Aminatou, the Fateshifter - The 8-year-old Planeswalker
Posted: Sat Sep 21, 2019 6:46 am
Pronounced Ah-mee-NAH-too, this Esper colored planeswalker is the face of the "Subjective Reality" deck for Commander 2018.
I have to admit that the thing that drew me to this card the most, was the art of Seb McKinnon. Seb's ability to portray both creepiness and beauty in the same frame, has made me a fan for the past year now.
Actually if you're interested in his work, the youtube channel Rhystic Studies has done an in depth breakdown of his style and creations in the video in the spoiler, I highly recommend it.
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If you can pull from history, the three mana planeswalkers have always ended up being better than their first evaluations.
Now this is true for dueling, early lock and value planeswalkers have a way of taking over a game. But from experience, playing planeswalkers in multiplayer commander does not have the same grip.
I can also tell you that the difference between going first and last in multiplayer, has a huge impact when you are looking to get value from a commander planeswalker. If you're going last, it is really hard to get ahead.
I'm just giving you insight into the pros and cons of planeswalker commanders. But there are a lot of pros, and lets look at them.
+1: Draw a card, then put a card from your hand on top of your library.
Her +1 is a very mini Brainstorm type effect. But it's immediately obvious that you're not getting through your library in an effective way on her own. Just replacing one card in hand, to get one card deeper. Even if you did this every turn, you'd only be one card deeper into your deck for the entire game.
This is where shuffle effects and cards from library that go to hand can help to make her +1 more effect over the course of a game.
This ability is only really filtering cards in a manner so that we can massage our hand to better suit the game state, setting up for some sort of answers or combos. Or just managing your land drops better for mana screw or flooding.
There are plenty of shuffle effects with searching through library for cards, whether that be fetch lands, generic tutors, or even specific card type tutors. I've gone out of my way to include a lot of these, so this deck will only be interesting if you're a fan of tutors, or understand the necessary "evil".
-1: Exile another target permanent you own, then return it to the battlefield under your control.
Her -1 is like a mini Brago, King Eternal for a single card each turn. It must be noted that a lot of cards that have "exile and return to battlefield", usually have a delayed "return at end of turn". With Aminatou the exiled card comes back into play immediately, and this is where the she really shines as a combo commander.
This ability is actually where we start to get to the guts of what makes her tick. With "enter the battlefield" effects we can look to get early value from her to push ahead.
There are a number of permanents in creatures and enchantments that get card draw, search for other cards, graveyard use, and even stealing, when they enter the battlefield.
-6: Choose left or right. Each player gains control of all nonland permanents other than Aminatou, the Fateshifter controlled by the next player in the chosen direction.
Her -6 ultimate is very unique and at first feels like a chaos effect, that you're more likely to find in red. However it is controlled action, you dictate where cards are going, and "exchanging cards" typically happens in blue.
I've already mentioned Brago, King Eternal and it's important to get options into perspective, and thus helps you break down more effectively what you're really trying to get out of a commander that you might not already be able to get elsewhere, right?
They are clearly different, but when it comes to "entering the battlefield" effects in white and blue, Brago has been the go to guy in the past. His ability to create an engine where you get to blink multiple cards a turn is..well..all hail the King.
Where do you make the distinction to play Aminatou over say Brago? Well first of all Brago is a creature and Aminatou is a planeswalker. So here is the first clue to where you might want to skew the deck in a direction. Hint, mass creature removal might play to your advantage.
She also puts you into black. This could just be a color preference, but it does give you access to a whole suite of cards and themes.
Brago costs 4 mana and requires another full turn to potentially get value because he needs to attack (and connect). Aminatou costs 3 mana and you can get value the same turn she is played. So we do have this early game edge of being a full two turns quicker than Brago. Even Aminatou on her own, can blink a land, so that you are always a mana ahead on curve at the very least, and in competitive early turns this can be more of an advantage than you'd first imagine. Being able to blink lands is a very important aspect of getting infinite mana with Aminatou. Brago specifically has to target 'non-land'.
It's the ability to get a lot of infinite's off her, that I will show you in the strategy sections, where the real differences are over Brago, where he can only do once off effects during combat. This is where she shines as a true combo commander and has the ability to win games on the spot.
Planeswalker commanders certainly have their own unique style of play. It's not always the easiest to keep them in play during the game.
You might like Aminatou if
- You like a commander with many different abilities and modes.
- You like ETB value from different permanent types.
- You like infinite combos.
- You like being a control player.
You might dislike Aminatou if
- You don't like the potential fragile nature of planeswalkers.
- You don't like intricate sequences.
- You dislike relying on combos for winning.
- You have Mottephobia.
When Commander 2018 was spoiled I was one of the first people to brew around Animanou and share my theory-crafting in this thread, with my initial list generally planeswalker focused.
Through further brainstorming it became apparent that there were also nice synergies with reanimation as well.
I originally had two separate deck lists, a "Superfriends" and "Reanimation". But as time went on, the Reanimation list differences became less and less, as I personally found it hard not to play some of my favorite interactions within the Superfriends version.
For a long time I merged these themes into a single deck. I wanted to present just one deck list for clarity, so that it's quicker and easier for readers to follow this primer. "Less is more" and "simplicity is the key", are clichés, but actually really does help when it comes to presenting information in a manner that is more engaging. Therefore I have reverted the primer back to purely a Superfriends list.
I will also make a disclaimer that this primer and it's deck list is heavily dedicated to showing card interactions and combos, rather than trying to be "the best deck possible". In this way it's more of a resource to help you figure out what is possible with Aminatou. As such it's not specifically aimed at cEDH game play, as fast mana and cheap interaction is required for faster game play. There are Esper staples that could be added to this list, but I've felt the need to keep the content more focused on interactions, rather than individually good cards in commander.
Aminatou, the Fateshifter, the 8-year-old Planeswalker - Superfriends
Approximate Total Cost:
Starting Hands and Mulligans
There are only 34 lands in the deck, so realistically your mulligan decisions are going to be around making sure that you have some lands to play out over the first couple of turns.
The nice thing about Aminatou, is that you can use her +1 ability to put back more expensive cards, and hope to shuffle them away. This can help to smooth out draws more.
It is nice to have some early form of ETB effects, so that you can look use Aminatou -1 on them for value, but realistically you can't specifically mulligan to get these.
Early game
Straight away you'll have a couple of potential different modes, depending on what you have.
The question to you ask yourself is "if I cast Aminatou, can I protect her?". This dictates much of your early play. Committing some creatures to the board to block incoming attacks might be what you've been dealt, so makes the most sense.
Sometimes you just get to play out Aminatou on the third turn and opponents are busy trying to ramp, etc, to play creatures to pressure you. This is great as you get to use the value of Aminatou every turn.
However often you'll see the board play out early with opponents own creatures and your ability to defend Aminatou are going to seem unlikely.
This is where you can play a more patient game and wait till opponents have committed a lot to the board and then use mass creature removal in the form of Damn, Toxic Deluge, Supreme Verdict, Terminus, Out of Time. The deck does have a lot of tutors to get these, so it's not often that you'll be just simply hoping to draw one, most of the time you'll have the means to do this in the manner you want.
Mid game
There are a lot of different combos in this deck, so at this stage of the game you might have drawn some of the pieces.
This will give you a direction to aim for. It might be that you have a tutor and another card that combine together, so makes sense to try and setup for that.
