Blink

Blink decks exile their own creatures and immediately return them to the battlefield, re-triggering enter-the-battlefield (ETB) effects. Mulldrifter draws 2 on ETB. Blink it and draw 2 again. Ravenous Chupacabra kills a creature on ETB. Blink it and kill another.

The deck generates enormous value by reusing ETB effects that were designed to fire once.

How it works

1. Play creatures with strong ETB effects
2. Deploy blink enablers (Conjurer's Closet, Thassa Deep-Dwelling)
3. Repeatedly exile and return your creatures, re-triggering ETBs
4. Bury opponents in card advantage and removal while building your board
5. Win through accumulated value or a combo finish

Key cards

Blink enablers:

• Conjurer's Closet — blink one creature every end step
• Thassa Deep-Dwelling — blink one creature every end step (indestructible)
• Ephemerate — 1 mana instant, blink a creature. Rebound (cast again next upkeep for free).
• Restoration Angel — flash, blink a creature on ETB. Pairs with Felidar Guardian for infinite.
• Brago King Eternal — when Brago deals combat damage, blink any number of nonland permanents you control. Mass blink.

ETB creatures:

• Mulldrifter — draw 2 on ETB
• Ravenous Chupacabra — destroy a creature on ETB
• Solemn Simulacrum — search for a basic land on ETB, draw on death
• Agent of Treachery — steal a permanent on ETB
• Venser Shaper Savant — bounce a spell or permanent on ETB

Combo finishes:

• Felidar Guardian + Restoration Angel — infinite blinks with any ETB payoff
• Deadeye Navigator + Peregrine Drake — infinite mana (Drake untaps 5 lands, Navigator blinks it for 2)
• Panharmonicon — doubles all ETB triggers. Not a combo piece but turns value into absurd value.

Strengths

Value generation. Every blink re-triggers an ETB. Over a game, this adds up to enormous card advantage.

Versatile. Your creatures do different things. Blink the right one for the situation. Need removal? Blink Chupacabra. Need cards? Blink Mulldrifter.

Hard to interact with. Blink effects dodge targeted removal (the creature is exiled briefly and returns as a "new" object). Opponents' kill spells fizzle.

Weaknesses

Dependent on both halves. You need blink enablers AND ETB creatures. Either half alone is underwhelming.

Creature-heavy. Vulnerable to repeated board wipes. No creatures, no ETBs to trigger.

Slow without engine. Single-use blink spells (Ephemerate) are tempo-positive but don't generate the sustained value of repeatable blink effects.

Popular commanders

Brago King Eternal (W/U) — mass blink on combat damage. Blinks everything including mana rocks (re-untapping them) for massive value swings.

Aminatou the Fateshifter (W/U/B) — blinks a permanent on -1 ability. Black adds Ravenous Chupacabra, Agent of Treachery, and reanimation.

Roon of the Hidden Realm (G/W/U) — tap to exile a creature, it returns at end of turn. Slower but in Bant colors.

Thassa Deep-Dwelling (U) — indestructible, blink one creature each end step. Consistent and hard to remove.

Typical colors

Blue and white are core (blink spells, ETB creatures). Green adds value creatures and ramp. Azorius (W/U) and Bant (G/W/U) are standard.

Ratio adjustments