I love seeing under played Commander's. I have never seen anyone build this Commander, let alone had one at a table with me. Very cool build. I'd forgot about this legendary creature.

Definitely got the upvote. Keep rocking it out.

I've never had a High Power Tier Commander and found your list and loved the concepts you've put forward!

I want to build something similar with a more combo leaning and some additional redundancy, so I wanted to see if you'd tried a few cards and get your feedback on them if you're open to it.

Does Reflections Of Littjara function as a slightly more expensive, second copy of Panharmonicon that contributes a little to devotion for Nykthos?

Is Emergence zone a viable second copy of Leyline Of The Void, or does it just suck because it's one turn only and produces only colorless mana?

Have you tried the Isochron Scepter + Dramatic Reversal combo as a functional second copy of Omniscience and maybe even a Mystical tutor to give you infinite turns if you find it plus Isochron and use it to repeatedly fetch Nexus Of Fate without having to FoF through the entire deck leaving only Nexus in it?

That's all for now, but I'm sure I'll have more later.

GHoag, it's not often I hear of someone actually processing what I have to say which is refreshing, thank you! When thinking of cards to put in, it is also important to think of which cards come out as a result.

Reflections of Littjara is a card I haven't considered before. This would definitely be a fun card to test out! Drawbacks: it is a little more mana expensive, its not an artifact so it doesn't synergize with Scholar of the Lost Trove. Benefits: Panharmonicon redundancy, MORE BUFF CREATURES ON THE BOARD, higher devotion. Battle damage is not insignificant in this deck, so I would give this card a fair shot. You could try replacing Treachery, Extraplanar Lens, Leyline of Anticipation. I chose these cards because in my testing these cards seem to be clunky. Treachery is mana expensive and not garunteed to land because opponents will typically counter or remove if they can. Extraplanar Lens also feels particularly bad if it gets removed. Leyline of anticipation feels pretty bad most of the time, I end up pitching it to Force of Will more than I play it.

Emergence Zone actually seems like it could be a more accessible Leyline of Anticipation. Definitely worth playtesting with it in the deck in place of an Island.

I have thought about the Isochron Scepter/Dramatic Reversal combo a lot. The thing I really dislike about it is that it takes up 2 slots, and you don't always have both at the same time. Dramatic reversal isn't particularly good because you will not usually have a lot of artifacts to untap. It's best use in this deck would be to give your sphinx's fake vigilance. Using Isochron with Mystical Tutor is a more interesting thought however, but then again it is still 2 slots. Maybe Isochron is good having a counterspell on it every now and then too. I have never been able to figure out what to take out for the scepter, because it's not good on its own. Drawing it in your opening hand during a competitive game feels really bad.

I will have to try some of these cards when I get the opportunity! Thank you so much for your contribution! Feel free to bounce any other questions you have off me :)

Thank you for responding!

Also, I can't help but notice Ameboid Changeling gets the nod in your list, but I think Bloodline Pretender is superior due to casting for 1 colorless mana (with Unesh on-board) plus it gets buffed for each subsequent sphinx cast. Plus, Burnished Hart seems kind of slow (like Myriad Landscape). Maybe those two out and the new-ish Mistwalker taking Burnished Hart's place and maybe just a basic Island for Myriad Landscape? Or a Lotus Field or something? Also, shouldn't there be as much true Changeling content as possible, in general in order to make all our creatures eligible for the Unesh discount?

Also, it sounds like Leyline is falling out of favor with you (which makes sense; it's great in your opener, but otherwise you need to hold up a turn too often, just to cast it to get its effect and that just slows the deck down). How essential really is casting creatures and artifacts as well as Rite Of Replication at instant speed to winning? Or is it more of a pet card (which I also respect; I had it in a cEDH list for over a year because it enabled a theoretical T0 win)?

Finally, how good has Jeweled Lotus been for you? I know it enables a T1 Unesh cast (when you also have a land and Mana Vault in hand), but the fact it isn't usable to cast anything else other than Unesh and is single-use seems relevant. Especially if I were to include the Dramatic Scepter combo, because having Mox Opal in it's place can facilitate infinite blue mana (which in this deck, is basically tantamount to resolving Omniscience).

