{"ops":[{"insert":"The goal of the deck is to play our commander, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cormela, Glamour Thief"}},{"insert":" into a "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Blood on the Snow"}},{"insert":". Blood on the Snow will resolve completely, destroying and returning cormela (assuming we spent four snow mana on the Blood on the Snow) and then Cormela will trigger and return blood on the snow from our graveyard to our hand. We then have a pretty strong lock on creatures that is hard to interact with efficiently that we can try to leverage into a win.\n\nIn order to get to Blood on the Snow, we have a number of tutors and as such a number of tutor packages. We also have some backup plans in case things don't go to plan.\n\nMost of the intricacies with the deck crop up when we look at the individual card selections, so I will go over the card selections here.\n\n--- Blink ---\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Essence Flux"}},{"insert":" - Allows us to quick blink off of a tutor to get more cards in the yard. This one is probably the most replaceable card in the deck that isn't here for more flavor purposes.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ghostly Flicker"}},{"insert":" - Along with Archaeomancer, allows us to repeatedly blink tutor or draw pieces to make an engine.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Hide on the Ceiling"}},{"insert":" - A more tutorable version of Ghostly Flicker that is a bit slower.\n\n\n--- Draw ---\n\nNote that I am very loose in my definition of draw in most of my decks to cut down on category bloat, in addition to drawing cards/scrying I include cards that provide me with more opportunities to cast spells in general.\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Archaeomancer"}},{"insert":" - Backup version of Cormela, Glamour Thief. Also allows us to do flicker loops with the blink section.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Arcum's Astrolabe"}},{"insert":" - Extremely strong filter card we have access to by virtue of being a snow deck. It also works well with Ghostly Flicker.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Brainstorm"}},{"insert":" - We are playing many fetchlands so it makes some sense to play brainstorm here. I could easily see cutting it for a more synergistic card.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Brainsurge"}},{"insert":" - Better than brainstorm but still has some issues with not really being synergistic.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cryogen Relic"}},{"insert":" - The kind of draw we want to be playing in the deck. With ghostly flicker this turns into an insane engine.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Deep Analysis"}},{"insert":" - A solid draw spell with flashback. We are playing an above average amount of flashback cards because we have a couple of mill cards and Quiet Speculation in the list.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Draugr Necromancer"}},{"insert":" - This isn't really a draw spell even with my loose definition but it is a potent extra option with Blood on the Snow. This lets us exile our opponent's entire boards with ice counters, bring back the necromancer and start casting their boards.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Graven Lore"}},{"insert":" - Less good and more thematic. It does synergize with our generic snow synergy cards like Scrying Sheets.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Iceberg Cancrix"}},{"insert":" - Along with our flashback and blink cards, effectively 'draws' us cards when we mill ourselves. Regardless of what we hit, it gives us more options to pick up with Cormela.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Inspiration from Beyond"}},{"insert":" - A solid enough flashback target that lets us return a stranded Blood on the Snow. It is a little expensive to recast though.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Memories Returning"}},{"insert":" - Strong draw spell that works with our flashback synergies.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mystic Retrieval"}},{"insert":" - Our most efficient way to return a stranded Blood on the Snow from just graveyard value.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sorceress's Schemes"}},{"insert":" - A reasonable way to return a stranded Blood on the Snow from graveyard value, but it also can loop with Mystic Retrieval to allow us to cast one spell over and over again provided we have enough mana (potentially Walk the Aeons to try and win the game)\n\n\n--- Finishers ---\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Marit Lage's Slumber"}},{"insert":" - A fun win condition that doesn't get removed by Blood on the Snow. Once we get to ~11 lands we should be good to go to flip the slumber. Until then we just fix our draws a bit.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Walk the Aeons"}},{"insert":" - My Time Warp variant of choice here, this lets us have an infinite with Mystic Sanctuary + Archaeomancer if we are to need it.\n\n\n--- Ice to Meet You --\n\nMostly just goofy stuff and backup plans.\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Arcum's Weathervane"}},{"insert":" - Tutorable off of Tribute Mage, this lets us actually use Avalanche. It's very slow and only hits basics though so I would recommend only using this in dire situations.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Isochron Scepter"}},{"insert":" - Tutorable off of Tribute Mage (Again), you can do a lot of things with Isochron Scepter. There aren't any hard locks in the deck, but it can serve as a secondary source of repeatable removal with Skred, or a repeatable counter with one of the many counterspells, or just something goofy like Thermal Flux.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Rimefeather Owl"}},{"insert":" - Hard to get out but hits very hard. This also allows us to use Avalanche but its more just a big beater.