This is my flicker deck, which uses the essential Eternal Witness + Ghostly Flicker combo to drive it forward. Since that combo is extremely vulnerable to control decks, I made it a control match-up.
In a serious game, this deck can have a number of different win conditions depending on what you sub in. In a silly game, it can have any alternative win condition. As such, this deck is also known as: "Alt-Wins: The Deck", but since this is a flicker combo-control deck before anything else, I've named it "Maximum Flicker".
Anyway, I hope you like it. I always appreciate comments and suggestions.
Notable Combos
Mana: Cloud of Faeries
+
Eternal Witness
+
Ghostly Flicker
with at least two lands that tap for a total of 4 mana (a-la Simic Growth Chamber or Fertile Ground)
Draw: Coiling Oracle
+
Eternal Witness
+
Ghostly Flicker
Recursion: Eternal Witness
+
Eternal Witness
+
Ghostly Flicker
Counterspell: Eternal Witness
+
Ghostly Flicker
+
Mystic Snake
and Eternal Witness
+
Ghostly Flicker
+
Venser, Shaper Savant
Bounce: Eternal Witness
+
Ghostly Flicker
+
Mist Raven
for creatures, and Eternal Witness
+
Ghostly Flicker
+
Venser, Shaper Savant
for permanents.
Field Wipe: Use the mana combo to ramp, then the Venser bounce combo to clear the field.
Targeting Tricks: Ghostly Flicker is pretty neat because it makes it's targets illegal for anything else with targeting requirements that target your creatures, lands, or artifacts. This nullifies any effect it would have on that particular target and counters the spell/ability if it makes all of its targets invalid.
Combat Tricks: Ghostly Flicker can also be used as a combat trick after blockers have been declared, but before damage resolves. That means you can block with any creature, flicker it, and have it come back unharmed after having successfully blocked a creature.
Control Tricks: Venser, Shaper Savant is interesting, as he's one of the only cards that bounces spells. That means spells that say they can't be countered are still susceptible to Venser's spell bouncing. In a control match-up, you can use him as a way to actually counter your opponent's counterspells. Just bounce the spell you played that's being targeted. Their counter will fizzle, and you'll have your original spell in hand.
Cards & Strategy
The flicker combo that makes this deck churn is playing Ghostly Flicker with Eternal Witness and some other card as targets. When Eternal Witness re-enters the battlefield, you can choose to return Ghostly Flicker to your hand, which allows you to play it again if you have the mana.
Coiling Oracle is here for hard-ramp and card advantage. If you get a land, it goes straight onto the battlefield untapped. If it's not a land, you essentially get to draw it at the cost of your opponents seeing it.
Cloud of Faeries is the basis of the infinite combo in this deck. Early game it serves as some temporary mana ramp, especially when you have a Simic Growth Chamber or Fertile Ground on the battlefield. For the mana combo to go off you'll need at least two lands that produce a sum of 4 mana on the battlefield. Since Ghostly Flicker has a CMC of 3, you can play the mana combo and net as much mana as you need. Late game it's still a great card because you can cycle it for something more useful.
Drift of Phantasms doesn't have an ETB ability, but it's useful as a tutor for the most essential spells: Eternal Witness and Ghostly Flicker. It's also a good flying blocker if you already have the right cards in hand, or need to play an early defensive game.
Venser, Shaper Savant is an important mid/late game card. He's a Remand (without the draw) and a Boomerang on a stick that can be repeated at the casting cost of Ghostly Flicker. He can also be used to get something back into your hand at instant speed if you absolutely need to (like getting that Drift of Phantasms back to use as a tutor).
Mystic Snake is Venser's stunt-man. This counterspell on a stick can actually stop a spell short rather than delaying it, but sadly won't be doing any bounce.
Bounce is where
Mist Raven
(Venser's coffee boy, I guess) comes in. Having an Unsummon on a stick is pretty useful. Much like Venser, you can use it to get Drift of Phantasms back to use as a tutor, but not at instant speed. It's also a flyer that can attack, which makes it possible to win if you end up in a war of attrition.
