- What is Wx Heroics?
It is an archetype that heavily focuses on heroic creatures and heroic enablers (instants, auras, sorceries) in order to kill the opponent as fast as possible with big creatures, usually with combat tricks.
- How does heroic work?
*Heroic activates each time you cast a spell targeting one of your creatures with heroic. It is put in the stack right after your spell, which means, heroic trigger will resolve first, and then your spell.
*It only works with your own spells, and a multiple-heroic-enabler (like Martial Glory) only triggers once per creature, even you target the same creature twice.
*Abilities don't trigger heroic, only auras, sorceries and instants on the stack targeting a creature (bestow also counts).
*Remember, since it activates when you CAST, it doesn't matter if they counter the spell, since you already targeted the creature, so the heroic activates anyway, which makes it a more powerful ability.
- Why Wx?
Wx because almost all heroic decks follow a white core, which consists of:
That makes 16 staples for our deck, from here, you can splash another color to get variants from it, being blue and red the most favorite ones, or even being monowhite.
- Why would I play this kind of deck? Play it if:
- You like quick victories.
- Like aggro strategies, but want to stand a chance at mid-game too.
- You think heroes are pretty cool.
- You want a standard deck that can be played almost with the same build for this and the next standard rotation.
- You like tricky combat strategies or little fellows becoming fierce powerhouses.
Don't play it if:
- You prefer slow-paced decks
- You worry about spending a lot of spells on some creatures because the 2-1 trades.
- You don't want to test something fresh and new.
- Your normal aggro works better for you, less thinking.
- What do each color grants me?
Monowhite is the one with more stable manabases, lets you play 4 Mutavault without screwing up your mana. Imposing Sovereign, Prescinct Captain and Boros Elite are good options to fill the deck with creatures, while Brave the Elements works incredibly well here. Celestial Flare also helps out against those giant creatures.
Example decklist:
Black is for a more controlling and resilant deck. Tormented Hero is a possibility for aggro builds, although not that good in other type of decks, but Agent of the Fates is definitely a fearsome creature, which not only has deathtouch, but can convert all your heroic enablers into Diabolic Edicts. Pain Seer gives card advantage in colors which have easy ways to gain life again, while Herald of Torment is one of the best bestow creatures out there, working as a finisher. Boon of Erebos and Orzhov Charm are pretty versatile and help your creatures to don't die so easily, Athreos, God of Passage is arguably, the best god in all Theros, and aggro builds totally benefit with his presence, making your dying creatures into Lightning Bolts or reusable resources.
Example decklist:
As you can see, decks can be really diverse, and they can go either with swarming and combat tricks, or auras on a single almighty creature. Tricolored decks are possible, but more probable in mid-game decks rather than aggro ones, so is better to stay in 2 colors, or even monowhite.
- How many copies of X card shall I use?
That totally depends of how you expect to win, and the consistency of drawing this card. I sometimes suggest an amount of copies, but it is better if you can figure it out by yourself. To know how many copies of X card, think it like this. 4 copies - "I want to draw this card on my first turns in almost every match. I don't mind having multiples of this in my initial hand or first turns" 3 copies - " I like to have this card really early on game, but having a single one will suffice" 2 copies - "The effect is awesome, but I need certain board presence or board status to make it work well. Having more than one in hand will trouble me a little" 1 copy - "The nasty effect is an endgamer or changes the board dramatically for sure, but I will be in trouble if I draw more than one of this, because it will be a dead draw. I will be happy if I ocassionally draw this" 0 copies - "I love this card so much that I prefer to keep it on my collection rather than play it.
- Show me some of the cards I would like to use to build my deck
Sure sure, don't hesitate. I am separating the cmc spells with colors as well, since there are many options to play with. Which makes this a somehow long primer.
Creatures
[SPOILER]
1cmc
[SPOILER] W Favored Hoplite: Staple, it helps you to kill in 3-4 turns. Soldier of the Pantheon: Sideboard option or if you need 12 1cmc creatures, it can work pretty well. Boros Elite: Good to fill your 8-12 1cmc creatures, use with discretion. Nyxborn Shieldmate: Good in swarming decks, monowhite and those who attempt to abuse of Ethereal Armor and Eidolon of Countless Battles. If your colors doesn't have another decent bestow creature, this one can fit well.
B Tormented Hero: Usually is just a 2/1 with free extorts on your spells you play on him. Still questionable but can be used as well.
R Akroan Crusader: Red Staple in aggro swarm style, along with Phalanx Leader you can make some ridiculous armies. Firedrinker Satyr: 2/1 with dragonbreath, also good in weenie strategies. Legion Loyalist: Most seen as a spell rather than creature, it enables the alpha strike needed to win or change the board state. Nyxborn Rollicker: Excellent 1 mana creature. It has the cheapest bestow out there, making it really easy to activate a heroic from other creature. Highly recommended either for aggro or voltron, not so much on 1-creature blitz tactics.
G Elvish Mystic: Needed to ramp into your green heroic creatures. Gladecover Scout: Green staple if you're using an aura-like strategy, this one has proven its value already. Hero of Leina Tower: How good this card can be? Don't confuse her, this is not a T1 play, but a midgame strategy, since you'll need some spare mana to make heroic work on her. You can play T1 if you have ways to buff her and protect her at the same time, so she can deal the final blow with any 1-2 mana spell and use the leftovers for the win. Needs some testing, though...
MULTICOLORED Judge's Familiar: Sideboard option against control decks, so they take an extra turn to kill your creatures. Dryad Militant: Another 2/1 for 1 mana, they aren't bad in swarm tactics. Nivmagus Elemental: Staple. This one has awesome synergy with the instants, so you can counter them to get two +1/+1 counters on this guy. Blistercoil Weird: It has certain synergy with all your instants too. Rakdos Cackler: 2/2 for 1 mana, sure, why not?
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2cmc
[SPOILER] W Cavalry Pegasus: Very playable card which will give flying to all your humans for direct damage. Fencing Ace: With all the pumps your deck has, Fencing Ace can deal severe damage, even if he isn't heroic. Imposing Sovereign: Staple for mono-white, and/or sideboard against aggro. Keening Apparition: Sideboard option if the opponent likes to use Whip of Erebos, Detention Sphere and so. Phalanx Leader: Staple. Always run 4 of it. Precinct Captain: Staple in mono-white decks. Plays pretty well with Phalanx Leader.
*Hero of Iroas: Definitely the new and hottest staple heroic has to offer. It makes bestow a more friendly keyword, making voltron builds easier to achieve as well. Is a really good bear for heroics. Vanguard of Brimaz: Decent card which works as an Akroan Hoplite, but the red card is better in my opinion.
B Pain Seer: Testing has proven out that this card is really good in heroics. It gives the card advantage you need, good against midrange and control, really bad against aggro. In orzhov builds, it is really easy to make life so the punishment doesn't matter. Spiteful Returned: A decent bestow ability that will guarantee your opponent will lose 2 life each time it attacks. Use it as a deck filler or in aggro strategies.
U Artisan of Forms: Semi-staple, can be your 5-8 Phalanx Leader or copy an opponent's one too. Tidebinder Mage: Sideboard option against naya, gruul, big red and so. Meletis Astronomer: This card seems very interesting to build around, making some card advantage in the process. Unfortunately, it has a very poor attack to be considered playing. Mindreaver: Avoid this card at all cost, it doesn't give any kind of advantage unless your opponent is almost decking out, otherwise is not even worth a shot.
R Akroan Hoplite: Very playable if you are swarming in deck. With Anax and Cymede or Legion Loyalist is where it trully shines. Arena Athlete: Questionable use, not recommended. Ash Zealot: If you can afford the two-red on turn 2, use it. Firefist Striker: In swarm tactics, this one goes well too. Young Pyromancer: Really usable and abusable. It gives more value to your spells. Everflame Eidolon: A cool firebreathing ability on a cheap bestowing creature. This card can work well in boros heroic, or even try to achieve a monored version of this as a finisher. Not really suggested but is worth a shot.
MULTICOLORED Battlewise Hoplite: Staple and main reason to splash blue. High Priest of Penance: It has certain evasion, so it is a nice target for your heroics or auras too. Rakdos Shred-Freak: Hasty dudes are always nice. It is still fragile. Voice of Resurgence: Staple in this colors. Fleecemane Lion: If you're pretending to go auras and have nice mana ramping, this one gets good enough.
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3cmc
[SPOILER] W Fabled Hero: Staple. Running 3-4 is a must. Fiendslayer Paladin: Staple for mono-white and auras, sideboard if the opponent has tons of burn or black killing spells. Wingsteed Rider: Its only advantage is that it flies. Slow to play. Brimaz, King of Oreskos: An amazing card that also fits well in some heroic builds, along Phalanx Leader or Anax and Cymede. I really like this one for monowhite aggro variant. Eidolon of Countless Battles: One of the hottest cards BotG has to offer us. This little dude works noy only as Ethereal Armor #5-8, but as a bulky creature that works no matter if we're aiming for voltron, surprise or aggro style. Its bestow is also very competent, staple 3-4. Ghostblade Eidolon: Use it only if you don't have Fabled Hero in your deck, and only two of this. Works better in voltron builds to deal the finishing blow.
U Triton Fortune Hunter: Pretty cool card, helps you to get more fuel in case you need it. Allows your aggro to compete in mid-game later. Wavecrash Triton: Better ability than Arena Athlete, nice wall but still questionable.
B Agent of the Fates: Staple, run 4. This is why you're using black after all. Lifebane Zombie: Sideboard against many decks, it also has evasion, so is not a dead draw. Mogis's Marauder: The alpha strike creature, if your deck is quick enough. Xathrid Necromancer: Sideboard option if your opponent likes to board wipe. Ashiok's Adept: A heroic ability intended to counter control decks. Use this if you don't have access to Sin Collector. Herald of Torment: Another amazing addition to heroic. This is a really great creature, or a very impacting bestow, people will fear everytime you play this little dude, I have gotten many victories thanks to him, so don't understimate this powerhouse which increase your creature numbers, as well as heroic enablers. Odunos River Trawler: It is worth a mention for voltron/aura builds, because it can mean a 1-2 card advantage if used properly. Not bad indeed, but may need some testing first.
R Flamespeaker Adept: Powerful enough if your kind of deck scries a lot. Guttersnipe: Can help you reach those last lifepoints needed to win.
G Wild Beastmaster: With Phalanx Leader and all those combat tricks, this creature can become something and deal the final blow. Witchstalker: If you're going for aura style, this is a staple. Setessan Oathsworn: This is a card that had to be shown up in Theros first. It is mana friendly, and it inflates pretty quickly, which can be a good reason to play Gx heroic, along another cool sorcery that came up in this expansion.
MULTICOLORED Boros Reckoner: Gets nice in mono-white and boros, Boros Reckoner is hard to ignore. Daxos of Meletis: The equivalent of Fabled Hero, Anax and Cymede and Agent of the Fates for blue/white. Sure, he doesn't have heroic, but he doesn't mind. In a metagame full of scry, he just messes up with the opponent's arranged draws, and it also has the chance to give you free lands! Play it as Nightveil Specter which can make you gain life too. Nivix Cyclops: If your mana allows it, Nivix Cyclops has great sinergy with this kind of deck. It will just pump a lot in the process too. Cryptborn Horror: You're dealing tons of damage in a single turn, so this card can be very playable. Sin Collector: Sideboard control disruption. Anax and Cymede: Staple in boros type decks. Chronicler of Heroes: It could be useful in aggro builds, fueling you more.
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4+cmc
[SPOILER]
R Oracle of Bones: This is a card I particularry like a lot for heroic aggro with combat tricks. Either you unleash a 5/3 hasty dude or a 3/1 hasty and a free spell is awesome for you, this is a very nice endgame card that must be considered. Akroan Conscriptor: Really mediocre card, comes out pretty late in game, and very occassional. It really needed haste in order to be any decent but no.
G Staunch-Hearted Warrior: Although its heroic is awesome, it is too slow to put down. It needs Alpha Authority to stand a chance. Centaur Battlemaster: Tons of counters, but really slow to get into the field. Same case as the warrior. Anthoussa, Setessan Hero: Her cmc makes her really questionable, but it could find a home in some mana-ramping heroic deck.
WUBRG
Chromanticore: I had to add it, LOL. I don't think you'll ever play this but it could be put in a really fun themed deck.
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[/SPOILER] Heroic Enablers
[SPOILER]
1cmc
[SPOILER] W Gods Willing: Staple. Run four of this beauty, enabling for direct attack or protect from removal. Swift Justice: Staple in white decks, and works as sideboard against aggro. Glimpse the Sun God: White Gridlock with Scry as an added bonus, it could be useful as sideboard for aggro decks.
U Gridlock: Super heroic enabler, activates in many creatures, or you can tap all blockers, or do both. Mizzium Skin: Staple in blue, 2-4 will work. Extra protection for your creatures is always welcome. Triton Tactics: Combat trick that will instant make unexpected blockers. Recommended Retraction Helix: This works as a limited boomerang which can activate a heroic. Not recommended, though...
B Boon of Erebos: Combat trick and regenerating spell, totally useful, staple.
R Coordinated Assault: Cheap two-heroic enabler, will make you kill anything blocked almost all time. Staple Dynacharge: Either going for heroic or the alpha strike, 2 of these are fine. Spark Jolt: Can be used as heroic enabler too, or to kill a weenie. Titan's Strength: Staple 4. Max out your attacks with this beauty, which also scries.
