Home News Enchanter’s Arsenal deck guide: Creatures are overrated!

Before I started actually playing with Enchanter’s Arsenal, I can’t pretend I was hugely excited for the premise. After all, both Magic 2014 and previous versions had offered decks that relied heavily on auras to create single, unbeatable creatures and bludgeon opponents with it. It wasn’t a particularly deep or dynamic gameplay approach.

So you can imagine my delight when I first realized Enchanter’s Arsenal is based on regular ol’ enchantments, and not auras. There are a few auras, sure, but the majority of the deck’s tricks are based on slow attrition and and board control, not romp-and-stomp tactics.

Hold the line!

The first thing you’re going to notice when you peruse the deck list below is that Enchanter’s Arsenal is very light on combat-worthy creatures. A large number of its “fighters” are actually daintily-clad enchantresses with 0/1 or 0/2 bodies… not exactly touring duty fitness. Sure, you’ve got a handfull of midrange creatures, but they’re relatively weak – most are just 3/3 flyers at best.

The obvious question here is how this deck can survive early pressure, and the answer is (surprise!) enchantments. You’ve got many, many copies of auras that will stop your opponent’s non-hexproof creatures easily. Pacifism, Shackles, Journey to Nowhere, and Faith’s Fetters are abundant, and it’s not uncommon to draw into three of them by your fourth turn or so. Each has its merits: Pacifism is cheap, Shackles is re-usable, Journey to Nowhere is hilarious, and Faith’s Fetters offers lifegain and stops non-creature permanents. Of course, these cards aren’t going to stop you from getting absolutely swarmed.

You’ve also got a few strong deterrents to punish opponents who press on too relentlessly. Hidden Gibbons, Hidden Spider, and Opal Titan are all cost-effective ways to block (or tax) your enemies for playing things you don’t want them to play. They may scoff at the idea of a 4/4 creature, but an activated Titan that’s immune to all their spells and creatures is nothing to ignore. Then you’ve got two copies of False Prophet, a pontiff so pious he cleanses the souls (and bodies) of everything in play when he heads to the afterlife.

Draw it out…

As all that stalling is going on, you’ll be drawing tons of cards, thanks to your enchantresses. Argothian Enchantress and Verduran Enchantress both offer draws whenever you cast an enchantment spell (normal or aura), as does Enchantress’ Presence. Having even one of these in play will give you insane, long-term card advantage – don’t be surprised when you have to pitch your hand down from eight or nine cards every turn. Three copies of Wall of Blossoms pitch in a hand a leaf to hold back attacks while also netting even more cards.

So what’s all this stalling for? Well, Enchanter’s Arsenal doesn’t have any one particular endgame. You can topdeck or tutor a Sigil of the Empty throne to generate a stream of 4/4 Angel tokens, or land a Mobilization and flood the battlefield with 1/1 soldiers. You can land a hugely protected Oversoul of Dusk and let it swing just 3-4 times for the win, or go with the previously mentioned Opal Titan. Or hell, just let everything die then recover from a board wipe with Open the Vaults or Marshall’s Anthem!

The bad with the good

I want to get this out of the way and say that Enchanter’s Arsenal is probably a mid-tier deck for FFA matches. With great draws it can certainly hold out against simple assaults, but board wipes, sac effects, or particularly nasty rushdowns will be difficult to contend with. Stopping a few of the game’s nastier enemies is going to be hard unless you land an Oversoul of Dusk at exactly the right time.

That said, I do want to point out that Enchanter’s Arsenal is most likely a beast in larger Magic games of three or four players. Your defensive tools and deterrents are strong enough to ward people away, and stuff like Oracle of Nectars can buy you (and/or your teammate) a lot of time over the course of just a few turns. Nobody really likes using Path to Exile on a 2/2 lifegain dork!

Overall, I expect to see Enchanter’s Arsenal cause the most headaches for decks that rely on early removal and late-game bombs to win. Demons and Eldrazi are easily shut down by Pacifism effects, and targeted removal doesn’t work on hexproof creatures or (better yet) enchantments. There’s nothing more satisfying than knowing your opponent has a handful of spells she’ll never get to use!

Since this deck is so new, I’m not going to offer a sample build just yet. Instead, you’ll find the full list of cards available and my ratings of singles, card-by-card. That should give you a damn good head start on the competition when you first buy Enchanter’s Arsenal. Let me know your thoughts in the comments!

