This is my current build; I should run Marsh Flats of course but I am waiting for a reprint after KTK fetches cycle. Fetid Heath instead of Orzhov Basilica would be better probably and there is an arguement for more fetches with a Murderous Cut. Gather the Townsfolk would be the first to go but I like having more two drops because Remand, and in my experience Fateful Hour is quite relevant.
I feel superior in that it hasn't touched Fortifications or Hideaway mechanic, and Unhinged/Unglued thinking is beyond it's capabilities--at least for now.
Yes.. if it triggered off enchantments entering play, it would be scary good.
I've focused my Heliod build heavily in enchantments to utilize Sigil. The only cards I have left that I might throw in are Kor Haven and Deserted Temple
The Commander seems as good of a starting point as any, so let's look at what cards we have that are good for copying. Because copy effects don't target I will refer to such things as masks. The following also make good targets for Followed Footsteps.
Stormsurge Kraken is an amazing mask for Sakashima, as the Lieutenant effect gives him three turn lethal commander damage potential, crazy card draw and Hexproof gives reasonable protection.
This needs no explanation.
These are much better than Draining Whelk, which requires leaving six mana open and that is not happening in this build.
Having two on the field feels pretty good. Add Deadeye Navigator to the mixture and someone better have a response.
Combo wipe?
One of the kill pieces of the deck, it never hurts to have multiples. Don't expect it to get huge very often.
Best friend of Psychosis Crawler, it has great synergy with Arcane Denial.
These have all the mask priorities as Sakashima, but Mulldrifter is easily put under Mimic Vat. Playing these early will get them destroyed before you get to use them.
The best part is the imprinting to make copies of Phyrexian Metamorph or Clever Impersonator.
I believe this deck is reaching critical mass if it isn't already there; I've updated the previous post several times recently and I finally have Transmute Artifact. I could add Walk the Aeons, Time Warp and Time Stretch for comboing with Followed Footsteps attached to Archaeomancer or Mnemonic Wall but that isn't very fun and I believe would create animosity in any multiplayer playgroup. The first two might be low enough CMC to be good in 1v1, as would Mindslaver. Here are the only other candidates I would consider, but at this point I am going to go play it as is and I'll eventually write something more primer-worthy:
The idea of a shared graveyard sent me down this path: I want the monocolors to be balanced: there are currently 39 black, 39 red, 37 green, 35 white and 30 blue. I've done my best to stay away from things that would be horribly complicated. It hasn't been built but I'm looking for input.
I've been optimizing this monoblue deck with different commanders: I've gone from Thassa, God of the Sea to Kira, Great Glass-Spinner, then I found Deadeye Navigator and started creating lots of synergy with utility creatures; this led me to Sakashima and Imprint artifacts. I just removed Djinn of Wishes because I didn't have the mana to use the ability and Rishadan Brigand because it's too weak by itself.
