Deck Name: Phantom Spirits

Format: Legacy
Deck Type: Tribal Tempo-Control
Deck Theme: Spirit Flash Tempo with Disruption & Protection
Colors: White-Blue-Green (Bant)

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Description

“Phantom Spirits” is a Legacy tribal tempo-control deck that leverages the evasion, flash mechanics, and synergy of the Spirit tribe to outpace opponents while controlling the board with instant-speed interaction.

Built for high-powered multiplayer pods and 1v1 environments, the deck thrives by playing creatures on opponents’ turns, protecting its board with multiple layers of defense, and disrupting critical spells using cards like Spell Queller and Skyclave Apparition.

With tribal lords like Drogskol Captain and Supreme Phantom, small creatures turn into significant threats. Tools like Selfless Spirit, Heroic Intervention, and Kira, Great Glass-Spinner make board wipes and spot removal difficult to resolve profitably, while Collected Company and Aether Vial accelerate pressure.

“Phantom Spirits” doesn’t rely on a single combo; instead, it builds tempo, maintains pressure, and finishes games through overwhelming presence in the air, all while keeping opponents off-balance.

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How to Play

Early Game:
Develop mana with Windswept Heath or tri-lands.
Lead with Aether Vial or Spectral Sailor, and keep mana up for Rattlechains.
Establish board control by deploying Supreme Phantom or Drogskol Captain.

Mid-Game:
Use Collected Company for surprise board development.
Disrupt opponents with Spell Queller and Skyclave Apparition.
Protect your board with Selfless Spirit or Heroic Intervention.
Leverage Seedborn Muse to maximize flash threats and activated abilities.

Late Game:
Control the board state with Cyclonic Rift if opponents stabilize.
Recycle creatures using Moorland Haunt.
Outvalue the table using card draw from Spectral Sailor and presence from Geist of Saint Traft.

Ideal Opening Hand:
Should include:
2 lands (with at least one white or blue source)
1 tempo threat (e.g. Rattlechains, Spectral Sailor)
1 protection piece (Selfless Spirit or Kira)
1 tempo tool (Collected Company, Spell Queller)

Consider mulliganing if the hand has no interaction or 3+ expensive cards.

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How the Tribal Tempo-Control Strategy Works

Spirit Synergy at Flash Speed:
Play creatures during opponent’s turns to dodge sorcery-speed removal and surprise block. Rattlechains and Drogskol Captain allow instant-speed combat blowouts.

Protect the Board:
Selfless Spirit, Kira, Great Glass-Spinner, and Heroic Intervention form a defensive shell against mass removal, while Cavern of Souls ensures your Spirits resolve uncountered.

Disrupt and Delay:
Spell Queller counters game-defining spells, while Skyclave Apparition exiles threats without relying on the stack. Seedborn Muse guarantees constant interaction.

Victory Through Air Superiority:
Small evasive creatures scale with lords, turning into lethal threats. In multiplayer, you pressure the weakest opponent or finish the table with tempo dominance.

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Sideboard Strategy

Against Aggro Decks:
Settle the Wreckage: Sweeps attackers, punishes overextension.
Blessed Alliance: Removes tall threats and stabilizes life total.
Archangel Avacyn: Board protection and potential sweeper.

Against Control Decks:
Dovin’s Veto: Uncounterable answer to Planeswalkers or board wipes.
Teferi, Time Raveler: Disables instant-speed interaction, preserves board.
Flusterstorm: Protects against counters, combos, or instants.

Against Combo Decks:
Grafdigger’s Cage: Locks out creature/graveyard combos.
Containment Priest: Shuts down Show and Tell, Reanimator, Natural Order.
Remorseful Cleric: On-tribe graveyard hate at instant speed.
Spell Queller: MVP vs storm, Reanimator, and any win-con spell.

Against Planeswalkers / Artifacts / Utility:
Pithing Needle: Shuts off problematic abilities (e.g. Jace, Wasteland, Vial).

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Skill Level and Playability

“Phantom Spirits” rewards players who enjoy reactive tempo gameplay, tight sequencing, and tribal synergy. It demands meta-awareness and rewards bluffing, flexibility, and fast decision-making under pressure.

Difficulty Level: Intermediate to Advanced
Playstyle: Reactive Tempo with Tribal Synergy
Best For: Both 1v1 and multiplayer Legacy (3–5 players)

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Competitive Profile and Ratings

Power Level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5)
Threat density, protection, and reach give it the edge in long games.

Tribal vs Control Ratio: 70% Tribal / 30% Control
Functions primarily as a tribal synergy deck with tempo elements. While it has control tools like Skyclave Apparition, Spell Queller, and Cyclonic Rift, its core strength lies in Spirit-based synergy and explosive board scaling, rather than traditional hand-size and resource denial.

Speed: ⭐⭐⭐☆☆ (3/5)
Threats develop steadily with potential surprise swings via Collected Company.

Resilience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5)
Tough to sweep or pin down thanks to flash and layers of protection.

Best Format Fit:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Legacy Multiplayer (3–5 players)
⭐⭐⭐☆☆ 1v1 Competitive Casual
⭐⭐☆☆☆ Legacy Tournaments (can compete but not meta-breaking)

Complexity: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ (4/5)
Requires experience in tempo-based play and instant-speed timing.

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Play Like a Pro – 5 Tips for Mastering the Deck

Flash always means threat.
Leave mana open with a smile. Even if you don’t have it, your opponents will hesitate.

Protect the engine, not the pieces.
Prioritize saving Drogskol Captain or Spell Queller over single threats.

Company conservatively.
Casting Collected Company into a potential Force of Will is risky — wait for the window.

Don’t auto-deploy Aether Vial turn 1.
If you’re not on the play or facing removal-heavy decks, sometimes holding makes more sense.

Know when to reset.
Cyclonic Rift is your panic button. Save it for board parity or to punish greedy players in multiplayer.

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Quote:

“We are the breath between worlds, the silence after spells.”

Last Update: 30/06/25