This deck is an attempt at making a competitive Vraska the Unseen deck in standard. It is filled with removal and a few tricks to let her assassins go through. Here is a deck breakdown:
Vraska the Unseen - the deck's primary win condition. If she can be kept alive long enough to fire off her ultimate, it will more than likely win you the game in this deck. There are numerous ways to protect the assassins and make sure that they cannot be blocked. Of course, she is a planeswalker and one that hits grows fast once she hits the board, so she will attract lots of hate. Often times she will only be able to act as a removal spell (or if you are lucky, two).
Reaper of the Wilds - the alternate win condition for the deck. This creature is way above the curve for four mana and can also help search for Vraska or any removal that you may need. It is just an all around great finisher and utility creature.
Mogis's Marauder - one of the ways to push through an assassin or two ftw. Casting him after shooting off Vraska's ultimate will usually win the game then and there, using his ability to give one or more of the assassins intimidate.
Sylvan Caryatid - provises mana fixing, acceleration, and early game blocking on a hard to kill body. What's not to love?
Shadow Alley Denizen - a great one drop that can help push an assassin through your opponent's line.
Ranger's Guile
- another way to protect an assassin as he is swinging, basically a counterspell to targeted removal as well, which is nice.
Rogue's Passage - the most unconditional way to push through an assassin. Provides for some surety in your assassin attack.
Abrupt Decay - good early game kill spell that can take down a number of bothersome creatures, as well as tokens and (surprise) the fearsome Mistcutter Hydra late game.
Gaze of Granite - powerful selective board sweeper. Be careful when casting it, as you don't want to kill off your assassins.
Hero's Downfall - great removal spell for most threats your opponents can come up with.
Putrefy - awesome kill spell, also it can deal with those powerful god's artifacts that have been causing a stir lately.
Encroaching Wastes
- helps to mana screw the mana screwed opponent. For the rare occasions that it happens.
Thoughtsieze
- excellent disruption, can be used as a kill spell or a preemptive counterspell and really helps out with keeping Vraska and co. alive long enough to win.
Read the Bones - helps dig through the deck to find Vraska, a reaper of the wild, or whatever else you need.
Sideboard:
Alpha Authority - more protection for the assassins.
Duress - disruption, functions similarly to
Thoughtsieze
Fade into Antiquity
- tech to deal with the God creatures, mostly.
Grisly Salvage - part of a draw engine with
Treasured Find
. I put this in to screw with the control opponent by taking out creatures so they cannot remove anything.
Treasured Find
- useful for recurring removal, recovering a dead Vraska or Reaper, as well as being a part of a sort of draw engine with Grisly Salvage.
The deck performs pretty well against midrange and some aggro decks, but it can struggle with control and really fast aggro decks. I definitely need help working out the kinks and fixing the sideboard, so any advice or +1's (if you think I deserve it) are greatly appreciated.
