What's up guys, haven't been on or played in forever. Anybody going to Grand Prix D.C.? Friend talked me into going to a GPT and I ended up winning despite reading every card played. Any tips? Not sure how the byes and whatever works.
I've only participated in a few Grand Prix Trials before, and I'd place the tournament level at one greater than States. My personal hierarchy works something like this:
Worlds > Pro Tour > Nationals > Grand Prix > Pro Tour Qualifier > Regionals > Grand Prix Trial > States > City > FNM
So as you can see, while a Grand Prix Trial may not be "cutthroat competitive," it's definitely worth practicing heavily for and learning a few tips!
Tip #1: I'm guilty of breaking this one from time to time, but I really try not to. Resist the urge to view or organize your cards before you and your opponent are both seated. You may not know your opponent by appearance, and even if you do, they may be out of sight have a friend looking over your shoulder who can take valuable information and use it to guide their overall game plan.
Tip #2: This may seem odd, but the match begins before the clock starts. I highly recommend looking at where your table is and choose where to sit based on two factors:
A: Is either side/chair more comfortable?
B: Does either side have a better view of the time clock?
Having a clear view of the time clock while your opponent does not can be quite the advantage, as it can guide you into playing carefully and winning by time if necessary, as well as sometimes giving your opponent a feeling of uncertainty, and in lesser cases, paranoia.
Tip #3: Yes, it's a tournament. Yes, people are there to win. Be gracious in both victory and defeat. I've been angered and/or depressed by a loss on numerous occasions, and while at the time I may want to just walk away without saying anything, a simple "Good luck in your next match" can go a long way, and I think it's a sign of good sportsmanship.
Good luck in your Grand Prix Trial! I hope that you do your best in it and succeed.
Skipping the upkeep to nullify one ability is like amputating an arm because you cut your finger. Also, this could just trigger at the end step since this still doesn't give the opportunity to attack with the newly cast (hasteless) creature.
"At the beginning of each player's end step, if a permanent entered the battlefield under his or her control this turn, that player sacrifices three permanents unless he or she pays 5 life."
This reads bad. Saccing three things is obviously harsh, so most of the time, they will just take five.
I somehow hadn't thought of that, and I will need to re-word the card in order to give creatures an opportunity to attack prior to their sacrifice.
Runic Limiter 3
Artifact
Whenever a creature's power and/or toughness changes from its original power and/or toughness that creature's controller must pay 2 or discard a card at random.
Though he called upon the power of Krosa to strengthen his blow, the forest replied not, its powers sealed away by the strange device before him.
Punishing Enabler 1UB
Creature - Human Wizard
Whenever a spell or ability an opponent controls would have you discard a card from your hand, instead you may play that card for it's mana cost and target opponent loses 2 life. If you do not, exile that card instead. 1/3
"You may find that what you were seeking is no longer just a thought."
At the beginning of each player's post-combat main phase, if a permanent entered the battlefield under their control during their last turn, that player sacrifices three permanents that he or she controls.
Pay 5 life: Choose a card type. When a player would sacrifice three permanents, they must be of the chosen card type. Any player may use this ability. Only use this ability if it is not your turn.
"No, hold the attack. Leave them their last glimpse of false hope, for blackness and oblivion draw near, and their people shall never again know dawn."
Unnamed Dark Warlord, to his Lieutenant.
The card could potentially be BW due to what could be perceived as mercy in the flavour text, though it's really more reveling in the damnation of an entire race.
I keep going back and forth between "shall never" and "shalt ne'er".
I'm also considering changing the "Skip your upkeep phase" to something that a player can use in order to choose either exactly what 3 to be sacrificed, or simply a card type. This works both ways. I like the flavour, and I think it would work well in Mono-Black Control as a lockdown card after you have stabilized, as it will severely punish your opponent if they attempt to gain a board presence again. Control v Control it probably is not the best unless your opponent is playing 3 colours and has insufficient mana diversity.
Thoughts?
EDIT: Re-worded card and changed Pay 5 life ability.
What can I say, my aura of fear and recurring creatures is both repulsive and alluring!
Here is my attempt at an enchantment card:
"Condemning Hope" 2BBB
Enchantment
At the beginning of each player's post-combat main phase, if a permanent entered the battlefield under their control during their last turn, that player sacrifices three permanents that he or she controls.
Pay 5 life: Choose a card type. When a player would sacrifice three permanents, they must be of the chosen card type. Any player may use this ability. Only use this ability if it is not your turn.
