Wow, I've actually been mulling over this deck for little over a week, and you've completed it in a matter of hours!
The prices at this point shouldn't be too much, as the reason that I thought this deck up is because I'd already gotten quite a few of the cards in the deck set up, as I'd been lucky enough to open up two foil Mentor of the Meeks, three Champion of the Parishes and just had Swords to Plowshares lying around. I could get quite a few relatively cheap from a friend of mine that's been playing for years and used to run his own Vintage soldier deck before getting bored of it.
So then thanks a lot! I'll try to get this deck up and running as soon as possible, maybe by the end of the week, and I'll tell you're interested in knowing.
Wow, I've actually been mulling over this deck for little over a week, and you've completed it in a matter of hours!
The prices at this point shouldn't be too much, as the reason that I thought this deck up is because I'd already gotten quite a few of the cards in the deck set up, as I'd been lucky enough to open up two foil Mentor of the Meeks, three Champion of the Parishes and just had Swords to Plowshares lying around. I could get quite a few relatively cheap from a friend of mine that's been playing for years and used to run his own Vintage soldier deck before getting bored of it.
So then thanks a lot! I'll try to get this deck up and running as soon as possible, maybe by the end of the week, and I'll tell you're interested in knowing.
curious to why Knight-Captain of Eos is never mentioned. Surely one can benefit with the fog style effect and the triggers from the tokens. Forces your opponent to delay his attack or attack in a smaller fashion thus making it easier for you to deal with his forces
I like Captain of the Watch for the vigilence and +1/+1 but that may not be enough to protect you from big trampling creatures....
curious to why Knight-Captain of Eos is never mentioned. Surely one can benefit with the fog style effect and the triggers from the tokens. Forces your opponent to delay his attack or attack in a smaller fashion thus making it easier for you to deal with his forces
I like Captain of the Watch for the vigilence and +1/+1 but that may not be enough to protect you from big trampling creatures....
The biggest problem that Knight-Captain of Eos has is that it's casting cost is huge for something so easily taken care of by a Swords to Plowshares, Path to Exile, or Brave the Elements. Why simply prevent the damage when you can outright remove the creature all together is another thought. His 2/2 body is also hurting him not to mention the fact that he himself gets no pump from soldier lords and can only receive pump from Honor of the Pure.
The ability he offers may be useful in some more budget friendly decks that cannot afford the before mentioned removal spells but for most soldier decks he will remain just that, a budget option. The fog style of play really doesn't help soldiers has much as one might think, with other tribes such as Knights doing that much more effectively soldiers have to be played more aggressive in order to win against most decks that get stronger towards the mid-late game.
Captain of the Watch is not meant to deal with large trample creatures, with the soldiers available now such as Preeminent Captain she is meant as a turn four finisher and you must rely on proper removal to deal with the threats.
The biggest problem that Knight-Captain of Eos has is that it's casting cost is huge for something so easily taken care of by a Swords to Plowshares, Path to Exile, or Brave the Elements. Why simply prevent the damage when you can outright remove the creature all together is another thought. His 2/2 body is also hurting him not to mention the fact that he himself gets no pump from soldier lords and can only receive pump from Honor of the Pure.
The ability he offers may be useful in some more budget friendly decks that cannot afford the before mentioned removal spells but for most soldier decks he will remain just that, a budget option. The fog style of play really doesn't help soldiers has much as one might think, with other tribes such as Knights doing that much more effectively soldiers have to be played more aggressive in order to win against most decks that get stronger towards the mid-late game.
Captain of the Watch is not meant to deal with large trample creatures, with the soldiers available now such as Preeminent Captain she is meant as a turn four finisher and you must rely on proper removal to deal with the threats.
Point taken on Knight Captain, I didn't find him overly useful either unless I could protect him, in which case, I was probably already winning.
As for soldiers, I have played so many different incarnations, but I find them really inconsistent at putting up results. It feels like I only have a shot at winning if I play a god hand.
Knights on the other hand, I find them resilient....
However I keep trying to find that correct combination of aggro attackers/pumps/protection in soldiers and do believe I will find something that eventually doesn't need to be tweaked all too often
Point taken on Knight Captain, I didn't find him overly useful either unless I could protect him, in which case, I was probably already winning.
As for soldiers, I have played so many different incarnations, but I find them really inconsistent at putting up results. It feels like I only have a shot at winning if I play a god hand.
Knights on the other hand, I find them resilient....
However I keep trying to find that correct combination of aggro attackers/pumps/protection in soldiers and do believe I will find something that eventually doesn't need to be tweaked all too often
If you want a point of reference then feel free to try your hand at my deck in my signature.
It has a few ways to win right out of the gate. The most obvious would be the turn 4 Preeminent Captain into Captain of the Watch, but even without that the control that is offered from using Deftblade Elite and Catapult Squad is downright enough to make someone scoop.
