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Taxation Without Representation! (AKA: Did you pay 21W to attack?)

EDIT: Tumblr issues, apostrophes and quote marks are ascii gibberish, so for easy reading, click to open the article on my page and it should be more legible.

Baird comes from a long list of “taxation” effects. Some important things to keep in mind: If they have a creature that “must attack each turn if able”, they can attack someone else if you’re in a multiplayer game, but if you’re the only option, they can simply choose not to pay the tax and thus not attack. Another important note: If a creature is created that is defined as tapped and attacking (such as by Myriad), it isn’t a declared attacker, so won’t trigger these taxes.

These cards are being collected for a Esper-colored deck using many of the voting mechanic cards from the Conspiracy sets, so I like to call this deck, as the title suggests, “Taxation without Representation.” Sadly, there isn’t a very good commander at this time for the deck. Sen Triplets is an option, but a bit heavy-handed. Zur, The Enchanter can only get a few of the enchantments, though Sphere of Safety would appreciate the boost. Oloro is a pretty hated commander, but would probably be the best of the current options otherwise. There is the option of Partner mechanic commanders, but Ishai, Ojutai Dragonspeaker (WU) would appreciate an early cast and then the sanctuary these permanents give, Silas Renn (UB) doesn’t give much benefit, Tymna (WB) is built for attacking multiple opponents, which leaves Ravos, Soultender (WB) as a fair option for pumping up your blockers and returning the “tax collectors” when they get attacked. I also have 8 counterspells at last count that can be negated by paying enough mana.

Ghostly Prison is a great option, but doesn’t protect your planeswalkers. Sphere of Safety alone costs 1 colorless, but ramps up very well with most of these style cards (not Baird, though). Norn’s Annex (also doesn’t affect the Sphere) lets them pay either one white mana or two life, so if they don’t have white mana, they either get hurt attacking or simply don’t attack you.

Archangel of Tithes charges one mana to be able to attack, but also charges one mana to be able to block, so it’s the first of these pillowfort cards that works offensively. Windborn Muse (like Ghostly Prison, but a flying creature) protects you but not your planeswalkers, and also charges two mana. Mystic Barrier doesn’t charge a toll, but instead makes combat a one-way route that changes once per round (Myriad doesn’t care, and Saskia doesn’t mind too much, either).

Propaganda is basically a colorshifted Ghostly Prison, same 2-generic and 1-colored mana to cast and 2 as tax. Collective Restraint has a varied tax amount based on how many basic land types you have, which should be 3 in this deck (Realmwright could bring this up to 4, but typically it wouldn’t be worth it. Maybe just steal someone else’s Forest or Mountain instead?). Koskun Falls is a World Enchantment, which typically won’t have any significance, but if someone does play a World Enchantment after it, it goes to the graveyard. By tapping one of your creatures, though (which hopefully doesn’t matter because people won’t want to pay to attack you, but maybe have an Indestructible creature so you don’t lose your payment for it to a boardwipe. Darksteel Mutation is rather innocuous and fits in these colors, also counts towards your enchantments, and is fetchable with Zur), you can make sure people will have to pay another 2 mana to attack you.

Brainwash enchants just one creature, but charges it an additional 3 mana to attack anyone, not just you. Blood Reckoning doesn’t accept mana as payment, instead taking a pound of flesh for each attacking creature (Circle of Flame is a somewhat similar Red enchantment, but it deals damage to the creature instead of causing the controller to lose life). And Isolation Cell doesn’t charge for the ability to attack, but it does say creature spells cost an additional 2 mana or life for your opponents.

- MATHTIME! -

Baird - 1 Ghostly Prison - 2 Sphere of Safety - 8(?) Norn’s Annex - White or 2life Archangel of Tithes - 1 Windborn Muse - 2 Mystic Barrier - (limitation) Propaganda - 2 Collective Restraint - 3 Koskun Falls - 2 Brainwash - (3 for one creature) Blood Reckoning - 1 life

So for one creature to attack you (that isn’t Brainwash’ed, but while all cards are out and you have 3 land types) it would cost 21 generic mana, one life, and either a white mana or another two life. Even taking out Sphere of Safety makes it rather unlikely people will be choosing you as a target, though Mystic Barrier can ensure whichever player next to you that’s playing aggro can’t attack you directly. Especially helpful in multiplayer so you only need to worry about one attacker, though spellflinging can happen from any direction.

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