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Schrödinger's Menagerie (Bant Morphs)

Modern GWU (Bant) Midrange Theme/Gimmick

SmokytehBear


Sideboard


Maybeboard


Morphs are sweet.

Keeping more than just the few cards in your hand hidden from your opponent opens up all sorts of interesting possibilities and tactics. With more "unknowns" for them to consider it gives you a lot more chances to bluff with things that really aren't threats, conceal when you may not actually have any answers (yet), and swoop in with game-winning plays from what was seemingly a disadvantageous position.

I started my version of the concept of an almost completely face-down deck with the release of Dragons of Tarkir, and have since made a few changes, but really haven't found great integration for many of the cards since that block. I am open to all suggestions, particularly showing me what this is missing from BFZ that would help. Thanks for viewing.

Creatures

  • Whisperwood Elemental - Primary machine of the deck and centerpiece for the synergy of a lot of the other cards. Generates enormous card advantage and utilizes the deck's relative absence of noncreatures for an increased chance of manifesting creatures. The only creature that can't play face-down besides Nissa.

  • Deathmist Raptor - Powerhouse defense and scary offense that your opponent probably won't want to block. Trades with this guy are almost always in your favor since it is so easy to flip cards like the Monastery Flock to get him right back. One of the very few creatures normally played face-up, even late in the game, unless it's absolutely essential to trigger a combo.

  • Sagu Mauler - Simple huge beater with hexproof. Pretty straightforward.

  • Hooded Hydra - Mostly the same as the Sagu Mauler, though the creation of snakes can give the added bonus of supplementing Mastery of the Unseen . The biggest benefit however, is like a few of the other creatures, if it becomes manifested, you can pay it's casting cost of only and still get the five +1/+1 counters as it is turned face up.

  • Hidden Dragonslayer - One of the few ways the deck can access direct removal. Also can help protect against aggro and burn with the lifelink. Interesting note is that if he gets manifested and you don't care about the +1/+1 counter, you can still access the removal by paying instead of to flip him.

  • Icefeather Aven - A more indirect approach to removal. Can buy a turn with a cheap bounce. Also blocks fliers or swings in for the last bit of damage. This is a fantastic card to manifest, as you can pay its regular cost of to flip it and lose no benefits.

  • Monastery Flock - Assists in flying defense and early game tempo maintenance, but primarily is in the deck for the unmorph that will return Deathmist Raptors to the board and trigger Mastery of the Unseen .

  • Stratus Dancer - Flier and can counter noncreature spells. Helps with control and mill particularly.

  • Kheru Spellsnatcher - A gag to some extent, as like the Icefeather Aven , if manifested he can be unmorphed for full benefits by paying his casting cost instead of the morph cost that the "when turned face up" effect was initially balanced for. Somewhat of a hail mary.

  • Nissa, Vastwood Seer   - The idea that they start off as creatures and can be still used if manifested probably wasn't given too much thought while the Origins Planeswalkers were being designed, but it does work. Thins a land from the deck if cast normally, and when transformed can help secure the card advantage provided by Whisperwood Elemental, Deathmist Raptor, Trail of Mystery , and Mastery of the Unseen

  • Den Protector - Mostly present to fight back against creature control decks. Deathmist Raptor is already hard to permanently get rid of but returning a Whisperwood Elemental or Sagu Mauler can save a game.

Enchantments

  • Trail of Mystery - Card advantage and maintaining the steady growth of your mana curve. It doesn't cost much to play a morph, but it starts to get expensive to flip more than one thing per turn while still playing new guys. Secondary purpose is to rapidly thin your deck of lands, even to the graveyard if necessary, to give a higher chance of a creature being manifested.

  • Mastery of the Unseen - Backup mana sink if it turns out you didn't need to flip your Stratus Dancer or something similar. Also not difficult to have a significant number of creatures with which to gain life.

  • Obscuring AEther - Not as powerful as the other two enchantments most of the time, but the immense benefit when getting this in your opening hand warrants its inclusion.

Sideboard

Suggestions

Updates Add

So took this to FNM to see how it played out and get a few laughs. Played 6 rounds total with only one win, and conceded what would have been a tie just to not screw the other guy over. Won against Esper Dragons, lost close matches against R/G Ramp and U/B Control, and got smashed by Monored Aggro and an Enchantment-centered Esper Control.

With the match I conceded, personally I believe that if we had played game three I easily could have won, but getting lands with Trail of Mystery takes so long so it was probably my fault we didn't have the time. He was using a Collected Company Temur/Jeskai deck and trounced me fast in game 1, but couldn't keep up with the Whisperwood Elemental and Mastery of the Unseen in game 2. Didn't see myself taking home prizes so it only seemed fair to give him the win.

As far as updates to the deck, I'm beginning to think that Ainok Survivalist might be worth including in the main-board, and should definitely be switched in for some Hidden Dragonslayers if they appear to be using Enchantments for control. Guy exiled two of my dinos with just one Quarantine Field and I had no way to get rid of it, pretty much ending my chances of winning right there. Conversely I felt very secure against the other control decks I played, as you can't continually counter morphs or you'll burn yourself out of cards on garbage Monastery Flocks or something. I just didn't have a good way to respond to the Stasis Snare-like cards.

The aggro game one was decently close, and had I survived the last turn with even 1 life I think I could have stabilized and came back with the lifelink and Mastery of the Unseen. Game two I just got screwed on lands, so I don't know if I need to adapt to it. Honestly, is Monored Aggro still a thing after rotation anyway?

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Revision 3 See all

(8 years ago)

-2 Flooded Strand main
+1 Gudul Lurker maybe
-1 Island main
+1 Mistfire Weaver maybe
-1 Plains main
+2 Prairie Stream main
+1 Salt Road Ambushers maybe
+1 Temur Charger maybe
+2 Windswept Heath main
Date added 8 years
Last updated 7 years
Legality

This deck is Modern legal.

Rarity (main - side)

12 - 1 Mythic Rares

24 - 8 Rares

3 - 4 Uncommons

3 - 1 Commons

Cards 60
Avg. CMC 2.75
Tokens Ashaya, the Awoken World, Emblem Kiora, Master of the Depths, Manifest 2/2 C, Morph 2/2 C, Octopus 8/8 U, Snake 1/1 G
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