Militia Bugler looks kinda interesting since it greatly assists with locating things like Enlistment Officer and Daru Warchief in Soldier decks. I'm thinking of building something along the lines of:
The deck could also easily be a Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx build but Emeria seems better. Pearl Medallion/Oketra's Monument would also be sweet and I even like the idea of adding Legion Conquistador alongside some Mistveil Plains. Might not be needed but it's something to consider, especially given how powerful it can be lategame with Emeria recurring Daru Warchief as needed. "Infinite" 1-2 mana 3/4s are no joke, especially since we can also snag a Captain of the Watch. At that point I could even see Genesis Chamber making the cut. This would also be a stellar Land Tax deck since its wants to enable Emeria asap and Skullclamp is obviously always good in creature-based decks such as these.
I know you are going for an Emeria deck, but you almost have the basic shell of a decent Soldier Stompy deck, too, if you wanted to add a bunch of Sol lands and swap out some of the more lackluster creatures.
But yes, I am also a big fan of Militia Bugler, and will be looking to jam it in several of my WW decks -- I mostly play Soldiers a bit lower to the ground (Champion of the Parish, Thalia's Lieutenant, Hada Freeblade, Kazandu Blademaster, etc + recursion for multiplayer). I'm hoping we get some other decent knights/soldiers in M19 to compliment some of the other decent stuff we have gotten in recent sets.
I know you are going for an Emeria deck, but you almost have the basic shell of a decent Soldier Stompy deck, too, if you wanted to add a bunch of Sol lands and swap out some of the more lackluster creatures.
Tomb is like 40 bucks and City is 250 or something silly. It would cost me roughly $1500.00 CAD to add these to my list. I'd also cut lands, not spells, if I beefed-up the manabase.
Otherwise, I don't really like Relic Seeker here, especially if Heirloom Blade is your payoff. It is pretty difficult to connect with in multiplayer in any deck, let alone in a deck like this where removal is sparse and the overall curve is a bit higher.
My experience is the polar opposite. I find that it's trivially easy to cast a 2/2 on turn 2 and connect with someone on turn 3. I also think that Heirloom Blade is a fantastic card for the deck. It turns small dorks into relevant threats and accrues massive quantities of card advantage as the game progresses for a reasonable $$$ cost. I agree that it's not an ideal threat, but I do like what Blade brings to the archetype.
I strongly disagree with the former. Cards like Ballyrush Banneret are absurd when you're chaining things like Militia Bugler into Enlistment Officer into more threats. It's often a Sol Ring and sometimes it's a Thran Dynamo while still being a warm body and a hit for Enlistment Officer. I won't fight anyone over some of these card choices but I would gladly play 8 copies of that card if a functional alternative existed.
FWIW you would basically have to wrestle cost reducers from my deck. I think that cards like Baral, Chief of Compliance and Jet Medallion are completely and utterly broken and I usually build my decks specifically to abuse them. They're ridonkulous compared to other forms of ramp; it feels like you're cheating when you're playing with them and reducing the cost of multiple spells every turn. The fact that my turn 2 Baral can curve into Manifold Insights with Negate backup (so I'm drawing cards while keeping my shields up) is not a fair play pattern.
I left out cards like 2 CMC Thalia and Recruiter for budget reasons. They're good cards but expensive and replaceable. In a perfect world I do agree that Thalia should replace Seeker though.Preeminent Captain was originally in the deck but MP isn't about speed so I opted for other things instead. It's no Goblin Lackey. Thalia, Heretic Cathar is fine but somewhat meta specific. She's crap unless everyone is playing mostly fetch + nonbasic manabases.
But yes, I am also a big fan of Militia Bugler, and will be looking to jam it in several of my WW decks -- I mostly play Soldiers a bit lower to the ground (Champion of the Parish, Thalia's Lieutenant, Hada Freeblade, Kazandu Blademaster, etc + recursion for multiplayer). I'm hoping we get some other decent knights/soldiers in M19 to compliment some of the other decent stuff we have gotten in recent sets.
