Explosive Vegetation is the better choice not only because it gives you more mana, but also because it pulls two basic lands out of your deck, which improves your odds that on any given draw, you'll get something even better than a basic land.
That said, there's nothing to say a person couldn't play both. Land auras really are more or less asking for a two-for-one removal, though.
To be honest, in my opinion the only cards that should ever be banned are cards are literally played in all sorts of decks. For example, if you are playing green, barring a fantastical exception, there is absolutely no reason for you not to play Primeval Titan, and if you are playing blue there is absolutely no reason for you not to run Consecrated Sphinx. I feel like banning in general should be done to support deck variety.
And if you ban Titan, everyone will still play Avenger of Zendikar in green. Ban Avenger, and everyone will play Terastadon and Craterhoof Behemoth. Ban those and everyone will play the next two biggest, most advantageous green beaters. Etc., etc.
And btw, there are good reasons to not run any of the above cards in a green deck. Theme, for example. My Rhys the Redeemed deck is tribal elves/druids (along with a few shamans). No Prime Time, no Avenger, etc. It does have a bunch of the better elf staples, though, plus other green staples such as Yavimaya Elder and Eternal Witness (who I believe is probably played even more than is Prime Time).
I also get tired of seeing the same cards over and over, but some of them really are just that good. What sense would it make to not play something like Eternal Witness, which does a really good, cost-effective job of doing one of the things green is good at (recursion)?
The way to deal with those predictable creatures isn't a ban list. Deal with the big greenies by making them disadvantageous to play, by running things like Meekstone and Retribution of the Meek. Run things like Aven Mindcensor to disable the ramping that allows people to cast those big critters quickly and renders the Titan just another big creature with trample. Aether Flash makes Avenger of Zendikar into an over-costed vanilla fatty.
If banning is the best idea you can come up for dealing with cards like that, the guy playing the all-staples netdeck isn't the only person with a lack of imagination.
Well, as has already been noted, it is reusable, so there are advantages to it. On the other hand, you don't have the surprise value you have by bringing War Priest into play, and the Chaplain has to survive a rotation around the board before you can use it. So, it could be a trade-off either way.
Another really good card drawing option occurred to me: Illuminated Folio. It works great in mono-colored decks, and it even fits within the cleric sub-theme.
Thanks for the advice, both of you =] I've changed it a bit, let me know if it is still too underwhelming.
Question: What do you guys think about alliance of arms, and/or captain's call in my deck?
Re: Alliance, I generally don't like cards that potentially do more for my opponent than for me, which could happen if you are playing a green ramping opponent. Again, ramp isn't a strength for white.
Re: Captain's Call, generally you're better off with something that either produces a lot more tokens or something that produces them again and again. That said, Captain's Call does enough for the cost that it isn't necessarily a bad card. It has good symmetry with Captain of the Watch and Odric's Crusader, and it potentially lets you draw three cards with Mentor of the Meek if you have enough mana available. I'd probably still just run a creature instead, though.
Good call, there. I can't believe I didn't think of that one. And good call on Explorer's Scope.
Also, Miraculous Recovery is a better choice than Resurrection. For one extra mana, you get instant speed and a +1/+1 counter. Of course, you could always run both.
As I recently told someone else in a different thread, you need to be very, very careful about running Coat of Arms in EDH. If you run into a dedicated tribal or token deck, you might end up helping out one or more opponents more than you help yourself.
Similarly, keep in mind that Crusade gives its bonus to all white creatures in play, not just your own white creatures.
Elesh Norn isn't a human. She also doesn't particularly fit with your theme. She's powerful, though, no doubt about that.
You're also completely lacking in card draw. That's not exactly white's strong suit, but having none can be a real disadvantage. I'd consider adding at very least Mind's Eye and Inheritance. Neither is greatly in theme, but having no draw is likely to go poorly.
Also, Scapegoat and Ghostway - while perhaps not the greatest in-theme cards - are really good ways to make your wrath effects one-sided.
Since you're running a mono-colored deck, City of Brass doesn't really belong.
In EDH, Coat of Arms is a problem more often than not. All you need is for someone else to be playing tokens, slivers or a few changelings and you'll find that by playing Coat of Arms, you help your opponent more than you help yourself.
Door of Destinies is pricey, but much safer a bet.
Dolmen Gate, on the other hand, is a fantastic choice. It is among the MVPs in my vampire tribal deck.
What about the players who want to play G or R? Do I hope I have the Lightning Bolt in hand? Oh, wait, it was Mike/Trike he searched for, gg
Chaos Warp, Beast Within. A bit more pricey to hold back for, but not tapping out or mostly out all of the time is one way one can a) interact more with the board, and b) have answers ready. If one constantly taps out to pursue one's own win condition, he or she shouldn't complain if someone else doing the same manages to get there first.
Keeping the rule this way allows for the use of clones as removal for generals, as well as just casting that legend if you happen to have it in your deck. This is especially important for generals like Sigarda, Uril, Geist etc etc, since you cannot kill them with traditional spot removal.
This is exactly why I believe the Legend Rule should continue to apply to generals.
If someone wants to bypass it, they can always play that artifact from one of the Kamigawa sets that deactivates the "Legend Rule", but even then I don't think two players should play the same general in any given game. That strikes me as monstrously boring.
