Admittedly it was just casual and neither of us sideboarded and I didn't face any top tier decks. But, I really liked how aggressive the deck was. I didn't lose a game and we played 9 rounds. I faced; infect, minotaurs, BW life gain and G Counters.
Obviously Champion of the Parish is amazing if you stick him down on turn 1 and he doesn't instantly get removed. Really liked Hamlet Captain and Tireless Tracker was invaluable for closing out games with card draw.
Possible changes I may make is some spot removal. Considering either Lightning Bolt, Path to Exile or Lightning Helix. I'm favouring helix at the moment because I want to attack all out, which leaves me pretty open to the opponents attacks.
Overall great fun to play. Not sure if it is as aggressive as other Naya decks, but I didn't develop this to be that competitive.
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The 1x-of Hardened Scales isn't worth it imho.
More burn or PtE would be better.
Tireless Tracker seems a bit slow in a "Naya Blitz" deck, for a 3-drop I would consider Hanweir Garrison (great with A.Command, Champion and Lieutenant).
Or just keep to 2-drops.
Besides the "nut-draws" I find Lightning Mauler very underwhelming as 2/1 (even with haste) as it gets stonewalled by anything. Hamlet Captain can be decent but maybe Metallic Mimic is just better.
Lots of 1 mana spot removal and pumps to screw up combat math and let you attack even into larger creatures. Temur Battlerage combines well with Mutagenic Growth and gives the deck needed evasion. The Blossoming Defense was a flex spot I hadn't nailed down yet, might just be the second Path instead (though it's much easier to get R/G mana for spells). Atarka's Command isn't bad, necessarily, but getting RG mana in a Cavern manabase was just a little shakier than I liked.
You can bump it up to at least 3 copies of Kytheon. I'm running 4. This is easily the best 1-drop 2/1 with upside, you can play a second one after the first flips, and your opponent will always try to kill it before it flips if they can. The chances of being completely screwed by the Legendary rule are pretty low.
I liked Swiftspear in the 1 CMC slot. The haste helps flip Kytheon earlier, 12 spells were enough to make her a hasty 2/3 on average which is a good enough rate, and in particular Mutagenic lets you pump her without holding mana open. Double Swiftspear opener can steal games. Lastly I like running Inspiring Vantage over a green 1-drop and Razorverge Thicket since we need Red the most to cast our non-creature spells. Warden of the first tree can be ok but I sometimes found the white mana needed for pumps to be a little limiting and he's less aggressive than Swiftspear without additional investment. Experiment One is poorly supported due to the high number of creatures that enter as 1/1s and our curve topping out at 3 power/toughness.
The most important thing that I found was to be cautious of cards that are too reliant on synergy and support to function well -- Gather the Townsfolk, Boros Elite, etc -- and focus on playing individually strong cards that happen to get even better if you're lucky enough to have everything stick. It might goldfish a little slower, obviously, but it performs better in real matches.
I've tried 2-3x Goblin Bushwhacker and while it makes for some really explosive plays with BTE I wanted to go with a more consistent game plan.
The sideboard is too rough to share but I enjoyed 2x Lead the Stampede for grindier matchups.
---
Overall I think moving towards an interactive CoCo strategy is perhaps better suited for the current meta but the Naya Blitz list can have some strong games, too.
The 1x-of Hardened Scales isn't worth it imho.
More burn or PtE would be better.
Tireless Tracker seems a bit slow in a "Naya Blitz" deck, for a 3-drop I would consider Hanweir Garrison (great with A.Command, Champion and Lieutenant).
Or just keep to 2-drops.
Besides the "nut-draws" I find Lightning Mauler very underwhelming as 2/1 (even with haste) as it gets stinewalled by anything. Hamlet Captain can be decent but maybe Metallic Mimic is just better.
So apart from nearly the entire deck you think it's good yer?! joking aside, I do agree with your comment about lightning bolt. Will definitely add 4 into main.
I realise that monastery swiftspear probably isn't an optimal choice (ie. I'm not playing numerous spells for th prowess trigger) but having a one drop with haste has proved pretty useful. I had been considering experiment one, but feel that it won't get boosted enough due to low power and toughness of other humans in the deck. I will likely drop the swiftspears in favour of bolts.
