{"ops":[{"insert":"TEVAL, ARBITER OF VIRTUE - Br. 3 - A beginner's guide"},{"attributes":{"header":1},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"MILL AND SELF-MILL - DELVE"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"MAIN INFO"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"PREMISE:"},{"insert":" Treats the graveyard as a second hand, recurring threats and value engines from the yard. Wins by depleting opponents' libraries until they can't draw a card, or by finishing with powerful cards that you can pay with delve.\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"STRENGTHS:"},{"insert":" Fast mana, 8 two-card combos, 2 three-card combos, and 1 four-card combo, strong tutor lineup.\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"WEAKNESSES:"},{"insert":" No free interaction, low interaction with the graveyard besides using cards in it for delve, highly dependent on specific cards to bypass the commander's downsides, risk of milling engine cards.\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"GAME CHANGERS:"},{"insert":" 3 (Cyclonic Rift, Demonic Tutor, Ad Nauseam)\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"AV. MANA VALUE:"},{"insert":" 3.1\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"PRED. WIN TURN:"},{"insert":" 6.1 (med)\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"BRACKET REASON:"},{"insert":" With 2 fast mana sources, 5 tutors, and 11 combos, the deck can threaten wins in the mid-game. Because it requires very specific cards in hand to function properly, doesn't chain turns, and has no more than 3 game changers, there is not enough adaptability to push it to Bracket 4 boundaries.\n"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"OPENING HAND:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"KEEP:"},{"insert":" 3 lands + 1 ramp (or 4 lands), 1 draw spell, 2 engine cards (ideally, 1 mill and 1 tutor).\nEngine cards worth holding: Grapple with the Past, Perpetual Timepiece, Malevolent Rumble, Doom Whisperer, Platinum Angel or Platinum Emperion."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Platinum Angel and Platinum Emperion are costly, and you'll probably not be able to play them in the early game. Keeping a low cost tutor would be a safer choice. However, those two cards are too valuable to mulligan a hand containing one of them."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"AVOID:"},{"insert":" Cards that mill but are too costly, , 5 lands or 2 ramps (though the commander is not cheap, it will take quite a while to enter the battlefield, so you'll be able to secure your mana), 1 or more finishers.\nAvoid redundant cards that are not mana-related. It's not ideal to have multiple removal or draw spells, since this deck can easily get to them outside of your opening hand."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"GAME FLOW:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"EARLY GAME:"},{"insert":" Play lands, cast ramps, start your milling engine. Do not cast your commander in the early game. Doing so will likely result in you taking lots of unecessary damage, since you won't have enough cards in your graveyard to use its delve ability effectively, but you will still take enough damage to put yourself at significant risk..\nDo not attack. Cast creatures to start your drawing and milling engines, or to use them as chump blockers. "},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Do not deliver a heavy blow to your opponents' libraries. You most likely won't have enough resources to close the game, so you'll become the table's enemy."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"MID-GAME:"},{"insert":" Keep ramping but not as much as in the early game. Tutor for your engine enablers (mainly Platinum Angel and Platinum Emperion). Cast commander. Cast enablers with delve.\nTime to show what the deck can do. At this point, your graveyard should be filled with nearly a dozen cards, so start using them as needed."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Hedge Shredder and Icetill Explorer can help you with mid-game ramp by recurring lands that were milled."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Keep your hand full with the multiple card draw engines available."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"This is the best time to cast your commander. By doing so, you'll minimize the damage you'll take, and you'll get to play your big enablers without much of a mana hassle."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"If you can't cast Platinum Angel or Platinum Emperion to stop you from losing life when casting spells, attack with creatures with lifelink to recover the lost life."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"LATE-GAME:"},{"insert":" Fully develop your mill engine. Abuse free casts with delve, choosing large numbers for spells with X in their mana cost. Keep some colored mana, since this deck only runs 11 colorless spells (that you can fully pay with delve; but more often than not, you'll be casting a spell with most of its cost lowered, but still having to pay 1 or 2 colored mana).\nSave most of your interaction spells to cast now. Counter the right cards and secure your milling combos."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Win by playing either a finishing combo (Jace's, Laboratory Maniac's), or by slowly milling away your opponents' libraries (Bruvac's, Exhibition Tidecaller's)."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"COMBOS:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"TWO-CARD INFINITES:"},{"insert":" \nBruvac the Grandiloquent + Maddening Cacophony."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Basalt Monolith + Mesmeric Orb"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Hermit Druid + Laboratory Maniac / Hermit Druid + Jace, Wielder of Mysteries"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Ad Nauseam + Platinum Angel / Ad Nauseam + Platinum Emperion"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Altar of Dementia + Jumbo Cactuar"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Kheru Goldkeeper + Tortured Existence (You have a creature card both in hand and in graveyard)"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"THREE-CARD INFINITES:"},{"insert":"\nForsaken Miner + Pitiless Plunderer + Altar of Dementia"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Forsaken Miner + Kheru Goldkeeper + Altar of Dementia"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"underline":true},"insert":"FOUR-CARD INFINITES:"},{"insert":"\nTortured Existence + Pitiless Plunderer + Altar of Dementia + Insidious Roots (You have a creature card both in hand and in graveyard)"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"IMPORTANT INFO:"},{"attributes":{"header":3},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Deck quite tricky to master. The main goal is mill cards while keeping card advantage. Then, you use those cards in order to generate value, building a humble board. After that, you cast your commander and your enablers, which will allow you to turn all those milled cards into instant resources. Then, you pump your milling (opponent's milling, not self-milling) engine to the fullest, to take everyone out in a single turn."