Can The Last Avatar help our B01 Standard Orzhov Cleric Deck?

November 16, 2025 / Jerome / Leave a comment

The record pace at which WOTC releases sets means that we are constantly in preview season. Doing so has eroded the excitement for new sets, especially when you combine this with the proliferation of Universes Beyond sets. Where am I going with this, you ask? Well, previews for Magic’s latest set, The Last Avatar, pretty much went unnoticed here. To the point where none of us here even went to the Pre-Release. We also skipped the usual box purchase.

Having said that, I still took a look to see how I might use the cards in Arena for my decks B01 Standard Orzhov Cleric deck. After the disappointment that Spider-Man was, both as a source of new cleric cards and as a set in general, any clerics in the new set would be a win. Well, there are three new clerics, two of which can be played in Standard and one in Eternal formats.

Let’s take a look. We’re immediately down to only one candidate given that Loyal Fire Sage is not legal in Standard and Fire Sages is a Red card – not exactly a good fit for an Orzhov deck.

We’re down to a simple question: Is there room in my B01 Standard Orzhov Cleric deck for Compassionate Healer?

Here is the current version of my deck:

3 Murder (J25) 467
4 Essence Channeler (BLB) 12
2 Grand Abolisher (BIG) 2
2 Authority of the Consuls (FDN) 137
4 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
3 Sheltered by Ghosts (DSK) 30
2 Get Lost (LCI) 14
2 Bitter Triumph (LCI) 91
3 Elegy Acolyte (EOE) 97
2 Cavern of Souls (LCI) 269
2 Fabled Passage (ELD) 244
9 Plains (THB) 250
3 Scoured Barrens (IKO) 254
7 Swamp (THB) 252
1 Valgavoth’s Lair (DSK) 271

Sideboard

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

The simple answer is, yes, there is. I’m going to replace the Starscape Clerics with this card. I’ll lose the flying capability but build lifegain with a scry as a bonus. If things don’t pan out, I can always fall back to Starscape Cleric later.

So, here is the updated version of my deck:

3 Murder (J25) 467
4 Essence Channeler (BLB) 12
2 Grand Abolisher (BIG) 2
2 Authority of the Consuls (FDN) 137
4 Preacher of the Schism (LCI) 113
3 Rosa, Resolute White Mage (FIN) 555
3 Compassionate Healer (TLA) 13
~~3 Starscape Cleric (BLB) 116~~
2 Minwu, White Mage (FIN) 26
3 Aerith Gainsborough (FIN) 4
3 Sheltered by Ghosts (DSK) 30
2 Get Lost (LCI) 14
2 Bitter Triumph (LCI) 91
3 Elegy Acolyte (EOE) 97
2 Cavern of Souls (LCI) 269
2 Fabled Passage (ELD) 244
9 Plains (THB) 250
3 Scoured Barrens (IKO) 254
7 Swamp (THB) 252
1 Valgavoth’s Lair (DSK) 271

Looking at Instant and Sorcery spells, nothing really leaped out but I might try one of these below to see if they prove useful. If not, it will be back to the deck above. More to come on how these cards work out.

Let’s hope that Lorwyn Eclipsed brings with it more Clerics as this deck continues to suffer since rotation. But I won’t hold my breath – The original Lorwyn set only had three clerics.

Spider-Man shows no love for B01 Standard Orzhov Cleric Decks

September 28, 2025September 28, 2025 / Jerome / Leave a comment

If I needed evidence that the gaming gods sometimes listen, it came through pretty loud and clear with the full reveal of the Marvel’s Spider-Man set for Magic: The Gathering. Remember how I complained that sets were coming out too fast? Well, they have not slowed down any but I will definitely be able to catch my breath when it comes to my B01 Standard Orzhov Cleric deck. Why, you ask. Simply because there are no Clerics at all in the new set. Absolutely none. Nary a one. Zilch.

A quick aside: You may have noticed that posts on this site have slowed down. I can confirm that this is the case because I’ve started playing Dungeons & Dragons and have foolishly agreed to recap each session. It’s taking me longer to do these than I had anticipated. With that, back to our normal programming.

