Captain Sisay's Toolbox and Combo
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Introduction
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Why Play Captain Sisay over x or y?
Pros:
- Can tutor for any legendary card
- has many hatebears to slow down opponent's game plan
Cons:
- Sisay/Yisan do not have haste and are vulnerable to removal and are important to look for hate pieces to slowdown your enemies
Most of the commanders below are unable to assist in the combo or the hatebear aspects of the deck.
Arahbo, Roar of the World
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Great commander for aggro cats with the emminence ability
Asmira, Holy Avenger
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Might be an interesting for a sacrifice token strat
Chorus of the Conclave
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This legendary basically turns all your creatures into hydras.
Daughter of Autumn
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An old card with an outdated ability.
Dr. Julius Jumblemorph
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Its an "Un" commander with an interesting ability. Heres to hoping that they add more hosts and augments in "Unsactioned".
Dragonlord Dromoka
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A pseudo Grand Abolisher for the command zone. If not for the cmc and that it cannot interact with abilities, Dromoka would have been considered for part of the 99.
Dromoka, the Eternal
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Maybe it can see use as part of the 99 for dragon tribal.
Emmara Tandris
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Everytime I see this card a part of my soul dies. For years I wished that she had a better card.
Emmara, Soul of the Accord
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Better than her original counter part by a mile.
Gabriel Angelfire
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An interesting card, unfortunately the mana cost is prohibitive.
Gaddock Teeg
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The other legendary that might be the only other replacement for Sisay. While it doesnt have any card advantage or tutoring, the hate that Teeg provides is crazy.
Jasmine Boreal
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A vanilla legendary not much else.
Karametra, God of Harvests
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An interesting commander that plays for the late game by pulling its lands out of the library.
Kei Takahashi
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I had wanted to try clerics a long time ago, but Kei is outclassed by other newer clerics.
Krond the Dawn-Clad
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An interesting commander for enchantress voltron which funtions as removal.
Lady Caleria
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Another overcosted commander for what it does which is now outclassed by newer cards.
Lord Magnus
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Maybe worth running against elvish champion, mostly a remnant of a bygone era of magic
Mirri, Weatherlight Duelist
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Mirri is good for decks where you are attacking with many creatures or for metas where people are going wide.
Nazahn, Revered Bladesmith
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The equipment voltron commander.
Rhys the Redeemed
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With Elves or go wide tokens, Rhys is a scary commander with extremely strong abilities with a low casting cost.
Saffi Eriksdotter
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Selvala, Explorer Returned
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It is a unique card and can win games if you build the combo around it. However as I have looked towards streamlining the deck, I found the combo clunky to use. Selvala is still in the deck but only as mana, and card advantage.
Shalai, Voice of Plenty
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A low costed card with many upsides. This card is great for protecting creature combos.
Shanna, Sisay's Legacy
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This card puzzle's me. Are you trying to go wide or go tall?
Sidar Kondo of Jamuraa
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An interesting card when playing a weenie deck. This card was the stuff of nightmares as partner to my friend's Tana, the Bloodsower deck.
Sigarda, Heron's Grace
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An interesting token maker which also protects you and humans you control. I feel that this card is outclassed by Shalai, Voice of Plenty
Sigarda, Host of Herons
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A great card which has self-protection, evasion and a great statline. Worth running and even better in edict heavy metas.
Sir Shandlar of Eberyn
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Another Vanilla Legendary but for one more mana you get 2 additional toughness.
Tolsimir Wolfblood
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A Leige and can trigger etbs and ltbs once per turn cycle. A fun commander.
Tolsimir, Friend to Wolves
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The wolf commander, not be confused with werewolf commander. That being said though, lifegain and possible removal on wolf etb is great.
Torsten Von Ursus
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The last of the 3 vanilla commanders. For one more mana than Jasmine you get one more power. FEAR TORSTEN VON URSUS!!! srsly though ... Sigarda is better if you just want a beatstick
Trostani Discordant
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A little different than his predecessor. He provides an anthem, comes with 2 additional bodies, and prevents permanent thief effects such as bribery.
