Unveiling the Shadows: Evie & Jacob Frye Deck Tech

Introduction: Who Are the Frye Twins?

In the vibrant universe of Magic: The Gathering, the advent of Universes Beyond has brought a wealth of new characters and lore into our beloved game. Among the most intriguing additions are Evie Frye and Jacob Frye from Assassin's Creed. Originating from the critically acclaimed video game series, Assassin's Creed, these twins are members of the Brotherhood of Assassins, a secret society that fights for peace and liberty against the oppressive Templar Order.

Evie Frye is known for her stealth and cunning. A master of subtlety, she prefers to operate in the shadows, striking her foes with precision and grace. Her tactical acumen and proficiency in espionage make her a formidable force on the battlefield. Jacob Frye, on the other hand, is more brash and confrontational. He relishes in direct combat, often opting for brute strength and bold tactics. Together, the Frye twins embody the duality of strategy and force, making them a perfect duo for an Assassin-themed MTG deck.

Assassin Kindred Synergies: Striking from the Shadows

This deck leverages Assassins to weave a tapestry of death and deception. Assassins in MTG often come with abilities that allow them to destroy creatures, disrupt opponents' strategies, and manipulate the battlefield to their advantage.

One of the standout Assassins in this deck is Virtus the Veiled. With deathtouch and an ability that causes a player to lose half their life rounded up when it deals combat damage, Virtus is a lethal threat that can decimate an opponent's life total in a single strike. Paired with evasion or unblockable effects, Virtus can swiftly turn the tide of a game in your favor.

Termination Facilitator introduces a unique mechanic, allowing you to place bounty counters on target creatures. This synergizes beautifully with other cards in the deck, particularly with Assassins that benefit from or trigger additional effects when creatures with bounty counters die. This ability to mark targets for execution creates a strategic layer of control over the battlefield, as you dictate which creatures become the focus of your lethal strikes.

Mari, the Killing Quill brings another layer of synergy and disruption. Whenever a creature your opponent controls dies, Mari exiles that card and creates a Blood token. This not only provides card advantage and potential life gain, but it also denies your opponents access to their graveyard resources. Mari's second ability, granting your Assassins and Rogues a power boost and menace, ensures that your creatures can strike fear into your opponents, making blocking difficult and punishing them for losing creatures.

Massacre Girl, Known Killer is a devastating force on the battlefield. When she enters the battlefield, she triggers a chain reaction that can wipe the board. Each creature with less toughness than the number of creatures that died this turn also dies, leading to a potential cascading board wipe. This ability can clear the way for your Assassins to dominate the battlefield, allowing you to reset the game state in your favor and press your advantage.

These cards, with their synergistic abilities and thematic resonance, bring the Assassin archetype to life in our deck. By leveraging their unique mechanics, you can control the board, disrupt your opponents' plans, and set up lethal strikes that can quickly lead to victory.

Support Cards: Bolstering the Brotherhood

While the Assassins form the core of the deck, several support cards enhance their effectiveness and ensure the deck runs smoothly. Coastal Piracy is an invaluable enchantment that provides consistent card draw. Whenever a creature you control deals combat damage to an opponent, you draw a card. This allows you to maintain a steady flow of resources, ensuring you always have the tools needed to execute your strategies and keep the pressure on your opponents.

Raise the Palisade offers a versatile way to control the battlefield. By returning all creatures of a chosen type to their owners' hands, you can disrupt your opponents' board states, remove blockers, or even save your own creatures from a potential board wipe. This card adds a strategic layer of control, giving you the ability to manipulate the battlefield to your advantage and set up for a decisive strike.

Rooftop Bypass provides a way to grant your key creatures evasion. By enchanting a creature, you give it flying and the ability to draw a card whenever it deals combat damage to a player. This is especially potent with your Assassins, allowing them to bypass blockers and deliver their lethal effects directly to your opponents while also fueling your hand with additional cards.

