Topic: [Standard] MonoW Enchanter (with maybe a splash of... something?)

I haven't really seen this idea posted around, so maybe y'all can help me flesh it out.

Note, I haven't actually built this deck yet - just something I'm toying with.

The basic idea is to utilize enchantment creatures to make Sphere of Safety and Etherial Armor really do work.  Here's the basics of what I've thought of.

4x Hopeful Eidolon
4x Precinct Captain
4x Heliod's Emissary
4x Observant Alseid
4x Etherial Armor
4x Sphere of Safety
4x Boros Reckoner
2x Heliod, God of the Sun
2x Blind Obedience
2x Heliod's Spear
3x God's Willing
23x Plains

Ideas?

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Re: [Standard] MonoW Enchanter (with maybe a splash of... something?)

I'm really thinking the idea of a Sphere of Safety centric deck will take off more with the inclusion of the Selesnya and Azorius scry lands.  You could then essentially build mono-white enchantments but with the added benefit of the blue card draw or the added enchantments from green.  But if I were to focus on your current build, I would suggest definitely including Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx, Pacifism, and Arrest in some quantities.

Re: [Standard] MonoW Enchanter (with maybe a splash of... something?)

Perhaps Imposing Sovereign in place of Blind Obedience? Would give you more targets for the Auras, in trade for the Artifact half of Blind Obedience. I'm expecting the Creature half is what you're more worried about anyway?

Re: [Standard] MonoW Enchanter (with maybe a splash of... something?)

I can see a couple problems with the deck idea in general. 

1) people are packing ways to deal with permanents like sphere of safety.  I'm side boarding bramble crush in my GR deck and cyclonic rift is just a blow out against you. Detention sphere, golgari charm are also both very playable. Thoughtseize and duress can shut you down before you begin. 

2) There is plenty of removal prevalent in the format that just completely hoses your plan for attacking with one big dude. 

3) What do you do against blood baron? 

I'm not saying you can't have fun with the deck or that you won't win some games, but if you sit down from a tier 1, UW or orzhov control and lose don't be surprised.  Theme decks like this usually aren't particularly strong. It's not a terrible idea though and it has a little synergy.  I would wait for born of the gods before I started brewing new decks though.  You're more likely to catch people off guard at that time then at others.

Re: [Standard] MonoW Enchanter (with maybe a splash of... something?)

Splashing red for Boros Charm to protect your heavy investment in the board state is probably a must.  Keep in mind Boros Charm gives all of your permanents indestructible not just your creatures.  Obviously Boros Charm's other options give you some utility to maybe close out a game with doublestrike or doing 4 damage to the face.

While you're splashing red, you also might want to add something like Messenger's Speed so that you can give your Ethereal Armor buffed guy some trample without having to also splash green for something like Ghor-clan Rampager or Unflinching Courage.

Trample will probably end up being pretty critical because your enchant strategy is a Mid-Range one.  What else comes out in the Mid-Range?  Tokens.  Via Elspeth, Sun's Champion, Xenagos, the Reveler, or Master of Waves.

Without trample your Boros Reckoner with Ethereal Armor who is now hopefully huge with first strike is rendered useless when one of those threats hits the board.  He won't even take damage to use his triggered ability because of first strike.

Also splashing red (adding mountains) lets you play Chained to the Rocks for some much needed removal against major creature threats.  It also is an enchantment, helping to fuel your overall strategy.

Re: [Standard] MonoW Enchanter (with maybe a splash of... something?)

TyWooOneTime wrote:

I'm really thinking the idea of a Sphere of Safety centric deck will take off more with the inclusion of the Selesnya and Azorius scry lands.  You could then essentially build mono-white enchantments but with the added benefit of the blue card draw or the added enchantments from green.  But if I were to focus on your current build, I would suggest definitely including Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx, Pacifism, and Arrest in some quantities.

Nykthos definitely has a place here.  I'm torn between Pacifism and Arrest.  I think Arrest might honestly be the better option, unless I end up splashing red, in which case chained to the rocks will be my go to.

MMJuno wrote:

Perhaps Imposing Sovereign in place of Blind Obedience? Would give you more targets for the Auras, in trade for the Artifact half of Blind Obedience. I'm expecting the Creature half is what you're more worried about anyway?

But Blind Obendience has the added benefits of being an enchantment, harder to remove, and gives me the extort ability.  I've already got 22 creatures in this build, which I feel is plenty.

elpablo wrote:

I can see a couple problems with the deck idea in general. 

1) people are packing ways to deal with permanents like sphere of safety.  I'm side boarding bramble crush in my GR deck and cyclonic rift is just a blow out against you. Detention sphere, golgari charm are also both very playable. Thoughtseize and duress can shut you down before you begin. 

2) There is plenty of removal prevalent in the format that just completely hoses your plan for attacking with one big dude. 

3) What do you do against blood baron? 