Anyway, apologies for the 64 questions. Look forward to hearing your take on all of this!

GHoag no worries, I appreciate the questions because it makes me revisit the deck with another perspective. I think You are probably right about Bloodline Pretender, generally. A niche situation where Amoeboid Changeling is better is if you know a deck that you are playing against has a specific type. But yeah that is very niche, and bloodline pretender will be better usually.

I have noticed that Burnished Hart/Myriad Landscape feels slow, I have enjoyed seeing either in my opener before. Perhaps I am hanging on to them too much and I should test branching out from them. Solemn Simulacrum feels a little bit better usually. Changleings are great for having cheap sphinxes for sure. I was pretty much out of MTG for all of Kaldheim so I didn't know about Mistwalker, but that one is definitely great to have. It's nice that it benefits from the full 2 mana cost reduction of Unesh, because usually the changelings only benefit from 1 mana cost reduction. The flying keyword and extra toughness on Mistwalker is just awesome.

Lotus Field could be a great sub for Myriad Landscape, as it benefits from all of the untap effects and isn't slow. HOWEVER if you are playing against single land destruction like Strip Mine (which is pretty common in cEDH), it will be a target. A little bit riskier, but it could really pay off.

Leyline of Anticipation, the effect is not particularly useful for creatures/artifacts. It can be great for playing Rite of Rep or thassa's oracle immediately after the other blue player taps out. But yeah these days I have noticed it mostly as a dead card and I want to play with that slot for sure. Something to be said about Vedalken Orrery here because it is easier to cast, and has synergy with Scholar of the Lost Trove. But it has its cons too, no pre-game effect and can't be pitched to force of will. I think the effect isn't worth how slow either card feels in your hand.

Jeweled Lotus is extremely powerful for Unesh. In your opening hand, it lets you play Unesh early. If you draw it later, it is still helpful for getting Unesh back on the board after removal. Unesh does card advantage really well. Using a card slot for Jeweled Lotus is has been extremely valuable every time, because getting Unesh on the board makes up for the card lost every time.

Well I definitely have some tinkering to do. Thank you for more of your perspective on the deck!

GHoag also worth metnioning: If Gauntlet of Power is out, 3 islands is better than Lotus Field.

Interesting takes.

Duly noted on Leyline: As mentioned, I cut it myself for basically the same reasons, so I won't bother with it.

Lotus Field seems strong for the untap reasons, but also having only one "comes into play tapped" phase as opposed to Myriad Landscape's two (both itself and the Islands it fetches), so I'll do some goldfishing with it, but I'm also currently running Back To Basics in my testing, so it could end up feeling bad.

As for Gauntlet, no worries: I cut it due to its high CMC and it's symmetrical mana boosting and buff effects. Caged Sun, while 1 more mana is one-sided, so it can stay, but I'd rather have Kefnet's Monument than it due to its lower mana cost, plus the fact that it's functionally a cross between Sapphire Medallion and Guardian Of Tazeem.

And I wouldn't be too harsh on Extraplanar Lens: I ran it in my old Razaketh deck forever and it was removed from time to time, but it was usually the wrong move on an opponent's part, because it's a facilitator, not a threat by itself, so the move usually ended up being their downfall in some way (even if I wasn't the one who did the winning), so I'm comfortable with it and would urge you not to give up on the card too quickly, as it can be a good lightning rod.

Last question for the time being: I'm considering adding in the Eligeth, Crossroads Augur + Curator Of Mysteries + Jace, Wielder Of Mysteries. Obviously the combo is more mana intensive than Thassa's Oracle options, but the individual pieces still contribute on their own merits without each other, too, I think. Have you tried this combo? If so, what are your opinions?

GHoag I have considered Curator of Mysteries and Eligeth, Crossroads Augur before. The conclusion I drew is on 2 fronts: 1) There are better options. Rather than having 3 cards that work well together, I play 3 cards that work well independantly of each other. Because these two cards both take up sphinx slots, I think there are better sphinxes to play that make a bigger difference as soon as they hit the board. S.O to all the Sphinx cards with an ETB ability. (Speaking of doing things right when they hit the board, Consecrated Sphinx feels kind of underwhelming in this deck. I would almost rather have a cheaper sphinx that I can play more easily. A lot of times he gets removed before he can benefit you. But when he does go off it can be insane, like when an opponent plays a wheel. Because of this I have been debating subbing him for someone else.)