If you play Hada Freeblade and Kazandu Blademaster then you have another winning combination too. The pump from each other is great, and a 2/2 body with first strike and vigilance for 2CMC is stupid good.
The way that I have my soldier deck setup, it can 8/10 times beat the Knight deck in my signature as-well as lay a consistent beating on zombies, R/U control, Jund, and a few other types just because of the amount of creatures that work so well together and how quickly they come out.
If you want a point of reference then feel free to try your hand at my deck in my signature.
It has a few ways to win right out of the gate. The most obvious would be the turn 4 Preeminent Captain into Captain of the Watch, but even without that the control that is offered from using Deftblade Elite and Catapult Squad is downright enough to make someone scoop.
If you play Hada Freeblade and Kazandu Blademaster then you have another winning combination too. The pump from each other is great, and a 2/2 body with first strike and vigilance for 2CMC is stupid good.
The way that I have my soldier deck setup, it can 8/10 times beat the Knight deck in my signature as-well as lay a consistent beating on zombies, R/U control, Jund, and a few other types just because of the amount of creatures that work so well together and how quickly they come out.
I am going to try your soldier list as I have not played that exact incarnation but many that are similar. The reason it likely beats your Knight deck is b/c your Knights are limited to the Modern carpool. Expanding the card pool changes everything (on both sides)
I am a big fan of Catapult squad and do think the card can be bonkers, especially against players who do not understand it's power
Having both Reprisal and Intrepid Hero is kind of a waste so that is why I suggest you go with Oblivion Ring over Reprisal because as your deck sits you have no answer for enchantments or artifacts so those will destroy you.
Elite Inquisitor is an ok card if your fighting one of the things it is immune to, if your not then run Kazandu Blademaster as that card is just much much better because of the pump it can get.
I suppose the rest kind of depends on how much money you want to spend or not spend, this deck as it sits seems fairly basic, you don't really have any tried and true combos that make soldiers work well such as the "pump brothers" Hada Freeblade and Kazandu Blademaster or the "piss off and ping brothers" Deftblade Elite and Catapult Squad. You seem to focus on pump mostly which can be good, but as I stated before enchantments and artifacts will lock you down pretty easily without using Oblivion Ring.
@XBM Yosho
Hey! Sorry for the delayed feedback, but yeah, the deck turned out great! The fast pace of the deck usually left those in my playgroup without a prayer, at least until they adapted to it with cards like Noxious Ghoul
And now off to my question to you guys! Well more than a question, I'm just asking for your opinions. Anyway, I attended the recent pre-release and decided to make a boros colored soldier deck, and here's what I have now! Mind sharing your thoughts?
Based on what I saw in this Primer (and considering that I'm playing on a budget), I have been using this White Soldier Deck in my casual games with my friends and while it has been useful so far, I still feel it's missing something (or that it has too many creatures or spells):
Any suggestions to improve the deck (I know about cards like Path to Exile, Field Marshall and Preeminent Captain...I'm just saving some money until I can buy those) ? Which cards should I lose? Which are really needed in a deck like this?
Thanks a lot! This Primer has been really useful for my game so far, but I think I still need some help with the deck.
Based on what I saw in this Primer (and considering that I'm playing on a budget), I have been using this White Soldier Deck in my casual games with my friends and while it has been useful so far, I still feel it's missing something (or that it has too many creatures or spells):
Any suggestions to improve the deck (I know about cards like Path to Exile, Field Marshall and Preeminent Captain...I'm just saving some money until I can buy those) ? Which cards should I lose? Which are really needed in a deck like this?
Thanks a lot! This Primer has been really useful for my game so far, but I think I still need some help with the deck.
In my opinion your deck has to many spells, partly because your deck is running 68 cards and not 60, was that intended???? Way to much removal to be exact or are you trying to go for more removal? Since you are playing on a budget for right now, you obviously wont be able to create my deck which would be this just yet.
I usually suggest my deck often as it lets you do several things,
Daru Warchief should be upped to four until you get Field Marshal, he is the second best lord for soldiers. The only thing holding him back is his casting cost and he doesn't grant first strike, but he does pump himself.
Thanks a lot! I was meaning to try to focus my deck on swarm, so far it has worked against my friends. The excess of cards (specially removal) was because I felt that I didn't have the necessary cards for an only swarm deck.
Most of my issues so far have been budget related (Preeminent Captain, Field Marshal, Honor of the Pure), but seeing your suggestions, I'll get the Allies, Catapult Squad and Deftblade Elites. I'll be saving money for the lords.
Thanks a lot! I was meaning to try to focus my deck on swarm, so far it has worked against my friends. The excess of cards (specially removal) was because I felt that I didn't have the necessary cards for an only swarm deck.
