I was inspired by a Roon of the Hidden Realm deck that kicked my ass at my LGS 2 weeks ago. Not having a Roon myself, and realizing that Bant and Esper have a lot of over lap in cards, I decided to construct an Esper Blink deck. I had a copy of the old school Merieke Ri Berit lying around. She's got a funky tap ability that lets you steal creatures, then kill them if she becomes untapped. I thought this untap ability had good synergy with a blink deck since I could potentially clear a board with her by blinking Pestermite, Deceiver Exarch, and Unbender Tine a few times.
It's been playing pretty well at my LGS. Depending on how competitive my meta is I swap between Magister Sphinx and Sphinx of the Steel WInd. Though Magister Sphinx is arguably much better in a blink deck.
Conjurer's Closet is crazy with Merieke: Tap to steal a creature, then on your end step, flicker it out and then in to gain permanent control of it. Merieke is ready to untap next turn to find another victim. Plus the Closest is great with all your ETB triggers if you have no Merieke in play.
Feels like there should be more artifact/enchantment removal than just Aura of Silence. Return to Dust, Dismantling Blow, etc.
My picks for likeliest cuts: Elbrus, Hoofprints, Annelid, Royal Assassin (black is basically a splash here, plus there is little in the deck that ineracts with him.)
Conjurer's Closet is crazy with Merieke: Tap to steal a creature, then on your end step, flicker it out and then in to gain permanent control of it. Merieke is ready to untap next turn to find another victim. Plus the Closest is great with all your ETB triggers if you have no Merieke in play.
Feels like there should be more artifact/enchantment removal than just Aura of Silence. Return to Dust, Dismantling Blow, etc.
My picks for likeliest cuts: Elbrus, Hoofprints, Annelid, Royal Assassin (black is basically a splash here, plus there is little in the deck that ineracts with him.)
Thanks for the reply. You're right, your list of "likeliest cuts" are mostly place holder till i find things that really sing to me. I'll certainly swap out Elbrus for Conjurer's Closet. Royal Assassin actually fits with Pestermite/Deceiver/Unbender Tine and in my experience deters attacks and forces opponents to waste a removal spell. He's also one of my pet cards, I just love the old art for Pain-In-The-Assassin.
Hoofprints is certainly a placeholder, I'll find something else to go there, possibly more removal.
Annelid has actually been great with blinking, it really lets you dig through your deck for those specific cards that you might need.
Can you explain how conjuror's closet "flicker" allows you to permanently gain control of a creature stolen with Merieke? As I understand it as soon as she leaves the battlefield from flickering out the creature dies or does it not die because SBE isn't checked until Conjuror's closet resolves? Does this also happen for all the other exile+return cards like restoration angel?
Can you explain how conjuror's closet "flicker" allows you to permanently gain control of a creature stolen with Merieke? As I understand it as soon as she leaves the battlefield from flickering out the creature dies or does it not die because SBE isn't checked until Conjuror's closet resolves? Does this also happen for all the other exile+return cards like restoration angel?
Read Conjurer's Closet again. "then return that card to the battlefield under your control." The bold is very important. All other blink effects say, "then return it to the battlefield under its owner's control."
The closet let's you blink the creature you "stole" with Merieke, but when it comes back it comes back under your control as a new creature and no longer has the delayed trigger. You don't blink Merieke
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"Whatever style you wish to play, be it fast and frenzied or slow and tactical, the surest way to defeat your opponent consistently is by dominating him or her in the war of card advantage." - Brian Wiseman, April 1996
OOOOOOOOOOOO holy poo that's amazing. And a reason I need to put transmute artifact in @___@ Holy cow that's amazing. Conjuror's closet was super fun before but now...
One thing I was looking at while building my Merieke Ri Berit EDH deck, take a look at Sydri, Galvanic Genius. One Blue to steal any artifact. But wait, it is not a creature after the EOT, guess I get to keep it when I untap or she leaves play.
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It's been playing pretty well at my LGS. Depending on how competitive my meta is I swap between Magister Sphinx and Sphinx of the Steel WInd. Though Magister Sphinx is arguably much better in a blink deck.
