Build a strict Ally Build with Hardened Scales and have Fun with this shenanigans
I believe that Solidarity of Heroes is just better as Bioshift, but you can play both. Put the +1/+1 counter effects Pre-Board, in the Sideboard a lot of Dodge Effects like Heroic Intervention and Blossoming Defense against Control Decks.
Must be really Funny. You get real monsters in a short time and great Combat tricks. Hope you survive the Spot Removals . And who knows, maybe we have all overlooked the next competiv Ally Build.
Gideon is a very good card, but he do nothing special for the Spirits. I think he isn't an autoinclude in any white Deck like Path to Exile
Maybe in the Sideboard for the grinding Games.
Now that you mention it, imho Tamiyo, Field Researcher is the better choice.
With our flying creatures there are +2 Cards in most cases, and the -2 is always good (free way for Geist ).
On the downside we need the complete Bant Colours to cast it.
The Big Upside against the Vizier: She do something in the turn you play it. If you play the Vizier you have most of the Time not the Mana to play a creature after playing. There is no impact.
Have someone tested this PW ?
[...] I really just need to add Collected Company's 5, 6, and 7!! [...]
The Vizier of the Menagerie could be the 5th and 6th CoCo. The look on the top of the library, if you have a Fetchland on Board and the automatic Colour Fix aaaand 3/4 Body is really nice.
Imho Collected Company is still better.
Ok, what is special about my Version. Of course the colour blue . A lot of "look of the Top of your Library" , "Play from the Library" and the abusing of this Mechanics!
Vizier of the Menagerie and Courser of Kruphix play from the Library is really funny and give you a lot of Card Advantage. Coiling Oracle : Is a Ramp card if you hit a land or a Card Draw and a way to play 2 Lands in one Turn. Later you know what is does Mul Daya Channelers : 5/5 OR a 2 Mana Dork. both is incredible in the early turns aaand later we have enough Deck manipulation . Proteus Staff : This do a lot! Like Evolutionary Leap you can Block and sacrifice your creature or Dodge a Removal. You can remove(!) a threat creature from your opponent in hopefully somthin harmless Or you use it like an reusable Polymorph to cheat our big Threats into Play (with a little bit Luck). Nissa, Steward of Elements : with the cards i told you above you know how funny the abilitys are, especially the 0 ability. And the final -6 is the next possible win Option. Kiora's Follower: untap, the Forest with Utopia Sprawl Or Nykthos!, The Artifact , Mul Daya Channelers(Mana Modus) or an ordinary Beater. He make the good things just better Simic Sky Swallower : Hexproof , flying , trample 6/6 . A Nightmare for Spot-removal Decks, but could a little bit to slow for fast Combo Decks. i like him a littel bit more like the Sagu Mauler.
At the Moment i tested only against the Goldfish and against me, but the feeling is very good and consistent and make really fun.
The Playstyle feels like the normal Devotion, but you got a big upgrade in Option's and Card Draw /Card Advantage and of course the insight of the library.
I will test this Deck in the next weeks
My (very) little consider for the Sideboard at the moment
//Sideboard
4 Spreading Seas
4 Negate
@CurdBros
Can't wait to see your big post and thought's.
Thanks for your Opinion. Thats help me a lot to clear my mind again.
I think Evolutionary Leap would be almost completely superior to Proteus Staff, unless you want the flexibility of targeting your opponent's creatures, which is a HUGE benefit.
You're Right, I want this Benefit to target opponent's creatures ("No, you don't need this Titan - that 1/1 dude is enough "). But there is more! You can put the creature into play. With 7-9 Big Mana Creatures in our Deck we have a 1:3 Chance to Cheat our BigStars into play. It's a nice alternate way to Win and "cycle" the wrong Part of the Deck away. With scry or other library interaction like the Chance get even (a little) higher.
Like Leap you can say: Block --> sacrifice = new Creature + no damage
or "dodge" Spot Removal
I really like this Artifact, but got never the right shell for this card. With the new Nissa it maybe finally the time to shine.