Most of my issues so far have been budget related (Preeminent Captain, Field Marshal, Honor of the Pure), but seeing your suggestions, I'll get the Allies, Catapult Squad and Deftblade Elites. I'll be saving money for the lords.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions!!
Champion of the Parish is also a nasty creature, he becomes a target of your opponents removal quickly, which can also be good to so he leaves your other bombs alone.
Basically the way I run my deck is everything works with everything, and it all is a threat, so you really have to choose what to remove.
Another good option if you are a budget player, is to play Pauper or Peasant. I play those a lot and they are extremely fun. You can throw together a nasty soldier deck in those formats.
I know this isn't a soldier deck exactly, but I love it..
So this is what I have.. I was thinking of swapping out precinct captain for kazandu blademaster.. thoughts?
I know this isn't a soldier deck exactly, but I love it..
So this is what I have.. I was thinking of swapping out precinct captain for kazandu blademaster.. thoughts?
Personally, a pure Soldier deck or pure Knight deck would most likely run a lot smoother in my opinion. So if you wanted to go tribal I would do a complete overhaul of the deck.
Longbow archer hasn't done much for me, so I use Elite vanguard for faster clock, though maybe this is against the very spirit of the deck. I don't like Jötun Grunt and I don't need it since my playgroup doesn't abuse graveyard, so I swapped it for Kazandu blademaster. To make it better, I put the other half of his team, Hada freeblade instead of Icatian javelineers, which are a bit underpowered. Then Honor of the pure instead of Shared Triumph, for obvious reasons, and Oblivion Ring instead of Aether vial, because I don't have them and sometimes a need to get rid of a nasty enchantment or creature. In fact, these are the only 4 slots I'm not sure about. And the the 2 Umezawa's jitte are there because it's just so good...
So, any thoughts on my deck? Something you would improve? Hope you like it.
Even though you said your playgroup doesn't abuse graveyard you should still swap out Elite Vanguard for Dryad Militant. It is just a better and safer card, Elite Vanguard has no abilities and is not very useful in many solder decks since the latter was included into MTG.
I personally hate using 4 Swords to Plowshares in my own soldier deck because in many cases you can grant your opponent to much life and if you don't run the turn 4 captain/captain shenanigans you are slightly under powered as a soldier deck so you need them to not have a lot of life. Make a 2/2 split between those and Path to Exile for a safer game.
Thanks for your advice. Actually, I have a playset of Dryad militant in my 10 land stompy deck, but as I said, none of my friends play with the graveyard, so that's not really an issue. Anyway I'll swap them when I need to.
I'd like to make the split, but I just have the 4 StP. When I get my hands on some PtE, I'll toss them in.
I'm havent designed a sideboard yet... usually my playgroup plays G/R aggroburn (Zoo), B/G aggrocontrol (Madness) and things alike (we play oldschool decks with oldschool cards, not too mucho into modern cards). The main problem I face is mi creatures being burned... I thought about Brave the elements, how well does it perform? I guess the Alpha strike it's also valuable.
Well, they're two ways to shut down aggroburn, soldier decks are inherently fast so we can go aggro for aggro but the burn part is taken out this way.
1: Run four Benevolent Unicorn, this is the old tried and true method of shutting down burn. They aren't soldiers but it is a good way.
2: My method for shutting down burn, infect, enchantment, well anything that can target anything is this. Run four Standard Bearer along with four Inviolability and your opponent HAS to target Standard Bearer with any burn, pump, creature ability, arftifact or enchantment all the while Inviolability prevents all damage.
1.But as you say, they aren't soldiers. Besides, they don't save the little soldiers before Honor of the pure or Field Marshal hit the board, in the first turns and that is the crucial moment.
2. So the idea is to build up a "lightning rod"... Sounds interesting. I'll try it, but since it depends on two cards to work properly, i'm not sure it it's consistent.
I found a card which might work fine as sideboard: Absolute Law. Have you tried it?
No, I haven't tried it. I have seen it but since it is only protection from red and the fear of enchantment and pump decks is very real in my meta a "lightning rod" creature helps more often. As far as consistency I haven't really had any major issues.
So I've been thinking about building a soldier deck for awhile and I'm torn between two slightly different styles. I like both ideas, so maybe down the road I may build each but for now I wouldn't mind hearing some opinions on them, and which may be the better first choice.
This is a slightly different build that uses Mentor of the Meek to draw a ton of cards, while also using Meekstone to keep my opponents bigger creatures locked.
Each deck needs to be filled out (4 cards in Option 1, 8 in Option 2). I'm thinking possibly Thalia, Guardian of Thraben or maybe Brave the Elements. I've even considered splashing R for Legion Loyalist though I'm not sure if it's worth it.
