Erayo- From flying weanie to near unbreakable lock

[Glix]

I don't know about anyone else, but when I saw the spoiler for Saviors and say Erayo I immediatly loved it.

For those who don't know:
Erayo, Soratami Ascendant 1B
Legendary Creature- Moonfolk Monk
Flying
Whenever the fourth spell of a turn is played, Flip Soratami Ascendant.
1/1
///FLIP///
Erayo's Essence
Legendary Enchantment
Counter the first spell each opponant playes each turn.

In type 1 the condition is simple to come by, and the ability by itself is powerful.  However, for those of you who have not already figured this out, this combos quite well with another, already powerful peace of hate: Arcane Labratory.

When both enchantments are in play your opponant comes into play.  They are 2 and 3 mana cards, and both of the same color, and the "four spell" condition is a laughing matter.  Whens the last time you didn't play over 4 spells in a turn?  To bring it to everyone's attention, Rule of Law also works if we want to make the deck more robust in that fasion, but I think that it is unneccessary.

From there, we can add the obvious options of Lotus and Moxen, Recall, Walk, and 4 Forces.  From there, for my first design, I decided to go with a "control-fish" design.  I added 4 Mana Drains for some more counters, 4 Brainstorm for drawage.  I splashed white so I could add 3 Orim's Chant and 1 Enlightened Tutor, which can tutor up both the lock componants.

From there I added 4 Aether Vials, to get around my own lock componant's hinderings, and my standstills.  With that, I wanted some more 2 mana creatures.  Medling Mage was a no-brainer, however I want at least 4 more 2cc creatures, but I can't think of any auto-includes.  Cloud of Faeries would help with the 4 cards, but I'm still not set on anything.  I have been toying with several metagame cards, like Samy P., True Believer, and Rootwater Thief, and maybe Kami of Ancient Lore, if oath is common in a given meta.  I may go with Kataki, but I'm afraid of his legendary status.

Ascended Fish
22 Mana Sources
5 Moxen
1 Lotus
3 Tundra
4 Flooded Strand
2 Island
2 Snow-Coverd Island (in addition to being awsome, they can give the illusion you are playing SSB early on)
1 Plains
1 Strip Mine
3 Wasteland

12 Creatures
4 Erayo
4 Meddling Mage
4 Undecided/Metagame Creatures

7 Tutor/Draw
1 Ancestral Recall
1 Time Walk
1 Enlightened Tutor
4 Brainstorm

11 Denial
3 Orim's Chant
4 Force of Will
4 Mana Drain

8 Combo Aids
4 Aether Vial
4 Arcane Laboratory

2 Random
2 Crucible of Worlds-Could Really be anything (SoFaI is an excellent consideration, Twincast could be pretty good, I'm not really sure what to do with this slot) Enchantment/Arti's are good for search viat Enlightened.  StP are another idea, as are Stifles.  IMO, metagame slots.

This is just one aproach to the cheap lock that is Erayo/Lab, and my first attempet.  Any and all suggestions, comments, ideas, whatever would be greatly appreciated.  In my limited testing I have found that the maindeck can roll over combo (it really not only doesn't expect, but hates as well Lab).  Agro is slightly more difficult, but they have an even harder time with the lock, and chants buy a lot of time.  Workshop decks are ones where Cruicble shines as puting them on ice, and control decks you have the same amount of control, and a chant/Erayo/Random Card/Lab shuts them down the most out of all other decks.

I will post back with formal testing when the set comes out for MWS (ya, I live in the boondocks, so I can't test with anyone competetive).

[Mark_Story]

The only problem I can see, is getting the card to flip.  Obviously, it is easy to play around getting a storm count of 4 for most decks.  Control decks, just need not dump their moxen down with erayo on the table.  Also with his casting cost of 2 you might have some trouble getting  him out early enough to easily flip him. 