Can you expand on why rip-clan crasher is bad? Having a 2/2 beater with haste seems to fit the game plan...? I have ash zealot in the sideboard to deal with graveyard decks.
voltaic brawler is definitely a consideration and if you can convince me of the benefits, very well might replace rip-clan. Especially as it has good interaction with burning tree emissary.
I have hanweir garrison in the 'potential' pile. When gold fishing I found that I emptied my hand pretty quickly and having tireless tracker enables me to draw more threats.
Again, I feel that lightning mauler fits with the decks aims of hitting fast. Especially useful if played with BTE etc. What you suggest instead?
I like hamlet captain but feel that there is something potentially better, maybe mimic is the answer.
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Lots of 1 mana spot removal and pumps to screw up combat math and let you attack even into larger creatures. Temur Battlerage combines well with Mutagenic Growth and gives the deck needed evasion. The Blossoming Defense was a flex spot I hadn't nailed down yet, might just be the second Path instead (though it's much easier to get R/G mana for spells). Atarka's Command isn't bad, necessarily, but getting RG mana in a Cavern manabase was just a little shakier than I liked.
You can bump it up to at least 3 copies of Kytheon. I'm running 4. This is easily the best 1-drop 2/1 with upside, you can play a second one after the first flips, and your opponent will always try to kill it before it flips if they can. The chances of being completely screwed by the Legendary rule are pretty low.
I liked Swiftspear in the 1 CMC slot. The haste helps flip Kytheon earlier, 12 spells were enough to make her a hasty 2/3 on average which is a good enough rate, and in particular Mutagenic lets you pump her without holding mana open. Double Swiftspear opener can steal games. Lastly I like running Inspiring Vantage over a green 1-drop and Razorverge Thicket since we need Red the most to cast our non-creature spells. Warden of the first tree can be ok but I sometimes found the white mana needed for pumps to be a little limiting and he's less aggressive than Swiftspear without additional investment. Experiment One is poorly supported due to the high number of creatures that enter as 1/1s and our curve topping out at 3 power/toughness.
The most important thing that I found was to be cautious of cards that are too reliant on synergy and support to function well -- Gather the Townsfolk, Boros Elite, etc -- and focus on playing individually strong cards that happen to get even better if you're lucky enough to have everything stick. It might goldfish a little slower, obviously, but it performs better in real matches.
I've tried 2-3x Goblin Bushwhacker and while it makes for some really explosive plays with BTE I wanted to go with a more consistent game plan.
The sideboard is too rough to share but I enjoyed 2x Lead the Stampede for grindier matchups.
---
Overall I think moving towards an interactive CoCo strategy is perhaps better suited for the current meta but the Naya Blitz list can have some strong games, too.
Also Cavern of Souls reprint! Yay!
But at Mythic...
I quite like your list. Assuming that you use temur on an unblocked creature as you will likely have more creatures on the board than your opponent?
How useful was mutagenic? Did you find yourself with empty hands before you had closed the game out? Do you have any test results?
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@Wesste – I played a few games on cockatrice a couple months ago against some un-tiered decks but I don't have enough data to comment on specific matchups, sorry. It seemed promising but I wouldn't encourage anyone to rush out and buy the list as the meta has shifted a fair bit since then. Namely, Eldrazi & Death's Shadow Jund are quickly becoming "gatekeepers" to the format. Decks need to operate through incoming disruption, pick off important creatures, and generally grind a bit, whereas the Naya Blitz lists are typically very "all-in", occasionally explosive but fragile and linear.
As for Mutagenic Growth your mileage will vary. In the global meta Lightning Bolt is losing a bit of its luster in favor of hard removal, so Mutagenic also loses defensive application when fewer people are trying to Bolt your threats. If your local meta still has a lot of burn-based removal Mutagenic will perform very well, though.
Temur Battlerage usually just goes on the biggest attacker you have (ideally 4/X+) so you get the most benefit from double-strike. Doesn't matter much if they're blocked or not since trample pushes the damage through anyways.
If I were to update the list to better handle the current meta I might start with something like this:
I think that 4x Bolt, 4x Path is the "correct" option right now but I'm not sure about the other 4x spells in the MB. Might be some combination of Boros Charm : Atarka's Command, Rancor, Manamorphose, or something completely different.