I refuse to play tribal decks that fold to mass removal. I'm not saying that your build doesn't work for you in your meta, but I don't want someone to go turn 2 Azorius Signet turn 3 Sublime Exhalation only to find myself drawing dead. Not a fan of the 1 drops and generic beaters that require you to over-commit to the board.
My multiplayer experiences are clearly very different than yours, but to each their own!
I will throw one other suggestion out there -- if you are on the Relic Seeker/Emeria, the Sky Ruin plan (with some other expensive cards like Mass Calcify), what about running 1 copy of Sword of the Animist? I mostly run it in some of my other Voltron-y builds, but it's not the worst way to help get to 7x Plains.
My multiplayer experiences are clearly very different than yours, but to each their own!
I will throw one other suggestion out there -- if you are on the Relic Seeker/Emeria, the Sky Ruin plan (with some other expensive cards like Mass Calcify), what about running 1 copy of Sword of the Animist? I mostly run it in some of my other Voltron-y builds, but it's not the worst way to help get to 7x Plains.
I like that idea a lot actually. That being said now I have to decide if this is better than Dowsing Dagger. I know that Plains help for Emeria, but Dagger is basically broken if you can cast and flip it on turn 4. Both seems great. Eh, but if I am going with Emeria I probably have to defer to the Sword. Ramp is ramp but I need some more endgame and that's where a card like Emeria (and thus Sword) shines. Sword doesn't even have to connect, just attack, so chump attacking tokens works just fine. Let's go with that. Decklist is updated.
I know Kjeldoran Outpost doesn't quite fit with Emeria, but the token production might matter.
Too much anti-synergy with Emeria and it's too much weaker of an engine. I also think that the card is expensive now. I think it's reserved list. I did consider the card though.
I agree with you, it's significantly cheaper too. Just suggesting an option.
IME taking first strike away from the entire table isn't a bad thing, especially when your soldiers lack evasion.
Also, Deploy to the Front could be hilarious in the right context, but it's not worth a slot outside EDH.
12x Plains
4x Myriad Landscape
4x Emeria, the Sky Ruin
Creatures (30)
4x Ballyrush Banneret
4x Relic Seeker
2x Field Marshal
4x Militia Bugler
4x Daru Warchief
4x Enlistment Officer
2x Palace Jailer
4x Captain of the Watch
2x Angel of Glory's Rise
4x Swords to Plowshares
1x Sword of the Animist
1x Heirloom Blade
1x Blade of Selves
1x Kindred Boon
The deck could also easily be a Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx build but Emeria seems better. Pearl Medallion/Oketra's Monument would also be sweet and I even like the idea of adding Legion Conquistador alongside some Mistveil Plains. Might not be needed but it's something to consider, especially given how powerful it can be lategame with Emeria recurring Daru Warchief as needed. "Infinite" 1-2 mana 3/4s are no joke, especially since we can also snag a Captain of the Watch. At that point I could even see Genesis Chamber making the cut. This would also be a stellar Land Tax deck since its wants to enable Emeria asap and Skullclamp is obviously always good in creature-based decks such as these.
Moreover, because the deck is monowhite it can support things like Suppression Field, Rest in Peace, Stony Silence, Aura of Silence, Aven Mindcensor, Armageddon and various other forms of hate/hosing. The GY/land hate would kill the Emeria plan but that can always be removed as needed.
There's also plenty of cards like Stoneforge Mystic and Oreskos Explorer that aren't Soliders but that combo nicely with Militia Bugler, equipment and/or Emeria, the Sky Ruin. It doesn't have a pure Solider deck by any means.
