Endless White-Based Kaladesh Decks For #SCGINDY

Kaladesh is shaping up to be one of the most interesting sets in recent memory. With the cards finally being legal this upcoming weekend, it’s time to dive headfirst into the new set. Today, I’m going to be running through the white cards. Then I’ll be back Wednesday and Friday, with non-stop brewing throughout.

Let’s just get down to business.

Welp, we sure did go from no blink effects to a million in just a couple of sets. Acrobatic Maneuver is basically an Essence Flux for two mana more that cantrips (and of course, no +1/+1 bonus).

With Acrobatic Maneuver, Essence Flux, and Eldrazi Displacer all legal, we might be able to fill our deck with just about all enters-the-battlefield trigger cards, trigging them over and over. One of the best creatures for such a plan is the new Mulldrifter, Cloudblazer:

Cloudblazer may not cycle for two cards, like Mulldrifter, but the extra two life per trigger can really add up. An extensive breakdown of the card can be found here. Here’s a new-ish twist on the card:

Hybridizing a Spirit deck with the Cloudblazer blink strategy is an easy mix. We’re a little crowded at five, but they are all so good, and they make excellent sixes (with Essence Flux up to protect).

Fumigate is much better than other five-cost white sweepers we’ve seen printed lately. It’s like a six-cost sweeper that we wish cost one less… except it actually does! It’s also an extremely nice combo with Selfless Spirit, since we can actually protect all of our creatures from it if we end up in some kind of a standoff.

I don’t recommend just jamming Aether Hub into any random deck; however, it is an excellent way to fuel Eldrazi Displacer without messing up your mana much.

Aerial Responder really is a lot like Vampire Nighthawk, except perhaps with better support but more hostile opposing removal spells. There are lots of potential homes for the card, as it’s just generally decent all-around. One possible starting place is in W/R Dwarves:

There aren’t all that many Dwarf options, but there are enough, and fortunately, they come in a pretty respectable curve.

Depala is the reason to actually care about Dwarves, but it’s a helluva payoff. Even though it’s a legend, it’s an easy four-of if we’re playing anywhere close to this many Dwarves and/or Vehicles. Of course, we’re paying such a small premium for Depala, we could get away with adding it to a list with quite a few less. In general, we’re going to want to play whatever creatures we can, using the rest of our mana to activate Depala. However, if we’re facing an opponent with sweepers, we’ll often just want a really big activation to ensure we never run out of gas, even if Depala dies.

This card is absurd. One of the best in the set. You really don’t need many artifacts to support it. Even just four Thraben Inspectors and four Smuggler’s Copters would be enough, and we’ve even got Fleetwheel Cruiser. It’s probably not going to come up often, but in a pinch you can even Declaration in Stone your own creature with summoning sickness to get a Clue, which counts as an artifact.

Smuggler’s Copter is my early pick for best card in the set, and at the very least it’s easily in the top five. It combos with basically everything. It’s a colorless Watchwolf that flies, dodges sorcery-speed removal, and turns one of your other creatures into a Merfolk Looter (often with pseudo-haste).

Fleetwheel Cruiser is a lot less ruthlessly efficient, but it’s still a 5/3 haste creature for four. There are a lot of good options at four, but if you’ve got some good artifact or Vehicle synergies (like Depala), the Cruiser is a reasonable role-player.

Gearshift Ace’s ability to give Vehicles first strike is cute, but mainly I’m just interested in a two-drop Dwarf. A 2/1 first striker for two is generally better than a 2/2, so I’m giving it the nod over Aviary Mechanic. That said, if we were playing a more Fabricate-based strategy, we could totally go the other way. Of course, we could also just stick with eight two-drops.

The first eight two-drops in a W/R Dwarves deck are easy. There’s Smuggler’s Copter, of course, but Veteran Motorist is a deceptively strong card. We might be in for just a 3/1 for two. Getting scry 2 is a massive upgrade. Just think about how much better Magma Jet is than Shock. As if that wasn’t enough, it has a little synergy with Smuggler’s Copter and the Cruiser. Veteran Motorist is so good, it will surely see play in all sorts of random decks that have nothing to do with any of its fancy abilities and creature type.

