Unlike all the other decks I've designed, this feels tier one, and not an inferior player in the world of Abzan, Jeskai, UB control, and Red aggro.
Deck Description
Q: What do Den Protector, Raptor, Courser,
Prognostic Sphinx
, and Whisperwood have in common?
A: They are excellent creatures, each offering both great battlefield presence as well as card advantage.
Together they form an irresistible army. Protect them with counterspells and they will increasingly dominate the battlefield until they inevitably win the game.. This deck is awesome!
Score to date: 49-23-1 matches (113-63 games and 2 draws)
Game Plan
- Play a cheap, strong creature. (Free card advantage!) Hold open some mana.
- They make a play.
- If we don't like their play, counter it.
- Otherwise, use the remaining mana for a proactive instant spell or ability.
Because we have value-generating creatures like Den Protector and Whisperwood Elemental, this plan quickly overwhelms the opposition. Play to maintain that control and the game is won.
Matchups
Control - fails to gain control. Devotion is supposed to be great for them, but when my creatures don't stay dead, and their key spells fail to resolve, their game plan crumbles. Overwhelm early removal so you are dealing damage, then counter their attempt to stabilize (Dig Through Time, Crux of Fate, Dragonlord).
Midrange - can't stick their best threats, and can't stop our best threats. Follow the same plan as vs. control. Make your early plays, then stop whatever enchantment, dragon or sweeper they might try. Our creature package is very good at containing any threats while simultaneously establishing dangerous threats of their own. Hornet Queen and Setessan Tactics is our safety for the skies. To close things out,
Boon Satyr
on Den Protector or Prognostic Sphinx gives us an evasive attack, or else endless manifests let us run around them.
Aggro - can't beat the fat creatures and endless morphs. This match hinges on sticking our bigger creatures, foiling the removal and having never-ending blockers thanks to Whisperwood and Raptor. Setessan Tactics can take out problem creatures. Post-board, we have Hornets, even more life gain, and against decks like Abzan, Curse of the Swine. Piggies trade with manifests, at best.
Favorite Cards
Den Protector - dodge defenders, and get that Negate back for another use.
Boon Satyr
- flash in after they have nothing worth countering. Make Den Protector huge and unblockable.
Bow of Nylea - lifegain against aggro. pumping deathtouch attackers against the rest.
Whisperwood Elemental - once you foil their removal, never-ending cards every turn
Prognostic Sphinx
- virtually hexproof, blocks most dragons, and sets up your deck for ideal Whisperwood manifests and draws.
Clever Impersonator - a perfect opposite to whatever they land.
Curse of the Swine - Exile troublemakers, give them Piggies. The list of potential targets is endless, so this card is good against everything except mono-red and hexproof dragons.
