Clever Concealment

Instant

Convoke (Your creatures can help cast this spell. Each creature you tap while casting this spell pays for {1} or one mana of that creature's color.)

Any number of target nonland permanents you control phase out. (Treat them and anything attached to them as thought they don't exist until your next turn.)

Legality

Format	Legality
1v1 Commander	Legal
Archenemy	Legal
Canadian Highlander	Legal
Casual	Legal
Commander / EDH	Legal
Commander: Rule 0	Legal
Custom	Legal
Duel Commander	Legal
Highlander	Legal
Legacy	Legal
Leviathan	Legal
Limited	Legal
Oathbreaker	Legal
Planechase	Legal
Quest Magic	Legal
Vanguard	Legal
Vintage	Legal

Discussion (48)

Crow_Umbra on ....But it happens twice.

1 day ago

All good, happy to help a newer player. What you described sounds like some pretty common issues I encountered pretty early on with Isshin, and still occasionally encounter every so often. In regards to your different points:

1. I think you have a decent enough amount of ramp. I think a couple of things can help further in this regard: changing out your two Signets for other 2 mana rocks like Talisman of Indulgence, Talisman of Hierarchy, Fellwar Stone, and Arcane Signet. Additionally, I think you can change out your 3 mana rocks like Darksteel Ingot for the stuff I mentioned. I think also trimming some of your higher cost creatures can help. Keeping a low curve can help you redeploy faster, if most of your creatures are in the 1-4 mana range. Etali is fun, but it's super boom or bust.

2. Having a couple more instant speed options to help you against boardwipes can be a huge help. It's not really budget, but Clever Concealment is an excellent option, especially since you will likely have multiple creatures to help cast this with the Convoke mechanic. There are other instant speed "counters" like Tibalt's Trickery and Reprieve which can help.

3. I think Thorough Investigation can be swapped for either Tocasia's Welcome or Chivalric Alliance. It's kinda slow for draw, since you still have to pay mana into the Clue tokens to draw 1 card at a time. Not the most budget, but Skullclamp is an excellent & repeatable option that you can feed some of your 1/1 tokens to. I'd recommend adding in Karazikar, the Eye Tyrant, Firemane Commando, and Nelly Borca, Impulsive Accuser as swaps with your Etali, The Master, and Elder Brain. Those 3 are all splashy, but can sit in your hand if you don't have the mana for them, which relates to some of your mana issues. Nelly, Karazikar, & Firemane all work in conjunction with the Breena you already have in your 99, and can help (or force) aggro away from you.

I think you can and should put Iroas back in there. His Menace anthem also helps to make your board harder to block, which acts as an additional layer of protection. He can help close out games if you have a strong enough board state. I think you can maybe swap him for either Righteous Cause or Blade of Selves.

Some other potential swaps: Bankrupt in Blood can swap out for Deadly Dispute (Lower creature investment needed, instant speed, and nets a treasure). Generous Gift & Stroke of Midnight can swap with any of your more narrowly focused/highly specific removal. The tokens they gift your opponents are largely inconsequential. Soul Partition is another versatile option that can either protect one of your permanents, or (temporarily) remove a threat.

Lastly, I think you can swap Mardu Shadowspear, Pulse Tracker, and Vicious Conquistador for some the 3 creatures I mentioned in bullet 3. I think you're on the right track with their group slug effects, but as smaller 1/1s they are easily blocked and killed. Mostly suggesting this as alternative if you would prefer to keep your 3 higher end creatures I suggested as swaps.

I hope this is all helpful, my apologies for writing you an essay.

Craeter on Avacyn Angels - field wipe

2 days ago

Good stuff here. Some other recommendations to consider: Urza's Incubator, Herald's Horn, Flawless Maneuver, Flare of Fortitude, Clever Concealment

capwner on Avacyn Destroyed the World

6 days ago

Clever Concealment and Dawn's Truce :)

Crow_Umbra on The Allure of Honor

1 month ago

Digging your deck description lol. Definitely a great one sentence encapsulation for playing Isshin. Have you had a chance to play this deck irl yet? Mostly asking to see if there were any areas you were looking to maybe change around, or if you have a general budget in mind. I have a few general suggestions if you're looking to make swaps or upgrades:

• I think if there's any one area besides ramp or draw, that Isshin decks should look to upgrade first, it's definitely board protection. Isshin is super board dependent, so the more you can protect that, especially proactively, the better you'll be over the course of a game.

