Table of Contents
If you like to [[Exchange of Words]], then Silverquill is right for you. They specialise in verbal magic, ranging from empowering poetry to biting arcane insults. Their motto is "Sharp style. Sharper wit." They are very much Magic’s debate club, all while looking good.
This blog aims to proofread Silverquill Influence, cutting some of the chaff and dressing it up, maybe into a [[Killer Cosplay]].
If you have spent all your money on looking fabulous, then this blog is for you. It is all about getting maximum power on a minimal budget. I have 10 cards to upgrade for less than £10, although you might want to move fast on them. Some of these prices shift as fast as fashion does.
product::magic-the-gathering-secrets-of-strixhaven-silverquill-influence-commander-deck
The Commanders
The Face Commander
The face commander for Silverquill Influence is [[Killian, Decisive Mentor]].
https://scryfall.com/card/soc/4/killian-decisive-mentor
Helping to focus the deck, we have a different take on Enchantress, which is normally a Green-White mechanic. Killian gives it a different angle. We still get to draw cards, but we do it through attacks, tied to whether a creature is enchanted by an Aura you control. That means you can put Auras on your opponents’ creatures and still get the benefits from them.
The Alt Commander
The alternative commander is [[Scriv, the Obligator]].
https://scryfall.com/card/soc/9/scriv-the-obligator
This is a more controlling version of the deck, and it is great if you want to politic the table. It is also very flavourful for Silverquill. It is the stick and the carrot. The contracts encourage your opponents to attack each other, while punishing them when they attack you.
This is one of the better alternative commanders. It works well with all the upgrades I am putting in, and with most of the deck as a whole. Even so, I still prefer Killian because you get to draw cards. But let’s see what my changes are.
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Upgrade 1
IN: Mesa Enchantress
https://scryfall.com/card/dsc/68/mesa-enchantress
My first upgrade is [[Mesa Enchantress]]. This is one I thought would have been in the deck already. With 27 enchantments in the stock list, this should trigger reliably. It lets you double dip on card advantage with [[Killian, Decisive Mentor]], drawing a card when you cast an enchantment and then drawing another when the enchanted creature attacks.
Killian gives you longer-term card advantage, but Mesa Enchantress gives you that value immediately, which can even help you cast another enchantment straight away.
OUT: Swamp
https://scryfall.com/card/sos/276/swamp
The number of lands in all of the Secrets of Strixhaven Commander decks is actually at a reasonable level, with 37 as a base. It would have been nice to see better non-basics, but that is just me being greedy, as we do still get the Turbulent lands ([[Turbulent Moor]]), some new cycling lands ([[Umbral Expanse]]), and some of the extra Tango lands ([[Eclipsed Steppe]]).
I am cutting a Swamp because of how much card draw this deck has. [[Killian, Decisive Mentor]] alone can draw you up to four cards in a turn cycle. I have also cut the single expensive card, which means everything now costs five mana or less. With that in mind, dropping a single land feels reasonable.
Upgrade 2
IN: Eye of Nidhogg
https://scryfall.com/card/fic/44/eye-of-nidhogg
While [[Killian, Decisive Mentor]] only goads a creature until your next turn, [[Eye of Nidhogg]] keeps that creature permanently goaded. That means you can keep drawing cards from Killian turn after turn. It even returns to your hand if the creature dies, which gives it a nice bit of resilience.
There are similar effects to this in [[Ghoulish Impetus]] and [[Coercive Impetus]]. [[Ghoulish Impetus]] is better because it returns for free to the battlefield. [[Coercive Impetus]] does not, but it can draw you more cards. Still, with [[Killian, Decisive Mentor]], any of these effects are great, as they give you repeatable card draw every turn.
OUT: Eldrazi Conscription
https://scryfall.com/card/soc/131/eldrazi-conscription
[[Eldrazi Conscription]] was the one expensive card in the deck. While it is undeniably powerful, and I would not want to see this effect at a lower mana cost, it feels a little out of place here. With very few ways to ramp, eight mana is a lot to ask.
