Instant (23)
- 4x Accumulated Knowledge
- 4x Condescend
- 4x Counterspell
- 4x Dissolve
- 4x Render Silent
- 3x Sphinx's Revelation
Sorcery (4)
Land (26)
Planeswalker (2)
Enchantment (4)
Artifact (1)
Sideboard
Instant (8)
Sorcery (6)
Artifact (1)
Suggestions
Updates Add
With the official completion of the deck, I have named it "Sovereignty" as it seems highly fitting. A lot of the old information in these update posts are still accurate, but as this is the first completed version, I'll give an updated rundown.
WIN CONDITION
Elspeth, Sun's Champion with support from Venser, the Sojourner
is this deck's only true win condition. While you can simply stall with Elixir of Immortality until the opponent decks themselves, that makes for a 50+ turn game at times. Your goal is to control the board enough that Elspeth, Sun's Champion can get out 6-12 soldiers, and then simply attack with them or use her ultimate if needed. Venser, the Sojourner can support your army with his 2nd ability if you really need it, however he's more intended to bounce your own cards for utility.
Note that this deck is not intended to win quickly. Going for long games is the strategy, and this has been set up to let you do that.
LANDS
The lands in the deck are pretty straightforward, the one to keep an eye on is Radiant Fountain. With Venser, the Sojourner, you can use his +2 in the mid game to give yourself a steady income of health while you wait to build your mana pool.
CONTROL
This deck has 12 hard counters (Counterspell, Dissolve, and Render Silent) as well as 4 Condescend. The first three listed are pretty clear in their use, be careful not to waste Render Silent though unless you absolutely need a counter and have no other option. A Render Silent in the mid-late game (especially against mana ramping decks) can seriously stall a game out. The primary purpose of Condescend is to provide early control and to jump-start your game by making sure you draw the cards you need.
The sideboard contains 4 Spell Pierce, which is intended to be swapped in in place of other control spells whenever you're against a much faster deck (red burn) or another control deck in order to give you an advantage in the early stages of the game.
REMOVAL
Supreme Verdict is the go-to card that this deck runs for board clearing. Feel free to use this liberally as it's one of the main ways to save your counterspells for larger threats in the mid to late game. This deck has enough lifegain in it that you can afford to take a few hits from smaller creatures in the early stages.
Detention Sphere is obviously used to remove chunks of the opponent's permanents if they're running many 4-ofs, or token spammers. Venser, the Sojourner's +2 can target a Detention Sphere in order to allow you to re-target the exile should you have cast it on something that is no longer in existence (such as a token)., or simply to target a larger threat.
Venser, the Sojourner's ultimate works extremely well with this deck as the moment you get it off, each of your control spells now also has, "and exile target permanent" attached to it. Go for lands when you safely can!
In the sideboard, you'll find Planar Cleansing, Terminus, and Voyage's End. The first two are intended to be swapped with Supreme Verdict whenever you're against artifact/enchantment heavy decks or graveyard/regen/indestructible heavy decks, respectively. Voyage's End can be swapped with Condescend if you're against a deck that has ways to get larger threats out early and safely, a la Mutavault or Celestial Colonnade.
CARD ADVANTAGE
Accumulated Knowledge is your main early-mid game card draw. The nice thing about this is that you can cast it at the end of your opponent's turn if you didn't have to spend the mana that you left up for counters. In addition, the fact that the card's draw power scales over time stops you from needing to worry early game about having to discard, since this deck takes a few turns to get rolling.
Sphinx's Revelation your late game draw. In general once you can get one of these off for 3-4 draw during the end step of your opponent's turn, you'll likely be in a position where you're very close to victory.
Condescend, Voyage's End, and Dissolve all support your draws.
SUSTAIN
Early game you can keep your life up via Radiant Fountain and Tranquil Cove, both of which are bounce-able with Venser, the Sojourner in the mid game if need be; just remember to tap for mana before you bounce the Tranquil Cove or you will be a sad panda.
Sphinx's Revelation allows for ever increasing life gain, although you should generally be able to close out a game after getting 1-2 good casts of this off.
Elixir of Immortality is intended to let this deck do what it's designed to do: play for a bazillion turns and not worry about decking itself. The cheap cost on it also means that you can play it in a pinch if your life is running low, or if you simply want the chance to get some cards back. It also means that should you happen to lose Venser, the Sojourner or Elspeth, Sun's Champion, all is not lost!
The lone Elixir of Immortality in the sideboard allows you to swap in a second one (remove any card you feel you do not need) when you're fighting against decks with a lot of mill or discard in them, in order to help prevent you from being beaten by luck-of-the-discard.
FINAL NOTE
I will be continuing to update this deck as I get comments or think of new things, or simply as I play it more and find flaws that need fixing. For now, please let me know what you think! :)
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| Date added | 9 years |
| Last updated | 7 years |
| Legality | This deck is Legacy legal. |
| Rarity (main - side) | 5 - 0 Mythic Rares 16 - 6 Rares 9 - 1 Uncommons 12 - 8 Commons |
| Cards | 60 |
| Avg. CMC | 2.74 |
| Tokens | Emblem Elspeth, Sun's Champion, Emblem Venser, the Sojourner, Soldier 1/1 W |
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