DISCLAIMER: This combo "dies to Doomblade". Who cares? If you pull it off it's awesome. As with all combo decks it's standard playability is in question and it may not be entirely consistent, but you will always find ways to pull out a surprising win when your opponent least expects it.
The Combo is this:
Have a Midnight Guard enchanted with a Karametra's Favor. Play the 'Beck' half ofBeck // call.
At this point a single creature entering the battlefield will give you (1 Mana + Card Draw).
When multiple creatures enter the battlefield simultaneously, Midnight Guard's effect activates multiple times - you can tap Midnight Guard between each of his activations to gain mana equal to the number of creatures summoned.
If you do this without 'Beck' Activated you can essentially play your entire hand, With Beck activated however, you can potentially play your entire deck.
So This is how the deck (Should) work:
*Take note, that this is all happening in the same turn.
To effectively play your entire deck there are 2 things you need: 1) Draw power, 2)Enough mana to play all the cards you draw into:
1)DRAW: Raise the Alarm - you can cast as many of these as you have in your hand, since each one will generate 2 mana, beck will draw 2 cards. Triplicate Spirits - Same as Raise the Alarm (Due to convoke), but draws an extra card.
These 2 serve as the main draw engine - they lower the risk of running into pockets of lands.
2)MANA:
The combo of Midnight Guard + Karametra's Favor has already been discussed - makes all token generators "Free" to cast. Ornithopter and Burning-tree Emmissary give a +1 boost to your mana (and draw a card each) due to them essentially being "Free" summons.
This allows you to ramp into bigger cards such as Chasm Skulker and Xenagos, the Reveler. Chasm Skulker can be used in Combo with Life's Legacy to draw a huge amount of Cards, while gaining a massive mana boost - only play Chasm Skulker when you have enough mana to follow it up with something like Raise the alarm or triplicate Spirits to avoid 'Fizzling'. Xenagos, the reveler will give a massive ramp to your mana when he comes out, and allow you to play even more cards. Don't be afraid of dropping a second or third one to re-use the mana ability - I'd treat him more like a sorcery than a planeswalker while comboing.
By gradually increasing your mana pool while drawing as many cards as possible, you should eventually be able to play your entire deck.
Cast Massive Raid to finish them that same turn.
TIPS:
If your opponent has mass removal, hold off a bit until you know you will be able to land 1-2 Massive Raid's to avoid being blown out on the next turn. Another option is to simply pump your Chasm Skulker's as high as possible, and not sacrifice them - so you still have a massive board even after something like Supreme Verdict hits.
Your first match will probably be your easiest, most opponents will not bother wasting removal on Midnight Guard.
Second match, he will have a massive target painted on him - sideboard accordingly.
Multiple beck // call's do stack with each other so you can double your draw by casing a second one - make sure you have mana to follow it with something first before casting to avoid 'fizzling'.
If you run low on cards due to drawing lands but have the mana available, consider casting a Fused Beck // call to draw a total of 8 cards!
Even if you don't have the full combo, don't underestimate the sheer amount of tokens you can spit out. If your opponent isn't fast enough you can just kill him with tokens alone. Consider using 'Beck' with the token generators to refill your hand even if you don't have the full combo yet,it can help to draw into the combo faster.
Here's The updated list I've come up with based on everyone's Suggestions up until Now, I believe it should be more consistent and easier to win even without landing the full combo:
Note: I've removed 2x Ornithopter to improve consistency as it essentially does the same thing as Burning-tree Emissary in the context of the deck but is a useless draw without the right cards out, whereas BTE has some value as early aggression.
The Reason for this adjustment is that in this layout many of the pieces can interact with each other to serve as valid threats on their own even if I don't go off. I got this Idea from "anamiac".
The sheer number of ways this deck can combo makes it quite exciting to play, the extra redundancy also makes it easier to go off than normal. The deck is more resilient to cards like Stain the Mind or Slaughter games as id doesn't NEED Midnight Guard to win. Hushwing Gryff still hit's us hard though, so I need to find more removal than just the retraction helix's I think.
So Let's Start the Explaining:
In the case we don't get to "Storm the Field" with our Usual Midnight Guard + Karametra's Favor + Beck Combo, there are a few other interactions that can cause serious pain:
*Retraction Helix: This card combo's Insanely well with Midnight Guard in a multitude of ways - 1)You can essentially bounce every creature your opponent plays in a turn; 2)You can infinitely return and recast your Ornithopters or Burning Tree-Emissary's to abuse ETB effects like either Purphoros, Beck, or Spirit Bonds (If you have the Mana); 3)It can be used to bounce your own creatures in response to a kill spell to save them; 4)Infinite mana with Ornithopter or Burning Tree emissary(If you have Karamtera's Favor on Midnight already). In general, it has a lot of versatility outside of the combo simply being used as removal.
*Faerie Impostor: Allows you to re-use ETB effects and get the most use out of your Purphoros, Beck and Spirit bonds in a similar way to Retraction Helix. This card can output a lot of pain in a single turn for very little mana if you have either purphoros or Spirit bonds out - or draw a lot of cards with Beck active.
-Between those 2 cards it is basically impossible to fizzle when you set the main combo off, I can't really see a fizzle ever happening with them in.
-This is the reason I decided it would be alright to remove Triplicate Spirits, Raise the Alarm and Xenagos.
*Spirit bonds: I love this card in this deck, I would honestly run more if it was viable. It does multiple things - it increases the effectiveness of both Beck and Purphoros, spews out chump blockers potential attackers, and it can protect your combo pieces such as midnight guard through it's second ability. It is really an all-star in this deck.
*Return to the Ranks: Oh my god, do you have any Idea how powerful this card can be in this deck? It can be a kill condition all on it's own if the game goes longer than planned. The best targets for it are definitely Burning-Tree Emissaries as they will essentially refund the mana you used to cast it (albeit in different colors) which can allow you a very explosive play. Alternatively you can return 2x Faerie Impostors to activate the infinite ETB trigger, or a combination of the above that gets the most out of purphoros or Spirit bonds (or whatever you have on the field at the time). Having Return to the ranks in the deck allows you to be able to sacrifice you combo pieces if needed to protect yourself and get them back later when your opponent's guard is down. It's just too bad it can't get back Midnight guard.