Without Mutagenic Growth Monastery Swiftspear isn't quite as reliable. You'd have to run more matches to find out if she's still good enough or needs to be replaced by Warden of the First Tree.
voltaic brawler is definitely a consideration and if you can convince me of the benefits, very well might replace rip-clan. Especially as it has good interaction with burning tree emissary.
Brawler is a 4/3 trampler, such stats are very attractive in the first place (8 damage in 2 turns). It means it can win on its own, and be good without any support. Goblin Guide is a 2/2 Haste for R, it should give you a sign why the same creature for RG isn't much appreciated. Goblin Bushwacker would be a better card even though it's not a Human.
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Pioneer - A bunch of stuff Modern - Humans Legacy - Grixis Phoenix / Death & Taxes
I could be wrong on a lot of things, but I like this idea. Maximizing use of Burning-Tree Emissary is worthwhile. Giving you another way to T2 flip Kytheon ain't nothing, even if it means running Lightning Mauler.
I was even tempted to go -1 Path, -1 Lieutenant, +1 Command, +1 Mayor.
[quote from="Shelldell »" url="http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/modern/deck-creation-modern/769652-modern-humans?comment=80"]I could be wrong on a lot of things, but I like this idea. Maximizing use of Burning-Tree Emissary is worthwhile. Giving you another way to T2 flip Kytheon ain't nothing, even if it means running Lightning Mauler.
I have mixed feelings on Lightning Mauler. Yes, it is attractive to push more damage through T2 before the ground gets cluttered, and flipping Kytheon T2 is very strong. And that can definitely happen against some linear decks! But the format is being nudged in the direction of "Interact or Perish" at the moment and I think we have to assume that the first Kytheon to hit the board will probably bite the dust. And then what do we have left behind? A 2/2 BTE and 2/1 Mauler? In this sense the value of "Must-Remove Lightning Rods" is only as strong as the cards they died to protect, and if those enablers and filler cards aren't very strong on their own then your deck will fall apart in the face of disruption. With this in mind part of me wonders if the best Kytheon deck is actually a low-curve 5 color list with the strongest cards of every color (Dark Confidant, Mantis Rider etc.), where even if he doesn't flip as fast as a Blitz deck he's more likely to stick, or if he doesn't stick he'll at least clear the way for other good cards.
With that said please don't let me stop you from testing those Naya lists, I'm always happy to read more data. The only thing I will say is that everyone who has tested Hamlet Captain has found him to be a bit too slow to play. Metallic mimic is better if you really need a ninth+ lord.
@Dr. Sanchez, I've shared most of the same thoughts from your list there. I'm not sure that Auriok Champion is aggressive enough to run in our lists, Blessed Alliance might be a more versatile choice. Also, if you're looking for a more self-sufficient 2-drop to replace Mayor you could try Skyship Plunderer. It's a good proactive T2 play, decent on its own and gets even better with Champ/Lt/Gavony. I still haven't settled on a SB counterspell choice, so I can't help you there.
I think casting Rallier, returning Image to copy Rallier to grab a another card and rapidly repopulate your board for 3 mana is pretty awesome! It's really neat to see these high value scenarios work out.. however it's hard to say how much better having a second Image would be. Obviously Image is only great if you already have a 3-drop on the board, and running closer to 10-11 3-drops would help make this more likely. Image is like Lieutenant and Mayor in that they're often a better T4 play than T2 play. I could imagine that running more copies of Image might lead to more awkward sequencing scenarios where you just don't have a strong T2 play – in this instance the tempo gained by being able to effectively cast a pseudo 3-drop for 2 mana might be offset by being forced to cast it later.
Lastly it seems like people are starting to come around to how powerful Renegade Rallier + Ghost Quarter is. Many greedy manabases can't handle Ghost Quarter crack -> Rallier back GQ -> Re-crack GQ, especially when their basics are simultaneously stressed with Path to Exile. I know you had mentioned this previously, it popped up in that GW Human list above, and now it's one of the centerpieces for Todd Stevens's current successful GW CoCo Value list. Personally I think it might be worth trying the full 4x Rallier, 4x Ghost Quarter. In my testing so far you obviously have to mull a bit more but it's still significantly more comfortable than the 4c manabase or other non-Bant 3c manabases.