Fiend Hunter is back, and this time, it’s… a Dwarf?

Great card, exactly what white needs, and the perfect size and cost for crewing Smuggler’s Copter.

The Dwarf tribe has a bunch of individually strong cards and doesn’t need to be so all-in. For instance, we could hybridize it with a W/R artifact aggro deck:

Our mana is worse, but we gain a pretty sick one-drop and a pretty sick four-drop.

Both of these cards will get more love when we cover red cards later in the week. The short version is that Inventor’s Apprentice is like a Kird Ape, and Chandra is just an all-around badass.

Aerial Responder will make some appearances in random Orzhov midrange decks, protecting and getting returned by Liliana, the Last Hope. It’s a fine sideboard option for U/W (or any nearly creatureless white deck, for that matter). It’s also just a nice body to buff with Verdurous Gearhulk and Nissa, Voice of Zendikar.

This list tries to play a bit of a G/W Tokens game, but with a twist. Stitcher’s Graft is actually pretty sweet with vigilance, letting us get out of the drawback.

We already had Sylvan Advocate and Archangel Avacyn. With Aerial Responder added to the mix, we might have a critical mass of targets with vigilance.

We’re super-crowded at five (who isn’t?), but Verdurous Gearhulk is just amazing. In particular, it’s nice to give Aerial Responder the counters to get extra value out of them, or to buff Lambholt Pacifist to ensure it knows it’s time to party.

It’s no Dromoka’s Command, but it’s nice to have some efficient tricks, and this is a good one.

You don’t know how badly I want to make Sigarda’s Aid work! It’s super with Stitcher’s Graft, but there are just no other Equipment we’d want to run in such a deck, nor worthwhile Auras.

It’s not the worst body, and vigilance has its rewards. Still, I think we’re probably not getting enough of a payoff to be worth the times it fails. If you want to make Trusty Companion work, you probably want to put it in a deck with lots of haste. Bomat Courier, Reckless Bushwhacker, stuff like that.

I’m not in for this card at all without combos. However, there are some combos we might want to take a look at, even if they’re long shots.

If we assemble Whirler Virtuoso plus three engine pieces from among Decoction Module, Panharmonicon, Saheeli Rai, and Aetherstorm Roc, we can make an arbitrarily large number of Thopters. We’ve also got Eldrazi Displacer plus Drowner of Hope plus Panharmonicon as a backup infinite combo.

Lots of tough competition at five, and this isn’t my favorite in white. That said, it’s got chances. Here’s an alternative white tokens deck that capitalizes on it as bonus a token-maker and an Anthem, plus a few artifact synergies.

I think it’s probably trying too hard to shove so hard on Master Trinketeer and Servo Exhibition, but both cards are respectable enough on their own that you can just use small numbers of either.

Master Trinketeer is an inefficient token-maker, but it can totally take over a game that has gone long if it lives. Servo Exhibition, meanwhile, is mostly just a source of two tokens for two mana, but the Trinketeer and Toolcraft Exemplar synergies are a nice bonus.

Glint-Sleeve Artisan isn’t that far off from Hordeling Outburst; however, we can probably do better most of the time.

Likewise, Visionary Augmenter is a totally reasonable card. It just happens to cost the same as even better options, like Gideon, Ally of Zendikar. It might have enough Servo/artifact synergy to see play, but it’s probably fringe.

If Visionary Augmenter is probably not good enough, Propeller Pioneer isn’t even close.

A reasonable sideboard card against a fast aggro deck with lots of haste, of course; but it’s also worth noting how much Authority of the Consuls can help a creature deck against a deck with lots of flash.

A modest but useful synergy piece for a deck that values both the body and the ability (perhaps bouncing stuff like Oath of Nissa, or any of the Oaths, really, or the Gearhulks). It’s hard to actually make work, but it’s worth keeping in mind for any potential Aetherflux Reservoir decks. Remember, it can’t bounce itself, but we might still find a way to make it happen.

A very fringe combat trick. I don’t think there are enough artifact creatures we’d want to protect at the moment. Nevertheless, keep your eye on this one as new sets get printed. Two good artifact creatures and the right deck in need and this could become a role-player.

