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Aminatou's Augury: Crafting a Blue Blink Combo Deck
Blue always loves a clever loop, a sharp tempo swing, and just the right amount of mind games. Aminatou's Augury arrives as a bold, high-entropy spell from Duskmourn: House of Horror Commander that invites you into a blink-driven, type-dense strategy. With a hefty mana investment of 6UU, this sorcery asks you to gamble eight cards from the top of your library and then offers a multi-layered payoff: you may put a land from among them onto the battlefield, and for each nonland card type among the exiled cards, you may cast a spell of that type from the exiled pool without paying its mana cost. It’s a flavor-forward engine, a tempo spark, and a potential win-con wrapped in a single, blue-hued golem of potential. 🧙🔥💎
How the spell actually works in practice
- Exile eight cards from the top of your library. This is your exiled sandbox for the turn. You get to play with whatever you ripped from the top, so you want a mix of types to maximize options.
- Optional land play — among those eight cards, if there’s a land, you may put one onto the battlefield. That can be a crucial ramp or a defensive body at crucial moments. ⚔️
- One free spell per nonland type — for each nonland card type represented in the exiled pool (artifact, creature, enchantment, instant, planeswalker, sorcery), you may cast a spell of that type from among the exiled cards without paying its mana cost. So, theoretically you could chain several spells in a single turn, all for free, provided your exiled pool covers the right types. 🎲
In a Commander landscape, where games swing on tempo and flashy turns, this is the kind of spell that invites bold play. You might exile an instant, a sorcery, a creature, and a planeswalker, then cast a surprise instants-to-counter or countermagic, a cheap creature to block or attack, a planeswalker for a long-term engine, and a powerful sorcery to seal the deal—the whole lineup for essentially zero mana. The catch, of course, is the luck of the top eight and the types you’ve curated into your deck. The joy comes from designing a deck that nudges those odds in your favor with the right draw suite and blink synergies. 🧙🔥
Design principles for a blue blink combo shell
Blue blink decks have a storied history in Commander, and Aminatou’s Augury slots naturally into a tempo-meets-combo lane. Here are the guiding principles to make the most of this unique spell:
- Type density and redundancy: Build a color-heavy deck with many cards representing the six nonland card types (artifact, creature, enchantment, instant, planeswalker, sorcery). The more diverse your exiled eight contain, the more free spells you can cast. Think cantrips and versatile answers that also scale as the game unfolds. 🎨
- Blink enablers: Since Aminatou’s Augury invites you to cast spells from exile rather than your hand, you’ll want plenty of blink effects to reuse your engine and to protect your important pieces. Cards like “Ephemerate,” “Cryptic Command,” and other flicker tools can reset your board while you profit from exiled options. 🧙♀️
- Win conditions that don’t require your hand: Your path to victory often comes from executing a flyover of free spells that pressure opponents or assemble a straightforward pump-and-win line from the exiled set. A well-timed Time Warp or a game-ending ritual of value from the exiled sorceries can close out games when the tempo is right. ⚡
- Protection and rebound: You’ll want counterbackup and permission to protect your ability to sculpt each eight-card exiles turn. Counterspells, bounce effects, and usage of card draw to refuel the engine keep you from losing steam mid-combo. 🛡️
- Card advantage and recursiveness: Even though you’re casting from exile for free, you’ll still want inevitability. Cards that draw, untap, or recur your key blink pieces help you reach the critical mass where multiple free spells become a true threat. 💎
Core synergy targets and example paths
In practical terms, your deck wants to hit a mix of spells that maximize the exiled pool’s potential. Some evergreen archetypes to consider weaving into the mix:
- Instant and Sorcery backbones: “Counterspell”-style control, “Ponder” or “Preordain” for sifting, and powerful endgame finishers that can come down free if your exiled pool has the right type. ✨
- Creature value engines: Blink-friendly creatures or ETB triggers that create board presence once you’ve exiled and cast them for free. A well-timed creature spell can pressure opponents while your blue control plan stabilizes the game. 🧙♂️
- Enchantment-based value: Enchantments with lasting effects can snowball a slow game into your favor, especially if you can reuse or recast them via blink effects in subsequent turns. 🎲
- Planeswalker payoffs: If you exile a planeswalker and can cast it for free, you unlock powerful loyalty engines that swing the game’s momentum in your direction—think cards that draw, protect, or impose advantage on opponents. ⚔️
- Artifact utility: Minimal-cost artifacts that provide ramp, color fixing, or protection can be crucial to maintaining the tempo when you’re working with a large card pool exiled on a single turn. 🪙
Budget considerations and fun add-ons
Duskmourn: House of Horror Commander cards lean into a particular vibe and power level, but you can absolutely tailor a blue blink shell to different budgets. If you’re chasing the concept without breaking the bank, target the core themes first: blink enablers, flexible counterspells, and a diverse eight-card exiled pool. As you upgrade, add legend-worthy staples from other blue-centric decks to boost consistency and late-game inevitability. 🧭
To add a touch of nostalgia and humor, remember that blue’s love language is planning ahead, delaying the end, and laughing at your opponent’s face when the plan finally clicks. The potential for a single turn to bend the entire game to your whim is one of MTG’s most beloved vibes. And yes, you’ll probably grin when you realize you just cast two or three different free spells in a single sequence—it's basically blue’s version of a magic trick. 🃏
Operational tips for smoother games
- Keep a reliable source of card draw to push toward those top eight with a mix of types. The more you see, the higher the odds you’ll assemble the right exiled mix. 🎲
- Balance your deck with blue disruption and counters to survive as you navigate the seven types you hope to hit. A safe tempo plan often wins you games as much as flashy combos do. 🧠
- Pair Aminatou’s Augury with blink-utility commanders or key blink enablers in the 99 to ensure you maximize value on both the stack and the board. 🔄
“Mystery in the top eight, clarity in the next seven moments.”
Overall, building a blue blink deck around Aminatou’s Augury is less about guaranteed combos and more about deliberate, stylish tempo and clever resource management. It’s about turning a single, green-lit moment into a cascade of free spells and a battlefield that looks like a blue magic trick—one that leaves opponents pondering what just happened long after the turn ends. And that’s the true charm of this Duskmourn gem: a rare spell that invites you to dream big, but also to craft a plan that respects the deck’s tempo and color identity. 🧙🔥⚡
What to pick up next
If you’re excited to chase this vibe, scan the market for blue blink staples, and keep an eye on the six nonland types you want to ensure in your exiled pool. The Duskmourn set itself offers a treasure trove of flavor and potential—and Aminatou’s Augury is the kind of centerpiece that invites spicy, creative builds. The card’s rarity sits at rare, and its mana cost reminds us that big payoffs often require a big commitment to blue’s card-drawing, counterplay, and shimmering tricks. And if you’re fine with a little cross-promotion while you craft your table-ready look, consider a fresh desk setup to match your deck’s aesthetic—sleek blues with a touch of midnight glow. 🎨
Want a stylish surface to keep your card sleeves and counters pristine while you draft these masterful plays? Check out the product below, a perfect desk companion that complements your MTG obsession with clean design and tactile joy. 🧙🔥