G Hunt the Hunter: Sideboard against naya/gruul, cheap removal and triggers heroic. Burst of Strength: Combat trick which works pretty well either offensively or defensively. Giant Growth: One of the best combat tactics in any format. Staple 4. Mending Touch: Need more regeneration instants? Take this. Mutant's Prey: Really cheap removal if your creatures are big enough. Warriors' Lesson: Staple. Enabling heroics and let you draw is awesome indeed. Ranger's Guile: Staple 4. Hexproof is simply important. Aspect of Hydra: This is an interesting card, which can work as a finisher in some decks, but heavily relies on green permanents.
MULTICOLORED Bioshift: Semi-Staple. Excellent combat trick allowing your unblocked creature to deal serious damage. It also targets two creatures, so that makes it worthier.
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2cmc
[SPOILER] W Aerial Maneuver: As a finisher, it works great. Suggested on monowhite, because other colors have better stuff than this. Battlewise Valor: Scry 1 is what makes this card a good one. Show of Valor: +2/+4 is not that bad, but there are better things out there. Acolyte's Reward: Really occassional, but this can work as a sudden game winner. Not really recommended. Revoke Existence: Staple 2 in sideboard, this tool works great against monoblack devotion and some other decks out there.
U Hands of Binding: Keep a blocker tapped and continue attacking. Hidden Strings: Staple 4 which just activates ridiculous amounts of heroics and pseudo-vigilance. Voyage's End: You may save one of your creatures. It works great on Phalanx Leader, Triton Fortune Hunter and Agent of the Fates. It also scries. Stratus Walk: This card is interesting indeed. paired up with a Hero of Iroas is like a Quicken cantrip which gives flying to your creature, not bad at all, and probably this can work very well for azorius heroics.
R Fall of the Hammer: Nice sideboard option to kill creatures while activating heroics, better than Pit Fight indeed. Thunderous Might This can work well along Madcap Skills and something else. An Ash Zealot would be dealing 4 damage next turn (for 6 by turn 3). Another interesting, yet needed of testing, card.
G Pythoburst: +5/+5 is impressive on turn 2 if there aren't blockers nearby. A good reason to splash green. Savage Surge: Combat trick, you may get rid of an attacker or just deal a nice hit and have pseudo-vigilance. Mortal's Resolve: Another great addition from BotG, giving green more resilance even than black, making selesnya/naya/bant builds a possibility. Unravel the AEther: Don't have white for Revoke Existence? Try this one instead
MULTICOLORED Azorius Charm: Staple 4. Lifelink and rescuer in the same card, also removes an opponent attacker. Boros Charm: Staple 4. Protects your creatures, makes a deadly double strike or finish up the last 4 life points of your opponent. Simic Charm: Staple 4. Giant Growth, protects creatures and saves or bounces creatures too. Warped Physique: I consider it a staple 4. Your fortified creatures won't die from its drawback, but opponent's ones will likely do. Utility card. Golgari Charm: Sideboard against enchantment builds or weenies. It also protects, which is awesome. Orzhov Charm: Staple 4 in auras-based decks. Kills creatures, saves your creature and all its auras, or revives a Favored Hoplite. Awesome card indeed. Teleportal: Staple 2. Cool finisher with either one or all your creatures. Pit Fight: I may say this is staple 2 main. Kills blockers and grows up your own creatures. Aurelia's Fury: Questionable use, needs 1 more mana than Gridlock, but has another relevant ability. Worth the try. Dramatic Rescue: Bouncer or saver. Depending your deck, it can be a nice addition or not. Martial Glory: Very recommended card, either 2-4. One of the best heroic enablers out there.
[/SPOILER] 3cmc
[SPOILER] W Dauntless Onslaught: Decent enabler, if you can't get something better, pack 3 or 4 of these. Sunbond: White has many ways to gain life right now, in form of Hopeful Eidolon, Fiendslayer Paladin, Gift of Orzhova and Unflinching Courage. This card comboes pretty well with all of those spells. A Fabled Hero with Gift of Orzhova and this attached will result in ridiculous scenarios where, first hit is by 4, get 4 +1/+1 counters, second hit by 8, add 8 +1/+1 counters. RESULT: You dealt 12 damage and you have a 16/16 flying/lifelink/double strike dude. TAKE THAT, AKROMA!
U Fated Infatuation: This card would have been pretty amazing if it weren't because its blue-expensive cost. It first triggers the heroic, and then makes a copy of the creature, giving you a triggered hero and a new copy of that hero (without the counters, of course).
MULTICOLORED Give // Take: A curious card which can pump a creature a lot, or make you draw like nuts, in case you need more fuel. Protect // Serve: This card has multiple purpouses, but there are better things to do with that mana IMO. Common Bond: Selesnya builds can be happy using this combat trick, more counters for your creatures. Dragonshift: Can this card be something serious? I say it can. 4/4 with evasion, additionally all the counters it has is a cool finisher, either as heroic enabler or as global.
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4cmc
[SPOILER] B Cutthorat Maneuver: Very expensive enabler, and it doesn't do so much either. Avoid it.
G Chorus of Might: Seems more like a weenies finisher, but it is still too expensive. I would not recommend it, but there it is. Hunt the Weak: Expensive removal spell, there are better options out there. Hunter's Prowess: This is another excellent reason to play green. Not only replenishes your hand, but your creature gets a Giant Growth and trample at the same time. Either as a finisher or a way to replenish your hand. Mischief and Mayhem Had to mention since it activates 2 heroes and gives +4/+4 each, shutting down most of the games when played correctly. Still, not something I'm bought to.
MULTICOLORED Armed // Dangerous: Both sides are awesome on heroics, I may say that you can target the same creature with both and gain double the counter. And both sides work alone pretty well too.
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[/SPOILER] Auras
[SPOILER] 1cmc
[SPOILER] W Ethereal Armor: Staple 4 in aura decks.
U Aqueous Form: Awesome card, makes your creature unblockable and scry each time it hits.
B Deviant Glee: Gives nice buff with only one mana. Very recommended.
R Dragon Mantle: Firebreathing effect and replaces itself. Awesome in monored and boros builds. Messenger's Speed: Gives some evasion and hasty. You can give it a try.
G Forced Adaptation: You'll inflate your creature each turn, not that impressive but it is still there.
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2cmc
[SPOILER] W Blessing: Better than just firebreathing, monowhite decks can use all their extra mana in making more damage. Chosen by Heliod: Replaces itself and gives extra 2 defense. Good if you're willing to trigger heroic a lot. Ordeal of Heliod: At the end, it will give you 10 life. Not that awesome.
U Agoraphobia: Honorable mention, since it could be abusable and is versatile. You can experiment with it. Fate Foretold: Self-replazable, although it is not like you intend to use its second ability. Ordeal of Thassa: Draw two cards when it reaches 3, not bad, and it could be a nice drawing engine.
B Dark Favor: Nice in aura builds. Ordeal of Erebos: Could be sideboarded against control, you may manage to get a big advantage with this. Needs more testing. Scourgemark: Honorable mention. Giving +´1 power and self-replacing are nice abilities on this one. Try it and enjoy, for me is a staple.
R Madcap Skills: Awesome buff and evasion, have a sideboard 3-4 of these. Ordeal of Purphoros: Questionable use, not so good ability in constructed. Pursuit of Flight: Decent buff and chance of evasion. You may give it a try, but there are better things out there.
G Alpha Authority: Needed in aura builds to prevent your creature to be killed easily. Staple 3-4 Ordeal of Nylea: One of the few things that allow to ramp in standard right now. It works well with your early drops.
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3cmc
[SPOILER] G Feral Invocation: Aura that also works as a combat trick. Nice one indeed. Trollhide: Gives decent stats and regeneration, not bad at all. Sideboard against control.
MULTICOLORED Gift of Orzhova: Staple 4. All aura builds need this one. Unflinching Courage: Another staple 4 in aura builds.
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[/SPOILER] Enchantment Creature (costs by bestow)
[SPOILER] 4cmc
[SPOILER] W Hopeful Eidolon: 1 mana creature with relevant ability. I consider it staple 4.
B Nighthowler: Depending the deck, this card works well with other creature removals. He and Agent of the Fates are best bros.
G Leafcrown Eidolon: Decent stats, cheap bestow and has reach. It is a nice card anyway for green builds.
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5cmc (from here, suggested for heavy builds or midrange only)
[SPOILER] W Observant Alseid: Vigilance can be something in midrange, having nice defense and offensive.
U Nimbus Naiad: This must be seen as a finisher to deal the final blow.
B Baleful Eidolon: It can protect us early, but his stat buff are very little. It is better as a creature rather than aura.
G Boon Satyr: Its flashy, and it gives a lot of attack. Awesome aura indeed with combat trick.
B Cavern Lampad: Too expensive for its use. Not suggested either. Erebos's Emissary: In certain builds, this card can work well, emptying your hand for victory.
G Nylea's Emissary: Not that good, better on limited.
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7cmc
[SPOILER] W Celestial Archon: Decent as a creature, and works as a finisher when attached to a creature. Only if your manabase allows it. Heliod's Emissary: Another bad card.
R Purphoros's Emissary: The buff and ability are nice, but very expensive. Not recommended.
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[/SPOILER] Manabases
[SPOILER]Mutavault: Staple 2-4 depending your amount of colors. Monocolored shall run 4 while dual and tri-colored only 2. Shocklands: Always 4 of each one needed. Scrylands: Only work well in aura and mid-game builds, not suggested in aggro.
In average, almost all fast heroic decks must contain 22 lands, or 24 in case of monocolored (because the 4 Mutavault). Auras can go without mutavaults, and focus on 22-24 lands depending the costs.[/SPOILER] Utility Cards
Everyone asked for it, so here we come.
[SPOILER] W
[SPOILER] Rootborn Defenses: This card comes in handy for global protection against wipes. Glare of Heresy: Exiling a white PERMANENT is very useful, it can remove even Elspeth. Brave the Elements: Best wipe protection for white decks, or decks with many white creatures. Also works as a combat trick or finisher. One mana is what makes it so awesome. Celestial Flare: Best intended against mirror or auras decks, because they usually have hexproof or protections of any kind. This one ignores them all. Silence: This is another cool option for the finisher attack, you just cast it in the unkeep when you consider (or are afraid of) your opponent to throw Anger of the Gods or Supreme Verdict, so you get the win. Blind Obedience: Obviously this is intended against aggro decks, this one works better for midrange strategy decks. Rest in Peace: Against graveyard shenanigans of course, it converts those Spellheart Chimera in flying walls. Spear of Heliod: Glorious Anthem v2.0, now with kill-an-aggro-creature feature. It works well in swarm tactics. Sphere of Safety: Great sideboard in auras deck. It can stop sereval aggro decks, including RDW. Although this is an expensive enchantment, for those decks is almost impossible to get rid of this card, which would make the opponent to instantly forfeit in some matches.
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U
[SPOILER] Anul: Cheap counter against gods or aura-oriented decks. Dispel: Best used against red or black control, since they use many instants to remove creatures. Voyage's End: Better option that Cyclonic Rift since it enables us to save a creature too, and maybe activate some relevant heroic at the same time. Negate: Works against any removal or wipe but Abrupt Decay and Supreme Verdict
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B
[SPOILER] Illnes in the Ranks: Maybe if a strong token-themed deck appears, let's not forget this one exists. Duress: Useful sideboard against control decks. They get one less removal against us. Thoughtseize: Definitely an overpowered version of Duress, it goes well even in mainboard because it targets everything but lands. You must consider to either use this or Sin Collector. Dark Betrayal: Self-explanatory. It does what Doom Blade can't. Doom Blade: One of the best removals out there. Hero's Downfall: More destruction, planeswalkers included. Whip of Erebos: This one will save us from being killed against aggro, also recycles our dead creatures. Not bad indeed, but maybe heroics isn't the best deck for it.
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R
[SPOILER] Burning Earth: Best sideboard option against multicolored midrange/control decks. 4 is a must. Act of Treason: Best against midrange, you just take away their blocker and you gain an attacker. For the win. Mizzium Mortars: Another removal, you will barely use the overload, but there it is too. Vandalblast: It can come in handy against whip decks, since red doesn't have enchantment removal, but if you're splashing white. Lightning Strike: Works as removal or finisher. Magma Jet: I like having 3-4 of these babies. Scry 2 is very relevant, and can kill a wide variety of creatures against aggro. Works as finisher too. Massive Raid: If you usually flood the field fast, this card can be a nice finisher, but don't rely on it too much. Shock: Cheap and instant. Skullcrack: It works pretty well even against random lifegainers or Sphinx' Revelation. Very recommended.
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G
[SPOILER] Fog: Your deck is slow and theirs is too fast? Try 4 of these. Naturalize: Self-explanatory. Remember it exists if the metagame gets flooded with enchantments. Savage Summoning: Nice against control decks, if you can put down your creature, they are almost screwed up unless they have wrath-effect cards too. Bramblecrush: Mainly against annoying planeswalkers, whips and so. Fade into Antiquity: Naturalize v2.0, totally enhanced but more expensive. Mainly used against gods. Serene Remembrance: If reanimator happens, this controls them a little. Bow of Nylea: Your opponent will be less likely to block your creatures, so you can keep using combat trick shenanigans. It also mumps your creatures and many other abilities you'll probably never use. You can give it a shot.
