MTG Combo: Academy Rector + Flash

Torre_di_Comando on Nath, Lord of sacrifice

6 years ago

Synergistic cards (UW):

World Queller Martyr's Bond Cataclysm Academy Rector + Flash Sai, Master Thopterist Ephara, God of the Polis Luminarch Ascension Retreat to Emeria Mobilization

Lilbrudder on

8 years ago

Nice. Just imagine him with Flash and top deck manipulation! In my esper reanimator deck I Academy Rector + Flash into Omniscience more than a few times. Makes people salty lol

-Logician on Human Rights Violation

8 years ago

Hello gkilgore98.

Speaking as someone who has spent the last two years playing with a five-color superfriends deck and also uses Progenitus as his commander, I feel like I've got some nice insight for you.

For starters, you mention in your description that Progenitus is sort of a backup plan. I see that you have discovered Fist of Suns, which is great! The secret to Progenitus making him a much stronger win condition is Rafiq of the Many. He fits perfectly between the curve of playing 3-mana Fist of Suns, 4-mana Rafiq, and 5-mana Progenitus. 22 Commander Damage GG start shotgunning people off the table.

I see that you're not playing any creatures in this deck. Maybe it's because you've got a theme in mind and you're desperately trying not to run any creatures at all. I can tell you of a few that might change your mind.

• Academy Rector: This is the big one. It dies very easily by the hand of your own planeswalkers like Vraska the Unseen, Gideon Jura, and Ral Zarek, as well as from some of your own board wipes. It can pick up a Doubling Season right from your deck into play, as well as a Dream Halls or even Omniscience if you manage to get one for this deck.
• Narset, Enlightened Master: With few creatures, she's very worth playing. Even getting just one attack with her in this deck will average at least one, if not two planeswalkers. And when you get 3 or 4 walkers with her... LET ME TELL YOU... that is some broken shit.
• Maelstrom Wanderer: Can be pretty damn good with walkers. Gives tokens that they produce as well as your Progenitus haste as well. It's honestly just a very difficult card to deal with. Then again, you could just run Maelstrom Nexus as well.
• Progenitor Mimic: You know what's better than your opponent's Avenger of Zendikar? Many of yours.
• Eternal Witness: Just a solid 10/10 card. With Progenitor Mimic, can easily become infinite turns if there's a Time Warp or the like in your graveyard.

Since I get the feeling that you are trying to steer clear of creatures entirely as one of the main focuses to the build, I'll leave the creature suggestions as short as that, but I have plenty more if you're interested.

Another thing I noticed your deck is lacking is two of the most powerful tools that superfriends decks can use: Extra turns and proliferate.

• Time Warp
• Time Stretch (only 5 mana with Fist of Suns
• Contagion Engine (untappable with Ral Zarek, Tezzeret, and Teferi)
• Inexorable Tide

I'm sure, as a fellow superfriends player, you can agree that the most powerful thing you can be doing is sneaking in ultimate abilities without your opponents expecting it during their previous turns. These tools allow you to do that.

40 lands is pushing it. You should drop some of those for some mana ramp spells. I see you have Sol Ring, Chromatic Lantern, Mana Vault, Mirari's Wake, and Exploration. That's 5. You should be trying to pick up about 4 or 5 more of those kind of things. Look for some of these, knowing that I want to suggest Birds of Paradise and Sylvan Caryatid, but I'm holding my tongue because I don't think you like creatures... :P

• Gilded Lotus: pairs well with The Chain Veil (and potentially Contagion Engine) and the ability to untap them with some of your walkers.
• Coalition Relic: Hard to find for trade, but worth it. Can add two mana of any color on the turn after you play it.
• Skyshroud Claim: "Forest Cards" are a key phrase here. Gets dual lands like Bayou and Tropical Island untapped. Ranger's Path is similar, but puts them into play tapped.
• Farseek: Gets any dual land or shockland in your entire deck.
• Nature's Lore / Three Visits: Solid ramp spells getting "forest cards" untapped, including dual lands like Breeding Pool.

Some of the cards in your deck that I feel should be replaced.

• Batterskull: Not even playing Stoneforge Mystic. Not great with your End Hostilities. This could just be a ramp spell.
• Bitterblossom: Cool with Skullclamp I guess. You have Demonic Tutor to help put these two together, but I don't imagine either of these is often your DT target, and you're not running Enlightened Tutor. Not bad for making blockers for your superfriends, but you already have so many walkers that produce blockers on their own. Outside of early game, it's not very threatening or impactful. You're probably not killing anyone with these 1/1 tokens. Flying isn't very impressive when 60% of the creatures used in this format have flying anyway.
• Dream Halls: It can backfire with allowing your opponent to combo off without spending mana. Omniscience is safer and honestly not that difficult to resolve if you increase your mana ramp package. Also, Fist of Suns lets you play Omniscience for just 5 mana. Academy Rector if you're willing to do it. Academy Rector + Flash for the GG instant speed two-mana omniscience.
• Akroma's Vengeance: Probably better served as Descend upon the Sinful. You don't wanna destroy your mana rocks in passing by accident. You can use Austere Command for that purpose, or a Fracturing Gust if you feel you need that function. Fracturing Gust being an instant is extremely relevant and has won me games.

In closing, I have to admit that our builds are a lot different. I use about 10 creature spells, and I have cut down to about 20 planeswalkers instead of 30. I picked the walkers that gave me card advantage and control over the ones that mainly just produced blockers for the most part. For example, I've cut the following walkers from my deck over time.

• Xenagos, the Reveler: Never pivotal enough. Never made much of a difference with his mana ability because I would keep the board in check with wraths.
• Ajani, Mentor of Heroes: Down to about 20 walkers, his planeswalker search ability wasn't as consistent as it might be in your build. I would often whiff, and his three +1/+1 counters ability is usually largely irrelevent.
• Ajani Vengeant: When it comes to keeping something tapped, it was never quite as powerful as Tamiyo. When it comes to removal, it was okay, but never killed anything pivotal like Vraska could. Over time, I felt he was underwhelming.
• Garruk, Apex Predator: I usually don't need to destroy a planeswalker. Making 3/3's with deathtouch would have been cool if this planeswalker didn't cost seven mana. Destroying a creature is nice and all, but creature removal is covered with my board wipes. I need my planeswalkers to be like Freyalise, Llanowar's Fury which destroys things that Wrath of God cannot. His ultimate only targets a single opponent.
• Gideon Jura: "Hey you have to attack gideon!" ... "Okay gideon dies." Never lasted very long. Again, creature removal on my walkers is cool, but that's already covered by my sweepers.

There's a few on your list that I haven't yet tried. Some of which is because I've never owned one, and others of which are because I never felt they're worth the chance. It might surprise you that I still haven't cut Ajani Steadfast though. He turns Progenitus from a three turn clock to a two turn clock, and can sneak in planeswalker ultimates. I've found that he's actually pretty legit.

The best walker though, is Liliana Vess. MVP for sure. Tutor on a walker is overpowered.

Hope this has helped! Happy building!