When Edge of Eternities came out (and rotation hit), I landed on the following deck to resume the Standard journey.

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

Since then, the deck has evolved into the following after some small tweaks, primarily around removal. As for the creatures, Sunstar Chaplain has worked better than I thought but the real star after rotation continues to be Preacher of the Schism and Rosa, Resolute White Mage.

Deck

3 Murder (J25) 467
2 Bitter Triumph (LCI) 91
4 Essence Channeler (BLB) 12
2 Grand Abolisher (BIG) 2
2 Authority of the Consuls (FDN) 137
4 Preacher of the Schism (LCI) 113
3 Rosa, Resolute White Mage (FIN) 555
3 Starscape Cleric (BLB) 116
3 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
2 Cavern of Souls (LCI) 269
2 Fabled Passage (ELD) 244
9 Plains (THB) 250
7 Swamp (THB) 252
3 Scoured Barrens (IKO) 254
1 Valgavoth’s Lair (DSK) 271

Sideboard

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

Looking through what else the Spider-Man (aka Through the Omenpath) set offers, I’ve not seen anything yet that makes me want to make further alterations to the deck. I did consider the following:

The Soul Stone (The Terminus of Return) – Harnessing it is just too expensive!
Spectacular Tactics – Perhaps instead of Get Lost?
Clandestine Work – Card draw is never a bad thing but what do I give up for it?
Villainous Wrath – I like it until the last sentence: “Then destroy all creatures.” That does not help my creature focused deck.

In the end, I don’t think that there is much that I can do except experiment a bit with these cards and perhaps go back to older sets to see how I can improve the deck a bit but it looks like consistent wins are going to be a while away still.

With Avatar up next, we’ll have to see if there are real improvements to be found. I’m not familiar with the lore so not sure that there are any clerics but I will be disappointed if we have two sets in a row without any.

Navigating Card Rotation: B01 Standard Orzhov Clerics After Edge of Eternities

July 29, 2025 / Jerome / Leave a comment

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.

Enhancing a B01 Standard Orzhov Cleric Deck with Final Fantasy

June 23, 2025 / Jerome / Leave a comment

Magic’s latest set, Final Fantasy, has now been out for three weeks. As with every other Standard set, let’s take a look and see what new cards I may be able to add to my typal Standard B01 Orzhov Cleric deck in a bid to finally transform it into a first tier deck. The first Universes Beyond set to be Standard legal brings six new Clerics to the table.

As always, a number of them can be immediately skipped over as they don’t fit into the Orzhov colours. That does not mean that they don’t have potential. Yuna, Hope of Spira, in particular, could fit nicely into a Selesnya enchantments deck.

Back to our deck, we have three Clerics that could fit into the deck. Let’s take a closer look at these.

Aerith Gainsborough certainly could be a good fit. Lifelink helps power some of the other Clerics in the deck. Any tokens it gains can be saved when she dies if I have a legendary creature on the board. Without any protection, I have a feeling that Aerith is simply too vulnerable. And the limited number of legendary creatures means that I may not be able to save those counters to make it worthwhile. I may swap out two Annex Sentries to see how she would fare in its place.

Rosa, Resolute White Mage, is another card that seems decent at first glance Giving creatures a +1/+1 counter and lifelink until end of turn fits well into the deck. At a cost of , I’m not sure I want to cut Roaming Throne for this card. Then again, it might be time for some experimentation. Let’s try it!

Finally, here is a card that I have been excited about since I first saw it. Minwu, White Mage, is definitely going into the deck so that I can see if she is as good as she seems to be. Right out of the gate, she comes with vigilance and lifelink. So far, so good but whenever I gain life, she allows me to put a +1/+1 counter on each Cleric I control. That could end some games. The only downside is her cost. At , this is not a cheap card to cast.

Final Fantasy comes with another goodie for Clerics. There are two equipment spells that can turn any creature into a Cleric. While only one fits an Orzhov deck, this is definitely an interesting development. Both White Mage’s Staff and Sage’s Nouliths turn creatures into Clerics while they are equipped. The job select mechanic means that both enter already attached to a Hero Cleric and both have nice upside when they attack.

