I have loved a lot of things in my life. I love dogs. I love lasagna. I love Depeche Mode (for their music, not for their looks or anything.). I love humanity. I love Tad Williams’ writing. I love artificial cherry flavored things. I love playing games – all sorts of games. And I love Invasion Block.
Prior to this block, my favorite set of all time was Visions. Visions is a solid set with a mound of depth to it. With great rares, amazing uncommons, and deep commons, it was one the first set with a majority of its commons being playable. I loved it. Then Invasion Block came out, and made me change my mind.
I love Invasion Block. I know that I’ve already said that, but I feel that it is worth reiterating. It’s good stuff. I think all players look fondly on their first expansion set (for me, The Dark was so creepy and flavorful – I loved it!), the set that they cut their limited teeth on (MirVLight for me – good stuff!), and then one other set warms their heart as well. If you asked me to name my favorite sets of all time, you’d have Invasion, Champions, Visions and The Dark as the top four, so I think that agrees with my thoughts on the matter.
One of my favorite decks of all time was this off kilter deck that I played during Invasion Type Two. It uses the “recently” printed Planeshift to great effect, as well as being a strong decks on its own. The printing of Apocalypse gave it some extra “oompf,” and it is in that form that I publish it below. I love this deck, especially how it plays in multiplayer. Let’s take a look:
Equinaut
4 Equilibrium
4 Fleetfoot Panther
2 Mystic Snake
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Meddling Mage
1 Sunscape Battlemage
1 Thornscape Battlemage
4 Absorb
4 Counterspell
2 Eladamri’s Call
2 Dismantling Blow
4 Fact or Fiction
4 City of Brass
4 Yavimaya Coast
7 Island
6 Forest
3 Plains
The deck plays like a charm. The goal of the deck is to establish a soft lock with Mystic Snake or Fleetfoot Panther. Equilibrium allows you to return a creature back to your hand, and both the Snake and the Panther can be played as instants.
My favorite trick with this deck is to use the Fleetfoot Panther and Equilibrium to return one of my creatures to my hand as an instant to avoid that creature’s death, and simultaneously bounce an opposing creature as well. The net result is four mana spent, a saved Battlemage or whatever, an opposing creature bounced, and a 3/4 for my side.
Meddling Mages can really hose opponents, especially after you see what they have. Remember to bounce your own Meddling Mage after you get a better target to choose. Feel free to use a Fleetfoot Panther to return a Meddling Mage and one of your opponent’s creatures, then play the Mage bouncing another creature and naming it, so it can’t be played again.
Note that you cannot bounce the creature played with Equilibrium. Mystic Snake cannot be played and bounced back, because you have to choose the target of the Equilibrium while the creature is still on the stack.
Although many may chide the Fleetfoot Panther, it is perfect for this deck, and usually is the best creatures you can draw. It’s perfect whether you recur Battlemagi, Snakes, or Meddling Mages, as well as for saving creatures, making a surprise blocker, or acting as a pseudo-Capsize with buyback for creatures and four mana with Equilibrium out. Every creature in the deck is either White or Green, so that a Panther can return it.
The deck should have enough countermagic available to stop the major threats. Always remember to bring back a Snake when you are running low on the countermagic, so you always have an option available.
Now, let me show you my modern version of the deck:
Equinaut, 2.0
4 Birds of Paradise
3 Equilibrium
4 Fleetfoot Panther
2 Mystic Snake
3 Meddling Mage
1 Thornscape Battlemage
1 Sunscape Battlemage
1 Genesis
1 Mystic Enforcer
1 Wall of Blossoms
1 Eternal Witness
3 Absorb
4 Counterspell
2 Eladamri’s Call
1 Living Wish
2 Dismantling Blow
3 Fact or Fiction
4 City of Brass
2 Yavimaya Coast
2 Adarkar Wastes
2 Brushland
2 Nantuko Monastery
1 Rith’s Grove
1 Treva’s Ruins
4 Island
4 Forest
2 Plains
You’ll note that this deck is very similar to the original. The major changes can help, however. The addition of Genesis and Living Wish add several options to the deck, while Mystic Enforcers and Nantuko Monasteries add creature beatdown.
In multiplayer, you’ll often have the ability to set up better, and I’ll sometimes really abuse the new Wall of Blossoms or the Eternal Witness. Remember that Wrath effects are much more likely the more players are in the game. You might want to save a Panther for just such an occasion. The Genesis also helps you recover here.
Another idea is to toy with Flametongue Kavu, Avalanche Riders, Man-o’-War, Bone Shredder, and other cheap and affordably splashable creatures. They can’t be saved with a Panther, however, and I think that you water your deck too much with those creatures. Additionally, I am trying to build a nice Equilibrium deck, not a Rec-Sur variant, and adding colors and creatures feels a lot more like Rec-Sur than I would otherwise want.
Currently, the deck is rather smooth, and I don’t want to mess with that. When you play it, realize that your least important creatures are the ones that some opponents fear the most – your winning conditions. You can always win with Panthers and 2/2 bodies. However, your opponent may worry over 4/4 first striking lands and 6/6 pro Black flyers. Let them worry, and focus your efforts on controlling the board, not on saving threats.
In fact, some creatures in here are virtually afterthoughts (like Eternal Witness, the Enforcer and Wall of Blossoms). Focus on protecting the core – Equilibrium, Snakes and Panthers. Nothing else is as important, at least in most situations.
You have an emergency Living Wish. Do not use it lightly. It is an absolute emergency card. Use it to get out of mana screw or to destroy a broken permanent that is keeping you from winning. Between Uktabi Orantugan, Avalanche Riders, Bone Shredder, and Monk Realist, you should be able to stop any permanent threat other than a Black creature. Other creatures needed might include False Prophet, Scragnoth (or Kavu Chameleon vs. Blue/Black decks), Crater Hellion, Commander Eesha, Spike Weaver, Spike Feeder or even Akroma, Angel of Brokenness.
I hope that you enjoy this deck. I still have it sleeved and ready to play anytime.
Until Later,
Abe Sargent