Too-Specific Top 10 - Gatewatch

<h6 style="text-align: right;">(<span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Protection of the Hekma" href="#" target="_blank">Protection of the Hekma</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> | Art by <a href="http://www.ryanleeart.com/">Ryan Lee</a> )</h6>
<h1>Prologue</h1>
<p>Hello and welcome to another installment of <em>Lore Seeker, </em>an article series devoted to the legendary creatures to whom <em>Wizards of the Coast</em> forgot to give a story. I’ll guide you through each fragment that makes up a legendary creature and finally give them a little extra background love. This time around we’ll be highlighting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun" href="#" target="_blank">Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun"></div></div>
<hr />
<h1>Story Circle</h1>
<p>Temmet was the unofficial tour guide in Naktamun for the Gatewatch. Temmet was the first to encounter the Gatewatch when they escaped the wastes on the plane of Amonkhet. Temmet grew suspicious of the Gatewatch, noting their clothing and mannerisms as foreign to his city and way of life. He answered their questions and eventually treated them to an audience with <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Oketra the True" href="#" target="_blank">Oketra the True</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, the god of stability, order, and protection on Amonkhet. Temmet eventually confirmed that the members of the Gatewatch were not native to Amonkhet. Having discovered them in the embalming chambers, he attempted to have them restrained but ended up getting <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Mind Control" href="#" target="_blank">Mind Control</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>led by Jace.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oketra the True"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Oketra&#039;s Monument"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Jace, Cunning Castaway"></div></div>
<p>He was a minor character, especially in the shadow of Nicol Bolas's schemes. The plane of Amonkhet was based on ancient Egyptian history, Temmet on King Tutankhamen. King Tut was one of the shortest-lived Pharaoh's in ancient Egypt, so it's fitting that Temmet made very little impact on the story at large... but what impact did he have before his 15 seconds of fame?</p>
<hr />
<h1 style="text-align: center;">Card Analysis</h1>
<h2>Name:</h2>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-36252 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/temName.jpg" alt="" width="507" height="84" /></p>
<p><strong>Vizier: </strong>title; highest official in ancient Egypt to serve the pharaoh, often appointed directly by the pharaoh.</p>
<p>Given this definition, it seems ol' King Tut went through a bit of a demotion in his translation to <em>MtG, </em>although when gods walk among their subjects, it should be expected. In Naktamun the viziers worked directly for the gods. Temmet is primarily the vizier of Oketra, but served other gods and their respective viziers. His position was one that was highly respected and revered.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Vizier of Many Faces"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2>Mana Cost//Color Identity:</h2>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-36250 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/temCost.jpg" alt="" width="100" height="69" /></p>
<p><strong>White: </strong>White would be happiest in a utopian society where everyone shares and cooperates with one another.</p>
<p><strong>Blue: </strong>For blue, the purpose of life is to discover what you want and how to achieve it.</p>
<p>Temmet seemed well on his way to achieving the ultimate goal of a utopian society. He was in charge of the embalming process on Amonkhet, meaning he worked with the dead and performed many rituals. Amonkhet's natural magic brings the dead back to life as wild malevolent creatures. The cartouche system in the city harnessed the natural power of the plane and channeled it through a talisman. Attendant mummies put these cartouches on the dead in the embalming process, binding specific orders and tasks to the undead servants. If the denizens of a city are all indentured servants and programmed to cooperate, it makes a utopia easy! Temmet embodies form over function, utilitarianism to the utmost degree.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Embalmer&#039;s Tools"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Cartouche of Solidarity"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2>Art:</h2>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-36255 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/temArt.jpg" alt="" width="571" height="418" /></p>
