So I've tried to write my first guide on Aurelia, the Warleader and hope to get some comments on improving both my EDH deck and guide. Enjoy!
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Aurelia, the Warleader
Introduction
Welcome everybody to my very first Commander guide! Ever since I started playing Magic: The Gathering I was always fascinated by the white and red themes. I really enjoy playing this color combination and hope that I can introduce players from all backgrounds to my very own Aurelia, the Warleader deck. I originally started this deck with Agrus Kos, Wojek Veteran and then changed my general to Aurelia, the Warleader as soon as she was available. The difference? Very, very, very much improved. Aurelia, the Warleader may very well be the best Boros general you can play. Throughout my guide I will go into detail about my decisions for my cards, the matchups I've had in both multiplayer and 1v1 matchups (non-competitive), and strategies on how to play a better Aurelia Commander deck.
Playing Boros
Before you read further it's important to understand the fundamental traits of playing the Boros archetype. Boros is not simply "OMG ZERG AGGRO RUSH RUSH KEKEKE" nor is it "I play a knight. Pass turn. Now I play a soldier. Pass turn. You countered my spell? GG next game /sadface". A good Boros deck should be a balance between aggression and control. When you play a Boros-aligned creature, it tends to be a standalone threat without dependence on other resources. Each creature you play in this deck is a threat to your opponent and can deal massive amounts of damage. When the board is in your opponents favor, you should have an arsenal of board wipes ready to reset the board and play more threatening creatures. Boros is about balancing aggressive combat damage and board control as one powerful entity.
You would like playing Boros if you...
+Enjoy playing aggressively
+Like to build a small, self-sufficient army of creatures and tokens
+Have the patience to play few creatures that result in becoming massive threats over time
+Want to achieve victory through the simplest strategy: overwhelming your opponent with combat tricks and lots of combat damage
You would not like playing Boros if you...
+Prefer to play control/tempo decks
+Like land ramping
+Want a more unique strategy to winning the game rather than through straightforward combat
Why Aurelia?
At my local game store (LGS), people have been asking me why I ditched my former general for Aurelia, the Warleader and why she is a better option as a Boros general than the other legendary creatures. First off let's take a look at Aurelia and see what she does:
At first glance 6 CMC for a 3/4 does not seem very beneficial. Also the double red and white mana costs make Boros players shudder as Aurelia is deeper into both colors than most other Boros legendaries. However, here's the upside to her: she flies, she has vigilance, she has haste, she untaps all your other creatures regardless as to whether they attack or not, and she creates an additional combat phase. Uncontested, Aurelia deals 6 damage on her own. With the additional combat phase this is ideal for Boros players as we are reliant on strong, self-sufficient creatures that produce immediate threats.
Let's compare her to our other Boros generals...
vs. Agrus Kos, Wojek Veteran: No haste, no flying, and no vigilance. He does pump your red creatures with +2/+0 and your white creatures with +0/+2 whenever he attacks, but this is only beneficial for red creatures or red and white creatures in your deck. Mono white creatures do not get the same damage treatment that you're looking for when creating aggression to your opponent. Plus, his ability is only when he attacks...so if he dies to removal or becomes RFG he becomes a useless general and your simple plan to swing with your buffed army becomes a pipe dream. However, each time he attacks all your red and white creatures get bigger, which means more combat phases = even bigger creatures. Good for your deck, but not as a general.
vs. Basandra, Battle Seraph: No haste, has flying, and no vigilance. Not being able to cast spells during combat can be equally beneficial and detrimental to you. We lose out on combat tricks. Forcing your opponents creature(s) to attack is handy but more often than not you won't be using her ability unless if your opponent has mana dorks or weenies on the field. Would not recommend for your deck nor as a general.
vs. Brion Stoutarm: No haste, no flying, and no vigilance. BUT. And this is a big 'but'. Lifelink and flinging are very relevant in our deck, especially since we will be making tokens from some of our resources. He's more of a utility card to stabilize the board. Having him on the field with Aurelia gives us the chance to swing for 8 and gain 8. Good for your deck, but not as a general.
vs. Gisela, Blade of Goldnight: The closest contender to a playable general. Gisela is a big influence on the field: first strike, increasing damage to our opponents, and decreasing damage dealt to us. In a multiplayer game, Gisela is a tool for diplomacy by helping our allies and hurting our enemies. In a 1v1 matchup, she is the icing on the Aurelia cake. Even on her own she is very impressive and can make a big impact on board control. Good for your deck and as a possible general.
vs. Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer: No haste, no flying, and no vigilance. First strike and metalcraft (global +3/+0 boost) are beneficial, but it's a niche deck that relies on artifact creatures and the voltron route. He can be a real threat with the mana rocks (i.e. turn 1 -> land, Sol Ring + Mox Diamond + Mana Crypt...and yes I've had that unfortunate indicent before). In a generic Boros deck he's not good with Aurelia, but in a niche metalcraft/voltron deck Jor Kadeen rises to be a terrifying general.
vs. Razia, Boros Archangel: Ah! Now I can finally stop repeating myself and say that Razia has haste, flying, and vigilance. Great! So we should play her, right? Well not exactly. While she does have all those nice qualities and can beat for 6, she is heavily costed at 8 CMC, has a lower toughness than Aurelia, and her tap ability isn't very effective as we can only direct it to another creature, not another player. I wouldn't recommend her for the Aurelia deck simply because she doesn't do much except swing in for 6 and dies easily to burn/midrange flyers.
