The Sphinx: A Menacing Mystery

Commander / EDH Theme/Gimmick WUB (Esper)

Ravenrose

Creature (30)

• 1x Alhammarret, High Arbiter
• 1x Atemsis, All-Seeing
• 1x Chancellor of the Spires
• 1x Conundrum Sphinx
• 1x Curator of Mysteries
• 1x Dazzling Sphinx
• 1x Defiler of Dreams
• 1x Dream Trawler
• 1x Eligeth, Crossroads Augur
• 1x Enigma Sphinx
• 1x Guardian of Tazeem
• 1x Inspired Sphinx
• 1x Isperia, Supreme Judge
• 1x Isperia the Inscrutable
• 1x Master of Predicaments
• 1x Medomai the Ageless
• 1x Petra Sphinx
• 1x Prognostic Sphinx
• 1x Scholar of the Lost Trove
• 1x Sharding Sphinx
• 1x Sharuum the Hegemon
• 1x Sphinx of Foresight
• 1x Sphinx of Jwar Isle
• 1x Sphinx of the Second Sun
• 1x Sphinx of the Steel Wind
• 1x Sphinx of Uthuun
• 1x Sphinx Summoner
• 1x Tivit, Seller of Secrets
• 1x Unesh, Criosphinx Sovereign
• 1x Windreader Sphinx

Enchantment (2)

• 1x Always Watching
• 1x Medomai's Prophecy

Land (35)

• 1x Azorius Chancery
• 1x Command Tower
• 1x Dimir Aqueduct
• 1x Exotic Orchard
• 1x Flood Plain
• 1x Halimar Depths
• 7x Island
• 1x Isolated Watchtower
• 1x New Benalia
• 1x Orzhov Basilica
• 1x Path of Ancestry
• 8x Plains
• 1x Prairie Stream
• 1x Secluded Steppe
• 1x Submerged Boneyard
• 1x Sunken Hollow
• 3x Swamp
• 1x Temple of Enlightenment
• 1x Temple of Silence
• 1x Unclaimed Territory

Sorcery (11)

• 1x Brilliant Ultimatum
• 1x Diabolic Tutor
• 1x Divination
• 1x Interpret the Signs
• 1x Living Death
• 1x Manifold Insights
• 1x Merciless Eviction
• 1x Serum Visions
• 1x Skull Storm
• 1x Sphinx's Decree
• 1x Terminus

Commander (1)

Instant (14)

• 1x Azorius Charm
• 1x Blue Sun's Zenith
• 1x Brainstorm
• 1x Clash of Wills
• 1x Fact or Fiction
• 1x Fated Infatuation
• 1x Mortify
• 1x Rescue from the Underworld
• 1x Return to Dust
• 1x Skeletal Scrying
• 1x Sphinx's Insight
• 1x Sphinx's Revelation
• 1x Spin into Myth
• 1x Void Rend

Artifact (7)

• 1x Dimir Locket
• 1x Elixir of Immortality
• 1x Fellwar Stone
• 1x Icon of Ancestry
• 1x Mask of Riddles
• 1x Orzhov Signet
• 1x Quicksilver Amulet

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Sideboard

Instant (1)

• 1x Siren's Call

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Maybeboard

Creature (1)

• 1x Sphinx Ambassador

Instant (1)

• 1x Siren's Call

Sorcery (1)

• 1x Manifold Insights

Enchantment (1)

• 1x Always Watching

Artifact (1)

• 1x Quicksilver Amulet

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Next to Medusa, it can be argued that the Sphinx is one of the most recognised mythical creatures. She is the daughter of Typhon, the Destroyer, and Echidna, the Mother of Monsters. Originally, the Sphinx was an emissary of the gods. She was sent by the gods to plague the town of Thebes as punishment for an ancient crime. She preyed upon the youth and devoured all who failed to answer her riddles. The king, Creon, offered up his throne to anyone who could defeat the Sphinx. Oedipus took up the challenge. When he correctly answered her riddle, the Sphinx famously committed suicide by casting herself from a cliff.

The Sphinx specialised in enigma. This is what this deck attempts to do, either in the ability of the sphinxes (The Commander herself Yennet, Isperia the Inscrutable, Master of Predicaments, Sharding Sphinx, Sphinx of Uthuun, and Sphinx of Magosi) or in the behaviour of the deck itself. This deck is partially aggro but is also determined to keep a level of control: the original Sphinx attempted to do the same. Unesh and Favorable Winds are a support system for my sphinxes. Rescue from the Underworld is a simple mythological addition I could not leave out.

Cards bearing the name Sphinx are also included: Sphinx's Insight, Sphinx's Decree, and Sphinx's Revelation. In certain depictions on a Greek kylix or architecture in Asia Minor, one sees Sphinxes being depicted with griffins and/or sirens. Because of this Hypnotic Siren have been included in the deck.

There is an element of future sight, due to the fact that in some interpretations of the Sphinx: her ability to make impossible riddles came from the ability to call on her sixth sense. In one translation of the story, Creon describes her riddles as "chants" or "predictions". Naturally that means Interpret the Signs, Divination, Predict, and Serum Visions are included.

I would love to know what you all think of it and what suggestions you have to make this deck better, within theme of course! Upvote and comment; it really does help.

Raven Rose

Top Ranked	Achieved #1 position in Commander / EDH Theme/Gimmick 5 years ago Achieved #1 position in Commander / EDH WUB (Esper) 5 years ago
Date added	5 years
Last updated	2 years
Legality	This deck is Commander / EDH legal.
Rarity (main - side)	10 - 0 Mythic Rares 41 - 0 Rares 22 - 1 Uncommons 9 - 0 Commons
Cards	100
Avg. CMC	4.58
Tokens	Clue, Copy Clone, Thopter 1/1 C, Thopter 1/1 U, Treasure
Folders	Playgroup plans, Funstuffs, EDH decks i want to try, Sphinx, Fun Decks, MAYBE