Trostani, Selesnya's Voice
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One of the premier commanders for a go tall tokens deck. I've seen people claw their way back into the game from his lifegain trigger even after they got smacked till they were half dead.
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History of the Deck
When I first started EDH I had fallen in love with Sigarda enchantress Voltron. This deck stuck with me for years as my go to deck. As I wanted to maek the deck better, I realized that enchantress Voltron could only do so much, so with a sad sigh the commander was changed to Sisay and the deck retooled into a legendary permanents combo deck.
The deck was originally a paradox sisay list, however with the banning of Paradox Engine, it was basically gutted. As a result I changed the deck to use Yisan to tutor into Devoted Druid + Vizier of Remedies for infinite mana. Unfortunately as pieces of that combo are not Legendary, The deck become a slower. To facilitate the slower speed, the deck began to run more hate bears to slowdown other players and interrupt their game plan. The first wincon that I had considered after the ban was a Selvala x Umbral Mantle combo, however through much playtesting, I decided to cut the combo in lieu of more control cards and using Walking Ballista or Khamal, Fist of Krosa as a finisher.
Decklist
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Card Choices
By Type:
Grafdigger's Cage - Prevents people from playing reanimator or from using things like bolas's citadel
Trinisphere - Anti-free spells. It may feel like a nonbo with alot of the cards in the deck, however, if you are racing against a deck which casts things for free, slowing down the plays will be in your favor. Also helps slow the Demonic Consultation x Thassa's oracle flashhulk combo
Lightning Greaves - this protects Sisay, and Yisan and also gives them haste.
Artifacts
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Fast Mana
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- Chrome Mox
- Lotus Petal
- Mana Crypt
- Mox Amber
- Mox Opal
- Mana Vault
- Sol Ring
- Talisman of Unity
All of these artifacts allow for accelerated plays
- Lotus Petal
- Mana Crypt
- Mox Amber
- Mox Opal
- Mana Vault
- Sol Ring
- Talisman of Unity
All of these artifacts allow for accelerated plays
Trinisphere - Anti-free spells. It may feel like a nonbo with alot of the cards in the deck, however, if you are racing against a deck which casts things for free, slowing down the plays will be in your favor. Also helps slow the Demonic Consultation x Thassa's oracle flashhulk combo
Lightning Greaves - this protects Sisay, and Yisan and also gives them haste.
Creatures
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CMC 1 or Less
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Walking Ballista - Infinite mana sink to win games
Avacyn's Pilgrim - Mana dork #1
Birds of Paradise - Mana dork #2
Elvish Mystic - Mana dork #3
Fyndhorn Elves - Mana dork #4
Llanowar Elves - Mana dork #5
Mother of Runes - Protects important creatures from removal and forces players to use a removal on Mom before they can remove other stuff
Quirion Ranger - Helps untap Sisay and Yisan to allow for more than one tutor per turn
Avacyn's Pilgrim - Mana dork #1
Birds of Paradise - Mana dork #2
Elvish Mystic - Mana dork #3
Fyndhorn Elves - Mana dork #4
Llanowar Elves - Mana dork #5
Mother of Runes - Protects important creatures from removal and forces players to use a removal on Mom before they can remove other stuff
Quirion Ranger - Helps untap Sisay and Yisan to allow for more than one tutor per turn
CMC 2
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Collector Ouphe - Anti-artifacts. Please remember that Urza is the one creating the mana so Ouphe doesn't really disrupt the deck that much
Containment Priest - Anti reanimator, tutor into play, blinks, the list goes on. One of the ways to force people to play an honest game of magic.
Devoted Druid - A combo piece for infinite mana.
Ethersworn Canonist - Used mostly for anti-storm. Can be sacced off if it hinders your own game plane, although with the change from paradox combo, there aren't that many occasions where you cast more than one non-artifact per turn.
Gaddock Teeg - Anti wrath, x-spells, and other big non-creature spells. This card has single handily kept the game going by stopping an enemy from casting their win-condition before.
Grand Abolisher - Says no to interaction during your turn.