A soon as Brago, King Eternal becomes available, I'm gonna swap out Breaching Hippocamp
3 Merieke Ri Berit
Creatures
1 Soul Warden
2 Tidehollow Sculler
2 Phantasmal Image
2 Baleful Strix
2 Snapcaster Mage
3 Royal Assassin
3 Trinket Mage
3 Deceiver Exarch
3 Pestermite
3 Daxos of Meletis
4 Cryptic Annelid
4 Angel of Finality
4 Restoration Angel
4 Archaeomancer
4 Solemn Simulacrum
4 Glen Elendra Archmage
4 Ephara, God of the Polis
4 Breachinhg Hippocamp / Brago, King Eternal
4 Stonehorn Dignitary
4 Mulldrifter
6 Deadeye Navigator
6 Sun Titan
6 Rune-Scarred Demon
6 Duplicant
8 Sphinx of the Steelwind / Magister Sphinx
Enchantments
3 Aura of Silence
4 Faith's Fetters
Planeswalker
5 Venser, the Sojourner
2 Momentary Blink
2 Otherworldly Journey
3 Ghostway
3 Ghostly Flicker
Counters/Removal
1 Sword to Plowshares
3 Hinder
3 Unmake
3 Render Silent
4 Supreme Verdict
6 Austere Command
Tutor/Draw
1 Ponder
1 Brainstorm
1 Enlightened Tutor
2 Lim-Dul's Vault
Artifacts
1 Glaring Spotlight
2 Lightning Greaves
2 Swiftfoot Boots
3 Thousand Year Elixer
4 Unbender Tine
5 Conjurer's Closet
7 Spine of Ish Sah
Rocks
0 Vault of Whispers
0 Darksteel Citadel
0 Ancient Den
0 Seat of the Synod
0 Lotus Petal
1 Sol Ring
1 Expedition Map
2 Dimir Signet
2 Azorius Signet
2 Coldsteel Heart
2 Star Compass
3 Darksteel Ingot
3 Chromatic Lantern
5 Gilded Lotus
0 Swamp (3)
0 Plains (4)
0 Island (5)
0 Skycloud Expanse
0 Glacial Fortress
0 Isolated Chapel
0 Tolaria West
0 Tainted Field
0 Bojuka Bog
0 Nimbus Maze
0 Evolving Wilds
0 Godless Shrine
0 Caves of Koilos
0 Command Tower
0 Adarkar Wastes
0 Creeping Tar Pit
0 Temple of the False God
0 Hallowed Fountain
0 Flooded Strand (Gold Border)
0 Esper Panorama
0 Reliquary Tower
0 Drowned Catacomb
0 Arcane Sanctum
0 Underground River
0 Vesuva
Changes
- Hoofprints of the Stag, +Austere Command
- Elbrus, the Binding Blade, + Conjurer's Closet
GWUBRDraft my Old Border Nostalgia Cube! and/or The Little Pauper Cube That Could!RBUWG
Modern:WDeath & TaxesW | RUGRUG DelverRUG
Venser, Shaper Savant has very good synergy with a dozen things in your deck, plus a pseudo-Remand for handling spells. Sea Gate Oracle feels better than the Annelid. Lavinia of the Tenth can find a role in the 99.
Feels like there should be more artifact/enchantment removal than just Aura of Silence. Return to Dust, Dismantling Blow, etc.
My picks for likeliest cuts: Elbrus, Hoofprints, Annelid, Royal Assassin (black is basically a splash here, plus there is little in the deck that ineracts with him.)
Thanks for the reply. You're right, your list of "likeliest cuts" are mostly place holder till i find things that really sing to me. I'll certainly swap out Elbrus for Conjurer's Closet. Royal Assassin actually fits with Pestermite/Deceiver/Unbender Tine and in my experience deters attacks and forces opponents to waste a removal spell. He's also one of my pet cards, I just love the old art for Pain-In-The-Assassin.
Hoofprints is certainly a placeholder, I'll find something else to go there, possibly more removal.
Annelid has actually been great with blinking, it really lets you dig through your deck for those specific cards that you might need.
GWUBRDraft my Old Border Nostalgia Cube! and/or The Little Pauper Cube That Could!RBUWG
Modern:WDeath & TaxesW | RUGRUG DelverRUG
Read Conjurer's Closet again. "then return that card to the battlefield under your control." The bold is very important. All other blink effects say, "then return it to the battlefield under its owner's control."
The closet let's you blink the creature you "stole" with Merieke, but when it comes back it comes back under your control as a new creature and no longer has the delayed trigger. You don't blink Merieke