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Rimescale Dragon"}},{"insert":" - Hard to get out but provides another creature lockdown backup plan if our Blood on the Snow gets exiled or something.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Thermal Flux"}},{"insert":" - I wish this didn't say until end of turn. That is all.\n\n\n--- Interaction ---\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"An Offer You Can't Refuse"}},{"insert":" - Just a strong interactive spell for protecting our combo.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Avalanche"}},{"insert":" - A really bad land destruction spell but it does destroy multiple lands that aren't yours. This could be useful(?).\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Blood on the Snow"}},{"insert":" - Our hidden commander that I have already went over ad nauseam.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Counterspell"}},{"insert":" - The (fourth) best of the best if your manabase supports it.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Countersquall"}},{"insert":" - Our second copy of negate. Its a little worse than being single-pipped but better than being double-pipped in one color.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Dead of Winter"}},{"insert":" - A backup board wipe that doesn't hit some of our big heaters.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Dress Down"}},{"insert":" - This is to help us get rid of indestructible creatures. Just be careful to run it out after they gain indestructible if you are dealing with like Flawless Maneuver or something. This card unfortunately makes us scramble to get back our Blood on the Snow though.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Fervent Denial"}},{"insert":" - A flashback counterspell. It is not very efficient though, it is mostly there for late game situations.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Frost Bite"}},{"insert":" - A snow removal spell that we can put under Isochron Scepter.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Infernal Grasp"}},{"insert":" - A strong removal spell for when we aren't quite at Blood on the Snow territory.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Lightning Bolt"}},{"insert":" - As much as I like the snow removal spells, we do need more density so in goes lightning bolt.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Muddle the Mixture"}},{"insert":" - This counterspell tutors for our Isochron Scepter (or Arcum's Weathervane if you are feeling spicy). It can also tutor chain our way to Blood on the Snow by finding Unmarked Grave.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Negate"}},{"insert":" - Very strong for protecting our combo or just stopping a win.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Polymorphist's Jest"}},{"insert":" - Allows us to get around indestructible and death triggers like Dress Down, but only for one player.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Skred"}},{"insert":" - Fun to put under Isochron Scepter and just a darn good removal spell.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Tundra Fumarole"}},{"insert":" - Snow removal spell. It's not particularly efficient but it does get drawn off of Scrying Sheets.\n\n\n--- Land ---\n\nI will be skimming over the fixing, its mostly snow lands (half of which have types) along with a typical fetch-shock-surveil manabase. The fetches let us find our snow basics and snow duals so there are a lot of them.\n\nThere are two utility lands, however.\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mystic Sanctuary"}},{"insert":" - A combo piece that can also just do good work at recycling key instant and sorceries.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Scrying Sheets"}},{"insert":" - This ups our card advantage at a pretty low cost.\n\n\n--- Ramp ---\n\nI will be skimming over the ramp base, it is focused entirely at two since that is where most of the most efficient ramp pieces are for grixis. There is no Sol Ring as we need to cast most of our stuff with snow mana, and I like to look for excuses to cut Sol Ring. It's probably correct to have Sol Ring though.\n\nThere are two snow pieces of ramp in the deck - "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Coldsteel Heart"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Replicating Ring"}},{"insert":" .\n\n\n--- Tutors ---\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Entomb"}},{"insert":" - Putting Blood on the Snow into our graveyard is our main way of accessing it efficiently. This is the most efficient rendition of that effect.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Micromancer"}},{"insert":" - Wizard that lets us find Hide on the Ceiling and Entomb along with a smattering of removal spells to tuck under Isochron Scepter.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mystical Teachings"}},{"insert":" - This tutor finds us other tutors and removal mostly.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Quiet Speculation"}},{"insert":" - Extremely narrow yet efficient tutor. It acts almost as a draw spell in this deck.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Solve the Equation"}},{"insert":" - Finds us Blood on the Snow directly.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Spellseeker"}},{"insert":" - A less narrow version of Micromancer that works better with Isochron Scepter.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Step Through"}},{"insert":" - Tutors to find us our tutor wizards as well as Archaeomancer.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Tribute Mage"}},{"insert":" - Tutors to find Isochron Scepter or Arcum's Weathervane.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Unmarked Grave"}},{"insert":" - Entomb, but worse.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Vedalken Aethermage"}},{"insert":" - Tutors to find us our tutor wizards as well as Archaeomancer.\n\n\n"}]}