Any feedback as to how best to tweak either deck and/or which would be the better/stronger version to start with (or the only good one if one sucks, lol) is appreciated. Cheers.
So I've been thinking about building a soldier deck for awhile and I'm torn between two slightly different styles. I like both ideas, so maybe down the road I may build each but for now I wouldn't mind hearing some opinions on them, and which may be the better first choice.
This is a slightly different build that uses Mentor of the Meek to draw a ton of cards, while also using Meekstone to keep my opponents bigger creatures locked.
Each deck needs to be filled out (4 cards in Option 1, 8 in Option 2). I'm thinking possibly Thalia, Guardian of Thraben or maybe Brave the Elements. I've even considered splashing R for Legion Loyalist though I'm not sure if it's worth it.
Any feedback as to how best to tweak either deck and/or which would be the better/stronger version to start with (or the only good one if one sucks, lol) is appreciated. Cheers.
I personally prefer the first deck you posted as it is most similar to mine in my signature. Though I am a huge fan of the Deftblade Elite and Catapult Squad method which is one of the best combo's around and a huge reason to run soldiers.
I also suggestion running some Oblivion Rings to get rid of any enchantments/artifacts. Also split your Swords to Plowshares with Path to Exile, so two of each. Soldier decks have a big problem dealing with any sort of life gain so too much life from your removal can hurt you if you need to remove a big threat, having them receive a land is a small price when you should be cheating Captain of the Watch into play/attack on turn four.
I really like some of your suggestions. The Captain of the Watch idea seems like it could work well, as long as I can keep Preeminent Captain alive (same goes for Daru Warchief). I really like the Elite Inquisitor, but I can see the merits of cutting him. Do you think that thePrecinct Captain is a better choice to keep?
The Catapult Squad/Deftblade combo seems very effective and I may give it some thought. I also like the O-Rings and arguments against the StP; I've always been concerned about StP in Tribal decks (for the reasons you mentioned). The 2-of PtE seems like a good idea.
Again thanks for the input and I'll definitely give it all some thought, cheers.
I really like some of your suggestions. The Captain of the Watch idea seems like it could work well, as long as I can keep Preeminent Captain alive (same goes for Daru Warchief). I really like the Elite Inquisitor, but I can see the merits of cutting him. Do you think that thePrecinct Captain is a better choice to keep?
The Catapult Squad/Deftblade combo seems very effective and I may give it some thought. I also like the O-Rings and arguments against the StP; I've always been concerned about StP in Tribal decks (for the reasons you mentioned). The 2-of PtE seems like a good idea.
Again thanks for the input and I'll definitely give it all some thought, cheers.
Well as far as Elite Inquisitor versus Precinct Captain it really depends on your strategy. Having eight first strike and vigilance creatures (both Kazandu and Elite) is a great set of creatures, then again your opponent HAS to block Precinct Captain otherwise you get a soldier token who will then get pumped by Field Marshal, Daru Warchief and Captain of the Watch so I would go with that creature because it is the bigger threat.
Another way to look at it is this, you need to have several threats to make your opponent think about what to remove. Take my deck for instance, I have Deftblade Elite and Catapult Squad which makes sure the opponent spends removal on either one of those creatures, I also have Preeminent Captain which draws removal, but if I lose him it isn't a big deal because I have the others. If I lose both of those which is unlikely I still have a fall back with my typical first strike and pumped up creatures. So if you aren't running Deft/Cat you need a replacement threat and Precinct Captain is the closest must block threat around.
They're times when I consider replacing my Champion of the Parish with Precinct Captain just because he has to be blocked, sure the other gets pumped for each human you drop but multiple creatures hurts more especially since soldiers doesn't utilize trample.
Well as far as Elite Inquisitor versus Precinct Captain it really depends on your strategy. Having eight first strike and vigilance creatures (both Kazandu and Elite) is a great set of creatures, then again your opponent HAS to block Precinct Captain otherwise you get a soldier token who will then get pumped by Field Marshal, Daru Warchief and Captain of the Watch so I would go with that creature because it is the bigger threat.
Another way to look at it is this, you need to have several threats to make your opponent think about what to remove. Take my deck for instance, I have Deftblade Elite and Catapult Squad which makes sure the opponent spends removal on either one of those creatures, I also have Preeminent Captain which draws removal, but if I lose him it isn't a big deal because I have the others. If I lose both of those which is unlikely I still have a fall back with my typical first strike and pumped up creatures. So if you aren't running Deft/Cat you need a replacement threat and Precinct Captain is the closest must block threat around.
They're times when I consider replacing my Champion of the Parish with Precinct Captain just because he has to be blocked, sure the other gets pumped for each human you drop but multiple creatures hurts more especially since soldiers doesn't utilize trample.