Remand fills the niche of an early game hindrance to opponents, and at any other time as a cheap save-your-butt spell. This is important to have on hand while setting up and/or playing a risky flicker combo. Having an opponent catch you with a Cancel right as you play Ghostly Flicker is crippling if you don't have an extra.
Muddle the Mixture is a happy coincidence for this deck because it's a perfect example of why this deck needs control: to deal to other counterspells. It also tutors for essential combo cards: Cloud of Faeries, Coiling Oracle, and Fertile Ground. If you really need a Remand and want everyone to know, that's another viable option.
Win Conditions
Since this deck is better at hitting an infinite control combo than doing anything useful, there are two options: You can pin people down with harsh control (a-la Venser and Snake) until they die to tiny flyers (or concede), or you can draw to a win condition.
Serious Win-Cons
There are a few cards you can use as a real win condition. They're all 3-cost and color compliant, which means they can be tutored for with Drift of Phantasms and played at any time.
Sage's Row Denizen
currently sits in the "win condition" slot, as it has the most synergism, has the best chance to go off, and is the least gimmicky (I'm looking at you Laboratory Maniac).
Sage's Row Denizen
- Doing the infinite ramp combo is already making a blue creature enter the battlefield. This has good synergism with the rest of the deck's mechanics, and can go off infinitely without any mana ramp.
Necrogen Censer
- Flickering this artifact will bring it back with its charge counters on it, so you can do this as many times as you need to kill your opponents.
Laboratory Maniac - If you're serious about winning, this is the card to use. Traverse your whole deck with Coiling Oracle, but since it doesn't technically cause you to draw cards, you'll need to use a Remand at the end. At this point you can just counter a spell of your own.
OR...
But hey, why not let the group decide on a win condition? I think losing in style is better than just losing. As such, Research/Development sits on the sideboard and can be subbed into the "win-condition" slot. Then the sideboard can be filled with all manner of amusing win conditions.
The playset of Fertile Ground allows you this deck to net any amount of mana in any colors. On top of that, Research/Development is special because it does not exile itself like other wishes do after being used. This means you can use the recursion combo to get it back, and fill your library with any cards you want.
The end result is the ability to pull off any win condition you can possibly think of. It's also possible to win using cards that trigger on your upkeep (such as
Battle of Wits
) without passing your turn. I've listed some of my favorites.
Amusing Win-Cons (using Wishes)
Maze's End - Recurring Research/Development can put Maze's End and the 10 guildgates into your library. After that you can use Coiling Oracle to get them directly onto the battlefield.
Battle of Wits
+ Artificial Evolution + Spawnsire of Ulamog + Elixir of Immortality - This only works for super casual games where people don't mind you making Spawnsire tutor 180 copies of Shadowborn Apostle that you can immediately sacrifice for 30 black mana and shuffle into your library with Elixir of Immortality. If you don't want to wait for your next upkeep, recur Research/Development and grab a Final Fortune to end it.
Azor's Elocutors + Clockspinning + Strionic Resonator + Final Fortune - Cast Final Fortune and start your final turn. Then copy the triggered ability on Azor's Elocutors, and in response to the copy resolving, use Clockspinning to add the rest of the counters. Finally, allow the original ability to resolve.
Fiery Gambit + Chance Encounter + Final Fortune - Win by chance (and recursion)! If you're unlucky or impatient, you could add Clockspinning and be even more of a cheater.
Ashling's Prerogative + Kiora's Follower + Door to Nothingness - With haste, you can use Ghostly Flicker as an untap for Kiora's Follower, who can untap Door to Nothingness. Then use ramp/recursion to do it again.
Hive Mind + Intervention Pact - Just clear the field of lands with Venser and you're golden.
Celestial Convergence + Clockspinning + Final Fortune - Use Clockspinning to remove all counters. Cast Final Fortune and start your final turn. Using
Orzhov Guildmage
, you can choose whether to win, or force a draw. You can technically force a win or draw with
Orzhov Guildmage
alone, but that's boring.
Lastly
I'm looking for more serious win conditions. I'm also open to more amusing alt-wins. General deck criticism is also appreciated. :)
