{"ops":[{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Precon League and Rules"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"This is my \"Precon League\" deck that was randomly selected for me among my 4 man pod for Strixhaven. We did all of this digitally through Cockatrice, so getting the cards were quick/easy. Everything was tracked in a shared Google spreadsheet. Prices of cards added/taken out were pulled from TCGplayer and players could \"spot check\" the spreadsheet to ensure cards everyone picked were fairly priced. Everyone voluntarily agreed to the following restrictions to force players to think more carefully about what to add and/or remove from their decks and make a more conscious effort about deck building around synergy instead of just using general, expensive \"strong\" cards like Esper Sentinel, Mana Drain, Cavern of Souls, Delighted Halfing, Badgermole Cub, and etc.\n\nWe played for 8 weeks with the following restrictions: \n1. Only a max of 5 card swaps allowed each week (excluding lands). Cards swapped out are available in your \"card pool\" to be added back in at a later time, but count towards the 5 card swap limit.\n2. Only $15 worth in additions allowed per week (totaling $120 in upgrades). Unspent funds rollover to the next week. NO REFUNDS. Non-basic lands use these funds too, but aren't restricted to the 5 swap per week limit. Basic lands are free.\n3. No Game Changers\n4. Playing Bracket 3\n\nThis current deck list is the week 8 \"final\" version of my deck for the league, and I can say that as of 6/20/26, I am declared the victor! \n\nThe score totals out of 23 games played over 8 weeks are as follows:\n1st place - Lorehold Spirits - 9 wins\n2nd place - TIED - Prismari Artistry & Quandrix Unlimited - 5 wins each\n4th place - Witherbloom Pestilence - 4 wins\n(We did not have a 5th player to pilot the Silverquill Influence deck)\n\nHope y'all enjoy!\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"About the Deck"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Over the course of those 8 weeks, I had a lot of different card options to pick from while staying within budget. Some of the fun ones I ran into, used for a few weeks, but ultimately didn't make the cut in the final version were things like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Luxior, Giada's Gift"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ascend from Avernus"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Anim Pakal, Thousandth Moon"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Quintorius Kand"}},{"insert":" , and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Yidaro, Wandering Monster"}},{"insert":" . Luxior seemed to put Quintorius in more harms way (creature removal) than it benefited the deck, Ascend was too expensive, Anim was just a \"good card\" that didn't really synergize, Quintorius Kand was too expensive to justify keeping just to make 1 single spirit each turn and discovering 4 is such a gamble for a possible flop and I never did Ult it in the games I had it in the deck, and Yidaro didn't ever quite pop off with the \"cycle 4 times, get the big turtle\" and would only ever draw 1 card and make 1 spirit for two mana, which was okay but felt like the slot could be better utilized. \n\nAdmittedly, it took me like 2-3 weeks to fully understand what the real gameplan of this deck would be, as I didn't \"pick\" this deck for our precon league. We used a randomizer and everyone got \"assigned\" their decks, and I honestly wasn't very hyped about this deck. But boy was I wrong, because this has become one of my most dynamic and fun decks to play and is really high on my list of favorite decks. It's really closer to week 3 and forward that the deck really started to pop off and do it's thing and that I really started building towards its synergy. If I could go back and re-do this, I would've added a lot of the cards back in the tail end of weeks 7-8 within the first 2 weeks. \n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"So what is the gameplan, exactly? "},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"The point is to get Quintorius out asap, and just start making spirit tokens and overwhelm the opponents with your dozens of tokens and potentially go for double strike from Quintorius. Yeah, I know, yet another creature based strategy where the wincon is to swing for damage, how original. But it's more about the journey of how we get to that threatening board state! \n\nKey Drivers of the Deck"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"The primary cards that kick off the strat are as follows: "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Currency Converter"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ghost Vacuum"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Relic of Progenitus"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Scrabbling Claws"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Containment Construct"}},{"insert":" , and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Conspiracy Theorist"}},{"insert":" .\nThese are the main cards where you want at least one in your opening hand to get the engine going. The mana rocks are to help ensure you can get Quintorius out by turn 3-4, as the \"drivers\" obviously don't work without Quintorius on board. Currency Converter does A LOT of heavy lifting in this deck. It creates a 3/2 every time you discard, and then you also get to make that extra \"sneaky\" 2/2 rogue when the situation calls for it or give yourself a little ramp with the treasure. Quintorius often times keeps your hand filled, so you'll have the flexibility/options on what to discard to suit your needs.