There is a situation where you've been able to play out Aminatou early and build her up to the ultimate -6 ability.
It's interesting because often people will stop playing out cards once they think that you are probably going to get within that range. This just makes it more likely to get to 6 loyalty, as there is even less pressure on her.
It's all going to come down to opponents as well as your own board, but you can really plan a game around it. Remember you can then start using her -1 ability to exile the cards your opponents got from you, to return them to play under your control.
Late game
This deck has plenty of late game play, in fact it's really fun if you get to this stage and might have used control elements like counterspells and mass removal to keep the game "civilized".
You have a plethora of value plays within planeswalkers and you should be much more equipped with mana to play out some of the more powerful interactions, as casting multiple spells a turn really helps with combos.
Well one really effective use out of using Aminatou is using her -1 on other planeswalkers to get further activation's out of them. You can potentially use their more powerful minus abilities, that would put them on low loyalty, but once they are blinked out will come back on starting loyalty, giving you more scope to keep their loyalty healthier.
I can't say this is outright a "Superfriends" deck, but there are enough of them to be a theme..and I'll just get to the really juicy part of this deck, and that is really how the deck functions with either Oath of Teferi, The Chain Veil or Urza Assembles the Titans in play.
Oath of Teferi, The Chain Veil and Urza Assembles the Titans
The reason is that with Aminatou ability to blink out planeswalkers, you can in fact get up to 6 activation's in a single turn with one of these multiverse travelers.
Because you can use Aminatou -1 twice with one of these cards in play, the planeswalkers will come back each time as a new version, allowing you to use their abilities twice again. That's 3 sets of using their abilities twice.
The Chain Veil is a little more special in that you can actually keep stacking up activation's, so each time they come back into play you can activate abilities as many times more as you've activated The Chain Veil that turn.
You activate The Chain Veil, then use Aminatou -1 on the The Chain Veil and activate it again.
Then you can activate a planeswalker three times. Aminatou -1 can blink out the planeswalker twice, so you can get nine activation's on a single walker.
*I do a breakdown of the planeswalker ultimate's in another section, you can click here for details.
Aminatou + Felidar Guardian + (Oath of Teferi/The Chain Veil/Urza Assembles the Titans) Infinite Combo
Felidar Guardian can go infinite by targeting Aminatou with the exile trigger ability, and then Aminatou targeting the Cat with her -1
But this doesn't actually do anything on it's own other than give you infinite ETB triggers.
However if you have Oath of Teferi or The Chain Veil then you get to activate Aminatou twice, allowing you to target something else as well. At the very least you can get infinite mana, by just targeting a land, but if you have any other value card, then it'll allow you to do this as many times as you want.
With infinite mana you can get infinite The Chain Veil activation's as well, so you can in fact ultimate Aminatou and then also get all your permanents back with her -1. The interesting thing here is that you can actually pick any player at the table, even if it's a six player game for example, as you can keep ultimating her, so that you keep shifting around to you get the permanents of the player that you want, not just the person to left or right.
Unfortunately without any other card to help shuffle your library Aminatou +1 will not allow you to get any further, even with infinite. I do a run down on win conditions further down to give you examples of others cards you want.
Aminatou + Spark Double + Oath of Teferi/The Chain Veil/Urza Assembles the Titans Infinite Combo
Spark Double allows you to copy any planeswalker and not die due to the legendary rule, so it's literally the first card to actually let you have two versions of a planeswalker in play at the same time.
If you make another copy of Aminatou, then you can target each other with the -1 to reset them. However obviously unless you have a card like Altar of the Brood to make use of infinite blinking you need either Oath of Teferi or The Chain Veil to get additional activation's from her.
At the very least you'll be able to get infinite mana by just targeting a land. I do a run down on win conditions just below to give you examples of others cards you want.
There are a number of ways in the deck to setup getting infinite Aminatou activation's, so it's important to identify what cards can actually help to win once we have this setup.
Because you will be able to have infinite Aminatou +1 activation's you'll be able to constantly draw the top of your library (to put a card back from hand). This means that any shuffle effects will allow you to get re-looks for actual win conditions.
Enter the Battlefield triggers or activation's;
- If you have permanent search your library card like Trinket Mage, Spellseeker, then you can filter through your deck, as you can put the card you searched for back on top of library with Aminatou +1. You'll then reshuffle with the ETB effect again and eventually the Aminatou +1 will find you the card(s) you want.
- Sun Titan and a fetch land will allow you to keep getting additional lands into play, but more importantly will keep shuffling your library to get further looks at the top of your library.
- You can draw as much of your deck as you want with Baleful Strix, Wall of Omens.
- Oath of Gideon will give you infinite 1/1 tokens.
- Teferi, Time Raveler, Narset, Parter of Veils, Teferi, Master of Time, Teferi, Hero of Dominaria, Teferi, Temporal Archmage will allow you to draw as many cards as you need to win.
- Tezzeret the Seeker can get Baleful Strix or Sensei's Divining Top.
- Narset Transcendent will draw your deck as long as you have a noncreature, nonland card to put on top with Aminatou.
- The way that I normally kill opponents is with Kaya, Ghost Assassin -1 so that I can drain the table for their life totals.
- Ashiok, Dream Render can exile all the cards from your opponents' libraries.
- Thalia's Lancers will allow you to get those planeswalkers.
- Emeria Shepherd can potentially bring back all your permanents from graveyard if you Aminatou -1 a Plains each time.
- Urza Assembles the Titans can get all your planeswalkers and even allow you to put them into play if you don't already have infinite mana.
Planeswalker Ultimate's
I've been careful to select planeswalker to some degree on whether they have powerful "ultimates", that is building up their loyality to some big effect such as an emblem which fits with the rest of the decks theme.
You can look to protect them over multiple turns to get them up to these high loyalty values, but there are also some cards that you can look to "cheat" them so that you can activate them potential in the same turn (or at least fewer turns).
Deepglow Skate has the advantage of getting double value in the turn it's played with Aminatou. Let's say you have her on [4] loyalty, then you cast Deepglow Skate bringing her up to 8, then -1 blink the Deepglow Skate to get her up to [14] loyalty.
Deepglow Skate also allows you get your other planeswalkers into ultimate range the turn they come into play, even if you already have it on the battlefield, as you can blink Deepglow Skate with Aminatou.
The general idea with Resourceful Defense is that you Aminatou blinking a planeswalker and then you get to put that amount of loyalty counters on any permanent. You could put them on Aminatou to build her up, but if you're worried about her being removed (still lots of creatures on board) then you can just put them onto say a land, which normally there is less removal for.
Then on a subsequent turn you can Aminatou blink that land and then put the loyalty counters onto a planeswalker to ultimate straight away.
If you have two other planeswalkers in play then when you Aminatou -1 one you can then put those directly onto the other, almost certainly guaranteed to get them to ultimate loyality.
It also comes with the added bonus that if opponents use removal on your planeswalkers and they still have counters on them then you can put them onto say a land, so that later you can get them with Aminatou -1 at a later stage.
You can of course also use the ability to move counters as well if Aminatou is not available.
Aminatou's Ultimate
This is the one that looks really cool. But let's not sugar coat it, getting up to 6 loyalty is no easy feat. It is a potential 3 rounds worth of opponents turns avoiding removal/attacks, and it's not something they'll take lightly. Nobody likes to lose their cards, especially their commanders.
