Fateful Absence

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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

Fateful Absence

Instant

Destroy target creature or planeswalker. Its controller investigates. (They create a colourless Clue artifact token with ", Sacrifice this artifact: Draw a card.")

DawnsRayofLight on Jetmir's Myriad of Debauchery

1 week ago

seems strong, running stax for some control and using jetmir as a buff to win.

given the mana curve, you could manage a bit more with 32-33 lands and run more 1 drop mana guys.

Removal will be helpful, Path to Exile, Swords to Plowshares, Generous Gift, Beast Within, Winds of Abandon, Fateful Absence,

with the creature count, Winota, Joiner of Forces could help give some gas, though you may need to add more humans to make her work better: Adeline, Resplendent Cathar, Myrel, Shield of Argive, Brutal Cathar  Flip, Loyal Apprentice, Sanctum Prelate, Caves of Chaos Adventurer, Seasoned Dungeoneer (I have been loving the initiative creatures), Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, Ranger-Captain of Eos

some X token spells like Finale of Glory, Pest Infestation, Grand Crescendo, White Sun's Twilight, Martial Coup, Awaken the Woods can also help restore your board state

loricatuslupus on Blessings of Blood and Feathers

2 months ago

Well first thing that stands out is that you need more mana, probably 35 lands plus a few more rocks - if there was any deck to use a Sol Ring in, it's one where your commander costs six! Given you're not running many tapped lands anyway some of the extras could be filled in by the ZNR DFCs like Hagra Mauling  Flip, giving you more lands if you need them without sacrificing spell slots. Once you're making sure that the deck is consistent in getting there you could also then add some bigger creatures or other finishers, safe in the knowledge that you should be able to hardcast cast them most games (and given how much life you can gain recurring 6/7 drops should be easy enough). Speaking of might be worth at least CONSIDERING other graveyard stockers/reanimator spells such as Unmarked Grave/Reanimate in case Rudolf is indesposed or you have to recover from a board wipe. Given how easy it is for you to make Rudolf indestructible board wipes are going to be a great friend - being in white you can take the slightly cheaper Wrath of God/Day of Judgment over Damnation, then get a bit more spenny with Toxic Deluge/The Meathook Massacre or pay a bit of extra mana to get flexibility in Merciless Eviction/Austere Command. Essence Pulse and Fumigate gain life as well. Similarly you're in the best colours for spot removal: ditch Disenchant and the cards which give -x/-x (they might not get the job done on a big boi) and get Vindicate/Mortify/Anguished Unmaking/Fateful Absence/Path to Exile. The deck is also quite commander-centred, meaning that lasting protection for the main man is more important than an instant which saves him once. Lightning Greaves/Swiftfoot Boots are the classics but I like Blessing of Leeches in commander as you can regenerate for free as many times as you need per turn while the life loss is meaningless to you. Otherwise you might want see if my Licia deck (Reign in Blood) has anything you like the look of.

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

3 months ago

Sorry I've been a bit slow on responses, a sudden visit from my parents among other things has been occupying us! Here we go!

Perilous_Percival

Angelic Ascension certainly is an interesting suggestion! Usually when I've seen cards like this (there are some similar ones like Divine Gambit) I just think that I don't want to give my opponents anything of import, and a 4/4 flyer is generally not something I want them to have. However, as you point out, we can usually block that here, and with our life gain this might be a non-issue in this deck where it is a significant one in others. The downside of this card is the 4/4, but it exiles, is at instant speed, has flexibility (since it can hit PWs as well), and is great flavor. The comparison cards, both of which cost are Darksteel Mutation and Fateful Absence. The upside of mutation is that it can sideline annoying combo commanders and pieces. The down side is that it is sorcery speed. It also isn't a slam dunk, as it can be sacrificed or bounced in numerous ways to get it back, or they could blow the enchantment up and not have to recast their piece. Fateful Absence likewise can deal with PWs, but it only destroys the target, which is less useful in recursion decks where they can just get it back. It also grants a clue token, which sometimes could be better than a 4/4 flyer (if they draw into the piece they need to win or stay in the game) and sometimes can be worse, so it's a mixed bag. On the whole, I'd be interested in trying it out though!

