# Strategy Specifications
## Deck Name And Archetype
CPDH: Teshar, Apr 2026 is a Pauper Commander singleton engine-midrange deck with Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle as the command-zone card and strategic anchor. Treat the list as a white artifact-creature recursion deck whose best games convert cheap historic spells, expendable artifacts, and small creatures into repeated board presence, rather than as a generic white value pile.

- Format validation: The active format is pauper-commander, and the supplied validation contract says the registration passes for this command-zone format.
- Count validation: The registered main deck contains 100 cards, with singleton construction outside the 25 copies of Snow-Covered Plains.
- Sideboard validation: The registered Veles policy sideboard contains exactly 10 cards: Dust to Dust; Standard Bearer; Prismatic Strands; Obsidian Acolyte; Crimson Acolyte; Revoke Existence; Disenchant; Journey to Nowhere; Celestial Flare; Coalition Honor Guard.
- Do not apply 60-card constructed sizing rules: This guide must not flag the 100-card main deck or 10-card sideboard as oversized or undersized under ordinary constructed assumptions.
- Tags: midrange, midrange.
- Stock status: Rogue-to-hybrid engine midrange; assume low external stock heuristics and prefer deck-specific card-role reasoning from visible game state.
- Commander status: Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle is the named commander and should be evaluated as repeatable engine access, but the agent must still respect commander tax, current legal actions, and whether a historic follow-up is actually available.

The primary role concern is timing the Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle commitment so it creates immediate value or demands an answer on a developed board. Strong setup often includes cheap historic material such as Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Conjurer's Bauble, Arcum's Astrolabe, Jack-o'-Lantern, Tormod's Crypt, Relic of Progenitus, Lotus Petal, Welding Jar, Ornithopter, Phyrexian Walker, Shield Sphere, Myr Moonvessel, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, and artifact mana, but those cards are not automatically disposable unless the current legal line turns them into mana, recursion, protection, a relevant body, or graveyard setup.

The mana concern is timing and texture, not broad color fixing. Snow-Covered Plains, Ancient Den, Darksteel Citadel, Desert of the True, Drifting Meadow, Secluded Steppe, Conduit Pylons, Hidden Grotto, Tocasia's Dig Site, Arcane Signet, Fellwar Stone, Mind Stone, Commander's Sphere, Everflowing Chalice, Springleaf Drum, Buried Treasure, Lotus Petal, Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Jack-o'-Lantern, and Arcum's Astrolabe should be evaluated for whether they cast early plays, support commander tax, preserve protection mana, or become sacrifice fodder without stranding future turns.

The deck's pressure plan is incremental and must not be confused with fast aggro. Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, Inspiring Overseer, Roving Harper, Skyscanner, Spirited Companion, Priest of Ancient Lore, Thraben Inspector, Novice Inspector, Filigree Familiar, Perilous Myr, Mechanical Mobster, Dire Mimic, Mimic, and Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle can close games after stabilization, but the agent should keep asking whether a value action delays lethal pressure too long.

The legality concern is strict runtime obedience to Veles and the wrapped rules engine. Choose only listed legal action IDs, use visible board state and public information before strategic heuristics, do not infer hidden cards, and do not assert a rules result unless Forge/Veles has exposed that result or the legal action text is deterministic.

Card text check required before relying on exact text for Lunatic Pandora, Magic Pot, Spectacular Tactics, Springjaw Trap, Exosuit Savior, Kindly Customer, Shattered Acolyte, Thermal Navigator, Mechanical Mobster, Helpful Hunter, Voyager Quickwelder, Dire Mimic, and Mimic. Until text is confirmed by the engine or visible action text, treat these cards through legal actions, observed card types, costs, board stats, and revealed prompt options rather than assumed printed abilities.

Opponent information status is currently unspecified. No opposing commander, decklist, archetype, or matchup-specific threat package is registered in this request, so matchup decisions must be driven by Veles-provided labels, public game actions, visible permanents, known revealed information, graveyards, exile, stack objects, life totals, clock pressure, and the exact legal actions available at the decision point.

## Thesis
CPDH: Teshar, Apr 2026 assembles a white artifact-creature recursion engine around Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, cheap historic spells, expendable artifacts, and small creatures that replace themselves or return material from the graveyard. The deck wins by stabilizing early, converting artifact and creature churn into repeated board presence, protecting the key engine turn, then closing through incremental combat from Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, Skyscanner, Inspiring Overseer, Roving Harper, Mechanical Mobster, Dire Mimic, Mimic, Perilous Myr, and other visible attackers.

The priority is to create a board where casting Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle immediately matters. Do not expose Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle into open interaction without a legal historic follow-up, protection action, recursion target, or tempo reason that makes waiting worse. The best Teshar turns usually combine a graveyard creature worth returning, a castable historic spell such as Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Conjurer's Bauble, Arcum's Astrolabe, Jack-o'-Lantern, Tormod's Crypt, Relic of Progenitus, Lotus Petal, Welding Jar, Ornithopter, Phyrexian Walker, Shield Sphere, Myr Moonvessel, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, or artifact mana, and enough mana or protection to keep the engine from collapsing.

The deck is not trying to be fast aggro, pure combo, hard control, or a blind graveyard deck. Avoid sacrificing resources with Ashnod's Altar, Fanatical Devotion, Rusted Slasher, Shriekhorn, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, or graveyard hate unless the visible line creates mana, protection, recursion texture, a needed answer, or a stronger future Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle turn. Avoid spending Gods Willing, Apostle's Blessing, Blacksmith's Skill, Loran's Escape, Welding Jar, Benevolent Bodyguard, or Fanatical Devotion on replaceable bodies unless survival, lethal pressure, or engine continuity depends on it.

Card text check required before relying on exact text for Lunatic Pandora, Magic Pot, Spectacular Tactics, Springjaw Trap, Exosuit Savior, Kindly Customer, Shattered Acolyte, Thermal Navigator, Mechanical Mobster, Helpful Hunter, Voyager Quickwelder, Dire Mimic, and Mimic. Until Veles or visible legal action text confirms their function, evaluate them by exposed card type, stats, costs, legal prompts, and board role.

## Role Package
- Threats: Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, Roving Harper, Inspiring Overseer, Skyscanner, Thermal Navigator, Mechanical Mobster, Dire Mimic, Mimic, Perilous Myr, Cathodion, Rusted Slasher, Myr Kinsmith, and evasive or durable small bodies pressure after stabilization. Prioritize attacks that preserve engine pieces unless the current clock demands racing.
- Payoffs: Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle is the main payoff, with Ashnod's Altar, Fanatical Devotion, Rusted Slasher, Perilous Myr, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Leonin Squire, Trusty Packbeast, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, and recurring artifact creatures turning exchanges into material. Treat payoff turns as commitment gates, not automatic sequencing.
- Engines: Ashnod's Altar, Fanatical Devotion, Rusted Slasher, Foundry Inspector, Starnheim Courser, Springleaf Drum, Welding Jar, cheap artifacts, and Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle form the churn engine. Preserve the engine when the opponent has visible pressure but do not hoard pieces so long that the deck fails to affect combat.
- Velocity: Thraben Inspector, Novice Inspector, Spirited Companion, Inspiring Overseer, Priest of Ancient Lore, Roving Harper, Skyscanner, Filigree Familiar, Helpful Hunter, Airlift Chaplain, Arcum's Astrolabe, Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Mind Stone, Commander's Sphere, Conjurer's Bauble, and Jack-o'-Lantern keep cards and material flowing. Favor velocity that also blocks, fixes mana, or sets up Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle.
- Interaction: Cathar Commando, Relic of Progenitus, Tormod's Crypt, Jack-o'-Lantern, Journey to Nowhere, Celestial Flare, Disenchant, Revoke Existence, Dust to Dust, Perilous Myr, and Springjaw Trap answer visible engines, graveyards, artifacts, enchantments, attackers, or lethal threats. Use interaction patiently unless a public threat is already converting advantage or forcing lethal.
- Protection: Gods Willing, Apostle's Blessing, Blacksmith's Skill, Loran's Escape, Welding Jar, Benevolent Bodyguard, Fanatical Devotion, Kami of False Hope, Standard Bearer, Coalition Honor Guard, Crimson Acolyte, Obsidian Acolyte, and Prismatic Strands protect the commander, engine, life total, or decisive attack. Keep protection for Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Ashnod's Altar, a recursion bridge, or survival unless tempo clearly overrides.
- Recursion: Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Leonin Squire, Trusty Packbeast, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, and Voyager Quickwelder rebuild from the graveyard. Choose recursion targets from visible graveyard value and immediate legal follow-up, not from abstract card quality.
- Mana: Snow-Covered Plains, Ancient Den, Darksteel Citadel, Desert of the True, Drifting Meadow, Secluded Steppe, Hidden Grotto, Conduit Pylons, Tocasia's Dig Site, Arcane Signet, Fellwar Stone, Mind Stone, Commander's Sphere, Everflowing Chalice, Buried Treasure, Lotus Petal, Springleaf Drum, Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Jack-o'-Lantern, Arcum's Astrolabe, Ashnod's Altar, Myr Moonvessel, and Cathodion must support early plays, commander tax, and protection windows. Value untapped white access highly when deciding keeps and sequencing.
- Sideboard modules: Dust to Dust, Revoke Existence, and Disenchant are artifact/enchantment pressure tools; Journey to Nowhere and Celestial Flare are creature-answer tools; Standard Bearer and Coalition Honor Guard redirect targeted interaction; Crimson Acolyte and Obsidian Acolyte fight color-specific pressure; Prismatic Strands protects combat math and buys setup turns.

## Primary Win Conditions
- Teshar recursion snowball: Set up white mana, at least one meaningful creature in the graveyard, and a castable historic spell before committing Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle. Execute by casting Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle with immediate follow-up from Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Conjurer's Bauble, Arcum's Astrolabe, Jack-o'-Lantern, Lotus Petal, Tormod's Crypt, Relic of Progenitus, Welding Jar, Ornithopter, Phyrexian Walker, Shield Sphere, Myr Moonvessel, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, artifact mana, or another legal historic spell, then recur the creature that best affects the visible turn: Spirited Companion, Thraben Inspector, Novice Inspector, Inspiring Overseer, Priest of Ancient Lore, Roving Harper, Skyscanner, Filigree Familiar, Leonin Squire, Trusty Packbeast, Perilous Myr, or a needed blocker. Prioritize this path when Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle can generate value immediately, when protection is available, or when waiting lets the opponent convert a visible board or graveyard engine.
- Protected engine-combat finish: Build a board where Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, Skyscanner, Inspiring Overseer, Roving Harper, Mechanical Mobster, Dire Mimic, Mimic, Thermal Navigator, Perilous Myr, and other bodies can attack while recursion rebuilds trades. Execute by preserving Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle or the key attacker with Gods Willing, Apostle's Blessing, Blacksmith's Skill, Loran's Escape, Welding Jar, Benevolent Bodyguard, Fanatical Devotion, or sideboard protection when legal. Prioritize this path after stabilizing life total or when the opponent's visible hand/resources cannot easily beat repeated small attacks.
- Ashnod's Altar conversion finish: Use Ashnod's Altar as a mana and material converter only when the sacrifice produces a concrete legal follow-up, commander recast, protected Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle turn, or lethal/near-lethal pressure. Execute by sacrificing expendable artifacts or creatures such as Myr Moonvessel, Cathodion, Perilous Myr, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Gleaming Barrier, token-like material if visible, or replaceable value bodies when the resulting mana recasts historic spells or advances a decisive board. Prioritize this path when mana bottlenecks, commander tax, or a single explosive turn matters more than keeping the sacrificed body.

## Secondary Win Conditions
- Incremental evasive pressure: Win through repeated attacks from Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, Skyscanner, Inspiring Overseer, Roving Harper, Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, and any confirmed evasive text from Thermal Navigator, Mechanical Mobster, Dire Mimic, or Mimic. Card text check required for Thermal Navigator, Mechanical Mobster, Dire Mimic, and Mimic before relying on evasion, pump, or combat abilities; until then, use legal action text and visible stats only.
- Value bodies plus protection: Win by making every removal spell or combat trade inefficient with Spirited Companion, Thraben Inspector, Novice Inspector, Priest of Ancient Lore, Filigree Familiar, Helpful Hunter, Airlift Chaplain, Leonin Squire, Trusty Packbeast, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, and Conjurer's Bauble. This path is correct when the opponent is low on cards, graveyard disruption is absent or spent, and combat can close without exposing Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle into a bad exchange.
- Perilous Myr attrition: Use Perilous Myr as a removal, deterrent, or reach piece only according to visible legal triggers and targets. Recur it with Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle when the legal target advances survival, removes a blocker, pressures a planeswalker-equivalent permanent if rules output allows, or converts a sacrifice line into damage.
- Hate-backed lockout pressure: Relic of Progenitus, Tormod's Crypt, Jack-o'-Lantern, Cathar Commando, Dust to Dust, Revoke Existence, Disenchant, Journey to Nowhere, Celestial Flare, Standard Bearer, Coalition Honor Guard, Crimson Acolyte, Obsidian Acolyte, and Prismatic Strands can turn specific matchups into slow wins by shutting down the visible axis that matters. Do not treat these as generic win conditions; use them when the opponent's public board, graveyard, combat, artifact, enchantment, or targeted-interaction plan is the reason you are losing.

## Emergency Lines
- Behind on life: Prioritize blockers, life-preserving combat, Kami of False Hope, Prismatic Strands if sideboarded, Celestial Flare if sideboarded, Journey to Nowhere if sideboarded, Perilous Myr, Gleaming Barrier, Shield Sphere, Phyrexian Walker, and protection that prevents lethal over speculative engine value. Stop spending life or tempo on tapped cycling lands unless the legal alternatives do not affect survival.
- Behind on board: Stabilize before engine greed by casting cheap bodies, value creatures, Journey to Nowhere if sideboarded, Celestial Flare if sideboarded, Cathar Commando, Perilous Myr, or a protected Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle line that returns an immediate blocker. Sacrifice with Ashnod's Altar, Fanatical Devotion, or Rusted Slasher only when the resulting legal action changes combat or preserves a more important permanent.
- Behind on cards: Use Thraben Inspector, Novice Inspector, Spirited Companion, Inspiring Overseer, Priest of Ancient Lore, Roving Harper, Skyscanner, Filigree Familiar, Helpful Hunter, Mind Stone, Commander's Sphere, Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, and Arcum's Astrolabe to rebuild, but prefer card flow attached to blockers or mana when under pressure. Avoid cycling Desert of the True, Drifting Meadow, or Secluded Steppe if land drops or commander tax are the real constraint.
- Behind on mana: Preserve Snow-Covered Plains, Ancient Den, Darksteel Citadel, Hidden Grotto, Conduit Pylons, Tocasia's Dig Site, artifact mana, and Lotus Petal for turns that unlock Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle or protection. Use Ashnod's Altar, Myr Moonvessel, Cathodion, Mind Stone, Commander's Sphere, Everflowing Chalice, Springleaf Drum, and Buried Treasure as recovery tools when legal follow-up is visible, not as automatic accelerants.
- Graveyard or commander plan disrupted: Shift to combat-value midrange with protected flyers, artifact creatures, draw bodies, sideboard answers, and patient removal. If Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle becomes too expensive or graveyard targets are absent, stop forcing recursion and convert resources into pressure plus survival until a new graveyard target or historic follow-up appears.
- Win conditions removed or stalled: Win through whatever visible board remains: repeated small attacks, Perilous Myr damage, protected key attacker, or attrition from recursive artifacts. Card text check required before treating Lunatic Pandora, Magic Pot, Spectacular Tactics, Springjaw Trap, Exosuit Savior, Kindly Customer, Shattered Acolyte, Mechanical Mobster, Helpful Hunter, or Voyager Quickwelder as a closing engine beyond their legal exposed actions.

## Resource Model
- Life is a stabilizing resource, not a combo fuel, so spend it only when the exchange preserves Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, blocks lethal pressure, or buys a turn for recursion. Treat Kami of False Hope, Shield Sphere, Phyrexian Walker, Gleaming Barrier, Perilous Myr, and sideboard Prismatic Strands or Celestial Flare as life-conversion tools when combat is the opponent's visible plan.
- Hand size converts into board material through cheap artifacts and value creatures, so prefer plays that leave a future historic spell plus a creature in graveyard for Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle. Thraben Inspector, Novice Inspector, Spirited Companion, Priest of Ancient Lore, Inspiring Overseer, Roving Harper, Skyscanner, Filigree Familiar, Helpful Hunter, Mind Stone, Commander's Sphere, Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, and Arcum's Astrolabe should replenish cards without emptying the hand into a sweeper or graveyard hate.
- Mana converts into recursion turns, commander tax recovery, and protection windows, so do not sacrifice Lotus Petal, Mind Stone, Commander's Sphere, Buried Treasure, Myr Moonvessel, Cathodion, or creatures to Ashnod's Altar unless a concrete legal follow-up is visible. A strong mana conversion casts Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, recasts a historic spell, pays for protection, or creates blockers immediately.
- Board presence is both pressure and fuel, so classify each permanent before trading it. Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, Skyscanner, Inspiring Overseer, Roving Harper, Mechanical Mobster, Dire Mimic, Mimic, and Thermal Navigator can be attackers; Ornithopter, Shield Sphere, Phyrexian Walker, Gleaming Barrier, Myr Moonvessel, Cathodion, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, and Perilous Myr can be sacrifice or trade material when the resulting trigger or recursion is legal and relevant. Card text check required for Mechanical Mobster, Dire Mimic, Mimic, and Thermal Navigator before relying on hidden combat text.
- Graveyard cards are a managed inventory for Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Leonin Squire, Trusty Packbeast, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, and Voyager Quickwelder. Do not exile, shuffle, or sacrifice graveyard resources with Relic of Progenitus, Tormod's Crypt, Jack-o'-Lantern, or Conjurer's Bauble if the graveyard is the only route to stabilizing or rebuilding.
- Exile is mostly a denial or spent-resource zone, so use Relic of Progenitus, Tormod's Crypt, Jack-o'-Lantern, Revoke Existence, Dust to Dust, and Journey to Nowhere when the visible target matters more than preserving your own graveyard texture. If an exile action affects both graveyards, verify that opponent pressure or graveyard payoff is more urgent than your next Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle line.
- Lands convert into tempo by entering at the right time, so value untapped Snow-Covered Plains, Ancient Den, and Darksteel Citadel when curving early plays. Desert of the True, Drifting Meadow, Secluded Steppe, Hidden Grotto, Conduit Pylons, and Tocasia's Dig Site are utility resources that should not delay white mana, Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, or protection unless the hand already has enough untapped sources.
- Sacrifice fodder is not free unless the legal result improves the turn. Ashnod's Altar, Fanatical Devotion, Rusted Slasher, Welding Jar, Benevolent Bodyguard, Perilous Myr, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Myr Moonvessel, Cathodion, and Gleaming Barrier are strongest when they protect a key permanent, generate mana for an immediate play, create a death trigger, or place a creature in graveyard for a visible Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle trigger.
- Information converts into patience, so make removal, graveyard hate, and protection choices from public threats and known revealed cards only. Sideboard bullets such as Standard Bearer, Coalition Honor Guard, Crimson Acolyte, Obsidian Acolyte, Prismatic Strands, Journey to Nowhere, Celestial Flare, Dust to Dust, Revoke Existence, and Disenchant should answer the opponent's visible axis rather than a guessed card.

## Mana Guide
- White mana is the first requirement, so keep hands that can produce Snow-Covered Plains mana early or have Ancient Den plus functional plays. Do not keep a hand that only cycles, filters, or taps awkwardly through Desert of the True, Drifting Meadow, Secluded Steppe, Hidden Grotto, Conduit Pylons, Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Jack-o'-Lantern, or Arcum's Astrolabe unless it also has early board action and a realistic path to Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle.
- Untapped early lands should cast material before utility lands are deployed, especially Thraben Inspector, Novice Inspector, Benevolent Bodyguard, Ornithopter, Phyrexian Walker, Shield Sphere, Springleaf Drum, Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Relic of Progenitus, Tormod's Crypt, or protection. Play tapped cycling lands early only when the hand already has an untapped white source for the next meaningful spell.
- Play land before draw effects when the draw effect does not change land selection and you need guaranteed mana this turn. Consider drawing first with Thraben Inspector clues, Novice Inspector clues, Spirited Companion, Priest of Ancient Lore, Inspiring Overseer, Roving Harper, Skyscanner, Filigree Familiar, Mind Stone, Commander's Sphere, Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, or Arcum's Astrolabe only when land choice is genuinely uncertain and missing a specific untapped land changes the legal sequence.
- Preserve artifact mana for commander and protection turns, especially Arcane Signet, Fellwar Stone, Mind Stone, Commander's Sphere, Everflowing Chalice, Buried Treasure, Springleaf Drum, Lotus Petal, and Ashnod's Altar. Spending these into replaceable value spells is weaker than holding them to cast Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle with Gods Willing, Apostle's Blessing, Blacksmith's Skill, Loran's Escape, Welding Jar, Benevolent Bodyguard, or Fanatical Devotion available.
- Sequence Springleaf Drum only when a creature can tap without losing a necessary blocker or attacker. Ornithopter, Phyrexian Walker, Shield Sphere, small inspectors, and expendable artifact creatures are acceptable Drum partners when combat pressure is low; do not tap the only relevant blocker under a short clock.
- Use Ashnod's Altar as burst mana only after confirming the sacrifice and follow-up are legal. Preferred sacrifices are expendable bodies, death-value artifacts, or creatures that Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Leonin Squire, Trusty Packbeast, or Conjurer's Bauble can later recover.
- Cycle Desert of the True, Drifting Meadow, and Secluded Steppe only when land count is already sufficient for Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle plus likely commander tax. Under mana pressure, playing the land is usually stronger than converting it into a random card.
- Treat colorless and utility lands as support, not substitutes for white. Ancient Den supports historic count and white mana; Darksteel Citadel supports historic count but not white mana; Hidden Grotto, Conduit Pylons, and Tocasia's Dig Site require runtime legal-action checks before relying on exact filtering or utility text.

