MTG Salvation

I've been speculating a lot on these forums lately but this is the one list that I've been working on the most lately. The toolbox strat is just very appealing to me and I love playing Angel of Serenity. I'm looking for more ideas though, mostly when it comes to synergies between cards. My favorite card that I've put in here so far is Trostani, Selesnya's Voice, as she just does so much work combined with Yisan. Anything I'm missing? Let me know. If this continues to shape up well then I'll make a legitimate primer like my Mono-Black Devotion one from last year.

My friend and I have been play testing a deck similar to this, essentially a "toolbox deck". We playtested it a bunch last night, against decks such as mono-black and and mono red aggro. The problem at the moment is that the deck is simply too slow. We do not have birthing pod, an essential card to making something like this efficient, and Yisan is too slow. Chord is great but we found alot of times you either cord for three or four (maybe) if you want to get things out quickly. The thing with the deck is that you can't rely on the 1 ofs in the deck, much like Melira Pod, or the Chords. Sometimes, you need to transform the deck into a straight beatdown deck.

Heres my decklist I've been playing with, far from finished:



A card I kind of want to test is simply Centaur Healer, maybe even as a 4 of, or maybe Loxodon Smiter. Something that will hold the line of defense for a while until I can drop something really nice onto the field.

Quote from Higuy »

My friend and I have been play testing a deck similar to this, essentially a "toolbox deck". We playtested it a bunch last night, against decks such as mono-black and and mono red aggro. The problem at the moment is that the deck is simply too slow. We do not have birthing pod, an essential card to making something like this efficient, and Yisan is too slow. Chord is great but we found alot of times you either cord for three or four (maybe) if you want to get things out quickly. The thing with the deck is that you can't rely on the 1 ofs in the deck, much like Melira Pod, or the Chords. Sometimes, you need to transform the deck into a straight beatdown deck.

Heres my decklist I've been playing with, far from finished:

Thoras's DeckMagic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards

4 Chord of Calling 3 Hero's Downfall 3 Elvish Mystic 3 Sylvan Caryatid 3 Courser of Kruphix 3 Godless Shrine 4 Mana Confluence 3 Overgrown Tomb 4 Temple Garden 4 Temple of Plenty 2 Banishing Light 2 Blood Baron of Vizkopa 3 Archangel of Thune 3 Abrupt Decay 1 Obzedat, Ghost Council 2 Polukranos, World Eater 1 Garruk, Apex Predator 1 Reclamation Sage 3 Llanowar Wastes 2 Caves of Koilos 2 Ajani, Mentor of Heroes 1 Hushwing Gryff 3 Voice of Resurgence

Sideboard: 3 Thoughtseize 1 Hushwing Gryff 2 Sin Collector 2 Lifebane Zombie 3 Mistcutter Hydra 1 Scavenging Ooze 2 Bile Blight 1 Hornets Nest

A card I kind of want to test is simply Centaur Healer, maybe even as a 4 of, or maybe Loxodon Smiter. Something that will hold the line of defense for a while until I can drop something really nice onto the field.

If I could offer some thoughts, I feel like you have a lot of cards eating up slots that are almost essential for survival against aggro. For example, I run Trostani, Selesnya's Voice as a counter to aggro decks. If I get her out on Turn 4-5, that is unbeatable for aggro decks. Follow that up with any other creature and you're up a ton of HP. Also, you don't need Ajani. Mentor of Heroes in this deck. You don't need Garruk, Apex Predator in this deck. You do, however, most definitely need Angel of Serenity. Angel of Serenity is huge for us, and allows us to get back into games we have no business winning.

Try testing again with a some of my ideas, and let me know how it goes. Hopefully your testing goes as well as mine has.

Hmm, I'll try Trostani out. I actually took out the three planeswalkers and added 2 Garruk, Caller of Beasts, mainly for his +1, since it'll be incredibly good just for finding threats quickly once you land him. As for Angel of Serenity, as much as I love it, I feel as if its too slow at 7cmc. Sure it can be a blowout, but it also comes late. Against aggro, you either play it or you don't. It also not something you'll likely chord for. Believe me, I love the card, played 4 of them when Junk Rites was around, but its much harder to play when you always have to hardcast it. Landing a Blood Baron or Archangel of Thune, however, is very beneficial and can turn tides quickly. I appreciate your thoughts, maybe I will try the Angel as 1 of.

I'm considering Blue-Green Yisan. I might need to end up adding a third color to get some removal, since right now it's just a big dumb ramp deck. But hey, it's been good enough for green devotion.



So the hope here is turn 1 Elf, turn 2 Kiora's Follower, turn 3 Yisan, turn 4 Prophet of Kruphix, opponent's turn activate Yisan for 1, my turn 5 use Follower to activate Yisan twice, their turn activate Yisan twice, and then my turn 6 activate him one last time for Prime Speaker Zegana.

Of course this is just goldfishing, but that's ten creatures (and drawing at least 6 cards) by turn 6.

Quote from rangerwickett »

I'm considering Blue-Green Yisan. I might need to end up adding a third color to get some removal, since right now it's just a big dumb ramp deck. But hey, it's been good enough for green devotion.

Simic YisanMagic OnlineOCTGN2ApprenticeBuy These Cards
CREATURES 4 Elvish Mystic 4 Kiora's Follower 1 Phyrexian Revoker 4 Courser of Kruphix 1 Hornet Nest 1 Reclamation Sage 3 Yisan, the Wanderer Bard 3 Polukranos, World Eater 4 Prophet of Kruphix 3 Prognostic Sphinx 1 Prime Speaker Zegana 2 Genesis Hydra	SPELLS 2 Bow of Nylea 3 Chord of Calling LANDS 4 Breeding Pool 8 Forest 1 Island 3 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx 4 Temple of Mystery 4 Yavimaya Coast

So the hope here is turn 1 Elf, turn 2 Kiora's Follower, turn 3 Yisan, turn 4 Prophet of Kruphix, opponent's turn activate Yisan for 1, my turn 5 use Follower to activate Yisan twice, their turn activate Yisan twice, and then my turn 6 activate him one last time for Prime Speaker Zegana.

Of course this is just goldfishing, but that's ten creatures (and drawing at least 6 cards) by turn 6.

I actually really like Kiora's Follower with Yisan, and I'm wanting to brew a list with blue in there for Kiora's Follower. A fourth color isn't actually impossible either. I'm going to try brewing up a list with a fourth color to see how it goes.


All in all, the biggest problem for this deck is board wipes. Getting hit with a Supreme Verdict is usually just game over. I think we need to either get more creatures that can withstand a Verdict (Experiment One has been great) or have more explosive creatures. I'm trying out a 1-of Athreos, God of Passage that can act as an instant speed reaction to a Verdict, whether it's through tapping Yisan or Chord of Calling. Along with Soul of New Phyrexia to put a stopper on Control from crushing us. We'll see how it works. I also think that going 5 colors with this deck is plausible too. That'll be my next round of testing.

Let's see, Chord of Calling for 6 and then 5 mana to make everyone indestructible. So 14 mana and/or untapped creatures to avoid a Verdict at instant speed.

Turn 1 elf, turn 2 follower, turn 3 prophet into courser, turn 4 drop a nykthos. Devotion is 5, and you can produce 10 mana plus 2 creatures. But if you Chord on your turn and untap, you're in the clear.

Then they just d-sphere the Soul, but whatever. We can deal with that. Depending on the meta and matchup we might need more Reclamation Sages. Or possibly run Restock.