“Hold on. In your second main phase,  . . . ”

I have never uttered that phrase nearly as much as I have in the past week. It’s a particularly awkward phrase, and it’s one that most players don’t even understand the first time you use it. In ninety-five percent of matches (a completely scientific figure), there’s just no reason to ever make that distinction.

Today, I’m going to show you why you’ll be hearing that phrase repeatedly for the next several years.

My favorite Standard deck of all time is and probably always will be Greater Gifts from Ravnica/Kamigawa Standard. Second place will probably always be Reveillark around the time of Lorwyn block. Third place, and the launching point for today’s various Magical musings, was a little ditty built, in part, around this seemingly innocuous card:

Check out the top decks from U.S. Nationals in 2007, and do a search for Momentary Blink. Or just trust me that it comes up eighteen times. For reference, Tarmogoyf, which was also Standard-legal at the time, comes up just twelve times. For funsies, search for Remand.

That was the power of Momentary Blink six years ago. Now consider that, since then, creatures have improved, Wizards has shown a penchant for printing spell-like abilities on more and more creatures, and there are even more Momentary Blink lookalikes running around.

It’s no wonder, then, that this guy caught my eye out of all the cards in the Commander (2013 Edition) set:

Bant-flavored? Check. Blinks things? Check. Randomly made as a Rhino Soldier? Check. Makes you want to use its ability in the second main phase instead of end step? Double check.

How could I not build around this thing?

So, from the outset, I want a few things out of the deck:

• A tons of creatures – Roon has one job . . . let’s let him do it.
• Resilience to sweepers – With a ton of creatures comes a ton of vulnerability. Some of the Blink effects will take care of part of this (a la Mistmeadow Witch and Roon), but we also want things such as Eternal Witness, Angel of Serenity, and Masked Admirers.
• No infinite combos – There’s no point in building around Roon if we’re just going to try to Reveillark-combo someone out. That means I’m going to avoid Body Double even though it’s a strong Blink target (Karmic Guide will be able to stay because it’s relevant for the second point).
• If it’s not a creature, it better make Roon better or be just that sweet – That will cut out some of my favorite Bant staples in that Wargate, Doubling Season, and Mana Reflection won’t make it in.
• Never play a spell when a creature would do the job – If I want a Glimpse of Nature, I’ll play Soul of the Harvest. If I want a draw spell, I’ll play Mulldrifter.

Let’s get to building:

The obvious place to start is with Blink effects to make sure we can get our stuff going outside of Roon. For that, we have:

• Momentary Blink
• Cloudshift
• Conjurer's Closet
• Ghostway
• Venser, the Sojourner
• Restoration Angel
• Flickerform
• Flickerwisp
• Vanish into Memory
• Sudden Disappearance
• Deadeye Navigator
• Mistmeadow Witch

A number of these come in the Bant Commander deck, but Vanish into Memory is the real gem from Coldsnap (there are not many cards you can say that about). Not only does it provide another Blink effect, but it draws cards, too—not that that particular effect will be in short supply in this deck.

Next, let’s check out our best Blink targets, drawing heavily on both old Reveillark decks and the 2007 Nationals.

• Reveillark
• Mulldrifter
• Mystic Snake
• Draining Whelk
• Venser, Shaper Savant
• Sun Titan
• Loxodon Hierarch
• Sunblast Angel
• Karmic Guide
• Spike Feeder
• Eternal Witness
• Bane of Progress
• Hornet Queen
• Wall of Blossoms
• Wall of Omens
• Sphinx of Uthuun
• Stonecloaker
• Acidic Slime
• Thragtusk
• Slithermuse

• Masked Admirers
• Angel of Serenity
• Farhaven Elf (and any others of his kind)
• Arbiter of Knollridge
• Angel of Finality
• Phyrexian Ingester
• Duplicant
• Lavinia of the Tenth
• The Primordials
• Avenger of Zendikar
• Craterhoof Behemoth
• Solemn Simulacrum
• Kitchen Finks
• Glen Elendra Archmage
• Prime Speaker Zegana
• Clones of various kinds, but mostly Phyrexian Metamorph and Vesuvan Shapeshifter
• Gilded Drake
• Coiling Oracle
• Woodfall Primus
• Terastodon