"No, hold the attack. Leave them their last glimpse of false hope, for blackness and oblivion draw near, and their people shall never again know dawn."
Unnamed Dark Warlord, to his Lieutenant.
The card could potentially be BW due to what could be perceived as mercy in the flavour text, though it's really more reveling in the damnation of an entire race.
I keep going back and forth between "shall never" and "shalt ne'er".
I'm also considering changing the "Skip your upkeep phase" to something that a player can use in order to choose either exactly what 3 to be sacrificed, or simply a card type. This works both ways. I like the flavour, and I think it would work well in Mono-Black Control as a lockdown card after you have stabilized, as it will severely punish your opponent if they attempt to gain a board presence again. Control v Control it probably is not the best unless your opponent is playing 3 colours and has insufficient mana diversity.
Thoughts?
EDIT: Re-worded card and changed Pay 5 life ability.
do you purposely not use 3 drops or did you just not find any you like? I feel like if you are lacking 3 drop you should use centaur healer. If the meta is that much aggro now and they can do that much damage the life gain from healer could go a long way to making sure you don't die. most midrange decks i see run resto angel so their is even more value. I'm sure your stabilization is tusk and hellkite am I correct? Turn 1 Arbor elf turn 2 healer turn 3 resto angel turn 4 tusk would probably be the saving grace against blitz decks.
I have Loxodon Smiter x 4 in my sideboard, but I have no 3 drops maindecked simply because I cannot find room for them. The three that I like are Smiter, Centaur Healer, and Borderland Ranger. I intend to try them all maindecked, and I actually have my eyes on Borderland Ranger as the most likely.
@Pasab: As has been previously noted, I think Terminus can be effective only as a meta call (And there is nothing wrong with that, nor should you "feel bad for thinking it.")
Adding to meta calls, I am actually testing Trostani, Selesnya's Voice x 2 maindecked. My meta is over 50% aggro, so the lifegain attached to a 2/5 body that can multiply my Huntmaster, Thragtusk, and Garruk, Primal Hunter tokens is quite valuable. Even though I've finished testing with her for the moment, I still kind of miss having Sigarda, Host of Herons maindecked. (She's in my sideboard, and isn't leaving my 75 anytime soon.)
Haven't been ale to get out their latley. Plus we all switched to modern so we don't pay too much attention to standard. Naya looks to be the deck to beat. looks like zoo.
Assuming Modern had heavy support in my area I'd probably look at playing some form of RDW, or other highly aggressive 1-2 colour deck. There are two main versions of Naya. Blitz/Humans (Extremely popular right now, made up around 25-30% of my meta, and that's just what I happened to see), and the less popular albeit quite powerful midrange, which is what I am playing. I use a somewhat slower version due to no maindecked 3 drops, but once I stabilize I am in pretty good condition.
I've had zero time to test lately, but I feel like I have to comment on this.
Restoration Angel is inarguably one of the most important components of this deck. I never thought I'd have to actually defend one of the best cards in standard but to suggest replacing Resto with anything else in this deck is nothing short of insane.
You're acting like the only line of play in this deck is to drop a threat every turn. This isn't the Silverblade/Sublime/Silverheart all in builds that are linear in game plan. Sometimes the correct line is to sit on a Huntmaster and let him flip for value. Sometimes the correct line is to not over-extend into a sweeper. Sometimes you absolutely have to interact with your opponent. Etc. etc.
Aside from the obvious pseudo haste/removal/protection that makes her so good, she also does synergize well within deck. I would never make compromises when it comes to her as she's lead to wins/saved my ass far too many times.
Thank you for posting, DTG99. I was beginning to think I was the only person severely misunderstanding why Restoration Angel would not be considered a staple.
SpookyDoom, you don't HAVE to stop tapping out (Even though the goal of the deck isn't to tap out every turn) just because you happen to have a Restoration Angel in hand. Midrange is not RDW, and it's not any kind of straightforward aggro deck. It's about card advantage, and Restoration Angel helps with that. I think you are focusing more on forms of Naya such as Blitz/Humans? This deck is quite different.
Sublime Archangel if you're running wolf runs. If your 3 drop is Silverblade, then Spark troopers.
Those are besides the point, though. Because we are running Huntmasters, that's already four cards for the 4 spot. I just want better value for 4 mana than a 3/4 that tells me when to drop it. To run Resto in a tap down deck, you're playing it for the blink value, not the flash value.