It is an absolute powerhouse of an effect, giving "Enchanted creature gets +10/+10 and has trample and annihilator 2", but it is the annihilator that really makes me want to cut it. This is effectively MLD, which by the bracket system pushes it into bracket 4. Wizards has said that precons can have game changers, especially ones added to the list later, but MLD is a bit different.
This will definitely make you the target, and I am not fully sure the deck can handle that. Whatever you enchant with this is going to demand removal immediately. I think this deck wants to work from the shadows instead. Be the puppet master, goad everything, and incentivise people not to attack you while they hit each other. Then let Silverquill Influence clean up at the end.
Upgrade 3
IN: Retether
https://scryfall.com/card/plc/13/retether
[[Retether]] is my budget replacement for [[Replenish]]. It only returns Auras instead of all enchantments, but [[Replenish]] is on the Reserved List and costs over £100, so I am happy to settle for Retether.
Funnily enough, we do get a sort of “Replenish” on [[Eiganjo Dynastorian // Replenish]]. The prepared creatures can cast some powerful spells, and preparing Eiganjo Dynastorian is not even that hard. You just need to attack with two creatures.
Having recursion, especially mass recursion, gives the deck a solid back-up plan. [[Retether]] and [[Replenish]] also have some funny interactions with Ward, Hexproof, and Shroud. When you return the Auras to the battlefield, they get attached to a creature, but the key difference is that this does not target, unlike casting an Aura normally. That means you can attach an Aura to a Shrouded creature this way.
OUT: Combat Calligrapher
https://scryfall.com/card/soc/141/combat-calligrapher
Upgrade 4/5/6
IN: Ethereal Armor + All That Glitters + Tempest Technique
https://scryfall.com/card/dsk/7/ethereal-armor
https://scryfall.com/card/cmm/9/all-that-glitters
https://scryfall.com/card/tdc/16/tempest-technique
My next three upgrades are all similar: [[Ethereal Armor]], [[All That Glitters]], and [[Tempest Technique]]. They all buff the enchanted creature for each enchantment you control.
[[All That Glitters]] is arguably the worst of the three. It costs two mana, and the main difference is that it also counts artifacts. But Silverquill Influence only has four artifacts, so that is not much of a bonus. Even so, the “worst” version is still highly playable.
[[Ethereal Armor]] is next. This is the one-mana version, giving both +1/+1 for each enchantment you control and First Strike, which makes the enchanted creature a nightmare to block.
[[Tempest Technique]] is my final one, and arguably the best. It only gives +1/+1 for each enchantment and costs four mana, but it also has Storm. That means you get copies of it for each spell cast before it. Even if only one spell was cast first, having two copies of Tempest Technique is better than the others. Storm also does not care who cast the spell, just how many were cast, so if another player casts an instant before this, that helps push the Storm count up as well.
I have added all three to give the deck an alternative win condition by enchanting your commander. This is one area where [[Scriv, the Obligator]] is better than [[Killian, Decisive Mentor]], as Scriv gives you more enchantments. Even when you are enchanting your opponents’ creatures, you still control those enchantments, which means they all count towards these upgrades.
OUT: Breena, the Demagogue + Firemane Commando + Nils, Discipline Enforcer
https://scryfall.com/card/soc/298/breena-the-demagogue
https://scryfall.com/card/soc/145/firemane-commando
https://scryfall.com/card/soc/158/nils-discipline-enforcer
Just like my additions, all three of these cuts have something in common: they help your opponents. [[Breena, the Demagogue]], [[Firemane Commando]], and [[Nils, Discipline Enforcer]] all give away resources in one way or another, and I do not really want this deck doing that.
