Ephara Remastered *PRIMER FINALLY*

Commander / EDH Bracket 4 Competitive Control Devotion God Indestructible Value Engine WU (Azorius)

DarkRepulsor

Creature (33)

• 1x Archaeomancer
• 1x Archivist of Oghma
• 1x Brazen Borrower
• 1x Charismatic Conqueror
• 1x Deep Gnome Terramancer
• 1x Displacer Kitten
• 1x Eldrazi Displacer
• 1x Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
• 1x Esper Sentinel
• 1x Faerie Artisans
• 1x Faerie Mastermind
• 1x Glen Elendra Archmage
• 1x Grand Abolisher
• 1x Karmic Guide
• 1x Kutzil's Flanker
• 1x Lavinia of the Tenth
• 1x Monastery Mentor
• 1x Nezahal, Primal Tide
• 1x Peregrine Drake
• 1x Phyrexian Metamorph
• 1x Recruiter of the Guard
• 1x Reflector Mage
• 1x Reveillark
• 1x Riptide Gearhulk
• 1x Skyclave Apparition
• 1x Solemn Simulacrum
• 1x Solitude
• 1x Soulherder
• 1x Sun Titan
• 1x Thassa, Deep-Dwelling
• 1x Tishana's Tidebinder
• 1x Venser, Shaper Savant
• 1x Whitemane Lion

Sorcery (4)

• 1x Supreme Verdict
• 1x Time Wipe
• 1x Vanquish the Horde
• 1x Windfall

Land (35)

• 1x Adarkar Wastes
• 1x Ancient TombGC
• 1x Arid Mesa
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Field of the Dead
• 1x Flooded Strand
• 1x Glacial Fortress
• 1x Hallowed Fountain
• 1x Hengegate Pathway  ^Flip
• 3x Island
• 1x Kor Haven
• 1x Marsh Flats
• 1x Meticulous Archive
• 1x Misty Rainforest
• 1x Mystic Gate
• 1x Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
• 1x Otawara, Soaring City
• 2x Plains
• 1x Polluted Delta
• 1x Prairie Stream
• 1x Prismatic Vista
• 1x Reliquary Tower
• 1x Scalding Tarn
• 1x Scavenger Grounds
• 1x Sea of Clouds
• 2x Snow-Covered Island
• 2x Snow-Covered Plains
• 1x Strip Mine
• 1x Tundra
• 1x Windswept Heath

Enchantment (4)

• 1x Felidar Retreat
• 1x Land Tax
• 1x Mystic Remora
• 1x Rhystic StudyGC

Commander (1)

Instant (15)

• 1x Angel's Grace
• 1x Cyclonic RiftGC
• 1x Enlightened TutorGC
• 1x Evacuation
• 1x Fierce GuardianshipGC
• 1x Final Showdown
• 1x Force of Negation
• 1x Force of WillGC
• 1x Generous Gift
• 1x Ghostly Flicker
• 1x Mana Drain *f-etch*
• 1x Mystical TutorGC
• 1x Path to Exile
• 1x Swords to Plowshares
• 1x Teferi's Protection

Artifact (7)

• 1x Arcane Signet
• 1x Azorius Signet
• 1x Mind Stone
• 1x Prismatic Lens
• 1x Sol Ring
• 1x Talisman of Progress
• 1x Thought Vessel

Planeswalker (1)

• 1x Venser, the Sojourner

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Sideboard

Instant (3)

• 1x Azorius Charm
• 1x Stifle
• 1x Unexpectedly Absent

Creature (2)

• 1x Dour Port-Mage
• 1x Final-Word Phantom

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PRIMER UNDER CONSTRUCTION

Ephara, God of the Polis

Ephara is a 6/5 indestructible God for UW2. Unless you have a devotion of 7 azorius mana symbols she ist not a creature. Whenever a creature enters the battlefield under your control (on your opponents turns as well) you draw a card in the upkeep of the next player. This grants us a huge card advantage. The good thing is, that most people don´t see it as the threat that it really is. It is one card here and there and it´s not seven cards in one turn. But it´s very consistent and you rarely run out of gas. ´Cause of the indestructibility Ephara rarely leaves the battlefield. Most of the time she is also save from spot removal like Swords to Plowshares and Path to Exile, because she is just no creature most of the time. But if your devotion is high enough she can turn into a beater that is a real threat. Due to her cheap mana cost your value engine starts turn three and sometimes turn two. From that moment on Ephara will be a good general and won´t let you down easily.