4x Inquisition of Kozilek
4x Lingering Souls
4x Spectral Procession
4x Thoughtseize
4x Path to Exile
1x Secure the Wastes
1x Spear of Heliod
3x Sorin, Solemn Visitor
4x Bitterblossom
4x Intangible Virtue
1x Flooded Strand
4x Godless Shrine
2x Isolated Chapel
4x Plains
3x Swamp
1x Vault of the Archangel
3x Windbrisk Heights
4x Windswept Heath
4x Disenchant
3x Leyline of Sanctity
3x Rest in Peace
2x Zealous Persecution
1x Artisan of Kozilek
1x Clever Impersonator
1x Clone
1x Consecrated Sphinx
1x Cryptoplasm
1x Deadeye Navigator
1x Drowner of Hope
1x Glen Elendra Archmage
1x Kederekt Leviathan
1x Master of Waves
1x Phyrexian Metamorph
1x Quicksilver Gargantuan
1x Sakashima's Student
1x Shapesharer
1x Sphinx of Magosi
1x Stormsurge Kraken
1x Vesuvan Doppelganger
1x Voidmage Prodigy
1x Wurmcoil Engine
1x Confiscate
1x Corrupted Conscience
1x Dance of Many
1x Followed Footsteps
1x Future Sight
1x Rhystic Study
1x Take Possession
1x Treachery
1x Volition Reins
1x Aligned Hedron Network
1x Nevinyrral's Disk
1x Oblivion Stone
1x Perilous Vault
1x Sensei's Divining Top
1x Sol Ring
1x Thran Dynamo
1x AEtherize
1x Brainstorm
1x Counterspell
1x Cyclonic Rift
1x Dig Through Time
1x Disdainful Stroke
1x Evacuation
1x Impulse
1x Mystical Tutor
1x Reality Shift
1x Tezzeret the Seeker
1x All Is Dust
1x Blatant Thievery
1x Clone Legion
1x Curse of the Swine
1x Devastation Tide
1x Fabricate
1x Inundate
1x Ponder
1x Preordain
1x Recurring Insight
1x Rite of Replication
1x Stolen Identity
1x Time Warp
1x Wash Out
1x Darksteel Citadel
1x Faerie Conclave
1x Ghost Quarter
1x Halimar Depths
20x Island
1x Lonely Sandbar
1x Minamo, School at Water's Edge
1x Myriad Landscape
1x Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1x Reliquary Tower
1x Remote Isle
1x Riptide Laboratory
1x Saprazzan Skerry
1x Seat of the Synod
1x Strip Mine
1x Tectonic Edge
1x Terrain Generator
1x Tolaria West
Maybeboard
1x Bribery
1x Dust Bowl
1x Ixidron
1x Mind's Eye
1x Magosi, the Waterveil
1x Oboro, Palace in the Clouds
1x Palinchron
1x Scroll Rack
Counterspell, Disdainful Stroke, Inundate, Archaeomancer and Time Warp are my candidates to make room for the things in the Maybeboard.
3x Altar of the Brood
4x Duress
1x Idyllic Tutor
4x Inquisition of Kozilek
4x Thoughtseize
4x Fiend Hunter
3x Grim Guardian
4x Leonin Relic-Warder
4x Journey to Nowhere
4x Oblivion Ring
4x Godless Shrine
6x Plains
3x Swamp
1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4x Windswept Heath
4x Ghostly Prison
4x High Priest of Penance
3x Leyline of Sanctity
4x Mana Tithe
LOOPS
Oblivion Ring> Oblivion Ring> Oblivion Ring
Leonin Relic-warder> Fiend Hunter> Oblivion Ring
Leonin Relic-warder> Fiend Hunter> Journey to Nowhere
Leonin Relic-warder> Oblivion Ring> Oblivion Ring
Leonin Relic-warder> Journey to Nowhere> Oblivion Ring
Fiend Hunter> Fiend Hunter> Fiend Hunter (Altar only)
I've focused my Heliod build heavily in enchantments to utilize Sigil. The only cards I have left that I might throw in are Kor Haven and Deserted Temple
THRONE OF HELIOD
1x Banishing Light
1x Celestial Mantle
1x Curse of Exhaustion
1x Darksteel Mutation
1x Eldrazi Conscription
1x Ethereal Armor
1x Faith's Fetters
1x Ghostly Prison
1x Gift of Immortality
1x Journey to Nowhere
1x Karmic Justice
1x Leyline of Sanctity
1x Myth Realized
1x Nevermore
1x Oblivion Ring
