Aven Surveyor

Creature — Bird Scout

Flying

When Aven Surveyor enters the battlefield, choose one —

• Put a +1/+1 counter on Aven Surveyor.
• Return target creature to its owner's hand.

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Arena	Legal
Block Constructed	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Gladiator	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Historic	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Modern	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Pauper	Legal
Pauper Duel Commander	Legal
Pauper EDH	Legal
Pioneer	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (7)

king-saproling on Something’s in my eye! Whatever shall I do?

3 years ago

A cool thing about this partner pair is that if Sakashima copies Kodama, you can replay a creature like AEthersnipe endlessly by bouncing itself to hand and alternating between the general's triggers to replay it (bypassing the "if it wasn't put onto the battlefield with this ability" restriction since it was the other general's ability that replayed it). In this example, you would also put all permanents costing 6 or less from your hand into play using the other kodama trigger. Toss in something like Garruk's Packleader and you'll be drawing and playing your entire deck.

You might like these too: Elemental Bond, Garruk's Uprising, Soul of the Harvest, Angler Drake, AEther Adept, Man-o'-War, Mist Raven, Separatist Voidmage, Aven Surveyor, Kiri-Onna, Voidwielder, Hoverguard Sweepers, Altar of the Brood, Galecaster Colossus (in the above-mentioned combo, tap a bounce wizard before returning itself. this way the colossus can bounce all your opps' nonland permanents)

Idoneity on Brago, Budget Eternal

3 years ago

I haven't delved upon the blink strategy myself for quite some time, though I may be of aid.

There is a budget constraint, wherethrough I shall keep all of my suggestions under two dollars.

So this should go in nearly every deck, and this one seems perfect, and— (okay I'm done jesting).

Upon actual suggestions are a couple categories worth bolstering.

Some flickering and blinking:

Yorion can do quite a bit, and it begins looping with effects such as Charming Prince. Ephemerate is an overperformer whiles Ghostly Flicker, though more to cast, gets the job done. Combined with a counterspell in the graveyard, it can be a soft-lock with Archaeomancer (run that, too). Flickerwisp is just potent. Soulherder is oft the very best card to resolve.

A multitude of card draw:

Arcanist's Owl just keeps digging. Augur of Bolas could be fun. Barrin, Tolarian Archmage is able to bounce your own utility creatures or pester the opponent's board. Elsewhere Flask does its job. Wall of Omens draws many cards and serves as defense for those pesky aggro decks. Champion of Wits loots through the deck until life's end. Fblthp, the Lost is just greater. Golden Egg cycles and draws more cards.

Some removal effects:

Angel of Finality is an efficient flyer with a relevant trigger. Every deck needs graveyard hate! Dream Eater goes through a lot of cards and bounces important targets. Elspeth Conquers Death is as powerful here as it is in Standard. Leonin Relic-Warder serves a similar purpose. Frost Titan locks down important threats.

Snow basics would be a nice addition for Arcum's Astrolabe. It cycles, fixes, and is banned in Modern so you know it's powerful.

And some cards that don't really fit in tother categories:

Angel of Serenity deals with threats and can recur creatures from your own graveyard. Angelic Chorus gains far too much life for the opponent's comfort. Annex is nice, for you can switch it around as better lands come into play. Nevermore can keep changing card names to prevent anyone from casting their commanders.

Fall of the Thran is really mean and I love it.

Now for a few non-budget options:

Cavalier of Gales is an absolute power house, Ephara draws a meiny of cards, and Solemn Simulacrum offers a lot of advantage.

Just on one to note, Conjurer's Closet is going to be reprinted in Double Masters, thus it may drop to within budget.

There are quite a few things I would recommend cutting.

AEther Adept is lacking, Archaeomender doesn't seem to be retrieving much of worth, Archon of the Triumvirate is overcosted, Aven Surveyor is as well, Artisan of Kozilek triggers off of cast and is thus useless to blink, Your artifact tutors do not search for much of relevance, Subjugator Angel is a worse Tempest Caller, Hoverguard Sweeper is EIGHT MANA (what?!), Dispel is too narrow, and Aether Tunnel is lacking in power.

Let me drive this one in. Eon Frolicker just loses you the game. Giving someone a turn is ceding far too much time for them to gather resources and defenses. The "protection from that player" really doesn't do that much.