Why play Ephara?

Do you like slow but unstoppable advantage?

Are you a person who make longterm plans?

Do you like having the control and rarely lose it?

Are you the type of person who never ever give up and stands up every time, when smashed to the ground?

Defeat is not want you want from life?

Playing Ephara is exactly like that. You are building your game, not fast but consistent. People will underestimate the power of Value and Patience. You have the answers to most problems you face within the game. And most of the time you will overcome and outvalue your opponents. Ephara is building an own civilization and rise to the top of the game.

Pro: You like long games

very resilient

azorius is your favourite color combination

not the „typical“ control deck

you like creatures

value, value, value

can answer most board states and is very flexible

you enjoy seeing what other decks are capable of, but still be able to defeat them (mostly)

Contra: you like fast combo decks

you don´t like creatures

you like jund more

slow ramp

Card Choices

Creatures Show

Archaeomancer → Combos with Peregrin Drake, Ghostly Flicker → Combos with Nykthos, Ghostly Flicker, if you have enough devotion → Great synergy with flicker, for reusing counterspells or removal, bribery is really fun → Soft Lock with Time Wipe and Evacuation

Brazen Borrower → Spotremoval and after that a flash creature to trigger Ephara

Cataclysmic Gearhulk → He is the boy when facing massive board states → controls the boardstate with something like soulherder, or Thassa, Deep Dwelling

Eldrazi Displacer → works as a Maze of Ith → infinite mana with Peregrine Drake, then infinite flicker

Elesh Norn → boost our creatures, so we can win with combat damage, turn Ephara into a three turn clock → shuts down hatebears and token decks

Faerie Artisans → Possible Ephara trigger on each turn → We become all of the etb´s on the board

Gilded Drake → Steal the best creature on the board → Great Synergy with Venser the Sojourner or Eldrazi Displacer

Glen Elendra Archmage → Noncreature counter for U → Ephara trigger on another player turn, cause of persist → repeatable with flicker effects

Grand Abolisher → Very important in a counterheavy game → protects your combo

Grand Arbiter St. Augustine IV → taxes your opponents → reduces costs, so you can play whitemane Lion for one white which is great

Hullbreacher → works as a fusioned Smothering Tithe and Notian Thief → Shuts of massive carddraw → flashy boy

Karmic Guide → Returns important creatures from the graveyard to the battlefield → great flicker target → great synergy with Reveillark, See combos

Keeper of the Accord → he is really awesome, he creates a boardstate on his own. Possible Ephara trigger on opponents turns, ramps when you are behind with land drops

Lavinia of the Tenth → shuts down mana rocks, aggressive decks with little creatures, some planeswalkers → very good flicker target → will make some opponents really really slow

Monastery Mentor → turns every mana rock, counterspell, removal into a Monk/ Ephara Trigger → With the combo Peregrin Drake, Archaeomancer, Ghostly flicker you have infinite, creatures with endless power, thanks to prowess

Nadir Kraken → Ephara Trigger for one Mana (each turn) → increases your board state and can grow into a massive beater

Nezahal, Primal Tide → Nessy daws a lot of cards and protects himself. He rarely dies to spotremoval. Thanks to his ability he also triggers Ephara when he comes back → When discarding it´s important to discard recurable targets for Reveillark, Karmic Guide, Archaeomancer, Sun Titan

Peregrine Drake → Combos with Eldrazi Displacer → Combos with ghostly flicker, Archaeomancer → Great synergy with Soulherder, Thassa, because at end of turn, we have Mana for Counter/ Spotremoval

Phyrexian Metamorph → Copy the best artifact, creature on the board → Copy something like Ashnods Altar, Phyrexian Altar, Altar of Dementia and enable a combo with Reveillark and Karmic Guide

Recruiter of the Guard → Tutors for the most important creatures in the deck and some of the combo parts

Reflector Mage → great flicker target → don´t let your opponents play their commanders ;-)

Reveillark → Recurrs most creatures in the deck → Great Synergy with Karmic guide if you can get yourself a sacoutlet

Skyclave Apparition → great flicker target → exiles all the good stuff (Rhystic Study, Sylvan Library, Oko, Sol Rings etc....)

Snapcaster Mage → Recur your Spotremoval!

