Spells:
Inspiring Call and Collected Company are to be used for defense from board wipes. Collected Company should also never be used on your own turn, but rather on the opponents turn.
Feat of Resistance is to be used in response to spot removal, or to put an additional counter on someone and swing for lethal.
Hardened Scales is something you want early game, but do not really want to top deck it in the late game. It speeds the deck up to swing for lethal on turn 4, or makes Managorger Hydra an immediate threat they must deal with as soon as it hits the board.
Valorous Stance is one of the best multi-purpose cards in standard, both great for spot removal or protecting one of your creatures.
Dromoka's Command is probably the best multi-purpose card in standard right now, and all of the modes have a point where they are useful.
Creatures:
Servant of the Scale is an underrated card in a deck like this. If Hardened Scales is out he comes in as a 2/2 and when he dies you end up putting 3 counters on a creature. Even if Hardened Scales isn't out he is a great guy to have to curve into Avatar of the Resolute, or the perfect creature to sacrifice to Crackling Doom.
Avatar of the Resolute will probably be the card that you always want to have. A 2 drop that is a 3/2 with reach and trample, yes please. Oh and he enters with extra counters for each other creature I have with counters (which is all of them) thank you very much.
Den Protector should be considered a 5 drop and not the actual 2 drop he is, as his purpose is to be played face down and then flipped to return one of your graveyard cards to your hand. The one in the sideboard comes in against control decks or removal heavy decks.
Managorger Hydra is not something you normally want to tap out for on turn 3, as there are plenty of ways to deal with a 1/1 by then. However it can easily grow out of hand if your opponent leaves it unchecked, and generally forces your opponent to deal with it sooner rather then later.
Endless One is perfect for almost every turn. In the early game he is a lesser version of Servant of the Scale, and in the late game he is a great mana sink. I also view him as the poor man's Hangarback Walker.
Ainok Guide really started as just a spot filler, then I came to realize how versatile and helpful he is. He can be a trigger for Avatar of the Resolute, enter as a 3/3 for 2 mana, or help with some mana fixing on the next turn.
Optimal Play: always be on the play
Turn 1) forest, Hardened Scales
Turn 2) forest, Servant of the Scale (enters as a 2/2) and Endless One (enters as a 2/2)
Turn 3) Canopy Vista, Servant of the Scale or Endless One (enters as a 2/2) and Avatar of the Resolute (enters as 7/6). Swing for 4 with servant and endless one.
Turn 4) plains, Dromoka's Command for the +1/1 creature (which is really +2/2 with scales) and fight (generally use a Servant of the Scale to take out a 2/2 and then move his counters to Avatar of the Resolute which makes avatar a 10/9) and Feat of Resistance whichever creature got the +1/1 from dromoka's command. Swing for 18 with Avatar of the Resolute (10 trample), Servant of the Scale (6/6 with pro color), Endless One (2/2)
