{"ops":[{"insert":"The naive inhabitants of Ravnica think that strange happenings and unexplained phenomenon are just the results of the guilds vying for control, but Lonis knows better. There are dangerous creatures out there responsible for murders, disappearances, and all kinds of disruptions to peaceful life. \n\nYou are a detective. Work with your companions, artifacts, and spells to bring mysteries, odd phenomenon and creatures that lurk in the shadows into the light.\n\nDid Lonis discover a peculiar spell that animates household objects that killed your friends? Did the centaurs riot and trample through the streets? Is a secret laboratory deep in the catacombs of Ravnica creating untold armies of automatons? Or... Did Lonis' ability to seek the truth when following clues reveal an interplanar unknowable monstrosity off the top of your opponent's library...\n\n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"You will like this deck if:"},{"insert":"\n* You enjoy decks that allow you to feel as though you are roleplaying and \"creating a story\" as you play.\n* You enjoy synergistic decks with incremental value accruing from every single card you cast and play you make.\n* You enjoy a variety of ways to end the game.\n* You enjoy the feeling of seeing the opportunity to make an unexpected play unfold in real time.\n* You get a dopamine rush from setting up a play that lets you create 20 tokens and/or draw 20 cards.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"You may not enjoy this deck if:"},{"insert":"\n* You prefer more simple and easy to compute lines of play.\n* You like to apply combat and life total pressure with creatures throughout the course of an entire game.\n* You or your pod dislike a player taking a turn with large amounts of triggers to resolve.\n* You find simic value play patterns (plays extra lands, draw extra cards) boring.\n\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"General strategy: "},{"insert":"\nKeep hands that can supply mana to play Lonis. An \"optimal\" hand contains a Mulitiplier (e.g. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Academy Manufactor"}},{"insert":" ), or a 3cmc ramp creature (e.g. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Wood Elves"}},{"insert":" ). Play Lonis on turn 2, holding 1cmc creatures to play AFTER Lonis to get maximum value from clue generation unless absolutely necessary. Ramp and/or play token generators and multipliers to approach a critical mass of artifact tokens as quickly as you can. As you build up a surplus, feel free to occasionally crack them to help draw through the deck to reach the win-cons while holding up some protection. Blink creatures to protect them or get more value from them creating more clues on ETB and using their effects again.\n\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Fun Tricks:"},{"insert":"\nETB Doubler (e.g. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Starfield Vocalist"}},{"insert":" ) + ETB land ramp (e.g. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Wood Elves"}},{"insert":" ) + "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Lonis, Cryptozoologist"}},{"insert":" = Create 2 clues and grab two lands. Add Flicker effect (e.g. "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Thassa, Deep-Dwelling"}},{"insert":" ) to keep grabbing 2+ lands and make 2+ tokens each time you flicker!"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Opponent casts scary permanent + "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Memory Lapse"}},{"insert":" /"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Expel from Orazca"}},{"insert":" + Clues = Use Lonis' ability to sac clues to steal that permanent which is now on top of their deck!"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Bounce/Flicker + "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Frilled Mystic"}},{"insert":" /"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mystic Snake"}},{"insert":" = Reusable on-demand counterspells that generate clues with each ETB!"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ethereal Investigator"}},{"insert":" + Multiplier = Instant mass of tokens!"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Alchemist's Refuge"}},{"insert":" + "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mechanized Production"}},{"insert":" = Sneaky, hard to interact with win!"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Shrieking Drake"}},{"insert":" + Multiplier = Instant mass of tokens!"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Shrieking Drake"}},{"insert":" + Multiplier + "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Jaheira, Friend of the Forest"}},{"insert":" /"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Five Hundred Year Diary"}},{"insert":" = Potentially infinite tokens!"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Shrieking Drake"}},{"insert":" + "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Beast Whisperer"}},{"insert":" = Draw as many cards as you have mana!"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Tokens + "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Edgar, King of Figaro"}},{"insert":" + "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Reliquary Tower"}},{"insert":" = Edgar draws a ludicrous amount of cards with a little setup, don't make your land drop before his ETB to fish for Reliquary Tower to keep everything you draw!"