Why isn't this card broken yet? It's a pretty good mill card with a crappy reuse ability, so why not skip the transform and just bring it back to your hand? Reclaim, Den Protector, and lots of other cards can accomplish this for you? I just threw a deck together as a jumping off point, but I'm sure we can do a lot more to make this work.
In a cursory pass of this, I gravitated to a Morph build just because Den Protector is a morph card. This is just a rough draft. Cards can be substituted, removed, replaced. Don't be afraid to go in a completely different direction either.
Obviously an unfinished deck. It has some good things going for it though. It's got 12 ways to get Startled Awake back, 8 of them are morph creatures. Engulf the Shore pulls double duty of clearing the board while also letting you recast your morphs for Startled Awake repeats. I put some mana creatures in there, but they could be replaced with better mana acceleration. Either way, the deck plays pretty straight forward. Ramp the mana, mill, get your mill back and then mill some more.
With this very basic deck, you'd probably need to cast it 4 times to win the game. But I'm sure that could be tweaked and combined with some other cards to cut that number down to a more manageable number. You could also build it in a way that you cast it 3 times and then hide behind some control or fatbottomed blockers until you win the game. I think this deck, and iterations of it are worth looking at. I bet they could blindside some FNMs and win some packs.
Den Protecter was a great idea, not so sure about the other creatures. I would rather have more control options than mana dorks. Being able to last against mono white humans, Bant Company, and Esper Control are my first priorities as they seem to be the most popular decks right now. I feel a BUG list would be best for my play style. With 4 Startled Awake and Talent of the Telepath the rest of the deck should be devoted to killing threats and keeping you alive.
Black adds Ultimate Price, Languish, Duress, Infinite Obliteration, Transgress the Mind, Grasp of Darkness, etc.
Green gives you Pulse of Murasa, Den Protecter, ench/art destruction, and Clip Wings for those pesky Ojutais and Avacyns.
Blue has... counterspells. Plus the kill and Engulf the Shore.
I am currently working on a list for Startled Awake that is Esper but I will brainstorm up a BUG list also.
The deck has a 50/50 match up against mono white aggro with going first increasing the odds a good bit. You need to consistently hit land drops until at least turn four while keeping a steady stream of removal going. Naya Walkers stomped all over me when I couldn't deal with Nahiri/Arlin/ Chandra (didn't see any Startled Awakes either game). Secure the Wastes and planes walkers are the bane of this deck. GB Eldrazi ramp into World Breaker/ Ulamog caused me problems, but that was with me not hitting any sb cards and missing land drops.
I'm looking at a Bant version of this. Tireless Tracker is huge in the deck and Seasons Past/Tamiyo's Journal is a good toolbox card finder. Graf Mole can gain a lot of life and stall out the human decks that are running around, while Altered Ego can copy any threats and be larger then them if needed.
A BUG Seasons Past control deck would probably be the best way to go. Ramp up, chain cast Dark Petition/Seasons Past, keep control of the board, and mill it out with Startled Awake.
Why isn't this card broken yet? It's a pretty good mill card with a crappy reuse ability, so why not skip the transform and just bring it back to your hand? Reclaim, Den Protector, and lots of other cards can accomplish this for you? I just threw a deck together as a jumping off point, but I'm sure we can do a lot more to make this work.
In a cursory pass of this, I gravitated to a Morph build just because Den Protector is a morph card. This is just a rough draft. Cards can be substituted, removed, replaced. Don't be afraid to go in a completely different direction either.
4 Beastcaller Savant
4 Den Protector
4 Monastery Loremaster
4 Qarsi Deceiver
4 Startled Awake
4 Talent of the Telepath
Instants 8
4 Engulf the Shore
4 Reclaim
4 Obscuring Aether
Lands 24
24 Lands
Obviously an unfinished deck. It has some good things going for it though. It's got 12 ways to get Startled Awake back, 8 of them are morph creatures. Engulf the Shore pulls double duty of clearing the board while also letting you recast your morphs for Startled Awake repeats. I put some mana creatures in there, but they could be replaced with better mana acceleration. Either way, the deck plays pretty straight forward. Ramp the mana, mill, get your mill back and then mill some more.
With this very basic deck, you'd probably need to cast it 4 times to win the game. But I'm sure that could be tweaked and combined with some other cards to cut that number down to a more manageable number. You could also build it in a way that you cast it 3 times and then hide behind some control or fatbottomed blockers until you win the game. I think this deck, and iterations of it are worth looking at. I bet they could blindside some FNMs and win some packs.
Black adds Ultimate Price, Languish, Duress, Infinite Obliteration, Transgress the Mind, Grasp of Darkness, etc.
Green gives you Pulse of Murasa, Den Protecter, ench/art destruction, and Clip Wings for those pesky Ojutais and Avacyns.
Blue has... counterspells. Plus the kill and Engulf the Shore.
I am currently working on a list for Startled Awake that is Esper but I will brainstorm up a BUG list also.
4 Startled Awake
2 Narset, Transcendent
3 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
4 Declaration in Stone
4 Languish
3 Ultimate Price
3 Grasp of Darkness
2 Anguished Unmaking
3 Ruinous Path
2 Possessed Skaab
3 Reflector Mage
3 Negate
4 Choked Estuary
4 Sunken Hollow
3 Port Town
3 Prairie Stream
2 Shambling Vent
4 Island
4 Swamp
1 Plains
SB-
3 Infinite Obliteration
2 Dispel
3 Transgress the Mind
2 Flaying Tendrils
2 Oblivion Strike
2 Negate
1 Silumgar's Command
The deck has a 50/50 match up against mono white aggro with going first increasing the odds a good bit. You need to consistently hit land drops until at least turn four while keeping a steady stream of removal going. Naya Walkers stomped all over me when I couldn't deal with Nahiri/Arlin/ Chandra (didn't see any Startled Awakes either game). Secure the Wastes and planes walkers are the bane of this deck. GB Eldrazi ramp into World Breaker/ Ulamog caused me problems, but that was with me not hitting any sb cards and missing land drops.
3x Fleeting Memories
3x Engulf the Shore
1x Nissa's Renewal
2x Invasive Surgery
3x Spell Shrivel
1x Seasons Past
4x Reflector Mage
3x Graf Mole
2x Altered Ego
3x Tamiyo's Journal
3x Oath of Nissa
25 Lands
Here's what I'm thinking about taking. Maybe take out the counters for more bounce? I'm kind of tight at the 3 drop spot.
4x Startled Awake
3x Fleeting Memories
4x Engulf the Shore
1x Nissa's Renewal
2x Clash of Wills
3x Spell Shrivel
1x Seasons Past
4x Traverse the Uvenwald
4x Elvish Visionary
4x Tireless Tracker
2x Altered Ego
Artifacts(3)
3x Tamiyo's Journal
Planeswalkers(1)
1x Jace, Unraveler of Secrets
Lands (24)
3x Evolving Wilds
8x Forest
9x Island
2x Lumbering Falls
2x Yavimaya Coast