Aurelia, the Warleader - Our general and fearless leader. She gives us the blessing of victorious combat...and then we get to do it again! Figure of Destiny - One of the best turn 1 creatures a Boros deck can have. This guy is better than the Rise of Eldrazi leveler creatures, allowing a player to effectively level at instant speed and can also de-level when an opponent tries to take control of him. "You want my 8/8? I'll tap a red/white source and make him a 2/2. Enjoy." Tauren Mauler - He gets bigger, and bigger, and bigger. In multiplayer this guy is a house, sitting in the benches getting stronger while your opponents cast spells. And he's a changeling too? Score! Boros Reckoner - One of the latest additions to our decklist. An all-star for combat tricks and getting in much needed damage when your opponent is too stubborn to die. Adaptive Automaton - Initially I would name soldier as the creature type when I first made this deck with Agrus Kos, but as it evolved into Aurelia I am naming Angel Mirror Entity – This card was originally intended for my Agrus deck when I focused on a soldier token theme. You might look at this initially and ask yourself why you would play this. Two reasons: 1) it creates a threat for any of your tokens, and 2) I can choose to pay 0 for X in case if my opponent tries to steal a creature of mind which in turn would kill the creature before they take it. Silverblade Paladin – This guy is too good. Anything and everything that comes out with Silverblade only benefits by giving both creatures double strike. Pair him with Aurelia and you’ll make minced meat out of your opponent. Hero of Bladehold – I remember playing this card back when it was standard legal and it was very threatening. Battle cry, token production…all the things a Boros deck wants. Plus it’s got a big butt at 4 toughness so it can sustain against most instant burn spells. Plus, it’s also a “pick me!” target for opponents to hate on, taking the focus off of your other creatures. Brion Stoutarm – Your brother in arms and one of the main reasons why I initially started out with token decks. Lifelinking 4 damage for 4 CMC is awesome, but what makes Brion even more amazing is his second ability. I can just fling creatures at my opponents and gain life. Very effective to sustain a commanding life lead. Instigator Gang – The distant cousin of Hero of Bladehold. The upside to Instigator is that it’s a standing battle cry and when it’s flipped it goes to +3/+0 for all creatures and gives itself trample. You’ll definitely want to play this once you have a decent sized army on the field. Solemn Simulacrum – Everybody’s favorite creature: sad robot! Land fetching and card draw. What’s not to like? Urabrask the Hidden – When you’re playing against another aggro deck, Urabrask becomes the biggest threat on the board. Giving your creatures haste is a big bonus, especially when we’re looking to resolve a Gisela shortly after that (assuming you have the mana for it). Archon of Justice – It flies, it exiles a permanent on death, and it’s in your colors. No reason not to play it. Balefire Liege – The walking Lightning Helix! If only the red ability could target a creature too…then this card would be beyond bananas *drooling* Zealous Conscripts – A nice trick in the red mage’s book. Stealing another player’s permanent is always a bonus. Ever steal a Jace, the Mind Sculptor with 12 counters on it after playing Conscripts? I did. It was amazing. Agrus Kos, Wojek Veteran – My old general! Some people ask me why I keep him in my deck. The answer: he gives bigger fists to attacking red creatures and bigger butts to attacking white creatures. He is also a lightning rod to hate spells if your opponent(s) don’t want to deal with extra combat damage. Sunblast Angel – Pairs well with Urabrask the Hidden and can reverse board control in your favor. A standing half-wrath spell. Captain of the Watch – 6 CMC to get a 5/5 + 3 2/2’s on the field all with vigilance. I don’t see any problem with that. Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite – The slowroller against aggro decks and against enemy generals with 2 or less toughness. Gisela, Blade of Goldnight – My “second in command” with Aurelia. Almost a guaranteed win if you can resolve her with Aurelia on the board. It makes everything hit harder for you and hit softer for them. Also a good diplomacy tool in multiplayer games as it effects all opponents. Serra Avatar – The ultimate “deal with me now!” card. Like Serra Ascendant (who is not in this deck and should be…thinking about including her), she comes on the board as an immediate threat because of your life total. Avacyn, Angel of Hope – Your BFF. You play her. Always. Indestructability on all permanents you control is fantastic. If you can resolve equipping a Lightning Greaves on her it’s great for you.
Artifacts:
Everflowing Chalice – A mana rock that can be kicked for whatever you wish. Definitely a good turn 1 pairing with Sol Ring if you wish to kick just once. Sensei's Divining Top – Manipulates top three cards and allows for card draw after manipulation. Can also bounce in response to removal targeting it. Sol Ring – The best mana rock. A must include for this deck. Armillary Sphere – Good for land fetching. Boros Signet – Another good mana rock for Boros players. Lightning Greaves – The best equipment in my opinion. Boros Keyrune – A mana rock that can animate into a 1/1 double striker. Sunforger – An all-star equipment card. Tutors for an instant spell costing 4 or less without having to pay for its mana cost. Darksteel Ingot – Second best mana rock to Sol Ring. Oblivion Stone – For board wiping. Can also be used as a safe investment to prevent destroying your own non-land permanents if another player has an O-Stone too. Thran Dynamo – Another good mana rock.
Enchantments:
Rise of the Hobgoblins – One of my favorite enchantments for the deck. I get a lot of odd looks when I play this card because nobody thinks 1/1 tokens are a threat. We have a lot of cards in our deck that compliment these guys and having the ability to give our creatures first strike is an added bonus. Story Circle – The ultimate hoser against mono-colored decks. Also gives you a chance to build up a decent hand size or board presence while keeping your opponent’s damage in check. Shared Animosity – This used to be a great card for my token deck, but now I’m not too keen on this card. Another cheap battle cry enchantment that can be replaced with something better. (PENDING REVIEW AS OF 2/4/13) Price of Glory – Handy against decks that run plenty of counters and instant speed removals. Marshal's Anthem – Recovery after board wipe. Also you get to choose which creature cards come back to the battlefield. Crescendo of War – Great diplomacy card. Keeps all players in check and makes most people rethink their attacking strategies. Assemble the Legion – At first I enjoyed playing this card, but then I found out that the bigger the multiplayer game was, the worst this card became. I think we can do better than this. (PENDING REVIEW AS OF 2/4/13) True Conviction – Potentially game ending. If not dealt with immediately you will win. The best I ever did was swing for 134 damage with True Conviction on the field on turn 8.
Instants:
Enlightened Tutor – Best white tutor card. Path to Exile – Cheap removal at instant speed. Swords to Plowshares – Same as Path to Exile. Boros Charm – This card has amazing utility for our deck. Most of the time you will be casting it for its ability to make all of your permanents indestructible. Lightning Helix – Arguably the best Boros instant speed card ever. Oblation – For when you want your opponent’s general to go into their deck rather than back into the command zone. Can also be used on one of your creatures and net you 2 cards. Intimidation Bolt – Some people read this card wrong and think it’s a Fog. Rather, you’re just saying “Hey bro, it’s cool that you took 3 damage and you can attack, but the rest of your creatures can’t.” Master Warcraft – To be honest I’ve only used this card once. I don’t think it’s as strong as I’d like it to be. We’re going to see if we can remove this for something better. (PENDING REVIEW AS OF 2/4/13) Return to Dust – That’s a nice Sol Ring and Mana Crypt you have there. It’d be a shame if something were to happen to them… Aurelia's Fury – This card is spicy. I really enjoy that I can disrupt a player’s turn by restricting them from most combat tricks and getting my damage through by tapping down their creatures.