I'm unsure of Saffi. She's great when she can protect a game-winning combo per Melira decks or recur a value creature like Voice but there aren't as many great targets for us. I think I would rather just have another must-answer threat in that slot that naturally draws away removal but is still proactive and powerful if you've already exhausted your opponent's removal, but she's worth testing.
For reference, my current Bant MB testing list looks like this:
Dromoka's Command might seem weird, but I'm curious on whether or not this deck has enough synergy with it to make it work as a main deck card.
It synergises with Abzan Falconer, giving the otherwise landbound creatures access to evasion.
It adds a degree of interaction that decks without reflector mage otherwise might not be able to make use of, soft synergising with exalted and deathtouch from noble hierarch and ruthless ripper respectively.
It protects against anger of the gods, a sweeper that Xathrid Necromancer is quite useless against.
Enchantment removal isn't something that's usually good enough to maindeck for, but in this case, it's a nice option, there are a number of problematic enchantments that are nice to be able to remove. Being able to get rid of worships, Phyrexian Unlifes, Blood Moon, Spreading Seas, and Eidolon of the Great Revel on a card that isn't even in the deck for the purpose of enchantment removal is a pretty significant bonus.
The question of course is whether or not 27 creatures is enough to justify collected company. I'm really reluctant to cut any more than one path to exile due to how nice it is to just have unconditional (other than targetting) removal.
Based upon your creature curve you are building a CoCo deck and you should run all four copies of CoCo pretty much without question – it will usually be the best card in your deck. The issue is that you should probably trim your non-creature spells down to 10x or less.
As for the composition of your 10 spells, having unconditional, hard creature removal (4x Path) is also borderline mandatory right now. The last two slots are going to be a meta call but I suspect that you will probably get more mileage out of running Abrupt Decay, Collective Brutality, or Fatal Push over Dromoka's Command. I know you have a few fun synergies with D-Command but the standalone power and consistency of the previously mentioned cards will probably win you more games unless you are in a meta that features a lot of Anger of the Gods and Worship.
As for creatures I think you can trim Falconer down to 2x copies since he provides little extra benefit in multiples. Tireless tracker would be a good choice as he fits with your counter and grind themes.
I agree that Crucible is probably too cute for us.
I'm hesitant to add Avacyn's Pilgrim in part because Gavony Township is our only mana sink and the deck can weather the occasional mana screw better than mana flood. The Pilgrims would also have to come out of our Skyship Plunderer count, taking a slight edge off our beatdown potential and subtracting another 2 good Image / Rallier targets. Lastly Todd is playing 13x 3-drops (compared to 11x here), so he needs the extra dorks more than we do. I would start without the Pilgrims and then add them back in if you find that you're getting screwed too often. Like I said, so far it seems manageable to me but I'll let you know if that changes.
Hey guys, it's been a while. I've just been reading through some of the posts and results on here and it seems that we're definitely getting a steadier stream of more optimized versions of Humans. I haven't gotten to play much in the "new" meta, but the 4C list is still going strong. For those who are running GW/Bant lists - how does Renegade Rallier compare to Mantis Rider?
It's a fun variant and I think it has potential. Have to play much more games to adjust and say for sure though. I put Worship in the SB. Do you like the idea? Or do you think the traditional Norin-sisters deck running Genesis chamber and Ajani's Pridemate is just outright better?
Shared Animosity can be very powerful and finish things quickly. Please try it and tell me your opinion: brutal addition or win-more?
Nice lists.
I too have been brewing and playtesting Boros Humans; such a fun archetype!
Your first list looks good. 4x Norin might be a tad excessive, and the curve is slightly high on the whole (even higher if you shave a Norin or three). Have you considered Lightning Berserker as both a repeatable EtB trigger enabler and a decent mid/late-game mana sink?
The second list is a little further off the beaten path relative to what I've been running, but it looks solid. How has Mimic performed for you? I've been eyeing it as at least a one-of; seems to have potential.
I think I'm the only one on this thread looking at a Naya build, but wanted to share some early feedback in case anyone else is considering it.