\n\nExample 1: turn 1 play land and cast Currency Converter -> turn 2 play land and cast mana rock -> turn 3 play land and cast Quintorius, tick up Quintorius to discard 1, draw 2, mill 1, and because of currency converter your discarded card goes into exile, and now you already have one 3/2 spirit on board. Then, depending on what you discarded, you can then tap Currency to either make another body (2/2 rogue) or a treasure. And that's all by turn 3. From there, you continue to tick up each turn while advancing your board state.\n\nExample 2: turn 1 play land, cast scrabbling claws -> turn 2 play land and pass (maybe no rock in hand) -> turn 3, drew a rock, play land, cast mana rock, maybe cast something else idk, pass -> turn 4, cast Quintorius, tick up loyalty, discard 1, draw 2, mill 1. And then before your next turn, tap the scrabbling to either exile one of those the cards in your grave to make a 3/2 spirit, or exile 1 card from an opponent's grave, whatever is more appropriate for the scenario. The main thing is you wait last minute to tap the scrabbling/ghost vacuum/relic of progenitus/currency and be reactionary so that you have options on your opponents' turn. \n\nThere are additional cards that feed into the mid-late game of this strategy and a lot of them are very good at recursion. Those cards are: "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Angel of Indemnity"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Augusta, Order Returned"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Emeria Shepherd"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Excava, the Risen Past"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Guardian Scalelord"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Karmic Guide"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Serra Paragon"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Squee, Goblin Nabob"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sun Titan"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Restoration Seminar"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sevinne's Reclamation"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Emeria, the Sky Ruin"}},{"insert":" \n\nEither way, you keep ticking up Quintorius, draw a bunch of cards, make tokens, recur things, and then when you're at critical mass, -4 Quintorius for that wide double strike vigilance swing.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Swaps"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":" I'll now list what I took out and put in, in the order they were taken out, meaning top 5 were taken out week 1, then next 5 week two, etc, and vice versa for the additions. But sometimes you'll see a land or two, but as stated above, lands didn't count towards the 5 swaps in/out. I'm going to leave out the additions that I put in that I eventually took out since that would be confusing and I just want to present what cards from the original precon eventually got cut and what stayed in the final version. In total, about 40 cards got taken out.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Taken out:"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Perpetual Timepiece"}},{"insert":" - without the engine pieces that were added into the deck later, milling myself wasn't that impactful so this did nothing.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Fateful Tempest"}},{"insert":" - not a fan of impulse draw and \"maybe deal damage\" to opponents based on chance.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Seize the Spoils"}},{"insert":" - probably could be a usable card in the deck, I just needed to make some sort of cut early on and this card didn't seem that good at the time.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Kirol, History Buff // Pack a Punch"}},{"insert":" - Does nothing particularly impactful, mana better spent on other things\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Lorehold Archivist // Restore Relic"}},{"insert":" - Does nothing, mana better spent on other things, plus the quality of artifacts in grave for the recursion aren't THAT broken. Not like we're playing Akroma's Memorial or anything OP.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Atsushi, the Blazing Sky"}},{"insert":" - conditional \"when this creature dies\" not helpful since no sac outlets, and the impulse draw/make 3 treasure wasn't game breaking. \n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Kami of Ancient Law"}},{"insert":" - Too niche a removal. Better, more broad removal available.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Spirit of Resilience"}},{"insert":" - Just overall a TERRIBLE card. First of all, it has to be on your board, so you pay 3 for a vanilla 2/2. But then the hoops and hurdles you have to go through to use its ability sucks. This deck is partially recursion, so to EXILE one of your good pieces in grave (which you first have to have a good target in grave) just for this to temporarily become a copy of it until end of turn is NOT worth it. \n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Lorehold Charm"}},{"insert":" - options weren't too impactful/meaningful\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Moonshaker Cavalry"}},{"insert":" - too expensive and Quintorius already has a built in win-con ability\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Lotus Field"}},{"insert":" - deck lacks land recursion, so why use this?