Captured by the Consulate is really inefficient as a removal spell, so you have to really value the extra ability. Is the extra text worth a card? After all, if we’re paying an extra two or three mana for it, we really need to get at least a card’s worth of value to be willing to consider it.

Against opponents with hard removal, it can be slightly better, since they wasted the mana. Against opponents with situational cards, like pump spells, it can be devastating. Unfortunately, it is risky against any opponent that might be able to bounce their creature, sacrifice it for gain, or destroy the Aura.

I don’t know how to feel about Kambal, Consul of Allocation. It’s never that bad, and it can become pretty sick if the format breaks in a combo-heavy direction. Even just as a resilient-to-removal creature, it’s decent. I just think it’s likely that it’ll end up getting beat up on by planeswalkers and efficient creatures. Here’s a possible home anyway:

As you can see, Kambal can just kind of be slid into any old Orzhov deck. Maybe somebody will want to take advantage of it as a legendary creature, but in general, it’s just a fine role-player at a tough spot on the curve.

Restoration Gearsmith might not be right, but I sort of wonder if this might be one of the set’s sleepers. An extra +1/+1 over Gravedigger is a big deal, and it has extra versatility. I’m not sure the right home yet, but I could imagine it proving to be part of a sort of Den Protector end-game.

It’s hard, because we really want more creatures that cost three or less to make sure we have something juicy to get back on turn 4. Aerial Responder isn’t necessarily perfect, but it does have a really big bullseye on it.

While we’re making Fumigate decks, here’s a try at U/W Control:

Most of the deck is pretty straightforward, but there are two cards that should be highlighted:

I’m not a fan of either of these cards. They both do what you want (in general), but they come in an extremely inefficient package. It’s possible we need to stoop this low; but my God do I hope it doesn’t come to that.

Here’s another take, this time leaning into Eldrazi Displacer to completely put the game away:

Sequestered Stash plus Hedron Archive isn’t the prettiest or most efficient on mana, but sometimes games go long and we want the cards for other reasons anyway.

Here’s one more, this time splashing red instead of colorless:

I don’t super-love blue as much as in many formats, but I do love Torrential Gearhulk. That is the real deal.

You don’t need to play all instants to have enough for Torrential Gearhulk to be worth it. You do need instants worth flashing back. To that end, we might want to consider some amount of Kozilek’s Return instead of some of the Radiant Flames.

Okay, fine, I’ve got a home for Dovin Baan… as planeswalker number seventeen.

Of course, we might just want another copy of one of the others. He does deserve a shot, though.

What about Oath of Gideon? You’ve even got Nissa, Vital Force?

Good point. I’ll have something in that space for you by green day!

While the thought of being able to protect yourself from damage from a source for zero mana is very attractive, four mana is a lot to ask. If we’re really going to play this over planeswalkers and card draw spells, we’re going to need a lot of ability to generate extra Energy.

That said, if we do have a renewable Energy source, Consulate Surveillance can be a powerful defensive tool as well as a potential source of a big Energy jumpstart. One potential source of Energy that can fuel Consulate Surveillance turn after turn is Dynavolt Tower.

A single Dynavolt Tower and now every sorcery or instant we cast gives us another “get out of jail free” card. If we can find a strategy with a lot of cantrips to fuel the Tower, Consulate Surveillance can help keep us alive long enough to pull it off.

It’s possible that Dynavolt Tower is better served from playing U/R in order to take advantage of cheap burn. However, white does offer more than just Consulate Surveillance.

Skywhaler’s Shot looks very solid to me. Thanks to Smuggler’s Copter, there’s basically no one without at least some valid targets. It’s not like you want to use your Murder on a one-drop anyway. Besides, Toolcraft Exemplar might be the best one-drop, and it gets up to three power in any case.

It isn’t just about putting it to use, either. The scry 1 is actually a pretty big deal. Just think about how much better the Theros Temples were than straight-up tapped lands. Stasis Snare looks great as a baseline, and Skywhaler’s Shot will be better in many decks. Hell, it might even prove better in general.