Enchanter’s Arsenal decklist and unlocks

Not familiar with a card? Look it up on Gatherer.

Unlocks

  1. Argothian Enchantress
  2. Bequeathal
  3. Spirit Loop
  4. Pacifism
  5. Leyline of Sanctity
  6. Oracle of Nectars
  7. Eternal Witness
  8. Martyr’s Bond
  9. Lure
  10. Shackles
  11. Gigantiform
  12. Pacifism
  13. Bequeathal
  14. Oracle of Nectars
  15. Hidden Spider
  16. Leyline of Sanctity
  17. Gigantiform
  18. Shackles
  19. Open the Vaults
  20. Hidden Spider
  21. Oversoul of Dusk
  22. Opal Titan
  23. Primal Rage
  24. False Prophet
  25. Shackles
  26. Endless Wurm
  27. Field of Souls
  28. Hidden Gibbons
  29. Mobilization
  30. Marshal’s Anthem

Promotional Unlocks

  1. Eternal Witness
  2. Argothian Enchantress
  3. Gigantiform
  4. Oversoul of Dusk
  5. Oracle of Nectars
  6. Marshal’s Anthem
  7. Martyr’s Bond
  8. Open the Vaults
  9. Endless Wurm
  10. False Prophet

Enchanter’s Arsenal card-by-card analysis

Angelic Chorus: 3.5/5.0

Ever since I started playing Magic, I hated this enchantment. It’s costly and slow, so what’s the point? But in Enchanter’s Arsenal, getting this into play is not a stretch, and once you’ve got it out, it greatly extends your ability to not die. Pair this with Sigil of the Empty throne and insanity ensues. Your Lucent Luminids will net you a horse, an angel token and seven life. Not bad for five mana. Still, you’ll might be playing enchantments more often than creatures, so make your decision based on your total critter count.

Auramancer: 3.0/5.0

Meh. A 2/2 body for three is underwhelming, and you’d be surprised how infrequently you actually have enchantments in your graveyard, especially early in the game. In an ideal world she’ll bring back your Opal Titan, then die valiantly while wielding a Rancor in battle. In most situations, however, she’ll sit in your hand useless until after you’ve lost the game.

Bequeathal: 2.0/5.0

One of the worst picks in the deck. Against opponent’s creatures, you’ll have little control of when this triggers. On your own creatures, it’s basically a shitty insurance policy (you’d be better off with almost any other aura that actually does something). Just leave it out, okay?

Celestial Ancient: 3.0/5.0

This is one of those cards that looks a lot better than it is. By the time you play it, getting a 3/3 flyer isn’t really that exciting. And sure, +1/+1 counters are great, but only if you already have both a bunch of creatures on the battlefield and a bunch of enchantments in your hand. More likely, you’ll be sitting around wishing you drew your other five-mana creatures (you know, like the 5/5 with protection from everything or the enchantment horses that trigger your other effects).

Centaur Safeguard: 4.0/5.0 (3.5/5.0 multiplayer)

There’s nothing exciting about a 3/1 creature for 3 mana, but the fact that he trades with much more important critters while netting you life is a major boon. This guy can erase the first two turns of damage, and even help soothe the pain of removal hitting him a bit. Throw a Rancor and Ethereal Armor on him and you’ve got a nasty offense… though that’s pretty much true for any creature with those boons!

Daybreak Coronet: 2.5/5.0

When it comes to auras, Daybreak Coronet is really, really good. Unfortunately, Enchanter’s Arsenal doesn’t really have enough other auras to make it worth putting this crown in your loadout. The odds that you’ll draw it when you have an already enchanted creature are low, and the WW casting cost doesn’t do you any favors either.

Enchantress’s Presence: 2.0/5.0 (vs beatdown), 5.0/5.0 (vs control), 4.5/5.0 (multiplayer)

Hey look, it’s all the card advantage of the other enchantress cards, but none of the removal vulnerability. This pretty little permanent can help you draw through your deck quickly, though keep in mind playing it on turn three is basically a forfeit of board presence. If you played an Argothian Enchantress turn 2, followed by this, you’ll be ready to draw lots of cards, but will most likely be facing down a barrage of threats by then. This is great against midrange and control decks, but terrible versus beatdown.