Sorceries:
Idyllic Tutor – Second best white tutor card. Day of Judgment – I prefer it over Wrath of God at the moment, but we might make the switch to *** down the line. (PENDING REVIEW AS OF 2/4/13) Purify – Destroy ALL the artifacts and enchantments. When things get out of control and you need to reset the board we have this card. Austere Command – It’s a board wipe or a Purify or a mix of both. Catastrophe – If you have the board lead with creatures and mana rocks and your opponent is behind, you can destroy lands and win games. Otherwise it’s another (more expensive) board wipe. Banefire – Uncounterable damage to the dome. I like it. Insurrection – You should win the game if you cast this.
Planeswalkers:
Ajani Goldmane – You’ll be using him more for his -1 ability than his +1. When you have a couple of creatures on the board and -1 Ajani, they get stronger permanently and have vigilance until end of turn. A great ability if you casted Rise of the Hobgoblins on the previous turn. Ajani Vengeant – One of the best planeswalkers ever printed in my opinion. You use him in any Boros deck. Elspeth, Knight-Errant – Token production, buffing creatures, and an ultimate with indestructability. No drawbacks whatsoever. Gideon Jura – The poster child of “Come at me, bro!” Also great if you cast him after your opponent(s) attack to destroy a tapped creature. Elspeth Tirel – Better than Elspeth 1.0 with token production and Ajani 1.0 with life gain. The only downside is her ultimate can wipe most of your board too. Still, she is a threat.
Lands:
Plains & Mountains – You have to. Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion – Another political card. You can give double strike to ANY creature, so if you have a friend in need and they’re attacking/blocking, help them out and activate this bad boy. Temple of the False God – Slight drawback if you’re relying on mana rocks, but great acceleration once you have 5 lands. Battlefield Forge – 1 damage? Not a dent in the life bank. Arid Mesa – Always included. Reflecting Pool – Always included. Clifftop Retreat – We have enough plains and mountains to get around it’s drawback. Plateau – Always included Sacred Foundry – Always included. Command Tower – Always included. Rugged Prairie – A nice way to fix mana as needed. Boros Garrison – Always included. Windbrisk Heights – You want this in your deck. It makes whatever you want to cast free of charge aside from the Windbrisk activation. Ancient Amphitheater – The only thing I don’t like about this card is that we’re not running many Giants (in fact we’re only running 3). Still, this isn’t a bad land to have. If you want to replace it with something else by all means, but I like having it just for the sake of having the option to produce red or white. Tectonic Edge – To get rid of any pesky non-basic lands.
I'm not sure I like some of the effects that you run. For example, you mention Adaptive automiton is run as a buff. But why run a small anthem on a small body for only one creature? I just don't think you're getting much benefit out of him. A 2/2 for 3 that's an angel and buffs Aurelia by 1? No thank you, I think it's a wasted card slot.
Instigator Gang -> Another mediocre buff that can be crazy if flipped I'll give you that. But the likeliness of him staying flipped is pretty slim in EDH. Again, I'd much rather run a better effect.
Figure of Destiny -> Sure, he's a decent 1 drop. You know who's better? Serra Ascendant.
Balefire Liege -> Another mediocre Anthem that has little to no synergy with the rest of your deck.
Archon of Justice -> A good card, but with few sac outlets it's just a rattlesnake.
Sun Titan -> What? Where are you? If nothing else, this card is great for recurring fetch lands or strip mine. He's an outstanding creature, and he's not seeing any love here.
Inferno Titan -> A decent creature by itself, but with Aurelia that's 6 damage + his two attack steps a turn. Why would we omit this here?
Sword of Fire and Ice -> Boros has terrible card draw, this helps. Gives some extra damage and a little spot removal as well. I think you should run this and a little equipment package.
Hello and thank you for your comments on my deck. I'll just go down the list regarding what you said:
Adaptive Automaton: It's really more for any creature type that is dominant on my board. The reason why I like AA is because I run other cards that generate soldier tokens for me such as Hero of Bladehold, both Elspeth cards, Captain of the Watch, Rise of the Hobgolins, my changelings, and Assemble the Legion. What this does it make my 1/1's into 2/2's (and if paired with Ajani Goldmane or CotW 3/3's). That's just an option should I choose soldier (which most of the time I do; I'll amend my comment in my guide). Should I replace it? It's possible that I could but I just like having bigger bodies on the field each time I get a solider on the field. I will definitely consider an alternative.
Instigator Gang: I agree that we could replace it with something more efficient.
Figure of Destiny & Serra Ascendant: I am definitely adding Serra into my deck at a later point (budget, work, etc). Figure of Destiny I like having in the deck too so I would prefer to keep him in.
Balefire Liege: How is he mediocre? I think he works out just fine to be honest. Haven't had any issues with him yet. Most people recommended him to me too.
Archon of Justice: It's true that we don't have many sac outlets, but then again it's great for keeping the hate focused on AoJ rather than if we resolve Aurelia or another big creature.
All the planeswalkers: I disagree entirely. The synergy is what I mentioned in the mini anthem packages that I have currently in the deck. I would like to keep them in and keep testing with them after I add the cards you recommended. Perhaps once I go with a more "equipment/good stuff" package I will change my mind.
Gratuitous Violence & Rage Reflection: These were originally in my Agrus Kos, Wojek Veteran deck. Since I was playing with him prior to Aurelia, I had these in my original EDH and then took them out after playing with Agrus a lot. I may consider readding them or at least one of them.
Story Circle: I've had a lot of luck with Story Circle in my EDH. Most of the time when I play in multiplayer SC works in my favor. It gives me time to protect myself from damage from the chosen color and gives me more freedom to attack without reserving creatures for blocking. I'll keep playtesting to see if it's worth keeping.
Staff of Nin & Mind's Eye: I tried Staff of Nin and it didn't work well for me. Either I never drew it or was in a position where I needed to re-establish my board and all I draw into is a Staff of Nin. Mind's Eye I'll look into.
Lightning Helix and Intimidation Bolt: They've been working fine for me. Work well when paired with Sunforger too. I don't think I'll be taking those out any time soon.
Overall, I am concerned by the lack of card advantage type of cards in here. I see a lot of strict beaters and not a lot of utility. That makes me think that something like a wrath would be a large problem for this deck. A control deck can run you out of cards quickly in these colors so you usually need to stick to ETB value and card draw where you can and I dont see any of that here.
Overall, I am concerned by the lack of card advantage type of cards in here. I see a lot of strict beaters and not a lot of utility. That makes me think that something like a wrath would be a large problem for this deck. A control deck can run you out of cards quickly in these colors so you usually need to stick to ETB value and card draw where you can and I dont see any of that here.