## Mulligan Guide
- Strong keep: keep Snow-Covered Plains or Ancient Den plus two early functional plays and either Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, protection, or velocity. Examples include Snow-Covered Plains, Ancient Den, Thraben Inspector, Chromatic Star, Benevolent Bodyguard, Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, and Loran's Escape; or Snow-Covered Plains, Darksteel Citadel, Novice Inspector, Ornithopter, Springleaf Drum, Skyscanner, and Blacksmith's Skill.
- Medium keep: keep two lands with early material and a draw bridge when the hand can reach turn three without spending a fragile resource poorly. Examples include Snow-Covered Plains, Desert of the True, Spirited Companion, Mind Stone, Conjurer's Bauble, Perilous Myr, and Gods Willing; this hand is acceptable if Desert of the True entering tapped does not strand turn-two action.
- Risky keep: keep one-land hands only when Snow-Covered Plains or Ancient Den casts multiple legal one-mana plays and a draw/filter path. Snow-Covered Plains with Thraben Inspector, Chromatic Sphere, Chromatic Star, Lotus Petal, Ornithopter, Tormod's Crypt, and Leonin Squire can function, but ship if missing the second mana source after early draw would leave no board stabilization.
- Automatic ship: ship hands with no white source, no early board action, or only utility mana. Darksteel Citadel, Conduit Pylons, Hidden Grotto, Tocasia's Dig Site, Everflowing Chalice, Ashnod's Altar, Rusted Slasher, and Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle is not a keep unless Veles shows a legal path to white mana and early plays.
- Trap hand: do not keep a hand that cycles and filters without a payoff or blocker. Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Arcum's Astrolabe, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, Relic of Progenitus, and Tormod's Crypt look busy but do not stabilize unless paired with Snow-Covered Plains, a creature, and a later Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle or recursion plan.
- Trap hand: do not keep Ashnod's Altar plus sacrifice fodder as a plan by itself. Ashnod's Altar, Cathodion, Myr Moonvessel, Gleaming Barrier, Workshop Assistant, and no payoff can turn cards into mana without improving the board; keep only if the same hand also casts Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, a recovery creature, or a real defensive line.
- Matchup-dependent keep: keep Relic of Progenitus, Tormod's Crypt, Jack-o'-Lantern, or Journey to Nowhere-style interaction only when the opponent's public commander, revealed deck, or matchup label makes graveyard pressure or a single threat central. Against unknown pressure, prefer creatures and protection over speculative hate.
- Play/draw rule: on the play, prioritize untapped white mana plus one- and two-mana permanents over slow cycling lands. On the draw, a slower hand with Spirited Companion, Priest of Ancient Lore, Inspiring Overseer, Filigree Familiar, or Skyscanner is more acceptable if it still has a turn-two board play.
- Commander keep rule: Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle is a strong opener only with a historic follow-up or protection. A hand that casts Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle on curve but cannot follow with Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Conjurer's Bauble, Tormod's Crypt, Ornithopter, Phyrexian Walker, Shield Sphere, Lotus Petal, Welding Jar, or a protective spell risks paying commander tax for no value.
- Unknown-text caution: Card text check required for Lunatic Pandora, Magic Pot, Spectacular Tactics, Springjaw Trap, Exosuit Savior, Kindly Customer, Shattered Acolyte, Thermal Navigator, Mechanical Mobster, Helpful Hunter, and Voyager Quickwelder before keeping a hand because of exact text. Keep them as bodies or possible material only when legal actions and visible mana already support the hand.

## Turn Arc
- Turn 1: lead on Snow-Covered Plains or Ancient Den when possible, then cast a cheap permanent that creates material. Preferred plays are Thraben Inspector, Novice Inspector, Benevolent Bodyguard, Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Springleaf Drum with a free creature, Ornithopter, Phyrexian Walker, Shield Sphere, Relic of Progenitus, Tormod's Crypt, or Welding Jar; hold Gods Willing, Apostle's Blessing, Blacksmith's Skill, and Loran's Escape unless Veles shows a legal protection decision for a permanent that matters now.
- Turn 1 deviation: play Desert of the True, Drifting Meadow, or Secluded Steppe tapped only if the rest of the hand has turn-two white action. If the hand has Ancient Den plus Glint Hawk or Kor Skyfisher, confirm the bounce sequence is legal and does not set mana behind before choosing it.
- Turn 2: build board plus mana before spending cards for abstract value. Preferred plays are Spirited Companion, Mind Stone, Fellwar Stone, Arcane Signet, Springleaf Drum plus creature, Cathar Commando when a body matters, Perilous Myr versus early attackers, or Leonin Squire only when a real artifact target is already in graveyard.
- Turn 2 deviation: use Relic of Progenitus, Tormod's Crypt, Jack-o'-Lantern, or Cathar Commando reactively when the opponent presents a visible graveyard engine, artifact, enchantment, or lethal setup. Do not fire hate into empty or low-impact public zones just to spend mana.
- Turn 3: choose between stabilizing, drawing, and preparing Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle. Preferred plays include Priest of Ancient Lore, Inspiring Overseer, Skyscanner, Filigree Familiar, Foundry Inspector, Starnheim Courser, Commander's Sphere, or a protected Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle setup if a historic follow-up is available.
- Turn 3 deviation: cast Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle only when the same turn or next protected turn can convert a historic spell into a meaningful recursion trigger. If removal is likely from visible mana and board context, wait with Gods Willing, Apostle's Blessing, Blacksmith's Skill, Loran's Escape, Welding Jar, Benevolent Bodyguard, or Fanatical Devotion available.
- Turns 4-5: commit to the engine when protection, historic density, and graveyard texture line up. Good turns cast Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, then use Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, Tormod's Crypt, Ornithopter, Phyrexian Walker, Shield Sphere, Lotus Petal, Welding Jar, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, or Myr Moonvessel to recur a visible creature that changes combat, mana, or cards.
- Turns 4-5 deviation: if the opponent is ahead on board, stabilize before looping. Prioritize Journey to Nowhere after sideboard, Celestial Flare after sideboard, Cathar Commando, Perilous Myr, Kami of False Hope, Fanatical Devotion, Rusted Slasher, Gleaming Barrier, and profitable blocks over a slow value chain.
- Late game: convert recursion into inevitability or a clock, not endless card motion. Rebuy Skyscanner, Inspiring Overseer, Priest of Ancient Lore, Spirited Companion, Filigree Familiar, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Leonin Squire, Trusty Packbeast, or Perilous Myr when the result either protects Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, answers pressure, reloads cards, or adds lethal pressure.
- Late game deviation: preserve graveyard tools when they are the only rebuild path. Do not sacrifice Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, Relic of Progenitus, or Tormod's Crypt into your own key graveyard unless the opponent's visible graveyard line, lethal threat, or rules-engine legal action makes the exchange necessary.

## Card Roles
- Commander engine: Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle is the deck's highest-leverage card and should be cast when a historic follow-up, protection piece, or immediate recursion target is visible. Do not expose Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle into open interaction just to use mana; prefer a turn that also casts Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, Tormod's Crypt, Ornithopter, Phyrexian Walker, Shield Sphere, Lotus Petal, Welding Jar, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Myr Moonvessel, Cathodion, or another legal historic spell. Treat commander tax as a real resource loss; a protected delayed Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle is often stronger than an unprotected on-curve one.

- Protection suite: Gods Willing, Apostle's Blessing, Blacksmith's Skill, Loran's Escape, Welding Jar, Benevolent Bodyguard, and Fanatical Devotion should protect Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Ashnod's Altar, a recursion bridge, or a lethal attacker before they protect replaceable value creatures. Use protection reactively when Veles shows a legal target and the opposing spell or combat result would break the engine, kill the closing threat, or remove the only stabilizer. Avoid spending protection to save Thraben Inspector, Novice Inspector, Spirited Companion, or similar bodies unless survival, lethal pressure, or a sacrifice chain depends on that exact permanent.

- Sacrifice and mana engine: Ashnod's Altar is a commitment card, not a casual ramp piece, because it converts creatures into colorless mana and graveyard texture only when the deck can use the mana or recur the material. Sacrifice Myr Moonvessel, Cathodion, Gleaming Barrier, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Perilous Myr, Filigree Familiar, or expendable zero-mana creatures when the legal follow-up improves board, mana, cards, or a Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle chain. Rusted Slasher and Fanatical Devotion are protection-sacrifice outlets; use them to blank removal, preserve commander access, or create profitable death triggers, not to shrink the board without a payoff.

- Artifact cantrip and recursion fuel: Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Arcum's Astrolabe, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, Relic of Progenitus, Tormod's Crypt, and Shriekhorn are cheap historic permanents that help turn on Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle. Cast Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, and Arcum's Astrolabe early when they fix mana or replace themselves; hold them when Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle is imminent and the historic trigger matters more. Use Conjurer's Bauble and Jack-o'-Lantern carefully because they can restore key cards or disturb graveyards; do not self-disrupt a useful Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Leonin Squire, Trusty Packbeast, or Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle recursion line for low-impact velocity. Use Relic of Progenitus and Tormod's Crypt patiently against visible graveyard engines; their presence can be stronger than firing them early.

- Mana rocks and color tools: Arcane Signet, Fellwar Stone, Mind Stone, Commander's Sphere, Everflowing Chalice, Springleaf Drum, Lotus Petal, Buried Treasure, Conduit Pylons, and Hidden Grotto are tempo tools that should advance early board development or commander-tax recovery. Prefer permanent mana before one-shot mana unless the one-shot unlocks Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle plus immediate value or a survival play. Springleaf Drum is strongest with Ornithopter, Phyrexian Walker, Shield Sphere, Thraben Inspector, Novice Inspector, or other bodies that are not needed for blocking this turn. Mind Stone and Commander's Sphere may be cashed in later when cards matter more than mana, but avoid sacrificing them before Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Ashnod's Altar, or commander tax is accounted for.

- Lands and cycling lands: Snow-Covered Plains is the default early land because the deck needs reliable white mana more than utility. Ancient Den is both a land and a historic artifact; value it highly with Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, and artifact-count payoffs, but respect artifact removal risk when mana is scarce. Darksteel Citadel supplies durable historic material but not white mana, so do not keep it as the only land path. Desert of the True, Drifting Meadow, and Secluded Steppe are slow lands early and card flow late; cycle them only when land count, commander tax, and current legal plays are already covered. Tocasia's Dig Site is a utility land; use its activated ability only when spending mana does not delay board stabilization or a protected engine turn.

- Bounce and replay package: Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, and Aviary Mechanic turn cheap permanents into repeat value, but they can also set back mana if used carelessly. Bounce Thraben Inspector, Novice Inspector, Spirited Companion, Inspiring Overseer, Priest of Ancient Lore, Skyscanner, Filigree Familiar, Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Arcum's Astrolabe, or Ancient Den when the replay is legal and the tempo loss is acceptable. Do not bounce the only white source or a needed blocker unless the resulting line is required for survival, a Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle trigger, or immediate card flow.

- ETB card-flow creatures: Thraben Inspector, Novice Inspector, Spirited Companion, Priest of Ancient Lore, Inspiring Overseer, Roving Harper, Skyscanner, Filigree Familiar, and Helpful Hunter are the deck's stabilizing velocity. Cast them early to build material, then recur or bounce them when extra cards convert into protection, land drops, sacrifice fodder, or pressure. Card text check required for Helpful Hunter before relying on exact text; until then, treat it as a possible value creature only when Veles legal actions confirm its effect. Do not loop card-flow creatures forever when a faster attack, protection hold-up, or removal line would close the game.

- Recursion bodies: Leonin Squire and Trusty Packbeast recover cheap artifacts, while Myr Retriever and Workshop Assistant recover artifacts after dying. Use Leonin Squire and Trusty Packbeast when a visible graveyard target such as Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, Lotus Petal, Welding Jar, Tormod's Crypt, Relic of Progenitus, or Perilous Myr materially changes the turn. Sacrifice Myr Retriever and Workshop Assistant only when the artifact returned is worth the body and the resulting line is legal; avoid trading them off with an empty or irrelevant graveyard.

- Defensive bodies and blockers: Ornithopter, Phyrexian Walker, Shield Sphere, Gleaming Barrier, Kami of False Hope, Perilous Myr, Cathar Commando, and Benevolent Bodyguard buy time while enabling historic and sacrifice plans. Use zero-mana artifact creatures as Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle triggers, Springleaf Drum material, or emergency blockers. Kami of False Hope should be saved for a combat step that prevents lethal or a major race swing. Perilous Myr is removal pressure and sacrifice value; line it up against small creatures or sacrifice it when damage matters. Cathar Commando is both a body and interaction; hold it when a visible artifact or enchantment is likely to matter soon.

- Cost reducers and artifact payoffs: Foundry Inspector and Starnheim Courser are setup permanents that make multi-spell Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle turns more realistic. Cast them before a hand full of artifacts, artifact creatures, or protection-permanent sequences, but do not prioritize them over urgent blockers against pressure. Myr Kinsmith, Dire Mimic, Mimic, Mechanical Mobster, Magic Pot, Exosuit Savior, Shattered Acolyte, Thermal Navigator, Voyager Quickwelder, Kindly Customer, Lunatic Pandora, Spectacular Tactics, and Springjaw Trap require card text checks before exact tactical reliance; use Veles legal action text and visible stats to classify them as blockers, attackers, historic material, removal, protection, or engine pieces at runtime. Card text check required for each of these unfamiliar cards before making a keep, target, or sacrifice decision based on assumed rules text.

- Closing threats: Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, Inspiring Overseer, Roving Harper, Skyscanner, Thermal Navigator, Mechanical Mobster, Dire Mimic, Mimic, and any enlarged or evasive legal attacker are how the deck ends games after stabilizing. Start attacking once protection and recursion can cover a crack-back or removal spell. Do not let value loops replace lethal pressure; if the visible opponent is low or out of blockers, prefer the line that preserves enough defense and advances the clock.

- Removal and hate in the main deck: Cathar Commando, Relic of Progenitus, Tormod's Crypt, Jack-o'-Lantern, Perilous Myr, Springjaw Trap, and Spectacular Tactics are the main registered answers before sideboarding. Use them on visible engines, lethal threats, graveyard dependency, or combat swings rather than on the first legal target. Card text check required for Springjaw Trap and Spectacular Tactics before assuming removal, combat, or trap-like timing; follow only legal Veles prompts and visible action labels.

### Card Hover Notes

#### Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, commander and core engine payoff.
- Role type: engine piece; recursion; threat/clock.
- Deck-specific job: Turns each historic spell you cast into a targeted return of a creature card with mana value 3 or less from your graveyard to the battlefield, making Ornithopter, Phyrexian Walker, Shield Sphere, Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, Tormod's Crypt, Relic of Progenitus, Lotus Petal, Welding Jar, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Myr Moonvessel, and artifact mana into engine triggers.
- Timing: Cast when a graveyard target and a castable historic spell are available, or when blocking/flying pressure is urgently needed; avoid naked commander turns into open removal when commander tax would strand the engine.
- Inputs / outputs: Consumes four mana including white and future commander tax; outputs recursive battlefield material and a 2/2 flying clock.
- Partners / packages: Recurs Priest of Ancient Lore, Inspiring Overseer, Spirited Companion, Skyscanner, Filigree Familiar, Leonin Squire, Trusty Packbeast, Kami of False Hope, Benevolent Bodyguard, Perilous Myr, Myr Retriever, and Workshop Assistant.
- Role peers: No direct peer; closest role overlap is Leonin Squire, Trusty Packbeast, Myr Retriever, and Workshop Assistant as narrower artifact-recursion bodies.
- Failure modes: Casting without a historic follow-up or relevant graveyard creature creates a fragile four-mana 2/2; broad Relic of Progenitus or Tormod's Crypt activation can erase the targets Teshar needs.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Against removal-heavy decks, wait for Gods Willing, Apostle's Blessing, Blacksmith's Skill, Loran's Escape, Benevolent Bodyguard, Welding Jar, or Fanatical Devotion before committing.

#### Gods Willing
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core one-mana protection spell.
- Role type: protection/evasion; card selection.
- Deck-specific job: Gives target creature you control protection from the chosen color until end of turn, protecting Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, a lethal flyer, Benevolent Bodyguard-style bridge creature, or a survival blocker while scrying 1 toward a historic follow-up or named land.
- Timing: Hold for removal, combat, or a lethal attack; spend proactively only when choosing a blocker color makes a decisive creature unblockable or prevents a crack-back.
- Inputs / outputs: Consumes {W}; outputs temporary color protection, possible evasion against creatures of that color, and scry 1.
- Partners / packages: Best on Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, Skyscanner, Inspiring Overseer, Roving Harper, Perilous Myr, or Kami of False Hope when that creature's survival changes the turn.
- Role peers: Apostle's Blessing also grants protection; Blacksmith's Skill and Loran's Escape protect with hexproof/indestructible instead of color protection.
- Failure modes: Cannot target artifacts that are not creatures; does not stop colorless sources, sacrifice effects, or sweepers that do not target or deal damage from the chosen color.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against visible colored spot removal, colored blockers, and combat tricks; weak against edicts, colorless artifacts, and non-targeted board effects.

#### Ancient Den
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core artifact white mana resource.
- Role type: mana/fixing/ramp; mechanic enabler; engine fuel/material.
- Deck-specific job: Provides untapped {W} while also being an artifact for historic density, Glint Hawk return costs, Kor Skyfisher or Aviary Mechanic bounce decisions, and artifact-count board texture.
- Timing: Play early when white mana is needed; consider sequencing after nonartifact named lands only if the opponent has visible artifact-land removal and other white sources already cover Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle.
- Inputs / outputs: Produces {W}; outputs a historic permanent on the battlefield without spending a spell slot.
- Partners / packages: Works with Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, Aviary Mechanic, Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Foundry Inspector, Starnheim Courser, and artifact-recursion decisions involving Trusty Packbeast only indirectly because Ancient Den is a land card, not an artifact card in graveyard for those creature texts unless rules expose a legal target.
- Role peers: Snow-Covered Plains supplies safer white; Darksteel Citadel supplies indestructible artifact material but not white.
- Failure modes: Artifact hate can remove a land; bouncing it can set back white mana and commander timing.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Higher risk against artifact-removal decks; higher value when Glint Hawk or Kor Skyfisher can replay it without missing a land drop.

#### Apostle's Blessing
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core flexible protection spell.
- Role type: protection/evasion.
- Deck-specific job: Protects target artifact or creature you control from artifacts or a chosen color, so it can save Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Ashnod's Altar, Foundry Inspector, Skyscanner, Perilous Myr, or a lethal attacker from a targeted answer or blocker color.
- Timing: Hold up when Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle or Ashnod's Altar is the engine bottleneck; use offensively only when protection from artifacts or a color enables lethal or a major attack.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {1}{W/P}, paid with white mana or 2 life for the Phyrexian white portion; outputs temporary protection but no scry.
- Partners / packages: Complements Gods Willing, Blacksmith's Skill, Loran's Escape, Welding Jar, Benevolent Bodyguard, and Fanatical Devotion.
- Role peers: Gods Willing targets only creatures and scries; Apostle's Blessing also protects noncreature artifacts such as Ashnod's Altar.
- Failure modes: Spending 2 life is dangerous against burn or short combat clocks; protection can remove your own Auras or Equipment if relevant, though this deck has no main-deck Aura/equipment plan.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against artifact-targeting removal or colored spot removal; does not answer sacrifice effects, board wipes, or non-targeted exile.

#### Arcane Signet
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core commander-color mana rock.
- Role type: mana/fixing/ramp; mechanic enabler.
- Deck-specific job: Accelerates Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle and commander-tax recasts while being a historic spell that can trigger Teshar after the commander resolves.
- Timing: Cast on turn two when it advances Teshar or double-spell turns; hold briefly only when saving it as the immediate historic spell after Teshar is more valuable than ramping.
- Inputs / outputs: Consumes {2}; taps for one mana of any color in Teshar's white color identity, effectively {W} in this deck.
- Partners / packages: Helps cast Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Dust to Dust, Celestial Flare, protection spells, and multi-spell turns with Foundry Inspector or Starnheim Courser.
- Role peers: Fellwar Stone can be matchup-dependent; Mind Stone and Commander's Sphere trade later for cards; Everflowing Chalice produces colorless based on charge counters.
- Failure modes: Not a creature or graveyard recursion target for Teshar; sacrificing or losing it before commander-tax turns can strand four-mana plays.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong in slow games and commander-tax games; less urgent when early survival requires Shield Sphere, Phyrexian Walker, Perilous Myr, or Kami of False Hope.

#### Arcum's Astrolabe
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core snow artifact cantrip and fixer.
- Role type: mana/fixing/ramp; mechanic enabler; card selection.
- Deck-specific job: Uses Snow-Covered Plains to cast a one-mana historic spell that draws a card, then filters mana later for protection, sideboard double-white spells, or awkward utility-land starts.
- Timing: Cast early when a snow source is available and card flow matters; hold as a Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle trigger if the hand already has mana and needs a recursion turn.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {S}, which must be paid by a snow source such as Snow-Covered Plains; enters and draws a card; later {1}, {T} adds one mana of any color.
- Partners / packages: Bounce with Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, Aviary Mechanic, or Exosuit Savior can repeat the enter draw if replayed; Teshar triggers from casting it.
- Role peers: Chromatic Star and Chromatic Sphere also convert mana and cards, but Astrolabe remains on battlefield for future filtering.
- Failure modes: Cannot be cast from Ancient Den or ordinary non-snow utility mana unless a snow source pays {S}; do not keep a hand relying on Astrolabe without Snow-Covered Plains.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Excellent against mana pressure; against artifact hate, weigh whether exposing it as a small artifact is worth the card and fixing.

#### Ashnod's Altar
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core sacrifice mana engine.
- Role type: engine piece; mana/fixing/ramp; engine fuel/material.
- Deck-specific job: Converts creatures into {C}{C} for Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle recasts, multi-spell historic turns, and death triggers from Cathodion, Myr Moonvessel, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Filigree Familiar, Perilous Myr, Gleaming Barrier, and Magic Pot.
- Timing: Commit when at least one sacrifice produces a real follow-up, protected engine turn, or survival play; do not cast as casual ramp if it leaves you defenseless.
- Inputs / outputs: Consumes {3}; sacrifices creatures for two colorless mana each, putting those creatures into graveyard for Teshar or artifact-recursion lines.
- Partners / packages: Best with Cathodion, Myr Moonvessel, Perilous Myr, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Gleaming Barrier, Filigree Familiar, and Kami of False Hope when a death or sacrifice matters.
- Role peers: Springleaf Drum creates mana without sacrificing; Fanatical Devotion sacrifices for regeneration instead of mana.
- Failure modes: Colorless mana cannot pay white-only costs by itself; sacrificing the only blocker or recursion bridge without a follow-up loses games.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against removal if creatures are already doomed; risky against fast combat when board presence matters more than burst mana.

#### Blacksmith's Skill
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core protection spell for any permanent.
- Role type: protection/evasion.
- Deck-specific job: Gives target permanent hexproof and indestructible until end of turn, saving Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Ashnod's Altar, Ancient Den, Darksteel Citadel, Fanatical Devotion, or a key creature; artifact creatures such as Skyscanner, Foundry Inspector, Perilous Myr, Ornithopter, and Workshop Assistant also get +2/+2.
- Timing: Hold for a removal spell, combat damage event, or artifact-destruction window; use precombat only when +2/+2 on an artifact creature creates lethal or saves a necessary blocker.
- Inputs / outputs: Consumes {W}; outputs hexproof, indestructible, and conditional +2/+2 for artifact creatures.
- Partners / packages: Layers with Loran's Escape, Apostle's Blessing, Gods Willing, Welding Jar, Benevolent Bodyguard, and Fanatical Devotion.
- Role peers: Loran's Escape targets artifact or creature and scries; Blacksmith's Skill can protect any permanent.
- Failure modes: Hexproof does not stop sweepers or sacrifice effects; indestructible does not stop exile, bounce, -X/-X, or toughness-reducing effects.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Best when opponent targets Teshar, Ashnod's Altar, or an artifact creature that is both engine and clock.

