20 KiB
Strategy Specifications
Deck Name And Archetype
mordenkainen draw is a mono-blue Oathbreaker draw-combo control strategy built around Mordenkainen with Blue Sun's Zenith and Pull from Tomorrow as the source's command-zone-style X-draw identity. The repaired source registers 60 main-deck cards and 0 sideboard cards.
Thesis
The deck wins by surviving with cheap selection, bounce, permission, and tax effects, then converting large draw into alternate wins, mill, token pressure, or raw card advantage. It should not tap low for expensive engines until the visible board and stack are safe.
Role Package
Engines are Mordenkainen, Proft's Eidetic Memory, Chasm Skulker, Alandra, Sky Dreamer, Deekah, Fractal Theorist, Sphinx's Tutelage, Psychosis Crawler, Wizard Class, and Inexorable Tide. Interaction is Counterspell, Narset's Reversal, Unsummon, Boomerang Basics, Engulf the Shore, Baral's Expertise, River's Rebuke, Illusionist's Gambit, and Propaganda. Finishers include Jace, Wielder of Mysteries, Laboratory Maniac, Brain Freeze, Blue Sun's Zenith, and Pull from Tomorrow.
Primary Win Conditions
Primary wins come from draw volume. Use Blue Sun's Zenith, Pull from Tomorrow, Mordenkainen, cantrips, and draw engines to fuel Jace, Wielder of Mysteries, Laboratory Maniac, Psychosis Crawler, Sphinx's Tutelage, or Brain Freeze. Commit only when protection, mana, and the next draw step are clear.
Secondary Win Conditions
Secondary wins are token and creature pressure from Chasm Skulker, Alandra, Deekah, Curiosity Crafter, Twenty-Toed Toad, and Wan Shi Tong, All-Knowing. These lines matter when the opponent attacks the alternate-win plan or when bounce resets creature boards.
Emergency Lines
When behind on board, use Propaganda, Unsummon, Engulf the Shore, Baral's Expertise, River's Rebuke, or Illusionist's Gambit before slow engines. When behind on cards, cantrip into land and permission before committing a finisher. When behind on mana, prioritize Arcane Signet, Fellwar Stone, Thought Vessel, modal lands, and basic Island.
Resource Model
Life total buys time for draw engines but is not expendable against fast attackers. Cards are abundant after an engine resolves, so preserve permission for spells that beat the engine. Mana is the key bottleneck for X-spells and bounce turns. Graveyard and library counts matter for Brain Freeze, Jace, Laboratory Maniac, and Mystic Sanctuary.
Mana Guide
The deck uses Island, Castle Vantress, Mystic Sanctuary, Mistrise Village, Interplanar Beacon, Archway of Innovation, Silundi Vision // Silundi Isle, and Hydroelectric Specimen // Hydroelectric Laboratory. Keep early blue for cantrips and Counterspell. Thought Vessel supports large hands. Castle Vantress and Mystic Sanctuary are late tools; do not keep hands that rely on them as the only early action. Interplanar Beacon and Archway of Innovation should be valued only when their mana text supports the visible spell sequence; Silundi Vision // Silundi Isle and Hydroelectric Specimen // Hydroelectric Laboratory are modal land decisions where the land side is usually correct in low-land hands and the spell side matters after mana is stable. Preserve untapped Island access when Counterspell is part of the hand's defense.
Mulligan Guide
Keep hands with blue mana, selection, and either interaction or acceleration. Mulligan expensive engine hands with no early cantrip, no Counterspell, and no bounce. Against aggro, keep Propaganda or bounce. Against control, keep permission and card flow. Against combo, keep Counterspell, Narset's Reversal, and a clock or draw engine.
Turn Arc
Turns 1-2 find land and keep interaction ready. Turns 3-4 stabilize with Propaganda, bounce, rocks, or a protected engine. Turns 5+ build a protected draw turn or reset the board with mass bounce. Closing turns should identify whether the win is alternate draw, mill, damage from draw, or token combat.
Card Roles
Brainstorm, Ponder, Preordain, Opt, and Brainsurge smooth early turns. Counterspell and Narset's Reversal protect key windows. Propaganda and bounce reset pressure. Mordenkainen, Blue Sun's Zenith, and Pull from Tomorrow generate decisive cards. Jace, Laboratory Maniac, Sphinx's Tutelage, Psychosis Crawler, and Brain Freeze convert draw into victory.
Interaction Priorities
Counter or bounce spells that create lethal pressure, remove the key engine, stop the alternate-win turn, or lock the deck away from drawing. Do not spend Counterspell on low-impact value if the opponent has a visible payoff coming. Use bounce before combat or end step when that timing preserves mana and cards.