Hushbringer - Anti ETB and death triggers. An answer to Flash Hulk.
Kataki, War's Wage - I prefer to tutor for this card against Urza decks as it forces them to use the mana to pay for their own artifacts reducing the amount of shenanigans they can do.
Phyrexian Revoker - Facing a problematic activated ability? This card will stop it while its stays in play. Please note that this card stops mana abilities. Urza, combo pieces, and mana dorks this card can stop them all.
Priest of Titania - At worse this is equivalent to a Mind Stone on a stick. However, I have often had this card give 3+ mana per activation as there is another green player who also plays an elf dork.
Riftsweeper - This card is a just in case a combo piece gets exiled via path or stp.
Saffi Eriksdotter - a good way to protect from destroy or -x/-x effects as the creature goes to the graveyard before coming back into play.
Spirit of the Labyrinth - Say no to Mystic Remora or Rhystic Study abilities.
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben - Slow down storm decks and tax non-creatures
Vizier of Remedies - The second part of the infinite mana combo
Containment Priest - Anti reanimator, tutor into play, blinks, the list goes on. One of the ways to force people to play an honest game of magic.
Devoted Druid - A combo piece for infinite mana.
Ethersworn Canonist - Used mostly for anti-storm. Can be sacced off if it hinders your own game plane, although with the change from paradox combo, there aren't that many occasions where you cast more than one non-artifact per turn.
Gaddock Teeg - Anti wrath, x-spells, and other big non-creature spells. This card has single handily kept the game going by stopping an enemy from casting their win-condition before.
Grand Abolisher - Says no to interaction during your turn.
Hushbringer - Anti ETB and death triggers. An answer to Flash Hulk.
Kataki, War's Wage - I prefer to tutor for this card against Urza decks as it forces them to use the mana to pay for their own artifacts reducing the amount of shenanigans they can do.
Phyrexian Revoker - Facing a problematic activated ability? This card will stop it while its stays in play. Please note that this card stops mana abilities. Urza, combo pieces, and mana dorks this card can stop them all.
Priest of Titania - At worse this is equivalent to a Mind Stone on a stick. However, I have often had this card give 3+ mana per activation as there is another green player who also plays an elf dork.
Riftsweeper - This card is a just in case a combo piece gets exiled via path or stp.
Saffi Eriksdotter - a good way to protect from destroy or -x/-x effects as the creature goes to the graveyard before coming back into play.
Spirit of the Labyrinth - Say no to Mystic Remora or Rhystic Study abilities.
Thalia, Guardian of Thraben - Slow down storm decks and tax non-creatures
Vizier of Remedies - The second part of the infinite mana combo
CMC 3
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Aven Mindcensor - This card often blanks enemy tutors and because this card has flash, you can catch them unaware.
Dosan the Falling Leaf - This card can protect you when you try to combo off. While Dosan is tutorable by Sisay, the trade-off is the increased mana cost, and not being able to stop abilities.
Eidolon of Rhetoric - Another anti-storm card. Stops Dramatic scepter and Urza.
Eternal Witness - recursion just in case something gets destroyed
Hushwing Gryff - Flashing in against etbs is cathartic ^.^
Reclamation Sage - ETB artifact and enchantment removal
Recruiter of the Guard - Tutor for missing combo pieces or hate bears.
Selvala, Explorer Returned - Mana and CA.
Yisan, the Wanderer Bard - The main way to get the infinite mana combo.
Dosan the Falling Leaf - This card can protect you when you try to combo off. While Dosan is tutorable by Sisay, the trade-off is the increased mana cost, and not being able to stop abilities.
Eidolon of Rhetoric - Another anti-storm card. Stops Dramatic scepter and Urza.
Eternal Witness - recursion just in case something gets destroyed
Hushwing Gryff - Flashing in against etbs is cathartic ^.^
Reclamation Sage - ETB artifact and enchantment removal
Recruiter of the Guard - Tutor for missing combo pieces or hate bears.
Selvala, Explorer Returned - Mana and CA.