My first instinct is to not include White Mage’s Staff simply because so many of the other Clerics already have lifelink. But again, this may need to be validated in the lab of gameplay first.

One other change I made to the deck was to remove Fell in favour of Exorcise. Both work at Sorcery speed but the latter gives me more options to target.

One last change: I cut the Krumar Initiates in favour of Authority of the Consuls. It should slow my opponent down a bit and give my Clerics deck a bit more time for the pieces to fall into place and hopefully take control of the game.

Here is the latest version of my Standard B01 Orzhov Cleric deck:

Deck

2 Go for the Throat (BRO) 102
3 Evolved Sleeper (DMU) 93
3 Shadow-Rite Priest (DMU) 106
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 Rosa, Resolute White Mage (FIN) 555
2 Cut Down (DMU) 89
2 Minwu, White Mage (FIN) 26
2 Anointed Peacekeeper (DMU) 2
2 Exorcise (DSK) 8
2 Aerith Gainsborough (FIN) 4
2 Cavern of Souls (LCI) 269
1 The Dross Pits (ONE) 251
1 Fabled Passage (ELD) 244
1 The Fair Basilica (ONE) 252
8 Plains (THB) 250
3 Scoured Barrens (IKO) 254
6 Swamp (THB) 252
2 Valgavoth’s Lair (DSK) 271

Sideboard (or cards I may want to bring back into the deck later)

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
2 Roaming Throne (LCI) 258

Transform Your B01 Standard Orzhov Cleric Deck with Tarkir: Dragonstorm Cards

March 29, 2025April 8, 2025 / Jerome / Leave a comment

Pre-release events for Tarkir: Dragonstorm start next Friday! That means that previews for the newest set are done and it is once again time to take a look a closer look at the set and see if my kindred Standard B01 Orzhov Cleric deck will transform into a first tier deck.

Last time round, Aetherdrift only brought two new Clerics to the table. Tarkir: Dragonstorm will easily outdo that, offering up six new Cleric cards for consideration. So let’s see what we have to work with. One, Severance Priest, is immediately out because of the pip in its mana costs. That leaves us with five to review.

Abzan Devotee is a common that could prove useful when it comes to mana fixing. For , we can add either a or to the mana pool (you could tap for but it would not be not very useful in this deck).

Unrooted Ancestor is a card that I may try to get into the deck. The challenge is that the current deck is not built around sacrifice. Add Krumar Initiate to the mix and there is now a way to generate cheap Spirits that could power this card. It does require both cards and only generates one spirit per turn.

Maybe I should add Krumar Initiate to the deck and skip Unrooted Ancestor for now. I can use the Spirits for offence and defense instead of sacrificing them. I’ll start there and see if the card cranks out enough Spirits that I could then consider sacrificing some of them. Krumar Initiate also has a bit of synergy with Essence Channeler, giving it flying and vigilance as I lose life.

If you’ve followed this blog long enough, you know I like big creatures. Loxodon Battle Priest is not only one of those but it also can help me grow other Clerics into bigger ones. Is there anything better than a beefy Cleric swinging at your opponent? It is pricey though.

At first glance, Venerated Stormsinger looked like an automatic add. Then I re-read the card a bit more carefully. Sure it generates a 1/1 red Warrior each turn; but it’s only one per turn and it gets sacrificed at the next end step. So, that 1/1 will start to lose value as the game goes on and bigger threats emerge. The additional life trigger is not bad but still feels like less than it promises.

Time to see what I can cut to see if Krumar Initiate and Loxodon Battle Priest. My first choices are Metropolis Reformer and Infernal Vessel. That gives me four slots to work with. I think it will be a straight swap.

As far as non-creature spells, I will take a closer look and see what makes sense. Smile at Death caught my attention as I took a first glance through the list. It would let me return my Clerics to the battlefield given that I don’t have a lot of protection and they tend to die quickly. But two other cards caught my attention despite not going into this deck. Elspeth, Storm Slayer and Ugin, Eye of the Storms, definitely look like good fun. Ugin in particular could finally convince me to look at a colourless Commander deck. But that’s a topic for a future post.