-6: Choose left or right. Each player gains control of all nonland permanents other than Aminatou, the Fateshifter controlled by the next player in the chosen direction.
I feel it's important to be realistic about this one, and just take it if it comes, but don't look to make this your win condition or sole focus.
There are a few tricks if you get to ultimate. Teferi's Protection will allow you to phase out all your permanents, so that you can grab somebodies non-land permanents, while also sending everybody else game plans into disarray.
Cyclonic Rift also works as you can get your cards back, but be left with one of your opponents boards.
You can use Parallax Wave to exile your best creatures, and you'll get them all back in the upkeep of the player you exchanged with.
The honest answer is that you're never going to know what the effect of the ultimate is going to be, and this should be part of the fun of playing Aminatou. Every game will play out quite differently. What's your board like? Are your left and right opponents giving you anything of value?
There could be a real element that people are reluctant to play out cards for fear of walking into the ultimate. A self prophesying event as the creatures that they should be playing to put pressure on her, are instead held back for fear of being taken.
It must be noted that Aminatou -1 does allow you to target "cards you own", so if you did hand over your permanents, you can look to get them back with her -1.
Heart of Kiran removing loyalty counters
Another interaction that you might not have thought about with planeswalker commanders, is using Heart of Kiran ability to crew by removing loyalty counters, as actually a method of sending them to the commander zone, to recast them get further use out of them in a particular turn. With infinite mana, it means that you can get infinite uses out of them.
Aminatou + Heart of Kiran + (Oath of Teferi/Urza Assembles the Titans)
+ (Teferi, Temporal Archmage / Tezzeret the Seeker)
+ (Teferi, Temporal Archmage / Tezzeret the Seeker)
With mana producing planeswalkers, like Teferi, Temporal Archmage and Tezzeret the Seeker, you can actually use Heart of Kiran ability to send Aminatou to the commander zone much to your advantage.
I already mentioned that you could get 24 mana off just lands with Oath of Teferi and Teferi, Temporal Archmage. If you use Heart of Kiran to "kill" and recast Aminatou, each time you can get 16 mana, but obviously have to cast Aminatou with the additional commander tax.
The math is (16-5)+(16-7)+(16-9)+(16-11)+(16-13)+(16-15)=36. So if you're willing to risk your commander tax, then you can get up to an additional 36 mana using this trick.
If you have Sol Ring or anything else that produces more than 1 mana, then this total is a lot more.
There are more combos with Heart of Kiran and I explain them in sections below.
Aminatou + Emeria Shepherd Infinite Combos
With Emeria Shepherd you can potentially get multiple uses a turn by simply using Aminatou -1 on a Plains. This way you can play a land and do this to get multiple cards back from your graveyard each turn.
For the reason that you are targeting a Plains each time for Emeria Shepherd trigger to happen, you really want to make sure you get either Tundra and/or Scrubland as part of your fetch lands. Hallowed Fountain and Godless Shrine will mean that you can only use them for mana for as much life as you're prepared to lose. Prairie Stream will only work if you already have two basics in play.
Aminatou + Emeria Shepherd + Heart of Kiran
You can use Heart of Kiran to send Aminatou to the graveyard by removing all but one loyalty, and use this method of targeting a Plains with Aminatou -1, to get Aminatou back from the graveyard with Emeria Shepherd trigger. Once you have infinite mana, you can also just cast Aminatou from the commander zone to get infinite uses out of her, as you can then send her back to the commander zone rather than graveyard.
Aminatou + (Oath of Teferi/The Chain Veil/Urza Assembles the Titans) + Sun Titan + Heart of Kiran
You can do a similar thing using Aminatou last loyalty counter to target Sun Titan, bringing Aminatou back into play. However unlike Emeria Shepherd you're not gaining any advantages, unless you have some other cards to get value. You can use Oath of Teferi or The Chain Veil to give Aminatou an additional activation to make use of card advantages.
Aminatou + Parallax Wave = Value and Infinite's
Parallax Wave can be used on opponents creatures as removal. You can remove up to 4 creatures, keeping one counter on it, so that it doesn't go to graveyard in your next upkeep. Then you can Aminatou -1 it to reset it allowing you to remove up to 4 more creatures again. You can do this indefinitely while you have Aminatou.
However you can also use it on your own creatures and you can look to get value out of 'enter the battlefield' effects from them.
Aminatou + Parallax Wave + Felidar Guardian
Parallax Wave and Felidar Guardian along with some other 'enter the battlefield' creature effect also goes infinite. You can exile the Felidar Guardian with the Parallax Wave and then Aminatou -1 the Parallax Wave which will bring all the creatures exiled back to play.
Parallax Wave + Emeria Shepherd
Nice value plays you can do, is with Emeria Shepherd and Parallax Wave, where you can respond to removal, for example a creature board wipe, by exiling the Emeria Shepherd. Just make sure that Parallax Wave has no counters at the beginning of your upkeep. The Parallax Wave will go to graveyard and Emeria Shepherd will come back into play. Now you can Aminatou -1 a Plains to bring Parallax Wave back into play. If Aminatou was removed from play previously, then if you have a land in hand (or gamble on drawing one) then you can just let her go to the graveyard. This way when you play a land, you can return her to hand, because we will assume it's probably not a Plains you'll have. But that is fine spending to cast Aminatou is pretty easy.
Now you can Aminatou -1 an actual Plains to bring back the Parallax Wave.
It's just a nice way to protect everything you have, and if you have other 'enter the battlefield' creatures you can look to get their triggers each turn.
Aminatou + Parallax Wave + Sun Titan + Heart of Kiran
You can target the Sun Titan with Parallax Wave and some number of other 'enter the battlefield' creatures, and then Aminatou -1 the Parallax Wave. This will cause the Sun Titan to come back into play. If you make sure you use Heart of Kiran to put Aminatou into the graveyard before the Titan comes back into play, so that you can bring her back. You can loop this infinitely, and as long as you have another ETB creature to gain advantage.
Aminatou Exiling Lands
In regards to some of the lands in the deck, Aminatou offers a unique perspective as she can blink out lands, and if you use this in conjunction with ones that have entering the battlefield triggers, you can look to get reuse out of them.
I've already explained exiling Plains to get additional triggers with Emeria Shepherd.
Bojuka Bog can in fact be used multiple times during a game, to keep graveyard strategy decks under control.
Mystic Sanctuary allows you to put any instant or sorcery back on-top of your library. With Aminatou ability to blink out you can potentially trigger this each turn to sculpt your draw depending on your graveyard.
Being able to redraw mass removal like Terminus, Toxic Deluge or Supreme Verdict, means that you can constantly reset the board, freeing up your planeswalkers from attacks for the turn(s). You can really out attrition your opponents this way.
There are other technical sequences like using Demonic Tutor to get Oath of Teferi. You can then use Aminatou +1 on the Mystic Sanctuary and put the Demonic Tutor back on-top of your library. Then because you get a second planeswalker activation you can Aminatou +1 to draw the Demonic Tutor straight away for another search. Or you could simply use the Oath of Teferi enter the battlefield trigger to target the Mystic Sanctuary so that at end of turn you can put the Demonic Tutor back on-top to draw it next turn when you have mana available to cast again.
Below is an infinite combo using Aminatou to blink out Mystic Sanctuary to put an extra turn card back for loops.