<p>King Tut was a very young and shortlived pharaoh in Egypt. In fact, he was mostly forgotten by the people of the time. He lived to around the age of 19, another correlation to Temmet, who is depicted to be around 16 years old. The story/legend of Tutankhamen rose in popularity only after his tomb was discovered: his chamber was mostly untouched by grave robbers, so the great number of artifacts and relics found gave the modern world a closer look at the ancient culture.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Desecrated Tomb"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Treasure Trove"></div></div>
<p>For this reason, when assembling Temmet's flavor-filled deck, I am including a large sub-theme of artifacts and Treasure. It will be a good representation of the massive trove discovered in King Tut's burial chamber while supplying our deck with plenty of meat to fill out its bones. (Well, perhaps 'bones' is the wrong word... its wrappings?) This will be an artifact-heavy deck, including a few combos to finish off the game and grind out value. I also wanted to include a package of Trap cards as a nod to the classic trope of the booby-trapped tomb.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="Traps and Treasure" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Combo Pieces]
*1 Teshar, Ancestor&#039;s Apostle
*1 Scrap Trawler
*1 Krark-Clan Ironworks
*1 Myr Retriever
*1 Junk Diver
*1 Workshop Assistant
*1 Foundry Inspector
*1 Etherium Sculptor
[/Combo Pieces]
[Traditional Traps]
*1 Pit Trap
*1 Mindbreak Trap
*1 Arrow Volley Trap
*1 Whiplash Trap
[/Traditional Traps]
[Polymorph Traps]
*1 Pongify
*1 Rapid Hybridization
*1 Swan Song
[/Polymorph Traps]"></span></div>
<hr />
<h2>Type Line:</h2>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-36254 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/temType.jpg" alt="" width="592" height="54" /></p>
<p>Naktamun is governed much like a church, Temmet performing many duties similar to a priest. Another card that portrays someone performing the embalming ritual is <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anointer Priest" href="#" target="_blank">Anointer Priest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which gives us a strategic direction for the deck. White likes gaining life and making a lot of small creatures, and if we're using lots of creatures in an artifact-heavy deck, we can take advantage of the abilities of one <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Teshar, Ancestor&#039;s Apostle" href="#" target="_blank">Teshar, Ancestor&#039;s Apostle</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>. Timed correctly, Teshar can create some crazy infinite loops: by sacrificing <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Myr Retriever" href="#" target="_blank">Myr Retriever</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Junk Diver" href="#" target="_blank">Junk Diver</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, and/or <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Workshop Assistant" href="#" target="_blank">Workshop Assistant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to a <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Krark-Clan Ironworks" href="#" target="_blank">Krark-Clan Ironworks</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we can reclaim and cast these creatures an infinite number of times. <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Etherium Sculptor" href="#" target="_blank">Etherium Sculptor</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and other cost-reducers can help guarantee the combo goes off smoothly. To join the <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Anointer Priest" href="#" target="_blank">Anointer Priest</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, we'll add the "Soul Sisters" like <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soul Warden" href="#" target="_blank">Soul Warden</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> and <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Soul&#039;s Attendant" href="#" target="_blank">Soul&#039;s Attendant</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span> to our deck, generating infinite life as a result of this loop. That, however, is just a buffer for us to search for our real win condition: <span class="edhrecp__link"><a class="edhrecp__link-a" content="Altar of the Brood" href="#" target="_blank">Altar of the Brood</a><span class="edhrecp__link-image"></span></span>, which will mill our enemies to death as our creatures flit in and out of play!</p>