I suppose that is to be all from me. Happy blinking!

Joker4242 on Water One

4 years ago

As a fan of Blue-counter decks I like the cards you are putting in there. I am wondering what the win conditions are (obviously besides Jace's last ability). Some of your creatures require a lot of mana for blue control (such as: Aberrant Researcher  ^Flip, Advanced Hoverguard, Aeon Chronicler, Aquamorph Entity, Aven Surveyor, and Lorthos, the Tidemaker). The problem with having high mana cost is that when you play them, you will be tapped out of mana and you will have no protection whatsoever.

Brazen Borrower is a favorite of mine. As is Augury Owl. Both can be played early on. The scry 3 ability is great if you can flicker or bounce the owl.

I like Blink of an Eye. I think it is a very versatile card in both the early game and late game. Honestly, bouncing your own creatures is just as useful sometimes, as you can then reuse a creature ability.

With so many creatures I recommend having more creatures with triggering abilities for when they come into play, and then maybe add more bouncing and flickering spells. I would recommend Ghostly Flicker, my favorite flicker card. It is amazing with cards like Archeomancer (you can flicker Archeomancer and when when he comes back, you can return Ghostly Flicker back from the graveyard back to your hand. Un-killable blocker plus the flickering of another creature with triggering ability. Works on a similar level with Mystic Sanctuary.

Cards I would recommend: Ghostly Flicker Archeomancer Cryptic Command Mystic Sanctuary Cackling Counterpart Peel from Reality

playing more Augury Owl and Blink of an Eye might be good as well.

I'm not sure if you realize, but many of your non-creature spells are not modern legal. Just wanted to make sure you knew.

Either way, I like where your head is at. Good start. I always appreciate when someone decides to make a blue deck. It's hard to make a creature heavy blue deck based on dealing damage. This is because blue is the color that is more focused on non-creature spells. Blue also doesn't have much in the way of kill spell and destruction. So bounce and counter are really only the ways to keep threats off the board. Blue invokes a challenge in the players capabilities to think about the long term plan. I am always happy to suggest cards and/or combos, although ultimately the decisions are up to you as it is your deck. Good luck with your deck.

darleen on Slow and Painful.

7 years ago

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darleen on Slow and Painful.

7 years ago

First things first, your mana base needs help. This deck needs about 13 more lands. Generally you want any type of deck to be about 40% land. It can vary depending on Somewhere between 34-40 lands should be fine. I have 38 lands in my EDH deck with a 5 mana costing Commander. Based on the cards currently in your deck, you will need more blue sources than white. Here is a site that lists all the lands available for your Commanders colors

You will also benefit from more mana producing artifact aka mana rocks. They will help you ramp into more mana faster as well as provide both colors of mana from one source, for the most part. There is a mana rock section in the link above, but here are a few of the better options:

Azorius Signet, Commander's Sphere, Talisman of Progress, Thought Vessel, Thran Dynamo, Gilded Lotus, Sword of the Animist (doesnt produce mana, but it lets you fetch land), Weathered Wayfarer (allows you to fetch land), Knight of the White Orchid (allows you to fetch land), Solemn Simulacrum (allows you to fetch land)

Now, lets go over the decks synergy with its Commanders abilities. Protecting your Commander once its on the battlefield is important but luckily Dragonlord Ojutai has Hexproof, but only when he is untapped though, so giving him Vigilance becomes an important element of the deck. Also, to insure you will benefit from his last ability, making Dragonlord Ojutai Unblackable is also helpful. These are all options that could help:

VIGILANCE - Always Watching , Sword of Vengeance, Angelic Field Marshal, Avarice Amulet, Mammoth Umbra, Vow of Duty, Ajani Steadfast, Akroma's Memorial, Concerted Effort, Daybreak Coronet, Accorder's Shield, Auramancer's Guise, Avacyn's Collar, Haunted Cloak,Iona's Blessing, Serra's Blessing, Serra's Embrace, Shield of the Righteous, Asha's Favor, Marked by Honor, Triclopean Sight, True-Faith Censer, Vigilance