2) The combo depends on limited hand size. But having unlimited handsize is great for this deck for holding answers, sphinxs for next turn, and a land for next turn. The combo with curator is pretty cool, but not maximum power I think. Might be worth to take out Thought Vessel and Reliquary tower in this case, which does free a couple of other slots.

I think I agree with your assessment of the Eligeth combo and will likely build accordingly: Have self-sufficient pieces is the bare minimum, I think, synergistic the dream.

Another card that I see potential in is Lithoform Engine, however. Its effects are expensive, its most usable being 2 colorless and tap it to get an additional Unesh trigger when casting a Sphinx if you don't have another Sphinx in hand to cast for two mana or less.

However, that said, the deck already plays Frantic Search and Narset's Reversal is a VERY usable/abusable card for general purposes, but when you combine the three, you can instantly loot your entire deck and Thassa's Oracle for the win. Plus, it's 4 mana ability can be pretty scary, particularly when it's used to copy Sphinx Of Uthuun or Scholar Of The Lost Trove or something else horrifying like that.

Thoughts?

GHoag ooooohh that is absolutely nasty and I love it. I never thought about that interaction before with Frantic Search and Narset's Reversal. And Narset's Reversal is a great card on it's own. You should absolutely make room for that card. There are a lot of things you could take out to make room. I nominate Cryptic Command to be replaced. I have been waffling on this card because it is slower, but sometimes the 'tap all an opponent's creatures' mode saves me from losing.

I am not particularly high on Lithoform Engine. It looks too slow at first glance. Caged Sun and Extraplanar Lens can also enable the combo and those have better general use cases. The combo also works with any card that untaps lands. On that front I have thought about slipping in a cheeky Palinchron every now and then.

Forgive my error, i know now that the combo doesn't work without lithoform engine putting narsets reversal back in your hand. I will have to give this deeper consideration. Narset’s reversal is indisputably a great card still.

Big revision coming this month!!

There a lot of deficiencies in this guide and I will be overhauling it soon. New cards, new descriptions, updated budget options, and some new pieces of wisdom for the game of Magic!

I know Lithoform seems inferior on the face, but there are other compelling reasons to include it, specifically Dramatic Reversal. If we include the Dramatic Scepter combo, we have another way to generate infinite mana (in this case, without Isochron Scepter). Which, again, is tantamount to resolving Omniscience in this deck. Again, I've got my eye to multi-layer combo redundancy, provided everything can pull its weight in situation normal.

So I saw you have Cryptic Command in the deck, but don't seem to like it. What makes it ineffective, in your experience? Is it the triple U in the casting cost? Would it be better replaced by say, An Offer You Can't Refuse (more economical counterspell) or Ensnare / Blustersquall ("free"/four CMC but only one U and still Instant speed "tap all of opponents' creatures" effect)?

GHoag, yes it is typically the large mana cost that makes it feel iffy. The tap all creatures mode is worth the cost though I think. An Offer You Can't Refuse is a good alternative. If I were to replace it I would personally choose Chain of Vapor. Chain of Vapor has some interesting uses. As well as spot removal, it can be used to save Unesh. Opponent is disinsentivized from bouncing your sphinx's. It can perform a similar function to Cryptic Command's tap all creatures mode, depending on the attack you are thwarting, and is mana-cheap.

Oof! Was hoping you wouldn't say something like that: Chain is a $200 card in OG foil.

GHoag yeah I know the foil is expensive, but its non foil isn't too bad. You might also be upset to hear that I am probably gonna sub in Gilded Drake for Imprisoned in the Moon. Expensive and non-foil and hurts my soul, but that's what I do for my love of Unesh.

BIG REVISION HERE

Here is all the big changes I've made to this list, and an explanation for each. Guide edits will come in a little bit!