I'm building a deck in Standards Creation in Naya ramp, where the creations with the best blink value can be played before Resto. I think this is the best way to play it; not as near top of the curve, but after you've dropped your big bomb with ETB value.
I guess I should attempt to clarify: Are you saying that Restoration Angel is bad for Naya midrange in general, or that you simply do not like it in your version? The former would confuse me, while the latter is perfectly acceptable. Everyone has their own style.
Seeing as you mention Silverblade and Spark, I have to believe that you are not talking about Naya midrange, which focuses more on card advantage than it does aggression. I assume you are leaning towards a form of Naya ramp/aggro?
I don't really like Restoration angel in most Naya decks because... well why else would you want to hold mana? Naya is a tap down deck, you're always dropping permanents. Restoration Angel is just another permanent you drop, but on your opponent's turn... You could use it to double up on ETB effects, but it's true worth is in rescuing a creature from a removal spell. But you don't have an alternate plan if your opponents DOESN'T play a removal spell. Get it? If a Naya deck holds four mana, it's obviously to play Resto and nothing else.
That's why I think you need alternate mana dump outlets, so that you always have more than one play possible. Land shenanigans is an idea. Creature abilities that could be done EOT such as Trostani's are also useful. But unless you have a plan B for your mana, everyone is gonna think "oh, he didn't tap out during his turn, he's playing Resto".
I'm pretty surprised at the dislike towards Restoration Angel. Many would consider it to be a staple of Naya midrange. Even if you have no other creatures out, dropping a 3/4 flyer at the end of your opponent's turn gives you a flying beatstick to pump with Kessig the next turn. While I agree with you that Naya leaving mana untapped generally means a Restoration Angel is in hand, knowing that is coming does not necessarily stop it from doing so. It could be just as lethal, and sometimes you can use it as a cover to make a more powerful play. They countered the Angel? That's fine. One less counter and X less mana to utilize during my turn, so I will go ahead and drop Garruk, Thrag, or another threat.
Another thing that comes to mind is a question. What four drop would you possibly look at and say "This beats Restoration Angel?" Huntmaster is already used. What beats a 3/4 flyer with flash, a blink effect, and is extremely easy to cast?
1. Domri Rade is nuts, and should be core. Along with The holy trinity of value, Thragtusk, Huntmaster and Resto. And their drug pushing enablers, Farseek and Pilgrim.
2. Boros Reckoner is pretty good, but not the same slam dunk in our deck that it is in others. Loxodon Smiter is an excellent man that is almost better in some ways if you have a non-interactive opponent (hits harder, can't be countered).
Domri Rade is great in aggressive versions of Naya that run high creature counts. Your decklist has 23 creatures in it, which seems somewhere around the minimum in order to make Domri truly effective. It surprises me that you are a fan of Domri, yet not as much with Boros Reckoner. The synergy between Domri's -2 and Reckoner's damage reciprocation ability seems devastating. Either way, I agree that Domri can run sufficiently in your list, and that Smiter belongs in the 75, be he maindecked or sideboarded.
3. I want more instant speed things (beyond Township and Resto) so that I can in interact with the opponent in their turn, but the removal spells (Searing Spear, all the charms) all seem bad and have been really unimpressive recently. Wolfir Avenger seems like the best of the bunch since it can at least attack for 3 and is wrath and thragtusk resilient.
Not to say that you shouldn't play Naya, but have you considered trying URW Flash? I see the appeal with making plays during the opponent's turn (And I can do the same thanks to Cloudshift), but it looks like you are leaning towards a form of Flash anyhow due to adding Wolfir Avenger. I'm curious as to how well he performs. What about Borderland Ranger, or Centaur Healer (I used to view this as a sideboard only, but aggro is really heavy in the meta right now. Healer can definitely perform in the main 60).
Searing Spear is more useful than you think, so you might want to give that a fair chance in your 75. I agree with you on the charms for the most part, but I can see Boros Charm being used as a 2-of in our sideboard. Immune to Verdict or give a Kessig-pumped creature double strike? Why yes, thank you!
4. Mass removal is awesome. I'm not sure whether Bonfire of the Damned is better than Mizzium Mortars, or how many sweepers in total we need. But the other creature decks really call for us to play these....
5. Gavony Township vs Kessig Wolf Run. I like both, but it's not clear which one of them whould be run as a 2-of. Wolf-Run seems better vs wraths, while Township seems better vs creature decks.
