I've been playing this deck for FNM and our shop's local standard league and I can consistently go 3-1 (sometimes I've gone 2-2 but it will be cases where I get matched up against the store's best players consecutively). What drew me to playing this deck was borrowing an unoptimized version from a friend when I was visiting another town and going 2-2 with it at an FNM. I particularly like the deck's mana sinks. When the deck is firing on all cylinders I can use up all my mana every turn whether it's got 5 lands out or 9.
Here's the list. Suggestions/feedback is much appreciated.
I had really good results in the last standard with Naya Humans. I have had positive results to yours with my four color brew in the current standard. The card I'm surprised not to see in your list is Heron's Grace Champion. In some matchups, it is nearly "game over." I am also not so sure that I would want four of a legendary like Thalia.
In any case, please feel invited to join or peruse the generic Humans thread. The OP has a link to the best-performing of various variants. For example, this version of G/W top8ed an SCG Regionals.
While W/R seems to have the most success, I am excited to see your work and hear of your results. With your permision, I will link to this thread from the generic Humans.
Heron's Grace Champion used to be in my list and it felt like it was either a dead card with an inefficient 3/3 for 4 body that could surprise chump block and delay the inevitable, or it was strictly win-more, putting in tons of work in games that I was already winning without using the card (In one particular example I flashed it in after swinging with 3 Tireless Trackers to gain 15 life. I was already winning the game because I already had 3 Trackers out that my opponent could not answer). I cut them for the 2 Avacyns in my list and I like them much better for my high mana flash creature slot. I also run 4 Thalia because she attracts an insane amount of removal. Considering how much work she puts in I want 4 of her so the odds of being able to replace her once she dies are maximized. I used to have her as a mere 3 of but after the first FNM I immediately playsetted her. Plus, the buy-a-box art is gorgeous.
The most successful W/R decks from what I've seen seem to be vehicle decks and not necessarily human themed. I notice the G/W human list you linked is significantly different from mine. I'm not sure I agree with playsetting the Champion and only running 1 tireless tracker in the sideboard considering the land count is at 23, although he does have 8 1-drops and more creature density than what I have. Considering the added density over my list I'm surprised he's not running Duskwatch Recruiter.
Feel free to link this to the generic humans thread. I actually had no idea such a thread existed. Thanks for the feedback.
It's really interesting that we can have such different game plans with the same cards. With Naya and 4C, I have focused on abusing Hanweir Garrison. The Naya builds had both Avacyn and Champion. I have never leaned heavily on Selfless Spirits.
I tend to run more Duskwatch than Pacifist, but that could just be due to my propensity to grind.
That other GW list is obviously more aggressive. More Champions also allows for more chances to pass turn and flip werewolves. I can see the more aggressive approach being a good approach for the unknown meta of SCG regionals.
I do think Champion may deserve another chance, depending on your meta. The life swings tend to put the game out of reach for Thermo, Fevered and other burn decks (a local presence for me). The sudden anthem has also spelled unexpected demise for any number of Things, Thermo-alchemist, Weaver of Lightnings and Amalgams. The lifelink body can be an issue against UW, where there will always be a window to cast it.
I look forward to seeing more of your results and possible deck evolution.
I used to have the spirits in the sideboard but I moved them to the main to better combat removal and to be more solid against fliers (also because expedition envoy was proving to be pretty useless after turn 2). It's the same reason I made that shift from Champion to Avacyn for my high CMC flash creature slot. Most of my losses have come from decks that are running sets of Harnessed Lightning, Incendiary Flow, and board in a set of Galvanic bombardment so they can run 12+ removal spells against me. That's also why you see 2 copies of Sigarda and 3 gearhulks in my board; those decks have a hard time answering both cards.
Recruiter is obviously bonkers when you flip him but flipping him is usually so unreliable that I ignore the other side of him completely when I evaluate the card (not playing anything on my turn is bad because I constantly need to advance my board state). I do agree he is more of a grindy card but first and foremost I see him as a mana sink in case I get flooded and that's why I run the card. Obviously this might just be a local meta thing but there's too much removal around to go balls-out aggro like the G/W list you linked. If I did want to go that route, however, R/W might be the better choice anyway because I get access to burn spells. Regardless I feel like tuning the list towards resiliency is the best option, as my deck does best when I can dodge removal and draw cards off of Copter and clue tokens.
