Is it me or are new sets coming out faster? I just finished enhancing my B01 Standard Orzhov Cleric Deck with the Universes Beyond: Final Fantasy set cards (granted I was late doing so) and here we are with Edge of Eternities just having come around the corner. Previews and pre-releases have wrapped up so it’s time to take a look at new improvements are possible with the new cards.

With Edge of Eternities also comes rotation. With a number of sets dropping out of Standard, I will lose a number of key cards. The question will be what can we rebuild and how will it affect the effectiveness of the deck. It already was not a Tier 1 deck by a long stretch and I expect that rotation will have a significant impact.

Here is the deck that I’ve been playing in recent days. The cards in red will no longer be valid as of August 1st (or July 29th on Arena). 20 cards in the main deck alone! I don’t have a good feeling about this!

Deck
2 Go for the Throat (BRO) 102
3 Evolved Sleeper (DMU) 93
8 Plains (THB) 250
6 Swamp (THB) 252
3 Shadow-Rite Priest (DMU) 106
1 The Fair Basilica (ONE) 252
3 Scoured Barrens (IKO) 254
1 The Dross Pits (ONE) 251
1 Valgavoth’s Lair (DSK) 271
2 Loran’s Escape (BRO) 14
3 Essence Channeler (BLB) 12
3 Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim (DMU) 198
3 Phyrexian Missionary (DMU) 27
2 Authority of the Consuls (FDN) 137
3 Preacher of the Schism (LCI) 113
2 Cavern of Souls (LCI) 269
3 Rosa, Resolute White Mage (FIN) 555
2 Cut Down (DMU) 89
2 Fabled Passage (ELD) 244
2 Minwu, White Mage (FIN) 26
3 Aerith Gainsborough (FIN) 4
2 Sheltered by Ghosts (DSK) 30

Sideboard
1 Grand Abolisher (BIG) 2
1 Skrelv, Defector Mite (ONE) 33
1 Pest Control (BIG) 22
1 Lay Down Arms (BRO) 11
1 The Witch’s Vanity (WOE) 119
1 Starscape Cleric (BLB) 116
1 Krumar Initiate (TDM) 84
1 Sanguine Evangelist (LCI) 34
1 Zoraline, Cosmos Caller (BLB) 242
1 Leyline Binding (DMU) 24
1 Liliana of the Veil (DMU) 97
1 Virtue of Persistence (WOE) 115
1 Moonrise Cleric (BLB) 226
1 Roaming Throne (LCI) 258
1 Anointed Peacekeeper (DMU) 2

Three cards in particular will be tough to replace: Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim, Phyrexian Missionary and Shadow-Rite Priest.

But before we all declare that all is doom and gloom, let’s see what space-faring Clerics we have in Edge of Eternities. There are six in total and five of those could work in our Orzhov deck. That’s not a bad start.

The first, Alpharael, Dreaming Acolyte, will simply not work because of its Dimir colours. Moving right along.

Alpharael, Stonechosen, could be a pretty potent card but would require more emphasis in the deck on the new Warp mechanic. It is not a cheap card though, costing . Looking at the other clerics in the set, none use the mechanic so the only way this would trigger is if a nonland permanent left the battlefield this turn. While possible, I think that this may not trigger often enough to be very effective. But with the deck being so depleted, maybe I will try it and see.

Elegy Acolyte might be a better fit. It is cheaper by a one pip and better fits into the current lifelink focus of the deck. In this case, Void provides an additional 2/2 colorless Robot artifact creature token that could then become the nonland permanents needed to trigger Void effects. Maybe I’ll start with this one in the deck and see how it performs. If it does, I could then try out Alpharael, Stonechosen as well. Then again, there are a few cards I had set aside that I might put into the deck first.

I might add a few copies of Lightless Evangel into the deck if only because it is relatively cheap and can help buff up other clerics around it. But the current deck is not built around sacrificing so there may be little value there. I’ll hold off for now and maybe revisit later.

I’ll start with a few copies of Sunstar Chaplain, to help with the depleted ranks of my deck. Buffing cards up is never a bad thing and the additional ability to tap a target artifact or creature by removing a +1/+1 counter could be an interesting strategy. It is a better fit than the previous cards.

The last new Cleric is Umbral Collar Zealot. It is a cheap creature that plays well with a sacrifice strategy. I’m not sure that this something meant for the deck but I may again not have much of a choice. Sacrificing another creature or artifact to surveil does not sound does not sound particularly appealing. Let’s start instead with some older Clerics and again revisit as needed.

Removal has been updated with a few Murder and Get Lost cards. I don’t have much in terms of combat tricks for now but will see if adjustments are needed.

Lastly, I’ve replaced two lands with the new Planet Lands. Not sure how they will really function in the deck but what have I got to lose at this point?

Deck

• 3 Murder (J25) 467
• 2 Bitter Triumph (LXI) 91
• 2 Sanguine Savior (MKM) 230
• 4 Essence Channeler (BLB) 12
• 2 Grand Abolisher (BIG) 2
• 2 Authority of the Consuls (FDN) 137
• 3 Preacher of the Schism (LCI) 113
• 3 Rosa, Resolute White Mage (FIN) 555
• 3 Starscape Cleric (BLB) 116
• 2 Minwu, White Mage (FIN) 26
• 3 Aerith Gainsborough (FIN) 4
• 2 Sheltered by Ghosts (DSK) 30
• 3 Sunstar Chaplain (EOE) 40
• 2 Get Lost (LCI) 14
• 8 Plains (THB) 250
• 6 Swamp (THB) 252
• 1 Susur Secundi, Void Altar (EOE) 259
• 1 Adagia, Windswept Bastion (EOE) 250
• 3 Scoured Barrens (IKO) 254
• 1 Valgavoth’s Lair (DSK) 271
• 2 Cavern of Souls (LCI) 269
• 2 Fabled Passage (ELD) 244

Sideboard

• 1 Pest Control (BIG) 22
• 1 The Witch’s Vanity (WOE) 119
• 1 Starscape Cleric (BLB) 116
• 1 Krumar Initiate (TDM) 84
• 1 Sanguine Evangelist (LCI) 34
• 1 Zoraline, Cosmos Caller (BLB) 242
• 1 Virtue of Persistence (WOE) 115
• 1 Moonrise Cleric (BLB) 226
• 1 Roaming Throne (LCI) 258

More to come on the sideboard once I’ve had a chance to take this first version of the new deck out for a spin and I start to make adjustments.