kirbysan

That's helpful feedback on Emeria, Shattered Skyclave  Flip, and makes me feel like I knew what I was doing when I didn't include it. I suspect its still worth it though because they will probably be some corner cases where it does what we need even if we don't love the cost. And since the three life doesn't really mean anything to us it's probably worth it, but its a marginal increase at best. Kabira Takedown  Flip is probably the best mdfc to add because more removal is always useful. Ondu Inversion  Flip isn't great since we don't typically want to wipe the board, but there are corner cases where I could use it with Cosmic Intervention with devastating effect, and it's probably wise to have a second board wipe anyway.

As for the game on Muddstah, I couldn't agree more with the misplays. I wish they has posted his deck list so we knew whether he included enough draw in his deck, but in any case there is no reason he shouldn't have played Giada turn 2, and he should have started with smaller, more incremental attacks along the way, with those counters helping a lot. He was clearly way too excited about having the lifegain/angel token making powerhouse cards on board and got ahead of himself. He also shouldn't have bothered with Bishop of Wings and played Righteous Valkyrie turn three, which would have caused Resplendent Angel to make its first token when he cast it on the end of turn four, giving him seventeen power on board turn four, with the option to get a lot more with bishop or another angel the turn afterward. The whole table was way too worried about the blue/green player just because he had a board state. The worst blue/green can do to our deck is bounce everything, and that doesn't set us back too much, especially with that hand. The Ulamogg player was slow but that is a deck you want to kill early, and mono-black is a color we want to be more afraid of, as the Sudden Spoiling move proved. They all should have put the eldrazi player on the death list as soon as they saw him put Woe Strider in his hand. Threat assessment problems aside, he just didn't sequence things correctly, and its certainly possible that he didn't have enough draw in his deck to where setting it up looked relevant. Nonetheless, he was still one of the powerhouse players in this match, attesting to Giada's strength!

amarthaler

Thanks for the kind words and the suggestion! Moonsilver Spear is always a fun card, and the prospect of making a giant angel token with it is indeed tantalizing. I think the casting and equipping costs make it a bit slow for our curve, though by all means play it if it's fun! I do have a copy in my binder, and I do plan to play it if I ever make that boros equipment deck that has been simmering in my mind for a year or so, its a fun card!

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

3 months ago

kirbysan

That's great to have you list available! I'll keep an eye on it. Avacyn will probably go in some day because she is just cool and seems to belong in an angels tribal deck. She also is certainly helpful to our game plan, though isn't necessarily essential since she is high on the cmc side.

It also occurred to me today that I really need to up my mdfc game. There really isn't a reason for us not to play Emeria, Shattered Skyclave  Flip in this deck, and we should probably play Ondu Inversion  Flip and Kabira Takedown  Flip as well, though we have to be a bit more careful with tap lands since they can slow us down considerably. I should have some store credit and Christmas money coming in, and those cards are dirt cheap anyway so I'll put them in soon. I think I'll also probably put Fateful Absence in in place of Darksteel Mutation because I think the sorcery speed activation and planeswalker killing utility probably outweigh the disruption mutation can cause to a commander.

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

3 months ago
Here are my most recent updates, with some brief justifications. I've telegraphed most of my thoughts on these before, so I'll try to go for a briefer treatment.

1) Harsh Mercy OUT Darksteel Mutation IN

Harsh Mercy seemed like it would be amazing, but I find I don't often need to wipe the board in this deck, and usually when I considered using Mercy it was to deal with one or two problematic creatures. Unfortunately, they get to pick what they keep and can always keep something, so this turns out to be not as good as we'd think, particularly as we don't really need it to clear blockers since we fly. More targeted removal seems to be what the doctor ordered, and Darksteel Mutation can sideline problematic combo commanders. I may switch this to Fateful Absence eventually, but for now we'll go for the more durable if less flexible answer.

