If you go mardu, for one extra mana butcher is an amazing sac outlet. Also bone splinters had been talked about as removal which also sacrifices. I've been thinking of mardu ally build similar to the abzan one in the link on page twelve. Have butcher and cutthroat in the deck as a back up plan with token generators and good mardu allies like drana
Ah see I hadn't even thought of Butcher, hadn't seen it in the lists I've looked at. I agree that's a better comparison to Aristocrat. I must've missed the lists running that and only seen the WB and Abzan ones.
I think I'd change herald to a 3rd hangarback, and the savant and rocs to 3 evolutionary leap.but that's just me
Taking out Roc and putting in Evolutionary just makes my deck do even less. I'm all for going back to Leap, but not for a 5 mana creature.
Idk if people don't see it but Roc is really good when you can get raid triggers for practically free and he is an easy turn 3 or 4 play. Plus matches up well against most flyers atm, and the lifegain trigger is absurd. Not to mention the value the card is alone.
Aristocrats deck need to take advantage of all the fluff laying around. If you're not saccing it , you need to be using all the 1/1s sitting around for more value. Free lifegain and raid triggers is that value. And I say free cause generally if they die, its just going to A) Drain the enemy B) Gain You life C) Draw a Card/Scry D) Leave you with more fodder.
I also really like Herald, and Idk if I want to go too all in on Hangarbacks seeing as I do play a splash of Rally. Herald does take a bit of more work, but as a 1 of, easily playable on turn 1 and a manasink for the deck that grows itself and spreads the board idk I like it. Outside of having to survive one whole turn, the value between it and a Hangarback late game seems close to me.
You're probably right about Savant, I kind of hate that it's just one and I would never play more than one, but just the small percentage of turn 2 being able to make multiple plays between 1 drops and Scion tokens, and the small chance of pumping out a turn 3/4 Rhino/Roc seems cool. Not sure what I really lose by not playing a 4th Thrall, but maybe I loss a lot not playing a 3rd Hangarback, or a Leap.
The difference between herald and hangerback is, while they are similar advantage early, when you draw them late hangarback can come down bigger with more token potential right away before growing where herald always starts out slow.
They are equal early but herald is a really bad draw later, and with only one copy later is when you'll usually draw it.
Also leap is what gives you the extra value out of all your fluff. Blanks lifeline, gives chump blockers something to do besides trigger die effects, makes removal look silly, and fills your hand with gas while doing it.
I actually managed to 3-1 tonight with just the out-of-the-box event deck. I didn't come expecting to play but someone bought the deck for me so I would. Had a blast.
Been eye-ing the deck for some time, I really think it can work. What did you think of Altar's Reap? Was it really worth playing? I feel like it might be better to just have more threats, but I could be wrong. I don't think it's wise to play a list without Nantuko Husk either. Having on-demand sacrifices is amazing.
Altar's Reap is def the weakest card but idk what else to replace it with. I want cheap sac outlets, and I don't think Husk is good outside of the more combo oriented build. This deck wins with a grindy tempo strategy, and Altar's Reap does help get some gas, but it's not amazing.
Hmm. First time in an actual tournament with the deck and won the first two easily. The next three had crazy variance against me to the tune of no 3rd-4th land in the top 10-16 of my deck 4 times. Another 2 I drew all lands and there was one match where all I needed was a rally the whole game, but I went though the top 29 without finding it before I died. Shuffled a ton, broke up land clumps while side boarding, pile shuffled, it didn't matter. Not fated to happen. It was disappointing as I only needed 1 win in the 3rd or 4th round to draw into top 8 but it happens sometimes I guess.
A high point, one of the games where my 4th land was the 16th card, 2x scheming and Jace got me to it and I managed to pull out the win.