I went through the same decision-making/confusion as you did when it comes to board-wipers. I intend to give Bonfire of the Damned another chance sometime, but most of the time it just wound up dead in my hand, or I drew it and simply didn't want to play it due to it being turn 3-5 and I have a Huntmaster of the Fells, Thragtusk, or Restoration Angel in hand. Those turns can be crucial for creating a board presence, and who wants to tap out for a few damage against a control deck? Not me.
While it's true that Mizzium Mortars is arguably even less useful against control, atleast I don't have to draw-and-play the moment I get it in order to make it viable. Have you considered Aurelia's Fury? I thought it would only look good on paper, and while there have been times when I would rather have a Mortars, I consider Fury to be a supplement, not a replacement. I currently run a 2/2 split, and it's doing well so far. I even managed to shutdown a board-wipe by casting Fury for 1 during my opponent's upkeep. Not generally what you want to do with the spell, but that's one of it's uses.
As for Kessig Wolf Run vs Gavony Township, I'd honestly have to say Kessig should take priority over Gavony. If you ran a higher amount of smaller creatures, I could see Gavony taking priority, but Kessig can work well vs creature decks too. It puts pressure on your opponent, and now he has to multi-block your Kessig-pumped trampler in order to avoid taking huge amounts of damage, which opens the way for your others. The only time I could see Gavony being useful in a deck with few creatures on your board would be if you have a flier in play and somehow get to keep adding +1/+1 counters to it. Then again, if you are able to keep it alive that long, you are probably winning anyhow.
6. We have so many awesome mana sinks (Township/Wolf Run/Bonfire/Mortars) that it's hard to imagine us running out of things to spend mana on. So the expensive end of the curve REALLY has to be justified, since there are so many bomby things we can do.
7. Card drawing. It's one thing that we really lack, and I want it. Luckily planeswalkers are effectively card draw engines and can help us overcome being a 'hur durr, creatures' deck.
I don't have to hide the fact that Kessig is my mana sink of choice. For my creatures with a CMC of 5+, I've really been enjoying Angel of Serenity. Add to that her synergy with Cloudshift, and my opponent becomes an unhappy guy. I've also ran Armada Wurm which was more fun than effective. I want to try Aurelia, the Warleader sometime. Just the fact that she has an immediate board presence due to haste + flying seems incredible, and I think it outweighs her seemingly small 3/4 body.
I run the favourite planeswalker of Naya midrange, Garruk, Primal Hunter x 3. I think it is the perfect number, but my deck is also a bit slower, albeit heavier hitting than most Naya midrange decks I've encountered. I've seen a few decks run Elvish Visionary. I understand the want to draw cards in a deck like this, but that just seems awful unless you are running 3 copies of Gavony Township, and even then aren't there better plays?
So I've tuned my 'variable' 3-drops and 5-drops to be good vs blue decks, and my removal spells to be good vs aggro decks.
Then my SB has random smatterings vs GY, aggro, control and other ramp decks.
Feedback?
I was about to comment on your lack of single-target removal until I noticed the 4-of Domri Rade. Seeing that, I really think you should consider giving Boros Reckoner another shot (Having not tested him yet myself, ha!).
While noticeably different, we both seem to have different versions of the Naya midrange deck without slipping too far into straight aggro or straight ramp. You run the unorthodox Wolfir Avenger and Triumph of Ferocity (Haven't tried this card, but honestly, I like that you included it. We lack consistent card drawing, and Triumph combined with Garruk give us a real shot at it. Triumph being an enchantment means that it's another target for Oblivion Ring and Detention Sphere, while giving Garruk another shot at sticking around, and vice versa), while I run the unorthodox Cloudshift.
Anyhow, nice Naya deck and keep testing! It never ends, especially in decks like these.
@Reanimation: For what it's worth, I heartily recommend cutting a little of everything (a resto, a hunt, a Thrag and a Cloud?) and mainboarding the Smithers. You'll have a smoother curve if draws go wrong and it'll discourage black decks from the get-go. Also, add more Kessigs as trample enablers, not Rancors.
I still haven't gotten to the point where I am testing maindecked Smiters or a third Kessig, but I have considered what should be cut in order to allow the Smiters in. I am testing with 2 Borderland Rangers just to help with Forest-grabbing and giving me a blocker against aggro. I don't think I'd run them and Smiters, though. I mostly agree with you on the Rancors, but I still intend to test them even if just to rule them out for future testing purposes.
