Build a creature board that can tap safely before the second main phase, collecting survival counters, cards and life without donating creatures to bad attacks.
Build a creature board that can tap safely before the second main phase, collecting survival counters, cards and life without donating creatures to bad attacks.
Commit when repeated useful cards and enough support make a complete deck in these colors.
Four checks while you draft
Can I affect the board before the payoff?
A two-drop gains flying once after beginning your second main phase tapped. Attack safely or use another tap effect before that phase; a vigilant attack by itself would not leave it tapped.
Do my actual cards enable this plan?
Attach Baseball Bat to a survival creature to tap a blocker when it attacks, or cast Coordinated Clobbering before the second main phase to tap an untapped survivor while removing a threat.
Can I stop their strongest play and finish a stalled game?
Build a creature board that can tap safely before the second main phase, collecting survival counters, cards and life without donating creatures to bad attacks.
Choose the missing job before another reward that needs it.
The key card is present but its support is thin.
Prioritize useful support such as Acrobatic Cheerleader or Glimmer Seeker.
Attach Baseball Bat to a survival creature to tap a blocker when it attacks, or cast Coordinated Clobbering before the second main phase to tap an untapped survivor while removing a threat.
Your deck enables the plan but is losing the early turns.
Take a castable early creature or efficient answer before another expensive payoff.
Survival checks tapped status at the second main phase and again on resolution. After a tapped Cautious Survivor's trigger exists, destroying it uses last tapped status and does not stop its life gain.
The support is missing
Favor independently useful creatures and interaction if the narrow support does not arrive.
Repeated useful cards are clues, not proof that the colors are open.
Survival checks tapped status at the second main phase and again on resolution. After a tapped Cautious Survivor's trigger exists, destroying it uses last tapped status and does not stop its life gain.
Remove a survivor before the phase begins, or untap it in response while it remains on the battlefield. Merely killing a tapped survivor after its trigger exists can leave the reward intact.
Sheltered by Ghosts61.0% GIH · 3,445 instances
Under the Skin56.6% GIH · 3,375 instances
Trapped in the Screen56.4% GIH · 8,206 instances
Optimistic Scavenger56.1% GIH · 2,320 instances
Exorcise55.9% GIH · 3,259 instances
Defiant Survivor55.7% GIH · 4,665 instances17Lands ↗ · Sep 24–Oct 28, 2024 · at least 100 card-in-hand instances in this pair’s no-splash decks. Choose the job your deck needs first.
Dollmaker's Shop // Porcelain Gallery 1W // 4WWRoom: statistics and whole-card assessments describe this card, not an individual door.Dollmaker's Shop: The white two-mana door creates one Toy when one or more of your non-Toy creatures attack a player. Multiple attackers in the same attack still give one token in a two-player game. Porcelain Gallery: The six-mana white door sets your creatures' base sizes to your creature count. Develop several bodies first, and remember losing creatures can shrink the entire team immediately.
Ghostly Dancers 3WWIts entry can recover an enchantment to hand or unlock a locked door, while later eerie events create 3/1 flying Spirits. Have useful enchantments or an unfinished Room ready; fully unlocking a Room with the entry ability can immediately trigger the Dancers' Spirit reward.
Overlord of the Mistmoors 5WWThe four-mana impending mode immediately makes two flying Insects while leaving the Overlord a noncreature enchantment until its time counters are gone. Seven mana gives the 6/6 body immediately; choose the mode around your defense, then use later attacks for more flyers.
Tyvar, the Pummeler 1GGKeep another untapped creature available to protect Tyvar: activating that ability taps both the helper and Tyvar, but does not remove Tyvar from combat. With several creatures, its five-mana team pump can finish a game; the greatest power is checked on resolution, and the bonus grants no trample.
Valgavoth's Onslaught XXGThe double-X cost means five mana makes two manifested 4/4s, while seven makes three 5/5s. Choose the investment around the board and available mana; the counters stay if a creature is later turned face up, but none of these face-down creatures has inherent ward.
Dissection Tools 5Five mana manifests a body and attaches this Equipment, making that face-down creature a 4/4 with deathtouch and lifelink. Later equips cost a sacrificed creature and still use sorcery timing; use expendable bodies to move the Tools onto a flyer or other threat likely to connect.17Lands Premier Draft ↗ · Sep 24–Oct 28, 2024 · 100-instance minimum
Acrobatic CheerleaderA two-drop gains flying once after beginning your second main phase tapped. Attack safely or use another tap effect before that phase; a vigilant attack by itself would not leave it tapped.
Fear of Surveillance
Prop Room2WRoom: cast this door from hand. On the battlefield, unlock a locked door by paying its cost as a sorcery; unlocking is not casting.Fear of Surveillance
Glimmer SeekerBeginning your second main phase tapped makes a Glimmer or draws if you already have one. Find a safe attack or earlier tap effect; you cannot wait until the trigger point to tap it retroactively.
Cautious SurvivorA tapped Survivor gains two life from its second-main trigger. Once that trigger exists, destroying it uses its last tapped status and does not stop the reward; untapping it while present does.
Coordinated ClobberingTap one or two untapped creatures as the spell resolves and have each deal its power to an opposing creature. This can enable survival before the second main phase, but the creatures must still be legal untapped targets.
Exorcise
Shrewd StorytellerAttach Baseball Bat to a survival creature to tap a blocker when it attacks, or cast Coordinated Clobbering before the second main phase to tap an untapped survivor while removing a threat.
Porcelain Gallery4WWRoom: cast this door from hand. On the battlefield, unlock a locked door by paying its cost as a sorcery; unlocking is not casting.A wide board can turn the white six-mana door into a large team-wide base-size increase. Count your creatures and the effect of losing one before combat; the two-mana Shop is separately useful when non-Toy attackers can survive.
Examples apply the printed rules; judge the board, costs and timing.
| One-pick | Sealed |
|---|---|
| With one pick at a time, fill the missing early play, answer or support card before adding another narrow payoff. The plan must work without drawing its key card. | Compare complete builds from the cards you opened. Keep the castable curve and interaction even if the draft theme is only partly supported. |