As far as lands are concerned, nothing really jumps out. Many are focused on the three-colour combinations aligned to the Dragonstorm clan wedges. I may look at Dalkovan Encampment and Great Arashin City as they do give me an advantage over regular lands but at the cost of entering tapped. Not exactly a strong proposition!

So here is the deck that I will start to play with as soon as Tarkir: Dragonstorm cards are in my hands or on Arena!

Deck:

2 Go for the Throat (BRO) 102
2 Anointed Peacekeeper (DMU) 2
2 Fell (BLB) 95
3 Evolved Sleeper (DMU) 93
3 Shadow-Rite Priest (DMU) 106
2 Loran’s Escape (BRO) 14
3 Essence Channeler (BLB) 12
2 Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim (DMU) 198
3 Phyrexian Missionary (DMU) 27
3 Annex Sentry (ONE) 2
3 Preacher of the Schism (LCI) 113
2 Roaming Throne (LCI) 258
2 Cut Down (DMU) 89
2 Krumar Initiate (TDM) 84
2 Loxodon Battle Priest (TDM) 15

Lands:

2 Cavern of Souls (LCI) 269
1 The Dross Pits (ONE) 251
2 Fabled Passage (ELD) 244
1 Forlorn Flats (OTJ) 258
1 The Fair Basilica (ONE) 252
2 Scoured Barrens (NEO) 274
1 Valgavoth’s Lair (DSK) 271
8 Plains (THB) 250
6 Swamp (THB) 252

Sideboard

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

Aetherdrift Review: Impact on Standard B01 Orzhov Clerics

February 6, 2025February 7, 2025 / Jerome / Leave a comment

Time for my usual new set review to see how I might be able to improve my Standard B01 Orzhov Cleric deck. As always, each new set offers the possibility that we can finally turn this deck into a strong Tier 1 competitor. Alas! While Aetherdrift is better than Outlaws of Thunder Junction when it comes to clerics, it’s not by much. Unless you include the clerics in the Commander sets, there are only two new cards to consider.

Of these two, only one is works in an Orzhov deck. A closer look reveals it to be slightly more than a vanilla 2/2. Granted it throws in Flying and ETB lifelink and indestructible trigger but that will not be enough to displace an other card from my current deck.

Samut, the Driving Force is a card with more upside but unfortunately sports Naya colours. As an aside, I’m not sold on Start your engines! as one of the new mechanics of the set. But let me see how the Aetherdrift pre-release goes before I commit to my current opinion.

Taking a look at Clerics in the Commander decks, there are three additional cards. None of them could go into a Standard deck but they are worth a look as I continue to think about a Commander version of my Clerics deck.

Vizier of Many Faces is as Blue a card as ever so it is automatically out.

Priest of the Crossing is less interesting version of Luminarch Aspirant, a card that was nerfed on Arena (to become an Alchemy card). While the stat improvement and Flying are nice improvements, the fact that some of my other creatures have to die to trigger the pump is enough to pass on this card unless I would be hard-pressed to come up with 99 other cards for a Commander deck.

Wizened Mentor lacks any synergy with the deck and is also a hard pass. Maybe in an Orzhov Zombie deck?

All in all, Aetherdrift will certainly not go down as a favourite for Orzhov Clerics. There simply not enough cards and especially good ones.

With no changes with the launch of Aetherdrift, here is the current version of my kindred Standard B01 Orzhov Cleric deck:

Deck

2 Go for the Throat (BRO) 102
2 Anointed Peacekeeper (DMU) 2
2 Fell (BLB) 95
3 Evolved Sleeper (DMU) 93
8 Plains (THB) 250
6 Swamp (THB) 252
3 Shadow-Rite Priest (DMU) 106
1 Forlorn Flats (OTJ) 258
1 The Fair Basilica (ONE) 252
2 Scoured Barrens (NEO) 274
1 The Dross Pits (ONE) 251
1 Valgavoth’s Lair (DSK) 271
2 Loran’s Escape (BRO) 14
3 Essence Channeler (BLB) 12
2 Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim (DMU) 198
3 Phyrexian Missionary (DMU) 27
2 Annex Sentry (ONE) 2
3 Preacher of the Schism (LCI) 113
2 Cavern of Souls (LCI) 269
2 Roaming Throne (LCI) 258
2 Metropolis Reformer (MAT) 4
2 Cut Down (DMU) 89
2 Fabled Passage (ELD) 244
3 Infernal Vessel (FDN) 63