Overall, I would say try to drop some of the vanilla beaters and pick up some ETB creatures.
Hello and thank you for commenting on my thread.
Regarding your recommendations would you mind telling me what a "vanilla" beater is? Not too familiar with that term. Also if you wouldn't mind telling me which cards you would recommend replacing with the ones you suggested that would be very helpful. Thanks again!
Vanilla beater: Craw Wurm
Essentially a creature that does nothing but beat face.
the Titan's are an example of a creature that beats face, as well as has a useful come into play ability, and abilities that trigger when they attack. Obviously not all creatures are this good, but there are definitely some strong options.
No Scroll Rack + Land Tax? "Cute" 2-card combos like this aren't usually great, except in this case, both cards are really good on their own, and just happen to be insane when together. It's by no means a budget option (looks like they're about $30 together), but is easily worth it -- especially in Boros decks.
That's really what stood out the most for me. As for the other things, ISBP and nurse.jason pretty much covered it. Of course, you already pointed out that the equipment package is a bit pricey for you right now, and that's understandable. I think Scroll Rack and Land Tax should almost be a higher priority to pick up than an equipment package, but that's ultimately up to you.
No Scroll Rack + Land Tax? "Cute" 2-card combos like this aren't usually great, except in this case, both cards are really good on their own, and just happen to be insane when together. It's by no means a budget option (looks like they're about $30 together), but is easily worth it -- especially in Boros decks.
That's really what stood out the most for me. As for the other things, ISBP and nurse.jason pretty much covered it. Of course, you already pointed out that the equipment package is a bit pricey for you right now, and that's understandable. I think Scroll Rack and Land Tax should almost be a higher priority to pick up than an equipment package, but that's ultimately up to you.
Hello and thank you for commenting on my thread.
Out of curiosity which cards would you replace for Land Tax and Scroll Rack? I feel that if I replace any more cards with the ones that have been currently recommended to me I'll wind up cutting out "good" cards. Feel free to give suggesitons!
Vanilla beater: Craw Wurm
Essentially a creature that does nothing but beat face.
the Titan's are an example of a creature that beats face, as well as has a useful come into play ability, and abilities that trigger when they attack. Obviously not all creatures are this good, but there are definitely some strong options.
Ah, that explains it. Browsing through my creatures I'm starting to get an understanding as to what would be a "vanilla" creature. We want cards with immediate impact, right? I hope I'm following this correctly.
Yeah, you'll want creatures that either give you an immediate advantage (EtB triggered abilities, I'm looking at you!), or that have enough utility to stay in the deck even if it doesn't generate advantage right away.
Boros Keyrune holds equipment like a champ, also, of course. That'll definitely be relevant once you get some of the enemy Swords in here.
As for how to make room for Scroll Rack and Land Tax, I would think taking out an artifact and an enchantment would be the most balanced way to go about it. Probably the best way to figure this out is by playtesting/goldfishing with the deck for a while -- if a few cards stand out as being too situational or unworthy, then you'll have your answer. Offhand, I'd say that
except, I think you've already considered taking AtL out of the deck, and I can't blame ya for it. I'm really excited about the card myself, but it really shines best in a long, grindy control-ish deck (something like RWU control). And you're right, it's definitely more of a liability/non-entity in larger multiplayer games.
I am not going to go through all of them but a lot of them dont provide any card advantage. All they do is attack and generally speaking they can run you out of card advantage faster due to that when against a control deck.
Possible replacements:
Stoneforge Mystic cheap creature that tutors for equipment. Anger cheap creature that can die off and give all your guys haste. Rakka Mar it can spawn more guys and Aurelia untaps him for even more creatures. Sublime Archangel huge buff for Aurelia and its cheap. Keep in mind that Exault double triggers when you have two attack steps. Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker makes more creatures and untaps off of Aurelia attacking for even more creatures. Stonehewer Giant tutors for equipment and is a decent beater. Godo, Bandit Warlord tutors equipment and gives additional combat steps for vigilant creatures (aka Aurelia). Sun Titan recovers things, is a good beater, and generates value over time on top of his ETB trigger.
Also, get more good equipment. Swords are always a solid pick in these colors.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
I have officially moved to MTGNexus. I just wanted to let people know as my response time to salvation decks being bumped is very hit or miss.
Aurelia, the Warleader
Introduction
Welcome everybody to my very first Commander guide! Ever since I started playing Magic: The Gathering I was always fascinated by the white and red themes. I really enjoy playing this color combination and hope that I can introduce players from all backgrounds to my very own Aurelia, the Warleader deck. I originally started this deck with Agrus Kos, Wojek Veteran and then changed my general to Aurelia, the Warleader as soon as she was available. The difference? Very, very, very much improved. Aurelia, the Warleader may very well be the best Boros general you can play. Throughout my guide I will go into detail about my decisions for my cards, the matchups I've had in both multiplayer and 1v1 matchups (non-competitive), and strategies on how to play a better Aurelia Commander deck.
Before you read further it's important to understand the fundamental traits of playing the Boros archetype. Boros is not simply "OMG ZERG AGGRO RUSH RUSH KEKEKE" nor is it "I play a knight. Pass turn. Now I play a soldier. Pass turn. You countered my spell? GG next game /sadface". A good Boros deck should be a balance between aggression and control. When you play a Boros-aligned creature, it tends to be a standalone threat without dependence on other resources. Each creature you play in this deck is a threat to your opponent and can deal massive amounts of damage. When the board is in your opponents favor, you should have an arsenal of board wipes ready to reset the board and play more threatening creatures. Boros is about balancing aggressive combat damage and board control as one powerful entity.
You would like playing Boros if you...
+Enjoy playing aggressively
+Like to build a small, self-sufficient army of creatures and tokens
+Have the patience to play few creatures that result in becoming massive threats over time
+Want to achieve victory through the simplest strategy: overwhelming your opponent with combat tricks and lots of combat damage
You would not like playing Boros if you...
+Prefer to play control/tempo decks
+Like land ramping
+Want a more unique strategy to winning the game rather than through straightforward combat
At my local game store (LGS), people have been asking me why I ditched my former general for Aurelia, the Warleader and why she is a better option as a Boros general than the other legendary creatures. First off let's take a look at Aurelia and see what she does:
At first glance 6 CMC for a 3/4 does not seem very beneficial. Also the double red and white mana costs make Boros players shudder as Aurelia is deeper into both colors than most other Boros legendaries. However, here's the upside to her: she flies, she has vigilance, she has haste, she untaps all your other creatures regardless as to whether they attack or not, and she creates an additional combat phase. Uncontested, Aurelia deals 6 damage on her own. With the additional combat phase this is ideal for Boros players as we are reliant on strong, self-sufficient creatures that produce immediate threats.
