Hi All - Please check out this deck in progress: Warzhov Junk

I'm shooting for a pretty violent fast deck but I know it is not pure Aggro... I kind of see it somewhere between slow Aggro and fast Midrange. I have lots of Exalted triggers, Sublime Archangel as the main finisher, and Silverblade Paladin around to give it Double Strike. Also a nice Knights/Angels/Priests theme and War Falcon works all the time because of the soldiers and knights.

Right now I'm struggling with deck space; torn between Enchantments for buffing the main Exalted pounder of the moment and Instants to protect/kill/surprise, etc. I really don't want any less creatures - What to do??! I don't really consider the High Priest to be direct removal as much as a deterrent to the opponent's swing, with a fun punishment if they do.

The main reason for the green splash is Rancor, but the Golgari and Selesnya Charms are awesome too. Last is Sheltering Word, which will both save my buffed-up friend and give me some life too.

I would love some suggestions from more experienced players. I haven't playtested it in this form, because I'm waiting on cards in the mail, but I did run a deck much like this with only 1 sliverblade, 2 of each Knight, 2 falcons, 2 Judge's Familiars and a Doomed Traveler. I also had Obzedats as closers, and 2 Blood Barons. It worked great at Game Day this weekend. The problem is when my new cards come I'm gonna run out of room..... what are your thoughts?

Splashing green for the few things you have really isn't worth it. I'd drop the green and go for straight WB.

You're mana curve is all over the place. To be able to consistently play a huge card like angel of serenity you need 24-25 lands. If you draw it in this current deck in your opening hand you're going to be sitting on it all game and probably not able to cast it.

Enchants without something to protect them usually isn't a great strategy. Rancor is resilient so it can be played solo, but in general you want to play them with hexproof creatures. Other wise you get 2 for one'd with any direct removal.

IMO, either go aggro, or go midrange and it looks like midrange is a stronger game for you.

Consider this. Sublime archangel is a decent enough creature, but needs a lot of creatures to really make it work. WB has great token generators if you want to build around sublime. Lingering souls is good, Sorin, etc.. Drop the enchants and weenie creatures for a midrange control/removal package then back up sublime with tokens.

If you can eventually do a RBW deck that would give you access to reckoner, aurelia, mizzium mortars, dread bore, blood baron, and AOS all in the same deck... Aurelia would be a good finisher with sublime and tokens.

Hi Again -

I lowered the mana curve and tightened this up in general. I kept the green in because Rancor and Selesnya Charm. There are still a few one-of cards in here - stuff I am testing this week and will either put in sideboard or make room for more. Instead of straight WB I think I'd more likely go to WG. (Maybe Loxodon Smiter?)

Let me know if you have any other suggestions. Link!

The biggest question I have now is if I should switch this to Bant ? I have 2 Geist of Saint Traft that would be good, and Spectral Flight, and Invisible Stalker all sound good. Would I need two more Geists to make it great?

I'm going to have to concur with elpablo that you should just go ahead and drop green from the mix here. I can definitely see the reason you're including it - trample (Rancor & Unflinching Courage) and access to some protection (Sheltering Word), but really, you don't need either of those things.

If I were you, I would focus in on the lifelink abilities you're sitting on. If they choose to chump your guys, so what? You kill something and gain some ridiculous amount of life. To that end, you're not winning any aggro battles here, so aim more for the mid-range. Swap War Falcon out for either the rest of the playsets of the knights or Aven Squire. You could easily be essentially 2-for-1'ed with the falcon, as someone taking out your knight(s) and then you can't do anything with the falcons. I would suggest a second copy of Vault of the Archangel and possibly more copies of Ready // Willing (which if you want a SPLASH of green for the ready side, I could see that, but otherwise drop it).

For your instants, Orzhov Charm or Devour Flesh will work well for you, as you will be gaining a large share of life anyway, so if they gain some and stay alive (from Devour) it's not that big of a deal. Similarly, if you have to drop a few points to hit their creature with the charm, no biggie.

Orzhov Charm would also let you slide a few Gift of Orzhova in if you really need to provide lifelink to the few creatures that don't already have it, as you can bounce your creature and save the enchantment as protection against a removal spell. Gift cannot target EITHER of the knights, but perhaps on an Aven Squire, Sublime Archangel, Silverblade Paladin or something else to that end. I would also say Undying Evil will do some serious protective work for you as not many people are playing it or expect it.

