Welcome back everyone for another edition of The Spice Cabinet!
When I first started playing Magic back in 2002, Onslaught block was the hot new set everyone was talking about. For you young whippersnappers who did not play back then, “tribal theme matters” was the name of the game. Everyone either had Elves, Goblins, Zombies, Soldiers, or Merfolk sleeved up and ready to go. These first interactions with faction warfare really shaped my view of the game and played a huge part in getting me hooked.
Since then, tribes have taken a backseat to the other facets of game design. While we have seen the new tribe of Eldrazi raise its ugly head, the other tribes have fallen to the wayside. When was the last time you saw a Goblin Piledriver in the top 8? Well no more I say! Today I wanted to highlight a tribe that did not really exist when I first started playing. A tribe that is still waiting for its time in the sun for eternal formats. Today I want to brew up Legacy Faeries!
Legacy Faeries
| Creatures (18) 4 Cloud of Faeries 4 Spellstutter Sprite 4 Scion of Oona 4 Vendilion Clique 2 Sower of Temptation Spells (23) 4 Standstill 4 Bitterblossom 4 Aether Vial 1 Umezawa's Jitte 1 Sword of Fire and Ice 1 Sword of Feast and Famine 4 Force of Will 4 Cabal Therapy | Lands (20) 4 Mutavault 2 Faerie Conclave 2 Creeping Tarpit 1 Karakas 4 Underground Sea 4 Polluted Delta 2 Island 1 Swamp |
That feeling when you play Miracles for 9 rounds in a row
The Backbone
At its core this is a dedicated Standstill deck. What that means is that you are focused on breaking the symmetry of an otherwise fair and reasonable enchantment. You are trying to pressure your opponent and force them to react, allowing you to draw three cards and pull even further into the lead.
The first way to break symmetry is with good ol’ creature lands. Making land drops does not trigger Standstill, so playing a land that is also a creature will allow you to sneak under the radar. Back in the day this strategy was so powerful dedicated “LandStill” decks became a staple of the competitive scene. Eight of the twenty lands in this deck are also creatures, meaning you will have no shortage of lands to send crashing at your opponent’s face. The fact that Mutavault and Faerie Conclave also benefit from the Faerie tribal symmetry is just the cherry on top.
The second way to break Standstill is with Aether Vial. Standstill only cares about spells being cast, so putting them into play for free off of a Vial is A-OK in my book. Truthfully though, I hemmed and hawed quite a bit about including Aether Vial in this list. Most Aether Vial decks like Merfolk, or Death and Taxes, will run twenty-four to twenty-six creatures main deck. This is to ensure you receive max value from your Vials and reduce dead draws. This list in comparison has a paltry eighteen.
A big part of the low creature count is that one of the best Faeries in the deck is the enchantment Bitterblossom, which does not play nice with Aether Vial. Ultimately I decided that the synergy between Aether Vial and Standstill was too good to pass up. Curving Vial turn one, into Standstill turn two, is the most powerful opening play this deck can make.
Creatures
Where would a Faeries deck be without faeries? While the faerie ranks are not as deep as some of the other tribes in Magic, there are still plenty of options to choose from. Vendilion Clique is an automatic inclusion in the deck. It is a staple of eternal formats, providing an aggressive flying threat, as well as a way to ruin a combo player by stripping a key card out of their hand.
“did you hear that Diane was chugging health potions with Johnny last night?”
Cloud of Faeries is a very neat card. I have had a playset sitting in my “Playable Commons” box for the last ten years gathering dust. Finally I get to dust these tricky faeries off and have some fun. When paired with an Aether Vial it can provide surprise blockers by untapping your creature lands, or act as a super Dark Ritual to power out some insane plays. The best part is that it is never a dead card in hand, even with a Standstill out you can still cycle this little guy to draw a fresh card.
Spellstutter Sprite is a big reason to play the deck. Countering a key card, as well as providing an evasive creature that can pick up equipment, can swing a losing battle back in your favor. Between Mutavault, Bitterblossom, and every other faerie in the deck, you should be able to counter whatever you wish very early into the game. Remember it counts itself when the trigger goes on the stack, so you can always counter anything that costs one or less!
Scion of Oona is the de facto Faerie Lord for this list. Having Bitterblossom pump out 2/2 faeries every turn instead of 1/1s is a pretty sweet augmentation. But honestly if it was just your average lord I might not run it due to the fairly expensive three converted casting cost. The fact that he also gives all your other Faeries shroud is a huge upgrade! While it may cause some awkward moments with equipment, turning off your opponent’s removal is more than worth it.
Sower of Temptation is a nice “gotcha” card for the deck, allowing you to snag anything from a Tarmogoyf to a Griselbrand. It was going to be the Spicy 61st for the deck, but I liked it so much I had to run a second one.
The Protection
Force of Will is just a must have in this deck. With all the blue spells in the deck you will almost never be in the situation of not being able to cast Force of Will. It is the best answer to a powerful turn one play from your opponent and can ensure you maintain board control before you land Standstill. The card disadvantage is easily recoverable through cards like Bitterblossom, Cabal Therapy, and of course Standstill.
Cabal Therapy plays great with cheap disposable creatures. All the Faerie tokens, spent Spellstutter Sprites and Cloud of Faeries will allow you to flashback Cabal Therapy with ease. Cabal Therapy is notoriously one of the most difficult cards in all of Magic to play with properly, but this deck makes it a hell of a lot easier for you.
Some people may think that Daze would be the natural card for the Cabal Therapy spot. After all it is a natural pair with Force of Will, and Aether Vial makes bouncing your own land feel a whole lot better. The Truth is, you are going to have a very hard time actually using Daze with only six islands in the deck. There is going to be far too many times when you can’t use Daze, because all your lands are creature lands.
The Spicy 61st
It’s an odd one today. Karakas earns the distinction of 61st card in Legacy Faeries. While the White is useless for the deck, the second ability of bouncing a legendary creature is what earns it a spot. Vendilion Clique locks are particularly brutal in this deck. An Aether Vial on three, Karakas, and Vendilion Clique will ensure your opponent never draws a useful card again for very little upkeep cost. The added protection against Legendary based combo decks like Reanimator, or Sneak and Show, is a great perk.
Hope you all enjoyed this week’s brew! Now go get your tribal on!
Jerry Mee is a Boston Native who has been playing Magic since Onslaught Block. Primarily a Legacy player, he cohosts the weekly Leaving a Legacy Podcast found on Mtgcast.com. He can be reached on Twitter at @Jmee3rd