That's a pretty valid point about the Captain vs. Inquisitor. I do like the fact that if he sticks, he will either be killing creatures (First Strike) or giving me more soldiers.
Also, I agree with the need for multiple must-answer-threats (another reason I like your combo).
I like the Champion of the Parish as he seems like he can get pretty big if not removed (as my build only has one non-human soldier), and he's another 1-drop which is always nice.
I priced out the Deftblade Elite/Catapult Squad and for a set of each would be around $2, so I may just grab them as I put the deck together and try them out. Thanks again.
Soldiers were my first favorite deck when Onslaught, Legions, and Scourge hit. I've collected a few here and there but only until recently did I become serious about making a soldier deck. My biggest issue is my w/u/b spirit token deck is already better than what this deck would be, with the exception of having more creature-mass and being a bit more versatile. Anyway, tell me what you think (I haven't play-tested it yet):
i probably don't need the singletons or land taxes, but i figured they'd both fix mana and seal the deal (as in close out the game by turn 6-7). plus, the one thing about tribal i don't really enjoy is lack of variety in play; so i think i took care of it without missing out on creatures. one thing i'm missing for sure is removal, i don't know if loyal sentry and catapult squad (and angel of glory's rise ) will be enough, but i guess i'm putting stock in vigilance, first strike, and masses more. perhaps i aught to swap 4 singletons for 4 path to exiles or oblivion rings?
The prices at this point shouldn't be too much, as the reason that I thought this deck up is because I'd already gotten quite a few of the cards in the deck set up, as I'd been lucky enough to open up two foil Mentor of the Meeks, three Champion of the Parishes and just had Swords to Plowshares lying around. I could get quite a few relatively cheap from a friend of mine that's been playing for years and used to run his own Vintage soldier deck before getting bored of it.
So then thanks a lot! I'll try to get this deck up and running as soon as possible, maybe by the end of the week, and I'll tell you're interested in knowing.
Once again, (Belated) Happy New Years!
How did the deck building go?
W White Weenie
I like Captain of the Watch for the vigilence and +1/+1 but that may not be enough to protect you from big trampling creatures....
The biggest problem that Knight-Captain of Eos has is that it's casting cost is huge for something so easily taken care of by a Swords to Plowshares, Path to Exile, or Brave the Elements. Why simply prevent the damage when you can outright remove the creature all together is another thought. His 2/2 body is also hurting him not to mention the fact that he himself gets no pump from soldier lords and can only receive pump from Honor of the Pure.
The ability he offers may be useful in some more budget friendly decks that cannot afford the before mentioned removal spells but for most soldier decks he will remain just that, a budget option. The fog style of play really doesn't help soldiers has much as one might think, with other tribes such as Knights doing that much more effectively soldiers have to be played more aggressive in order to win against most decks that get stronger towards the mid-late game.
Captain of the Watch is not meant to deal with large trample creatures, with the soldiers available now such as Preeminent Captain she is meant as a turn four finisher and you must rely on proper removal to deal with the threats.
W White Weenie
Point taken on Knight Captain, I didn't find him overly useful either unless I could protect him, in which case, I was probably already winning.
As for soldiers, I have played so many different incarnations, but I find them really inconsistent at putting up results. It feels like I only have a shot at winning if I play a god hand.
Knights on the other hand, I find them resilient....
However I keep trying to find that correct combination of aggro attackers/pumps/protection in soldiers and do believe I will find something that eventually doesn't need to be tweaked all too often
If you want a point of reference then feel free to try your hand at my deck in my signature.
It has a few ways to win right out of the gate. The most obvious would be the turn 4 Preeminent Captain into Captain of the Watch, but even without that the control that is offered from using Deftblade Elite and Catapult Squad is downright enough to make someone scoop.
If you play Hada Freeblade and Kazandu Blademaster then you have another winning combination too. The pump from each other is great, and a 2/2 body with first strike and vigilance for 2CMC is stupid good.
The way that I have my soldier deck setup, it can 8/10 times beat the Knight deck in my signature as-well as lay a consistent beating on zombies, R/U control, Jund, and a few other types just because of the amount of creatures that work so well together and how quickly they come out.
W White Weenie
I am going to try your soldier list as I have not played that exact incarnation but many that are similar. The reason it likely beats your Knight deck is b/c your Knights are limited to the Modern carpool. Expanding the card pool changes everything (on both sides)
I am a big fan of Catapult squad and do think the card can be bonkers, especially against players who do not understand it's power
Personally if you are running Captain of the Watch I suggest you run Preeminent Captain to cheat her into play on turn 4.
Having both Reprisal and Intrepid Hero is kind of a waste so that is why I suggest you go with Oblivion Ring over Reprisal because as your deck sits you have no answer for enchantments or artifacts so those will destroy you.