SB, I know Sigarda is a value card. She merits at least a two-spot. Aurelia's Fury deserves at least a singleton role as stated and the last spot is up to you. In fact, I'm not completely against Pillars because if zombies are dying down, Messengers and Strangleroots aren't.
I recently tested maindeck Sigarda, Host of Herons x 2 and Aurelia's Fury x 2. I've almost never been unhappy to see Sigarda, although there have been a few times when I'd rather see a Mizzium Mortars than an Aurelia's Fury, that's partially my fault due to cutting a Mizzium as opposed to something else such as Cloudshift. I'm either doing a 2/2 split of Fury and Mortars, or perhaps one more of either, but I really think that the total amount should not be under four. Pillar of Flame has become increasingly useless to me, so I ended up replacing them with Searing Spear x 3. I have seen a few Messengers, but that's about the only time I've seen a use for Pillar aside from when I keep a questionable hand and have mana open to destroy an opposing Arbor Elf/Avacyn's Pilgrim early on. Neither situations are frequent.
EDIT: Thoughts on Gruul Ragebeast, MB or SB? As singletons on either boards? What's your plan against Hex-Bant?
Thank you. As for Gruul Ragebeast, I think he would be more useful to us before he could reliably be played (Looks like he would help us most against aggro before we drop our first Thrag or Angel), but I could see him being played in mirrors or against Jund. Should we not have a boardwiper or be on the offensive by the time he is played, he would certainly help mop up aggro decks. Hex-Bant is one of the decks I've faced in the fewest frequency. I face it so little that I cannot even give you an opinion on ideal ways to defeat it.
Final notes: Boros Reckoner: I know this card has brought up alot of concern for pretty much everyone. I'm not sure we need to run him, though. Oblivion Ring, Pacifism, Fiend Hunter, Angel of Serenity. These are all viable cards to be used against him, and we have the colours for it. Personally, I go for the former and the latter. My 75 includes Oblivion Ring x 4 and I couldn't possibly see that total count going under 3. I still intend to use Reckoner, but I haven't reached that "phase" of testing yet.
I've recently moved Sigarda to the sideboard and dropped Trostani. I enjoy having Sigarda maindeck, but my mana curve was already higher than normal, with Sigarda pushing it over the top. Borderland Ranger x 2 are currently in her place. Trostani, while looking great on paper when you compare to Thragtusk, Huntmaster, and my blink effects, he simply was not needed most of the time.
Did anyone hit up FNM? My deck is awaiting it's final pieces which should be arriving this week, so I used a friend's deck which is basically the BWG version of my deck (Naya). I got into Top 4, and the meta is just saturated with Gruul, Rakdos, and Naya aggro. A few people played UWR flash (UWR = Raka?), and I saw some Esper and "Humanimator" around, though I did not observe too many matches that night.
I greatly look forward to the completion of my FULLY ARMED AND OPERATIONAL BATTLE STATION *cough* or rather, my Naya deck.
I've only participated in a few Grand Prix Trials before, and I'd place the tournament level at one greater than States. My personal hierarchy works something like this:
Worlds > Pro Tour > Nationals > Grand Prix > Pro Tour Qualifier > Regionals > Grand Prix Trial > States > City > FNM
So as you can see, while a Grand Prix Trial may not be "cutthroat competitive," it's definitely worth practicing heavily for and learning a few tips!
Tip #1: I'm guilty of breaking this one from time to time, but I really try not to. Resist the urge to view or organize your cards before you and your opponent are both seated. You may not know your opponent by appearance, and even if you do, they may be out of sight have a friend looking over your shoulder who can take valuable information and use it to guide their overall game plan.
Tip #2: This may seem odd, but the match begins before the clock starts. I highly recommend looking at where your table is and choose where to sit based on two factors:
A: Is either side/chair more comfortable?
B: Does either side have a better view of the time clock?
Having a clear view of the time clock while your opponent does not can be quite the advantage, as it can guide you into playing carefully and winning by time if necessary, as well as sometimes giving your opponent a feeling of uncertainty, and in lesser cases, paranoia.
Tip #3: Yes, it's a tournament. Yes, people are there to win. Be gracious in both victory and defeat. I've been angered and/or depressed by a loss on numerous occasions, and while at the time I may want to just walk away without saying anything, a simple "Good luck in your next match" can go a long way, and I think it's a sign of good sportsmanship.
Good luck in your Grand Prix Trial! I hope that you do your best in it and succeed.