Aminatou + Mystic Sanctuary + Temporal Manipulation
You can keep using Aminatou -1 on the Mystic Sanctuary to put back an extra turn card. Because you'll get another turn you'll get to draw the card again and just keep looping.
However you can only do this for as long as you have Aminatou in play and if you are using the -1 eventually you'll run out of loyalty.
So there are a number of ways that you keep Aminatou on enough loyalty to do this indefinitely.
There are a number of cards that proliferate but I do not include these in the deck; Grateful Apparition, Skyship Plunderer, Thrummingbird, Guildpact Informant, Flux Channeler, Inexorable Tide. You can just keep ticking up Aminatou each turn to keep using the -1.
Oath of Teferi and The Chain Veil also allows you to keep using the +1 each turn.
Casting the extra turn card and activating The Chain Veil will cost you 9 mana, so you need to be deep into the game to pay for that combo.
Sun Titan can bring back Aminatou from your graveyard when she runs out of loyalty.
Similarly Emeria Shepherd can be timed so that you can bring back Aminatou. You can target a Plains when Aminatou is on the last loyalty counter and bring her back into play with Emeria Shepherd. Then you can use Aminatou again to blink the Mystic Sanctuary.
Additional you can use Venser, the Sojourner instead of Aminatou to exile the Mystic Sanctuary for infinite turns with an extra turn card, or just a way to bring back an instant or sorcery every turn. Imagine also return Cyclonic Rift every turn to build up Venser, the Sojourner to the emblem.
With your other planeswalkers you can draw additional cards, which can possible draw you into further ways to keep Aminatou in play.
It might be that you don't have the means to go infinite, but you can build up your planeswalkers to the ultimate's by getting as many extra turns as you have loyalty counters on Aminatou.
Comprehensive list of cards in the deck, and further interactions that I might not have detailed in the 'Playing the Deck' section.
Planeswalkers
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Each opponent can cast spells only any time they could cast a sorcery.
The new static abilities of planeswalkers from War of the Spark, has a throwback to the original legendary creature Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir ability to lock down opponents to sorcery speed only. This is an incredible ability in commander, to force opponents into acting in their own turns, and shutting down things like counterspells completely. The downside is that if another player is looking to cast something big/win and you can't stop them and one of the other opponents have disruption then they will be unable to help.
+1: Until your next turn, you may cast sorcery spells as though they had flash.
Realistically this ability will not be all that helpful, you can setup some mass creature removal at instant speed, but it not the ability you are looking to abuse.
-3: Return up to one target artifact, creature, or enchantment to its owner's hand. Draw a card.
This is a great tempo swing, allowing you to not only return a problematic permanent, but also drawing a card.
With Aminatou ability to reset him, you can use this ability once a turn, or with Oath of Teferi / The Chain Veil you'll be able to do this three times.
For a three mana planeswalker this is a really powerful ability and you can set this up early with Aminatou.
Spells and abilities your opponents control can't cause their controller to search their library.
In more competitive match-ups tutors run rampant and this card can really stop what opponents can assemble if you are able to protect it.
-1: Target player puts the top four cards of their library into their graveyard. Then exile each opponent's graveyard.
Good against graveyard strategies.
Each opponent can't draw more than one card each turn.
Excellent against most decks that look for additional draw. It must be noted that the deck doesn't have any symmetrical draw multiple cards like Timetwister or Windfall, which would make this walker better in general.
-2: Look at the top four cards of your library. You may reveal a noncreature, nonland card from among them and put it into your hand. Put the rest on the bottom of your library in a random order.
Solid draw walker at 3 mana. An excellent way to get rid of a card you might not want in hand with Aminatou +1. Using this with Aminatou +1 each turn means that you can look at 8 cards, which is very powerful in enabling you to find particular cards.
0: Exile Kaya, Ghost Assassin or up to one target creature. Return that card to the battlefield under its owner's control at the beginning of your next upkeep. You lose 2 life.
You can use this as a delayed exile effect to get additional triggers out of your ETB creatures. You can also use it to "hide" a creature if you were going for your own mass creature removal spell to save it. There might be times when you are unable to cast your walkers into a board of creatures that are going to attack them, so sometimes you can just cast Kaya and use the exile on herself to setup later down the track.
-2: Each opponent discards a card and you draw a card.
Kaya, Ghost Assassin and Oath of Teferi / The Chain Veil with Aminatou can make each opponent discard six cards, and you draw six. Certainly the type of swing that can really crush your opponents.
-1: Each opponent loses 2 life and you gain 2 life.
I always use Kaya, Ghost Assassin -1 as my actual way to finish opponents once I go infinite (drawing deck, etc) with her -1 deal life loss. So once you've gone infinite, then make this the card you're going to actually kill opponents with.
+1: Look at the top card of your library. If it's a noncreature, nonland card, you may reveal it and put it into your hand.
You can get perfect information with using Aminatou +1 ability, so this can be used to combine to make sure you draw a non-creature, non-land spell.
-2: When you cast your next instant or sorcery spell from your hand this turn, it gains rebound. (Exile the spell as it resolves. At the beginning of your next upkeep, you may cast that card from exile without paying its mana cost.)
There are not a lot of instant or sorcery that are beneficial if doubled up in the deck, but you can use it with your mass creature wipes with Toxic Deluge, Supreme Verdict, Terminus to get back-to-back removal, which sort of acts as an extra turn for the purpose of setting up some planeswalkers. Also can get double up with your tutors, and Aminatou can help with the top of library ones to make them more effective. For example if you cast Mystical Tutor with "rebound" then normally you'd just be replacing one with another during your upkeep, so you literally need additional draw to get the effects of casting two of them. The extra turn cards in Temporal Manipulation and Temporal Mastery are also great with rebound.
-9: You get an emblem with "Your opponents can't cast noncreature spells."
Very hard for your opponents to come back from being shut out of non-creature spells. Realistically wins you the game most times you get this emblem.
+2: Exile target permanent you own. Return it to the battlefield under your control at the beginning of the next end step.
Another way to get additional triggers out of your permanents. It doesn't come back until end of turn, so you can't use it in the same combo way as Aminatou with infinite's, but you can still get great value with ETB triggers.
-1: Creatures can't be blocked this turn.
You won't be using this ability at all, unless you plan some sort of lethal attack, or there is an opposing planeswalker that you are looking to get off the board.
-8: You get an emblem with "Whenever you cast a spell, exile target permanent."
He only starts on 3 loyalty, so you need to setup for at least another turn to get his ultimate with the various other ways to increase loyalty. A great way to exile opponents biggest threats and won't take too long with the emblem to close out the game entirely.
+1: Draw a card. At the beginning of the next end step, untap two lands
Teferi, Hero of Dominaria and Oath of Teferi / The Chain Veil with Aminatou means that you can potentially draw 6 cards and untap up to 12 lands.
-3: Put target nonland permanent into its owner's library third from the top.
You can use this ability up to twice each turn (Aminatou + Oath), so it is likely that you'd probably mix this with drawing 3 cards and untapping 6 lands, to control opponents.
-8: You get an emblem with "Whenever you draw a card, exile target permanent an opponent controls."
Teferi, Hero of Dominaria ultimate is pretty hard to beat as there is a lot of renewable draw in the deck, including Aminatou +1.
I will note that some of the planeswalkers don't have "draw" abilities, rather they put cards into hand for card advantage.
But if you can protect Teferi, Hero of Dominaria and Aminatou, then exiling three opponents cards a turns is a pretty great soft lock.