Combat And Trading Rules
Most creatures are engines first. Keep Laboratory Maniac, Psychosis Crawler, Deekah, Alandra, Curiosity Crafter, Twenty-Toed Toad, and Wan Shi Tong safe unless combat is necessary for survival or lethal. Token attacks are good only when permission remains for the opponent's decisive response.
Selection And Tutor Rules
Use cantrips before land drop when they can find land or interaction. Use Brainstorm with shuffle or modal-land planning when possible. Choose X-spell amounts based on mana after protection, not simply maximum draw. Use Mystic Sanctuary for the spell that changes the next turn.
Priority And Stack Rules
Pass harmless windows when the stack is empty and mana must be preserved. Hold permission for must-answer spells. Use Narset's Reversal when copying or returning a spell creates better tempo than countering. Commit the draw turn only after comparing visible mana, pressure, and backup.
Sideboard Map
This repaired Oathbreaker source has 0 registered sideboard cards. Between games, preserve the main deck and adjust only keep standards, permission timing, bounce targets, and closing route. Future reserve plans require a new sourced list.
Matchup Guidance
Against aggro, seek Propaganda, bounce, and early interaction before draw engines. Against control, fight over engines and protect the decisive X-spell. Against combo, prioritize permission and a faster close. Against tempo, avoid shields-down engines and trade mana efficiently. Against midrange, make bounce reset their board while draw engines create inevitability. Against big mana, counter the payoff rather than every setup spell. Against graveyard decks, race and use bounce or permission on the public engine. Against artifact and enchantment strategies, rely on stack interaction and bounce because mono-blue permanent answers are limited.
Specific Matchup Notes
No exact opposing list was supplied. Use revealed hands, stack contents, public graveyards, command-zone costs, and legal action text as the tactical source.
Risk Summary
Risks are slow hands, expensive engines before stabilization, alternate-win pieces exposed too early, draw spells that consume protection mana, and bounce used on a target that does not change the clock.
Test Feedback Checklist
Record whether early blue was available, which engine mattered, whether permission protected the right spell, whether bounce reset lethal pressure, and which closing route actually ended the game.
First Tuning Questions
Should the repaired source add more early defense in a future list, streamline alternate wins, reduce expensive engines, or improve mana consistency? Which draw payoff was most often stranded?
Veles Tactical Policy
Policy: Pregame Legality Gate
Priority: High Decision families: pregame Cards: none Phase windows: before match creation Runtime cues: deck count; format validation; command-zone validation Use when: Veles reports the active Oathbreaker deck is 60 main / 0 sideboard or command-zone structure is unresolved. Avoid when: a human-approved legal 60-card singleton command-zone registration is supplied. Instructions: Treat results as experimental until legality is fixed; do not infer tuning certainty from games started with the invalid registration. Pilot skill floor: rules-aware No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes
Policy: Opening Hand Functional Mana
Priority: High Decision families: mulligan; mana Cards: Island; Arcane Signet; Fellwar Stone; Thought Vessel; Hydroelectric Specimen // Hydroelectric Laboratory; Silundi Vision // Silundi Isle; Interplanar Beacon; Archway of Innovation Phase windows: opening hand; mulligan decisions Runtime cues: opening hand lands; opening hand mana rocks; legal mulligan action Use when: choosing keep or mulligan. Avoid when: runtime hand visibility is unavailable. Instructions: Keep hands that can cast cheap selection or interaction and progress toward four-plus mana; reject hands with expensive engines but no early blue source or acceleration. Pilot skill floor: basic No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes
Policy: Early Selection Before Land Drop
Priority: Medium Decision families: selection; mana Cards: Brainstorm; Ponder; Preordain; Opt; Brainsurge Phase windows: main phase before land drop; upkeep only if legally prompted Runtime cues: legal cast action; land drop available; hand lacks next land or correct timing piece Use when: selection can determine the turn's land play, find Counterspell mana, or set up a stabilizing play. Avoid when: spending mana prevents a required reactive play this turn. Instructions: Use one-mana selection to secure land and interaction first; avoid Brainstorm without a way to improve bad cards unless the immediate dig matters. Pilot skill floor: basic No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes
Policy: First Engine Commitment