*Psychic Spiral: I chose this as a same turn kill condition is it allows you to be reckless in your combo and play your entire deck without worrying about being board wiped, also it's easier on the mana than the red options. You can play your entire deck (leave 1 card on top), run straight into a Supreme verdict and still come out ahead. Simply keep the most relevant combo pieces in your hand when you end your turn and play this if your opponent tries to board wipe you - putting a clock on them, and setting you up to go off next turn at the same time.
*Dakra Mystic + Commune with the Gods: It makes it easier to draw into your combo pieces.
Your "I WIN" combo's are:
1) Midnight Guard + Retraction Helix + EITHER(Ornithopter or Burning Tree Emissary) + EITHER (Purphoros or Beck or [Spirit bonds+Karametra's Favor]). - Beck will draw you into kill conditions and the rest of your combo's guaranteed, Spirit bonds makes an infinite number of tokens, and Purphoros deals an infinite amount of damage.
2) Midnight Guard + Karametra's Favor + 2x Faerie Impostor + EITHER(Beck or Purphoros).
3) Purphoros + Return to the Ranks targeting (3x Faerie Impostor + [2x ornithoper or BTE in any combination]) = 18 Damage. 10 damage on summon, return the BTE's or Ornithopter to hand + 1 Faerie Impostor, Cast all 3 for 6 more damage, then return one to your hand and cast again for the last 2 damage. Alternatively, If you have more mana - focus more on returning the Faerie impostors instead of the ornithopters/BTE's so you can do more damage.
-Sure there are more, the combo pieces can interact with each other in many, many ways. Even without pulling off the full combo's you can still place quite a few threats for your opponent to deal with (EG: Faerie impostor can deal a large amount of damage for very little mana with purphoros out, or can get plenty of tokens with spirit bonds, or draw plenty cards with beck - No midnight guard needed.)
It's important to note that return to the ranks can "Activate" many of the combo's with only 1-2 pieces on board, so you can essentially treat your grave as if it was your hand.
There are additional combo's you can do if you have more than one midnight guard out - such as get an infinite number of Spirit Bonds Tokens for instance, but I wouldn't count on that happening.
Potential Tweaks: Couple of potential tweaks that I've considered, but haven't tested.
1) Elixir of immortality instead of Psychic Spiral: This just sounds really, really fun as it takes your combo to another level entirely. It enables you to play through your entire deck, AN INFINITE NUMBER OF TIMES, and gain 5 life AN INFINITE NUMBER OF TIMES. It's also easier on the mana than Psychic Spiral. Who cares about milling your opponent when you can generate Infinite Tokens, Mana and life - no way is your opponent coming back from that. Probably going to try this ASAP.
2) Chord of Calling: I'm going to be honest, I don't like using it in this deck - the triple green cost is really a deal breaker in what is essentially a 4-color deck. It can be used to tutor out your most needed creatures though, and it will make building a sideboard easier. Just not for me.
3) Rapid Hybridization: Can serve as both a creature if you need it, or a kill spell for an opponent's creature. Particularly unfair if you have Midnight Guard out, even more so if you have Retraction helix active. I Don't know what to take out for it though, so maybe in another deck. (FYI - The Midnight guard+Retraction helix combo turns Curse of the Swine into a one-sided board wipe)
4) Chasm Skulker: This is something I honestly want to try to find space for (Help me? Please?). When using beck to draw cards off of things like Faerie imposter, Spirit bonds or even Return to the Ranks, this can get very big very quickly - it can serve as another kill condition if you don't get to combo off. It also laughs at removal and feeds on a regular diet of Desecration demons...
5) Sage's Row Denizen: Basically a blue Purphoros in the context of the deck, you can mill your opponents entire deck with the Faerie Imposter combo. Replacing Purphoros with this basically removes a color from the deck, so you only need to run 3 colors. Unfortunately it doesn't work with Ornithopter, BTE or Spirit bonds so I'd rather run purphoros in this deck.
6) Hornet Nest: Multiple uses - can get tokens out to bash your opponents face in, or serve as a blocker. Combo's well with Midnight Guard+Retraction Helix, as well as Midnight Guard+Karametra's Favor and is a serious threat with purphoros out. Serious contender for Chasm Skulker, but Chasm skulker is somewhat more "Resilient" to removal.
7) Heliod's Pilgrim: Useful way to tutor Karametra's Favor. I don't like the mana cost and the limitations though. Considering I'm running Return to the Ranks, Commune with the gods is just a better option.
8) Curse of the Swine: Extremely dangerous with midnight guard - Potential one-sided board wipe with Retraction Helix, Potential Insta-kill with Purphoros, Many "Free" ETB effects with Karametra's Favor etc. Whether you cast on your opponent or yourself is situational. Sorcery Speed is the major letdown though, so take that into account.
9) Elvish Mystic: Can accelerate you into the combo faster, but doesn't directly interact with any of the combo's - unless you get haste, then it has the same effect as Ornithopter or BTE.
10) Young Pyromancer + Triplicate Spirits + Raise the Alarm: Completely different deck build, but may be potentially powerful - definitely more aggressive even without hitting into your combo's and insanely deadly with Purphoros.
The First thing you'll notice is that there is no Burning-Tree Emissary or Ornithopter in this deck.
I feel they aren't as necessary as Young Pyromancer can generate the same mana as them in the combo - but with extra card draw.
I kept Faerie Imposter in just in case as I want access to the loop if I need it.
This deck can combo off just as well as the previous 2 versions, but even if you don't combo off it is very easy to simply overwhelm your opponent with tokens.
You can remove the Commune with the Gods and Faerie Impostor's if you wish to go for a more aggressive route, using things like Molten Birth or Goblin Rally with anthem effects of your Choice. You can actually abandon the combo entirely and swap in Guttersnipe in place of Midnight Guard if you feel you need to and it will still be a viable deck.
Potential Tweaks: Blistercoil Weird: It can untap at every instant/sorcery you cast while growing bigger with each cast. Can potentially abuse Karametra's Favor - but not as well as Midnight Guard.
If you run him, it is also worth considering running Retraction Helix as well, as he combo's very well with it. Guttersnipe: Can kill very fast in this deck. Military Intelligence: All in all, just works very well with tokens and can keep you drawing into threats - or get combo pieces. I may try to find space for this. Chasm Skulker: You Should know my take on this card by now, I absolutely love it.
These lands are terrifying me. Going to shock myself to death, I swear...
Well, that's everything I can teach you. It's up to you now.
