Elite Taactics

Standard* Budget Combo GU (Simic) Infinite Combo RUG (Temur) UR (Izzet)

Lord007

Creature (12)

• 4x Elite Arcanist
• 4x Sage of Hours
• 4x Zhur-Taa Druid

Land (23)

• 3x Forest
• 3x Gruul Guildgate
• 6x Island
• 4x Izzet Guildgate
• 5x Mountain
• 2x Simic Guildgate

Artifact (3)

• 3x Hammer of Purphoros

Instant (19)

• 3x AEtherize
• 4x Magma Spray
• 2x Negate
• 3x Simic Charm
• 3x Thoughtflare
• 4x Triton Tactics

Sorcery (3)

• 3x Anger of the Gods

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Sideboard

Artifact (1)

• 1x Elixir of Immortality

Instant (14)

• 1x AEtherize
• 3x Essence Scatter
• 4x Savage Summoning
• 3x Turn / Burn
• 3x Unravel the Aether

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Maybeboard

Creature (1)

• 1x Spellheart Chimera

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Infinite STANDARD kill combo for under 30 dollars... These are some seriously Elite Tactics ***NOTE: Due to the recent inclusion of Sage of Hours the price is not reliable, currently still under 50 dollars so still budget if you were to order a playset of Sage of Hours

An earlier version of this deck was featured on daily MTG here

This is a rather wordy description. I've attempted to break it into segments for easier reading. Read as much of it as you want and then please PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give me feedback. This deck can't get better without your help :)

The Main Attraction:

Elite Arcanist + Triton Tactics + Zhur-Taa Druid

GAME OVER

Secondary attraction

Elite Arcanist + Sage of Hours + Triton Tactics

INIFINITE TURNS

The Helpers:

3x AEtherize Stop damage for a turn and can be a huge tempo play, this goes to sideboard against some devotion decks because returning 2 Fanatic of Mogis to my opponents hand with my life sitting at 9 is just not a good idea...

4x Magma Jet Scry and get rid of an early threat for 2 mana, a really good card that will rarely get sideboarded

3x Anger of the Gods kill to disrupt aggro, possibly the easiest card to sideboard out, while removal is really nice and really good, this is the one card that either doesn't help me find my combo or protect my combo from removal.

3x Simic Charm give the combo hexproof, or disrupt, or give my Zhur-Taa Druid +3/+3 and kill a 3/4 my opponent just swung at me with... Just a really fun card and is an easy 4-of in this deck

2x Negate for those pesky kill spells that don't target while I only have my combo on the field (I'm looking at you Devour Flesh)

3x Hammer of Purphoros allows me to bring in my combo and win immediately when I have the cards, it also make for a great mana sink if I need to stall until I get my combo. Gets replaced with Savage Summoning against control decks

3x Thoughtflare card draw to hit the combo faster, 1 turn faster than Opportunity yet digs through the same amount of cards.

Sideboard:

4x Savage Summoning: Control. Allows me to bring in my combo on their endstep, uncounterable... Basically screws them up. I need a full playset because I need to see 2 of them against control.

1x Elixir of Immortality: anit-mill. Because mill isn't very prevalent, there is only 1 in side board, I'm considering changing this to a Pithing Needle for more versatility.

3x Unravel the Aether: Anti-God, Anti-Pithing Needle at least one copy comes in G2 unless its clear that the opponent didn't sideboard at all.

3x Turn / Burn: this is a more specific answer to creatures than Anger of the Gods (If my opponent is not an aggro player these will usually come in)

3x Essence Scatter: for those pesky devotion decks. Stops your Gray Merchant of Asphodel, Fanatic of Mogis, and Master of Waves along with any other creatures with annoying enter the battlefield effects.

1x AEtherize: MUD (Mono blUe Devotion), my red burn spells won't touch Master of Waves so this pseudo-Fog spell comes in handy to return Master of Waves or even just Nightveil Specter also useful against bant auras or anything that uses creatures that get bigger via counters or auras.

Sideboard plans:

Control PlansHIDE

Savage Summoning must come in. MUST.

Elixir of Immortality might come in to recycle my win con.

Unravel the Aether should come in for Detention Sphere (kinda a trick, play the Zhur-Taa Druid, let them get it under the sphere, then I only have to Savage Summoning the Elite Arcanist with a Hammer of Purphoros on the field, grab my dude back and win) and Pithing Needle .

Turn / Burn maybe? depends on whether the deck runs AEtherling or Elspeth, Sun's Champion as the win con, how many Mutavault s the deck has. If it has a full 4 Mutavault and AEtherling then Turn / Burn might come in. But it isn't a must sideboard plan.

Essence Scatter almost certainly needs to stay out. It might come in if their only win con is AEtherling to make it that much harder to resolve their win con but again, not a must sideboard plan.

AEtherize might have a place due to their win con still having to attack me. These last couple of cards are ones I haven't completely figured out a sideboard plan.

Cards that can come out:

Anger of the Gods self explanatory, If I'm the only one with creatures, why should I kill all of them?

AEtherize if my opponent doesn't have many creatures, why should I get rid of the attacking creatures? It can still have a place because they do still have to attack to win.

Hammer of Purphoros because I'm endsteping the win with Savage Summoning this can come out. This however can be a good alternate win con and with a control game I will hit plenty of land drops to sac to the hammer.

Magma Jet can be taken out although it is the best way to scry because it can be endsteped or cast in response to a tapped out sphinxs revelations

Thoughtflare same argument as Magma Jet

Simic Charm and Mizzium Skin. Depends on whether it is a U/W control or a U/W/X control. In U/W some can come out, in U/W/X they need to stay in for kill/burn spells.

Top Ranked	Achieved #3 position overall 11 years ago
Date added	11 years
Last updated	10 years
Key combos	Elite Arcanist + Triton Tactics + Zhur-Taa Druid Elite Arcanist + Sage of Hours + Triton Tactics
Legality	This deck is not Standard legal.
Rarity (main - side)	4 - 0 Mythic Rares 10 - 4 Rares 13 - 11 Uncommons 19 - 0 Commons
Cards	60
Avg. CMC	2.57
Tokens	Enchantment Golem 3/3 C
Folders	combo, decks I like, Theros standard decks, Experiment With, Good decks, Ideas, 1, decks, Decks I want, Decks