Let's compare her to our other Boros generals...
vs. Agrus Kos, Wojek Veteran: No haste, no flying, and no vigilance. He does pump your red creatures with +2/+0 and your white creatures with +0/+2 whenever he attacks, but this is only beneficial for red creatures or red and white creatures in your deck. Mono white creatures do not get the same damage treatment that you're looking for when creating aggression to your opponent. Plus, his ability is only when he attacks...so if he dies to removal or becomes RFG he becomes a useless general and your simple plan to swing with your buffed army becomes a pipe dream. However, each time he attacks all your red and white creatures get bigger, which means more combat phases = even bigger creatures. Good for your deck, but not as a general.
vs. Basandra, Battle Seraph: No haste, has flying, and no vigilance. Not being able to cast spells during combat can be equally beneficial and detrimental to you. We lose out on combat tricks. Forcing your opponents creature(s) to attack is handy but more often than not you won't be using her ability unless if your opponent has mana dorks or weenies on the field. Would not recommend for your deck nor as a general.
vs. Brion Stoutarm: No haste, no flying, and no vigilance. BUT. And this is a big 'but'. Lifelink and flinging are very relevant in our deck, especially since we will be making tokens from some of our resources. He's more of a utility card to stabilize the board. Having him on the field with Aurelia gives us the chance to swing for 8 and gain 8. Good for your deck, but not as a general.
vs. Gisela, Blade of Goldnight: The closest contender to a playable general. Gisela is a big influence on the field: first strike, increasing damage to our opponents, and decreasing damage dealt to us. In a multiplayer game, Gisela is a tool for diplomacy by helping our allies and hurting our enemies. In a 1v1 matchup, she is the icing on the Aurelia cake. Even on her own she is very impressive and can make a big impact on board control. Good for your deck and as a possible general.
vs. Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer: No haste, no flying, and no vigilance. First strike and metalcraft (global +3/+0 boost) are beneficial, but it's a niche deck that relies on artifact creatures and the voltron route. He can be a real threat with the mana rocks (i.e. turn 1 -> land, Sol Ring + Mox Diamond + Mana Crypt...and yes I've had that unfortunate indicent before). In a generic Boros deck he's not good with Aurelia, but in a niche metalcraft/voltron deck Jor Kadeen rises to be a terrifying general.
vs. Razia, Boros Archangel: Ah! Now I can finally stop repeating myself and say that Razia has haste, flying, and vigilance. Great! So we should play her, right? Well not exactly. While she does have all those nice qualities and can beat for 6, she is heavily costed at 8 CMC, has a lower toughness than Aurelia, and her tap ability isn't very effective as we can only direct it to another creature, not another player. I wouldn't recommend her for the Aurelia deck simply because she doesn't do much except swing in for 6 and dies easily to burn/midrange flyers.
1x Aurelia, the Warleader
1x Figure of Destiny
1x Tauren Mauler
1x Boros Reckoner
1x Adaptive Automaton
1x Mirror Entity
1x Silverblade Paladin
1x Hero of Bladehold
1x Brion Stoutarm
1x Instigator Gang
1x Solemn Simulacrum
1x Urabrask the Hidden
1x Archon of Justice
1x Balefire Liege
1x Zealous Conscripts
1x Agrus Kos, Wojek Veteran
1x Sunblast Angel
1x Captain of the Watch
1x Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1x Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
1x Serra Avatar
1x Avacyn, Angel of Hope
Artifacts (11)
1x Everflowing Chalice
1x Sensei's Divining Top
1x Sol Ring
1x Armillary Sphere
1x Boros Signet
1x Lightning Greaves
1x Boros Keyrune
1x Sunforger
1x Darksteel Ingot
1x Oblivion Stone
1x Thran Dynamo
1x Rise of the Hobgoblins
1x Story Circle
1x Shared Animosity
1x Price of Glory
1x Marshal's Anthem
1x Crescendo of War
1x Assemble the Legion
1x True Conviction
Instants (10)
1x Enlightened Tutor
1x Path to Exile
1x Swords to Plowshares
1x Boros Charm
1x Lightning Helix
1x Oblation
1x Intimidation Bolt
1x Master Warcraft
1x Return to Dust
1x Aurelia's Fury
Sorceries (7)
1x Idyllic Tutor
1x Day of Judgment
1x Purify
1x Austere Command
1x Catastrophe
1x Banefire
1x Insurrection
Planeswalkers (5)
1x Ajani Goldmane
1x Ajani Vengeant
1x Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1x Gideon Jura
1x Elspeth Tirel
17x Plains
6x Mountains
1x Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion
1x Temple of the False God
1x Battlefield Forge
1x Arid Mesa
1x Reflecting Pool
1x Clifftop Retreat
1x Plateau
1x Sacred Foundry
1x Command Tower
1x Rugged Prairie
1x Boros Garrison
1x Windbrisk Heights
1x Ancient Amphitheater
1x Tectonic Edge
1x Everflowing Chalice
1 CMC
1x Figure of Destiny
1x Sensei's Divining Top
1x Sol Ring
1x Enlightened Tutor
1x Path to Exile
1x Swords to Plowshares
2 CMC
1x Armillary Sphere
1x Boros Signet
1x Lightning Greaves
1x Rise of the Hobgoblins
1x Boros Charm
1x Lightning Helix
3 CMC
1x Tauren Mauler
1x Boros Reckoner
1x Adaptive Automaton
1x Mirror Entity
1x Silverblade Paladin
1x Boros Keyrune
1x Sunforger
1x Darksteel Ingot
1x Oblivion Stone
1x Story Circle
1x Shared Animosity
1x Price of Glory
1x Oblation
1x Intimidation Bolt
1x Idyllic Tutor
1x Hero of Bladehold
1x Brion Stoutarm
1x Instigator Gang
1x Solemn Simulacrum
1x Thran Dynamo
1x Marshal's Anthem
1x Crescendo of War
1x Master Warcraft
1x Return to Dust
1x Day of Judgment
1x Ajani Goldmane
1x Ajani Vengeant
1x Elspeth, Knight-Errant
5 CMC
1x Urabrask the Hidden
1x Archon of Justice
1x Balefire Liege
1x Zealous Conscripts
1x Agrus Kos, Wojek Veteran
1x Assemble the Legion
1x Purify
1x Gideon Jura
1x Elspeth Tirel
1x Sunblast Angel
1x Captain of the Watch
1x True Conviction
1x Austere Command
1x Catastrophe
1x Aurelia, the Warleader
7 CMC
1x Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1x Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
1x Serra Avatar
8 CMC
1x Avacyn, Angel of Hope
1x Insurrection
Cards with X in their mana cost
1x Aurelia's Fury
1x Banefire
Creatures:
Aurelia, the Warleader - Our general and fearless leader. She gives us the blessing of victorious combat...and then we get to do it again!