#### Chromatic Star
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core cheap historic cantrip and mana filter.
- Role type: mechanic enabler; mana/fixing/ramp; engine fuel/material.
- Deck-specific job: Casts cheaply to trigger Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, converts {1} into any color, and draws when put into a graveyard from the battlefield, including through its own activation or Ashnod's Altar-adjacent sacrifice lines if legal.
- Timing: Use early if fixing or card flow is needed; preserve on board when Teshar is about to turn it into a recursion trigger.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {1}; activation costs {1}, {T}, sacrifice to add one mana of any color; draws when it goes from battlefield to graveyard.
- Partners / packages: Recovered by Leonin Squire; useful with Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, Aviary Mechanic, Teshar, Foundry Inspector, Starnheim Courser, and Trusty Packbeast.
- Role peers: Chromatic Sphere draws as part of its mana ability; Arcum's Astrolabe draws on entry; Conjurer's Bauble draws while managing graveyard.
- Failure modes: Cracking it too early removes a future historic trigger; using it for off-color mana rarely matters in this mono-white identity except sideboard and filtering needs.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong in slow setup games; under pressure, prioritize whether the mana/card now creates a blocker or protection window.

#### Commander's Sphere
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, role-player mana rock and late card.
- Role type: mana/fixing/ramp; card selection; mechanic enabler.
- Deck-specific job: Ramps Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle and commander-tax turns, then cashes in for a card when mana is no longer the limiting resource.
- Timing: Cast when three-mana ramp advances a protected commander or double-spell turn; sacrifice for a card only after Teshar recast, sideboard double-white costs, and protection mana are covered.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {3}; taps for one mana of Teshar's white color identity; sacrifices to draw a card.
- Partners / packages: Helps cast Teshar, Dust to Dust, Celestial Flare, Prismatic Strands, Foundry Inspector turns, and multiple one-mana artifacts after Teshar.
- Role peers: Mind Stone costs less and produces {C}; Arcane Signet costs less and produces commander-color mana; Fellwar Stone depends on opponent lands.
- Failure modes: Sacrificing too early weakens commander-tax recovery; does not become a Teshar creature target after death.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Best against control or midrange where extra mana and a later card both matter; slower against fast pressure than Perilous Myr, Shield Sphere, or Kami of False Hope.

#### Conduit Pylons
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, utility land and singleton/flex mana resource.
- Role type: mana/fixing/ramp; card selection.
- Deck-specific job: Enters with surveil 1 to stock or filter for Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, then produces {C} or filters with {1}, {T} into one mana of any color.
- Timing: Play when the deck can afford a nonwhite source or when surveil 1 can find named land, protection, or historic fuel; avoid as early sole mana if white spells are stranded.
- Inputs / outputs: Land drop; outputs surveil 1, colorless mana, or filtered mana with an extra generic input.
- Partners / packages: Surveil can bin Priest of Ancient Lore, Spirited Companion, Perilous Myr, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, or other Teshar targets when Teshar access is ready.
- Role peers: Hidden Grotto has the same enter surveil and mana text without Desert subtype; Tocasia's Dig Site surveils later but does not fix color.
- Failure modes: Does not directly produce white without paying {1}; a hand with Conduit Pylons and no Snow-Covered Plains or Ancient Den is risky.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Good in slower games needing graveyard texture; poor when early white interaction or blockers must be cast immediately.

#### Conjurer's Bauble
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core graveyard-management cantrip and historic fuel.
- Role type: mechanic enabler; card selection; recursion; engine fuel/material.
- Deck-specific job: Triggers Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle as a cheap artifact spell, then can put up to one target card from your graveyard on the bottom of your library and draw a card.
- Timing: Hold activation until a graveyard card is no longer needed by Teshar, Leonin Squire, Trusty Packbeast, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, or Jack-o'-Lantern; activate when drawing now or recycling a key card matters.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {1}; activation taps and sacrifices it, moves up to one graveyard card to library bottom, and draws a card.
- Partners / packages: Recovered by Leonin Squire and Trusty Packbeast; bounce/replay is less relevant because the draw requires sacrifice.
- Role peers: Jack-o'-Lantern can exile graveyard cards and later make mana; Chromatic Star and Chromatic Sphere draw while fixing mana.
- Failure modes: Bottoming your best Teshar target can break the engine; targeting is optional, so do not force a bad graveyard move just to draw.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Useful against mill or grind when a key card must re-enter the library; slow against lethal combat unless the draw finds prevention or removal.

#### Darksteel Citadel
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, durable artifact land and mana resource.
- Role type: mana/fixing/ramp; mechanic enabler; engine fuel/material.
- Deck-specific job: Supplies an indestructible artifact permanent for historic/artifact texture while producing {C} for artifact spells, activation costs, and commander-tax support.
- Timing: Play early only when white access is already covered; otherwise prioritize Snow-Covered Plains or Ancient Den.
- Inputs / outputs: Land drop; outputs {C} and an indestructible artifact on board.
- Partners / packages: Supports Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, Aviary Mechanic, Teshar historic count indirectly, Springleaf Drum sequencing with artifact creatures, and artifact-cost reducers.
- Role peers: Ancient Den is the white artifact land; Snow-Covered Plains casts white spells and Arcum's Astrolabe.
- Failure modes: Does not cast Gods Willing, Teshar, Priest of Ancient Lore, or sideboard white interaction by itself; bouncing it can cost a land drop and tempo.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Better against destroy-based artifact hate than Ancient Den because it is indestructible; still vulnerable to exile effects such as Dust to Dust-like opposing cards.

#### Dire Mimic
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, singleton/flex artifact Treasure threat.
- Role type: mana/fixing/ramp; threat/clock; modal utility.
- Deck-specific job: Provides flash-speed historic material and one-shot any-color mana, or later becomes a 5/5 Shapeshifter artifact creature for pressure after stabilization.
- Timing: Use flash to hold mana for protection or interaction before deploying it; sacrifice for mana only when it casts Teshar, protection, or a decisive spell; animate when attacking/blocking as a 5/5 matters more than preserving Treasure mana.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {2}; taps and sacrifices for one mana of any color; {3} turns it into a 5/5 artifact creature until end of turn.
- Mode map: Flash artifact mode preserves option value; Treasure sacrifice mode converts board material into mana; animation mode spends {3} for a temporary 5/5 body and risks creature removal/combat.
- Partners / packages: Historic spell for Teshar; cost-reduced by Foundry Inspector and Starnheim Courser; recur as an artifact with Trusty Packbeast or Myr Retriever-style effects if it reaches graveyard.
- Role peers: Mimic is similar but animates for {2} into 3/3 and lacks flash.
- Failure modes: Sacrificing it loses the 5/5 option; animating into open removal can convert a mana resource into a creature trade.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong as surprise end-step material against control; strong as a large blocker against midrange if {3} is available.

#### Everflowing Chalice
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, scalable artifact mana resource.
- Role type: mana/fixing/ramp; mechanic enabler.
- Deck-specific job: Casts as a historic spell for Teshar and produces {C} for each charge counter when kicked, supporting commander tax and expensive activated abilities.
- Timing: Early with one multikicker payment when ramp matters; late with multiple kicks when mana flood needs conversion; avoid casting for zero counters unless a Teshar trigger is worth a non-mana artifact.
- Inputs / outputs: Base cost {0}; each multikicker {2} adds a charge counter; taps for {C} per charge counter.
- Partners / packages: Helps pay for Teshar, Lunatic Pandora's {6} sacrifice activation, Springjaw Trap's {4} activation, Dire Mimic/Mimic animation, and Buried Treasure discover.
- Role peers: Mind Stone and Commander's Sphere draw later; Arcane Signet produces white; Fellwar Stone may produce relevant colors from opponents.
- Failure modes: Zero-counter Chalice does not make mana; colorless mana does not cover white protection or double-white sideboard costs.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Better in grindy games and commander-tax games; worse against early aggro where a blocker or life gain changes survival.

#### Fanatical Devotion
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core sacrifice-protection engine.
- Role type: engine piece; protection/evasion; engine fuel/material.
- Deck-specific job: Sacrifices creatures to regenerate target creature, turning expendable bodies into shields for Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle or a key blocker while stocking creature cards for Teshar recursion.
- Timing: Deploy when you have spare bodies and a creature worth protecting; activate before a destruction event so the regeneration shield can replace destruction.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {2}{W}; activation sacrifices a creature and gives target creature a regeneration shield that taps it, removes damage, and removes it from combat if used.
- Partners / packages: Sacrifice material includes `Myr Moonvessel`, `Cathodion`, `Perilous Myr`, `Filigree Familiar`, `Gleaming Barrier`, `Myr Retriever`, `Workshop Assistant`, `Helpful Hunter`, `Spirited Companion`, `Priest of Ancient Lore`, `Roving Harper`, and `Skyscanner`.
- Role peers: Welding Jar regenerates artifacts without mana; Benevolent Bodyguard sacrifices for color protection; Ashnod's Altar sacrifices for mana.
- Failure modes: Regeneration does not stop exile, sacrifice, bounce, -X/-X, or damage that cannot be regenerated through; sacrificing the only blocker can lose combat.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against destroy-based removal and combat trades; weaker against edicts and exile-heavy decks.

#### Fellwar Stone
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, role-player mana rock.
- Role type: mana/fixing/ramp; mechanic enabler.
- Deck-specific job: Accelerates Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle and historic sequencing, with color output defined by named lands opponents control.
- Timing: Cast on turn two when it ramps to Teshar or value creatures; evaluate color output from visible opposing named lands before relying on it for white.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {2}; taps for one mana of any color a land an opponent controls could produce.
- Partners / packages: Historic trigger for Teshar; helps cast Commander's Sphere, Foundry Inspector, Starnheim Courser, and `Hydroblast`, `Blue Elemental Blast`, `Return to Nature`, `Gleeful Sabotage`, `Relic of Progenitus`, `Scattershot Archer`, `Spore Frog`, `Dispel`, or `Negate` if it can produce white.
- Role peers: Arcane Signet always produces commander-color mana; Mind Stone always produces {C}; Commander's Sphere is slower but reliable white.
- Failure modes: In some games it may not produce white; do not keep a white-light hand assuming Fellwar Stone fixes unless opponent named lands are known or Veles exposes output.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Better in multicolor pods/opponents with white-producing lands; against colorless-heavy opponents, treat it as colorless ramp.

#### Hidden Grotto
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, utility land and singleton/flex mana resource.
- Role type: mana/fixing/ramp; card selection.
- Deck-specific job: Enters with surveil 1 for graveyard setup or draw filtering, then produces {C} or filters with {1}, {T} into any color.
- Timing: Play when white mana is already covered or when surveil can set up Teshar; avoid as the only early land in hands full of white spells.
- Inputs / outputs: Land drop; outputs surveil 1, {C}, or one mana of any color with {1} input.
- Partners / packages: Can put a creature such as Spirited Companion, Priest of Ancient Lore, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, or Perilous Myr into graveyard for Teshar when recursion is ready.
- Role peers: Conduit Pylons has the same key text and Desert subtype; Tocasia's Dig Site produces {C} and uses {3}, {T} for surveil later.
- Failure modes: Filtering costs an extra mana, so it can fail to curve Teshar plus protection.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Useful in grindy games needing setup; risky in fast matchups where untapped Snow-Covered Plains or Ancient Den would cast a blocker.

#### Jack-o'-Lantern
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core cheap artifact graveyard tool and one-shot mana.
- Role type: mechanic enabler; hate piece; mana/fixing/ramp; card selection.
- Deck-specific job: Casts as cheap historic fuel, can exile up to one target card from a graveyard and draw, then from your graveyard can exile itself for {1} to add one mana of any color.
- Timing: Save battlefield activation for a relevant graveyard card or a needed draw; save graveyard mana ability for Teshar/protection turns rather than low-impact filtering.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {1}; battlefield activation costs {1}, {T}, sacrifice for targeted graveyard exile plus draw; graveyard activation costs {1} and exiles Jack-o'-Lantern for one mana of any color.
- Mode map: Battlefield hate/draw mode answers one graveyard card and replaces itself; graveyard mana mode converts a spent Lantern into one-shot fixing but removes it from recursion loops.
- Partners / packages: Recovered by Leonin Squire and Trusty Packbeast before it exiles itself; Teshar values it as cheap historic fuel.
- Role peers: Relic of Progenitus and Tormod's Crypt are stronger graveyard hate; Chromatic Star and Chromatic Sphere are cleaner mana cantrips.
- Failure modes: Exiling itself from graveyard prevents later artifact recursion; exiling your own best Teshar target for a card can be self-disruption.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against single-card graveyard reliance; broad graveyard decks may require Relic of Progenitus or Tormod's Crypt instead.

#### Loran's Escape
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core instant protection spell.
- Role type: protection/evasion; card selection.
- Deck-specific job: Gives target artifact or creature hexproof and indestructible until end of turn, then scries 1 toward a named land, historic spell, or protection follow-up.
- Timing: Hold for opposing removal, combat damage, or artifact destruction; use proactively only when preserving an attacker or blocker changes lethal math.
- Inputs / outputs: Consumes {W}; outputs hexproof, indestructible, and scry 1.
- Partners / packages: Protects `Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle`, `Ashnod's Altar`, `Skyscanner`, `Foundry Inspector`, `Myr Retriever`, `Perilous Myr`, `Glint Hawk`, `Kor Skyfisher`, and `Kami of False Hope` because each is a legal artifact or creature target.
- Role peers: Blacksmith's Skill can target any permanent and pumps artifact creatures; Gods Willing and Apostle's Blessing grant protection instead of hexproof/indestructible.
- Failure modes: Does not stop edicts, exile that does not destroy, bounce, or -X/-X; hexproof after a spell has already legally targeted may not counter every non-targeting effect.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Best against visible target removal and combat damage; scry matters when the protected turn needs another historic spell or named land.

#### Lotus Petal
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core zero-mana historic burst resource.
- Role type: mana/fixing/ramp; mechanic enabler; engine fuel/material.
- Deck-specific job: Triggers Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle for free and sacrifices for one mana of any color, enabling commander-plus-follow-up or protection turns.
- Timing: Hold until the one-shot mana unlocks Teshar, protection, `Hydroblast`, `Blue Elemental Blast`, `Return to Nature`, `Gleeful Sabotage`, `Relic of Progenitus`, `Scattershot Archer`, `Spore Frog`, `Dispel`, or `Negate`, or a meaningful double-spell sequence; cast for zero after Teshar when the historic trigger has a real target.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {0}; taps and sacrifices for one mana of any color.
- Partners / packages: Recur with Leonin Squire or Trusty Packbeast; pair with Teshar for free trigger; helps pay for Gods Willing, Blacksmith's Skill, Loran's Escape, Dust to Dust, or Celestial Flare.
- Role peers: `Buried Treasure`, `Dire Mimic`, and `Mimic` also sacrifice for any color but cost mana; `Chromatic Star` and `Chromatic Sphere` require {1} and draw.
- Failure modes: Spending it early for low-value tempo can strand commander tax; sacrificing removes a future historic trigger unless Teshar is already using it.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: High value against tempo and removal-heavy decks where Teshar plus protection in one turn beats passing exposed.

#### Lunatic Pandora
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, singleton legendary artifact utility piece.
- Role type: card selection; interaction-removal; mechanic enabler; modal utility.
- Deck-specific job: Provides a cheap legendary historic spell for Teshar, repeatable surveil 1 for graveyard setup, and a late expensive answer to target nonland permanent.
- Timing: Cast early when a historic permanent and future surveil matter; save the {6}, {T}, sacrifice activation for a permanent that beats the engine or threatens lethal.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {1}; {2}, {T} surveils 1; {6}, {T}, sacrifice destroys target nonland permanent.
- Mode map: Surveil mode filters the top card and can put Teshar targets into graveyard; destroy mode trades Lunatic Pandora and eight total mana over time for a target nonland permanent answer.
- Partners / packages: Teshar trigger source; surveil can stock Priest of Ancient Lore, Perilous Myr, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, or other creature targets.
- Role peers: Springjaw Trap answers any target with damage; Spectacular Tactics answers power 4 or greater creatures; Cathar Commando answers artifact/enchantment permanents.
- Failure modes: Destroy mode is slow and vulnerable to artifact removal; surveil without recursion can mill needed cards.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Best in slow games against a single nonland permanent that Dust to Dust, Revoke Existence, Disenchant, or Journey to Nowhere would answer only after sideboard.

#### Mind Stone
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core colorless mana rock and late cantrip.
- Role type: mana/fixing/ramp; card selection; mechanic enabler.
- Deck-specific job: Ramps into Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle and artifact-heavy turns, then sacrifices for a card once extra mana is less valuable than velocity.
- Timing: Cast early when colorless ramp advances a three- or four-mana play; cash in only after commander tax, protection windows, and activated abilities are covered.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {2}; taps for {C}; {1}, {T}, sacrifice draws a card.
- Partners / packages: Helps cast Foundry Inspector, Skyscanner, Ashnod's Altar, Starnheim Courser, and Teshar when white is otherwise covered.
- Role peers: Arcane Signet and Commander's Sphere provide white; Commander's Sphere sacrifices without mana/tap cost but costs {3}; Everflowing Chalice scales.
- Failure modes: Colorless mana cannot cast white one-drops or `Celestial Flare` or another white-intensive answer shown by the legal sideboard configuration; sacrificing too early reduces commander-tax resilience.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Good against control and midrange; against aggro, compare it to casting Perilous Myr, Shield Sphere, or Gleaming Barrier.

#### Relic of Progenitus
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core graveyard hate artifact and historic fuel.
- Role type: hate piece; mechanic enabler; card selection.
- Deck-specific job: Pressures graveyards while remaining a cheap historic spell for Teshar, with a one-shot all-graveyards exile plus draw when the opponent commits to a graveyard line.
- Timing: Use the tap ability when repeated pressure matters and your graveyard can spare a card; use the exile-all ability only when stopping the opponent outweighs losing Teshar targets.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {1}; {T} targets a player, and that targeted player chooses a card to exile from their graveyard; {1}, exile Relic exiles all graveyards and draws a card.
- Mode map: Single-player pressure mode targets a player, and that player chooses which graveyard card to exile; full-exile mode removes every graveyard and replaces Relic with a card.
- Partners / packages: Historic trigger for Teshar; conflicts with Teshar, Leonin Squire, Trusty Packbeast, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Conjurer's Bauble, and Jack-o'-Lantern when your graveyard is stocked.
- Role peers: Tormod's Crypt hits one player's graveyard for no mana but no card; Jack-o'-Lantern hits one target card and draws.
- Failure modes: Full exile can destroy your own recursion plan; tap ability does not let you choose the exact card.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against flashback, escape, threshold, reanimation, and graveyard recursion before costs are paid or targets resolve.

#### Rusted Slasher
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, singleton artifact creature sacrifice-resilience threat.
- Role type: threat/clock; protection/evasion; engine fuel/material.
- Deck-specific job: A 4/1 artifact creature that can sacrifice artifacts to regenerate itself, pressuring opponents while converting expendable artifacts into survival.
- Timing: Cast when a 4-power body matters and you have spare artifacts such as Clue tokens, Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, Tormod's Crypt, or Treasure tokens to protect it.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {4}; consumes artifacts to create regeneration shields before destruction events.
- Partners / packages: Works with Novice Inspector and Thraben Inspector Clues, Gleaming Barrier Treasure, Magic Pot Treasure, Buried Treasure, Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, and expendable zero-mana artifacts.
- Role peers: Fanatical Devotion regenerates target creatures by sacrificing creatures; Welding Jar regenerates artifacts; Thermal Navigator also sacrifices artifacts but gains flying instead.
- Failure modes: Regeneration is not recursion and does not stop exile, sacrifice, bounce, or -X/-X; sacrificing important artifacts can weaken Teshar or mana.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Good against destroy-based removal and ground stalls; fragile against first strike, pingers, exile, or edict effects.

#### Shriekhorn
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, singleton/flex self-mill artifact.
- Role type: mechanic enabler; engine fuel/material.
- Deck-specific job: Provides cheap historic material and controlled milling to put Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle targets or artifact-recursion targets into graveyard.
- Timing: Use on yourself when Teshar, Leonin Squire, Trusty Packbeast, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Conjurer's Bauble, or Jack-o'-Lantern can exploit the graveyard; target opponent only when milling is tactically relevant or disrupts a known top card.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {1}; enters with three charge counters; each tap removes a counter and mills target player two cards.
- Partners / packages: Fuels Teshar targets such as Priest of Ancient Lore, Perilous Myr, Kami of False Hope, Myr Retriever, and Workshop Assistant.
- Role peers: Hidden Grotto, Conduit Pylons, Tocasia's Dig Site, and Lunatic Pandora surveil with more control over a single top card.
- Failure modes: Blind self-mill can put protection or named lands into graveyard without a recovery path; milling opponent can help graveyard decks.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Sideboard out against graveyard opponents or fast aggro when it does not affect combat; stronger in slow attrition games.

#### Spectacular Tactics
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, singleton/flex modal interaction and protection-adjacent trick.
- Role type: modal utility; protection/evasion; interaction-removal.
- Deck-specific job: Either grows and hexproofs one of your creatures with a +1/+1 counter for a key combat/protection exchange, or destroys target creature with power 4 or greater.
- Timing: Hold as interaction when the opponent has a large creature; use the counter/hexproof mode when saving Teshar, a key blocker, or a lethal attacker beats waiting.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {1}{W}; outputs either a permanent +1/+1 counter plus temporary hexproof, or destruction of a large opposing creature.
- Mode map: Counter/hexproof mode targets creature you control and protects only from targeting, not damage or sweepers; destroy mode targets a creature with power 4 or greater and does not hit smaller utility engines.
- Partners / packages: Protects Teshar, Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, Skyscanner, Perilous Myr, or Kami of False Hope; removal mode complements Journey to Nowhere and Celestial Flare after sideboard.
- Role peers: Blacksmith's Skill and Loran's Escape are stronger protection; Springjaw Trap and Perilous Myr are damage-based answers.
- Failure modes: Destroy mode is dead against `Novice Inspector`, `Thraben Inspector`, `Spirited Companion`, `Helpful Hunter`, `Kami of False Hope`, `Ornithopter`, `Phyrexian Walker`, or `Shield Sphere`; hexproof mode does not grant indestructible or protection from blockers.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Good against tall creature decks; weaker against go-wide boards and noncreature engines.

#### Springjaw Trap
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, singleton/flex flash artifact reach/removal.
- Role type: interaction-removal; reach/finisher; mechanic enabler.
- Deck-specific job: Enters at flash speed as historic material, then threatens 3 damage to any target once you can pay {4}, tap, and sacrifice it.
- Timing: Flash in when leaving protection mana open matters; activate only when 3 damage kills a creature, finishes a player, removes a planeswalker-like permanent if legal, or changes combat math.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {1}; activation costs {4}, {T}, sacrifice to deal 3 damage to any target.
- Partners / packages: Historic trigger for Teshar; can be returned by Trusty Packbeast, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, or Leonin Squire only if mana value and target text allow the visible graveyard line.
- Role peers: Perilous Myr deals 2 on death; Lunatic Pandora destroys target nonland permanent at a much higher activation cost.
- Failure modes: Four-mana activation is slow; sacrificing it before Teshar can use the historic body may reduce engine density.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Good against x/3 utility creatures or as reach; too slow against decks forcing immediate blockers.