Tested the list above with the following exceptions:
- 4 Collected Company
+ 3 Tireless Tracker
+ 1 Lightning Mauler
Admittedly it was just casual and neither of us sideboarded and I didn't face any top tier decks. But, I really liked how aggressive the deck was. I didn't lose a game and we played 9 rounds. I faced; infect, minotaurs, BW life gain and G Counters.
Obviously Champion of the Parish is amazing if you stick him down on turn 1 and he doesn't instantly get removed. Really liked Hamlet Captain and Tireless Tracker was invaluable for closing out games with card draw.
Possible changes I may make is some spot removal. Considering either Lightning Bolt, Path to Exile or Lightning Helix. I'm favouring helix at the moment because I want to attack all out, which leaves me pretty open to the opponents attacks.
Overall great fun to play. Not sure if it is as aggressive as other Naya decks, but I didn't develop this to be that competitive.
Everyone loves an angry mob RWG
Why so Bloo? RU
I would go with 4x L.Bolt + 4x A.Command.
With so few spells Monastery Swiftspear is just a 1/2 with haste which is rather bad, I would rather play a 2/1 with an upside instead like Soldier of the Pantheon or Mardu Woe-Reaper or even Experiment One.
Lightning Berserker also seems rather weak and as a mana sink I would prefer Warden of the First Tree (because Student of Warfare needs too much white mana).
Rip-Clan Crasher is just bad, despite the RR Ash Zealot is strictly better.
I didn't see Voltaic Brawler as well which is the best 2-drop human beater imho.
The 1x-of Hardened Scales isn't worth it imho.
More burn or PtE would be better.
Tireless Tracker seems a bit slow in a "Naya Blitz" deck, for a 3-drop I would consider Hanweir Garrison (great with A.Command, Champion and Lieutenant).
Or just keep to 2-drops.
Besides the "nut-draws" I find Lightning Mauler very underwhelming as 2/1 (even with haste) as it gets stonewalled by anything.
Hamlet Captain can be decent but maybe Metallic Mimic is just better.
4x Champion of the Parish
4x Kytheon, Hero of Akros
4x Monastery Swiftspear
4x Burning-Tree Emissary
2x Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
2x Mayor of Avabruck
4x Thalia's Lieutenant
4x Voltaic Brawler
1x Blossoming Defense
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Mutagenic Growth
1x Path to Exile
2x Temur Battle Rage
Land (20)
2x Arid Mesa
4x Cavern of Souls
1x Forest
2x Horizon Canopy
2x Inspiring Vantage
2x Mountain
1x Sacred Foundry
1x Stomping Ground
1x Temple Garden
4x Wooded Foothills
You can bump it up to at least 3 copies of Kytheon. I'm running 4. This is easily the best 1-drop 2/1 with upside, you can play a second one after the first flips, and your opponent will always try to kill it before it flips if they can. The chances of being completely screwed by the Legendary rule are pretty low.
I liked Swiftspear in the 1 CMC slot. The haste helps flip Kytheon earlier, 12 spells were enough to make her a hasty 2/3 on average which is a good enough rate, and in particular Mutagenic lets you pump her without holding mana open. Double Swiftspear opener can steal games. Lastly I like running Inspiring Vantage over a green 1-drop and Razorverge Thicket since we need Red the most to cast our non-creature spells. Warden of the first tree can be ok but I sometimes found the white mana needed for pumps to be a little limiting and he's less aggressive than Swiftspear without additional investment. Experiment One is poorly supported due to the high number of creatures that enter as 1/1s and our curve topping out at 3 power/toughness.
The most important thing that I found was to be cautious of cards that are too reliant on synergy and support to function well -- Gather the Townsfolk, Boros Elite, etc -- and focus on playing individually strong cards that happen to get even better if you're lucky enough to have everything stick. It might goldfish a little slower, obviously, but it performs better in real matches.
I've tried 2-3x Goblin Bushwhacker and while it makes for some really explosive plays with BTE I wanted to go with a more consistent game plan.
The sideboard is too rough to share but I enjoyed 2x Lead the Stampede for grindier matchups.
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Overall I think moving towards an interactive CoCo strategy is perhaps better suited for the current meta but the Naya Blitz list can have some strong games, too.
Also Cavern of Souls reprint! Yay!
But at Mythic...
