Main Deck

Mana Base

5

4

4

4

4

4

The deck played 4 《Thoughtseize》 and 4 《Fatal Push》. If you ever read the guidelines to consistent mana set by Frank Karsten, you would know 14 untapped turn 1 sources is the ideal number to cast them. I was stunned by the stock list playing only 9, which is how I lost with the deck when I started testing with UB Inverter. There are lots of games I just got run over by different types of aggressive decks especially when I was on the draw.

4

《Choked Estuary》 is the trick to make the mana base become functional against aggressive decks. I know people are worried about playing 《Choked Estuary》 from past experience. However, with shock lands and cycle lands to enable it, the check lands are actually extremely functional.

0

The biggest drawback is that we are not able to play 《Fabled Passage》 which synergizes with 《Dig Through Time》 well. Yet it is a cost I am willing to pay as being able to cast my spells in the first two turns and it is just the most important thing in a combo deck. I also believe that the mana base would be a major upgrade to any ally color deck which is my biggest finding for this testing.

《Omen of the Sea》

4

《Omen of the Sea》 fits with the deck’s play pattern the most. You can hold up mana for 《Censor》 or removal while having the option to cast Omen if your opponent decides to hold back a little bit. The Scry ability also lets you use excess mana to compensate for the giving up of Castles. I seldom lack action thanks to 《Omen of the Sea》. The devotion count is also relevant when you have one card left in the deck and worry about your 《Thassa’s Oracle》 being removed before the trigger resolves. Other sorcery speed cantrips just don’t compare to it. Once again the biggest drawback here is lack of synergy with 《Dig Through Time》.

The Removal Package

4

2

1

As I said, I believe the deck only loses to aggressive decks in the format and removal is the way to handle that. I passed on 《Ultimate Price》 and 《Cast Down》 as they both are not flexible enough. 《Tyrant’s Scorn》 is the card that can buy time against any threat either killing it or bounce it. The singleton 《Languish》 is to take advantage of the open decklists at the PT to keep our opponents honest.

Sideabord

《Coax from the Blind Eternities》

1

Moving to the sideboard, we do not have any alternate win condition except 《Coax from the Blind Eternities》. We do not need any alternate win condition unless 《Inverter of Truth》 was extracted by 《Unmoored Ego》, 《Lost Legacy》 or 《Slaughter Games》. The deck played extraction effects the most are 5-Color Niv to Light and mirror matches, where resolving 《Inverter of Truth》 is still the best strategy against them compared to any other alternate win conditions.

Therefore 《Coax from the Blind Eternities》 was the pick to hedge against extraction effects. Once you shuffle the 《Coax from the Blind Eternities》 back to the library, you can keep recasting it to get the other 3 《Inverter of Truth》 the getting exiled, which also means it is actually generating multiple threats with only one card. This allows us not to dilute the deck so much in its role as a combo deck.

《Treasure Map》

2

《Treasure Map》 is our 3rd and 4th 《Dig Through Time》. You will often find yourself resolving it turn 2 on the play and win the game with it against mirror or control matchups. 《Mystical Dispute》 is the most commonly played sideboard in the format and 《Treasure Map》 can go under it and make it blank after flip.

《Drown in the Loch》 in the Sideboard

1

The last card I would like to mention is 《Drown in the Loch》. This card is a perfect sideboard card as you will board into the correct interaction in terms of removals or discards. However, it underperformed in the main deck multiple times during my playtesting. Don’t be surprised to see me sideboarding it in every matchup; it is put in the sideboard rather than maindeck for a reason.

Mono Color Aggro

Red/Black/Green

Against Mono Red/Mono Black

Out

In

Against Mono Green

Out

In

The game plan of winning with double Inverter actually works after sideboarding as opponent will cut some removals. Replace 《Murderous Rider》 with 《Noxious Grasp》 against Green as the body does not block well there.

White

Against Mono White

Out

In

White is not as aggressive as other mono color aggro decks with the combo elements in it. Therefore discard spells are actually fine against them. On the other hand, they run much more value creatures like 《Thraben Inspector》 and 《Arcanist’s Owl》, therefore we do not want to be overloaded on removal but also need to win quickly. Keep removal for 《Gideon of the Trials》.

Counter Spell Aggro

Spirit

Against Spirit

Out

In

《Thassa’s Oracle》 cannot block any creatures. I believe the matchup will end up with you aiming to control them with Inverter and removals. The matchup is one of the hardest in the format.

Izzet Ensoul

Against Izzet Ensoul

Out

In

《Thoughtseize》 is a liability against 《Shrapnel Blast》 and 《Thassa’s Oracle》 blocks better in the matchup. Once again, Inverter control is a very real plan after sideboard.

Midrange

5-Color Niv to Light

Against 5-Color Niv to Light

Out

In

Cut the bad removals and bring in the 《Coax from the Blind Eternities》 to hedge the extraction effect. It is a very good matchup as long as they did not extract your Inverters. Counterspells are great in the matchup. Make sure you can answer a turn 3 《Teferi, Time Raveler》 and you will be fine answering their threats.

Control

UW Control

Against UW Control

Out

In

Once again 《Teferi, Time Raveler》 is the main threat as they have lots of counterspells after sideboard and blank yours at the same time. 《Treasure Map》 is great on the play but do not tap out into 《Teferi, Time Raveler》 on the draw. Make no mistake, Map is still great against control, just noting the play pattern is different depending on who goes first.

UB Inverter

Against UB Inverter

Out

In

Consider keeping one to two removals over cantrips if you saw 《Pack Rat》, 《Jace, Vryn’s Prodigy》 or 《Thief of Sanity》. The same applies to 《Coax from the Blind Eternities》 if you see 《Unmoored Ego》 or 《Lost Legacy》.

Combo

Lotus Breach

Against Lotus Breach

Out

In

Your counterspells will become blank once they put down 《Lotus Field》 and copy it with 《Thespian’s Stage》. The secret is to counter cantrips in the early game and hope they cannot combo off before you do. 《Damping Sphere》 after they play 《Lotus Field》 is a game winning play. You do not need to run out the Sphere before they sacrifice lands to Field.