#### Springleaf Drum
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core artifact mana converter.
- Role type: mana/fixing/ramp; mechanic enabler; role glue.
- Deck-specific job: Turns spare creatures into any-color mana while being a cheap historic spell for Teshar, helping free or low-impact bodies convert into protected commander turns.
- Timing: Cast early with Ornithopter, Phyrexian Walker, Shield Sphere, Thraben Inspector, Novice Inspector, or Helpful Hunter when tapping that creature does not lose a needed block.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {1}; taps itself and an untapped creature you control to add one mana of any color.
- Partners / packages: Best with zero-mana artifact creatures, small ETB creatures after their trigger, Gleaming Barrier, Filigree Familiar, and other bodies not needed in combat.
- Role peers: Arcane Signet and Mind Stone make mana without a creature; Lotus Petal makes one burst mana without tapping a body.
- Failure modes: Tapping the only relevant blocker under lethal pressure is a serious mistake; Drum does nothing without an untapped creature.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong in setup games; against aggro, verify the tapped creature is not required for blocks before activating.

#### Tocasia's Dig Site
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, utility colorless named land.
- Role type: mana/fixing/ramp; card selection.
- Deck-specific job: Produces {C} and offers late surveil 1 to filter draws or stock a specific Teshar graveyard target.
- Timing: Play when white sources are already available; activate surveil only when spending {3} and tapping the land does not delay Teshar, protection, or removal.
- Inputs / outputs: Land drop; outputs {C}; {3}, {T} surveils 1.
- Partners / packages: Surveil can bin Priest of Ancient Lore, Spirited Companion, Perilous Myr, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, or other small creature targets when Teshar is online.
- Role peers: Hidden Grotto and Conduit Pylons surveil on entry and filter mana; Tocasia's Dig Site is repeatable but expensive.
- Failure modes: Does not produce white and can make early hands stumble; surveilling without recursion can put needed spells into graveyard.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Better in slow attrition games; weak when fast attackers demand immediate white spells or blockers.

#### Tormod's Crypt
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core zero-mana graveyard hate and historic fuel.
- Role type: hate piece; mechanic enabler.
- Deck-specific job: Triggers Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle for zero mana and threatens to exile target player's graveyard at a key commitment point.
- Timing: Cast after Teshar when the free historic trigger matters, or early against visible graveyard decks; activate when the opponent commits to recursion, flashback, escape, threshold, or a lethal graveyard line.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {0}; taps and sacrifices to exile target player's graveyard.
- Partners / packages: Recovered by Leonin Squire and Trusty Packbeast before activation; Teshar values it as free historic material.
- Role peers: Relic of Progenitus can pressure and draw but may hit your graveyard; Jack-o'-Lantern handles one target card and draws.
- Failure modes: Firing into a low-value graveyard wastes the threat; targeting yourself usually damages Teshar unless preventing decking or denying opponent interaction is necessary.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against graveyard commanders and recursion engines; low impact against pure combat decks and often a sideboard cut there.

#### Snow-Covered Plains
- Deck role: Main deck, 25 copies, core basic snow white mana base.
- Role type: mana/fixing/ramp.
- Deck-specific job: Supplies reliable {W} for Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, protection spells, ETB creatures, and sideboard double-white cards while also paying Arcum's Astrolabe's {S} cost.
- Timing: Prioritize early over tapped cycling named lands or colorless utility named lands when the hand contains one- and two-mana white spells; play before Arcum's Astrolabe when Astrolabe is part of the curve.
- Inputs / outputs: Land drop; taps for {W}; as a Basic Snow Land — Plains it enables snow mana for Arcum's Astrolabe and can be found by Airlift Chaplain if milled.
- Partners / packages: Supports Gods Willing, Benevolent Bodyguard, Thraben Inspector, Novice Inspector, Spirited Companion, Teshar, Dust to Dust, Celestial Flare, and Prismatic Strands.
- Role peers: Ancient Den also produces white and is historic but is vulnerable to artifact hate; Desert of the True, Drifting Meadow, and Secluded Steppe enter tapped but cycle.
- Failure modes: Too few early Snow-Covered Plains or Ancient Den sources makes white protection and Teshar unreliable.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Against fast decks, untapped white mana is often more important than utility-land value.

#### Welding Jar
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core zero-mana artifact protection.
- Role type: protection/evasion; mechanic enabler; engine fuel/material.
- Deck-specific job: Free historic spell for Teshar that can sacrifice to regenerate target artifact, protecting Ashnod's Altar, Ancient Den, Darksteel Citadel, Foundry Inspector, Skyscanner, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, or an artifact creature in combat.
- Timing: Cast after Teshar when the trigger matters or before exposing a key artifact; sacrifice only before a destruction event, not against exile, bounce, or sacrifice.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {0}; sacrifices to create a regeneration shield for target artifact.
- Partners / packages: Protects Ashnod's Altar, artifact lands, cost reducers, Perilous Myr, Skyscanner, Rusted Slasher, Thermal Navigator, and artifact recursion bodies.
- Role peers: Blacksmith's Skill and Loran's Escape protect artifacts or creatures with hexproof/indestructible; Fanatical Devotion regenerates creatures by sacrificing creatures.
- Failure modes: Regeneration taps the artifact creature and removes it from combat if used; cannot save Teshar because Teshar is not an artifact.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against artifact destruction and combat damage on artifact creatures; weak against exile-based artifact hate such as Revoke Existence-like effects.

#### Roving Harper
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, role-player ETB draw creature and flyer-adjacent pressure by body.
- Role type: card selection; threat/clock; recursion.
- Deck-specific job: A three-mana 2/2 that draws on entry, giving Teshar a high-value mana value 3 or less creature to recur for sustained cards.
- Timing: Cast when a body plus card stabilizes or when a future Teshar trigger can rebuy it; do not delay urgent removal or protection just to draw.
- Inputs / outputs: Consumes {2}{W}; outputs a card and a 2/2 creature.
- Partners / packages: Recurs with Teshar; bounce with Kor Skyfisher, Aviary Mechanic, or Exosuit Savior can repeat the draw if tempo allows.
- Role peers: Priest of Ancient Lore gains 1 life and draws; Inspiring Overseer flies, gains 1, and draws; Skyscanner is historic and flying but smaller.
- Failure modes: A vanilla 2/2 after entry can be outclassed; looping it without advancing pressure can let opponents recover.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against control and midrange attrition; against aggro, compare to Priest of Ancient Lore or Filigree Familiar life gain when available.

#### Priest of Ancient Lore
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core ETB draw and life-buffer creature.
- Role type: card selection; lifegain/stabilization; recursion.
- Deck-specific job: Gains 1 life and draws a card on entry, making Teshar recursion or bounce loops convert into both material and small race swings.
- Timing: Cast on turn three when cards and life matter; recur when the life point changes combat math or the card draw finds protection/removal.
- Inputs / outputs: Consumes {2}{W}; outputs 1 life, one card, and a 2/1 body.
- Partners / packages: Recur with Teshar; bounce with Kor Skyfisher, Aviary Mechanic, or Exosuit Savior; protect only if that 2/1 is a critical blocker or sacrifice bridge.
- Role peers: Inspiring Overseer adds flying; Roving Harper draws without life; Spirited Companion and Helpful Hunter are cheaper one-card ETB bodies.
- Failure modes: Do not spend protection on it after the ETB unless survival or lethal pressure depends on the body.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Better against burn and aggro than Roving Harper; still slow if the opponent's immediate threat needs Journey to Nowhere, Celestial Flare, or Cathar Commando.

#### Chromatic Sphere
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core cheap historic cantrip and mana filter.
- Role type: mechanic enabler; mana/fixing/ramp; card selection.
- Deck-specific job: A one-mana artifact that fixes mana and draws as part of its activation, giving Teshar a cheap historic trigger and Leonin Squire a small artifact target.
- Timing: Activate when the mana and card are needed now; hold on battlefield if Teshar is about to turn casting or replaying it into recursion.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {1}; activation costs {1}, {T}, sacrifice to add one mana of any color and draw a card.
- Partners / packages: Works with Teshar, Leonin Squire, Trusty Packbeast, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Foundry Inspector, Starnheim Courser, Glint Hawk, and Kor Skyfisher.
- Role peers: Chromatic Star draws when put into graveyard from battlefield, including other sacrifice causes; Arcum's Astrolabe draws on entry and remains for filtering.
- Failure modes: Cannot draw if activation is stopped before resolution; cracking it without a current mana/card purpose can reduce historic density.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Good for smoothing awkward utility-land hands; less important when the board needs blockers immediately.

#### Buried Treasure
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, singleton/flex Treasure ramp and graveyard late-game spell.
- Role type: mana/fixing/ramp; card selection; modal utility.
- Deck-specific job: Provides a two-mana historic Treasure for any-color mana, then from graveyard can exile itself at sorcery speed to discover 5 as a late reload.
- Timing: Use Treasure mana when it unlocks Teshar, protection, or `Hydroblast`, `Blue Elemental Blast`, `Return to Nature`, `Gleeful Sabotage`, `Relic of Progenitus`, `Scattershot Archer`, `Spore Frog`, `Dispel`, or `Negate`; save graveyard discover until main phase when spending {5} does not expose you to lethal.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {2}; taps and sacrifices for one mana of any color; from graveyard, {5} and exile at sorcery speed discovers 5.
- Mode map: Battlefield Treasure mode fixes/ramps once; graveyard discover mode exiles cards until a nonland card with mana value 5 or less is found, then casts it free or puts it into hand, with the rest bottomed randomly.
- Partners / packages: Historic trigger for Teshar; graveyard discover competes with Teshar and artifact-recursion access because it exiles itself.
- Role peers: Lotus Petal is free burst mana; Dire Mimic and Mimic are Treasure artifacts with creature animation.
- Failure modes: Discover can hit low-impact artifacts when removal is needed; exiling itself removes it from Leonin Squire/Trusty Packbeast recovery.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong in grindy games; too slow against lethal pressure.

#### Desert of the True
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, tapped white cycling named land.
- Role type: mana/fixing/ramp; card selection; modal utility.
- Deck-specific job: Provides white mana when land count matters, or cycles later when tapped mana is worse than finding action.
- Timing: Play tapped early only when it does not block a one- or two-mana spell; cycle after land drops, Teshar mana, and commander-tax needs are covered.
- Inputs / outputs: Land enters tapped; taps for {W}; cycling costs {1}{W}, discard this card, draw a card.
- Mode map: Land mode supports Teshar and white spells but costs tempo; cycling mode turns a surplus land into a random card and puts a card in graveyard, but does not count as casting a historic spell.
- Partners / packages: Airlift Chaplain can select a Plains card from milled cards, and Desert of the True is a Land — Desert, not a Plains; do not treat it as an Airlift Plains hit from the provided type line.
- Role peers: Secluded Steppe cycles for {W}; Drifting Meadow cycles for {2}; Snow-Covered Plains enters untapped.
- Failure modes: Entering tapped can lose early tempo; cycling too early can strand commander tax.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Against aggro, untapped white sources usually beat cycling value.

#### Exosuit Savior
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, singleton/flex flying bounce creature.
- Role type: threat/clock; card selection; role glue.
- Deck-specific job: A 2/2 flyer that returns up to one other target permanent you control to its owner's hand, reusing ETB cards or saving a permanent from hostile board texture.
- Timing: Cast when bouncing a value permanent is optional upside or when a flyer matters; do not bounce a mana source if it prevents the turn's protection or Teshar trigger.
- Inputs / outputs: Consumes {2}{W}; outputs a flying 2/2 and optional return of another target permanent you control.
- Partners / packages: Reuses Arcum's Astrolabe, Spirited Companion, Priest of Ancient Lore, Inspiring Overseer, Roving Harper, Skyscanner, Filigree Familiar, Thraben Inspector, Novice Inspector, Ancient Den, or a tapped cycling land if tempo allows.
- Role peers: Kor Skyfisher has similar mandatory permanent return; Aviary Mechanic may return another permanent; Glint Hawk specifically returns an artifact or sacrifices itself.
- Failure modes: Targeting is required only if choosing the optional return; do not bounce the only white source or only blocker without a payoff.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against removal when it can pick up a threatened permanent; useful for flying pressure after stabilization.

#### Secluded Steppe
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, tapped white cycling named land.
- Role type: mana/fixing/ramp; card selection; modal utility.
- Deck-specific job: Supplies white mana at the cost of entering tapped, or cycles for {W} when action density matters more than a land drop.
- Timing: Play early if future white mana is needed and tempo loss is acceptable; cycle only when enough named lands are already available for Teshar plus tax/protection.
- Inputs / outputs: Enters tapped; taps for {W}; cycling costs {W}, discard this card, draw a card.
- Mode map: Land mode supports white requirements; cycling mode uses white mana now to draw and puts Secluded Steppe into graveyard.
- Partners / packages: Helps cast Teshar, Gods Willing, Blacksmith's Skill, Loran's Escape, Celestial Flare, Dust to Dust, and Prismatic Strands.
- Role peers: Desert of the True cycles for {1}{W}; Drifting Meadow cycles for {2}; Snow-Covered Plains enters untapped and pays Arcum's Astrolabe.
- Failure modes: Entering tapped can miss early plays; cycling away a white source can weaken `Celestial Flare` or another white-intensive answer shown by the legal sideboard configuration.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Against slow decks, cycling late is useful; against fast pressure, prefer playing it only if the next turn's white spell remains on curve.

#### Drifting Meadow
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, tapped white cycling named land.
- Role type: mana/fixing/ramp; card selection; modal utility.
- Deck-specific job: White source that can become a card for {2} when the deck has enough mana and needs gas.
- Timing: Play tapped early if it does not delay blockers or Teshar; cycle late when land count is secure and a random card is more valuable than another white source.
- Inputs / outputs: Enters tapped; taps for {W}; cycling costs {2}, discard this card, draw a card.
- Mode map: Land mode preserves white development; cycling mode uses generic mana and discards Drifting Meadow for a card.
- Partners / packages: Supports `Dust to Dust`, `Revoke Existence`, `Disenchant`, `Journey to Nowhere`, `Celestial Flare`, `Obsidian Acolyte`, `Crimson Acolyte`, and `Coalition Honor Guard` and protection turns; cycling fills graveyard only as a land card, not a Teshar creature target.
- Role peers: Secluded Steppe has cheaper white cycling; Desert of the True is a Desert with {1}{W} cycling.
- Failure modes: Tapped entry can cost turn-two Spirited Companion or protection; cycling too early can make commander tax harder.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Best in attrition games; in aggro games, the tempo cost should be measured against life-total pressure.

#### Voyager Quickwelder
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core artifact-cost reducer on a creature body.
- Role type: engine piece; mechanic enabler; mana/fixing/ramp.
- Deck-specific job: Makes artifact spells cost {1} less, enabling multi-spell Teshar turns with Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, Relic of Progenitus, Tormod's Crypt, Skyscanner, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, and artifact mana.
- Timing: Cast before a hand with multiple artifacts; delay when immediate blockers, protection, or removal are more urgent.
- Inputs / outputs: Consumes {2}{W}; outputs a 2/4 artifact creature and ongoing generic cost reduction for artifact spells you cast.
- Partners / packages: Pairs with Foundry Inspector and Starnheim Courser for deeper reductions; body can be recurred by Teshar because mana value 3 or less.
- Role peers: Foundry Inspector reduces artifact spells from an artifact creature; Starnheim Courser reduces artifact and enchantment spells.
- Failure modes: Does not reduce activated abilities or nonartifact white creatures; playing it without artifacts in hand is slow.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against midrange/control where multi-spell turns win; against aggro, a 2/4 blocker may still justify it.

#### Foundry Inspector
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core artifact-cost reducer and artifact creature.
- Role type: engine piece; mechanic enabler; mana/fixing/ramp.
- Deck-specific job: Reduces artifact spells by {1}, making cheap artifacts free or cheaper and enabling Teshar turns with multiple historic casts.
- Timing: Cast before deploying a cluster of artifacts; skip or delay if the opponent threatens lethal and a defensive creature or removal spell is needed.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {3}; outputs a 3/2 artifact creature and ongoing artifact-spell cost reduction.
- Partners / packages: Works with Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, Relic of Progenitus, Tormod's Crypt, Ornithopter, Phyrexian Walker, Shield Sphere, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Skyscanner, and artifact mana.
- Role peers: Voyager Quickwelder reduces artifact spells on a 2/4 for {2}{W}; Starnheim Courser reduces artifacts and enchantments but is not an artifact.
- Failure modes: Does not reduce activated abilities like Springjaw Trap or Mimic animation; as a 3/2 it can trade down if attacked recklessly.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong when the game is about engine velocity; vulnerable to artifact removal but can be protected by Welding Jar, Blacksmith's Skill, Loran's Escape, or Apostle's Blessing.

#### Mimic
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, singleton/flex artifact Treasure and temporary creature.
- Role type: mana/fixing/ramp; threat/clock; modal utility.
- Deck-specific job: Historic Treasure that sacrifices for one mana of any color or becomes a 3/3 Shapeshifter artifact creature for attacks and blocks.
- Timing: Preserve as mana when Teshar, protection, or `Hydroblast`, `Blue Elemental Blast`, `Return to Nature`, `Gleeful Sabotage`, `Relic of Progenitus`, `Scattershot Archer`, `Spore Frog`, `Dispel`, or `Negate` needs fixing; animate when a 3/3 body changes combat and the Treasure mana is no longer critical.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {2}; taps and sacrifices for one mana of any color; {2} makes it a 3/3 artifact creature until end of turn.
- Mode map: Treasure mode converts the artifact into mana; animation mode spends {2} for temporary creature stats while keeping the artifact if it survives.
- Partners / packages: Teshar trigger source; reduced by Foundry Inspector, Voyager Quickwelder, and Starnheim Courser; recoverable by artifact-recursion cards if it dies or is sacrificed.
- Role peers: Dire Mimic has flash and animates into 5/5 for {3}; Buried Treasure is Treasure with graveyard discover.
- Failure modes: Animating exposes it to creature removal; sacrificing for mana removes a potential blocker/attacker and recursion target.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Better as a blocker/racer against midrange; better as mana against tempo or commander-tax pressure.

#### Airlift Chaplain
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, role-player flying self-mill selector.
- Role type: card selection; mechanic enabler; threat/clock.
- Deck-specific job: Mills three, then may put a Plains card or creature card with mana value 3 or less from those milled cards into hand; if no card is chosen, it gets a +1/+1 counter.
- Timing: Cast when you can use either a selected card or graveyard setup for Teshar; choose no card only when the counter matters more than the revealed eligible card.
- Inputs / outputs: Consumes {2}{W}; outputs a 1/1 flyer, three milled cards, and either a selected Plains/cheap creature to hand or a +1/+1 counter.
- Partners / packages: Can find Snow-Covered Plains from milled cards and cheap creatures such as Benevolent Bodyguard, Kami of False Hope, Leonin Squire, Myr Retriever, Perilous Myr, Spirited Companion, or Skyscanner.
- Role peers: Shriekhorn mills without selection; Roving Harper and Priest of Ancient Lore draw directly.
- Failure modes: Milling without Teshar or recursion can lose access to important noncreature artifacts; Desert of the True is not listed as Plains in the Card Reference.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong in grindy games; against aggro, value the body and selection only if it helps stabilize.

#### Benevolent Bodyguard
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core one-mana creature protection.
- Role type: protection/evasion; engine fuel/material.
- Deck-specific job: Sits on board as a visible shield, then sacrifices to give target creature you control protection from the chosen color until end of turn, usually protecting Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle or a key blocker/attacker.
- Timing: Cast early before exposing Teshar; sacrifice in response to targeted colored removal, combat damage, or to make a decisive attack unblockable by a chosen color.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {W}; sacrifices itself for temporary color protection on a creature you control and becomes a Teshar-recursion target.
- Partners / packages: Protects Teshar, Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, Skyscanner, Perilous Myr, Kami of False Hope, and other key creatures.
- Role peers: Gods Willing provides similar protection plus scry; Apostle's Blessing can protect artifacts too.
- Failure modes: Does not protect artifacts that are not creatures; cannot stop colorless sources, sacrifice effects, sweepers, or non-targeted removal.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against colored spot removal and colored combat; weak against edicts and artifact-based answers.

#### Cathar Commando
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core flash body and artifact/enchantment removal.
- Role type: interaction-removal; threat/clock; engine fuel/material.
- Deck-specific job: Pressures as a 3/1 flash creature or sacrifices for {1} to destroy target artifact or enchantment, answering hate, engines, and equipment-like pressure.
- Timing: Flash in end step when no target needs answering; hold on board or in hand when the opponent has a visible artifact/enchantment engine or may commit one soon.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {1}{W}; activation costs {1} and sacrifices Cathar Commando to destroy target artifact or enchantment.
- Partners / packages: Recurrable by Teshar; protection from Gods Willing, Loran's Escape, or Blacksmith's Skill can preserve it if the 3/1 body is the clock.
- Role peers: Shattered Acolyte also sacrifices to destroy artifact/enchantment but has lifelink and no flash; Disenchant and Revoke Existence are registered sideboard card named in this note peers.
- Failure modes: Sacrificing removes a body and Teshar target from battlefield; cannot destroy creatures unless they are artifacts/enchantments.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against artifact/enchantment decks; against creature aggro, it may be mostly a flash trade.

#### Cathodion
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, role-player artifact creature mana death trigger.
- Role type: engine fuel/material; mana/fixing/ramp; threat/clock.
- Deck-specific job: A 3/3 artifact creature that adds {C}{C}{C} when it dies, giving Ashnod's Altar, combat trades, and sacrifice lines burst mana for Teshar or multi-spell turns.
- Timing: Cast when a 3/3 body stabilizes or when sacrifice/death mana can be used; avoid forcing death if the colorless mana has no legal follow-up.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {3}; outputs a 3/3 artifact body and {C}{C}{C} on death.
- Partners / packages: Strong with Ashnod's Altar, Fanatical Devotion, Rusted Slasher, Teshar, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Trusty Packbeast, and artifact cost reducers.
- Role peers: Myr Moonvessel is a smaller death-mana creature; Gleaming Barrier and Magic Pot make Treasure on death.
- Failure modes: Death mana is colorless and empties as steps/phases end; dying at a bad time may not let you spend it usefully.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Good against midrange trades and commander-tax games; against exile removal, it may never produce mana.

#### Filigree Familiar
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core artifact creature stabilizer.
- Role type: lifegain/stabilization; card selection; engine fuel/material.
- Deck-specific job: Gains 2 life on entry, draws when it dies, and serves as an artifact creature for Teshar, Ashnod's Altar, and artifact recursion.
- Timing: Cast when life and a body matter; sacrifice or trade when the card draw and graveyard placement advance a Teshar or recursion turn.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {3}; outputs 2 life, a 2/2 artifact body, and a card on death.
- Partners / packages: Works with Ashnod's Altar, Fanatical Devotion, Rusted Slasher, Teshar, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Trusty Packbeast, and bounce from Kor Skyfisher/Aviary Mechanic/Exosuit Savior for repeated life.
- Role peers: Priest of Ancient Lore gains 1 and draws immediately; Inspiring Overseer gains 1, draws, and flies; Skyscanner draws immediately as an artifact flyer.
- Failure modes: Exile or bounce denies death draw; protecting it is usually wrong unless the body is survival-critical.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against burn and aggro; excellent sacrifice material in attrition games.

