Isperia is an instant classic!
Nothing is more satisfying than Peek + Isperia the Inscrutable!
Isperia's ability allows you to tutor for ANY flying creature you need, and this deck has a flying creature for every situation.
Strategy example #1: Get Yosei, the Morning Star first, then get Sunblast Angel so that you can threaten an asymmetrical board wipe on whoever gets their stuff tapped by Yosei's ability (or whoever attacks with all their creatures).
Strategy example #2: Get Linvala, Shield of Sea Gate, then get Windborn Muse so that your opponents kill each other instead of you.
How to play this deck: (For Beginners)
1. The Information Gathering Phase (Turns 1–4)
Your early game focuses on two tasks: accelerating your mana and forcing your opponents to reveal their hands.
The Priority: Cast your mana rocks (Arcane Signet, Thought Vessel, Talisman of Progress) early. You want to get Isperia out on Turn 4 instead of Turn 5.
Get a "Peek" Piece: Cast cards like Peek, Gitaxian Probe, Telepathy or Glasses of Urza. Knowing your opponents' hands completely changes the game. You will know exactly what threats to counter, when it is safe to tap out, and what to name for Isperia's trigger.
Prepare a Pathway: Play Aqueous Form, Cloak of Mists, or Swiftfoot Boots early so they are ready to protect Isperia or make her unblockable the moment she hits the board.
2. The Precision Tutoring Phase (Turns 5–6)
Once Isperia is on the battlefield, your main engine is active. You want to safely attack an opponent to trigger her search ability.
The Swing: Attack the player whose hand you know. Declare Isperia's combat damage trigger, name a card you know is in their hand, and search your library for the flying creature of your choice.
What to Tutor For:
-
Serra's Emissary
(Protects you from ALL creatures while making your creatures unblockable)
-
Loyal Drake
(Drawing an extra card every turn is very good. Drawing cards wins you the game.)
-
Linvala, Shield of Sea Gate
(Discourages opponents from using their removal or board wipes. She can be sacrificed at any time to save your whole team from removal or board-wipes.)
-
Steel Hellkite
(Steel Hellkite can remove almost any threat.)
-
Wandering Eye
(If you don't have Telepathy or Glasses of Urza on the field, you can tutor for Wandering Eye to establish the deck's main engine.)
-
Sunblast Angel
(You reaveal the card you tutor for. If you tutor for Sunblast Angel, it changes the game dramatically. Nobody will want to attack you out of fear of you casting Sunblast Angel while their creatures are tapped.)
3. The Lockdown & Victory Phase (Turns 7+)
You excel in the late game because your creatures fly over ground defenses while your instants stop opponents from winning.
Weaponize Telepathy: Since cards like Telepathy make everyone play with open hands, use it as a political tool. Say to the table, "Look at Player B's hand, they have a board wipe. We need to handle them." Let your opponents fight each other while you build your flying army.
Clear the Ground: If the ground battlefield gets clogged up with massive armies, drop a Supreme Verdict or Wrath of God. Your opponents will lose everything, while you can easily rebuild by tutoring up another flying threat.
Ending the Game: Cast Archetype of Imagination. It strips flying from your opponents and gives it to your creatures, making your entire flying armada completely unblockable for a lethal game-ending swing. Or cast Serra's Emissary to make your creatures unblockable. You can also tutor for Diluvian Primordial to cast the best spells from your opponent's graveyards.
Two Golden Rules for this Deck:
1. Guessing Blindly: If you get bad luck, and you do not have a way of knowing a card in an opponent's hand, you must guess blindly. If you must guess blindly, attack any mono-color player, and name their basic land type. Always attack with Isperia, even if your guess will be a blind guess, because her ability will force the opponent she hits to reveal their hand (Meaning you can guess correctly the second time). You only need one successful guess to tutor for Wandering Eye, and set up the engine.
2. Leave Mana Open: This deck contains 18 instants. Never tap out completely on your turn if you can avoid it. Always leave 2 to 3 mana open to threaten a Counterspell, Dovin's Veto, or Blacksmith's Skill to protect your threats (Even if you are bluffing, and do not have a counterspell).
I really like to think that if Isperia were a real person, she would be a nerdy girl that wears glasses (Glasses of Urza) and does math really well (Solve the Equation). She would be telepathic too (Telepathy).
