This is a Soldiers list that abuses the two captains - Preeminent Captain and Captain of the Watch. Basically the idea behind a Tribal soldier deck is in trying to make use of synergies between soldiers and a stable mana-base of playing a single-colour.
Champion of the Parish - Superb synergy as after casting the first champion we have another 16 human creatures in the deck. Captain of the Watch(not sure if the 3 soldier tokens are human, i'll check on this) & Ranger of Eos also allows us to dig for more cheap humans to put into play boostering Champion further.
Jötun grunt - Stops Tarmogoyf and Knight of Reliquary, and also allow us to stall for time while we build up the mana base or vial counters for bigger soldiers.
Field marshal - A soldier lord at 3cc, gives first strike and +1/+1.
Captain of the watch - Another soldier lord and the bomb of the deck, good synergy with Preeminent captain. Unlikely to be hard-casted during the early game and more a cheat option with Preeminent thus only 2 included.
Mikaeus the Lunarch - A tutorable target for Ranger of Eos. One for the mid-late game.
Elspeth, Knight-Errant (single most important card because she makes Soldiers and gives your creatures evasion and P/T boosts)
Honor of the Pure
Cenn's Tactician
Ballyrush Banneret
Mentor of the Meek
Hero of Bladehold (it makes Soldiers)
IMO Mikaeus is too slow because he doesn't have haste (and Vial can't get him into play with counters on him).
The thing about Mentor is that, without pump effects, and considering that it's T3 when you play him and T4 before you use his effect, all he does it get you a bunch of chump blockers.
If your wincon is cheating a Captain of the Watch into play with Preeminent Captain then why not use Windbrisk Heights as well?
It seems like you want to go one of three ways here, none of which are Soldier tribal honestly.
Field Marshal is awful unless you're really finding value in First Strike. If you ARE, you should probably be playing Knights instead. They're vastly superior on a single-card basis.
Champion is even worse of a topdeck than Hada Freeblade, and the only card that gives you arguably more value in a soldier shell than an ally shell is Confidant to begin with. Blademaster is a massive upgrade over almost everything, and Bala Ged Thief is dominant every time you resolve it in this format.
Finally, Ranger of Eos is actually better in a straight 1-drop Zoo shell, which has a better early, mid, and late game than soldier tribal thanks to things like Figure of Destiny, Wild Nacatl, Goblin Guide, Lightning Bolt, and Proclamation of Rebirth, while also having a substantially better sideboard thanks to color flexibility.
I understand Ranger and Hero of Bladehold are awesome cards, but those won't make this deck work on its own. Nothing else here is close to good enough when compared to everything you COULD be playing.
AT LEAST play Mentor of the Meek like anyone in their right mind would be.
Elspeth, Knight-Errant (single most important card because she makes Soldiers and gives your creatures evasion and P/T boosts)
Honor of the Pure
Cenn's Tactician
Ballyrush Banneret
Mentor of the Meek
Hero of Bladehold (it makes Soldiers)
IMO Mikaeus is too slow because he doesn't have haste (and Vial can't get him into play with counters on him).
The thing about Mentor is that, without pump effects, and considering that it's T3 when you play him and T4 before you use his effect, all he does it get you a bunch of chump blockers.
If your wincon is cheating a Captain of the Watch into play with Preeminent Captain then why not use Windbrisk Heights as well?
I just felt Mikaeus could be a good tutor for Ranger of Eos, playing Ranger enables us to have a 1-drop creature toolbox so adding Mikaeus gives us more flexibility. But I'm still unsure if it's worth playing him for this reason at the moment.
Elspeth is massive but i would rather stick to creatures which can be vialed in and cheated in with Preemient Captain.
I'll look at Windbrisk Heights too, I think I need to playtest first before including this card.
Field Marshal is awful unless you're really finding value in First Strike. If you ARE, you should probably be playing Knights instead. They're vastly superior on a single-card basis.
Champion is even worse of a topdeck than Hada Freeblade, and the only card that gives you arguably more value in a soldier shell than an ally shell is Confidant to begin with. Blademaster is a massive upgrade over almost everything, and Bala Ged Thief is dominant every time you resolve it in this format.
I don't buy the argument champion is a bad topdeck. It's same as saying Kird Ape is a bad topdeck in Zoo. On a more accurate comparison, it is saying Elite Vanguard is a bad topdeck and yet traditional soldier decks run them. Regarding Hada Freeblade, it's either play all 4x Hada & 4x Kazandu Blademaster or none. I didnt want to restrict the synergies to just allies but humans instead.
Finally, Ranger of Eos is actually better in a straight 1-drop Zoo shell, which has a better early, mid, and late game than soldier tribal thanks to things like Figure of Destiny, Wild Nacatl, Goblin Guide, Lightning Bolt, and Proclamation of Rebirth, while also having a substantially better sideboard thanks to color flexibility.
I understand Ranger and Hero of Bladehold are awesome cards, but those won't make this deck work on its own. Nothing else here is close to good enough when compared to everything you COULD be playing.
Sure, of course Ranger works best in Zoo - the premier aggro deck. However Ranger is the very few CA available to mono-white. Where else can we get our CA from? Are you saying we shouldnt play Ranger because it works better in Zoo? I don't get what you are trying to put across here.
AT LEAST play Mentor of the Meek like anyone in their right mind would be.
Mentor of the meek is too slow and chunky in this deck - please take into context the style of the deck before recommending Mentor here. Someone in their right mind would'nt be playing Mentor here.
It may seem a little clunky, but we could steal the idea from the recent soul sisters deck and pack a set of gideon's lawkeeper &/or goldmeadow harrier. They are tutorable and can keep annoying creatures out of your way.
I just felt Mikaeus could be a good tutor for Ranger of Eos, playing Ranger enables us to have a 1-drop creature toolbox so adding Mikaeus gives us more flexibility. But I'm still unsure if it's worth playing him for this reason at the moment.
Mikaeus is a bad version of an elf nobody plays in Elves, and an even worse version of Mirror Entity which you aren't playing to begin with. Tutoring it in a deck that has no relevant need for tutoring a bad pump effect is irrelevant. If you were tutoring reach (like Banefire), instead of just another guy without any semblance of evasion, it would be fine.
Elspeth is massive but i would rather stick to creatures which can be vialed in and cheated in with Preemient Captain.
Ok. Don't play one of the best cards in the format. Stick to synergizing with an unplayable Lackey substitute that requires you to play a bad tribe instead.
I'll look at Windbrisk Heights too, I think I need to playtest first before including this card.
Windbrisk Heights has no real use here. You don't play anything out of your normal curve if you have a worthwhile build (IE - no Captain). You also fail to play the common, consistant activation squad of Bitterblossom and Spectral Procession, or curve out consistantly on turns 1-3 with a guy who can turn sideways and still manage a land coming into play tapped.
Marshal doesn't have "synergy" with anything, really. Its bonus is almost as relevant as Glorious Anthem/Honor of the Pure's, and not moreso as they're much harder to push off the board.
I don't buy the argument champion is a bad topdeck. It's same as saying Kird Ape is a bad topdeck in Zoo. On a more accurate comparison, it is saying Elite Vanguard is a bad topdeck and yet traditional soldier decks run them. Regarding Hada Freeblade, it's either play all 4x Hada & 4x Kazandu Blademaster or none. I didnt want to restrict the synergies to just allies but humans instead.
Kird Ape is a great topdeck for Zoo. It swings through the only creatures your opposition would still have down against you by turn 6-7, short of Goyf/Knight. A bad topdeck for Zoo is land, and only land.