So apart from nearly the entire deck you think it's good yer?! joking aside, I do agree with your comment about lightning bolt. Will definitely add 4 into main.
I realise that monastery swiftspear probably isn't an optimal choice (ie. I'm not playing numerous spells for th prowess trigger) but having a one drop with haste has proved pretty useful. I had been considering experiment one, but feel that it won't get boosted enough due to low power and toughness of other humans in the deck. I will likely drop the swiftspears in favour of bolts.
Can you expand on why rip-clan crasher is bad? Having a 2/2 beater with haste seems to fit the game plan...? I have ash zealot in the sideboard to deal with graveyard decks.
voltaic brawler is definitely a consideration and if you can convince me of the benefits, very well might replace rip-clan. Especially as it has good interaction with burning tree emissary.
Agreed regarding hardened scales.
I have hanweir garrison in the 'potential' pile. When gold fishing I found that I emptied my hand pretty quickly and having tireless tracker enables me to draw more threats.
Again, I feel that lightning mauler fits with the decks aims of hitting fast. Especially useful if played with BTE etc. What you suggest instead?
I like hamlet captain but feel that there is something potentially better, maybe mimic is the answer.
Everyone loves an angry mob RWG
Why so Bloo? RU
I quite like your list. Assuming that you use temur on an unblocked creature as you will likely have more creatures on the board than your opponent?
How useful was mutagenic? Did you find yourself with empty hands before you had closed the game out? Do you have any test results?
Everyone loves an angry mob RWG
Why so Bloo? RU
As for Mutagenic Growth your mileage will vary. In the global meta Lightning Bolt is losing a bit of its luster in favor of hard removal, so Mutagenic also loses defensive application when fewer people are trying to Bolt your threats. If your local meta still has a lot of burn-based removal Mutagenic will perform very well, though.
Temur Battlerage usually just goes on the biggest attacker you have (ideally 4/X+) so you get the most benefit from double-strike. Doesn't matter much if they're blocked or not since trample pushes the damage through anyways.
If I were to update the list to better handle the current meta I might start with something like this:
4x Champion of the Parish
4x Kytheon, Hero of Akros
4x Monastery Swiftspear
4x Burning-Tree Emissary
2x Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
2x Mayor of Avabruck
4x Thalia's Lieutenant
4x Voltaic Brawler
Spells (12)
4x Lightning Bolt
4x Path to Exile
1x Rancor
3x Atarka's Command
2x Arid Mesa
3x Cavern of Souls
1x Forest
2x Horizon Canopy
3x Inspiring Vantage
2x Mountain
1x Sacred Foundry
1x Stomping Ground
1x Temple Garden
4x Wooded Foothills
1x Grim Lavamancer
2x Blessed Alliance
2x Boros Charm
2x Deflecting Palm
1x Destructive Revelry
1x Dromoka's Command
2x Rest in Peace
2x Stony Silence
2x Lead the Stampede
Without Mutagenic Growth Monastery Swiftspear isn't quite as reliable. You'd have to run more matches to find out if she's still good enough or needs to be replaced by Warden of the First Tree.
Brawler is a 4/3 trampler, such stats are very attractive in the first place (8 damage in 2 turns). It means it can win on its own, and be good without any support. Goblin Guide is a 2/2 Haste for R, it should give you a sign why the same creature for RG isn't much appreciated. Goblin Bushwacker would be a better card even though it's not a Human.
4 Champion of the Parish
4 Kytheon, Hero of Akros
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
2 Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
2 Lightning Mauler
2 Mayor of Avabruck
4 Thalia's Lieutenant
4 Voltaic Brawler
Spells (10)
4 Lightning Bolt
3 Path to Exile
3 Atarka's Command
2 Arid Mesa
3 Cavern of Souls
1 Forest
2 Inspiring Vantage
2 Mountain
2 Sacred Foundry
1 Stomping Ground
1 Temple Garden
3 Wooded Foothills
3 Windswept Heath
1 Grim Lavamancer
2 Blessed Alliance
2 Boros Charm
2 Deflecting Palm
1 Destructive Revelry
1 Dromoka's Command
2 Rest in Peace
2 Stony Silence
2 Lead the Stampede
I could be wrong on a lot of things, but I like this idea. Maximizing use of Burning-Tree Emissary is worthwhile. Giving you another way to T2 flip Kytheon ain't nothing, even if it means running Lightning Mauler.