Priority: High Decision families: priority; selection; mana Cards: Proft's Eidetic Memory; Chasm Skulker; Alandra, Sky Dreamer; Deekah, Fractal Theorist; Sphinx's Tutelage; Psychosis Crawler; Wizard Class; Inexorable Tide Phase windows: own main phase; post-stabilization turns Runtime cues: legal cast action; opponent board pressure; untapped opponent mana; available protection Use when: committing an engine can survive the next turn cycle or waiting risks falling behind. Avoid when: visible pressure demands Propaganda, bounce, sweeper, or held permission. Instructions: Commit the first engine only after checking clock, open interaction, and whether the engine immediately converts draw into board, mill, damage, or cards. Pilot skill floor: intermediate No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes
Policy: shields-down Finisher Gate
Priority: High Decision families: priority; mana; interaction Cards: Mordenkainen; Mordenkainen; Jin-Gitaxias // The Great Synthesis; River's Rebuke; Baral's Expertise Phase windows: own main phase; late game Runtime cues: legal high-mana cast action; opponent lethal clock; available Counterspell or Narset's Reversal mana Use when: the high-mana spell stabilizes, wins, or waiting gives the opponent a stronger turn. Avoid when: passing with interaction is safer against a visible decisive spell or attack. Instructions: tap low only after comparing immediate board impact against preserving stack interaction; prefer the line that prevents losing before the next draw step. Pilot skill floor: advanced No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes
Policy: Alternate-Win Commitment
Priority: High Decision families: priority; selection; interaction Cards: Jace, Wielder of Mysteries; Laboratory Maniac; Blue Sun's Zenith; Pull from Tomorrow; Brainstorm; Ponder; Preordain; Opt Phase windows: own main phase; draw step replacement windows; end step only with legal instant draw Runtime cues: legal cast action; library count; draw action available; visible removal or counter risk Use when: a draw-to-win line is legal and can be protected or forced because waiting is worse. Avoid when: Jace, Wielder of Mysteries or Laboratory Maniac can be removed before the winning draw and no protection exists. Instructions: Do not deploy the alternate-win permanent early for no payoff; commit when the draw trigger or draw spell can resolve in the same protected sequence. Pilot skill floor: advanced No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes
Policy: Deterministic Self Draw Target
Priority: Medium Decision families: selection Cards: Blue Sun's Zenith; Pull from Tomorrow Phase windows: end step; own main phase; combo turn Runtime cues: action:target self Blue Sun's Zenith; action:target self Pull from Tomorrow Use when: the selected line is already to draw yourself cards and the legal action text contains target self with the named spell. Avoid when: opponent targeting, lethal deck size, or alternate-win protection has not been reasoned through. Instructions: Choose the visible self-target action only after the commitment policy has selected the draw-yourself line. Pilot skill floor: basic No-API allowed: yes Light-model allowed: yes
Policy: Brain Freeze Payoff Target
Priority: Medium Decision families: selection; priority Cards: Brain Freeze Phase windows: combo turn; after multiple spells have been cast Runtime cues: action:target opponent Brain Freeze Use when: the selected line is already to mill the opponent and legal action text contains target opponent for Brain Freeze. Avoid when: storm count, opponent library size, or defensive stack risk has not been evaluated. Instructions: After the payoff line is chosen, target the opponent with Brain Freeze; do not redirect the payoff without visible legal reason. Pilot skill floor: basic No-API allowed: yes Light-model allowed: yes
Policy: Permission Spend Gate
Priority: High Decision families: interaction; priority Cards: Counterspell; Narset's Reversal; Narset's Reversal Phase windows: opponent main phase; combat trick windows; stack interaction windows Runtime cues: opponent spell on stack; legal counter/copy/cast-from-graveyard action Use when: the stack object threatens lethal, stops the combo, removes a protected payoff, or creates irreversible advantage. Avoid when: the spell is low impact and holding interaction protects a stronger future line. Instructions: Spend permission on decisive stack objects; prefer preserving Counterspell for threats that beat bounce or board sweepers. Pilot skill floor: advanced No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes
Policy: Bounce And Sweeper Triage
Priority: High Decision families: interaction; priority; combat Cards: Unsummon; Boomerang Basics; Engulf the Shore; Engulf the Shore; Baral's Expertise; River's Rebuke; Mordenkainen Phase windows: opponent combat; own main phase; end step Runtime cues: legal bounce or sweeper action; visible attackers; visible lethal or short clock Use when: board pressure threatens lethal, planeswalkers, or the time needed for draw engines. Avoid when: bouncing your own engine or resetting your own blockers creates a worse visible board. Instructions: Use the smallest stabilizer that survives the next attack; reserve River's Rebuke and Mordenkainen for boards cheap bounce cannot contain. Pilot skill floor: intermediate No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes
