Obeka, Splitter of Seconds
Approximate Total Cost:
Additional upkeeps are not new from the Commander zone with Cyclonus, the Saboteur and The Ninth Doctor.
Getting more upkeeps out of these Commanders is pretty intensive however.
Copying them is a tactic, but you also have to get around the legendary rule. So that's why a lot of decks run cards like Extravagant Replication, Mirrorhall Mimic, Followed Footsteps as upkeep triggers.
Obeka naturally gets more upkeep steps even if she just deals 2 damage, so jumping-through-hoops isn't required.
I spent a long time on figuring out this deck and trying to find the right balance.
Turning Obeka into a Voltron means that you get many upkeep steps. But my thought there is that if you get greedy with damage then opponents are forced to deal with her. Plus you just end up killing opponents with Commander damage and that sort of might negate the flavor of the deck *maybe*.
I've made a medium budget build, there are not many cards over $10. I had some particular themes I wanted to make work and I think this deck is perfect for casual.
Braid of Fire, Sands of Time and Mist of Stagnation were cards that I really wanted to be a strong element to the deck. You basically get multiple untaps for each upkeep.
But you have to use this mana at instant speed at least for the first additional upkeep(s). But at the very least you can go to post combat with open mana again.
Leyline of Anticipation is there for the flash element.
Jhoira of the Ghitu allows you to sink your mana into putting cards into suspend.
I've included some lands to sink mana into as well with Castle Vantress and Minas Morgul, Dark Fortress.
There is an infinite combo with Aggravated Assault with Sands of Time or Mist of Stagnation.
Dominus of Fealty and Herald of Leshrac can steal lands in order to get additional mana.
There are a lot of very impactful cards that cost 4 mana or more, so getting them into play without mana has been a big priority.
As Foretold, Braids, Conjurer Adept, Gate to the Aether all put cards into play without mana.
Plargg and Nassari can do this but with conditions.
Court of Locthwain targets opponents decks for some additional scope and fun.
Uvilda, Dean of Perfection can basically give your instant/sorcery suspend. You'll still need to spend the colored portion of the spells but makes it cheaper to get spells active as well as potentially sooner.
Jhoira of the Ghitu is perfect for getting spells active at cost reduction.
Curse of Unbinding is mainly to target yourself because it triggers each upkeep, but if an opponent deck is looking ripe-for-pickings then getting a single trigger each turn might be worth it.
Some of the cards that I really like have suspend with added advantage that they go back into suspend after being cast; Rousing Refrain, Charnel Serenade, Inspiring Refrain, Ecstatic Beauty, Reality Strobe, Sinister Concierge.
The fact that you get at the very least 3 upkeep steps each turn (given Obeka connects) means that you will get to cast these at least once each turn. Ecstatic Beauty is 4 time counters so not quite.
To backup getting cards into play without casting there is some reanimation. With Charnel Serenade allowing to get a creature a turn there are some surveil/mill cards that work with upkeeps.
Search for Azcanta, Unshakable Tail, Watcher of Hours, Shadow Kin all put cards into graveyard.
Shadow Kin has the advantage of actually copying a creature in graveyard and also with flash its perfect with Braid of Fire/Sands of Time/Mist of Stagnation.
Virtue of Persistence // Locthwain Scorn is nice reanimation that you'd hope to cheat in rather than cast, but the sorcery makes this competitive. It is one of the more expensive cards in the deck and not really a key card so you could easily cut this because of price.
Sheoldred, Whispering One is another creature you are hoping to cheat into play.
Curse of Unbinding mills but specifically doesn't put creatures into graveyard.
The surveil/mill also helps with The Magic Mirror, Mist of Stagnation, Filth.
I've already mentioned a bunch of cards that trigger on upkeep for advantages but here are the rest.
Dark Confidant, Twilight Prophet, Phyrexian Arena, Kumena's Awakening, The Magic Mirror all put more cards into your hand.
"Here be Dragons" with Dragonmaster Outcast.
Thassa, God of the Sea scry can help with setting up top of library cards as well as give Obeka evasion.
There are 2 cards in the deck that get the initiative going and this gives you the "Undercity Dungeon" which you visit every upkeep. So its a very powerful ability to keep getting triggers from.
Rilsa Rael, Kingpin gets initiative and also has the potential to give Obeka +5 power.
From the Catacombs also gets initiative going and you are fine to surveil or mill this card as you can cast it for its escape cost.
There are 5 levels to the Undercity Dungeon. "Forge" can put 2 +1/+1 on Obeka so you end up getting a snowball effect. "Arena" can goad an opponents creature which might be good enough to get Obeka evasion. "Throne of the Dead Three" is another way of cheating in some of your bigger creatures.
River Song's Diary is a very powerful card in multiplayer and the way to look at this card is that you are just going to be able to cast every instant and sorcery that gets cast in a game with the additional upkeeps. Counterspells are wasted here but thats okay.
Tavern Brawler is a hallmark card for the deck as it can give Obeka a big power buff and gives you card advantage.
Replicating Ring is a massive mana boost to the deck that is very possible to trigger the 8 artifacts multiple times in a game.
Combat
The deck doesn't really work unless Obeka, Splitter of Seconds does combat damage.
She does have menace and based on my Greven, Predator Captain deck this does go a fair way to getting damage in. But you do need to support it as its imperative that she connects to opponents.
Initially I was planning to use equipment to get in damage and give her more power, as you get the ongoing effects every turn.
But as I constructed the deck more, I realized that there are only going to be a limited number of turns that you will be attacking before the snowball nature of the deck would overwhelm games and equipment is a big investment. Normally anything between 3-5 mana to cast and also equip. For example all the "Swords" cost to get going and really you want to be deploying upkeep advantages instead if possible.
So instead of equipment I've gone for very cheap versatile combat spells that do at least two things. Either give Obeka evasion, protection or buff her power.
As I first stated I don't want to turn her into a massive Voltron threat, sure it would be nice to connect for 10 damage and get 10 additional upkeeps, but I've kept the game plan to not be greedy and to instead focus on getting consistent value.
If you can give Obeka flying that is as good as meaning she is unblockable with the menace. Remember you are only needing to connect to a single player who is bound not to have two flyers.
Aerial Formation, Aspirant's Ascent, Maximize Altitude give her a +1 to power and flying.
Funeral Charm and Piracy Charm are basically the same card and either give her swampwalk or islandwalk respectively, but you can give her a +2 power in other situations that you want additional upkeeps.
Then for protection and a +2 power boost there is Boon of Erebos, Supernatural Stamina, Unnatural Endurance. These are only good against destroy effects and damage so there is also Shore Up to handle exile effects like Swords to Plowshares.
The only exceptions to the multiple use cards are Rouse and Blazing Shoal as they can give a power boost without spending mana.
The other reasons I choose instant/sorcery over equipment is that it makes The Magic Mirror, River Song's Diary, Mist of Stagnation better cards in the deck.
The only equipment that I kept is Winged Boots because its mana efficient to give her protection and evasion.
The Black Gate, Shizo, Death's Storehouse, Minas Morgul, Dark Fortress are lands that give evasion. They are pricier lands, but I think it worth it considering how important it is for Obeka to get in combat damage.
Zacama
Looking forward to poking at this deck.
