"Let your plans be dark and as impenetratable as night, and when you move, fall like a thunderbolt."
- Sun Tzu
I loved the Reveillark/Momentary Blink deck when it was one of the big three decks dominating Standard at the time. Once it hit a certain point in the game - around turn 5, following a Wrath - there was basically nothing your opponent could do to come back from the avalanche of value you were getting from bouncing their stuff, reanimating yours, and drawing more cards than you had any right to. This is my attempt to recapture some of the feeling of that deck, featuring many of 'Lark-Blink's greatest hits.
Notable Cards/Combos
A quick lesson in the stack, aka The Oblivion Ring Trick: When you cast a permanent card that exiles something and returns it when it leaves the battlefield (like Oblivion Ring or Fiend Hunter, but not like Restoration Angel or Otherworldly Journey, there's a trick you can use to exile that something forever. When you chose your target with Oblivion Ring, respond to the choice by bouncing or destroying the Oblivion Ring. It will then try to return the exiled permanent - but this hasn't happened yet, so it can't do anything. The trigger that exiles something will now resolve, and there'll be no Oblivion Ring to destroy to get it back.
Riptide Laboratory: The emergency button for saving one of the many wizards in the deck if you're caught without a blink effect.
Deadeye Navigator: BAN DEN. Apparently this card is unbeatable or something, if you believe the general reaction to him, especially when soulbonded to...
Bonded Fetch, Screeching Drake, et al: Blue doesn't have as many creatures that draw cards when they enter the battlefield as you might think, so I had to dip into the EtB looters to get the kind of filtering I wanted. There's enough recursion in the deck to not be hurt too much by tossing away something valuable early on.
Ethereal Usher: I initially thought this guy would be just a second Deadeye Navigator, but I found myself grabbing Sudden Disappearance quite a lot also. Options are good.
Knight-Captain of Eos, Seht's Tiger: Shrug off many, many attacks. Seht's Tiger is such a weird card that people never see it coming - even when it's on the table and they know you have a blink in hand.
Mentor of the Meek: Lots of tiny guys entering the battlefield in this deck, so the Mentor can provide a steady flow of cards for a small tax on every blink spell.
Ghostly Flicker: The best of the instant-speed blink effects, because you can blink something you want to reuse and Archaeomancer/Mnemonic Wall to have a limitless supply of Ghostly Flickers.
2013-05-30: -Twilight Shepherd, +Mistmeadow Witch
2013-08-15: -Cloud of Faeries, Eternal Dragon, Karmic Guide, Myr Battlesphere, Phantasmal Image, Voidstone Gargoyle, Liberate, +Lavinia of the Tenth, Mentor of the Meek, Merchant of Scrolls, Palinchron, Crystal Shard, Turn to Mist
So i really like this deck a lot. You dont mid if i run it do you?
Private Mod Note
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Sel'rahc, Beneficial Scholar 1WUR
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard
Haste RU Draw 2 Cards, this creature deals 2 damage to each other creature you control. RW Choose Two - Target Creature gains First Strike, Lifelink, or Haste until end of turn. UW Choose One - Return Target Creature to the top of it's Owner's deck, or Creatures your Opponent controls can't attack this turn. This creature doesn't untap during your next untap step.
"The level of supremacy the enemy has gained is negligble. I have gained advantage though means of intellect."
P/T: 3:3
Have you ever tried Slithermuse? I know you plan on having the most cards at any given time, but it basically allows you to blow you hand and refill nigh endlessly-and level the playing field against those villains who have the audacity to cast Praetor's Counsel or it's silly mass draw/recursion brethren.
Plus, I still don't even know what thing in the picture is supposed to be. It looks like Zur the Enchanter if he was turned into some sort of fish-hydra thing. You could say I'm attached, at least in morbid curiosity.
Have you ever tried Slithermuse? I know you plan on having the most cards at any given time, but it basically allows you to blow you hand and refill nigh endlessly-and level the playing field against those villains who have the audacity to cast Praetor's Counsel or it's silly mass draw/recursion brethren.
Plus, I still don't even know what thing in the picture is supposed to be. It looks like Zur the Enchanter if he was turned into some sort of fish-hydra thing. You could say I'm attached, at least in morbid curiosity.
