Everyone knows there are common themes that decks are built around: Weenie hordes, counter-magic, discard, land destruction.... Pure Reflections is NOT one of those, and it is NOT expected. And If you read the card closely you're going to notice something unusual:
Pure Reflection
2W, Enchantment, Invasion Rare
Whenever a
player plays a creature spell, destroy all Reflections. Then that player puts a
white Reflection creature token into play with power and toughness each equal to
the converted mana cost of that spell.
Did you see it? Well, consider the following example with Pure Reflections in play.
PR player) (tap 5 plains) "I'm casting Blinding
Angel"
opp.) (tap 2 islands) "nope,
counterspell"
PR player) "ok, all reflection
tokens are virtually placed in the graveyard, a 5/5 reflection token is in play,
and the Blinding Angel goes to the graveyard. I'm done"
At this point the opp. will re-read the card, call a judge or understand that the words 'whenever a player plays a creature spell...' (not to be confused with Whenever a creature comes into play...) means that Pure Reflections effects are going to happen when the spell is placed on the stack (yep, even if countered). You're going to run into many opinions with this approach; common 'comments' are "I'll just bounce that token to your hand, it's not that great". And I'll sit there thinking that they used a counterspell and a 'bounce' card to deal with one creature. Will they/Can they do that in the next round or the one after that?
This is just the beginning. Now that you understand how P.R. works, what happens if the creature being cast is a gating creature, like Sawtooth Loon, or Fleetfoot Panthers, or a normal *cough* Mystic Snake? With gating the creature can return itself and still give you a token (each turn) If you cast the loon, is 2WU worth it to see 2 new cards and a 4/4 creature each turn? Or a sudden 3/3 blocker each turn for 1GW? What about countering an opponents spell and placing a 2/2 snake AND a 4/4 reflection in play all for 2UG.
Ready to dive into deck building with P.R.? Well, you might want to wait. Look at Unnatural Selection:
Unnatural Selection
1U, Enchantment, Apocalypse
Rare
[1]: Choose a creature type other than
Wall. Target creature's type becomes that type until end of turn.
I'll end this idea here since this note is for 'single' card strategies, but make sure you understand how changing two cards with the same name into legends is only a side benefit of using this card. If P.R. is in play it can make their creatures 'Reflections', and make your Reflections into any one word creature type you desire. "Hamsters" seem to be the preferred type of choice so far. Oh, and don't even think about how changing a Spiritmonger into a Reflection, or using this with Tsabo's Decree on all your opponents creatures would affect a game. Destroying all your opponents creatures is overrated... oh, it isn't?
Here are two decks to begin your thoughts with:
IBC - UWG
IBC -- UW
1 Wash
Out
Pure
Reflections
4
4 Sawtooth Loon
Unnatural
Selection 4
3 Fleetfoot
Panther
Sawtooth Loon 4
4
Sterling Grove
Stormscape
Familiar 4
1 Questing Phelddagrif
Silver Drake
3
4 Mystic Snake
Wash
Out
2
4 Pure
Reflection
Absorb
4
4 Unnatural
Selection Repulse
4
4
Absorb
Prohibit
4
3
Prohibit
Collective
Restraint 3
4
Repulse
Fact or Fiction
2
3
Forest
Coastal Towers
4
4
Plains
Dromar's Cavern
3
6
Island
Plains
6
2 Treva's Ruins
Islands
9
3 Coastal
Towers
3 Elfhame
Palaces
3 Llanowar Wastes
Sideboards left up to you; consider Tsabo's Decree if you're going to splash black (in UW version). Dismantling Blow's, Collective Restraints, Rout, Mask of Intolerances....
Todd Roemmich
Vrodaire@Yahoo.com