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MULTICOLORED
[SPOILER] Chained to the Rocks: Sideboard option in boros decks, exiling creature for one mana is always awesome. Highly suggested. Far // Away: Can bounce one of your creatures, or remove a blocker, or two Sundering Growth: Naturalize v2.5, nice if you have tokens on the field. Detention Sphere: It can remove almost anything, good against mid-range. Dreadbore: It will kill no matter the color, so that makes it worthy. Flesh // Blood: Flesh sucks but, Blood is what is awesome here. Great finisher because we usually end up with a 5/x creature or more. If you're playing naya heroics, I highly suggest this one.
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[/SPOILER]
- Some tips about mulligan?
This decks usually work with 3 mana, you will barely need more than that. So, opening a hand with 3 lands is just great, then, try to always have a creature or two in hand, this is very important.
A hand with two lands is kind of risky, but if you also have two treaths and the rest in spells, it can work well if those spells and creatures can land with 2 mana only. Remember, you're amining for victories on turn 4-5, and sometimes even on turn 3!
It is important to always have a creature in hand, and in case it is only one creature, it must be a low-mana one (three mana won't work, mulligan)
- And the matches?
[SPOILER]VS Black Devotion
[SPOILER]Many removals, and some of them don't target (making to sacrifice). Green has the best match here, since many creatures have hexproof, while others have to pack many protections, regenerations or indestructibility. You must get faster to win this match, and be careful with Whip of Erebos, or they will regain terrain in no time. Hard match but possible to win.
[SPOILER]VS RG Monsters
[SPOILER]WE luckily have many spells to increase our creatures size so Sylvan Caryatid becomes useless as defense. Be careful of random black splash for Abrupt Decay, and kill Domri Rade if you see it, otherwise the opponent will start to wipe. Speed + combat tricks are highly suggested, and the aura builds also have a preference in here. Heroic have a little advantage over these decks.
[SPOILER]VS Monored aggro
[SPOILER]As always, this is a racematch, but luckily we have some lifelink spells on our deck, which will help us a lot to regain health, very important in here. Burns can be easily prevented with Gods Willing, and our creatures will become bigger than theirs. When they start up defending, we already won. Not a hard match at all.[/SPOILER]
VS Big Red
[SPOILER]Burn decks are easy to beat with heroics, their burn become worthless early on with some heroic triggers. They don't put down many creatures at the beginning, so Madcap Skills is a nice choice against them. Brave the Elements is a must, and can also let us attack ignoring their Boros Reckoner[/SPOILER]
VS Grixis Control
[SPOILER]This could be a tough match. Protection and indestructible effects will come in handy here, just watch out for Far // Away. Luckily they don't have that many counters so, once you land a creature, you can outmatch the deck's burn with many heroic triggers.[/SPOILER]
VS Gruul Midrange
[SPOILER]First turns they lay Elvish Mystic and Sylvan Caryatid. By turn 2 we must be able to attack and kill a caryatid if they defend with it. Watch out for Domri Rade, because he is intended to kill our creatures with the beasties. Expect tons of red burn (including Lightning Strike and Anger of the Gods on second game. Tune your deck to kill as fast as possible, and with decent protection against this one.[/SPOILER]
VS The Rock
[SPOILER]They have many destroy spells, so get your protections and indestructible effects on game 2-3. Sylvan Caryatid is a very early defense and Desecration Demon could be a menace here, since we don't have flyers at all. We will need many triggers on this match in order to win.[/SPOILER]
VS Izzet Burn/Control
[SPOILER]Relatively easy match, if you know what you're doing. Don't just throw a creature and pass, it will surely get burnt before you can play anything on it. Make sure you have enough mana to buff your creature, so burn doesn't kill it. Once you have it in more than 5 defense, this will be easy. Watch out from counters on your creatures, bounces and Curse of the Swine[/SPOILER]
VS Azorius Control
[SPOILER]In Construction...[/SPOILER]
VS Esper Control
[SPOILER]A hard match indeed, Esper Control has proven to be a fearsible control deck. We need to kill fast, but protect a lot in order to win. Aggro style must take all enablers and buffers possible, and some global protection too. Luckily you don't lose so much if they counter your heroic enablers, since you put the +1/+1 counters anyway, but expect many board wipes or removals too, being sac the most dangerous one among them, since there is no real answer against that (but bouncing the creatures)[/SPOILER]
VS Boros Aggro
[SPOILER]They can come either as a weenies deck, or as a mirror match. In case against weenies, lifegain abilities work pretty well, as well as hexproof/protection (in case of Chained to the Rocks) unless you're running heroic aggro too.[/SPOILER]
VS Monowhite Aggro
[SPOILER]Luckily they won't have many removal spells, but Banisher Priest is a thing here, as well as Glare of Heresy. It will look like a mirror match, but we have more combat tricks on these, so use them wisely to lower down their armies while we go through victory. Easy match.[/SPOILER]
[/SPOILER]
- Your primer sucks man, give me my money back!
Sorry, but no refunds xD. This is my first primer so, any suggestions, potential cards for the build, complains and anything are well received. As we comment, I will change some comments on cards, so we can find the best and most efficient cards possible. If I'm wrong in something or you have a better suggestion for the primer, let me know too
Version changes:
v1.01: Added Born of the Gods creature card preview and explanation for the builds.
v1.02: Added Born of the Gods non-creature spells and explanation for the builds.
v1.1: Upgraded the deck examples with Journey into Nyx cards.
Cool one, it seems stable and quick despise the tri-colored theme Fate Foretold seems to stay better in sideboard imo, I'd place 2 Flames of the Firebrand instead, since is one of the best heroic enablers which also kills blockers. Izzet Charm is a cool sideboard option that can protect against Anger of the Gods wipes or kill weenies.
Agents, Necromancers, Phallanx leaders, Humans in general as they work with both the necromancer and the pegasus, and heroic enablers.
I like the idea of using rescue from the underworld on a agent or necromancer, triggering the effect, and getting the original creature and another back from the graveyard.
I'd also thought about trading posts in the deck, to let me sac of creature, but not looking at many artifacts for this deck, but could use the discard to get stuff in the graveyard?
I dont know, anyone got any ideas to help me? i'm kinda overloaded with theros, m14 and rav block to make any good decisions
thanks
I may say that, although you haven't posted any lands you will use, it seems it would have 14 (in case of 60-cards-deck, which is a must), so it's totally mana screwed. For your costs, I highly recommend 23 lands and make space in order to be a 60-cards-deck.
Rescue from the Underworld doesn't trigger heroics, since it doesn't target the creature, it only says "sacrifice a creature". But anyway, if you want to use Rescue from the Underworld and Trading Post, I suggest adding 2-4 Ashen Rider, since it is a reanimator tactic you can't ignore so easily on these colors xD, Trading Post can either sac it or discard it, so you can revive later. The format doesn't seem to have graveyard-hate, so is worth the try.
Also, don't try to make many things at the same time, it seems you intend to have a more control-oriented style rather than combat tricks, I'd go for the control part.
Maybe something like this would be more consistent.
If you prefer the aura-oriented style, I highly suggest to have the full set of Gods Willing and Ethereal Armor, as well as another Gift of Orzhova. I would cut out the Precinct Captain and Cavalry Pegasus on this one. I think you would prefer to have 3 Hidden Strings overall instead of Swift Justice and Battlewise Valor, and get 4 Swift Justice in sideboard instead, after all, Hidden Strings is a super powerful heroic enabler, you always want to draw one, or even two xD.
I guess you're making it a budget deck (since no shocklands on this one), but if you can, get the Hallowed Fountain set, shocklands will just keep increasing in price because they are even eternal-format-useful.
D-Sphere is for planeswalker/god/ whatever needs to be removed.
Rootborn are for board wipes, but I think I will swap for gods willing. Lower CMC, not often am I gonna have more than 2 creatures out.
Lavina is just for counter RDW. It locks down RDW for a turn letting get in an alpha strike. Then it is pro-red and bigger than most red non flyers. So I can just block with it.
Ess is late game against ramp and mid range. Just flat out block their fatties getting on the field.
Pithing is mainly for aetherling.
Nivmagus is for control matchups. Oh you wan't to counter that spell? Nope I will exile it, get counters from heroic triggers, and 2 more on my Nivmagus Elemental.
Edit:
Main deck is also very budget. Cost me about $3.50 to put together. It could of course use some fabled hero or other rares. I have a few Precinct captain already may try them out. I am interested in some daxos as well. Heliod would be easy enough to make a creature with this deck, and spears would be good as a 2x in this deck. Would love at least 1 Elspeth for a late game strategy.
I've been trying different W/r setups and TBH I find Akroan Crusader underwhelming. Unless I'm using a multi-target enabler, I'd almost always rather target something else. Even with Crusader + Phalanx Leader you're not really getting more total power compared to any 2/x and leader until you got 2 tokens and leader targeted twice.
So IMO unless opting for a more AIR-esque build I don't think it's the ideal 1-drop alongside Hoplite.
I've been trying different W/r setups and TBH I find Akroan Crusader underwhelming. Unless I'm using a multi-target enabler, I'd almost always rather target something else. Even with Crusader + Phalanx Leader you're not really getting more total power compared to any 2/x and leader until you got 2 tokens and leader targeted twice.
So IMO unless opting for a more AIR-esque build I don't think it's the ideal 1-drop alongside Hoplite.
Thank you for the feedback
Maybe Akroan Crusader isn't the best one-mana drop, fighting along Firedrinker Satyr and Soldier of the Pantheon for that position, but certainly it does the job pretty well in combat trick decks which want to swarm the field as well. If you are pairing up your white and red mana, it is a good choice. But if its more a mono-white splashing red, Soldier of the Pantheon would be better, it depends of if your deck can manage to drop him on turn 1.
Issue is that, Akroan Crusader works pretty well on swarm strategies, while it doesn't perform well on "quality over quantity" strategies. I have been runing a set of crusaders on my boros heroics (pretty similar to the one listed on primer) and I have been having a nice time playing with it, those 1/1 drops aren't too much, but they make a lot of pressure as well. Firedrinker Satyr and Soldier of the Pantheon hit stronger, and you can focus on single-target heroics for the phalanx or so, but since red/white give a lot of multi-heroic-enabler cards, the Crusader always plays well here. Even a single token surviving (without counters) can keep generating pressure with Madcap Skills or Titan's Strength, is basically a 2-for-1 card. I consider either of those three options as nice 1 mana drops
Thanks for the feed back Aoi, you right i left the land out before simply as i wanted to lower the number of cards i'd actually picked, before even looking at lands.
I decided that having enough things to interact with and destroy creatures via the fates and flares was easier than the hero's downfall, and gets past hex-proof and protections.
The lands ive added, are what I have available, I decided to add the shrine and thespians stage as useful mana helpers, I can either copy a land im short of, or copy someone elses nykthos. And with enough creatures out along with the 2 enchantments, I could ozhovs charm an enchanted creature back to my hand with its enchantments intact, using mana from nykthos, then recast creature or enchantments.
Hopefully I’ll be able to find some more land soon, but until then I think this deck is worth testing and could work well against agro and control… but time will tell
Now it seems more consistent and cooler than before
By the way, added the utilities seccion and a matches seccion (still under construction). If people can talk about their deck experiences against others here, it would be nice to make the primer better.
Boros seems to be working pretty nice. Madcap Skills could be a card you may want on MB, because it gives certain evasion and is 3 extra damage on turn 2, and it will still be there for turn 3, where you can double strike your dude and thats all. 2 Boros Charm on Main and 2 Dynacharge on SB would make the trick as well.
Red deck seems pretty fast, but it could go even faster xD. It could make use of Rakdos Cackler and Firedrinker Satyr, so you double your damage on this way. Guttersnipe and Legion Loyalist could go on sideboard, because loyalist is good against aggro, while Guttersnipe against control or midrange, are cards that you don't want to use every match. You could also try to fit 3-4 Mutavault on it
Went 4-0 at FNM. Then won a semi final, and tied up the finals.
First Matchup was some wierd orzhova control. Lots of extort, discard, and desecration demon. Win for me 2-0
Second Matchup G/W Token/Aggro. Won first game narrowly. 1-3 life range. Just outpaced it. Second game I scooped on turn 3 because I had bad lands. Was at 8 life and had leathal on the board. 3rd game was just a perfect hand did a turn 4 kill easily.
3rd Matchup Boros aggro with chanra and some other stuff. Won 1st game just by outpacing. Narrowly lost 2nd round. 3rd game was me as control, just using glare of heresy and protection until I stabilized and swung for 47 damage around turn 11.
Semi-Finals was Gruul aggro. Easy 2-0. Just played the slow game. Waited until I could drop my creature and get it past 3 on the same turn. Narrowly avoided a mizzium mortar in the 2nd game.
Finals was the Boros Aggro again. We decided to split. So no games were played 1-1-1 tie.
Basically the Sideboard is now just answers to my specific meta. We have 1 control player, this the familars. The rest of the stuff is just for when I need to beef protection at the expense of attack power. Usually game 2. Lands are down 1. This deck can run smooth with just 3 lands in play, but it becomes hard to deal with at 4-6. Glare is for Elspeth, Boros Reckoner, and other nasty white perms.
