Premise
This deck is based on the Standard deck that debuted at Worlds 2008 with one of the headliner pilots being Luis Scott-Vargas. The premise was simple, put out a bunch of token creatures and pump them up to overwhelm your opponent. It also boasts a suite of hand disruption to foil combo and sweeper gameplans.
Disruption
Turn 1 or 2 disruption is very important to this deck to ensure you get rid of anything that will wreck your army and to see your opponent's hand so you know what you are up against.
Thoughtseize: Costs 2 life, which can be tough against agro, but this option lets you get rid of anything. Duress: Gets rid of those nasty spells and planeswalkers with no cost to you, but creature heavy decks can dodge this. Inquisition of Kozilek: Can nail a lot of relevant cards, but can miss sweepers like Wrath of God. Tidehollow Sculler: Tidehollow has the added benefit of being another body to attack with, but doesn't come online until turn 2 and allows them to get the card back if he croaks. Castigate: Is another option if Tidehollow proves too fragile and you want some exiling action, but it deters from the strong 1-turn play of the others.
Removal
Some spot removal seems like a good plan to get rid of those really problematic creatures. The original standard deck ran 4 Terrors, but I think we can do better in Modern.
Go for the Throat: Seems to be one of the best options, only artifacts become problematic. Unmake: 3-costed but exiles it all. Mortify Very versatile and allows you to be setup against enchantments from the start. Probably a metagame decision on if it is worth it. Path to Exile The white staple removal card, time will tell if the tempo it can give makes it worth playing opposed to the other removal. Dismember: Giving -5/-5 and the option of casting it for 1 and 4 life make this card appealing.
Pump Up
Your mighty token army needs a little extra 'oomph' to do some game-ending damage.
Honor of the Pure: Only affects white creatures, so sorry Dark COnfidant and Promise of Bunrei, but a turn faster than Glorious Anthem. Glorious Anthem: Affects it all but a bit slower. Your decklist will determine if this is the four-of pump enchantment or instead the Honors. Ajani Goldmane: Repeatable pump, probably the best Planeswalker for the deck. Eldrazi Monument: Late game pump, but it's a goodie. Usually this is dropped the turn you go for the win. Hiding it under Windbrisk Heights is extra tasty! Orzhov Pontiff:Allows for swingy combat tricks as well as a temp pump up. Not as great without a sac outlet though and your opponent sees it coming before combat. Zealous PersecutionI think Zealous might be a bit better than Pontiff despite not being attached to a body due to it being 1 less mana, getting both affects right away at instant speed, and the lack of sac outlets for Pontiff.
Tokens
The deck obviously needs creatures to pump up, and tokens are the way to do it. What token generators you run depends on the curve you are trying to achieve.
Raise the Alarm: 2 tokens at 2 mana and at instant speed. Run this if you are going for a low curve. Spectral Procession:Absolute staple of the deck. Timely Reinforcements: Jury is out on this, but you would be surprised how often you can trigger both affects (especially with Bob in the deck hurting you). Can be very swingy. Can help recover from a board wipe. Even the Odds: Might be better than Timely Reinforcements just because it's an instant and can catch an opponent off-guard and enable Windbrisk on your turn. Hero of Bladehold: Smashes and brings soldiers along for the ride while pumping them all up. Question is how many should be in here? Promise of Bunrei: Not as good as it could be with a sac outlet, but still powerful, especially deterring board wipes. Too bad Honor of the Pure doesn't pump these guys. Cloudgoat Ranger: Staple of the standard deck and still powerful, but might be too slow in this format. Marsh Flitter: Not as strong as Cloudgoat and almost as slow plus Honor doesn't pump it. Again, depends on your curve.
Creatures
Besides the token generators, a few other creatures can fit into the game plan.
Dark Confidant: Cheap card advantage and swings for 2. The mana curve is pretty low, but hitting that Spectral Procession with him HURTS (but still worth the gas in my opinion). Honor not pumping him is a downside. Kitchen Finks: Resilient creature against sweepers and helps maintain your life with Bob and a life hungry mana-base.
Land:
Windbrisk Heights: An absolute bomb in this deck.Lets you get a free card and play it virtually for free. Your first turn play should be disruption or this.
Other options and/or possible sideboard cards:
Grave Pact: Devastating against creature decks, not a friendly casting cost though. Also a bit slow. Beckon Apparition: 1 cc, cast for either b/w, gets rid of troublesome cards such as Punishing Fire, and gives you a 1/1 flier. Seems to be a strong choice for a sideboard.
The Gameplan
Ideally you want to cast a first-turn disruption spell if at all possible. This allows you to yank anything out of their hand that is going to cause trouble and to get an immediate feel for what deck they are playing. If you don't have it, a first turn Windbrisk is nothing to be ashamed of (Putting a pump spell under it and activating it during combat is pretty awesome). Turn 2 is usually a Tidehallow if you have it, unless you know there is nothing in their hand you are worried about. In that case, start building that army and lay the pump affects afterwards.
Again, this just is the beginning, I'd love to hear your thoughts!
THIS 100X!!! If you don't agree with this then there is no amount of logic that will ever convince you that good, non-oppressive, combos should be allowed. If you don't agree with it then just don't play this game, and you certainly shouldn't feel entitled to make any comment on ban lists ever.
Premise
This deck is based on the Standard deck that debuted at Worlds 2008 with one of the headliner pilots being Luis Scott-Vargas. The premise was simple, put out a bunch of token creatures and pump them up to overwhelm your opponent. It also boasts a suite of hand disruption to foil combo and sweeper gameplans.
