My heavy cipher dimir control deck I'm working on. Basically wanted a deck that used all the cipher effects to their full potential. Built for fun but can be pretty competitive as well. Basic idea is use the main creatures as cipher targets to get an ongoing cascade of spell effects every turn. Unblockable ciphered Invisible Stalkers and Dimir Keyrunes will cause endless heartache as the lock down and kill your openents.
The deck generally want's be be sideboarded one of two ways even though there are more options possible..
Vs Heavy boardwipe control / superfriends:
Obzedat, Ghost Council with Cavern of Souls will consistently win this matchup since most creature removal and exile effects are sorceries. Dimir Keyrunes will be your main cipher target since similer to Obzedat, Ghost Council it is very hard to hit with removal. Merciless Eviction can also hose superfriends or clear out detention spheres or other annoying enchantments. Usually you'll want to side out Mutilate, Supreme Verdict,
Hands of Binding
and something else for this matchup.
Vs Heavy Aggro
Surviving until you have control of the board can be difficult but with enough wipes you can usually eek it out. Mutilate is your best boardwipe as is it ignores indestructible effects such as Boros Charm, Rootborn Defenses, or Falkenrath Aristocrat's sac ability. Your deck is slow so never be afraid to chump block with an Invisible Stalker /
Dimir Keyrune
or even cast a
Hands of Binding
without a cipher target just to buy time. Depending on the deck too you may want to sideboard Merciless Eviction just because its high mana cost can make it inconsistent since some aggro decks could have you finished before you have the mana to pull it off. So usually I'll side out Cavern of Souls, Merciless Eviction, and several more costly cards or Dimir Keyrunes
Vs Mill / Alternate win cons:
I have not playtested this enough yet but if it proves to be a problem I may need to side in a few
Elixer of immortality
s or other cards we'll have to see on that.
Tips and Tricks:
As previously mentioned you can cipher
Dimir Keyrune
s as a way to dodge removal or if your lacking another creature.
Cipher effects will go off twice in one turn if you cast them then attack with the encoded creature, so alot of cipher cards may seem overpriced but when you take into effect that and continuing effects you get its actually pretty balanced.
With Nightveil Specter and Chromatic Lantern you can effectively play any card in an opponents deck :D, if your lucky enough to steal a Silverblade Paladin or Boros Charm doublestrike will let you get an additional cipher hit &/or exile from your nightveil.
With
Call of the Nightwing
you can cipher onto the creature you just created if you are ever lacking another target.
Looking for any suggestions or +1's <3
