[Primer] Political Subterfuge - Marchesa Aikido
Commander / EDH
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Modern Horizons 2 —June 3, 2021
With the advent of MH2, there are a couple cards that stand out. Unfortunately, I still haven't managed to fit in a few of the Strixhaven cards I'd like to test (such as Inkshield, Monologue Tax, Cunning Rhetoric and Cursed Mirror) and with a few cards from MH2 I doubt I will be able to fit all the new cards in. At this point, I think only Inkshield will make it into the deck any time soon, until I end up finding some other cut that I am unhappy with (or some intentional powering down like removing combos / Necropotence / tutors.
As far as MH2 cards go, here's what I'm looking at:
Esper Sentinel - this one doesn't need much explanation. The fact that it's a one drop really helps, and it has some synergy with the +4/+0 from Sunforger. I have a fondness for low-cmc taxing effects, as it helps us draw parity with other colors that tend to be better at... most things really, especially in white heavy decks which this deck tends to be. This is probably as close as white will ever get to Rhystic Study (which should have been white anyway) and I am absolutely never opposed to more drawing power (or perhaps more importantly, being more likely to get some sort of card advantage in my starting ~10 cards). I don't need a ton of mass or burst draw as I play the long game, but on top of having monarch guaranteed in the command zone, having some sort of draw support early one is crucial to allowing us to set ourselves up in a winning position.
Sword of Hearth and Home - this one may come as a surprise to some of you. This card combines ramp, along the lines of Sword of the Animist, but also allows me to re-use ETBs. Now that I run more ETBs (and no longer run Hushbringer), I'm considering re-adding Stoneforge Mystic alongside this new sword so that I can tutor Sunforger more often, and get more value out of things like Imperial Recruiter which hits a good chunk of the deck. The ramp isn't the fastest, but I may have to find a way to add more basics, but I think this is a fair tradeoff for the flickering effect. It also makes me wonder if there are any other equipment I should add so that I can have an additional Stoneforge target. Bloodthirsty Blade comes to mind, just as a fun, on-theme option, as does Shadowspear and Conqueror's Flail. The protection from green and white is handy too - particularly green - as it helps punch a creature through for that last pinch of damage to win a game, but this effect is more secondary.
Dauthi Voidwalker - this is fairly aikido with the ability to use opponent's threats, and it acts as anti-graveyard stax without hindering our own recursion (something that always stops me from running Rest in Peace). Having shadow also allows it to push through late game damage to secure a win (what many of my longer games come down to). I suspect, however, that this card is going to be a removal magnet. Which isn't bad, considering that it is only 2-cmc and gets removal out of an opponent's hand, but I would also prefer that removal being pointed elsewhere. This card also gives us some more flexibility with our wheel effects - both in and out of combo lines. If we are in a position where we are facing a control deck, or are being forced to combo out early (probably in response to an opponent's impending early game combo), we can use Voidwalker as a backup. It's not definitive, but if someone disrupts our wheel-until-everyone-decks line, we have a shot at grabbing Voidwalker and using it to resolve a bomb. If they're smart, they can prevent this by countering Underworld Breach, but if they don't catch on and have to resort to exiling Wheel of Fortune (perhaps by allowing us to wheel until they wheel into interaction), then Voidwalker could be relevant. I'll have to do some testing with this, particularly to this latter point, as I have not personally ever encountered a situation where that would actually happen, and so I have some limited experience to draw on.