Yisan, the Wanderer Bard - The main way to get the infinite mana combo.
CMC 4+
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Linvala, Keeper of Silence - Stops creature abilities your opponents may have.
Nylea, Keen-Eyed - If you don't have ballista in your hand, tutor for this with Sisay to go through your deck and pull all the combo creatures
Kamahl, Fist of Krosa - The main way the deck wins. Tutor it up once you have infinite mana and you can overrun all your enemies.
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite - Combos with Kamahl, Fist of Krosa and with Living Plane to wipe your opponent's lands.
Nylea, Keen-Eyed - If you don't have ballista in your hand, tutor for this with Sisay to go through your deck and pull all the combo creatures
Kamahl, Fist of Krosa - The main way the deck wins. Tutor it up once you have infinite mana and you can overrun all your enemies.
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite - Combos with Kamahl, Fist of Krosa and with Living Plane to wipe your opponent's lands.
Enchantments
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Carpet of Flowers - This can get a lot of mana but is more dependent on what decks are at the table. However, its almost impossible to not have a blue player >.> the great thing about the card is that it generates mana during both main phases.
Survival of the Fittest - Yet another way to tutor for creatures.
Sylvan Library - Life is just a resource right? Draw more cards by paying life.
Living Plane - MLD with Elesh in play, otherwise it's a deterrent to board wipes if you have lots of dorks and rocks
Survival of the Fittest - Yet another way to tutor for creatures.
Sylvan Library - Life is just a resource right? Draw more cards by paying life.
Living Plane - MLD with Elesh in play, otherwise it's a deterrent to board wipes if you have lots of dorks and rocks
Instants
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Crop Rotation - Tutors for any utility land
Enlightened Tutor - Tutor for combo/hate pieces, mana, or card draw
Nature's Claim - 4 life is nothing in the grand scheme of things. The only downside is that it doesn't have split second
Noxious Revival - Instant speed recursion which can be used EoT and doesn't use mana
Path to Exile - Instant speed targeted removal
Swords to Plowshares - Another instant speed targeted removal. I prefer this to path as life isn't that important in most games.
Veil of Summer - Used against blue or black decks when they try to remove or interrupt my combo.
Worldly Tutor - A creature tutor to find something for your board state.
Eladamri's Call - Yet another creature tutor
Once Upon a Time - There are times where keeping a hand with no lands is ok. This card furthers that point. Further in the game allows you to dig for a creature.
Force of Vigor - Instant speed removal for free is good. The clause where it's free during opponent's turn is almost irrelevant
Enlightened Tutor - Tutor for combo/hate pieces, mana, or card draw
Nature's Claim - 4 life is nothing in the grand scheme of things. The only downside is that it doesn't have split second
Noxious Revival - Instant speed recursion which can be used EoT and doesn't use mana
Path to Exile - Instant speed targeted removal
Swords to Plowshares - Another instant speed targeted removal. I prefer this to path as life isn't that important in most games.
Veil of Summer - Used against blue or black decks when they try to remove or interrupt my combo.
Worldly Tutor - A creature tutor to find something for your board state.
Eladamri's Call - Yet another creature tutor
Once Upon a Time - There are times where keeping a hand with no lands is ok. This card furthers that point. Further in the game allows you to dig for a creature.
Force of Vigor - Instant speed removal for free is good. The clause where it's free during opponent's turn is almost irrelevant
Planeswalker
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Karn, the Great Creator - Although the -2 isn't really useful in most cases, just sitting there as another null rod ability and is fetchable with Sisay.
Sorceries
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Green Sun's Zenith - We are almost done listing all the creature tutors. Be careful not to use this when you have Containment Priest in play
Finale of Devastation - When I first picked up this card I had misread the card as "library or graveyard" and I thought for "one extra mana I can get my graveyard as well? It's not bad". Then I reread the card and realized it said "and/or" and did a spit take.
Regrowth - Just in case you can't use Eternal Witness.
Eldritch Evolution - A one-time use pod effect that lets you skip one in the pod line. I generally use this to go from 1 to 3.
