In recent Standard events, I've run Green/White and Black/Green/White big-dude aggro decks. Clearly, I've been interested in other concepts, but I think there's a solid possibility for something along these lines to do well in an upcoming PTQ.
During the recent coverage for PT Honolulu, we saw B/G Elves sweep the LCQs. At the same time, a G/W deck did reasonably well in block itself, which spurred BDM to mention a Tsuyoshi Fujita quote in a deck tech. Paraphrased, it says that playing two colors is a solid choice in a three-color environment, because you'll win a notable percentage of games on opponent's mana stumbles. Now, whether this applies in a land of Vivids and Pools is unclear, but I have nonetheless decided to take a look at two-color archetypes in contemporary Standard (despite my continuous desire to splash Maelstrom Pulses into everything).
Click through to the extended entry for a G/W big-dudes aggro deck that's been refined to fit my perceived version of the potential metagame.
Brighter
| 23 Creatures: |
| 4× Noble Hierarch |
| 4× Ethersworn Canonist |
| 4× Qasali Pridemage |
| 4× Kitchen Finks |
| 3× Chameleon Colossus |
| 4× Cloudthresher |
| 14 Spells: |
| 4× Path to Exile |
| 2× Pithing Needle |
| 4× Oblivion Ring |
| 2× Behemoth Sledge |
| 2× Elspeth, Knight-Errant |
| 23 Land: |
| 4× Brushland |
| 4× Wooded Bastion |
| 4× Treetop Village |
| 4× Forest |
| 5× Plains |
| 2× Mutavault |
| 15 Sideboard: |
| 4× Pollen Lullaby |
| 3× Aura of Silence |
| Elspeth, Knight-Errant |
| 4× Battlegrace Angel |
| 3× Primal Command |
Some comments...
Creatures
As with the G/W deck I brought to Regionals, I'm running a full set of Hierarchs and Pridemages, along with Finks and Cloudthreshers. I still fully endorse the quad of main-deck Threshers, as being pre-hateful against Procession tokens and Faerie Rogues is excellent, especially since Faeries is still a good deck.
To those friendlies, I've added three Chameleon Colossus and four Ethersworn Canonist. The Colossus dodges Pulse and other removal options, and runs right by many of the most popular blockers out there right now, as well as being pumpable to end games quickly. The Canonists are there to be pre-hateful against Swans and, more to the point, against Five-Color Blood and other Cascade decks, be they aggro or control. In my limited testing so far, it's great fun landing a turn two Canonist against 5CB.
Removals
Four Path, of course. Also, four Oblivion Ring. Although I weaned myself off of the Pulses to avoid the splash, I wanted some solid generic removal. As it happens, Ring has an extra level of awesome in many matchups, as it gets around Persistent bothers like Kitchen Finks and Redcap, RFGing (ahem, Exiling) them rather than just nixing them.
Other
In many cases, three Elspeth is too many, but two is just right, providing that occasional blowout while not clogging your hand with four drops that you don't have an immediate use for (note the third in the side, for when it's more useful). I also run double Sledge to push through for the win, and double Needle to hate out all manner of things (it's a running list, including all planeswalkers, Putrid Leech, Heights, and many other greatest hits).
I've also added two Mutavaults to the mana base, as I think it can take two colorless lands, and more hard-to-kill attackers is just good policy.
The sideboard comes with the usual "barely tested" caveat. You have been warned.
As always, I appreciate suggestions and comments.
Comments (1)
wow, it's a hate deck with a plan. Hard to think of a bad match-up for this deck. One of the better lists I've seen (without doing any testing)
Posted by Reinaldo | June 10, 2009 02:34 AM
Posted on June 10, 2009 02:34