[[Nils, Discipline Enforcer]] is the least helpful of the three, although it does at least offer some protection. Because it is under your control, you get to choose which creatures get counters, which then makes them unable to attack you unless their controller pays. The issue is that I just do not like handing out resources. Unless you absolutely stack those counters, your opponents will eventually just pay and kill you anyway. And if you are not putting counters on creatures, there is not much point running this card at all. I am cutting it to simplify things.
[[Breena, the Demagogue]] and [[Firemane Commando]] both help you as well as your opponents. Breena gives you counters when your opponents attack the player with the highest life total, and it also gives card draw. It does work for you too, so if you are the one attacking, you get both the card and the counters. Still, I do not want to be handing out extra card draw when this deck already has enough of an engine to function without it.
[[Firemane Commando]] is even worse for that. It does not reward you when your opponents attack, only them, by giving them cards if they do not attack you. Yes, you can draw two cards yourself when you attack with two or more creatures, but again, I am not looking to hand out cards to the rest of the table.
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Upgrade 7
IN: Light-Paws, Emperor's Voice
https://scryfall.com/card/neo/25/light-paws-emperors-voice
[[Light-Paws, Emperor's Voice]] is my go-to mono-white Enchantress Voltron deck, and that is because of how strong Light-Paws’ ability is. It lets you get the perfect Aura from your deck when you need it.
There are enough versions of these effects at multiple mana costs, just looking at my previous upgrades. There is even removal on enchantments, such as [[Sheltered by Ghosts]]. [[Light-Paws, Emperor's Voice]] lets you get exactly what you need, when you need it, and that is why I have included it.
OUT: Secret Rendezvous
https://scryfall.com/card/soc/166/secret-rendezvous
[[Secret Rendezvous]] is another card that gives out resources. While it is originally a Strixhaven card, and very flavourful, I do not think it is required here. As I said before, [[Killian, Decisive Mentor]] should be a reliable enough draw engine on its own.
On top of that, [[Light-Paws, Emperor's Voice]] lets you tutor extra enchantments straight onto the battlefield. That is a far better advantage than drawing three cards while also giving an opponent three cards.
[[Secret Rendezvous]] can be used politically, but all of the cost is on you. You pay the mana, spend the card, and only really net two cards yourself, while your opponent just gets three cards for effectively nothing. That is not the kind of exchange I want in this deck.
Upgrade 8
IN: Spirit Link
https://scryfall.com/card/dmr/29/spirit-link
[[Spirit Link]] is not the most powerful way to gain life, but it is importantly different from lifelink. It is very close, but the key part is that it creates a trigger. Lifelink happens as damage is dealt, while [[Spirit Link]] creates a trigger to gain that life afterwards.
That also matters if the creature already has lifelink. Multiple instances of lifelink are redundant, but [[Spirit Link]] lets you double up on the life gain because it is not actually lifelink.
It is also important if you want to slap this onto an opponent’s creature. If it were lifelink, the controller of that creature would gain the life. But because this is a trigger, and you still control [[Spirit Link]], you get the life instead.
There is also a colour-shifted version in [[Vampiric Link]], but that one costs more money, so I went with [[Spirit Link]] instead.
OUT: Intermediate Chirography
https://scryfall.com/card/soc/26/intermediate-chirography
I am not sure if I am missing something, but I just do not like this card. [[Intermediate Chirography]] feels underwhelming. It is two mana for a 2/1 flyer, which is reasonable in Limited, but this is Commander, where you have access to nearly every card in Magic.
Even the level 2 and level 3 abilities are not that impressive. If level 2 affected each creature, then we would be talking, but as it only targets one creature, it just does not do enough. We also do not have a reliable way to trigger this. The deck is built around not being attacked, and we do not really have other reliable ways to turn it on either.
Level 3 only lets you make more Inklings when a modified creature dies, and it has to be a modified creature you control, not just any creature. So overall, this one just does not do enough for me. Thanks, but I will wait for Advanced Chirography instead.