I somehow hadn't thought of that, and I will need to re-word the card in order to give creatures an opportunity to attack prior to their sacrifice.
EDIT: Card has been updated.
Punishing Enabler 1UB
Creature - Human Wizard
Whenever a spell or ability an opponent controls would have you discard a card from your hand, instead you may play that card for it's mana cost and target opponent loses 2 life. If you do not, exile that card instead. 1/3
"You may find that what you were seeking is no longer just a thought."
"Condemning Hope" 2BBB
Enchantment
At the beginning of each player's post-combat main phase, if a permanent entered the battlefield under their control during their last turn, that player sacrifices three permanents that he or she controls.
Pay 5 life: Choose a card type. When a player would sacrifice three permanents, they must be of the chosen card type. Any player may use this ability. Only use this ability if it is not your turn.
"No, hold the attack. Leave them their last glimpse of false hope, for blackness and oblivion draw near, and their people shall never again know dawn."
Unnamed Dark Warlord, to his Lieutenant.
The card could potentially be BW due to what could be perceived as mercy in the flavour text, though it's really more reveling in the damnation of an entire race.
I keep going back and forth between "shall never" and "shalt ne'er".
I'm also considering changing the "Skip your upkeep phase" to something that a player can use in order to choose either exactly what 3 to be sacrificed, or simply a card type. This works both ways. I like the flavour, and I think it would work well in Mono-Black Control as a lockdown card after you have stabilized, as it will severely punish your opponent if they attempt to gain a board presence again. Control v Control it probably is not the best unless your opponent is playing 3 colours and has insufficient mana diversity.
Thoughts?
EDIT: Re-worded card and changed Pay 5 life ability.
What can I say, my aura of fear and recurring creatures is both repulsive and alluring!
Here is my attempt at an enchantment card:
"Condemning Hope" 2BBB
Enchantment
At the beginning of each player's post-combat main phase, if a permanent entered the battlefield under their control during their last turn, that player sacrifices three permanents that he or she controls.
Pay 5 life: Choose a card type. When a player would sacrifice three permanents, they must be of the chosen card type. Any player may use this ability. Only use this ability if it is not your turn.
"No, hold the attack. Leave them their last glimpse of false hope, for blackness and oblivion draw near, and their people shall never again know dawn."
Unnamed Dark Warlord, to his Lieutenant.
The card could potentially be BW due to what could be perceived as mercy in the flavour text, though it's really more reveling in the damnation of an entire race.
I keep going back and forth between "shall never" and "shalt ne'er".
I'm also considering changing the "Skip your upkeep phase" to something that a player can use in order to choose either exactly what 3 to be sacrificed, or simply a card type. This works both ways. I like the flavour, and I think it would work well in Mono-Black Control as a lockdown card after you have stabilized, as it will severely punish your opponent if they attempt to gain a board presence again. Control v Control it probably is not the best unless your opponent is playing 3 colours and has insufficient mana diversity.
Thoughts?
EDIT: Re-worded card and changed Pay 5 life ability.
I pre-ordered and I am really enjoying it. Should you find yourself wanting someone or a group to play with, let me know!
I have Loxodon Smiter x 4 in my sideboard, but I have no 3 drops maindecked simply because I cannot find room for them. The three that I like are Smiter, Centaur Healer, and Borderland Ranger. I intend to try them all maindecked, and I actually have my eyes on Borderland Ranger as the most likely.
I tend to drop a Huntmaster of the Fells or Angel on turn 3, Thrag or Garruk, Primal Hunter (If It's safe enough) turn 4, and from there it's a combination of creatures I already mentioned, removal such as Mizzium Mortars or Aurelia's Fury (Which I prefer to save to end the game with), and Angel of Serenity.
I have a number of other cards and quantities that I intend to test, and I try to do so often.
Adding to meta calls, I am actually testing Trostani, Selesnya's Voice x 2 maindecked. My meta is over 50% aggro, so the lifegain attached to a 2/5 body that can multiply my Huntmaster, Thragtusk, and Garruk, Primal Hunter tokens is quite valuable. Even though I've finished testing with her for the moment, I still kind of miss having Sigarda, Host of Herons maindecked. (She's in my sideboard, and isn't leaving my 75 anytime soon.)