I'm also thinking the Blood Barons aren't really necessary. By the time one would hit the field, if you've already played a Sublime Archangel, you're likely winning rather handily anyway. I would suggest filling out the playset of archangels first, THEN think about other creatures if they don't provide enough stopping power - but I'd wager they will.

Thanks a lot! I actually got to play it last night and I like it but it needs those suggestions. You are most definitely right about the Sublime Archangel (It's so dangerous to playtest in a shop that sells singles!). I now have 4 of them, and took out the Blood Baron. He's awesome but a little too slow and not quite right for this deck.

Also agree that the War Falcons are a little weak. They're great for turn 2-3 to have a flyer with some exalted triggers, then weak the rest of the game. I have traded for some Champions of the Parish for the 1-drop slot.

I took out Sheltering Word, but picked up another Ready // Willing. I also had been trying to do too many Enchantments. Last, the Oblivion Rings are too slow but good for PWs, so they go in the SB. Orzhov is way better for me here.

I am keeping the Rancors in for now, especially with the Ready // Willing and one Armadillo Cloak, but I'm definitely considering dropping green. Will play some more this weekend and see.

Thanks again for the suggestions and please anyone else who reads this - chime in!

Champion of the parish is a good card. It might even be okay in this deck, however, if you're not playing Naya (Red, green, white) then you're not able to get the full potential from the champ. The synergy he has with burning tree emissary and any other 2 drops is too great. In that deck he can easily be a 5/5 on turn 3 swinging for game. These colors are not capable of that.

The problem with the WB you're building there is exalted doesn't trade well on the defensive side so you're weak to the agro decks and midrange decks will just remove your creatures and block in their favor. if you really want a flyer on turn 3, then gift of orzhov is fine and it helps with the life gain issue you're facing, but still presents a 2 for one opportunity for your opponent.

Zombies can pull off the strategy you're trying as well. Green still inst necessary for the cards you're putting in. IMO Rancor is not enough reason to diversify your manabase so much. BW zombies is a tournament winner too. http://sales.starcitygames.com//deckdatabase/displaydeck.php?DeckID=53092

Gravecrawler
Geralf's messenger
blood artist
Blood throne vampire
Diregraf Ghoul


You can sac zombies to blood throne vampire or something else. with a blood artist out. Blood throne can get pretty big and she can finish someone pretty quick. The deck is all about the synergies between the resilient zombies and the sac effects. Besides what's more unholy than zombies? :)

Alternately , If you're set on the WBG and want a creature based WBG there are other options that would work better. You could start trading for the aristocrats deck that just won SCG. it's resilient and powerful. It's similar to the token strategy I posted about earlier. Sublime can still work in it since voice is expensive, however, voice is important to the deck.

http://admin.starcitygames.com//deckdatabase/displaydeck.php?DeckID=56296

If you want to stay with the current exalted strat then consider this.

Cards to consider removing:
All the green - Nothing you're getting here you can't get some where else in WB.
The Knights - if they're alone it's a vanilla 2/1 for 2, which isn't good. If they're out together, and attacking then it's a 3/2 for 4? The protection can be relevant, but probably not enough that the deck would miss it, for 5 mana, you can cast blood baron that has protection from both, lifelink and is a 4/4... besides the plan is to cast sublime and finish the game right? You don't need extra exalted cards that can be easily removed. Also can't be enchanted by anything white or black depending.
Undying Evil - there are creatures with undying that are far better, and gravecrawler is soooo much better.

Cards to consider adding:
Precinct captain - 2/2 first strike for 2 that can create tokens tokens. With an gift of orzhov on turn 3 he can gain you 4 life and put a soldier in play. Turn 4 with sublime on the board he could swing for 6.
More lingering souls - tokens are good with sublime and this one has pretty good value.
Gift of orzhov - it does create the bad 2 for one scenarios but it provides evasion and life link.
Sorin lord of innistrad - creates tokens. give screatures +1/+0....
Vault of the Archangel - it can make all the tokens death touch which can scare your opponent.
Boros Reckoner - Cost triple white in this deck, but he's a solid card, can redirect damage, and can really protect your board.
Removal - tribute to hunger, devour flesh, murder, orzhov charm, o-ring, tragic slip, ultimate price
Rootborn defenses - this + vault do the same thing as ready//willing almost and it gets you out of green, you can cast rootborn more reliably than you can cast ready and this will populate if you have any tokens on the board.

