The Deck 

This is an Aggro deck with some Control elements in it. I play this deck as a Tempo deck but you can also make the argument that this is a Midrange deck. This deck is highly customizable and you can fit cards in here that suits your playstyle.

Let’s get on some main points to remember when playing this deck:

• Know your place – or more specifically, just know which role to take in each game/match. Roles are taken depending how a deck is built. This deck can shift into a control/aggressive role if needed but it’s important to remember that the deck does both. However, It won’t be able to beat dedicated decks at their own game. You can’t beat a dedicated control deck by playing a control role and you won’t be able to out-aggro a dedicated aggro deck.(Pro Tip: https://articles.starcitygames.com/articles/whos-the-beatdown/)

• Card Advantage isn’t everything – Avoid tunneling too hard on getting the maximum value out of every play. Sometimes being ahead of tempo is enough to win.

• Mana is limited – There are very few ways to cheat on mana in Timeless, focus on making plays that maximize yours and make your opponents use mana inefficiently

• Have a little empathy – This deck rewards having the format knowledge. Knowing exactly what your opponent wants to do is the first step to stopping that.

What is Tempo?

Tempo in the traditional sense is rate of speed. For this case, tempo decks are decks that are able to control the pace of the game.

Let’s define plays by tempo.

• Tempo positive – plays that put you ahead on mana (e.g using a Swords to Plowshares on a 4 mana creature means you spent 1 mana to kill a 4 mana play which lets you use your mana for other things)
• Tempo negative – plays that put you behind on mana (e.g Thoughtseize/Discard spells are usually tempo negative plays since you spend mana and your opponent doesn’t, but if the discard spell disrupts opponent’s mana efficient play then it effectively gains you tempo)
• Tempo neutral – plays that puts neither player behind on mana (e.g Casting Dispel on a Fatal push or Counterspell on Counterspell)

This deck wants to always be tempo positive even if it doesn’t necessarily mean card advantage. It focuses on not letting opponents execute their gameplan while we play ours.

Why Play this Deck?

A lot of players like to feel that a lot of their decisions matter when playing. This is a deck that has a high ceiling that directly scales on player skill. Which means this deck has:

• Player Agency – Almost every choice matters. Something small like missing a point of damage, or using a spell snare instead of stern scolding, cracking a fetch at a specific time could result in a game win/loss.
• Non-Repetitive Gameplay – Since there’s a lot of player agency, you can play games with whatever play style you want and have varying results.
• Even Matchups – A lot of matchups are determined by how you built your interaction suite. For example, you can tech this deck to play better against Show and Tell by dedicating more slots to things like Spell Pierce or Mystical Dispute.
•  Builds good habits – The difference in timing of casting spells or proper sequencing can be felt. It is frustrating at first but eventually leads you to becoming a better player overall.

Card Choices

Threats

• Tamiyo, Inquisitive Student

A proactive play that can threaten to be a win condition by itself when it becomes a Planeswalker. This card is easily turned into a Planeswalker since the deck runs Baubles and Brainstorms.

Otherwise, it draws you another card each time it is able to attack which makes it a must remove target.

Brainstorm can also protect this card from removal spells.

• Deathrite Shaman

Some call this card a 1 mana planeswalker due to its abilities. This creature is an “evasive” threat, mana dork, graveyard hate, lifegain spell all in one card. The utility this creature has makes it relevant almost at all points of games.

• Psychic Frog

The main threat of this deck. This creature makes combat difficult for opponent’s due to its abilities. This also has built in evasion that can threaten to deal lethal damage out of nowhere. Opponents will have to play around the number of cards in your hand when this card is out. It also accrues free card advantage everytime it hits an opponent, pressuring your opponent to trade unfavorably with their creatures.

• Orcish Bowmasters

This is a flexible card that can act as a removal spell, combat trick, or punish your opponent for drawing cards.While its stats aren’t relevant most of the time, this creature still creates 2 bodies for a card that an opponent will have to deal with.

• Nethergoyf (Not included in this deck)

This creature is aggressively statted for 1 mana. Nethergoyf threatens to end the game early if left unchecked. Nethergoyf is currently stunted by its lack of evasion. This creature is stronger in metagames where there are less creatures being played.

Interaction Suite

•  Mana Drain

You should be warping your blue decks to be able to play this card. This card is a huge tempo swing even if it only counters a spell that costs the same since it refunds you the mana the following turn.

Lurrus is always available to use the free mana, which means you’re essentially drawing a card when you counter something that’s 3 mana value.

• Thoughtseize/Inquisition of Kozilek

This is a proactive play that gives you information on what an opponent has. It’s also important in Timeless to have an impactful play starting Turn 1 which is why some prefer running this over a spell pierce/spell snare.

This can also be used to protect your play or your threats. Notoriously bad against decks that have a lot of proactive plays with a low curve or redundancy.

• Spell Pierce

This is the cheapest and versatile counterspell we have in the format that hits a lot of relevant non-creature payoffs. (Necropotence, Show and Tell, Natural Order, Blood moon, The One Ring). It’s not ideal against creature decks but it’s not completely a dead card in those matchups.

• Spell Snare

This is always a tempo positive play and it even has great reminder text to go with it. A lot of relevant cards in the format are 2 mana spells which is why this card is great at the moment. It is rare to find decks without a relevant target for this card.

• Swords to Plowshares

This is the best removal spell printed in Timeless. For the very low drawback of giving your opponent life, you get to remove their creature from the game for 1 mana without any restrictions. This is a huge reason why we’re playing White in this Dimir Tempo shell.