Endless Wurm: 1.0/5.0

This would be great in a deck with four copies of Rancor. What’s that, you’ve only got one? Oh…

Eternal Witness: 5.0/5.0

Another overpowered card from days of Magic past, Eternal Witness pays for herself by borrowing an oldie/goodie from your graveyard. Even on turn 3 she can recoup a copy of Evolving Wilds, but late game she will do major work by recycling something tantalizing and forcing your adversaries to relive old headaches.

Ethereal Armor: 5.0/5.0

Auras always carry a certain amount of risk, but when an aura can turn even a meek enchantress into an unstoppable killing machine for one mana, you’ve gotta seriously consider its power. This card can instantly turn around the board state if it isn’t answered, making any creature huge and hard to deal with.

Evolving Wilds: 4.5/5.0

Since Enchanter’s Arsenal has no real turn 1 plays, it’s pretty safe to run three of these. You won’t have color issues too often, but a handful of Evolving Wilds can help get you off to the right start.

Faith’s Fetters: 5.0/5.0

It stops threats dead in their tracks, including non-combat creatures. Hell, it stops enchantments, artifacts… you name it! The small life boost is nothing to sneeze at, especially since that will often be the exact amount of damage you’ve taken by the time Faith’s Fetters hits play. Use all your copies and don’t doubt your decision. In other words… have some faith.

False Prophet: 4.5/5.0

Dare your opponent to cross the red zone with a messiah that will literally take them to a new plane of existence… exile! This Wrath of God on-a-stick can ward off huge hordes of creatures, often buying you the time you need to set up your next move. Throw a Rancor on him and kamikaze in to force an unfortunate lose/lose proposition for your enemies! This is a must-have defensive ace for your deck.

Field of Souls: 2.5/5.0

Field of Souls is a decent card, but this deck doesn’t really have the creature count or token gimmicks to take advantage of it.

Gigantiform: 2.5/5.0

If Enchanter’s Arsenal had a lot more tiny creatures, this might be worthwhile. The effect is certainly powerful, but it’s kind of wasted when you don’t have tricksy critters to drop it on.

Hidden Gibbons: 3.5/5.0 (5.0/5.0 in multiplayer)

For one mana, you get to shut your opponent out of using instant spells. And considering most instant spells in Duels are removal, it’s also pretty hilarious that these monkeys are immune to death until they’ve already been activated. As such, your foe will have to go through an extra copy of burn/path/doom if they want to rid themselves of these hate chimps.

Hidden Spider: 2.0/5.0 (3.5/5.0 in multiplayer)

Against many decks, this is a dead card. And even if it triggers, you get a creature that’s not particularly scary out of it. In three or four player games, the odds of triggering are obviously much better. Still, most of the other “hidden” creatures in this deck are better picks.

Idyllic Tutor: 3.0/5.0

You’d think an enchantment tutor in an enchantment deck would be automatically amazing, but Enchanter’s Arsenal relies a lot more on overall synergy than it does on single, game-winning bombs. If the deck had stuff like Worship and/or Pariah in it, fetching a single card might save your life. But in most instances, you’ll be using two turns to garner a mediocre effect. Go with card draw instead and cross your fingers.

Ivory Mask: 2.0/5.0 (4.0/5.0 in multiplayer)

Against most decks, being untargetable is not going to save your life. Sure, it’s a headache for Masks of the Dimir, but if you can’t beat MotD without this, you’re probably not very good at Magic: the Gathering. Keep this out of your deck unless you know it’s going to wreck your opponent or if you’re playing larger matches where this tech can discourage players from taking out their anger by burning your face.

Journey to Nowhere: 5.0/5.0

It’s a two-mana exile removal that’s also an enchantment to trigger all your enchantment-happy stuff. Since most Duels of the Planeswalkers decks don’t have a way of dealing with this card, it’s basically a free permaban to whatever you point it at. Use this early and often.

Leyline of Sanctity: 3.0/5.0 (4.5/5.0 in multiplayer)

This is exactly like Ivory Mask, except it will be free to play about 15% of the time. That doesn’t make it great, it just makes it “not bad.” Still hoses certain decks, just not enough of them to be worth it for 1v1 duel inclusion.

Lucent Luminid: 3.5/5.0

We already discussed how paying five mana for a 3/3 flying is boring, but this 3/3 flyer is also an enchantment. That doesn’t automatically make it a powerhouse, but it does mean that even if it’s removed or forced to chump block, you’ll usually get something out of playing it (like card draw or life gain). Running four of these things seems stupid, but one or two might help round out your deck.

