{"ops":[{"insert":"Welcome to my favorite deck! "},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Gameplan tldr: "},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nGo wide"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Make Mana"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Win game"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThe deck started out as a meme pile of jank until I then realized that it is insanely strong and resilient. It is by the letter of the law a bracket 3 deck but can hang with bracket 4 and I generally only play it in the upper ranges of bracket 3. It can be easily powered down to mid bracket 3/ bracket 2 by taking out the big mana engines (nykthos and three tree city) and taking out the game changers. Cutting these cards and the ways of tutoring them also opens up slots for the insane amount of other cards which are viable for this deck. This is a working decklist and currently the best performing version for my playstyle.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Gameplay"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":" \n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Step 1: Go wide / get out Delney"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nFirst step is to establish a board state. The best cards to enable quick explosive boardstates are charismatic conqueror and ocelot pride. Ocelot pride being better when thrown out turn one and charismatic conqueror scaling insane towards the end of the game. Because of the insane power of charismatic conqueror we run every possible effect to reasonably tutor him as seen below. If we are not going the explosive way we can just slowly generate a big boardstate always with the focus on generating card advantage and building our devotion to enable Nykthos / Evangel & Hoplite to turn the corner later. Evangel and Hoplite are our two late game finishers to generate huge amount of tokens in the late game. \nSince we are so dependent on a bigger board the list runs only asymetrical boardwipes and a LOT of protection from opposing boardwipes.\n\nFurthermore we need to get out Delney as quick as possible to have the double trigger benefit for all following cards. Because of this I sometimes hold a cantrip creature until after I have delney onboard. But running the amount of cantrip and general card draw creatures guarantees to get out Delney by turn 3.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Step 2: Make mana"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThe deck is able to make huge amounts of mana thanks to Nykthos and Three tree city. But these require a big boardstate which is why we focus on making mana after already having an established boardstate. The caveat being that this mana can be wiped out by one good timed board wipe. So fallbacks for more slower but resilient ramp are Deep gnome terramancer (which does not double trigger with Delney but is still great), Solemn simulacrum, Kor cartographer and Knight of the white orchid. If we have an established boardstate and one of our big mana generators in hand it makes sense to hold them if we can until we have a finisher in hand to not pull too much attention to us.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Step 3: Win the game"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nAfter establishing our board and mana all we need to do is find a way to win the game. The main finishers in the Deck are Moonshaker cavalry, Mirror entity and Champions from beyond (also Skyhunter strikeforce which is currently not in the deck). "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Moonshaker"},{"insert":" is straghtup white Craterhoof behemoth and almost always does the job once it is put on the stack. My most explosive wins happen with an early Ocelot/Conqueror into Three tree city and Moonshaker, GG. But the main problem with Moonshaker is that its not too synergistic with the rest of our deck and we have no way of tutoring it up unlike the other wincons.\n\nNow to the star of the Deck: "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Mirror entity. "},{"insert":"This is my goto and most synergistic finisher for the deck. Once we did step 1 & 2 we have a lot of ways to get to it (as seen below). The best part about Mirror entity is that it triggers all of our card draw engines because it is a 1/1, can be found by any creature specific tutor because it is a changeling and it is really hard to deal with. If we have enough mana to pump up our creatures to win the game we have won once it hits our board during our turn. If our opponents have no interaction anyway a neat trick to do with Delney is to declare attackers while the creatures are still small and virtually unblockable because of Delney, then pump them up with Mirror entity after blocks and before damage. Also it is more or less immune to removal in the winning turn since we can just activate in response and win the game from there. Also in some cases it can save us from a -x/-x board wipe.\n\nLast are Champions from beyond and Skyhunter strikeforce (currently not in deck). Champions from beyond has the nice effect of being tutorable by enlightened tutor and also just being a good deploy early on to make tokens and generate card advantage through attacking. Strikeforce can be tutored by Recruiter of the guard, triggers our engines and with delney on the board gives our creatures +6/+6 in combat because melee is a triggered ability. The big downside of these two wincons is, that they are both really susceptible for removal and can can therefore be a blowout. \n\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Key Cards"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThese are the cards that execute the gameplan of the deck the best and that I am always looking for first to get to a win.