Guilds of Ravnica - Commander 2018 - Core 2019 - Battlebond - Dominaria - Rivals of Ixalan - Ixalan - Commander 2017 - Hour of Devastation - Amonket - Aether Revolt - Commander 2016 - Kaladesh - Conspiracy 2 - Eldritch Moon - Shadows Over Innistrad - Oath of the Gatewatch - Commander 2015 - Battle for Zendikar - Magic Origins - Dragons of Tarkir
Green - Blue - Red - White - Gold
Otherwise, I don't really like Relic Seeker here, especially if Heirloom Blade is your payoff. It is pretty difficult to connect with in multiplayer in any deck, let alone in a deck like this where removal is sparse and the overall curve is a bit higher. I'm also not a huge fan of Ballyrush Banneret or Knight-Captain of Eos, though I feel less strongly about these. Would the deck not be better served by swapping out some of these creatures for some number of Thalia, Guardian of Thraben (terrific with your low non-creature count), Thalia, Heretic Cathar, Preeminent Captain and/or Recruiter of the Guard? Most of these seem to play nicely with other cards in your deck (eg, Preeminent Captain --> Captain of the Watch; Recruiter of the Guard/Militia Bugler --> nearly everything in the deck, though there are a few 3-toughness/power creatures).
But yes, I am also a big fan of Militia Bugler, and will be looking to jam it in several of my WW decks -- I mostly play Soldiers a bit lower to the ground (Champion of the Parish, Thalia's Lieutenant, Hada Freeblade, Kazandu Blademaster, etc + recursion for multiplayer). I'm hoping we get some other decent knights/soldiers in M19 to compliment some of the other decent stuff we have gotten in recent sets.
Tomb is like 40 bucks and City is 250 or something silly. It would cost me roughly $1500.00 CAD to add these to my list. I'd also cut lands, not spells, if I beefed-up the manabase.
My experience is the polar opposite. I find that it's trivially easy to cast a 2/2 on turn 2 and connect with someone on turn 3. I also think that Heirloom Blade is a fantastic card for the deck. It turns small dorks into relevant threats and accrues massive quantities of card advantage as the game progresses for a reasonable $$$ cost. I agree that it's not an ideal threat, but I do like what Blade brings to the archetype.
I strongly disagree with the former. Cards like Ballyrush Banneret are absurd when you're chaining things like Militia Bugler into Enlistment Officer into more threats. It's often a Sol Ring and sometimes it's a Thran Dynamo while still being a warm body and a hit for Enlistment Officer. I won't fight anyone over some of these card choices but I would gladly play 8 copies of that card if a functional alternative existed.
FWIW you would basically have to wrestle cost reducers from my deck. I think that cards like Baral, Chief of Compliance and Jet Medallion are completely and utterly broken and I usually build my decks specifically to abuse them. They're ridonkulous compared to other forms of ramp; it feels like you're cheating when you're playing with them and reducing the cost of multiple spells every turn. The fact that my turn 2 Baral can curve into Manifold Insights with Negate backup (so I'm drawing cards while keeping my shields up) is not a fair play pattern.
I left out cards like 2 CMC Thalia and Recruiter for budget reasons. They're good cards but expensive and replaceable. In a perfect world I do agree that Thalia should replace Seeker though.Preeminent Captain was originally in the deck but MP isn't about speed so I opted for other things instead. It's no Goblin Lackey. Thalia, Heretic Cathar is fine but somewhat meta specific. She's crap unless everyone is playing mostly fetch + nonbasic manabases.
I refuse to play tribal decks that fold to mass removal. I'm not saying that your build doesn't work for you in your meta, but I don't want someone to go turn 2 Azorius Signet turn 3 Sublime Exhalation only to find myself drawing dead. Not a fan of the 1 drops and generic beaters that require you to over-commit to the board.