2) Serra Paragon IN Baneslayer Angel OUT

It should be fairly clear why this card belongs in, as it is amazing and adds on the recursion in the deck for the low cost of 4 mana. We can get her going as early as turn three! Baneslayer is iconic and fun to play, but it is higher on our curve and has never been too synergistic, so it gets the axe.

3) Karmic Guide OUT Emeria Angel IN

I was always nervous about the cmc on the latter, but others have assured me it works great, and this update is lowering my curve across the board so I can afford to raise it two for a far superior version of Guide. Emeria Angel lets us get back whatever we want turn after turn, and is a must answer value piece that can do work in the late game.

4) Angel of Invention OUT Steel Seraph IN

This change is more experimental, but the latter costs three when we cast it here, which lowers our curve by two. Its ability is really relevant and synergistic, and allows us to have lifelink the turn we cast this. I do like what I can cutting though as anthems are good here, so there is a chance I go back or re-add it down the road, but for now we are cutting the curve.

5) Sigarda's Splendor OUT Smuggler's Share IN

Smuggler's Share will no doubt be good in this deck and we need to cut a draw piece for it. I agonized on what to cut as Splendor is better in the early game and less likely to be removed, but is bad late game when it won't give us value. Vanquisher's Banner is amazing in the late game but is a bit more of a high risk, high reward sort of card here. I opted to keep banner because I feel like we need more of the latter category than the former. We'll see how it goes, though others have assured me that banner works well in the late game, and it has indeed done that where I've used it in other decks.

6) Ghost Quarter OUT Mutavault IN

While I like having the extra answer to lands, we can't afford too many colorless lands in this deck and I think this is the least needed as we also have Generous Gift. Mutavault is great obviously for the combo with The Book of Exalted Deeds, but it is also a great way to upper our counters with spare mana. If we activate it on our turn before casting any angels we'll get extra counters on said angels when they ETB. This utility can definitely make a difference over the course of the game even without making it into a Platinum Angel land, and the latter is amazing.

7) Eerie Interlude OUT Guardian of Faith IN

Interlude was always bad because you lose all of your counters on the blink since Giada would re-enter at the same time as them. Guardian is awesome because by phasing out they never leave the battlefield and thus keep all of their counters. Of course if you have Teferi's Protection do feel free to play that in place of either this or Cosmic Intervention

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

3 months ago

kirbysan

Thanks for the input! I think I'll probably cut Sigarda's Splendor after all. I haven't seen Vanquisher's Banner be bad yet, so I'll keep monitoring things but it's probably better to go for the high ceiling low floor type cards when we get above 3 cmc. As for Darksteel Mutation, the key is simply having a removal place to take the spot of Harsh Mercy. I've found that several times when I had it in hand I didn't need a board wipe but did want a targeted removal. That card wasn't good for that since each player gets to pick a creature type to keep, so it went. Mutation is nice since it can sideline a commander at least temporarily, though there are ways around it. Another good option is Fateful Absence, which simply destroys a creature or planeswalker, but which can be done at instant speed. Either way, it doesn't have to be integral, we just want to up the efficient removal with this slot.

As for other cards, my thoughts are as follows. Linvala, Keeper of Silence is the easiest because this card has saved my bacon more times than I can recount, and has been a true all star for me. I expected her to be fine but she's been a real star. Angel of Jubilation is also solid. We're always happy to have the anthem and when her second ability comes into play we'll be very glad we have her as she shuts down some of the more degenerate shenanigans in the format. Search for Glory is another easy one, and is a very underrated card. We have a lot of amazing legends here, and she can tutor all of them. One which I have used multiple times is tutoring Sephara, Sky's Blade and then immediately playing her for .

