Kykar, Mirrorweaver of Destiny

WolfWhoWanders
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Post by WolfWhoWanders » 4 years ago

I received a couple requests to post this deck I built around the card mirrorweave (my favorite card in all magic). This is a rather old deck for me, I've had it for a whopping several years and this fact became apparent as I sorted the cards to scan them in for posting. I have clearly only updated it sporadically, and somewhat randomly. There are cards I didn't even know were in here, interactions I didn't know were in here. I don't think I would ever play vandalblast into a board with mycosynth lattice, even if it were the "right" move...but that is in here. Looks like I may need to sit down and spend some time with this thing again and dissect it. Make sure the pieces are all working still...that I didn't cut something needed for a particular interaction or combo. I hope there is some interest in this deck, or rather the topic of mirrorweave shenanigans in general. I'd love for this to be a sounding board for interactions with the card and perhaps a place for people to share their wild stories with this incredibly versatile and beloved card of mine. That being said, here is the list. I will try and return to discuss card choices and "combos" later...In the meantime what can you find? There's a lot of jank here.

Last edited by WolfWhoWanders 4 years ago, edited 3 times in total.
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WolfWhoWanders
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Post by WolfWhoWanders » 4 years ago

So I'm kind of still trying to figure out how to post this stuff. I am tinkering with the deck function, I know if I look at the post and in the upper right of the deck list is a sort function, How can I make it so people who view my post can see it sorted by the "standardized sorting" by default when they click to view the post?
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MeowZeDung
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Post by MeowZeDung » 4 years ago

I enter my decklists card type heading manually, so I can't help you there. I'm sure someone knows a better way.

I'm going to go through this with a fine tooth comb and great excitement eventually, but for now I'll just say: 42 lands? Wowzers, that's a lot.

Speaking of lands, you might consider running the manlands. You can float all your mana, activate one, weave it, then activate as many others as you can with the floating mana while your opponents inherit lands they can't activate most or any of. Works real nice with Needle Spires + Jeskai Ascendancy. Ascendancy is great with manlands period since they still tap for mana as creatures. One of many tips I picked up from [mention]tstorm823[/mention]'s Zedruu primer.
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WolfWhoWanders
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Post by WolfWhoWanders » 4 years ago

[mention]MeowZeDung[/mention]

Yeah the man lands are a pretty good idea, I forgot they weaved into unactivated versions of themselves... And 42 lands may be a bit much...I think that's a holdover from when I built the deck. At that time I think I averaged 40 lands a deck. Nowadays it tends to be 36 or 37 depending on the deck. Less in some with lower curves and excellent ramp packages. There's 41 in the uro deck I just posted too and I may decide to add more lol
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MeowZeDung
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Post by MeowZeDung » 4 years ago

Feedback, thoughts, questions, discussion, etc., as promised! (Mirrorweave referred to as "MW" for short throughout)

I think overall the list is fun, which is what a deck built around MW should be, of course, but it could definitely use some tightening up imo.

First and foremost, a deck built around a single instant will benefit from as many ways to get it into hand or back from the graveyard as possible. Sunforger, Mnemonic Wall, and Mystic Retrieval are a start, but I think you should consider more of the following: @pokken familiarized me with a sweet bit of tech in Archaeomancer + Ephemerate: Cast arch, returning MW to hand, cast MW to do something zany. On the next player's turn, cast ephemerate targeting arch. Ephermerate exiles per rebound's rules text, and when arch etbs you grab MW again. At the beginning of your upkeep ephemerate rebounds, flickering arch, but this time it goes to the graveyard after resolving so you can get it back with the arch etb trigger. Obviously works with any instant/sorcery, not just MW.

While I'm discussing redundancy, I think you should build with games that you won't see MW or a tutor until late in mind. MW is a pretty dang unique effect, but you could still get some similar, albeit much less explosive mileage out of stuff like Role Reversal, Cultural Exchange, Quasiduplicate, Twinflame, Cackling Counterpart, Helm of the Host, Rite of Replication, Clone Legion, etc.

If you're interested in sticking a combo or two in the deck, Dualcaster Mage wins on the spot with Twinflame, or Quasiduplicate/Rite of Replication/Cackling Counterpart + a haste enabler. Helm of the Host + Kykar isn't a combo, per se, but it gets out of hand if it isn't answered immediately since each non-creature spell you cast gives you in return as soon as you have a second Kykar, who you can look at as a sort of Cloud Key for all spell types all by itself anyway.

One last note regarding combos: I include only two in my Kykar list, and one or both may be worth consideration here as alternate win conditions. The first is Kykar + Underworld Breach + Burning Inquiry, but it really wants more support from stuff like Sevinne's Reclamation and Brain Freeze, so I'm not sure it's what you want for this list. The second, however, would be great here since all the cards would be sweet individually in a MW focused build: and it is Bonus RoundTurnaboutNarset's Reversal. Turnabout, looped or not, goes great with the manlands that you'll want to run in a MW build anyhow, and if you manage to weave a creature that taps to do something cool like Crystalline Crawler, Goblin Welder, or Mercurial Chemister, AND you loop Turnabout with the combo, you get to win in some hilarious fashion.

