Spirit typal is a well-established archetype in Pioneer. The combination of efficient, evasive creatures and disruptive elements to keep the opponent off-balance make for a strong tempo strategy.
Yesterday, though, one particular Spirits decklist caught our eye. This version implements an elite new synergy that can pull you super far ahead and catch the opponent off guard. There are lots of cool lines of play available here, so let’s dive in and see how this deck differentiates itself from the norm.
Abusing Essence Flux
The main card that this deck is built to abuse is Essence Flux. Essence Flux is an interesting card that pairs nicely with a lot of Spirits in Pioneer. Unfortunately, the card was never quite able to over the hump. Other protection effects such as Slip Out the Back became more popular options, and even those don’t see much play anymore.
Thanks to the printing of an absurd Sphinx, though, Essence Flux got a whole lot more appealing. At this point, we all know how strong Quantum Riddler is. The card has taken Modern by storm alongside blink effects like Phelia, Exuberant Shepherd and Ephemerate. Here, Essence Flux fills a similar role to Ephemerate.
With three mana available, start by Warping Quantum Riddler. Then, Essence Flux can exile it and bring it back to play. Not only will you get another draw trigger, but you’ll also get to keep your 4/6 Flying monster around for good!
This line of play is extremely powerful. You pull ahead on resources while presenting a big threat that’s hard to kill. Quantum Riddler dodges Fatal Push, Witchstalker Frenzy, Lightning Axe, and the majority of other removal spells out of the top archetypes in the format.
Given that the rest of the deck is made up of Spirits, Essence Flux also has plenty of other cool uses. At minimum, using Essence Flux to save one of your Spirits from opposing removal is totally fine. You even get to grow that creature in the process. Buffing Mausoleum Wanderer by blinking it or another Spirit may come in clutch at helping to counter a spell like Collected Company.
Having the luxury of retriggering Skyclave Apparition is also very strong. If your opponent has multiple threats you want to get rid of on the same turn, you can always resolve Skyclave Apparition, target the bigger nonland permanent, then in response exile Skyclave Apparition with Essence Flux. The “leaves the battlefield” trigger will thus resolve first, and your opponent won’t get an Illusion token since nothing has been exiled yet.
You’ll still get to exile the initial target plus another target. Eventually, if Skyclave Apparition dies, the opponent will only get one token for their troubles. All of these shenanigans make this deck a nuisance to play against.
Supporting Cast
The remaining cards are primarily Spirit creatures and disruptive elements. In the two-drop slot, Rattlechains and Supreme Phantom are two great payoffs for playing with lots of Spirits. Rattlechains protects your other beaters and enables you to play most of your creatures at instant speed and react to the opponent. Supreme Phantom then adds a ton of pressure to the board if you already have some creatures in play.
Unsurprisingly, at three mana, a playset of Spell Queller makes an appearance. Spell Queller doubles as a beefy creature and a Counterspell. So long as you’re able to protect Spell Queller with effects like Rattlechains and Geistlight Snare, you’re in good shape. Remember, Spell Queller even lets you nab uncounterable spells. This comes up against Caverns of Souls or Supreme Verdict decks.
In the spell slots, four copies of Seam Rip show up alongside Geistlight Snare. While there are some decks where Seam Rip will be a blank, it’s a necessary evil with so much red aggro running around. Plus, it lets you cast Geistlight Snare at a discount, which is nice.
Advantages and Disadvantages
This variant of Spirits is rather new, and there’s a lot of room for innovation with Essence Flux. The question is, is it worthwhile crafting your deck this way?
Depending on the matchup, there are definitely some advantages to it. For example, in grindy matchups like mono-black midrange, the Essence Flux and Quantum Riddler package excels. Mono-black utilizes tons of cheap removal for Essence Flux to capitalize on.
When you don’t draw Essence Flux, using Quantum Riddler as a card advantage engine is totally fine. Many games go long, and having a five-mana bomb that can singlehandedly take over games if left unchecked goes a long way.
Meanwhile, against red decks, if you’re able to assemble the “combo” of Essence Flux plus Quantum Riddler, your opponent will have a very hard time getting Quantum Riddler off the board. If you’re fortunate enough to land Sheltered by Ghosts on Qauntum Riddler, you’ll probably be able to ride it to victory.
The problems come when you don’t draw Essence Flux. If you’re under duress, Quantum Riddler is often going to be too slow to keep you afloat. Drawing multiple is a disaster in those scenarios. Additionally, you run the risk of drawing multiple copies of Essence Flux without Quantum Riddler and not finding a good window to utilize them.
These inconsistencies are far from ideal. Yet, there’s no denying that Quantum Riddler has the potential to win games no other traditional Spirits cards would. This seems like a shell worth exploring, so consider giving it a shot on the Arena ladder if you’re a fan of synergistic tempo decks.
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