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Most cards added are self-explanatory. For those who aren't, look below:"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Hydroid Krasis: Although not a particular game-ending threat, it can hit the battlefield with high amounts of +1/+1 counters."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Villis, Broker of Blood: It's not an engine enabler like Platinum Angel and Platinum Emperion, but it transforms Teval's downside into card advantage. Great to pair it with Exsanguinate or Doom Whisperer."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Torment of Hailfire: Finisher. Opponents keep losing life even if they have no permanent to sacrifice."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Command Beacon: Commander is somewhat costly, so it's safer to have it in your hand instead of the command zone if it's taxed."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Mesmeric Orb: Just a nice engine piece that helps you mill your opponents a little bit each turn. If you are playing against a token deck, this card has its value doubled."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Perpetual Timepiece: In the unlikely scenario of you milling your whole deck, you'll need this card to avoid losing the game (if you don't have Jace Wielder of Mysteries or Laboratory Maniac out)."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Six: Deck struggles with recursion, but Six grants every nonland permanent in your graveyard retrace (you can cast them from the graveyard if you pay their cost + discard a land). Discarding a land is a high cost, but cards like Life from the Loam, Lumra, Icetill Explorer, Muldrotha, and Aftermath Analyst can help you recover them."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Ugin, Eye of the Storms: It has everything you want. It's totally colorless, so you can pay it entirely with delve. It destroys and exiles permanents while also providing card draw, mana, and tutoring."},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"General advice: Keep your counterspells ready to answer your opponents' attempts to stop your mill cards. Commander is not needed in the early game. First, get your engine enablers; second, draw value out of your milled cards; third, cast a finisher like Six or Ugin, or play a combo that will mill your opponent's entire library."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"In this deck, the combat phase is not that important."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Remember that Teval will deal damage to you when you cast spells with X in their mana cost, with X being factored in the burn damage (these cards do not have the X value counted in their mana cost anywhere else other than the stack, but Teval checks the mana cost on the stack)."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Be sure to tutor for the right cards. "},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"You should always want to grab these creatures:"},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Platinum Angel or Platinum Emperion, since they are your engine enablers (with them on the board, you nullify Teval's downsides). Platinum Emperion over Platinum Angel, if you have to choose."},{"attributes":{"indent":2,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Six, for ensuring recursion of all important cards you milled."},{"attributes":{"indent":2,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Icetill Explorer, to give you back the lands you discarded for the retrace cost, you milled due to other cards' abilities."},{"attributes":{"indent":2,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Ugin, Eye of the Storms, since it's your main disruption, enabler, and utility card."},{"attributes":{"indent":2,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Any finisher (Jumbo Cactuar, if you have Altar of Dementia; Exsanguinate, if you have tons of cards to delve and generate plenty of mana; Laboratory Maniac, if you're going for a win through deck-out; Torment of Hailfire, if you're going for a win through burn damage)."},{"attributes":{"indent":2,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"If you tutor with Lotuslight Dancer, you should send to graveyard:"},{"attributes":{"indent":1,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Green card: Life from the Loan or Golgari Grave-Troll (for their dredge keyword), Icetill Explorer or Six (if you have a recursion spell like Reanimate), or a tutor (like Nature's Rhythm, for its Harmonize keyword, which will allow you to bring Platinum Angel or Platinum Emperion on the battlefield)."},{"attributes":{"indent":2,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Black card: Forsaken Miner (easy recursion), either Doom Whisperer or Vilis Broker of Blood (they are both two parts of a combo, you should set them up in your graveyard if you can ressurect them) a finisher (like Torment of Hailfire, Exsanguinate, or Profane Transfusion) or a tutor (demonic tutor), if you can grab those cards back (with something like Eternal Witness)."},{"attributes":{"indent":2,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":" Blue card: Bruvac the Grandiloquent or Maddening Cacophony (if you can grab those back) or Increasing Confusion (for it's flashback keyword)."},{"attributes":{"indent":2,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Multiple colors (can be any of the three colors): Muldrotha (good utility overall, but you have to have a way to get it back)."},{"attributes":{"indent":2,"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Consider adding, if possible, more tutors (Gifts Ungiven, Dark Petition, Finale of Devastation, Fabricate, Diabolic Intent, Grim Tutor) and recursion (Skullwinder, Timeless Witness, Regrowth, etc.)."},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Good luck!"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"}]}