Saheeli Blink (4 colored) (Frontier)

I set out to build a Saheeli-Guardian combo deck. I didn't however want the deck to just be reliant on the combo to win, so I started thinking of what else the deck should do around it. My conclusion was blink. Both cards are blink enablers, apart from being combo pieces, so making a blink deck seemed logical. So now I have my archetype laid out.

Here's my extensive step by step process in deckbuilding:

(1) Added four copies of Felidar Guardian since it is the linchpin of the deck. As far as Saheeli, I started with four copies but later went down to three as you cannot have multiples on board. If I was all-in on the combo then I would play four, but the combo is a bonus within a blink deck.

(2) Add the best blinkable creatures that Jeskai has to offer.

a) Reflector Mage. An automatic four of. Just the best card to be playing against any deck playing creatures.
*If playing against non-creature decks I added two Aven Mindcensor and two Negate. My first thought was to play four Champion of Wits in the sideboard as an alternative for Reflector Mage, however they are better served in the main board. I ended up with Aven Mindcensor as the control opponent will certainly be playing fetch lands. The two Negate just help to sure up the match-up and help get our combo off or protect our win conditions.

b) Champion of Wits. Adding three of these. The deck needs to be able to dig deep for the combo or just draw and filter our hands. Adding some cards to our graveyard will likely be of benefit later, since we are playing blue. (Even better with the later decision to splash black)

c) Dire Fleet Daredevil. Two copies. It can be a dead card at times and is better played late in the game, despite being a 2cc creature. DFD can be very powerful when timed
correctly and is well worth a two of.
*Its worst match-up is easily against aggro decks playing very few non-creature spells. I have two Arashin Clerics in the sideboard for these matches. Blinkable lifegain with 3 toughness stands up pretty well against red aggro decks.

d) Torrential Gearhulk. Two copies. I considered playing four and considered playing none. I think playing four means I'd have to go more control and less blink. Playing none was only considered because I thought about keeping the curve lower, however the deck is slow playing so going to six is not bad. In the end blinking or copying TG is wonderful.
The only thing to keep in mind now is I need to play at least 10 instants (in my mind) for it to be worth it, meaning I need to stay away from sorceries and enchantments for removal purposes.

e) Cataclysmic Gearhulk. One copy. We are not trying to overwhelm our opponents with creatures, in most cases, and our Gearhulk's count as artifacts so we'd keep two creatures anyways.
*Not the best card against control as they have very few permanents to target and are also likely playing Torrential Gearhulk as a win-con. I'm playing Dispel in this slot.

(3) Look at cards that enable the decks blink/flicker strategy.

a) Essence Flux. Two copies. Besides being a flicker card it also serves as good protection for the decks creatures against removal. If our opponent tries to break up our combo by removing our Guardian then we can simply respond by blinking it.

b) Panharmonicon. One copy. The decks games are likely going long and why not get double the value out of all those ETB triggers.
*The card is too slow versus aggro. I'm looking at another copy of Sweltering Suns to sure that match-up up.

(4) Now I simply fill out the deck with the best possible support cards, making sure to be mindful of curve and play instants over enchantments and sorceries.

(a) Ceremonious Rejection. I really want to play a 2cc counterspell but they are all very narrow. CR narrowly wins out because it can also counter creatures, where Negate cannot, and takes 2 from the opponent to cancel out, versus Censor's 1.

(b) Settle the Wreckage. 1 copy. Right now we are slow against aggro. We have some help in the sideboard, but we also need to have something to deal with it in the main.
*StW is weak against control so here is the perfect opportunity to put another Negate in the sideboard.

(c) Dig Through Time. 2 copies. The card is a touch slow, however it is probably the best card in the format (especially when running TG). It's also not the worst card to discard with Champion of Wits as you can target it later with TG. Finally, it can easily assemble all the pieces you need to play or protect your combo.

(d) Abrade. 2 copies. The deck can handle the midgame, we just need to survive early on and not let our opponents get too far ahead. Abrade does that while also dealing with the nasty artifacts floating around in the format. A wonderful card to play with TG.

(5) At this point I have taken a step back and realized it would not be that difficult to go four colors in this deck. Playing black would not be that hard. We are not really concerned with doing much of anything in the early turns, other then play counters or remove creatures. I can easy enough set up the mana base in a way that black is splashed.

a) Fatal Push. Two copies. To play the deck we will be playing fetches which will allow a natural black splash. Why not take advantage of that fact by playing the best removal in the format.
*Two copies of Kitesail Freebooter. My initial thought was Spell Pierce, however the sideboard is full of similar cards. KF gives the deck some non-creature disruption while also serves as a creature that can be flickered. Sure they will get their card back but it may not be as important at this point and now you can upgrade your choice or still choose the same card again.

b) Crackling Doom. Two copies. Black opens us up to Crackling Doom. Almost always a welcomed card in hand. By far the best sacrifice card we can play against our opponents.

c) Ravenous Chupacabra. Two copies. I was looking for removal on a stick and here it is. While I prefer the exile on some of the white options, the opponent does not get their creature back if I blink this. Major upside. It cannot be played into an empty board, that sucks. But how often are you going to be in a situation where this is your only card in hand and there is an empty board? Not very often.

