Bloodline Pretender
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Legality

Format Legality
1v1 Commander Legal
Alchemy Legal
Archenemy Legal
Arena Legal
Block Constructed Legal
Brawl 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
Pioneer Legal
Planechase Legal
Pre-release Legal
Quest Magic Legal
Standard Legal
Tiny Leaders Legal
Vanguard Legal
Vintage Legal

Bloodline Pretender

Artifact Creature — Shapeshifter

Changeling (This card is every creature type.)

As Bloodline Pretender enters the battlefield, choose a creature type.

Whenever another creature of the chosen type enters the battlefield under your control, put a +1/+1 counter on Bloodline Pretender.

ASalesman on Unesh, Ultimate Guide (Tribal)

2 months ago

I wasn't able to get a whole lot of games in yesterday, but I had one particular game where I lost spectacularly for a few different reasons.

Here is the setup:

I'll hit only on the key points to this story. Turn 1 goes around and nothing crazy happens, Tymna/Thrasios plays a mana dork, I play out my artifacts holding up Spell Pierce. Talion turn 2 plays Mystic Remora, and I decide to counter it with Spell Pierce. This is the wrong decision on multiple fronts. (1) I am first priority, I should've let the rest of the table deal with it because (2) it doesn't actually affect Unesh that much when I want to cast creatures, & (3) letting Talion draw cards in this instance could allow them to combo before me, but that means Talion will consume the tables resources so I can combo off after. Talion passes to me. I play an Island and note that I can power out Unesh with Dramatic Reversal and my 2 artifacts in play. Because I countered Mystic Remora, I should have done this. Instead I pass and basically do nothing, because I didn't have protection for Unesh & I wanted to preserve the combo piece. I think even without protection, it is still a good play to get Unesh on the table. Using the combo piece here is okay because I can get it back using Mystic sanctuary later, and I already have a scalding tarn in hand to fetch it if I need to. Pass to Tymna/Thrasios, they play Neoform sacrificing their mana dork. Had I not countered Mystic remora, I could've countered neoform and paid the Mystic Remora Tax which is what I should've done. With no responses neoform resolves and he fetches Collector Ouphe. At this point I am out of the game for a few turns which was ultimately enough to make me lose to chip damage and mana crypt a turn or 2 before I can combo off. I did take third because I took out the Talion player by casting a spell while their library was empty (granted they misplayed).

There is always unknown in the fog of war and hind sight is 20/20, but there were definitely some things here I could've seen coming. I think the biggest take away I think is that Unesh naturally allies with another blue combo player if they are the only other one at the table.

DreadKhan on For the Birds

3 months ago

I'm not sure if it'd be crossing the line or not, but I feel like Falco Spara Bird typal probably likes Bloodline Pretender, maybe it could be an honourary Bird? Mirror Entity is another interesting way to improve the base power of your birds, and is itself a bird and soldier. You might be able to get some mileage out of an Aven Mimeomancer, this can make your small stuff bigger or let you cast stuff with Falco, maybe a x1? It can also heavily nerf your opponent's creatures, and it works with Bower Passage so a creature can't block your flyers if you use it aggressively to shrink a threat. Not sure if Soulcatcher is a good fit potentially, it offers you a way to get some counters on things while also synergizing with cards that care about bird soldiers.

Welp, I was searching Scryfall and came upon what must be a new card, and I don't think it's an Un-card? Anyways, she's The Goose Mother, and the funny part was that I wondered if I should suggest Hydroid Krasis, but this is even a Bird! I'm not saying you should run this card, but I would be remiss to say the least if I didn't at least bring it your attention. Forgive me if you already knew about it (I still can't believe it's not an Un card)!

If you ever want to look at a sideboard something like Judge's Familiar would probably work very well to hassle people running board wipes. Not sure if Birds would really care about Elephant Grass, but I think it might be another good sideboard card, you can use Falco to get rid of age counters if it's been out for a bit. I don't know if people play Freyalise's Radiance is another card that is backbreaking vs some decks, and Falco can strip counters as needed. Maybe Mind Harness, that's really situational, but when it's good it's really good.

If you wanted to upgrade your deck a bit, you could easily keep up a Mystic Remora if you have Falco out, I guess it depends if most people play creature heavy decks in your area. Many higher power decks use less creatures, and paying 4 is not realistic for most decks.

TheRoaringRegisaur on Werewolves

3 months ago

I'm honestly not sure which to remove. Maybe Bloodline Pretender? I'm really bad at removing cards llol

ASalesman on Unesh, Ultimate Guide (Tribal)

4 months ago

BIG REVISION HERE

Here is all the big changes I've made to this list, and an explanation for each. Guide edits will come in a little bit!