I’m also not super-interested in Kitchen Finks or Glen Elendra Archmage. Finks is kind of dull, and Archmage can be frustrating for others to play against. Avenger of Zendikar is out because it’s in literally every green deck ever, and I want this deck to have a different feel. Avenger doesn’t need Roon to be game-ending. Besides, Hornet Queen is much cooler. Craterhoof Behemoth probably won’t make the cut for the same reason, even if it is on-theme.

Also, Arbiter of Knollridge doesn’t receive nearly enough love. It’s an incredibly political card, has a unique effect, and is close to broken with cards like Necropotence (a combo found in my Oloro, Ageless Ascetic deck). Being able to Blink it makes it all that much sweeter.

Moving on, we have some support creatures, either ones that make Roon better or ones that interact well with blinking without being Blink targets themselves.

• Prophet of Kruphix
• Soul of the Harvest
• Murkfiend Liege
• Seedborn Muse
• Progenitor Mimic
• Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
• Djinn of Infinite Deceits
• Tidal Force

An aside on Derevi, Empyrial Tactician: I was quite underwhelmed by the Bird Wizard when I first read it, but I could not have been more wrong. It is quietly among the strongest cards in the set and definitely something to be built around in the future. For now, it’s pretty happy untapping Roon five times in a turn.

Djinn of Infinite Deceits is also not a remotely fair card when you can snatch the swapped creature back on command. It has been among the best cards in the deck and unbeatable if not removed, to say the least.

After that, most of these cards either copy other blinkable creatures or untap Roon. If we’re building around him, it seems that we should try to use his ability more than once per turn, no?

From there, we have a few other options to help the deck run smoothly and/or do cool things.

• Sakura-Tribe Elder
• Sylvan Caryatid
• Wall of Roots
• Mother of Runes
• Skyward Eye Prophets
• Somberwald Sage
• Rubinia Soulsinger
• Teferi, Mage of Zhalfir
• Momir Vig, Simic Visionary

Of these, Teferi and Rubinia excite me less since they don’t really add anything to the strategy. Skyward Eye Prophets doesn’t Blink, but he’s something to do with all of the untap effects if Roon isn’t available. The rest of the cards provide mana in some unique or effective way. I don’t think this is the kind of deck that wants Birds of Paradise, Noble Hierarch, or the like. Even with Bane of Progress in the deck, I’d still rather play some Signets.

After that, here are a few of those sweet, noncreature support spells.

• Akroma's Memorial
• Aura Shards
• Bident of Thassa
• Thousand-Year Elixir
• Primal Command
• Proteus Staff
• Greater Good
• Swiftfoot Boots
• Chord of Calling
• Signets
• Sol Ring
• Fellwar Stone

Bident of Thassa seems to be a more on-theme way to draw cards than, say, Sphinx's Revelation, and it seems fun in multiplayer. Greater Good is just one of my favorite cards ever, and it works well as anti-sweeper tech, too. Proteus Staff doesn’t Blink, per se, but it’s pretty close. Plus, it’s just a fun card that happens to be good against certain commanders and indestructible creatures.

Primal Command and Chord of Calling are both excellent additions, but I think I’ll leave out at least Chord to keep the deck from being repetitive. Momir Vig won’t make the cut for the same reason (plus, he has his own deck).

