MTG Salvation

Aside from staples like Sol Ring and lantern I like to put Sensei's Divining Top in all of my decks

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My only auto-includes are the Fetchlands. ALWAYS FETCHLANDS, even in mono-color builds.

Just curious, but why in mono colour? The effect of "deck thinning" is so mathematically insignificant* that you're better off with the life point and zero risk of being hosed by Stifle/Blood Moon/etc. Unless there's some other reason (landfall, graveyard filling) then you're just running a bunch of really expensive lands that harm more than help.

*keep in mind this analysis is for a 60 card deck, in 99 the numbers are even worse for fetches.

I always run fetches in mono-color if I have some value from additional landfall triggers or some value from shuffling away the top of my library (like Top) or if I'm running other cards that work well with fetchlands like Crucible of Worlds or Delve cards or so. There's always seem to be some cards that benefits from fetches in my decks while the downside is negligible so I'd say they're pretty much an auto-include for me as well.

The only cards that are in every deck I own are [c[Sol Ring[/c] and Mana Crypt

Demonic Tutor, Vampiric Tutor are in every black deck I own.

Chaos Warp is in every red deck.

Swords to Plowshares and Path to Exile are in every white deck.

Eternal Witness has made every green deck thus far.

Blue decks all seem to have Cyclonic Rift. Counterspell and Force of Will

I also run every possible fetchland in any deck with 2 or more colors. They also frequently go in mono color decks for the shuffle effect.

The other thing that throws this off is that my competitive Karador deck just doesn't run some of the cards you'd usually see. These are the closest to "auto-include" cards I can think of though.

In every B deck I play a run Darkness as no one expects it.
In every R deck that isn't also running U I include Price of Glory as well as War's Toll and Pyroblast and Red Elemental Blast. I like to actually play my decks and hate when others counter my stuff.
Every G deck I run always has Primeval Bounty as I love getting value for doing absolutely anything.

I think the only cards that are in every deck I could run them, certain multicolour things which could only fit into 1 deck aside, are Swords to Plowshares, Path to Exile and Nature's Claim. Even Sol Ring doesn't make the cut for my Edric, Spymaster of Trest deck (it has very little use for colourless mana - I'd probably run a Crypt if I had a spare, but Sol Ring actually slows me down early game while being no better than OK later on). Fetchlands probably would fit in every deck if I had enough to use everywhere (possibly excluding my Zada, Hedron Grinder deck where I have tried to avoid any non-basics), likewise the good black tutors.

OP here. Wow, I'm getting a lot of inspiration. Thanks to everyone who responded. Keep 'em coming, folks!

Like some have said, I run Swords to Plowshares in every deck that can play it. I also like Fellware Stone a lot; I've seen some people run jank like Fire Diamond, but the stone doesn't come in tapped and can usually tap for the relevant color if you want it to. Sudden Spoiling goes in every black deck, it just saves my ass too many times. Krosan Grip in every green deck too, split second is straight voodoo. For a while my red tech was Lightning Bolt, but lately I haven't played it as much.

Holistic Wisdom is also kind of a pet card, I'd fit it into virtually any deck that can play it. It's got great art and left alone it gives you a crazy amount of options as the game goes longer.

Also I kind of love Swan Song.

Strionic Resonator fits in so many things, I never have enough copies. I'll probably never stop trying to use Eye of the Storm, whether it ends well or not.

Wild Pair is a favourite of mine.

Library of Leng is an old favourite of mine. I also love Teferi's Puzzle Box and Mindmoil. Oh and Dream Halls.

All of these will only fit in specific decks to be honest.

Quote from aslidsiksoraksi »

Like some have said, I run Swords to Plowshares in every deck that can play it. I also like Fellware Stone a lot; I've seen some people run jank like Fire Diamond, but the stone doesn't come in tapped and can usually tap for the relevant color if you want it to. Sudden Spoiling goes in every black deck, it just saves my ass too many times. Krosan Grip in every green deck too, split second is straight voodoo. For a while my red tech was Lightning Bolt, but lately I haven't played it as much.

Holistic Wisdom is also kind of a pet card, I'd fit it into virtually any deck that can play it. It's got great art and left alone it gives you a crazy amount of options as the game goes longer.

Also I kind of love Swan Song.

I agree with many of your choices, but I've always been doubtful of spoiling. It just doesn't seem versatile to me. What does it do for you?