Not wanting to play Allies is fine, but not wanting to play the best cards available to you is outright naive. In suggesting Freeblade and Blademaster, I was not offering them up for inclusion in your deck. I was suggesting they (along with Kabira Evangel and Bala Ged Thief) provide a much stronger shell than anything your deck can offer, which is the truth.
Sure, of course Ranger works best in Zoo - the premier aggro deck. However Ranger is the very few CA available to mono-white. Where else can we get our CA from? Are you saying we shouldnt play Ranger because it works better in Zoo? I don't get what you are trying to put across here.
I never said you shouldn't play Ranger. I said - and am currently suggesting - that you skip over a bad tribal play and utilize the better options for a white weenie strategy (Knights, Allies, Kithkin, Tokens, non-tribal, all of which are superior here). Ranger is the best card in your deck. Play all four, drop the other fifty six.
Mentor of the meek is too slow and chunky in this deck - please take into context the style of the deck before recommending Mentor here. Someone in their right mind would'nt be playing Mentor here.
Mentor along with Vial is a card advantage engine comparable to Dark Confidant. Not only is it better than Ranger HERE, it actually gives you the sustainable pace you will require to come out on top over the other, better aggro plays.
You picture this deck, and all you see is the optimal: Field Marshal down with HotP in play, a Captain swinging and dropping a Captain into play, and three 8/8 Champions crashing in behind all of that with first strike. The simple fact is, you can't expect to see one of each of your key pieces in every game as an aggro deck as you have no library manipulation. You need to be playing cards which can sustain themselves, unlike almost everything you play outside of the generally unplayable Captain of the Watch to begin with. Kithkin can win without Cenn. Knights can win without Exemplar. Allies can win without Evangel. Tokens can win without Procession. Non-Tribal White Weenie can win without hitting any one of the cards they sleeve up. You -cannot- win without a functional Captain, a Field Marshal that takes over the game, or a miraculously stalled game leading into a Captain on turn 8 hardcast.
I'm not trying to tell you not to play GOOD cards. I'm telling you that Soldiers is strictly casual, and hasn't put up a solid result to this date even with the serious attempt to make it viable by not only us as builders, but by WotC in printing stuff like Captain, Field Marshal, and the other soldier lords. The soldiers in print are often costed one or two mana higher than their better, playable counterparts, which puts you well behind the curve in most matchups. (Captain vs. Instigator/Lackey, Field Marshal vs. Lord of Atlantis/Wizened Cenn, Captain of the Watch vs. Siege Gang - which actually provides reach).
It may seem a little clunky, but we could steal the idea from the recent soul sisters deck and pack a set of gideon's lawkeeper &/or goldmeadow harrier. They are tutorable and can keep annoying creatures out of your way.
That is beyond irritating to play against, and makes your deck better than every other aggro deck in the format. I've ran into it more than I would care to, and it is impossible to beat in that Soul Sisters shell.
It may seem a little clunky, but we could steal the idea from the recent soul sisters deck and pack a set of gideon's lawkeeper &/or goldmeadow harrier. They are tutorable and can keep annoying creatures out of your way.
It'll be good to have this additional versatility. I'll probably take out a Icatian Javalineers for Gideon's lawkeeper which is both human and soldier. Champion of the Parish is a card which i hope to have in my opening hand so i won't touch them.
Mikaeus is a bad version of an elf nobody plays in Elves, and an even worse version of Mirror Entity which you aren't playing to begin with. Tutoring it in a deck that has no relevant need for tutoring a bad pump effect is irrelevant. If you were tutoring reach (like Banefire), instead of just another guy without any semblance of evasion, it would be fine.
How do you know there is no relevant need? In a stalled game we need cards like this to tilt the balance over to our side. Mikaeus is only there as an option. I myself is also not convinced but I felt it is worth at least a try.
Ok. Don't play one of the best cards in the format. Stick to synergizing with an unplayable Lackey substitute that requires you to play a bad tribe instead.
Playing Elspeth and Captain of the Watch and Ranger of the Eos together feels like it will totally messed up my mana curve, like I mentioned because i wanted to test out the synergies, I do not want to have a Preeminent captain attacking and no soldier bombs but an Elspeth in my hand.
I agree Elspeth is one of the best cards. But can I just try a built without Elspeth, please.....:embarrass:
Windbrisk Heights has no real use here. You don't play anything out of your normal curve if you have a worthwhile build (IE - no Captain). You also fail to play the common, consistant activation squad of Bitterblossom and Spectral Procession, or curve out consistantly on turns 1-3 with a guy who can turn sideways and still manage a land coming into play tapped.
I'm not a fan of tapped lands, Windbrisk Heights is only a standby card which might be worth testing as a singleton or 2.
I was suggesting you're attempting to do things better done outside of soldier tribal, not that you're not building soldier tribal.
I appreciate your intentions, however since I have all 56 cards in list except 4 Champion of the Parish & Mikaeus the Lunarch, therefore it doesn't take me too much effort to get the deck together.
Marshal doesn't have "synergy" with anything, really. Its bonus is almost as relevant as Glorious Anthem/Honor of the Pure's, and not moreso as they're much harder to push off the board.
It is a relevant creature here. How many creature removals can the opponent pack? Field Marshal can be vialed in, cheated in etc. Do you realise not playing any enchantments can also be a bonus - dead cards in opponent hand.
Kird Ape is a great topdeck for Zoo. It swings through the only creatures your opposition would still have down against you by turn 6-7, short of Goyf/Knight. A bad topdeck for Zoo is land, and only land.
Kird Ape is a great topdeck? When the board stalls, a 2/3 creature is consider great? I played against zoo countless time and at that stage Kird Ape is a vanilla creature. I would have expected you to say Grim Lavamancer is a great topdeck, not Kird Ape.
Not wanting to play Allies is fine, but not wanting to play the best cards available to you is outright naive. In suggesting Freeblade and Blademaster, I was not offering them up for inclusion in your deck. I was suggesting they (along with Kabira Evangel and Bala Ged Thief) provide a much stronger shell than anything your deck can offer, which is the truth.
I would have gone and play allies and we won't be discussing here.
I never said you shouldn't play Ranger. I said - and am currently suggesting - that you skip over a bad tribal play and utilize the better options for a white weenie strategy (Knights, Allies, Kithkin, Tokens, non-tribal, all of which are superior here). Ranger is the best card in your deck. Play all four, drop the other fifty six.
Unfortunately, I felt like stamping on my own foot agreeing with you. Soldiers is not a top weenie strategy. But I really need to test it to put any lingering doubts to rest.
Mentor along with Vial is a card advantage engine comparable to Dark Confidant. Not only is it better than Ranger HERE, it actually gives you the sustainable pace you will require to come out on top over the other, better aggro plays.
You picture this deck, and all you see is the optimal: Field Marshal down with HotP in play, a Captain swinging and dropping a Captain into play, and three 8/8 Champions crashing in behind all of that with first strike. The simple fact is, you can't expect to see one of each of your key pieces in every game as an aggro deck as you have no library manipulation. You need to be playing cards which can sustain themselves, unlike almost everything you play outside of the generally unplayable Captain of the Watch to begin with. Kithkin can win without Cenn. Knights can win without Exemplar. Allies can win without Evangel. Tokens can win without Procession. Non-Tribal White Weenie can win without hitting any one of the cards they sleeve up. You -cannot- win without a functional Captain, a Field Marshal that takes over the game, or a miraculously stalled game leading into a Captain on turn 8 hardcast.
