Lis

Of Hate-and-a-Laugh-Tales

A foxy deck consisting of a lot of control, hate and some neat artifacts, all backed up with a little ramp.
It can manage to beat in the opponent with unblockable creature(s) armed in some of the blades but mostly wins with freezing or prisoning the opponent while consequently dealing some damage. Usually the game tends to be slowed or meets some obstacles to be continued further reasonably fast but this is actually good for the deck since, while having a good defensive mechanism running or standing, I am able to develop a bigger board state which usually gives me much more options to deal with the enemy making both the defence and the offence much more resilient.

The synergies are all dependent on what you desire to achieve. I managed to sort them all in four categories: protection, attack, development and prison.

Protection

The Fox can grant a lot of protection, but there are times in which the protection itself it too little. In those cases you can use the following:
Circle of Protection: White -amazing thing. Not only does it cost so little but also doesn't actually target the source so even shrouded creatures won't do much as long as they are white.
Rune of Protection: White -same, except requires to activate.
Pariah -it works wonders as a damage preventer on indestructible creatures but can also work as a spot removal on opponent's creature. Joining it with Darksteel Mutation or using repeatedly with Sun Titan is nice.
Another one is Michiko Konda, Truth Seeker. Not really a damage preventer but certainly makes the opponent think twice before the attack or basically any damage.

Another way to avoid being hurt is not letting the opponent attack at all. Ghostly Prison does just that.

If the damage is already dealt and you want to heal, STOP! Hammertime! Loxodon Warhammer can be brought to the battlefield by almost every tutor in the deck and quite often be already equipped as well. So does the Umezawa's Jitte, Basilisk Collar, and, harder to cast or fetch, but still very handy True Conviction.

Lightning Greaves, Eiganjo Castle and Mother of Runes can help protect the creature/s that are already heavily equipped or crucial to maintain propitious boardstate.

Grand Abolisher and Nevermore prevent the enemy from doing too much, with Nevermore almost always targetting the opposing commander.

Attack

The undeniable core of every offensive strategy in here is the equipment so I'm taking the liberty to ommit it and instead go through the other cards that favour the attacks.
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite is a beast that does it all, but what's most important, she gets rid of all the little blockers opponent might have and shortens the rest while buffing her allies granting them safe passage during the attack.
Duelist's Heritage is a cheap version of Fireshrieker. Can't work if your creature has protection from white but that doesn't happen all the time.
Silverblade Paladin can make some mess! Not only doubles the damage, but also the triggers of the swords, which can be tactically equipped to both him and the paired creature to make them harder to block.
Kor Duelist is the man for the job. Fierce warrior not minding any obstacles, he can throw himself at any monster and actually live to tell the tale.
Armory Automaton is an artificial product that came to existence to fulfil the same purpose while stealing enemy's weaponry.
True Conviction can make any attack just twice as good if not more than that, killing the blockers in the first strike. All while healing the same double amount. It's really hard to perform a bad attack with it on board.

There are also the untargettable knights of valor:
Mirran Crusader
Fiendslayer Paladin
Kor Firewalker
Paladin en-Vec
They all serve the same purpose: to live and let die! ...and are tutorable with Recruiter of the Guard if needed against certain enemy.

Development

Provided a large boardstate this deck thrives in all its majesty. That's why there is so much ramp included. Enchantments, equipment, creatures and the planeswalker all take part in unifying and strengthening the wall I build before the enemy.
Therefore I include in this category all the mana rocks. Other cards really handy once they become a permanent include:
Inspiring Statuary -mana for free! (three, actually)
Vedalken Orrery -opens a LOT of options from casting every creature/equipment on flash to simply leaving all the mana untapped to react to opponent's moves and use all of it if willing in his end step.
Pearl Medallion isn't just a ramp. It also confuses the enemy with how much spells I'm able to cast on one turn since it's not just +1 mana.
Sigarda's Aid does help a lot. I'll never get out of the astonishment of how can such a powerful card have a cmc of 1.
Mentor of the Meek is a body for a potential sword itself, but also provides me with opportunities for card draw, which is very development-friendly and rare in mono .

Prison

Well, this is easy: Ghostly Prison, Nevermore, Darksteel Mutation, Pariah, Circle of Protection: White, Rune of Protection: White, Michiko Konda, Truth Seeker, Blinding Angel, Aven Mindcensor are all making the opponent slower and require more commitment and expenditure to do what he wants to.
Crib Swap is better than Stasis Snare simply because it does what it's supposed to -the exiled card remains exiled.
The Fox of course serves the same purpose.

Path to Exile + Aven Mindcensor

Sun Titan + Stoneforge Mystic/Recruiter of the Guard/Armory Automaton/Knight of the White Orchid/Relic Seeker

Darksteel Mutation + Pariah

Now everything that does wonders with the Fox itself:

Blinding Angel and all the Swords of X and Y can deal damage to the enemy being protected by the Fox.