• Replaced Burnished Hart with Mistwalker. Burnished Hart feels too slow, Mistwalker is a cheap sphinx that makes the deck go fast. Mistwalker is a nice addition because it benefits from the full 2 cmc reduction from Unesh. 1/3 and flying on Mistwalker makes it the best changeling when it comes to combat.
• Replaced Guardian of Tazeem with Aetherflux Reservoir. Aetherflux Reservoir is a new win condition in this deck. With all of the added changelings and ability to bounce changelings to your hand, it is easier than ever to play a lot of spells on your turn. In addition to being a 50 lifepoint cannon at instant speed, it is the only lifegain in the deck. It can make up for all the health you lost from Mana Crypt and Ancient Tomb. Guardian of Tazeem's effect is underwhelming most of the time. Having the other cheaper sphinxes there is still 20% sphinx, and are easier to play.
• Replaced Leyline of Anticipation with Narset's Reversal. Leyline's effect is honestly underwhelming at 4 CMC. It's great if it starts in your opening hand, but it is Force of Will fodder otherwise. Debatably it is worth for synergy with Sphinx of the Second Sun, but adding emergence zone (description below) gives you a cheaper Leyline effect at the cost of it only being one turn. One turn with the effect is all you need to win the game though, or to get very far ahead with Sphinx of the Second Sun. Narset's Reversal is a great card because it can be great in a counterspell war, but it can also be used to augment your other cards such as Frantic Search or High Tide or Ghostly Flicker. I love Narset's Reversal because it is great on it's own, but also sees some great synergy.
• Replaced Myriad Landscape with Emergence Zone. Myriad landscape is noticably too slow, similar to burnished hart. The utility from Emergence Zone can be outstanding. Emergence Zone is a more easily accessible Leyline of Anticipation essentially. It is less mana to use at the price of using it for only a turn. Presumably the turn that you would use it you would also win the game, so you don't need it more than once anyway.
• Replaced Treachery with Cloudstone Curio. Treachery is a clunky card that rarely resolves. If the mana doesn't untap after this card is played, it feels very bad. Cloudstone Curio is an engine in this deck. It really keeps the BFOF's coming. Playing this card with Universal Automaton on the field means you get to double all of your BFOF's that you play. Additionally, it works particualrly well with the newly added Aetherflux Reservoir.
• Replaced Long-Term Plans with Chain of Vapor. If you are playing the deck right you are seeing enough of your deck to get your game winning cards without using long term plans. Long term plans also scuffs one of your BFOF's because your opponent knows which card it is. Chain of vapor has many uses. As well as being spot removal, it can be used to protect Unesh, and to return other cheap sphinxes to your hand to be played again which grants additional synergy with the Aetherflux Reservoir win condition.
• Replaced Sphinx of Uthuun with Sakashima of a Thousand Faces. Sphinx of Uthuun is expensive for what it does. It will normally be chaper to play Sakashima, and it becomes a second Unesh which doubles all of your BFOFs rather than getting you an extra regular FOF. Having a second Unesh on the field also grants you protection from spot removal targetting only one Unesh.
• Replaced Riddlemaster Sphinx with Bloodline Pretender. Riddlemaster Sphinx's ETB isn't as good as the others (Enigma Thief and Dream Eater). Bouncing one creature isn't super great because your sphinxes already have combat superiority most of the time. It feels expensive for what it does, which means it is too slow. Another cheap sphinx in this slot speeds up the deck, and provides extra synergy with the other added cards.
• Replaced Island with Lotus Field. I want to try this out. I am skeptical that it is actually better than an Island, but we will see! Let me know what you think here.
• Replaced Island with Sea Gate Restoration  ^Flip. Becasue why not really? Worst case scenario, you pay 3 life to have it enter as an untapped island. Having it your hand later game can get you a lot of cards in a pinch.
• Replaced Imprisoned in the Moon with Gilded Drake. Gilded drake is 1 mana cheaper. It not only takes your opponents creature away from them, it also gives it to you, at the cost of them having a 3/3 flyer. In cEDH this trade is insanely good for you. Imprisoned in the moon can be removed to return the creature back to their side. Nothing happens when Gilded Drake dies. He can also be easily blocked by one of your sphinxes, which means it might be chip damage to a different opponent. To me Gilded Drake is a no brainer here.

Revised the guide to be:

• More relevant
• Up to Date
• More information! Notably the alternative strategies section.

