I was again looking for Magic: the Gathering Standard deck techs in the MtG Salvation forums and followed a thread discussing on the possible builds of a Blue Green Tempo deck and updated with Fate Reforged cards. The new set also provided the Manifest strategy in which this deck can greatly benefit from.

Here are a few FRF cards which I think will get a slot in the deck:

Cloudform – a three-drop flying and hexproof looked promising especially after a first turn elf. The bonus is if you manifested a fatty, which later on you can face up for lethal damage.

Reality Shift – the printing of a new blue removal highly increased the deck’s competitive value. Exile really matters in the current metagame of graveyard-based strategies so I would be happy to add a playset of this card in the maindeck.

Temur Sabertooth – this creature somewhat ‘cycles’ your manifested cards in case you’ve faced down a counter spell or removal. Its bounce ability is also useful in the late game. For example, returning Icefeather Aven and going for a soft lock on an opponent’s creature.

Yasova Dragonclaw – Temur’s new legendary creature fits on the deck for purpose of messing up the opponent’s blockers. You can just out tempo them with her ‘gain control’ trigger and if ever they cast more threats, counterspells and bounce effects are your answers.

Whisperwood Elemental – another source of Manifest shenanigans. A 4/4 body for five looks average, but the bonus 2/2 for each of end turn can matter in most situations. I won’t like to draw multiple copies of it in the deck so I think I will just have one copy and maybe another one on the sideboard.

Write into Being – Card that fixes your draw and gives you a 2/2? Sign me up.

With these cards in mind and referencing some decklist on the thread, here is my first build for Blue Green Manifest Tempo:

Creatures
4 Icefeather Aven
4 Elvish Mystic
4 Temur Sabertooth
2 Hooded Hydra
1 Kiora’s Follower
3 Master of Waves
2 Yasova Dragonclaw
1 Polukranos, World Eater
1 Whisperwood Elemental

Spells
4 Cloudform
3 Reality Shift
1 Singing Bell Strike
2 Stubborn Denial
1 Bident of Thassa
2 Dissolve
2 Write into Being

Lands
6 Forest
7 Island
2 Mana Confluence
4 Temple of Mystery
4 Yavimaya Coast

There are a lot of ways for the deck to start its first five turns, but importantly you should have the mystics on your opening hand to enable relevant second turns like Yasova and Cloudform to start munching on your opponents’ life totals. Master of Waves was included as it can get Devotion points from Cloudform, bident and few of your hybrid creatures.

Icefeather Aven & Hooded Hydra are your best Manifest targets as they are cheaper to turn face up with their converted mana costs of only two. The counterspells are then for protection from removals or countering a relevant threat like Hornet Queen or Elspeth.

I have considered one Kheru Spellsnatcher in the main for midrange matchups though I’d like it to be more aggressive than defensive and he is only good when manifested. Other cards I would like to have maindeck are Prognostic Sphinx, Genesis Hydra and Sagu Mauler.

There is no exact sideboard plan at the moment but my current options are Monastery Siege, counters like Negate & Disdainful Stroke, Reclamation Sages and maybe Kiora planeswalker.

I would appreciate any suggestions or comments for the deck’s improvement so just write them up below. I do not expect this to become a Tier 1 deck, but this surely will be fun to play with the mechanic that Fate Reforged introduced.

Thanks for reading and until next post.