#### Glint Hawk
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core cheap flyer and artifact-bounce role player.
- Role type: threat/clock; card selection; mechanic enabler.
- Deck-specific job: One-mana 2/2 flying pressure that reuses artifacts, but must return an artifact you control to hand or be sacrificed.
- Timing: Cast when you can return a low-tempo artifact such as Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Arcum's Astrolabe, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, Tormod's Crypt, Welding Jar, Ancient Den, or Darksteel Citadel without breaking mana.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {W}; outputs a 2/2 flyer and returns an artifact you control to hand as its entry requirement.
- Partners / packages: Replays `Arcum's Astrolabe` for another card, reuses `Chromatic Star` or `Chromatic Sphere`, picks up `Ancient Den` only when land tempo is safe, and creates more historic casts for `Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle`.
- Role peers: Kor Skyfisher bounces any permanent and has 2/3 flying; Exosuit Savior optionally returns another permanent for {2}{W}.
- Failure modes: Casting with no artifact or bouncing the only white source can sacrifice Glint Hawk or set mana behind.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong pressure against slow decks; against aggro, keep it back if the 2/2 flyer must block or race carefully.

#### Inspiring Overseer
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core flying ETB value creature.
- Role type: card selection; lifegain/stabilization; threat/clock; recursion.
- Deck-specific job: Gains 1 life, draws a card, and adds a 2/1 flyer that Teshar can recur for repeated cards and evasive pressure.
- Timing: Cast on curve when stabilizing and drawing matters; recur or bounce when the extra card and flying body advance the clock or survival.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {2}{W}; outputs 1 life, one card, and a 2/1 flying creature.
- Partners / packages: Recur with Teshar; bounce with Kor Skyfisher, Aviary Mechanic, or Exosuit Savior; protect with Gods Willing or Loran's Escape only if it is a key attacker/blocker.
- Role peers: Priest of Ancient Lore gains/draws without flying; Roving Harper draws with a 2/2 ground body; Skyscanner is an artifact flyer that draws.
- Failure modes: A 2/1 body dies easily; looping draw without converting to pressure can stall.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against control and midrange; lifegain and flying matter against aggro but may be too slow if removal is needed now.

#### Kami of False Hope
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core combat fog creature.
- Role type: lifegain/stabilization; protection/evasion; engine fuel/material.
- Deck-specific job: Sacrifices to prevent all combat damage that would be dealt this turn, buying a full combat step for Teshar setup or lethal crack-back.
- Timing: Save for lethal, a huge race swing, or a combat step that would remove key blockers; do not sacrifice just to prevent small damage unless life total is critical.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {W}; sacrifices itself to prevent all combat damage for the turn and becomes a Teshar-recursion target.
- Partners / packages: Recurs with Teshar for repeated fogs; works with Fanatical Devotion or Ashnod's Altar only when the sacrifice timing still achieves the needed prevention or resource conversion.
- Role peers: Prismatic Strands prevents damage from chosen-color sources after sideboard; Celestial Flare removes one attacking/blocking creature after sideboard.
- Failure modes: Does not prevent noncombat damage, life loss, or postcombat burn; sacrificing too early can leave no answer to a larger attack.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Excellent against go-wide and tall combat decks; low impact against noncombat combo or control.

#### Kindly Customer
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, role-player two-mana ETB draw creature.
- Role type: card selection; recursion; engine fuel/material.
- Deck-specific job: Draws a card when it enters, giving the deck a `Novice Inspector`, `Thraben Inspector`, `Spirited Companion`, `Helpful Hunter`, or `Kami of False Hope` that replaces itself and is eligible for Teshar recursion.
- Timing: Cast early to keep cards flowing and create board material; recur when the card draw is more valuable than another combat body.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {1}{W}; outputs a 1/1 creature and one card on entry.
- Partners / packages: Teshar can return it; `Kor Skyfisher`, `Aviary Mechanic`, or `Exosuit Savior` can rebuy the ETB draw.
- Role peers: Spirited Companion and Helpful Hunter are closest two-mana draw-body peers; Thraben Inspector and Novice Inspector produce Clue artifacts instead of immediate draw.
- Failure modes: A 1/1 body rarely blocks profitably; do not protect it unless it is the only sacrifice bridge or lethal blocker.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Better in slower attrition games; against fast combat, compare to Perilous Myr, Shield Sphere, Gleaming Barrier, or Kami of False Hope.

#### Kor Skyfisher
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core bounce flyer and pressure piece.
- Role type: threat/clock; card selection; role glue.
- Deck-specific job: A 2/3 flyer that returns a permanent you control to hand, reusing ETB creatures, cantrip artifacts, cycling named lands played early, or Ancient Den while applying evasive pressure.
- Timing: Cast when the returned permanent can be replayed profitably or when the 2/3 flying body is essential; avoid bouncing the only white source or blocker without a clear payoff.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {1}{W}; outputs a 2/3 flyer and mandatory return of a permanent you control.
- Partners / packages: Reuses Arcum's Astrolabe, Thraben Inspector, Novice Inspector, Spirited Companion, Priest of Ancient Lore, Inspiring Overseer, Skyscanner, Filigree Familiar, Helpful Hunter, Ancient Den, and cheap artifacts for Teshar triggers.
- Role peers: Glint Hawk is cheaper but artifact-only; Aviary Mechanic is ground-based and may return another permanent; Exosuit Savior is optional and flying.
- Failure modes: Mandatory bounce can undo mana development or remove a needed blocker.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against control and midrange; against aggro, a 2/3 flyer can block but bounce tempo must be safe.

#### Leonin Squire
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core cheap-artifact recursion creature.
- Role type: recursion; engine piece; card selection.
- Deck-specific job: Returns target artifact card with mana value 1 or less from your graveyard to your hand, rebuilding cheap historic fuel for Teshar.
- Timing: Cast only when a meaningful target exists or a 2/2 body is urgently needed; save if the graveyard is likely to receive a higher-value target soon.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {1}{W}; outputs a 2/2 body and one small artifact card to hand.
- Partners / packages: Targets include `Chromatic Star`, `Chromatic Sphere`, `Conjurer's Bauble`, `Jack-o'-Lantern`, `Relic of Progenitus`, `Shriekhorn`, `Springjaw Trap`, `Springleaf Drum`, `Tormod's Crypt`, `Welding Jar`, `Lotus Petal`, `Ornithopter`, `Phyrexian Walker`, `Shield Sphere`, and `Lunatic Pandora`.
- Role peers: Trusty Packbeast returns any artifact card but costs {2}{W}; Myr Retriever and Workshop Assistant return artifacts when they die.
- Failure modes: Cannot return artifact cards with mana value greater than 1 such as Ashnod's Altar, Skyscanner, or Foundry Inspector; empty-target Squire is low value.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: High value against removal and grind; against graveyard hate, cast before the target is exiled if possible.

#### Myr Kinsmith
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, singleton/flex Myr tutor body.
- Role type: tutor/search; card selection; threat/clock.
- Deck-specific job: Searches your library for a Myr card, reveals it, puts it into your hand, then shuffles, giving access to the exact Myr role needed.
- Timing: Cast when a 3/1 body and a specific Myr card matter; choose the target by current board, not abstract value.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {4}; outputs a 3/1 artifact creature and one revealed Myr card from library to hand.
- Partners / packages: Search targets in this deck are `Myr Moonvessel` for sacrifice mana, `Myr Retriever` for artifact recursion, and `Perilous Myr` for damage/removal/reach.
- Role peers: Airlift Chaplain selects from milled Plains/cheap creatures; Leonin Squire and Trusty Packbeast recover artifacts from graveyard instead of library.
- Failure modes: If all Myr targets are drawn, graveyarded, exiled, or not in library, the search loses value; 3/1 body is fragile.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Get Perilous Myr against `Novice Inspector`, `Thraben Inspector`, `Spirited Companion`, `Helpful Hunter`, `Kami of False Hope`, `Ornithopter`, `Phyrexian Walker`, or `Shield Sphere` or planeswalker-like targets if legal; get Myr Retriever in grind; get Myr Moonvessel when mana-sacrifice sequencing matters.

#### Myr Moonvessel
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core cheap artifact creature death-mana material.
- Role type: engine fuel/material; mana/fixing/ramp; mechanic enabler.
- Deck-specific job: One-mana historic creature that adds {C} when it dies, enabling Teshar triggers, Springleaf Drum, Ashnod's Altar, and sacrifice sequencing.
- Timing: Deploy early as material when it can block, tap for Drum, or set up death mana; sacrifice only when the colorless mana has a legal use.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {1}; outputs a 1/1 artifact creature and {C} on death.
- Partners / packages: Works with Ashnod's Altar, Fanatical Devotion, Rusted Slasher, Teshar, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Trusty Packbeast, and Myr Kinsmith.
- Role peers: Cathodion makes {C}{C}{C} on death; Gleaming Barrier and Magic Pot make Treasure instead of immediate colorless mana.
- Failure modes: Death mana may appear in a window where it cannot pay for the desired white spell; a 1/1 is not a reliable blocker.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong when mana bottleneck matters; weaker when the opponent pressures with evasive creatures that ignore the body.

#### Myr Retriever
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core artifact recursion creature.
- Role type: recursion; engine piece; engine fuel/material.
- Deck-specific job: When it dies, returns another target artifact card from your graveyard to your hand, making sacrifice and combat trades into artifact recovery.
- Timing: Cast when a death trigger will have a valuable artifact target or when Teshar can recur it; avoid sacrificing with no other artifact card in graveyard.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {2}; outputs a 1/1 artifact creature and a death-triggered artifact return.
- Partners / packages: Returns Ashnod's Altar, Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, Skyscanner, Foundry Inspector, Workshop Assistant, Perilous Myr, Buried Treasure, Mimic, Dire Mimic, and other artifact cards.
- Role peers: Workshop Assistant is similar at {3}; Trusty Packbeast returns an artifact on entry; Leonin Squire returns mana value 1 or less artifacts on entry.
- Failure modes: Cannot return itself because the trigger says another target artifact card; graveyard hate can remove the chosen target.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Excellent in attrition and against removal; against exile effects, trade it before exile if a target is available.

#### Novice Inspector
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core one-mana Clue producer.
- Role type: card selection; engine fuel/material; mechanic enabler.
- Deck-specific job: Creates a Clue artifact on entry, adding a `Novice Inspector`, `Thraben Inspector`, `Spirited Companion`, `Helpful Hunter`, or `Kami of False Hope` plus artifact material for sacrifice, Teshar historic density, and later card draw.
- Timing: Cast early to stabilize and create artifact material; crack the Clue only when {2} is not needed for Teshar, protection, or interaction.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {W}; outputs a 1/2 body and a Clue token with "{2}, Sacrifice this token: Draw a card."
- Partners / packages: Clue works with `Rusted Slasher`, `Thermal Navigator`, `Ashnod's Altar`, and sacrifice decisions; body works with `Springleaf Drum`, `Fanatical Devotion`, and `Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle` recursion.
- Role peers: Thraben Inspector has the same key investigate role; Spirited Companion and Helpful Hunter draw immediately instead of making a Clue.
- Failure modes: Clue draw is mana-intensive; sacrificing Clue to Rusted Slasher or Thermal Navigator trades future card draw for immediate board effect.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong keep card against unknown opponents; against fast aggro, the 1/2 body matters before the Clue draw.

#### Ornithopter
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core zero-mana artifact creature.
- Role type: mechanic enabler; engine fuel/material; protection/evasion.
- Deck-specific job: Free historic spell for Teshar, flying blocker, Springleaf Drum partner, and sacrifice material for artifact/creature engines.
- Timing: Cast after Teshar when the free historic trigger returns a relevant creature; cast early when Drum mana, blocking, or artifact material matters.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {0}; outputs a 0/2 flying artifact creature.
- Partners / packages: Works with Springleaf Drum, Ashnod's Altar, Fanatical Devotion, Rusted Slasher, Thermal Navigator, Teshar, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, and Trusty Packbeast.
- Role peers: Phyrexian Walker is a 0/3 artifact creature with missing Oracle metadata; Shield Sphere is a 0/6 defender with blocking counters.
- Failure modes: No power means it does not pressure without external help; sacrificing it before Teshar may waste a free trigger.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against small flyers and for mana setup; weak as a clock unless the game is about artifacts and recursion.

#### Perilous Myr
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core artifact creature removal/reach material.
- Role type: interaction-removal; reach/finisher; engine fuel/material.
- Deck-specific job: Dies into 2 damage to any target, letting trades, Ashnod's Altar, Fanatical Devotion, or Teshar loops answer `Novice Inspector`, `Thraben Inspector`, `Spirited Companion`, `Helpful Hunter`, `Kami of False Hope`, `Ornithopter`, `Phyrexian Walker`, or `Shield Sphere` or finish low opponents.
- Timing: Deploy when the death trigger deters attacks or lines up with sacrifice; sacrifice or trade when 2 damage kills something relevant or creates lethal pressure.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {2}; outputs a 1/1 artifact creature and a death trigger dealing 2 damage to any target.
- Partners / packages: Recurs with Teshar, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Trusty Packbeast; sacrifices to Ashnod's Altar or Fanatical Devotion when damage matters.
- Role peers: Springjaw Trap deals 3 with a larger activation; Spectacular Tactics destroys power 4 or greater creatures.
- Failure modes: Exile or bounce denies the death trigger; throwing 2 damage at face while behind on board is often wrong.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against x/2 commanders, utility creatures, and planeswalker-like targets if legal; also a reach finisher in stalled boards.

#### Phyrexian Walker
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core zero-mana artifact creature blocker.
- Role type: mechanic enabler; engine fuel/material; lifegain/stabilization.
- Deck-specific job: Free artifact creature for Teshar triggers, Springleaf Drum, blocking, and sacrifice material, with a 0/3 stat line from the Card Reference.
- Timing: Cast after Teshar when a free historic trigger matters, or early when a 0/3 blocker/Drum partner stabilizes.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {0}; outputs an artifact creature body with the provided type Phyrexian Construct and stats 0/3.
- Partners / packages: Works with Springleaf Drum, Ashnod's Altar, Fanatical Devotion, Rusted Slasher, Thermal Navigator, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Trusty Packbeast, and Teshar.
- Role peers: Ornithopter has flying but lower toughness; Shield Sphere blocks larger ground creatures but accumulates -0/-1 counters.
- Failure modes: Card Reference has missing Oracle text, so tactical claims should rely only on provided cost, type, and 0/3 stats unless Veles exposes more; no power means it does not attack profitably.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against early ground pressure; weak against evasion, trample-like pressure if exposed, or effects that ignore blockers.

#### Shattered Acolyte
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, singleton/flex lifelink creature and artifact/enchantment answer.
- Role type: lifegain/stabilization; interaction-removal; engine fuel/material.
- Deck-specific job: A 2/2 lifelink body that can sacrifice for {1} to destroy target artifact or enchantment, giving the main deck another permanent-answer line.
- Timing: Cast when lifelink combat matters or when you need a removal body available; activate only on a visible artifact/enchantment that matters more than the 2/2 lifelink body.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {1}{W}; attacks/blocks with lifelink; activation costs {1} and sacrifices Shattered Acolyte to destroy target artifact or enchantment.
- Partners / packages: Recurrable by Teshar; protection can preserve it when lifelink racing is key.
- Role peers: Cathar Commando has flash and 3 power; Disenchant and Revoke Existence are registered sideboard card named in this note answers.
- Failure modes: Cannot hit nonartifact, nonenchantment creatures; sacrificing it removes a Teshar-recursible body.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against artifact/enchantment engines and red racing; less useful when opponents pressure with nonartifact creatures or graveyards.

#### Shield Sphere
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core zero-mana artifact defender.
- Role type: lifegain/stabilization; mechanic enabler; engine fuel/material.
- Deck-specific job: Free historic spell and high-toughness blocker that buys turns for Teshar, while serving as artifact/creature material for sacrifice and recursion.
- Timing: Cast after Teshar for a free trigger or early when a 0/6 defender blocks meaningful ground damage.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {0}; outputs a 0/6 artifact Wall with defender; each time it blocks, it gets a -0/-1 counter.
- Partners / packages: Works with Springleaf Drum, Ashnod's Altar, Fanatical Devotion, Rusted Slasher, Thermal Navigator, Teshar, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, and Trusty Packbeast.
- Role peers: Phyrexian Walker is a 0/3 free artifact creature; Ornithopter blocks flyers.
- Failure modes: Defender prevents attacking; repeated blocks reduce toughness, so do not assume it walls the same large creature forever.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Excellent against early ground aggro; weak against flyers, removal that bypasses combat, and noncombat combo.

#### Aviary Mechanic
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, role-player bounce creature.
- Role type: card selection; role glue; engine fuel/material.
- Deck-specific job: Enters as a 2/2 and may return another permanent you control to hand, reusing ETB bodies and cheap artifacts without the mandatory tempo cost of Kor Skyfisher.
- Timing: Cast when you have a worthwhile permanent to pick up or simply need a 2/2; choose no return if bouncing would cost mana, blockers, or engine continuity.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {1}{W}; outputs a 2/2 and optional return of another permanent you control.
- Partners / packages: Reuses Arcum's Astrolabe, Thraben Inspector, Novice Inspector, Spirited Companion, Priest of Ancient Lore, Inspiring Overseer, Skyscanner, Filigree Familiar, Helpful Hunter, Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, or Ancient Den when safe.
- Role peers: Kor Skyfisher has flying but mandatory return; Exosuit Savior is a flyer with optional targeted return; Glint Hawk is cheaper and artifact-specific.
- Failure modes: Cannot return itself because it says another permanent; bouncing the wrong mana source can undo the turn.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong in grindy matchups; against aggro, the 2/2 body may matter more than the bounce.

#### Skyscanner
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core artifact flyer and ETB draw creature.
- Role type: card selection; threat/clock; mechanic enabler; recursion.
- Deck-specific job: Historic artifact creature that flies and draws on entry, making it one of the best Teshar recursion targets and artifact-recursion targets.
- Timing: Cast when a card plus flying body advances stabilization; recur when repeated draw or evasive pressure matters.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {3}; outputs a 1/1 flying artifact creature and one card on entry.
- Partners / packages: Recur with Teshar, Trusty Packbeast, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant; bounce with Kor Skyfisher, Aviary Mechanic, or Exosuit Savior.
- Role peers: Inspiring Overseer draws, gains 1, and flies but is not an artifact; Roving Harper draws on a 2/2; Filigree Familiar gains life and draws on death.
- Failure modes: 1/1 flyer is a small clock; protecting it is usually worse than protecting Teshar or Ashnod's Altar unless lethal depends on it.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Excellent against control and midrange; against flyers, it can block but dies to most damage.

#### Spirited Companion
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core two-mana ETB draw enchantment creature.
- Role type: card selection; recursion; engine fuel/material.
- Deck-specific job: Draws a card on entry and provides a cheap Teshar-recursible body; Starnheim Courser also reduces it because it is an enchantment spell.
- Timing: Cast early to hit land drops and material; recur or bounce when card flow matters more than tempo.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {1}{W}; outputs a 1/1 enchantment creature and one card.
- Partners / packages: Teshar returns it; Kor Skyfisher, Aviary Mechanic, and Exosuit Savior can replay it; Starnheim Courser reduces its cost.
- Role peers: Kindly Customer and Helpful Hunter are similar two-mana ETB draw creatures; Priest of Ancient Lore adds life at three mana.
- Failure modes: Small body rarely affects combat; do not protect it unless it is the only blocker, Drum partner, or sacrifice bridge that matters.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against removal-heavy decks because it replaces itself; against fast aggro, compare to higher-toughness blockers.

#### Starnheim Courser
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core cost reducer and evasive body.
- Role type: engine piece; mana/fixing/ramp; threat/clock.
- Deck-specific job: Reduces artifact and enchantment spells by {1}, enabling artifact chains plus cheaper Spirited Companion and Fanatical Devotion while adding a 2/2 flyer.
- Timing: Cast before multiple artifacts/enchantments when life total permits; against pressure, value its flying block but do not ignore urgent removal.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {2}{W}; outputs a 2/2 flying creature and generic cost reduction for artifact and enchantment spells.
- Partners / packages: Reduces Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, Relic of Progenitus, Tormod's Crypt, Skyscanner, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Arcum's Astrolabe, Spirited Companion, and Fanatical Devotion.
- Role peers: Foundry Inspector and Voyager Quickwelder reduce artifact spells only; Starnheim Courser also affects enchantments.
- Failure modes: Does not reduce creature spells unless they are artifact or enchantment spells; playing it without follow-up can be slow.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong in engine mirrors and control; against red flyers or removal, protect only if its reduction or clock is decisive.

#### Thermal Navigator
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, singleton/flex artifact sacrifice evasive threat.
- Role type: threat/clock; protection/evasion; engine fuel/material.
- Deck-specific job: A 2/2 artifact creature that sacrifices artifacts to gain flying until end of turn, turning Clues, Treasures, or spent cheap artifacts into evasive attacks.
- Timing: Cast when a 2/2 artifact body matters; activate flying when damage connects profitably or blocking a flyer is necessary.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {3}; activation sacrifices an artifact and gives Thermal Navigator flying until end of turn.
- Partners / packages: Sacrifice inputs include Clue tokens from Thraben Inspector/Novice Inspector, Treasure from Gleaming Barrier/Magic Pot/Buried Treasure, Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, Tormod's Crypt, or Welding Jar when their other uses are lower value.
- Role peers: Rusted Slasher also sacrifices artifacts but regenerates itself; Dire Mimic/Mimic animate into artifact creatures without sacrificing artifacts.
- Failure modes: Sacrificing artifact mana, protection, or Teshar fuel for minor evasion is costly; flying does not protect from removal.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Useful to close over stalled boards; poor against decks where artifacts must be preserved for recursion or mana.

#### Thraben Inspector
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core one-mana Clue producer.
- Role type: card selection; engine fuel/material; mechanic enabler.
- Deck-specific job: Creates a Clue artifact on entry, giving an early 1/2 body plus future card draw and artifact material.
- Timing: Cast on turn one whenever possible; crack the Clue later when {2} is not needed for Teshar, protection, or interaction.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {W}; outputs a 1/2 body and a Clue token with "{2}, Sacrifice this token: Draw a card."
- Partners / packages: Clue feeds Rusted Slasher, Thermal Navigator, artifact count, and card draw; body feeds Springleaf Drum, Fanatical Devotion, and Teshar recursion.
- Role peers: Novice Inspector mirrors this role; Spirited Companion and Helpful Hunter draw immediately but do not make artifact material.
- Failure modes: Spending two mana on Clue at the wrong time can delay commander or protection; sacrificing the Clue to other effects gives up future card draw.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Excellent against unknown fields because it blocks early and stores a card; against control, bouncing it with Kor Skyfisher or Aviary Mechanic can grind.