Wow, lots to think about. Naya sounds like a lot of fun.

I have some zombies on my wishlist - gravecrawler, geralf and diregraf captain. Maybe I should add diregraf ghoul?

On thing though - in the situation where I only had two knights, I probably would swing with both for 4, not just one exalted for 3... Depends what was on the table I guess.

assuming that you're opponents board is empty probably isn't a good assumption, or that they don't have removal.

Naya is explosive and very fast.

Diregraf captain is okay, but blood artist gains you life as well as losing your opponents life. The +1/+1 is probably irrelevant most of the time. Only a geralfs messenger with a counter, with captain out is a real threat, and even then it won't be long before your opponent removes one. Captain by himself loses flat out to boros reckoner and doesn't trade well for a 3cmc creature, any 2/2 with first strike kills him and there are several one mana 2/2s that most people would gladly trade with your 3 mana dude. Vault does repeatable deathtouch for all your creatures so the death touch is irrelevant. And, once he's dead... he's dead, no undying. On turn 3, i'd rather be playing a boros reckoner, loxodon smiter, a geralfs messenger or anything else than this guy.

Diregraf ghoul is an uncommon shouldn't be too hard to get. a 2/2 for one black is good. Alternately, rackdos cackler is the same health/body and works fine. Doesn't have to be a zombie.

gabriel_404 wrote:Wow, lots to think about. Naya sounds like a lot of fun.

I have some zombies on my wishlist - gravecrawler, geralf and diregraf captain. Maybe I should add diregraf ghoul?

On thing though - in the situation where I only had two knights, I probably would swing with both for 4, not just one exalted for 3... Depends what was on the table I guess.

You're missing an exalted trigger. Just ONE knight swings for three as it has its own exalted trigger. If you have two knights, you can swing with one to get an attack for 4 going (given two exalted triggers).

Further, Sublime Archangel gives creatures double instances of exalted, meaning that a board with a sublime and two knights could result in the Archangel swinging for 9 (that's FIVE exalted triggers - one from itself, two from each knight). Toss in a Silverblade Paladin and you're swinging for fatal having not even attacked before then.

For the green, I really do see the interest in splashing for Rancor, believe me, there's little out there more frustrating than swinging with a 10/10 and it's getting tripped up by 1/1s (especially Lingering Souls tokens). To that end, I could see splashing like 4-5 green sources if you already have the shocks. But, be sure to limit your green requirements to Rancors and the possible Ready half of Ready // Willing.

On the Rootborn Defenses vs Ready // Willing point elpablo raises, he is completely correct that you would be able to cast Root more easily and consistently - but it offers much less flexibility in the sense that it can't be turned into a surprise three cost Vault of the Archangel effect OR it can both untap AND offer indestructibility to your critters (the untap part not to be overlooked). This can be HUGE for an exalted deck, as you can easily swing in with one huge beater and can then surprise the opponent with lifelink and deathtouch blockers. Nevermind if you have the mana for the fused version of it where you wipe their board, gain a crapton of life, and don't lose anything. Simply put, Ready // Willing can win games if played correctly. So to that end, splashing those 4-5 green sources via the shocks would help here too. But beyond those, really, don't stress green any more than that.

So, having said all of that, perhaps top out your Silverblade Paladins at 4x, but otherwise, REALLY get to playtesting. Sadly exalted decks aren't tier one right now, so you're likely close to the top end of where your deck is going to perform. The best thing you can do is play it, see how it performs, think hard about your local meta to figure out what sorts of changes you might need to make (that none of us could anticipate), rework the SB, and go from there.

Good luck with it man.

Ty's right, my bad on the exalted triggers and math there.

The knights are not terrible, but they're not great either. Something with first strike on turn 2 is going to be better most of the time, Thalia for example. First strike + any exalted makes it very hard for your opponent to trade effectively. First strike creatures on turn 2 can stop _some_ aggro...

Sublime is the real money for the exalted trigger. The Knights are really what people call "win more". Stacking the exalted triggers can be nice, but probably wouldn't be necessary most of the time. You might play one set of knights, pro black stops a lot of removal.

Silverblade will be good with almost anything, but I would wager keeping both Sublime and silverblade on the board at the same time will be very hard. They are both vulnerable to early removal like seering spear, and silverblade can be pillar'd too. I don't see Ty's scenario happening very often, unfortunately, but it would be glorious when it does :) I think if you test it out you'll see this to be the case.