Cover of Darkness is another critical enchantment that amplifies the threat of your Assassins. By choosing Assassins as the creature type, you grant all your Assassins fear, making them unblockable except by artifact creatures and black creatures. This makes it incredibly difficult for your opponents to defend against your lethal strikes, ensuring your Assassins can deliver their deadly blows unimpeded.

These support cards enhance the overall strategy of the  deck, providing card draw, battlefield control, evasion, and enhanced lethality. By incorporating these cards, you ensure that your Assassins can operate at peak efficiency, overwhelming your opponents with a combination of stealth, precision, and relentless pressure.

Winning the Game: The Assassin's Endgame

We have multiple pathways to victory, each as deadly as the last. The primary strategy revolves around the incremental advantage provided by your Assassins and their support cards. By continuously pressuring your opponents with lethal creatures and strategic plays, you can steadily erode their resources and life totals.

Vein Ripper is a key card in sealing your victory. With its ability to deal combat damage directly to a player and gain life equal to that damage, it not only pressures opponents but also sustains your life total, giving you the resilience needed to outlast other decks. This card excels in a prolonged game, where its lifegain and consistent damage output can turn the tide in your favor.

Lost Jitte brings a versatile and powerful tool to the battlefield. Whenever the equipped creature deals combat damage, Lost Jitte gains two charge counters that can be used in various ways: gaining life, giving the equipped creature +2/+2 until end of turn, or dealing damage to target creature or player. This flexibility allows you to adapt to different game states, providing both offensive and defensive options to maintain control and apply pressure.

Sword of Wealth and Power is a powerful Equipment that boosts your commanders' effectiveness. By providing a significant power boost and additional combat damage triggers, it enables your Assassins, particularly Evie and Jacob Frye, to deliver decisive blows. The Sword's additional effects, such as drawing cards or forcing discards, further disrupt your opponents' strategies and maintain your advantage.

Temporal Trespass is a game-changing card that provides an extra turn, allowing you to capitalize on a favorable board state. This extra turn often translates into an additional combat phase, where your Assassins can strike again, applying maximum damage and potentially closing out the game. This card can create an opening for a lethal attack, especially when combined with your other aggressive and synergistic plays.

Sword Coast Sailor offers a unique ability that grants your commanders unblockable attacks against the most life-rich opponent. This is particularly potent for delivering consistent damage and triggering on-hit effects. With unblockable attacks, you ensure that your key creatures can bypass defenses and deliver their lethal strikes, making it difficult for opponents to mount an effective defense.

By leveraging these cards, we can execute a multifaceted endgame strategy. Whether through the incremental advantage of Vein Ripper, the versatility of Lost Jitte, the raw strength of Sword of Wealth and Power, the extra turn from Temporal Trespass, or the unblockable attacks from Sword Coast Sailor, you have numerous ways to outmaneuver and overwhelm your opponents. This versatility ensures that no matter the situation, you can find a path to victory and demonstrate the true power of the Brotherhood.

Conclusion: A New Horizon in Magic

This Evie and Jacob deck exemplifies the potential of Universes Beyond sets in Magic: The Gathering. By bringing in beloved characters from other franchises, these sets enrich the game's lore and provide fresh, thematic deckbuilding opportunities. Evie and Jacob Frye's inclusion not only offers a unique playstyle but also pays homage to the rich narrative of Assassin's Creed, blending it seamlessly with the strategic depth of MTG.

Universes Beyond sets have the potential to revolutionize the game by introducing new mechanics, themes, and synergies that were previously unexplored. They bridge the gap between different fandoms, inviting new players into the MTG community and expanding the horizons of what's possible in the game. As we continue to explore these new frontiers, decks like this one remind us of the endless creativity and excitement that Magic: The Gathering offers.

In the end, whether you are a fan of Assassin's Creed or a seasoned MTG player, this deck provides a thrilling and dynamic experience. The shadows of London come alive on the battlefield, and with the Frye twins leading the charge, every game is an adventure filled with intrigue, strategy, and, ultimately, victory.