{"ops":[{"insert":"Welcome to the "},{"attributes":{"italic":true,"bold":true},"insert":"Trickster Court"},{"insert":", where faeries, faes and countless otherworldy creatures from across the Multiverse join to celebrate and prepare their most fabulous schemes. Our esteemed hostess tonight is "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Alela, Cunning Conqueror"}},{"insert":", who will use her mischievous powers to gather a crowd worthy of the highest nobility and ensure that tonight's revelry remains undisturbed by unwelcome intruders.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Pitch and Play Style"},{"insert":"\n\nThis deck, which has become one of my favourite and most powerful (as well as most expensive) decks, is a quintessential control deck, focused both on kindred fairy synergies and instant-speed interaction. Using some of the strongest draw engines, counterspells and flash(y) creatures that Dimir has access to, this high-tier bracket 3 deck will steadily take over the game with its army of fairies\n\n As soon as set-up is established, the strategy is to embrace a draw-go style of playing with the aim to cast a spell during each of our opponent's turns in order to create a growing board of fairies. Ideally, the only phase that should matter during our turn is the combat step, where our fliers will either goad the most menacing creature or the most vulnerable value engine of each opponent.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Gameplan"},{"insert":"\n\nSo how does the typical game for "},{"attributes":{"italic":true,"bold":true},"insert":"The Trickster Court"},{"insert":" unfold?\n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true,"bold":true},"insert":"Early game (setting up)"},{"insert":"\n\nThe aim in the first few turns of the game is to incrementally establish our strategy, ideally using ramp (typically with one of our many mana rocks), to make sure we both get (1) our commander out (or another token generator) as well as (2) a draw-engine online. The fairy tokens produced by "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Alela, Cunning Conqueror"}},{"insert":" are fundamental building blocks for our pay-offs. Having her onboard with open mana means we will always have a chump blocker available at any time, disincentivising early attacks, while the threat of two open (and usually blue) mana will strike fear into the eyes of every Magic player. Although it may seem like a key part of the strategy at first glance, the goading of a single creature per opponent is usually cherry on top that can disrupt early value plays and later draw threatening tramplers elsewhere. Should Alela be removed repeatedly and become too expensive, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bitterblossom"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bitterbloom Bearer"}},{"insert":" are efficient token generators that fulfill a similar role as our commander.\n\n Repeated draw is crucial to make sure we never run out of instant-speed spells to cast during our opponents' turns, and the most common engines here will either be \""},{"insert":{"card-link":"Coastal Piracy"}},{"insert":"\" effects like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Enduring Curiosity"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Waterbender Ascension"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"The Indomitable"}},{"insert":" that leverage our evasive fairies to draw off an opponent without flying blockers, or flash-matter pay-offs like"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Voracious Tome-Skimmer"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Wavebreak Hippocamp"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Nymris, Oona's Trickster"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Blightwing Bandit"}},{"insert":" that synergise with our main strategy of casting spells outside of our turns. \n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true,"bold":true},"insert":"Mid-game (consolidating or catching up)"},{"insert":"\n\nOnce our commander and a repeated draw-engine are both on the battlefield, it is time to very minimally play during our turn and always keep mana up to cast at least one spell per enemy rotation. It is fundamental at this point to always keep some form of defensive interaction, whether it is one of our many counterspells or a more protective play like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Slip Out the Back"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Malakir Rebirth // Malakir Mire"}},{"insert":", or the incredible"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Scion of Oona"}},{"insert":" to prevent our opponents from disrupting these two key parts of our strategy. If worst comes to worst, my suggestion is to protect the draw-engine(s) rather than our commander who can more easily come back.\n\nAmong the valuable plays of the mid-game that deserve our mana during our turns are more exponential pay-offs like"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Archmage of Echoes"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Roaming Throne"}},{"insert":", incremental value engines like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"As Foretold"}},{"insert":" and enablers like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Leyline of Anticipation"}},{"insert":". It is also important during that phase of the game to be more proactive with agressive disruption, whether it is countering an enemy's haymaker or removing a key value engine that threatens to get out of control.