After looking at the past aristocrat decks from years ago, I see they are at their cite value decks with sacrifice outlets that create an eventual win con. With that in mind I may go tokens with mardu, have a few carrier thrall and the like to fill in bodies, and run butchers and a few secure the wastes for finishers
An Ally Deck would also be a possibility. I think might create another thread for that. Maybe 4 colors with the Savant and Abzan Charm. Casting the Converge token spell for four might be sweet. A more consistent strategy could be just going BW with Kalastria Healers, Cutthroat, Drana, Gideon, Sorin, March from the Tomb
Here is my current build. I like my main deck a lot, but I'm quite lost with the sideboard. Any suggestions? I have only been testing against couple decks so making sideboard was quite hard, and I just threw together some cards I think will be good against most popular decks.
Plan is to be combo oriented main deck that keeps opponent's board empty with Fleshbag effects. Against heavy control decks plan is to sideboard into more grindy deck with Evolutionary Leaps and Sorin. Silkwraps are for Hangarbacks mostly, but if needed they also hit Anafenza. Infinite Obliteration is for heavy Siege Rhino builds (BtL Rhino mostly). Anafenza is for mirrors and also good against control decks if I want to combo less and beatdown more. Thoughts?
This style of deck is actually really good against control decks
Last season the only real way to lose to control was to to get decked with an early ashiok. Less of a concern now that rally can't run wayfinder. 4 Duress in the sb and abzan charms are great for control.
There's a lot of talk about sultai emissary vs carrier thrall, but the other two drop no one has mentioned is despoiler of souls. It's recursive, cheap and hits hard. The mana is fine in a two color set up and with 30 creatures it should be east to bring back over and over netting more bodies than sultai emissary.
My build is a more aggro bg, so maybe it's a better fit there, but wanted to see if anyone tested it.
There's a lot of talk about sultai emissary vs carrier thrall, but the other two drop no one has mentioned is despoiler of souls. It's recursive, cheap and hits hard. The mana is fine in a two color set up and with 30 creatures it should be east to bring back over and over netting more bodies than sultai emissary.
My build is a more aggro bg, so maybe it's a better fit there, but wanted to see if anyone tested it.
If you put your deck on two colors I guess it's fine to play black/black spell but you also need to have 2 creatures in your graveyard every time you activate it and not being able to block in a grindy deck seems ehh
There's a lot of talk about sultai emissary vs carrier thrall, but the other two drop no one has mentioned is despoiler of souls. It's recursive, cheap and hits hard. The mana is fine in a two color set up and with 30 creatures it should be east to bring back over and over netting more bodies than sultai emissary.
My build is a more aggro bg, so maybe it's a better fit there, but wanted to see if anyone tested it.
I feel like Blisterpod should be used in a more midrange build than an aggro build. A 1/1 for 1 that doesn't grow just doesn't cut it. What are you gonna use the mana on anyway? How often are you going to get to Ob Nixilis on 22 lands? I say cut him because he doesn't fit into your plan.
So I'm trying to play a four color build with butcher of the Horde splashing green for abzan charm and catacomb sifter I can't figure out where to start with the mana base at all so do you guys have any ideas of what you'd even put into the deck and the way the mana should be I was playing a mardu build with butcher and a lot of my opponents could not deal with butcher so he is a very good thread and this new standard in my opinion I'll also be playing cracking doom
Still thinking on the sideboard utter ends Maybe Crackling dooms (i just think in the land of Hangarbacks it's not great mainboard) would really appreciate suggestions
Basically is an abzan version with a very small splash for blue. Sidisi has proven that is a very versatile card in this deck and I'm more likely to keep it. Kiora is also usefull and usually oponents gets crazy and try to kill her, giving you a valuable extra time.
The history here is that Anafenza is a pain in the ass. I lost my semifinal vs Abzan Agrro 2-1 and the two games lost my oponnent played an Anafenza...
First Game 1 - 2 VS Mardu Zulaport (sort of Mardu Rally):
First game he goes quicker with a more solid presence in the board and gaining a lot of card advantage due to smothering abomination. Second game I overrun him with a quick Sidis and friends. Third game he totally surprises me with Tainted Remedy when I have a Sorin in hand, a Zulaport in the board and Surge in hand....
