Feather is a predatory midrange deck that seeks to accrue advantage throughout highly-interactive cEDH games by sidestepping the need to interact with faster combo decks.

Thanks to Feather’s ability to accrue advantage with cards like Shelter and Defiant Strike, Boros finally has a chance to sit at the big kids table and play some real Magic.

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Link:

https://archidekt.com/decks/74037#Feather_by_Braden

General Strategy

Making Friends

As a predatory midrange deck, our goal is slow the speed of the game while simultaneously allowing our highly interactive “friends” to still be able to play the game and preventing anyone from getting too far ahead. You will need to be political with the interaction you do have. Keep in mind how each spell you cast puts one player ahead or another behind. The goal is to keep each player at the table as far away from winning as possible.

In each pod I like to determine who my “friends” are and who my opponents are during nearly every turn of the game. Each strategy will help you and hurt you to some degree throughout the game.

A Godo, Bandit Warlord deck dropping an early Blood Moon might not effect you personally, but it could mean that your opponents aren’t able to stop Godo from winning. Later in the game, that same stax piece will likely keep those same opponents locked out of the game when you go for the win.

Throughout a game you are trying to walk a tightrope of allowing the interactive decks to stop any of the players closer to winning, while also playing hate pieces that make sure that they can’t win the game immediately after stopping your common foes from winning the game. Make sure that the game is moving in a direction that you are able to interact with. Boros has quite a few ways to deal with a Najeela or a Yisan, but when it comes to countering an Ad Nauseam… not so much.

Protecting the Eagle

Luckily for Feather, not many players immediately see the problem with a Boros commander on the battlefield, and even luckier for us, there is a lot of board wipes and removal that Feather dodges completely or has an answer to. Shelter, Apostle’s Blessing, and Gods Willing are all aggressively costed and protect our commander from a large number of threats to creatures that you will be running into in most metas.

Once you reveal a spell like Shelter or Gods Willing, you may be tempted to cast these spells for an additional Scry or draw in the mid game, but that would often be a mistake. Shelter is one of the best cards in your deck and you wouldn’t want to lose it to a removal spell and get 2 for 1’d when that spell you cast could easily 3 for 1 an opponent later in the game.

Winning the Game

Paradox Engine lines:

• Isochron Scepter + cantrip (draws our deck)
• Sunforger + Mana Rocks + Aetherflux Reservoir
• cantrips + protection spells + Aetherflux Reservoir

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The other way to win is using Dualcaster Mage with Twinflame or Heat Shimmer.

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These are pretty self explanatory.

Don’t be afraid of using Dualcaster Mage as a Fork, the Paradox Engine lines are numerous enough that they can usually make up for the loss of that combo.

Goofy Feather Lines

There are certainly some goofy feather lines out there so I thought that I would mention them somewhere in this primer.

• You can cast cantrips during your end step so that you don’t have to exile them to hand size.
• You can cast cantrips when a wheel is on the stack to tuck them away until the next end step.
• You can give Feather protection from Red and then cast a massive Rolling Earthquake
• Magnetic Theft will make it so you can cast a spell off of Sunforger for WRR each turn.
• You can tutor for Pyroblast off of Sunforger and target your feather with it. It will go back to your hand and not hurt Feather.
• Carom kills mana dorks, its super useful when you’re blocking with Feather.
• When you’ve drawn your whole deck, you can use Chaos Warp to reset an Isochron Scepter which is cute.

And I am sure I will be adding more as I play the deck.

What to Avoid

Null Rod Stony Silence – These cards may be powerful but in Boros fast mana is an absolute requirement and must not be skipped.

Balduvian Rage – People never seem to see “Target attacking creature.” The whole point of the deck is to target your own creatures, and honestly, you don’t really plan on attacking with feather every turn. She’s a great blocker. Also, the card is really more of a sorcery than a instant if that helps your evaluation.

Collective Defiance – This card looks so cute, and trust me, its way too cute. You’re never really wanting to do any of these things for 3 mana, and you’re especially not doing it for 4. Check out Heartwarming Redemption, at least that can get hit off of Sunforger.

Young Pyromancer Monastery Mentor – These just don’t do enough for their mana. They really don’t fall in line with the game plan that well either. Super cute with Path to Exile though.

Rule of Law Eidolon of Rhetoric – I am concerned that if you play a cantrip you’re 100% open to removal until the end of turn. That is concern is large enough that I won’t play these cards for the time being.

To Be Determined

These cards have not been tested, but they seem like good fits.

Dreadhorde Arcanist – If the card you cast targets a creature you control it goes back to your hand with Feather. Which is nuts.

Heartwarming Redemption – Really good with Sunforger, but otherwise I am not sure.

Reckless Rage – Seems great, need to find a slot.

Gameplay

ScottyKnowsMTG Stream. 2-1 record for the night

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCP2roN-0Tw

Special Thanks

I hang out with these folks on Discord all the time. I wouldn’t have wasted my time on this primer or on Feather if it wasn’t for their support.

The Spike Feeders – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGh7-4mDFssqhu_UpOwRzIA

ScottyKnowsBest – http://scottykno.ws

ShaperSavant – http://tappedout.net/users/ShaperSavant/

Pongo/TT3 – @TeamTurnThree

Hi Brewers,

Were you considering brewing for [[Neheb, Dreadhorde Champion]]? I certainly was not… Not at first. It wasn’t until after I thoroughly read over his effect and studied up on “Infinite Combat” did I realize that Neheb truly is worthy.

Neheb, Dreadhorde Champion – The Worthiest

The strategy is simply: Attack, Rinse & Repeat. However, how best can we accomplish this? With this Primer, I figured out how. We run all the wheels, all the (best) extra combats and turns as well as a series of cards that will let us recur those effects to continue what I call “the assault.” We can and will damage out the board, but not without knowing what to look for. If you’ve been considering Neheb, Dreadhorde Champion let me know what you think about the list after a few hands! I can confidently say, [[Godo, Bandit Warlord]] has company now. Be on the lookout for video based primers over on The 99 very soon discussing this deck. To include: the core strategy, inclusions & exclusions as well as gameplay!

-Patrick Marlett, The 99