\n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true,"bold":true},"insert":"Late game (closing the game)"},{"insert":"\n\nUnlike other control decks that seek to win with combos or storm, this deck's win conditions are clearly visible on the battlefield (which makes protective interaction that much more important), as it seeks to turn its army of small fliers into an overwhelming board. A such, in addition to incremental anthems that can be played throughout the game, like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Tegwyll, Duke of Splendor"}},{"insert":", "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Scion of Oona"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Patchwork Banner"}},{"insert":" , the deck includes two bigger anthems in the form of "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Shadow Puppeteers"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Banner of Kinship"}},{"insert":", which can be used to finish whittled down enemies out of nowhere.\n\nAnother way to shift the game in our favour is the use of one-sided board wipes like "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Raise the Palisade"}},{"insert":","},{"insert":{"card-link":"Kindred Dominance"}},{"insert":" and of course "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cyclonic Rift"}},{"insert":" that can break board stalls, especially those of players with other fliers that may have been out of reach for us, and allow us to press our lead while our opponents rebuild. Given that the token Alela creates are rogues, and that many of our other faeries are rogues themselves, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Notorious Throng"}},{"insert":" is the only extra turn spell included in this deck as a synergistic finisher that can not only further develop our army of faeries but also give us an overwhelming advantage in the late game.\n\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Special mentions"},{"insert":"\n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true,"bold":true},"insert":"Most powerful cards"},{"insert":"\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"High Fae Trickster"}},{"insert":" \n\nWhile "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Leyline of Anticipation"}},{"insert":" was already one of our strongest plays as a way to fully enable our draw-go strategy, its spotlight has been taken over by High Fae Trickster which has two major advantages over its predecessor: it is a faerie and it can be played itself at instant speed. One cannot underestimate the strength of such a card which means that, as long as we can protect it (and it definitely deserves every defensive interaction we can muster), we can keep all of our mana open, play around our opponents' strategies, and advance our board without having to ever let our guards down.\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Kindred Discovery"}},{"insert":" \n\nIn a deck that is so focused on producing fairy tokens and attacking with them every turn, Kindred Discovery is bar none the best draw-engine we can ever dream of. Indeed, not only is its draw on attack easier to trigger than the aforementioned 'coastal piracy' effects, since our fairies do not even need to connect, but it also triggers every time a fairy enters. With our commander on board, that means that this enchantment triggers every turn and that's not even accounting for the other fairies we will play throughout the game. This is another must-protect permanent that can build an overwhelming level of card advantage.\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Skullclamp"}},{"insert":" \n\nI know this is shocking, but Skullclamp is absolutely insane with a commander that repeatedly creates 1/1 tokens. While the deck cares for every fairy as a potential blocker and attacker, and it hence stands more to lose by killing its tokens than more aristocrat-focused token decks, the value of trading a 1/1 for two cards remains close to unbeatable. It is thus important not to overuse it, unless the deck will find itself stripped of its main win conditions, but skullclamp remains one of the most powerful draw-engines in the deck.\n\n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true,"bold":true},"insert":"Game changers (and their replacements)"},{"insert":"\n\nGiven my love for the playstyle, theme and aesthetics of this deck , I have decided to push it to the edge of bracket 3. Concretely, this meant emphasising instant-matters synergies by introducing flash-speed powerhouses (like"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Orcish Bowmasters"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Wan Shi Tong, Librarian"}},{"insert":" ), at the cost of losing some typal flavour. It also meant that I started to incorporate the three game changers allowed at this level of casual play. These are absolutely not necessary for the deck to function but they do increase its power. As such, I have included an alternative in the sideboard for each of these cards, that I offer to swap during the pre-game conversation for players who do not wish to face these titans of the format.