Phyrexian Tutelage

Modern

camomilk

Creature (3)

• 3x Sakura-Tribe Elder

Planeswalker (2)

• 1x Gideon Jura
• 1x Vraska the Unseen

Land (24)

• 3x Caves of Koilos
• 1x Evolving Wilds
• 2x Forest
• 1x Ghost Quarter
• 1x Golgari Rot Farm
• 3x Llanowar Wastes
• 2x Orzhov Basilica
• 4x Plains
• 6x Swamp
• 1x Terramorphic Expanse

Enchantment (10)

• 4x Dark Tutelage
• 2x Oblivion Ring
• 4x Phyrexian Unlife

Instant (14)

• 2x Anguished Unmaking
• 1x Bile Blight
• 1x Devour Flesh
• 3x Dismember
• 1x Geth's Verdict
• 1x Murderous Cut
• 1x Path to Exile
• 2x Spoils of the Vault
• 2x Victim of Night

Sorcery (7)

• 2x Barter in Blood
• 2x Drown in Sorrow
• 1x Duress
• 2x Repay in Kind

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Sideboard

Creature (2)

• 1x Bloodgift Demon
• 1x Tree of Redemption

Enchantment (3)

• 1x Nevermore
• 1x Oblivion Ring
• 1x Rest in Peace

Instant (8)

• 1x Anguished Unmaking
• 1x Autumn's Veil
• 3x Condemn
• 1x Devour in Shadow
• 1x Display of Dominance
• 1x Hallowed Moonlight

Sorcery (2)

• 1x Drown in Sorrow
• 1x Duress

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Maybeboard

Creature (6)

• 1x Dark Confidant
• 1x Death's Shadow
• 1x Dragonlord Dromoka
• 1x Melira, Sylvok Outcast
• 1x Spellskite
• 1x Vexing Shusher

Land (2)

• 1x City of Brass
• 1x Temple of Silence

Enchantment (4)

• 1x Greater Auramancy
• 1x Journey to Nowhere
• 1x Leyline of Sanctity
• 1x Necropotence

Instant (2)

• 1x Abrupt Decay
• 1x Autumn's Veil

Sorcery (6)

• 1x Dead Drop
• 1x Declaration in Stone
• 1x End Hostilities
• 1x Inquisition of Kozilek
• 1x Maelstrom Pulse
• 1x Thoughtseize

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This deck started as an attempt to build around the card Phyrexian Unlife . The name of the game here is control. A variety of removal spells are included to attempt to deal with enemy threats and prevent them from running away with the game. Dark Tutelage has proved to be an amazing card, as it keeps drawing extra cards even below 0 life if there is a Phyrexian Unlife in play.

The win condition actually requires having 0 or less life: once you get there with a Phyrexian Unlife in play, surprise them with a Repay in Kind for the instant win!

This is my first serious attempt at a modern deck, so any help would be appreciated. I've tried to keep it fairly budget friendly as well.

Main Board

Phyrexian Unlife : Clearly the core of the deck. It allows us to keep playing effects that cause us to lose life (such as Dark Tutelage or Anguished Unmaking), and provides an extra buffer of life against aggro decks.

Dark Tutelage: The main card drawing engine. Drawing an extra card each turn keeps our hand full of removal spells, propels us toward 7 mana for Repay in Kind, and helps us find that Phyrexian Unlife . Phyrexian Arena was another choice at this slot, but I went with Dark Tutelage mainly for budget reasons. (You could also argue that the extra life lost is actually beneficial in some matchups.)

Repay in Kind: Win the game immediately - provided you have 7 mana, a Phyrexian Unlife in play, and 0 or less life. The good news is it's not a targeted ability, so it gets around cards like Leyline of Sanctity.

Spoils of the Vault : Allows us to dig for that game winning Repay in Kind, and may help put us below 0 life if needed. In a desperate situation it can find the ever necessary Phyrexian Unlife , but that's a risky play.

Removal: Anguished Unmaking and Dismember feature as premium removal that occasionally serve the dual purpose of reducing our own life total against matchups that won't do it for us. Apart from that I've tried to keep the removal efficient, with mostly 2 mana instants or spells like Drown in Sorrow and Barter in Blood that can take care of multiple threats.

Ramp: Sakura-Tribe Elder features as the main way to help us ramp up to 7 mana for Repay in Kind, and can also be used as a chump blocker against aggressive decks. Golgari Rot Farm and Orzhov Basilica are also useful to help us get to 7.

Land: Apart from the ramp mentioned above, lands such as Caves of Koilos and Llanowar Wastes come in untapped and can help in those matchups where the opponent won't bring us to zero life.

Side Board

Removal: There are some extra removal options to tailor the deck to whatever the matchup dictates.

Graveyard Hate: Rest in Peace and Hallowed Moonlight can help against graveyard based decks.

Tree of Redemption : This guy can give us a LOT more longevity, especially since we'll often gain the full 13 (or more!) life. It also provides insurance against Phyrexian Unlife being destroyed and causing us to lose instantly.

Display of Dominance : Protects our enchantments against Abrupt Decay or Maelstrom Pulse, and can be effective removal in some matchups.

Nevermore: Vulnerable to certain removal spells as another 3 mana enchantment, but it seems like a flexible sideboard card and I have it in my collection.

Budget Concerns

I've tried to keep this deck fairly budget friendly, apart from a few cards that I already have in my collection (such as Path to Exile and Rest in Peace). I think the most obvious way to improve the deck would be to include more premium removal, such as more Path to Exile, or adding Abrupt Decay and Maelstrom Pulse. That and adding pain-sacrifice lands such as Verdant Catacombs or Windswept Heath.

Originally I had included Melira, Sylvok Outcast because of the synergy with Phyrexian Unlife , but took it out because it didn't seem to be doing enough to justify the inclusion at the price point.

Vulnerabilities

Counterspells, mill, and enchantment removal. Any of them could prove fatal against this deck. I've tried to account at least a little for counterspells and enchantment removal in the sideboard, but I think it would straight up lose to a dedicated mill deck.

Date added	8 years
Last updated	3 years
Legality	This deck is Modern legal.
Rarity (main - side)	2 - 1 Mythic Rares 20 - 5 Rares 13 - 8 Uncommons 13 - 1 Commons
Cards	60
Avg. CMC	3.00
Tokens	Assassin 1/1 B w/ Player Killer