(6) Two sideboard slots remaining. I always build my sideboards as I go and then fill the extra slots after with concern for either my worst match-up or decks that concern me overall.
i) I feel the main board and the substitutions I have in the sideboard are fine for general archetypes. The sideboard could have a bit of dedication to battling pure aggro, if anything.
ii) I usually play some graveyard hate in the side, however I am fine with the graveyard being full and juicy.
iii) I try to have a couple answers for Aetherworks Marvel and other artifacts. I am playing Abrade in the main board, however it would be nice to have something that shut down AM.
iv) Planeswalker hate. The sideboard is loaded down with counterspells to help out with PW's.
v) A way to deal with Collected Company. If I'm playing white I almost always pack Hallowed Moonlight in the sideboard. This sideboard is already set up to battle against Coco, so no issue here.
vi) Saheeli combo answers. The mirror could be troublesome, as I would likely lose a counter war. One benefit of not being all in on the combo is that I simply need to delay them from getting their combo put together, which I can certainly do. My alternative win-con's would hopefully come into play in the match up.

Sorcerous Spyglass. Two copies. It shuts down a ton of threats while giving you a peak and what you will be up against. Shuts down planeswalkers, Aetherworks Marvel, The Scarab God, Jace Vryn's Prodigy, land abilities, vehicles, and a dozen other things I'm forgetting. The card is good against so many things. If I plop this down on the battlefield against many decks, and they are not playing red, my chances of winning increase by leaps.

(7) The mana base. I usually like to build my mana base after building the core of the deck. This allows me to see which support cards best fit (for example, you would never play Grasp of Darkness in this deck due to double black). I find it better to know your limitations first, rather than try to tax a mana base later. So that is out the window here. The late addition of a 4th color means a taxed mana base, although it is not so bad since the deck develops slowly and has very little going on early. Blue is the only color you would care about early on and that will be easy to get. So here goes the mana base.

a) Polluted Delta. 4 copies. The best fetch land we have access to since it can fetch all four colors of mana.

b) Battle lands. 1 copy of each. Prairie Stream, Sunken Hollow, Smoldering Marsh. These are all fetch-able with Polluted Delta.

c) Island and Swamp. 1 copy each. Fetch-able with Polluted Delta.

d) Flooded Strand. 2 copies. Gets us every color, except red.

e) Battle lands. 1 copy of each. Prairie Stream and Sunken Hollow, since they match-up with Flooded Strand.

f) Plains and Island. 1 copy each. Matches up with Flood Strand.

g) Bloodstained Mire. 2 copies. Gets every color except white.

h) Battle lands. 1 copy. Smoldering Marsh. We are already playing two Sunken Hollow.

i) Mountain and Swamp. 1 copy each. Goes along with Bloodstained Mire.

j) Mystic Monastery. 2 copies. Gets every color except black.

k) Nomad Outpost. 1 copy. Gets us every color except blue.

This is a good time to look at the numbers:
Currently playing 23 lands- 2 remaining.
The current color count is blue-16, black-15 white-12 red-12.
*Lands that enter tapped-3, sometimes tapped-6, fetches-8, and never tapped 6.

Using these numbers I can conclude that my last two lands need to produce red and white and they can enter tapped if needed.

l) Battlefield Forge and Needle Spires. 1 copy of each. Playing BF because it does not enter tapped for aggro matches, however two would be too risky for life lost. Splitting the difference and playing a one of Needle Spires for a hard to remove creature in control matches. Both slots are prime for upgrades in future sets.

Updates

a) Panharmonicon out. Cute trick, but too dependent on other cards
The Scarab God in. 1 copy. Cannot help you combo off, unfortunately, but we are not all in on the combo. TSG does however work amazingly with every other creature we are playing as they all have ETB triggers. It is also nice to have another win-con in your back pocket. TSG can win the game on its own and that is why it has earned a spot in the deck.
*With the removal of Panharmonicon I was able to free up a sideboard slot as well since Sweltering Suns would not come in for TSG.

Kozilek's Return in. 1 copy. Aggro is the decks worst match-up, I feel. KR kills most anything that the red or black can throw at us. Also, a great target for Torrential Gearhulk. If it does not win the match on the first play then it certainly will lock it up the second time. Another bonus is KR goes under a large majority of our creatures allowing the wipes to be mostly one-sided.

b) Dispel out. With three Negate in the side, I feel we have it covered.

Kozilek's Return in. 1 additional copy. Aggro is a bigger issue then decks we would need Dispel for since we have other options in the side for Dispel, but nothing else for a sweeper.

c) Essence flux out, both copies. It is a cool trick to save your creature and get an ETB trigger out of it, however the card does very little on its own. the deck plays 7 midrange cards that blink creatures and ensure value, while serving other purposes.

Opt in. 2 copies. We do nothing early on in games. Opt fixes that. it is essentially a free card early on as we have no plans on doing anything and it cantrips while digging. Also not a bad card late in games to dig or even to target with a Torrential Gearhulk in any empty board.