Solving Mirrorwing
Standard Deck Help forum
Posted on Sept. 21, 2016, 8:57 p.m. by clayperce
Do you have ideas on how to make Zada, Hedron Grinder or Mirrorwing Dragon shine in Standard? If so, you're in the right place, and I'd LOVE to see and talk about your deck!
Archetypes that need optimization ...
- Artifacts: Abuse Investigate effects and Artifacts-matter cards
- Blink: Abuse Blink effects and ETB Creatures
- Counters: Abuse +1/+1 Counter effects and Counters-matter cards
- Energy: Abuse Energy counters and Energy-matters cards
- Prowess: Make a good deck even better with Zada/Mirrorwing
- Tokens: Abuse Token-makers like Silverfur Partisan, Strength of Arms and Make Mischief
- Something else entirely?
Please don't hesitate to post your deck in large format (it makes it easier to find the decks). Here's the syntax ... just copy-and-paste, replacing the "mirrorwing-energy-kld" part with the "slug name" from your deck's URL:
[[deck-large:mirrorwing-energy-kld]]
Also, no worries if you just want to lurk. Please just click the Subscribe button here or underneath the Comment window. Thanks!
Finally, here are all the (known) cards in Standard that play nice with Zada, Hedron Grinder and Mirrorwing Dragon:
Fun cards for Zada and Mirrorwing
Standard*
SCORE: 1 | 103 VIEWS | IN 2 FOLDERS
Rabid_Wombat says... #2
Sorry you got burned- some haters out there in the scene today :(
September 26, 2016 8:57 p.m.
in the pre release, i found Nissa, Vital Force to be hands down the most useful planeswalker, she won me 2 games whereas chandra won me 1, and thats cuz chandra ulted. thats why im planning on swapping chandra for nissa in my gruul standard deck
September 26, 2016 9:30 p.m.
Nosoup4ne1 is pretty much on point with the description of how Fateful Showdown is a win con. The idea is to use MD's ability to copy Expedite or other spells, pick up a big, over sized hand and hit the opponent for 10 or more damage. Ideally Reckless Fireweaver would have already done some of the work to make it a lethal shot.
It is slower than the energy builds, but it does get to run Declaration in Stone and could fit in some burn to help it last into the later game.
Chandra, Torch of Defiance is pretty awesome with MD, but I think adding more spot removal and planning on a turn 6-8 win is more reliable than adding mana creatures. Trying to ramp up via creatures in the current format sounds like it will end in tragedy. There is just too much good spot removal being played.
September 27, 2016 8:22 a.m.
Rabid_Wombat says... #5
September 27, 2016 6:51 p.m.
So I (finally) pulled together a list of cards that play well with Zada and Mirrorwing.
Some are extremely niche (e.g., I can't think of any reason to use the Pingers, except with Silverfur Partisan), but I found a bunch of gems I had never even thought of before, like ...
- Dazzling Reflection: Life-gain? Who knew?
- Die Young: Energy counters!
- Lithomancer's Focus: Superb against Eldrazi and Vehicle bombs
- Saheeli's Artistry: Mode 2 = Wow!
- Strength of Arms: Go wide with 1/1 Human Soldiers
Please let me know of any I missed!
Fun cards for Zada and Mirrorwing
Standard*
1 VIEW
September 28, 2016 1:32 a.m.
clayperce I don't want to big note myself, but I believe my deck Zada and Mirrorwing's +1/+1 Counters strategy meets this condition in the description: Something else entirely?
September 28, 2016 1:39 a.m. Edited.
Argeaux
Good call. I'm not sure you were the first-ever, but you were certainly the first person I've ever seen build a Zada/Mirrorwing +1/+1 Counter deck.
I think I need to edit and add a bunch more archetypes to the OP!
September 28, 2016 2:11 a.m. Edited.
Ok, here's another shot. This one tries to abuse Strength of Arms and Make Mischief in a Token build.
The deck is a million miles from optimal (e.g., there's no Removal, plus Make Mischief feels kind of slow and out of place) but I wanted to get it out there in case any of y'all wanted to explore the archetype.
Zada Tokens
Standard*
1 VIEW
September 29, 2016 2:48 a.m.
Rabid_Wombat,
Going way back to Post #48 ... Ooh, Hedron Crawler could be really good in an Artifact build; thanks much!
All,
Some other options for "ramping" Mirrorwing out earlier ...
- Eldritch Evolution: Vandyel uses that approach to great effect.
- Cryptolith Rite: I ran it with Zada for most of SOI Standard.
- The various mana dorks, especially Ulvenwald Captive Flip and Conduit of Storms in a Wolf token build, Deathcap Cultivator in a Human token build, and Servant of the Conduit in an Energy build.
- 1/1 Eldrazi Scion generators
- Vessel of Volatility, maybe?
Am I missing any?
October 4, 2016 9:29 p.m. Edited.
Rabid_Wombat says... #11
clayperce yes, artifact builds are everywhere :)
Corrupted Grafstone could be added to the ramp list...maybe too risky lol
October 5, 2016 1:22 a.m.
I actually found Chandra, Torch of Defiance can make for an interesting ramp into Mirrorwing. Assuming no other many ramp has happened, Chanrda hits turn 4. Turn 5 she gives you RR and even if you missed the land drop on turn 5, you can drop Mirrorwing with 1 mana left open for an instant to target him.
October 5, 2016 9:55 a.m.
Vandyel,
Oh my. Not sure how I didn't think of Chandra, but that's yet another reason to love the card!
October 5, 2016 11:25 a.m.
