Hi All,

I have this deck very close to where I want it, though there could be small tweaks that could make it better. Today I went 3-1 with the only loss against a mono-black control (AKA KillKillKill) deck. Mostly I could use some help with the sideboard strategy. I pretty much know what I want to bring in, but usually not what to take out.....

Here's the deck

For Aggro I already do pretty well, but I find the Selesnya Charm's removal mode rarely hits b/c the creatures are too small.
-2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
+2 Nearheath Pilgrim
-3 Selesnya Charm
+3 Blind Obedience

Against Reanimator:
+2 Ground Seal
+2 Rest in Peace
-4 ???

Against Control and/or Planeswalkers:
+3 Oblivion Ring
-2 Unflinching Courage?
-1 ??

I had three more sideboard slots so I included the 4th Selesnya Charm and the 3rd & 4th Unflinching Courages. However so far I never use them because I prefer to keep my creatures. I'm thinking to get 2 more Faith's Shield because they are awesome for protecting me against removal. Maybe I should also get one more O-Ring? Maybe 2x Sheltering Word for instant-speed hexproof?

My worst enemies with this deck are Liliana of the Veil and Ral Zarek b/c they tear up my small dudes...

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Against Rites, I could see where you would pull the Unflinching Courages and the Smiters. It might sound odd, but you would be better suited to be dropping the bigger creatures and smaller ones - putting the smiters in the middle, as you could easily spend 3 mana to put down two creatures, allowing you to then get more exalted triggers when you eventually drop the Angel (or you could be casting your Paladins). I could actually see moving the smiters to the board more generally.

Really there aren't that many options to deal with Lily and Ral outside of the O-rings and generating more targets than they can deal with - which often ends up with a bunch of tokens.

I'm thinking you would benefit from Experiment One rather than Avacyn's Pilgrim in many instances. Sure, it's not helping with the ramping, but it gives you a creature that can easily grow and that can offer human triggers for your champions.

Alternately, you could go full junk colors, gaining you access to Knight of Infamy, Vampire Nighthawk (arguably a better exalted target than any of your current pieces care of lifelink), AND Lingering Souls (think about a T4 Sublime, T5 cast and flashback lingering to generate four more exalted triggers). Sorin, Lord of Innistrad becomes an option - but at the 4 drop you're just happy with the archangels.

Personally I'd go junk, but that's just me.

LOL I just un-junked it! The main reason I was hesitant to take out the black was that Vampire Nighthawks are like my security blanket. I had some mana issues and wasn't quite as fast as I'd want.

Lingering Souls has the potential to be awesome with the Sublime Archangel but (barring ramp) they play on turn 3, which is when I want my Silverblade Paladin or else another 2-drop and a Rancor. Then they flashback on turn 4 which is when I need my Archangel. Then again if I get wiped on turn 4 that's a waste... Then I'd wish for the little lingerers to flashback and/or Sorin and his little vamps.

I suppose I could run 4x Farseek and 1-2 Godless Shrine? Not sure what I'd take out though - maybe Avacyn's Pilgrim for the Farseeks?

Experiment One could be really awesome! He pumps Champion of the Parish and everyone else pumps him....

Boarding out Smiters and Armadillos sounds good - I'll try it.

I'm curious how Faiths' Shield works for you. I see it can stop targeted removal, but it's not going to stop sweepers. I think I'd either remove it or replace it with something more universally useful. Main decking a couple O-rings would mean you'd have a good first match against any plains walkers.

I'm still not 100% sure where you're trying to go. You really need to decide what kind of deck you want to play. Aggro or Midrange.

Aggro runs the attacking one drops and not many mana dorks. Exp 1, Champion, thalia, Burning Tree Emmissary, Mayor.

Midrange runs the mana dorks and the beefier/more reslilent drops. Arbor elves, pilgrims, lingering souls, plains walkers.

You're on the human plan, but missing one of the most explosive human plays out there. Burning tree Emissary. IMO, to be 100% honest, you'd gain a lot more by adding red and just going Naya Aggro. You're just about a 2/3rds of the way there as it is.