Second Game: Free Round
Third Game: 1 - 1 VS White/Blue Control:
First Game, stuck on 2 lands so he got all the time he needed to fill the hand with counters and tricks. Second game, incredible long game where at the end 3 Zulaport in the board sacrificing a converted shambling vent gives me the draw in the last turn.
4 Game: 2 - 0 VS Esper Control
First game I played with 5 cards after two mulligans. He casted turn 1 duress and remove the only non creature one (Rally) then I started to fill the board with little bastards (Elvish Visionary, BlisterPod, Sultai Emissary) forcing him to cast Crux of Fate, but I sacrificed an Eldrazi Token to add one mana to the pool and once the crux is resolved I casted a Collected company to blow him in the next turn. Game 2 pretty fast game overrun him with creatures and Gideon.
5 Game: 2-0 VS Mardu Rally (Sort of)
Murphy wants his glory moment so my last round where I was playing for the top (3 won and 1 draw makes it) I need to face the friend that I came with to the PPTQ. He was also playing for the TOP. The first game was a very close one where both of us used the tricks of his deck and finally killed him on the spot with a rally with the extra +1 sacrifice provided by the Sultai Emissary maniphest. Second game he misses a land for one turn, so he play for the rest of the game kind of slow. Some tricks with Dromoka's command and a Merciless Executioner to his Butcher of the Horde allowed me to have more pressence on the board an finally overrun him with creatures.
Quarterfinals: VS 2-1 the same player I lost the first Round
An extra quick first game that have him down tu 8 in turn 4. In turn five I attack to 3 and ended with a Rally in a graveyard filled thanks to Sidisi. Game 2 this time I was aware of the enchantment so I side in Caustic and Dromoka's. Sadly I lost, because I Mull to 6 and have one land for three turns so... 3 game was pretty the same that the first one but with Gideon helping.
Semifinal: 1- 2 VsAbzan Agrro
And here is where it ends. First game he only got 2 lands so pretty easy win. I side in 3x Bone Spliter, 2x Surge of Righteouness 1x Utterd End. Anafenza reach the battlefield none of the sideboarded cards available, lost. Third game 2 Anafenza reach the battlefield I managed to kill one and to resist, but in the end.... 2 Anafeza are simply too much.
Good feelins with the deck. A little bit sad because I was tooo close. I think that the decks really need a solid plan vs Anafenza because I saw lots of Abzan Aggro decks today in the PPTQ.
I was the guy from Indy. Hit 68th on breakers, meaning I now have to type out my list since it's not up there. I'm going to preface this by letting you know that my list is very rough and that the archetype may be unplayable in the face of abzan aggro.
Bloodsoaked champs are the most controversial card I'm sure. They have a real tension between being decent on t1 and a great way to use all your mana every turn versus being mediocre in multiples. The raid ability being instant speed has gotten me some husk blowouts/free wins with ascendancy. It can't block which is very important to the deck and can't attack into hangarbacks, mantis riders, rhinos, anything but jace really. I would recommend a cut to 1 copy. Maaaybe 2.
Abomination was a win-more card that can't be slammed onto an empty board. More good 0-1 of material. He survived an ugin minus which was cool, but so did blisterpod.
The games played out in one of 3 ways:
1. Dork beatdown: This was very rare but there were times where you can just make a million little dudes, pump them with ascendancies and sorin, and run people over. Still, 2/1s and 1/1s are not super great attackers.
2. Husk "combo": People don't seem to realize how husk can kill you out of nowhere, especially with ascendancy. One failure to block him was lethal a decent amount of times. It can also just abyss them. Watch out for valorous stances though, they have few other good targets.
3. The grind: This was the most common way to win by far. You combine leap and ascendancy and aggressively chump your way to an overwhelming board presence. This is why I've never lost to a blue control deck in testing or at the event. Liliana really shines here, and you can eventually cutthroat them out.