\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sacred Peaks"}},{"insert":" - garbage tapped land\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Study Hall"}},{"insert":" - no colors, ability mostly irrelevant\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Fields of Strife"}},{"insert":" - whoopee, another tapped land\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Glittering Massif"}},{"insert":" - we don't like tapped lands\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Lorehold Campus"}},{"insert":" - poo tapped land\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Terramorphic Expanse"}},{"insert":" - stinky tapped land\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Naktamun Lorespinner // Wheel of Fortune"}},{"insert":" - A card that does nothing. You pay 3 mana for a vanilla 3/3, wait through 3 opponents' turns hoping it doesn't die, just to pay another 3 mana to wheel? This is not a card I want to top deck into, nor is it a card I want in my opening hand. So really, what's the point of this card? \n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bitterthorn, Nissa's Animus"}},{"insert":" - slow ramp, equip cost isn't quite reasonable\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Secret Rendezvous"}},{"insert":" - we'd rather avoid feeding our opponents cards\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Wave of Reckoning"}},{"insert":" - better board wipes to pick from\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Advanced Reconstruction"}},{"insert":" - another card where you wait a whole turn cycle after putting it down hoping something happens. Curve is bad cuz you usually want the commander out for turn 3-4, so you'd pick casting the commander over this. The second ability is cool, but with the amount of cards you're drawing from Quintorius and better cards you'll have access to, feeding mana into this doesn't advance the gameplan fast enough, third ability is a nice discount, but we're not regularly \"casting\" from exile or grave. \n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle"}},{"insert":" - Not that many historic spells to fully utilize the ability. Too conditional to be fully useful.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Monologue Tax"}},{"insert":" - conditional \"Opponent cast's a second spell\" to potentially make a treasure is iffy. \n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Guardian of Faith"}},{"insert":" - seems good on paper since it's basically "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Clever Concealment"}},{"insert":"/"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Galadriel's Dismissal"}},{"insert":" , but I never found myself using this. It was almost easier to rebuild after getting board wiped rather than keeping mana open to use this.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ao, the Dawn Sky"}},{"insert":" - conditional \"when this dies\" effect. 5 mana for a flying 5/4 doesn't do much to synergize with this deck when there's no sac outlets. \n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Staff of the Storyteller"}},{"insert":" - not a bad card, just opted for something else in place of this.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Remorseful Cleric"}},{"insert":" - could be a decent bojuka bog, but that's why I have all the 1 mana artifacts that exile target card in a grave. \n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Relic Retriever"}},{"insert":" - this card was okay, but just felt like there were better options to slot in for this.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Quintorius, Field Historian"}},{"insert":" - this card was cool for awhile. It was like having a second Quintorius History Chaser. But for 5 mana and being easily removable, I opted for lower costed cards that could trigger the commander more frequently. \n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Quintorius, Loremaster"}},{"insert":" - similar as above, 5 mana was a lot and could be easily removed, and never found myself using the activated ability. \n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Venerable Warsinger"}},{"insert":" - Reads as a really great card. But 3 mana 3/3 with no haste, and at the time, no real +1/+1 counter synergy. However, with the deck as it is for Week 8, I might reconsider this card.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Hofri Ghostforge"}},{"insert":" - this was actually a very good card. It gives an anthem effect with haste, and kinda/sorta insurance to save my non-spirit creatures. It's just I needed to make a cut for newer additions and this was on the chopping block, due to cost.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Laelia, the Blade Reforged"}},{"insert":" - I'm generally not a fan of impulse draw. She did stay in the deck for several weeks, but just got cut for better synergistic cards.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ceaseless Conflict"}},{"insert":" \n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Rip Apart"}},{"insert":" - slow sorcery speed removal but also not recurrable. \n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Primary Research"}},{"insert":" - swapped in stuff that could recur more frequently\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Drumbellower"}},{"insert":" - Reconnaissance was a cheaper alternative for pseudo vigilance\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Claim Jumper"}},{"insert":" - One of the much later cards taken out of the deck. I don't know why I didn't cut this out much sooner, as the \"double catch up ramp\" was just never that relevant and it never really happened. \n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"White Orchid Phantom"}},{"insert":" - in hindsight, probably should've considered keeping this for proper land hate since I don't run any strip mines/etc. \n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Balefire