I used to hate Elves in Duels with a passion. With few board wipes and fewer ways to do it efficiently, they ruled the midrange between RDW and Ulamog with a thrall of iron fists. I left them alone for that reason. That was, until recently.
I loved the idea of W/U, especially when the AI picked up Roil Spout and Clutch of Currents. I played around with lots of concepts for it, struggling to balance being able to kill the opponent while keeping their creatures off the field. Counters were slow and had a short window, white weenies were too weak, other splashes were very situational - until I eyed some green converge and thought back to the Elves.

This is where our story begins.

• 1x Kytheon, Hero of Akros
  
  A 2/1 for 1 mana is always good, but in a deck based on having multiple creatures on the board at once, Kytheon (and Gideon, Battle-Forged) encourages early-game aggression that can put the opponent on the defensive.
  
  
• 4x Clutch of Currents
  
  The purest representation of the soft removal that characterizes this deck: 1 mana for 1 creature returned to a hand. Keep in mind that this doesn't just have to be an opponent's creature: with the Elves (particularly the Visionary, and especially when a Lys Alana Huntmaster is on the field), the entering the battlefield benefits will trigger again. This goes for opponents' cards, too: it's possible to return Ulamog to its owner's hand, but this means more allied permanents will be exiled.
  
  
• 4x Elvish Visionary
  
  Card draw! A synergistic 1/1! Nice art! It's everything a man could want and more.
  
  
• 1x Skyrider Elf
  
  It's a flying 3/3 (4/4 with Dwynen). As the only flier in the deck (and one of two that can block fliers), this is very important, and could easily replace two more Tajuru Stalwarts if possible (more in Sideboard).
  
  
• 4x Grasp of the Hieromancer
  
  A game-winning enchantment, this can render strong defenders useless. Paired with a strong enough card and a little bit of wit, Grasp of the Hieromancer can even force the enemy to sacrifice a creature by blocking.
  
  
• 4x Tandem Tactics
  
  A tricky card for tricky people. The +1/+2 can be the difference between being life and death for creatures when blocking or being blocked. Remember that you can choose to buff only one creature. Gaining 2 life can also be a lifesaver in dire circumstances.
  
  
• 3x Disperse
  
  Enemy Planeswalker nearly to their emblem? Disperse it.
  Enemy enchantment causing issues? Disperse it.
  Enemy creature attacking? Disperse it.
  Need more card draw and have an Elvish Visionary on the battlefield? Disperse it.
  It's situational for every situation.
  
  
• 1x Nissa, Vastwood Seer
  
  While it's a good idea to hold onto her until there's six lands on the battlefield, her Elf synergy and ramp capabilities make her highly versatile in this deck. Once she's flipped, she's an ample source of card draw and, in a pinch, can drop a 4/4 creature. This can be a saving grace when the rest of the creatures in the deck are weaker alone in comparison, and can swing hard when coupled with a Grasp of the Hieromancer.
  
  
• 4x Tajuru Stalwart
  
  If you have three different colors of mana, why not take some converge? This versatile Elf (besides providing synergy with its type) has as much power as your Elf lords, and has more toughness than the Huntmaster, making it a viable defender as well as a decent attacker.
  
  
• 3x Anchor to the Æther
  
  It seems innocent enough until the realization hits: that creature had a mana cost. Very possibly a steep one at that point on the mana curve. In addition, if an opponent has no mana in their hand, they are now behind on both drawing and mana. Conversely, this can slow down an opponent that's on a roll, giving an opportunity to catch up to them. The scry also gives some power over the next draw (if you don't need mana, that plains can go to the bottom of the library)!
  
  
• 3x Roil Spout
  
  Everything but the scry from Anchor to the Æther, with the added bonus of providing a 4/4 if 6 mana is spent. Save it if possible until there is 6 mana on the field, but in a pinch, it can be cast early.
  
  
• 2x Dwynen, Gilt-Leaf Daen
  
  Preferably cast after a Lys Alana Huntmaster is in play, this Legendary can end conflicts. Period. She buffs up 1/1s to 2/2s, 3/3s to 4/4s and that 3/4 to a 4/5, and whenever the thrall of Elves attacks, there's lifegain. Once she's out, offensive strategies can pay off, even if the early-game was decimated by a Mage-Ring Bully. Just be careful not to cast her if her other copy is on the field; as Legendary, only one copy of Dwynen, Gilf-Leaf Daen can stay on the field on one side at one time.
  
  
• 4x Lys Alana Huntmaster
  
  The bread and butter of any Duels Elf deck, the Huntmaster has one simple effect: every time an Elf spell is cast, a 1/1 (remember, 2/2 with Dwynen!) Elf token enters the battlefield. This makes amassing an Elvish army easy, and barring a Displacement Wave, very hard to slow down.

• 2x Plains
  
  There are fewer Plains than there are Islands or Forests because there are only 12 spells that require white mana in this deck, and there are many multicolored lands available.
  
  
• 3x Island
  
  14 spells use blue mana in this deck, so there is an intermediate amount of Islands in this deck.
  
  
• 4x Forest
  
  Since the Elf Lords are mana inefficient and there are 16 spells using green mana in this deck, there are more Forests than there are other basic lands.
  
  
• 2x Lumbering Falls
  
  5 mana for a 3/3 with hexproof for one turn is steep, but when there's nothing else available, it can do the job.
  
  
• 2x Canopy Vista
  
  As a Plains Forest, this W/G land lets Hinterland Harbor, Glacial Fortress, and Sunpetal Grove come in untapped if it's out first. Keep that in mind.
  
  
• 2x Prairie Stream
  
  Prairie Stream offers the same benefits as Canopy Vista, except it's W/U.
  
  
• 2x Hinterland Harbor
  
  
• 2x Glacial Fortress
  
  
• 2x Sunpetal Grove
  
  
• 1x Evolving Wilds
  
  Evolving Wilds is present to reduce the amount of basic land draws later in the game and to bring out a land type that may not be in the starting hand.

I would replace two Tajuru Stalwarts with Skyrider Elves, but I don't have the cards for it. If you do, feel free to and tell me how it works!

Disperse is double the cost of Clutch of Currents, and I've found that 3/3 elementals can do a number on opponents, so I substituted in my fourth Clutch of Currents for a Disperse as soon as I got it. If enchantments are a bigger problem (Thopter Spy Network, for example), I'd take more Disperse.

Jagged-Scar Archers deserve mention as further flying removal, but on turn 3, there are usually better options on the table with this deck that are stronger (Skyrider Elves, Tajuru Stalwarts) or more defensive (Anchor to the Æther, Roil Spout). I haven't personally run into a situation where fliers have been a major issue, either, even against artifact decks.

Sunblade Elves are cool and all - a 2/2 early on - but with the tricolor nature of this deck, there's only six Plains-type lands in the whole deck. That's a 1 in 10 chance, and a 1 in 20 chance to draw the Sunblade Elf itself. I don't like those odds, personally.

Reclamation Sage is great for slowing down mill decks based on Sphinx's Tutelage, other Elf decks running Evolutionary Leap, Eldrazi Decks using From Beyond, etc. Even though the other Elves I can get for 3 mana are 3/3s and 3/4s, I should probably run at least one of these 2/1s in case there's trouble.

Displacement Wave is great against tokens and cheap creatures. This deck is built on tokens and cheap creatures. Add in the fact that it's a bit mana-guzzling makes me feel like it'll hurt me more than it'll hurt my opponent.

elves, soft removal, hieromancer

Tell me what you think! Did you do well with this deck? Would you change anything in it? Feel free to leave a comment with your feedback and give this guide a rating!