Policy: Propaganda Defense Setup
Priority: Medium Decision families: priority; combat; mana Cards: Propaganda; Propaganda; Chasm Skulker Phase windows: own main phase before opponent combat Runtime cues: legal cast action; opponent creature count; opponent direct-target pressure Use when: slowing attacks or protecting from targeted effects buys turns for engines and draw-combo. Avoid when: immediate removal, sweeper, or Counterspell mana is required to survive the current turn cycle. Instructions: Deploy defensive permanents before taking a slow draw turn when the opponent's visible plan is combat or direct targeting. Pilot skill floor: intermediate No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes
Policy: Combat Preserve Engines
Priority: Medium Decision families: combat Cards: Chasm Skulker; Psychosis Crawler; Curiosity Crafter; Alandra, Sky Dreamer; Deekah, Fractal Theorist; Laboratory Maniac Phase windows: declare attackers; declare blockers; combat damage Runtime cues: legal attack or block action; visible creature stats; engine creature exposed Use when: deciding attacks, blocks, or trades involving draw payoffs and alternate-win creatures. Avoid when: a creature must block to prevent lethal or protect Mordenkainen, Jace, Wielder of Mysteries, or life total. Instructions: Preserve engines unless blocking prevents lethal or an attack safely pressures a planeswalker or opponent without exposing the primary plan. Pilot skill floor: intermediate No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes
Policy: Illusionist's Gambit Survival Window
Priority: Medium Decision families: combat; interaction Cards: Illusionist's Gambit Phase windows: opponent declare attackers; before blockers if legal Runtime cues: legal cast action; multiple attacking creatures; lethal or high-pressure combat Use when: redirecting combat can prevent lethal or create a major opponent combat failure. Avoid when: only one attacker exists or card text check required for the exact visible combat state. Instructions: Card text check required; cast only when the rules engine presents a legal action and the visible attack makes the effect materially defensive. Pilot skill floor: advanced No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes
Policy: Mystic Sanctuary Recursion Choice
Priority: Medium Decision families: selection; mana Cards: Mystic Sanctuary; Counterspell; River's Rebuke; Blue Sun's Zenith; Pull from Tomorrow; Brain Freeze; Engulf the Shore Phase windows: land entry trigger; selection prompt Runtime cues: legal top-of-library selection; graveyard candidates visible Use when: choosing which instant or sorcery to return. Avoid when: the target choice requires hidden information assumptions. Instructions: Choose the card that answers the current visible problem or completes the selected win line; prioritize Counterspell under stack pressure, sweeper under creature pressure, and draw/payoff during combo setup. Pilot skill floor: intermediate No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes
Policy: Lier Graveyard Casting Gate
Priority: Medium Decision families: priority; selection; interaction Cards: Lier, Disciple of the Drowned; Brainstorm; Ponder; Preordain; Opt; Counterspell; Unsummon; Blue Sun's Zenith; Pull from Tomorrow Phase windows: own main phase; stack windows after Lier resolves Runtime cues: legal cast action; graveyard spell access; opponent stack interaction context Use when: Lier, Disciple of the Drowned unlocks a decisive graveyard turn or converts stocked cheap spells into control. Avoid when: disabling or changing permission dynamics would expose a decisive opponent spell; Card text check required for exact interaction limits. Instructions: Treat Lier as a commitment card; plan the same turn's graveyard spells before casting it. Pilot skill floor: advanced No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes
Policy: Mana Rock Sequencing
Priority: Low Decision families: mana; priority Cards: Arcane Signet; Fellwar Stone; Thought Vessel; The Water Crystal Phase windows: own early main phase Runtime cues: legal cast action; available two-mana artifact; future four-plus mana spells in hand Use when: acceleration enables Mordenkainen, sweepers, large draw, or double-spell interaction turns. Avoid when: casting a rock prevents holding Counterspell against an immediate visible threat. Instructions: Prefer early rocks over slow engines when the hand is expensive; Card text check required for The Water Crystal before relying on any non-mana mode. Pilot skill floor: basic No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes
Policy: Empty Sideboard Lock
Priority: Low Decision families: sideboard Cards: none Phase windows: sideboarding step Runtime cues: registered sideboard count 0; legal submit sideboard action Use when: Veles asks for sideboarding and no registered sideboard cards exist. Avoid when: a future registration adds sideboard cards. Instructions: Submit zero changes; do not invent role cards or alter the registered main deck during sideboarding. Pilot skill floor: basic No-API allowed: no Light-model allowed: yes