

Finally, Flashfreeze and Master Thief provide some added value against red, green, and artifact strategies should those show up in your area. Playing against a control deck full of powerful spells, card drawing, and only a small number of game-winning threats? Bring in Negates, Stoic Rebuttal, and four copies of Neurok Commando, then beat them at their own game! Up against an army of giant creatures that clog up the board? Frost Breath and another Mind Control let you impose your will on the battlefield. Your sideboard can take your deck in different directions. Then you can either "bounce" them with Æther Adept or drag them over to your side with Mind Control. This strategy will force your opponent to cast creatures to block with. When you're playing against a slower deck, though, be sure to keep mana open to cast Mana Leak to protect your creatures (although nothing can protect Illusions from dying once they've been chosen as a spell's target). Use your Preordains to get to your late-game bombs as soon as possible. If you have the extra mana, you can even use Grand Architect to turn your artifact creatures blue temporarily to get an extra +1/+1!Īgainst fast decks, you'll want to trade your creatures with theirs whenever you can, either by blocking or by putting the opponent on the defensive. Not only does it allow your smaller blue creatures to hit harder, but it lets you cast Precursor Golem and Steel Hellkite two turns sooner. Your most powerful card by far, however, is Grand Architect. Spined Thopter and Porcelain Legionnaire let you pay life to get them onto the battlefield a turn sooner, and you should take full advantage of that-your Glimmerposts can gain that life back, after all. Meanwhile, cards like Æther Adept, Mana Leak, and Mind Control let you control the tempo of the game, ensuring that your pressure holds up even as your opponent attempts to mount a defense. Aggressive creatures like Phantasmal Bear and the Phyrexian mana–fueled Porcelain Legionnaire hit hard and fast.

With the "Illusionary Might" deck, you're going to take the beatdown to your opponent starting on the very first turn of the game. Illusionary Might is a blue event deck focusing on Illusions.