FunFaq: You can target Emrakul with it.
In other news, there is a high chance that Green Devotion decks will start to maindeck multiple copies of Nissa, Steward of Elements. How else could one take advantage of the blue splash? For example, could we play/would it be worth playing Prophet of Kruphix? That and Simic Sky Swallower are all I could think of (Surrak Dragonclaw perhaps, too, if you have both a red and blue splash).
Some blue card choices that i have consider for a possible Simic Version for the Devotion Deck:
Kiora, Master of the Depths - untap land and a creature permanent. The -2 can find our favorite land card Spreading Seas definitly a sideboard card - is against a lot of Modern Decks a great choice Kiora's Follower a more flexible card (untap Nykthos! )as Arbor elf or the 5th, 6th...Arbor Elf Proteus Staff very strong effect. With the Follower (untap artifact and fish again for a better (monster-)card) or/and Nissa, even better.
With all the interaction with the library the Mul Daya Channelers are a very good addition to a possible Deck. (5/5 or 2 Mana Dork and double green )
Simic Sky Swallower 6/6 flying, trample, shroud....Yeah, great against heavy Spot Removal Decks. Ludevic's Test Subject only for Fun. 13/13 trample is just funny. early blocker and you did'nt need at once, dies against Fatal Push Bounty of the Luxa 3 extra Mana in every 2 Rounds is cute , but i think it is to slow for modern
My big Problem is that's are lot of good cards for Devotion is out there and my Brain is melting. I must look for the next Days what i can cut. Until yet i did'nt have a working Decklist.
Imho: i don't like the bolt proof argument. There is so much spotremoval in Modern, especially in a form like Path to Exile and/or Fatal Push. Afterall Burn is a really bad Matchup for Allies by nature. This guys kill our creature's before they got the Chance to get big. Sad but True: all Allies die against a Lightning Bolt if you play an Ally alone. There is Drana no Exception.
To be (more) fair: the most Allies have no impact (ok, there is always the Ally Trigger), the most got bigger after time, and after this they can be big threats. It need a little time to get explosives
I like Drana: First strike, flying (is always good in Modern), can itself got bigger, can pump the Team.
I like the Kalastria Healer , too. It would be fantastic to see here for example an Ally Ressurection Deck with the Healer. (4 Healers at once, drain 16 Life )
He called his Deck "Hardened Humans" , but imho, it's a GW Ally Deck with Scales.
Very Interesting, because there a ton of creatures hat benefits from the Scales.
But only 18 Lands?! If i would pilot this deck, i believe every Game i will be mana screwed
---
Oath of Ajani and Oath of Gideon, could be something in a GW Ally Deck. Of Course with Gideon.
Again Time for the Home Brew Hell's Kitchen
Panharmonicon is a great Card, but it's not good for Allies. Primarily we want the 1+/+1 Trigger. There was a lot of Experiments with Hardened scales that look great with only G Mana! The Result from the tests is, that the Card is a trap.
Pan is useless with Lifelink, First Strike, Menace Allies , because you need this effect only once . Maybe only Akoum Battlesinger have a real use for the Panharmonicon.
The Primer is very good, but with the disappointment(?), the creator did not an update for the Oath of the Gatewatch Set.
Some thoughts: Gideon, Ally of Zendikar > lead the Stampede
, you are right. In the last Standard Pro Tour the good old Gideon was in every white color deck. He is too good and a "Power House" itself. Lead the Stampede is more a midrange card. This Card is great if you have Harabaz Druid out and the Mana to play additional Allies in the same round you have played the Stampede. Thats some "if's" too much. And not forget, that Gideon produce Ally trigger every round.
Why not Reckless Bushwhacker as a 2 Drop ? I really like this guy and he make absurdly good rounds with our 1 Drops in round 3
This little guy make haste and is a much better Option as the Beastcaller Savant.
