At a glance
- Format: Standard
- Colors: White / Blue (WU)
- Archetype: Azorius fliers / tempo
- Power tier: mid-high
- Standard: ✅ Legal
Strategy
Deploy a cheap evasive flier every turn from one to three mana, then back the clock with cheap instant-speed interaction so the air stays open. Empyrean Eagle is the payoff anthem that turns a board of one-drops into lethal-fast damage, while Spectral Sailor and Buzz Bots refill the hand so you never run out of gas. Diversion Unit doubles as an evasive body and an on-demand soft counter, sacrificing to tax the opponent’s key instant or sorcery. Use Spell Pierce, Negate, Essence Scatter, Into the Flood Maw and Unsummon to bounce or counter the opponent’s stabilizers and tempo them off their turn. Sheltered by Ghosts and Stroke of Midnight are the catch-all answers to anything that blocks or threatens to race you. Curve out, hold up one mana, and close before they untap into a sweeper.
Upgrade path
Everything here is OWNED and craft-free. Empyrean Eagle (own3) is the flying anthem and core payoff; Hallowed Fountain (own4) and Gleaming Bastion (own2) provide untapped WU sources alongside basics, so the manabase comes online turn one for an aggressive curve. All fliers and interaction are commons/uncommons Mik owns in playsets. UPGRADE MENU (rares/mythics Mik COULD craft later, NOT in this gated list): 1) a second flying lord / cheap anthem rare to deepen the Empyrean Eagle effect and make one-drops hit harder; 2) a card-advantage planeswalker such as a cheap Kaito-style threat to grind back through removal-heavy control matchups; 3) a premium one-mana flexible counter (Three Steps Ahead-style modal interaction) to upgrade the Spell Pierce/Negate slots into can’t-be-dead-cards. None are required for the deck to ladder.
Cards
Decklist
Paste straight into MTG Arena (or Moxfield/Archidekt):
Deck
4 Spectral Sailor
4 Spyglass Siren
4 Buzz Bots
2 Diversion Unit
3 Dawnwing Marshal
3 Empyrean Eagle
3 Inspiring Overseer
2 Spell Pierce
2 Into the Flood Maw
2 Unsummon
2 Essence Scatter
2 Negate
2 Sheltered by Ghosts
1 Stroke of Midnight
4 Hallowed Fountain
2 Gleaming Bastion
9 Plains
9 Island
Card images & data via Scryfall.