Up the flier count. I had tried Nevermore and didnt like it. Easy to play around. I prefer Curse of Exhaustion - it's a complete hoser for many decks. Here's the latest verison of my Spirits build. Overall is a very strong budget deck (bought the whole deck in paper for about $20 at retail prices the local store).
Flying is really strong right now. This deck lets me do a full attack each turn and then use Feeling of Dread, Charm, and Haunting to stifle their counter attack. If I cant block the attack, I'll use Charm to gain life. Dungeon Geist taps out their combo guy or any flying blockers. 8 sources of +1/+1buffs and Captain lending shroud is tech. Traveler, Monk and Haunting (EOT) allow me to recover from board sweeps. Stormbound's undying has one me many games. Call to Kindred is like drawing an extra card per turn, but better since its not a random draw. Also if you put the Call on a spirit token you can avoid a true 2 for 1.
In the sideboard I have use rootborn to protect from sweepers and curse of exhaustion is excellent tempo against control. rest in peace and safety for zombies but zombies overall is not a bad matchup anyway. couple of counters spells and detention sphere is toolbox removal against tribals (vamps, humans, zombies, etc).
If you want to run Auras, I'd go Bant Spirits and just use RANCOR
Problem with the Priest is that he is slow to get going. I mean he sits there for a turn. Then maybe creates a token that then sits there for a turn. 2 turns and a lot of board committment for the demon token. you need another card to trigger morbid too as nobody is going to chump block the 1/1 token. i like the flavor but limited him to a 2-of since it's highly situational.
Here's what I'm running and doing pretty good with. Similarly weak against control. Most of the SB is for control.
Lanterns are in there for smoothing a budget mana base and ramp to flash back Increasing Devotion. There are also some cute secondary synergies going on. Like how desecration triggers the priest, artist, and tragic slip.
My updates. Note the use of Nevermore in a deck with Ravens. Nevermores added specificly for noncreature threats like planeswalkers, artifacts, curses, etc. Adding the closet when running 4 ravens and 4 skyknight makes sense. Switcheroo is a new card I'm testing. I like the idea of trading a bomb creature for a songbird token
so in testing this deck tonight in about a dozen games, i would definately keep the skynight in. eyes in the sky is ok, its basically a midnight haunting for 4cc which i'm ok with as a 1 of since its a nice combat trick.
i took out brink and rift and added two cloudshifts. nice to bounce our own skynight or raven or to avoid removal.
Song birds is actually solid with a favorable winds out, also a nice cloudshift target as another trick.
I like the skyknight... I would try him as a 3x in the Arctic Aven spot.
I dont know how well Eyes in the Skies would play, but if it doesnt work I'd run a second Feeling of Dread there since I've used that card extensively in U/W Spirits and its very strong.
seance looks interesting. worth testing in the back from the brink spot.maybe run a second murder of crows to get cards into the graveyard to power the seance?
I would also consider running this as Bant colors. Blue has some great ETB abilities.
Also one Acidic Slime maindeck and 3 more in the board for control matchup
4 Doomed Traveler
3 Geist of Saint Traft
4 Drogskol Captain
4 Dungeon Geists
3 Geist-Honored Monk
Spells 18
2 Cyclonic Rift
2 Azorius Charm
3 Feeling of Dread
4 Favorable Winds
4 Midnight Haunting
2 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
1 Sphinx's Revelation
4 Glacial Fortress
4 Hallowed Fountain
1 Moorland Haunt
2 Cavern of Souls
7 Island
6 Plains
3 Rootborn Defenses
2 Sundering Growth
2 Detention Sphere
2 Syncopate
2 Rest in Peace
2 Dissipate
2 Curse of Exhaustion
I know I'll need to spend some cash on the manabase, I'm fine with that. I was also looking at Sphinx's Revelation and Tamiyo, the Moon Sage maindeck.
Idea here was midrange that overwhelms opponent with flyers. Gets there with tempo control by tapping or bouncing threats.
4 Doomed Traveler
4 Stormbound Geist
4 Drogskol Captain
4 Dungeon Geists
4 Geist-Honored Monk
Spells 16
2 Cyclonic Rift
3 Feeling of Dread
3 Azorius Charm
4 Favorable Winds
4 Midnight Haunting
4 Azorius Guildgate
4 Evolving Wilds
1 Moorland Haunt
8 Island
7 Plains
3 Rootborn Defenses
2 Sundering Growth
2 Detention Sphere
2 Syncopate
2 Rest in Peace
2 Dissipate
2 Curse of Exhaustion
2 Golgari Charm
1 Sever the Bloodline
4 Sign in Blood
3 Rancor
2 Increasing Savagery
3 Tragic Slip
4 Corpsejack Menace
3 Dreg Mangler
2 Primordial Hydra
4 Vampire Nighthawk
4 Strangleroot Geist
4 Slitherhead
4 Golgari Guildgate
4 Evolving Wilds
1 Grim Backwoods
6 Forest
8 Swamp
Pretty straight forward idea - put out efficient creatures, make them bigger and smash face.