I was even tempted to go -1 Path, -1 Lieutenant, +1 Command, +1 Mayor.
Heck part of me wants to try
4 Experiment One
4 Warden of the First Tree
4 Monastery Swiftspear
4 Burning-Tree Emissary
2 Hamlet Captain
2 Kari Zev, Skyship Raider
3 Lightning Mauler
3 Mayor of Avabruck
4 Voltaic Brawler
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Atarka's Command
2 Apostle's Blessing
Land (20)
4 Cavern of Souls
2 Copperline Gorge
4 Forest
2 Mountain
4 Stomping Ground
4 Wooded Foothills
It's not nearly as strong, but more direct. Could be fun.
https://www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/budget-magic-93-20-tix-mono-white-humans-modern
It seems rather sub-optimal even as a budget version.
I would definetly use Kytheon, Hero of Akros, Student of Warfare and Thraben Inspector (and more Gather the Townsfolk) over Imposing Sovereign (not good enough) and Elite Vanguard (not even Dragon Hunter ?).
With that said please don't let me stop you from testing those Naya lists, I'm always happy to read more data. The only thing I will say is that everyone who has tested Hamlet Captain has found him to be a bit too slow to play. Metallic mimic is better if you really need a ninth+ lord.
https://www.mtggoldfish.com/archetype/modern-abzan-humans
https://www.mtgdecks.net/deck/mtgo_competitive_modern_constructed_league/modern/zaelphur_5_0_zaelphur/673811/
It is the same player that did it before so he seems to know the deck pretty well (or is rather lucky).
http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/deck-of-the-day-modern-5-color-humans/
I think casting Rallier, returning Image to copy Rallier to grab a another card and rapidly repopulate your board for 3 mana is pretty awesome! It's really neat to see these high value scenarios work out.. however it's hard to say how much better having a second Image would be. Obviously Image is only great if you already have a 3-drop on the board, and running closer to 10-11 3-drops would help make this more likely. Image is like Lieutenant and Mayor in that they're often a better T4 play than T2 play. I could imagine that running more copies of Image might lead to more awkward sequencing scenarios where you just don't have a strong T2 play – in this instance the tempo gained by being able to effectively cast a pseudo 3-drop for 2 mana might be offset by being forced to cast it later.
Lastly it seems like people are starting to come around to how powerful Renegade Rallier + Ghost Quarter is. Many greedy manabases can't handle Ghost Quarter crack -> Rallier back GQ -> Re-crack GQ, especially when their basics are simultaneously stressed with Path to Exile. I know you had mentioned this previously, it popped up in that GW Human list above, and now it's one of the centerpieces for Todd Stevens's current successful GW CoCo Value list. Personally I think it might be worth trying the full 4x Rallier, 4x Ghost Quarter. In my testing so far you obviously have to mull a bit more but it's still significantly more comfortable than the 4c manabase or other non-Bant 3c manabases.
I'm unsure of Saffi. She's great when she can protect a game-winning combo per Melira decks or recur a value creature like Voice but there aren't as many great targets for us. I think I would rather just have another must-answer threat in that slot that naturally draws away removal but is still proactive and powerful if you've already exhausted your opponent's removal, but she's worth testing.
For reference, my current Bant MB testing list looks like this:
1x Breeding Pool
2x Cavern of Souls
4x Flooded Strand
1x Forest
1x Gavony Township
4x Ghost Quarter
1x Hallowed Fountain
1x Horizon Canopy
2x Plains
1x Temple Garden
4x Windswept Heath
4x Champion of the Parish
4x Noble Hierarch
3x Skyship Plunderer
1x Phantasmal Image
4x Thalia's Lieutenant
3x Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3x Knight of the Reliquary
4x Reflector Mage
4x Renegade Rallier
4x Path to Exile
4x Collected Company
4x Cavern of Souls
4x Windswept Heath
4x Marsh Flats
1x Temple Garden
1x Godless Shrine
1x Overgrown Tomb
2x Gavony Township
2x Plains
2x Forest
1x Swamp
4x Champion of the Parish
4x Noble Hierarch
1x Ruthless Ripper
4x Thalia's Lieutenant
3x Dark Confidant
1x Duskwatch Recruiter
2x Anafenza, The Foremost
4x Xathrid Necromancer
4x Abzan Falconer
3x Path to Exile
4x Dromoka's Command
4x Collected Company
Dromoka's Command might seem weird, but I'm curious on whether or not this deck has enough synergy with it to make it work as a main deck card.