I'm not saying you can't have fun with the deck or that you won't win some games, but if you sit down from a tier 1, UW or orzhov control and lose don't be surprised.  Theme decks like this usually aren't particularly strong. It's not a terrible idea though and it has a little synergy.  I would wait for born of the gods before I started brewing new decks though.  You're more likely to catch people off guard at that time then at others.

1.) I should be able to outpace a few bramblecrushes with this, same with golgari charm.  Detention Sphere presents a slightly bigger problem, while thoughtseize and duress are probably the biggest issues.  Maybe throw in some Auramancers for recursion?

2.) I'm not limited to just attacking with one big dude.  Creatures are rather plentiful in this deck, and are also pretty easy to stack them in case of mass removal.  Also, saving the God's Willing for the right moment can be a life-saver.

3.) Nobody plays Orzhov in my local meta, so I have never had the displeasure of facing that particular critter.  That's also where the potential splash comes into play, so I have more options (at least in the sideboard).  At this moment, I'm thinking red is the way to go for Boros Charm, Chained to the Rocks, and some burn in the sideboard for this kind of problem.

drock007 wrote:

Splashing red for Boros Charm to protect your heavy investment in the board state is probably a must.  Keep in mind Boros Charm gives all of your permanents indestructible not just your creatures.  Obviously Boros Charm's other options give you some utility to maybe close out a game with doublestrike or doing 4 damage to the face.

While you're splashing red, you also might want to add something like Messenger's Speed so that you can give your Ethereal Armor buffed guy some trample without having to also splash green for something like Ghor-clan Rampager or Unflinching Courage.

Trample will probably end up being pretty critical because your enchant strategy is a Mid-Range one.  What else comes out in the Mid-Range?  Tokens.  Via Elspeth, Sun's Champion, Xenagos, the Reveler, or Master of Waves.

Without trample your Boros Reckoner with Ethereal Armor who is now hopefully huge with first strike is rendered useless when one of those threats hits the board.  He won't even take damage to use his triggered ability because of first strike.

Also splashing red (adding mountains) lets you play Chained to the Rocks for some much needed removal against major creature threats.  It also is an enchantment, helping to fuel your overall strategy.

I think you pretty much sold me on a red splash.  It doesn't hurt that I already have the temples and shocks in boros colors, either.

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Re: [Standard] MonoW Enchanter (with maybe a splash of... something?)

To be honest, I would suggest going not just to a red splash, but to go full Naya.  Green will give you access to some solid enchantments and a few hexproof critters to have in the SB.  Things like Voice of Resurgence, Witchstalker, Trostani, Selesnya's Voice, Unflinching Courage, etc etc are all worth the splash... They would certainly be more valuable than Messenger's Speed (I'm not sold on that one...).  Hell, Naya even gives access to Gruul War Chant which I think is a MASSIVELY under appreciated card.

The big negative here is that the more you stray away from a mono-white, the less effective Heliod and Nykthos will be.

Re: [Standard] MonoW Enchanter (with maybe a splash of... something?)

TyWooOneTime wrote:

To be honest, I would suggest going not just to a red splash, but to go full Naya.  Green will give you access to some solid enchantments and a few hexproof critters to have in the SB.  Things like Voice of Resurgence, Witchstalker, Trostani, Selesnya's Voice, Unflinching Courage, etc etc are all worth the splash... They would certainly be more valuable than Messenger's Speed (I'm not sold on that one...).  Hell, Naya even gives access to Gruul War Chant which I think is a MASSIVELY under appreciated card.

The big negative here is that the more you stray away from a mono-white, the less effective Heliod and Nykthos will be.

Naya does seem fun, but my qualms with it mainly include budget.  TBH, I'm not looking for a tier 1 deck here - just something to steal a few wins from people not expecting this kind of strategy, which is my favorite way to FNM.

-Voice is just waaay to expensive for this deck.  $120 for a playset is too rich for this deck's blood.
-Trosti isn't bad, but she doesn't really fit the theme, and her cost is a little too intensive, I think.
-Unflinching Courage could certainly find a home here, for both lifelink and trample.
-Witchstalker is a pretty good sideboard card, but I don't think I could mainboard it.

Man, I wish Rancor was still in standard. sad

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Re: [Standard] MonoW Enchanter (with maybe a splash of... something?)

drgolovacroxby wrote:

Man, I wish Rancor was still in standard. sad

Don't we all?

The fact it didn't see more play with Ethereal Armor is interesting but it would be pretty broken... T1 Gladecover Scout, T2 Ethereal Armor + Rancor and you have a 5/3 hexproof, trample, first strike... even if they Devour Flesh you can put that Rancor on something else...

I wouldn't even begin to think that this is going to be tier 1, but I think there are ways to take those decks by surprise enough to actually carry out a win.  But, in either respect, the lifelink is going to be HUGE as there are enough decks out there that don't even need to swing at you to win... Gray Merchant is waving at you!  If you have Unflinching Courage or Gift of Orzhova to help you get lifelink, well, that's going to go a long way to help.