(EDIT: And come to think of it, that could actually allow for a pretty funky strategy, in which you play a deck with lots of clone effects in order to duplicate others' generals. Works better with some than others, of course... cloning a general who has color-activated abilities could be pretty pointless.)
You can check the Armada website or some of my previous SCG articles. I'm hoping to get the one that we used for last league and post it in my article this coming week, in fact.
How about Soul Snare as a pretty decent rattlesnake?
I'm considering putting it in a deck I'm currently building, which uses various rattlesnake/tax-to-attack effects to encourage opponents to attack elsewhere while my deck gets up and running.
That said, there's nothing to say a person couldn't play both. Land auras really are more or less asking for a two-for-one removal, though.
And if you ban Titan, everyone will still play Avenger of Zendikar in green. Ban Avenger, and everyone will play Terastadon and Craterhoof Behemoth. Ban those and everyone will play the next two biggest, most advantageous green beaters. Etc., etc.
And btw, there are good reasons to not run any of the above cards in a green deck. Theme, for example. My Rhys the Redeemed deck is tribal elves/druids (along with a few shamans). No Prime Time, no Avenger, etc. It does have a bunch of the better elf staples, though, plus other green staples such as Yavimaya Elder and Eternal Witness (who I believe is probably played even more than is Prime Time).
I also get tired of seeing the same cards over and over, but some of them really are just that good. What sense would it make to not play something like Eternal Witness, which does a really good, cost-effective job of doing one of the things green is good at (recursion)?
The way to deal with those predictable creatures isn't a ban list. Deal with the big greenies by making them disadvantageous to play, by running things like Meekstone and Retribution of the Meek. Run things like Aven Mindcensor to disable the ramping that allows people to cast those big critters quickly and renders the Titan just another big creature with trample. Aether Flash makes Avenger of Zendikar into an over-costed vanilla fatty.
If banning is the best idea you can come up for dealing with cards like that, the guy playing the all-staples netdeck isn't the only person with a lack of imagination.
Ah, okay. That works, I guess
Well, as has already been noted, it is reusable, so there are advantages to it. On the other hand, you don't have the surprise value you have by bringing War Priest into play, and the Chaplain has to survive a rotation around the board before you can use it. So, it could be a trade-off either way.
Another good call.
I'd keep both, honestly.
Re: Alliance, I generally don't like cards that potentially do more for my opponent than for me, which could happen if you are playing a green ramping opponent. Again, ramp isn't a strength for white.
Re: Captain's Call, generally you're better off with something that either produces a lot more tokens or something that produces them again and again. That said, Captain's Call does enough for the cost that it isn't necessarily a bad card. It has good symmetry with Captain of the Watch and Odric's Crusader, and it potentially lets you draw three cards with Mentor of the Meek if you have enough mana available. I'd probably still just run a creature instead, though.
Good call, there. I can't believe I didn't think of that one. And good call on Explorer's Scope.
Also, Miraculous Recovery is a better choice than Resurrection. For one extra mana, you get instant speed and a +1/+1 counter. Of course, you could always run both.
Similarly, keep in mind that Crusade gives its bonus to all white creatures in play, not just your own white creatures.
Elesh Norn isn't a human. She also doesn't particularly fit with your theme. She's powerful, though, no doubt about that.
You don't appear to have any ways to ramp. I'd strongly consider getting hold of Land Tax, Tithe and/or Weathered Wayfarer, if you can. Things like Traveler's Amulet, Expedition Map and Armillary Sphere would also be good.
You're also completely lacking in card draw. That's not exactly white's strong suit, but having none can be a real disadvantage. I'd consider adding at very least Mind's Eye and Inheritance. Neither is greatly in theme, but having no draw is likely to go poorly.
Also, Scapegoat and Ghostway - while perhaps not the greatest in-theme cards - are really good ways to make your wrath effects one-sided.
Since you're running a mono-colored deck, City of Brass doesn't really belong.
Door of Destinies is pricey, but much safer a bet.
Dolmen Gate, on the other hand, is a fantastic choice. It is among the MVPs in my vampire tribal deck.
Adaptive Automaton will give all your rats a bonus.
Chaos Warp, Beast Within. A bit more pricey to hold back for, but not tapping out or mostly out all of the time is one way one can a) interact more with the board, and b) have answers ready. If one constantly taps out to pursue one's own win condition, he or she shouldn't complain if someone else doing the same manages to get there first.
This is exactly why I believe the Legend Rule should continue to apply to generals.
If someone wants to bypass it, they can always play that artifact from one of the Kamigawa sets that deactivates the "Legend Rule", but even then I don't think two players should play the same general in any given game. That strikes me as monstrously boring.
(EDIT: And come to think of it, that could actually allow for a pretty funky strategy, in which you play a deck with lots of clone effects in order to duplicate others' generals. Works better with some than others, of course... cloning a general who has color-activated abilities could be pretty pointless.)
Thanks, Sheldon.
I'm considering putting it in a deck I'm currently building, which uses various rattlesnake/tax-to-attack effects to encourage opponents to attack elsewhere while my deck gets up and running.