I'm not sure that I have a lot but all of the Sieges (Palace Siege, Outpost Siege, Monastery Siege, et al.) have a place in my decks as long as they are running the appropriate color. Both modes on each card are relevant at some stage of the game. Monastery Siege is a personal pet card. It can either help dig if that's what you need or it can just protect your stuff later. 2 mana isn't much but just ask anyone who has ever played with/against Rhystic Study about that mana tax. Same goes for Propaganda/Ghostly Prison.

I really like Reality Shift and some version of Oblivion Strike, Gild, Sever the Bloodline. Its critical to have some kind of access to creature exile effects. They are always clutch to hit Eldrazi titans, etc. Reality Shift is a personal favorite because its low cmc and instant speed and sometimes the card they manifest basically screws them out of it somewhat permanently in some cases. I've literally never seen someone flip the manifested card before and most of the time it chumps and dies. If you consider most EDH decks are like, 1/3 or less creatures you have a 66% chance of 2 for 1ing them with Reality Shift. WAY under rated IMO.

Quote from Hungerstriker »

Quote from aslidsiksoraksi »

Like some have said, I run Swords to Plowshares in every deck that can play it. I also like Fellware Stone a lot; I've seen some people run jank like Fire Diamond, but the stone doesn't come in tapped and can usually tap for the relevant color if you want it to. Sudden Spoiling goes in every black deck, it just saves my ass too many times. Krosan Grip in every green deck too, split second is straight voodoo. For a while my red tech was Lightning Bolt, but lately I haven't played it as much.

Holistic Wisdom is also kind of a pet card, I'd fit it into virtually any deck that can play it. It's got great art and left alone it gives you a crazy amount of options as the game goes longer.

Also I kind of love Swan Song.

I agree with many of your choices, but I've always been doubtful of spoiling. It just doesn't seem versatile to me. What does it do for you?

Not the OP, but Sudden Spoiling is awesome with things like Massacre Wurm, Demon of Dark Schemes, Languish, Toxic Deluge, Black Sun's Zenith, Decree of Pain, &c. For me, those first two especially are excellent.
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As for me, my pet cards are:

• Corpse Dance in pretty much any deck with black. Surprise attacker? Sure. Surprise blocker? YES! If it dies before the end of the turn, you can grab it again. Doubly awesome in conjunction with sac effects.
• Mystic Remora in every deck with blue. It will usually draw me >3 cards at any stage in the game. The 4 tax is something most people aren't willing to pay, even late in the game. From my experience, it scales much better than Rhystic Study.
• Manlands. I put a manland as a good luck charm in all of my decks. My favorites are Needle Spires, Wandering Fumarole, and Mishra's Factory. Excellent hedge against Wrath effects.

I usually run Myriad Landscape if it's a 2 colour or less deck, because the fixing is really great, especially in BB. I also run Mirrorpool in almost every deck, cheap card that can be turned on by a Sol Ring which is likely an aute-in for me. It can give you a response to someone Song of the Dryadsing your general, or can fork an X spell for added value. Pretty good for a cheap land.

I can't help but put a Soldier of the Pantheon in every white deck, he's just way too good for a one drop in a mostly multicolour format
Vampire Nighthawk is another creature I gotta throw in black decks
Swiftfoot Boots is a card that I think might as well be thrown into almost any commander deck, waiting one more turn to get hexproof and haste is pretty awesome (same goes for Lightning Greaves but shroud isn't always wanted)

Whenever the rules allow me to I jam Night's Whisper into my decks.

I haven't seen this one: Creeping Renaissance. All of my green decks run a ton of permanents (and often have a theme), and since you're in green, that flashback cost later isn't such an issue. It's always chock-full of value.

I will just about always try to find space for a Condemn when the colors I'm using allow for it, it's just so helpful, especially against commanders like Derevi, Empyrial Tactician.

I mean...it would be better if they didn't ruin the tuck rule...

Even with the changes to the tuck rule it's nearly a second, slightly worse copy of Swords to Plowshares, which is by no means a bad place to be.

I have Trading post and Stonecloaker in multiple decks.

Did someone say durdling? Trading post is just my kind of card.
Stonecloaker repeatable grave hate extrodinare...

I agree with krosan grip and birthing pod as favourites as well..

Solemn simulacrum the only reason its not in all four of my decks is that it isn't a bird.