Overall, the deck is pretty fun and powerful, but abzan aggro is an absolute foil to this deck. Their own hangarbacks, dromoka's command (the enchantment lock isn't even safe), rhino's trample, and anafenza attack from all the right angles. You just can't beat an anafenza. Your deck does literal nothing with it in play. Even if you should bone splinters the first one, they play 4 plus den protector and valorous stance.
In the right metagame, a perfectly tuned list could be a real contender,
I was the guy from Indy. Hit 68th on breakers, meaning I now have to type out my list since it's not up there. I'm going to preface this by letting you know that my list is very rough and that the archetype may be unplayable in the face of abzan aggro.
Bloodsoaked champs are the most controversial card I'm sure. They have a real tension between being decent on t1 and a great way to use all your mana every turn versus being mediocre in multiples. The raid ability being instant speed has gotten me some husk blowouts/free wins with ascendancy. It can't block which is very important to the deck and can't attack into hangarbacks, mantis riders, rhinos, anything but jace really. I would recommend a cut to 1 copy. Maaaybe 2.
Abomination was a win-more card that can't be slammed onto an empty board. More good 0-1 of material. He survived an ugin minus which was cool, but so did blisterpod.
The games played out in one of 3 ways:
1. Dork beatdown: This was very rare but there were times where you can just make a million little dudes, pump them with ascendancies and sorin, and run people over. Still, 2/1s and 1/1s are not super great attackers.
2. Husk "combo": People don't seem to realize how husk can kill you out of nowhere, especially with ascendancy. One failure to block him was lethal a decent amount of times. It can also just abyss them. Watch out for valorous stances though, they have few other good targets.
3. The grind: This was the most common way to win by far. You combine leap and ascendancy and aggressively chump your way to an overwhelming board presence. This is why I've never lost to a blue control deck in testing or at the event. Liliana really shines here, and you can eventually cutthroat them out.
Overall, the deck is pretty fun and powerful, but abzan aggro is an absolute foil to this deck. Their own hangarbacks, dromoka's command (the enchantment lock isn't even safe), rhino's trample, and anafenza attack from all the right angles. You just can't beat an anafenza. Your deck does literal nothing with it in play. Even if you should bone splinters the first one, they play 4 plus den protector and valorous stance.
In the right metagame, a perfectly tuned list could be a real contender,
I have been tinkering with this deck even since the full spoiler and your list is the most similar to mine that I've seen. I played at FNM and went 3-0 (with a bye, so... nothing special), and I played at a SCG IQ today and went 2-2-1, nothing to write home about but I've since adjusted to deck to answer exactly the issues you mention, thought I'm still split on Abomination. He's been really good, but he's also been really bad. But that seems true for almost every card in the deck, they all really depend on being able to be used together. Won't be able to play again until this week's FNM to test more though.
EDIT: Forgot to mention that I updated the list afterwards, the sidebaord is quite different than it was when I played today (answers to anafenza that I didn't have before). If I had this sideboard I think i would have been able to win the matches I lost
How bone splinters is working? I dont see much potential in a list without hangarback walker, maybe i am wrong.
For Anafenza, abzan charm can be a amazing answer, especilly because den protector can't bring her back from grave. I am thinking in cutting 3 collect company for 3 charm in main, or just put 4 charm in sb.
How bone splinters is working? I dont see much potential in a list without hangarback walker, maybe i am wrong.
For Anafenza, abzan charm can be a amazing answer, especilly because den protector can't bring her back from grave. I am thinking in cutting 3 collect company for 3 charm in main, or just put 4 charm in sb.
Who's not running Hangarback? minewan's Sultai list at the top? He's not running Splinters tho.