I also like the idea of having some efficient, passive token generation besides Kykar to go as wide as possible before you weave something. I'd consider running some combination of Saheeli, Sublime Artificer, Efficient Construction, Sai, Master Thopterist, and Metallurgic Summonings. The fact that they all make artifact creature tokens is a nice bit of synergy with Vandalblast, which becomes a one sided board wipe after weaving a 1/1 servo or whatever.
Stuff I love!:
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Dandan - I wish it had evasion. It's too bad so many pods include multiple blue players, so oftentimes weaving this won't be a totally one sided board wipe, but even if they have an island you can attack with a bunch of 4 power dudes and either hit em hard or trade off spirits for bigger stuff.

Drooling Ogre - Combine it with MW, an artifact, and a haste enabler (creatures that you have "gain control" of are summoning sick iirc), and you have a strictly better Insurrection. Even without a haste enabler it's good, but less likely to be game ending. Hilarious and stupid (in a good way :cool:), as intended.

Hunted Phantasm - any critter with reasonable power and unblockable/fear/cannot block is going to go great with Kykar + Mirrorweave. Honestly, I think you should look to add more creatures that meet those specifications.

Dust Elemental - The flash, fear, and 6 power are all amazing with Kykar/MW, but the last clause is a bummer. Still, this is offset by the fact that (I think) you can sac the spirits you target to bounce in response before they are returned to your hand and use 2 of that mana for Mirrorweave. Even better, bounce back Archaeomancer/Izzet Chronarch/Salvager of Secrets/Mnemonic Wall so you can buy back MW.

Anointed Procession - Belongs in most Kykar builds IMO.

Hero of Bladehold - Powerful if you attack first, get the battle cry and token triggers (which will carry over after MW), then weave something bigger and nastier, OR if you weave before attacking and stack up massive amounts of both triggers. It's too bad that battle cry isn't +1/+1, because that would be nutso.

Balefire Liege - Awww yeah, that's the stuff. If you have this + 5 creatures on board, weave it, then cast a red spell, you get to distribute 18 damage in chunks of 3 to your opponents. If you happen to have a board of 8-9 creatures before doing so, this is just going to insta-kill someone. Then the combat step is going to be huge. If you're behind, the lifegain is a big deal too. I have a feeling this one has won a lot of games.

Admonition Angel - Permanently exiling a bunch of your opponents' creatures seems good. The only thing not to love here is the fact that it costs 10 mana and a landfall trigger to pull off, so realistically this will be spread across multiple turns or won't happen until turn 7-8 at the earliest.

Spirit Mirror - Trollolololololololololol

Chimeric Mass - :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

Soulblast - Fling for your whole board, which presumably has been weaved into something huge and attacked opponent A already, now kills opponent B. A delicious haymaker that makes for good, clean, casual fun.

Time Elemental - It took me a second to get it. You weave it after blocks are declared and someone loses a bunch of blockers. It would be amazing if MW could capture the attack/block trigger, but unless I'm mistaken it would only do so if attacks/blocks are declared AFTER the weave into elemental.
Stuff I want to love, but can't quite get there:
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Vandalblast - Destroys friendships with Mycosynth Lattice, but just good old fashioned fun with MW + Ensouled Scimitar. I don't think the current list has enough artifact creatures to justify it though. That changes if you run some artifact token makers.

Ensouled Scimitar - Good for the same reasons the manlands are good, but really only good defensively with such low power. I think spirits and other tokens give you enough opportunity for defensive weaving without needing to take up a card slot. I see the combo with Vulshok Battlemaster and/or Bludgeon Brawl, but that's a lot of stuff that isn't good in a vacuum that has to come together in order to work.

Charmbreaker Devils - There's more reliable options for buying back MW, and even though you may have a LOT of power to swing with after weaving this fella and then casting some instants/sorceries, the lack of evasion makes it less awesome.

Reiterate/Wild Ricochet/Radiate - I might be missing something here, but I don't see any reason to stack copies of MW except when targeting creatures with activated abilities that you'd like to use before the next MW copy resolves. I'd rather run Narset's Reversal which gives me a second MW use later, and Bonus Round which is part of a combo and is just great all around.
Stuff I seriously question:
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Allay, Shattering Pulse, Dismantling Blow, Mind's Eye, Kor Cartographer - Jeskai gives you access to many better options for these effects. Unless I'm missing some synergy here with buyback/kicker??? Cartographer isn't really being abused here unless I'm missing something, and MW doesn't give more of the etb trigger, so I don't see why it's worth a slot.

Tears of Rage - Good with evasive stuff like Dust Elemental I suppose, but kind of "win more". I'd rather find ways to increase creature count.
I'm sure I've missed some stuff in your list that just went over my head. I hope if nothing else I gave you some food for thought!

A few last suggestions for MW targets that may not be good enough, but you could consider:
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MeowZeDung
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Post by MeowZeDung » 4 years ago

I run Seven Dwarves in Brudiclad, and can attest that it gets spicy once you start turning all your tokens into dwarves, so the same would be true of Mirrorweave.