Lure: 1.5/5.0

Lure is a great card in offensive, stompy decks. This isn’t an offensive, stompy deck.

Lurking Predators: 4.0/5.0 (5.0/5.0 in muliplayer)

This is a little slower than Sigil of the Empty Throne, but is still a great way to gain the momentum needed to end the game. Lurking Predators can put your opponents in a rough spot while giving you either free creatures or free topdeck filtering. There’s the minor downside that your enemies will gain free intel on what’s coming up next, but if “what’s coming up next” is an Oversoul of Dusk… good luck stopping that.

Marshall’s Anthem: 4.5/5.0

I’m not sure if this is Lose Yourself or Purple Pills but this track has the bass necessary to get your creatures dancing… even from beyond the grave. You can’t go wrong with something that enhances your army, increases your numbers, and triggers your enchantresses (who are now big enough to actually fight). Get a bowlful of mom’s spaghetti and get ready to charge into battle, yo!

Martyr’s Bond: 4.0/5.0 (5.0/5.0 in multiplayer)

Like Lurking Predators, Martyr’s Bond gets to the party late, but boy does it know how to party. This is like Grave Pact on steroids, “protecting” all your permanents with the threat of reciprocity. The fact that several of your cards can be sacrificed at will makes Martyr’s Bond even better. I wouldn’t run every five-and-up-mana enchantment in the deck, but I sure would put this one on the short list.

Mobilization: 4.0/5.0

Sure, it gives your opponents’ soldiers a small boost. But it also gives you a hard-to-kill, endless supply of token fighters. If the game drags on, these guys can eventually swarm even the nastiest weenie decks. And against bigger threats, they make for perfect chump blockers.

Opal Titan: 4.5/5.0

Opal Titan is one of those cards where your opponent will read it once, trigger it by mistake, then realize just how bad they fucked up after it’s beating them to death for the rest of the game. Due to its very nature, it can basically hose any deck (other than perhaps Mul Daya), making it a nasty play at any point. It won’t save you from an existing board state, though, so don’t pray for this as your last-ditch topdeck.

Open the Vaults: 3.0/5.0

This is a hard card to evaluate, because its utility depends greatly on how you built your deck, which deck you’re facing, and what the game state is. Open the Vaults has the potential to greatly sway the course of the game, though sometimes that won’t be in your favor. I lean against this card since a lot of your best cards aren’t likely to end up in the graveyard anyway… it’s not like you’re going to win the match by bringing four enchantment ponies back to life!

Oracle of Nectars: 4.0/5.0

So, normally lifegain kind of sucks. But every now and then you get a card like this, which is just LOL-level lifegain. If your opponent can’t stop it from tapping, it can net obscene amounts of life over just a few turns. Even if you can only activate it for 2 or 3 each turn, it can easily pay for itself quickly. If you have to, throw this in front of a brute as a chump and tap out before damage resolves for maximum utility.

Oversoul of Dusk: 5.0/5.0

Ultra easy to cast. Basically counters 80% of the decks in the game. Wins in just a few attacks. Acts as a nearly invincible blocker. You should use this card.

Pacifism: 5.0/5.0

You can never go wrong with Pacifism. Played on turn 2, it can stop early damage that puts you in the danger zone. Late game it can shut down Eldrazi or other game-winning bombs instantly. And no matter when you play it, this card can boost all your enchantments matter cards.

Primal Rage: 1.5/5.0

This was a bad video game, and it’s also a bad Magic card. Your deck doesn’t need it. Hell, most decks wouldn’t need or want it.

Privileged Position: 4.0/5.0

Giving all your stuff (including your lands) hexproof can be pretty damn powerful. Sticking that ability on an enchantment that’s ultra-easy to cast makes it better. That said, the importance of this card will depend greatly on the matchup. If you’re facing down illusions, you’ll be overrun anyway. Dodge and Burn can still nuke your creatures without targeting, or just throw fire at you. Still, this will be a big help in most matchups.

Qasali Pridemage: 5.0/5.0

Almost all the two mana cards in Enchanter’s Arsenal are amazing, and this guy’s no exception. He’s a solid 2/2 beatstick. He boosts himself (or any other attacker) just by existing. And… oh yeah… he can also provide instant-speed removal for one mana. Thematically this lion-bro has nothing to do with the deck, but I’m not complaining.

Rancor: 6.0/5.0

This shouldn’t require an explanation. Rancor is one of the best auras ever printed. You would be a fool not to include it in your deck. The hijinks you can pull with enchantment casting triggers pushes this past the normal score cap. Yep, I can do that.