Solemn Simulacrum → With the flicker effect the deck has to offer a great ramp

Soulherder → enables all the nice flicker targets

Stonecloaker → triggers Ephara on another players turn → gravehate → protects a creature from spotremoval if needed

Sun Titan → So much value in one card → enables the „Titan Ramp“ because he get´s back the Fetch Lands → Awesome flicker target → Recurs things like Rhystic Study, Mirrormade → great synergy with Mystic Remora, cause he get´s the Remora back

Thassa, Deep-Dwelling → enables all the nice flicker targets → Taps giant creatures if needed very political ability

Venser, Shaper Savant → triggers Ephara on opponents turn → bounce spells you can´t counter such as Supreme Verdict → closes the game when you enable infinite flicker

Whitemane Lion → triggers Ephara on opponents turn → protects a creature from spotremoval if needed

Enchantments Show

Felidar Retreat → with the fetch package within this deck, we can easily fetch on another players turn, to get an Ephara trigger → the pump ability is heavy as well, when you can fetch two turns in a row, your creatures are pumped by 4. This makes Ephara a huge threat

Land Tax → helps to keep up with the green players → „draws“ three cards at it´s best, so i filter my deck

Mirrormade → kind of a pet card and so much fun to play → favourite targets are rhystic Study and Smothering Tithe → Most fun targets so far: Nylea, Keen Eyed, Lurking Predators, Greator Good, Sneak attack

Mystic Remora → massive carddraw → easily recurrable with Sun Titan

Rhystic Study → massive carddraw and tax

Smothering Tithe → crazy ramp → works awesome with Commit and wheel effect in general

Planeswalker Show

Venser, the Sojourner → in here for the flicker effect (awesome with Gilded drake, with Archaeomancer it lets you repeat every instant/ sorcery) → never used it for the second ability but the deck will come → the ulti will win you the game, especially with cards like Whitemane Lion

Instant Show

Commit/ Memory → Commit get´s rid of indestructible permanents and uncounterable spells. Works well in response of a shuffle effect. Mana cost ist a little to high, but until now it works → protection against mill. The aftermath wheel is a nice way, to restart if get milled → works well with Smothering Tithe, Hullbreacher

Cyclonic Rift → ´cause Rift

Enlightened Tutor → enable an explosive start tutoring Mana Crypt → can get you Cataclysmic Gearhulk for problematic board states, phyrexian Metamorph for a nice creature on the board, rhystic Study for carddraw, so it does everything i want

Evacuation → instant „wrath“ → get´s rid of indestructible and hexproof creature

Fierce guardienship → most of the time a counter for no mana

Force of Negation → most of the time a counter for no mana, sacrificing a card is sometimes worth it

Force of will → most of the time a counter for no mana, sacrificing a card is sometimes worth it

Generous Gift → destroy permanents (lands included, wich is really good)

Ghostly Flicker → part of the combo Archaeomancer, Peregrin Drake (Nykthos works as well) and Ghostly flicker → protection from Spot removal → can flicker lands, and triggers Felidar Retreat and Field of the dead

Mana Drain → nice counter, works as ramp as well and is hilarious when you counter something just for the ramp ;-)

Mystical Tutor → get´s you Rift and other nice stuff, but mostly a Wrath

Path to Exile → good Spotremoval → play it on a token of yours and it´s ramp. Never did it but after an Armageddon it seems legit

Stifle → there are more targets out there than i thought about when i put that card in → Shut down Planeswalker ultis is probably the most fun (after dodging Aetherflux Reservoir)

Swords to Plowshares → Nice Spotremoval

Teferi´s Protection → protects you, if someone combos off → protects you from armageddon → do not protect you from Mill and an infinite Blue Suns Zenith, keep that in mind!!

Unexpectedly Absent → get´s rid of target Permanent, play that in response to shuffle effects

Artifact Show

Arcane Signet, Azorius Signet, Prismatic Lens, Talisman of Progress → Mana Rock

Thought Vessel → no card limit for my hand!!