\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Cyclonic Rift"}},{"insert":" \n\nDear reader, you and I both know that I don't need to introduce this card, but allow me to indulge. While two open blue mana is already terrifying for most other players at the table, veteran players know that the real fear comes from seven open mana in a draw-go strategy. Unlike most board wipes that need to be played during one's turn using our hard-earned mana, which then gives every opponent time to rebuild before we get to reap the benefits of our sweeper, Cyc Rift allows you to do it at instant speed, ideally during the end step of the player before you. Have I mentioned that it not only bounces every creature, but also every nonland permanent? This of course synergises with the deck's flash-matter strategy, but also constitutes one of the ultimate ways to close the game. Its replacement is "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Crippling Fear"}},{"insert":", a much weaker sorcery-speed board wipe that remains a synergistic option which will leave our fairies unscathed while getting rid of many enemy creatures.\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Fierce Guardianship"}},{"insert":" \n\nThere are few words as chilling in Magic as free counterspell. Your enemy did their due diligence, carefully waiting until you had no more mana open to strike. Finally, their kill spell or splashy finisher was going to end you. But of course, we had to go and shatter their dreams by starting a sentence with the dreaded \"in reaction...\". Well-worthy of its game changer status (and matching price tag), Fierce Guardianship was chosen over its powerful alternative "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Force of Will"}},{"insert":" because our game plan relies heavily on our commander being on board and because it does not create as much card disadvantage. Its replacement is "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Glen Elendra's Answer"}},{"insert":", a very thematic but much more mana-intensive counterspell that allows to create more fairies while enabling us to win a potential war of counterspells, and even countering problematic abilities.\n\nFor those players who really despise free spells, and even though it does not have a game changer status, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Deadly Rollick"}},{"insert":" can also be swapped out for "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Faerie Fencing"}},{"insert":", another thematic include and flexible removal spell.\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Orcish Bowmasters"}},{"insert":" \n\nFinally, although there are other creatures with flash in Dimir colours on the game changer list, both "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Notion Thief"}},{"insert":" and "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Opposition Agent"}},{"insert":"'s effects are so oppressive and punishing that I have chosen not to include them in the deck. Instead, the last game changer of this deck is Orcish Bowmasters. Just like the other two game changers included, this is an instant-speed spell, making it synergistic with our flash-matter synergies, but this one also doubles as a punisher for other decks that greedily draw, a removal engine for low toughness enemy creatures and even a token creator. While the Orc Army token can quickly turn into quite a massive creature, it is mostly for its removal power that Orcish Bowmaster was chosen, punishing efficient but frail creatures that are everywhere in higher power decks. Its replacement is "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Nettling Nuisance"}},{"insert":", a much more fun and thematic fairy that, while not having flash itself, also creates a unique kind of token. These goaded pirates can easily be weaponised in higher power pods, but nevertheless provide a fun and engaging payoff for connecting with our fairies.\n\n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true,"bold":true},"insert":"Favourite cards"},{"insert":"\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Bender's Waterskin"}},{"insert":" / "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Victory Chimes"}},{"insert":" \n\nWhile it may be surprising to see so many mana rocks for 3 CMC in what claims to be an optimised bracket 3 deck, each one of them plays a uniquely synergistic role in the deck. For instance, "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Patchwork Banner"}},{"insert":" is an unassuming anthem while"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Misleading Signpost"}},{"insert":" doubles as a flash-speed combat trick. But even these two pale in power when compared to Bender's Waterskin and Victory Chimes which are absolute must-includes in strategies that want to play during each opponent's turn. While they do cost more than 2 CMC mana rocks, they very quickly make up for it by allowing you to cast cheap spells during the turn of every player. Bender's Waterskin even gives you the flexibility of coloured mana while Victory Chimes can be used as a political tool to help a mana-hungry opponent in exchange for future favours. There are very few cards that feel as good to have in play as these two in the whole deck.\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"Talion, the Kindly Lord"}},{"insert":" \n\nYes, this is a fairy without flash that is relatively expensive. But Talion is not only a highly thematic include and a stunning member of the court, they are also a fun creature and a much more powerful draw-engine than it appears to be. Choosing 2 (in higher power pods) or 3 (in slower and more mid-range pods) will very often net you one or two cards per rotation, if not more so the Kindly Lord should not be underestimated.