Figure of Destiny - One of the best turn 1 creatures a Boros deck can have. This guy is better than the Rise of Eldrazi leveler creatures, allowing a player to effectively level at instant speed and can also de-level when an opponent tries to take control of him. "You want my 8/8? I'll tap a red/white source and make him a 2/2. Enjoy."
Tauren Mauler - He gets bigger, and bigger, and bigger. In multiplayer this guy is a house, sitting in the benches getting stronger while your opponents cast spells. And he's a changeling too? Score!
Boros Reckoner - One of the latest additions to our decklist. An all-star for combat tricks and getting in much needed damage when your opponent is too stubborn to die.
Adaptive Automaton - Initially I would name soldier as the creature type when I first made this deck with Agrus Kos, but as it evolved into Aurelia I am naming Angel
Mirror Entity – This card was originally intended for my Agrus deck when I focused on a soldier token theme. You might look at this initially and ask yourself why you would play this. Two reasons: 1) it creates a threat for any of your tokens, and 2) I can choose to pay 0 for X in case if my opponent tries to steal a creature of mind which in turn would kill the creature before they take it.
Silverblade Paladin – This guy is too good. Anything and everything that comes out with Silverblade only benefits by giving both creatures double strike. Pair him with Aurelia and you’ll make minced meat out of your opponent.
Hero of Bladehold – I remember playing this card back when it was standard legal and it was very threatening. Battle cry, token production…all the things a Boros deck wants. Plus it’s got a big butt at 4 toughness so it can sustain against most instant burn spells. Plus, it’s also a “pick me!” target for opponents to hate on, taking the focus off of your other creatures.
Brion Stoutarm – Your brother in arms and one of the main reasons why I initially started out with token decks. Lifelinking 4 damage for 4 CMC is awesome, but what makes Brion even more amazing is his second ability. I can just fling creatures at my opponents and gain life. Very effective to sustain a commanding life lead.
Instigator Gang – The distant cousin of Hero of Bladehold. The upside to Instigator is that it’s a standing battle cry and when it’s flipped it goes to +3/+0 for all creatures and gives itself trample. You’ll definitely want to play this once you have a decent sized army on the field.
Solemn Simulacrum – Everybody’s favorite creature: sad robot! Land fetching and card draw. What’s not to like?
Urabrask the Hidden – When you’re playing against another aggro deck, Urabrask becomes the biggest threat on the board. Giving your creatures haste is a big bonus, especially when we’re looking to resolve a Gisela shortly after that (assuming you have the mana for it).
Archon of Justice – It flies, it exiles a permanent on death, and it’s in your colors. No reason not to play it.
Balefire Liege – The walking Lightning Helix! If only the red ability could target a creature too…then this card would be beyond bananas *drooling*
Zealous Conscripts – A nice trick in the red mage’s book. Stealing another player’s permanent is always a bonus. Ever steal a Jace, the Mind Sculptor with 12 counters on it after playing Conscripts? I did. It was amazing.
Agrus Kos, Wojek Veteran – My old general! Some people ask me why I keep him in my deck. The answer: he gives bigger fists to attacking red creatures and bigger butts to attacking white creatures. He is also a lightning rod to hate spells if your opponent(s) don’t want to deal with extra combat damage.
Sunblast Angel – Pairs well with Urabrask the Hidden and can reverse board control in your favor. A standing half-wrath spell.
Captain of the Watch – 6 CMC to get a 5/5 + 3 2/2’s on the field all with vigilance. I don’t see any problem with that.
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite – The slowroller against aggro decks and against enemy generals with 2 or less toughness.
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight – My “second in command” with Aurelia. Almost a guaranteed win if you can resolve her with Aurelia on the board. It makes everything hit harder for you and hit softer for them. Also a good diplomacy tool in multiplayer games as it effects all opponents.
Serra Avatar – The ultimate “deal with me now!” card. Like Serra Ascendant (who is not in this deck and should be…thinking about including her), she comes on the board as an immediate threat because of your life total.
Avacyn, Angel of Hope – Your BFF. You play her. Always. Indestructability on all permanents you control is fantastic. If you can resolve equipping a Lightning Greaves on her it’s great for you.
Everflowing Chalice – A mana rock that can be kicked for whatever you wish. Definitely a good turn 1 pairing with Sol Ring if you wish to kick just once.
Sensei's Divining Top – Manipulates top three cards and allows for card draw after manipulation. Can also bounce in response to removal targeting it.
Sol Ring – The best mana rock. A must include for this deck.
Armillary Sphere – Good for land fetching.
Boros Signet – Another good mana rock for Boros players.
Lightning Greaves – The best equipment in my opinion.
Boros Keyrune – A mana rock that can animate into a 1/1 double striker.
Sunforger – An all-star equipment card. Tutors for an instant spell costing 4 or less without having to pay for its mana cost.
Darksteel Ingot – Second best mana rock to Sol Ring.
Oblivion Stone – For board wiping. Can also be used as a safe investment to prevent destroying your own non-land permanents if another player has an O-Stone too.
Thran Dynamo – Another good mana rock.
Rise of the Hobgoblins – One of my favorite enchantments for the deck. I get a lot of odd looks when I play this card because nobody thinks 1/1 tokens are a threat. We have a lot of cards in our deck that compliment these guys and having the ability to give our creatures first strike is an added bonus.
Story Circle – The ultimate hoser against mono-colored decks. Also gives you a chance to build up a decent hand size or board presence while keeping your opponent’s damage in check.
Shared Animosity – This used to be a great card for my token deck, but now I’m not too keen on this card. Another cheap battle cry enchantment that can be replaced with something better. (PENDING REVIEW AS OF 2/4/13)
Price of Glory – Handy against decks that run plenty of counters and instant speed removals.
Marshal's Anthem – Recovery after board wipe. Also you get to choose which creature cards come back to the battlefield.