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Modern: WURG Twin
Standard: Mardu Planeswalkers
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/standard-type-2/deck-creation-standard/661834-mardu-planeswalker?comment=1
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Taking out Roc and putting in Evolutionary just makes my deck do even less. I'm all for going back to Leap, but not for a 5 mana creature.
Idk if people don't see it but Roc is really good when you can get raid triggers for practically free and he is an easy turn 3 or 4 play. Plus matches up well against most flyers atm, and the lifegain trigger is absurd. Not to mention the value the card is alone.
Aristocrats deck need to take advantage of all the fluff laying around. If you're not saccing it , you need to be using all the 1/1s sitting around for more value. Free lifegain and raid triggers is that value. And I say free cause generally if they die, its just going to A) Drain the enemy B) Gain You life C) Draw a Card/Scry D) Leave you with more fodder.
I also really like Herald, and Idk if I want to go too all in on Hangarbacks seeing as I do play a splash of Rally. Herald does take a bit of more work, but as a 1 of, easily playable on turn 1 and a manasink for the deck that grows itself and spreads the board idk I like it. Outside of having to survive one whole turn, the value between it and a Hangarback late game seems close to me.
You're probably right about Savant, I kind of hate that it's just one and I would never play more than one, but just the small percentage of turn 2 being able to make multiple plays between 1 drops and Scion tokens, and the small chance of pumping out a turn 3/4 Rhino/Roc seems cool. Not sure what I really lose by not playing a 4th Thrall, but maybe I loss a lot not playing a 3rd Hangarback, or a Leap.
They are equal early but herald is a really bad draw later, and with only one copy later is when you'll usually draw it.
Also leap is what gives you the extra value out of all your fluff. Blanks lifeline, gives chump blockers something to do besides trigger die effects, makes removal look silly, and fills your hand with gas while doing it.
Modern: WURG Twin
Standard: Mardu Planeswalkers
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/standard-type-2/deck-creation-standard/661834-mardu-planeswalker?comment=1
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Altar's Reap is def the weakest card but idk what else to replace it with. I want cheap sac outlets, and I don't think Husk is good outside of the more combo oriented build. This deck wins with a grindy tempo strategy, and Altar's Reap does help get some gas, but it's not amazing.
A high point, one of the games where my 4th land was the 16th card, 2x scheming and Jace got me to it and I managed to pull out the win.
Modern: UW Spirits
@VeroProDiGY with 5 drops and rhinos I think you really want at least 24 lands
Vampire Allies
C Long Live Eldrazi C
This style of deck is actually really good against control decks
Last season the only real way to lose to control was to to get decked with an early ashiok. Less of a concern now that rally can't run wayfinder. 4 Duress in the sb and abzan charms are great for control.
My build is a more aggro bg, so maybe it's a better fit there, but wanted to see if anyone tested it.
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/01-10-15-bg-aristocrats/
If you put your deck on two colors I guess it's fine to play black/black spell but you also need to have 2 creatures in your graveyard every time you activate it and not being able to block in a grindy deck seems ehh
I feel like Blisterpod should be used in a more midrange build than an aggro build. A 1/1 for 1 that doesn't grow just doesn't cut it. What are you gonna use the mana on anyway? How often are you going to get to Ob Nixilis on 22 lands? I say cut him because he doesn't fit into your plan.