Sideboard

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

P.S. For fun, I tried the AI generated feature image tool for this post. Is it possible that some Magic characters have six fingers?

Standard Lethal Combo in mono-Black

December 15, 2024 / Jerome / Leave a comment

Since the mechanic Crime was introduced in Outlaws of Thunder Junction, I have off and on been playing a mono-black deck in Standard B01. I used the launch of the following sets, Bloomburrow, Duskmourn and Foundations, to see if I could improve on the deck as it is not, despite being fun to play, a Tier 1 deck by any stretch of the imagination.

Since its inception, I have tweaked the deck only a little bit. Among the recent additions are Fell and Bandits’ Talent. The first is a decent creature removal spell and the second fits nicely into the theme of the deck. Another key addition is Unstoppable Slasher from Duskmourn, a card that many decks have a hard time removing permanently.

With Foundations, I again went back to see if there was something I could again add to the deck. While nothing leaped out, I did decide to pair up Unstoppable Slasher with Bloodletter of Aclazotz. I will not claim credit for this impressive combo but will definitely vouch for its effectiveness after feeling its effects first hand.

Why is this combo so powerful? When Unstoppable Slasher deals combat damage to your opponent, they lose half of their life, rounded up. Then, Bloodletter of Aclazotz does its thing and doubles that damage. Between the two of them, that’s fatal damage! Granted it does require that both cards be on the battlefield and that Unstoppable Slasher deal player damage, but it’s not hard to line this up.

Other core pieces like Tinybones, the Pickpocket, Deep-Cavern Bat and Hopeless Nightmare remain in the deck. I’ve also started looking at sideboard additions to see if I can move this deck up to B03.

Here is my latest mono-Black B01 Standard ‘Crime Does Pay’ deck:

Deck

1 The Dross Pits (ONE) 251
16 Swamp (MH3) 315
2 Tinybones Joins Up (OTJ) 108
2 Tinybones, the Pickpocket (OTJ) 109
1 Mirrex (ONE) 254
4 Deep-Cavern Bat (LCI) 102
2 Demolition Field (BRO) 260
2 Vadmir, New Blood (OTJ) 113
2 Kaervek, the Punisher (OTJ) 92
3 Gix, Yawgmoth Praetor (BRO) 95
2 Aclazotz, Deepest Betrayal (LCI) 88
3 Sheoldred, the Apocalypse (DMU) 107
2 Sheoldred’s Edict (ONE) 108
2 Fell (BLB) 95
3 Bitter Triumph (LCI) 91
2 Skullcap Snail (LCI) 119
3 Hopeless Nightmare (WOE) 95
1 Hidden Necropolis (LCI) 275
2 Bandit’s Talent (BLB) 83
1 Vein Ripper (MKM) 110
2 Unstoppable Slasher (DSK) 119
2 Hostile Investigator (BIG) 10

Sideboard

2 Gix’s Command (BRO) 97
2 Liliana of the Veil (DMU) 97
2 Gisa, the Hellraiser (OTJ) 89
2 Duress (STA) 29
2 Ruthless Negotiation (BLB) 108
2 Callous Sell-Sword (WOE) 221
2 Go for the Throat (BRO) 102
1 Virtue of Persistence (WOE) 115

Standard B01 Orzhov Cleric Deck With Foundations

November 4, 2024 / Jerome / Leave a comment

We’re less than a week away from Pre-Release events for Magic’s latest set. Foundations is an interesting that will remain Standard Legal until at least until 2029.