That said, I've gone a grand total of 13-7 at my local shop as of this post (3 FNM's where I've 3-1'd and 2 where I went 2-2). I still haven't tried out a board with Gideons or the third gearhulk yet as I'm waiting for the cards to arrive in the mail as of this post.
Here's the list. Suggestions/feedback is much appreciated.
2x Archangel Avacyn
4x Duskwatch Recruiter
4x Selfless Spirit
4x Thalia, Heretic Cathar
4x Thalia's Lieutenant
4x Thraben Inspector
4x Tireless Tracker
Land (24)
4x Canopy Vista
5x Forest
4x Fortified Village
10x Plains
1x Westvale Abbey
2x Blessed Alliance
2x Declaration in Stone
4x Smuggler's Copter
2x Stasis Snare
1x Blessed Alliance
2x Declaration in Stone
1x Eerie Interlude
2x Fragmentize
3x Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
2x Sigarda, Heron's Grace
1x Skysovereign, Consul Flagship
3x Verdurous Gearhulk
I had really good results in the last standard with Naya Humans. I have had positive results to yours with my four color brew in the current standard. The card I'm surprised not to see in your list is Heron's Grace Champion. In some matchups, it is nearly "game over." I am also not so sure that I would want four of a legendary like Thalia.
In any case, please feel invited to join or peruse the generic Humans thread. The OP has a link to the best-performing of various variants. For example, this version of G/W top8ed an SCG Regionals.
While W/R seems to have the most success, I am excited to see your work and hear of your results. With your permision, I will link to this thread from the generic Humans.
RNA Standard: Grixis Midrange, Jund Deathwhirler, Sultai Vannifar
GRN Standard: Red Midrange, Mono-Blue Tempo, Wr Aggro, Gruul Experimental Dinosaurs, Sultai Midrange, Jeskai Midrange
Modern: Bant Spirits
Forcing a single archetype in all formats: too many colors, bad mana.
The most successful W/R decks from what I've seen seem to be vehicle decks and not necessarily human themed. I notice the G/W human list you linked is significantly different from mine. I'm not sure I agree with playsetting the Champion and only running 1 tireless tracker in the sideboard considering the land count is at 23, although he does have 8 1-drops and more creature density than what I have. Considering the added density over my list I'm surprised he's not running Duskwatch Recruiter.
Feel free to link this to the generic humans thread. I actually had no idea such a thread existed. Thanks for the feedback.
I tend to run more Duskwatch than Pacifist, but that could just be due to my propensity to grind.
That other GW list is obviously more aggressive. More Champions also allows for more chances to pass turn and flip werewolves. I can see the more aggressive approach being a good approach for the unknown meta of SCG regionals.
I do think Champion may deserve another chance, depending on your meta. The life swings tend to put the game out of reach for Thermo, Fevered and other burn decks (a local presence for me). The sudden anthem has also spelled unexpected demise for any number of Things, Thermo-alchemist, Weaver of Lightnings and Amalgams. The lifelink body can be an issue against UW, where there will always be a window to cast it.
I look forward to seeing more of your results and possible deck evolution.
RNA Standard: Grixis Midrange, Jund Deathwhirler, Sultai Vannifar
GRN Standard: Red Midrange, Mono-Blue Tempo, Wr Aggro, Gruul Experimental Dinosaurs, Sultai Midrange, Jeskai Midrange
Modern: Bant Spirits
Forcing a single archetype in all formats: too many colors, bad mana.
Recruiter is obviously bonkers when you flip him but flipping him is usually so unreliable that I ignore the other side of him completely when I evaluate the card (not playing anything on my turn is bad because I constantly need to advance my board state). I do agree he is more of a grindy card but first and foremost I see him as a mana sink in case I get flooded and that's why I run the card. Obviously this might just be a local meta thing but there's too much removal around to go balls-out aggro like the G/W list you linked. If I did want to go that route, however, R/W might be the better choice anyway because I get access to burn spells. Regardless I feel like tuning the list towards resiliency is the best option, as my deck does best when I can dodge removal and draw cards off of Copter and clue tokens.
That said, I've gone a grand total of 13-7 at my local shop as of this post (3 FNM's where I've 3-1'd and 2 where I went 2-2). I still haven't tried out a board with Gideons or the third gearhulk yet as I'm waiting for the cards to arrive in the mail as of this post.