<div class="edhrecp__cards"><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Anointer Priest"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Myr Retriever"></div><div class="edhrecp__card-container" name="Altar of the Brood"></div></div>
<hr />
<h2>Rules Text:</h2>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-36253 aligncenter" src="https://articles.edhrec.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/temRules.jpg" alt="" width="584" height="295" /></p>
<p>This card may not look like it has flavor text, but the mechanic of <em>Embalm</em> says a lot on its own. From this reminder text, we know that Temmet dies and is revived with Amonkhet's magic. The <em>Embalm</em> ability makes him a really interesting commander too. When Temmet dies, we can choose to put him into the graveyard instead of the command zone, circumventing a bit of commander tax. When <em>Embalm</em> is activated, the card is then exiled, giving us an opportunity to put him back into the command zone. From there, he'll only cost two more mana to recast, even though it'll be the third time we have had his likeness on the field! First cast costs two mana, then <em>Embalm</em> for five, cast again for four, and <em>Embalm</em> for five once more... this cycle of casting keeps him on the board for a longer period of time at a cheaper cost to us. On top of that, if Temmet becomes a token, his beginning-of-combat trigger can target himself. (The <em>Embalmed</em> token does not deal commander damage, however.)</p>
<hr />
<h1 style="text-align: center;">The Deck</h1>
<p>This deck is a strange combination of aggro and combo. In the early game, we'll create small tokens and use Temmet to get them through. In the mid game, we'll transition to more of a control deck. In the final stages of the game, we'll hopefully go off with Teshar. It's a weird spot to fill, so the best advice I can give is to spread the love. Attack everyone for little bits of damage; focus down Planeswalkers with your unblockable tokens, and gain some favor with the rest of the table until you have a chance to get to your combo. You will be playing pretty active rather than the usual reactivity of a deck in these colors.</p>
<div class="edhrecp__deck mtgh"><span class="edhrecp__deck-s" name="King Tut" site="edhrec" archidekt_link="" cards="[Commander]
*1 Temmet, Vizier of Naktamun
[/Commander]
[Creatures]
*1 Artificer&#039;s Assistant
*1 Soul Warden
*1 Soul&#039;s Attendant
*1 Anointer Priest
*1 Etherium Sculptor
*1 Myr Retriever
*1 Myrsmith
*1 Riddlesmith
*1 Argivian Archaeologist
*1 Foundry Inspector
*1 Junk Diver
*1 Scrap Trawler
*1 Treasure Hunter
*1 Workshop Assistant
*1 Heliod, God of the Sun
*1 Teshar, Ancestor&#039;s Apostle
*1 Treasure Keeper
*1 Vedalken Archmage
*1 Vizier of Many Faces
*1 God-Eternal Oketra
*1 Stonehewer Giant
*1 Sun Titan
[/Creatures]
[Artifacts]
*1 Tormod&#039;s Crypt
*1 Altar of the Brood
*1 Flayer Husk
*1 Pyramid of the Pantheon
*1 Skullclamp
*1 Ancestral Blade
*1 Azorius Signet
*1 Cogworker&#039;s Puzzleknot
*1 Embalmer&#039;s Tools
*1 Nim Deathmantle
*1 Pit Trap
*1 Shrine of Loyal Legions
*1 Sunset Pyramid
*1 Talisman of Progress
*1 Desecrated Tomb
*1 Gate to the Afterlife
*1 Oketra&#039;s Monument
*1 Krark-Clan Ironworks
*1 Batterskull
*1 Scytheclaw
*1 God-Pharaoh&#039;s Gift
[/Artifacts]
[Sorceries]
*1 Curse of the Swine
*1 Wrath of God
*1 Phyrexian Rebirth
*1 Treasure Cruise
[/Sorceries]
[Instants]
*1 Enlightened Tutor
*1 Pongify
*1 Rapid Hybridization
*1 Swan Song
*1 Lazotep Plating
*1 Mindbreak Trap
*1 Arrow Volley Trap
*1 Whiplash Trap
[/Instants]
[Enchantments]
*1 Cartouche of Solidarity
*1 Legion&#039;s Landing
*1 Luminarch Ascension
*1 Smothering Tithe
*1 Thopter Spy Network
*1 Treasure Trove
*1 Mind Control
[/Enchantments]
[Planeswalker]
*1 Jace, Cunning Castaway
[/Planeswalker]
[Lands]
*1 Ancient Den
*1 Academy Ruins
*1 Ancient Tomb
*1 Buried Ruin
*1 Cradle of the Accursed
*1 Darksteel Citadel
*1 Glacial Fortress
*1 Hallowed Fountain
*1 Irrigated Farmland
*11 Island
*1 Moorland Haunt
*11 Plains
*1 Port Town
*1 Prairie Stream
*1 Sea of Clouds
*1 Seat of the Synod
[/Lands]"></span></div>
<p>&nbsp;</p>

<hr />
<h1>Epilogue</h1>
<p>I hope you enjoyed this micro history lesson of an article. I certainly know more about ancient Egypt than I did before writing it. This deck will flood the battlefield with artifacts and generate a ton of value. Once the engine is established, the deck will be hard to stop, and the Traps will create some fantastic "Gotcha!" moments that will generate stories that you and your friends will remember for years.</p>
<p>That’s it for this week! As always, let me know which legendary characters you’d like to see get the story spotlight in the future!</p>


gatewatch

Too-Specific Top 10 - Gatewatch

Lore Seeker - A Pharaoh's Tomb