@Tanro
I have to ask, because I have not bothered trying a W/U list that didn't run three drops, most notably Fabled Hero, how is a list of one and two drops working out for you, on the whole?
My experiences with W/U heroic builds was that more often then not, I was literally 1 turn off from lethal before my opponent made there game ending move. My deck needing to obtain its three drops to put power on the board could be the issue.
Edit: And the use of Ethereal Armor when most of your auras fall off after 1-2 turns feels weird to me... Just seems odd to run a card that requires you have enchants in play, when running so few, and half of them go away so quickly.
Now here is my Boros Heroic deck and it has done me well.
The only problem or concern i have had is Fanatic of Mogis, My thoughts were to replace him with Heliod or Purphoros. I just havent run into any copies of either of those to test it.
As for my strategy, i usually need to get Fabled Hero or Phalanx Leader. I then need an enabler of either Dragon Mantle (Prefered) or Ordeal of Purphoros. If i have one of these combos, then i can keep the hand if not id likely mulligan.
T1-Hopeful Eidolon
T2-Phalanx Leader or Ash Zealot
T3-Dragon Mantle on Phalanx leader triggering the heroic then if the mana is there pump to trigger the heroic multiple times again.
T3 Alt.- Fabled Hero
T4 From this point i just use what ever is at my disposal and reap havoc.
So i know this is a little odd and different from what others make but id like you to look over it and give me some critiques. Any are appreciated and will be taken in to account.
T3-Dragon Mantle on Phalanx leader triggering the heroic then if the mana is there pump to trigger the heroic multiple times again.
Dragon Mantle's activated ability does not trigger heroic, unless I missed something. Only a spell, on the stack, that targets a minion triggers heroic. Dragon Mantle, when it exists on the board, becomes a permanent and no longer being a spell, wont trigger heroic even if it targeted.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
If it looks like a bug, sounds like a bug, and acts like a bug then it's probably working as intended.
Dragon Mantle's activated ability does not trigger heroic, unless I missed something. Only a spell, on the stack, that targets a minion triggers heroic. Dragon Mantle, when it exists on the board, becomes a permanent and no longer being a spell, wont trigger heroic even if it targeted.
Your prob right now that i think about it. Its not a casted spell anymore when its equiped but i read somewhere about a conflicting play when its a triggered ability from the cost of mana that it does trigger the heroic. But i dont know, ill have to look into it some more. Thanks
Your prob right now that i think about it. Its not a casted spell anymore when its equiped but i read somewhere about a conflicting play when its a triggered ability from the cost of mana that it does trigger the heroic. But i dont know, ill have to look into it some more. Thanks
Nope, heroic is very explicit on this term. It only works when cards are casted, this means, you are about to play them. This means, even if the spell targeting a heroic creature is countered, the heroic still activates, and heroic always resolves first, and then the spell resolves. Triggered abilities are a totally different issue. Remember, a spell is a card on the stack.
@Tanro
I have to ask, because I have not bothered trying a W/U list that didn't run three drops, most notably Fabled Hero, how is a list of one and two drops working out for you, on the whole?
My experiences with W/U heroic builds was that more often then not, I was literally 1 turn off from lethal before my opponent made there game ending move. My deck needing to obtain its three drops to put power on the board could be the issue.
Edit: And the use of Ethereal Armor when most of your auras fall off after 1-2 turns feels weird to me... Just seems odd to run a card that requires you have enchants in play, when running so few, and half of them go away so quickly.
The thing is that all of my enchants that are not ordeals are 1 drops. All the heroic triggers in this deck are good enough to be worth 1 or 2 mana. Even if the aura falls off or is countered it was worth a single mana to trip heroic. Auras that stay on are sort of win more. Ethereal armor is good at 1 mana for first strike and 1/1 boost. Plus it trips heroic so thats gonna be at least another 1/1.
The 3 mana drops in u/w are sort of win more. If you're counting on them to win you need to fix that.
You need to be building heroic triggers nlt turn 3.
WU intends to win pretty fast, and usually there is no time for midrange, but it is still possible. Anyway, running two or three Fabled Hero isn't a bad deal, in case you get early wipes or anything. A single Fabled Hero with Aqueous Form can let you get through those last life points.
I've been thinking about taking a first shot at standard/FNM.
(1) I'm trying to stay budget.
(2) I know I want to do RW heroic (I have most of the cards, and I like it!)
(3) I want a flexible deck that can be aggro-ish, but can hold its own in the mid-game as well--which means it will tend to include more 3-drop creatures (which I think are key to this heroic build), and won't go above 8 1-drops.
(4) I'm not trying to make the most competitive deck in the world, but I would like a shot at doing decently at FNM!
I've been divided between God's Willing and Brave the Elements (which can protect more of my guys, provide alpha strikes, and which seems like its benefits will more likely outweigh the possibility of the single heroic trigger that God's Willing can provide--but I'm not 100% about that). Maybe 2 of each?
I'm also a little unsure on the total land/mountain-plains ratios, though I think where it's at is close to where it should be?
This is my Boros Heroic deck build almost entirely out of M14 and Theros cards (I was out of Magic during the RtR, GCrash, DMaze releases so I don't have many cards from those sets).
I have gotten to test it yet and I haven't settled on a sideboard but I feel like the Theros cards like Dauntless Onslaught which can target two creatures (and thus create two heroic triggers) seem pretty good in this archetype.
Am I running to many enchantments? Are the planeswalkers worth it? Should I break down and get the RtR block cards that I need (Boros Charm etc...)?
After FNM last week, I found I severely undervalued akroan crusader. with haste adds a lot of value. this is the staple one drop. I won a game against esper control with 1 mountain, I saw all 4 akroan crusaders and 3 coordinated assaults. turn by turn I wore him down.
I lost to rdw and big red with a 50% match win percent at the end of the night. fabled hero truly is epic, too often my opponents underestimated it and took damage that double and tripled, I ran 3 dragon mantle along with a set of coordinated assault, gods willing, and boros charm with a 2 of dauntless onslaught and flames of the firebrand in the side. i liked dauntless onslaught, it hit really really hard. i sided firebrand in against red and it wasn't enough. it does 2 for 1 against aggro, but enabling 2 triggers is enough when you come up 4/4.
Dragon mantle seemed like a great choice, but i'm not convinced now. rarely did i get the draw out of it. instant speed makes all the difference. I think i'll replace it with young pyromancer this week, a denser creature base would've helped this week i ran 22 creatures and 17 non with 22 lands for 61 cards, i think 25 creatures would be more solid and that's what im gonna try.
I intend to push boros charm to the sideboard this week, even though it's been a staple in my pre-rotation boros build, and it pushed through for a win 1 game this week it doesn't add as much threat or surprise as heroic enablers do. It was really there to survive supreme verdict and I didn't see many verdicts. Stormbreath Dragon is a huge threat and I haven't won a game where it lands. rdw I felt he just had a faster hand, but big red is our worst matchup IMO, we need more than brave the elements
One thing i need to know is how the triggers work. say i have akroan crusader and phalanx leader and cast coordinated assualt with the intention of creating a 2/2 haste. does the order i name the targets matter. because i read "when you cast" on the heroic trigger, so i would think its simultaneously. which would make me think that if i cast it on my turn i choose the order to stack the trigger. or do i have priority when i cast it on their turn? it's just a little confusing and i want to make sure i don't misplay it. this isn't your straightforward aggro deck, there is a bit of piloting to make it work.
I lost to rdw and big red with a 50% match win percent at the end of the night. fabled hero truly is epic, too often my opponents underestimated it and took damage that double and tripled, I ran 3 dragon mantle along with a set of coordinated assault, gods willing, and boros charm with a 2 of dauntless onslaught and flames of the firebrand in the side. i liked dauntless onslaught, it hit really really hard. i sided firebrand in against red and it wasn't enough. it does 2 for 1 against aggro, but enabling 2 triggers is enough when you come up 4/4.
One thing i need to know is how the triggers work. say i have akroan crusader and phalanx leader and cast coordinated assualt with the intention of creating a 2/2 haste. does the order i name the targets matter. because i read "when you cast" on the heroic trigger, so i would think its simultaneously. which would make me think that if i cast it on my turn i choose the order to stack the trigger. or do i have priority when i cast it on their turn? it's just a little confusing and i want to make sure i don't misplay it. this isn't your straightforward aggro deck, there is a bit of piloting to make it work.
Remember that, if you trigger multiple heroics, they all go in the stack, they have priority right after you cast the spell targetting them, and since it is simultaneous, you choose which one resolves first and which one resolves later. This is: If you want to have your hasty 2/2, you first put phalanx heroic in stack, and then the crusader one; by so, crusader resolves first, putting the 1/1, and then the phalanx resolves, making it 2/2.
- What is Wx Heroics?
It is an archetype that heavily focuses on heroic creatures and heroic enablers (instants, auras, sorceries) in order to kill the opponent as fast as possible with big creatures, usually with combat tricks.
- How does heroic work?
*Heroic activates each time you cast a spell targeting one of your creatures with heroic. It is put in the stack right after your spell, which means, heroic trigger will resolve first, and then your spell.
*It only works with your own spells, and a multiple-heroic-enabler (like Martial Glory) only triggers once per creature, even you target the same creature twice.
*Abilities don't trigger heroic, only auras, sorceries and instants on the stack targeting a creature (bestow also counts).
*Remember, since it activates when you CAST, it doesn't matter if they counter the spell, since you already targeted the creature, so the heroic activates anyway, which makes it a more powerful ability.
- Why Wx?
Wx because almost all heroic decks follow a white core, which consists of:
That makes 16 staples for our deck, from here, you can splash another color to get variants from it, being blue and red the most favorite ones, or even being monowhite.
- Why would I play this kind of deck?
Play it if:
- You like quick victories.
- Like aggro strategies, but want to stand a chance at mid-game too.
- You think heroes are pretty cool.
- You want a standard deck that can be played almost with the same build for this and the next standard rotation.
- You like tricky combat strategies or little fellows becoming fierce powerhouses.
Don't play it if:
- You prefer slow-paced decks
- You worry about spending a lot of spells on some creatures because the 2-1 trades.
- You don't want to test something fresh and new.
- Your normal aggro works better for you, less thinking.
- What do each color grants me?
Monowhite is the one with more stable manabases, lets you play 4 Mutavault without screwing up your mana. Imposing Sovereign, Prescinct Captain and Boros Elite are good options to fill the deck with creatures, while Brave the Elements works incredibly well here. Celestial Flare also helps out against those giant creatures.
Example decklist:
20 Plains
4 Mutavault
Creatures(27)
4 Hopeful Eidolon
4 Soldier of the Pantheon
4 Nyxborn Shieldmate
4 Hero of Iroas
4 Phalanx Leader
3 Tethmos High Priest
4 Eidolon of Countless Battles
2 Spear of Heliod
Spells(5)
3 Gods Willing
2 Launch the Fleet
Planeswalkers(2)
2 Ajani, Caller of the Pride
3 Banishing Light
3 Rootborn Defenses
3 Imposing Sovereign
2 Brave the Elements
2 Swift Justice
2 Deicide
Blue gives access to Battlewise Hoplite (main reason to splash blue) and Artisan of Forms, as well as Triton Fortune Hunter which seems pretty cool to play against midrange or control after a wipe. Hidden Strings and Triton Tactics are cards to heavily consider, Gridlock and Aqueous Form are good enablers and finishers too. In Nyx, we got access to two really powerful creatures: Sage of Hours and Battlefield Thaumaturge, which make for some very awesome builds, and the ability to abuse of extra turns.
Example Decklist:
9 Plains
4 Island
4 Hallowed Fountain
4 Temple of Enlightenment
Creatures(24)
4 Favored Hoplite
4 Sage of Hours
4 Battlefield Thaumaturge
4 Battlewise Hoplite
4 Fabled Hero
4 Eidolon of Countless Battles
3 Gods Willing
2 Hidden Strings
2 Glimpse the Sun God
3 Launch the Fleet
Enchantments(5)
2 Detention Sphere
3 Aqueous Form
2 Detention Sphere
2 Revoke Existence
3 Negate
1 Essence Scatter
1 Gods Willing
1 Glimpse the Sun God
3 Hopeful Eidolon
2 Deicide
Red makes more explosive decks, Akroan Crusader, Akroan Hoplite and Anax and Cymede are the cards you want for this color (crusader in case you're looking for some turbo swarming strategy), even Young Pyromancer is incredibly useful in here, with its token generation skills. Titan's Strength, Dragon Mantle, Madcap Skills, Martial Glory, Coordinated Assault and Flames of the Firebrand are all excellent heroic enablers, Flames being able to trigger up to three heroics. Now they have access to Iroas, God of Victory, an excellent finisher when you need to drain those last points of life, with your opponent with little to do against it.
I must say that this kind of deck has a T3 kill with some consistency. it is:
T1: Plains + Favored Hoplite
T2: Mountain + Madcap Skills, attack for 5
T3: Land + Titan's Strength/Coordinated Assault/Dynacharge/Swift Justice + Boros Charm/Armed // Dangerous, attack for 16+.