The power is in your hands, how will you use it?
-Your friendly neighbourhood Rogue Deck Builder (no relation to the Youtuber).
Great place to get Anime, Figurines, Comics and Magic The Gathering cards in South Africa: www.heroesofgc.com
You do roughly the same damage as with Massive Raid since all your creatures are 1/1's, and it's exactly the same cost - but it opens you up to some nasty removal in Ætherize and the new Ætherspouts. That would suck.
Contrary to what it may seem, I do actually plan ahead (sometimes).
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-Your friendly neighbourhood Rogue Deck Builder (no relation to the Youtuber).
Great place to get Anime, Figurines, Comics and Magic The Gathering cards in South Africa: www.heroesofgc.com
So if I'm reading this right, you can stack the multiple "Untap Midnight Guard..." triggers from a Raise the Alarm in-between the "Tap for 1 mana..." ability.
For example: Midnight Guard enchanted with Karametra's Favor, untapped. Cast Raise the Alarm. It resolves. Put 2 1/1 soldiers into play. Midnight sees 2 creature enter the battlefield, so two triggers of "Untap Midnight Guard" are put on the stack. First you tap Midnight Guard for 1 mana, which doesn't use the stack. Then you let 1 of the triggered untap abilities resolve. Then you tap Mignight Guard again. Then you let the other triggered ability resolve. Then you can tap Midnight Guard one more time.
You do roughly the same damage as with Massive Raid since all your creatures are 1/1's, and it's exactly the same cost - but it opens you up to some nasty removal in Ætherize and the new Ætherspouts. That would suck.
Contrary to what it may seem, I do actually plan ahead (sometimes).
I do like the idea. In fact, I play Cheeri0s in legacy (casually.) However, this and Cheeri0s both share the same fate of being fragile. Plus, you are running 19 shocklands. Seems dangerous. Can't say I won't sleeve this up for Spits and Giggles.
Nice brewing.
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Not playing much these days... hope all is well in the MtG community
EDH:
Zur, The Enchanter
Modern:
Burn
Legacy:
Cheeri0s
Burn
So if I'm reading this right, you can stack the multiple "Untap Midnight Guard..." triggers from a Raise the Alarm in-between the "Tap for 1 mana..." ability.
For example: Midnight Guard enchanted with Karametra's Favor, untapped. Cast Raise the Alarm. It resolves. Put 2 1/1 soldiers into play. Midnight sees 2 creature enter the battlefield, so two triggers of "Untap Midnight Guard" are put on the stack. First you tap Midnight Guard for 1 mana, which doesn't use the stack. Then you let 1 of the triggered untap abilities resolve. Then you tap Mignight Guard again. Then you let the other triggered ability resolve. Then you can tap Midnight Guard one more time.
Pretty much, since MTG allows abilities to be activated with other cards still on the stack you can tap him for mana in between each of his triggers.
You can do the same thing with lands and multiple Hidden Strings if you need the mana in the battle phase specifically, but that's got nothing to do with the deck - it's just nice to know.
With regards to the Land base:
I'm a noob when it comes to complex mana bases. First ever 3 color land base I've made, so I threw literally everything relevant in there.
The pain lands would probably be less painful, and scry lands may be worth substituting over shocks - but that's not something I can know without testing due to my non-existent 3-color expertise.
Purphoros, God of the Forge is actually a great idea!
He can quickly end the game without even needing to draw into the combo's so it's worth play-testing him. I don't like the 4 mana cost though - it may be too slow.
By the way, I've already ordered the cards and fully intend to take it to an FNM.
I don't have the cash for the lands though (only got guildgates) - so heaven help me, I'm fighting an uphill battle.
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-Your friendly neighbourhood Rogue Deck Builder (no relation to the Youtuber).
Great place to get Anime, Figurines, Comics and Magic The Gathering cards in South Africa: www.heroesofgc.com
Would it be doable to use Sylvan Caryatid over Elvish Mystic, and maybe some Mana Confluence? Going 4 color seems really shaky without some better fixing than what you currently have.
At least Chromatic Lantern? I guess it doesn't synergize with the deck, though.
I could replace elvish mystic with Sylvan Caryatid to make the mana base more stable - but it increases the chance of 'fizzling' if you get the combo going due to it's 2 mana cost. Will need to test.
I actually forgot about Mana Confluence, so that is definitely going in.
It's probably worth noting that the deck is 'essentially' only 3-colors, the red will only really be used once you have the combo active - and you can generate mana of any color with it. Only reason I included red in the land base was so I could play Xenagos if I needed him for another reason.
Cluestones, Chromatic lantern and such can fit into a "Version" of this deck if I run Chief Engineer.
I haven't tried building with that though - my brain needs to rest.
And, Just realised that this has already been done in legacy.
Freaking Cheeri0s beat me to it! My pride has been shattered!
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-Your friendly neighbourhood Rogue Deck Builder (no relation to the Youtuber).
Great place to get Anime, Figurines, Comics and Magic The Gathering cards in South Africa: www.heroesofgc.com
So if I'm reading this right, you can stack the multiple "Untap Midnight Guard..." triggers from a Raise the Alarm in-between the "Tap for 1 mana..." ability.
For example: Midnight Guard enchanted with Karametra's Favor, untapped. Cast Raise the Alarm. It resolves. Put 2 1/1 soldiers into play. Midnight sees 2 creature enter the battlefield, so two triggers of "Untap Midnight Guard" are put on the stack. First you tap Midnight Guard for 1 mana, which doesn't use the stack. Then you let 1 of the triggered untap abilities resolve. Then you tap Mignight Guard again. Then you let the other triggered ability resolve. Then you can tap Midnight Guard one more time.
Pretty much, since MTG allows abilities to be activated with other cards still on the stack you can tap him for mana in between each of his triggers.
You can do the same thing with lands and multiple Hidden Strings if you need the mana in the battle phase specifically, but that's got nothing to do with the deck - it's just nice to know.
With regards to the Land base:
I'm a noob when it comes to complex mana bases. First ever 3 color land base I've made, so I threw literally everything relevant in there.
The pain lands would probably be less painful, and scry lands may be worth substituting over shocks - but that's not something I can know without testing due to my non-existent 3-color expertise.
Purphoros, God of the Forge is actually a great idea!
He can quickly end the game without even needing to draw into the combo's so it's worth play-testing him. I don't like the 4 mana cost though - it may be too slow.