I'm not trying to tell you not to play GOOD cards. I'm telling you that Soldiers is strictly casual, and hasn't put up a solid result to this date even with the serious attempt to make it viable by not only us as builders, but by WotC in printing stuff like Captain, Field Marshal, and the other soldier lords. The soldiers in print are often costed one or two mana higher than their better, playable counterparts, which puts you well behind the curve in most matchups. (Captain vs. Instigator/Lackey, Field Marshal vs. Lord of Atlantis/Wizened Cenn, Captain of the Watch vs. Siege Gang - which actually provides reach).
That is beyond irritating to play against, and makes your deck better than every other aggro deck in the format. I've ran into it more than I would care to, and it is impossible to beat in that Soul Sisters shell.
This whole deck came about because I already have all the soldiers(except for Innistrad) and i was excited to see a whole bunch of decent soldiers available for use.
Sure enough, I know playing soldiers tribal is questionable at best but there is no need to put down the whole deck/tribe as a whole. If we have this mindset about playing aggro then all of us should just play Zoo and we can throw all the other deck creations out of the window.
How do you know there is no relevant need? In a stalled game we need cards like this to tilt the balance over to our side. Mikaeus is only there as an option. I myself is also not convinced but I felt it is worth at least a try.
I know because it doesn't work in a much better shell than this. If it doesn't work there, why would it work here?
I appreciate your intentions, however since I have all 56 cards in list except 4 Champion of the Parish & Mikaeus the Lunarch, therefore it doesn't take me too much effort to get the deck together.
This is a development thread for an archetype you hope to bring to competitive prominence. If that was not the case, you would've posted in the casual section. Thus, I will suggest the best way I know that you can refine your strategy, which has nothing to do with what cards you do or do not have. Take it for what you will.
It is a relevant creature here. How many creature removals can the opponent pack? Field Marshal can be vialed in, cheated in etc. Do you realise not playing any enchantments can also be a bonus - dead cards in opponent hand.
Nobody maindecks Nature's Claim. At best, you're making that opponent's Go for the Throat and Path to Exile even better, while making their singleton Sylvan Replica (or whatever Pod's artifact removal toolbox guy is) unnecessary to tutor for.
Kird Ape is a great topdeck? When the board stalls, a 2/3 creature is consider great? I played against zoo countless time and at that stage Kird Ape is a vanilla creature. I would have expected you to say Grim Lavamancer is a great topdeck, not Kird Ape.
The only time a skilled Zoo pilot is topdecking is when they've blown their removal to clear the board, and are trying to pull fuel. Kird Ape is fuel. Kird Ape is a welcome sight to anyone piloting Zoo on turn 8. Note that Kird Ape is no longer seeing play in Zoo on a regular basis, but we can move on from there nonetheless.
Unfortunately, I felt like stamping on my own foot agreeing with you. Soldiers is not a top weenie strategy. But I really need to test it to put any lingering doubts to rest.
That I understand, and support. Just don't blow off the feedback you, yourself came here for. You knew what you were going to get back in posting Soldier Tribal, I have little doubt.
This whole deck came about because I already have all the soldiers(except for Innistrad) and i was excited to see a whole bunch of decent soldiers available for use.
Sure enough, I know playing soldiers tribal is questionable at best but there is no need to put down the whole deck/tribe as a whole. If we have this mindset about playing aggro then all of us should just play Zoo and we can throw all the other deck creations out of the window.
First, I too was thrilled at the prospect of high-ceiling soldiers flying every which way. Captain was an epiphany in white. Champion is the third or fourth best grower in white, but it does benefit a bit from novelty, so I even get you there. The sad fact is, though, Soldier tribal has had the flashy bits, and no substance to hold it upright. For every Knight Exemplar, Cloudgoat Ranger, Merrow Reejerey, Lord of the Unreal, Mistbind Clique, Elvish Archdruid, Siege-Gang Commander, Rage Forger, and Vampire Nocturnus, there is a Knight of the White Orchid, Wizened Cenn, Silvergill Adept, Phantasmal Image, Spellstutter Sprite, Heritage Druid, Warren Instigator, Flamekin Harbinger, and Gatekeeper of Malakir. For every Preeminent Captain and Captain of the Watch, there is nothing to support them.
I know because it doesn't work in a much better shell than this. If it doesn't work there, why would it work here?
I just played against a Standard human deck just now which is my first exposure to him; and he seems like a win-more card. But as part of a tutor-toolbox I won't write him off so easily until I try him a few more times.
This is a development thread for an archetype you hope to bring to competitive prominence. If that was not the case, you would've posted in the casual section. Thus, I will suggest the best way I know that you can refine your strategy, which has nothing to do with what cards you do or do not have. Take it for what you will.
Yup, I'm trying to brew and tune it into a reasonably competitive deck. At the very least I wanted the deck to be semi-competitive.
Nobody maindecks Nature's Claim. At best, you're making that opponent's Go for the Throat and Path to Exile even better, while making their singleton Sylvan Replica (or whatever Pod's artifact removal toolbox guy is) unnecessary to tutor for.
You are saying Field Marshal is going to be taken out by removal spells easily because decks will always have maindeck creature removal for him. Are these removals infinite? Initally you pointed out Field Marshal's ability is bad and shouldnt belong here and yet now you are saying opponents will find him enough of a threat to remove him? You are contradicting what you said earlier and did you realise making opponents run out of removals is a way to ensure that our better creatures can stay in the battlefield?
The only time a skilled Zoo pilot is topdecking is when they've blown their removal to clear the board, and are trying to pull fuel. Kird Ape is fuel. Kird Ape is a welcome sight to anyone piloting Zoo on turn 8. Note that Kird Ape is no longer seeing play in Zoo on a regular basis, but we can move on from there nonetheless.
I don't know about you, but statements like this "Ape(or Wild Nacatl for that matter) is a welcome sight to anyone piloting Zoo on turn 8" tells me you don't have much exposure to Zoo. We are talking about a stalled board here and a 3/3(Wild Nacatl) vanilla is a welcome sight?
A welcome sight is: Lightning Bolt/ Lightning Helix/ Path to Exile - to remove their key creatures or deal opponet last few points of damage. Qasali Pridemage - to remove any swords or any artifacts/enchantment locking the board. Grim Lavamancer - to put opponents on a clock with almost infinite 2 damage direct dealing.
Goyf or Knight of Reliquary which is the fuel you are talking about here.
And you call Kird Ape/ Wild Nacatl a welcome sight and use the poor example of drawing land as a poor topdeck? TELL me when drawing land is not a bad topdeck when you are in mid or late game mode :facepalm:.
That I understand, and support. Just don't blow off the feedback you, yourself came here for. You knew what you were going to get back in posting Soldier Tribal, I have little doubt.
Well you are right, i did expected this to a certain degree.
First, I too was thrilled at the prospect of high-ceiling soldiers flying every which way. Captain was an epiphany in white. Champion is the third or fourth best grower in white, but it does benefit a bit from novelty, so I even get you there. The sad fact is, though, Soldier tribal has had the flashy bits, and no substance to hold it upright. For every Knight Exemplar, Cloudgoat Ranger, Merrow Reejerey, Lord of the Unreal, Mistbind Clique, Elvish Archdruid, Siege-Gang Commander, Rage Forger, and Vampire Nocturnus, there is a Knight of the White Orchid, Wizened Cenn, Silvergill Adept, Phantasmal Image, Spellstutter Sprite, Heritage Druid, Warren Instigator, Flamekin Harbinger, and Gatekeeper of Malakir. For every Preeminent Captain and Captain of the Watch, there is nothing to support them.