Crescendo of War – Great diplomacy card. Keeps all players in check and makes most people rethink their attacking strategies.
Assemble the Legion – At first I enjoyed playing this card, but then I found out that the bigger the multiplayer game was, the worst this card became. I think we can do better than this. (PENDING REVIEW AS OF 2/4/13)
True Conviction – Potentially game ending. If not dealt with immediately you will win. The best I ever did was swing for 134 damage with True Conviction on the field on turn 8.
Enlightened Tutor – Best white tutor card.
Path to Exile – Cheap removal at instant speed.
Swords to Plowshares – Same as Path to Exile.
Boros Charm – This card has amazing utility for our deck. Most of the time you will be casting it for its ability to make all of your permanents indestructible.
Lightning Helix – Arguably the best Boros instant speed card ever.
Oblation – For when you want your opponent’s general to go into their deck rather than back into the command zone. Can also be used on one of your creatures and net you 2 cards.
Intimidation Bolt – Some people read this card wrong and think it’s a Fog. Rather, you’re just saying “Hey bro, it’s cool that you took 3 damage and you can attack, but the rest of your creatures can’t.”
Master Warcraft – To be honest I’ve only used this card once. I don’t think it’s as strong as I’d like it to be. We’re going to see if we can remove this for something better. (PENDING REVIEW AS OF 2/4/13)
Return to Dust – That’s a nice Sol Ring and Mana Crypt you have there. It’d be a shame if something were to happen to them…
Aurelia's Fury – This card is spicy. I really enjoy that I can disrupt a player’s turn by restricting them from most combat tricks and getting my damage through by tapping down their creatures.
Idyllic Tutor – Second best white tutor card.
Day of Judgment – I prefer it over Wrath of God at the moment, but we might make the switch to *** down the line. (PENDING REVIEW AS OF 2/4/13)
Purify – Destroy ALL the artifacts and enchantments. When things get out of control and you need to reset the board we have this card.
Austere Command – It’s a board wipe or a Purify or a mix of both.
Catastrophe – If you have the board lead with creatures and mana rocks and your opponent is behind, you can destroy lands and win games. Otherwise it’s another (more expensive) board wipe.
Banefire – Uncounterable damage to the dome. I like it.
Insurrection – You should win the game if you cast this.
Ajani Goldmane – You’ll be using him more for his -1 ability than his +1. When you have a couple of creatures on the board and -1 Ajani, they get stronger permanently and have vigilance until end of turn. A great ability if you casted Rise of the Hobgoblins on the previous turn.
Ajani Vengeant – One of the best planeswalkers ever printed in my opinion. You use him in any Boros deck.
Elspeth, Knight-Errant – Token production, buffing creatures, and an ultimate with indestructability. No drawbacks whatsoever.
Gideon Jura – The poster child of “Come at me, bro!” Also great if you cast him after your opponent(s) attack to destroy a tapped creature.
Elspeth Tirel – Better than Elspeth 1.0 with token production and Ajani 1.0 with life gain. The only downside is her ultimate can wipe most of your board too. Still, she is a threat.
Plains & Mountains – You have to.
Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion – Another political card. You can give double strike to ANY creature, so if you have a friend in need and they’re attacking/blocking, help them out and activate this bad boy.
Temple of the False God – Slight drawback if you’re relying on mana rocks, but great acceleration once you have 5 lands.
Battlefield Forge – 1 damage? Not a dent in the life bank.
Arid Mesa – Always included.
Reflecting Pool – Always included.
Clifftop Retreat – We have enough plains and mountains to get around it’s drawback.
Plateau – Always included
Sacred Foundry – Always included.
Command Tower – Always included.
Rugged Prairie – A nice way to fix mana as needed.
Boros Garrison – Always included.
Windbrisk Heights – You want this in your deck. It makes whatever you want to cast free of charge aside from the Windbrisk activation.
Ancient Amphitheater – The only thing I don’t like about this card is that we’re not running many Giants (in fact we’re only running 3). Still, this isn’t a bad land to have. If you want to replace it with something else by all means, but I like having it just for the sake of having the option to produce red or white.
Tectonic Edge – To get rid of any pesky non-basic lands.
(TO BE ADDED IN THE FUTURE)
(TO BE ADDED IN THE FUTURE)
Instigator Gang -> Another mediocre buff that can be crazy if flipped I'll give you that. But the likeliness of him staying flipped is pretty slim in EDH. Again, I'd much rather run a better effect.
Figure of Destiny -> Sure, he's a decent 1 drop. You know who's better? Serra Ascendant.
Balefire Liege -> Another mediocre Anthem that has little to no synergy with the rest of your deck.
Archon of Justice -> A good card, but with few sac outlets it's just a rattlesnake.
Sun Titan -> What? Where are you? If nothing else, this card is great for recurring fetch lands or strip mine. He's an outstanding creature, and he's not seeing any love here.
Inferno Titan -> A decent creature by itself, but with Aurelia that's 6 damage + his two attack steps a turn. Why would we omit this here?
Sword of Fire and Ice -> Boros has terrible card draw, this helps. Gives some extra damage and a little spot removal as well. I think you should run this and a little equipment package.
Stoneforge Mystic -> With this. Tutor, recurrable by titan.
Sword of Feast and Famine -> And this: Ramp, discard, and pump
Stonehewer Giant -> And this (maybe), 2x equipment tutors a turn while swinging is pretty decent. Works really well with sunforger too.
Ajani 1 & 2, Gideon, Elspeth Tirel -> No synergy, no card advantage. Just okay cards.
Gratuitous Violence & Rage Reflection -> Both of these cards are good with all of your creatures, and even better with Aurelia in play.
Story Circle -> Bad in EDH. Sure it might hose a mono colored deck, but this is VERY situational.
Reforge the Soul & Wheel of Fortune -> You want these. Your card draw is close to nonexistent, these supplement the lack of that in these colors.
Staff of Nin, Mind's Eye, etc. -> Also decent options for draw.
Lightning Helix, Intimidation Bolt -> Both of these are bad in EDH and show no synergy with the rest of your deck.
Hello and thank you for your comments on my deck. I'll just go down the list regarding what you said:
Adaptive Automaton: It's really more for any creature type that is dominant on my board. The reason why I like AA is because I run other cards that generate soldier tokens for me such as Hero of Bladehold, both Elspeth cards, Captain of the Watch, Rise of the Hobgolins, my changelings, and Assemble the Legion. What this does it make my 1/1's into 2/2's (and if paired with Ajani Goldmane or CotW 3/3's). That's just an option should I choose soldier (which most of the time I do; I'll amend my comment in my guide). Should I replace it? It's possible that I could but I just like having bigger bodies on the field each time I get a solider on the field. I will definitely consider an alternative.
