feedback on standard Mardu please

So a few thoughts as you're curious about competitive play with this build:

1) Stubborn Denial in the SB?  Your only source of blue is Mana Confluence... drop these for something else in that spot.

2) You're currently sitting in the limbo that is straddling the line between aggro and mid-range strategies.  You really do have to commit to one or the other if you want to be successful in competitive play.  For instance, you're sitting on aggro cards like Bloodsoaked Champion (I am aware of his synergy with Butcher of the Horde for mid-range play), Frenzied Goblin, and Act of Treason; yet, then you have mid-range stuff like Nyx-Fleece Ram, Purphoros, God of the Forge, Sarkhan, the Dragonspeaker and Elspeth.  If you want to go with a token build, go that route, but that's a more mid-rangey type strategy.  My point is that you really need to pick one or the other and focus more on that specific strategy, cutting out all unnecessary elements for the sake of consistency and redundancy.

3) As for the life loss from Thoughtseize and the various other lands, you have Sorin as a source of life-gain AND need to consider that many other decks are running similarly painful manabases.  As a result, I wouldn't stress the life too much but would definitely consider copies of Whip of Erebos for the sideboard.

4) I think you need some amount of the removal suite currently in the SB in the mainboard, regardless of which strategy you opt to follow.  In aggro you need stuff to clear the way, in mid-range you have to be able to stabilize the board and deal with opposing threats.  Even if you're wanting to do a token-centric Puphoros build, Mardu Charm belongs in the main deck as all three options are welcome.

If you want some potential builds to work from, see this post where I provided aggro and mid-range lists that you could use as a starting point: https://deckbox.org/forum/viewtopic.php?id=22435

I hope some of this helps and I'll happily answer any questions you have.

The issue with straddling the line between the two strategies is that you will just be worse at either one than a pure aggro or a pure mid-range deck.  I think Bloodsoaked is fine here given the interaction with Butcher, but I would still drop the Nyx-Fleece, Feat of Resistance, and Harness by Force to slide removal into the main.  You can easily have utility stuff like that in the sideboard.

Ok so I've reworked this deck. Taken a lot of the advice here and tried to streamline it as a more powerful midrange deck. Played it a few times in a casual setting but not yet competetive. Let me know your thoughts as it stands now and whether you think it can hold its own in a more competetive arena. Also, any thoughts on the sideboard would be appreciated. Thanks a bunch.

Could also just go 1 or 2 more Caves of Koilos which will also help you Despise, Thoughtseize, or Blood-soaked Champion on turn one.

Then you can play a tapped land (Temple or Nomad Outpost) and another Despise or Thoughtseize or champ on Turn 2.  Setting yourself up for Brimaz, Rabblemaster, or Downfall on turn 3. 

If you can make your 4th land drop with threats on the board and play two spells like a Downfall/Rabblemaster and a Despise/Thoughtseize to strip their hand of answers you are probably in the driver's seat at that point.

As for what to cut for the extra land(s) moving the Whip and/or the Roc to the side would be my suggestion as neither usually do anything insane the turn they come in, whereas Sorin is a psuedo whip with the option to make a 2/2 flyer and Sarkhan is either 4  damage to the face or a removal spell for one of their troubling X/4 or less. 

Both the Whip and the Roc are great cards but feed your plan less in game one.  They both could/should have spots in the sideboard though.

Aegis of the Gods seems bad, you've already got decent enough life gain to counteract burn and a burn deck is just going to burn that little guy and still just burn your face.  I think 1 Whip and 2 Wingmate Roc replace those 3 slots in the sideboard.