Smiter is a good card, but he doesn't seem to fit in there. He's really supposed to be a turn 2 card, in decks that run pilgrim and arbor elf. If you're not going to commit to the mana dorks then he can probably go.

It's definitely aggro. My most expensive card is a 4-drop whose effect buffs the 1/2/3 drops on turn 4. I'm not 100% sold on the pilgrims, but the idea would be T1 pilgrim, T2 Smiter, T3 Silverblade - soulbond, Rancor, swing for 12 with Trample. T4 Sublime Archangel gives +4/+4 to swing for 20.

A typical progression without the pilgrim I would play T1 Champion of Parish, T2 Knight of Glory buffs Champ and Champ swings 3 with Exalted. T3 Silverblade buffs him again to 3/3 plus Exalted double strike swings for 8 then T4 Angel = lethal. If they have blockers then I need Rancor/Selesnya Charn/Unflinching Courage for trample, general slowing by 1-2 turns for buffing.

Mayor and Nearheath Pilgrim are also awesome. Trample is best, but lifelink is close second.

The problem with examples like this is that they leave out the other player. I've been outracing other aggro pretty well, but control hurts me. IF I have Faith's Shield it works great against spot removal or regular damage. Keeping one W open at least until after combat isn't that bad. The things that really get me are the spells like Devour Flesh that make me sacrifice my own creatures. That's kind of what I was asking about.

I also was asking about what to take out for control.

Also, I agree again about Exp One. Burning-Tree is cool but my only thing it could chain into is Mayor of Avabruck so that's too conditional. If I took another color I think it would be Blue for counters (slow) and for spectral flight/Geist of St Traft... Now leaning toward bant hexproof which is not what I wanted....

Regarding the Loxodon Smiter, it's my least favorite creature in the deck b/c not human. However, 4/4 for 3 is hard to argue with. Also can't be countered.

Why, in all the worlds of magic would you go blue in this deck? The aggro human archetype is very strong and the red synergy is practically built in for you. The suggestion of blue... I just... I don't... My head hurts now :P

I still strongly suggest adding in red. It gives you access to boros charm, searing spear as well as the burning tree synergy, with lightning mauler, ghor clan rampager... oh the glorious ghor-clan and a host of sideboard options - skullcrack, zealous conscripts, volcanic str.

If your hurting against control, cavern of souls helps there as well as being a huge mana fixer. Also, IDK based on your statement if you think protection stops devour flesh? Because it doesn't, I just want to make sure that's clear. It also doesn't stop supreme verdicts or other sweepers that aren't damage related. Only indestructible keywords stops most removal. Obviously doesn't stop edict, or -1/-1 debuffs.

With blind obedience in the side board that tells me you're still trying to lean midrange and you're worrying about the middle of the game. You need to commit more to the early game. The lifegain is for a more midrange plan. Yeah it's great when it works, but you want to be done with the game before that becomes relevant. Also, you can't double bond a creature so you can't silver blade + nearheath which is what you'd want to do in this deck to be effective. Rancor is good because it's cheap and resilient, but everything else presents a heavy investment in resources on your part and doesn't gain you a lot of board position.

consider this.

Bonds of Faith - it can double as removal and a buff, great side option.
Nevermore - against a control matchup you can name the card that gives you the most trouble. Can also be used in matches like reanimator.
Cut all the Unflinching courage. - The reason why unflinching courage is good in hexproof is because you can't get 2 for oned as easily. You're going to play a 2 drop then get that guy nuked after you tap the 3 mana for unflinching courage. Then you don't' get to play anything that turn putting you at a serious disadvantage.
Gavony - good but slow, again, a mid range card doesn't really belong in the aggro deck. You shouldn't ever have enough mana open to use it, and if you get passed turn 6 and you aren't really close to winning, the game is not in your favor.

Yeah, we're having communication problems here. let me repeat more clearly:

1. I'm having trouble with Devour Flesh.
2. I know pro-black doesn't stop Devour Flesh.
3. Blue has counterspells, which DO stop devour flesh and many other things.
4. Blue/counterspells would slow me down, which is why I definitely don't want Blue.