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Charismatic conqueror"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"Can be tutored by"},{"insert":": Recruiter of the guard, Forerunner of the legion\n\nBest token engine in the deck. Double triggers with Delney lead to the decision 1 token or 2 since the tapping is a cost and if the opponent choses to tap for the first trigger they cannot tap for the second one. Funny enough people start to not care at all after you have 8-10 tokens. Best synergy with the weenie etb. draw engines (Enduring innocence, Tocasias welcome, Welcoming vampire, Rumor gatherer) since this enables them to trigger in opponents turns. Also once it has done it's job since it is a 2 drop it can be converted with Pyre of Heroes into Mirror entity -> win. \n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Nykthos / Three tree city"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"Can be tutored by"},{"insert":": Expedition map, Urzas cave, Weathered wayfarer, Search for glory, Recruiter -> Wayfarer, Urzas saga into e-map, Enlightened Tutor -> e-map\n\nAs mentioned above the best Mana engines in the game. Regularily enables you to go from 5 -> 15+ mana. Since they are so powerfull we also run Deserted temple to be able to untap and produce even more mana. Also if you do not have Conqueror or Ocelot pride it is always worth to play City on Human since the deck runs mostly Humans and our late game tokens also generate Humans. \n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Mirror entity"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"Can be tutored by"},{"insert":": Forerunner of the legion, Recruiter of the guard, Pyre of heroes, Maelstrom of the spirit dragon, e-map / urzas cave / urzas saga / wayfarer -> Maelstrom\n\nMost reliable and synergistic finisher in the deck. Can be tutored by the most cards and is resilient against removal and counterspells since all of our recursion also hits it. Once it is on the board and we have enough mana the game is over. Should not be played proactively without the intent to win in the same turn tho. Also since it is a changeling every single one of our 2 drops can be converted into it with Pyre of Heroes.\n\n\nStrengths"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Consistency"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThe deck is surprisingly consistent at executing the three steps mentioned above to get to a win. We have a lot of tutors for the value engines we need the most to execute our game plan and A LOT of card draw. I have optimized the decklist to enable good mulligans and it is rare that I have to go below 6 to get to a great hand. And even then we can always get back into the game with Esper or simply 2 lands and Conqueror.\n\nResiliency"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nAdding to the consistency is the resiliency. This is the reason for running all of the other cards not mentioned earlier. MVPs here are the Soul warden type effects which quickly get out of hand in this deck but are mainly there to enable us to comfortably get into the late game without people being able to pressure our life total. Also we run quite a lot of recursion which can enable us to go from 0 back to 100 really quick if a wrath caught us off guard. But even better is to prevent it in the first place:)\n\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Weaknesses"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThe only real chokepoints of the deck are people aggressively wrathing without us finding recursion/protection and voltron strategies. For pure voltron we still run enough removal to kill them and my main tech piece here is Orims chant, but I have had cases of being killed in the lategame by a hexproofed huge commander, which gets around Flare of fortitude. Other than that there are not too many weaknesses that we cannot deal with since Delney is an insane value engine and the deck is built around them but all the cards we run are also just good without them.\n\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Tutors & targets"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n\nExpedition Map, Weathered wayfarer, Urzas cave"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nNeed mana?: Nykthos, Three tree city, Deserted temple (if you already have the others)\n\nNeed protection / removal?: Talon gates, Kor haven\n\nWant to win the game?: Maelstrom of the spirit dragon -> Mirror entity\n\n\nEnlightened tutor"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nNeed mana?: Sol ring, Expedition map, Medallion, Solemn, Land Tax, Ancient den\n\nNeed cards?: Enduring innocence, Tocasias welcome, Esper sentinel, Splitskin doll\n\nNeed creatures?: Illustrious wanderglyph, Pyre of heroes\n\nNeed protection?: Meekstone\n\nWant to win the game?: Pyre of heroes, Urzas saga -> Expedition map -> Maelstrom -> Mirror entity, Champions from beyond\n\n\nForerunner of the legion"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nNeed creatures?: Charismatic conqueror\n\nNeed cards?: Welcoming vampire\n\nWant to win?: Mirror entity\n\nNote: With Delney + etb draw effect you can sequence the triggers to: Tutor, draw, tutor and get both cards\n\n"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Search for glory"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nNeed mana?: Nykthos, Three tree city\n\nNeed cards?: Loran, Tataru\n\nNeed removal/ protection: Loran, Kor haven\n\n\nRecruiter of the guard"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nGet whatever you need except Moonshaker and other creatures with toughnes > 2. Evangel of Heliod cannot be tutored with it but Reverent hoplite can!\n\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"Common pairings for me to get:"},{"insert":"\n\nHoplite + Ocelot pride = make an ungodly amount of token and life with soul warden effect\n\nHoplite + Rumor gatherer = make enough tokens to win and almost guaranteed to find finisher or tutor for finisher\n\nHoplite + Charming prince = insane amount of tokens and another 2 tutors\n\n\nPyre of heroes"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nConvert any 2 drop into Mirror entity & get whatever suits the situation\n\n\nFeel free to share and comment, thank you!\n"}]}