1x Pentarch Ward
1x Righteous Aura
1x Runed Halo
1x Seal of Cleansing
1x Sigil of the Empty Throne
1x Skybind
1x Spectra Ward
1x Sphere of Safety
1x Story Circle
1x Suspension Field
1x Unquestioned Authority
1x Worship
1x Enlightened Tutor
1x Return to Dust
1x Austere Command
1x End Hostilities
1x Final Judgment
1x Idyllic Tutor
1x Martial Coup
1x Open the Vaults
1x Phyrexian Rebirth
1x Planar Cleansing
1x Plea for Guidance
1x Replenish
1x Three Dreams
1x Wrath of God
1x Academy Rector
1x Admonition Angel
1x Ajani's Chosen
1x Archetype of Courage
1x Burnished Hart
1x Celestial Ancient
1x Celestial Archon
1x Harvestguard Alseids
1x Heliod's Emissary
1x Heliod's Pilgrim
1x Lost Auramancers
1x Mesa Enchantress
1x Nyx-Fleece Ram
1x Sunscorch Regent
1x Expedition Map
1x Skull of Orm
1x Sol Ring
1x Spear of Heliod
1x Strionic Resonator
1x Ugin, the Spirit Dragon
1x Drifting Meadow
1x Emeria, The Sky Ruin
1x Flooded Strand
1x Ghost Quarter
1x Haunted Fengraf
1x Karoo
1x Mistveil Plains
1x Myriad Landscape
1x Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
18x Plains
1x Reliquary Tower
1x Remote Farm
1x Secluded Steppe
1x Serra's Sanctum
1x Strip Mine
1x Tectonic Edge
1x Terrain Generator
1x Windbrisk Heights
1x Windswept Heath
The Commander seems as good of a starting point as any, so let's look at what cards we have that are good for copying. Because copy effects don't target I will refer to such things as masks. The following also make good targets for Followed Footsteps.
Stormsurge Kraken is an amazing mask for Sakashima, as the Lieutenant effect gives him three turn lethal commander damage potential, crazy card draw and Hexproof gives reasonable protection.
This needs no explanation.
These are much better than Draining Whelk, which requires leaving six mana open and that is not happening in this build.
Having two on the field feels pretty good. Add Deadeye Navigator to the mixture and someone better have a response.
Combo wipe?
One of the kill pieces of the deck, it never hurts to have multiples. Don't expect it to get huge very often.
Best friend of Psychosis Crawler, it has great synergy with Arcane Denial.
These combo with Evacuation, Devastation Tide, and Whelming Wave, and Sakashima can clone them to grab multiple spells.
These are situational masks at best.
1x Mulldrifter
1x Sphinx of Magosi
1x Trinket Mage
Is the board otherwise empty? Still don't copy it.
OTHER CLONES
These clones have a few additional artifact masks to choose from
1x Isochron Scepter
1x Mimic Vat
1x Prototype Portal
1x Soul Foundry
Anything else worth copying can only be done here:
1x Confiscate
1x Corrupted Conscience
1x Followed Footsteps
1x Rhystic Study
1x Volition Reins
ARTIFACTS
These have all the mask priorities as Sakashima, but Mulldrifter is easily put under Mimic Vat. Playing these early will get them destroyed before you get to use them.
The best part is the imprinting to make copies of Phyrexian Metamorph or Clever Impersonator.
I wanted more than counterspells to put under the scepter: Reality Shift is very effective, but I wouldn't suggest imprinting Cyclonic Rift or Muddle the Mixture.
1x Brainstorm
1x Counterspell
1x Cyclonic Rift
1x Disdainful Stroke
1x Impulse
1x Memory Lapse
1x Muddle the Mixture
1x Mystical Tutor
1x Negate
1x Reality Shift
1x Remand
...to be continued.