It is still worth developing, we can strive to built a Tier 2 deck, which can be improved further with more cards down the road. It is same as Knights as a tribal. A few years back Knights and Vampire Tribal were so bad and unplayable but now they are reasonably competitive.
Nabbydian asked me to post my RW Soldiers deck. It is not tuned to be as efficient as it could be (i.e. I know it sucks competitively and possibly casually!), but he hoped it would spark some discussion about the red splash.
Soldier tribal generally has nothing to affect the opponent's board state, so that is why I put in Loxodon Gatekeeper, even though it's not human.
I am aware Field Marshal is not as good as other tribal lords, but it's all Soldiers has right now. I can't depend on Captain of the Watch to land all the time.
Some things I know that would improve the deck significantly if I were to tune it further, in no particular order.
1) Arid Mesa
2) Path to Exile
3) Champion of the Parish instead of Elite Vanguard
4) Elspeth, Knight Errant
5) Mirrodin swords instead of the machete if I were going towards a more equipment focused deck.
6) There are probably some Boros creatures that could be put in, but I haven't researched this. Of the top of my head, I can think of Boros Guidmage and Sunhome Enforcer.
7) Aether Vial or Preeminent Captain
8) Ballyrush Banneret to reduce soldier casting costs
9) Serra Angel could be changed to Angelic Overseer, but the Human dependency might be unstable.
10) Martial Coup for a late game sweeper or token producer
I think the Soldiers deck is really just a poor aggro tribal deck. I wish Wizards would print some Soldiers that can affect board state or have abilities other than combat abilities.
I think Soldiers is a tribe which many people might of thought of playing but gave up somehow. Hopefully these guys can come in and share their insights. Soldiers is a tribe that can only get better since we almost always get new soldiers with each and every new expansion.
With soldiers I find there is quantity but no quality. Soldiers definitely needs better lords as well as like Eriol pointed out, something more than just combat abilities:
Captain of the Watch - cannot be reliably counted upon due to her crazy casting cost.
Daru Warchief - 4cc is still too high for a lord and he doesn't do enough.
Field Marshal - The first strike ability while useful is pretty tame.
@Eriol,
I saw your Soldiers list and while it might not be truly competitive it does has the opportunity to get some quick wins looking at how the deck is set up. I can imagine the Elite Vanguard/ Veteran Armorsmith with Honor of the Pure hitting for substantial early damages before Helix and Bolt finish the opponent off. Admittedly the traditional Boros might be more efficient in doing so but Soldiers has a mid-game unlike them.
With soldiers I find there is quantity but no quality. Soldiers definitely needs better lords as well as like Eriol pointed out, something more than just combat abilities:
@Eriol,
I saw your Soldiers list and while it might not be truly competitive it does has the opportunity to get some quick wins looking at how the deck is set up. I can imagine the Elite Vanguard/ Veteran Armorsmith with Honor of the Pure hitting for substantial early damages before Helix and Bolt finish the opponent off. Admittedly the traditional Boros might be more efficient in doing so but Soldiers has a mid-game unlike them.
The deck I built definitely hit fast and hard in my casual game. I would probably throw in Oblivion Ring in the SB for problematic cards (or even MD in an unknown meta).
The Soldiers deck, as I have configured it, is reliant on an "explosive" win. It's really just a "pump +1/+1 as much as possible" right now. If I got a mixed hand, I'm not sure the deck could stand up for very long.
I just remembered...Mobilization. Not as good as Elspeth, but another card to consider.
What I really want to do here is focus on Preeminent Captain. I want to protect him and make use of him as quickly as possible.
Right now, I'm thinking of a two card combo with Lightning Greaves. It protects, it Hastes, it curves out nicely.
Preeminent Captain needs to be unblockable and have hexproof/shroud. Without unblockability, Preeminent Captain will die to a blocker, meaning you get to use its combat ability only one time at best (if it isn't destroyed beforehand). Whispersilk Cloak is not a great card, but it grants unblockability.
Porcelain Legionnaire, with its first strike, is useful in certain Soldier builds. I actually had some in the deck before I acquired Field Marshal. However, if the deck is mostly or all humans, I would not use it.
Also, it is 3CMC, and in a human soldier deck, that slot is occupied by Field Marshal.
I just remembered...Mobilization. Not as good as Elspeth, but another card to consider.
Mobilization is very slow, and 3 mana to produce a soldier is not worth it IMO. I liked the card when I saw it initally but it just doesnt seem to belong to a 1vs1 setting. It seems more suited to multi-player game.
Preeminent Captain needs to be unblockable and have hexproof/shroud. Without unblockability, Preeminent Captain will die to a blocker, meaning you get to use its combat ability only one time at best (if it isn't destroyed beforehand). Whispersilk Cloak is not a great card, but it grants unblockability.
If it drops one Captain, I'm happy. That's still pretty far over the curve.
Plus, it has First Strike. It's not actually that easy to block.
I realised Preeminent Captain is usually my opponent's favourite removal targets. I'm usually happy enough if I can attack with it at least once hence allowing me to cheat something relevant into play.
The key is actually protecting it rather than gaining unblockability in IMO. I use Brave the element to protect him from targetted removals.
Porcelain Legionnaire, with its first strike, is useful in certain Soldier builds. I actually had some in the deck before I acquired Field Marshal. However, if the deck is mostly or all humans, I would not use it.
Also, it is 3CMC, and in a human soldier deck, that slot is occupied by Field Marshal.
Yup agree that Porcelain Legionaire doesnt really belongs to heavy human deck. However I tend to see him as a 2cc creature rather than 3. During the early turns he is normally cast as a 2cc.
i've been running this build a while. guess it would qualify as budget with no figure of destiny in a predominantly kithkin deck. used to run the daru warchief when scourge was still extended.
with the new soldier's in innistrad i can see room for improvements to the deck. but there are great synergies that could be exploited in modern. borderguard+graceful reprieve is very fun: get plus-ones, die and make tokens, return from the grave and make virtually double the plus-ones which net double the tokens when it dies again,
Mobilization is very slow, and 3 mana to produce a soldier is not worth it IMO. I liked the card when I saw it initally but it just doesnt seem to belong to a 1vs1 setting. It seems more suited to multi-player game.
And like feathers pointed out, during the early game, Preeminent Captain as a 2/2 first-striker is a decent attacker.
I realised Preeminent Captain is usually my opponent's favourite removal targets. I'm usually happy enough if I can attack with it at least once hence allowing me to cheat something relevant into play.
The key is actually protecting it rather than gaining unblockability in IMO. I use Brave the element to protect him from targetted removals.
Sorry I'm a noob :embarrass:, where is the combo? Does it has something to do with Darien?
Yup agree that Porcelain Legionaire doesnt really belongs to heavy human deck. However I tend to see him as a 2cc creature rather than 3. During the early turns he is normally cast as a 2cc.
Preeminent Captain + Darien + Soul Warden
Any amount of damage is nulified
This is just a very cute combo but I just needed one more
FAT soldier to cheat out with captain.
Also captain of the watch is a huge beating
i've been running this build a while. guess it would qualify as budget with no figure of destiny in a predominantly kithkin deck. used to run the daru warchief when scourge was still extended.
with the new soldier's in innistrad i can see room for improvements to the deck. but there are great synergies that could be exploited in modern. borderguard+graceful reprieve is very fun: get plus-ones, die and make tokens, return from the grave and make virtually double the plus-ones which net double the tokens when it dies again,
Nice, I like the interactions between borderguard & graceful reprieve. It's bound to give opponent a massive headache especially if we have pump effects such as Wizened Cenn or Honor of the Pure around. I'm just thinking maybe your list could do without ballyrush banneret since there isn't many cards that can make good use of it. Playing 4x Wizened Cenn might be better here.