As usual, when a new set comes out, I take a look at what new Clerics are in it to plan for any adjustments to my Standard B01 Orzhov Cleric deck. Whereas Duskmourn only offered three new cards, Foundations brings eight new cards for consideration, three being completely new and five being reprints from previous sets. Seven are playable in an Orzhov deck, with only Vizier of the Menagerie, falling out of immediate consideration being a green card.

Let’s first take a look at the new cards.

Hinterland Sanctifier will fit nicely into decks focused on Lifegain but aside from being a cheap 1/2 at a single , I’m not sure that it is a compelling addition or replacement for Evolved Sleeper in the one mana slot.

Infernal Vessel is a little more interesting. For , you get a 2/1 that comes back as a 4/3 Demon Cleric when it dies. With the right other cards on the battlefield, it could be a worthwhile addition. I think I will try it but I’m not sure what to pull out for it. I don’t think it is strong enough to replace either Shadow-Rite Priest or Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim. Maybe I pull Essence Channeler or Phyrexian Missionary but both have proven useful. I’m leaning instead to cutting Moonrise Cleric, a three mana card.

Sun-Blessed Healer is an interesting card. A close look at it and you realize that it is very similar to Phyrexian Missionary. The main difference is that it can bring back any target nonland permanent for a kicker whereas the Missionary can only bring back a creature for . More flexibility but at a cost of two white pips. In this deck, it really does not make a big difference as it comes down to the mana I have available to work with. My statistics days are far behind me but something tells me that I should stick with Phyrexian Missionary.

Let’s take a look at the reprints.

Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim is a card I will want to try out. a 2/3 with Deathtouch for is not bad but the Sacrifice options offer some good options. Gaining a bit of life could trigger a few abilities, eg, another +1/+1 counter on Essence Channeler, or some useful removal, albeit with a difficult condition, namely having 10 more life than my starting total.

Marauding Blight-Priest is a pretty simple card. I think I will try it as an alterative to Moonrise Cleric if that card is not replaced by Infernal Vessel or something else.

Nullpriest of Oblivion is less compelling. It functions like Phyrexian Missionary in that paying its Kicker cost lets you bring back a creature. Except that it comes in with weaker stats and its Kicker is a much heavier price at compared to . Maybe I’ll dust it off at the next rotation if I still want the ability to bring creatures back from my graveyard.

One change that I made during Duskmourn that I did not mention before was that I retooled the mana base, taking out the three Three Tree City in favour of The Fair Basilica, The Dross Pits Scoured Barrens, and Valgavoth’s Lair. I may tweak it further with one or more Secluded Courtyards when Foundation comes out.

I’ve also added a few more cards to the Sideboard in the anticipation that I may try this in B03 at some point.

Here is what I will try out (3 Infernal Vessels instead of Moonrise Cleric) when Foundations comes out:

Deck:

3 Infernal Vessel (FDN) 63
2 Go for the Throat (BRO) 102
2 Anointed Peacekeeper (DMU) 2
2 Fell (BLB) 95
3 Evolved Sleeper (DMU) 93
3 Shadow-Rite Priest (DMU) 106
2 Loran’s Escape (BRO) 14
3 Essence Channeler (BLB) 12
2 Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim (DMU) 198
3 Phyrexian Missionary (DMU) 27
2 Annex Sentry (ONE) 2
3 Preacher of the Schism (LCI) 113
2 Cavern of Souls (LCI) 269
2 Roaming Throne (LCI) 258
2 Metropolis Reformer (MAT) 4
2 Cut Down (DMU) 89
8 Plains (THB) 250
6 Swamp (THB) 252
1 The Dross Pits (ONE) 251
2 Fabled Passage (ELD) 244
1 The Fair Basilica (ONE) 252
1 Forlorn Flats (OTJ) 258
2 Scoured Barrens (NEO) 274
1 Valgavoth’s Lair (DSK) 271

Sideboard:

2 Grand Abolisher (BIG) 2
1 Skrelv, Defector Mite (ONE) 33
1 Pest Control (BIG) 22
2 Lay Down Arms (BRO) 11
1 The Witch’s Vanity (WOE) 119
2 Sanguine Evangelist (LCI) 34
1 Zoraline, Cosmos Caller (BLB) 242
1 Leyline Binding (DMU) 24
2 Liliana of the Veil (DMU) 97
2 Virtue of Persistence (WOE) 115