Elite Inquisitor is an ok card if your fighting one of the things it is immune to, if your not then run Kazandu Blademaster as that card is just much much better because of the pump it can get.
I suppose the rest kind of depends on how much money you want to spend or not spend, this deck as it sits seems fairly basic, you don't really have any tried and true combos that make soldiers work well such as the "pump brothers" Hada Freeblade and Kazandu Blademaster or the "piss off and ping brothers" Deftblade Elite and Catapult Squad. You seem to focus on pump mostly which can be good, but as I stated before enchantments and artifacts will lock you down pretty easily without using Oblivion Ring.
W White Weenie
Hey! Sorry for the delayed feedback, but yeah, the deck turned out great! The fast pace of the deck usually left those in my playgroup without a prayer, at least until they adapted to it with cards like Noxious Ghoul
And now off to my question to you guys! Well more than a question, I'm just asking for your opinions. Anyway, I attended the recent pre-release and decided to make a boros colored soldier deck, and here's what I have now! Mind sharing your thoughts?
1 Silverblade Paladin
3 Skynight Legionnaire
2 Champion of the Parish
2 Spark Trooper
1 Deftblade Elite
2 Catapult Squad
2 Aurelia, the Warleader
2 Truefire Paladin
2 Sunhome Guildmage
2 Frontline Medic
2 Firemane Avenger
2 Legion Loyalist
1 Order of the Stars
1 Boros Charm
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Honor of the Pure
4 Lightning Bolt
1 Skullcrack
2 Hold the Gates
[20] Lands
7 Plains
5 Mountain
2 Boros Garrison
4 Boros Guildgate
2 Battlefield Forge
4 Sundering Growth
4 Oblivion Ring
2 Rootborn Defenses
2 Safe Passage
1 Legion Loyalist
1 Deftblade Elite
1 Catapult Squad
So yeah! Any comments would be greatly appreciated, and don't hold back! I think I take negative feedback pretty well
...Maybe...
20 Plains
Creatures
2 Enlistment Officer
4 Veteran Armorsmith
4 Veteran Swordsmith
3 Captain of the Watch
1 Daru Warchief
4 Elite Inquisitor
3 Ballyrush Banneret
4 Elite Vanguard
4 Gideon's Lawkeeper
3 Pacifism
1 Disenchant
2 Demystify
2 Cloudshift
3 Oblivion Ring
3 Raise the Alarm
2 Vengeance
2 Unified Strike
1 Glorious Anthem
Any suggestions to improve the deck (I know about cards like Path to Exile, Field Marshall and Preeminent Captain...I'm just saving some money until I can buy those) ? Which cards should I lose? Which are really needed in a deck like this?
Thanks a lot! This Primer has been really useful for my game so far, but I think I still need some help with the deck.
In my opinion your deck has to many spells, partly because your deck is running 68 cards and not 60, was that intended???? Way to much removal to be exact or are you trying to go for more removal? Since you are playing on a budget for right now, you obviously wont be able to create my deck which would be this just yet.
I usually suggest my deck often as it lets you do several things,
1: Cheat Captain of the Watch into play.
2: Lets you ping off critters easily with Deftblade Elite and Catapult Squad.
3: Has the pump brothers Hada Freeblade and Kazandu Blademaster.
4: In a best case scenario hits for 27 damage on turn four.
2 Captain of the Watch
4 Catapult Squad
4 Champion of the Parish
4 Deftblade Elite
4 Field Marshal
4 Hada Freeblade
4 Kazandu Blademaster
4 Preeminent Captain
2 Honor of the Pure
4 Oblivion Ring
4 Swords to Plowshares
Lands
20 Plains
But for right now the things I would do to your deck,
Remove the Disenchant and up your Oblivion Rings to four.
Glorious Anthem is no replacement for Honor of the Pure, but that is a budget issue I am sure.
Daru Warchief should be upped to four until you get Field Marshal, he is the second best lord for soldiers. The only thing holding him back is his casting cost and he doesn't grant first strike, but he does pump himself.
Captain of the Watch is to expensive even with Ballyrush Banneret, drop her down to two.
If you can give me some more details as to what you want your deck to do, IE: focus on removal or swarm ect, I can fine tune it a little more.
W White Weenie
Most of my issues so far have been budget related (Preeminent Captain, Field Marshal, Honor of the Pure), but seeing your suggestions, I'll get the Allies, Catapult Squad and Deftblade Elites. I'll be saving money for the lords.
Thanks a lot for the suggestions!!
Champion of the Parish is also a nasty creature, he becomes a target of your opponents removal quickly, which can also be good to so he leaves your other bombs alone.
Basically the way I run my deck is everything works with everything, and it all is a threat, so you really have to choose what to remove.
Another good option if you are a budget player, is to play Pauper or Peasant. I play those a lot and they are extremely fun. You can throw together a nasty soldier deck in those formats.