I have a Slithermuse somewhere, I think. Seems real good as the last card in your hand - potentially like a creature version of Recurring Insight. And the art makes perfect sense! It's a fish-hydra... thing... with some kind of lightning-smoke coming out its many eyes.
I posted this card in another rasputin thread and they said it was unneccessary Gemstone Array
If you get deadeye navigator it is infinite mana.
add capsize for game.
or draw for capsize for game.
I think I would rather have Palinchron for infinite mana (with DEN), but Gemstone Array does help a lot of the more multi-part loops. But it's so do-nothing on its own! I don't really like having combos where half the cards are worthless alone (see: Power Artifact, Pestermite, etc.). You can at least hit people with Palinchron.
You have a lot of blink effects. Gemstone is always good as a mana rock for 4 in this type of deck... Additionally It can add value town to many of your cards.
You even mention ghostly flicker being a limitless supply with archaeo/scrivener/mnemonic. Each iteration costs one blue. Gemstone makes it infinite.
That's all well and good, but Gemstone Array does nothing on its own. If I wanted to put together a deck that was trying to assemble an infinite loop of some kind, it would look a lot different; less durdly EtB guys and more draw, more protection, more tutors, and more cards like Gemstone Array whose inherant do-nothingness is mitigated by them winning the game when the combo comes up. This... isn't really meant to be a combo deck, just like 'Lark-Blink wasn't really a combo deck after it had matured a little.
The Ghostway I had set aside for this deck ended up in my Jor Kadeen deck, where it's needed more, and Phyrexian Ingester is basically the same card as Duplicant. Generally I really dislike Draining Whelk because leaving six(!) mana open for a counterspell is abhorrent, but it might be just playable here as Rasputin can pick up most of the cost. Still might not be worth it with so few quick-blink effects, though - Venser and Glen Elendra Archmage are a lot more flexible.
ALSO, Hunting Drake has been phenomenal in my ETB forays! So many threats are, or at least in part, green or red, and the drake not only forces a recast but forces the opponent to topdeck it again, which means they lose a draw at worst (red will suffer worse than green in this aspect) and can potentially lose a major threat such as a general to the errant shuffle effect. No sure if it's worth it in your meta, but I thought it was quite the dude.
That is a really good question and I wish I had an answer for it. I actually really like Bonded Fetch, because it loots every turn its on the battlefield (+1 for every time it gets flickered), but Wall of Omens and the Wizard guy are better than Screeching Drake, at least. Need to remember those next time I order a stack of obscure commons.
Hunting Drake seems brutal against the right decks. There's a lot of 3-colour goodstuff here, so it should have something to hit even though I'm not really fond of specific anti-colour effects. Bounce to library might be harsh enough to take the risk, though, since I know Nevermaker is already pretty capable of locking someone out for a while.
Ok, so I reviewed my Lavinia (because who can afford a Rasputin these days?) deck and found a few more things you may be able to make use of!
Lavinia of the Tenth! Lock down their tokens, rocks, dorks, Kaalia, Rafiq, and Zur! Never failed me.
Mentor of the Meek! With all these little flickering men, 1 for a card seems more than fair, especially because Rasputin will be puking colorless in your deck!
Finally, Crystal Shard and Erratic Portal can provide ETB redundancy and the occasional removal! I strongly recommend the two, or at least the shard!
Finally, a deck I actually like Mentor of the Meek in. I always laugh when people suggest that guy as a draw engine for mono-White or W/R because it seems so conditional, but here you have a lot of control over when it triggers and surplus mana to pay for the triggers.
I like the other suggestions, too. Seems like it's this deck's turn to get a tune-up.
Finally, a deck I actually like Mentor of the Meek in. I always laugh when people suggest that guy as a draw engine for mono-White or W/R because it seems so conditional, but here you have a lot of control over when it triggers and surplus mana to pay for the triggers.
I like the other suggestions, too. Seems like it's this deck's turn to get a tune-up.
Mentor of the Meek IS good in mono white and WR, particularly if you have good token production.
On the other hand I dislike him in a deck that has access to blue.