I didn't play Lightning Bolt anymore in a Ally Deck. It's truly a fine Card, but the impact is low.The real importend creatures are "Bolt-proof".I believe we have great 1 Drop's creatures that make a better permanent Thread. If you are in a Top-Deck Modus you want the next Ally Draw to get for example the Evasion from Kabira Evangel.
Never tried Boros Charm in a Naya Build. Could be a good Card, because every Mode is great. My worries is about the cost in a 3 colour deck.
Play anyone Selfless Spirit ? This guy is Protection and a Thread in one Card.
Legion's Initiative: in the colours RW you will most of the time never have 2 Mana open to dodge a wrath (that will probably never come), the pump is sweet, but personally
i would use
- Captain's Claws ( +1/+0 and Ally trigger every round )
or
- Adaptive Automaton Ally trigger and a Lord!
And Legion's Initiative had a big problem. Boros Charm is strictly better. Every Mode is great! for an Example. You played 2x Akoum Battlesinger and got +3/0 from the effect, your Battlesingers don't die against the Chumpblockers with indestructible, or you make the last 4 Damage to your Opponent. Even the Double Strike is really sweet, if your Blademaster for example had 5 +1/+1 counters.
Edit after i read the card again: . The really Big Upside is you can multiple time trigger Akoum Battlesinger at once, that is really insane and unique! Eerie Interlude and Ghostway bring only your troops back in the End Phase - good for a wrath dodge, but nothing more. if i imagin, that i exile 4 Allies and they come back with haste and +4/+0 in the combat phase, it is like that they attack as 4x Ball Lightning's . Maybe a good 1 Drop in your Deck. Something that could be worth for testing. Its not good to dodge a wrath, but for the final kill combo a option. Edit2: Same scenario but this time you exile 2 Battlesingers. You get +8/+0
4 Lightning Bolts are to much. Sure this Card is great, but your creatures are better than this little 3 Damage. You didnt need the (hat much) Bolts
Suggestions: Mirror Entity could be funny. You have tons of +1/+1 Counters but in the end, most of them are only 1/1 --> big boost for all
Blood Moon if you have all money in the world. That could be working as a really badass surprise. The manabase is really greedy in this format, or you use Cavern of Souls if you have too much money
Maybe 1-2 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar . His token trigger every round our Allies. Can fight or make even an Anthem.
With Gideon you can try(!) Oath of Gideon. People say this card is only medicore, but we get 2 Ally triggers and a Upside for Gideon himself. For only 1 Mana more as Raise the Alarm.
Return to the Ranks , you have no Collected Company or something else that give you a "boost", but a lot Removals in Modern. This is a good answer
I believe that Solidarity of Heroes is just better as Bioshift, but you can play both. Put the +1/+1 counter effects Pre-Board, in the Sideboard a lot of Dodge Effects like Heroic Intervention and Blossoming Defense against Control Decks.
Must be really Funny. You get real monsters in a short time and great Combat tricks. Hope you survive the Spot Removals . And who knows, maybe we have all overlooked the next competiv Ally Build.
Maybe in the Sideboard for the grinding Games.
Now that you mention it, imho Tamiyo, Field Researcher is the better choice.
With our flying creatures there are +2 Cards in most cases, and the -2 is always good (free way for Geist ).
On the downside we need the complete Bant Colours to cast it.
The Big Upside against the Vizier: She do something in the turn you play it. If you play the Vizier you have most of the Time not the Mana to play a creature after playing. There is no impact.
Have someone tested this PW ?
The Vizier of the Menagerie could be the 5th and 6th CoCo. The look on the top of the library, if you have a Fetchland on Board and the automatic Colour Fix aaaand 3/4 Body is really nice.
Imho Collected Company is still better.
Seems that Mirran Crusader or Sword of Feast and Famine could be a good Option for the Deck or for this special Meta
After this Tournament, did you consider some improvements for your Sideboard?
