Colored mana first
Prefer a fetchable Bant source plus Birds, Halfling, Hierarch, Wild Growth, Remora, or Sentinel. Fast colorless mana is support, not a keep by itself.
Now You See Me — Derevi blink field guide
Upper Bracket 4 · Bant blink-combo
Move the same resources twice.
Attack to create untaps. Spend those untaps on mana, tutors, and pressure. Blink creatures for another pass through their entry abilities, then convert one compact engine behind a protected window.
34lands
12early ramp
5repeatable blink
15tutor routes
6counters
13Game Changers
Pilot protocol
First three turns, then the conversion cycle
The deck is fast, but it is not obliged to expose a combo into open mana. Develop colored access, learn the table, then advance one phase at a time.
Command-zone action1GWU
Derevi enters without being cast.
Activate at instant speed from the command zone. Commander tax does not apply, and an ordinary counterspell cannot counter this activated ability. Derevi enters and creates the tap/untap trigger; an opponent would need an ability counter or a battlefield answer.
Use the end step as a launch window.
Enter before your turn to tap Winter Orb, untap a mana engine, or begin with Derevi ready to attack. That activation supplies one entry trigger. Once Derevi is on the battlefield, renew tap/untap triggers by blinking Derevi or connecting in combat. If Derevi later returns to the command zone, activate again for the same 1GWU; commander tax still does not apply.
Blink timing: Ephemerate and Restoration Angel return a creature immediately, which beats targeted removal but not a resolving board wipe. Eerie Interlude and Touch's Channel ability delay the return until the next end step, so they can dodge an ordinary wipe.
Information and material
Develop another mana source, draw engine, tutor, or low-risk ETB creature. Hold one-mana interaction when another deck can present a fast line.
Create the second use
Hard-cast Derevi for three mana when it advances pressure. The command-zone action costs four, so ramp toward an opponent's end step if its counterspell-resistant, instant-speed entry timing matters. Otherwise deploy Pod or Teferi. Do not expose Stasis without a renewable untap plan.
After development: repeat this cycle
Develop
Keep functional Bant mana. Lead on a one-mana accelerator or Wild Growth; do not mistake Ancient Tomb plus colorless artifacts for a complete colored hand.
Question: can I deploy Derevi or a draw engine without spending my protection?Connect
Use evasive creatures and Phelia to generate combat triggers. Untap Wild Growth lands, Lotus Field, Pod, Bloom Tender, or Faeburrow Elder.
Question: what permanent becomes most valuable if I use it twice?Assemble
Tutor for the missing engine, not a pile of value. Altar converts entries; Ballista converts mana. Pick the route least exposed to the hate already visible.
Question: does this line need the graveyard, an activation, or another spell?Shield & convert
Lead with Silence, Ranger-Captain, Grand Abolisher, Teferi, or Veil. Keep free permission for the answer that actually breaks the line.
Question: if the first attempt fails, which permanent must survive?Your turnMana → information → engine → shield → conversion
Opponents' turnsSpend the narrow answer first; preserve flexible removal
Derevi triggerUntap your engine or tap the permanent that matters before its window
Opening-hand coach
Can this seven become a game?
The verdict is a transparent heuristic, not an order. It rewards colored development, acceleration, action, and the ability to contest a fast table.
Derevi trigger budget
Count every connection before choosing targets
Each creature that deals combat damage to a player creates a separate Derevi trigger. Derevi entering creates another.
Combo atlas
Follow the line from pieces to payoff
Choose a route, scan the whole chain, then check the pieces you actually control. Missing cards dim automatically; the outlet always stays visible.
Altar is a mill-out, not an immediate loss. Opponents normally lose when they next try to draw from an empty library. A reshuffle or draw-replacement effect can change that result.
Finale is a combat conversion. Use it precombat with enough creatures available; unbounded mana after combat does not create another combat phase.
Stasis / Winter Orb console
Build the release valve before the lock
Stasis is not a curve play. Winter Orb is not free symmetry. Use this checklist before you compress the table's resources.
Stasis: players skip untap steps; pay U during your upkeep or sacrifice it. Derevi's triggers still untap permanents.
Winter Orb: while it is untapped, each player untaps no more than one land. Derevi can tap the Orb before your untap by entering from the command zone at the preceding end step. Your normal untap step then untaps the Orb with your other permanents, automatically turning the restriction back on before the next player.
Answer map
What is stopping the line?
Select the obstacle. The console shows what still functions, what needs removal, and which cards create the cleanest window.
Tutor map
Search for a job, not a favorite card
Start with the table state and the missing role. The destination—hand or battlefield—often matters more than raw tutor efficiency.
Card catalog
The complete planned 100
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Deck & metrics