\n\n"},{"insert":{"card-link":"As Foretold"}},{"insert":" \n\nThe key word that makes this card extremely strong in a deck like this is \"once "},{"attributes":{"italic":true},"insert":"each"},{"insert":" turn\". Given the high density of spells at 2 mana (22) and 3 mana (17) included, the value of casting a free spell each turn, both our own and that of other players, it only takes two turn rotations for this enchantment's gears to start turning very powerfully. However, this remains a very slow enchantment that notably does little to nothing during those first two turns, and it will draw a lot of (well-deserved) attention from enemies once they realise what this is capable of. However, with our protective interaction, it can be well-worth it to play early, if only as a distraction from our more fundamental value engines.\n\n\n\n"},{"attributes":{"bold":true},"insert":"Strengths and weaknesses"},{"insert":"\n\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true,"bold":true},"insert":"Strengths"},{"insert":"\n\nThe Trickster Court is my best attempt yet at balancing power and theme into a deck that feels very synergistic while tapping into some of the strongest parts of the Dimir colour identity."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Its strategy of playing at instant speed to create fairies is relatively straightforward, but it has a lot of depth and flexibility in its application. Indeed, it creates dynamic plays that repeatedly force the other players (but also oneself) into difficult decisions about resource management."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"The deck also strikes a delicate balance between reactive and proactive gameplay. Its interaction and instant-speed gameplay encourages careful play in reaction to the opponents' decisions, while its use of evasive fliers and goad in the combat step advances the game forward and makes it more proactive than similar draw-go decks."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"This is a deck that often looks unassuming, rarely threatening an early win but rather incrementally gaining advantage over time. This means it is seldom the target of early removal or enemy coalitions, which lets it build its engines in peace."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Because the deck typically wins through combat damage, its win conditions are fair and visible even though it has enough interaction to keep being surprising and unpredictable."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Unlike many other kindred decks which easily fold to a board wipe, the high-density of counterspells (that directly synergise with its instant-speed strategy) allows this deck to confidently develop its board."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n"},{"attributes":{"italic":true,"bold":true},"insert":"Weaknesses"},{"insert":"\nEven though this deck can set up its key pieces early and few of them look very threatening immediately, it relies more on visible elements on board than other control decks, notably its commander and growing army of tokens. This means that early and repeated disruptions before it can set up its engines can slow the whole game drastically."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Because this is a control deck with a sizeable suite of counterspells (nine counters, without including its seven removal spells), a few free spells ("},{"insert":{"card-link":"Fierce Guardianship"}},{"insert":" , "},{"insert":{"card-link":"Deadly Rollick"}},{"insert":" ) and a draw-go strategy that interrupts the other player's turns, this deck can elicit a few groans from opponents with an unreasonable hatred for blue. "},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"This is a deck that remains relatively slow, steady rather than explosive with a need to use its mana carefully, which means it can be outsped by faster decks that may not leave it enough time to set up its engines."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"Because of this deck's reliance on combat damage (for goading, drawing and even closing the game), it struggles most against other control decks with less visible win conditions, pillowfort strategies and especially against decks with many bigger fliers (i.e. dragons, angels,...)."},{"attributes":{"list":"bullet"},"insert":"\n"},{"insert":"\n\nThank you for reading this far into this primer, I hope this deck will have demonstrated the power of kindred fairy strategies when combined with flash synergies and efficient interaction. Although I pushed this deck as far as I could into bracket 3, I have carefully tried to keep it in the realm of casual play by balancing aesthetics, theme and power.\n\nAfter playing hundreds of games with all kinds of archetypes, this deck remains one of the most pleasant and satisfying I have ever built, and definitely one that I intend to keep for as long as I play commander. I also do not want to push its power any further, as the higher power games of bracket 4 do not interest me in the same way, but I know that this deck can still pull its weight in this kind of pod. The deck was built as an answer to the arms race of bracket 3, showing how power can be channeled with constraints, while showcasing the strength of my favourite kind of playstyle. I hope you feel inspired to do the same with your favourite decks!\n"}]}