Cracking the Enigma (Standard hidden Gems#2)

Standard Budget Enchantment GWUB Midrange Zombie

moo1234

Land (21)

• 4x Evolving Wilds
• 2x Forest
• 2x Island
• 2x Plains
• 2x Swamp
• 1x Temple of Enlightenment
• 4x Temple of Malady
• 3x Temple of Mystery
• 1x Temple of Silence

Sorcery (1)

• 1x Idyllic Tutor

Creature (19)

• 4x Aphemia, the Cacophony
• 1x Baneslayer Angel
• 1x Callaphe, Beloved of the Sea
• 4x Deputy of Detention
• 1x Erebos, Bleak-Hearted
• 1x God-Eternal Bontu
• 4x Nightmare Shepherd
• 3x Setessan Champion

Enchantment (19)

• 4x Enigmatic Incarnation
• 4x Frogify
• 1x Kenrith's Transformation
• 2x Medomai's Prophecy
• 2x Omen of the Sea
• 4x Tymaret Calls the Dead
• 2x Wolfwillow Haven

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Sideboard

Creature (12)

• 1x Arasta of the Endless Web
• 1x Archon of Absolution
• 1x Bronzehide Lion
• 1x Callaphe, Beloved of the Sea
• 2x Destiny Spinner
• 1x Kunoros, Hound of Athreos
• 1x Massacre Girl
• 1x Sparkhunter Masticore
• 1x Sporeweb Weaver
• 2x Vryn Wingmare

Enchantment (3)

• 2x Ashiok's Erasure
• 1x Omen of the Sun

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Maybeboard

Creature (3)

• 1x Lampad of Death's Vigil
• 1x Luminous Broodmoth
• 1x Tymaret, Chosen from Death

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I am officially convinced Enigmatic Incarnation is the most overlooked card in Standard.

(until I get the accordian blocks working, if you're not interested in strategy skip to last paragraph to vote)

I don't say that lightly (and yes I know this is only number 2(shutup)), this card and this deck are amazing, I would recommend building a best of one version on arena if you have the wild-cards, if you don't want to or don't trust me download this client called Xmage (you'll need java but this isn't an Xmage download tutorial) which basically allows you to test out any deck against real people or a decent AI for free. Anyway Free advertising overwith lets break this deck down.

Introduction

Hi I'm moo and welcome to a new series I've got called Hidden Gems, I've made it because alot of people overlook the standard format because the card pool is smaller, and others who play standard and only play Simic or dimir flash, But to that I say touché. In this series I will make one standard deck a week made of cards I've seen play maybe one or 2 times ever, (often never)the decks will range from Oh my word why is noone playing this to a janky card:Glimmerbell combo. So I hope I hope you enjoy and come back to see this every week (if you don't I'll send the duolingo bird after you)

Introduction to this weeks deck

This weeks deck is based around the amazing enchantment Enigmatic Incarnation. At it's fundamental level it's an enchantment eating Birthing Pod (you might've heard of that card) that's repeatable freee and happens every end step. So there are 3 main ways of building this deck: An assasin deck, a sacrifice deck, or a combo deck.

After trying my hand at a combo deck, I decided to make a more assasin style deck Titus7007 gave me the idea of using card:Nightmare shepard and aphemia so the deck evolved into a sort of do anything sacrifice deck. So without further ado lets go into the tactics

2 cost enchantments

card:Aphemia, the cacophany: a fantastic inclusion for the deck and one of the top cards, it does almost everything this deck wants, it's an enchantment, creates zombie tokens, and is a threat in the air, FOR 2 MANA. I cannot stress how important this is to the deck, you won't be able to create a zombie if this comes down on turn 2, but late game there will be some enchantments in the graveyard, especially considering there's some self mill (with Tymaret Calls the Dead)

Wolfwillow Haven, Medomai's Prophecy and Omen of the Sea:

These two cost enchantments are the ones your most likely going to sac to the enigmatic incarnation, you can interchange the numbers of these depending on whether you prefer the prophecy, the omen or the haven but do not change the total number. I spent a long time getting the maths right for the values of these. anyway these aren't too special, they serve their purpose then die, what more do you want

Transfiguration:

Frogify is amazing removal and it's funny your opponent may have a flipping Titanoth Rex for all you care, cos now it's a frog. This is also one of the better cards. Kenrith's Transformation isn't as good as a 3/3 is alot harder to deal with in this deck than a 1/1, but it does draw a card, and it was this or Pacifism. I stand by my choice.

3 drops

Tymaret Calls the Dead, The best actual enchantment in the deck (that isn't enigmatic incarnation). This self mills (which activates card:Apemia, the cacophany), creates Zombies, to chump block or activate itself, it can be sacrificed if needs be and if you decide to keep it around it gains you life and scrys. ITs just a really good card

Callaphe, Beloved of the Sea:

He's good against control, and easy to fetch, he doesn't usually become massive, but he can be sacrificed to get a card:Nightmare shepard, don't underestimate him, if you think you're opponents playing a kill deck bring him out. And they like, NOOOOOOOOO. He also is good against Brazen Borrower as they cast the borrower for 4 just to bounce him, it's great.

Idyllic Tutor:

It's a good card just not great. In affect it's just any enchantment in the deck +, that can b e spread out over a turn or so, paying that much isn't great, but you do really want to get to the grand enigma itself.

4 drops and the enigma itself

card:Nightmare shepard is absolutely fantastic. There's so many fun interactions with it, fetch it out as quickly as possible and that is when the engine will really start to work. I'll go through a couple of scenarios quickly. 1) You have 2 of these out, your opponent is going to need at least 2 kill spells or 2 boardwipes to kill anything, you can sac 1 and get a 5 cost whilst basically sacrificing nothing etc...

Enigmatic Incarnation This is the big one, the one that really matters. And I think I've almost completely explained it and I can't be bothered to go into much more detail, but you can see the idea, sac enchantments or sagas before they die, get stuff you need. You can probably work out what creatures are apt to fetch and when, also cute thing with the card if you have 2 out because the triggers go on the stack at the same time, you can sac them both to go get a baneslayer and a bontu or whatever

I'm not going over creatures as that part is kinda up to you, it's just this worked extremely well for me, the best creature Deputy of Detention is unfortunately rotating otherwise this is almost rotation proof.

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So that's this weeks deck. Hidden gems rating out of 10 (10 being current best in meta) 7.5/10

next week will be focused on cards that will rotate, so they can get a spot in the limelight just before rotation, so please vote (I am open to suggestions though)

• Lumbering Battlement
• Omnispell Adept
• Widespread Brutality

Top Ranked	Achieved #57 position overall 3 years ago Achieved #3 position in Standard 3 years ago Achieved #1 position in Standard Midrange 3 years ago
Date added	3 years
Last updated	3 years
Legality	This deck is not Standard legal.
Rarity (main - side)	3 - 0 Mythic Rares 33 - 8 Rares 6 - 6 Uncommons 10 - 1 Commons
Cards	60
Avg. CMC	2.95
Tokens	Copy Clone, Human Soldier 1/1 W, Saproling 1/1 G, Spider 1/2 G, Wolf 2/2 G, Zombie 2/2 B