Although I have been slowly accumulating Kithkin cards, I haven't really go around forming a deck with it thus I'm still unfamiliar with the tribe as a whole. Kithkin with so many soldier cards definitely is worth a mention in Modern Soldiers.
This is just a very cute combo but I just needed one more
FAT soldier to cheat out with captain.
Also captain of the watch is a huge beating
Icic :D, the combo is good enough to stop opponent's creatures from attacking - however I'm just worried the combo cant last for long as they can just aim direct damage or removal on poor Darien first!
A problem with the combo is you need to force opponent to deal damage to you with their creatures (damage spells if they have they could aim at Darien/Soul Warden to break the combo). Before Preeminent captain can come in and cheat Captain of the Watch to pump all the soldiers....
Seems like it's getting complicated with more and more cards getting involved here....:rolleyes:
A problem with the combo is you need to force opponent to deal damage to you with their creatures (damage spells if they have they could aim at Darien/Soul Warden to break the combo). Before Preeminent captain can come in and cheat Captain of the Watch to pump all the soldiers....
Seems like it's getting complicated with more and more cards getting involved here....:rolleyes:
The combo is fragile, but it does cause the opponent to make some tough decisions. If the opponent decides to target Darien and Soul Warden to break the combo, that is one less removal card to target one of your other threats. But you have to make sure the deck has other viable threats.
The combo is fragile, but it does cause the opponent to make some tough decisions. If the opponent decides to target Darien and Soul Warden to break the combo, that is one less removal card to target one of your other threats. But you have to make sure the deck has other viable threats.
That's true, not only should the deck have other viable threats to keep the opponent off their own strategy, it also need a reliable way to find and play the combo quickly enough. Seems like we need Preeminent Captain to provide some assistance again ;).
With every new expansion, we always have new good soldiers such as Champion of the Parish, Soldier of the Pantheon and Soldiers with card draw/tutor Ranger of Eos, Mentor of the Meek, etc.
This is a Soldiers list that abuses the two captains - Preeminent Captain and Captain of the Watch. Basically the idea behind a Tribal soldier deck is in trying to make use of synergies between soldiers and a stable mana-base of playing a single-colour.
2.0 Card Choices
2.1 Explanations on creature choices:
Preeminent captain - the key engine for degenerate stuffs, allowing us to cheat a Captain of the Watch, Ranger of Eos into play for massive advantage.
Champion of the Parish - Superb synergy as after casting the first champion we have another 16 human creatures in the deck. Captain of the Watch(not sure if the 3 soldier tokens are human, i'll check on this) & Ranger of Eos also allows us to dig for more cheap humans to put into play boostering Champion further.
Icatian Javelineers - Cheap one drop which boosts Champion of the Parish, Shoot Javalin for fun, can be recycled with Kor Skyfisher & tutorable via Ranger of Eos.
Kor Skyfisher - Interaction with Vial allows us to save our key creatures from destruction. Otherwise allows us to recycle our Captain of the Watch, Ranger of Eos or Jötun grunt.
Jötun grunt - Stops Tarmogoyf and Knight of Reliquary, and also allow us to stall for time while we build up the mana base or vial counters for bigger soldiers.
Field marshal - A soldier lord at 3cc, gives first strike and +1/+1.
Ranger of Eos - Tutor for our one drop creatures giving us card advantage, good synergy with Preeminent captain.
Captain of the watch - Another soldier lord and the bomb of the deck, good synergy with Preeminent captain. Unlikely to be hard-casted during the early game and more a cheat option with Preeminent thus only 2 included.
Mikaeus the Lunarch - A tutorable target for Ranger of Eos. One for the mid-late game.
2.2 Explanations on spell choices:
Aether Vial - Cheat creatures into play.
Path to Exile - Best creature removal spell in Modern.
Brave the elements - Protects Preeminent captain for more degenerate stuffs, a Captain of the Watch or a impossibly big Champion of the Parish OR Alpha strike with all our creatures for FTW!
3.0 Decklist
4 Aether Vial
Creatures [27]
4 Champion of the Parish
3 Icatian Javelineers
3 Kor Skyfisher
3 Jötun grunt
4 Preeminent captain
4 Field marshal
3 Ranger of Eos
2 Captain of the watch
1 Mikaeus the Lunarch
4 Path to Exile
4 Brave the elements
Land [21]
11 plains
2 Arid Mesa
2 Marsh Flats
4 Mutavault
2 Flagstones of Trokair
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[Deck/Primer] Knights in Legacy
[Deck] Darth Knights in Legacy
[Deck] Casual Knights in Legacy
[Deck/Primer] Modern Knights
[Deck/Primer] Modern Ninjas
LEGACY
Legacy Knights Variants WG,WU,WR,WB,W,B
Soldiers Stompy W
NinjaStill UB
FOWless Merfolk UW
Aggro Elves G
MODERN
Modern Knights Variants WG,BR
Modern Ninjas Variants UB,UG,UW,UWR
Modern Kithkins WR,W
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[Deck/Primer] Knights in Legacy
[Deck] Darth Knights in Legacy
[Deck] Casual Knights in Legacy
[Deck/Primer] Modern Knights
[Deck/Primer] Modern Ninjas
LEGACY
Legacy Knights Variants WG,WU,WR,WB,W,B
Soldiers Stompy W
NinjaStill UB
FOWless Merfolk UW
Aggro Elves G
MODERN
Modern Knights Variants WG,BR
Modern Ninjas Variants UB,UG,UW,UWR
Modern Kithkins WR,W
Honor of the Pure
Cenn's Tactician
Ballyrush Banneret
Mentor of the Meek
Hero of Bladehold (it makes Soldiers)
Ally: Hada Freeblade, Kazandu Blademaster
Kithkin: Kinsbaile Borderguard, Wizened Cenn, Militia's Pride.
IMO Mikaeus is too slow because he doesn't have haste (and Vial can't get him into play with counters on him).
The thing about Mentor is that, without pump effects, and considering that it's T3 when you play him and T4 before you use his effect, all he does it get you a bunch of chump blockers.
If your wincon is cheating a Captain of the Watch into play with Preeminent Captain then why not use Windbrisk Heights as well?
| Ad Nauseam
| Infect
Big Johnny.
Field Marshal is awful unless you're really finding value in First Strike. If you ARE, you should probably be playing Knights instead. They're vastly superior on a single-card basis.
Champion is even worse of a topdeck than Hada Freeblade, and the only card that gives you arguably more value in a soldier shell than an ally shell is Confidant to begin with. Blademaster is a massive upgrade over almost everything, and Bala Ged Thief is dominant every time you resolve it in this format.
Finally, Ranger of Eos is actually better in a straight 1-drop Zoo shell, which has a better early, mid, and late game than soldier tribal thanks to things like Figure of Destiny, Wild Nacatl, Goblin Guide, Lightning Bolt, and Proclamation of Rebirth, while also having a substantially better sideboard thanks to color flexibility.
I understand Ranger and Hero of Bladehold are awesome cards, but those won't make this deck work on its own. Nothing else here is close to good enough when compared to everything you COULD be playing.
AT LEAST play Mentor of the Meek like anyone in their right mind would be.
I just felt Mikaeus could be a good tutor for Ranger of Eos, playing Ranger enables us to have a 1-drop creature toolbox so adding Mikaeus gives us more flexibility. But I'm still unsure if it's worth playing him for this reason at the moment.
