This deck is a long time in the making. This build started as an attempt to run
Opalescence
with an aggressive curve. This current version focuses on abusing the new Legend rule to play multiple instances of
Serra's Sanctum
and power through the deck using Mesa Enchantress (with the occasional Flickering Ward cheese) as a draw engine and to keep the mana flowing.
Important interactions:
Lotus Bloom
+
Serra's Sanctum
+
Sun Titan
. Paying 6 for a 6/6 vigilant giant that puts a
Black Lotus
into play seems pretty good. Tapping one land that pays for him and leaves some mana floating then using him to, effectively, untap that land seems even better. This is really what makes the deck run. It can provide some very fast set-ups. Late game I get to push out huge amounts of mana by putting untapped Sanctums into play one after the other.
Peace of Mind
+
Sun Titan
. This feeds the Titan tasty cards that I don't feel like paying mana for. I can pay one to discard permanents I need to trick into play. The big targets are Lotus Bloom and
Serra's Sanctum
. Mesa Enchantress also needs to be discarded in some early game situations, especially if I suspended a Bloom for an early Titan.
Sun Titan + Deck Thinning. When my graveyard is empty of tastier targets Arid Mesa and Flagstones of Trokair turn into acceleration.
Flickering Ward
+
Mesa Enchantress
. This lets me draw a card for two mana (cheaper per card with 2+ Enchantresses on the board). More importantly, when I have a Sanctum activation or two available and hit dead cards mid-turn this lets me dig for fuel. This is less attractive against decks running targeted removal, as returning it to hand leaves the enchanted creature (usually Mesa Enchantress) vulnerable.
Blind Obedience
+
Flickering Ward
. This is a very mana intensive option, but an effective non-combat win condition. I can drain 1 life at sorcery speed for every three mana invested. It's important to note that Titans only fuel this when hitting play, not when attacking. This means it takes some less than common circumstances to be a factor, but a worthwhile bonus on an already solid one-of in Obedience.
Card choices by casting cost:
One-Drops--
Nyxborn Shieldmate
&
Hopeful Eidolon
: The enchantment weenies serve a couple of purposes here. They are one drop enchants to get Sanctum online. They provide bodies too chump aggro early or get in a few points of damage. Bestow provides some longevity for my board while making each weenie a better top deck once my board is established (giving a Titan lifelink for 3W means a lot more than playing another 1/1 on turn 6). These six slots were originally a playset of Shieldmates and 2x
Soul Snare
. The argument that the 2W bestow for Shieldmate was a easier cost that would bring Enchantresses out of Lightning Bolt range, and the snares would deter attackers. Snares didn't slow down aggro and were too static as a late draw. Given another open slot I'd still like to get a 4th Shieldmate in here.
Land Tax: I love this card so much. I played T2 White Weenie back when this was considered the second or third most powerful white card ever printed. Seeing it unrestricted was one of the inspirations for this deck. Watching your opponent chose to play first after keeping a hand with land tax is guaranteed land drops and thinning all game. On turn three you're drawing from a 40 card deck. Running the 2nd copy is somewhat questionable, and is a ready target for sideboarding out.
Flickering Ward: Protection, especially for the Mesa Enchantress, draw engine, Extort fuel, just good all over. If only it had flash.
Two-drops--
Honor of the Pure: The modern Crusade. Makes my weenies relevant. Helps keep Mesa Enchantress alive. Looks good on vigilant Titans.
Journey to Nowhere: Creature removal. Also a grizzly bear with
Opalescence
in play. 4th copy costs 7 off of a wish.
Blind Obedience: Tempo! Also, slow bleed mana dump. Technically a win con in a pinch with Flickering Ward
Peace of Mind: Discard outlet to maximize Titans. Instant speed life gain in a pinch.
Three-drops--
Mesa Enchantress: Draw engine. Kept her at x3 for a long time but as the deck got better at thinning out lands, having her in play early became more and more important for those explosive turns that make the deck.
Oblivion Ring: Un-targeted removal. 4th copy costs 8 with a wish.
Four-drops--
Replenish: My best bet against removal and counters. Can act as a one sided wrath if enough Rings and Journeys hit play. Also buys me time against aggro.
Opalescence
: Win condition. Turns my acceleration and removal into bodies for the red zone.
Five-drops--
Golden Wish
: Tool box and mana dump.
Six-drops--
Sun Titan: Really the core of the deck. Hits the board on turn four with a Lotus Bloom and any three lands. Hits turn 3 on a good Sanctum set up. Fuels my best acceleration and mana ramp. Keeps Mesa Enchantress on the board, resets Oblivion Ring & Journey to Nowhere. Doing it and doing it and doing it well.
Mana base--
Lotus Bloom: Good turn one drop, but it encourages opponents to hold answers. Next used from the yard where Sun Titan Makes it a
Black Lotus
.
Serra's Sanctum
: Huge. The new legend rule makes abusing Sanctum so easy. You can tap Sanctum1 for # of enchants, play a Sunctum2 your land for the turn, sending the first to the grave. Tap for # of enchants, play a Sun Titan, put Sanctum3 on the battlefield. If you use mana to play enhancements (drawing for each with Mesa Enchantress), each successive tap yields more mana. This also makes Heliod, God of the Sun into an important wish target when I can't generate draws and need a mana dump that will help accelerate and strengthen board position.
Flagstones of Trokair: Deck thinning. Protection against land destruction and Blood Moon. Helps Land Tax trigger more reliably. As a Titan target, can act as acceleration.
Secluded Steppe: Slow land acts as one drops #s 11 & 12. Ideally for my curve I'd run 3, but they become worse and worse as my draw engine strengthens, but it does solve some dead draws late game. Also makes a decent pitch to the Titan early on.
Arid Mesa: Deck thinning (A bit more flexible than Flagstones of Trokair, but costs life and does tap for mana). Acceleration with the Titan.
Plains: The right number of basic Plains to run had been hard to nail down. Land Tax, Flagstones of Trokair and Arid Mesa all target these suckers, and can all do so repeatedly. Three turns of Tax will leave my fetches as dead draws. Playtesting may tell me to stuff more in. I'll post a update comment when I grind out the math for this. Secluded Steppe & Land Tax are top slots for additional
The deck is lacking in the play testing side of things, and I know there are great options out there that I am not thinking of. Please let me know what you think!