Shackles: 4.0/5.0

Not as good as Pacifism or Faith’s Fetters, but Shackles is still pretty much required for shutting down opposing threats. The fact that you can bounce it when bigger baddies arrive on the battlefield is a plus. The fact that you can bounce it for no reason other than to recast it and get free cards/life/angel tokens is also a plus! Note that Shackles won’t shut down creatures with vigilance.

Sigil of the Empty Throne: 4.5/5.0

You might be wondering just how you can win games when your deck is built extremely light on creatures. How about the option to pump out an army of angels whenever you cast another enchantment? This card’s expensive, but since most Duels decks can’t stop it, it’s a huge threat. This is particularly evil with Rancor and Shackles, since you can play them multiple times to further boost your angelic ranks.

Spirit Loop: 3.5/5.0

It’s like Rancor, except it gives lifelink. Unfortunately, lifelink isn’t as cool as +2/+0 and trample. If Spirit Loop offered a toughness boost to go with the healing factor, it would be way better. Not that it’s bad, but neither is it amazing. Only take this if you’re hurting for auras.

Sterling Grove: 4.5/5.0

This is the much better version of Idyllic Tutor. First of all, it’s an enchantment that triggers all your toys while also giving half your permanents shroud (including your enchantment/creature hybrids). It can be popped for the deck search, but sometimes you won’t even need to do that. Overall, it’s versatile, easy to cast, and helps keep your deck consistent.

Verduran Enchantress: 3.0/5.0

It’s easy to draw comparisons with Argothian Enchantress, and the reality is that this slightly plumper sister just isn’t as good. Sure, she can block 1/1 weenies and live, but she’ll die to every type of removal thanks to the lack of shroud. That, paired with her higher, harder casting cost, makes her a much harder pill to swallow. Personally, I’d stick with the Argothians and call it a day.

Wall of Blossoms: 5.0/5.0

For two mana, you get a wall that will keep out most threats while also generating instant card equity. The flower power contained in this creature is remarkable, and it will win you the game on many occasions. Early on it’s solid defense versus weenies; late game it’s an almost free topdeck that chumps the biggest thing on the board. Beautiful.

Yavimaya Enchantress: 3.5/5.0 (4.5/5.0 multiplayer)

With even two enchantments on the board, you’ll be getting ahead of the curve by dropping this equally curvy enchantress. They don’t have to be yours, either, so it’s not uncommon to play this forest sorceress as a 6/6 or bigger, especially in multiplayer. That said, she’s an easy mark for removal with no built-in defenses. I wouldn’t advise throwing all four of these in your arsenal.

 

26 replies to this post
  1. Pretty good analysis except perhaps one I have an issue with.
    Lurking Predators 4.0 (5.0 multiplayer)
    In your good old Ancient Wilds where you rely on creatures definitely but probably not for enchantments. By 6 land all of your creatures would be playable anyway and you should also have some card draw going. Roughly counting there are 27 or so creatures overall in the deck giving you less than 50% chance to trigger already and IF you stick in so many you leave yourself no room for your enchantments. Roughly speaking your deck will be around 40% land and 35-40%ish on enchantments leaving you only 20-25% on creatures. It’s not a bad card… Just probably not for this deck.

    • While I agree it is less useful than in Ancient Wilds, it STILL let’s you essentially Scry 1 every time your opponent casts a spell. Which is pretty decent.

      • Yee, that’s kinda my point, that’s pretty much all it’s going to be useful for for a whole 6 mana. Like I said though it’s still not a bad card.

      • Alternatives if all you care about is scry, all in-colour:
        Crown of Convergence
        Descendent’s Path (Enchantment, plus a lot of your creatures share type!)
        Llanowar Empath
        Witches’ Eye
        Crystal Ball

        Okay, this is harder than it seemed if you want actual manipulation. I think Wizards understands that repeatable library manipulation is something they don’t want to give to tournament decks because it’d break them. (She says, knowing about the almighty Brainstorms and what not flying around.) At least not without running blue, as literally every tournament deck does.

        The point is, would you rather pay 6 mana for a Sigil of the Empty Throne or for a Predators?