Elspeth is massive but i would rather stick to creatures which can be vialed in and cheated in with Preemient Captain.
I'll look at Windbrisk Heights too, I think I need to playtest first before including this card.
In that case what is a Soldier Tribal? I have 26 soldiers creatures here so what makes a Soldier Tribal?
Yeah, I have played knights before so I'm trying to develop Soldiers now. I'm playing Field Marshal because of it's synergies with Preeminent captain, Aether Vial, Captain of the Parish. The first strike is a good bonus that's all.
I don't buy the argument champion is a bad topdeck. It's same as saying Kird Ape is a bad topdeck in Zoo. On a more accurate comparison, it is saying Elite Vanguard is a bad topdeck and yet traditional soldier decks run them. Regarding Hada Freeblade, it's either play all 4x Hada & 4x Kazandu Blademaster or none. I didnt want to restrict the synergies to just allies but humans instead.
Sure, of course Ranger works best in Zoo - the premier aggro deck. However Ranger is the very few CA available to mono-white. Where else can we get our CA from? Are you saying we shouldnt play Ranger because it works better in Zoo? I don't get what you are trying to put across here.
Mentor of the meek is too slow and chunky in this deck - please take into context the style of the deck before recommending Mentor here. Someone in their right mind would'nt be playing Mentor here.
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[Deck/Primer] Knights in Legacy
[Deck] Darth Knights in Legacy
[Deck] Casual Knights in Legacy
[Deck/Primer] Modern Knights
[Deck/Primer] Modern Ninjas
LEGACY
Legacy Knights Variants WG,WU,WR,WB,W,B
Soldiers Stompy W
NinjaStill UB
FOWless Merfolk UW
Aggro Elves G
MODERN
Modern Knights Variants WG,BR
Modern Ninjas Variants UB,UG,UW,UWR
Modern Kithkins WR,W
Mikaeus is a bad version of an elf nobody plays in Elves, and an even worse version of Mirror Entity which you aren't playing to begin with. Tutoring it in a deck that has no relevant need for tutoring a bad pump effect is irrelevant. If you were tutoring reach (like Banefire), instead of just another guy without any semblance of evasion, it would be fine.
Ok. Don't play one of the best cards in the format. Stick to synergizing with an unplayable Lackey substitute that requires you to play a bad tribe instead.
Windbrisk Heights has no real use here. You don't play anything out of your normal curve if you have a worthwhile build (IE - no Captain). You also fail to play the common, consistant activation squad of Bitterblossom and Spectral Procession, or curve out consistantly on turns 1-3 with a guy who can turn sideways and still manage a land coming into play tapped.
I was suggesting you're attempting to do things better done outside of soldier tribal, not that you're not building soldier tribal.
Marshal doesn't have "synergy" with anything, really. Its bonus is almost as relevant as Glorious Anthem/Honor of the Pure's, and not moreso as they're much harder to push off the board.
Kird Ape is a great topdeck for Zoo. It swings through the only creatures your opposition would still have down against you by turn 6-7, short of Goyf/Knight. A bad topdeck for Zoo is land, and only land.
Not wanting to play Allies is fine, but not wanting to play the best cards available to you is outright naive. In suggesting Freeblade and Blademaster, I was not offering them up for inclusion in your deck. I was suggesting they (along with Kabira Evangel and Bala Ged Thief) provide a much stronger shell than anything your deck can offer, which is the truth.
I never said you shouldn't play Ranger. I said - and am currently suggesting - that you skip over a bad tribal play and utilize the better options for a white weenie strategy (Knights, Allies, Kithkin, Tokens, non-tribal, all of which are superior here). Ranger is the best card in your deck. Play all four, drop the other fifty six.
Mentor along with Vial is a card advantage engine comparable to Dark Confidant. Not only is it better than Ranger HERE, it actually gives you the sustainable pace you will require to come out on top over the other, better aggro plays.
You picture this deck, and all you see is the optimal: Field Marshal down with HotP in play, a Captain swinging and dropping a Captain into play, and three 8/8 Champions crashing in behind all of that with first strike. The simple fact is, you can't expect to see one of each of your key pieces in every game as an aggro deck as you have no library manipulation. You need to be playing cards which can sustain themselves, unlike almost everything you play outside of the generally unplayable Captain of the Watch to begin with. Kithkin can win without Cenn. Knights can win without Exemplar. Allies can win without Evangel. Tokens can win without Procession. Non-Tribal White Weenie can win without hitting any one of the cards they sleeve up. You -cannot- win without a functional Captain, a Field Marshal that takes over the game, or a miraculously stalled game leading into a Captain on turn 8 hardcast.
I'm not trying to tell you not to play GOOD cards. I'm telling you that Soldiers is strictly casual, and hasn't put up a solid result to this date even with the serious attempt to make it viable by not only us as builders, but by WotC in printing stuff like Captain, Field Marshal, and the other soldier lords. The soldiers in print are often costed one or two mana higher than their better, playable counterparts, which puts you well behind the curve in most matchups. (Captain vs. Instigator/Lackey, Field Marshal vs. Lord of Atlantis/Wizened Cenn, Captain of the Watch vs. Siege Gang - which actually provides reach).
That is beyond irritating to play against, and makes your deck better than every other aggro deck in the format. I've ran into it more than I would care to, and it is impossible to beat in that Soul Sisters shell.
It'll be good to have this additional versatility. I'll probably take out a Icatian Javalineers for Gideon's lawkeeper which is both human and soldier. Champion of the Parish is a card which i hope to have in my opening hand so i won't touch them.
How do you know there is no relevant need? In a stalled game we need cards like this to tilt the balance over to our side. Mikaeus is only there as an option. I myself is also not convinced but I felt it is worth at least a try.
Playing Elspeth and Captain of the Watch and Ranger of the Eos together feels like it will totally messed up my mana curve, like I mentioned because i wanted to test out the synergies, I do not want to have a Preeminent captain attacking and no soldier bombs but an Elspeth in my hand.
I agree Elspeth is one of the best cards. But can I just try a built without Elspeth, please.....:embarrass:
I'm not a fan of tapped lands, Windbrisk Heights is only a standby card which might be worth testing as a singleton or 2.
I appreciate your intentions, however since I have all 56 cards in list except 4 Champion of the Parish & Mikaeus the Lunarch, therefore it doesn't take me too much effort to get the deck together.
It is a relevant creature here. How many creature removals can the opponent pack? Field Marshal can be vialed in, cheated in etc. Do you realise not playing any enchantments can also be a bonus - dead cards in opponent hand.
Kird Ape is a great topdeck? When the board stalls, a 2/3 creature is consider great? I played against zoo countless time and at that stage Kird Ape is a vanilla creature. I would have expected you to say Grim Lavamancer is a great topdeck, not Kird Ape.
I would have gone and play allies and we won't be discussing here.
Unfortunately, I felt like stamping on my own foot agreeing with you. Soldiers is not a top weenie strategy. But I really need to test it to put any lingering doubts to rest.
This whole deck came about because I already have all the soldiers(except for Innistrad) and i was excited to see a whole bunch of decent soldiers available for use.
Sure enough, I know playing soldiers tribal is questionable at best but there is no need to put down the whole deck/tribe as a whole. If we have this mindset about playing aggro then all of us should just play Zoo and we can throw all the other deck creations out of the window.