+1: Look at the top two cards of your library. Put one of them into your hand and the other on the bottom of your library.
You'd probably look to mix it up with draw and mana, by using his +1 for card advantage as well.
-1: Untap up to four target permanents.
Teferi, Temporal Archmage can go infinite with The Chain Veil and Aminatou.
But you can also get insane value with Oath of Teferi, because you can get six activation's with Aminatou -1 you can get a bare minimum of 24 mana just off lands.
-10: You get an emblem with "You may activate loyalty abilities of planeswalkers you control on any player's turn any time you could cast an instant."
This is actually super amazing with Aminatou -1 ability. You can use it in response to removal on your cards at instant speed.
You can even use it to remove another planeswalker being attacked, as the "new" version will not be considered the same one that was chosen to be attacked.
This emblem allows you to use every planeswalker per opponents turn, so you can Aminatou +1, perhaps every other player turn, to then be able to use her -1 to be able to keep paying for multiple uses of other planeswalkers.
Aminatou + Tezzeret the Seeker + Proliferate Infinite Combo
There is an instant win combo package with Tezzeret with Aminatou in play and using any means to get Tezzeret onto 5 loyalty, which will allow you to search for The Chain Veil and remain in play.
1.) Add a loyalty counter to Tezzeret with either Flux Channeler, Oath of Gideon.
2.) Tezzeret -4 getting The Chain Veil.
3.) Aminatou -1 on Tezzeret.
4.) Tezzeret -1 getting Mana Vault -or- -2 getting Grim Monolith.
5.) Activate The Chain Veil tapping Mana Vault/Grim Monolith and another mana source.
6.) Tezzeret +1 untapping The Chain Veil and Mana Vault/Grim Monolith.
7.) Aminatou -1 on Tezzeret.
Tezzeret now has two activation's.
8.) Tezzeret -1 getting Sol Ring or Mana Crypt.
At this stage you can get infinite planeswalker activation's, where you can just keep +1 and -1 Aminatou on Tezzeret to keep looping activating the The Chain Veil and untapping your artifacts.
You can keep activating Sensei's Divining Top to draw and re-search each time with Tezzeret to draw the deck.
As I've already mentioned normally I use Kaya, Ghost Assassin -1 to deal the actual killing damage to opponents, so it just becomes a case of going through your deck until you find her.
Alternative Tezzeret combos
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Previous deck builds have used different cards to win with Aminatou interactions. I've made changes as I've re-purposed the deck in subtle ways.
1.) Tezzeret -3 getting Rings of Brighthearth.
2.) Aminatou -1 on Tezzeret.
3.) Tezzeret -3 getting Basalt Monolith.
4.) Activate Rings of Brighthearth for on Tezzeret ability to also get Sensei's Divining Top.
5.) You have infinite colorless mana with Basalt Monolith + Rings of Brighthearth.
6.) You have infinite draw with Sensei's Divining Top and Rings of Brighthearth.
This method requires having available at time when you start this combo.
If you have something to spend infinite colorless mana and don't need to get the Sensei's Divining Top, then you only need available at the start of the combo.
Another combo possible combo with Tezzeret is:
1.) Tezzeret -2 getting Throne of Geth.
2.) Aminatou -1 on Tezzeret.
3.) Sacrifice an artifact to Throne of Geth (likely itself) to put a loyalty counter on Tezzeret bringing the loyalty to 5.
You can at this stage use the same method as already mentioned by getting The Chain Veil, as long as you have to activate it.
1.) Tezzeret -3 getting Rings of Brighthearth.
2.) Aminatou -1 on Tezzeret.
3.) Tezzeret -3 getting Basalt Monolith.
4.) Activate Rings of Brighthearth for on Tezzeret ability to also get Sensei's Divining Top.
5.) You have infinite colorless mana with Basalt Monolith + Rings of Brighthearth.
6.) You have infinite draw with Sensei's Divining Top and Rings of Brighthearth.
This method requires having available at time when you start this combo.
If you have something to spend infinite colorless mana and don't need to get the Sensei's Divining Top, then you only need available at the start of the combo.
Another combo possible combo with Tezzeret is:
1.) Tezzeret -2 getting Throne of Geth.
2.) Aminatou -1 on Tezzeret.
3.) Sacrifice an artifact to Throne of Geth (likely itself) to put a loyalty counter on Tezzeret bringing the loyalty to 5.
You can at this stage use the same method as already mentioned by getting The Chain Veil, as long as you have to activate it.
Aminatou + Oath of Gideon + Tezzeret the Seeker
Because Oath of Gideon puts a loyalty counter on Tezzeret straight away (5 loyalty) you can look to combo with even less mana.
You can Tezzeret -4 to get The Chain Veil straight away, and he will stay in play on 1 loyalty.
Then you can Aminatou -1 on Tezzeret and he can go through for example Mana Vault.
So you only need an extra to activate the The Chain Veil. This means you only need a natural 6 mana (5 mana to cast Tezzeret in the first place) to combo win.
Aminatou + (Oath of Teferi/Urza Assembles the Titans) + Tezzeret the Seeker
Tezzeret the Seeker and Oath of Teferi will allow you to go infinite with no additional mana left available to you! The aim is that you use Tezzeret to search for the artifacts you need to be able to get enough to produce at least . For example you can Tezzeret -1 to get Mana Vault, then Tezzeret -2 to get Azorius Signet. Use Aminatou -1 to blink Tezzeret, and so he'll come back with 4 loyalty. This time you can tap mana (Vault + Signet) into your pool, and use the Tezzeret +1 ability to untap them. Then Tezzeret -4 to get The Chain Veil. At this stage you can go infinite.
Planeswalker support
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Heart of Kiran - As discussed in the strategy section, click here for more details.
Perfect as a blocker through out all the stages of the game. Is often your best turn 2 play if looking to defend Aminatou.
Survives mass creature removal.
Perfect as a blocker through out all the stages of the game. Is often your best turn 2 play if looking to defend Aminatou.
Survives mass creature removal.
Oath of Gideon - A key card for the Aminatou + Oath of Gideon + Tezzeret the Seeker combo, which you can click here for more details.
The ability to create multiple 1/1's is perfect for defending Aminatou and other planeswalkers. You can use Aminatou -1 to go wide with blockers.
The ability to create multiple 1/1's is perfect for defending Aminatou and other planeswalkers. You can use Aminatou -1 to go wide with blockers.
Resourceful Defense is sort of like Deepglow Skate but does work differently.
The general idea is that you Aminatou blinking a planeswalker and then you get to put that amount of loyalty counters on any permanent. You could put them on Aminatou to build her up, but if you're worried about her being removed (still lots of creatures on board) then you can just put them onto say a land, which normally there is less removal.
Then on a subsequent turn you can Aminatou blink that land and then put the loyalty counters onto a planeswalker to ultimate straight away.
It also comes with the added bonus that if opponents use removal on your planeswalkers and they still have counters on them then you can put them onto say a land, so that later you can get them with Aminatou -1 at a later stage.
You can of course also use the ability to move counters as well if Aminatou is not available.
The general idea is that you Aminatou blinking a planeswalker and then you get to put that amount of loyalty counters on any permanent. You could put them on Aminatou to build her up, but if you're worried about her being removed (still lots of creatures on board) then you can just put them onto say a land, which normally there is less removal.
Then on a subsequent turn you can Aminatou blink that land and then put the loyalty counters onto a planeswalker to ultimate straight away.
