{"ops":[{"insert":"🦅 🦅 🦅 🦅 🦅 🦅 🦅 🦅 🦅 🦅 🦅 🦅 🦅 "},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\nThe obvious way to build around this would be to fill the deck with flyers.\nThat's boring.\nInstead, this deck asks:\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"What if we take creatures that are much bigger than flyers are supposed to be... and simply teach them to fly?"},{"insert":"\nThe deck combines:\nOversized creatures with unusually high power for their mana cost"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Cards that give creatures flying"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Flying token generators"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Payoffs for controlling flyers"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"A large counterspell package"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Mass bounce and tap effects to keep the ground clear"},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"The result is a strange mono-blue "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"tempo / skies / power-matters deck"},{"insert":" that can suddenly turn a collection of bizarre ground creatures into an air force and drop its nine-mana commander for as little as "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"UU"},{"insert":".\n\n🦅 Typical Game Plan"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Early Game — Build Quietly"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Play Islands.\nDeploy efficient creatures such as:\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Frost Walker"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Lupine Prototype"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Hunted Phantasm"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Phyrexian Soulgorger"},{"insert":"\nor begin establishing a token engine.\nKeep cheap interaction available whenever possible.\nDon't rush the commander.\nMid Game — Invent Aviation"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Now start converting raw power into flying power.\nA single large body plus "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Flight, Wingcrafter, Cobbled Wings, Zephyr Charge"},{"insert":" or another flying effect may already be enough to substantially reduce the Lord.\nAlternatively establish:\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Levitation"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Archetype of Imagination"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Eldrazi Monument"},{"insert":"\nand make the entire board airborne.\nOnce we reach "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"seven flying power"},{"insert":", the commander has effectively changed from:\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"{7}{U}{U} — 8/8 flash flyer"},{"insert":"\ninto:\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"{U}{U} — 8/8 flash flyer."},{"insert":"\nThat's an enormous tempo swing.\nLate Game — Air Superiority"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"At this point we want cards such as:\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Gravitational Shift"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Archetype of Imagination"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Akroma's Memorial"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Aboshan, Cephalid Emperor"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Stormtide Leviathan"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Hullbreaker Horror"},{"insert":"\nto make combat increasingly one-sided.\nThe Lord itself is an 8-power evasive threat, meaning "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"three clean commander hits deal 24 commander damage"},{"insert":".\nOnce backed by our token army and oversized honorary Eagles, normal combat damage can end things considerably faster.\n🦅 Favourite Interactions"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Traxos + Any Flying Effect"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"7 flying power.\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"The Lord costs UU."},{"insert":"\nPhyrexian Soulgorger + Any Flying Effect"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"8 flying power.\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"The Lord costs UU."},{"insert":"\nPhyrexian Dreadnought + Global Flying"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"12 flying power for one mana.\nCast The Lord in response to Dreadnought's sacrifice trigger.\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"One extremely short-lived flying Dreadnought summons one extremely permanent 8/8 Eagle."},{"insert":"\nCharix + Flying + {3}"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Give Charix flying.\nPump it based on our Island count.\nCast The Lord while Charix is enormous.\nThe cost of The Lord is locked in as we cast it, so once the game has calculated our flying power, reducing Charix afterwards doesn't retroactively increase the cost.\nArchetype of Imagination + Aboshan"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Our creatures fly.\nTheirs cannot.\nPay UUU.\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Tap their entire creature army."},{"insert":"\nArchetype of Imagination + Gravitational Shift"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Our entire army gets flying and "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"+2/+0"},{"insert":".\nTheir entire army is forced to remain on the ground and gets "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"-2/-0"},{"insert":".\nEldrazi Monument + Token Engines"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Our disposable Faeries, Thopters, Drakes and other tokens pay Monument's upkeep while the rest of our army receives "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"+1/+1, flying and indestructible"},{"insert":".\n🦅 Mulligan Guide"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"The ideal opening hand contains:\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"3–4 lands"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"One early creature or token engine"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"One cheap counterspell"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"One flying enabler or card-advantage engine"},{"insert":"\nHands containing nothing but flying Auras and counterspells should generally go back.\nLikewise, don't keep a hand simply because it contains a giant creature.\nThe deck works best when it has "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"power + wings + interaction"},{"insert":".\nWe want all three pieces eventually, but we don't need them all immediately.\n Weaknesses"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"We rely heavily on creatures"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Repeated sweepers can prevent us from accumulating enough flying power to exploit our commander.\nFortunately, blue's counterspell package gives us plenty of opportunities to protect the board.\nThe flying enablers can be awkward alone"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Flight"},{"insert":" is fantastic when it's turning eight ground power into eight flying power.\nIt's considerably less impressive when there aren't any creatures to enchant.\nThe deck therefore needs to carefully balance "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"bodies and wings"},{"insert":".\nSome of our creatures are intentionally terrible"},{"attributes":{"header":2},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Let's be clear.\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Phyrexian Dreadnought, Phyrexian Soulgorger, Lupine Prototype and Frost Walker"},{"insert":" have drawbacks for a reason.\nWe're trying to exploit one particular characteristic:\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"They're much bigger than they should be."},{"insert":"\nOccasionally that means drawing a very stupid creature at a very stupid time.\nThat's part of the experience.\n🦅 Philosophy of the Deck"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"The Lord of the Eagles asks us to control flyers.\nMost decks would therefore play efficient flying creatures.\nWe have chosen a different path.\nWhy pay four mana for a sensible 3/3 flyer when we can play a gigantic monster, attach a pair of "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Cobbled Wings"},{"insert":" to it and insist that it's an Eagle?\nThe deck isn't trying to prove that flying creatures are good.\nIt's trying to prove that "},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"flying is better as an aftermarket modification."},{"insert":"\nOur crabs fly.\nOur horrors fly.\nOur constructs fly.\nOur Dreadnought flies for approximately six seconds before exploding.\nAnd once enough completely inappropriate creatures have become airborne:\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"The Lord of the Eagles arrives for UU."},{"insert":"\n🦅 🦅 🦅 🦅 🦅 🦅 🦅 🦅 🦅 🦅 🦅 🦅 🦅 \n"}]}