Upgrade 9
IN: Danitha Capashen, Paragon
https://scryfall.com/card/cmm/20/danitha-capashen-paragon
Several creatures already discount enchantments, and the deck currently has [[Starfield Mystic]] and [[Transcendent Envoy]]. Adding one more just makes sense, and [[Danitha Capashen, Paragon]] is the one I would recommend.
The keyword soup on her is particularly strong: first strike, vigilance, and lifelink. That makes her an excellent target for any of the buffing enchantments if you do not want to load everything onto your commander instead. With 27 Auras in the deck, Danitha is going to get value.
OUT: Keen Duelist
https://scryfall.com/card/soc/218/keen-duelist
[[Keen Duelist]] is a card I love, but it is the wrong fit for this deck. Our mana curve is very low, with an average mana value of 1.8, so on average we are only going to hit for around two damage from it. Most other decks have a much higher curve, which means we are likely to take more damage than we deal.
Put it in something like [[Yuriko, the Tiger's Shadow]], where you can flip into some massive hits. This just is not the deck for it.
Upgrade 10
IN: Sphere of Safety
https://scryfall.com/card/dsc/104/sphere-of-safety
My final card is [[Sphere of Safety]], which is a powerful safety net. With enough enchantments on the battlefield, your opponents simply cannot afford to attack you. While it costs five mana, it gives you valuable time to deploy your other enchantments first.
Think of it as the bigger, better brother of [[Ghostly Prison]]. It pushes your opponents to attack each other instead, while keeping you protected. That gives you even more time to build value with [[Killian, Decisive Mentor]].
OUT: Shadrix Silverquill
https://scryfall.com/card/soc/330/shadrix-silverquill
[[Shadrix Silverquill]] is only really here for thematic reasons. It is the Elder Dragon that represents Silverquill, and it is literally in the name, but that does not mean it gets to stay in my deck.
Every card in a deck has to pull its weight. If we want a fluffy, thematic deck, that is what bracket 1 is for. Power creep is real, and bracket 2 can still be powerful. [[Shadrix Silverquill]] just does not mechanically fit what this deck is trying to do.
The best you really get is a flying token to put your Auras on, but that is weak. Worse still, you also have to give your opponents an option. Normally I would choose to give them the token, because their other options are not great, but then you are just giving them blockers for any flyer you have suited up with Auras.
It is bad all round, and that is why I am cutting it.
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Non-budget Upgrades
These cards were outside the budget for this article, but they fit the deck extremely well and are worth considering if you’re happy to spend a little more:
https://scryfall.com/card/uds/15/replenish
https://scryfall.com/card/40k/45/nurgles-rot
https://scryfall.com/card/cmm/723/ondu-spiritdancer
https://scryfall.com/card/dsc/283/hall-of-heliods-generosity
https://scryfall.com/card/pip/14/codsworth-handy-helper
https://scryfall.com/card/cmr/34/open-the-armory
https://scryfall.com/card/afc/8/mantle-of-the-ancients
https://scryfall.com/card/cmr/384/sigardas-aid
https://scryfall.com/card/dsc/107/timely-ward
https://scryfall.com/card/dsc/103/sigil-of-the-empty-throne
Final Thoughts
Silverquill Influence is a unique twist on the Enchantress archetype. This style of deck is usually associated with Selesnya colours, so having it in Orzhov opens the door to some different cards and lines of play. If Wizards keeps supporting the archetype, it could eventually grow into a fully established one.
At the moment, though, it still feels like the strategy relies heavily on white cards doing most of the lifting for the black ones. I would have liked to see more enchantment-matters cards in black to help define the archetype better.
It is also nice to see some pricier reprints turning up. [[Land Tax]] is included in this deck and still carries around a £15 price tag, and even more in the American market. It is always good to see value reprints making their way into precons, both to help bring prices down and to get more cards into players’ hands.
If you're looking to pick up some Secrets of Strixhaven, commander decks, booster boxes or anything Magic: The Gathering, why not support us right here at Gathering Games.
PS. All the card prices were under budget at the time of writing, but the dynamic pricing may have changed since then.
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