#### Trusty Packbeast
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core artifact-recursion ETB creature.
- Role type: recursion; card selection; engine piece.
- Deck-specific job: Returns target artifact card from your graveyard to your hand, recovering engine pieces, cantrips, artifact creatures, and mana artifacts.
- Timing: Cast when a meaningful artifact target is present; save if the graveyard is likely to receive Ashnod's Altar, Skyscanner, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, or another higher-value artifact soon.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {2}{W}; outputs a 2/3 body and one artifact card to hand.
- Partners / packages: Returns Ashnod's Altar, Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, Lotus Petal, Welding Jar, Skyscanner, Foundry Inspector, Perilous Myr, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Springjaw Trap, Buried Treasure, Mimic, and Dire Mimic.
- Role peers: Leonin Squire is cheaper but limited to artifact cards with mana value 1 or less; Myr Retriever and Workshop Assistant return artifacts on death.
- Failure modes: No target makes it just a 2/3; graveyard hate can remove the target in response or before casting.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against artifact removal and attrition; against aggro, a 2/3 blocker plus returned Perilous Myr or Filigree Familiar can stabilize.

#### Workshop Assistant
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, core artifact-recursion death creature.
- Role type: recursion; engine fuel/material; mechanic enabler.
- Deck-specific job: Dies to return another target artifact card from your graveyard to your hand, making blocks and sacrifices recover artifact engines.
- Timing: Cast when a future death trigger will have a valuable artifact target; sacrifice/trade when the returned artifact changes the next turn.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {3}; outputs a 1/2 artifact creature and a death-triggered artifact return.
- Partners / packages: Returns Ashnod's Altar, Skyscanner, Foundry Inspector, Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, Perilous Myr, Myr Retriever, Springjaw Trap, Buried Treasure, Mimic, and Dire Mimic.
- Role peers: Myr Retriever is cheaper and similar but 1/1; Trusty Packbeast returns artifacts on entry.
- Failure modes: Cannot return itself because it says another target artifact card; exile or bounce prevents the death trigger.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong in grindy games and sacrifice turns; weak if graveyard hate is active and targets are not protected.

#### Gleaming Barrier
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, role-player defensive artifact creature and Treasure material.
- Role type: lifegain/stabilization; engine fuel/material; mana/fixing/ramp.
- Deck-specific job: 0/4 defender buys time, then creates a Treasure token on death for any-color mana and artifact material.
- Timing: Cast when ground combat needs slowing or when a future sacrifice/death trigger creates needed mana; do not expect it to attack because it has defender.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {2}; outputs a 0/4 artifact Wall with defender; death creates a Treasure token with "{T}, Sacrifice this token: Add one mana of any color."
- Partners / packages: Works with Ashnod's Altar, Fanatical Devotion, Rusted Slasher, Thermal Navigator, Teshar, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, and Trusty Packbeast.
- Role peers: Shield Sphere blocks for zero mana but weakens after blocks; Magic Pot also makes Treasure on death but has graveyard-exile utility.
- Failure modes: Defender means no pressure; exile denies the Treasure.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against early ground aggro; less useful against flyers, combo, or control where pressure matters.

#### Mechanical Mobster
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, singleton/flex artifact creature graveyard interaction and connive enabler.
- Role type: card selection; hate piece; mechanic enabler; threat/clock.
- Deck-specific job: Exiles up to one target card from a graveyard on entry and makes target creature you control connive, filtering a card and possibly growing the conniving creature.
- Timing: Cast when a graveyard card matters, or when connive can discard a Teshar target while improving a creature; target no graveyard card if exiling your own or opponent's card is harmful.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {3}; outputs a 2/1 artifact creature, optional graveyard exile, and connive: draw a card, then discard a card; if the discarded card is nonland, put a +1/+1 counter on that creature.
- Mode map: Graveyard-exile aspect is optional up to one target card; connive selection filters hand and can grow Teshar, Mechanical Mobster, a flyer, or a blocker.
- Partners / packages: Discard good Teshar targets such as Priest of Ancient Lore, Perilous Myr, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Kami of False Hope, or Spirited Companion when recursion is ready.
- Role peers: Jack-o'-Lantern exiles one graveyard card and draws; Airlift Chaplain mills/selects; Skyscanner draws without discard.
- Failure modes: Discarding protection or land can strand turns; exiling your own needed graveyard card can break recursion.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against single graveyard cards and in attrition; less effective against decks that do not use graveyards and punish 2/1 bodies.

#### Magic Pot
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, singleton/flex artifact creature with Treasure death and graveyard hate.
- Role type: engine fuel/material; mana/fixing/ramp; hate piece.
- Deck-specific job: A 1/4 artifact creature that creates a Treasure token when it dies and can repeatedly exile target cards from graveyards with {2}, {T}.
- Timing: Cast when a durable blocker and future Treasure matter; activate graveyard exile when a specific card matters and the mana/tap does not cost protection or blocking.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {3}; death creates a Treasure token; {2}, {T} exiles target card from a graveyard.
- Partners / packages: Works with Ashnod's Altar, Fanatical Devotion, Rusted Slasher, Thermal Navigator, Teshar, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, and Trusty Packbeast.
- Role peers: Relic of Progenitus pressures graveyards and can draw; Jack-o'-Lantern exiles once and draws; Gleaming Barrier also blocks and creates Treasure on death.
- Failure modes: Tapping it removes a blocker; exiling your own Teshar target is costly; Treasure on death is denied by exile.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against slow graveyard decks and ground pressure; too slow against immediate combo if activation mana is unavailable.

#### Helpful Hunter
- Deck role: Main deck, 1 copy, role-player two-mana ETB draw creature.
- Role type: card selection; recursion; engine fuel/material.
- Deck-specific job: Draws a card on entry, adding a cheap Teshar-recursible body that keeps hand size stocked.
- Timing: Cast early when the deck needs land/protection/action; recur or bounce when another card matters more than tempo.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {1}{W}; outputs a 1/1 creature and one card on entry.
- Partners / packages: Teshar returns it; Kor Skyfisher, Aviary Mechanic, and Exosuit Savior can reuse the ETB; Springleaf Drum and Fanatical Devotion can use the body after it replaces itself.
- Role peers: Spirited Companion and Kindly Customer share the immediate draw-body role; Thraben Inspector and Novice Inspector make Clues instead.
- Failure modes: A 1/1 is weak in combat; do not loop it while ignoring lethal pressure or missed attacks.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong in grindy games; against aggro, prioritize whether the drawn card and body actually stabilize.

#### Dust to Dust
- Deck role: Sideboard, 1 copy, artifact-exile sideboard bullet.
- Role type: sideboard bullet; interaction-removal; hate piece.
- Deck-specific job: Exiles two target artifacts, punishing artifact lands, mana rocks, artifact creatures, and artifact engines that would outscale Teshar's value plan.
- Timing: Bring in when opponent shows multiple important artifacts; cast when two targets matter enough to spend sorcery-speed {1}{W}{W}.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {1}{W}{W}; exiles exactly two target artifacts.
- Partners / packages: Complements Cathar Commando, Revoke Existence, and Disenchant against artifact-heavy decks.
- Role peers: Revoke Existence exiles one artifact or enchantment; Disenchant destroys one artifact or enchantment at instant speed; Cathar Commando is main-deck sacrifice removal.
- Failure modes: Requires two legal artifact targets; sorcery timing can expose you if the opponent's threat is combat or stack-based.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against artifact lands, Treasure/mana rock snowballs, and artifact creature boards; weak against enchantment-only or creature-only decks.

#### Standard Bearer
- Deck role: Sideboard, 1 copy, Flagbearer targeted-spell pressure bullet.
- Role type: sideboard bullet; protection/evasion; hate piece.
- Deck-specific job: Forces opponents choosing targets for spells or abilities they control to choose at least one Flagbearer on the battlefield if able, disrupting targeted removal, pump, aura-style plans, and creature-targeting combo.
- Timing: Bring in when opponent's key spells or abilities target creatures; deploy before Teshar or a key creature if the Flagbearer tax changes their line.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {1}{W}; outputs a 1/1 creature with a static targeting requirement.
- Partners / packages: Protects non-hexproof creatures such as Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, Skyscanner, Perilous Myr, and engine creatures by forcing legal opposing target choices toward Standard Bearer when able.
- Role peers: Coalition Honor Guard has the same Flagbearer text on a higher-cost body.
- Failure modes: Does not stop sweepers, edicts, non-targeted combat, graveyard actions, or opponents who can legally target and remove Standard Bearer first.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against pump, Auras, and spot-removal decks; weak against go-wide combat and artifact/enchantment engines that do not target creatures.

#### Prismatic Strands
- Deck role: Sideboard, 1 copy, combat and damage-prevention bullet.
- Role type: sideboard bullet; lifegain/stabilization; protection/evasion.
- Deck-specific job: Prevents all damage sources of the chosen color would deal this turn, then can be flashed back from graveyard by tapping an untapped white creature you control.
- Timing: Bring in against combat-heavy or burn-heavy decks; cast during the turn where one color's damage would cause lethal, a losing combat, or a major tempo collapse.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {2}{W}; flashback cost is tapping an untapped white creature you control, then Prismatic Strands is exiled after flashback resolves.
- Mode map: Hand-cast mode uses mana and preserves creatures; flashback mode uses a white creature's tap as cost from graveyard and gives a second prevention turn.
- Partners / packages: White creatures to tap include Teshar, Benevolent Bodyguard, Kami of False Hope, Thraben Inspector, Novice Inspector, Spirited Companion, Kor Skyfisher, Priest of Ancient Lore, and many other white bodies.
- Role peers: Kami of False Hope prevents combat damage only; Celestial Flare removes one attacking/blocking creature.
- Failure modes: Does not prevent colorless damage or non-damage effects; one color may not cover mixed-color boards.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Excellent against red burn/combat and mono-color go-wide attacks; weak against edicts, exile, and non-damage combo.

#### Obsidian Acolyte
- Deck role: Sideboard, 1 copy, black-protection creature bullet.
- Role type: sideboard bullet; protection/evasion; lifegain/stabilization.
- Deck-specific job: Has protection from black and can pay {W} to give target creature protection from black until end of turn, shielding Teshar or key creatures from black removal/combat.
- Timing: Bring in against black targeted removal, black attackers, or black commanders; hold white mana when protection activation is likely needed.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {1}{W}; activation costs {W} and targets a creature for protection from black until end of turn.
- Partners / packages: Protects `Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle`, `Glint Hawk`, `Kor Skyfisher`, `Skyscanner`, `Perilous Myr`, and `Kami of False Hope` from black sources.
- Role peers: Crimson Acolyte handles red; Gods Willing and Benevolent Bodyguard can choose black once but are one-shot.
- Failure modes: Does not stop sacrifice effects, sweepers without targeting/damage, colorless sources, or nonblack removal.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against black spot removal and black combat; low value against artifact decks or multicolor threats where black is not the relevant source.

#### Crimson Acolyte
- Deck role: Sideboard, 1 copy, red-protection creature bullet.
- Role type: sideboard bullet; protection/evasion; lifegain/stabilization.
- Deck-specific job: Has protection from red and can pay {W} to give target creature protection from red until end of turn, blunting red removal, burn, and red combat damage.
- Timing: Bring in against red burn, red attackers, or red commanders; deploy with white mana available when Teshar or a blocker must survive.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {1}{W}; activation costs {W} and targets a creature for protection from red until end of turn.
- Partners / packages: Protects `Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle`, `Kor Skyfisher`, `Glint Hawk`, `Skyscanner`, `Perilous Myr`, and `Kami of False Hope` from red sources.
- Role peers: Obsidian Acolyte handles black; Prismatic Strands prevents one color's damage for a turn; Gods Willing can choose red once.
- Failure modes: Does not stop nonred removal, sacrifice effects, or colorless damage; activation requires white mana every time.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Excellent against burn and red creature decks; low impact against graveyard engines or artifact/enchantment locks.

#### Revoke Existence
- Deck role: Sideboard, 1 copy, exile artifact/enchantment bullet.
- Role type: sideboard bullet; interaction-removal; hate piece.
- Deck-specific job: Exiles target artifact or enchantment, cleanly answering recursive, indestructible, or graveyard-relevant permanents.
- Timing: Bring in when artifact/enchantment permanents matter; cast at sorcery speed before the permanent generates another decisive trigger if waiting has no benefit.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {1}{W}; exiles one target artifact or enchantment.
- Partners / packages: Complements Cathar Commando, Disenchant, and Dust to Dust; use alongside Teshar pressure to stop hate permanents or engines.
- Role peers: Disenchant is instant but destroys; Dust to Dust exiles two artifacts only; Cathar Commando is a creature-based destroy effect.
- Failure modes: Sorcery speed cannot answer end-step or combat-speed artifacts/enchantments; cannot target ordinary creatures unless they are artifacts/enchantments.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against indestructible artifacts, recursion artifacts, and enchantment engines; weak against creature-only aggro.

#### Disenchant
- Deck role: Sideboard, 1 copy, instant artifact/enchantment interaction bullet.
- Role type: sideboard bullet; interaction-removal.
- Deck-specific job: Destroys target artifact or enchantment at instant speed, letting the deck hold protection or interaction mana and answer a permanent before it matters.
- Timing: Bring in against artifacts/enchantments where instant timing matters; hold until the opponent commits an activation, attack modifier, or engine window if waiting is safe.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {1}{W}; destroys one target artifact or enchantment.
- Partners / packages: Complements Cathar Commando, Revoke Existence, and Dust to Dust.
- Role peers: Revoke Existence exiles at sorcery speed; Cathar Commando is a flash creature with sacrifice removal; Dust to Dust is two-artifact sorcery exile.
- Failure modes: Destruction may not solve indestructible or graveyard-recurring permanents; cannot hit nonartifact, nonenchantment creatures.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against equipment-like combat tricks, lock pieces, and artifact/enchantment engines; weaker when exile is needed.

#### Journey to Nowhere
- Deck role: Sideboard, 1 copy, creature-exile enchantment bullet.
- Role type: sideboard bullet; interaction-removal.
- Deck-specific job: Exiles target creature while Journey to Nowhere remains on battlefield, answering a commander, large attacker, or engine creature for multiple turns.
- Timing: Bring in against single important creatures; cast when the target is already threatening the board or engine, not on replaceable bodies.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {1}{W}; enter trigger exiles target creature; when Journey leaves battlefield, the exiled card returns under its owner's control.
- Partners / packages: Protected indirectly by removing creatures that pressure Teshar; Starnheim Courser reduces Journey because it is an enchantment spell.
- Role peers: Celestial Flare handles attacking/blocking creatures through sacrifice; Spectacular Tactics destroys power 4 or greater creatures; Perilous Myr handles small targets.
- Failure modes: Enchantment removal returns the creature; does not answer hexproof if the creature cannot be targeted.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against commander-centric and tall-creature decks; weaker against token swarms or sacrifice outlets.

#### Celestial Flare
- Deck role: Sideboard, 1 copy, combat edict bullet.
- Role type: sideboard bullet; interaction-removal; lifegain/stabilization.
- Deck-specific job: Makes target player sacrifice an attacking or blocking creature of their choice, answering suited-up, protected, or otherwise hard-to-target combat creatures only once they enter combat.
- Timing: Bring in against tall attackers or single large blockers; cast after attackers or blockers are declared when the target player has few irrelevant attacking/blocking creatures.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {W}{W}; targets a player, and that player chooses an attacking or blocking creature they control to sacrifice.
- Partners / packages: Works with blockers that force the opponent to attack with only the key creature; Prismatic Strands and Kami of False Hope cover wider combat steps.
- Role peers: Journey to Nowhere targets a creature directly outside combat; Spectacular Tactics destroys power 4 or greater creatures directly.
- Failure modes: Bad against wide attacks where opponent sacrifices a small creature; cannot hit noncombat engine creatures.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against hexproof-like or protected tall attackers if they attack alone; weak against go-wide token boards.

#### Coalition Honor Guard
- Deck role: Sideboard, 1 copy, larger Flagbearer targeted-spell pressure bullet.
- Role type: sideboard bullet; protection/evasion; hate piece.
- Deck-specific job: Forces opponents choosing targets for spells or abilities they control to choose at least one Flagbearer on the battlefield if able, on a higher-mana body than Standard Bearer.
- Timing: Bring in when targeted spells/abilities define the opponent's plan and the four-mana body is worth the tempo; cast before exposing Teshar if the Flagbearer effect will absorb removal or disrupt pump.
- Inputs / outputs: Costs {3}{W}; outputs a Flagbearer creature with static target-redirection pressure.
- Partners / packages: Protects non-hexproof key creatures such as Teshar, Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, Skyscanner, Foundry Inspector, and Perilous Myr from opposing target choices when legal.
- Role peers: Standard Bearer is cheaper with the same targeting text but smaller.
- Failure modes: Does not affect sweepers, edicts, non-targeted abilities, or opponents who can target the Honor Guard first; four mana competes with Teshar recast.
- Matchup / visibility hooks: Strong against pump, Auras, and spot-removal plans; weak against fast combat or graveyard engines that ignore targeting.

## Interaction Priorities
- Priority: Answer visible engines before replaceable bodies. Use Cathar Commando, Relic of Progenitus, Tormod's Crypt, Jack-o'-Lantern, Perilous Myr, Journey to Nowhere, Celestial Flare, Disenchant, Revoke Existence, Dust to Dust, or Prismatic Strands only when Veles shows a legal action that changes a real axis: opposing commander engine, graveyard recursion, lethal attacker, artifact/enchantment lock, or combat step that otherwise breaks parity.

- Priority: Preserve Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle and Ashnod's Altar over ordinary value creatures. Spend Gods Willing, Apostle's Blessing, Blacksmith's Skill, Loran's Escape, Welding Jar, Benevolent Bodyguard, or Fanatical Devotion first to save Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle when a historic follow-up or recursion chain is available; protect Ashnod's Altar when it converts current creatures into a multi-spell turn or commander-tax recovery. Do not spend protection on Thraben Inspector, Novice Inspector, Spirited Companion, Priest of Ancient Lore, or Skyscanner unless the saved body prevents lethal, preserves a decisive sacrifice bridge, or keeps pressure lethal.

- Priority: Exile graveyards at commitment points, not at first contact. Relic of Progenitus, Tormod's Crypt, and Jack-o'-Lantern should wait for the opponent to target a graveyard card, build a threshold-dependent turn, commit a recursion spell, or make a graveyard payoff visible. Do not shrink your own Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Leonin Squire, Trusty Packbeast, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Conjurer's Bauble, or Jack-o'-Lantern texture unless stopping the opponent is more important than future recursion.

- Priority: Bait removal with redundant value before exposing the commander. Against open interaction, lead with Thraben Inspector, Novice Inspector, Spirited Companion, Filigree Familiar, Skyscanner, Foundry Inspector, Starnheim Courser, Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, or artifact mana when those plays still advance the board. Commit Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle after the opponent spends mana, after protection is available, or when passing gives the opponent a stronger window.

- Priority: Ignore low-impact creatures when the opponent's engine is the threat. Small attackers can be raced or blanked by Shield Sphere, Phyrexian Walker, Ornithopter, Gleaming Barrier, Kami of False Hope, and token-like material; removal should target evasive clocks, commanders, combo permanents, repeatable card advantage, or creatures whose attack forces bad blocks. Perilous Myr can pressure small utility creatures without spending premium interaction.

- Archetype shift: Against graveyard decks, treat Relic of Progenitus, Tormod's Crypt, Jack-o'-Lantern, Conjurer's Bauble, Leonin Squire, and Trusty Packbeast as a contested resource package. Against artifacts or enchantments, hold Cathar Commando, Disenchant, Revoke Existence, and Dust to Dust for visible permanents that generate mana, cards, locks, or lethal damage. Against red or black removal-heavy decks, value Standard Bearer, Coalition Honor Guard, Crimson Acolyte, Obsidian Acolyte, Benevolent Bodyguard, and instant protection more highly once they are in the active configuration.

- Card text check required: Springjaw Trap, Spectacular Tactics, Lunatic Pandora, Magic Pot, Exosuit Savior, Kindly Customer, Shattered Acolyte, Thermal Navigator, Mechanical Mobster, Helpful Hunter, Voyager Quickwelder, Dire Mimic, and Mimic must be used from legal action text and visible stats only until exact text is confirmed.

## Combat And Trading Rules
- Attack plan: Start attacking when pressure does not expose Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle or the sacrifice engine to a lethal crack-back. Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, Inspiring Overseer, Roving Harper, Skyscanner, Thermal Navigator, Mechanical Mobster, Dire Mimic, Mimic, and Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle are closing tools, but they should not attack into obvious profitable blocks unless damage, evasion, or protection changes the exchange.

- Block plan: Trade replaceable material before engine material. Ornithopter, Phyrexian Walker, Shield Sphere, Gleaming Barrier, Myr Moonvessel, Cathodion, Perilous Myr, Thraben Inspector, Novice Inspector, and used-up value creatures are preferred blockers when the trade protects life total or buys a Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle turn. Avoid blocking with Leonin Squire, Trusty Packbeast, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Benevolent Bodyguard, Cathar Commando, or Kami of False Hope when their future role is more important than the damage prevented.

- Life thresholds: At 15 or more life, accept small attacks if blocking would lose recursion, protection, or a flyer that can close. At 10 to 14 life, stabilize unless the counterattack is clearly faster. At 9 or less life, prioritize survival, including Kami of False Hope, Prismatic Strands, Celestial Flare, protection-assisted blocks, and sacrifice lines through Fanatical Devotion when legal.

- Protection timing: Use Gods Willing, Apostle's Blessing, Blacksmith's Skill, Loran's Escape, Welding Jar, Benevolent Bodyguard, and Fanatical Devotion during combat to win a decisive exchange, preserve Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, save Ashnod's Altar support, or force lethal damage. Do not protect a replaceable attacker merely to push a few damage if the next turn needs protection for commander recursion.

- Archetype shift: Against aggro, block earlier and value Kami of False Hope, Prismatic Strands, Celestial Flare, Gleaming Barrier, Shield Sphere, Phyrexian Walker, and life-buffer bodies. Against control, attack with evasive and recursive bodies while holding protection for removal. Against combo or engine decks, pressure life totals sooner, but keep Cathar Commando and graveyard hate untapped or unspent when their visible target matters.

## Selection And Tutor Rules
- Selection rule: Treat this list as pseudo-selection, not a true tutor deck. There is no registered Expedition Map or broad library tutor in the main deck; choose from Veles-exposed legal actions for draw, cycling, graveyard return, and search-like prompts rather than assuming access to any missing card.

- Early filtering: Use Arcum's Astrolabe, Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Thraben Inspector, Novice Inspector, Spirited Companion, Priest of Ancient Lore, Inspiring Overseer, Roving Harper, Skyscanner, Filigree Familiar, Mind Stone, Commander's Sphere, and cycling lands to hit land drops before spending one-shot artifacts for marginal velocity. If the opener already has white mana and two early plays, prefer board material before cracking draw artifacts unless a missing land drop, protection piece, or Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle setup is the bottleneck.

- Land-drop timing: Play untapped white sources before Desert of the True, Drifting Meadow, or Secluded Steppe when a same-turn creature, protection spell, or commander deployment matters. Cycle Desert of the True, Drifting Meadow, or Secluded Steppe only when land count is stable, tapped mana would cost tempo, or the hand needs action more than another future mana source.