Mind Stone → recurrable with Sun Titan for extra card draw

Sol Ring , Mana Crypt → very good mana positive Rocks → Beware the Crypt, it kills you!! → When you are on three life and the Crypt would kill you Stifle becomes a one mana extra turn :-D

Lands Show

Most of the lands are just lands but let me explain a few of them: Ancient Tomb → Ramp for faster Ephara

Arid Mesa, Flooded Strand, Marsh Flats, Misty Rainforest, Polluted Delta, Prismatic Vista, Scalding Tarn, Windswept Heath → the fetch package is important to trigger Field of the dead and Felidar Retreat → „draws“ a card which is nice

Cavern of Souls → good in counterheavy metas

Field of the dead → with fetches, Ephara trigger on opponents turn

Kor Haven → Awesome against voltron decks

Mistveil Plains → get some cool stuff back in your library (for example when someone plays bojuka bog and you want to rescue your Cyclonic Rift)

Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx → Combos with Archaeomancer, Ghostly Flicker

Reliquary Tower → No Limit for your hand!

Scavenger grounds → Bojuka Bog on crack! Kills your own graveyard, but sometimes you need to do it

Strip Mine → sometimes you just need to kill a land → and sometimes you flicker Sun Titan and be an asshole

How to win?

Combo Peregrin Drake, Eldrazi Displacer → infinite flicker/ Mana

Combo Peregrin Drake( Nykthos), Ghostly Flicker, Archaeomancer → inifnite flicker/ Mana

Combo Reveillark, Karmic guide, Bribery (someone will have a sac outlet)

Elesh Norn SMASH

Felidar Retreat SMASH

Nice Engine

Venser, the Sojourner + Gilded Drake

Venser, the Sojourner +Archaeomancer + Wrath

Archaeomancer + Time Wipe

Archaeomancer + Evacuation

Sun Titan + Fetch Lands = Titan Ramp

Sun Titan + Fetch Lands + Felidar Retreat/ Field of the dead

Sun Titan+ Strip Mine

Commit/ Memory + Smothering Tithe or Hullbreacher

Cards to consider

This list is not complete or will ever be complete. Just a few cards, that are very nice. I played most of them and still change the original Decklist with these cards. Seems like this ist my personal "Commander Sideboard" ;-)

Charming Prince --> cheap mana cost and very flexible. Great flicker target with relevant abilities. Fun fact: Considered him for his lifegain, cause sometimes i run low on life and then i have to play under great pressure, which is not funny. His flicker ability is very nice for example with Phyrexian Metamorph. They can flicker each other and you have a save creature drop every turn and that means massive carddraw and that means your opponents will have a hard time.

Niambe, Esteemed Speaker --> flashy girl, which triggers Ephara. Can protect important creatures. Mostly in here for Lifegain, but the carddraw is sometimes relavant. Also imagine a Situation where you discard Elesh Norn say turn 4 for carddraw and reanimate it with Karmic Guide turn 5. Same Situation is possible 1-2 turns earlier.

Angel's Grace --> Awesome card. Cause of Split Second nobody can counter it. In my Meta there is the Thassa's Oracle/ Demonic Consultation Combo but with this little card you can destroy such embarrassing dreams for fast power plays ;-). The best thing about this card is that it´s not like Teferi´s Protection and is put into exile when hitting graveyard. So you can recurr it. Which means with flickering Archaeomancer (through Soulherder for Example) you will be invincible and give your Opponents a very hard time killing you.

Meddling Mage --> Choose Opponents Commander. Classic Dick move but very effective against Commander reliant decks. If you know your meta choose Combo pieces.

Vendillion Clique --> flashy guy. Targeting a players Hand is always good especially when there is a heavier control deck

Conclusion

Ephara is my favourite deck to play, cause it win´s not to fast, is hard to play against but not annoying, and you can do awesome stuff with it. So if you want to try it out have fun!

Top Ranked	Achieved #52 position overall 4 years ago Achieved #48 position in Commander / EDH 4 years ago Achieved #1 position in Commander / EDH Control 4 years ago Achieved #1 position in Commander / EDH Value Engine 4 years ago
Date added	5 years
Last updated	1 week
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	30 - 0 Mythic Rares 47 - 3 Rares 9 - 1 Uncommons 5 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	3.20
Tokens	Cat Beast 2/2 W, Copy Clone, Elephant 3/3 G, Emblem Venser, the Sojourner, Illusion */* U, Monk 1/1 W, On an Adventure, Vampire 1/1 W, Zombie 2/2 B
Folders	chris, Sweet Decks, Awesome Decks I've Seen, Decks I think are lit, Inspo, yerr, Liked decks, EDH, EDH, Commander