W White Weenie
Thanks a lot! I've already ordered most of the cards! I'm sure this will help my deck in upcoming games =)
So this is what I have.. I was thinking of swapping out precinct captain for kazandu blademaster.. thoughts?
4 stoneforge mystic
4 mirran crusader
4 precinct captain
4 knight of the white orchid
1 sword of war and peace
1 sword of feast and famine
1 batterskull
Spells:
4 swords to plowshare
4 path to exile
4 steelshaper's gift
2 apostle's blessing
4 brave the elements
4 quicksand
19 plains
Personally, a pure Soldier deck or pure Knight deck would most likely run a lot smoother in my opinion. So if you wanted to go tribal I would do a complete overhaul of the deck.
Kazandu Blademaster is several times more amazing then Precinct Captain though no matter what you choose to do.
W White Weenie
If you don't want to run the typical Captain of the Watch + Preeminent Captain the list looks pretty good.
Even though you said your playgroup doesn't abuse graveyard you should still swap out Elite Vanguard for Dryad Militant. It is just a better and safer card, Elite Vanguard has no abilities and is not very useful in many solder decks since the latter was included into MTG.
I personally hate using 4 Swords to Plowshares in my own soldier deck because in many cases you can grant your opponent to much life and if you don't run the turn 4 captain/captain shenanigans you are slightly under powered as a soldier deck so you need them to not have a lot of life. Make a 2/2 split between those and Path to Exile for a safer game.
Also what about a sideboard?
W White Weenie
Well, they're two ways to shut down aggroburn, soldier decks are inherently fast so we can go aggro for aggro but the burn part is taken out this way.
1: Run four Benevolent Unicorn, this is the old tried and true method of shutting down burn. They aren't soldiers but it is a good way.
2: My method for shutting down burn, infect, enchantment, well anything that can target anything is this. Run four Standard Bearer along with four Inviolability and your opponent HAS to target Standard Bearer with any burn, pump, creature ability, arftifact or enchantment all the while Inviolability prevents all damage.
W White Weenie
No, I haven't tried it. I have seen it but since it is only protection from red and the fear of enchantment and pump decks is very real in my meta a "lightning rod" creature helps more often. As far as consistency I haven't really had any major issues.
W White Weenie
So I've been thinking about building a soldier deck for awhile and I'm torn between two slightly different styles. I like both ideas, so maybe down the road I may build each but for now I wouldn't mind hearing some opinions on them, and which may be the better first choice.
4x Champion of the Parish
4x Halda Freeblade
4x Elite Inquisitor
4x Kazandu Blademaster
4x Precinct Captain
4x Field Marshal
4x Preeminent Captain
4x Swords to Plowshares
4x Honor of the Pure
Land
20x Plains
This is a more standard Tribal with a lord and pump.
4x Elite Vangaurd
4x Elite Inquisitor
4x Precinct Captain
4x Kor Skyfisher
4x Mentor of the Meek
4x Preeminent Captain
4x Swords to Plowshares
4x Meekstone
Land
20x Plains
This is a slightly different build that uses Mentor of the Meek to draw a ton of cards, while also using Meekstone to keep my opponents bigger creatures locked.
Each deck needs to be filled out (4 cards in Option 1, 8 in Option 2). I'm thinking possibly Thalia, Guardian of Thraben or maybe Brave the Elements. I've even considered splashing R for Legion Loyalist though I'm not sure if it's worth it.
Any feedback as to how best to tweak either deck and/or which would be the better/stronger version to start with (or the only good one if one sucks, lol) is appreciated. Cheers.
U FaerieNinjaStandstill U
B Swag Flu B
In Development
BG Nightmare Survival GB
B The Gate B
BRG Jund GRB
I personally prefer the first deck you posted as it is most similar to mine in my signature. Though I am a huge fan of the Deftblade Elite and Catapult Squad method which is one of the best combo's around and a huge reason to run soldiers.
If you are running Preeminent Captain you should really include the heaviest of hitters which is Captain of the Watch. That is really one of the main reasons to even play with Preeminent Captain so I would include two of her and drop your Elite Inquisitor all together. Throw in two Daru Warchief to fill the space.
I also suggestion running some Oblivion Rings to get rid of any enchantments/artifacts. Also split your Swords to Plowshares with Path to Exile, so two of each. Soldier decks have a big problem dealing with any sort of life gain so too much life from your removal can hurt you if you need to remove a big threat, having them receive a land is a small price when you should be cheating Captain of the Watch into play/attack on turn four.
Here is your deck updated.