Idyllic Tutor - Redundancy enchantment tutor
Armageddon - Because no lands generally means you are safe.
Finale of Devastation - When I first picked up this card I had misread the card as "library or graveyard" and I thought for "one extra mana I can get my graveyard as well? It's not bad". Then I reread the card and realized it said "and/or" and did a spit take.
Regrowth - Just in case you can't use Eternal Witness.
Eldritch Evolution - A one-time use pod effect that lets you skip one in the pod line. I generally use this to go from 1 to 3.
Idyllic Tutor - Redundancy enchantment tutor
Armageddon - Because no lands generally means you are safe.
Lands
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Outside of utility lands, most of the land choices are to assist in getting me both colours, or being fetchable with Sisay
Cavern of Souls - In case of blue deck, name humans
High Market - Sacrifice to dodge exile or Sacrifice a hatebear when it starts hindering you more than your opponents.
Strip Mine - Remove your opponent's utility lands
Cavern of Souls - In case of blue deck, name humans
High Market - Sacrifice to dodge exile or Sacrifice a hatebear when it starts hindering you more than your opponents.
Strip Mine - Remove your opponent's utility lands
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How the Deck Plays
So the main way the deck combo's off is with Vizier of Remedies + Devoted Druid infinite mana combo with Kamahl, Fist of Krosa or Walking Ballista as your mana sinks. The way that this deck assembles the vizier combo is through the multitude of tutors that has to offer, with the main one being Yisan, the Wandering Bard who is tutorable with Sisay.
The ideal Yisan line is as follows:
Verse 1 – Quirion Ranger to return a forest and untap Yisan for Verse 2 (if quirion ranger is in hand or in play get Mother of Runes)
Verse 2 – Devoted Druid or Vizier of Remedies if the druid is in play
Verse 3 – Recruiter of the Guard to fetch for Vizier of remedies.
Once you have infinite mana, use Sisay to search for Nylea, Keen-eyed. From there you mill non-creatures and put all creatures into your hand. This gets you Kamahl, and Walking Ballista.
While this is one combo, there are other viable combos that more revolve around Sisay being able to tutor them and shifts away from the low cost combo.
Other Combos
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Karn, Silver Golem /Karn, the Great Creator + Gideon, Martial Paragon + The Chain Veil + Total Mana Dorks/Rocks that can produce 4+ mana
With this combo as long as you can generate 4 mana, you can get infinite mana. The combo goes; Karn animates the Chain Veil and any rocks, tap your dorks/rocks for mana, activate Chain Veil, use Gideon's +2 which will untap all of your creatures which includes the Chain Veil, and repeat this as needed meanwhile you can tutor for cards with Sisay. Even if you have only 4 mana, Gideon's ability increases the p/t of all your dorks everytime the +2 is used. Therefore, once you activate the ability enough times, you can actually -10 Gideon to tap down any blockers that your opponents may and then you can beat your oppenents over the face with a llanawar elf, or a mana vault.
Karn, Silver Golem/Karn, the Great Creator + Nissa, Genesis Mage + The Chain Veil + Gaea's Cradle + 5 or more creatures
The above combo, similar to the Gideon combo uses the planes walker to untaps things that generate mana as well as the Chain Veil. Unlike Gideon, this combo will only spin its wheels if you do not net mana.
Selvala, Explorer Returned + Umbral Mantle + Angel's Grace + Infinite Mana
This wincon requires you to already have infinite mana as Selvala isn't the most reliable to combo with Umbral Mantle. The combo is to use Selvala's Parley ability, which is a mana ability and doesn't use stack, to have everyone reveal and draw the top card of their deck. Always holding priority, use Umbral Mantle to untap Sylvala. Once you draw the Angel's Grace, you cast it so you can't lose the game and continue holding priority and continue with the parley and the untap. What is interesting about this combo is the fact that your opponent's cannot interact with the combo once it starts except for the cast of the Angel's Grace and even then only triggers and morphs can interact with it.