By the way, I've already ordered the cards and fully intend to take it to an FNM.
I don't have the cash for the lands though (only got guildgates) - so heaven help me, I'm fighting an uphill battle.
The problem with Purphoros is you risk not doing enough damage if you draw him late. Of course, depending on how good your token production is this may be low-risk. Is Spirit Bonds usable? Extra creatures for 1 mana seems like what this deck wants.
Only problem with spirit bonds is that the main cards in the deck are token generators - so Spirit bonds wouldn't work with them.
It can work, but I think that would be in a different shell - possibly with more aggressive 1-drop creatures.
It would work out more like a Weenie deck that just uses the combo to accelerate very quickly - so it may end up being more reliable actually, going to need to test that too then.
So yes, just not in this particular shell.
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^ It does look like that version an handle itself a bit better even without getting the combo off.
But conversely, it also seems very susceptible to just "Fizzling" if you do get the combo off:
By dropping 2x triplicate Spirits, 2x Chasm Skulker and 2x Life's legacy you lower the total draw power, meaning it's far easier to just run out of fuel. Adding Commune with the Gods, Springleaf Drum + 22 lands(Which is why I only ran 20)also make it far easier to miss.
Selesnya Charm has great utility,but remember it's a single creature for 2 mana - meaning you need to at least land 1x Ornithopterbefore you can use it in the middle of a combo to avoid running out of mana.
Without Xenagos, the reveler it just doesn't seem feasible to get enough mana to make using Barrage of Expendables worthwhile. I'm interested to know why you included it? If it's to avoid milling your other win-cons with Commune with the gods I can understand the decision, but I can see no possible way to sac all your creatures in a single turn with it - it's going to take a couple of turns so it may just be better to simply attack.
Cards I agree with would be: Selesnya Charm - although it isn't mana "neutral" (You know what I mean) it's versatility cannot be underestimated. Commune with the gods - I do agree that it will make it easier to draw into the combo. Purphoros, God of the Forge - It can kill extremely quickly, regardless of the combo going off.
Now the only problem with these is that they lower your overall card draw while the combo is going, and don't generate mana - so they make it easier to fizzle.
Cards I don't agree with: Springleaf Drum - While it can generate/fix mana, it doesn't draw a card when entering the battlefield and it costs 1 to play anyway. If you play it in the combo it is basically just a discard as you are losing a card from hand without gaining anything. It helps to start the combo and fixes mana, but hinders it in the long run. Barrage of expendables - I'm fine with milling my other win-cons with Commune with the gods, barrage is just too slow without something to generate 20+ mana. If you're going to run it, definitely add a few Xenagos, The Reveler as he is the only card able to generate that kind of mana in this deck.
Triplicate Spirits is better than Raise the Alarm in my opinion, since it draws an extra card and the convoke can allow it to be cast for free - further boosting your available mana by using the Midnight Guard+Karametra's Favor Combo. Raise the Alarm is easier on the mana to cast first though.
Ideally, you want to run both in multiples as Raise the Alarm makes it easier to cast Triplicate Spirits, which translates into less mana spent and more available. Running them both at a full playset is something I'm not willing to give up unless I encounter problems when testing.
I actually just realised, I don't probably need quite so much mana acceleration as in my original post - I didn't realise the triplicate spirits can generate mana as well so I may drop a Xenagos in favour of a Purphoros. I'm also thinking that maybe 20 lands really is a bit too low, in testing with another deck I am getting no-land hands far too often (maybe it's just my shuffling though).
Once I can start playing with it I am certain I can make a build that is viable without the combo, while still being able to go off relatively easily.
-Your friendly neighbourhood Rogue Deck Builder (no relation to the Youtuber).
Great place to get Anime, Figurines, Comics and Magic The Gathering cards in South Africa: www.heroesofgc.com
Why not just use chasm skulker as the central kill with purphoros? You only need to draw ten and sac skulker to kill. That being said sacrificing skulker to life's legacy to draw an obscene amount of cards seems awesome too.
Modern: UUUBlue Man Group
Legacy: UWBMiracles
Edh: UUUThassa Control WWWHokori Stax GGGJolrael, Empress of Land Stompy BBBGriselbrand French List RBGShattergang(Super Villians) RWGHazezon Flicker UBRMarchesa Aggro URGMaelstom Wanderer (Maelstorm)
^ Already busy brewing something with Purphoros + Chasm Skulker. Might post it if I think it can work.
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-Your friendly neighbourhood Rogue Deck Builder (no relation to the Youtuber).
Great place to get Anime, Figurines, Comics and Magic The Gathering cards in South Africa: www.heroesofgc.com
So this deck focuses on the interaction that you highlighted but goes in a slightly different route. This deck focuses on Spirit Bonds to make the tokens. This allows me to play a lot of really cheap creatures to good effect. In addition it gives me a more guaranteed kill with 2x Faerie Imposter (Tap Midnight Guard for one mana, play Faerie Imposter, bouncing another Faerie Imposter; inifinite loop).
Haha!
That does look like it would be hilarious if you pull it off as well!
Almost every combo in existence can be disrupted, but that's not the point.
You play combo so you can win in the most amazing ways possible, even if it is a little harder sometimes.
-Your friendly neighbourhood Rogue Deck Builder (no relation to the Youtuber).
Great place to get Anime, Figurines, Comics and Magic The Gathering cards in South Africa: www.heroesofgc.com
These look like a lot of fun, but what do you sideboard? After game 1 (unless you lost) your secret's out and midnight guard is going to die or be countered. What can we put in our sideboard? A few Dictate of Heliod and just swarm them with tokens?
This is what I'm thinking of trying after mtgo release... it's a combination of both kazord's and killkrazed combos, with alot of redundancy and tutoring options. But it also has a sideboard that lets it focus more strongly on tokens, and abandon the combos all together if an opponent is adapting.
Then, you can use those triggers to:
Draw infinite cards with beck // call
Do infinite damage with Purphoros, God of the Forge
Make infite tokens with Spirit Bonds + Karamatra's Favor
Pieces of the combo can in and of themselves be very dangerous. If you have Purphoros + spirit bonds on the board, and Ornithopter + Faerie Imposter in hand, you can do 12 damage for 4 mana.
