This deck is based off the Startling tutelage Deck built by Jaxis, taking into account several recommendations from commentators on the deck. To see the original go here: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/startling-tutelage/
Many of the descriptions I use here are his descriptions, though I've added more notes in too.
The idea of the original deck was to lock the opponent down and mill them to death with Sphinx's Tutelage. This deck adds in another win condition that synergizes will with the enchantment focus: Sigil of the Empty Throne.
To quote Jaxis:
WHY THIS DECK?
"The ratio of enchantments to enchantment hate in the current Standard. Dromoka's Command is staying in, and it doesn't target enchantments. We will have to worry about a couple of new cards that do, but the balance is definitely in favor of an enchantment-heavy deck.
In contrast, creature hate in Standard is very real. There are board wipes aplenty, including Languish and Planar Outburst. Having zero creatures in the deck (unless you count Persistent Nightmare Flip, which can't be countered) makes all these cards effectively dead. The more dead draws our opponent has, the better for us."
MAIN BOARD
Spinx's Tutelage : Every time you draw a card (and there's lots of drawing to be had here), you mill your opponent for 2, and if they are both nonland cards that share a color, they get hit again. Some cards in the deck will allow for 6 cards to be milled, even if none of them share a color.
Sigil of the Empty Throne: A key feature of this deck variant is the Sigil. More for late game, this enchantment adds more value to playing your draw and removal enchantments later in the game. A 4/4 flyers is fantastic for closing out a game quickly and provides another viable win condition for your deck should milling not be enough. Multiple sigils can also be played and stack like how Sphinx's Tutelage can, albeit if you're at the point when two Sigils can come out, the game has already gone on fairly long.
Quarantine Field: Shuffling Planar Cleansing to the sideboard to bring this in the mainboard. This spell acts as a more target boardwipe that synergizes well with the Sigils. More importantly, you can slam this down and target anything your opponent has out, a key creature, an enchantment, an artifact or a planeswalker. It also has the added bonus of coming in later and not wiping out your angels if your opponent can flood out his board. This card will likely be one of the ones switched out with the sideboard the most (to bring in the Planar Outbusts if your opponent is running a creature heavy deck).
Immolating Glare Another change from the original deck. This takes the place of Suppression Bonds (now in sideboard) as an instant speed removal to protect you from attackers. While the Bonds had better synergy with the Sigil, the cheaper cost of this removal allows for enough flexibility in the game to warrant the change. Apart from Stasis Snare, there really isn't any other instant removal in this deck and a cheap removal effect like this is applicable against a number of decks (it helps pick off cheap attackers from aggro decks for a lower mana cost, or it can take down bigger creatures from Midrange or Ramp Decks). Its also easier to fire off earlier game and helps lower the overall mana curve of the deck.
Oath of Jace: This allows you to draw 3 and both have a discard element. Helps for filtering, and mills 6 if Tutelage is out. With multiple tutelage, this effect increases even more so.
Starfield of Nyx : Mostly to fetch Enchantments from the graveyard. If nothing else, you can fetch Oath of Jace for more drawing/milling without having to cast anything. Getting an army of enchantment creatures is a bonus, but not one this deck is looking for.
Startled Awake
Flip : Technically a non-creature, but having the opportunity to bring it back as a skulking Persistent Nightmare Flip is truly scary. With all the milling Tutelage is going to do, I expect this to be a finisher without having to rely on Nightmare shenanigans. The flip effect also adds an (expensive) repeatable clause for this card, which in the long game can be a boon.
Vessel of Paramnesia : Milling 3 for 3 and drawing a card isn't optimal, but could be interesting. This is mostly here for an early-game sacrificial lamb against Dromoka's Command, if you don't want to sacrifice a Pacifism. Late game this helps also act as a cheap ennoblement for Sigil, to jam out a 4/4 angel.
Declaration in Stone This card offers some premier removal. It can boardwipe tokens and it can neutralize graveyard strategies. While sorcery speed stinks, at the same time this removal will have relevance at any point in the game. A one off spot removal or a potential sweep of multiple copies. While giving the other player clue tokens might not work well, at the same time, that just means he can empty his deck faster.
Stasis Snare/Pacifism: Key removal that also enables the Sigil.
SIDE BOARD
Planar Outburst: Good for sweeps, this can help if the enemy is flooding the board or if they have lots of Hexproof critters. Swaps in for Quarantine Field usually.
Negate, Ojutai's Command : Different counters for different situations. Negate will protect our enchantments from counter/hate magic and Command will protect from endgame bombs like Ulamog and Avacyn... hopefully.
Orbs of Warding: Good for in case burn decks or other targeted effect decks come into play.
Sphinx of the Final Word: If a creature is needed to beat down, this guy can do it. Against other controlling decks, he can help close things out and avoid getting tagged with almost any removal (bar wrath effects).
Suppression Bonds: If more removal or enchantment enablement is needed, this card can help.
Silkwrap One extra one incase extra cheap removal is needed.
KEY SYNERGIES
Silkwrap + Starfield of Nyx : Gets around Hexproof because the creature isn't targeted. Works with Suppression Bonds as well. This can also apply with Stasis Snare as well.
Oath of Jace + Sphinx's Tutelage + Starfield of Nyx: If Oath is on the battlefield AND in the graveyard (shouldn't be difficult) bring the Oath back each turn to draw 3 cards, mill for 6 or more and then discard 2 cards.
Sigil of the Empty Throne + ANY ENCHANTMENT:
While it won't come online until Turn 5 earliest, this enchantment really helps make the deck. Once it hits the field, any further enchantment you play gains additional value. Removal adds a creature. Card draw adds a creature, Starfield brings an enchantment back? BAM one more creature! And these are 4/4 evasive creatures. They demand action from my opponent, but its going to take real removal to get them. And with the Sigil I'll always have a source for them.
That's the long and short of it, feel free to critique and advise. Also be sure to pop over to see the original deck too if you'd like. Credit again goes to Jaxis for the original idea.
Edits Cards being moved out:
Vessel of Paramnesia : Milling 3 for 3 and drawing a card isn't optimal, but could be interesting. This is mostly here for an early-game sacrificial lamb against Dromoka's Command, if you don't want to sacrifice a Pacifism. Late game this helps also act as a cheap ennoblement for Sigil, to jam out a 4/4 angel.
That all being said though, slotting this out for Declaration in Stone has helped the deck run a bit smoother. While I am sacrificing a potential Angel/Mill outlet, in return I'm gaining removal which can prevent graveyard interactions and can also allow me to cheaply remove multiple creatures.
Forgotten Creation I tried to work with this (hand dumping and redrawing sounded like gravy with the milling aspects of this deck. Unfortunately through play testing I often found that I often either didn't want to dump my hand or I didn't have enough in my hand to make it worthwhile. In addition, being your only non-token creature makes it an easy target for removal (especially since this deck has no negates in the main board). Dropping him for the Declaration in Stone felt better.
