Grixis Tutelage

Those of you that thought that Sphinx's Tutelage had left standard could not be more wrong. It is back, with a new colour, and stronger than ever. The black splash for better and more consistent removal makes the deck much better than the old version.

Decklist

Creature:4x Jace, Vryn's Prodigy

Enchantment:4x Sphinx's Tutelage2x Monastery Siege

Sorcery:4x Magmatic Insight4x Tormenting Voice3x Treasure Cruise2x Painful Truths1x Radiant Flames1x Dark Deal

Instant:4x Send to Sleep2x Fiery Impulse2x Complete Disregard

Land:4x Bloodstained Mire4x Polluted Delta

2x Smoldering Marsh2x Sunken Hollow2x Shivan Reef5x Island4x Mountain4x Swamp

Sideboard1x Despise2x Disdainful Stroke2x Dispel2x Duress1x Encase in Ice1x Radiant Flames2x Rending Volley1x Self-Inflicted Wound2x Ultimate Price1x Virulent Plague

Card Choices:

Win Con:

4x Sphinx's Tutelage

The whole reason this deck exists. The earlier it gets in the battlefield the better, but lacking a tutor in standard(I do not find Dark Petition playable), may be more difficult than you think. But not having it in your starting hand, does not mean you should mulligan. Use your cheap draw engines to get to it and maybe once you play it, you'll have enough mana to cast several draw spells in the same turn to destroy your opponent's library.

Card Draw:

4x Jace, Vryn's Prodigy

Arguably the best card in standard right now. Every deck that plays blue, plays Jace. In this deck, both his sides are relevant. His creature side helps us get to tutelage and when tutelage is already on the battlefield, it gets us a trigger a turn. As far as his planeswalker side goes, it can protect our life points and flashback draw spells and removal spells when needed.

2x Monastery Siege

It does not only trigger Sphinx's Tutelage twice but also gives it a protection against the most popular enchantment removal in the format Dromoka's Command. As well as all that, it also fills up our graveyard for Treasure Cruise and flashback from Jace, Vryn's Prodigy.

4x Magmatic Insight

The cheapest draw spell in the deck and gets two cards in the graveyard. Good with or without Sphinx's Tutelage on the battlefield. Unfortunately, needs a land to be discarded in order to cast which sometimes may hurt us, very rarely, but for that reason we run 27 lands.

4x Tormenting Voice

One mana more expensive than Magmatic Insight, but does not require us to discard a land, but any card we want. Therefore we can discard a card to later on be flashedback or just a card that happens to not be good in the matchup or current board state.

3x Treasure Cruise

Arguably, the best card draw spell in the deck. Usually will be a one blue mana draw three. Considering how fast we can fill our graveyard, we can cast it and flashback it in the same turn!

2x Painful Truths

Three mana to draw three but lose three life. The life loss usually won't matter but will be side out against aggro decks. Only two copies, simply because we do not want to draw multiples of it in the same game.

1x Dark Deal

I understand what you are thinking. Why? Well Dark Deal in combination with Sphinx's Tutelage and a full grip of cards is simply orgasm worthy, but even if Sphinx's Tutelage is not in play, it can disrupt our opponent's strategy and game plan.

Disruption:

1x Radiant Flames

Chosen over Languish, because the only important creature than languish hits that Radiant Flames doesn't hit is Anafenza, the Foremost. But overall, it's a better spell. Cheaper and does not require double black which is a splash in this deck.

4x Send to Sleep

Really slows down those aggressive decks that we have such a hard time against. Unfortunately, with Gideon, Ally of Zendikar being such an important card in the current, Send to Sleep is not at its strongest point right now.

2x Fiery Impulse

Cheap removal against the early creatures such as Warden of the First Tree and Monastery Swiftspear. Will also usually be used as delve for the Treasure Cruise and is not usually going to be flashedback by Jace, Vryn's Prodigy.

2x Complete Disregard

In the deck for Hangarback Walker, opponent's Jace, Vryn's Prodigy and any deck that runs Ojutai's Command. Three mana is not the ideal amount for a removal spell, but it is worthwhile to remove potential threats.

27x Land

The land count has been tweaked around quite a lot, but has yet to arrive to perfection. You can change accordingly to what you think is best and what fetches you own.

Sideboard:

1x Despise

In mainly for the Ramp deck. Can take away a Ugin, the Spirit Dragon or Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger and stop them from going infinite.

2x Disdainful Stroke

A complete powerhouse. Will come in against everything except Atarka Red and Landfall. Has great hits against all other decks including Siege Rhino, Dragonlord Ojutai, Gideon, Ally of Zendikar and many others.

2x Dispel

This card speaks control, shouts in fact. Esper Control and Dark Jeskai are its main targets but you can also bring it in against Atarka Red "Combo" to stop Temur Battlerage or Become Immense.

2x Duress

Another card for the control matchup. Can take away counter spells or just potential Sphinx's Tutelage removal such as Utter End or even Erase also out of their sideboard.

1x Encase in Ice

Comes in against not so easy to remove creatures such as Dragonlord Atarka and Dromoka's Command heavy decks.

1x Radiant Flames

Just an extra mass removal in the side in case we come up against a super aggressive deck such as Atarka Red, any tokens deck or even the casual White Weenie that comes up once in a while.

2x Rending Volley

It is here specially for Dragonlord Ojutai but also fights the good fight against Mantis Rider and even Savage Knuckleblade.

1x Self-Inflicted Wound

Another removal against Dragonlord Ojutai and also does well against Abzan, killing all its creatures apart from Tasigur, the Golden Fang.

2x Ultimate Price

Comes in against mono coloured decks such as White Weenie and Atarka Red which only runs red creatures.

1x Virulent Plague

Tokens are getting more popular and this enchantment, which also provides protection to Sphinx's Tutelage, stops all the tokens strategies.

If you wish to give suggestions, comment about the deck or see any mistakes on the article, please let us know in the deck's tappedout page: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/16-11-15-grixis-tutelage/