Also, have you heard of Bant Hexproof? It uses blue and is awesome. Don't know why that would hurt someone's head unless it is your opponent's deck... it wins a lot of games. Anyways, that is not what I am doing here but I'd try it one day if I get access to GoST and VoR.

Regarding Midrange:
1. Once again, this is Aggro, nothing Midrangey here.
2. Blind Obedience slows down Haste creatures - Boros Blitz, Naya Blitz. I have been beating those decks with speed. Also if I don't have trample it makes them block and those decks don't like to block. However swinging 7/5 doublestrike means they have to chump block or take 14. Then they don't get battallion and I am full of glee. Then I use (gasp) an enchantment to gain Trample.
3. I don't use Extort.
4. Lifelink is handy. Hellrider and friends can hit for 14 on turn 4 pretty easily. If I'm on the draw I might have to survive that.




Bonds of Faith: I will try with 1 or 2. Removal is not my priority and (like you said) enchantments have the 2-for-1 flaw.

Nevermore: THANK YOU!!!!! This is exactly why I started this thread! You told me about a card I never heard of that might solve my problem. It has the same cost as O-ring and is pre-emptive. I love it. This will be in sideboard against control/american/even Jund or Rakdos. I could name Devour Flesh, Supreme Verdict, Liliana, even Olivia Voldaren. So cool. Thank you thank you thank you.

Unflinching Courage: This card wins games. I can see taking it out against control though because of 2-for-1 issue.

Gavony Township: I don't love it. So far I've only used this land ability once and it was just OK. But, that mana would have been wasted otherwise. I'm not getting color-screwed so I don't think it hurts anything.

Regarding Turn 6: You're generally right that I should be close to winning, but I'm not going to just quit if T6 hits and the game is still going.

I'm well versed in most standard archetypes including bant hex proof. To get to there, from you're at requires a huge change. It's not even close to the same deck. That's why it doesn't make sense to me. Bant hexproof is a very non interactive deck. I don't see how people have fun playing it, unless you're goal in life is to piss people off. :P

Aggro and counter magic is like oil and water... the two do not mix. I wouldn't even consider this a possibility, unless you want to run a completely different deck.

You need to accept the fact that as an aggro deck you're potentially week to some kinds of removal. There's not a lot you can do to be honest. Sigarda is the best you can do against edict effects, but she's pricey at 5 when as an aggro deck you ideally want to finish the game around that time. A Jund midrange deck is going to wreck your face even if you went with the completely Naya Blitz package. It just runs so much removal you wouldn't keep anything on the board.

Trample is great, but you can get trample from better sources than unflinching courage. You're never going to surprise anyone with it like you can a ghor-clan or selysnya charm.

2. Blind Obedience slows down Haste creatures - Boros Blitz, Naya Blitz. I have been beating those decks with speed. Also if I don't have trample it makes them block and those decks don't like to block. However swinging 7/5 doublestrike means they have to chump block or take 14. Then they don't get battallion and I am full of glee. Then I use (gasp) an enchantment to gain Trample.
3. I don't use Extort.

To me this says, you're beating aggro decks. Blind obedience seems like a "win more" solution against the aggro mirror and could be substituted for anything else. It they're blocking they're losing anyway, they just don't know it yet. :P

An aggro deck mirror match should be like dueling banjos... you turn your guys side ways, then you're opponent try's to turn more guys sideways. The first person to start blocking loses 99% of the time.

You might need the lifelink in your area. However, Id say, try playing without it for a bit and see if you really really need it if you go more aggressive. If you include experiment one and boros elite, I bet you start finishing games before you need the lifelink.

As for not winning by turn 6, well there are times when if you draw that one card you can win. But in general in an aggro deck like the one you're playing if you haven't won by turn 6-7-8, then you're probably not going too, you just may not know it yet. To clarify, by "winning' i don't mean deal lethal damage. You can win a game by putting your opponent in an unwinnable scenario. You're mileage may vary.