The future of Magic with Universes Beyond

October 26, 2024 / Jerome / Leave a comment

With Wizards’ announcement this week that Universes Beyond sets would be Standard Legal starting in 2025, I give you a glimpse at the future of Magic (courtesy of the very funny @Cardboard_Crack):

This little strip captures everything that I think is wrong with this move and does a much better job of explaining exactly why than I ever could.

Wizards did add that the change only applies to sets releasing in 2025 and later. This means that existing sets, including the recent The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth and Assassin’s Creed will not become legal for Standard. In the grand scheme of things, this is completely irrelevant and does little to change what I think is an extremely disappointing development.

Source: @Cardboard_Crack

Building an Izzet Otter Typal deck for Arena S01

October 5, 2024October 5, 2024 / Jerome / Leave a comment

When Bloomburrow previews began, I got excited about building some kind of mustelid typal deck. To save you a click back to the original article, mustelids are a family of small carnivorous mammals. It includes weasels, otters, badgers. minks and the fearsome wolverines.

I realized that I have not shared any mustelid decks since then. I’ll remedy that today.

A quick search reveals that there are 22 mustelid cards in Standard. Not much has changed since my last article with these being mostly otters with a sprinkle of badgers and weasels. The entire colour wheel is represented but most cards fall in Blue and Red. So no big surprise, I built on my original idea, an Izzet Otter Prowess deck. It’s gone through a few iterations and this is what the current deck looks like:

Deck

3 Seize the Secrets (OTJ) 64
3 Bria, Riptide Rogue (BLB) 379
1 Tempest Angler (BLB) 235
4 Stormcatch Mentor (BLB) 234
2 Ral, Crackling Wit (BLB) 230
4 Coruscation Mage (BLB) 131
3 Stormchaser’s Talent (BLB) 75
2 Pearl of Wisdom (BLB) 64
3 Valley Floodcaller (BLB) 79
3 Shore Up (DMU) 64
3 Stasis Field (MOM) 79
2 Into the Flood Maw (BLB) 52
2 Long River’s Pull (BLB) 58
2 Demonic Ruckus (OTJ) 120
10 Island (THB) 251
1 Lilypad Village (BLB) 255
6 Mountain (THB) 253
1 Restless Spire (WOE) 260
2 Spirebluff Canal (OTJ) 270
3 Swiftwater Cliffs (NEO) 277

Sideboard

2 Kitsa, Otterball Elite (BLB) 54
2 Stormsplitter (BLB) 154
3 Meeting of Minds (MOM) 66
2 Freeze in Place (WOE) 50

Now, the big question: How does it play? Let’s start by saying that this is far from a Tier 1 or Tier 2 deck. As it stands today, it has only won 35% of the time with an 18-33 record. The deck can be quite explosive but can also be frustrating when you either don’t get your creatures onto the battlefield or they don’t last long enough for Prowess to kick in.

There are a couple of potential improvements:

Make the deck more aggressive by dropping the Stasis Fields in favour of Monstrous Age
Drop Bria, Riptide Rogue in favour of a couple of creatures (Elusive Otter perhaps) and a couple of spells
Cut a land more and add an additional spell

As for next steps, I’m going to play with the recommendations above and add this deck to my deck portfolio here on the site where I can easily update it as I make changes.

If you’re playing an Izzet Otter deck, drop me a note below and let me know what has worked for you.

Family Magic

A Canadian family playing Magic: The Gathering and other games (and not all are TCGs)

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Transform Your B01 Standard Orzhov Cleric Deck with Tarkir: Dragonstorm Cards

Aetherdrift Review: Impact on Standard B01 Orzhov Clerics

Standard Lethal Combo in mono-Black

Standard B01 Orzhov Cleric Deck With Foundations

The future of Magic with Universes Beyond

Building an Izzet Otter Typal deck for Arena S01