Glare of Heresy exiles any permanent for 3. OP

Tutors

Enlightened Tutor can fetch me a lot of stuff, including quite a nice amount of creatures like Armory Automaton or Aegis of the Gods if I ever need to draw them. Also Pariah/Darksteel Mutation for the combo.
Inventors' Fair is not the best tutor, but it gives some marginal sustain and can help late game either in finishing an opponent or in protection of a well-equipped creature that may be my win con.
Open the Armory is just great. It doesn't have to be a one drop to be awesome.
Recruiter of the Guard is a very efficient piece giving me the ability to fetch eg. Mother of Runes, Kor Duelist, Armory Automaton or basically anything with toughness less than 3, that's needed most at the moment.
Steelshaper's Gift is just the best tutor in this deck. One drop and I have the sword I need.
Stoneforge Mystic is extremely useful not only as a cheap utility creature fetching me whatever I want, but also placing stuff on the battlefield and not letting them to be countered.
Stonehewer Giant -not as cheap as one would dream, but definitely worth the investment. Tutor, ETB AND equip for 2 is insanely good. Vigilance helps him participate in a fight while still being able to tutor in case of unexpected blocking scenario or even in a well-expected one.

Ramp

Extraplanar Lens is a nice mana doubler. The more mana, the more powerful the Fox is! No amount is 'enough'.
Inspiring Statuary makes use of the ability of equipment to be tapped and still perfectly useful.
Knight of the White Orchid propels me a bit when I start second but also has a really nice first strike, which shows its potential after I equip the Knight with a proper sword.
Marble Diamond is just good and cheap. Gives coloured mana unlike most of the artifact ramp there is.
Pearl Medallion saves a lot of mana actually.
Sword of Feast and Famine untaps everything so that I'll be able to protect everything on opponent's turn.
Sword of the Animist is a powerful tool if not destroyed/exiled early.
Thran Dynamo opens a lot of possibilities, more equips at once, more ramp/equipments on board.
Worn Powerstone is actually a nice ramp. Cast on turn 3 wouldn't do much on its own even untapped so the tapped etb usually doesn't hurt at all.
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx can give a LOT.

Equipment

Lightning Greaves -an another protecting piece in case one of the creatures is too powerful not to remove after being equipped.
Loxodon Warhammer gives me lifelink which is often very important. The additional +3/+0 is not to be overlooked as well!
Sword of Feast and Famine -as mentioned before -untaps. Aside from that it gives protection and makes the opponent discard and the +2/+2. Awesome piece.
Sword of Fire and Ice is another one of great significance and power. Additional 2 damage for removal or just a stronger beating and a draw -just what the deck lacked without it.
Sword of War and Peace -exceptional in making the life difference more propitious to me.
Sword of Light and Shadow - protection from hard removals and quite nice recurring ability.
Sword of the Animist -rampy but also +1/+1 that can help a little sometimes.
Umezawa's Jitte -is just a powerhouse on its own. The variety of uses is extreme.

Lands

Ancient Den comes in untapped, counts for metalcraft and is tutorable with Enlightened Tutor.
Arcane Lighthouse takes the shroud and hexproof away from what I want to exile/kill/blink/make white
Buried Ruin just gives me my crucial sword or such back in hand.
Crystal Vein - Please
Eiganjo Castle is another protection for the Fox, but works really well for many other creatures as well.
Emeria, The Sky Ruin gives me my knights back late game.
Homeward Path works wonders against not only red or blue stealing, but also black casting from my library which I see pretty often in my meta.
Inventors' Fair is yet another tutor and also gives a little sustain.
Mistveil Plains gives me any tutorable card back in the library if I ever need it really badly.
Nephalia Academy works against discards, especially early.
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx as stated before: loads of mana.
Opal Palace makes my Fox bigger every time. Not too big, but just enought not to let him bur after another bolt.
Temple of the False God is just an awesome card in Commander.
Snow-Covered Plains are here to let me cast Extraplanar Lens without my opponents gaining as well.


If you, dear reader, have any advice ready or are wiling to think of any, a comment would be of great appreciation.

Cheers!
Warxuaroz, the Shadow Upon

Suggestions

Updates Add

Chrome Mox got banned, so I needed to replace it. I decided to put in the Day of Judgment since I needed another global anyway.

Not sure if Chrome Mox is the right price paid for having Vial Smasher the Fierce banned but well, it is already paid.

Now I'm thinking of adding Selfless Squire.

Comments View Archive

91% Casual

Competitive

Date added 8 years
Last updated 6 years
Legality

This deck is Leviathan legal.

Rarity (main - side)

9 - 0 Mythic Rares

43 - 0 Rares

21 - 0 Uncommons

5 - 0 Commons

Cards 100
Avg. CMC 2.89
Tokens Copy Clone, Emblem Elspeth, Knight-Errant, Shapeshifter 1/1 C, Soldier 1/1 W
Folders Decks to obtain, W
Votes
Ignored suggestions
Shared with
Views