Ever since Ichormoon Gauntlet was spoiled during Phyrexia: All Will Be One previews, I was intrigued and curious how playable it could be. As you can see, this Artifact gives Planeswalkers additional abilities, namely Proliferate for a cost of 0 and an additional turn for a far more expensive 12.

I finally decided to put curiousity to action and built the following Blue deck centered around Jace and Teferi for Arena Standard B01. I burned 5 Mythic wild cards despite some reservations that I was doing so for a foolish quest. But you only live once after all.

Here is the first deck I built. Essentially, I threw a few cards together around the three main ones.

• 3 Jace, the Perfected Mind (ONE) 57
• 2 Teferi, Temporal Pilgrim (BRO) 66
• 4 Delver of Secrets (MID) 47
• 4 Fading Hope (MID) 51
• 2 Shore Up (DMU) 64
• 3 Disdainful Stroke (SNC) 39
• 4 Ichormoon Gauntlet (ONE) 56
• 3 Third Path Savant (BRO) 67
• 2 Academy Loremaster (DMU) 40
• 4 Stormchaser Drake (VOW) 82
• 2 Silver Scrutiny (DMU) 65
• 4 Essence Capture (NEO) 52
• 23 Island (ONE) 273

After only one game, a loss, it was clear that Third Path Savant was just not a good card. 7 for the ability to draw two cards was simply too expensive. Out it went. I also added an additional Teferi card (using up another wild card) given that the whole idea is to build Planeswalkers up with the extra ability. I also added 2 Prolog To Phyresis for the card draw.

I won my second game thanks to my Stormchaser Drakes but realized that they would not give me much card draw given how few spells I had that could target them. I never drew any of my Planeswalkers, leaving my Ichormoon Gauntlet on the board with little effect.

Here is what the deck looks like now:

• 3 Jace, the Perfected Mind (ONE) 57
• 23 Island (ONE) 273
• 3 Teferi, Temporal Pilgrim (BRO) 66
• 4 Delver of Secrets (MID) 47
• 4 Fading Hope (MID) 51
• 3 Shore Up (DMU) 64
• 3 Disdainful Stroke (SNC) 39
• 4 Ichormoon Gauntlet (ONE) 56
• 2 Academy Loremaster (DMU) 40
• 4 Stormchaser Drake (VOW) 82
• 3 Silver Scrutiny (DMU) 65
• 4 Essence Capture (NEO) 52

Before my third game, in went one additional Shore Up and One Silver Scrutiny in favour of Prolog To Phyresis. That third game was a blowout – Playing against a red aggro deck with 2 lands after turn 4 proved painful.

After a few more games, my record is 2-6. Looks like I have a few things to think about:

• I need more Planeswalkers if I will make Ichormoon Gauntlet the focus of the deck
• A mono-Blue deck is probably not the best option. I suspect I will need to add at least one more colour and more likely two.
• What are the wincons that Ichormoon Gauntlet opens up? It’s great to have the ability to take another turn but what do I do with it? I’m thinking that I need to focus more on the 0 cost Proliferate ability. Is it time to look at Poison counters?
• I may need to burn more wild cards to get Tekuthal, Inquiry Dominus into future decks.

More to come!