Boros Prison Lock is a midrange deck that assembles a lock by getting down Drannith Magistrate and using temporary exile based cards to prevent the opponent from casting them. The creator of the deck uses this lock with tax effects to gain tempo from our opponent. Then close out the game by our flyers for 2 to 5 damage a turn. This deck is setup to use Tibalt's Trickery and Soul Partition in a unique way. Turnning them into actual removal and a counterspell that mills the opponent.
ORIGINAL DECK LIST
MAIN DECK
Creature Breakdown
Elite Spellbinder: This is our primary win condition that looks at our opponents hand to temporary exile one nonland card. The 3/1 body is perfect at attacking and can flip our invasion in one hit.
Drannith Magistrate: The core piece in the deck that gives the it's identity. It prevents our opponent from casting spells from exile, which this deck is designed to move their cards to exile temporary.
Archon of Emeria: A semi lock piece by reducing the downside to Tibalt's Trickery, while also providing a main board hate piece against Archlight Phoenix and Lotus Field.
Urabrask, Heretic Praetor: Solid beater that provides extra card advantage for us, while turning our opponents draw into a impulse that either can't be casted at all or has to be used on their turn.
Flex Spots: We are running four copies of Anointed Peacekeeper, which provides a taxing effect that can help slow down our opponent. It has a reasonably sized body to clog up the body and can attack if opponent doesn't have a lot of creatures. Running one copy of Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines that can double the effects of our enter the battlefield triggers like Spellbinder, while also shutting off Leyline Binding and other permanents that have a enters trigger from our opponent.
Noncreature Breakdown
Tibalt's Trickery: A counterspell in red that helps against control and combo decks that pairs really nicely with Drannith.
Soul Partition: Removal spell that can answer any nonland permanent temporary that works with Drannith to become a permanent removal.
Fable of the Mirror-Breaker: A solid midrange piece that creates a token, provides card quality, and a win condition that creates copies of our flyers.
Invasion of Gobakhan: A turn two exile based discard spell that flips into a win condition that protects our threats.
The Wandering Emperor: A piece that has a lot of utility. It can help exile annoying creatures, while also creating creatures or pumping our creatures.
Flex Spots: Running one copy of Flame-Blessed Bolt and two copies of Smuggler's Copter that help round out our deck.
ADJUSTED DECK LIST
MAIN DECK
Creature Adjustments
Elite Spellbinder: Previously we was running three copies of Spellbinder. This card being the best win condition in the deck, while providing a solid effect made me want that last copy.
Aven Interrupter: Previously we was running four copies of Anointed Peacekeeper. Aven Interrupter just does everything we are wanting for this deck. It helps counter removal spells targeted at Drannith. It helps tax our temporary exile based spells even more and can prevent our opponent from using the spell they get from Tibalt's Trickery if they can't pay the extra two. Also the creature is better in this deck, being a 2/2 flyer is better than a 3/3 groundy.
Urabrask, Heretic Praetor: With many of the best decks in pioneer turn into a grind fest, it is very nice to have a combo piece that also provides card advantage. We was previously playing one copy but it performed better than Elesh Norn, Mother of Machines. So, we are wanting three copies of this.
Creature Honorable Mentions
Skrelv, Defector Mite: This is a possible option if we are expecting a lot of removal for Drannith to help protect it.
Phyrexian Censor: I thought about this card over Archon of Emeria due to it having a similar effect but if we ran more Phyrexians we can migate the effect on ourselves.
Noncreature Adjustments
Cavern of Souls: While this card does help against control decks it makes our mana base a little weaker to other strategies. So I trimmed back two copies for one Shatterskull Smashing and one more Sundown Pass.
Soul Partition: We moved one to the sideboard to make room for one more copy of Shatterskull Smashing. This will make our land count go up without the risk of being flooded.
Invasion of Gobakhan: This card was critical in the games we won. So, I would like one more copy to increase our chances of turning our small creatures into actual threats, while also protecting Drannith.
Sideboard Breakdown
Rending Volley: Provides a uncounterable removal spell that hit many of the best threats in Pioneer.
Get Lost and Soul Partition: Both are very diverse options for removal spells that can hit any creature, planeswalker, enchantment, or potentially other types.
Hallowed Moonlight: This spell helps against Creativity, Sorin, and other targets but also replaces itself.
Lightning Helix and Brotherhood's End: With the rise of Gruul Aggro in the metagame we need good answers against aggro decks.
Reckoner Bankbuster: Solid card advantage piece that can come in against grindy matchups.
Soulless Jailer: Prevents Phoenix from coming back onto the battlefield. It also provides another Drannith against noncreature spells.
Rest in Peace: Running two copies to come in to hate on graveyard based strategies like Greasefang and Archlight Phoenix.
Sideboard Guide
Rakdos Midrange/Vampires
Azorius Control
Izzet Phoenix
Abzan Amalia
Lotus Field Combo
Gruul Aggro
Next we will cover non tier one decks that you might face.
Quintorius Combo
Mono Black
Boros Convoke
5 Color Niv-Mizzet
Rakdos Sacrifice
Abzan Greasefang
Ensoul
5C Bring To Light
Enigmatic Fires
Azorius Control
Mono Black Demons