It also comes with the added bonus that if opponents use removal on your planeswalkers and they still have counters on them then you can put them onto say a land, so that later you can get them with Aminatou -1 at a later stage.
You can of course also use the ability to move counters as well if Aminatou is not available.
The Chain Veil - One of the signature cards of the deck, works with getting value and infinite's from the planeswalkers, which you can click here for more details.
A key card for the Aminatou + Tezzeret the Seeker Infinite Combo, which you can click here for more details.
A key card for the Aminatou + Felidar Guardian + Oath of Teferi / The Chain Veil Infinite Combo, which you can click here for more details.
A key card for the Aminatou + Tezzeret the Seeker Infinite Combo, which you can click here for more details.
A key card for the Aminatou + Felidar Guardian + Oath of Teferi / The Chain Veil Infinite Combo, which you can click here for more details.
Oath of Teferi - One of the signature cards of the deck, works with getting value and infinite's from the planeswalkers, which you can click here for more details.
A key card for the Aminatou + Oath of Teferi + Tezzeret the Seeker Infinite Combo, which you can click here for more details.
A key card for the Aminatou + Felidar Guardian + Oath of Teferi / The Chain Veil Infinite Combo, which you can click here for more details.
A key card for the Aminatou + Oath of Teferi + Tezzeret the Seeker Infinite Combo, which you can click here for more details.
A key card for the Aminatou + Felidar Guardian + Oath of Teferi / The Chain Veil Infinite Combo, which you can click here for more details.
Deepglow Skate - Used to gets lots of loyalty counters on planeswalkers, which you can click here for more details.
Creatures
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Baleful Strix - Great two drop creature that can threaten to block any creature attacking your planeswalkers. Perfect for getting value from Aminatou -1, and also can be used as a way to draw your deck once you have infinite activation's of her.
Wall of Omens - Another great two drop blocker, which you can use Aminatou -1 to get value. With infinite Aminatou activation's can be used to draw your deck.
Snapcaster Mage - You can use this to get value from your graveyard in a number of ways.
Used as a key card in winning with the Aminatou + Spellseeker into Razaketh, the Foulblooded combo, which you can click here for more details.
Can be used to double up disruption spells, and used as a blocker for your planeswalkers.
With Aminatou -1 you can use it to acts as a mini Buried Alive with Entomb, as you'll get to put two creatures into your graveyard. Same with Reanimate, you can potentially bring back two creatures.
Used as a key card in winning with the Aminatou + Spellseeker into Razaketh, the Foulblooded combo, which you can click here for more details.
Can be used to double up disruption spells, and used as a blocker for your planeswalkers.
With Aminatou -1 you can use it to acts as a mini Buried Alive with Entomb, as you'll get to put two creatures into your graveyard. Same with Reanimate, you can potentially bring back two creatures.
Spellseeker - A key card for the Aminatou + Spellseeker into Razaketh, the Foulblooded combo, which you can click here for more details.
An over all superstar in the deck, as you can get a lot of cards to answer or protect the game states. Aminatou -1 can get additional cards every turn while in play, including, Lim-Dûl's Vault, Tithe, Vampiric Tutor, Demonic Tutor, Enlightened Tutor, Mystical Tutor, Pact of Negation, Swan Song, Arcane Denial, Mana Drain, Cyclonic Rift, Swords to Plowshares.
An over all superstar in the deck, as you can get a lot of cards to answer or protect the game states. Aminatou -1 can get additional cards every turn while in play, including, Lim-Dûl's Vault, Tithe, Vampiric Tutor, Demonic Tutor, Enlightened Tutor, Mystical Tutor, Pact of Negation, Swan Song, Arcane Denial, Mana Drain, Cyclonic Rift, Swords to Plowshares.
Trinket Mage - Great with Aminatou -1 as a way of just getting way ahead on artifact mana or some utility; Sensei's Divining Top, Luxior, Giada's Gift, Mana Crypt, Sol Ring, Mana Vault.
Skyclave Apparition is a great removal card that can be Aminatou -1 every turn to remove the biggest threat 4 cmc and under. It will give your opponents some creatures, but as long as you can establish a blocker or wait for mass creature removal, probably won't care much about them.
Felidar Guardian - A key card for the Aminatou + Felidar Guardian + Oath of Teferi / The Chain Veil Infinite Combo, which you can click here for more details.
A key card for the Aminatou + Parallax Wave + Felidar Guardian, which you can click here for more details.
A key card for the Aminatou + Parallax Wave + Felidar Guardian, which you can click here for more details.
Spark Double - A key card for the Aminatou + Spark Double + Oath of Teferi / The Chain Veil Infinite Combo combo, which you can click here for more details.
You can copy any creature or planeswalker, so the most versatile clone creature ever.
With Aminatou -1 you can reset what it is, which is a great toolbox card.
You can copy any creature or planeswalker, so the most versatile clone creature ever.
With Aminatou -1 you can reset what it is, which is a great toolbox card.
Thalia's Lancers - Is able to get your planeswalkers, but also a number of other legendary cards; The Chain Veil, Oath of Teferi, Razaketh, the Foulblooded, Search for Azcanta, Oath of Gideon, Phyrexian Tower.
The 4/4 first strike body turns out to be quite relevant in a lot of games. It's hard to attack into you when it can usually kill off an opponents creature without loss.
The 4/4 first strike body turns out to be quite relevant in a lot of games. It's hard to attack into you when it can usually kill off an opponents creature without loss.
Cavalier of Dawn - Catch all for removal and also a way to return a lot of the combo or value artifact or enchantments from your graveyard. Phyrexian Tower can be used to purposefully kill it if really wanting to bring something back from graveyard.
Sun Titan - A key card for the Aminatou + (Oath of Teferi / The Chain Veil) + Sun Titan + Heart of Kiran combo, which you can click here for more details.
A key card for the Aminatou + Parallax Wave + Sun Titan + Heart of Kiran combo, which you can click here for more details.
I should point out that with The Chain Veil and Sun Titan / Emeria Shepherd that you can get infinite Aminatou uses. Once you can get at least three activation's of Aminatou, then you can -1 until she is down to 1 loyalty counter, then target the Sun Titan. She will go to graveyard and you can use the Sun Titan to return her to play. You can keep looping.
Getting three activation's of Aminatou is going to require to activate The Chain Veil twice.
On that note you can use Sun Titan under normal circumstances to use her last loyalty to blink the Titan to get her back into play with 3 loyalty, while being able to reuse an ability again that turn. So I guess it's just a free way of getting two loyalty.
Emeria Shepherd can do the same thing, but you just need to target a Plains on the last loyalty.
A key card for the Aminatou + Parallax Wave + Sun Titan + Heart of Kiran combo, which you can click here for more details.
I should point out that with The Chain Veil and Sun Titan / Emeria Shepherd that you can get infinite Aminatou uses. Once you can get at least three activation's of Aminatou, then you can -1 until she is down to 1 loyalty counter, then target the Sun Titan. She will go to graveyard and you can use the Sun Titan to return her to play. You can keep looping.
Getting three activation's of Aminatou is going to require to activate The Chain Veil twice.
On that note you can use Sun Titan under normal circumstances to use her last loyalty to blink the Titan to get her back into play with 3 loyalty, while being able to reuse an ability again that turn. So I guess it's just a free way of getting two loyalty.