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[Deck/Primer] Knights in Legacy
[Deck] Darth Knights in Legacy
[Deck] Casual Knights in Legacy
[Deck/Primer] Modern Knights
[Deck/Primer] Modern Ninjas
LEGACY
Legacy Knights Variants WG,WU,WR,WB,W,B
Soldiers Stompy W
NinjaStill UB
FOWless Merfolk UW
Aggro Elves G
MODERN
Modern Knights Variants WG,BR
Modern Ninjas Variants UB,UG,UW,UWR
Modern Kithkins WR,W
I know because it doesn't work in a much better shell than this. If it doesn't work there, why would it work here?
This is a development thread for an archetype you hope to bring to competitive prominence. If that was not the case, you would've posted in the casual section. Thus, I will suggest the best way I know that you can refine your strategy, which has nothing to do with what cards you do or do not have. Take it for what you will.
Nobody maindecks Nature's Claim. At best, you're making that opponent's Go for the Throat and Path to Exile even better, while making their singleton Sylvan Replica (or whatever Pod's artifact removal toolbox guy is) unnecessary to tutor for.
The only time a skilled Zoo pilot is topdecking is when they've blown their removal to clear the board, and are trying to pull fuel. Kird Ape is fuel. Kird Ape is a welcome sight to anyone piloting Zoo on turn 8. Note that Kird Ape is no longer seeing play in Zoo on a regular basis, but we can move on from there nonetheless.
That I understand, and support. Just don't blow off the feedback you, yourself came here for. You knew what you were going to get back in posting Soldier Tribal, I have little doubt.
First, I too was thrilled at the prospect of high-ceiling soldiers flying every which way. Captain was an epiphany in white. Champion is the third or fourth best grower in white, but it does benefit a bit from novelty, so I even get you there. The sad fact is, though, Soldier tribal has had the flashy bits, and no substance to hold it upright. For every Knight Exemplar, Cloudgoat Ranger, Merrow Reejerey, Lord of the Unreal, Mistbind Clique, Elvish Archdruid, Siege-Gang Commander, Rage Forger, and Vampire Nocturnus, there is a Knight of the White Orchid, Wizened Cenn, Silvergill Adept, Phantasmal Image, Spellstutter Sprite, Heritage Druid, Warren Instigator, Flamekin Harbinger, and Gatekeeper of Malakir. For every Preeminent Captain and Captain of the Watch, there is nothing to support them.
I just played against a Standard human deck just now which is my first exposure to him; and he seems like a win-more card. But as part of a tutor-toolbox I won't write him off so easily until I try him a few more times.
Yup, I'm trying to brew and tune it into a reasonably competitive deck. At the very least I wanted the deck to be semi-competitive.
You are saying Field Marshal is going to be taken out by removal spells easily because decks will always have maindeck creature removal for him. Are these removals infinite? Initally you pointed out Field Marshal's ability is bad and shouldnt belong here and yet now you are saying opponents will find him enough of a threat to remove him? You are contradicting what you said earlier and did you realise making opponents run out of removals is a way to ensure that our better creatures can stay in the battlefield?
I don't know about you, but statements like this "Ape(or Wild Nacatl for that matter) is a welcome sight to anyone piloting Zoo on turn 8" tells me you don't have much exposure to Zoo. We are talking about a stalled board here and a 3/3(Wild Nacatl) vanilla is a welcome sight?
A welcome sight is:
Lightning Bolt/ Lightning Helix/ Path to Exile - to remove their key creatures or deal opponet last few points of damage.
Qasali Pridemage - to remove any swords or any artifacts/enchantment locking the board.
Grim Lavamancer - to put opponents on a clock with almost infinite 2 damage direct dealing.
Goyf or Knight of Reliquary which is the fuel you are talking about here.
And you call Kird Ape/ Wild Nacatl a welcome sight and use the poor example of drawing land as a poor topdeck? TELL me when drawing land is not a bad topdeck when you are in mid or late game mode :facepalm:.
Well you are right, i did expected this to a certain degree.
It is still worth developing, we can strive to built a Tier 2 deck, which can be improved further with more cards down the road. It is same as Knights as a tribal. A few years back Knights and Vampire Tribal were so bad and unplayable but now they are reasonably competitive.
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[Deck/Primer] Knights in Legacy
[Deck] Darth Knights in Legacy
[Deck] Casual Knights in Legacy
[Deck/Primer] Modern Knights
[Deck/Primer] Modern Ninjas
LEGACY
Legacy Knights Variants WG,WU,WR,WB,W,B
Soldiers Stompy W
NinjaStill UB
FOWless Merfolk UW
Aggro Elves G
MODERN
Modern Knights Variants WG,BR
Modern Ninjas Variants UB,UG,UW,UWR
Modern Kithkins WR,W
4x Veteran Armorsmith
4x Field Marshal
4x Loxodon Gatekeeper
2x Serra Angel
2x Captain of the Watch
3x Gideon's Lawkeeper
4x Lightning Helix
4x Honor of the Pure
2x Trusty Machete
1x Revoke Existence
5x Mountains
Soldier tribal generally has nothing to affect the opponent's board state, so that is why I put in Loxodon Gatekeeper, even though it's not human.
I am aware Field Marshal is not as good as other tribal lords, but it's all Soldiers has right now. I can't depend on Captain of the Watch to land all the time.
Some things I know that would improve the deck significantly if I were to tune it further, in no particular order.
1) Arid Mesa
2) Path to Exile
3) Champion of the Parish instead of Elite Vanguard
4) Elspeth, Knight Errant
5) Mirrodin swords instead of the machete if I were going towards a more equipment focused deck.
6) There are probably some Boros creatures that could be put in, but I haven't researched this. Of the top of my head, I can think of Boros Guidmage and Sunhome Enforcer.
7) Aether Vial or Preeminent Captain
8) Ballyrush Banneret to reduce soldier casting costs
9) Serra Angel could be changed to Angelic Overseer, but the Human dependency might be unstable.
10) Martial Coup for a late game sweeper or token producer
I think the Soldiers deck is really just a poor aggro tribal deck. I wish Wizards would print some Soldiers that can affect board state or have abilities other than combat abilities.
I think Soldiers is a tribe which many people might of thought of playing but gave up somehow. Hopefully these guys can come in and share their insights. Soldiers is a tribe that can only get better since we almost always get new soldiers with each and every new expansion.
With soldiers I find there is quantity but no quality. Soldiers definitely needs better lords as well as like Eriol pointed out, something more than just combat abilities:
@Eriol,
I saw your Soldiers list and while it might not be truly competitive it does has the opportunity to get some quick wins looking at how the deck is set up. I can imagine the Elite Vanguard/ Veteran Armorsmith with Honor of the Pure hitting for substantial early damages before Helix and Bolt finish the opponent off. Admittedly the traditional Boros might be more efficient in doing so but Soldiers has a mid-game unlike them.
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[Deck/Primer] Knights in Legacy
[Deck] Darth Knights in Legacy
[Deck] Casual Knights in Legacy
[Deck/Primer] Modern Knights
[Deck/Primer] Modern Ninjas
LEGACY
Legacy Knights Variants WG,WU,WR,WB,W,B
Soldiers Stompy W
NinjaStill UB
FOWless Merfolk UW
Aggro Elves G
MODERN
Modern Knights Variants WG,BR
Modern Ninjas Variants UB,UG,UW,UWR
Modern Kithkins WR,W
Right now, I'm thinking of a two card combo with Lightning Greaves. It protects, it Hastes, it curves out nicely.
Daru Warchief is not legal in Modern. You might have been thinking about Undead Warchief, which is Timeshifted, so it is eligible.