Example Decklist:
4 Thoughtseize
4 Go For the Throat
4 Honor of the Pure
4 Raise the Alarm
2 Timely Reinforcements
4 Spectral Procession
2 Ajani Goldmane
1 Eldrazi Monument
3 Hero of Bladehold
4 Dark Confidant
2 Kitchen Finks
4 Tidehollow Sculler
Lands (22)
4 Caves of Koilos
4 Fetid Heath
4 Godless Shrine
4 Marsh Flats
1 Plains
1 Swamp
4 Windbrisk Heights
The Cards
Disruption
Turn 1 or 2 disruption is very important to this deck to ensure you get rid of anything that will wreck your army and to see your opponent's hand so you know what you are up against.
Thoughtseize: Costs 2 life, which can be tough against agro, but this option lets you get rid of anything.
Duress: Gets rid of those nasty spells and planeswalkers with no cost to you, but creature heavy decks can dodge this.
Inquisition of Kozilek: Can nail a lot of relevant cards, but can miss sweepers like Wrath of God.
Tidehollow Sculler: Tidehollow has the added benefit of being another body to attack with, but doesn't come online until turn 2 and allows them to get the card back if he croaks.
Castigate: Is another option if Tidehollow proves too fragile and you want some exiling action, but it deters from the strong 1-turn play of the others.
Removal
Some spot removal seems like a good plan to get rid of those really problematic creatures. The original standard deck ran 4 Terrors, but I think we can do better in Modern.
Go for the Throat: Seems to be one of the best options, only artifacts become problematic.
Unmake: 3-costed but exiles it all.
Mortify Very versatile and allows you to be setup against enchantments from the start. Probably a metagame decision on if it is worth it.
Path to Exile The white staple removal card, time will tell if the tempo it can give makes it worth playing opposed to the other removal.
Dismember: Giving -5/-5 and the option of casting it for 1 and 4 life make this card appealing.
Pump Up
Your mighty token army needs a little extra 'oomph' to do some game-ending damage.
Honor of the Pure: Only affects white creatures, so sorry Dark COnfidant and Promise of Bunrei, but a turn faster than Glorious Anthem.
Glorious Anthem: Affects it all but a bit slower. Your decklist will determine if this is the four-of pump enchantment or instead the Honors.
Ajani Goldmane: Repeatable pump, probably the best Planeswalker for the deck.
Eldrazi Monument: Late game pump, but it's a goodie. Usually this is dropped the turn you go for the win. Hiding it under Windbrisk Heights is extra tasty!
Orzhov Pontiff:Allows for swingy combat tricks as well as a temp pump up. Not as great without a sac outlet though and your opponent sees it coming before combat.
Zealous PersecutionI think Zealous might be a bit better than Pontiff despite not being attached to a body due to it being 1 less mana, getting both affects right away at instant speed, and the lack of sac outlets for Pontiff.
Tokens
The deck obviously needs creatures to pump up, and tokens are the way to do it. What token generators you run depends on the curve you are trying to achieve.
Raise the Alarm: 2 tokens at 2 mana and at instant speed. Run this if you are going for a low curve.
Spectral Procession:Absolute staple of the deck.
Timely Reinforcements: Jury is out on this, but you would be surprised how often you can trigger both affects (especially with Bob in the deck hurting you). Can be very swingy. Can help recover from a board wipe.
Even the Odds: Might be better than Timely Reinforcements just because it's an instant and can catch an opponent off-guard and enable Windbrisk on your turn.
Hero of Bladehold: Smashes and brings soldiers along for the ride while pumping them all up. Question is how many should be in here?
Promise of Bunrei: Not as good as it could be with a sac outlet, but still powerful, especially deterring board wipes. Too bad Honor of the Pure doesn't pump these guys.
Cloudgoat Ranger: Staple of the standard deck and still powerful, but might be too slow in this format.
Marsh Flitter: Not as strong as Cloudgoat and almost as slow plus Honor doesn't pump it. Again, depends on your curve.
Besides the token generators, a few other creatures can fit into the game plan.
Dark Confidant: Cheap card advantage and swings for 2. The mana curve is pretty low, but hitting that Spectral Procession with him HURTS (but still worth the gas in my opinion). Honor not pumping him is a downside.
Kitchen Finks: Resilient creature against sweepers and helps maintain your life with Bob and a life hungry mana-base.
Land:
Other options and/or possible sideboard cards:
Grave Pact: Devastating against creature decks, not a friendly casting cost though. Also a bit slow.
Beckon Apparition: 1 cc, cast for either b/w, gets rid of troublesome cards such as Punishing Fire, and gives you a 1/1 flier. Seems to be a strong choice for a sideboard.
The Gameplan
Ideally you want to cast a first-turn disruption spell if at all possible. This allows you to yank anything out of their hand that is going to cause trouble and to get an immediate feel for what deck they are playing. If you don't have it, a first turn Windbrisk is nothing to be ashamed of (Putting a pump spell under it and activating it during combat is pretty awesome). Turn 2 is usually a Tidehallow if you have it, unless you know there is nothing in their hand you are worried about. In that case, start building that army and lay the pump affects afterwards.
Again, this just is the beginning, I'd love to hear your thoughts!
It is mentioned in the other cards section. Do you think it should be maindecked? What are your thoughts?
Noted and added! Thanks!