Example Decklist:
4 Sacred Foundry
4 Mana Confluence
5 Mountain
7 Plains
Creatures(26)
4 Favored Hoplite
4 Soldier of the Pantheon
4 Satyr Hoplite
4 Nyxborn Rollicker
4 Phalanx Leader
4 Eidolon of Countless Battles
2 Iroas, God of Victory
4 Titan's Strength
4 Boros Charm
2 Coordinated Assault
2 Launch the Fleet
Enchantments(2)
2 Chained to the Rocks
3 Boros Elite
3 Imposing Sovereign
2 Gods Willing
2 Banishing Light
1 Martial Glory
2 Banishing Priest
2 Flames of the Firebrand
Black is for a more controlling and resilant deck. Tormented Hero is a possibility for aggro builds, although not that good in other type of decks, but Agent of the Fates is definitely a fearsome creature, which not only has deathtouch, but can convert all your heroic enablers into Diabolic Edicts. Pain Seer gives card advantage in colors which have easy ways to gain life again, while Herald of Torment is one of the best bestow creatures out there, working as a finisher. Boon of Erebos and Orzhov Charm are pretty versatile and help your creatures to don't die so easily, Athreos, God of Passage is arguably, the best god in all Theros, and aggro builds totally benefit with his presence, making your dying creatures into Lightning Bolts or reusable resources.
Example decklist:
4 Godless Shrine
3 Temple of Silence
3 Mana Confluence
5 Plains
5 Swamp
Creatures (30)
2 Hopeful Eidolon
3 Favored Hoplite
4 Tormented Hero
4 Gnarled Scarhide
4 Hero of Iroas
3 Pain Seer
4 Eidolon of Countless Battles
3 Herald of Torment
3 Athreos, God of Passage
4 Ethereal Armor
Spells(6)
3 Gods Willing
3 Orzhov Charm
1 Hopeful Eidolon
2 Thoughtseize
3 Sin Collector
3 Fiendslayer Paladin
4 Banishing Light
2 Gift of Orzhova
Finally green, which sadly doesn't have cheap heroic creatures, except for Hero of Leyna Tower and Setessan Oathsworn; being Anthousa, Setessan Hero, Centaur Battlemaster and Staunch-Hearted Warrior its heroic creatures, they go better in mid-range decks, along with Mystic Elf and Sylvan Caryatid. By other hand, their heroic enablers are pretty good, having Warriors' Lesson, Pit Fight, Giant Growth,Feral Invocation, Alpha Authority and Unflinching Courage among others. It is a nice color pallet to play auras since many creatures have heroic, so is safe to make some moves than other colors have troubles with.
Example Decklist:
4 Temple of Plenty
4 Temple Garden
4 Mana Confluence
5 Forest
3 Plains
Creatures(22)
4 Hero of Leina Tower
4 Gladecover Scout
4 Bassara Tower Archer
4 Hero of Iroas
3 Fabled Hero
3 Eidolon of Countless Battles
4 Ethereal Armor
4 Unflinching Courage
Enchantments(3)
3 Banishing Light
Spells(4)
1 Selesnya Charm
3 Gods Willing
Planeswalkers(2)
2 Ajani, Mentor of Heroes
2 Selesnya Charm
3 Skylasher
4 Voice of Resurgence
2 Hopeful Eidolon
2 Hunter's Prowess
2 Pithing Needle
As you can see, decks can be really diverse, and they can go either with swarming and combat tricks, or auras on a single almighty creature. Tricolored decks are possible, but more probable in mid-game decks rather than aggro ones, so is better to stay in 2 colors, or even monowhite.
- How many copies of X card shall I use?
That totally depends of how you expect to win, and the consistency of drawing this card. I sometimes suggest an amount of copies, but it is better if you can figure it out by yourself. To know how many copies of X card, think it like this.
4 copies - "I want to draw this card on my first turns in almost every match. I don't mind having multiples of this in my initial hand or first turns"
3 copies - " I like to have this card really early on game, but having a single one will suffice"
2 copies - "The effect is awesome, but I need certain board presence or board status to make it work well. Having more than one in hand will trouble me a little"
1 copy - "The nasty effect is an endgamer or changes the board dramatically for sure, but I will be in trouble if I draw more than one of this, because it will be a dead draw. I will be happy if I ocassionally draw this"
0 copies - "I love this card so much that I prefer to keep it on my collection rather than play it.
- Show me some of the cards I would like to use to build my deck
Sure sure, don't hesitate. I am separating the cmc spells with colors as well, since there are many options to play with. Which makes this a somehow long primer.
Creatures
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1cmc
[SPOILER]
W
Favored Hoplite: Staple, it helps you to kill in 3-4 turns.
Soldier of the Pantheon: Sideboard option or if you need 12 1cmc creatures, it can work pretty well.
Boros Elite: Good to fill your 8-12 1cmc creatures, use with discretion.
Nyxborn Shieldmate: Good in swarming decks, monowhite and those who attempt to abuse of Ethereal Armor and Eidolon of Countless Battles. If your colors doesn't have another decent bestow creature, this one can fit well.
B
Tormented Hero: Usually is just a 2/1 with free extorts on your spells you play on him. Still questionable but can be used as well.
R
Akroan Crusader: Red Staple in aggro swarm style, along with Phalanx Leader you can make some ridiculous armies.
Firedrinker Satyr: 2/1 with dragonbreath, also good in weenie strategies.
Legion Loyalist: Most seen as a spell rather than creature, it enables the alpha strike needed to win or change the board state.
Nyxborn Rollicker: Excellent 1 mana creature. It has the cheapest bestow out there, making it really easy to activate a heroic from other creature. Highly recommended either for aggro or voltron, not so much on 1-creature blitz tactics.
G
Elvish Mystic: Needed to ramp into your green heroic creatures.
Gladecover Scout: Green staple if you're using an aura-like strategy, this one has proven its value already.
Hero of Leina Tower: How good this card can be? Don't confuse her, this is not a T1 play, but a midgame strategy, since you'll need some spare mana to make heroic work on her. You can play T1 if you have ways to buff her and protect her at the same time, so she can deal the final blow with any 1-2 mana spell and use the leftovers for the win. Needs some testing, though...
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Judge's Familiar: Sideboard option against control decks, so they take an extra turn to kill your creatures.
Dryad Militant: Another 2/1 for 1 mana, they aren't bad in swarm tactics.
Nivmagus Elemental: Staple. This one has awesome synergy with the instants, so you can counter them to get two +1/+1 counters on this guy.
Blistercoil Weird: It has certain synergy with all your instants too.
Rakdos Cackler: 2/2 for 1 mana, sure, why not?
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2cmc
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W
Cavalry Pegasus: Very playable card which will give flying to all your humans for direct damage.
Fencing Ace: With all the pumps your deck has, Fencing Ace can deal severe damage, even if he isn't heroic.
Imposing Sovereign: Staple for mono-white, and/or sideboard against aggro.
Keening Apparition: Sideboard option if the opponent likes to use Whip of Erebos, Detention Sphere and so.
Phalanx Leader: Staple. Always run 4 of it.
Precinct Captain: Staple in mono-white decks. Plays pretty well with Phalanx Leader.
*Hero of Iroas: Definitely the new and hottest staple heroic has to offer. It makes bestow a more friendly keyword, making voltron builds easier to achieve as well. Is a really good bear for heroics.
Vanguard of Brimaz: Decent card which works as an Akroan Hoplite, but the red card is better in my opinion.
B
Pain Seer: Testing has proven out that this card is really good in heroics. It gives the card advantage you need, good against midrange and control, really bad against aggro. In orzhov builds, it is really easy to make life so the punishment doesn't matter.
Spiteful Returned: A decent bestow ability that will guarantee your opponent will lose 2 life each time it attacks. Use it as a deck filler or in aggro strategies.
U
Artisan of Forms: Semi-staple, can be your 5-8 Phalanx Leader or copy an opponent's one too.
Tidebinder Mage: Sideboard option against naya, gruul, big red and so.
Meletis Astronomer: This card seems very interesting to build around, making some card advantage in the process. Unfortunately, it has a very poor attack to be considered playing.
Mindreaver: Avoid this card at all cost, it doesn't give any kind of advantage unless your opponent is almost decking out, otherwise is not even worth a shot.
R
Akroan Hoplite: Very playable if you are swarming in deck. With Anax and Cymede or Legion Loyalist is where it trully shines.
Arena Athlete: Questionable use, not recommended.
Ash Zealot: If you can afford the two-red on turn 2, use it.
Firefist Striker: In swarm tactics, this one goes well too.
Young Pyromancer: Really usable and abusable. It gives more value to your spells.
Everflame Eidolon: A cool firebreathing ability on a cheap bestowing creature. This card can work well in boros heroic, or even try to achieve a monored version of this as a finisher. Not really suggested but is worth a shot.
G
Sylvan Caryatid: If you need to mana-ramp, look no more.
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Battlewise Hoplite: Staple and main reason to splash blue.
High Priest of Penance: It has certain evasion, so it is a nice target for your heroics or auras too.
Rakdos Shred-Freak: Hasty dudes are always nice. It is still fragile.
Voice of Resurgence: Staple in this colors.
Fleecemane Lion: If you're pretending to go auras and have nice mana ramping, this one gets good enough.
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3cmc
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W
Fabled Hero: Staple. Running 3-4 is a must.
Fiendslayer Paladin: Staple for mono-white and auras, sideboard if the opponent has tons of burn or black killing spells.
Wingsteed Rider: Its only advantage is that it flies. Slow to play.
Brimaz, King of Oreskos: An amazing card that also fits well in some heroic builds, along Phalanx Leader or Anax and Cymede. I really like this one for monowhite aggro variant.
Eidolon of Countless Battles: One of the hottest cards BotG has to offer us. This little dude works noy only as Ethereal Armor #5-8, but as a bulky creature that works no matter if we're aiming for voltron, surprise or aggro style. Its bestow is also very competent, staple 3-4.
Ghostblade Eidolon: Use it only if you don't have Fabled Hero in your deck, and only two of this. Works better in voltron builds to deal the finishing blow.
U
Triton Fortune Hunter: Pretty cool card, helps you to get more fuel in case you need it. Allows your aggro to compete in mid-game later.
Wavecrash Triton: Better ability than Arena Athlete, nice wall but still questionable.
B
Agent of the Fates: Staple, run 4. This is why you're using black after all.
Lifebane Zombie: Sideboard against many decks, it also has evasion, so is not a dead draw.
Mogis's Marauder: The alpha strike creature, if your deck is quick enough.
Xathrid Necromancer: Sideboard option if your opponent likes to board wipe.
Ashiok's Adept: A heroic ability intended to counter control decks. Use this if you don't have access to Sin Collector.
Herald of Torment: Another amazing addition to heroic. This is a really great creature, or a very impacting bestow, people will fear everytime you play this little dude, I have gotten many victories thanks to him, so don't understimate this powerhouse which increase your creature numbers, as well as heroic enablers.
Odunos River Trawler: It is worth a mention for voltron/aura builds, because it can mean a 1-2 card advantage if used properly. Not bad indeed, but may need some testing first.
R
Flamespeaker Adept: Powerful enough if your kind of deck scries a lot.
Guttersnipe: Can help you reach those last lifepoints needed to win.
G
Wild Beastmaster: With Phalanx Leader and all those combat tricks, this creature can become something and deal the final blow.
Witchstalker: If you're going for aura style, this is a staple.
Setessan Oathsworn: This is a card that had to be shown up in Theros first. It is mana friendly, and it inflates pretty quickly, which can be a good reason to play Gx heroic, along another cool sorcery that came up in this expansion.
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Boros Reckoner: Gets nice in mono-white and boros, Boros Reckoner is hard to ignore.
Daxos of Meletis: The equivalent of Fabled Hero, Anax and Cymede and Agent of the Fates for blue/white. Sure, he doesn't have heroic, but he doesn't mind. In a metagame full of scry, he just messes up with the opponent's arranged draws, and it also has the chance to give you free lands! Play it as Nightveil Specter which can make you gain life too.
Nivix Cyclops: If your mana allows it, Nivix Cyclops has great sinergy with this kind of deck. It will just pump a lot in the process too.
Cryptborn Horror: You're dealing tons of damage in a single turn, so this card can be very playable.
Sin Collector: Sideboard control disruption.
Anax and Cymede: Staple in boros type decks.
Chronicler of Heroes: It could be useful in aggro builds, fueling you more.
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4+cmc
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R
Oracle of Bones: This is a card I particularry like a lot for heroic aggro with combat tricks. Either you unleash a 5/3 hasty dude or a 3/1 hasty and a free spell is awesome for you, this is a very nice endgame card that must be considered.
Akroan Conscriptor: Really mediocre card, comes out pretty late in game, and very occassional. It really needed haste in order to be any decent but no.
G
Staunch-Hearted Warrior: Although its heroic is awesome, it is too slow to put down. It needs Alpha Authority to stand a chance.
Centaur Battlemaster: Tons of counters, but really slow to get into the field. Same case as the warrior.
Anthoussa, Setessan Hero: Her cmc makes her really questionable, but it could find a home in some mana-ramping heroic deck.
WUBRG
Chromanticore: I had to add it, LOL. I don't think you'll ever play this but it could be put in a really fun themed deck.
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Heroic Enablers
[SPOILER]
1cmc
[SPOILER]
W
Gods Willing: Staple. Run four of this beauty, enabling for direct attack or protect from removal.
Swift Justice: Staple in white decks, and works as sideboard against aggro.
Glimpse the Sun God: White Gridlock with Scry as an added bonus, it could be useful as sideboard for aggro decks.
