from the start of the game can prevent combo decks like Reanimator win Turn 1. You will need to survive for a couple of Turns in order to setup more defense against combo using Karn or Kaya assisted with some discard.

• Carpet of Flowers : Sometimes Veteran Explorer is not a good idea (blue control decks tend to play lots of basics) or we want to negate cards like Daze and Spell Pierce against Delver decks.

• Mycosynth Lattice : Is often a hard lock. Make sure to not land this card if the opponent still has creatures or can kill Karn and get out of the lock.

• Ensnaring Bridge : Is most likely the most wished for artifact, and often wished for a turn before wishing for Mycosynth Lattice .

• Witch's Oven : A wishable sacrfice outlet. Sometimes this scenario occurs. Oven also makes food. Food is good for Oko, Vraska or simply your life total.

Pro tip: When playing Veteran Explorer and Cabal Therapy , always play around cards like Force of Will and Daze and Swords to Plowshares . It is always best to play Therapy on T1 and naming a 'blind' card like Force of Will and to have a Turn 2 landdrop with Veteran Explorer. This way you are sure that FoW is most likely gone. Explorer wont catch a Daze and Explorer gets triggered because you maintain priority and flashback Therapy to also avoid Explorer from being 'Plowed'.

Date added	5 years
Last updated	3 years
Exclude colors	UR
Splash colors	WBG
Legality	This deck is Legacy legal.
Rarity (main - side)	12 - 1 Mythic Rares 29 - 8 Rares 13 - 6 Uncommons
Cards	60
Avg. CMC	2.75
Tokens	Emblem Elspeth, Sun's Champion, Emblem Nissa, Vital Force, Emblem Vraska, Golgari Queen, Food, Soldier 1/1 W