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So, this deck utilizes Sphinx's Tutelage and card draw spells in order to combo-mill your opponent. Use mill cards as soon as they come out and draw spells efficiently. This deck also makes use of Dark Deal in order for some graveyard filling and Sphinx action.
Below is a comprehensive guide to each card's purpose, hope you enjoy and thanks so much for taking the time to view my deck!
Upvotes are always very welcome and go a long way in progressing this deck, thank you SO MUCH for all of the support!
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Sphinx's Tutelage - The main card of the deck, this card will mill 2 (possibly even 4 or 6) with EVERY CARD YOU DRAW. Truly a powerhouse mill card that is great in standard. I constructed this deck around this card, mostly around Dark Deal, Divination, Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
, and such. Things will get crazy with more than one of this card on the field.
Anticipate - One major problem with this deck is that it is a necessity to find the Sphinx's Tutelage very early game, or we are total goners. This card allows us to dig into our libraries very early game to try and snatch the cards we need.
Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver - This planeswalker is excellent in this deck due to how many uses are in it. First of all, Ashiok mills three cards a turn, which is great. And Ashiok can snag us some blockers and threats to stall the game. If the ultimate can be achieved, that would be excellent.
Dark Deal - Used to discard my opponent's cards and then we both draw some adding to the milling. The best part is that Sphinx's Tutelage is triggered several times off of this. Since we have lots of good card draw, we can bounce back while our opponent will have more trouble. It also fuels for our Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
s. A really good power card.
Dictate of Kruphix - So, this card gives an extra card each draw phase... you can see why it is in this deck. Always cast is on your opponent's end step, for it has flash, giving you the first card boost. Things get out of hand when you have two of these ESPECIALLY when you have more than one Sphinx's Tutelage.
Divination - 2 cards for 3 mana, this card might as well say, draw 2 and your opponent mills 4, maybe 6 or 8 when the Sphinx's Tutelage is in play. Just a quality card. Good for bouncing back from a Dark Deal.
Hero's Downfall - So... this deck is too slow to just include card draw and milling, that is why it is a necessity to kill any threats like Siege Rhino and Goblin Rabblemaster before things get rough for this deck. Hero's Downfall is great for slowing down our opponent, whether it's a creature or planeswalker.
Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
- This card is really good.... First of all, he taps to draw a card for looting, so he is already working to trigger the Sphinx's Tutelage. Second of all, five cards is no feat to achieve in this deck full of sorceries. Third of all, his -3 ability is GREAT for bringing back Dark Deals, Divinations, and such. Just a quality card that is needed. Make sure not to delve away all the cards with Treasure Cruise when you are planning to drop this guy, then things can get ugly.
Languish - As I said, this deck needs its stallers, and for four mana, this thing kills a TON of stuff. Anything left over is saved for the Hero's Downfall.
Reality Shift - Spot removal has never been cheaper! Getting around indestructible is getting more relevant with Erebos Titan, and the ability to outright exile a threat turn 2 is just too good to be true! The 2/2s will be no issue with Languish all over this deck.
Sign in Blood - I was on the fence with this card for a while. 2 life is nothing to scoff at, but the reality is that card draw is just good. Good enough to sacrifice a bit of life to get that milling in, plus filling up a hand. And the
Radiant Fountain
s counteract this nicely.
Taigam's Scheming - The version of Dig Through Time that is both budget and Jace-friendly. Rearranging cards is really crucial in this deck that needs to react to such a variety of decks while trying to throw out a Sphinx's Tutelage in a random spot. This card does wonders in smoothing out the draws and transforming Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
turn three! And, just throw away anything you need resuscitated with Jace! No problem!
Ultimate Price - Lots of mono-colored decks are around with Red Deck Wins, White Weenies, and Devotion to Green to name a few. This card is efficient at killing them, obviously. What I wanted to point out here, is that even if the opponent is Abzan or some other annoying deck, just wait for the Dark Deal to send Ultimate Price away if it is not needed. No problem.
SIDEBOARD-------------------------------------------
Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver - This card is excellent against many creature based strategies, while being fairly dead against others. One Ashiok, Nightmare Weaver has been sideboarded to allow some leeway in our planeswalker.
Crux of Fate - While Languish is good for a lot of decks, it sucks against decks heavy on Siege Rhinos and obviously the dragon decks that are 'flying' (haha) around. Crux of Fate is the answer to these decks since it kills everything. No problems there. This is the answer to the dragon decks and the Devotion to Green decks with huge creatures.
Risen Executioner
- This card would be an unexpected switch when battling a control or creatureless match up. The card is good against removal since it can be brought back, though exiling would be bad, and if an opponent plays a perilous vault, it may be better to kill the
Risen Executioner
rather than see it be exiled. Just use this card to kill your opponent damage style, not mill. Essentially you would be changing this to an offbeat U/B control deck
Negate - Just a quality card to play against control decks. Only two mana to counter basically their entire deck is very good. Also good against decks that try and use instants/sorceries/non-Reclamation Sage-ways to destroy this deck's enchantments. Also a good option for burn strategies with
Stoke the Flames
,
Mardu Charm
, and the like.
Self-Inflicted Wound
- One of the most underrated cards in standard in my opinion, this card is excellent against green based decks. And one look at the Top 8 decklists will show that Green takes up about half the format. Or should I say that
Deathmist Raptor
s take up half the format. Also, Esper Dragons is getting bigger each day, and their Dragonlord Ojutais and Icefall Regents fall victim to this card. And it is only two mana. And it kills Siege Rhino, which is always a great upside.
Ultimate Price - This is to be sideboarded against about anything that
Self-Inflicted Wound
does not hit. It is great against Red Deck Wins strategies and Black Warrior decks as well as White Weenies decks. Also good against the one Devotion to Blue deck that pops up every so often. Obviously a great addition against Devotion to Green strategies that go crazy over humongous loyalty creatures.
CHANGES OCCUR FREQUENTLY, THIS MAY NOT BE UP TO DATE