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Dour Port-Mage"}},{"insert":" + Evoke ("},{"insert":{"card-link":"Wavesifter"}},{"insert":" /"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mulldrifter"}},{"insert":" ) + Lonis = ETB and clue token, then bounce back to hand before it sacrifices itself! "},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Opponent scries/surveils to the top + "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Lonis, Cryptozoologist"}},{"insert":" + 1 Clue = Nope, you don't get that card! (Use this one if you like to lose friends)"},{"attributes":{"list":"ordered"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Win: "},{"insert":"\nMake a turtle huge with +1/+1's and unblockable, make a large number of copies of a powerful creature you own, animate all of your clues to hit your opponents, swing with an army of centaurs, hit them with a massive pump from "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Confront the Unknown"}},{"insert":", etc. The included wincons either focus on a massive alpha strike swing after getting the perfect setup (often while holding a counterspell for insurance), or by achieving a win condition with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mechanized Production"}},{"insert":". It is possible to hold onto clues and protect Lonis to use his effect if you know one of your opponents has a card like a "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Craterhoof Behemoth"}},{"insert":" which you can use as your own win condition with the likes of "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Memory Lapse"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Expel from Orazca"}},{"insert":".\n\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Power level:"},{"insert":"\nTBD. This iteration of the deck is new and thus needs to be tested. As of now, I've removed all gamechangers and would like to try it in bracket 2 as the speed and telegraphed nature of the game plan seem to fit.\n\nClues and Investigate are very much draft mechanics with a low power ceiling, but we can use that to our advantage by not presenting as must-answer threats for a large portion of the game. You will often feel like you have interesting plays you can make as well as ways back into a losing game. The deck's primary strategies and win-cons have weaknesses, so opponent's generally should not feel that they were hopelessly locked out of the game. A few infinites have been included in the list that allow us to make infinite tokens which do not win on the spot but often set up a win on the next turn. I put those kinds of plays in the same camp as casting a "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Mechanized Production"}},{"insert":" or "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cyberdrive Awakener"}},{"insert":". The chances of assembling them early into a game are very low, and if the combo is assembled turn 7+ and gives a turn to interact/respond then I consider it fair game for a bracket 3 list.\n\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Notable exclusions:"},{"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Briarbridge Patrol"}},{"insert":" - This deck is unlikely to do much combat damage with our small utility creatures and we usually only swing to win. The second effect, in practice, is too weak for a 4cmc creature. We usually want to hold onto our clues for our animation wincons, and most creatures we play are cheap or receive large discounts from having artifacts, and we play a large amount of ramp so playing creatures for free by sacc'ing clues just isn't necessary."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Inspiring Statuary"}},{"insert":" - Several high mana spells in the deck are artifacts, or have affinity for artifacts or tokens. The deck is also color pip heavy, so spending 3 mana for an artifact that does nothing most turns gets a cut, especially now that the effect is stapled onto a land (Archway of Innovation)."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Panharmonicon"}},{"insert":" - Probably deserves a spot in the deck but Starfield Vocalist being a creature makes them a direct upgrade for this deck and Virtue of Knowledge has some flexibility with it's doubling effect being powerful with some of our ETB creatures and being an enchantment means it sticks around after mass artifact removal."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Urza, Lord High Artificer"}},{"insert":" - An infinite combo piece with "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Lonis, Cryptozoologist"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Shrieking Drake"}},{"insert":". Excluded because his power and reputation make him and you an immediate lightning rod as soon as he hits the table. He will make himself and you a big target as soon as he hits the field, so he might be a good inclusion only if you feel it necessary to hang with other decks you play against."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Arcane Signet"}},{"insert":" - The amount of creature and land based ramp in the deck has me reaching to play those cards instead of Arcane Signet. It is still an excellent card and likely deserves a slot, but it is contested enough by flavorful creature choices that I've chosen to cut it. "},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Graf Mole"}},{"insert":" - Currently contentious. It is often a bit dead in hand but it has saved me a few times by allowing me to gain a ludicrous amount of life in grindy games. Might make its way back in, but being 3cmc and not doing anything on its own gives it stiff competition even from the likes of Teething Wurmlet which has a lower ceiling but gives consistent lifegain and grows into an annoyance for opponents as a blocker and attacker much more often than expected."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ulvenwald Mysteries"}},{"insert":"/"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Ongoing Investigation"}},{"insert":"/"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Trail of Evidence"}},{"insert":" - A case of cards acting as support for the Investigate mechanics but not furthering our gameplan. The closest to making it into the deck is Ulvenwald Mysteries because it can either work as a small insulation against boardwipes or as a way to make a swarm of soldier tokens. The tokens are 1/1 humans that we have no way of pumping or giving evasion and the clues generated by creature deaths is really not something we want to rely on-- I would much rather play one of our counterspells against a boardwipe. I consider these cards to be a trap. They are flavorful but won't actually help you push towards a win which is a shame because the art and flavor are on point."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"}]}