Meet the Dino that Cheats Spells [RIX]

Standard* Cruel Control Primer Theme/Gimmick UBR (Grixis)

usurphling

Land (26)

• 1x Canyon Slough
• 3x Dragonskull Summit
• 3x Drowned Catacomb
• 3x Evolving Wilds
• 3x Fetid Pools
• 4x Island
• 3x Mountain
• 1x Scavenger Grounds
• 3x Spirebluff Canal
• 2x Swamp

Instant (22)

• 1x Commit / Memory
• 1x Consign / Oblivion
• 4x Fatal Push
• 4x Glimmer of Genius
• 3x Harnessed Lightning
• 1x Insidious Will
• 2x Lightning Strike
• 4x Supreme Will
• 2x Vraska's Contempt

Creature (5)

• 3x Etali, Primal Storm
• 2x Torrential Gearhulk

Sorcery (4)

• 3x Doomfall
• 1x Hour of Devastation

Planeswalker (1)

• 1x Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh

Enchantment (2)

• 2x Search for Azcanta  ^Flip

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Sideboard

Instant (6)

• 2x Abrade
• 3x Negate
• 1x Pull from Tomorrow

Enchantment (1)

• 1x Metallurgic Summonings

Sorcery (6)

• 2x Duress
• 2x Lost Legacy
• 2x Sweltering Suns

Creature (2)

• 1x Gonti, Lord of Luxury
• 1x Nezahal, Primal Tide

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This is my newest project based on this mighty elder dinosaur above. This reminds me of my former deck: Narset Cheating Spells wherein you can cheat spells for free. Unlike Narset, it doesn't have hexproof or even a first strike and it cannot cheat more than two spells per attack but it can cheat up to two spells at the most for each player and steals my opponent's precious spells. This time, I'm using Grixis colors (RUB) because these colors have the most offensive spells which this deck needs. Without further ado, lets break it out:

The creature:

• Torrential Gearhulk - this creature is a must in any control based decks. aside from using it to buyback spells, it is used to defend and answer any threats that our dear dinosaur will face.

Other creature that I considered:

• Bloodwater Entity - this small creature can help you setup the spell that you want to cheat from the graveyard. Also, it has prowess which makes it better with your low cost spells...but it requires to survive most removal spells (duh as always) and it requires some good setup like Cathartic Reunion to place the good spells in the graveyard. Also, it can delay your card draw when you return a spell on the top of your library then on your next turn you can't use that spell anymore. Still, you can use this creature if you can't afford to buy Torrential Gearhulk

The offensive spells:

• Fatal Push - our early to mid game answers to small creatures. Thanks to Evolving Wilds and Scavenger Grounds, we can usually trigger revolt.

• Harnessed Lightning and Lightning Bolt - are your another answers to small creatures specially these pesky ramunap reds and these uprising merfolks.

• Doomfall - Any modal spells like this are very good spells to cheat and this card is no exception. It can exile a creature and disrupt your opponent's hand. Originally, this slot is reserved for Disallow but you don't like disallow to be exiled by our dear dino in worst situations...well probably when we managed to exile a spell that we can use and your opponent tries to counter it.

• Supreme Will - this is another model spell that is flexible and it doesn't conflict with etali that much. It can dig for more spells and it can counter spells which you can use to defend against our dear dinosaur's opponents.

• Glimmer of Genius - card advantage, nuff said.

• Insidious Will - I will give this card a chance to shine in this deck. This is another modal card that can change the course of the game. It can simply counter spells, it can redirect other spells and it can copy spells which is nice in our deck full of offensive spells.

• Commit - another flexible spell that interrupts tempo as well as interrupt graveyard shenanigans. Some notes on this card: If Etali cheats this card, you can choose either side of the card. If you use Torrential Gearhulk to flashback this card, you can also choose either sides of the card.

• Vraska's Contempt - the best answer to gods and planeswalkers - yes you The Scarab God and Hazoret the Fervent

• Hour of Devastation - our only boardwipe against swarms of creatures...and these indestructible gods and planeswalkers. I also thought of Baral's Expertise for more shenanigans and even Bontu's Last Reckoning. Well it might be changed as weeks go by. What's important is we need at least a sweeper if in case these creatures will try to overrun you.

Other support spells:

• Search for Azcanta   - it helps you dig for more spells to sling against our opponents. That's all it is.

• Nicol Bolas, God-Pharaoh - he is your another wincon if all else fails. I guess any grixis control based decks should have this...as well as annoying temur energy decks.

The Sideboards:

These are my sideboards based on my local and regional metagame [btw im in Japan lol]. You can always change the lists depending on your metagame.

• Gonti, Lord of Luxury - for midrange and control matches who rely on a single win condition (ie. Approach of the Second Sun)

• Nezahal, Primal Tide - any counterspell based decks

• Duress - control mirrors

• Abrade - artifact based decks

• Negate - against non creature spells. I mean if your opponent tries either fight you using attrition or counterspells, feel free swap any number of negates.

• Pull from Tomorrow - against attrition decks (decks that empty your hand)

• Lost Legacy - against specific win conditions (ie. Approach of the Second Sun again lol)

• Sweltering Suns - any decks that go wide

• Metallurgic Summonings - against control usually but you can also use this against decks who have few creatures.

Again a +1, comments, suggestions and constructive criticisms are welcome. Please leave a comment here to improve this deck more and I really need your help too!

For more shenanigan decks I have, you may click any of the links below:

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Behold These InGlorious Bastards Reloaded [RIX]

Standard usurphling

SCORE: 7 | 6 COMMENTS | 1411 VIEWS | IN 1 FOLDER

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Keep Cascading and Flashing with Rashmi [RIX]

Standard* usurphling

SCORE: 65 | 24 COMMENTS | 11218 VIEWS | IN 33 FOLDERS

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Top Ranked	Achieved #29 position overall 6 years ago
Date added	6 years
Last updated	6 years
Legality	This deck is not Standard legal.
Rarity (main - side)	1 - 1 Mythic Rares 26 - 7 Rares 19 - 0 Uncommons 5 - 7 Commons
Cards	60
Avg. CMC	3.71
Tokens	Construct X/X C, Energy Reserve
Folders	Grixis Pirates, RIX