Tired of American decks pushing you around? Junk Rites not playing fair? Gruul way too fast? Jund being mean? Feeling like assassinating those decks? Run with the best and forget the rest!
A well-rounded BWR midrange that wins by playing several powerful creatures and a ton of support cards that help those finishers do their jobs. This deck packs answers to most, if not all, threats in the current standard, and here's the kicker: This deck is mostly rotation-safe!
Due to mainboard Sin Collector AND Lifebane Zombie, this deck gives you a lot of hand disruption and a TON of information in game 1, allowing you to see more of their cards than you normally would with other decks. This means you have more leads on what their threats are and what to side in for games 2-3. Having information on what your opponent is holding and what cards they're using without your opponent having the same information on yours is a HUGE advantage in Magic. This allows you to play around threats and answers and allows you to see what's coming and plan your plays more effectively with minimal surprise.
Although this deck doesn't provide any card drawing, it stays in the card advantage game with persistent battlefield effects and superior draw quality, aside from having the above "card advantage" by having a lot of information. It has a fairly weak game 1 against Sphinx's Revelation decks if it doesn't get a moderately fast enough hand to outrace their mana to cast it. Post-board, however, this deck becomes a control destroyer, siding in cards that obliterate their card advantage and playing around their answers efficiently.
The Pro's:
+Packs answers to most popular threats in current meta
+Redundancy in removals and stabilizers
+Scary follow-ups (Blood Baron of Vizkopa/Obzedat, Ghost Council into Aurelia, the Warleader, Boros Reckoner-Blasphemous Act wombo-combo)
+Doesn't care too much about Thragtusk or planeswalkers
+Cheap, efficient removals
+Able to race well and come back from the brink
+Diversified threats
+INFORMATION!
The Con's:
-Can have weak game 1's against Sphinx's Revelation decks
-Very color intensive early drops, which means you may be dead if you miss your second black or third red/white and not catch them before your opponent gets too far ahead
-Relatively slow when on the draw
-Not a lot of ways to deal with opposing Obzedat, Ghost Council
Creatures
Aurelia, the Warleader - My friend and I dub her "Bam-Bam" due to her ability. She's a great 6-drop finisher that can seal the game if your opponent is unprepared for her. Curving Blood Baron of Vizkopa into her will, if unblocked, result in 14 damage and gain of 8 life. Now that's a 22 life swing!
Boros Reckoner - This guy makes combat a headache for your opponent, especially aggro that doesn't run their own Boros Reckoner. He usually turns combat into 2-for-1 party or just stops it cold. Also turns on the wombo-combo with Blasphemous Act. This deck also has what he needs to activate the infinite life combo (Boros Charm and Vault of the Archangel).
Blood Baron of Vizkopa - A 4/4 with protection from most kill spells save a few burn spells, and also from certain dangerous creatures. Lifelink to stay ahead of aggro, and his bonus ability is simply icing on the cake. Deadly against Aristocrats since none of their creatures can block this guy and they usually do not run Mizzium Mortars. Also great against control as most of their spot removals are either white or black. You have to see him in play in person to realize how well-protected he is. Just go check. Most spot removals are black or white. This also enables him to swing through most creatures without fear of blocking.
Lifebane Zombie - This guy further adds to the already-loaded black's Legion of Doom creatures (Current member: Vampire Nighthawk, Geralf's Messenger, Lifebane Zombie), giving access to some of the most powerful 3-drops in standard. This guy is able to hit most decks in the current meta, avoiding their resolution pretty much entirely and any consequential effects/results. Hitting a Thragtusk or a bigger creature nice and early when they can't respond can lead to a game win. Having the information of your opponent's hand also gives you a big edge. He also acts as a clock with great evasion and makes a decent blocker on defense.
Obzedat, Ghost Council - A very hard to remove beatstick that has a nifty 4 life swing recurring ETB effect. Control hates dealing with him. Jund has a hard time killing him.
Sin Collector - Very powerful against control and certain midrange matchups (especially Jund). Comes in nice and early to hit those problem cards before they can even be cast, AND lets you see their hand!
Other Spells
Assemble the Legion - One of control decks' worst nightmares. Hard to remove and constantly pumps out threats that eventually takes over the game. Also great against midrange.
Blasphemous Act - Emergency Sweep and a secondary win-con with Boros Reckoner.
