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Mark of the Matriarch

Casual WU (Azorius)

ClockworkSwordfish

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Creature (22)

Enchantment (14)

Land (24)

Sideboard

Instant (8)

Maybeboard

Creature (8)

Enchantment (7)

Instant (1)

Putting enchantments on your opponent's creatures? What are you up to?

The forgotten old piece of tech Rootwater Matriarch has a very promising ability - steal a creature every turn, and it's only four mana to play! - but you need to jump through some hoops: namely, the creature has to be enchanted. How do we support this powerful but delicate ability?

If you're planning to enchant your opponent's creatures so that you can steal them, what auras should you use? The usual ones you want to dump on your foe's critters - namely, things like Pacifism, Arrest and Hobble - mean the creatures will be just as useless when you actually get around to stealing them. The other side of the coin, loading them up with goodies like Spectral Flight and Elephant Guide, leaves you with some pretty juicy creatures to steal but also feels like it carries some serious undue risk. What happens if you can't stick a Matriarch to the board? You're graciously supercharging your opponent's army with which to flatten you!

The answer, I feel, lies in auras that are helpful if you control the creature and a hindrance (or at least neutral) if your opponent does. In the past, one had to get creative with things like Spirit Link (since you control the enchantment, you gain the life regardless of who controls the creature!) Nowadays, however, we have auras that seem almost custom-made for the purpose. Enter the Vows, namely Vow of Duty - if an opponent's creature is holding it, they can't make a move against you. But once you nab that creature, suddenly it's got +2/+2 and Vigilance to help you beat down its original owner. Talk about convenient!

Spectral Grasp likewise keeps a creature entirely out of your way, preventing it from attacking or blocking your creatures, but it is not so hindered when facing down your foe. The expensive but funky one-of we're trying is the always-inventive Fool's Demise - if the borrowed creature dies, it comes back under your control permanently, and the Demise goes back to your hand, ready to label the next unsuspecting victim. Good luck outpacing that!

Greater Auramancy likewise doesn't bite the hand that feeds it. It will protect your auras from removal - because remember, as soon as one is blown up, your opponent gets his creature back - but it also protects your enchanted creatures. Not your opponent's, of course, meaning you're free to steal his creature wearing a Vow of Duty and then happily welcome your new minion with the addition of Shroud. No wonder they took a vow!

Of course, one little Merfolk can't be expected to do all the hard work herself, so you've got some backup to help make the job easier. Fog Bank repels any attackers who aren't yet enchanted, particularly those with shroud or hexproof. Rootwater Shaman lets you drop enchantments at instant speed, enabling such tricky plays as enchanting a creature mid-combat and then stealing it as a surprise blocker. Metathran Elite can happily wear any of your auras to become an unblockable attacker and finish a foe off. Opponent not playing anything worth stealing? After all, maybe he's more about an army of piddly 1/1s than a coupla big bruisers. In that case, Hunted Lammasu leaves him with a beefy 4/4 worth stealing while also adding an undercosted 5/5 flyer to your ranks.
Most players shouldn't mess with Licids, for that way lies madness. However, for a deck that has the guts to give proto-Reconfigure a shot, you can find a rather incredible amount of utility. Transmogrifying Licid plays both sides of the field, being a creature or an aura when you need it. You can block with the Licid then turn it into an aura to dodge combat damage, you can enchant a foe's creature at instant speed so it can be stolen, then turn the Licid back into a creature when the stolen creature dies, or you can buff up one of your own critters. He does it all!

Of course, you can cut out some of the middleman thanks to the rare Dominating Licid, AKA Ye Olde Vedalken Shackles. Who needs a Matriarch to steal creatures? Grab what you want, then revert your Licid when the stolen creature is run to death. Fun!

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Revision 1 See all

(3 years ago)

+1 Archon of Sun's Grace maybe
-1 Betrayal maybe
-2 Celestial Colonnade main
-1 Enchanted Being maybe
-1 Fool's Demise main
-1 Greater Auramancy main
+1 Halvar, God of Battle  Flip maybe
+1 Island main
+1 Martial Impetus maybe
+2 Metathran Elite main
+1 Plains main
+1 Protean Thaumaturge maybe
+1 Psychic Impetus maybe
-1 Shimmering Wings maybe
-1 Spirit Link main
+4 Temple of Enlightenment main
-4 Terramorphic Expanse main
-1 Thran Golem maybe
+1 Transmogrifying Licid main