Flying is really strong right now. This deck lets me do a full attack each turn and then use Feeling of Dread, Charm, and Haunting to stifle their counter attack. If I cant block the attack, I'll use Charm to gain life. Dungeon Geist taps out their combo guy or any flying blockers. 8 sources of +1/+1buffs and Captain lending shroud is tech. Traveler, Monk and Haunting (EOT) allow me to recover from board sweeps. Stormbound's undying has one me many games. Call to Kindred is like drawing an extra card per turn, but better since its not a random draw. Also if you put the Call on a spirit token you can avoid a true 2 for 1.
In the sideboard I have use rootborn to protect from sweepers and curse of exhaustion is excellent tempo against control. rest in peace and safety for zombies but zombies overall is not a bad matchup anyway. couple of counters spells and detention sphere is toolbox removal against tribals (vamps, humans, zombies, etc).
If you want to run Auras, I'd go Bant Spirits and just use RANCOR
4 Doomed Traveler
4 Stormbound Geist
4 Drogskol Captain
4 Dungeon Geists
4 Geist-Honored Monk
Spells 16
3 Feeling of Dread
3 Azorius Charm
4 Favorable Winds
4 Midnight Haunting
2 Call to the Kindred
4 Azorius Guildgate
4 Evolving Wilds
1 Moorland Haunt
8 Island
7 Plains
3 Rootborn Defenses
2 Sundering Growth
2 Detention Sphere
2 Syncopate
1 Rest in Peace
2 Cancel
1 Sphere of Safety
2 Curse of Exhaustion
I'm putting Gryff Vanguard in as a since he's birdlike. His come into play ability is to draw a card which sounds very solid with a Closet out.
Since i'm not running all birds, I changed Call to Kindred for Righteous Authority.
I also added one Sphinx's Revelation. It's priced reasonably for a mythic, this deck needs both life and draw, and the art fits the deck so nicely.
4 Judge's Familiar
2 Aven Squire
2 Mindshrieker
4 Lyev Skyknight
1 Seller of Songbirds
3 Skymark Roc
4 Mist Raven
2 Gryff Vanguard
4 Glacial Fortress
4 Evolving Wilds
8 Island
8 Plains
Spells 14
2 Azorius Charm
2 Feeling of Dread
4 Favorable Winds
1 Sphinx's Revelation
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Curse of Exhaustion
1 Righteous Authority
2 Conjurer's Closet
Also, these decks need more Vampire Nighthawk
Here's what I'm running and doing pretty good with. Similarly weak against control. Most of the SB is for control.
Lanterns are in there for smoothing a budget mana base and ramp to flash back Increasing Devotion. There are also some cute secondary synergies going on. Like how desecration triggers the priest, artist, and tragic slip.
4 Doomed Traveler
4 Blood Artist
2 Skirsdag High Priest
4 Vampire Nighthawk
2 Desecration Demon
2 Ravenous Demon
2 Bloodgift Demon
4 Tragic Slip
3 Altar's Reap
4 Gather the Townsfolk
2 Increasing Devotion
3 Chromatic Lantern
1 Curse of Exhaustion
2 Curse of Death's Hold
1 Oblivion Ring
4 Duress
2 Triumph of Cruelty
2 Sever the Bloodline
1 Rest in Peace
1 Elixir of Immortality
1 Killing Wave
i still prefer the Skynight, especially with the Closet and lack of hard removal in this deck. if i need life, the charm can recover some.
i like Righteous Authority and it could be a replacement for the Call to Kindred.
also need more draw spells. i was look at Staff of Nin and Think Twice .
My updates. Note the use of Nevermore in a deck with Ravens. Nevermores added specificly for noncreature threats like planeswalkers, artifacts, curses, etc. Adding the closet when running 4 ravens and 4 skyknight makes sense. Switcheroo is a new card I'm testing. I like the idea of trading a bomb creature for a songbird token
4 Judge's Familiar
4 Aven Squire
2 Mindshrieker
4 Lyev Skyknight
2 Seller of Songbirds
2 Skymark Roc
4 Mist Raven
4 Glacial Fortress
4 Evolving Wilds
8 Island
8 Plains
Spells 14
2 Azorius Charm
2 Feeling of Dread
4 Favorable Winds
2 Nevermore
1 Curse of Exhaustion
1 Call to the Kindred
1 Switcheroo
1 Conjurer's Closet
i took out brink and rift and added two cloudshifts. nice to bounce our own skynight or raven or to avoid removal.
Song birds is actually solid with a favorable winds out, also a nice cloudshift target as another trick.
4x Judge's Familiar
4x Aven Squire
2x Mindshrieker
3x Lyev Skyknight
2x Seller of Songbirds
2x Skymark Roc
4x Mist Raven
1x Murder of Crows
4 Glacial Fortress
4 Evolving Wilds
8 Island
8 Plains
Instant 7
2 Azorius Charm
2 Cloudshift
2 Dissipate
1 Feeling of Dread
1 Eyes in the Skies
4x Favorable Winds
1x Curse of Exhaustion
1x Call to the Kindred
I dont know how well Eyes in the Skies would play, but if it doesnt work I'd run a second Feeling of Dread there since I've used that card extensively in U/W Spirits and its very strong.
seance looks interesting. worth testing in the back from the brink spot.maybe run a second murder of crows to get cards into the graveyard to power the seance?