I think if you forced your opponent into a counter war, he'll easily flip.  Otherwise, you are going to need a number of cantrips to get him to flip.  The list you provided can flip him on turn 3 earliest, unless you have a FOW-fest.  That lets you drop a lab on turn 4.  Not the fastest lock, but effective.  I think you need to look at how much mana, your 4 card combo is going to need.  If you drain into it, it'll be hot.  Otherwise it will be a slow setup.  I think erayo is an interesting card, I don't know if a 4 card combo is the best way to utilize him.  Also aether vial is counterproductive to raising the storm count, as it doesn't raise it.  That might need some thought.

[Glix]

Fliping him is actually pretty easy with vial, as you can put him down before they know he's in your hand.  One weird part of this deck is actually the flipping part.  Moxen are usually held in your hand until you want him to flip, then you just cast like 2 and a chant or brainstorm for an easy flip.  Flipping him durring a counter war is pretty funny though, because something like this can happen: they cast a spell, you force, they force, you vial him into play, cast brainstorm, and his abbility counters the orriginal spell.

I would however like to build a little more tutoring and drawing into the deck, but I just can't find room for 4 standstill or another drawer.  That would also increase the odds of flipping him.

[JamesPr]

Well for starters four Arcane Labs seem like too much.  You should win when Erayo flips every single game anyway.  If you're adamant on keeping Arcane Laboratory in I'd at least lower the count to three.  

I believe you should definitely be playing Cloud of Faeries because they seem amazing with Erayo.  

[Glix]

I do like the Labs, and the multiples never seem to be a problem (brainstorm+fetches, force food, etc.), and they single-handedly win games against combo.  However, 3 should suffice.  Cloud has been working really good for me, so I'm going to keep them until I find a better option.  I would really like to add more draw/tutors to the deck, but I'm having trouble finding room.  Any suggestions othre than 1 less lab?

[Negator131]

A few thoughts:

1. Arcane Lab seems really unnecessary

Considering how much card advantage flipping this generates in and of itself, Arcane Lab really seems like a win-more card.

2. Does this condition cause him to flip?

Land, Mox, Erayo, they Force, Daze their Force?

That's four spells, I just would like rules clarification on whether it only counts the storm count while it's in play.

I see this fitting more into an aggro-control deck than anywhere else. Daze and Misdirection both seem excellent here, as spells to help flip him.

EDIT: The way he's worded in this thread, the condition listed in my point #2 doesn't flip him. ::sad face::

[Bastian]

2. Does this condition cause him to flip?

Land, Mox, Erayo, they Force, Daze their Force?

I don't think so since Erayo has to be in play when the fourth spell is played. It doesn't matter if he's not in play when the first three spells are played but when the fourth spell is played he has to be in play. The way you describe it Erayo is still on the stack when you play Daze, so no, it shouldn't allow Erayo to flip.

[Khahan]

Don't get too excited yet. I saw a spoiler list yesterday (unfortunately it was a print out and I do not know from which site)  that had this as Erayo's text:
When you have played more than 4 spells in a turn, flip Erayo.

2 big differences:
1) This actually requires 5 spells to be played. Stopping at 4 does not help

2)  This does not count spells your opponent played

The real card may be right in between these 2, but its probably in between these 2.

[endersdouble]

Official text from the Saviors FAQ (It's up on Wizard's site, check it)
Erayo, Soratami Ascendant

1U

Legendary Creature -- Moonfolk Monk

1/1

Flying

Whenever the fourth spell of a turn is played, flip Erayo, Soratami Ascendant.

-----

Erayo's Essence

Legendary Enchantment

Counter the first spell played by each opponent each turn.





Erayo, Soratami Ascendant has received errata. The new text of the flipped half is:

Erayo's Essence

Legendary Enchantment

Whenever an opponent plays a spell for the first time in a turn, counter that spell.

Erayo's Essence triggers only for the first spell an opponent plays in a given turn. It doesn't trigger off any other spell that player plays after the first.

If Erayo, Soratami Ascendant flips while an opponent's first spell for the turn is still on the stack, the ability of Erayo's Essence doesn't trigger because the opponent's spell has already been played. The spell isn't countered.

If you have multiple opponents, Erayo's Essence can trigger once for each opponent.

So yeah, it has to be in play when the fourth spell is played--i.e., it can be spell 1, 2, or 3, but not 4.