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In Possession of a Singular Force of Will

Commander / EDH Investigate Primer Sacrifice Theme/Gimmick Tokens UB (Dimir)

Rocketman988

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Instant (32)

Enchantment (4)

Land (24)

Creature (12)

Planeswalker (3)

Commander (1)

Commander: foil Inquisitor Eisenhorn

Artifact (17)

Sorcery (7)

Maybeboard

Artifact (24)

Land (2)

Instant (16)

Sorcery (11)

Creature (15)

Enchantment (9)

“I am forty-two standard years old, in my prime by Imperial standards, young by those of the Inquisition. All my life, I have had a reputation for being cold, unfeeling. Some have called me heartless, ruthless, even cruel. I am not. I am not beyond emotional response or compassion. But I possess - and my masters count this as perhaps my paramount virtue - a singular Force of Will. Throughout my career it has served me well to draw on this facility and steel myself, unflinching, at all that this wretched galaxy can throw at me. To feel pain or fear or grief is to allow myself a luxury I cannot afford.” ― Inquisitor Gregor Eisenhorn

"Gregor Eisenhorn, in fealty to the God-Emperor, our undying lord, and by the grace of the Golden Throne, in the name of the Ordo Malleus and the Inquisition, I call thee diabolis, and in the testimony of thy crimes, I submit this carta. May imperial justice account in all balance. The Emperor protects." ― Grand Master Osma of the Ordos Helican

The primary strategy of the deck is to exploit Eisenhorn's bound demonic host, Cherubael, for all that it can. In service of the God Emperor, to quote Inquisitor Quixos, "My enemy’s enemy is a problem for later: In the meantime, they might be useful." Inquisitor Eisenhorn's abilities are best utilized by treating Cherubael as an expendable resource, taking advantage of the legendary nature of the demon token for consistent value.

"In servitutem abduco, I bind thee fast forever in this host!"

Before the demon can be utilized for value, it must first be summoned. Because Eisenhorn's effect only triggers on the first draw of a turn, sorcery speed draw is unattractive in the deck. Instead, draw that happens on opponent turns holds the most value. Instant speed options like Curate and Deliberate that can filter through the top of the deck before drawing (to find instant or sorcery spells) are priority picks, and Rhystic Study and Mystic Remora (especially in conjunction with Sensei's Divining Top) need no elaboration. Utility spells in the deck gain extra value when they have a cantrip component, so spells like Arcane Denial, Archmage's Charm, Mystic Confluence, and Into the Roil are played over more "efficient" answers to further fuel the value engine of the deck.

"Midas Betancore had once, during a late night of drinking and Glavian rules regicide, said 'Why do they do it? The radicals, I mean. Don't they understand that even getting close to the warp is suicide?'

With the runestaff in my hands, on that frozen island on Durer, I knew it wasn't suicide. It was the opposite."

Once the demon is bound, Cherubael becomes the heart and soul of a very powerful value engine. Cherubael makes for a great attacker and blocker, as he wears equipment well for hard hitting flying attacks, and you can turn him sideways and resummon him on opponent’s turns for pseudo vigilance. He also makes for a terrific chump blocker, since resummoning him is easy. You can also give him away to opponents with Jon Irenicus, Shattered One to draw free cards on opponent’s turns, conveniently giving you more Cherubaels to give away.

The demonhost can also be used in an aristocratic manner, repeatedly summoning and sacrificing the token for value. Phyrexian Altar, Braids, Arisen Nightmare, and The Golden Throne can all be used to turn Cherubael into resources, feeding a cycle where a cantrip spell creates the Cherubael token, which is sacrificed on the following turn to play more cantrip spells, all the while triggering effects like Tarrian's Soulcleaver, Ayara, First of Locthwain and Eloise, Nephalia Sleuth.

While the legendary nature of the created demon token would at first appear to be a downside, the rule actually serves as a reliable way to ensure that a copy of the token dies each time Eisenhorn's ability is triggered. (704.5j If two or more legendary permanents with the same name are controlled by the same player, that player chooses one of them, and the rest are put into their owners' graveyards. This is called the “legend rule.”)

"You get more with a kind word and an excruciator than with just a kind word.” ― Inquisitor Malden

A servant of the Emperor must equip themself with the means to travel where Chaos reigns. Because the number of clues generated by Inquisitor Eisenhorn increases with the damage he deals, Cranial Plating, Nettlecyst, Runechanter's Pike, and Blackblade Reforged synergize well with the gameplan of Eisenhorn's abilities, snowballing into massive threats as the value engine of the deck develops. Swiftfoot Boots, Lightning Greaves, and the counterspell suite of the deck help to keep him on the board, and cards like Shadow Rift, Inquisitorial Rosette, Whirler Rogue, and Rogue's Passage help Eisenhorn bypass blockers.