Modern: WURG Twin
Standard: Mardu Planeswalkers
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/standard-type-2/deck-creation-standard/661834-mardu-planeswalker?comment=1
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Probably played Rhino. Think any Abzan deck should play the card. Match ups too well against so many things and gives so many free wins
4x Butcher of the Horde
4x Carrier Thrall
4x Flamewake Phoenix
4x Hangarback Walker
2x Liliana, Heretical Healer
2x Nantuko Husk
2x Smothering Abomination
4x Zulaport Cutthroat
3x Bone Splinters
2x outpost siege
3x Battlefield Forge
4x Bloodstained Mire
2x Caves of Koilos
1x Mountain
4x Nomad Outpost
1x Shambling Vent
4x Smoldering Marsh
4x Swamp
1x Mortuary Mire
Still thinking on the sideboard utter ends Maybe Crackling dooms (i just think in the land of Hangarbacks it's not great mainboard) would really appreciate suggestions
3 Blisterpod
3 Catacomb Sifter
2 Den Protector
2 Elvish Visionary
2 Grim Haruspex
2 Liliana, Heretical Healer
3 Merciless Executioner
4 Nantuko Husk
2 Sidisi, Brood Tyrant
3 Sultai Emissary
4 Zulaport Cutthroat
3 Rally the Ancestors
2 Canopy Vista
1 Caves of Koilos
3 Flooded Strand
2 Forest
2 Llanowar Wastes
2 Plains
1 Prairie Stream
2 Shambling Vent
1 Sunken Hollow
2 Swamp
4 Windswept Heath
1 Kiora, Master of the Depths
2 Cranial Archive
2 Caustic Caterpillar
1 Dragonlord Dromoka
1 Monastery Siege
2 Dromoka's Command
2 Surge of Righteousness 1 Utter End
1 Sorin, Solemn Visitor
3 Bone Splinters
Basically is an abzan version with a very small splash for blue. Sidisi has proven that is a very versatile card in this deck and I'm more likely to keep it. Kiora is also usefull and usually oponents gets crazy and try to kill her, giving you a valuable extra time.
The history here is that Anafenza is a pain in the ass. I lost my semifinal vs Abzan Agrro 2-1 and the two games lost my oponnent played an Anafenza...
First Game 1 - 2 VS Mardu Zulaport (sort of Mardu Rally):
First game he goes quicker with a more solid presence in the board and gaining a lot of card advantage due to smothering abomination. Second game I overrun him with a quick Sidis and friends. Third game he totally surprises me with Tainted Remedy when I have a Sorin in hand, a Zulaport in the board and Surge in hand....
Second Game: Free Round
Third Game: 1 - 1 VS White/Blue Control:
First Game, stuck on 2 lands so he got all the time he needed to fill the hand with counters and tricks. Second game, incredible long game where at the end 3 Zulaport in the board sacrificing a converted shambling vent gives me the draw in the last turn.
4 Game: 2 - 0 VS Esper Control
First game I played with 5 cards after two mulligans. He casted turn 1 duress and remove the only non creature one (Rally) then I started to fill the board with little bastards (Elvish Visionary, BlisterPod, Sultai Emissary) forcing him to cast Crux of Fate, but I sacrificed an Eldrazi Token to add one mana to the pool and once the crux is resolved I casted a Collected company to blow him in the next turn. Game 2 pretty fast game overrun him with creatures and Gideon.
5 Game: 2-0 VS Mardu Rally (Sort of)
Murphy wants his glory moment so my last round where I was playing for the top (3 won and 1 draw makes it) I need to face the friend that I came with to the PPTQ. He was also playing for the TOP. The first game was a very close one where both of us used the tricks of his deck and finally killed him on the spot with a rally with the extra +1 sacrifice provided by the Sultai Emissary maniphest. Second game he misses a land for one turn, so he play for the rest of the game kind of slow. Some tricks with Dromoka's command and a Merciless Executioner to his Butcher of the Horde allowed me to have more pressence on the board an finally overrun him with creatures.
Quarterfinals: VS 2-1 the same player I lost the first Round
An extra quick first game that have him down tu 8 in turn 4. In turn five I attack to 3 and ended with a Rally in a graveyard filled thanks to Sidisi. Game 2 this time I was aware of the enchantment so I side in Caustic and Dromoka's. Sadly I lost, because I Mull to 6 and have one land for three turns so... 3 game was pretty the same that the first one but with Gideon helping.
