How to be an asshole!
The main goal of this deck is to control the board state to your wish. Counter everything, managing to keep drawing gas during the game and annoy your opponent until you have enough flying Drakes to finish it off.
How to play:
First of all, your starthand needs to be optimal. It has to contain a few cantrips, a counterspell or removal spell or two and also important; lands. A great hand would be 3 islands, void shatter, preordain, reality shift and cryptic command for example. Someting to fix your draw and some spells to keep you safe.
Utility is also important. Keep your hand if you can cast your godtier helpers like
Sapphire Medallion
, Jace's Sanctum or mana rocks like Coldsteel Heart. (
Arcane Melee
is too mana expensive)
Next, you have to keep your tempo game up. Counter all the things that are a direct threat. Actually, to know how to play this you don't really need to focus on the things you have to counter, but more importantly, know what to resolve. Your opponent casting things like Explosive Vegetation or Sol Ring shouldn't bother you. Instead, focus on the things your opponent wants to do with those effects later in the game. Your game mostly plays like a "draw & go" deck. Let the unimportant things resolve so you can draw and hold on to your most important spells. Imporant to add is when you know that your opponent is dry on threats, countering that Divination makes all the difference then.
Do not cast Talrand unless you can keep him on the board for a full turn. If your opponent is heavy on removal, do not play him in turn 4, but you have to be able to defend him with counterspells or removal. Once he survives, you can start knocking it out of the park by casting spells, filling your board with flyers and go in for the kill (Coat of Arms)
Also, if your boardstate has a lot of Drakes, then spells like Abjure and Polymorph come in much more handy. You can use your tokens to cast spells or to polymorph that token into a Consecrated Sphinx for example. This deck is low on creatures so the chance of polymorphing into your preferred creature isn't too slim.
This deck also designed for duel Commander (1V1). The sideboard contains a few cards which can replace the Sol Ring, Treasure Cruise and Dig Through Time (banned in 1v1 EDH). Emrakul, the Aeons Torn is a must add in that case, because of Polymorph and
Proteus Staff
(Remember that this staff can only be used as a sorcery).
I run the following switchups from EDH to Duel Commander: (if you know improvements, please let me know)
Some additional card choices. Feel free to discuss my decisions!
I decided not to run Archaeomancer because everytime I polymorph into him, I feel unhappy because of the better creature it could've been. Therefore I replaced him with Stormtide Leviathan as a serious lockdown for your opponent. You can then start countering the removal he aims at your Leviathan, instead of dangerous creatures.
I'm currently looking for a card to cut for Mystical Tutor. -> Solved. Mystical Tutor is just too good not to run. Abjure will replace this slot in 1v1 Commander since the tutor it banned there.
Force of Will will find his place when I can buy him. I want the EMA version ;) I expect to remove Mystic Remora to make place for FoW.