Emeria Shepherd can do the same thing, but you just need to target a Plains on the last loyalty.
Emeria Shepherd - A key card for the Aminatou + Emeria Shepherd + Clever Impersonator combo, which you can click here for more details.
A key card for the Aminatou + Emeria Shepherd + Heart of Kiran combo, which you can click here for more details.
A key card for the Parallax Wave + Emeria Shepherd combo, which you can click here for more details.
A key card for the Aminatou + Emeria Shepherd + Heart of Kiran combo, which you can click here for more details.
A key card for the Parallax Wave + Emeria Shepherd combo, which you can click here for more details.
Top deck manipulation
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Sensei's Divining Top - With Aminatou +1 you are able to get access to always three cards deep into your library. Because you can tap to draw a card, with Aminatou +1 it means that you can draw the Sensei's Divining Top and play it again, which means that for you can make sure you are getting deeper into your deck with Aminatou +1.
A key way of winning with Aminatou + Tezzeret the Seeker Infinite Combo, which you can click here for more details.
A key way of winning with Aminatou + Tezzeret the Seeker Infinite Combo, which you can click here for more details.
Brainstorm is a premium cheap draw card and can be used instead of Aminatou to setup Miracle cards with Terminus and Temporal Mastery. With the deck aimed to have quite a few shuffle effects with tutors and fetchland it does mean that you can better manipulate your hand for draw that are more benefial for that stage of the game.
Search for Azcanta - Is able to potentially put the card you put on-top of library with Aminatou +1 into graveyard, so you can dig deep into the deck for more relevant cards for that stage of the game. The transform land is also amazing at providing value if the game plays out long and card advantage is necessary.
Lim-Dûl's Vault - A mass tutor effect, the commander 40 life total, means that you really can go through your entire deck, looking for a key card and then setting up four other cards that you can play with.
Search library (shuffle)
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Vampiric Tutor - With lots of combos in the deck, a great source for completing them. Plus with only a select amount of removal, can be instrumental in answering what opponents are doing to stop you.
Enlightened Tutor - Another way of searching for either early artifact mana acceleration, or key combo cards like, The Chain Veil, Oath of Teferi, Animate Dead, Dance of the Dead, Necromancy.
Mystical Tutor - Gives you access to many disruption cards, and perfect for miracles in, Terminus and Temporal Mastery. Also combo cards like Flash, Reanimate, Entomb, Intuition, Buried Alive.
Demonic Tutor - With lots of combos in the deck, a great source for completing them. Plus with only a select amount of removal, can be instrumental in answering what opponents are doing to stop you.
Wishclaw Talisman - You can use the ability to search for any card, and then use Aminatou +1 to return it back to your control. This means that you can keep it indefinitely and use it at least once a turn as long as you have Aminatou in play. You can also use it to double tutor in a turn if you resolve to letting one of your opponents have it, but often you can set up a combo win, so won't be passing the turn anyway. Note that the counters get reset with Aminatou +1 so you will always have the ability to use it.
Mass removal
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Damn - A Wrath of God with the overload, but with the flexability to use as spot removal when a creature is posing a big problem.
Toxic Deluge - At three mana this is the most cost efficient method of removing creatures, and can get around abilities like indestructible. The life loss is negligibly with commanders 40 life.
Out of Time is like a Parallax Wave on steroids as far as creature removal, but because of phasing you won't get ETB effects. But unless opponents specifically remove it, there will be no creatures if you get to keep exiling it to reset the board again.
Parallax Wave - A key card for Aminatou + Parallax Wave = Value and Infinite's, which you can click here for more details.
Supreme Verdict - Important against control heavy decks, where you really need to ensure a creature wipe.
Enchantments (other)
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Mystic Remora - Nice card advantage with more competitive matchups where players are casting a lot of non-creature spells.
Rhystic Study - Not really much to say about this,
Parallax Tide - Can be used to give you more mana by targeting your own lands after you've tapped them for mana, and then using Aminatou +1 to then exile the Parallax Tide to bring the lands back into play and resetting the Tide counters. Also can be used on opponents lands to take them off mana. Imagine exiling some untapped lands your opponent might be holding up to disrupt you, move to another phase, and then cast your spell. Also you can just keep opponent(s) off 4 lands if you just keep exiling the Tide every turn with Aminatou.
Disruption and protection
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Swords to Plowshares - The deck is more aimed at removing all the creatures on the board with sorcery or enchantments, but having at least one spot removal card in the deck can be good for disrupting opponents and none are better than this for effectiveness to cost ratio.
Teferi's Protection - Is a very versatile card and of course great for making sure opponents don't attack and kill your planeswalker, but also sometimes a big or lethal damage on yourself. One great trick is when you use Aminatou -6 exchange ability you can respond with casting Teferi's Protection and then you'll end up saving all your permanents while still getting ther person to left or right that you've selected.
Pact of Negation - Because this is a combo deck, being able to counter disruption happening when you are tapped out can be very important to push your spells through.
Swan Song - Cheap casting counterspells are important when you are often not holding up much mana to cast your own spells. The most important element is that it can counter instant and sorcery, but as a bonus you can counter enchantments like Rest in Peace.
An Offer You Can't Refuse - Another one mana counterspell for non-creature spells and indeed for it's cost effectiveness it is an offer that I can't refuse to included.
Mana Drain - If you don't have the budget for this then Counterspell or Delay are fine replacements.
Fierce Guardianship can be a zero cost with Aminatou in play which is great for tapping out, but keep in mind that opponents' can attack her with their creatures so it's a little harder to rely on this disruption than a creature commander deck in my opinion.
Cyclonic Rift - Catch all for removing opponents problematic permanents.
Extra turns
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Temporal Mastery - Another miracles card that can be setup with Aminatou +1. With planeswalkers, extra turns means that you can get a lot of additional value on those turns potentially.
Temporal Manipulation - A key card for the Aminatou + Mystic Sanctuary + Temporal Manipulation Infinite Turn, which you can click here for more details.
Just slightly technically better than Time Warp as it doesn't target, meaning that opponents can't cast spells which change the target of the spell.
Just slightly technically better than Time Warp as it doesn't target, meaning that opponents can't cast spells which change the target of the spell.
Artifacts
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Luxior, Giada's Gift is a way to prevent opponents from attacking a particular planeswalker. Great for getting a lot of value out of Aminatou in the early game if you draw it and then you can be secure in casting another planeswalker onto the board if the board is full of opponents' creatures.
Scroll of Fate - You can use this card as a way to put any permanent card into play at a reduced cost. What you can then do is use Aminatou -1 to exile the manifested card and then it will come into play face-up.
So if it was a card like Razaketh, the Foulblooded or Omniscience, then you get that card without paying the mana.
This card is a great alternative to reanimation, as you don't need to use your graveyard, which can be important when you've come across graveyard hate in a game, which is shutting you out from taking those lines.
So if it was a card like Razaketh, the Foulblooded or Omniscience, then you get that card without paying the mana.
This card is a great alternative to reanimation, as you don't need to use your graveyard, which can be important when you've come across graveyard hate in a game, which is shutting you out from taking those lines.
Sol Ring - Ban this already, too good for the format.
Mana Crypt - One thing to understand is that with the infinite turn combo you obviously need to be aware that you run the risk dying via lost coin flips. If you have the means to draw or search additional cards, then it is possible to remove it yourself via Teferi, Time Raveler, Teferi, Hero of Dominaria, Leonin Relic-Warder, Cavalier of Dawn. Or even Tezzeret the Seeker making it a creature for further creature removal.