The deck I built definitely hit fast and hard in my casual game. I would probably throw in Oblivion Ring in the SB for problematic cards (or even MD in an unknown meta).
The Soldiers deck, as I have configured it, is reliant on an "explosive" win. It's really just a "pump +1/+1 as much as possible" right now. If I got a mixed hand, I'm not sure the deck could stand up for very long.
I just remembered...Mobilization. Not as good as Elspeth, but another card to consider.
Preeminent Captain needs to be unblockable and have hexproof/shroud. Without unblockability, Preeminent Captain will die to a blocker, meaning you get to use its combat ability only one time at best (if it isn't destroyed beforehand). Whispersilk Cloak is not a great card, but it grants unblockability.
Plus, it has First Strike. It's not actually that easy to block.
3x Goldmeadow Harrier
3x ballyrush banneret
4x Preeminent Captain
4x Field Marshal
2x Captain of the Watch
3x Soul Warden
4x Kazandu Blademaster
3x figure of destiny
3x Honor of the Pure
18x Plains
3x Forbidding Watchtower
Here is my list.
See if you can see the combo
(now granted i dont have this deck for modern, but i do for legacy and wanted to help out)
My errata'd commons cube
UG Counter Aggro (Modern)
BG Melira Infect (Standard)
BB The Gate (Legacy)
Check out my decks at my TappedOut account: http://tappedout.net/users/benwsf/ or on the forums here!
Custom Card Sets:
Land of the Lotus (1/3) and the Thieves of Moli (2/3)
I think it also depends if you are running Champion of the Parish. For me, Elite Vanguard as a human & soldier would be preferred to Porcelain Legionnaire.
Signature by Syndarion from Aeternal Studios!
[Deck/Primer] Knights in Legacy
[Deck] Darth Knights in Legacy
[Deck] Casual Knights in Legacy
[Deck/Primer] Modern Knights
[Deck/Primer] Modern Ninjas
LEGACY
Legacy Knights Variants WG,WU,WR,WB,W,B
Soldiers Stompy W
NinjaStill UB
FOWless Merfolk UW
Aggro Elves G
MODERN
Modern Knights Variants WG,BR
Modern Ninjas Variants UB,UG,UW,UWR
Modern Kithkins WR,W
Porcelain Legionnaire, with its first strike, is useful in certain Soldier builds. I actually had some in the deck before I acquired Field Marshal. However, if the deck is mostly or all humans, I would not use it.
Also, it is 3CMC, and in a human soldier deck, that slot is occupied by Field Marshal.
Mobilization is very slow, and 3 mana to produce a soldier is not worth it IMO. I liked the card when I saw it initally but it just doesnt seem to belong to a 1vs1 setting. It seems more suited to multi-player game.
Usually I'm more than happy if I can use Preeminent Captain combat ability once because I usually don't have much soldiers cards (Captain of the watch or Ranger of Eos) left in my hand by then.
And like feathers pointed out, during the early game, Preeminent Captain as a 2/2 first-striker is a decent attacker.
I realised Preeminent Captain is usually my opponent's favourite removal targets. I'm usually happy enough if I can attack with it at least once hence allowing me to cheat something relevant into play.
The key is actually protecting it rather than gaining unblockability in IMO. I use Brave the element to protect him from targetted removals.
Sorry I'm a noob :embarrass:, where is the combo? Does it has something to do with Darien?
Yup agree that Porcelain Legionaire doesnt really belongs to heavy human deck. However I tend to see him as a 2cc creature rather than 3. During the early turns he is normally cast as a 2cc.
Signature by Syndarion from Aeternal Studios!
[Deck/Primer] Knights in Legacy
[Deck] Darth Knights in Legacy
[Deck] Casual Knights in Legacy
[Deck/Primer] Modern Knights
[Deck/Primer] Modern Ninjas
LEGACY
Legacy Knights Variants WG,WU,WR,WB,W,B
Soldiers Stompy W
NinjaStill UB
FOWless Merfolk UW
Aggro Elves G
MODERN
Modern Knights Variants WG,BR
Modern Ninjas Variants UB,UG,UW,UWR
Modern Kithkins WR,W
4 cenn's tactician
4 mosquito guard
4 ballyrush banneret
4 cenn's heir
2 kithkin harbinger
1 wisened cenn
2 kinsbaile borderguard
4 kithkin rabble
2 captain of the watch
2 veteran's armaments
2 militia's pride
2 prison term
2 oblivion ring
INSTANTS AND SORCERIES
2 surge of thoughtweft
2 graceful reprieve
20 plains
1 rustic clachan
with the new soldier's in innistrad i can see room for improvements to the deck. but there are great synergies that could be exploited in modern. borderguard+graceful reprieve is very fun: get plus-ones, die and make tokens, return from the grave and make virtually double the plus-ones which net double the tokens when it dies again,
Preeminent Captain + Darien + Soul Warden
Any amount of damage is nulified
This is just a very cute combo but I just needed one more
FAT soldier to cheat out with captain.
Also captain of the watch is a huge beating
My errata'd commons cube
Nice, I like the interactions between borderguard & graceful reprieve. It's bound to give opponent a massive headache especially if we have pump effects such as Wizened Cenn or Honor of the Pure around. I'm just thinking maybe your list could do without ballyrush banneret since there isn't many cards that can make good use of it. Playing 4x Wizened Cenn might be better here.
Although I have been slowly accumulating Kithkin cards, I haven't really go around forming a deck with it thus I'm still unfamiliar with the tribe as a whole. Kithkin with so many soldier cards definitely is worth a mention in Modern Soldiers.
Icic :D, the combo is good enough to stop opponent's creatures from attacking - however I'm just worried the combo cant last for long as they can just aim direct damage or removal on poor Darien first!
A problem with the combo is you need to force opponent to deal damage to you with their creatures (damage spells if they have they could aim at Darien/Soul Warden to break the combo). Before Preeminent captain can come in and cheat Captain of the Watch to pump all the soldiers....
Seems like it's getting complicated with more and more cards getting involved here....:rolleyes:
Signature by Syndarion from Aeternal Studios!
[Deck/Primer] Knights in Legacy
[Deck] Darth Knights in Legacy
[Deck] Casual Knights in Legacy
[Deck/Primer] Modern Knights
[Deck/Primer] Modern Ninjas
LEGACY
Legacy Knights Variants WG,WU,WR,WB,W,B
Soldiers Stompy W
NinjaStill UB
FOWless Merfolk UW
Aggro Elves G
MODERN
Modern Knights Variants WG,BR
Modern Ninjas Variants UB,UG,UW,UWR
Modern Kithkins WR,W
The combo is fragile, but it does cause the opponent to make some tough decisions. If the opponent decides to target Darien and Soul Warden to break the combo, that is one less removal card to target one of your other threats. But you have to make sure the deck has other viable threats.
That's true, not only should the deck have other viable threats to keep the opponent off their own strategy, it also need a reliable way to find and play the combo quickly enough. Seems like we need Preeminent Captain to provide some assistance again ;).
Signature by Syndarion from Aeternal Studios!
[Deck/Primer] Knights in Legacy
[Deck] Darth Knights in Legacy
[Deck] Casual Knights in Legacy
[Deck/Primer] Modern Knights
[Deck/Primer] Modern Ninjas
LEGACY
Legacy Knights Variants WG,WU,WR,WB,W,B
Soldiers Stompy W
NinjaStill UB
FOWless Merfolk UW
Aggro Elves G
MODERN
Modern Knights Variants WG,BR
Modern Ninjas Variants UB,UG,UW,UWR
Modern Kithkins WR,W