Together Forever is a board protection piece and the theory on it is good. I haven't seen it as often as other cards, but when I have I've played it, used it, and been glad to have it. It doesn't stop our pieces from being destroyed per se, but it does preserve the cards themselves for the cheap cost of per card. The biggest danger in this deck is getting blown out with an empty hand, and this ensures that we can at least have a hand if we play carefully. It is also good in less dramatic situations though. When I've enjoyed it most is when I've used it to save Sephara, Sky's Blade only to immediately replay her for the next turn, something that vexed my opponents greatly. Now if I were putting Avacyn in I could consider cutting this card since it is in the same category (sort of), but I've found it to be good and plan on keeping it for the time being. Starnheim Unleashed in this deck is the sort of token splashy card that allows for a big play that can put us over the top. It's not critical to the function of the deck, but where it is good it is generally pretty great. The ceiling is to play it with Crashing Drawbridge on the board or to flash it out on the end step right before our turn with Emergence Zone, where the element of surprise can take over the game. That being said, if you wanted to slot Luminarch Ascension in, something I have thought about doing, it could go in place of this as it has a similar function in terms of being able to pump out a massive amount of angel tokens. Luminarch Ascension has added value as a permanent since it can generate angels repeatedly for small mana. It'd downside is that there is no element of surprise. Our opponents will instantly know the threat it poses and will likely work to remove it as quickly as they can, possibly before we get to activate it at all. I think both cards are good and can justify a place in the deck, though I wouldn't say either is essential.

Angel of Condemnation is a card that I have pondered cutting and haven't really used too much in my playtesting so far, though it's certainly not bad and the theory on it is good. It's one of those cards with a lot of utility. On the one hand it is a removal piece, and a think we can use extra mana on at instant speed to repeatedly disrupt our opponents. Often we shouldn't need to exert him. Just blinking our opponents degenerate piece on their upkeep will generally keep them from exploiting it during their turn. Of course if we do exert him we can sideline a piece until an opponent removes him, and usually only the opponent who owns the degenerate piece will be willing to do so. This card can also be useful on our own stuff. We'll be happy to blink Sanctuary Warden for an extra card sometimes, or maybe blink any of our creatures to gain life off of Bishop of Wings and make an angel token off of Resplendent Angel or put some counters on stuff with Archangel of Thune. I've played enough blink decks to know that we tend to find all sorts of synergies like this if we have a card like this one in the deck and are looking for them.

Needless to say I am pretty happy with the list in general, and most of the cards I haven't liked I've cut. This doesn't mean we can't cut these or any other cards, but the threshold of a new card needs to be high for me to consider it.

DreadKhan on Need help pls (too many cards)

5 months ago

If you're hoping to play vs fairly competitive decks in Modern, I wouldn't run many (ideally none) 5, 6 or 7 drops, even 4 drops are slow and can clog up your hand. In a format like Modern, you want to be doing things in the most efficient manner possible, meaning you want low to the ground spells. If you have more than 1 spell of MV > 4 in your opening hand, it's very hard to make that hand a keep! Also, effects that only gain you life are terrible in practice. Blockers are usually not helpful, they end up too small/ineffective, so I'd hesitate before running cards with Defender in Modern unless you have a big payoff for them. Bodies that aren't big for their MV that lack abilities other than life gain often fail to progress the game, keep in mind that Tarmogoyf has lost huge amounts of popularity, and that could be a 3/4 or better for 2 mana. I feel like Ondu War Cleric is not a very impactful card, the 2/2 body isn't very big and the ability does very little. Tine Shrike seems like a strange inclusion, it's not a bad card in the right deck I suppose, but in this one it's clunky at 4 mana and Infect doesn't 'stack' with regular damage, so you could get the opponent to 1 life, and be stuck with only Shrike and need to deal 10 more damage to kill them. Either run lots of infect or probably skip it. Auras are generally not good cards, it's too easy for your opponent to 2 for 1 you by removing the creature. 4 mana for an aura is not where you need to be in Modern. Angelic Gift is probably more fine, since it replaces itself and Flying is a useful ability to have.