Young Pyromancer gets you more tokens and more triggers. Not sure if it is viable here but I recall a deck, back when Innistrad was in standard, that used Young Pyromancer and Beck // Call along with some red ritual effects to do essentially the same thing you are doing here. One would need to up the count on instants and sorceries to make it worth while...
I don't understand how this deck wins. I read the thread, I understand the combo, but how does that combination of cards win you the game? Doesn't the combo just end if you draw a land? Like you need Midnight Guard+Karametra's favor+Beck+another creature+a red win condition+not draw a land once the combo goes off? I don't get it.
When multiple creatures enter the battlefield simultaneously, Midnight Guard's effect activates multiple times - you can tap Midnight Guard between each of his activations to gain mana equal to the number of creatures summoned.
I would like to see a ruling on this. I was told before that when multiple creatures enter the battlefield simultaneously you couldnt do something in the middle of it. Just like when a sorcery does multiple things, you cant do something midway through the spell. It all happens at the same time.
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4x Midnight Guard
4x Burning-tree Emissary
4x Ornithopter
3x Elvish Mystic
2x Chasm Skulker
-Instants/Sorceries (20)-
4x Raise the Alarm
4x Triplicate Spirits
4x Beck // Call
4x Karametra's Favor
2x Life's Legacy
2x Massive Raid
3x Xenagos, The Reveler
-Lands (20)-
4x Breeding Pool
4x Temple Garden
4x Hallowed Fountain
4x Sacred Foundry
2x Stomping Ground
1x Steam Vents
1x Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
DISCLAIMER: This combo "dies to Doomblade". Who cares? If you pull it off it's awesome. As with all combo decks it's standard playability is in question and it may not be entirely consistent, but you will always find ways to pull out a surprising win when your opponent least expects it.
The Combo is this:
Have a Midnight Guard enchanted with a Karametra's Favor. Play the 'Beck' half ofBeck // call.
At this point a single creature entering the battlefield will give you (1 Mana + Card Draw).
When multiple creatures enter the battlefield simultaneously, Midnight Guard's effect activates multiple times - you can tap Midnight Guard between each of his activations to gain mana equal to the number of creatures summoned.
If you do this without 'Beck' Activated you can essentially play your entire hand, With Beck activated however, you can potentially play your entire deck.
So This is how the deck (Should) work:
*Take note, that this is all happening in the same turn.
To effectively play your entire deck there are 2 things you need: 1) Draw power, 2)Enough mana to play all the cards you draw into:
1)DRAW:
Raise the Alarm - you can cast as many of these as you have in your hand, since each one will generate 2 mana, beck will draw 2 cards.
Triplicate Spirits - Same as Raise the Alarm (Due to convoke), but draws an extra card.
These 2 serve as the main draw engine - they lower the risk of running into pockets of lands.
2)MANA:
The combo of Midnight Guard + Karametra's Favor has already been discussed - makes all token generators "Free" to cast.
Ornithopter and Burning-tree Emmissary give a +1 boost to your mana (and draw a card each) due to them essentially being "Free" summons.
This allows you to ramp into bigger cards such as Chasm Skulker and Xenagos, the Reveler.
Chasm Skulker can be used in Combo with Life's Legacy to draw a huge amount of Cards, while gaining a massive mana boost - only play Chasm Skulker when you have enough mana to follow it up with something like Raise the alarm or triplicate Spirits to avoid 'Fizzling'.
Xenagos, the reveler will give a massive ramp to your mana when he comes out, and allow you to play even more cards. Don't be afraid of dropping a second or third one to re-use the mana ability - I'd treat him more like a sorcery than a planeswalker while comboing.
By gradually increasing your mana pool while drawing as many cards as possible, you should eventually be able to play your entire deck.
Cast Massive Raid to finish them that same turn.
TIPS:
If your opponent has mass removal, hold off a bit until you know you will be able to land 1-2 Massive Raid's to avoid being blown out on the next turn. Another option is to simply pump your Chasm Skulker's as high as possible, and not sacrifice them - so you still have a massive board even after something like Supreme Verdict hits.
Your first match will probably be your easiest, most opponents will not bother wasting removal on Midnight Guard.
Second match, he will have a massive target painted on him - sideboard accordingly.
Multiple beck // call's do stack with each other so you can double your draw by casing a second one - make sure you have mana to follow it with something first before casting to avoid 'fizzling'.
If you run low on cards due to drawing lands but have the mana available, consider casting a Fused Beck // call to draw a total of 8 cards!
Even if you don't have the full combo, don't underestimate the sheer amount of tokens you can spit out. If your opponent isn't fast enough you can just kill him with tokens alone. Consider using 'Beck' with the token generators to refill your hand even if you don't have the full combo yet,it can help to draw into the combo faster.
Here's The updated list I've come up with based on everyone's Suggestions up until Now, I believe it should be more consistent and easier to win even without landing the full combo:
Note: I've removed 2x Ornithopter to improve consistency as it essentially does the same thing as Burning-tree Emissary in the context of the deck but is a useless draw without the right cards out, whereas BTE has some value as early aggression.
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
2 Ornithopter
2 Dakra Mystic
4 Faerie Impostor
4 Midnight Guard
2 Purphoros, God of the Forge
4 Karametra's Favor
2 Spirit Bonds
Instant/Sorceries (14)
4 Beck // Call
4 Retraction Helix
3 Commune With the Gods
2 Return to the Ranks
1 Psychic Spiral
4 Mana Confluence
4 Breeding Pool
4 Temple Garden
4 Yavimaya Coast
2 Battlefield Forge
2 Hallowed Fountain
2 Stomping Ground
The Reason for this adjustment is that in this layout many of the pieces can interact with each other to serve as valid threats on their own even if I don't go off. I got this Idea from "anamiac".
The sheer number of ways this deck can combo makes it quite exciting to play, the extra redundancy also makes it easier to go off than normal. The deck is more resilient to cards like Stain the Mind or Slaughter games as id doesn't NEED Midnight Guard to win. Hushwing Gryff still hit's us hard though, so I need to find more removal than just the retraction helix's I think.