4 Breeding Pool
5 Forest
4 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx
3 Windswept Heath
4 Wooded Foothills
//Spells
4 Garruk Wildspeaker
2 Nissa, Steward of Elements
2 Oath of Nissa
2 Primal Command
2 Proteus Staff
4 Utopia Sprawl
4 Arbor Elf
3 Coiling Oracle
3 Courser of Kruphix
1 Craterhoof Behemoth
2 Eternal Witness
1 Hornet Queen
2 Kiora's Follower
3 Mul Daya Channelers
1 Simic Sky Swallower
1 Temur Sabertooth
1 Vizier of the Menagerie
2 Wistful Selkie
There's a lot of the classic Stuff, that works very well.
Garruk Wildspeaker , Craterhoof Behemoth and some Fun with Primal Command as usual.
Ok, what is special about my Version. Of course the colour blue . A lot of "look of the Top of your Library" , "Play from the Library" and the abusing of this Mechanics!
Vizier of the Menagerie and Courser of Kruphix play from the Library is really funny and give you a lot of Card Advantage.
Coiling Oracle : Is a Ramp card if you hit a land or a Card Draw and a way to play 2 Lands in one Turn. Later you know what is does
Mul Daya Channelers : 5/5 OR a 2 Mana Dork. both is incredible in the early turns aaand later we have enough Deck manipulation .
Proteus Staff : This do a lot! Like Evolutionary Leap you can Block and sacrifice your creature or Dodge a Removal. You can remove(!) a threat creature from your opponent in hopefully somthin harmless Or you use it like an reusable Polymorph to cheat our big Threats into Play (with a little bit Luck).
Nissa, Steward of Elements : with the cards i told you above you know how funny the abilitys are, especially the 0 ability. And the final -6 is the next possible win Option.
Kiora's Follower: untap, the Forest with Utopia Sprawl Or Nykthos!, The Artifact , Mul Daya Channelers(Mana Modus) or an ordinary Beater. He make the good things just better
Simic Sky Swallower : Hexproof , flying , trample 6/6 . A Nightmare for Spot-removal Decks, but could a little bit to slow for fast Combo Decks. i like him a littel bit more like the Sagu Mauler.
At the Moment i tested only against the Goldfish and against me, but the feeling is very good and consistent and make really fun.
The Playstyle feels like the normal Devotion, but you got a big upgrade in Option's and Card Draw /Card Advantage and of course the insight of the library.
I will test this Deck in the next weeks
My (very) little consider for the Sideboard at the moment
//Sideboard
4 Spreading Seas
4 Negate
@CurdBros
Can't wait to see your big post and thought's.
You're Right, I want this Benefit to target opponent's creatures ("No, you don't need this Titan - that 1/1 dude is enough "). But there is more! You can put the creature into play. With 7-9 Big Mana Creatures in our Deck we have a 1:3 Chance to Cheat our BigStars into play. It's a nice alternate way to Win and "cycle" the wrong Part of the Deck away. With scry or other library interaction like the Chance get even (a little) higher.
Like Leap you can say: Block --> sacrifice = new Creature + no damage
or "dodge" Spot Removal
I really like this Artifact, but got never the right shell for this card. With the new Nissa it maybe finally the time to shine.
FunFaq: You can target Emrakul with it.
In a weird old brew from me i got this Situaton
Mul Daya Channelers and Proteus Staff and the Inkwell Leviathan was on the Top....instant Conceed
Some blue card choices that i have consider for a possible Simic Version for the Devotion Deck:
Kiora, Master of the Depths - untap land and a creature permanent. The -2 can find our favorite land card
Spreading Seas definitly a sideboard card - is against a lot of Modern Decks a great choice
Kiora's Follower a more flexible card (untap Nykthos! )as Arbor elf or the 5th, 6th...Arbor Elf
Proteus Staff very strong effect. With the Follower (untap artifact and fish again for a better (monster-)card) or/and Nissa, even better.
With all the interaction with the library the Mul Daya Channelers are a very good addition to a possible Deck. (5/5 or 2 Mana Dork and double green )
Simic Sky Swallower 6/6 flying, trample, shroud....Yeah, great against heavy Spot Removal Decks.