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DCI Level 1 Judge-
Thanks to Heroes of the Plane for the awesome Sig.
Mentor of the Meek IS good in mono white and WR, particularly if you have good token production.
On the other hand I dislike him in a deck that has access to blue.
Ah, but the Mentor allows him to better capitalize on the comings and goings of his rather tiny army of creatures.
Example: Vodalian Merchant is blinked by Deadeye Navigator for1U. With Mentor, the net result is Catalog instead of 1U: Cycle a card. I don't know about you, but in a deck that wins in nuance and incremental advantage, I believe having cheap, reusable draw is great, especially considering Rasputin will provide him with all the colorless he needs for the effect. He doesn't even have to blink them to accrue massive card advantage with that option on tap. Sure, he could play Card-Advantage Sphinx or something, but the Mentor slides easily into a strategy he was already planning on employing for completely marginal costs.
Yeah, Mentor seems really good alongside a dozen or so other tiny CA guys. In the W(/R) lists it always seemed like you're praying you hit one of your draw engines (Mentor, Puresteel Paladin, Mind's Eye, etc.), or at least that's the way I felt playing mono-White, and without one of them it was more like I was fighting my own deck than the rest of the table. Mentor as just another cog in the big machine is a lot more appealing.
Notable Cards/Combos
Erebos B | Ghost Council WB | Grimgrin UB | Jhoira UR
Jor Kadeen RW | Melek UR | Mimeoplasm GUB | Rasputin WU
Savra BG | Sisay GW | Teneb BGW | Thada Adel U | Wort BR
I draft and play EDH. If a Standard player can't understand who a card is for, it's probably for me.
I also write things about good films.
Legendary Creature - Human Wizard
Haste
RU Draw 2 Cards, this creature deals 2 damage to each other creature you control.
RW Choose Two - Target Creature gains First Strike, Lifelink, or Haste until end of turn.
UW Choose One - Return Target Creature to the top of it's Owner's deck, or Creatures your Opponent controls can't attack this turn. This creature doesn't untap during your next untap step.
"The level of supremacy the enemy has gained is negligble. I have gained advantage though means of intellect."
P/T: 3:3
Erebos B | Ghost Council WB | Grimgrin UB | Jhoira UR
Jor Kadeen RW | Melek UR | Mimeoplasm GUB | Rasputin WU
Savra BG | Sisay GW | Teneb BGW | Thada Adel U | Wort BR
I draft and play EDH. If a Standard player can't understand who a card is for, it's probably for me.
I also write things about good films.
Plus, I still don't even know what thing in the picture is supposed to be. It looks like Zur the Enchanter if he was turned into some sort of fish-hydra thing. You could say I'm attached, at least in morbid curiosity.
Gemstone Array
If you get deadeye navigator it is infinite mana.
add capsize for game.
or draw for capsize for game.
I have a Slithermuse somewhere, I think. Seems real good as the last card in your hand - potentially like a creature version of Recurring Insight. And the art makes perfect sense! It's a fish-hydra... thing... with some kind of lightning-smoke coming out its many eyes.
I think I would rather have Palinchron for infinite mana (with DEN), but Gemstone Array does help a lot of the more multi-part loops. But it's so do-nothing on its own! I don't really like having combos where half the cards are worthless alone (see: Power Artifact, Pestermite, etc.). You can at least hit people with Palinchron.
Erebos B | Ghost Council WB | Grimgrin UB | Jhoira UR
Jor Kadeen RW | Melek UR | Mimeoplasm GUB | Rasputin WU
Savra BG | Sisay GW | Teneb BGW | Thada Adel U | Wort BR
I draft and play EDH. If a Standard player can't understand who a card is for, it's probably for me.
I also write things about good films.
You even mention ghostly flicker being a limitless supply with archaeo/scrivener/mnemonic. Each iteration costs one blue. Gemstone makes it infinite.
Also draining whelk and duplicant interact with blink as well as ghostway
The Ghostway I had set aside for this deck ended up in my Jor Kadeen deck, where it's needed more, and Phyrexian Ingester is basically the same card as Duplicant. Generally I really dislike Draining Whelk because leaving six(!) mana open for a counterspell is abhorrent, but it might be just playable here as Rasputin can pick up most of the cost. Still might not be worth it with so few quick-blink effects, though - Venser and Glen Elendra Archmage are a lot more flexible.
