MTG Salvation

This 5 man game was pretty short, all things considering. Animar went first and because of a few well-timed wraths was playing control. Yeah. That’s weird. Animar has a slow start with no T1 mana dork and Oona follows suit with Sensei’s Top. I play a land with Mystical Tutor and Brainstorm in hand along with Arcane Denial. There were two Derevi decks at the table, but they weren’t any Stax versions that are difficult to play against. My brother is playing one Derevi and plays pretty well. The other Derevi deck, not so much. Anyways, Animar plays a T3 Animar, Oona plays Living Death on his T4 after playing a Mind Stone on his T3. I had drawn into Toxic Deluge, so there were plenty of Wraths on the table. After the Living Death, I drew Frantic Search with Victimize in hand. I Serached, and drew into Primeval Titan and Consecrated Sphinx. I had enough cards in the ‘yard to Delve Tasigur into play then sac him to Victimize. No one had responses and I had Prime Time fix my mana base. And Consecrated Sphinx drew me many cards. The table passed, with my brother’s Derevi deck abusing Aura Shards and creatures. After a while, no artifacts were played. The other Derevi attacked with a Brago and did some interesting things. Animar, who had played a Sylvan Library was burning through his life like a boss and was a 9 life or something. Oona Gilded Drakes my Prime Time. On my turn, I Phantasmal Image my stolen Prime Time, swing at Animar to bring him down to 2 life with my Drake and Sphinx and then Deluge the board. Animar now costs 7 cmc and people rebuild their boards and the game generally slows down. I had drawn into Havengul Lich with all sorts of goodies in my ‘yard. But then Oona plays Tezzeret the Seeker and tutors for Tormod’s Crypt. Lame. Havengul Lich eventually wins me the game, though, and there were two lines that I could have done to do so, which I will describe. So the game kind of stagnates with me having all the control and my brother’s Derevi keeping all artifacts and enchantments except the ones he controls dead. I had played Tasigur and activated his ability once to mill Palinchron and Beast Within into my ‘yard. The table gives me the Beast Within but it doesn’t especially matter since I have Havengul Lich. With my Urborg + Coffers combo that I Prime Time’d earlier in the game, I’m looking pretty good for mana. Animar and the other Derevi deck don’t do much, and on Oona’s turn he kills his Tezzeret to find Phyrexian Metamorph to copy my brother’s Gilded Lotus. He then attempts to cast Palinchron in an attempt to go off. I have two counters in hand and plenty of mana, but I know my brother and Oona both have responses to Oona’s Palinchron and any counters that throw down. And then Animar responds by Draining Whelking Oona’s Palinchron. So all the blue players that have counterspells, potentially are tapped out. The other Derevi had played Deadeye Navigator on his turn and when I looked at all the ‘yards I saw Phantasmal Image in Animar’s yard and Oona’s Palinchron. I can Lich Animar’s Image as a copy of Derevi’s Deadeye, Lich Oona’s Palinchron and then proceed to win because I have Cryptic Command, Beast Within and Reality Shift in hand. I make infinite mana with Palinchron pieces without using any of my own cards. But I could also reanimate my own Palinchron and go infinite with just my lands because Urborg + Coffers generates enough mana and I have enough blue sources. Or I could kill the other Derevi’s Deadeye with Beast Within and reanimate it with my Lich. Either way, I make infinite mana, Beast Within the board, attack to kill Animar, and then Reality Shift everyone’s decks away. Reanimator Control wins again!