Here's a budget attempt to solve this conundrum Izzet OTK Aggro. I have no idea what to side-board due to a lack of play testing this exact copy of the deck. I figured Curious Homunculus Flip would've been an auto include in a deck intended to get extra value out of cheap spells. I don't think focusing on energy is that viable for this strategy since Mirrorwing and Zada depend on a slower value style of play while energy seems to be mostly about tempo (unless you're playing B/R).
October 6, 2016 3:31 p.m.
Fantastic_Mr_King says... #16
This is my take on Mirrorwing. Basically I just want to give my creatures trample and doublestrike and attack for a lot.
Mirrorwing Red! (Say That Three Times Fast!)
Standard
SCORE: 3 | 5 COMMENTS | 582 VIEWS
October 7, 2016 9:29 a.m.
_Kro, are we trying to Reanimate Mirrorwing Dragon? (Obvious bad pun is obvious).
November 23, 2016 5:10 p.m.
Nosoup4ne1 says... #20
Hmm, that does bring up an interesting play. If Mirrorwing Dragon is in the GY and becomes the target of a spell that would bring it back to the battlefield, does it also copy to each targetable creature in the GY. If a creature is in the GY, and can be targeted by a spell, would its triggered abilities still trigger?So, Mirrorwing Dragon in GY targeted by Fearsome Awakening.
November 23, 2016 6:15 p.m.
Nosoup4ne1,
Unfortunately, that wouldn't work. :-(
Fearsome Awakening can certainly target the Mirrorwing Dragon card, but Mirrorwing would not trigger because neither it nor any of the other Creature cards in the Graveyard are actually Creatures until they ETB.
November 23, 2016 6:33 p.m. Edited.
In case y'all didn't see it: A Zada-Mirrorwing deck was selected as Deck of the Day in yesterday's Daily Magic Update!
Blake Rasmussen's Zada and the Wolves
Standard
1 VIEW
December 7, 2016 10:02 a.m.
All,
I'm working on an AER update to Fun cards for Zada and Mirrorwing and will have it up "soon".
In the meantime though, Lifecrafter's Gift seems REALLY good with Zada/Mirrorwing.
Say the board has three creatures and Zada, one will gets +4/+4, one gets +3/+3, one gets +2/+2, and Zada gets +1/1. Here's the interaction (PLEASE correct me if I have this wrong!):
- Cast Gift, targeting Zada.
- As with Confront the Unknown, the copies are put onto the stack in whatever order you want, with the original spell (targeting Zada) on the bottom.
- 1st copy puts a +1/+1 counter on Creature 1.
- 2nd copy puts a +1/+1 on Creatures 2 and 1.
- 3rd copy puts a +1/+1 counter on Creatures 3, 2, and 1.
- Original spell puts a +1/+1 counter on Zada and Creatures 3, 2, and 1.
January 6, 2017 11:54 a.m. Edited.
All,
I think I got all the new cards (there were only 11):
White Show
Blue Show
Black Show
Red Show
Green Show
IMO, Renegade's Getaway (make the team Indestructible + get a swarm of Servos, in Black) and Lifecrafter's Gift (a ton of +1/+1 counters for the team, in Green) look most promising ...
Fun cards for Zada and Mirrorwing
Standard*
SCORE: 1 | 124 VIEWS | IN 3 FOLDERS
January 6, 2017 12:53 p.m. Edited.
Nosoup4ne1 says... #27
Nice work Clay! Highspire Infusion could have a place in an energy themed deck.
January 6, 2017 1:41 p.m.
All,
Turns out Lifecrafter's Gift is more powerful than I thought, because the "target creature will receive a second +1/+1 counter" (source).
So in the example of Zada plus three Creatures, one gets 5 +1/+1 counters, one gets 4, one gets 3, and Zada gets 2:
- Cast Gift, targeting Zada.
- The copies are put onto the stack in whatever order you want, with the original spell (targeting Zada) on the bottom.
- 1st copy puts a +1/+1 counter on Creature 1, then a +1/1 counter on Creature 1.
- 2nd copy puts a +1/+1 counter on Creature 2, then +1/+1 counters on Creatures 2 and 1.
- 3rd copy puts a +1/+1 counter on Creature 3, then +1/+1 counters on Creatures 3 2, and 1.
- Original spell puts a +1/+1 counter on Zada, then +1/+1 counters on Zada, and Creatures 3, 2, and 1.
Happy brewing!
January 6, 2017 4:59 p.m.
Kari Zev's Expertise could get so wildly out of hand if you just pulled a good cantrip combo off. Along side Cryptolith Rite and Wrangle you could have a powerful mana production combo.
January 11, 2017 11:05 a.m.
This makes me so happy.
+1/+1 Counters seem to be a good solution.
Has anyone actually played any these decks at tournament? I'd be interested to know if they can be successful.
January 11, 2017 8:58 p.m.
I've put together a new build that uses Kari Zev's Expertise, Cryptolith Rite and Wrangle to create a super johnny combo, go wide, win condition.
Silverfur Expertise
Standard*
1 VIEW
January 12, 2017 11:04 a.m.
UndeadZombie22 says... #32
This is a build I had left over from the SOI/EMN block. I put some KLD in the sideboard, but I'm not sure what to add in the main deck that could replace the current cards.
Temur Zadawing Combo
Standard*
34 VIEWS
Athraithe says... #1
I ripped 3 chandra's as well as a nissa and a dovin for a promo... one of my chandra's got stolen :/
September 26, 2016 8:49 p.m.