Oketra's Monument + Whitemane Lion gives you a nasty token-making ability. Thanks to Prid3, over at the multiplayer forums for his initial idea.
This is an attempt to make the shell of a budget deck that has a nice payoff. I don't know much about the format, but I would like to get in to FNM for very cheap, so any suggestions would be very helpful. I could see adding green for Elvish Mystic to get the deck going a little faster, red for Lightning Bolt, or black for Fatal Push and Inquisition of Kozilek.
The deck has a nice resiliency to SB hate, since the most common artifact answer, Stony Silence, doesn't do anything against us. Sweepers are meaningless, since we can rebuild our army on their end step.
More importantly, however, is the combo any good compared to what the format is doing?
Well, you will certainly generate a ton of tokens. It's still going to be vulnerable to ancient grudge, which also sees a ton of sideboard use against affinity (or destructive revelry). Perhaps spell snare or dispel as a maindeck 2 or 3 of? they go nicely with spell queller, which deals with abrupt decay which is also pretty effective removal. Also, it seems criminal not to play intangible virtue.
Deputy of Acquittals can be an alternative to Kor Skyfisher, you trade the bigger body and flying for flash and the option to play on an empty board (without bouncing back a land).
Also, I have to admit that vehicles aren't the worst idea, although smuggler's copter is the only one I would play. Remember that you could flash in white mane lion (or similar), crew the vehicle, and then return the lion OR the copter to your hand, depending on your need. Unfortunately, it would mean that stony silence is less useless against the deck. I do like it, though. How is it playing out?
The deck seems pretty good so far, the Monument plan usually works better and is more reliable than the Quest plan
(which can be sided out completely in interactive matchups).
The deck can get pretty awkward if it doesn't have a 1-drop in the starting hand and gets clogged with multiple copies of Whitemane Lion/Kor Skyfisher/Stonecloaker (or Honor of the Pure).
Restoration Angel is a pretty good top end though sometimes getting to 4-mana with 21x lands is an issue but Monument helps and also extra draws from the clues.
Another option that can help with card advantage is Mentor of the Meek though it is really easy to remove and isn't good in combat.
I like Resto as a solid standalone card that can beat in the air while the ground is clogged by warrior tokens.
The extra blink value it can get is pure upside for me.
Saffron Olive's non-budget version runs Batterskull. I'm pretty sure Quest is incapable of attaching Batterskull to anything, though, since the Living Weapon trigger goes on the stack while the Quest is still resolving, and pulls the Batterskull off whatever you choose and puts it on the germ. Not sure if we want to run Batterskull either way, though
Did anyone ever try Ensnaring Bridge in the Trophy Mage version? Making an army of 1/1s behind a bridge is a pretty proven strategy.
3 Trophy Mage
4 Oketra's Monument
1 Ensnaring Bridge
1 Sword... take your pick.
Then a fourth Mage and a few 3cmc artifact bullets in the SB, like Trinisphere, Crucible of Worlds.. stuff like that?
Also - Scout's Warning? Cheap digging that plays nicely with half of our creatures. Also pairs well with Geist if we'd consider including that in a UW version.
4 Genesis Chamber
4 Squadron Hawk
4 Whitemane Lion
4 Kor Skyfisher
4 Wall of Omens
2 Stonecloaker
2 Trophy Mage
4 Spell Queller
4 Condescend
4 Ghost Quarter
12 Plains
4 Seachrome Coast
4 Glacial Fortress
Oketra's Monument + Whitemane Lion gives you a nasty token-making ability. Thanks to Prid3, over at the multiplayer forums for his initial idea.
This is an attempt to make the shell of a budget deck that has a nice payoff. I don't know much about the format, but I would like to get in to FNM for very cheap, so any suggestions would be very helpful. I could see adding green for Elvish Mystic to get the deck going a little faster, red for Lightning Bolt, or black for Fatal Push and Inquisition of Kozilek.