I've grown more and more fond of Unsubstantiate lately. It has a ton of utility and it's totally worth it to pay 1U less in order to not get a 2/2 tucked onto it. It does need to fit the deck, but the decks I build in Ux always tend to be good fits, so I run it.

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I've grown more and more fond of Unsubstantiate lately. It has a ton of utility and it's totally worth it to pay 1U less in order to not get a 2/2 tucked onto it. It does need to fit the deck, but the decks I build in Ux always tend to be good fits, so I run it.

I appreciate that it's a counterspell that doesn't counter. Take that, Counterflux!

Toxic Deluge in all black decks. It is the bomb. 3CMC wrath that kills indestructible, prevents regen, and can be tailored to spare your giant beaters while sweeping away the chump blockers that could stop them. The life cost is well worth it.

Bojuka Bog in all black decks. The graveyard is *my* turf. I get to play there. Nobody else does.

Beseech the Queen in all black decks. It's not the equal of Demonic Tutor, but it's relatively cheap and the limitation rarely comes into play.

Bitter Ordeal in graveyard-intensive decks. Because sometimes other people have Bojuka Bogs.

Sakura-Tribe Elder in all green decks. Generates mana like Rampant Growth, but also triggers all of green's "creatures matter" cards, easily recurred from the graveyard, and can serve as a chump blocker in the late game when Rampant Growth would be a dead draw.

Eternal Witness in all green decks. The combination of recurring any card with a creature body is just too good to turn down.

Austere Command in all white decks. The ultimate in versatile wrath effects. Kill the stuff you really need gone, while leaving your board state at least semi-intact.

Emeria, the Sky Ruin in all two- or one-color white decks. It won't always turn on, but it's incredible when it does. (Not included in decks with 3+ colors, since they generally don't have enough Plains... although maybe with Celestial Dawn... hmmm...)

Cyclonic Rift in all blue decks. Gotta love a one-sided wrath, even a temporary one.

Paradox Engine in any deck that runs a lot of mana rocks. It. Is. Insane. Once you try it, you'll never go back.

Hall of the Bandit Lord in Voltron decks (if the commander doesn't have built-in haste).

Plus a smattering of the usual suspects--Demonic Tutor, Sol Ring, Coffers/Urborg, shocklands, fetchlands, dual lands, et cetera.

Evolving Expanse and Command Tower are probably the only auto-includes I have.

Auto includes hmm... Praetor's Grasp for all decks with black.

Since i'm not really a U/counter-player i grew very fond of Make a Stand, Rootborn Defenses, Boros Charm, Heroic Intervention and will be giving Blinding Fog a try. Teferi's Protection is insanely inflated, otherwise i'd need a few copies. Noteable mentions with similar uses: Eerie Interlude, Ghostway, Faith's Reward.

I do love to flood the board, so Cathars' Crusade never let me down.
Same goes for Coastal Piracy and Bident of Thassa. I could really use a Kindred Discovery...

I think Fellwar Stone doesn't get enough credit. Either you're running a mono deck and can't be bothered about mana fixing. If you're running multiple colors it only get's better, especially in Multiplayer pods. It sees play in 8/9 of my decks, it's my biggest nonland staple.
Talisman of Dominance and the likes should see more play too.

Kor Cartographer is underplayed, since it can fetch Hallowed Fountain and the likes. Unconditionally even - looking at you Knight of the White Orchid.

Outside of W with access to G i don't see a reason not to run Unravel the Aether/Deglamer as they can deal with pesky indestructible Artifacts and Enchantments or decks with lots of recursion of both types.

Krosan Grip, Sudden Death and Sudden Spoiling saved my buttocks a billion times and/or decided games for me a dozen times. Split Second is just nuts.

Curse of the Swine is my favorite Boardwipe. Selective Exile-Effect? Count me in!
Toxic Deluge and Black Sun's Zenith follow, as they can deal with basically every creature, without exiling/tucking them.

Ravenous Trap is amazing. You can oftenly catch Reanimator/Recursion decks off guard - for free!
Without access to B Repopulate and Learn from the Past did okay. (You might've noticed, i'm not a fan of Artifact Solutions.)

Duelist's Heritage, Reconnaissance, Break through the Line and Dauthi Embrace can do some amazing combat tricks.

Chandra's Ignition can do so many fun things. Keeping your fatty while punching your opponents for a lot and clearing the rest of the board is just great.

Boros Charm and Rakdos Charm are the best charms by far.

As far as i am concerned there are only very few mana sinks that can compete with Soothsaying.