• On the topic of protection, Reconnaissance is a great first upgrade. It was recently reprinted in the Assassin's Creed set with updated reminder text. It acts as like a pseudo-Vigilance that can pull your creatures out of combat at various points. This EDHREC article helps explain this utility in better detail.

• Dolmen Gate is another excellent board protection effect.

• Instant speed options like Unbreakable Formation and Scapegoat are decent budget options to help avoid wipes. Alternatively, Plumb the Forbidden is a great way to sac your board in response to a board wipe and refill your hand. Clever Concealment is a less budget option, but great for decks like this that want to go wide.

• Frontline Medic is also a budget option that's kind of on theme with Battalion. Fanatical Devotion is also another fairly budget option for repurposing your tokens.

Happy to talk shop if you're looking for feedback. I have some additional ideas, but didn't want to write you an essay. Hope you have fun with Isshin, he's a blast to get snowballing.

Crow_Umbra on

1 month ago

You've got a pretty solid Isshin deck! Have you had a chance to play this list irl yet? I have a few suggestions, and just kind of "food for thought" comments from looking at your deck:

• I'll admit, I'm a bit biased, and prefer not to use equipment that aren't Lightning Greaves variants or Skullclamp. On that note, I'd recommend maybe swapping out Diamond Pick-Axe & Sword of the Animist/Bitterthorn with a couple more 2 mana rocks like Talisman of Conviction & others in-color. Pacing wise, I found Sword of the Animist to be kinda slow for Isshin, since it's 4 total mana to cast & equip to a creature. The 2 mana rocks could even swap out with Wayfarer's Bauble and/or Commander's Sphere.

• Related, but Skullclamp is gas for draw in a deck like this that makes lots of 1/1 tokens. Highly recommend it.

• Phlage is a great card, but do you think you'd ever cast it for its Escape cost? I pulled a copy, but haven't put it in Isshin yet, mostly because in games where I could play the Escape cost, I'm already far enough behind that it might not help me much.

• Rottenmouth Viper is an enticing pick that I've definitely gone back and forth on, but have mostly left in consideration for now. It kinda feels like a slower Torment of Hailfire with extra steps, & needs some steep board investment if you cast it for its reduced cost.

• If you keep a lot of your big beaters, Dragonhawk, Fate's Tempest could be worth looking at. On its own, it's at least a 5/5 flyer that can smack faces, but has that additional impulse draw & group slug stapled to it.

• I'd highly recommend adding Clever Concealment, Scapegoat, or Fanatical Devotion as additional means of protecting your board, or at least key pieces of it. Isshin is heavily board invested, so protection goes a long way.

Those are just some of my initial thoughts. I'm down to talk shop if you're up for it. Best of luck with your deck; Isshin is a blast

CoryDean on Wyleth

3 months ago

Added: Astor, Bearer of Blades, Swords to Plowshares, Arid Mesa, Needleverge Pathway  ^Flip, Clever Concealment

Removed: Keeper of the Accord, Elbrus, the Binding Blade  ^Flip (because it is black), Condemn, Plains, Mountain,

Lord_of_Lords on [Primer] Helming the Host of Heaven *Update*

5 months ago

What I like about Angelic Sell-Sword is that it makes it easier to cast Clever Concealment. With enough vigilance, maybe Wand of the Worldsoul should be considered.

Lord_of_Lords on [Primer] Helming the Host of Heaven *Update*

5 months ago

Wojek Investigator is pretty good. She has decent stats, good keywords, and in the game I played her, she made a lot of clue tokens. Having innate vigilance is something I look for in angels, mainly to help cast Clever Concealment or convoking with Wand of the Worldsoul if you're running that.

Aurelia's Vindicator is powerful, but expensive. I like her. I've tried her. I'm not sure what I want to swap out for her though. Early game, she fits your curve and late game, she provides flexible removal. Ward 2 helps her stick around.

I haven't tried Merchant of Truth, and I don't plan to. Exalted doesn't fit the deck's strategy.

An angel ox has been spoiled for Outlaws of Thunder Junction. It's named is Holy Cow. 2/2 for 3 with flash and flying that gains 2 life and scrys 1. Funny, but not too exciting.