Ludevic's Test Subject only for Fun. 13/13 trample is just funny. early blocker and you did'nt need at once, dies against Fatal Push
Bounty of the Luxa 3 extra Mana in every 2 Rounds is cute , but i think it is to slow for modern
My big Problem is that's are lot of good cards for Devotion is out there and my Brain is melting. I must look for the next Days what i can cut. Until yet i did'nt have a working Decklist.
Imho: i don't like the bolt proof argument. There is so much spotremoval in Modern, especially in a form like Path to Exile and/or Fatal Push. Afterall Burn is a really bad Matchup for Allies by nature. This guys kill our creature's before they got the Chance to get big. Sad but True: all Allies die against a Lightning Bolt if you play an Ally alone. There is Drana no Exception.
To be (more) fair: the most Allies have no impact (ok, there is always the Ally Trigger), the most got bigger after time, and after this they can be big threats. It need a little time to get explosives
I like Drana: First strike, flying (is always good in Modern), can itself got bigger, can pump the Team.
I like the Kalastria Healer , too. It would be fantastic to see here for example an Ally Ressurection Deck with the Healer. (4 Healers at once, drain 16 Life )
3 Ally Encampment
1 Cavern of Souls
2 Forest
1 Godless Shrine
1 Horizon Canopy
1 Marsh Flats
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Plains
1 Razorverge Thicket
1 Swamp
2 Temple Garden
4 Verdant Catacombs
3 Windswept Heath
3 Drana, Liberator of Malakir
4 Hada Freeblade
4 Kabira Evangel
4 Kazandu Blademaster
2 Metallic Mimic
2 Oran-Rief Survivalist
//Support
3 Rishkar, Peema Renegade
4 Winding Constrictor
//Spells
4 Collected Company
2 Fatal Push
4 Hardened Scales
2 Path to Exile
1 Dromoka's Command
2 Fatal Push
2 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
1 Lantern Scout
2 Path to Exile
1 Pithing Needle
3 Rest in Peace
3 Stony Silence
Metallic Mimic and Oran Rief are in the Deck for test reason's. I think it's better if i use Fatal Push and Path to Exile
This was my List before i saw THIS
// Exported from MTGPulse.com
1 Nissa, Voice of Zendikar
4 Arcbound Ravager
4 Arcbound Worker
2 Dark Confidant
4 Hangarback Walker
2 Scavenging Ooze
4 Walking Ballista
4 Winding Constrictor
4 Traverse the Ulvenwald
4 Dromoka's Command
3 Fatal Push
4 Hardened Scales
4 Blooming Marsh
1 Forest
1 Gavony Township
1 Godless Shrine
2 Marsh Flats
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Plains
1 Swamp
1 Temple Garden
1 Vault of the Archangel
4 Verdant Catacombs
2 Windswept Heath
4 Feed the Clan
2 Grafdigger's Cage
4 Lingering Souls
1 Spellskite
4 Thoughtseize
I believe this Deck is stronger, but a (little) upside for the Allies are that they immun against Artifact hate.
There is Article too.
http://www.channelfireball.com/articles/modern-abzan-aggro-legless-walkers/
Hope someone like my Idea or even better, find a way what the Allies do alot better then the List in the Spoiler.
http://mtgtop8.com/event?e=13401&d=278610&f=MO
He called his Deck "Hardened Humans" , but imho, it's a GW Ally Deck with Scales.
Very Interesting, because there a ton of creatures hat benefits from the Scales.
But only 18 Lands?! If i would pilot this deck, i believe every Game i will be mana screwed
---
Oath of Ajani and Oath of Gideon, could be something in a GW Ally Deck. Of Course with Gideon.
Again Time for the Home Brew Hell's Kitchen
Pan is useless with Lifelink, First Strike, Menace Allies , because you need this effect only once . Maybe only Akoum Battlesinger have a real use for the Panharmonicon.
The Primer is very good, but with the disappointment(?), the creator did not an update for the Oath of the Gatewatch Set.
