Note: primer still in progress. Current playtest list is here.

The deck ideally plays as low curve hatebear deck that stops people from doing broken things until it can assemble a combo finish, playing to white's strength in tutors for equipment, creatures, and lands. Think of it like Death and Taxes meets Metalworker MUD meets Kai Budde's Pro Tour Chicago 2000 deck.

Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero enables this game plan in a way that makes her much better than traditional hate bear commanders like Thalia, Guardian of Thraben or Gaddock Teeg . Just as a preview, Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero can help you draw cards (sometimes infinite cards), ramp your mana (sometimes infinite mana), and bring in a game-ending alpha strike (sometimes with infinite/infinite creatures). She can also gain you infinite life, a feature that makes this deck a huge problem for any decks that plan on turning creatures sideways (a style of deck that often preys on hate bear decks).

The Win Conditions

I find it useful to start with win conditions. This deck uses a small redundant win condition package based in artifacts, creatures, and lands.

The three kill spells are:

Walking Ballista

Aetherflux Reservoir

Mirror Entity

All of these are tutorable in mono-white, and Mirror Entity is specifically tutorable with Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero . Mirror Entity really takes advantage of the fact that this a hate bear deck the often has many creatures on the board - you're bound to break through any blockers.

The deck has a compact package to generate the infinite mana or life needed to win. The first is the famous rebel infinite life combo.

The Infinite Life Combo

If you play Rebels, you need to play the infinite life combo. Infinite life isn't great against Commander damage or combo decks, but it does shut down many decks completely and enables wins with Aetherflux Reservoir . There are a few ways to pull off the infinite life combo with Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero using the Life.dec combo:

Group A:

Task Force

Group B:

Outrider en-Kor

Umbral Mantle

Infinite mana + Basilisk Collar / Skullclamp

Group C:

Miren, the Moaning Well

All of the pieces are toolbox-tutorable. You can also gain infinite life a few other ways:

Infinite Mana + Staff of Domination

Infinite Mana + Mirror Entity + Miren, the Moaning Well

Infinite Mana + Children of Korlis + Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero + Umbral Mantle + Ancient Tomb / Shefet Dunes /Fetchland

So how do we make infinite mana?

The Infinite Mana Combos

The two cards at the center of this package are Metalworker and Rings of Brighthearth . They are good spells independent of their combo potential, and both are tutorable in mono-white.

First, a combo that involves them both:

Metalworker + Rings of Brighthearth + Staff of Domination (requires 2 artifacts in hand)

The two Metalworker -specific infinite mana combos are:

Metalworker + Staff of Domination (requires 3 artifacts in hand)

Metalworker + Umbral Mantle (requires 2 artifacts in hand)

Comboing with Staff of Domination will win the game on the spot, with either Walking Ballista or Aetherflux Reservoir . Umbral Mantle can also pump the whole team under certain circumstances ( Paradise Mantle or Smuggler's Copter in play), but usually needs an addition way to find a pay-off. It's often fun to use this combo:

Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero + Skullclamp + Umbral Mantle

Just keep Rebel tutoring for a X/1 rebel, clamping, and bottoming to draw your whole deck.

The two Rings of Brighthearth -specific combos:

Basalt Monolith + Rings of Brighthearth

Deserted Temple + Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx + Rings of Brighthearth (requires devotion to white of 6+)

The land based combo is nice as it doesn't take up more non-land card slots. And of course, with either of the Rings-based infinite mana combos, you can throw in Sensei's Divining Top to draw your deck.

The Hatebears

In order to combo off, you need to survive until you have the right cards. This deck uses hatebears to stop your opponents from running wild too early on.

We like to slow the game down. We use a tax package of Thalia, Guardian of Thraben , Glowrider , Vryn Wingmare and Thorn of Amethyst (I know, not a bear) to slow down people looking to ramp, cantrip, or tutor.

We need to hate on combo decks, or we'll lose because they're faster than us. We pack Aven Mindcensor because they're bound to need tutor, Spirit of the Labyrinth because they're bound to need to draw extra cards, and Ethersworn Canonist because most combo decks prefer to cast multiple spells a turn. Sanctum Prelate also just says no to a lot of combo decks. When in doubt, set to two - we don't have a lot of non-creature spells at 2 CMC and most other decks will. Hope of Ghirapur can shut someone down for a turn when you know they might be ready to go off.

We can hate on graveyard-based combo decks with Remorseful Cleric and Samurai of the Pale Curtain . It's important that Protean Hulk doesn't hit the graveyard, so we also include a Rest in Peace . Even if it does, we have a Scavenger Grounds to stop any nonsense afterwards.

We can hate on Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker combo decks with Thalia, Heretic Cathar and Linvala, Keeper of Silence . Blind Obedience also helps here, in addition to slowing down fast mana.

We can hate on creature-based decks with our heavy package of removal, but nothing feels spicier than depriving people attack triggers with Whipcorder . Zealot il-Vec also kills mana dorks and can wear a Basilisk Collar to clear out problems ( Walking Ballista likes the Collar too). You also can grab Bound in Silence with the rebel tutors, which gets around hexproof and shroud to shut down the likes of Narset, Enlightened Master .

It's good to play at instant speed, and also good when your hatebears aren't countered. Aether Vial is great with our curve.

Protecting and Enabling Going off

The game goes best no one can stop you. To ensure this, the deck includes some low cost protection.

Grand Abolisher and Hope of Ghirapur can protect you on the turn you go off. Cavern of Souls and Aether Vial can protect you from counters to some extent as well.

Mother of Runes and Eiganjo Castle specifically protect Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero when you're using her as an outlet, but Mother of Runes can also protect your hate bears and Metalwoker (and Eiganjo Castle hits a few other bears).

The Tutors

The deck runs several toolboxes in the forms off Rebels, Artifacts/Equipments, Enchantments/Auras, Weenies, and Lands.

The Rebel toolbox can be accessed with Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero , Defiant Falcon , and Ramosian Sergeant .

The Artifact and Equipment toolboxes can be accessed used Enlightened Tutor and Inventors' Fair , and the Equipment toolbox can be additionally accessed with Open the Armory , Stoneforge Mystic , and Steelshaper's Gift .

The Enchantment and Aura toolboxes can be accessed using Enlightened Tutor . The aura toolbox can also be accessed using Open the Armory .

The weenie toolbox accessible by Recruiter of the Guard .

The land toolbox is accessible using Expedition Map and Weathered Wayfarer .

Grinding Out Card Advantage

The deck has some ways to grind out card advantage/quality. Of course, Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero can net you a card each activation, which is helpful for building devotion or putting enough creatures into play for a lethal Mirror Entity . In addition to that you have the following engines:

Land Tax + Scroll Rack

Mask of Memory

Palace Jailer

Smuggler's Copter

Skullclamp

Card advantage is the deck's major weakness, so if you have time to setup one of these engines, do so ASAP. Smuggler's Copter and Mask of Memory are great for making use of your creatures while filtering though lands you've pulled from Land Tax , Tithe , or Weathered Wayfarer , as well hatebears that aren't relevant to the match or Rebels you probably don't want to waste time casting.