  2. Yup. Time to maindeck those Bramblecrushes.
    Am I the only one noticing a trend in DotP14’s recent decks? In that they hardstomp one or two decks while throwing bits of cotton at all others? In this one, the theme seems to be “Fuck demons”. While I like that if only for its similiarity with my usual battlecry, I don’t see it being very viable against most decks that actually play creatures.
    Besides, who cares about Shroud when you can just literally set everything on fire? Who’s strictly better now, Izzet? Well, you, because you get 13 sweepers compared to my one, but you’re still nothing but a proof of inability to win with real decks.

    • Specific counter-decks are great IMO. Putting them in the environment automatically prevents severe imbalances from occurring.

      If only D14 had that on release, we would have a much better first few months. Imagine if the Demon deck was among the original decks? It would have swelled in popularity with Angels until people stopped opening game series with Avacyn.

      They also make the most fun way to play – having an extended series against an opponent, switching decks between each game – a fun mind-game.

      Of course, if the decks are TOTAL trash it’s not so cool. Like, if someone is playing Slivers, you switch to Chant for an easy counter, but you’re not 100% dead if they’ve switched to Angels instead, maybe 60/40. Good fun game design imo.

  3. This looks like fun, and I like fun better than winning because my brain is broken or something.

    Also: it’s “liminid,” not “luminid.” As in “liminal.” So like, it’s glowing, ie “lucent,” and it’s two things at once, because it’s “liminal.” Yeah, I guess printing hundreds of uniquely named cards a year means they have to spend a lot of time digging up obscure words and synonyms to mash together.

    “Oh no, WINGSPANTT misspelled a word that was fake to begin with,” you cry sarcastically. Okay, yeah, people should spell fake words in whatever way makes them feel good. That’s cool. But I had to google the card because I didn’t recognise it, and then Google had the TEMERITY, the sheer damned AUDACITY to correct me. It told me I spelled it wrong, and that’s all on WINGSPANTT. I just wanted to put that out there.

  4. Deck looks fun, but I don’t think that the fact people will be spamming the fairy deck will hurt this one. Oversoul can still be countered.

  5. DO THINK**

    Also, WARNING,

    Avacyn, Faeries, Boon, and Bant all want you to pay 6/6 for that 1/1 vigilance token. Their decks need vigilance.

  6. OMG So excited for this!
    When I saw “enchanters arsenal’ I was “really? ffs”.
    But this IS what the doctor ordered! Can’t wait.

  7. This deck doesn’t look tier 1, but I wouldn’t rule it out as solid 1v1 contender just yet – cheap removal and lifegain is all you need to stabilise against a rushdown. This is because there is usually one key card that the pressure hinges about, which if stopped buys you a LOT of time.

    Case in point: Versus Avacyn’s glory, he gets a perfect draw and puts on 17 damage by turn 3. Now rewind that and put a pacifism on the Champion – the pressure falls to 7-9 damage. Then you get half that back… You now have time to do your thing.

    I am reallllly excited for this deck.

  8. I really wanted to like False Prophet, but meh there are so many things wrong with this card. The main reason it doesn’t work is because you have absolutely no control when his ability will trigger. If you’re facing a beatdown and you cast this guy, chances are you probably will just die anyways and his ability will go off after you lose. If you somehow survive, I hope you enjoy finding a way to get threats on the board when your opponent probably has a doom blade just waiting to wipe all your threats and enchantresses the minute it looks like you’ve turned the tide (or just path it and beat you in the face). You also can’t really do the Rancor thing because if you are actually able to attack with him (and have enough defense to survive your opponent’s attacks), you probably have the better board position and won’t be needing him anyways. I really wish there was some sort of sac effect in this deck. If there was a reliable one, this guy would be an auto-include. On the bright side, his art is amazing…

    Also, lure isn’t too bad. If you get it on one of your Yavimaya Enchantresses you can lock the board down for just 3 mana. All their non-hasted creatures will just get stomped as soon as they come out.

  9. Wing, good work man – this deck is seriously overlooked. Your analysis is bloody spot on except…you underrated one specific card….

    While beatdown gives it issues, I think accept that weakness because THIS DECK MONSTERS CONTROL.
    Like OMFGWTFBBQROFLSTOMPGGNORE.

    If you don’t play the crappy mid-range creatures, and more importantly **play the Enchantress’ Presence**, there’s no vulnerability to boardwipe.

    Let Demons follow Damnation with Mutilate, you don’t care just drop more spells and draw your hand back. Presence has won me most of my games, to the point where I’ll often tutor for it on turn 3 with the Grove if I’m not up against beatdownIn my opinion, having a source of card advantage that doesn’t die to doom blade is the key to the deck.

