{"ops":[{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Abdel Adrian, Agent of the Iron Throne - a primer"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"This deck was crafted as part of a budget deckbuilding challenge."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"Total price was <€25 INcluding basics on May 8th 2026."},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"3rd Abdel deck, oopsie."},{"insert":"\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"TL;DR:"},{"insert":" aims to blink Abdel to get tokens, sac tokens to get payoffs. Aims to win turn 6-7 through infinite combo (blinking), bracket 3. Consistent, cheap, overlapping card functions for robustness. Sac payoff and token maker in command zone.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Introduction"},{"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward"}},{"insert":" temporarily exiles other non-land permanents and gives 1/1 tokens in return. While you could focus on ETB triggers for synergy, this deck aims to be an aristocrats deck that sacrifices the tokens he creates.\nBy using "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Agent of the Iron Throne"}},{"insert":" as our background, we make this an Orzhov deck - the most edgy aristocrat color. We also get a sacrifice payoff in our command zone, to combine with our token creator. Cool!\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Why play this deck"},{"insert":"\nThis deck does the following things well:\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Clear bracket"},{"insert":". When goldfishing, this deck will combo off around "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"turn 6-7"},{"insert":", fitting neatly into "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"bracket 3"},{"insert":". "},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Versatility"},{"insert":". By enabling repeatable ETB effects, we can use cards that would normally not make the cut. For draw, use any of the (2-3 mana) draw-on-ETB triggers such as "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Helpful Hunter"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Dusk Legion Zealot"}},{"insert":". Need mana? Either blink treasure makers such as "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Gold Pan"}},{"insert":" or blink your standard "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Arcane Signet"}},{"insert":" and tap it everytime on re-entry. The complete list of combo's can be found by going to Recs - Combo's - Included (top right)."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Stack fun"},{"insert":". For this deck to pop off, ordering your triggers is the #1 important skill; do this wrong and you're dead in the water! "},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Not blue. "},{"insert":"Blue is a trash color for trash people. "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"They"},{"insert":" use cringe spells like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Restoration Angel"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cloister Gargoyle"}},{"insert":"; we use glorious cards like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Felidar Guardian"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cruel Celebrant"}},{"insert":"."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Brief game plan explanation"},{"insert":"\nOk, so you want to blink some stuff. Let's go over some typical turns.\n\nMulligan: 2-3 lands, ideally with a ramp piece, a draw engine and a blink enabler or spell. A hand without these relies on luck and will more often than not get landscrewed or have no draw at all.\n\nFirst 3 turns: play lands > play mana rocks > get draw-on-ETB into play. Try to get the background or a better drain effect in play, or better yet: a sacrifice outlet. Remember: we got both a token creator and a sacrifice pay-off in the command zone; all that's missing is a sac outlet and something that blinks Abdel!\n\nTurn 4-5: depending on ramp, play "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward"}},{"insert":" and exile creatures with beneficial ETB effects. \nFrom this point onwards, we have a real chance of going infinite any moment.Keep creating as many tokens as you can, so we can lead them straight to the slaughter! Easiest combo to pull off is "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Felidar Guardian"}},{"insert":" with a cheap single-creature blink such as "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cloudshift"}},{"insert":". This goes like this:\n1) Have "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Felidar Guardian"}},{"insert":" exiled under Abdel; \n2) Blink abdel with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cloudshift"}},{"insert":"; \n3) Abdel leaves and enters, first putting the ETB of Felidar on the stack and then the ETB of Abdel; \n4) Resolve Abdel trigger, exiling the Felidar Guardian again; \n5) Now resolve the Felidar effect that was already on the stack, blinking Abdel again; \n6) Repeat from step 3 until you've found some way to win or the universe dies a cold death!\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Win con"},{"insert":"\nThe main goal of this deck is to win through "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"sacrificing (token) creatures - created by Abdel - and having a pay-off effect that kills opponents"},{"insert":". An example sac-outlet would be "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Viscera Seer"}},{"insert":", while the background "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Agent of the Iron Throne"}},{"insert":" is a pay-off effect. "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"Note that tokens that get sacrificed DO hit the graveyard before they stop existing, so they count!"},{"insert":" \nAnother way to win would be "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Hopeless Nightmare"}},{"insert":", with a deal-2-dmg to each opponent on ETB-effect (oh and they discard, who doesn't like that?). If you find a way to blink "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Abdel Adrian, Gorion's Ward"}},{"insert":" infinitely (and thus hopeless nightmare), it's GG.\nThere are more win-from-inf-ETB non-land permanents such as "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Watcher of the Wayside"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Trailblazer's Torch"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cloister Gargoyle"}},{"insert":"; feel free to add them if you think they fit your playstyle. For my deck, I've left them out as they do not fit the aristocrat theme.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Card notes"},{"insert":"\nSome personal favourites and notes for this deck:\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cloudshift"}},{"insert":" is the only 1-mana blink instant"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Touch the Spirit Realm"}},{"insert":" costs {2}W to cast, but {1}W to channel; we care about the latter."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"All-Fates Stalker"}},{"insert":" can be warped for {1}W, making it a cheap blink enabler! Pairing it with any ramp and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Werefox Bodyguard"}},{"insert":" is one of the only ways to get a turn 5 win. "},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Felidar Guardian"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Restoration Angel"}},{"insert":" are the "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"best blinkers"},{"insert":" in this deck. They're the only blink-enablers that go infinite with Abdel + blink spell as described earlier."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Moon-Blessed Cleric"}},{"insert":"is the only tutor effect in this deck. It targets enchantments: "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Touch the Spirit Realm"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bastion of Remembrance"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Spirited Companion"}},{"insert":" ,"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Hopeless Nightmare"}},{"insert":". In other words: a blink spell, a sac-payoff, a draw engine and the alternative win con!"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Upgrades"},{"insert":"\nI'd start with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Skullclamp"}},{"insert":" , turning the 1/1's we create with Abdel into draw. Next up are better blink spells (looking at you "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ephemerate"}},{"insert":"). "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ashnod's Altar"}},{"insert":" is a key sac outlet for colorless mana in many an aristocrat deck; it's just a bit too expensive to make this list, though (I aim to keep card value <€1.50 wherever possible). \n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Final notes"},{"insert":"\nGoldfish.\nGoldfish goldfish goldfish.\nYou need to know the lines in this deck, including combos and tutor targets, before you show up to your pod. Your combo turns are bound to take time; respect the time of other players and don't take up too much. \nGoldfishing is the act of \"playing\" this deck as if it was solitaire; how does it play without any outside influence? Do this by using the playtester tool on the top right, or export the deck to manabox and playtest on your phone.\nIt's fun and teaches you a lot about the cards and how they interact!\n"}]}