Well I challenged my friend to find me a card that wasn't used often if at all and to give me something to build a deck around. XoVeR chose Assemble the Legion. Challenge Accepted.
The purpose of the deck is to control the field with spot removal and some lightweight blockers until you can get your Assemble the Legion online. Lavinia of the Tenth provide excellent lockdown and her synergy with Legions Initiative allows you to blink her to avoid removal as well as bringing her back after an attack for a soft lock if you have multiple initiatives on the field. Ral Zarek and Tamiyo are extra removal or faux removal (tapdown), while Riot control is a free turn with lifegain for your Legion to grow in size.
Turn 5 is where the deck starts to really gain momentum. Sphere of safety really puts a damper on your opponents ability to attack, especially if you have a couple initiatives on the field. From there you just start amassing an army that keeps coming back like herpes. Sweepers and spot removal doesn't help when you're getting 5+ creatures every turn, ALL WITH HASTE!
To get the damage through, Hellrider provides an excellent advantage, as well as can get you a win with much fewer tokens, putting your opponent on a short clock.
TL : DR
Spot removal and a couple small hasty fliers can win you the game early, if not there's enough control and fog to win late game.
I know Lackey isn't the greatest test platform, but it's all I have so far. I'm assembling the deck as I can find cards for trade to test with at FNM. On Lackey I have had great success with this deck, only losing to an elderscale wurm (haven't seen anyone EVER play it) deck and one of 3 matchups against Grixis control (flipped huntsmaster proved more than my hand could protect against.
I have considered mainboarding 2 supreme verdicts and taking out the legionnaires for something like searing spear, but I'm not sure about that. The Legionnaires are great with a T2 Initiative. Any thoughts on the deck? It's very fun to play but I just haven't had the resources to test it throroughly yet.
I don't picture this being able to deal with BTE based decks very well.
If you are casting legion's initiative in turns 2-4 to bring Sphere of Safety online then you aren't casting spot removal so you're probably dead by turn 5 anyways. If you aren't casting leion's initiative in turns 2-4 Sphere of Safety isn't getting you anywhere anyways. Either drop Sphere of Safety or bring in its buddy - Detention Sphere. The other problem with Sphere of Safety is it occupies the same slot as AtL, so its slowing down your Wincon as well.
Against BTE decks Skynight is an inefficient blocker. Against slower decks you're probably running into Resto Angel or Olivia anyways, so once again your Skynight is doing little to nothing for you. Get rid of it.
Hellrider feels like a Winmore. If you've stabilized then AtL with a LI or two should be enough. If you haven't stabilized then Hellrider is just another inefficient blocker. Drop him. Tajic might make sense in his place. Accelerates your clock as well or better than Hellrider, also serves as a great blocker.
Not sure how I feel about Lavinia, never tested her, might do good work against BTE decks though.
4x Boros Reckoner is a must here. Why run 4 LI but no Boros Reckoner?
There's probably more to be said but I've run out of steam.
Reckoner feels like a great way to accelerate the early game, but it doesn't protect against fliers at all. I understand your point on the hellriders though. Again, all my testing has been on Lackey and lots of token/aggro decks.
Your proposal is:
-4 Skyknight Legionnaires
+ 4 Boros Reckoners
-2 Hell riders
+2 Tajic
I'll test it out tonight when I get home from work. Not sure if I like Tajic though.
You played JESUS?!?! I heard none of his guys stay in the graveyard, and once you think you have him beat he ALWAYS comes back to win within three turns. I like...WORSHIP him.
Well the Boros Reckoners made a difference. Last two days I've played a number of decks including naya blitz, with a 60/40 matchup game 1. Reckoner proved to be a baus. Taj seems lackluster aside from aggro, so I will probably move him to the sideboard, and replace him with 2 supreme verdicts main.
Deck still has a better than 70% win/loss ratio on Lackey. I'm just looking for cards to side against Grixis planeswalker control. That seems to be the toughest matchup so far. Bantchantment control (as I like to call it) can't really do much if I can stick a T2 initiative and get a single ATL on the board.
Moz, our decks are similar except you run removal instead of creatures and have counters.
Glad Reckoner worked out. Not surprised about your results with Tajic.
In your colors Detention Sphere and burn are the best way to handle resolved walkers. Whatever the 2 mana counterspell is that hits noncreatures is also a viable option.
I just noticed arrest is in your sideboard, that should definitely be detention sphere if your manabase can support it. Even if it can't it should be 4 O-Rings, 0 Arrest.
4 Blind Obedience feels like overkill in the board as well. You aren't really running enough cheap spells to take advantage of extort.
Glad Reckoner worked out. Not surprised about your results with Tajic.
In your colors Detention Sphere and burn are the best way to handle resolved walkers. Whatever the 2 mana counterspell is that hits noncreatures is also a viable option.
I just noticed arrest is in your sideboard, that should definitely be detention sphere if your manabase can support it. Even if it can't it should be 4 O-Rings, 0 Arrest.
4 Blind Obedience feels like overkill in the board as well. You aren't really running enough cheap spells to take advantage of extort.
Blue just isn't that apparant in my mana base to run D spheres consistantly, but I will be putting in more o rings as you're right, it hits more than just creatures. Blind Obedience is in for Red decks with haste/trample. Just to make sure that I can't get omgwtf'ed by a RDW or boros deck belching out their hand after a sweeper. The extort isn't necessary, but having a red creature come in tapped makes the game MUCH more manageable.
Played a phylactory lich deck who couldn't get past tamiyo either.
Finally played an Esper control deck that used aetherling and obzedat as wincons. That was rather difficult as he boarded in 4 illness in the ranks. Detention Sphere sideboarded in and when I drew a second iniative, the tokens were able to swing through Jace's +1 ability and take the game.