Assuming Modern had heavy support in my area I'd probably look at playing some form of RDW, or other highly aggressive 1-2 colour deck. There are two main versions of Naya. Blitz/Humans (Extremely popular right now, made up around 25-30% of my meta, and that's just what I happened to see), and the less popular albeit quite powerful midrange, which is what I am playing. I use a somewhat slower version due to no maindecked 3 drops, but once I stabilize I am in pretty good condition.
Thank you for posting, DTG99. I was beginning to think I was the only person severely misunderstanding why Restoration Angel would not be considered a staple.
SpookyDoom, you don't HAVE to stop tapping out (Even though the goal of the deck isn't to tap out every turn) just because you happen to have a Restoration Angel in hand. Midrange is not RDW, and it's not any kind of straightforward aggro deck. It's about card advantage, and Restoration Angel helps with that. I think you are focusing more on forms of Naya such as Blitz/Humans? This deck is quite different.
I guess I should attempt to clarify: Are you saying that Restoration Angel is bad for Naya midrange in general, or that you simply do not like it in your version? The former would confuse me, while the latter is perfectly acceptable. Everyone has their own style.
Seeing as you mention Silverblade and Spark, I have to believe that you are not talking about Naya midrange, which focuses more on card advantage than it does aggression. I assume you are leaning towards a form of Naya ramp/aggro?
I'm pretty surprised at the dislike towards Restoration Angel. Many would consider it to be a staple of Naya midrange. Even if you have no other creatures out, dropping a 3/4 flyer at the end of your opponent's turn gives you a flying beatstick to pump with Kessig the next turn. While I agree with you that Naya leaving mana untapped generally means a Restoration Angel is in hand, knowing that is coming does not necessarily stop it from doing so. It could be just as lethal, and sometimes you can use it as a cover to make a more powerful play. They countered the Angel? That's fine. One less counter and X less mana to utilize during my turn, so I will go ahead and drop Garruk, Thrag, or another threat.
Another thing that comes to mind is a question. What four drop would you possibly look at and say "This beats Restoration Angel?" Huntmaster is already used. What beats a 3/4 flyer with flash, a blink effect, and is extremely easy to cast?
Domri Rade is great in aggressive versions of Naya that run high creature counts. Your decklist has 23 creatures in it, which seems somewhere around the minimum in order to make Domri truly effective. It surprises me that you are a fan of Domri, yet not as much with Boros Reckoner. The synergy between Domri's -2 and Reckoner's damage reciprocation ability seems devastating. Either way, I agree that Domri can run sufficiently in your list, and that Smiter belongs in the 75, be he maindecked or sideboarded.
Not to say that you shouldn't play Naya, but have you considered trying URW Flash? I see the appeal with making plays during the opponent's turn (And I can do the same thanks to Cloudshift), but it looks like you are leaning towards a form of Flash anyhow due to adding Wolfir Avenger. I'm curious as to how well he performs. What about Borderland Ranger, or Centaur Healer (I used to view this as a sideboard only, but aggro is really heavy in the meta right now. Healer can definitely perform in the main 60).
Searing Spear is more useful than you think, so you might want to give that a fair chance in your 75. I agree with you on the charms for the most part, but I can see Boros Charm being used as a 2-of in our sideboard. Immune to Verdict or give a Kessig-pumped creature double strike? Why yes, thank you!
I went through the same decision-making/confusion as you did when it comes to board-wipers. I intend to give Bonfire of the Damned another chance sometime, but most of the time it just wound up dead in my hand, or I drew it and simply didn't want to play it due to it being turn 3-5 and I have a Huntmaster of the Fells, Thragtusk, or Restoration Angel in hand. Those turns can be crucial for creating a board presence, and who wants to tap out for a few damage against a control deck? Not me.
While it's true that Mizzium Mortars is arguably even less useful against control, atleast I don't have to draw-and-play the moment I get it in order to make it viable. Have you considered Aurelia's Fury? I thought it would only look good on paper, and while there have been times when I would rather have a Mortars, I consider Fury to be a supplement, not a replacement. I currently run a 2/2 split, and it's doing well so far. I even managed to shutdown a board-wipe by casting Fury for 1 during my opponent's upkeep. Not generally what you want to do with the spell, but that's one of it's uses.
As for Kessig Wolf Run vs Gavony Township, I'd honestly have to say Kessig should take priority over Gavony. If you ran a higher amount of smaller creatures, I could see Gavony taking priority, but Kessig can work well vs creature decks too. It puts pressure on your opponent, and now he has to multi-block your Kessig-pumped trampler in order to avoid taking huge amounts of damage, which opens the way for your others. The only time I could see Gavony being useful in a deck with few creatures on your board would be if you have a flier in play and somehow get to keep adding +1/+1 counters to it. Then again, if you are able to keep it alive that long, you are probably winning anyhow.