- Graveyard selection: Choose Leonin Squire, Trusty Packbeast, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, and Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle targets by current role. Return Ashnod's Altar, protection artifacts, cheap historic spells, or a body that reopens a recursion chain before selecting a generic value artifact.

- Airlift Chaplain rule: If Veles reveals a legal Airlift Chaplain selection from milled cards, prioritize the card that fixes the current failure mode: Snow-Covered Plains or another land when mana is short, a low-cost creature when board presence or Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle recursion is needed, and no card only if the legal prompt makes that forced or clearly superior from visible options.

- Myr Kinsmith rule: Card text check required before assuming the exact library-search range. If Veles exposes a legal Myr Kinsmith search or selection prompt, choose the visible Myr option that advances the active plan: Myr Retriever for recursion texture, Myr Moonvessel for mana/sacrifice texture, Perilous Myr for interaction, or a legal alternative only when the action text makes it better for the visible board.

- Self-mill discipline: Use Shriekhorn and Tocasia's Dig Site only when the graveyard has a payoff path through Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Leonin Squire, Trusty Packbeast, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, or Ashnod's Altar. Do not mill just to spend mana if the hand lacks recursion, the opponent has graveyard pressure, or decking/resource loss is becoming relevant.

- Bottoming and ordering: For scry, surveil, or similar Veles prompts from Hidden Grotto, Tocasia's Dig Site, or other visible effects, keep white mana, cheap historic spells, protection for Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Ashnod's Altar, and immediate interaction. Bottom redundant tapped lands, expensive stranded pieces, or card-text-uncertain options when the visible hand already has their role covered.

## Priority And Stack Rules
- Priority rule: Pass priority when the stack is empty, the board is stable, and no legal action advances mana, protection, pressure, or engine setup. Think before passing with open mana if the opponent controls a visible engine, threatens lethal, targets Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, or exposes a graveyard/stack window.

- Commander commitment: Cast Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle into open mana only when the same turn has a legal historic follow-up, protection from Gods Willing, Apostle's Blessing, Blacksmith's Skill, Loran's Escape, Welding Jar, Benevolent Bodyguard, or Fanatical Devotion, or waiting gives the opponent a stronger board. A naked commander pass is a low-confidence line unless the legal alternatives are worse.

- Historic follow-up timing: After Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle resolves, prioritize cheap historic spells that immediately recur meaningful material. Ornithopter, Phyrexian Walker, Shield Sphere, Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, Tormod's Crypt, Relic of Progenitus, Lotus Petal, Welding Jar, and artifact mana are engine triggers only when the graveyard target matters.

- Protection response: Use instant protection in response to removal, damage, exile, bounce, combat damage, or stack interaction when the protected permanent is Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Ashnod's Altar, a lethal attacker, or a recursion bridge. Let removal resolve on replaceable value creatures unless saving them prevents lethal, preserves a chain, or wins combat.

- Graveyard timing: Activate Relic of Progenitus, Tormod's Crypt, or Jack-o'-Lantern at the opponent's commitment point, not merely because a graveyard contains cards. Respond to a visible target, recursion spell, threshold-like payoff, or lethal graveyard line; preserve your own graveyard when Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle or artifact-recursion cards still need it.

- Sacrifice timing: Use Ashnod's Altar, Fanatical Devotion, Rusted Slasher, Cathar Commando, Mind Stone, Commander's Sphere, Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Conjurer's Bauble, Buried Treasure, and Lotus Petal only when the sacrifice creates mana, protection, interaction, a card, or a recursion trigger that matters now. Do not sacrifice a bridge piece before the visible stack or board asks for it.

- Combat windows: Hold Kami of False Hope, Prismatic Strands, Celestial Flare, protection spells, Perilous Myr lines, and sacrifice outlets for declared attackers, declared blockers, or damage-prevention windows when Veles shows legal prompts. Do not fire prevention or removal before attacks unless the visible board proves waiting loses the game.

- Optional triggers and payments: Accept optional value only when it advances the active plan and does not consume mana needed for protection, commander tax, graveyard interaction, or a combat trick. Decline low-impact optional payments when the stack or visible board indicates a more important response is likely this turn.

- Card text check required: Spectacular Tactics, Springjaw Trap, Lunatic Pandora, Magic Pot, Exosuit Savior, Kindly Customer, Shattered Acolyte, Thermal Navigator, Mechanical Mobster, Helpful Hunter, Voyager Quickwelder, Dire Mimic, and Mimic must follow legal action labels and visible timing only until exact text is verified.

## Sideboard Map
- Sideboard rule: Use exact plans only when the matchup label and visible cards match the role described, then continue to follow Veles legal actions. If the opponent presents a different axis after Game 1, prefer the archetype rules below over a stale plan name.

- Artifact/enchantment pressure rule: Add role cards: Dust to Dust, Revoke Existence, and Disenchant against artifact engines, equipment-like pressure, artifact mana snowballs, enchantment locks, or permanent-based graveyard/recursion hate. Reduce main-deck emphasis: Shriekhorn, Spectacular Tactics, Springjaw Trap, Lunatic Pandora, Magic Pot, or another card-text-uncertain pressure piece when the game is about answering visible permanents instead of building graveyard texture.

Artifact/enchantment engine plan
Side in: Dust to Dust; Revoke Existence; Disenchant
Cut: Shriekhorn; Spectacular Tactics; Springjaw Trap

- Dust to Dust role: Bring Dust to Dust when the opponent has multiple important artifacts, artifact lands, mana artifacts, artifact creatures, or a visible artifact engine that makes a two-target exile effect high impact. It is weaker when the opponent shows only one artifact at a time, when your mana is under heavy pressure, or when spending a full turn on sorcery-speed interaction would expose Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle without follow-up.

- Revoke Existence role: Bring Revoke Existence when exiling one artifact or enchantment matters more than destroying it, especially against recursive artifacts, indestructible artifacts, enchantment-based engines, or graveyard loops that destruction would not solve cleanly. It is weaker when the opponent's threats are mostly creatures or stack-based interaction, and it should not displace too much velocity unless a visible permanent demands exile.

- Disenchant role: Bring Disenchant when instant-speed artifact or enchantment interaction matters, especially where holding mana through the opponent's turn can catch a lock piece, combat modifier, or engine permanent before it generates another trigger. It is weaker in slow mirrors where Revoke Existence's exile matters more, and it should not be treated as a creature-removal spell unless Veles presents a legal artifact/enchantment creature target.

- Red creature pressure rule: Add role cards: Crimson Acolyte, Prismatic Strands, Celestial Flare, and Journey to Nowhere against fast red damage, large red attackers, burn-heavy creature decks, or go-wide combat where prevention and clean removal buy time for the Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle engine. Reduce main-deck emphasis: Relic of Progenitus or Tormod's Crypt when the opponent has no graveyard plan, and reduce slower uncertain engines when early survival is the bottleneck.

Red pressure survival plan
Side in: Crimson Acolyte; Prismatic Strands; Celestial Flare; Journey to Nowhere
Cut: Relic of Progenitus; Tormod's Crypt; Shriekhorn; Magic Pot

- Crimson Acolyte role: Bring Crimson Acolyte against red removal, red attackers, red commanders, or red sweep-like combat pressure when protection from red can keep Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, a key blocker, or a racing attacker alive. It is weaker against nonred creature decks, edict effects, colorless artifacts, and board states where the issue is enchantments or graveyards rather than red sources.

- Prismatic Strands role: Bring Prismatic Strands against combat-heavy damage, burn turns, or boards where preventing one color's damage can buy a full turn cycle. It is weaker against non-damage removal, exile, sacrifice effects, colorless threats, or mixed-color boards where one color choice will not cover the relevant damage; choose color only from visible sources and legal Veles prompts.

- Celestial Flare role: Bring Celestial Flare against tall attackers, suited-up commanders, hexproof-like protection, or combat plans that expose one or two attacking or blocking creatures. It is weaker against token-like wide attacks, opponents that can sacrifice irrelevant attackers, and noncombat engines; wait for legal combat windows rather than firing removal before attackers if survival permits.

- Journey to Nowhere role: Bring Journey to Nowhere when a single creature must be removed cleanly for multiple turns, especially a commander, large attacker, hate creature, or engine creature. It is weaker against decks with easy enchantment removal, many interchangeable bodies, or sacrifice outlets that make one-for-one enchantment removal low impact.

- Targeted-spell pressure rule: Add role cards: Standard Bearer and Coalition Honor Guard against decks whose removal, pump, auras, protection, or combo pieces must target creatures. Reduce main-deck emphasis: fragile card-velocity bodies or uncertain role cards only when the flagbearer effect changes the matchup axis; do not add both merely because the opponent has creatures.

Targeted interaction tax plan
Side in: Standard Bearer; Coalition Honor Guard
Cut: Spectacular Tactics; Lunatic Pandora

- Standard Bearer role: Bring Standard Bearer when redirecting targeted spells or abilities can protect Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, stop pump-target lines, interfere with aura-style development, or tax spot removal. It is weaker against sweepers, edicts, nontargeted combat, graveyard combo, and opponents that can easily remove a small creature before committing the important target.

- Coalition Honor Guard role: Bring Coalition Honor Guard when the same flagbearer effect needs a sturdier body or when the opponent's targeted plan is central enough that a higher-mana defensive creature is worth the tempo. It is weaker when four mana competes with commander recast plus historic follow-up, or when the opponent's pressure ignores targeting.

- Black removal or black creature pressure rule: Add role cards: Obsidian Acolyte, Journey to Nowhere, and Celestial Flare against black commanders, black spot removal, black attackers, or black attrition decks where protecting Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle or blanking a key attack matters. Reduce main-deck emphasis: graveyard hate only if the opponent is not using the graveyard, and reduce low-board-impact artifacts when the matchup is about surviving removal plus pressure.

Black attrition plan
Side in: Obsidian Acolyte; Journey to Nowhere; Celestial Flare
Cut: Shriekhorn; Springjaw Trap; Magic Pot

- Obsidian Acolyte role: Bring Obsidian Acolyte against black targeted removal, black combat threats, or black commanders where protection from black can preserve the commander engine or force awkward attacks. It is weaker against sacrifice effects, nonblack removal, artifact threats, and boards where graveyard or enchantment interaction is the real problem.

- Graveyard-light creature rule: Add role cards: Journey to Nowhere, Celestial Flare, Prismatic Strands, Crimson Acolyte, or Obsidian Acolyte according to the attacking colors and threat shape. Reduce main-deck emphasis: Relic of Progenitus, Tormod's Crypt, and Jack-o'-Lantern only when the opponent's graveyard is not a resource and your own recursion needs graveyard access.

- Graveyard-heavy opponent rule: Keep Relic of Progenitus, Tormod's Crypt, and Jack-o'-Lantern in the main configuration unless sideboard permanent interaction is more urgent. Add role cards: Revoke Existence or Disenchant only for visible graveyard hate permanents or enchantment/artifact engines; do not dilute the deck's own recursion plan with off-axis cards.

- Low-interaction value mirror rule: Add role cards: Dust to Dust, Revoke Existence, Disenchant, or Journey to Nowhere only after seeing artifacts, enchantments, or a must-answer creature that beats your recursive value. Reduce main-deck emphasis: narrow combat tricks and card-text-uncertain threats before reducing Thraben Inspector, Novice Inspector, Spirited Companion, Inspiring Overseer, Priest of Ancient Lore, Roving Harper, Skyscanner, Filigree Familiar, Leonin Squire, Trusty Packbeast, Myr Retriever, or Workshop Assistant, because those cards keep the Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle engine supplied.

- Role-change rule: After sideboarding, Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle remains the engine, but the sideboard card defines the first defensive checkpoint. Against artifacts and enchantments, spend early turns preserving mana for Dust to Dust, Revoke Existence, or Disenchant; against combat, preserve bodies and prevention windows for Prismatic Strands, Celestial Flare, Crimson Acolyte, or Obsidian Acolyte; against targeted interaction, protect the flagbearer long enough for Standard Bearer or Coalition Honor Guard to force the opponent through the wrong channel.

## Matchup Guidance

- Aggro: Prioritize survival into recursive stabilization before maximizing artifact velocity. Keep hands with white mana, early bodies, and a path to Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle or multiple blockers; value Thraben Inspector, Novice Inspector, Spirited Companion, Kami of False Hope, Gleaming Barrier, Perilous Myr, Phyrexian Walker, Shield Sphere, and Filigree Familiar as time-buying material. Add role cards: Journey to Nowhere, Celestial Flare, Prismatic Strands, Crimson Acolyte, or Obsidian Acolyte according to visible attacking colors and threat shape. Reduce main-deck emphasis: Shriekhorn, Magic Pot, Springjaw Trap, or other card-text-uncertain low-board-impact cards when the opponent is forcing early combat.

- Burn: Preserve life total and protection timing over incremental card flow. Use Gods Willing, Apostle's Blessing, Blacksmith's Skill, Loran's Escape, Welding Jar, Benevolent Bodyguard, and Fanatical Devotion to protect Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle only when the protected permanent converts into a meaningful board or life-total swing; do not spend protection on replaceable bodies unless it prevents lethal or keeps a key blocker. Add role cards: Crimson Acolyte and Prismatic Strands against visible red damage, plus Standard Bearer or Coalition Honor Guard when burn or pump must target creatures. Reduce main-deck emphasis: Relic of Progenitus and Tormod's Crypt when the opponent is not using the graveyard.

- Go-wide: Trade early, preserve prevention windows, and avoid overvaluing single-target answers. Prioritize bodies that replace themselves, recursive blockers, Kami of False Hope, Perilous Myr, Gleaming Barrier, Filigree Familiar, and flyers that can race only after the board is stable. Prismatic Strands is the highest-impact sideboard card when one color represents most combat damage; Celestial Flare is lower priority if many small attackers can absorb the sacrifice. Add role cards: Journey to Nowhere only for a lord-like, commander-like, or engine creature that makes the wide board lethal. Reduce main-deck emphasis: slow self-mill or uncertain artifacts that do not affect combat immediately.

- Single-threat: Answer the threat cleanly before building extra engine loops. Hold Journey to Nowhere for the visible creature that actually beats the current board, and use Celestial Flare when the opponent commits the important attacker or blocker into combat. Protection effects should defend the blocker, sacrifice bridge, or Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle turn that lets the deck rebuild after the threat is contained. Add role cards: Journey to Nowhere, Celestial Flare, Obsidian Acolyte, or Crimson Acolyte according to color and combat texture. Reduce main-deck emphasis: broad graveyard hate only when it does not answer the single threat or disrupt the opponent's plan.

- Tempo: Develop cheap material without walking Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle into an exposed commander-tax turn. Favor one- and two-mana plays such as Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, Thraben Inspector, Novice Inspector, Benevolent Bodyguard, Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, Aviary Mechanic, Ornithopter, Phyrexian Walker, and Shield Sphere when they make future turns flexible. Cast Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle when there is an immediate historic follow-up, protection, or enough mana to recover if it is answered. Add role cards: Standard Bearer, Coalition Honor Guard, Journey to Nowhere, Disenchant, or Revoke Existence only when visible tempo tools rely on targeting or permanents.

- Control: Force answers through layered must-answer permanents rather than sacrificing the whole hand to one engine turn. Sequence value creatures and artifacts so Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle is a reload tool, not the only plan; prioritize Inspiring Overseer, Priest of Ancient Lore, Roving Harper, Skyscanner, Spirited Companion, Filigree Familiar, Mind Stone, Commander's Sphere, and Conjurer's Bauble for sustained material. Hold Ashnod's Altar until it either accelerates a protected Teshar turn, converts expendable bodies into a decisive sequence, or threatens recursion with Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Leonin Squire, or Trusty Packbeast. Add role cards: Standard Bearer and Coalition Honor Guard against targeted removal-heavy control, plus Dust to Dust, Revoke Existence, or Disenchant against visible artifact or enchantment engines.

- Removal-heavy: Make every important permanent enter with protection, recursion, or immediate value. Prefer casting Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle with Benevolent Bodyguard, Welding Jar, Gods Willing, Apostle's Blessing, Blacksmith's Skill, Loran's Escape, or Fanatical Devotion available, and prefer historic follow-ups that recur a creature immediately. Leonin Squire, Trusty Packbeast, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Conjurer's Bauble, and Jack-o'-Lantern are key recovery tools; do not exile or sacrifice your own graveyard resources casually. Add role cards: Standard Bearer, Coalition Honor Guard, Obsidian Acolyte, Crimson Acolyte, and Prismatic Strands according to visible removal colors and damage sources.

- Midrange: Win the attrition exchange by making small cards matter twice. Trade expendable artifact creatures and ETB bodies when Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Leonin Squire, Trusty Packbeast, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Conjurer's Bauble, or Jack-o'-Lantern can convert the graveyard into future material. Do not fire Relic of Progenitus if your graveyard is the stronger resource unless the opponent's graveyard engine is visibly more dangerous. Add role cards: Journey to Nowhere for the largest engine creature, Dust to Dust for artifact permanents, Revoke Existence or Disenchant for artifacts or enchantments, and Celestial Flare for combat-committed tall threats.

- Big mana: Pressure early while holding answers for the first permanent that changes inevitability. Use Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, Skyscanner, Inspiring Overseer, Roving Harper, Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Dire Mimic, Mimic, Thermal Navigator, Mechanical Mobster, and other visible attackers to shorten the clock once mana is stable; Card text check required for Dire Mimic, Mimic, Thermal Navigator, Mechanical Mobster, Lunatic Pandora, and Shattered Acolyte before relying on exact abilities. Add role cards: Dust to Dust, Revoke Existence, Disenchant, or Journey to Nowhere when the opponent's mana or payoff is artifact, enchantment, or creature based. Reduce main-deck emphasis: pure defensive cards when the visible matchup demands closing speed.

- Combo: Identify whether the combo uses graveyard, artifacts, enchantments, targeted creatures, combat damage, or a single creature before choosing disruption. Hold Tormod's Crypt, Relic of Progenitus, and Jack-o'-Lantern for visible graveyard commitment, not for minor incidental value; preserve Cathar Commando, Disenchant, Revoke Existence, and Dust to Dust for the permanent that enables the deterministic line when the legal window appears. Standard Bearer and Coalition Honor Guard matter only when the combo's legal actions target creatures. Journey to Nowhere and Celestial Flare matter only when a creature is the visible bottleneck.

- Graveyard: Protect your own recursion while stopping the opponent's highest-impact graveyard window. Use Tormod's Crypt for a large public graveyard commitment, Relic of Progenitus when repeated pressure is better than a single exile, and Jack-o'-Lantern when a single named card matters and legal actions support it. Avoid activating broad graveyard hate before Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Leonin Squire, Trusty Packbeast, Conjurer's Bauble, or Jack-o'-Lantern have produced needed value unless the opponent's visible graveyard line is more urgent. Add role cards: Revoke Existence or Disenchant only for graveyard-enabling permanents.

- Artifact/enchantment: Treat permanent removal as a finite tactical resource. Cathar Commando, Dust to Dust, Revoke Existence, and Disenchant should answer visible engines, prison pieces, equipment-like pressure, artifact mana that unlocks a payoff, or enchantments that invalidate combat; do not spend them on replaceable artifacts when Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle can win through normal attrition. Ancient Den and Darksteel Citadel are your own artifacts, so account for opponent artifact hate and your recursion synergies before committing Ashnod's Altar or other key artifacts. Add role cards: Dust to Dust against multiple artifact permanents, Revoke Existence against artifacts or enchantments that should not go to graveyard, and Disenchant when instant-speed timing matters.

- Closing rule: After stabilizing any matchup, convert value into a clock before the opponent redraws inevitability. Attack with flyers and safe bodies when legal actions show favorable combat, but keep at least one recursion bridge, protection piece, or sacrifice outlet available if the opponent can punish overextension. Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, Skyscanner, Inspiring Overseer, Roving Harper, Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Perilous Myr, Dire Mimic, Mimic, Mechanical Mobster, and Thermal Navigator are closing candidates from visible board state; Card text check required before using uncertain printed abilities as the reason for a lethal or defensive line.

## Specific Matchup Notes
- General note: Exact opponents are absent, so these notes are archetype-only and revealed cards override assumptions. Use legal Veles actions, visible permanents, public graveyards, known revealed cards, and current life totals before applying any matchup shortcut.

- Fast creature pressure: Stabilize before maximizing Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle value. Priority targets are large attackers, evasive attackers, combat tricks on the stack, and board states where Kami of False Hope, Gleaming Barrier, Perilous Myr, Shield Sphere, Phyrexian Walker, Journey to Nowhere, Celestial Flare, or Prismatic Strands changes survival math. Add role cards: Journey to Nowhere, Celestial Flare, Prismatic Strands, Crimson Acolyte, or Obsidian Acolyte according to visible colors and attack patterns. Reduce main-deck emphasis: slow self-mill or low-board-impact artifacts when they do not enable an immediate Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle turn.

- Removal-heavy midrange or control: Commit Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle only when it gains value immediately or is protected. Preserve Benevolent Bodyguard, Welding Jar, Gods Willing, Apostle's Blessing, Blacksmith's Skill, Loran's Escape, and Fanatical Devotion for Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Ashnod's Altar, a recursion bridge, or a lethal attacker. Add role cards: Standard Bearer, Coalition Honor Guard, Obsidian Acolyte, Crimson Acolyte, and Prismatic Strands when visible interaction makes them relevant.

- Artifact or enchantment engine decks: Hold Cathar Commando and sideboard removal for the permanent that changes the game, not for the first minor target. Priority targets are visible engines, prison effects, artifact mana that unlocks a payoff, enchantments that invalidate combat, and permanents that stop graveyard recursion. Add role cards: Dust to Dust, Revoke Existence, Disenchant, and Journey to Nowhere according to permanent type and timing needs.

- Graveyard decks: Use graveyard hate only when the opponent's public graveyard line is more important than your own recursion. Tormod's Crypt is strongest against a visible large commitment, Relic of Progenitus is strongest when repeated pressure matters, and Jack-o'-Lantern is strongest when one public card is the bottleneck. Add role cards: Revoke Existence or Disenchant only when a visible permanent enables the graveyard plan.

- Combo or big-mana decks: Turn early material into a clock while saving disruption for the visible bottleneck. Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, Skyscanner, Inspiring Overseer, Roving Harper, Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Perilous Myr, Dire Mimic, Mimic, Thermal Navigator, and Mechanical Mobster can close from board state, but Card text check required for Dire Mimic, Mimic, Thermal Navigator, Mechanical Mobster, Lunatic Pandora, Magic Pot, Spectacular Tactics, Springjaw Trap, Exosuit Savior, Kindly Customer, Shattered Acolyte, Helpful Hunter, and Voyager Quickwelder before relying on exact abilities. Add role cards: Dust to Dust, Revoke Existence, Disenchant, Journey to Nowhere, Standard Bearer, or Coalition Honor Guard only when the visible combo axis matches them.

