I have custom categories for cards albeit the default organization using card supertypes. If you're interested in using them, here's the general gist. Keep in mind that if a card could fall under two different categories, the primary category that I use it for was prioritized over its other side uses.
Draw / Tutors, Ramp, Lands
The backbone to most decks. Without these, you're not going anywhere. I borrow principles from cEDH in my non-cEDH deckbuilding, accounting for contextual differences in the translating of these principles. That's how you see stuff like twenty-nine lands and many ramp pieces, or intentionally low mana curves in my decks (sub-2.55 average CMC on average for my decks).
Hexproof + Indestructible, Extra Blocking, Protection
My main objective was to have more emphasis on defensive buffs, using burst damage at carefully planned times. I've seen enough Feather variants to know how easy it is to play the attrition game against someone by blowing up Feather repeatedly. Always protect Feather as best you can.
Sheer Force
My regular power boosters that do little else. If it doesn't buff target creature's power by at least +3, it didn't make it in.
2x Power
"P O W E E E E R"
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Self-explanatory. Double power is stackable on top of double strike, giving Feather an exponential power buff in the process. Play these after any buffs that only confer a straight boost (+3/+3, etc.).
Double Strike
Buffs that grant double strike. If you're going to focus on a power buff, focus on this one. For those not aware, the first hit of double strike acts as first strike. On top of this, effects that trigger on combat damage proc twice (and can be subsequently responded to as well).
Flicker, Blink
Making things disappear and reappear for added gains is what this deck wants to do when Feather isn't wailing on some poor soul who swung at us for 1 damage turn 2. When not being played defensively, main targets include:
Dockside Extortionist: Blow one mana on a flicker spell to gain net mana if Dockside can produce two or more treasure tokens. Two treasures per cast puts you at four treasure tokens per full turn cycle assuming said flicker spell costs one mana.
Solitude: Arguably my favorite creature to flicker repetitively. Watch your opponents die inside when you exile three to four creatures per turn cycle. Yes, they gain life, but so what? Commander damage is the main objective, and like a lot of things in life, you can't heal it off.
If you cast Solitude for its Evoke cost, exile a creature for ETB trigger #1, and then cast a flicker spell in response to the ETB sac trigger. The "new" Solitude will a.) Exile another creature; and, b.) Be unaffected by the sac trigger meant for the "other" Solitude; you keep Solitude on the field.
Imperial Recruiter: Pulled it in a pack with Solitude, which is probably the only reason they wound up in here. You can search for nearly every creature in the deck when it enters the battlefield. The only card outclassing it is Recruiter of the Guard in how the latter can search for Solitude.
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If nothing else, flicker and blink effects are always a defensive boon for damage avoidance and spot removal fizzling.
Utility
Our grab bag of goodies.
One by one:
Leonin Lightscribe: Magecraft's release as of Strixhaven is what Feather needed. Lightscribe triggers as you cast or copy an instant or sorcery spell, before it resolves. Always keep that fact tabbed in your mind when casting any spell that doubles the power of a creature you control. Moreover, you can have a situation happen like so:
Active creatures: Lightscribe, Zada, Hedron Grinder, Feather, Storm-Kiln Artist
- Cast Unleash Fury, targeting Zada.
- Lightscribe and Zada trigger at the same time in response to the initial casting of Unleash Fury. Let Zada trigger first, putting three copies of Unleash Fury on the stack.
- Lightscribe now has four triggers on the stack above Unleash Fury and its copies: one from the initial cast plus three more.
- Let all those resolve, giving your creatures +4/+4 in total.
- Let all copies of Unleash Fury resolve.
It's important to do the triggers in this order to let all of Lightscribe's boosts proc before doubling Feather's power. From our interaction here, Feather sits at 14 power with flying. Double strike kills from this range; one more non-flicker/blink instant or sorcery prior to Unleash Fury would push her over in this scenario; one of the instants from Sheer Force, regardless of target (Feather or Zada/Mirrorwing), would give her enough power to kill someone in one combat phase.
By the way, you now have four extra treasure tokens from Kiln Artist. Go nuts.
Young Pyromancer / Monastery Mentor: I've seen variants of Feather where almost the only creature was Feather within all one-hundred cards. If there's one thing people don't take a liking to, it's seeing someone die to burst damage knowing next turn it could be them. Token generation helps Feather maintain a viable boardstate as you're inevitably ganked by players who know what you can do.
Teferi's Protection: The only defense card in this deck that doesn't target a creature. It's great for avoiding death; always run one when/if you can.
Zada, Hedron Grinder / Mirrorwing Dragon: Value in your spellslinger-aggro deck? Might be closer than you think. If you're not running the single-creature variant of Feather, these are mandatory additions. Seriously, these cards can make a moderately sized army of cannon fodder into a killing force that wins you the game (regular damage being an alt wincon for this deck): You can effectively get an absurd number of combat phases from Seize the Day provided you gave your creatures vigilance with Angelfire Ignition or Show of Confidence; you can even use these creatures' effects to protect yourself against a boardwipe by giving everything indestructible. Never don't run these.
Wincon
These win us the game if we aren't using Commander damage as the main out.
Aetherflux Reservoir: I don't know why more people don't blow this up when I cast it. To answer why it should be blown up, lemmie run you through this interaction:
- You cast an instant or sorcery spell. In response, Aetherflux triggers with its lifegain effect.
- Respond to this triggered ability by casting another instant. Aetherflux triggers for that casting.
- F it, repeat this three more times for a total of five triggers, trigger five on top of the stack.
- Because the triggered ability from Aetherflux is written in past-tense, it gives you five life for the five spells you cast. And so do the other triggers. For a total of 25 life.
Happy blasting.
Seize the Day: I lied, we're maybe still using Commander damage for this out. Seize the day targets a creature in the process of giving extra combat, triggering Feather's triggered ability to return the card to your hand at the end of every turn. You're looking at one extra combat phase at worst and an inane number of them at best when, per previous statements, you target Zada/Mirrorwing if you have multiple creatures. Don't forget to give everyone vigilance before moving to combat!
Insult / Injury: Not strictly a game-ender. You're probably playing this on top of buffs that double power and/or grant double strike. If you think you can take out 2+ players and want to prevent someone comboing Fog into your demise before it rolls back to you (likely from the hate you've drawn), this is the card right here.