  • Replaced Burnished Hart with Mistwalker. Burnished Hart feels too slow, Mistwalker is a cheap sphinx that makes the deck go fast. Mistwalker is a nice addition because it benefits from the full 2 cmc reduction from Unesh. 1/3 and flying on Mistwalker makes it the best changeling when it comes to combat.
  • Replaced Guardian of Tazeem with Aetherflux Reservoir. Aetherflux Reservoir is a new win condition in this deck. With all of the added changelings and ability to bounce changelings to your hand, it is easier than ever to play a lot of spells on your turn. In addition to being a 50 lifepoint cannon at instant speed, it is the only lifegain in the deck. It can make up for all the health you lost from Mana Crypt and Ancient Tomb. Guardian of Tazeem's effect is underwhelming most of the time. Having the other cheaper sphinxes there is still 20% sphinx, and are easier to play.
  • Replaced Leyline of Anticipation with Narset's Reversal. Leyline's effect is honestly underwhelming at 4 CMC. It's great if it starts in your opening hand, but it is Force of Will fodder otherwise. Debatably it is worth for synergy with Sphinx of the Second Sun, but adding emergence zone (description below) gives you a cheaper Leyline effect at the cost of it only being one turn. One turn with the effect is all you need to win the game though, or to get very far ahead with Sphinx of the Second Sun. Narset's Reversal is a great card because it can be great in a counterspell war, but it can also be used to augment your other cards such as Frantic Search or High Tide or Ghostly Flicker. I love Narset's Reversal because it is great on it's own, but also sees some great synergy.
  • Replaced Myriad Landscape with Emergence Zone. Myriad landscape is noticably too slow, similar to burnished hart. The utility from Emergence Zone can be outstanding. Emergence Zone is a more easily accessible Leyline of Anticipation essentially. It is less mana to use at the price of using it for only a turn. Presumably the turn that you would use it you would also win the game, so you don't need it more than once anyway.
  • Replaced Treachery with Cloudstone Curio. Treachery is a clunky card that rarely resolves. If the mana doesn't untap after this card is played, it feels very bad. Cloudstone Curio is an engine in this deck. It really keeps the BFOF's coming. Playing this card with Universal Automaton on the field means you get to double all of your BFOF's that you play. Additionally, it works particualrly well with the newly added Aetherflux Reservoir.
  • Replaced Long-Term Plans with Chain of Vapor. If you are playing the deck right you are seeing enough of your deck to get your game winning cards without using long term plans. Long term plans also scuffs one of your BFOF's because your opponent knows which card it is. Chain of vapor has many uses. As well as being spot removal, it can be used to protect Unesh, and to return other cheap sphinxes to your hand to be played again which grants additional synergy with the Aetherflux Reservoir win condition.
  • Replaced Sphinx of Uthuun with Sakashima of a Thousand Faces. Sphinx of Uthuun is expensive for what it does. It will normally be chaper to play Sakashima, and it becomes a second Unesh which doubles all of your BFOFs rather than getting you an extra regular FOF. Having a second Unesh on the field also grants you protection from spot removal targetting only one Unesh.
  • Replaced Riddlemaster Sphinx with Bloodline Pretender. Riddlemaster Sphinx's ETB isn't as good as the others (Enigma Thief and Dream Eater). Bouncing one creature isn't super great because your sphinxes already have combat superiority most of the time. It feels expensive for what it does, which means it is too slow. Another cheap sphinx in this slot speeds up the deck, and provides extra synergy with the other added cards.
  • Replaced Island with Lotus Field. I want to try this out. I am skeptical that it is actually better than an Island, but we will see! Let me know what you think here.
  • Replaced Island with Sea Gate Restoration  Flip. Becasue why not really? Worst case scenario, you pay 3 life to have it enter as an untapped island. Having it your hand later game can get you a lot of cards in a pinch.
  • Replaced Imprisoned in the Moon with Gilded Drake. Gilded drake is 1 mana cheaper. It not only takes your opponents creature away from them, it also gives it to you, at the cost of them having a 3/3 flyer. In cEDH this trade is insanely good for you. Imprisoned in the moon can be removed to return the creature back to their side. Nothing happens when Gilded Drake dies. He can also be easily blocked by one of your sphinxes, which means it might be chip damage to a different opponent. To me Gilded Drake is a no brainer here.