It synergises with Abzan Falconer, giving the otherwise landbound creatures access to evasion.
It adds a degree of interaction that decks without reflector mage otherwise might not be able to make use of, soft synergising with exalted and deathtouch from noble hierarch and ruthless ripper respectively.
It protects against anger of the gods, a sweeper that Xathrid Necromancer is quite useless against.
Enchantment removal isn't something that's usually good enough to maindeck for, but in this case, it's a nice option, there are a number of problematic enchantments that are nice to be able to remove. Being able to get rid of worships, Phyrexian Unlifes, Blood Moon, Spreading Seas, and Eidolon of the Great Revel on a card that isn't even in the deck for the purpose of enchantment removal is a pretty significant bonus.
The question of course is whether or not 27 creatures is enough to justify collected company. I'm really reluctant to cut any more than one path to exile due to how nice it is to just have unconditional (other than targetting) removal.
As for the composition of your 10 spells, having unconditional, hard creature removal (4x Path) is also borderline mandatory right now. The last two slots are going to be a meta call but I suspect that you will probably get more mileage out of running Abrupt Decay, Collective Brutality, or Fatal Push over Dromoka's Command. I know you have a few fun synergies with D-Command but the standalone power and consistency of the previously mentioned cards will probably win you more games unless you are in a meta that features a lot of Anger of the Gods and Worship.
As for creatures I think you can trim Falconer down to 2x copies since he provides little extra benefit in multiples. Tireless tracker would be a good choice as he fits with your counter and grind themes.
I'm hesitant to add Avacyn's Pilgrim in part because Gavony Township is our only mana sink and the deck can weather the occasional mana screw better than mana flood. The Pilgrims would also have to come out of our Skyship Plunderer count, taking a slight edge off our beatdown potential and subtracting another 2 good Image / Rallier targets. Lastly Todd is playing 13x 3-drops (compared to 11x here), so he needs the extra dorks more than we do. I would start without the Pilgrims and then add them back in if you find that you're getting screwed too often. Like I said, so far it seems manageable to me but I'll let you know if that changes.
Now I've been trying out a new brew U/W humans and I think it might be an interesting take on Humans
4 Champion of the Parish
1 Sky Hussar
4 Skyship Plunderer
4 Thalia's Lieutenant
3 Kytheon, Hero of Akros
2 Wingcrafter
3 Soldier of the Pantheon
4 Day's Undoing
3 Mass Appeal
4 Hidden Strings
4 Disrupting Shoal
3 Gather the Townsfolk
Lands
4 Hallowed Fountain
4 Seachrome Coast
1 Moorland Haunt
4 Flooded Strand
5 Plains
3 Island
The goal is to play a bunch of cheap one drops, and use hidden strings to play large amounts of creatures on turn 2. Then use Sky Hussar, Day's Undoing, and Mass Appeal for insane card advantage. Hidden Strings and Disrupting Shoal.
So what do you guys think?
Hidden Strings, Mass Appeal, Wingcrafter (and Disrupting Shoal/Skyship Plunderer as well) are pretty bad and conditional.
And cards like Sky Hussar and Day's Undoing are not what you want to be doing with a tribal aggro deck like humans.
Nice lists.
I too have been brewing and playtesting Boros Humans; such a fun archetype!
Your first list looks good. 4x Norin might be a tad excessive, and the curve is slightly high on the whole (even higher if you shave a Norin or three). Have you considered Lightning Berserker as both a repeatable EtB trigger enabler and a decent mid/late-game mana sink?
The second list is a little further off the beaten path relative to what I've been running, but it looks solid. How has Mimic performed for you? I've been eyeing it as at least a one-of; seems to have potential.
Here's my Boros brew, if anyone's interested: http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/boros-bean-counters-human-tribal/
Apologies if links to decks outside the forum are frowned upon; I'm short on time at the moment. Suggestions most welcome!