The deck has a nice resiliency to SB hate, since the most common artifact answer, Stony Silence, doesn't do anything against us. Sweepers are meaningless, since we can rebuild our army on their end step.
More importantly, however, is the combo any good compared to what the format is doing?
Thanks in advance!
Credit to DolZero for this awesome sig!
Restoration Angel isn't as expensive as it used to be so it will be a straight upgrade to Stonecloaker.
Deputy of Acquittals can be an alternative to Kor Skyfisher, you trade the bigger body and flying for flash and the option to play on an empty board (without bouncing back a land).
Since you have Trophy Mage in the deck you might as well have some more tutor targets for it, like:
Spear of Heliod, Blasting Station (sac' the tokens for removal or direct damage), Proteus Staff (turn tokens into real creatures), Aethersphere Harvester/Cultivator's Caravan, Godsend/Loxodon Warhammer (good with all the fliers)
Credit to DolZero for this awesome sig!
In my version I've replaced Signal Pest with Judge's Familiar, Aviary Mechanic with Stonecloaker and Sky Hussar with Restoration Angel.
I've also took out 1x Kor Skyfisher for 1x Sword of Light and Shadow.
Here is my tweaked list:
4x Thraben Inspector
4x Judge's Familiar
4x Whitemane Lion
3x Kor Skyfisher
3x Stonecloaker
3x Restoration Angel
4x Oketra's Monument
1x Sword of Light and Shadow
2x Argentum Armor
Enchantment (4)
4x Quest for the Holy Relic
Instant (4)
4x Path to Exile
Land (21)
20x Palins
1x Westvale Abbey
2x Stony Silence
2x Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2x Rest in Peace
2x Selfless Spirit
2x Disenchant
1x Banishing Light
2x Blessed Alliance
2x Dusk // Dawn
The deck seems pretty good so far, the Monument plan usually works better and is more reliable than the Quest plan
(which can be sided out completely in interactive matchups).
The deck can get pretty awkward if it doesn't have a 1-drop in the starting hand and gets clogged with multiple copies of
Whitemane Lion/Kor Skyfisher/Stonecloaker (or Honor of the Pure).
Restoration Angel is a pretty good top end though sometimes getting to 4-mana with 21x lands is an issue but Monument helps and also extra draws from the clues.
Another option that can help with card advantage is Mentor of the Meek though it is really easy to remove and isn't good in combat.
The extra blink value it can get is pure upside for me.
Before choosing Judge's Familiar other 1-drops I've considered were: Dryad Militant and Icatian Javelineers but ultimately flying tipped the scale for the bird.
Another decent 1-drop can be Kytheon, Hero of Akros but he is more of an aggro card (like Signal Pest).
Saffron Olive's non-budget version runs Batterskull. I'm pretty sure Quest is incapable of attaching Batterskull to anything, though, since the Living Weapon trigger goes on the stack while the Quest is still resolving, and pulls the Batterskull off whatever you choose and puts it on the germ. Not sure if we want to run Batterskull either way, though
Here's how I would build it:
4 Icatian Javelineers
4 Whitemane Lion
4 Squadron Hawk
3 Kor Skyfisher
2 Stonecloaker
4 Oketra's Monument
4 Quest for the Holy Relic
1 Sword of Light and Shadow (Fire and Ice?)
2 Argentum Armor (Go down to 1 for second sword?)
18 Plains
2 Shefet Dunes
1 Westvale Abbey
3 Trophy Mage
4 Oketra's Monument
1 Ensnaring Bridge
1 Sword... take your pick.
Then a fourth Mage and a few 3cmc artifact bullets in the SB, like Trinisphere, Crucible of Worlds.. stuff like that?
Also - Scout's Warning? Cheap digging that plays nicely with half of our creatures. Also pairs well with Geist if we'd consider including that in a UW version.
WBG Abzan Midrange
BRG Dredgevine