4x Champion of the Parish
4x Halda Freeblade
4x Kazandu Blademaster
4x Precinct Captain
4x Field Marshal
4x Preeminent Captain
2x Daru Warchief
2x Captain of the Watch
2x Swords to Plowshares
2x Path to Exile
4x Oblivion Ring
4x Honor of the Pure
20x Plains
Here is my deck for reference and the sideboard that I use.
2 Captain of the Watch
4 Catapult Squad
4 Champion of the Parish
4 Deftblade Elite
4 Field Marshal
4 Hada Freeblade
4 Kazandu Blademaster
4 Preeminent Captain
2 Honor of the Pure
4 Oblivion Ring
2 Swords to Plowshares
2 Path of Exile
Lands 20
20 Plains
1 Captain of the Watch
2 Holy Light
2 Honor of the Pure
3 Prismatic Strands
3 Dust to Dust
4 Raise the Alarm
W White Weenie
I really like some of your suggestions. The Captain of the Watch idea seems like it could work well, as long as I can keep Preeminent Captain alive (same goes for Daru Warchief). I really like the Elite Inquisitor, but I can see the merits of cutting him. Do you think that thePrecinct Captain is a better choice to keep?
The Catapult Squad/Deftblade combo seems very effective and I may give it some thought. I also like the O-Rings and arguments against the StP; I've always been concerned about StP in Tribal decks (for the reasons you mentioned). The 2-of PtE seems like a good idea.
Again thanks for the input and I'll definitely give it all some thought, cheers.
U FaerieNinjaStandstill U
B Swag Flu B
In Development
BG Nightmare Survival GB
B The Gate B
BRG Jund GRB
Well as far as Elite Inquisitor versus Precinct Captain it really depends on your strategy. Having eight first strike and vigilance creatures (both Kazandu and Elite) is a great set of creatures, then again your opponent HAS to block Precinct Captain otherwise you get a soldier token who will then get pumped by Field Marshal, Daru Warchief and Captain of the Watch so I would go with that creature because it is the bigger threat.
Another way to look at it is this, you need to have several threats to make your opponent think about what to remove. Take my deck for instance, I have Deftblade Elite and Catapult Squad which makes sure the opponent spends removal on either one of those creatures, I also have Preeminent Captain which draws removal, but if I lose him it isn't a big deal because I have the others. If I lose both of those which is unlikely I still have a fall back with my typical first strike and pumped up creatures. So if you aren't running Deft/Cat you need a replacement threat and Precinct Captain is the closest must block threat around.
They're times when I consider replacing my Champion of the Parish with Precinct Captain just because he has to be blocked, sure the other gets pumped for each human you drop but multiple creatures hurts more especially since soldiers doesn't utilize trample.
W White Weenie
That's a pretty valid point about the Captain vs. Inquisitor. I do like the fact that if he sticks, he will either be killing creatures (First Strike) or giving me more soldiers.
Also, I agree with the need for multiple must-answer-threats (another reason I like your combo).
I like the Champion of the Parish as he seems like he can get pretty big if not removed (as my build only has one non-human soldier), and he's another 1-drop which is always nice.
I priced out the Deftblade Elite/Catapult Squad and for a set of each would be around $2, so I may just grab them as I put the deck together and try them out. Thanks again.
U FaerieNinjaStandstill U
B Swag Flu B
In Development
BG Nightmare Survival GB
B The Gate B
BRG Jund GRB
Soldiers were my first favorite deck when Onslaught, Legions, and Scourge hit. I've collected a few here and there but only until recently did I become serious about making a soldier deck. My biggest issue is my w/u/b spirit token deck is already better than what this deck would be, with the exception of having more creature-mass and being a bit more versatile. Anyway, tell me what you think (I haven't play-tested it yet):
3 deftblade elite
3 loyal sentry
2 catapult squad
2 precinct captain
3 ballyrush banneret
3 mentor of the meek
4 field marshal
2 preeminent captain
2 knight-captain of eos
3 captain of the watch
2 land tax
1 akroma's memorial
1 true conviction
1 mobilization
1 nomad's assembly
1 sublime archangel
1 angel of glory's rise
3 kjeldoran outpost
4 cavern of souls
11 plains
i probably don't need the singletons or land taxes, but i figured they'd both fix mana and seal the deal (as in close out the game by turn 6-7). plus, the one thing about tribal i don't really enjoy is lack of variety in play; so i think i took care of it without missing out on creatures. one thing i'm missing for sure is removal, i don't know if loyal sentry and catapult squad (and angel of glory's rise ) will be enough, but i guess i'm putting stock in vigilance, first strike, and masses more. perhaps i aught to swap 4 singletons for 4 path to exiles or oblivion rings?
EDIT: Considering: -1 Sublime Archangel, -1 Angel of Glory's Rise, -1 Land Tax, -1 Cavern of Souls for +1 Ranger of Eos, +2 Oblivion Ring, +1 Mutavault. Thoughts?