1x Deserted Temple
1x Dust Bowl
1x Mana Drain
1x Merchant Scroll
1x Nim Deathmantle
1x Pristine Talisman
1x Rings of Brighthearth
1x Scroll Rack
1x Soul of New Phyrexia
1x Spellskite
1x Expedition Map
1x Isochron Scepter
1x Mimic Vat
1x Oblivion Stone
1x Sensei's Divining Top
1x Sol Ring
1x Soul Foundry
1x Tezzeret the Seeker
1x Archaeomancer
1x Clever Impersonator
1x Consecrated Sphinx
1x Deadeye Navigator
1x Glen Elendra Archmage
1x Kederekt Leviathan
1x Magus of the Future
1x Master of Waves
1x Mnemonic Wall
1x Mulldrifter
1x Phyrexian Metamorph
1x Psychosis Crawler
1x Sphinx of Magosi
1x Stormsurge Kraken
1x Trinket Mage
1x Voidmage Prodigy
1x Wurmcoil Engine
1x AEtherize
1x Arcane Denial
1x Brainstorm
1x Commandeer
1x Counterspell
1x Cyclonic Rift
1x Dig Through Time
1x Disdainful Stroke
1x Evacuation
1x Impulse
1x Memory Lapse
1x Muddle the Mixture
1x Mystical Tutor
1x Negate
1x Reality Shift
1x Remand
1x Sunder
1x All Is Dust
1x Curse of the Swine
1x Devastation Tide
1x Fabricate
1x Inundate
1x Recurring Insight
1x Stolen Identity
1x Transmute Artifact
1x Wash Out
1x Whelming Wave
1x Confiscate
1x Corrupted Conscience
1x Counterbalance
1x Followed Footsteps
1x Future Sight
1x Rhystic Study
1x Volition Reins
1x Cavern of Souls
1x Darksteel Citadel
1x Faerie Conclave
1x Flooded Strand
1x Ghost Quarter
1x Halimar Depths
18x Island
1x Lonely Sandbar
1x Minamo, School at Water's Edge
1x Myriad Landscape
1x Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1x Polluted Delta
1x Reliquary Tower
1x Remote Isle
1x Riptide Laboratory
1x Saprazzan Skerry
1x Seat of the Synod
1x Strip Mine
1x Tectonic Edge
1x Terrain Generator
1x Tolaria West
It has CounterTop combo, of course, and with Cloud Key and Future Sight/Magus you can kill everyone using Psychosis Crawler's ability and drawing your whole deck with the "unlocked" Sensei's Divining Top. There are lots of cards to copy with Sakashima, Clever Impersonator and Phyrexian Metamorph with effects that can be abused with Deadeye Navigator. There is a toolbox to put under Isochron Scepter, Soul Foundry, and Mimic Vat. These artifacts and others can be imprinted on Prototype Portal: Oblivion Stone will make you a target for sure. Mnemonic Wall and Archaeomancer can combo with all of the bounce spells, and Riptide Laboratory keeps Glen Elendra Archmage hard at work. Stormsurge Kraken shines best in cooperation with Sakashima the Impostor as commander becoming a copy of it.
1 Brackwater Elemental
1 Corpse Connoisseur
1 Dregscape Zombie
1 Etherium Abomination
1 Extractor Demon
1 Fatestitcher
1 Fire-Field Ogre
1 Grixis Slavedriver
1 Hell's Thunder
1 Hellspark Elemental
1 Kathari Bomber
1 Kathari Screecher
1 Kederekt Leviathan
1 Rotting Rats
1 Scourge Devil
1 Sedraxis Specter
1 Sedris, the Traitor King
1 Shambling Remains
1 Undead Leotau
1 Viscera Dragger
1 Vithian Stinger
1 Canal Dredger
1 Darkblast
1 Golgari Brownscale
1 Golgari Grave-Troll
1 Golgari Thug
1 Grave-Shell Scarab
1 Greater Mossdog
1 Moldervine Cloak
1 Necroplasm
1 Nightmare Void
1 Shambling Shell
1 Stinkweed Imp
1 Acorn Harvest
1 Altar of the Lost
1 Alter Reality