• Prismatic Ending

This is the most flexible removal spell that this deck can run. It can remove creatures, enchantments, artifacts, and planeswalkers as long as you have the proper requirements. This is the second best reason why we’re playing White in this Dimir Tempo shell.

• Stern Scolding

This conditional counterspell is relevant in a format full of Grief, Solitude, and Lurrus. However, this card doesn’t have a use for a lot of decks you’ll face which is why it’s in the sideboard.

• Toxic Deluge

Played as a 1-2 of due to a high number of energy matchups. This universal sweeper can also act as a removal spell in desperate times. You may run this in the main deck if you wish.

Advanced Strategies

Format Tips

Companions give a lot of information away especially in closed decklists environments. A Lurrus/Jegantha can signal that your opponent is playing a deck similar to ours (Midrange/Tempo) which means we’ll have to keep hands that are removal heavy. Lack of companions can also give away that they’re on a combo deck which means removal spells are likely to be dead. Keep in mind that combo decks can make you lose the game as early as turn 1!

Timing

An important aspect of the deck is being on point with regards to timing. This just means you’re using your spells/abilities at appropriate times which sounds easy but is really tricky. Most of the time you have to be patient and think about how your opponent would react to an action. The best rule of thumb is to only act when you have squeezed out all the information you can get.

Examples:

• Scenario 1: You have a Deathrite Shaman and a Spell Pierce on Turn 1 On the Play against an opponent with no companion. You should choose not to play out Deathrite Shaman and hold up Spell Pierce instead. (No Companions can indicate they’re a Dark Ritual deck)
• Scenario 2: You have a Brainstorm in hand but have no idea what cards you should be looking for. You should wait in this scenario to gain more information before casting Brainstorm.
• Scenario 3: Your Mardu Energy opponent passes the turn with 2 mana up while you have an Island and fetch land on the battlefield with only Mana Drain as a way to interact with Orcish Bowmaster. You should not crack the fetch land at their end step since that opens up a window for your opponent to resolve Orcish Bowmaster in response to you cracking your fetch.

Role Assignment

To make things simple, just think about what happens if you decide to prolong the game. In most cases, this deck can outgrind any deck except Control and value based Necropotence decks. 

• You can’t beat energy by trying to play threats out faster since they are better than doing that. You can eventually overpower them with superior card selection/card advantage by prolonging the game.
• You can’t beat Control by prolonging a game because they have an overall better card quality than you do. You can beat them before giving them a chance to have enough mana to overpower you with their better cards.
• You can’t reliably beat Show and tell through a stack war because their protection spells are cheaper than your counterspells. You can beat them by not giving them enough time to assemble the combo AND have protection spells up.

This will give you an idea when you can and can’t afford to deploy threats against an opponent. Having a plan at the very start will help you navigate each matchup well.

Sideboarding Guide

Having the appropriate tools for each matchup is also as important as how you pilot the deck.

Here’s a guide to know which cards to cut or which cards to bring in against specific decks.

Show and Tell

Notes

• Mulligan to have at least 1 interaction spell or brainstorm in your opening hand. (Stop at 5 cards)
• You can also keep hands that are very aggressive but still try to look for interaction.

Mardu Energy

On the Play

On the Draw

Notes

• On the play you can be a bit more aggressive. Deploy threats while using cheap removal to get rid of theirs.
• On the draw you’ll have to take on a control role. Focus on prolonging the game and take full advantage of our access to Brainstorm/Treasure Cruise. We’re better suited to win topdeck wars because of the card selection we have.
• Always play removal at the last moment. Threat assessment will be very important. (Tip: When in doubt, kill the Guide/Ajani)
• Use the creatures to stonewall as much as possible (Removal spells are a valuable resource)

Boros Energy

On the Play

On the Draw

Notes

• Play around blood moon whenever you can.
• On the play you can be a bit more aggressive. Deploy threats while using cheap removal to get rid of theirs.
• On the draw you’ll have to take on a control role. Focus on prolonging the game and take full advantage of our access to Brainstorm/Treasure Cruise. We’re better suited to win topdeck wars because of the card selection we have.
• Always play removal at the last moment. Threat assessment will be very important. (Tip: When in doubt, kill the Guide/Ajani)
• Use the creatures to stonewall as much as possible (Removal spells are a valuable resource)

Mono-Blue Belcher

Notes

• Deploy threats early and slowly ride them to victory.
• Watch out for Commandeers/Mana Drain/Flare of Denial as those can give them the mana advantage to push through a win

Orzhov Belcher

Notes

• Mulligan to have at least 1 interaction spell your opening hand. (Stop at 5 cards)
• Pray that they don’t just turn 1 you

Jet Storm

Notes

• Mulligan to have at least 1 interaction spell in your opening hand. (Stop at 5 cards)

• You can also keep hands that are very aggressive but still try to look for interaction.

• Important things to disrupt: Necropotence, Chthonian Nightmare, Jet Medallion, Marionette apprentice

Esper Rescanimator

Notes

• Avoid taking mulligans if possible.
• Take the control role, stopping them from using a well placed reanimate.

UBx Tempo

Notes

• Keep deploying threats whenever you can. Run them out of removal spells.

• Resolving Unlicensed Hearse often wins the game

Lurrus Control

Notes

• Removal spells for this deck is limited. Keep forcing them to have it until they run out of removal.

• Flood the board if they flip a Tamiyo early.

• Resolving Unlicensed Hearse often wins the game

Jeskai Control

Notes

• Try to push aggressively early on.
• Be cautious when they have access to 3 mana and above.
• Limit use of counterspells for The One Ring/Teferi/Solitude(Hardcast)

Gameplay