    PS This deck is AWESOME :D

  10. Hi, WiNGSPANTT. I was wondering about Argothian Enchantress which you mention but haven’t ranked. I would assume this may be close to 5, since its the best of the enchant triggered card-drawers, and as you said the 2 mana cost spells were all great.

  11. I’ve been playing this deck a lot to unlock all of the cards, and I can’t help but notice it’s even worse against Jace than most of the other decks in 2014. The exile enchantments destroy his creatures; Journey to Nowhere and Pacifism would usually stay on the board, buffing Yamivaya Enchantress and Sigil of the Empty Throne, but against Jace’s Phantasms, they just remove the creatures and go to the graveyard. Ugh.

    Anyway, still kind of an interesting deck. Dunno if I like it as much Avacyn’s or some of the other more flavorful decks, but I’ve always been a white kinda guy :P

    • Journey should stick around, actually. It doesn’t care whether its target is still on the field since it’s not an Aura. Plus, all of your deck aside from Yavimaya only cares about casting, so you’ll get your 3 cards despite fizzling.

      Besides, are you really going to complain about missing +1/+1 when you get a “1W: Destroy target creature.”?

      • That’s very true, good point. With the relatively few creatures in this deck, I like running Yamivaya, simply because it’s possible/necessary to get so many enchantments out. Journey is a great card, no matter which way you look at it, and getting three in the deck is undoubtedly beneficial.

  12. Celestial Ancient is crazy good with shackles. By bouncing and recasting it, you can get a crapload of +1/+1 counters pretty quickly. This deck is also a bit lacking vs. flyers, so there’s that. I also include Idyllic Tutor to grab shackles if I have some card draw set up but a lack of enchants to cast to trigger them. Tutoring for Enchantress’ Presence early on is nice, too with no card draw set up yet.

    Here’s my 60 right now. It’s working well. Let me know what you guys think.

    24 lands, 16 creatures, 19 enchantments + Idyllic Tutor

    10 Plains
    10 Forest
    4 Evolving Wilds
    Ethereal Armor
    Rancor
    2 Qasali Pridemage
    2 Wall of Blossoms
    2 Argothian Enchantress
    Sterling Grove
    Spirit Loop
    2 Pacifism
    3 Journey to Nowhere
    2 Oracle of Nectars
    1 Verduran Enchantress
    2 Eternal Witness
    2 Yavimaya Enchantress
    2 Shackles
    2 Enchantress’ Presence
    Idyllic Tutor
    Marshall’s Anthem
    Opal Titan
    2 Faith’s Fetters
    2 Oversoul of Dusk
    1 Celestial Ancient
    1 Privileged Position
    1 Sigil of the Empty Throne

  13. Thanks for the information.
    I never was fan of green or white decks,
    This deck is one of my favorites. I tried different builds. I even tried mono White and mono Green and both are fun to play. Especially green one with endless wurms and with rancor on the field. Mono white is more mobilised. Martyrs, mobilisation, shackles, celestial ancient and empty throne… However deck suffers lack of instant removal/buff spells. Another weakness is enchanting creatures when privileged position isn’t out.

    Celestial ancient is a must have if there is one or more shackles in build.

    P.s.
    Great site

  14. I also have a problem with False Prophet. While his effect is awesome, I can’t control when it is activated. Plus, by the time I got him out, I’d very likely have something with a Rancor or Ethereal Amour, or a Yavimaya on the board and my opponent would probably just nuke him for me and put me in a worse position.

    I find Mobilization somewhat overcosted and a little too slow. I need 6 manas (two lots of three manas) just to get that first vigilance soldier. I can certainly use those for more productive things.

    Overall this deck is wonderful and is one of my favourite. A slightly watered-down but cheaper Oblivion Ring and a re-usable, again slightly toned down, Claustrophobia are awesome. Fingers to Jace and Avacyn. Not that they don’t deserve it.

    I am not sure which top-curve cards to include in my deck though cos they are all very impressive and I try and fill the 60 card max. I left out the rainbow horses, Ancient, Chorus, Gigantiform, Wurm and Open The Vault, most of which are as per Wing’s sugestion.

  15. After reading this article and comments, I have a request for advice:
    How do you beat Masks of the Dimir without Leyline of Sanctity or Ivory Mask? It’s pretty much the only way I can beat it.
    Thanks.

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