1 Ancestral Tribute
1 Ancient Grudge
1 Army of the Damned
1 Artful Dodge
1 Bash to Bits
1 Battle Screech
1 Beast Attack
1 Blast from the Past
1 Bump in the Night
1 Burning Oil
1 Cackling Counterpart
1 Call of the Herd
1 Canopy Claws
1 Catalyst Stone
1 Chainer's Edict
1 Chatter of the Squirrel
1 Chill of Foreboding
1 Conflagrate
1 Creeping REnaissance
1 Crippling Fatigue
1 Crush of Wurms
1 Deadly Allure
1 Deep Analysis
1 Deep Reconnaissance
1 Defy Gravity
1 Dematerialize
1 Desperate Ravings
1 Devil's Play
1 Divine Reckoning
1 Dralnu, Lich Lord
1 Dread Return
1 Dream Twist
1 Earth Rift
1 Elephant Ambush
1 Embolden
1 Engulfing Flames
1 Faithless Looting
1 Feeling of Dread
1 Fervent Denial
1 Firebolt
1 Firecat Blitz
1 Fires of Undeath
1 Flaming Gambit
1 Flaring Pain
1 Flash of Defiance
1 Flash of Insight
1 Folk Medicine
1 Forbidden Alchemy
1 Gaze of Justice
1 Geistflame
1 Gnaw to the Bone
1 Grasp of Phantoms
1 Grizzly Fate
1 Howling Gale
1 Increasing Ambition
1 Increasing Confusion
1 Increasing Devotion
1 Increasing Savagery
1 Increasing Vengeance
1 Krosan Reclamation
1 Lava Dart
1 Lightning Surge
1 Lingering Souls
1 Marshaling Cry
1 Memory's Journey
1 Moan of the Unhallowed
1 Momentary Blink
1 Moment's Peace
1 Morbid Hunger
1 Morgue Theft
1 Mystic Retrieval
1 Mystical Teachings
1 Nightbird's Clutches
1 Parallel Evolution
1 Past in Flames
1 Quiet Speculation
1 Rally the Peasants
1 Ray of Distortion
1 Ray of Revelation
1 Reap the Seagraf
1 Reckless Charge
1 Recoup
1 Roar of the Wurm
1 Rolling Temblor
1 Runic Repetition
1 Saving Grasp
1 Scorching Missile
1 Seize the Day
1 Sever the Bloodline
1 Shattered Perception
1 Silent Departure
1 Skull Fracture
1 Spider Spawning
1 Spirit Flare
1 Strangling Soot
1 Sylvan Might
1 Think Twice
1 Thrill of the Hunt
1 Tracker's Instincts
1 Unburial Rites
1 Volcanic Spray
1 Volley of Boulders
1 Wild Hunger
1x Akuta, Born of Ash
1x Angel of Glory's Rise
1x Angel of Serenity
1x Ashen Ghoul
1x Aurora Eidolon
1x Bloodghast
1x Bloodsoaked Champion
1x Breath of Life
1x Celestial Gatekeeper
1x Champion of Stray Souls
1x Chandra's Phoenix
1x Chronosavant
1x Codex Shredder
1x Coffin Puppets
1x Custodi Squire
1x Dreams of the Dead
1x Elven Cache
1x Endbringer's Revel
1x Enigma Eidolon
1x Enslaved Horror
1x Entropic Eidolon
1x Eternal Dragon
1x Feldon's Cane
1x Firemane Angel
1x Firewing Phoenix
1x Flamewake Phoenix
1x Fossil Find
1x Genesis
1x Geralf's Mindcrusher
1x Gift of Immortality
1x Gigapede
1x Karmic Guide
1x Magister of Worth
1x Magma Phoenix
1x Marang River Prowler
1x Marshal's Anthem
1x Masked Admirers
1x Miraculous Recovery
1x Mistmoon Griffin
1x Naya Charm
1x Nostalgic Dreams
1x Obzedat's Aid
1x Paleoloth
1x Profound Journey
1x Pulsemage Advocate
1x Reach of Branches
1x Reassembling Skeleton
1x Remember the Fallen
1x Resurrection
1x Reya Dawnbringer
1x River Kelpie
1x Sandstorm Eidolon
1x Sigil of the New Dawn
1x Spurnmage Advocate
1x Squee, Goblin Nabob
1x Sudden Reclamation
1x Sun Titan
1x Treacherous Pit-Dweller
1x Undead Gladiator
1x Vengevine
1x Verdant Eidolon
1x Yore-Tiller Nephilim
1x Corrupted Conscience
1x Counterbalance
1x Dictate of Kruphix