I have an 85%+ win ratio right now on lackey, but again, that's only lackey. I'll probably build the deck and take it to FNM next friday.
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The purpose of the deck is to control the field with spot removal and some lightweight blockers until you can get your Assemble the Legion online. Lavinia of the Tenth provide excellent lockdown and her synergy with Legions Initiative allows you to blink her to avoid removal as well as bringing her back after an attack for a soft lock if you have multiple initiatives on the field. Ral Zarek and Tamiyo are extra removal or faux removal (tapdown), while Riot control is a free turn with lifegain for your Legion to grow in size.
Turn 5 is where the deck starts to really gain momentum. Sphere of safety really puts a damper on your opponents ability to attack, especially if you have a couple initiatives on the field. From there you just start amassing an army that keeps coming back like herpes. Sweepers and spot removal doesn't help when you're getting 5+ creatures every turn, ALL WITH HASTE!
To get the damage through, Hellrider provides an excellent advantage, as well as can get you a win with much fewer tokens, putting your opponent on a short clock.
TL : DR
Spot removal and a couple small hasty fliers can win you the game early, if not there's enough control and fog to win late game.
I know Lackey isn't the greatest test platform, but it's all I have so far. I'm assembling the deck as I can find cards for trade to test with at FNM. On Lackey I have had great success with this deck, only losing to an elderscale wurm (haven't seen anyone EVER play it) deck and one of 3 matchups against Grixis control (flipped huntsmaster proved more than my hand could protect against.
I have considered mainboarding 2 supreme verdicts and taking out the legionnaires for something like searing spear, but I'm not sure about that. The Legionnaires are great with a T2 Initiative. Any thoughts on the deck? It's very fun to play but I just haven't had the resources to test it throroughly yet.
3 Lavinia of the Tenth
4 Boros Reckoner
Spells:
3 Azorius Charm
3 Izzet Charm
4 Riot Control
4 Mizzium Mortars
2 Sphinx's Revelation
Enchantments:
4 Legion's Initiative
2 Sphere of Safety
4 Assemble the Legion
1 Ral Zarek
2 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
Lands:
4 Steam Vents
4 Hallowed Fountain
6 Mountain
4 Plains
4 Sacred Foundry
1 Island
4 Blind Obedience
3 Detention Sphere
4 Oblivion Ring
2 Rest in Peace
4 Supreme Verdict
Changelog:
5/20:
-4 Skyknight Legionnaires
+4 Boros Reckoner
-2 Hellrider
+1 Tajic
+1 Blasphemous act
5/23
-3 Arrest
+3 Detention Sphere
If you are casting legion's initiative in turns 2-4 to bring Sphere of Safety online then you aren't casting spot removal so you're probably dead by turn 5 anyways. If you aren't casting leion's initiative in turns 2-4 Sphere of Safety isn't getting you anywhere anyways. Either drop Sphere of Safety or bring in its buddy - Detention Sphere. The other problem with Sphere of Safety is it occupies the same slot as AtL, so its slowing down your Wincon as well.
Against BTE decks Skynight is an inefficient blocker. Against slower decks you're probably running into Resto Angel or Olivia anyways, so once again your Skynight is doing little to nothing for you. Get rid of it.
Hellrider feels like a Winmore. If you've stabilized then AtL with a LI or two should be enough. If you haven't stabilized then Hellrider is just another inefficient blocker. Drop him. Tajic might make sense in his place. Accelerates your clock as well or better than Hellrider, also serves as a great blocker.
Not sure how I feel about Lavinia, never tested her, might do good work against BTE decks though.
4x Boros Reckoner is a must here. Why run 4 LI but no Boros Reckoner?
There's probably more to be said but I've run out of steam.
Your proposal is:
-4 Skyknight Legionnaires
+ 4 Boros Reckoners
-2 Hell riders
+2 Tajic
I'll test it out tonight when I get home from work. Not sure if I like Tajic though.
Thanks for the suggestions.
http://forums.mtgsalvation.com/showthread.php?p=10220145&posted=1#post10220145
Above is my block UWR deck with 2 assemble main. It's not standard, but maybe it can inspire you
My 180 Modern Bordered Only Cube
Deck still has a better than 70% win/loss ratio on Lackey. I'm just looking for cards to side against Grixis planeswalker control. That seems to be the toughest matchup so far. Bantchantment control (as I like to call it) can't really do much if I can stick a T2 initiative and get a single ATL on the board.
Moz, our decks are similar except you run removal instead of creatures and have counters.
In your colors Detention Sphere and burn are the best way to handle resolved walkers. Whatever the 2 mana counterspell is that hits noncreatures is also a viable option.
I just noticed arrest is in your sideboard, that should definitely be detention sphere if your manabase can support it. Even if it can't it should be 4 O-Rings, 0 Arrest.
4 Blind Obedience feels like overkill in the board as well. You aren't really running enough cheap spells to take advantage of extort.
Blue just isn't that apparant in my mana base to run D spheres consistantly, but I will be putting in more o rings as you're right, it hits more than just creatures. Blind Obedience is in for Red decks with haste/trample. Just to make sure that I can't get omgwtf'ed by a RDW or boros deck belching out their hand after a sweeper. The extort isn't necessary, but having a red creature come in tapped makes the game MUCH more manageable.
Good call on the arrest.
Played a phylactory lich deck who couldn't get past tamiyo either.
Finally played an Esper control deck that used aetherling and obzedat as wincons. That was rather difficult as he boarded in 4 illness in the ranks. Detention Sphere sideboarded in and when I drew a second iniative, the tokens were able to swing through Jace's +1 ability and take the game.
I have an 85%+ win ratio right now on lackey, but again, that's only lackey. I'll probably build the deck and take it to FNM next friday.