So Let's Start the Explaining:
In the case we don't get to "Storm the Field" with our Usual Midnight Guard + Karametra's Favor + Beck Combo, there are a few other interactions that can cause serious pain:
*Retraction Helix: This card combo's Insanely well with Midnight Guard in a multitude of ways - 1)You can essentially bounce every creature your opponent plays in a turn; 2)You can infinitely return and recast your Ornithopters or Burning Tree-Emissary's to abuse ETB effects like either Purphoros, Beck, or Spirit Bonds (If you have the Mana); 3)It can be used to bounce your own creatures in response to a kill spell to save them; 4)Infinite mana with Ornithopter or Burning Tree emissary(If you have Karamtera's Favor on Midnight already). In general, it has a lot of versatility outside of the combo simply being used as removal.
*Faerie Impostor: Allows you to re-use ETB effects and get the most use out of your Purphoros, Beck and Spirit bonds in a similar way to Retraction Helix. This card can output a lot of pain in a single turn for very little mana if you have either purphoros or Spirit bonds out - or draw a lot of cards with Beck active.
-Between those 2 cards it is basically impossible to fizzle when you set the main combo off, I can't really see a fizzle ever happening with them in.
-This is the reason I decided it would be alright to remove Triplicate Spirits, Raise the Alarm and Xenagos.
*Spirit bonds: I love this card in this deck, I would honestly run more if it was viable. It does multiple things - it increases the effectiveness of both Beck and Purphoros, spews out chump blockers potential attackers, and it can protect your combo pieces such as midnight guard through it's second ability. It is really an all-star in this deck.
*Return to the Ranks: Oh my god, do you have any Idea how powerful this card can be in this deck? It can be a kill condition all on it's own if the game goes longer than planned. The best targets for it are definitely Burning-Tree Emissaries as they will essentially refund the mana you used to cast it (albeit in different colors) which can allow you a very explosive play. Alternatively you can return 2x Faerie Impostors to activate the infinite ETB trigger, or a combination of the above that gets the most out of purphoros or Spirit bonds (or whatever you have on the field at the time). Having Return to the ranks in the deck allows you to be able to sacrifice you combo pieces if needed to protect yourself and get them back later when your opponent's guard is down. It's just too bad it can't get back Midnight guard.
*Psychic Spiral: I chose this as a same turn kill condition is it allows you to be reckless in your combo and play your entire deck without worrying about being board wiped, also it's easier on the mana than the red options. You can play your entire deck (leave 1 card on top), run straight into a Supreme verdict and still come out ahead. Simply keep the most relevant combo pieces in your hand when you end your turn and play this if your opponent tries to board wipe you - putting a clock on them, and setting you up to go off next turn at the same time.
*Dakra Mystic + Commune with the Gods: It makes it easier to draw into your combo pieces.
Your "I WIN" combo's are:
1) Midnight Guard + Retraction Helix + EITHER(Ornithopter or Burning Tree Emissary) + EITHER (Purphoros or Beck or [Spirit bonds+Karametra's Favor]). - Beck will draw you into kill conditions and the rest of your combo's guaranteed, Spirit bonds makes an infinite number of tokens, and Purphoros deals an infinite amount of damage.
2) Midnight Guard + Karametra's Favor + 2x Faerie Impostor + EITHER(Beck or Purphoros).
3) Purphoros + Return to the Ranks targeting (3x Faerie Impostor + [2x ornithoper or BTE in any combination]) = 18 Damage. 10 damage on summon, return the BTE's or Ornithopter to hand + 1 Faerie Impostor, Cast all 3 for 6 more damage, then return one to your hand and cast again for the last 2 damage. Alternatively, If you have more mana - focus more on returning the Faerie impostors instead of the ornithopters/BTE's so you can do more damage.
-Sure there are more, the combo pieces can interact with each other in many, many ways. Even without pulling off the full combo's you can still place quite a few threats for your opponent to deal with (EG: Faerie impostor can deal a large amount of damage for very little mana with purphoros out, or can get plenty of tokens with spirit bonds, or draw plenty cards with beck - No midnight guard needed.)
It's important to note that return to the ranks can "Activate" many of the combo's with only 1-2 pieces on board, so you can essentially treat your grave as if it was your hand.
There are additional combo's you can do if you have more than one midnight guard out - such as get an infinite number of Spirit Bonds Tokens for instance, but I wouldn't count on that happening.
Potential Tweaks:
Couple of potential tweaks that I've considered, but haven't tested.
1) Elixir of immortality instead of Psychic Spiral: This just sounds really, really fun as it takes your combo to another level entirely. It enables you to play through your entire deck, AN INFINITE NUMBER OF TIMES, and gain 5 life AN INFINITE NUMBER OF TIMES. It's also easier on the mana than Psychic Spiral. Who cares about milling your opponent when you can generate Infinite Tokens, Mana and life - no way is your opponent coming back from that. Probably going to try this ASAP.
2) Chord of Calling: I'm going to be honest, I don't like using it in this deck - the triple green cost is really a deal breaker in what is essentially a 4-color deck. It can be used to tutor out your most needed creatures though, and it will make building a sideboard easier. Just not for me.
3) Rapid Hybridization: Can serve as both a creature if you need it, or a kill spell for an opponent's creature. Particularly unfair if you have Midnight Guard out, even more so if you have Retraction helix active. I Don't know what to take out for it though, so maybe in another deck. (FYI - The Midnight guard+Retraction helix combo turns Curse of the Swine into a one-sided board wipe)
4) Chasm Skulker: This is something I honestly want to try to find space for (Help me? Please?). When using beck to draw cards off of things like Faerie imposter, Spirit bonds or even Return to the Ranks, this can get very big very quickly - it can serve as another kill condition if you don't get to combo off. It also laughs at removal and feeds on a regular diet of Desecration demons...
5) Sage's Row Denizen: Basically a blue Purphoros in the context of the deck, you can mill your opponents entire deck with the Faerie Imposter combo. Replacing Purphoros with this basically removes a color from the deck, so you only need to run 3 colors. Unfortunately it doesn't work with Ornithopter, BTE or Spirit bonds so I'd rather run purphoros in this deck.
6) Hornet Nest: Multiple uses - can get tokens out to bash your opponents face in, or serve as a blocker. Combo's well with Midnight Guard+Retraction Helix, as well as Midnight Guard+Karametra's Favor and is a serious threat with purphoros out. Serious contender for Chasm Skulker, but Chasm skulker is somewhat more "Resilient" to removal.
7) Heliod's Pilgrim: Useful way to tutor Karametra's Favor. I don't like the mana cost and the limitations though. Considering I'm running Return to the Ranks, Commune with the gods is just a better option.