1x Future Sight
1x Propaganda
1x Rhystic Study
1x Standstill
1x Volition Reins
1x Archaeomancer
1x Consecrated Sphinx
1x Deadeye Navigator
1x Draining Whelk
1x Glen Elendra Archmage
1x Kederekt Leviathan
1x Kira, Great Glass-Spinner
1x Magus of the Future
1x Master of Waves
1x Mulldrifter
1x Phyrexian Metamorph
1x Psychosis Crawler
1x Shapesharer
1x Sphinx of Magosi
1x Stormsurge Kraken
1x Trinket Mage
1x AEtherize
1x Arcane Denial
1x Brainstorm
1x Counterspell
1x Cyclonic Rift
1x Dig Through Time
1x Disdainful Stroke
1x Impulse
1x Muddle the Mixture
1x Mystical Tutor
1x Negate
1x Reality Shift
1x Remand
1x Sunder
1x Tezzeret the Seeker
1x Cloud Key
1x Expedition Map
1x Grafdigger's Cage
1x Isochron Scepter
1x Library of Leng
1x Mimic Vat
1x Oblivion Stone
1x Pithing Needle
1x Prototype Portal
1x Sensei's Divining Top
1x Soul Foundry
1x Acquire
1x Curse of the Swine
1x Devastation Tide
1x Fabricate
1x Inundate
1x Stolen Identity
1x Wash Out
1x Whelming Wave
1x Academy Ruins
1x Cavern of Souls
1x Darksteel Citadel
1x Faerie Conclave
1x Flooded Strand
1x Ghost Quarter
1x Halimar Depths
18x Island
1x Lonely Sandbar
1x Minamo, School at Water's Edge
1x Mutavault
1x Myriad Landscape
1x Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
1x Polluted Delta
1x Reliquary Tower
1x Remote Isle
1x Riptide Laboratory
1x Saprazzan Skerry
1x Seat of the Synod
1x Strip Mine
1x Tectonic Edge
1x Terrain Generator
1x Tolaria West
Maybeboard
1x Batterskull
1x Coretapper
1x Deserted Temple
1x Dust Bowl
1x Followed Footsteps
1x Magistrate's Scepter
1x Magosi, the Waterveil
1x Rings of Brighthearth
1x Sapphire Medallion
1x Scroll Rack
1x Spellskite
1x Transmute Artifact
1x Wurmcoil Engine
I've been optimizing this monoblue deck with different commanders: I've gone from Thassa, God of the Sea to Kira, Great Glass-Spinner, then I found Deadeye Navigator and started creating lots of synergy with utility creatures; this led me to Sakashima and Imprint artifacts. I just removed Djinn of Wishes because I didn't have the mana to use the ability and Rishadan Brigand because it's too weak by itself.
4x Ethereal Armor
4x Ghostly Prison
4x Honor of the Pure
3x Sigil of the Empty Throne
1x Idyllic Tutor
3x Elspeth, Knight-Errant
4x Hopeful Eidolon
4x Nyx-Fleece Ram
4x Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
20x Plains
1x Spear of Heliod
2x Austere Command
1x Eidolon of Rhetoric
1x Heliod, God of the Sun
1x Rest in Peace
1x Rule of Law
4x Runed Halo
4x Sphere of Safety
1x Spirit of the Labyrinth
Along the lines of name issues how do copied ETB behave with Sakashima keeping it's name? Do these effects do nothing because of that?
1 Master of Waves
1 Draining Whelk
Altar of the Brood is definitely something to add. Here's what I'm thinking now, given my current card pool.
4x Grim Guardian
4x Underworld Coinsmith
4x Fiend Hunter
4x Leonin Relic-Warder
4x Oblivion Ring
4x Journey to Nowhere
4x Castigate
1x Idyllic Tutor
3x Lapse of Certainty
4x Windswept Heath
4x Bloodstained Mire
4x Godless Shrine
3x Cavern of Souls
6x Plains
3x Swamp
3x Leyline of Sanctity
4x Path to Exile
4x Banishing Light