Don’t let the Academy Ruins comparisons fool you. That was an overpowered legendary land that hasn’t been legal in a long time. Squestered Stash is the new Haven of the Spirit Dragon. It does cost more to use and doesn’t fix colors. However, there are a lot more artifacts to get back in the format, and the milling ability is actually upside in most decks. It gives us more options of what to get back, but it also helps with delirium; Emrakul, the Promised End; Torrential Gearhulk; Liliana, the Last Hope; Take Inventory; and so on.

Not everyone agrees with me, but I am not even remotely interested in this creature.

Well, it’s better than Storm Crow; I’ll give ya that much.

A 1/2 flier for one wouldn’t be good, and the ability to grant flying to attackers twice isn’t worth a mana in Constructed. If Eddytrail Hawk were to find a home in this Constructed format (which is super-unlikely); it would assuredly be as a two-mana source of Energy. There are countless better sources of Energy in blue and green, however, and I don’t know why you’d want Energy badly enough to play Eddytrail Hawk yet not be willing to play green or blue.

Being able to hit Smuggler’s Copter and Always Watching makes this an obvious sideboard staple. That it can’t hit the Gearhulks makes it hard to imagine Fragmentize showing up in maindecks.

People say this kind of effect is for Limited only, but really it’s just a matter of rate. Briarhorn, for instance, was Constructed-playable. If Herald of the Fair cost a mana less and gave +3/+2, I think it’d show up a little. In general, a card needs to be above rate by a larger amount when it produces an effect that is less relevant in Constructed.

There are worlds where Impeccable Timing would be playable. It is unlikely that we live in such a world, however. Gideon’s Reproach is strictly better (and by a pretty reasonable margin), and I haven’t seen the deck that wants five Gideon’s Reproaches yet.

We can do better.

On rate, Ninth Bridge Patrol isn’t close. However, it is a potential combo card, as it is a potentially game-winning reward for looping.

The loop here is actually pretty easy. Just get two Wispweaver Angels (or one plus one Altered Ego).

It’s not the most efficient Restoration Angel in the world, but without the non-Angel clause, it’s got a niche.

Between Dynavolt Tower, Metallurgic Summonings, Torrential Gearhulk, and the like, this isn’t the worst time for generic two-mana cantrips. Nevertheless, Pressure Point is generally just a little too inefficient. If only it could tap lands, too, then we might really be getting somewhere.

Refurbish is a reanimation spell that saves you a mana off the traditional five cost, but with the caveat that you have to target an artifact creature. The icing on the cake is that it can also hit noncreature artifacts, such as Hedron Archive, should you be so inclined.

Given the Kaladesh Gearhulk cycle, the logical place to start is some kind of a Gearhulk Reanimator deck.

A turn 4 Gearhulk is a pretty big game, and playing two on turn 6 is usually going to generate a pretty substantial advantage.

All five Gearhulks are good, but Cataclysmic Gearhulk (and Verdurous Gearhulk) are particularly valuable, as there is a very real limit to how many sixes you can realistically play. Of course, the above list kind of throws that idea out the window.

Realistically, this is probably just too many sixes, even though we’re hoping to discard many of them to red spells. An alternative direction is to move away from Ever After, pull back on the number of Gearhulks, and pump up the graveyard synergies:

Pacifism isn’t the highest bar, and stopping creatures from Crewing is surely not worth a mana. Besides, even if you Revoke someone’s Privileges, they’ll just find someone else to Crew their ride. It’s kind of a metaphor for life.

Or you could play Archangel Avacyn.

There are tons of good fives in this format. Skyswirl Harrier wouldn’t be playable at four.

People have wanted a 0/4 before. It has happened.

Doesn’t do anything useful that we couldn’t get more efficiently.

A cool design, but nowhere near efficient enough to interest us. There are countless better ways to pump our creatures, and far better fives, everywhere we turn.

Cogworker’s Puzzleknot is pretty inefficient as a Servo Exhibition; however, it’s kind of a cute way to help power out Metalwork Colossus. It’s especially useful as a source of Crew for Smuggler’s Copter.

Gearseeker Serpent? Metalwork Colossus? Is it time for Affinity to make a comeback?

I’m interested in possibly merging this style of deck with some sort of Wretched Gryff plus Elder Deep-Fiend deck. We might even end up wanting Titan’s Presence if we’ve got enough colorless creatures. We probably just move to red instead of white, but I guess that’s for Wednesday…