But this is a risky proposition.
But this is a risky proposition.
Mana Vault - A potential key card for the Aminatou + Tezzeret the Seeker Infinite Combo, which you can click here for more details.
Grim Monolith - A potential key card for the Aminatou + Tezzeret the Seeker Infinite Combo, which you can click here for more details.
Arcane Signet - Is the only colored artifact mana source so during some infinites can be used to make sure you get your Esper colors.
Lands
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Mystic Sanctuary - Is one of the most versatile and powerful lands in the deck, due to it's ability to be searched via a number of fetch-lands, so that you have access to instant and sorcery in your graveyard. Couple this with Aminatou +1 ability to draw the card immediately and also being able to use Aminatou +1 to target the Mystic Sanctuary to trigger it multiple times, means that this a flag ship land for the deck. Now it does have a stipulation that you must have 3 other Islands in play for it to come into play untapped, which will allow the trigger to happen. With a mana base that is spread between 3 colors, you really need to plan carefully for this. Using your fetch-lands to setup your mana-base in a manner that is going to allow this to happen is something that needs considerations throughout the game.
A key card for the Aminatou + Mystic Sanctuary + Temporal Manipulation Infinite Turn, which you can click here for more details.
A key card for the Aminatou + Mystic Sanctuary + Temporal Manipulation Infinite Turn, which you can click here for more details.
Tundra, Hallowed Fountain, Irrigated Farmland, Prairie Stream, Scrubland, Godless Shrine - The duel land Plains that can be important for Emeria Shepherd landfall ability.
Raffine's Tower, Tundra, Hallowed Fountain, Irrigated Farmland, Prairie Stream, Underground Sea, Watery Grave, Sunken Hollow, Fetid Pools, Island - All the lands that have type "Island" which plays an important role on meeting the requirements of Mystic Sanctuary needing 3 other Islands in play.
Mystic Gate, Fetid Heath, Sunken Ruins - Allow you to get double mana of the colors you might need to cast spells. There are a number of double white spells so are excellent to fix your color requirements perhaps in regards to these.
Bojuka Bog - A "free" way to help against graveyard strategies. With Aminatou -1 ability you can keep removing opponents graveyards if necessary.
Otawara, Soaring City and Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire are lands that can be used as removal in situations as well. Of note Thalia's Lancers can search for these if you are really wanting to hit land drops or wanting the threat of removal.
Misty Rainforest, Polluted Delta, Scalding Tarn, Flooded Strand - These fetch lands allow you to shuffle your library, so are excellent with Aminatou +1 to get rid of unwanted cards at the time.
These are the ones that can specifically get Island type, and so keep them in mind if wanting to search for Mystic Sanctuary maybe when wanting to put an instant or sorcery back on-top of your library.
These are the ones that can specifically get Island type, and so keep them in mind if wanting to search for Mystic Sanctuary maybe when wanting to put an instant or sorcery back on-top of your library.
Arid Mesa, Marsh Flats, Windswept Heath, Bloodstained Mire - These fetch lands allow you to shuffle your library, so are excellent with Aminatou +1 to get rid of unwanted cards at the time.
Change Log
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02-08-2018
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29-08-2018
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Added
+ Flash
+ Academy Rector
+ Arena Rector
+ Throne of Geth
+ Wall of Omens
Removed
- Land Tax - Only 5 basics, which was OK for just searching up 1 at a time, but would like more basics to make this more consistent.
- Rings of Brighthearth - besides the planeswalkers don't actually have other cards to activate with.
- Gilded Drake - great card for hosing some commander strategies, but the 3/3 flying body is relevant against pressuring Aminatou.
- Treasure Map - This card is still great, but only good cards being cut.
- Jace, Architect of Thought - the thing is that even with Deepglow Skate and being able to ultimate at -8 loyalty means that Jace goes to the graveyard if you don't uptick. Still good, but just need to make room.
+ Flash
+ Academy Rector
+ Arena Rector
+ Throne of Geth
+ Wall of Omens
Removed
- Land Tax - Only 5 basics, which was OK for just searching up 1 at a time, but would like more basics to make this more consistent.
- Rings of Brighthearth - besides the planeswalkers don't actually have other cards to activate with.
- Gilded Drake - great card for hosing some commander strategies, but the 3/3 flying body is relevant against pressuring Aminatou.
- Treasure Map - This card is still great, but only good cards being cut.
- Jace, Architect of Thought - the thing is that even with Deepglow Skate and being able to ultimate at -8 loyalty means that Jace goes to the graveyard if you don't uptick. Still good, but just need to make room.
01-09-2018
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03-09-2018
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06-09-2018
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09-09-2018
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09-12-2018
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14-12-2018
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Added
+ Skyship Plunderer
+ Omenspeaker
+ Augur of Bolas
+ Jace, Architect of Thought
+ Gilded Lotus
+ Island
Removed
- Imperial Seal
- Bitterblossom
- Hidden Stockpile
- Snapcaster Mage
- Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
- Skyline Cascade
+ Skyship Plunderer
+ Omenspeaker
+ Augur of Bolas
+ Jace, Architect of Thought
+ Gilded Lotus
+ Island
Removed
- Imperial Seal
- Bitterblossom
- Hidden Stockpile
- Snapcaster Mage
- Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
- Skyline Cascade
15-12-2018
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30-12-2018
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13-03-2019
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Added
+ Reanimate
+ Animate Dead
+ Dance of the Dead
+ Necromancy
+ Entomb
+ Intuition
+ Buried Alive
+ Razaketh, the Foulblooded
+ Leonin Relic-Warder
+ Reveillark
+ Snapcaster Mage
+ Lion's Eye Diamond
+ Fetid Heath
Removed
- Dark Confidant
- Oath of Liliana
- Treasure Map
- Preordain
- Ponder
- Entreat the Angels
- Thrummingbird
- Akroma's Vengeance
- Narset Transcendent
- Gilded Lotus
- Augur of Bolas
- Omenspeaker
- Island
+ Reanimate
+ Animate Dead
+ Dance of the Dead
+ Necromancy
+ Entomb
+ Intuition
+ Buried Alive
+ Razaketh, the Foulblooded
+ Leonin Relic-Warder
+ Reveillark
+ Snapcaster Mage
+ Lion's Eye Diamond
+ Fetid Heath
Removed
- Dark Confidant
- Oath of Liliana
- Treasure Map
- Preordain
- Ponder
- Entreat the Angels
- Thrummingbird
- Akroma's Vengeance
- Narset Transcendent
- Gilded Lotus
- Augur of Bolas
- Omenspeaker
- Island
22-04-2019
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Added
+ Spark Double
+ Teferi, Time Raveler
+ Flux Channeler
Remove
- Swords to Plowshares
- Azorius Signet
- Morphic Pool
+ Spark Double
+ Teferi, Time Raveler
+ Flux Channeler
Remove
- Swords to Plowshares
- Azorius Signet
- Morphic Pool
01-10-2019
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04-10-2019
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27-10-2019
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29-10-2019
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19-11-2019
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01-01-2020
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01-15-2020
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01-02-2020
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02-03-2020
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XX-XX-202X
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XX-XX-202X
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XX-XX-202X
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XX-XX-202X
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XX-XX-202X
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XX-XX-202X
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10-04-2023
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