Topic: [Standard][Opinions]American Auras

http://deckbox.org/sets/305655

This deck follows the same rules as Bant Auras in using Hexproof creatures and Fencing Ace (occasionally). I feel that Madcap Skills works in place of Rancor. Trample doesn't really help Geist, but evasion does. Double Strike + Curse of Stalked Prey = pain.

No sideboard yet

Last edited by Sillvva (2013-01-30 16:27:17)

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Re: [Standard][Opinions]American Auras

I like this idea but I think green offers you more than you realize. Rancor is dangerous specifically because it comes back to your hand, which makes everything you play a threat. If you have a Geist with Madcap Skills, I can wrath the board with Supreme Verdict or Mutilate, or just double-block it, and you lose both cards instead of getting your aura back. The mana fixing that Avacyn's Pilgrim and Abundant Growth provide help make sure you have exactly the mana you need; getting stuck with a bunch of auras and the wrong land will feel like the worst thing.

If you do want to consider red, I'd run Pursuit of Flight over Curse of Stalked Prey. If you're getting in for double-strike damage with any of your guys, you're probably already winning, so the Curse is redundant.

Re: [Standard][Opinions]American Auras

LootPinata wrote:

I like this idea but I think green offers you more than you realize. Rancor is dangerous specifically because it comes back to your hand, which makes everything you play a threat. If you have a Geist with Madcap Skills, I can wrath the board with Supreme Verdict or Mutilate, or just double-block it, and you lose both cards instead of getting your aura back. The mana fixing that Avacyn's Pilgrim and Abundant Growth provide help make sure you have exactly the mana you need; getting stuck with a bunch of auras and the wrong land will feel like the worst thing.

If you do want to consider red, I'd run Pursuit of Flight over Curse of Stalked Prey. If you're getting in for double-strike damage with any of your guys, you're probably already winning, so the Curse is redundant.

All good points thanks for the feedback big_smile

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Re: [Standard][Opinions]American Auras

A few thoughts:

1) Why are you sitting on Verdicts without some Unsummon effects?  It strikes me as though wiping the board is the last thing you'd want to do, given that your guys are hexproof and potentially unblockable (i.e. Invisible Stalker).  Sure, it could help if they're getting enough creatures to overwhelm you, but you could easily handle that with Sphere of Safety considering how many enchantments you're already sitting on.  That or just toss in Pacifism/Arrest/Oblivion Ring as those serve as removal while also giving you more Ethereal Armor pumps.

2) On Madcap Skills I agree with what you've been saying across several postings that it has potential, but the largest potential is when it's paired with Alpha Authority or even something like Armored Transport.  Otherwise, I can see where it still gets hit by the 2-for-1 trade everyone is saying.

3) It might seem silly, but I'd actually think about adding Divine Favor in here as these sorts of hexproof decks are likely to run into Rolling Temblor.  I can honestly say I've started mainboarding it in any deck I play that has red for the expressed purpose of dealing with Geists and Stalkers.  The added toughness could easily take things out of range.

4) Perhaps some Negates could prove useful (likely SB).  One Paraselene and you're back to relatively small scale stuff.

5) You'll definitely want artifact hate in the SB otherwise Glaring Spotlight will totally ruin your afternoon.  Given the sudden rise of these decks and the existing popularity of GoST, I can see this card in EVERYONE's SB in about 2 weeks.

Re: [Standard][Opinions]American Auras

Glaring Spotlight is an absolutely awful card; now you have to draw two specific cards and spend your entire turn dealing with my one hexproof guy? Sounds good, I'll just get my Rancors back and put them on the other hexproof guy in my hand, now that you don't have any removal. If I played this deck, I would hope people side in Spotlights against me!

Sphere of Safety is too slow, against an aggro deck they'll have you dead by turn 4-5 anyways and just burn you out for the rest.

Actual possibilities: Holy Mantle, Verdant Haven, Gift of Orzhova (remember you can cast this without running black) are all valid additions. I think Verdant Haven is the most interesting, as it provides ramp, fixing, ups your Ethereal Armor boost, and depending on the matchup that 2 life may actually be relevant.

Remember what your deck is trying to do. You aren't a reactive deck that should be running counter spells and combos; you're a proactive deck with minimal interaction. Any card that isn't a hexproof attacker, an individually strong combat aura, or a card that lets you get one of those things out faster, you should think really hard about why you're playing it. Your goal against midrange/control decks is to kill them faster than they can wrath the board and start controlling the game, and your plan against aggro might as well be to race them. Siding in Pacifisms and Negates and Divine Favor actively slow down your deck, which in this kind of archetype is a Bad Thing.

Re: [Standard][Opinions]American Auras

TyWooOneTime wrote:

A few thoughts:
1) Why are you sitting on Verdicts without some Unsummon effects?  It strikes me as though wiping the board is the last thing you'd want to do, given that your guys are hexproof and potentially unblockable (i.e. Invisible Stalker).

Personally, I think it would be hilarious if you could throw down a Supreme Verdict followed by a Faith's Reward.

Now I almost want to make a ramp deck that specifically goes for the Planar Cleansing/Faith's Reward pair.

Re: [Standard][Opinions]American Auras

Come to think of it, if I were to cut the green for red, I'd do something like:

2 Legion Loyalist
4 Invisible Stalker
4 Geist of Saint Traft
4 Silverblade Paladin

4 Boros Charm <- this does literally everything you want
4 Spectral Flight
4 Pursuit of Flight
4 Ethereal Armor
3 Madcap Skills
2 Detention Sphere
2 Gift of Orzhova

23 lands

Edit: To clarify, this is focused on replacing green pump and enchantments with red pump and enchantments; this may make it more of a glass cannon build. Legion Loyalist comes down as an alpha-striker if you end up with two guys out (perhaps a suited up stalker paired with a Paladin). Increasing Savagery and Rancor are gone, replaced with Madcap Skills, Pursuit of Flight and Gift of Orzhova (Holy Mantle would also be an option here). I think Boros Charm is the big reason to play red here, as it protects your guys against sweepers, can turn attacks from damaging to lethal, and can even deal that last 4 damage that you can't quite push through.

Note that white is now the biggest mana requirement here, so that should be considered when balancing the mana base.

Last edited by LootPinata (2013-01-30 19:23:22)

Re: [Standard][Opinions]American Auras

Thanks for all the help guys big_smile I think I will try some of LootPinata's suggestions.

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