U
Gridlock: Super heroic enabler, activates in many creatures, or you can tap all blockers, or do both.
Mizzium Skin: Staple in blue, 2-4 will work. Extra protection for your creatures is always welcome.
Triton Tactics: Combat trick that will instant make unexpected blockers. Recommended
Retraction Helix: This works as a limited boomerang which can activate a heroic. Not recommended, though...
B
Boon of Erebos: Combat trick and regenerating spell, totally useful, staple.
R
Coordinated Assault: Cheap two-heroic enabler, will make you kill anything blocked almost all time. Staple
Dynacharge: Either going for heroic or the alpha strike, 2 of these are fine.
Spark Jolt: Can be used as heroic enabler too, or to kill a weenie.
Titan's Strength: Staple 4. Max out your attacks with this beauty, which also scries.
G
Hunt the Hunter: Sideboard against naya/gruul, cheap removal and triggers heroic.
Burst of Strength: Combat trick which works pretty well either offensively or defensively.
Giant Growth: One of the best combat tactics in any format. Staple 4.
Mending Touch: Need more regeneration instants? Take this.
Mutant's Prey: Really cheap removal if your creatures are big enough.
Warriors' Lesson: Staple. Enabling heroics and let you draw is awesome indeed.
Ranger's Guile: Staple 4. Hexproof is simply important.
Aspect of Hydra: This is an interesting card, which can work as a finisher in some decks, but heavily relies on green permanents.
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Bioshift: Semi-Staple. Excellent combat trick allowing your unblocked creature to deal serious damage. It also targets two creatures, so that makes it worthier.
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2cmc
[SPOILER]
W
Aerial Maneuver: As a finisher, it works great. Suggested on monowhite, because other colors have better stuff than this.
Battlewise Valor: Scry 1 is what makes this card a good one.
Show of Valor: +2/+4 is not that bad, but there are better things out there.
Acolyte's Reward: Really occassional, but this can work as a sudden game winner. Not really recommended.
Revoke Existence: Staple 2 in sideboard, this tool works great against monoblack devotion and some other decks out there.
U
Hands of Binding: Keep a blocker tapped and continue attacking.
Hidden Strings: Staple 4 which just activates ridiculous amounts of heroics and pseudo-vigilance.
Voyage's End: You may save one of your creatures. It works great on Phalanx Leader, Triton Fortune Hunter and Agent of the Fates. It also scries.
Stratus Walk: This card is interesting indeed. paired up with a Hero of Iroas is like a Quicken cantrip which gives flying to your creature, not bad at all, and probably this can work very well for azorius heroics.
R
Fall of the Hammer: Nice sideboard option to kill creatures while activating heroics, better than Pit Fight indeed.
Thunderous Might This can work well along Madcap Skills and something else. An Ash Zealot would be dealing 4 damage next turn (for 6 by turn 3). Another interesting, yet needed of testing, card.
G
Pythoburst: +5/+5 is impressive on turn 2 if there aren't blockers nearby. A good reason to splash green.
Savage Surge: Combat trick, you may get rid of an attacker or just deal a nice hit and have pseudo-vigilance.
Mortal's Resolve: Another great addition from BotG, giving green more resilance even than black, making selesnya/naya/bant builds a possibility.
Unravel the AEther: Don't have white for Revoke Existence? Try this one instead
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Azorius Charm: Staple 4. Lifelink and rescuer in the same card, also removes an opponent attacker.
Boros Charm: Staple 4. Protects your creatures, makes a deadly double strike or finish up the last 4 life points of your opponent.
Simic Charm: Staple 4. Giant Growth, protects creatures and saves or bounces creatures too.
Warped Physique: I consider it a staple 4. Your fortified creatures won't die from its drawback, but opponent's ones will likely do. Utility card.
Golgari Charm: Sideboard against enchantment builds or weenies. It also protects, which is awesome.
Orzhov Charm: Staple 4 in auras-based decks. Kills creatures, saves your creature and all its auras, or revives a Favored Hoplite. Awesome card indeed.
Teleportal: Staple 2. Cool finisher with either one or all your creatures.
Pit Fight: I may say this is staple 2 main. Kills blockers and grows up your own creatures.
Aurelia's Fury: Questionable use, needs 1 more mana than Gridlock, but has another relevant ability. Worth the try.
Dramatic Rescue: Bouncer or saver. Depending your deck, it can be a nice addition or not.
Martial Glory: Very recommended card, either 2-4. One of the best heroic enablers out there.
[/SPOILER]
3cmc
[SPOILER]
W
Dauntless Onslaught: Decent enabler, if you can't get something better, pack 3 or 4 of these.
Sunbond: White has many ways to gain life right now, in form of Hopeful Eidolon, Fiendslayer Paladin, Gift of Orzhova and Unflinching Courage. This card comboes pretty well with all of those spells. A Fabled Hero with Gift of Orzhova and this attached will result in ridiculous scenarios where, first hit is by 4, get 4 +1/+1 counters, second hit by 8, add 8 +1/+1 counters. RESULT: You dealt 12 damage and you have a 16/16 flying/lifelink/double strike dude. TAKE THAT, AKROMA!
U
Fated Infatuation: This card would have been pretty amazing if it weren't because its blue-expensive cost. It first triggers the heroic, and then makes a copy of the creature, giving you a triggered hero and a new copy of that hero (without the counters, of course).
B
Necrobite: It had a good ability, but is mana-expensive. Use Boon of Erebos at all cost.
R
Flames of the Firebrand: Best heroic enabler in my opinion. It is a swiss army knife too, so staple 4.
G
Time to Feed: Get some life and kill creatures. Pit Fight is still better anyway.
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Give // Take: A curious card which can pump a creature a lot, or make you draw like nuts, in case you need more fuel.
Protect // Serve: This card has multiple purpouses, but there are better things to do with that mana IMO.
Common Bond: Selesnya builds can be happy using this combat trick, more counters for your creatures.
Dragonshift: Can this card be something serious? I say it can. 4/4 with evasion, additionally all the counters it has is a cool finisher, either as heroic enabler or as global.
[/SPOILER]
4cmc
[SPOILER]
B
Cutthorat Maneuver: Very expensive enabler, and it doesn't do so much either. Avoid it.
G
Chorus of Might: Seems more like a weenies finisher, but it is still too expensive. I would not recommend it, but there it is.
Hunt the Weak: Expensive removal spell, there are better options out there.
Hunter's Prowess: This is another excellent reason to play green. Not only replenishes your hand, but your creature gets a Giant Growth and trample at the same time. Either as a finisher or a way to replenish your hand.
Mischief and Mayhem Had to mention since it activates 2 heroes and gives +4/+4 each, shutting down most of the games when played correctly. Still, not something I'm bought to.
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Armed // Dangerous: Both sides are awesome on heroics, I may say that you can target the same creature with both and gain double the counter. And both sides work alone pretty well too.
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Auras
[SPOILER]
1cmc
[SPOILER]
W
Ethereal Armor: Staple 4 in aura decks.
U
Aqueous Form: Awesome card, makes your creature unblockable and scry each time it hits.
B
Deviant Glee: Gives nice buff with only one mana. Very recommended.
R
Dragon Mantle: Firebreathing effect and replaces itself. Awesome in monored and boros builds.
Messenger's Speed: Gives some evasion and hasty. You can give it a try.
G
Forced Adaptation: You'll inflate your creature each turn, not that impressive but it is still there.
[/SPOILER]
2cmc
[SPOILER]
W
Blessing: Better than just firebreathing, monowhite decks can use all their extra mana in making more damage.
Chosen by Heliod: Replaces itself and gives extra 2 defense. Good if you're willing to trigger heroic a lot.
Ordeal of Heliod: At the end, it will give you 10 life. Not that awesome.
U
Agoraphobia: Honorable mention, since it could be abusable and is versatile. You can experiment with it.
Fate Foretold: Self-replazable, although it is not like you intend to use its second ability.
Ordeal of Thassa: Draw two cards when it reaches 3, not bad, and it could be a nice drawing engine.
B
Dark Favor: Nice in aura builds.
Ordeal of Erebos: Could be sideboarded against control, you may manage to get a big advantage with this. Needs more testing.
Scourgemark: Honorable mention. Giving +´1 power and self-replacing are nice abilities on this one. Try it and enjoy, for me is a staple.
R
Madcap Skills: Awesome buff and evasion, have a sideboard 3-4 of these.
Ordeal of Purphoros: Questionable use, not so good ability in constructed.
Pursuit of Flight: Decent buff and chance of evasion. You may give it a try, but there are better things out there.
G
Alpha Authority: Needed in aura builds to prevent your creature to be killed easily. Staple 3-4
Ordeal of Nylea: One of the few things that allow to ramp in standard right now. It works well with your early drops.
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3cmc
[SPOILER]
G
Feral Invocation: Aura that also works as a combat trick. Nice one indeed.
Trollhide: Gives decent stats and regeneration, not bad at all. Sideboard against control.
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Gift of Orzhova: Staple 4. All aura builds need this one.
Unflinching Courage: Another staple 4 in aura builds.
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Enchantment Creature (costs by bestow)
[SPOILER]
4cmc
[SPOILER]
W
Hopeful Eidolon: 1 mana creature with relevant ability. I consider it staple 4.
B
Nighthowler: Depending the deck, this card works well with other creature removals. He and Agent of the Fates are best bros.
G
Leafcrown Eidolon: Decent stats, cheap bestow and has reach. It is a nice card anyway for green builds.
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5cmc (from here, suggested for heavy builds or midrange only)
[SPOILER]
W
Observant Alseid: Vigilance can be something in midrange, having nice defense and offensive.
U
Nimbus Naiad: This must be seen as a finisher to deal the final blow.
B
Baleful Eidolon: It can protect us early, but his stat buff are very little. It is better as a creature rather than aura.
G
Boon Satyr: Its flashy, and it gives a lot of attack. Awesome aura indeed with combat trick.
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6cmc
[SPOILER]
U
Thassa's Emissary: Not bad, but not good either.
B
Cavern Lampad: Too expensive for its use. Not suggested either.
Erebos's Emissary: In certain builds, this card can work well, emptying your hand for victory.
R
Spearpoint Oread: Bad card indeed.
G
Nylea's Emissary: Not that good, better on limited.
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7cmc
[SPOILER]
W
Celestial Archon: Decent as a creature, and works as a finisher when attached to a creature. Only if your manabase allows it.
Heliod's Emissary: Another bad card.
R
Purphoros's Emissary: The buff and ability are nice, but very expensive. Not recommended.
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Manabases
[SPOILER]Mutavault: Staple 2-4 depending your amount of colors. Monocolored shall run 4 while dual and tri-colored only 2.
Shocklands: Always 4 of each one needed.
Scrylands: Only work well in aura and mid-game builds, not suggested in aggro.
In average, almost all fast heroic decks must contain 22 lands, or 24 in case of monocolored (because the 4 Mutavault). Auras can go without mutavaults, and focus on 22-24 lands depending the costs.[/SPOILER]
Utility Cards
Everyone asked for it, so here we come.
[SPOILER]
W
[SPOILER]
Rootborn Defenses: This card comes in handy for global protection against wipes.
Glare of Heresy: Exiling a white PERMANENT is very useful, it can remove even Elspeth.
Brave the Elements: Best wipe protection for white decks, or decks with many white creatures. Also works as a combat trick or finisher. One mana is what makes it so awesome.
Celestial Flare: Best intended against mirror or auras decks, because they usually have hexproof or protections of any kind. This one ignores them all.
Silence: This is another cool option for the finisher attack, you just cast it in the unkeep when you consider (or are afraid of) your opponent to throw Anger of the Gods or Supreme Verdict, so you get the win.
Blind Obedience: Obviously this is intended against aggro decks, this one works better for midrange strategy decks.
Rest in Peace: Against graveyard shenanigans of course, it converts those Spellheart Chimera in flying walls.
Spear of Heliod: Glorious Anthem v2.0, now with kill-an-aggro-creature feature. It works well in swarm tactics.
Sphere of Safety: Great sideboard in auras deck. It can stop sereval aggro decks, including RDW. Although this is an expensive enchantment, for those decks is almost impossible to get rid of this card, which would make the opponent to instantly forfeit in some matches.
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U
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Anul: Cheap counter against gods or aura-oriented decks.
Dispel: Best used against red or black control, since they use many instants to remove creatures.
Voyage's End: Better option that Cyclonic Rift since it enables us to save a creature too, and maybe activate some relevant heroic at the same time.
Negate: Works against any removal or wipe but Abrupt Decay and Supreme Verdict
[/SPOILER]
B
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Illnes in the Ranks: Maybe if a strong token-themed deck appears, let's not forget this one exists.
Duress: Useful sideboard against control decks. They get one less removal against us.
Thoughtseize: Definitely an overpowered version of Duress, it goes well even in mainboard because it targets everything but lands. You must consider to either use this or Sin Collector.
Dark Betrayal: Self-explanatory. It does what Doom Blade can't.
Doom Blade: One of the best removals out there.
Hero's Downfall: More destruction, planeswalkers included.
Whip of Erebos: This one will save us from being killed against aggro, also recycles our dead creatures. Not bad indeed, but maybe heroics isn't the best deck for it.
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R
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Burning Earth: Best sideboard option against multicolored midrange/control decks. 4 is a must.