8) Curse of the Swine: Extremely dangerous with midnight guard - Potential one-sided board wipe with Retraction Helix, Potential Insta-kill with Purphoros, Many "Free" ETB effects with Karametra's Favor etc. Whether you cast on your opponent or yourself is situational. Sorcery Speed is the major letdown though, so take that into account.
9) Elvish Mystic: Can accelerate you into the combo faster, but doesn't directly interact with any of the combo's - unless you get haste, then it has the same effect as Ornithopter or BTE.
10) Young Pyromancer + Triplicate Spirits + Raise the Alarm: Completely different deck build, but may be potentially powerful - definitely more aggressive even without hitting into your combo's and insanely deadly with Purphoros.
4 Midnight Guard
4 Young Pyromancer
4 Faerie Impostor
2 Purphoros, God of the Forge
Enchantments (4)
4 Karametra's Favor
Instant/Sorceries (19)
4 Raise the Alarm
3 Triplicate Spirits
4 Rapid Hyrbidization
4 Beck // Call
2 Commune With the Gods
2 Return to the Ranks
4 Mana Confluence
4 Battlefield Forge
4 Yavimaya Coast
4 Hallowed Fountain
2 Shivan Reef
2 Stomping Ground
2 Temple Garden
The First thing you'll notice is that there is no Burning-Tree Emissary or Ornithopter in this deck.
I feel they aren't as necessary as Young Pyromancer can generate the same mana as them in the combo - but with extra card draw.
I kept Faerie Imposter in just in case as I want access to the loop if I need it.
This deck can combo off just as well as the previous 2 versions, but even if you don't combo off it is very easy to simply overwhelm your opponent with tokens.
You can remove the Commune with the Gods and Faerie Impostor's if you wish to go for a more aggressive route, using things like Molten Birth or Goblin Rally with anthem effects of your Choice. You can actually abandon the combo entirely and swap in Guttersnipe in place of Midnight Guard if you feel you need to and it will still be a viable deck.
Potential Tweaks:
Blistercoil Weird: It can untap at every instant/sorcery you cast while growing bigger with each cast. Can potentially abuse Karametra's Favor - but not as well as Midnight Guard.
If you run him, it is also worth considering running Retraction Helix as well, as he combo's very well with it.
Guttersnipe: Can kill very fast in this deck.
Military Intelligence: All in all, just works very well with tokens and can keep you drawing into threats - or get combo pieces. I may try to find space for this.
Chasm Skulker: You Should know my take on this card by now, I absolutely love it.
These lands are terrifying me. Going to shock myself to death, I swear...
Well, that's everything I can teach you. It's up to you now.
The power is in your hands, how will you use it?
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Edit: I feel like you could just as easily kill the opponent with a Hammer of Purphoros.
You do roughly the same damage as with Massive Raid since all your creatures are 1/1's, and it's exactly the same cost - but it opens you up to some nasty removal in Ætherize and the new Ætherspouts. That would suck.
Contrary to what it may seem, I do actually plan ahead (sometimes).
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For example: Midnight Guard enchanted with Karametra's Favor, untapped. Cast Raise the Alarm. It resolves. Put 2 1/1 soldiers into play. Midnight sees 2 creature enter the battlefield, so two triggers of "Untap Midnight Guard" are put on the stack. First you tap Midnight Guard for 1 mana, which doesn't use the stack. Then you let 1 of the triggered untap abilities resolve. Then you tap Mignight Guard again. Then you let the other triggered ability resolve. Then you can tap Midnight Guard one more time.
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CCL Winner- July '08, Aug '08 Sept '08, Oct '08
Survivor- CCS: Lost in Takenuma, CCS: Stranded In Tolaria
Nice brewing.
EDH:
Zur, The Enchanter
Modern:
Burn
Legacy:
Cheeri0s
Burn
Pretty much, since MTG allows abilities to be activated with other cards still on the stack you can tap him for mana in between each of his triggers.
You can do the same thing with lands and multiple Hidden Strings if you need the mana in the battle phase specifically, but that's got nothing to do with the deck - it's just nice to know.
With regards to the Land base:
I'm a noob when it comes to complex mana bases. First ever 3 color land base I've made, so I threw literally everything relevant in there.
The pain lands would probably be less painful, and scry lands may be worth substituting over shocks - but that's not something I can know without testing due to my non-existent 3-color expertise.
Purphoros, God of the Forge is actually a great idea!
He can quickly end the game without even needing to draw into the combo's so it's worth play-testing him. I don't like the 4 mana cost though - it may be too slow.
By the way, I've already ordered the cards and fully intend to take it to an FNM.
I don't have the cash for the lands though (only got guildgates) - so heaven help me, I'm fighting an uphill battle.
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At least Chromatic Lantern? I guess it doesn't synergize with the deck, though.
I actually forgot about Mana Confluence, so that is definitely going in.
It's probably worth noting that the deck is 'essentially' only 3-colors, the red will only really be used once you have the combo active - and you can generate mana of any color with it. Only reason I included red in the land base was so I could play Xenagos if I needed him for another reason.
Cluestones, Chromatic lantern and such can fit into a "Version" of this deck if I run Chief Engineer.
I haven't tried building with that though - my brain needs to rest.
And, Just realised that this has already been done in legacy.
Freaking Cheeri0s beat me to it! My pride has been shattered!
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The problem with Purphoros is you risk not doing enough damage if you draw him late. Of course, depending on how good your token production is this may be low-risk. Is Spirit Bonds usable? Extra creatures for 1 mana seems like what this deck wants.
It can work, but I think that would be in a different shell - possibly with more aggressive 1-drop creatures.
It would work out more like a Weenie deck that just uses the combo to accelerate very quickly - so it may end up being more reliable actually, going to need to test that too then.
So yes, just not in this particular shell.
