To anyone just starting to play this deck: learn proper Flickerwisp gameplan. Once you “get” it, you’ll realize all the hype is real, whether using it as a clock or as the best insurance policy in Magic, in terms of pure value. -MtG:Salvation user SwordstoTimeshares
I thought that Flickerwisp was an unplayable pile of garbage when I first started playing this deck. I frequently sideboarded out all four and I even cut them from the deck entirely at one point. I was so incredibly stupid back then. Flickerwisp is the card I am most frequently praying to rip off the top of my deck these days. It can get you out of terrible situations that no other card can. What follows is a list of common Flickerwisp tricks, but the list is by no means exhaustive.
- Vial it in to save Mangara of Corondor or Jotun Grunt from themselves.
- Hardcast it to “untap” one of your creatures after combat.
- Vial it in on your end step to blink out an opponent’s land for a turn, effectively acting as a Rishadan Port activation.
- Hardcast it targeting your own land to make it essentially only cost two mana.
- Hardcast it to remove a blocker.
- Vial it in to prevent an opposing creature from attacking for a turn or to invalidate an attack after they declare attackers.
- Vial it in to take out Counterbalance so you can cast a spell (Like, say, an Aether Vial…)
- Vial it in to counter a removal spell from your opponent.
- Vial it in to temporarily remove Standstill.
- Hardcast it to make a Phyrexian Dreadnought look silly.
- Hardcast it to remove all counters from permanents like Chalice of the Void, Engineered Explosives, or Endless One.
- Hardcast it targeting Stoneforge Mystic to get extra equipment.
- Hardcast it targeting another Flickerwisp to have the other Flickerwisp remove a permanent for the entire next turn.
- Vial it in to rescue your chump blocker.
- Hardcast it to switch your Phyrexian Revoker, Oblivion Ring, Runed Halo, or Leonin Relic-Warder from one target to another.
- Hardcast it to essentially take out a Mox Diamond or Chrome Mox.
- Hardcast it to get a new germ token by targeting an unequipped Batterskull.
- Use it to blink out an Ensnaring Bridge to get a chance to attack.
- Vial it in to destroy tokens (e.g. Marit Lage, opposing Germ tokens)
- Vial it in to reset the counters on your Aether Vial (useful against Miracles if your hand is full of two drops).
- Use it to reset your Cavern of Souls.
- Use it to reset the loyalty of a Planeswalker to its starting value.
- Use it to “unflip” a Delver of Secrets or other flip card back to its front side.
- Use it on an opposing creature in response to a pump spell for huge value (Mostly in the Infect matchup).
- Vial it in at the end step to dance around beginning of the upkeep triggers (e.g. Sulfuric Vortex)
- Vial it in to abuse the hell out of Oblivion Ring, Journey to Nowhere, Leonin Relic-Warder, or similar cards. See the Mangara Lock page for details.
- Hardcast it with a Containment Priest in play to exile a creature permanently.
- Combine it with Eldrazi Displacer or Restoration Angel for maximum trickery.
- Use it to change the number you’ve chosen with Sanctum Prelate.
- Combine it with Recruiter of the Guard to tutor up an entire army by repeatedly flickering the Recruiter and fetching another Flickerwisp.