Instigator Gang: I agree that we could replace it with something more efficient.
Figure of Destiny & Serra Ascendant: I am definitely adding Serra into my deck at a later point (budget, work, etc). Figure of Destiny I like having in the deck too so I would prefer to keep him in.
Balefire Liege: How is he mediocre? I think he works out just fine to be honest. Haven't had any issues with him yet. Most people recommended him to me too.
Archon of Justice: It's true that we don't have many sac outlets, but then again it's great for keeping the hate focused on AoJ rather than if we resolve Aurelia or another big creature.
Sun Titan, Inferno Titan, Sword of Fire and Ice, Stoneforge Mystic, Sword of Feast and Famine, Stonehewer Giant: Yes, I agree with this equipment package. However, again, I don't have the money currently to buy these cards. When I do they will be added in.
All the planeswalkers: I disagree entirely. The synergy is what I mentioned in the mini anthem packages that I have currently in the deck. I would like to keep them in and keep testing with them after I add the cards you recommended. Perhaps once I go with a more "equipment/good stuff" package I will change my mind.
Gratuitous Violence & Rage Reflection: These were originally in my Agrus Kos, Wojek Veteran deck. Since I was playing with him prior to Aurelia, I had these in my original EDH and then took them out after playing with Agrus a lot. I may consider readding them or at least one of them.
Story Circle: I've had a lot of luck with Story Circle in my EDH. Most of the time when I play in multiplayer SC works in my favor. It gives me time to protect myself from damage from the chosen color and gives me more freedom to attack without reserving creatures for blocking. I'll keep playtesting to see if it's worth keeping.
Reforge the Soul & Wheel of Fortune: I like them. I'll probably add those in at a later point when I have the money.
Staff of Nin & Mind's Eye: I tried Staff of Nin and it didn't work well for me. Either I never drew it or was in a position where I needed to re-establish my board and all I draw into is a Staff of Nin. Mind's Eye I'll look into.
Lightning Helix and Intimidation Bolt: They've been working fine for me. Work well when paired with Sunforger too. I don't think I'll be taking those out any time soon.
I am surprised at the lack of an equipment package here as well. Things like Sword of Fire and Ice, Sword of Light and Shadow, and Umezawa's Jitte can get a lot of work done with double attacks and double strike. Boros is great colors for utilizing an equipment package as both colors bring equipment tutoring through means of Stoneforge Mystic, Stonehewer Giant, Godo, Bandit Warlord, Steelshaper's Gift, and a few other options as well.
Overall, I would say try to drop some of the vanilla beaters and pick up some ETB creatures.
Signature by Inkfox Aesthetics by Xen
[Modern] Allies
Hello and thank you for commenting on my thread.
Regarding your recommendations would you mind telling me what a "vanilla" beater is? Not too familiar with that term. Also if you wouldn't mind telling me which cards you would recommend replacing with the ones you suggested that would be very helpful. Thanks again!
Essentially a creature that does nothing but beat face.
the Titan's are an example of a creature that beats face, as well as has a useful come into play ability, and abilities that trigger when they attack. Obviously not all creatures are this good, but there are definitely some strong options.
That's really what stood out the most for me. As for the other things, ISBP and nurse.jason pretty much covered it. Of course, you already pointed out that the equipment package is a bit pricey for you right now, and that's understandable. I think Scroll Rack and Land Tax should almost be a higher priority to pick up than an equipment package, but that's ultimately up to you.
Commander/EDH Decks:
BRG The Blood of Jund - Kresh the Bloodbraided BRG
WR The Blades of Goldnight - Gisela, Blade of Goldnight WR
Hello and thank you for commenting on my thread.
Out of curiosity which cards would you replace for Land Tax and Scroll Rack? I feel that if I replace any more cards with the ones that have been currently recommended to me I'll wind up cutting out "good" cards. Feel free to give suggesitons!
Ah, that explains it. Browsing through my creatures I'm starting to get an understanding as to what would be a "vanilla" creature. We want cards with immediate impact, right? I hope I'm following this correctly.
Boros Keyrune holds equipment like a champ, also, of course. That'll definitely be relevant once you get some of the enemy Swords in here.
As for how to make room for Scroll Rack and Land Tax, I would think taking out an artifact and an enchantment would be the most balanced way to go about it. Probably the best way to figure this out is by playtesting/goldfishing with the deck for a while -- if a few cards stand out as being too situational or unworthy, then you'll have your answer. Offhand, I'd say that
Armillery Sphere out -> Land Tax in
is pretty safe, although you might prefer the redundancy of both. You could also do
Assemble the Legion out -> Land Tax in
except, I think you've already considered taking AtL out of the deck, and I can't blame ya for it. I'm really excited about the card myself, but it really shines best in a long, grindy control-ish deck (something like RWU control). And you're right, it's definitely more of a liability/non-entity in larger multiplayer games.
Commander/EDH Decks:
BRG The Blood of Jund - Kresh the Bloodbraided BRG
WR The Blades of Goldnight - Gisela, Blade of Goldnight WR
Figure of Destiny
Tauren Mauler
I am not going to go through all of them but a lot of them dont provide any card advantage. All they do is attack and generally speaking they can run you out of card advantage faster due to that when against a control deck.
Possible replacements:
Stoneforge Mystic cheap creature that tutors for equipment.
Anger cheap creature that can die off and give all your guys haste.
Rakka Mar it can spawn more guys and Aurelia untaps him for even more creatures.
Sublime Archangel huge buff for Aurelia and its cheap. Keep in mind that Exault double triggers when you have two attack steps.
Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker makes more creatures and untaps off of Aurelia attacking for even more creatures.
Stonehewer Giant tutors for equipment and is a decent beater.
Godo, Bandit Warlord tutors equipment and gives additional combat steps for vigilant creatures (aka Aurelia).
Sun Titan recovers things, is a good beater, and generates value over time on top of his ETB trigger.
Also, get more good equipment. Swords are always a solid pick in these colors.
Signature by Inkfox Aesthetics by Xen
[Modern] Allies
Rafiq of the Many UWG
Sedris, the Traitor King URB
Kaalia of the Vast RWB
Savra, Queen of Golgari GB
Trostani, Selesnya's Voice GW
Eight-and-a-Half-Tails EquipmentW