Guilds of Ravnica - Commander 2018 - Core 2019 - Battlebond - Dominaria - Rivals of Ixalan - Ixalan - Commander 2017 - Hour of Devastation - Amonket - Aether Revolt - Commander 2016 - Kaladesh - Conspiracy 2 - Eldritch Moon - Shadows Over Innistrad - Oath of the Gatewatch - Commander 2015 - Battle for Zendikar - Magic Origins - Dragons of Tarkir
Green - Blue - Red - White - Gold
I will throw one other suggestion out there -- if you are on the Relic Seeker/Emeria, the Sky Ruin plan (with some other expensive cards like Mass Calcify), what about running 1 copy of Sword of the Animist? I mostly run it in some of my other Voltron-y builds, but it's not the worst way to help get to 7x Plains.
I like that idea a lot actually. That being said now I have to decide if this is better than Dowsing Dagger. I know that Plains help for Emeria, but Dagger is basically broken if you can cast and flip it on turn 4. Both seems great. Eh, but if I am going with Emeria I probably have to defer to the Sword. Ramp is ramp but I need some more endgame and that's where a card like Emeria (and thus Sword) shines. Sword doesn't even have to connect, just attack, so chump attacking tokens works just fine. Let's go with that. Decklist is updated.
Guilds of Ravnica - Commander 2018 - Core 2019 - Battlebond - Dominaria - Rivals of Ixalan - Ixalan - Commander 2017 - Hour of Devastation - Amonket - Aether Revolt - Commander 2016 - Kaladesh - Conspiracy 2 - Eldritch Moon - Shadows Over Innistrad - Oath of the Gatewatch - Commander 2015 - Battle for Zendikar - Magic Origins - Dragons of Tarkir
Green - Blue - Red - White - Gold
Daru Warchief & Ballyrush Banneret will setup some crazy turns I reckon.....
I was purposely trying to avoid adding expensive cards to the deck but... yeah... the card is too sweet to omit entirely.
Guilds of Ravnica - Commander 2018 - Core 2019 - Battlebond - Dominaria - Rivals of Ixalan - Ixalan - Commander 2017 - Hour of Devastation - Amonket - Aether Revolt - Commander 2016 - Kaladesh - Conspiracy 2 - Eldritch Moon - Shadows Over Innistrad - Oath of the Gatewatch - Commander 2015 - Battle for Zendikar - Magic Origins - Dragons of Tarkir
Green - Blue - Red - White - Gold
Yeah that does kinda seem better than Mass Calcify in an Emeria deck.
Guilds of Ravnica - Commander 2018 - Core 2019 - Battlebond - Dominaria - Rivals of Ixalan - Ixalan - Commander 2017 - Hour of Devastation - Amonket - Aether Revolt - Commander 2016 - Kaladesh - Conspiracy 2 - Eldritch Moon - Shadows Over Innistrad - Oath of the Gatewatch - Commander 2015 - Battle for Zendikar - Magic Origins - Dragons of Tarkir
Green - Blue - Red - White - Gold
Militia Bugler & Enlistment Officer both work with Archetype of Courage.
Valor might be an option too.
Too much anti-synergy with Emeria and it's too much weaker of an engine. I also think that the card is expensive now. I think it's reserved list. I did consider the card though.
Isn't that card exceptionally weaker than Field Marshal? Why field it?
Probably fine as a singleton but I can't think of anything to cut for it.
Guilds of Ravnica - Commander 2018 - Core 2019 - Battlebond - Dominaria - Rivals of Ixalan - Ixalan - Commander 2017 - Hour of Devastation - Amonket - Aether Revolt - Commander 2016 - Kaladesh - Conspiracy 2 - Eldritch Moon - Shadows Over Innistrad - Oath of the Gatewatch - Commander 2015 - Battle for Zendikar - Magic Origins - Dragons of Tarkir
Green - Blue - Red - White - Gold
I agree with you, it's significantly cheaper too. Just suggesting an option.
IME taking first strike away from the entire table isn't a bad thing, especially when your soldiers lack evasion.
Also, Deploy to the Front could be hilarious in the right context, but it's not worth a slot outside EDH.