Erebos B | Ghost Council WB | Grimgrin UB | Jhoira UR
Jor Kadeen RW | Melek UR | Mimeoplasm GUB | Rasputin WU
Savra BG | Sisay GW | Teneb BGW | Thada Adel U | Wort BR
I draft and play EDH. If a Standard player can't understand who a card is for, it's probably for me.
I also write things about good films.
ALSO, Hunting Drake has been phenomenal in my ETB forays! So many threats are, or at least in part, green or red, and the drake not only forces a recast but forces the opponent to topdeck it again, which means they lose a draw at worst (red will suffer worse than green in this aspect) and can potentially lose a major threat such as a general to the errant shuffle effect. No sure if it's worth it in your meta, but I thought it was quite the dude.
Hunting Drake seems brutal against the right decks. There's a lot of 3-colour goodstuff here, so it should have something to hit even though I'm not really fond of specific anti-colour effects. Bounce to library might be harsh enough to take the risk, though, since I know Nevermaker is already pretty capable of locking someone out for a while.
Erebos B | Ghost Council WB | Grimgrin UB | Jhoira UR
Jor Kadeen RW | Melek UR | Mimeoplasm GUB | Rasputin WU
Savra BG | Sisay GW | Teneb BGW | Thada Adel U | Wort BR
I draft and play EDH. If a Standard player can't understand who a card is for, it's probably for me.
I also write things about good films.
Lavinia of the Tenth! Lock down their tokens, rocks, dorks, Kaalia, Rafiq, and Zur! Never failed me.
Mentor of the Meek! With all these little flickering men, 1 for a card seems more than fair, especially because Rasputin will be puking colorless in your deck!
Finally, Crystal Shard and Erratic Portal can provide ETB redundancy and the occasional removal! I strongly recommend the two, or at least the shard!
I like the other suggestions, too. Seems like it's this deck's turn to get a tune-up.
Erebos B | Ghost Council WB | Grimgrin UB | Jhoira UR
Jor Kadeen RW | Melek UR | Mimeoplasm GUB | Rasputin WU
Savra BG | Sisay GW | Teneb BGW | Thada Adel U | Wort BR
I draft and play EDH. If a Standard player can't understand who a card is for, it's probably for me.
I also write things about good films.
Mentor of the Meek IS good in mono white and WR, particularly if you have good token production.
On the other hand I dislike him in a deck that has access to blue.
Thanks to Heroes of the Plane for the awesome Sig.
Currently Playing- EDH
GGGOmnath, Locus of the LifestreamGGG
BBBShirei, Lord of PoniesBBB
UWRasputin Dreamweaver, Russia's Greatest Love MachineUW
UBWZur, Killer of FunUBW
UGWTreva, Princess of CanterlotUGW
RWTajic, Master of the Reverse BladeRW
RRRZirilan, How to Train Your DragonRRR
PDH Decks
Gelectrode
Ascended Lawmage
Blaze Commando
Ah, but the Mentor allows him to better capitalize on the comings and goings of his rather tiny army of creatures.
Example: Vodalian Merchant is blinked by Deadeye Navigator for1U. With Mentor, the net result is Catalog instead of 1U: Cycle a card. I don't know about you, but in a deck that wins in nuance and incremental advantage, I believe having cheap, reusable draw is great, especially considering Rasputin will provide him with all the colorless he needs for the effect. He doesn't even have to blink them to accrue massive card advantage with that option on tap. Sure, he could play Card-Advantage Sphinx or something, but the Mentor slides easily into a strategy he was already planning on employing for completely marginal costs.
Erebos B | Ghost Council WB | Grimgrin UB | Jhoira UR
Jor Kadeen RW | Melek UR | Mimeoplasm GUB | Rasputin WU
Savra BG | Sisay GW | Teneb BGW | Thada Adel U | Wort BR
I draft and play EDH. If a Standard player can't understand who a card is for, it's probably for me.
I also write things about good films.