ASalesman on Unesh, Ultimate Guide (Tribal)

4 months ago

GHoag no worries, I appreciate the questions because it makes me revisit the deck with another perspective. I think You are probably right about Bloodline Pretender, generally. A niche situation where Amoeboid Changeling is better is if you know a deck that you are playing against has a specific type. But yeah that is very niche, and bloodline pretender will be better usually.

I have noticed that Burnished Hart/Myriad Landscape feels slow, I have enjoyed seeing either in my opener before. Perhaps I am hanging on to them too much and I should test branching out from them. Solemn Simulacrum feels a little bit better usually. Changleings are great for having cheap sphinxes for sure. I was pretty much out of MTG for all of Kaldheim so I didn't know about Mistwalker, but that one is definitely great to have. It's nice that it benefits from the full 2 mana cost reduction of Unesh, because usually the changelings only benefit from 1 mana cost reduction. The flying keyword and extra toughness on Mistwalker is just awesome.

Lotus Field could be a great sub for Myriad Landscape, as it benefits from all of the untap effects and isn't slow. HOWEVER if you are playing against single land destruction like Strip Mine (which is pretty common in cEDH), it will be a target. A little bit riskier, but it could really pay off.

Leyline of Anticipation, the effect is not particularly useful for creatures/artifacts. It can be great for playing Rite of Rep or thassa's oracle immediately after the other blue player taps out. But yeah these days I have noticed it mostly as a dead card and I want to play with that slot for sure. Something to be said about Vedalken Orrery here because it is easier to cast, and has synergy with Scholar of the Lost Trove. But it has its cons too, no pre-game effect and can't be pitched to force of will. I think the effect isn't worth how slow either card feels in your hand.

Jeweled Lotus is extremely powerful for Unesh. In your opening hand, it lets you play Unesh early. If you draw it later, it is still helpful for getting Unesh back on the board after removal. Unesh does card advantage really well. Using a card slot for Jeweled Lotus is has been extremely valuable every time, because getting Unesh on the board makes up for the card lost every time.

Well I definitely have some tinkering to do. Thank you for more of your perspective on the deck!

Azoth2099 on Atla Palani, Eldrazi Shepherd

5 months ago

SyrenDelphi

Hey, man! Have you considered Changelings for this deck? They count as every creature type ("Egg" is a creature type), and there are a few that I think could be good here.

Changeling Berserker, Changeling Titan, Changeling Hero & Mirror Entity could work. As could Universal Automaton, Bloodline Pretender, Birthing Boughs & Maskwood Nexus.

Cheers!

KongMing on Unesh Sphinx Tribal

9 months ago

Maybe you could take advantage of the Changeling mechanic a bit. Stuff like Birthing Boughs and Maskwood Nexus (so you can make an ETB at Instant Speed). Bloodline Pretender gives you a slow build if cast early, and only costs if Unesh is already on the field.

Sphinx Ambassador is a card that can make people ragequit on the spot, especially with all the counterspell backup you have. Stormtide Leviathan is terrible in most decks, but amazing in this one.

Also, with all the ETB abilities you have here, I really recommend Ghostly Flicker, Displace, and Illusionist's Stratagem because they give your sphinxes some evasion while also doubling up on their ETBs.

A bit more reduction could really do you well. Maybe Warden of Evos Isle and/or Thryx, the Sudden Storm?

hiiii on Piss Off, Norin

11 months ago

king-saproling Hmm I thought about including Risky Move, I guess it could be cool since I'd just give them Noring but they'd have to let go of a creature... I'll definitely consider it! Honor-Worn Shaku could be pretty cool. It'd be good redundancy for Relic of Legends. I feel like Kyren Negotiations would be really cool if I could tap Norin during every player's turn. The problem is, when he re-enters the battlefield he's affected by summoning sickness, so I can only use him to proc Kyren on my turn, and then its damage becomes kinda eh... Smoke is a sick card for this deck, but I don't really wanna run cards like that with my playgroup. I'll keep it in mind tho!

Bloodline Pretender is cool, it'd give me a nice blocker, but it doesn't do anything else for the deck so I'm not sure whether or not I should include it.

Urabrask, Heretic Praetor, Laelia, the Blade Reforged, Caves of Chaos Adventurer and Visions of Phyrexia are all really cool cards, but because my win cons all cost quite a lot in this deck, I'd hate to impulse draw them without having the mana to cast them and then have to dig even deeper to find replacements... Bottled Cloister has straight draw, but it suffers from a different issue in that unless I have Gustha's Scepter, I can't play any of my instants during opponents' turns... the draw is nice, but I might as well play something like Howling Mine which gives a similar effect. Mind's Eye's pretty pog tho!

Thanks for all the recommendations! I'll definitely keep in mind even the ones I said might not work :D

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