"Some Inquisitors believe the Emperor’s work is best done by charging around the place like a grox in a ceramic emporium, leaving a trail of carnage and destruction in their wake, while others prefer not to let the enemies of all that’s good and holy get clean away by making it blindingly obvious they’re coming for them." ― Inquisitor Amberley Vail

Sometimes, victory is not the result of a dramatic final stand, but of careful preparation and late night research coming to fruition. Clue tokens produced by Eisenhorn's second ability also become part of the deck's value engine beyond acting as a source of card draw on opponent turns. Urza, Lord High Artificer and Inspiring Statuary turn clue tokens into mana rocks, Tamiyo's Journal turns them into tutors, Marionette Master turns them into lifeloss, Persuasive Interrogators turns them into poison counters, Whirler Rogue turns them into unblockable creatures, Piper Wright, Publick Reporter turns them into +1/+1 counters, and Academy Manufactor triples the artifact tokens created. Once enough clues have been generated by the diligent efforts of the Inquisition, Cyberdrive Awakener turns a critical mass of clues into a nasty flying army that no one expected. Be sure to drop the Monty Python quote as you play this card.

"I reached into it, into a secret oubliette that had been vacuum sealed, warp-damped, void-shielded and locked with thirteen locks. Only I knew the codes to break down those barriers, for I had set them myself. It was crumpled in the middle of the floor, wrapped in chains. I woke it up. I set it free.

...Like a small sun dawning, the enslaved daemon poured out of the head of the runestaff. Its radiance lit up the dismal shore and cast a long shadow out behind the Titan. ‘Cherubael?’ I whispered.

‘Yessss...?’

‘Kill it.’

Sometimes, serving the will of the Emperor means letting the daemonhost slip its chains. The potent summoning engine of the deck is turned in service of swarming the board once Mirror Box hits the field. Tutors like Whir of Invention, Reshape, Tamiyo's Journal, and Inventors' Fair help find this powerhouse artifact when it is time for the deck to flip the switch from value to aggression, and Sakashima of a Thousand Faces serves as redundancy for the effect in case Mirror Box is removed as an option.

Your daily work brings you closer and closer to the warp, increases your understanding of orderless powers. Gradually, without noticing it, even the most puritanical and rod-stiff inquisitor becomes seduced... The first step is the knowledge. An inquisitor must understand the basic traits of Chaos in order to fight it. In a few years, he knows more about the warp than most untutored cultists. Then the second step: the moment he breaks the rules and allows some aspect of Chaos to survive or remain so that he can study it and learn from it... The third step... the third step is the line itself. When the inquisitor becomes a radical. When he chooses to use Chaos against Chaos. When he employs the agencies of the warp. When he asks the heretical for help... So... are you going to ask me to help you? ― Pontius Glaw

Symbol of Office: Inquisitorial Rosette

Augmetic Assist System: Cranial Plating

Force Staff: Arcane Signet/Nettlecyst

Barbariaster: Blackblade Reforged/Excalibur, Sword of Eden

Necroteuch: Tamiyo's Journal

Malus Codicium: Inspiring Statuary

Would you have Mankind grow old and withered, running too fat on the fruits of remembered glory whilst its enemies tear at its frail extremities? I think not. With each trial, we become stronger. My brethren and I will provide. ― Inquisitor Vechorte

The God Emperor of Mankind: The Golden Throne

Uber Aemos: Tezzeret, Betrayer of Flesh

Alizabeth Bequin: Braids, Arisen Nightmare

Gideon Ravenor: Urza, Lord High Artificer

Godwyn Fischig: Cyberdrive Awakener

Tobias Maxilla: Tezzeret, Master of the Bridge

Kara Swole: Marionette Master

Harlon Nayl: Notion Thief

Medea Betancore: Eloise, Nephalia Sleuth

Patience Kys: Whirler Rogue

Inquisitor Quixos: Teferi, Master of Time

Magos Bure: Academy Manufactor

Belisarius Cawl: Kuldotha Forgemaster

Pontius Glaw: Sol Ring

Prophaniti: Consecrated Sphinx

Here is a link to the proxies I made for my deck to convert the deck to 40K art: https://imgur.com/a/p2F1OAc

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92% Casual

Competitive

Revision 26 See all

(7 months ago)