## Risk Summary
- Mana risk: The deck can keep hands that look busy but fail to produce timely white mana or commander-tax recovery. Flag openers without Snow-Covered Plains, Ancient Den, Arcum's Astrolabe with snow support, or reliable early white access, and do not spend Lotus Petal, Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Jack-o'-Lantern, Mind Stone, Commander's Sphere, Buried Treasure, or Ashnod's Altar before their tempo or protection purpose is clear.

- Matchup risk: The deck can misidentify itself as pure control after stabilizing. Against big mana, combo, and slow control, value bodies must become pressure before the opponent redraws inevitability.

- Draw risk: Thraben Inspector, Novice Inspector, Spirited Companion, Inspiring Overseer, Priest of Ancient Lore, Roving Harper, Skyscanner, Filigree Familiar, and Helpful Hunter can generate material without advancing the board. Treat card draw as a bridge toward protection, recursion, removal, or closing pressure, not as the endpoint.

- Over-sideboarding risk: Sideboard cards should change a visible axis. Dust to Dust, Revoke Existence, Disenchant, Journey to Nowhere, Celestial Flare, Standard Bearer, Coalition Honor Guard, Crimson Acolyte, Obsidian Acolyte, and Prismatic Strands are liabilities when brought in without matching public threats or known matchup texture.

- Graveyard risk: Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Leonin Squire, Trusty Packbeast, Conjurer's Bauble, and Jack-o'-Lantern need useful graveyard texture. Avoid broad Relic of Progenitus or Tormod's Crypt activations that erase your own engine unless the opponent's public graveyard action is urgent.

- Sweeper and removal risk: Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle turns are fragile when they pass without a historic follow-up, recursion target, or protection. Sequence cheap artifacts and creatures so removal still leaves material or a recovery path.

- Closer risk: The deck may stabilize but fail to finish. Prioritize safe attacks and evasive pressure from Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, Skyscanner, Inspiring Overseer, Roving Harper, Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, and other legal attackers when protection or recursion covers the crack-back.

- Interaction and sequencing risk: Protection, sacrifice outlets, and hate pieces are finite. Use legal priority windows to answer stack actions or lethal board states, but avoid firing Gods Willing, Apostle's Blessing, Blacksmith's Skill, Loran's Escape, Welding Jar, Fanatical Devotion, Cathar Commando, or graveyard hate before the visible action justifies the cost.

## Test Feedback Checklist
- Result driver: Identify the deciding factor before judging single plays. Was the game decided by early white mana, commander access, Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle value, Ashnod's Altar mana, protection timing, graveyard disruption, combat damage, sideboard cards, or inability to close after stabilizing?

- Mulligan quality: Record whether the opener had white mana, two functional early plays, and a path to either Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, board stabilization, or pressure. Flag keeps that leaned on Chromatic Star, Chromatic Sphere, Arcum's Astrolabe, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, Lotus Petal, or Springleaf Drum without a payoff, blocker, or follow-up.

- Mana performance: Track whether Snow-Covered Plains, Ancient Den, Darksteel Citadel, Desert of the True, Drifting Meadow, Secluded Steppe, Hidden Grotto, Conduit Pylons, Tocasia's Dig Site, and artifact mana produced the needed timing. Note games where Arcane Signet, Fellwar Stone, Mind Stone, Commander's Sphere, Everflowing Chalice, Buried Treasure, Lotus Petal, or Ashnod's Altar was stranded, spent too early, or failed to convert into tempo.

- Velocity check: Measure whether Thraben Inspector, Novice Inspector, Spirited Companion, Inspiring Overseer, Priest of Ancient Lore, Roving Harper, Skyscanner, Filigree Familiar, and Helpful Hunter produced enough material. Flag games where cards were drawn but no protection, recursion, removal, or clock followed.

- Engine timing: Review every Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle commitment for immediate historic follow-up, protection, or meaningful recursion. Mark weak commitments where commander tax increased without value, protection, or a board state that forced the opponent to answer.

- Recursion texture: Check whether Leonin Squire, Trusty Packbeast, Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, and Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle had useful graveyard targets. Mark Shriekhorn, Ashnod's Altar, Fanatical Devotion, Rusted Slasher, Cathodion, or self-sacrifice lines as mistakes when they reduced material without enabling a later payoff.

- Protection discipline: Audit Gods Willing, Apostle's Blessing, Blacksmith's Skill, Loran's Escape, Welding Jar, Benevolent Bodyguard, and Fanatical Devotion. Good protection saved Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Ashnod's Altar, a recursion bridge, a lethal attacker, or survival; poor protection saved a replaceable creature without tempo or survival need.

- Removal and hate timing: Review Cathar Commando, Relic of Progenitus, Tormod's Crypt, Jack-o'-Lantern, Journey to Nowhere, Celestial Flare, Disenchant, Revoke Existence, and Dust to Dust for patience. Good use answered a visible engine, lethal threat, graveyard action, artifact, enchantment, or lock piece; poor use fired before the opponent committed.

- Sideboard impact: Compare Standard Bearer, Coalition Honor Guard, Crimson Acolyte, Obsidian Acolyte, Prismatic Strands, Journey to Nowhere, Celestial Flare, Dust to Dust, Revoke Existence, and Disenchant against actual threats faced. Classify each sideboarded card as axis-changing, merely plausible, stranded, or actively conflicting with the main plan.

- Closing plan: Note how the deck won or failed to win after stabilizing. Track damage and pressure from Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, Skyscanner, Inspiring Overseer, Roving Harper, Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Perilous Myr, Dire Mimic, Mimic, Mechanical Mobster, Thermal Navigator, and other visible attackers; Card text check required before crediting uncertain abilities.

- Mistake capture: Record one pilot mistake and one opponent-pressure lesson per game. Tie each mistake to the legal action chosen, visible state, and alternative action that better advanced survival, engine setup, interaction, or closing.

- Stranded-card review: List cards stuck in hand and why. Separate mana issues, missing targets, unsafe board state, commander tax, graveyard shortage, and Card text check required cases for Lunatic Pandora, Magic Pot, Spectacular Tactics, Springjaw Trap, Exosuit Savior, Kindly Customer, Shattered Acolyte, Thermal Navigator, Mechanical Mobster, Helpful Hunter, and Voyager Quickwelder.

## First Tuning Questions
- Role density question: If losses come from drawing artifacts without pressure, should the list emphasize more bodies like Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, Skyscanner, Inspiring Overseer, Roving Harper, Perilous Myr, and Mechanical Mobster over low-impact self-mill or one-shot artifacts?

- Mana question: If commander tax or tapped lands repeatedly cost games, should Snow-Covered Plains count, untapped white sources, or artifact mana density change before adjusting interaction? Track Ancient Den, Desert of the True, Drifting Meadow, Secluded Steppe, Hidden Grotto, Conduit Pylons, Lotus Petal, Arcane Signet, Fellwar Stone, Mind Stone, and Commander's Sphere separately.

- Engine question: If Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle dies before value, should the deck increase protection-role density or reduce fragile commitment turns? Compare outcomes involving Benevolent Bodyguard, Welding Jar, Gods Willing, Apostle's Blessing, Blacksmith's Skill, Loran's Escape, and Fanatical Devotion.

- Graveyard question: If recursion is often empty, should Shriekhorn, sacrifice outlets, and recyclable artifacts be treated as engine setup more aggressively, or are they creating resource loss without payoff? Review Myr Retriever, Workshop Assistant, Leonin Squire, Trusty Packbeast, Conjurer's Bauble, Jack-o'-Lantern, Cathodion, Rusted Slasher, and Ashnod's Altar.

- Aggro-plan question: If fast creature decks decide games, should the sideboard allocate more weight to Journey to Nowhere, Celestial Flare, Prismatic Strands, Crimson Acolyte, Obsidian Acolyte, Standard Bearer, or Coalition Honor Guard? Also ask whether main-deck blockers such as Shield Sphere, Phyrexian Walker, Gleaming Barrier, Kami of False Hope, and Perilous Myr performed.

- Control-plan question: If removal-heavy opponents beat the deck, did the pilot commit Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle without immediate value, or is the list short on resilient pressure and protection? Compare games won by incremental flyers against games lost to repeated commander tax.

- Closing-power question: If the deck stabilizes but loses late, should closing roles get more priority than extra velocity? Review whether Inspiring Overseer, Roving Harper, Skyscanner, Glint Hawk, Kor Skyfisher, Thermal Navigator, Dire Mimic, Mimic, and Mechanical Mobster actually ended games.

- Sideboard-slot question: If Dust to Dust, Revoke Existence, Disenchant, Journey to Nowhere, Celestial Flare, Standard Bearer, Coalition Honor Guard, Crimson Acolyte, Obsidian Acolyte, or Prismatic Strands was stranded across multiple matches, identify the missing matchup axis before changing slots.

- Role-conflict question: If the pilot alternated between control, engine, and beatdown without a clear reason, should the guide sharpen matchup role rules around when to protect Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, when to race, and when to hold interaction?

## Veles Tactical Policy
### Policy: Opening Keep Gate
- Priority: High
- Decision families: mulligan; pregame
- Cards: Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle; Snow-Covered Plains; Ancient Den; Arcum's Astrolabe; Chromatic Star; Chromatic Sphere; Thraben Inspector; Novice Inspector; Spirited Companion
- Phase windows: opening hand and mulligan decisions.
- Runtime cues: prompt:mulligan; action:keep; action:mulligan
- Use when: choose between keep and mulligan from a visible opener.
- Avoid when: hand contents are not exposed by Veles.
- Instructions: Keep hands with white mana, two early plays, and either a path to Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle or a stabilizing board; mulligan hands with no white source, no early material, or only one-shot artifacts without payoff.
- Pilot skill floor: light-model.
- No-API allowed: no
- Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Early White Source And Material Setup
- Priority: Medium
- Decision families: mana; priority
- Cards: Snow-Covered Plains; Ancient Den; Darksteel Citadel; Desert of the True; Drifting Meadow; Secluded Steppe; Conduit Pylons; Hidden Grotto; Thraben Inspector; Novice Inspector; Ornithopter; Phyrexian Walker; Shield Sphere
- Phase windows: turns one through three main phases.
- Runtime cues: action:play; action:cast
- Use when: land play and first spell choices are legal.
- Avoid when: a lethal or engine-critical interaction decision is pending.
- Instructions: Lead with untapped white mana when possible, deploy cheap bodies before speculative artifacts, and preserve cycling lands when the hand already has enough mana and needs action density.
- Pilot skill floor: light-model.
- No-API allowed: no
- Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Historic Fuel Before Commander
- Priority: Medium
- Decision families: priority; mana
- Cards: Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle; Chromatic Star; Chromatic Sphere; Conjurer's Bauble; Jack-o'-Lantern; Tormod's Crypt; Relic of Progenitus; Lotus Petal; Welding Jar; Ornithopter; Phyrexian Walker; Shield Sphere
- Phase windows: precombat and postcombat main phases before casting commander.
- Runtime cues: action:cast Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle; action:cast
- Use when: Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle is castable and historic follow-up options are visible.
- Avoid when: no immediate historic spell or protection is available and opponent pressure does not force a blocker.
- Instructions: Cast Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle on turns that also create a recursion trigger, protection shield, or forced answer; delay naked commander commitments when commander tax would punish removal.
- Pilot skill floor: light-model.
- No-API allowed: no
- Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Teshar Recursion Target Gate
- Priority: High
- Decision families: selection; priority
- Cards: Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle; Leonin Squire; Trusty Packbeast; Myr Retriever; Workshop Assistant; Perilous Myr; Cathodion; Kami of False Hope; Benevolent Bodyguard
- Phase windows: Teshar trigger resolution.
- Runtime cues: action:target self Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle
- Use when: Veles offers graveyard creature targets for a Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle trigger.
- Avoid when: the legal action text hides target identity.
- Instructions: Prefer targets that immediately affect survival, protect the engine, restore artifact material, or pressure the opponent; route target choice through reasoning because board state and graveyard texture decide the target.
- Pilot skill floor: light-model.
- No-API allowed: no
- Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Deterministic Self-Target Teshar Trigger
- Priority: Low
- Decision families: selection
- Cards: Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle
- Phase windows: Teshar trigger target prompt.
- Runtime cues: action:target self Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle
- Use when: exactly one legal action contains `target self` and `Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle`.
- Avoid when: two or more target actions are legal.
- Instructions: Select the sole visible self-target action because no strategic comparison exists.
- Pilot skill floor: no-api.
- No-API allowed: yes
- Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Ashnod's Altar Commitment Gate
- Priority: High
- Decision families: mana; priority; selection
- Cards: Ashnod's Altar; Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle; Cathodion; Myr Retriever; Workshop Assistant; Myr Moonvessel; Perilous Myr
- Phase windows: main phases, sacrifice prompts, and mana payment prompts.
- Runtime cues: action:cast Ashnod's Altar; action:activate Ashnod's Altar; action:sacrifice
- Use when: Ashnod's Altar is castable or sacrifice-for-mana lines are legal.
- Avoid when: sacrificing would remove the only blocker against visible lethal pressure without producing survival or engine value.
- Instructions: Commit Ashnod's Altar when it converts expendable artifacts into commander, recursion, protection, or lethal sequencing; do not sacrifice board material merely because mana can be generated.
- Pilot skill floor: light-model.
- No-API allowed: no
- Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Protection Spending Gate
- Priority: High
- Decision families: interaction; priority
- Cards: Gods Willing; Apostle's Blessing; Blacksmith's Skill; Loran's Escape; Welding Jar; Benevolent Bodyguard; Fanatical Devotion
- Phase windows: opponent interaction, combat, stack response, and removal resolution windows.
- Runtime cues: action:cast Gods Willing; action:cast Apostle's Blessing; action:cast Blacksmith's Skill; action:cast Loran's Escape; action:activate Welding Jar; action:activate Benevolent Bodyguard; action:activate Fanatical Devotion
- Use when: a protected permanent, lethal attacker, recursion bridge, or survival blocker is threatened.
- Avoid when: the threatened creature is replaceable and saving it does not preserve engine, mana, survival, or lethal damage.
- Instructions: Protect Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle, Ashnod's Altar, a live recursion bridge, or survival-critical material before protecting ordinary value bodies.
- Pilot skill floor: light-model.
- No-API allowed: no
- Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Mandatory Protection Single Action
- Priority: Medium
- Decision families: interaction
- Cards: Welding Jar
- Phase windows: regeneration or destruction-prevention prompt.
- Runtime cues: action:activate Welding Jar
- Use when: exactly one legal action contains `activate Welding Jar` and the affected permanent name is visible in the same prompt.
- Avoid when: any alternate protection, sacrifice, or pass action is also legal.
- Instructions: Execute the visible Welding Jar activation only when it is the sole non-pass protection action.
- Pilot skill floor: no-api.
- No-API allowed: yes
- Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Graveyard Hate Timing Gate
- Priority: Medium
- Decision families: interaction; priority
- Cards: Relic of Progenitus; Tormod's Crypt; Jack-o'-Lantern
- Phase windows: opponent graveyard actions, end steps, and response windows.
- Runtime cues: action:activate Relic of Progenitus; action:activate Tormod's Crypt; action:activate Jack-o'-Lantern
- Use when: opponent graveyard contents or stack actions show recursion, flashback, reanimation, threshold, or lethal graveyard use.
- Avoid when: activating would exile your own needed Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle targets without stopping an immediate opposing line.
- Instructions: Spend graveyard hate to stop visible graveyard conversion, not to reduce a graveyard count casually; preserve your own recursion texture when the opponent has no immediate graveyard action.
- Pilot skill floor: light-model.
- No-API allowed: no
- Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Removal And Disenchant Target Gate
- Priority: High
- Decision families: interaction; selection
- Cards: Cathar Commando; Journey to Nowhere; Celestial Flare; Disenchant; Revoke Existence; Dust to Dust
- Phase windows: main phases, combat, opponent combo turns, and stack response windows.
- Runtime cues: action:cast Journey to Nowhere; action:cast Celestial Flare; action:cast Disenchant; action:cast Revoke Existence; action:cast Dust to Dust; action:activate Cathar Commando
- Use when: a visible permanent, attacker, artifact, enchantment, or lock piece must be answered.
- Avoid when: the target is low impact and a more dangerous visible engine or lethal threat can be answered by waiting.
- Instructions: Prioritize lethal threats, commander-enabling engines, prison pieces, and artifact/enchantment engines over replaceable attackers.
- Pilot skill floor: light-model.
- No-API allowed: no
- Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Sacrifice For Value Gate
- Priority: Medium
- Decision families: priority; combat; mana
- Cards: Fanatical Devotion; Rusted Slasher; Ashnod's Altar; Cathodion; Myr Retriever; Workshop Assistant; Perilous Myr; Gleaming Barrier
- Phase windows: combat damage windows, removal responses, and mana prompts.
- Runtime cues: action:sacrifice; action:activate Fanatical Devotion; action:activate Rusted Slasher; action:activate Ashnod's Altar
- Use when: a creature is already dying, blocked profitably, targeted by removal, or needed as mana for a decisive spell.
- Avoid when: the sacrifice removes the only stabilizing blocker or empties the graveyard plan without enabling recursion.
- Instructions: Convert doomed or redundant material into mana, protection, or recursion loops; preserve board presence when sacrifice only changes resources sideways.
- Pilot skill floor: light-model.
- No-API allowed: no
- Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Bounce And Replay Sequencing
- Priority: Medium
- Decision families: selection; priority; mana
- Cards: Glint Hawk; Kor Skyfisher; Aviary Mechanic; Thraben Inspector; Novice Inspector; Spirited Companion; Inspiring Overseer; Priest of Ancient Lore; Skyscanner; Filigree Familiar; Chromatic Star; Chromatic Sphere; Arcum's Astrolabe
- Phase windows: main phases and enter-the-battlefield target prompts.
- Runtime cues: action:cast Glint Hawk; action:cast Kor Skyfisher; action:cast Aviary Mechanic; action:return
- Use when: bounce, replay, or return-to-hand choices are legal.
- Avoid when: bouncing a land or mana artifact would prevent the current turn's required mana payment.
- Instructions: Return cards that can be replayed for material, historic triggers, or mana smoothing; choose target pairs through reasoning because hand, mana, and battlefield determine the sequence.
- Pilot skill floor: light-model.
- No-API allowed: no
- Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Combat Stabilization Gate
- Priority: High
- Decision families: combat; interaction
- Cards: Kami of False Hope; Shield Sphere; Phyrexian Walker; Gleaming Barrier; Perilous Myr; Prismatic Strands; Celestial Flare
- Phase windows: declare attackers, declare blockers, combat damage, and prevention windows.
- Runtime cues: action:block; action:cast Prismatic Strands; action:activate Kami of False Hope; action:cast Celestial Flare
- Use when: visible attacks threaten lethal damage, commander access, or the engine turn.
- Avoid when: the race favors attacking and the opponent's crackback is not lethal by visible damage.
- Instructions: Block to preserve life and engine time before protecting small attackers; use prevention or edict effects for lethal, commander-threatening, or tempo-breaking attacks.
- Pilot skill floor: light-model.
- No-API allowed: no
- Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Clock Conversion Gate
- Priority: Medium
- Decision families: combat; priority
- Cards: Glint Hawk; Kor Skyfisher; Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle; Inspiring Overseer; Roving Harper; Skyscanner; Thermal Navigator; Dire Mimic; Mimic; Mechanical Mobster
- Phase windows: combat and precombat main phase.
- Runtime cues: action:attack; action:cast
- Use when: the board is stable and legal attackers or pressure additions are visible.
- Avoid when: attacking exposes the only blocker to a lethal return attack or weakens a protected Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle turn.
- Instructions: Shift from value to damage once life totals and board state show stabilization; prioritize evasive pressure and artifact bodies that still support recursion.
- Pilot skill floor: light-model.
- No-API allowed: no
- Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Mana Rock And Bauble Sacrifice Timing
- Priority: Medium
- Decision families: mana; priority; selection
- Cards: Mind Stone; Commander's Sphere; Chromatic Star; Chromatic Sphere; Conjurer's Bauble; Jack-o'-Lantern; Lotus Petal; Buried Treasure; Everflowing Chalice
- Phase windows: main phases, draw-seeking windows, and payment prompts.
- Runtime cues: action:activate Mind Stone; action:activate Commander's Sphere; action:activate Chromatic Star; action:activate Chromatic Sphere; action:activate Conjurer's Bauble; action:activate Jack-o'-Lantern; action:sacrifice Lotus Petal
- Use when: mana conversion, card draw, graveyard placement, or recursion setup is legal.
- Avoid when: the artifact is needed as historic fuel after Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle resolves this turn.
- Instructions: Sacrifice one-shot artifacts for a concrete cast, draw, or recursion setup; keep them on board when they are the next historic trigger.
- Pilot skill floor: light-model.
- No-API allowed: no
- Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Unfamiliar Card Text Safety
- Priority: Medium
- Decision families: priority; selection; interaction; combat
- Cards: Lunatic Pandora; Magic Pot; Spectacular Tactics; Springjaw Trap; Exosuit Savior; Kindly Customer; Shattered Acolyte; Thermal Navigator; Mechanical Mobster; Helpful Hunter; Voyager Quickwelder; Dire Mimic; Mimic
- Phase windows: any prompt involving listed cards.
- Runtime cues: action:cast Lunatic Pandora; action:cast Magic Pot; action:cast Spectacular Tactics; action:cast Springjaw Trap; action:cast Exosuit Savior; action:cast Kindly Customer; action:cast Shattered Acolyte; action:cast Thermal Navigator; action:cast Mechanical Mobster; action:cast Helpful Hunter; action:cast Voyager Quickwelder; action:cast Dire Mimic; action:cast Mimic
- Use when: Veles exposes legal actions for listed cards and exact card text is not present in state.
- Avoid when: full Oracle-equivalent text is visible and contradicts this caution.
- Instructions: Card text check required; choose these actions only from visible legal text, mana cost, board role, and immediate tactical need.
- Pilot skill floor: light-model.
- No-API allowed: no
- Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Sideboard Axis Selection
- Priority: High
- Decision families: sideboard
- Cards: Standard Bearer; Coalition Honor Guard; Crimson Acolyte; Obsidian Acolyte; Prismatic Strands; Journey to Nowhere; Celestial Flare; Dust to Dust; Revoke Existence; Disenchant
- Phase windows: between games.
- Runtime cues: prompt:sideboard; action:submit sideboard
- Use when: Veles asks for a legal sideboard plan after a completed game.
- Avoid when: no opponent axis has been observed and the baseline plan is illegal.
- Instructions: Add role cards that answer observed targeting, red damage, black removal, go-wide combat, artifact engines, enchantment engines, or singular creature threats; preserve the Teshar, Ancestor's Apostle engine unless the matchup makes graveyard recursion unreliable.
- Pilot skill floor: light-model.
- No-API allowed: no
- Light-model allowed: yes

### Policy: Deterministic Pass On Empty Stack
- Priority: Low
- Decision families: priority
- Cards: none
- Phase windows: priority prompts with empty stack.
- Runtime cues: action:pass
- Use when: exactly one legal action contains `pass`, the stack is empty, no mana payment prompt is active, and no cast or activated ability action is legal.
- Avoid when: any non-pass legal action is visible.
- Instructions: Select the sole pass action because Veles exposes no alternative action.
- Pilot skill floor: no-api.
- No-API allowed: yes
- Light-model allowed: yes