GOOD NEWS

With the release of commander masters, Sapphire Medallion and Fierce Guardianship finally have foil reprints! ($.$)

Replaced Lotus Field with Prismatic Vista. Too much anti synergy for me to use lotus field I think. What I love about vista is that it helps me to thin the deck. When you are trying to reach the bottom of your deck, every card counts!

Also replaced one island with Misty Rainforest. Idk how far deep I want to go down the deck thinning hole, but I feel like 2 deck thinning lands is a good start. More testing needed to see if I use more, or stick with 2.

First of all, I really like these changes!

That said, I question Solemn Simulacrum's place in the deck. I feel like it's overcosted for a ramping one land most of the time and not triggering Unesh's FoF ability. I feel like it should either be Metallic Mimic (which is half the CMC, buffs all other Sphinxes and trigger Unesh's ability) or some more mana rocks like Mox Opal or even Basalt Monolith, to help our chances of casting an earlier Unesh.

Cryptic Command's high mana value also has me wondering if it would be better off as a lower-costed counter spell, specifically An Offer You Can't Refuse or, alternatively, Unsubstantiate, which can be used as a pseudo counter spell in a pinch, but can also be used to bounce Unesh to save him or abuse other triggers like Scholar Of The Lost Trove. However, I could be totally wrong about this and if you tell me that it's other modes aside from countering have earned it its place in the deck, I'll believe you.

I initially loved the idea of Sea Gate Restoration, however, once I started goldfishing with it, I noticed almost immediately that drawing it when High Tide was my line to ramp into Unesh felt awful, as it's not an Island. Upon realizing this, I considered its secondary usage and I realized that at it's high mana cost, unless we already have no maximum hand size, the most we can draw is 7 cards, which, at 7 mana, means that we can actually dig much deeper into our deck by just casting Sphinxes, instead for example, if we're holding say, Vexing Sphinx, we cast it, FoF 4, find Metallic Mimic, cast it, name Sphinx on resolution, FoF 4, find Shapesharer, cast it, FoF 4, well, we've already dug through 12 cards instead of 7 and bolstered out defense and ability to attack next turn. I haven't actually tried the card in practice (I only have the deck partially built) but it may be good food for thought.

Finally, I like the fetchlands addition! I can think of a couple of obvious scenarios where they're a drawback, but they have a lot of upside, so this definitely warrants some playtesting. Please keep me posted on how it goes and your thoughts on my suggestions!

GHoag, thank you very much for the compliment! A lot of time and effort went in to considering these changes. Also, thank you for your perspective, it is incredibly useful to talk through decisions more thoroughly.

I agree on Solemn Simulacrum. I think it is a pet card of mine that I need to let go of. I would much prefer to have faster ramp in this slot. 4 cmc feels like such a high cost every time. I'll have to do some math when considering Mox Opal. I am not sure how frequently it will be online in the early game, obviously it is still great in mid/late game though. I like the idea of throwing Metallic Mimic back in because of the low CMC. It helps with the beat down plan, and helps with getting more FoF's.

I am also still considering Cryptic Command as a possible cut. I think it's actually good because of the different modes, even at 4 cmc. It is a very versatile card. Unsubstantiate is an intersting proposal. In that vein we can also consider the 1 cmc Unsummon. I am hesitant on An Offer You Can't Refuse, because allowing another cEDH deck 2 more mana could be a big swing in their favor.

I think you might be right about Sea Gate Restoration  ^Flip. Having actual islands is important to the deck. I can understand why shutting off High Tide in the early game could be the difference between winning and losing. You can actually draw more than 7 without max hand size. My thoughts were if you hit that card during a big chain of sphinxes, you could draw many many cards. But at 7 CMC I think you definitely want to doing something else. Reward is not worth the risk here. The other thought I had, if it is in your discard when you cast Scholar of the Lost Trove, you could get great value by casting it for free. Then again, I think casting the artifacts/instants from your graveyard for free is more valuable. I'll likely put an Island back in this slot.

For the fetches, the main positive is deck thinning. My thought is, the biggest negative is that it makes all of your Islands more valuable during FoF's. If you make your islands TOO valuable, your opponent could starve you of lands on your FoF's. I might be overevaulating this threat right now, but I am not sure. I definitely need to play test this more.