One other avenue OP could consider, although it probably requires a more "all-in" approach, would be to run Zada, Hedron Grinder and Mirrorwing Dragon along with tutors and support. One of these guys alongside Kykar and spirit tokens can get pretty insane. They are a wombo combo with MW itself, but you can include all the Shadow Rifts, Defiant Strikes, and Fists of Flames to draw a ton, go really wide, protect your board with gods willing type effects, and set up for a game ending weave. Zada/Mirrorwing also effectively turn Polymorphous Rush into Mirrorweave #2. . . sort of.
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Post by WolfWhoWanders » 4 years ago

Thanks @MeowZeDung for all the discussion points! It's a long post, so took me a minute to be able to read it all...turned out I wasn't able to get any tinker time in this weekend too. Water problems in an old basement apartment right?

I could definitely use more ways to get MW, currently I try to set up sunforger first to help get whatever answers I need at first...but I don't even run all of the ways to find that. I guess I'm used to running tutor light in general. I'll probably give wild research a try, as there are some cool enchantments to find with it too. I've already decided archaeomancer and salvager of secrets need to go in, and I love that ephemerate tech, thanks @pokken ! I could see helm of the host in here too.

Not looking to put any combos like dualcaster mage and twinflame in here, too easy to pull off and win on the spot. The bonus round into turnabout into narset's reversal combo may have a home here because I love all of those cards individually. Also requires additional resources to win on the spot. The hardest one to use on it's own would be bonus round and it's still fun. So I think those 3 may have a home.

As far as the things you love, I love them all too! Dandan can be surprisingly effective once mirrorweaved after attacks too.

The things you want to love...I think I'll probably take out the mycosynth lattice and the cards related to it, namely bludgeon brawl, and vulshok battlemaster. Ensouled scimitar may stay for the janky interactions, but I could see maybe cutting. Between some lands and a few other cards, there is a decent amount on the chopping block already so maybe it will get to stay. Same with charmbreaker devils. It's just been suprisingly effective if it sticks, getting back all kinds of things. Adds a little chaos. I've just always liked fork variants, they can be fun "Gotcha!" cards. I suppose maybe just reiterate could stay, and toss bonus round in.

The things you question...are questionable. The buyback spells are probably a holdover from the olden days. They can be grabbed with sunforger and then bought back for reuse. Mana intensive but I suppose it always worked well enough. There's much better options nowadays, like crush contraband or generous gift. Kor Cartographer is mostly in there to grab mistveil plains to put mirrorweave back into the deck to grab with sunforger. Don't overlook tears of rage which has taken many games home too. We generally have far more creatures than at least a couple players, and it can be used solely with spirits you already intend to sac for mana. Hilarious when followed with soulblast. I play with a consummate life gain player often, and this has brought him down from high life totals.

Archangel of tithes seems like a fun include, if a bit mana intensive. The others could be fun too, I may have to experiment with some until something of drooling ogre level dumbness comes along.

@darrenhabib , a few of your suggestions have great merit too, I've been meaning to add brudiclad for a while actually. The Saheeli walkers could be good, and I will probably add broodbirth viper. Seven dwarves seems hilarious, but I'm hesitant to commit too much space to it. I suppose you needn't add all 7 to the deck.
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MeowZeDung
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Post by MeowZeDung » 4 years ago

WolfWhoWanders wrote:
4 years ago
Seven dwarves seems hilarious, but I'm hesitant to commit too much space to it. I suppose you needn't add all 7 to the deck.
I would definitely only add one, the plan being to attack alpha strike and after blocks weave the lone dwarf and turn all those unblocked Spirits into dwarves :cool:
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Post by WolfWhoWanders » 4 years ago

-2 island
-2 plain
-2 mountain
- mycosynth lattice
- mind's eye
- ensouled scimitar
- radiate
- wild ricochet
- shattering pulse
- allay
- bludgeon brawl
- vulshok battlemaster

+ turnabout
+ archaeomancer
+ crush contraband
+ generous gift
+ settle the wreckage
+ saheeli, sublime artificer
+ brudiclad, telchor engineer
+ mercurial chemister
+ expansion//explosion
+ role reversal
+ wild research
+ broodbirth viper
+ bonus round
+ narset's reversal

Some quick changes I made. Still need to find the man lands, ephemerate, and seven dwarves wherever they may be right now. Not too worried about ephemerate... I've been pulling more than my fair share of archaeomancer shenanigans lately. Settle the wreckage was fun in feather when I nuked my own token army for ramp, might be fun here too. The rest seems obvious
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MeowZeDung
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Post by MeowZeDung » 4 years ago

Solid changes. I'm excited to hear about new shenanigans!
WolfWhoWanders wrote:
4 years ago
Settle the wreckage was fun in feather when I nuked my own token army for ramp, might be fun here too.
I run it in my list for the same reason. Also, it is an instant and thus sunforger searchable, and it's a wonderful emergency one sided wipe in the late game when the most threatening player already has a billion mana and you don't care about ramping them more as long as their stuff is dead.
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