Brave the Elements
and/or Boros Charm can make this card a one-sided sweeper that could potentially cost just R.
Brave the Elements
- This incredibly powerful card alone is probably what is making Monowhite/Boros humans great decks that they are. This can be used on the defense to save your creatures or on the offense to swing in unblocked. The only thing it doesn't hit is Lifebane Zombie, but he already has his own evasion and if he hit the field, he'd already done most of his work. This also covers Blood Baron of Vizkopa's major weakness to Mizzium Mortars, which makes him even more unstoppable.
Boros Charm - This adds another layer of protection for my precious creatures. It also gives me incredible reach if I ever need to finish off an opponent before he/she can recover.
Liliana of the Veil -She basically becomes a removal with possible recursion against creature-heavy decks and a hand-killing engine against control and midrange.
Dreadbore - 2-mana kill spell that also hits planeswalkers, which frees your creatures up to go straight for the dome.
Mizzium Mortars - 2-mana burn spell that takes care of most midsized threats that has a potential to be a one-sided sweeper later in the game, which pretty much could mean a win.
Rakdos Keyrune - Acts as an accelerator and is one of the best (if not the best) keyrunes out of all ten. Animate for 2 mana to get a 3/1 first strike for either blocking or attacking. Works great with Vault of the Archangel in a long game.
Warleader's Helix
- Yet another burn spell that can take care of most medium-sized threats, but this time at instant speed. Also an 8 life swing when directed at the life total. Devastating against aggro since the life gain sets them back a couple turns.
Searing Spear - Another versatile card that can act either as a removal or to give reach especially against control.
Slayers' Stronghold - Great utility land that provides something for me to do with my excess mana in the late game while helping my creatures jam it in when I don't have a lot of options left. Works great with Blood Baron of Vizkopa when you can swing in for 6 and gain 6 while still having a 4/4 pro-black, pro-white lifelinking blocker! Another great target for this is Lifebane Zombie, letting him get in for 5 almost always unopposed.
Vault of the Archangel - Another great utility land in this color combination. Gives you a way to gain life back in a pinch in a long game and also turns all of your creatures into deadly blockers against gigantic threats if need be. This land also enables the infinite life combo with Boros Reckoner and Boros Charm, should you have the 7 mana to pull it off. I've been using this handy land in half of the top 8 decks I've built (including this one) and I lost count on how many times this thing has won me a game.
Sideboard:
Boros Charm - Probably one of the best charms printed in Gatecrash (the other being
Azorius Charm
). Auto-side against Supreme Verdict deck and/or decks that want to rely on Bonfire of the Damned. Also instantly kills most planeswalkers even after they come in and used their +X abilities. Protects your investments AND can make them even more deadly? Yes, please!
Celestial Flare
- Works great against Bant Hexproof and midrange decks since they rely on swinging with one big dude supported in the backline by dorks or smaller dudes. Also helps you deal with well-protected creatures like Blood Baron of Vizkopa, Fiendslayer Paladin, or any indestructible creatures. You can solo-swing in to bait a block and cast this if they have multiple attackers.
Doom Blade - Our newly reintroduced kill spell of the ages. I've played MTG long enough to understand how much improvement this card will bring to many of the current standard archetype decks and I am no exception. There are only a few oft-played creatures that this thing won't take out. 2-Mana, barely conditional in current meta, instant speed kill spell is a luxury that we can have in this deck.
Pillar of Flame
- Takes care of annoying threats that you don't want dying such as
Voice of Resurgence
, Geralf's Messenger, Strangleroot Geist. Also, a one-mana burn spell means you can potentially blow the game out by killing your opponent's T-1 mana dork on the draw and put him behind.
Rest in Peace - Deals with reanimator decks and Aristocrats and the flash-based control decks.
Slaughter Games - Extremely crippling spell when named correctly. Can potentially win you the game by removing their win-cons and/or answers. Control's worst nightmare.
War Priest of Thune
- This deck has huge problem against enchantments like
Burning Earth
and Detention Sphere/Oblivion Ring so this guy is here to help answer that, while advancing my board state at the same time! Also deals with Angelic Accord now that the deck is slowly gaining popularity.
Thanks for visiting! And don't forget - always recon (Sin Collector/Lifebane Zombie) before sending in the Black Berets!
P.S. Message me for sideboard guide, tips and tricks, or any advice on this deck if you decide to take it for a spin at your local store!