Liege"}},{"insert":" - a very strong anthem effect, but the usual argument of 5 mana is too expensive, cheaper/stronger alternatives \n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Additions:"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ghostly Prison"}},{"insert":" - a must have to pillow fort the commander\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Solitary Confinement"}},{"insert":" - saved my ass many games when I clearly get out of hand, easy to recur\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Grasp of Fate"}},{"insert":" - easy to recur and hits all of opponents' best pieces\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Dawn Charm"}},{"insert":" - mostly a fog effect to save my ass and possible counter spell. \n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Witch Enchanter // Witch-Blessed Meadow"}},{"insert":" - targeted removal + back up land.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Loran of the Third Path"}},{"insert":" - targeted removal\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Untimely Malfunction"}},{"insert":" - useful interaction\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Sundown Pass"}},{"insert":" - better untapped land\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Scrabbling Claws"}},{"insert":" - key driver behind creating tokens for Quintorius\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ghost Vacuum"}},{"insert":" - key driver behind creating tokens for Quintorius\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Deification"}},{"insert":" - keeps Quintorius ALIVE\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Caretaker's Talent"}},{"insert":" - incredible value - consistent card draw, populate, strong anthem effect\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Reprieve"}},{"insert":" - sometimes, you just have to counter spell the scary thing to protect the board state/win con\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Lapse of Certainty"}},{"insert":" - same as reprieve\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Blind Obedience"}},{"insert":" - stax to help reduce aggro. Also a direct counter against Rootha, one of the more dangerous/explosive commanders in the precon league. \n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"On Wings of Gold"}},{"insert":" - insane value that is an anthem, gives flying, and makes MORE tokens\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Deafening Silence"}},{"insert":" - Generally a good card to stop combo decks, also hard blocks Rootha \n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Serra's Emissary"}},{"insert":" - Pillow fort + game ending card (choose protection from creatures!)\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Relic of Progenitus"}},{"insert":" - key driver behind creating tokens for Quintorius\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Monument to Endurance"}},{"insert":" - one of the most expensive adds to the deck. Synergizes well with Quintorius since it offers card draw, treasures, and indirect damage. \n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Talisman of Conviction"}},{"insert":" - general mana ramp\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Boros Signet"}},{"insert":" - general mana ramp\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Emeria Shepherd"}},{"insert":" - offers repeatable recursion/value\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Hardened Academic"}},{"insert":" - a useful discard outlet that synergizes well with monument to endurance, containment construct, and provides +1/+1 counters for some \"go tall\" strats, cuz sometimes go wide just isn't good enough. Plus he has lifelink, which can save you in a pinch.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Authority of the Consuls"}},{"insert":" - stax to help reduce aggro. Also a direct counter against Rootha, one of the more dangerous/explosive commanders in the precon league. \n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Vanquish the Horde"}},{"insert":" - cheap board wipe\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Lorehold, the Historian"}},{"insert":" - This is a weird one and I'm on the fence about keeping it. The main idea is that drawing/seeing more cards creates more options, plus the \"discard\" part can synergize well with containment construct, currency converter, monument to endurance, and feeds the grave.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Boromir, Warden of the Tower"}},{"insert":" - general creature protection but also hard counters Rootha. \n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Exalted Sunborn"}},{"insert":" - the cheapest token doubler on the market that I could afford to add into the deck. \n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Restoration Seminar"}},{"insert":" - expensive, but if ramped into early, provides value for the remainder of the game.\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Conqueror's Flail"}},{"insert":" - stop opponents from interacting with game winning swings\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Angel's Grace"}},{"insert":" - insurance in the case that fog doesn't save my ass\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Adeline, Resplendent Cathar"}},{"insert":" - general good/strong value card\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cathars' Crusade"}},{"insert":" - make creatures big\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Reconnaissance"}},{"insert":" - cheap pseudo vigilance\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Warleader's Call"}},{"insert":" - great anthem with \"impact tremors\" type effect.\n"}]}