Act of Treason: Best against midrange, you just take away their blocker and you gain an attacker. For the win.
Mizzium Mortars: Another removal, you will barely use the overload, but there it is too.
Vandalblast: It can come in handy against whip decks, since red doesn't have enchantment removal, but if you're splashing white.
Lightning Strike: Works as removal or finisher.
Magma Jet: I like having 3-4 of these babies. Scry 2 is very relevant, and can kill a wide variety of creatures against aggro. Works as finisher too.
Massive Raid: If you usually flood the field fast, this card can be a nice finisher, but don't rely on it too much.
Shock: Cheap and instant.
Skullcrack: It works pretty well even against random lifegainers or Sphinx' Revelation. Very recommended.
[/SPOILER]
G
[SPOILER]
Fog: Your deck is slow and theirs is too fast? Try 4 of these.
Naturalize: Self-explanatory. Remember it exists if the metagame gets flooded with enchantments.
Savage Summoning: Nice against control decks, if you can put down your creature, they are almost screwed up unless they have wrath-effect cards too.
Bramblecrush: Mainly against annoying planeswalkers, whips and so.
Fade into Antiquity: Naturalize v2.0, totally enhanced but more expensive. Mainly used against gods.
Serene Remembrance: If reanimator happens, this controls them a little.
Bow of Nylea: Your opponent will be less likely to block your creatures, so you can keep using combat trick shenanigans. It also mumps your creatures and many other abilities you'll probably never use. You can give it a shot.
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MULTICOLORED
[SPOILER]
Chained to the Rocks: Sideboard option in boros decks, exiling creature for one mana is always awesome. Highly suggested.
Far // Away: Can bounce one of your creatures, or remove a blocker, or two
Sundering Growth: Naturalize v2.5, nice if you have tokens on the field.
Detention Sphere: It can remove almost anything, good against mid-range.
Dreadbore: It will kill no matter the color, so that makes it worthy.
Flesh // Blood: Flesh sucks but, Blood is what is awesome here. Great finisher because we usually end up with a 5/x creature or more. If you're playing naya heroics, I highly suggest this one.
[/SPOILER]
[/SPOILER]
- Some tips about mulligan?
This decks usually work with 3 mana, you will barely need more than that. So, opening a hand with 3 lands is just great, then, try to always have a creature or two in hand, this is very important.
A hand with two lands is kind of risky, but if you also have two treaths and the rest in spells, it can work well if those spells and creatures can land with 2 mana only. Remember, you're amining for victories on turn 4-5, and sometimes even on turn 3!
It is important to always have a creature in hand, and in case it is only one creature, it must be a low-mana one (three mana won't work, mulligan)
- And the matches?
[SPOILER]VS Black Devotion
[SPOILER]Many removals, and some of them don't target (making to sacrifice). Green has the best match here, since many creatures have hexproof, while others have to pack many protections, regenerations or indestructibility. You must get faster to win this match, and be careful with Whip of Erebos, or they will regain terrain in no time. Hard match but possible to win.
[SPOILER]VS RG Monsters
[SPOILER]WE luckily have many spells to increase our creatures size so Sylvan Caryatid becomes useless as defense. Be careful of random black splash for Abrupt Decay, and kill Domri Rade if you see it, otherwise the opponent will start to wipe. Speed + combat tricks are highly suggested, and the aura builds also have a preference in here. Heroic have a little advantage over these decks.
[SPOILER]VS Monored aggro
[SPOILER]As always, this is a racematch, but luckily we have some lifelink spells on our deck, which will help us a lot to regain health, very important in here. Burns can be easily prevented with Gods Willing, and our creatures will become bigger than theirs. When they start up defending, we already won. Not a hard match at all.[/SPOILER]
VS Big Red
[SPOILER]Burn decks are easy to beat with heroics, their burn become worthless early on with some heroic triggers. They don't put down many creatures at the beginning, so Madcap Skills is a nice choice against them. Brave the Elements is a must, and can also let us attack ignoring their Boros Reckoner[/SPOILER]
VS Grixis Control
[SPOILER]This could be a tough match. Protection and indestructible effects will come in handy here, just watch out for Far // Away. Luckily they don't have that many counters so, once you land a creature, you can outmatch the deck's burn with many heroic triggers.[/SPOILER]
VS Gruul Midrange
[SPOILER]First turns they lay Elvish Mystic and Sylvan Caryatid. By turn 2 we must be able to attack and kill a caryatid if they defend with it. Watch out for Domri Rade, because he is intended to kill our creatures with the beasties. Expect tons of red burn (including Lightning Strike and Anger of the Gods on second game. Tune your deck to kill as fast as possible, and with decent protection against this one.[/SPOILER]
VS The Rock
[SPOILER]They have many destroy spells, so get your protections and indestructible effects on game 2-3. Sylvan Caryatid is a very early defense and Desecration Demon could be a menace here, since we don't have flyers at all. We will need many triggers on this match in order to win.[/SPOILER]
VS Izzet Burn/Control
[SPOILER]Relatively easy match, if you know what you're doing. Don't just throw a creature and pass, it will surely get burnt before you can play anything on it. Make sure you have enough mana to buff your creature, so burn doesn't kill it. Once you have it in more than 5 defense, this will be easy. Watch out from counters on your creatures, bounces and Curse of the Swine[/SPOILER]
VS Azorius Control
[SPOILER]In Construction...[/SPOILER]
VS Esper Control
[SPOILER]A hard match indeed, Esper Control has proven to be a fearsible control deck. We need to kill fast, but protect a lot in order to win. Aggro style must take all enablers and buffers possible, and some global protection too. Luckily you don't lose so much if they counter your heroic enablers, since you put the +1/+1 counters anyway, but expect many board wipes or removals too, being sac the most dangerous one among them, since there is no real answer against that (but bouncing the creatures)[/SPOILER]
VS Boros Aggro
[SPOILER]They can come either as a weenies deck, or as a mirror match. In case against weenies, lifegain abilities work pretty well, as well as hexproof/protection (in case of Chained to the Rocks) unless you're running heroic aggro too.[/SPOILER]
VS Monowhite Aggro
[SPOILER]Luckily they won't have many removal spells, but Banisher Priest is a thing here, as well as Glare of Heresy. It will look like a mirror match, but we have more combat tricks on these, so use them wisely to lower down their armies while we go through victory. Easy match.[/SPOILER]
[/SPOILER]
- Your primer sucks man, give me my money back!
Sorry, but no refunds xD. This is my first primer so, any suggestions, potential cards for the build, complains and anything are well received. As we comment, I will change some comments on cards, so we can find the best and most efficient cards possible. If I'm wrong in something or you have a better suggestion for the primer, let me know too
Version changes:
v1.01: Added Born of the Gods creature card preview and explanation for the builds.
v1.02: Added Born of the Gods non-creature spells and explanation for the builds.
v1.1: Upgraded the deck examples with Journey into Nyx cards.
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RGWNaya Token CommandoWGR
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4 Islands
4 Plains
4 Steam Vents
4 Sacred Foundry
4 Hallowed Fountain
Creatures 20
4 Nivmagus Elemental
4 Favored Hoplite
4 Artisan of Forms
4 Battlewise Hoplite
4 Phalanx Leader
4 Gods Willing
4 Azorius Charm
2 Boros Charm
2 Fate Foretold
4 Hidden Strings
4 Aqueous Form
Any thougts?
Creatures (25)
3 Soldier of the Pantheon
4 Favoured Hoplite
2 Precinct Captain
4 Phalanx Leader
3 Fabled Hero
3 Daxos of Meletis
2 Cavalry Pegasus
4 Battlewise Hoplite
2 Gods Willing
1 Swift Justice
1 Battlewise Valor
1 Dauntless Onslaught
1 Azorius Charm
Enchantments (9)
2 Spear of Heliod
3 Ethereal Armour
2 Aqueous Form
1 Gift of Orzhova
1 Hidden Strings
8 Plains
5 Island
3 Unknown Shores
4 Azorious Guildgate
Cool one, it seems stable and quick despise the tri-colored theme
Fate Foretold seems to stay better in sideboard imo, I'd place 2 Flames of the Firebrand instead, since is one of the best heroic enablers which also kills blockers. Izzet Charm is a cool sideboard option that can protect against Anger of the Gods wipes or kill weenies.
I may say that, although you haven't posted any lands you will use, it seems it would have 14 (in case of 60-cards-deck, which is a must), so it's totally mana screwed. For your costs, I highly recommend 23 lands and make space in order to be a 60-cards-deck.
Rescue from the Underworld doesn't trigger heroics, since it doesn't target the creature, it only says "sacrifice a creature". But anyway, if you want to use Rescue from the Underworld and Trading Post, I suggest adding 2-4 Ashen Rider, since it is a reanimator tactic you can't ignore so easily on these colors xD, Trading Post can either sac it or discard it, so you can revive later. The format doesn't seem to have graveyard-hate, so is worth the try.
Also, don't try to make many things at the same time, it seems you intend to have a more control-oriented style rather than combat tricks, I'd go for the control part.
Maybe something like this would be more consistent.
4 Temple of Silence
4 Godless Shrine
10 Plains
6 Swamp
Creatures(17)
4 agent of the fates
2 fabled hero
4 phalanx leader
3 xathrid necromancer
2 blightcaster
2 Ashen Rider
4 scourge mark
2 gift of immortailty
Artifacts(2)
2 Trading Post
Spells(11)
2 boon of erebos
3 hero's downfall
4 rescue from the underworld
2 gods willing
If you prefer the aura-oriented style, I highly suggest to have the full set of Gods Willing and Ethereal Armor, as well as another Gift of Orzhova. I would cut out the Precinct Captain and Cavalry Pegasus on this one. I think you would prefer to have 3 Hidden Strings overall instead of Swift Justice and Battlewise Valor, and get 4 Swift Justice in sideboard instead, after all, Hidden Strings is a super powerful heroic enabler, you always want to draw one, or even two xD.
I guess you're making it a budget deck (since no shocklands on this one), but if you can, get the Hallowed Fountain set, shocklands will just keep increasing in price because they are even eternal-format-useful.
Brave the Elements is a must for your playstyle, at least in sideboard
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RGWNaya Token CommandoWGR
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4x Favored Hoplite
4x Phalanx Leader
4x Battlewise Hoplite
3x Nimbus Naiad
4x Hidden Strings
4x Celestial Flare
3x Azorius Charm
Aura/Enchantments (10)
4x Ethereal Armor
3x Ordeal of Thassa
3x Aqueous Form
4x Hallowed Fountain
11x Plains
9x Islands
And my sideboard
4x Rootborn Defense
2x Lavina of the tenth
2x Essence Scatter
1x Pithing Needle
3x Nivmagus Elemental
D-Sphere is for planeswalker/god/ whatever needs to be removed.
Rootborn are for board wipes, but I think I will swap for gods willing. Lower CMC, not often am I gonna have more than 2 creatures out.
Lavina is just for counter RDW. It locks down RDW for a turn letting get in an alpha strike. Then it is pro-red and bigger than most red non flyers. So I can just block with it.
Ess is late game against ramp and mid range. Just flat out block their fatties getting on the field.
Pithing is mainly for aetherling.
Nivmagus is for control matchups. Oh you wan't to counter that spell? Nope I will exile it, get counters from heroic triggers, and 2 more on my Nivmagus Elemental.
Edit:
Main deck is also very budget. Cost me about $3.50 to put together. It could of course use some fabled hero or other rares. I have a few Precinct captain already may try them out. I am interested in some daxos as well. Heliod would be easy enough to make a creature with this deck, and spears would be good as a 2x in this deck. Would love at least 1 Elspeth for a late game strategy.
BEEEES!
Rabble Red
Modern
Burn
Infect
So IMO unless opting for a more AIR-esque build I don't think it's the ideal 1-drop alongside Hoplite.
Thank you for the feedback
Maybe Akroan Crusader isn't the best one-mana drop, fighting along Firedrinker Satyr and Soldier of the Pantheon for that position, but certainly it does the job pretty well in combat trick decks which want to swarm the field as well. If you are pairing up your white and red mana, it is a good choice. But if its more a mono-white splashing red, Soldier of the Pantheon would be better, it depends of if your deck can manage to drop him on turn 1.
Common scenarios including Akroan Crusader are:
T1 - Sacred Foundry, Akroan Crusader
T2 - Land, Akroan Crusader + Titan's Strenght: Scry 1 and swing for 6 (14 left), place another 1 mana drop (Favored Hoplite or Hopeful Eidolon or Soldier of the Pantheon or another Akroan Crusader, your choice).
T3 - Land, Phalanx Leader + Coordinated Assault on Phalanx Leader and Akroan Crusader, swing for 9-10 (5-4 left)
Issue is that, Akroan Crusader works pretty well on swarm strategies, while it doesn't perform well on "quality over quantity" strategies. I have been runing a set of crusaders on my boros heroics (pretty similar to the one listed on primer) and I have been having a nice time playing with it, those 1/1 drops aren't too much, but they make a lot of pressure as well. Firedrinker Satyr and Soldier of the Pantheon hit stronger, and you can focus on single-target heroics for the phalanx or so, but since red/white give a lot of multi-heroic-enabler cards, the Crusader always plays well here. Even a single token surviving (without counters) can keep generating pressure with Madcap Skills or Titan's Strength, is basically a 2-for-1 card. I consider either of those three options as nice 1 mana drops
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Now it seems more consistent and cooler than before
By the way, added the utilities seccion and a matches seccion (still under construction). If people can talk about their deck experiences against others here, it would be nice to make the primer better.