With this combo as long as you can generate 4 mana, you can get infinite mana. The combo goes; Karn animates the Chain Veil and any rocks, tap your dorks/rocks for mana, activate Chain Veil, use Gideon's +2 which will untap all of your creatures which includes the Chain Veil, and repeat this as needed meanwhile you can tutor for cards with Sisay. Even if you have only 4 mana, Gideon's ability increases the p/t of all your dorks everytime the +2 is used. Therefore, once you activate the ability enough times, you can actually -10 Gideon to tap down any blockers that your opponents may and then you can beat your oppenents over the face with a llanawar elf, or a mana vault.
Karn, Silver Golem/Karn, the Great Creator + Nissa, Genesis Mage + The Chain Veil + Gaea's Cradle + 5 or more creatures
The above combo, similar to the Gideon combo uses the planes walker to untaps things that generate mana as well as the Chain Veil. Unlike Gideon, this combo will only spin its wheels if you do not net mana.
Selvala, Explorer Returned + Umbral Mantle + Angel's Grace + Infinite Mana
This wincon requires you to already have infinite mana as Selvala isn't the most reliable to combo with Umbral Mantle. The combo is to use Selvala's Parley ability, which is a mana ability and doesn't use stack, to have everyone reveal and draw the top card of their deck. Always holding priority, use Umbral Mantle to untap Sylvala. Once you draw the Angel's Grace, you cast it so you can't lose the game and continue holding priority and continue with the parley and the untap. What is interesting about this combo is the fact that your opponent's cannot interact with the combo once it starts except for the cast of the Angel's Grace and even then only triggers and morphs can interact with it.
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Change Log
2020-05-20
SPOILER
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+ Riftsweeper
+ Karn, the Great Creator
- Mox Diamond
- Birthing Pod
I've found that discarding the land for mox diamond hard to do when the deck already runs very little lands. Replaced with Karn, the Great Creator for hate against enemy rocks or activated artifacts. Birthing pod is also out for now as I test using Riftsweeper as an answer against exile.
+ Karn, the Great Creator
- Mox Diamond
- Birthing Pod
I've found that discarding the land for mox diamond hard to do when the deck already runs very little lands. Replaced with Karn, the Great Creator for hate against enemy rocks or activated artifacts. Birthing pod is also out for now as I test using Riftsweeper as an answer against exile.
SPOILER
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+ Nylea, Keen-Eyed
+ Walking Ballista
+ Living Plane
+ Defense Grid
+ Idyllic Tutor
- Stoneforge Mystic
- Vesperlark
- Umbral Mantle
- Trinisphere
- Angel's Grace
I took out the umbral mantle combo because I found the combo too unwieldy to assemble. Sure this means that all my wincon can be interacted with, but if I use stuff like defense grid, and Dosan, I should be able to stop interaction on my combo turn. Living Plane was added because I want another way to lock out the game and Idyllic Tutor is in so I can find it and as a redundancy tutor. Vesperlark out as I realize most creatures in my deck are 2+ power.
+ Walking Ballista
+ Living Plane
+ Defense Grid
+ Idyllic Tutor
- Stoneforge Mystic
- Vesperlark
- Umbral Mantle
- Trinisphere
- Angel's Grace
I took out the umbral mantle combo because I found the combo too unwieldy to assemble. Sure this means that all my wincon can be interacted with, but if I use stuff like defense grid, and Dosan, I should be able to stop interaction on my combo turn. Living Plane was added because I want another way to lock out the game and Idyllic Tutor is in so I can find it and as a redundancy tutor. Vesperlark out as I realize most creatures in my deck are 2+ power.
SPOILER
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+ Once Upon a Time
- Land Grant
Honestly Land Grant was placed into the deck so I could keep 0 or 1 land hands. With Once Upon a Time, sure only looks at the top 5 cards, but the upside is no information is revealed and I can always cast the spell later in the game to dig for a creature
- Land Grant
Honestly Land Grant was placed into the deck so I could keep 0 or 1 land hands. With Once Upon a Time, sure only looks at the top 5 cards, but the upside is no information is revealed and I can always cast the spell later in the game to dig for a creature
