Those are two of the best 'lockdown' creatures in Standard, with the Skyknight being amazing at keeping something like a Jace from ticking up or an Elspeth.
I've played a lot of WU Midrange that features the skyknight with cards like Brimaz and Ephara to just go straight value, and the amount of times that a surprise Skynight locking down something like a packrat for a turn, or a demon, or a planeswalker to a Polukranos. I think regaining value from it would be amazing. Not to mention there's another creature in those colors that's just like Quickling, in the form of Deputy of Acquittals
I get the addition of the Primadox as a way to rebuy your bouncers, but I don't think the deck really needs something like that.
I dislike the black splash. Athreos is actually a horrible synergy with Quickling and Deputy and Spirit Bonds because Athreos wants stuff to die, and the goal of using these cards are to avoid death. Bouncing something in response to a removal spell, or making something indestructible is the goal of being able to generate lots of spirits. Same thing goes for Xathrid Necromancer, the dude wants things to die, but the goal of using this style of deck is to not allow that to happen.
Ephara, God of the Polis is where the deck should go, because generating all these flash creatures and looping them with one another and making a spirit per bounce is an incredible way to provide card advantage and win some stellar games. This is the current list I'm looking at trying out asap.
Drawing a ton of cards off of all the tokens and flashers with Ephara is amazing, and then using Ajani to turn them all into huge threats backed up with Dictate of Heliod seems like it'll be a huge crushing blow. The only problem I've found in the little testing I've done is the lack of instant speed interaction with your opponents side. Leaving mana up sometimes becomes a bit of a problem and I've thought about playing some Peel from Reality to reuse creatures like Skyknight and the bouncers and also bounce something of my opponents. Either that or Void Snare, but the blue splash isn't really supported for super early blue, usually around turn 3 or 4 is when it's needed the most.
I think America is the way to go. You have Quickling, Deputy of Acquittals, Faerie Impostor even, and Purphoros and Spirit Bond. Together those cards are amazing. Spirit bond essentially becomes a shock for one W instead of R.
I saw that this might be a thing. Think there is a deck possible here? Reminiscent of Pickles. But I dont know of any lockdown creatures.
Lyev Skyknight
Lavinia of the Tenth
Those are two of the best 'lockdown' creatures in Standard, with the Skyknight being amazing at keeping something like a Jace from ticking up or an Elspeth.
I've played a lot of WU Midrange that features the skyknight with cards like Brimaz and Ephara to just go straight value, and the amount of times that a surprise Skynight locking down something like a packrat for a turn, or a demon, or a planeswalker to a Polukranos. I think regaining value from it would be amazing. Not to mention there's another creature in those colors that's just like Quickling, in the form of Deputy of Acquittals
I get the addition of the Primadox as a way to rebuy your bouncers, but I don't think the deck really needs something like that.
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2x Cartel Aristocrat
3x Deputy of Acquittals
3x Ephara, God of the Polis
2x Imposing Sovereign
2x Keening Apparition
4x Lyev Skyknight
2x Obzedat, Ghost Council
4x Quickling
2x Xathrid Necromancer
4x Hallowed Fountain
2x Mutavault
5x Plains
2x Temple of Deceit
4x Temple of Enlightenment
3x Watery Grave
1x Spear of Heliod
2x Spirit Bonds
1x Whip of Erebos
2x Far / Away
2x Ultimate Price
I dislike the black splash. Athreos is actually a horrible synergy with Quickling and Deputy and Spirit Bonds because Athreos wants stuff to die, and the goal of using these cards are to avoid death. Bouncing something in response to a removal spell, or making something indestructible is the goal of being able to generate lots of spirits. Same thing goes for Xathrid Necromancer, the dude wants things to die, but the goal of using this style of deck is to not allow that to happen.
Ephara, God of the Polis is where the deck should go, because generating all these flash creatures and looping them with one another and making a spirit per bounce is an incredible way to provide card advantage and win some stellar games. This is the current list I'm looking at trying out asap.
3 Precinct Captain
3 Deputy of Aquitials
4 Lyev Skyknight
2 Ephara, God of the Polis
3 Brimaz, King of Oreskos
3 Quickling
4 Detention Sphere
2 Dictate of Heliod
2 Banishing Light
2 Ajani Steadfast
4 Hallowed Fountain
4 Temple of Enlightenment
2 Mutavault
2 Temple of Ephiniany
3 Mana Confluence
10 Plains
Drawing a ton of cards off of all the tokens and flashers with Ephara is amazing, and then using Ajani to turn them all into huge threats backed up with Dictate of Heliod seems like it'll be a huge crushing blow. The only problem I've found in the little testing I've done is the lack of instant speed interaction with your opponents side. Leaving mana up sometimes becomes a bit of a problem and I've thought about playing some Peel from Reality to reuse creatures like Skyknight and the bouncers and also bounce something of my opponents. Either that or Void Snare, but the blue splash isn't really supported for super early blue, usually around turn 3 or 4 is when it's needed the most.
I do custom signatures! PM me for more details.
2x Brimaz, King of Oreskos
4x Deputy of Acquittals
2x Ephara, God of the Polis
1x Frost Lynx
4x Lyev Skyknight
3x Omenspeaker
2x Purphoros, God of the Forge
4x Quickling
2x Seller of Songbirds
1x Spear of Heliod
3x Spirit Bonds
3x Azorius Charm
3x Peel from Reality
4x Hallowed Fountain
2x Island
6x Plains
3x Shivan Reef
4x Temple of Enlightenment
3x Temple of Epiphany
2x Temple of Triumph