Semifinal: 1- 2 VsAbzan Agrro
And here is where it ends. First game he only got 2 lands so pretty easy win. I side in 3x Bone Spliter, 2x Surge of Righteouness 1x Utterd End. Anafenza reach the battlefield none of the sideboarded cards available, lost. Third game 2 Anafenza reach the battlefield I managed to kill one and to resist, but in the end.... 2 Anafeza are simply too much.
Good feelins with the deck. A little bit sad because I was tooo close. I think that the decks really need a solid plan vs Anafenza because I saw lots of Abzan Aggro decks today in the PPTQ.
23 Creatures
3 blisterpod
4 bloodsoaked champion
4 hangarback walker
4 zulaport cutthroat
2 liliana, heretical healer
4 nantuko husk
2 smothering abomination
13 Spells
4 bone splinters
3 evolutionary leap
4 abzan ascendancy
2 sorin, lord of innistrad
24 lands
4 swamp
2 forest
1 plains
4 llanowar wastes
3 caves of koilos
2 windswept heath
2 wooded foothills
1 canopy vista
1 smoldering marsh
4 sandsteppe citadel
Bloodsoaked champs are the most controversial card I'm sure. They have a real tension between being decent on t1 and a great way to use all your mana every turn versus being mediocre in multiples. The raid ability being instant speed has gotten me some husk blowouts/free wins with ascendancy. It can't block which is very important to the deck and can't attack into hangarbacks, mantis riders, rhinos, anything but jace really. I would recommend a cut to 1 copy. Maaaybe 2.
Abomination was a win-more card that can't be slammed onto an empty board. More good 0-1 of material. He survived an ugin minus which was cool, but so did blisterpod.
The games played out in one of 3 ways:
1. Dork beatdown: This was very rare but there were times where you can just make a million little dudes, pump them with ascendancies and sorin, and run people over. Still, 2/1s and 1/1s are not super great attackers.
2. Husk "combo": People don't seem to realize how husk can kill you out of nowhere, especially with ascendancy. One failure to block him was lethal a decent amount of times. It can also just abyss them. Watch out for valorous stances though, they have few other good targets.
3. The grind: This was the most common way to win by far. You combine leap and ascendancy and aggressively chump your way to an overwhelming board presence. This is why I've never lost to a blue control deck in testing or at the event. Liliana really shines here, and you can eventually cutthroat them out.
Overall, the deck is pretty fun and powerful, but abzan aggro is an absolute foil to this deck. Their own hangarbacks, dromoka's command (the enchantment lock isn't even safe), rhino's trample, and anafenza attack from all the right angles. You just can't beat an anafenza. Your deck does literal nothing with it in play. Even if you should bone splinters the first one, they play 4 plus den protector and valorous stance.
In the right metagame, a perfectly tuned list could be a real contender,
I have been tinkering with this deck even since the full spoiler and your list is the most similar to mine that I've seen. I played at FNM and went 3-0 (with a bye, so... nothing special), and I played at a SCG IQ today and went 2-2-1, nothing to write home about but I've since adjusted to deck to answer exactly the issues you mention, thought I'm still split on Abomination. He's been really good, but he's also been really bad. But that seems true for almost every card in the deck, they all really depend on being able to be used together. Won't be able to play again until this week's FNM to test more though.
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/abzan-value-town-1/
EDIT: Forgot to mention that I updated the list afterwards, the sidebaord is quite different than it was when I played today (answers to anafenza that I didn't have before). If I had this sideboard I think i would have been able to win the matches I lost
Has anyone tested infinite obliteration in the board?
Modern: WURG Twin
Standard: Mardu Planeswalkers
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/standard-type-2/deck-creation-standard/661834-mardu-planeswalker?comment=1
Monthly Proxy Legacy
Charlotte/Greensboro area, NC
Pm me for details
For Anafenza, abzan charm can be a amazing answer, especilly because den protector can't bring her back from grave. I am thinking in cutting 3 collect company for 3 charm in main, or just put 4 charm in sb.
Who's not running Hangarback? minewan's Sultai list at the top? He's not running Splinters tho.