I don't have to hide the fact that Kessig is my mana sink of choice. For my creatures with a CMC of 5+, I've really been enjoying Angel of Serenity. Add to that her synergy with Cloudshift, and my opponent becomes an unhappy guy. I've also ran Armada Wurm which was more fun than effective. I want to try Aurelia, the Warleader sometime. Just the fact that she has an immediate board presence due to haste + flying seems incredible, and I think it outweighs her seemingly small 3/4 body.
I run the favourite planeswalker of Naya midrange, Garruk, Primal Hunter x 3. I think it is the perfect number, but my deck is also a bit slower, albeit heavier hitting than most Naya midrange decks I've encountered. I've seen a few decks run Elvish Visionary. I understand the want to draw cards in a deck like this, but that just seems awful unless you are running 3 copies of Gavony Township, and even then aren't there better plays?
I was about to comment on your lack of single-target removal until I noticed the 4-of Domri Rade. Seeing that, I really think you should consider giving Boros Reckoner another shot (Having not tested him yet myself, ha!).
While noticeably different, we both seem to have different versions of the Naya midrange deck without slipping too far into straight aggro or straight ramp. You run the unorthodox Wolfir Avenger and Triumph of Ferocity (Haven't tried this card, but honestly, I like that you included it. We lack consistent card drawing, and Triumph combined with Garruk give us a real shot at it. Triumph being an enchantment means that it's another target for Oblivion Ring and Detention Sphere, while giving Garruk another shot at sticking around, and vice versa), while I run the unorthodox Cloudshift.
Anyhow, nice Naya deck and keep testing! It never ends, especially in decks like these.
I still haven't gotten to the point where I am testing maindecked Smiters or a third Kessig, but I have considered what should be cut in order to allow the Smiters in. I am testing with 2 Borderland Rangers just to help with Forest-grabbing and giving me a blocker against aggro. I don't think I'd run them and Smiters, though. I mostly agree with you on the Rancors, but I still intend to test them even if just to rule them out for future testing purposes.
I recently tested maindeck Sigarda, Host of Herons x 2 and Aurelia's Fury x 2. I've almost never been unhappy to see Sigarda, although there have been a few times when I'd rather see a Mizzium Mortars than an Aurelia's Fury, that's partially my fault due to cutting a Mizzium as opposed to something else such as Cloudshift. I'm either doing a 2/2 split of Fury and Mortars, or perhaps one more of either, but I really think that the total amount should not be under four. Pillar of Flame has become increasingly useless to me, so I ended up replacing them with Searing Spear x 3. I have seen a few Messengers, but that's about the only time I've seen a use for Pillar aside from when I keep a questionable hand and have mana open to destroy an opposing Arbor Elf/Avacyn's Pilgrim early on. Neither situations are frequent.
Thank you. As for Gruul Ragebeast, I think he would be more useful to us before he could reliably be played (Looks like he would help us most against aggro before we drop our first Thrag or Angel), but I could see him being played in mirrors or against Jund. Should we not have a boardwiper or be on the offensive by the time he is played, he would certainly help mop up aggro decks. Hex-Bant is one of the decks I've faced in the fewest frequency. I face it so little that I cannot even give you an opinion on ideal ways to defeat it.
Final notes: Boros Reckoner: I know this card has brought up alot of concern for pretty much everyone. I'm not sure we need to run him, though. Oblivion Ring, Pacifism, Fiend Hunter, Angel of Serenity. These are all viable cards to be used against him, and we have the colours for it. Personally, I go for the former and the latter. My 75 includes Oblivion Ring x 4 and I couldn't possibly see that total count going under 3. I still intend to use Reckoner, but I haven't reached that "phase" of testing yet.
I've recently moved Sigarda to the sideboard and dropped Trostani. I enjoy having Sigarda maindeck, but my mana curve was already higher than normal, with Sigarda pushing it over the top. Borderland Ranger x 2 are currently in her place. Trostani, while looking great on paper when you compare to Thragtusk, Huntmaster, and my blink effects, he simply was not needed most of the time.
I greatly look forward to the completion of my FULLY ARMED AND OPERATIONAL BATTLE STATION *cough* or rather, my Naya deck.