Dimir | Ravnica Standard

Standard* Combo Competitive Control UB (Dimir)

Cipher_8

Creatures (17)

• 4x Etrata, the Silencer
• 2x Exclusion Mage
• 3x Naban, Dean of Iteration
• 4x Riverwise Augur
• 4x Wall of Mist

WinCon (4)

• 4x Etrata, the Silencer

Flicker/Bounce (16)

• 4x Disperse
• 4x Release to the Wind
• 4x Rescue
• 4x Siren's Ruse

Lands (24)

• 15x Island
• 9x Swamp

Other (3)

• 3x Helm of the Host

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Sideboard

Other (15)

• 3x Arcane Adaptation
• 2x Hostage Taker
• 1x Merfolk Trickster
• 1x Negate
• 1x Negate
• 1x Shipwreck Looter
• 4x Syncopate
• 1x The Mirari Conjecture
• 1x Thief of Sanity

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Etrata, the Silencer

I'm not sure the best way to build around her but I know this if you can bounce or flicker it in response you can keep her out of the library. Bouncing her back to your hand or flickering her doesn't matter as the creature will still get exiled with the hit counter on it regardless. Just she won't get shuffled in.

Jam a bunch of flicker/return to hand cards in maybe a weird extra turn card or two in and possibly a way to give it haste and she seems like a fun card to build around.

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Introduction

Building around Etrata Show

Helm of the Host is a great card alongside Etrata, the Silencer.

You get a non-Legendary token that's a copy of Etrata with Haste.

From here you can attack with both to exile two of their creatures and then lose the token and hopefully flicker/bounce the original Etrata. Either way you have 2 out of the 3 exiled creatures with hit tokens you need towards winning the game.

Or you can wait a turn, create another Non-Legendary token for three and attack with all three and win the game that turn.

Just depends if you have the flicker card in hand or if you think the Etrata will survive a entire turn cycle without eating removal.

Together though this combo of Etrata, the Silencer + Helm of the Host is easily busted.

Return to Hand/Flicker Cards Show

Siren's Ruse is the best flicker. You don't have to recast her she stays in play.

Release to the Wind

Rescue cheapest way to bring her back to hand.

Disperse your everyday 2 mana return to hand.

Unexplained Disappearance gives you surveil and if you don't need that card send it to graveyard for a chance at something else you need being atop your deck.

Expel from Orazca another option if you need more.

Depths of Desire return to hand with ramp.

The good thing i like about these are if they try to hit you with removal you can use them to save your creature too. Their removal/burn fizzles as it doesn't have a valid target any longer.

Exclusion Mage + Naban, Dean of Iteration Show

Exclusion Mage takes full advantage of it's ETB ability alongside Naban.

A Wizard, entering the field is causing an ability to trigger - its own so you double it. Returning not one, but two, of their creatures to hand.

The key here is you can flicker/return to hand this creature and do it again and again. Keeping their creatures off the battlefield and slowing them down (unless they have haste) so you can survive long enough until you find your wincon.

Riverwise Augur + Naban, Dean of Iteration Show

A Wizard, entering the field is causing an ability to trigger - its own so you double it.

You draw 3, then put two back. Then draw three again, and put two back again. In the end you get to see 4 cards off the top of your deck and you get to keep up to all 4 of them so long as you have 2 cards in your hand. You can put back any two from your hand it doesn't have to be from the 3 your just drew, letting you sift through and intermingling your hand with the top of your library choosing what you want to keep and knowing exactly what you're going to draw the next couple of turns.

Your goal is to find your WinCon as fast as possible. If you don't start with one in your opening hand this is a good way to draw into one fast.

Also Riverwise works great with return to hand or flicker spells. You're getting multi-usage out of it's ETB effect throughout a match as your main source to draw card advantage.

And it's important to remember you can keep all 3 (or 4) cards and put two others from your hand back instead! Replacing your hand with new cards you intend to use potentially.

Maybe Cards Show

Arcane Adaptation with any ETB creatures alongside Naban, Dean of Iteration. You choose Wizard as creature type and everything's ETB doubles now. It turns non-Wizard's into Wizards for Naban to exploit. You then continue to bounce/flicker the hell out of said ETB creatures.

Stuff Like... Show

Hostage Taker Exile 2 of their Creatures/Artifacts. Cast them for yourself.

Psychic Symbiont

Storm Sculptor

Shipwreck Looter / Storm Fleet Spy after attacking with Erata for a draw 2.

Sailor of Means / Prosperous Pirates create artifacts, basically ramp.

tap their two biggest threats so they can't attack on their turn.

or return them to hand.

Tempest Caller tap everything is pretty strong, worth a mention anyways. Doesn't really fit this deck though.

Rona, Disciple of Gix just an option.

Forerunner of the Heralds works with Riverwise Augur pretty well.

Crafty Cutpurse steal their tokens.

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Suspicious Bookcase works great with any of the 'whenever X deal combat damage to a player do Y', creature cards. There just isn't any viable options within that criteria to build around currently.

Lazav, the Multifarious is just a powerful card. 2-drop, if anything ends up in graveyard destroyed you can make him it. Doesn't really fit in this deck though.

Creatureless? Show

Pretty much all decks in standard are playing removal spells.

If you run a majorly creatureless deck strategy they are holding useless cards. What use are cards they cannot cast. Let them draw and hold those dead cards since you are only playing one or two creatures your opponent can have their removal spell if they want to take your guy out you can just Rescue it back to hand or flicker it to save it from being removed. Either way their removal/burn fizzles as it doesn't have a valid target any longer.

Show

2x Amaranthine Wall 1x Cancel 1x Curious Obsession 1x Daring Saboteur 2x Depths of Desire 1x Dive Down 1x Essence Scatter 1x Expel from Orazca 1x Flood of Recollection 1x Jace, Cunning Castaway 3x Mistcaller 1x Negate 1x Nexus of Fate 1x Search for Azcanta 1x Shore Keeper 1x Surge Mare 1x Suspicious Bookcase 1x Unexplained Disappearance

Date added	5 years
Last updated	5 years
Key combos	Etrata, the Silencer + Helm of the Host
Legality	This deck is not Standard legal.
Rarity (main - side)	14 - 9 Rares 6 - 1 Uncommons 16 - 5 Commons
Cards	60
Avg. CMC	2.67
Tokens	Copy Clone