Smite the Monstrous feels awful beyond words in a format where people run stuff like Path to Exile, Generous Gift and maybe Fateful Absence in mono-White, 4 mana to have situational removal that only can hit creatures feels pretty bad.

If you want a low to the ground option to trigger lifegain and deal damage, Healer's Hawk is a nice flying lifelink 1 drop.

If you find it hard to cut cards, I think Yorion, Sky Nomad is Modern legal still, and requires you to use an oversize deck of 80 cards, and it's a fairly beefy flyer you always have access to if you need it, which definitely isn't a bad thing.

Necramus on Queza, the Queefer

6 months ago

Okay. So, I think you should really lean into the control/combo shell. This deck could use combos like Sanguine Bond and Exquisite Blood, with some added redundancy in the forms of Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose and Marauding Blight-Priest, or Mikaeus, the Unhallowed and Triskelion to close out the game. In order to accomplish this, I think you should cut a ton of the creatures and really lean into board wipes, control spells, and resource denial.

Things like:

Arterial Flow

The Meathook Massacre

Dovin's Veto

Spell Pierce

Necropotence

Ghostly Prison

Propaganda

Revenge of Ravens

Damnation

Wrath of God

Supreme Verdict

Time Wipe

Counterspell

Mana Drain

Rhystic Study

Smothering Tithe

Sheoldred, the Apocalypse

Gray Merchant of Asphodel

Vampiric Tutor

Demonic Tutor

Search for Glory

Idyllic Tutor

Enlightened Tutor

Mystical Tutor

Cyclonic Rift

Murderous Rider

Feed the Swarm

Infernal Grasp

Fierce Guardianship

Deadly Rollick

Fateful Absence

Underworld Dreams

Ob Nixilis, the Hate-Twisted

Windfall

Solve the Equation

Baleful Strix

Drown in the Loch

Mana Leak

Professor Onyx

Narset, Parter of Veils

Nihil Spellbomb

Arcane Signet

Azorius Signet

Orzhov Signet

Dimir Signet

Talisman of Dominance

Talisman of Progress

Esper Sentinel

Lion Sash

Swords to Plowshares

Deep Gnome Terramancer

Archivist of Oghma

Teferi's Protection

Teferi, Hero of Dominaria

Teferi, Time Raveler

Teferi, Master of Time

Dig Through Time

Drannith Magistrate

Malevolent Hermit  Flip

Aven Mindcensor

Hushbringer

Aura of Silence

Sea Gate Restoration  Flip

Negate

Sphinx's Revelation

Authority of the Consuls

On Thin Ice

Generous Gift

Ponder

Gitaxian Probe

Brainstorm

Gadwick, the Wizened

The Magic Mirror

Echo of Eons

Narset's Reversal

Swift Reconfiguration

Land Tax

Blind Obedience

Darksteel Mutation

Grasp of Fate

Silence

Farewell

Jace, the Mind Sculptor

You could also do cute stuff like Phyrexian Unlife + Solemnity, giving yourself time to wipe the board again or go for the win with Peer into the Abyss. You should also consider taking a look at your mana base.

I'd suggest going for some fetches, checks, and shocks like:

Flooded Strand

Polluted Delta

Marsh Flats

Hallowed Fountain

Glacial Fortress

Watery Grave

Drowned Catacomb

Godless Shrine

Isolated Chapel

Deserted Beach

Shattered Sanctum

Shipwreck Marsh

Command Tower

You also have way too many plains right now. Even before you get the lands I just named, you should cut 6 Plains for 4 Swamp and 2 Island.

I know I've given you a lot of suggestions. I think if you tried putting a list together with all the cards I named, plus some of the bangers from your current list and you'd have a badass deck! Don't worry about trying to do all that right now, though. See which look most appealing/are in your price range and add those first. A lot of these should be long term goals!

Don't tell Rett I gave you so many suggestions XD

-Blake

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