Every Time A Ghoulcaller's Bell Rings...
This is a really fun mono white deck that uses a lot of artifact synergy, self (mostly) mill, angels, humans, and it uses everything that can throw a hitch in your opponent's game plan while you set up for Bruna, the Fading Light
to arrive. If she resolves, blimey, it's a game changer. Bruna can bring back a big angel, a combo piece, or she can just get back something that can get back something else. One of the main things you want to do with this deck is to play into graveyard chains. Bruna can bring back Salvage Scout that can bring back the artifact you need. Or she can get you Moon-Blessed Cleric that can get the enchantment you need. She can bring in Starnheim Aspirant to nullify commander tax if you think she will get removed, or just grab Ethersworn Canonist to slow everyone down while she beats in.
The ideal swing, and it feels awesome, is to cast Bruna and get Karmic Guide who gets back another creature, maybe Eldrazi Displacer and then you can blink away on the guide. Where decks like Meren use the graveyard as a constant resource, in this Bruna, the Fading Light
we can use the graveyard as a sandcastle that slowly builds it's parts and then comes together with one right bit.
So, the goal is simple, but how we get there can be the whole game, right : )
One thing to keep in mind with this deck is that you want to mill as much as possible, and instants and sorceries are almost impossible to get back in white. So they have to be really good to fit in : ) Planar Birth is totally worth it, but even Swords to Plowshares got cut as I played this deck because, quite often, it was just a dead milled card.
Remove and Repeat
And, an odd bit here is that aura removal becomes really good in this deck. Prison Term may not see a lot of play, but the beauty here is that every time they get rid of one of these effects, we can usually get it back. Hall of Heliod's Generosity Auramancer Monk Idealist things like that can all put your Darksteel Mutation up for another go, and then you can play it on an even bigger threat. Throw in that you can Bruna the Auramancer and Monk, and blink them, and your janky removal here will play amazing. Seriously, I tried everything, and these are what worked. Cast Out in particular is right good because it's at instant speed and hits most permeants. It's your proper combo breaker, and you will always have more ways to get it back then they have to Disenchant it. Also, in a pinch, you an tutor auras off Heliod's Pilgrim, either casting or blinking pilgrim.
Reviving Combos
I love that in this deck I finally get to play my oldschool Pristine Angel and Concerted Effort combo, and it works, usually. Angel can come off of Bruna if we have the effort, or we can wait, or tutor effort with Moon-Blessed Cleric This combo is not one to bank on, but if you get Pristine Angel and Bruna gives it vigilance, then all of your creatures have pro-all and vigilance, which is a lovely boardstate. Bonus points to give protection to Serra Avatar who is mostly just here to keep us from milling ourselves out, but can be a real threat with evasion.
Mill To Fill...your graveyard
Self mill is so important in this deck, and the mill package might be self explanatory, but here's a little oomph for it. You want to mulligan until you have some mill, most all of the time. Without any mill to open, this deck can sputter pretty fast, right. If you have to wait around for Bruna to do what you want to do, it was a bad game. But even getting Ghoulcaller's Bell down early is great. Mesmeric Orb is the best possible start, but it doesn't always happen, and often gets removed very fast anyways. You do have a lot of artifact synergy, and ways to get them back from the yard, so always keep your options open, and feel free to crack Codex Shredder or The Underworld Cookbook for value and selection from your always voluminous yard.
The Second Act Is Interact
After setting up your mill engine or at least getting some good early plays, this deck really wants to interact and slow people down until the endgame. It's to your advantage to spot-keep people in check while building up your graveyard, so your enchantments will see play, and things like Sigrid, God-Favored and Portable Hole will come in handy to just throw around and check things.
Hate, Specifically
There are a few cards in this deck that very specifically hate on Bojuka Bog. keen-eyed sentry and Enduring Angel
are both creatures that you can get with Bruna that will protect you from bog, and I get bogged a lot, so here they are. The worst was going up against Golos who could just sit and threaten bog at any moment, but that's thankfully, awesomely, no longer an issue. Other graveyard hate is not so bad, and you can interact with artifacts or creatures, but Bojuka Bog is such a problem that I had to add these buggers. Also, and it's rare, but Enduring Angel
can give all your creatures double strike under Concerted Effort and that can be a doozy.
Now Fly
After all that, this is a very straightforward big flying angels deck. Bruna plus Eldrazi Conscription is great. Conscription with vigilance in general is nuts. But you should also get a free Avacyn, Angel of Hope or Akroma, Vision of Ixidor and those will end games right quick : ) Plus, you've got blinking, protection, and recursion on a lot of creatures, so even if your opponent has decent answers, once you get to the point of Bruna hitting bombs, you're in great shape.
Nowhere Else To Shine
After playing this deck for a long time, there are a few stars that you will see in no other decks, but they really perform. Spectral Steel is not only the best aura or equip in your graveyard, but it's also a +2 on Esper Sentinel which will get itself removed and put into the yard, which makes it better than it was.
Eldrazi Displacer is just legit. And it's extra eldrazi flavor too : )
Trading Post is so useful all the time. It's not a game breaker, but it will always do what you want it to do, and that's exactly why it has a well deserved spot in the deck.
How Good Is it?
I mean, it's pretty good, right. Not competitive, for sure, but I didn't really mean to make a mono white angels that was super powerful. But you've got answers, you've got cards that don't see a lot of play anywhere else, and you've got the structure of a unique white angel-horror deck that feels both white and colorless at the same time. It's flavor, but flavor that works proper. And who knows, you might even see Brisela every now and then. If you can get the meld, and protect her, she will take over games.
Also, just bear in mind that you can always turn your mill on an opponent. Save your mills until the last opponent's end step to nail anyone who is trying to top deck tutor, with the only exception being if you have Unwinding Clock
Hope you all have fun playing! Have a wonderful day!