Weird Idea of the Month (Standard)
RGWNaya Token CommandoWGR
Rate/discuss my decks :D(almost all formats)
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W/R on the other hand, holy ****.
4 Favored Hoplite
4 Akroan Crusader
4 Young Pyromancer
4 Phalanx Leader
3 Anax and Cymede
3 Fabled Hero
Enablers: 18
4 Martial Glory
4 Dynacharge
4 Coordinated Assault
4 Titan's Strength
2 Boros Charm
4 Sacred Foundry
4 Temple of Triumph
6 Mountain
6 Plains
2 Boros Charm
4 Gods Willing
4 Mindsparker
4 Judge's Familiar
1 .
Also looking at the following cards, but dont know how to fit them in, if I were too:
Prety much takes swarming as far as I could make it go. Akroan Crusader and Young Pyromancer create an army, Phalanx Leader/Anax and Cymede/Dynacharge, and to some extent Boros Charm, provide the alpha strike for the kill.
So far, it is the most consistent of the heroic splash colors I've played, but I also feel it needs work, and thus, I continue the tweaking!
Thoughts?
Edit: You could possibly even go mono red with this thing. Foundry Street Denizen > Favored Hoplite, Guttersnipe > Fabled Hero, then you'd have to find replacements for Phalanx Leader and the gold cards, but I'm sure it's possible.
4 Akroan Crusader
4 Young Pyromancer
4 Foundry Street Denizen
4 Blistercoil Weird
4 Guttersnipe
4 Legion Loyalist
4 Weapon Surge
4 Dynacharge
4 Coordinated Assault
4 Titan's Strength
20 Mountain
Boros seems to be working pretty nice. Madcap Skills could be a card you may want on MB, because it gives certain evasion and is 3 extra damage on turn 2, and it will still be there for turn 3, where you can double strike your dude and thats all. 2 Boros Charm on Main and 2 Dynacharge on SB would make the trick as well.
Red deck seems pretty fast, but it could go even faster xD. It could make use of Rakdos Cackler and Firedrinker Satyr, so you double your damage on this way. Guttersnipe and Legion Loyalist could go on sideboard, because loyalist is good against aggro, while Guttersnipe against control or midrange, are cards that you don't want to use every match. You could also try to fit 3-4 Mutavault on it
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First Matchup was some wierd orzhova control. Lots of extort, discard, and desecration demon. Win for me 2-0
Second Matchup G/W Token/Aggro. Won first game narrowly. 1-3 life range. Just outpaced it. Second game I scooped on turn 3 because I had bad lands. Was at 8 life and had leathal on the board. 3rd game was just a perfect hand did a turn 4 kill easily.
3rd Matchup Boros aggro with chanra and some other stuff. Won 1st game just by outpacing. Narrowly lost 2nd round. 3rd game was me as control, just using glare of heresy and protection until I stabilized and swung for 47 damage around turn 11.
Semi-Finals was Gruul aggro. Easy 2-0. Just played the slow game. Waited until I could drop my creature and get it past 3 on the same turn. Narrowly avoided a mizzium mortar in the 2nd game.
Finals was the Boros Aggro again. We decided to split. So no games were played 1-1-1 tie.
Here is my revised deck list.
4x Favored Hoplite
3x Phalanx Leader
3x Battlewise Hoplite
3x Hopeful Edilon
1x Judge's Familar
4x Hidden Strings
3x Celestial Flare
3x Gods Willing
Aura/Enchantments (12)
3x Ethereal Armor
3x Ordeal of Heliod
3x Ordeal of Thassa
3x Aqueous Form
4x Hallowed Fountain
10x Plains
9x Islands
My New sideboard
3x Mizzium Skin
3x Triton Tactics
1x Gods Willing
3x Brave the Elements
2x Judge's Familar
1x Phalanx Leader
Basically the Sideboard is now just answers to my specific meta. We have 1 control player, this the familars. The rest of the stuff is just for when I need to beef protection at the expense of attack power. Usually game 2. Lands are down 1. This deck can run smooth with just 3 lands in play, but it becomes hard to deal with at 4-6. Glare is for Elspeth, Boros Reckoner, and other nasty white perms.
BEEEES!
Rabble Red
Modern
Burn
Infect
I have to ask, because I have not bothered trying a W/U list that didn't run three drops, most notably Fabled Hero, how is a list of one and two drops working out for you, on the whole?
My experiences with W/U heroic builds was that more often then not, I was literally 1 turn off from lethal before my opponent made there game ending move. My deck needing to obtain its three drops to put power on the board could be the issue.
Edit: And the use of Ethereal Armor when most of your auras fall off after 1-2 turns feels weird to me... Just seems odd to run a card that requires you have enchants in play, when running so few, and half of them go away so quickly.
4x Hopeful Eidolon
4x Ash Zealot
4x Phalanx Leader
4x Fabled Hero
2x Boros Reckoner
4x Fanatic of Mogis
4x Ordeal of Purphoros
4x Dragon Mantle
Burn: 8
4x Shock
4x Magma Jet
4 Sacred Foundry
4 Temple of Triumph
8 Mountain
6 Plains
Now here is my Boros Heroic deck and it has done me well.
The only problem or concern i have had is Fanatic of Mogis, My thoughts were to replace him with Heliod or Purphoros. I just havent run into any copies of either of those to test it.
As for my strategy, i usually need to get Fabled Hero or Phalanx Leader. I then need an enabler of either Dragon Mantle (Prefered) or Ordeal of Purphoros. If i have one of these combos, then i can keep the hand if not id likely mulligan.
T1-Hopeful Eidolon
T2-Phalanx Leader or Ash Zealot
T3-Dragon Mantle on Phalanx leader triggering the heroic then if the mana is there pump to trigger the heroic multiple times again.
T3 Alt.- Fabled Hero
T4 From this point i just use what ever is at my disposal and reap havoc.
So i know this is a little odd and different from what others make but id like you to look over it and give me some critiques. Any are appreciated and will be taken in to account.
Post Khans Naya Aggro
Cockatrice Tag: K1R1TO
Dragon Mantle's activated ability does not trigger heroic, unless I missed something. Only a spell, on the stack, that targets a minion triggers heroic. Dragon Mantle, when it exists on the board, becomes a permanent and no longer being a spell, wont trigger heroic even if it targeted.
Defiantly a solid one drop. Paired with Young Pyromancer, and swarm finishers like Anax and Cymede and Phalanx Leader, you have the makings of a solid aggro deck.
Your prob right now that i think about it. Its not a casted spell anymore when its equiped but i read somewhere about a conflicting play when its a triggered ability from the cost of mana that it does trigger the heroic. But i dont know, ill have to look into it some more. Thanks
Post Khans Naya Aggro
Cockatrice Tag: K1R1TO
Nope, heroic is very explicit on this term. It only works when cards are casted, this means, you are about to play them. This means, even if the spell targeting a heroic creature is countered, the heroic still activates, and heroic always resolves first, and then the spell resolves. Triggered abilities are a totally different issue. Remember, a spell is a card on the stack.
For more info about casting spells, look here.
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RGWNaya Token CommandoWGR
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The thing is that all of my enchants that are not ordeals are 1 drops. All the heroic triggers in this deck are good enough to be worth 1 or 2 mana. Even if the aura falls off or is countered it was worth a single mana to trip heroic. Auras that stay on are sort of win more. Ethereal armor is good at 1 mana for first strike and 1/1 boost. Plus it trips heroic so thats gonna be at least another 1/1.
The 3 mana drops in u/w are sort of win more. If you're counting on them to win you need to fix that.
You need to be building heroic triggers nlt turn 3.
BEEEES!
Rabble Red
Modern
Burn
Infect
Weird Idea of the Month (Standard)
RGWNaya Token CommandoWGR
Rate/discuss my decks :D(almost all formats)
Standard
Orzhov Voltron Superheroes
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Are you Afraid of Ghosts? You Better Be!
(1) I'm trying to stay budget.
(2) I know I want to do RW heroic (I have most of the cards, and I like it!)
(3) I want a flexible deck that can be aggro-ish, but can hold its own in the mid-game as well--which means it will tend to include more 3-drop creatures (which I think are key to this heroic build), and won't go above 8 1-drops.
(4) I'm not trying to make the most competitive deck in the world, but I would like a shot at doing decently at FNM!
Here's what I've been working on:
3 Favored Hoplite
3 Soldier of the Pantheon
4 Phalanx Leader
2 Imposing Sovereign
3 Anax and Cymede
3 Fabled Hero
3 Banisher Priest
4 Brave the Elements
2 Chained to the Rocks
4 Coordinated Assault
4 Boros Charm
3 Martial Glory
Lands
4 Sacred Foundry
7 Mountain
11 Plains
3 Boros Elite
2 Electrickery
2 Gods Willing
1 Soldier of the Pantheon
2 Glaring Heresy
1 Martial Glory
1 Banisher Priest
1 Fabled Hero
2 Flames of the Firebrand
I've been divided between God's Willing and Brave the Elements (which can protect more of my guys, provide alpha strikes, and which seems like its benefits will more likely outweigh the possibility of the single heroic trigger that God's Willing can provide--but I'm not 100% about that). Maybe 2 of each?
I'm also a little unsure on the total land/mountain-plains ratios, though I think where it's at is close to where it should be?
Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
4 Phalanx Leader
4 Young Pyromancer
4 Fabled Hero
2 Anax and Cymede
4 Dauntless Onslaught
4 Battlewise Valor
Enchantments:
4 Divine Favor
4 Shiv's Embrace
4 Gift of Immortality
1 Ajani, Caller of the Pride
1 Chandra, Pyromaster
Lands:
4 Temple of Triumph (will probably get some Sacred Founderies to replace these)
12 Plains
8 Mountains
I have gotten to test it yet and I haven't settled on a sideboard but I feel like the Theros cards like Dauntless Onslaught which can target two creatures (and thus create two heroic triggers) seem pretty good in this archetype.
Am I running to many enchantments? Are the planeswalkers worth it? Should I break down and get the RtR block cards that I need (Boros Charm etc...)?
EDH Decks:
WUBOloro, Combo ControlWUB
UBOona Reanimator ComboUB
BRGProssh, Eater of the Blue MageBRG
UBRGrixis StormUBR
Rebuilding Jenara (stealyourstuff.dec)
Pauper Deck:
UBInspired SirenUB
I lost to rdw and big red with a 50% match win percent at the end of the night. fabled hero truly is epic, too often my opponents underestimated it and took damage that double and tripled, I ran 3 dragon mantle along with a set of coordinated assault, gods willing, and boros charm with a 2 of dauntless onslaught and flames of the firebrand in the side. i liked dauntless onslaught, it hit really really hard. i sided firebrand in against red and it wasn't enough. it does 2 for 1 against aggro, but enabling 2 triggers is enough when you come up 4/4.
Dragon mantle seemed like a great choice, but i'm not convinced now. rarely did i get the draw out of it. instant speed makes all the difference. I think i'll replace it with young pyromancer this week, a denser creature base would've helped this week i ran 22 creatures and 17 non with 22 lands for 61 cards, i think 25 creatures would be more solid and that's what im gonna try.
I intend to push boros charm to the sideboard this week, even though it's been a staple in my pre-rotation boros build, and it pushed through for a win 1 game this week it doesn't add as much threat or surprise as heroic enablers do. It was really there to survive supreme verdict and I didn't see many verdicts. Stormbreath Dragon is a huge threat and I haven't won a game where it lands. rdw I felt he just had a faster hand, but big red is our worst matchup IMO, we need more than brave the elements
One thing i need to know is how the triggers work. say i have akroan crusader and phalanx leader and cast coordinated assualt with the intention of creating a 2/2 haste. does the order i name the targets matter. because i read "when you cast" on the heroic trigger, so i would think its simultaneously. which would make me think that if i cast it on my turn i choose the order to stack the trigger. or do i have priority when i cast it on their turn? it's just a little confusing and i want to make sure i don't misplay it. this isn't your straightforward aggro deck, there is a bit of piloting to make it work.
Modern: Affinity.
Standard: UB Control
EDH: R Purphoros, God of the Forge R
GWBRUSliver Hivelord
that is all
Against red and aggro decks, the best bet is using lifelink, like Swift Strike, Hopeful Eidolon, Gift of Orzhova, Azorius Charm. This applies as well against big red. Give it a try and see if it changes the resuts
Remember that, if you trigger multiple heroics, they all go in the stack, they have priority right after you cast the spell targetting them, and since it is simultaneous, you choose which one resolves first and which one resolves later. This is: If you want to have your hasty 2/2, you first put phalanx heroic in stack, and then the crusader one; by so, crusader resolves first, putting the 1/1, and then the phalanx resolves, making it 2/2.
Weird Idea of the Month (Standard)
RGWNaya Token CommandoWGR
Rate/discuss my decks :D(almost all formats)
Standard
Orzhov Voltron Superheroes
Modern
Infectors
Legacy
UGBack to Square OneGU
EDH
GWURafiq of the Many Wins (1vs1)UWG
Jarad's Turbo Suicidal Squad (Multiplayer)
Pauper
Are you Afraid of Ghosts? You Better Be!