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Here's what I am thinking
4x Midnight Guard
4x Beck // Call
4x Karametra's Favor
The Fuel - 17
4x Ornithopter
4x Raise the Alarm
4x Selesnya Charm
3x Triplicate Spirits
2x Chasm Skulker
2x Lifes Legacy
4x Commune with the Gods
The Kill - 4
2x Massive Raid
2x Purphoros, God of the Forge
The Mana - 22
4x Temple Garden
4x Mana Confluence
3x Temple of Plenty
3x Battlefield Forge
3x Hallowed Fountain
3x Stomping Ground
2x Shivan Reef
Edit:
Selesnaya Charm -1
Springleaf Drum -4
Barrage of Expendables -1
Purphoros, God of the Forge +1
Lifes Legacy +2
Chasm Skulker +2
Triplicate Spirits +1
CCL Winner- July '08, Aug '08 Sept '08, Oct '08
Survivor- CCS: Lost in Takenuma, CCS: Stranded In Tolaria
But conversely, it also seems very susceptible to just "Fizzling" if you do get the combo off:
By dropping 2x triplicate Spirits, 2x Chasm Skulker and 2x Life's legacy you lower the total draw power, meaning it's far easier to just run out of fuel. Adding Commune with the Gods, Springleaf Drum + 22 lands(Which is why I only ran 20)also make it far easier to miss.
Selesnya Charm has great utility,but remember it's a single creature for 2 mana - meaning you need to at least land 1x Ornithopterbefore you can use it in the middle of a combo to avoid running out of mana.
Without Xenagos, the reveler it just doesn't seem feasible to get enough mana to make using Barrage of Expendables worthwhile. I'm interested to know why you included it? If it's to avoid milling your other win-cons with Commune with the gods I can understand the decision, but I can see no possible way to sac all your creatures in a single turn with it - it's going to take a couple of turns so it may just be better to simply attack.
Cards I agree with would be:
Selesnya Charm - although it isn't mana "neutral" (You know what I mean) it's versatility cannot be underestimated.
Commune with the gods - I do agree that it will make it easier to draw into the combo.
Purphoros, God of the Forge - It can kill extremely quickly, regardless of the combo going off.
Now the only problem with these is that they lower your overall card draw while the combo is going, and don't generate mana - so they make it easier to fizzle.
Cards I don't agree with:
Springleaf Drum - While it can generate/fix mana, it doesn't draw a card when entering the battlefield and it costs 1 to play anyway. If you play it in the combo it is basically just a discard as you are losing a card from hand without gaining anything. It helps to start the combo and fixes mana, but hinders it in the long run.
Barrage of expendables - I'm fine with milling my other win-cons with Commune with the gods, barrage is just too slow without something to generate 20+ mana. If you're going to run it, definitely add a few Xenagos, The Reveler as he is the only card able to generate that kind of mana in this deck.
I'd probably remove those and drop Commune with the gods to 3, then add 2x Xenagos, the reveler, 2x Triplicate Spirits and 2xBurning-Tree Emissary.
Burning-tree Emissary is better over Ornithopter in my opinion because of the 2 power, but ornithopter does make it easier on the mana.
Triplicate Spirits is better than Raise the Alarm in my opinion, since it draws an extra card and the convoke can allow it to be cast for free - further boosting your available mana by using the Midnight Guard+Karametra's Favor Combo. Raise the Alarm is easier on the mana to cast first though.
Ideally, you want to run both in multiples as Raise the Alarm makes it easier to cast Triplicate Spirits, which translates into less mana spent and more available. Running them both at a full playset is something I'm not willing to give up unless I encounter problems when testing.
I actually just realised, I don't probably need quite so much mana acceleration as in my original post - I didn't realise the triplicate spirits can generate mana as well so I may drop a Xenagos in favour of a Purphoros. I'm also thinking that maybe 20 lands really is a bit too low, in testing with another deck I am getting no-land hands far too often (maybe it's just my shuffling though).
Once I can start playing with it I am certain I can make a build that is viable without the combo, while still being able to go off relatively easily.
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Draft it Here!
UUUBlue Man Group
Legacy:
UWBMiracles
Edh:
UUUThassa Control
WWWHokori Stax
GGGJolrael, Empress of Land Stompy
BBBGriselbrand French List
RBGShattergang(Super Villians)
RWGHazezon Flicker
UBRMarchesa Aggro
URGMaelstom Wanderer (Maelstorm)
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4x Ornithopter
4x Elvish Mystic
4x Faerie Imposter
4x Burning-Tree Emissary
3x Midnight Guard
1x Heliod's Pilgrim
1x Purphoros
4x Beck/Call
4x Karametra's Favor
4x Spirit Bonds
4x Triplicate Spirits
2x Chord of Calling
Lands (21)
4x Mana Confluence
4x Yavimaya Coast
4x Temple Garden
4x Hallowed Fountain
4x Breeding Pool
1x Battlefield Forge
So this deck focuses on the interaction that you highlighted but goes in a slightly different route. This deck focuses on Spirit Bonds to make the tokens. This allows me to play a lot of really cheap creatures to good effect. In addition it gives me a more guaranteed kill with 2x Faerie Imposter (Tap Midnight Guard for one mana, play Faerie Imposter, bouncing another Faerie Imposter; inifinite loop).
That does look like it would be hilarious if you pull it off as well!
Almost every combo in existence can be disrupted, but that's not the point.
You play combo so you can win in the most amazing ways possible, even if it is a little harder sometimes.
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combos:
You can get infinite ETB triggers with:
Midnight Guard + 2 Faerie Imposter + Karamatra's Favor
Midnight Guard + Ornithopter + Retraction Helix
Midnight Guard + BTE + Retraction Helix
Then, you can use those triggers to:
Draw infinite cards with beck // call
Do infinite damage with Purphoros, God of the Forge
Make infite tokens with Spirit Bonds + Karamatra's Favor
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
4 Faerie Imposter
4 Midnight Guard
4 Chord of Calling
4 Retraction Helix
4 Karametra's Favor
2 Purphoros, God of the Forge
1 Heliod's Pilgrim
2 Spirit Bonds
4 Beck // Call
23 land (blue, green and white only)
Pieces of the combo can in and of themselves be very dangerous. If you have Purphoros + spirit bonds on the board, and Ornithopter + Faerie Imposter in hand, you can do 12 damage for 4 mana.
Sideboard
4 Dictate of Heliod
2 Hornet Nest
1 Hornet Queen
3 Triplicate Spirits
3 Raise the Alarm
2 Reclamation Sage
Possible cards to side out -
Faerie Impostor
Retraction Helix
Spirit Bonds
Karametra's Favor
Midnight Guard
I may try and play this at an FNM
Digital High five
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I would like to see a ruling on this. I was told before that when multiple creatures enter the battlefield simultaneously you couldnt do something in the middle of it. Just like when a sorcery does multiple things, you cant do something midway through the spell. It all happens at the same time.