UNBLOCKABLE - Cloak of Mists, Holy Mantle, Invisibility, Spirit Mantle, Steel of the Godhead, Traveler's Cloak, Unquestioned Authority, Spectra Ward, Infiltrator's Magemark, Godsend, Chitinous Cloak, Flickering Ward, Prowler's Helm, Rogue's Passage, Trailblazer's Boots, Tricks of the Trade

Once you add some artifact equipments and/or enchantments, you will need a way to make sure you can get them onto the battlefield each game. You can do that by using the following cards to fetch them from your deck:

Enlightened Tutor, Open the Armory, Steelshaper's Gift, Fabricate, Heliod's Pilgrim, Drift of Phantasms, Muddle the Mixture, Dizzy Spell, Ring of Three Wishes, Tamiyo's Journal, Auramancer, Hana, Ship's navigator, Academy Ruins, Buried Ruin, Stonehewer Giant, Mystical Tutor

Regarding your removal spells, I would suggest adding some cards with Exile effects and spells that can target/effect more than one creature/permanent. These are just a few examples:

AEtherize, Boomerang, Condemn, Cyclonic Rift, Disenchant, Oblivion Ring, Path to Exile, Return to Dust, Supreme Verdict, Swords to Plowshares, Unsummon, Vapor Snag, Wrath of God, Banishing Light, Damping Matrix, End Hostilities, Oblivion Ring, Grasp of Fate, Quarantine Field, Unstable Obelisk, Valorous Stance, Descend upon the Sinful, Evacuation, Fate Forgotten, Reality Shift, Detention Sphere, Phyrexian Rebirth, Rout

To make room for more lands and some of the cards I suggested, youre going to have to remove some spells. These are the ones I dont think have much synergy with your Commander:

Archaeomancer, Aven Surveyor, Benthic Infiltrator, Clockwork Vorrac, Deep-Sea Terror, Doomed Traveler, Expedition Raptor, Hisoka's Guard, Kor Cartographer, Niblis of the Breath, Noble Templar, Phantom General, Pristine Skywise, Prodigal Sorcerer, Sandsteppe Outcast, Skaab Goliath, Thraben Inspector, Bewilder,Fleeting Distraction, Ojutai's Breath, Ojutai's Command, Pressure Point,Rakshasa's Disdain, Refocus, Sift Through Sands, Twiddle, Twitch, Tidal Surge, Jeskai Runemark, Fleetfeather Sandals, Lightning Greaves, Vessel of Endless Rest

McSleuthburger on Just built my first deck. …

7 years ago

Welcome to the site and mtg!
A little recommendation might be post your deck in the right area and not just post a list here (you will probably get more help that way)

Go to your profile and on the right of it click the green Add deck button.....with that fill out everything and put in all your cards (make sure you have the right format)

Like what was mentioned above what makes a deck good is consistency, having more than 60 cards means you will be less likely to draw what you need and having all those 1 of's hurts consistency as well

First I would say pick a format (if its just casual then anything goes, but Im going to be assuming you want to play standard) so the first two things you would want to get rid of would be Aven Surveyor and Write into Being because they are from older sets and not legal in standard

I personally dont like Runaway Carriage because it doesnt stay on the field, Unity of Purpose because you dont have many creatures that will get +1/+1s and Meandering River because you dont have any cards that use white mana so why have a land come in tapped when you could have a regular island that comes in untapped

Here is a good example of a cheap control deck Investigate Mill - 25$ (post rot)

Good luck with future deck building!

libraryjoy on Take to the Skies!

8 years ago

I like this commander a lot. I'm going to suggest Skyblinder Staff to make your birds practically unblockable (only blocked by creatures w/reach). Awesome with Thrummingbird, with all those feather counters hanging around. You probably need some more protection or recursion. If you're going for a weenies strategy, you might want to drop your curve for your creatures and use Return to the Ranks to recur a lot of your graveyard. You might also want to add some extra card draw, for example with Dictate of Kruphix or Rhystic Study.

Optional adds: Coast Watcher, Cloudfin Raptor, Duskrider Falcon, Freewind Falcon, Mindshrieker, Palace Familiar, Stormscape Familiar

Cards you may want to replace: Rise of Eagles, Sage Aven, Aven Fateshaper, Aven Surveyor, Mist Raven, Murder of Crows, Raven Familiar, Fact or Fiction, Impaler Shrike

Good luck!