I like having about forty lands, but I am willing to go to thirty-eight in a deck like this. That leaves us with:

"Blink and You’ll Miss It"

• Commander (0)

• Creatures (43)
• 1 Acidic Slime
• 1 Angel of Serenity
• 1 Arbiter of Knollridge
• 1 Coiling Oracle
• 1 Deadeye Navigator
• 1 Eternal Witness
• 1 Farhaven Elf
• 1 Flickerwisp
• 1 Hornet Queen
• 1 Karmic Guide
• 1 Loxodon Hierarch
• 1 Masked Admirers
• 1 Mistmeadow Witch
• 1 Mother of Runes
• 1 Mulldrifter
• 1 Murkfiend Liege
• 1 Phyrexian Ingester
• 1 Progenitor Mimic
• 1 Prophet of Kruphix
• 1 Restoration Angel
• 1 Reveillark
• 1 Sakura-Tribe Elder
• 1 Seedborn Muse
• 1 Skyward Eye Prophets
• 1 Slithermuse
• 1 Somberwald Sage
• 1 Soul of the Harvest
• 1 Sphinx of Uthuun
• 1 Stonecloaker
• 1 Sun Titan
• 1 Sylvan Primordial
• 1 Thragtusk
• 1 Vesuvan Shapeshifter
• 1 Wall of Blossoms
• 1 Wall of Omens
• 1 Solemn Simulacrum
• 1 Angel of Finality
• 1 Bane of Progress
• 1 Derevi, Empyrial Tactician
• 1 Djinn of Infinite Deceits
• 1 Tidal Force
• 1 Lavinia of the Tenth
• 1 Prime Speaker Zegana

• Planeswalkers (1)
• 1 Venser, the Sojourner

• Spells (17)
• 1 Cloudshift
• 1 Momentary Blink
• 1 Vanish into Memory
• 1 Primal Command
• 1 Aura Shards
• 1 Greater Good
• 1 Sunblast Angel
• 1 Conjurer's Closet
• 1 Darksteel Ingot
• 1 Fellwar Stone
• 1 Proteus Staff
• 1 Simic Signet
• 1 Sol Ring
• 1 Swiftfoot Boots
• 1 Thousand-Year Elixir
• 1 Akroma's Memorial
• 1 Bident of Thassa

• Lands (38)
• 5 Forest
• 5 Island
• 5 Plains
• 1 Azorius Chancery
• 1 Breeding Pool
• 1 Command Tower
• 1 Glacial Fortress
• 1 Hallowed Fountain
• 1 Hinterland Harbor
• 1 Krosan Verge
• 1 Misty Rainforest
• 1 Moorland Haunt
• 1 Opal Palace
• 1 Razorverge Thicket
• 1 Rupture Spire
• 1 Savannah
• 1 Seachrome Coast
• 1 Seaside Citadel
• 1 Secluded Steppe
• 1 Selesnya Sanctuary
• 1 Sunpetal Grove
• 1 Temple Garden
• 1 Temple of the False God
• 1 Transguild Promenade
• 1 Tropical Island
• 1 Tundra

Buy This Deck

Note that the mana base is pretty much just the first thirty-eight cards I thought of. If you want to go more expensive, you can (Flooded Strand, Windswept Heath), and if you want to go less expensive, you can do that, too (Guildgates, no original duals). Honestly, the mana in Commander is so good that you really don’t need to dip into expensive stuff. Just play the cards you have, and you’ll be fine—even if it’s a bunch of Signets and Terramorphic Expanse.

Just keep in mind you need a few basics to search up with Sakura, Solemn, and friends.

In another game, I faced waves of hate, including having three of my lands blown up by Terastodon, but I got Prophet and Mistmeadow Witch going and continually built my advantage turn after turn until I just killed everyone with a bunch of creatures, including, somewhat ironically, the elephants from Terastodon.

A few things I learned:

• Prophet of Kruphix is still busted as all get up—maybe more so in this deck.
• Akroma's Memorial could just grant haste and vigilance and would still be worth 7 mana.
• Thousand-Year Elixir may be the best noncreature spell in the deck.
• Soul of the Harvest with Prophet of Kruphix is filthy.
• Bane of Progress is exactly as amazing as it looks—maybe more so.

Roon of the Hidden Realm is certainly here to stay, and, “Hold on, at the end of your second main,” might just be the new “EOTFOFYL” for the Commander crowd. Better get used to it.