Play Path to Exile or Lightning Bolt, that feels never wrong
Some thoughts:
Gideon, Ally of Zendikar > lead the Stampede
, you are right. In the last Standard Pro Tour the good old Gideon was in every white color deck. He is too good and a "Power House" itself. Lead the Stampede is more a midrange card. This Card is great if you have Harabaz Druid out and the Mana to play additional Allies in the same round you have played the Stampede. Thats some "if's" too much. And not forget, that Gideon produce Ally trigger every round.
Why not Reckless Bushwhacker as a 2 Drop ? I really like this guy and he make absurdly good rounds with our 1 Drops in round 3
This little guy make haste and is a much better Option as the Beastcaller Savant.
If you look for Mana Outlets: Mirror Entity , maybe only as 1 Drop and better option as Gavony Township. In your position i would make a split with the Firemantle Mage.
Kalastria Healer is in my Opinion a cute card, but to be really scary he need a build around with return to the ranks and/or March from the Tomb and Phantasmal Image and/or Jwari Shapeshifter - 4 Healers in a Resurection drain 16 Life(!) . As a Plan B Halimar Excavator just a good Job too.
here from the same Player the Deck with Comments!
http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/return-of-the-excavator-competitive-copy/
only in Esper + Colors , but this will be a absolutly a new Deck. I'm working for a Deck like a lot other Ally Decks
Tuktuk Scrapper I love him, but he is too expensive to be efficient, even in a Sideboard. Maybe with a Eldritch Evolution in a another Ally Deck
Never tried Boros Charm in a Naya Build. Could be a good Card, because every Mode is great. My worries is about the cost in a 3 colour deck.
Play anyone Selfless Spirit ? This guy is Protection and a Thread in one Card.
We really need no Aether Vials: here is the reason.
http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/modern/deck-creation-modern/624257-modern-coco-allies?comment=613
In short: We have no card draw engine and running out of "Gas" to fast, if we use Vial and we really don't want topdeck this card
Legion's Initiative: in the colours RW you will most of the time never have 2 Mana open to dodge a wrath (that will probably never come), the pump is sweet, but personally
i would use
- Captain's Claws ( +1/+0 and Ally trigger every round )
or
- Adaptive Automaton Ally trigger and a Lord!
And Legion's Initiative had a big problem. Boros Charm is strictly better. Every Mode is great! for an Example.
You played 2x Akoum Battlesinger and got +3/0 from the effect, your Battlesingers don't die against the Chumpblockers with indestructible, or you make the last 4 Damage to your Opponent. Even the Double Strike is really sweet, if your Blademaster for example had 5 +1/+1 counters.Edit after i read the card again: . The really Big Upside is you can multiple time trigger Akoum Battlesinger at once, that is really insane and unique! Eerie Interlude and Ghostway bring only your troops back in the End Phase - good for a wrath dodge, but nothing more. if i imagin, that i exile 4 Allies and they come back with haste and +4/+0 in the combat phase, it is like that they attack as 4x Ball Lightning's . Maybe a good 1 Drop in your Deck. Something that could be worth for testing. Its not good to dodge a wrath, but for the final kill combo a option.
Edit2: Same scenario but this time you exile 2 Battlesingers. You get +8/+0
4 Lightning Bolts are to much. Sure this Card is great, but your creatures are better than this little 3 Damage. You didnt need the (hat much) Bolts
Suggestions:
Mirror Entity could be funny. You have tons of +1/+1 Counters but in the end, most of them are only 1/1 --> big boost for all
Blood Moon if you have all money in the world. That could be working as a really badass surprise. The manabase is really greedy in this format, or you use Cavern of Souls if you have too much money
Maybe 1-2 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar . His token trigger every round our Allies. Can fight or make even an Anthem.
With Gideon you can try(!) Oath of Gideon. People say this card is only medicore, but we get 2 Ally triggers and a Upside for Gideon himself. For only 1 Mana more as
Raise the Alarm.
Return to the Ranks , you have no Collected Company or something else that give you a "boost", but a lot Removals in Modern. This is a good answer
I hope this would be a help.