Want to go under every other deck in Standard? This is the deck for you! I have been tuning this list for awhile and it has a favorable matchup against Mardu and can give other decks a run for their money.
Due to the number of 1 drops in the deck you will typically be the beatdown, so play aggressively, but don't trade guys off early, as we'll be making them bigger later! The general gameplan here is to flood the board with dudes, then play anthem effects for an overwhelming force. Pretty classic white weenie stuff.
The Maindeck:
The creature cards:
Expedition Envoy - This is your no frills one-drop.
Thraben Inspector - The best one drop in Standard is of course one of the best cards in this deck. Draws you cards later on and can grow to considerable size with all the buffs.
Town Gossipmonger
- While this card can be a little tricky to use correctly it is immensely powerful when utilised well. Ideally you'd like to cast one of these as your first creature, then work on flipping it ASAP. You can also pull out some technical lines on defense (block then transform) and with Always Watching you can attack then transform. This will catch a lot of less experienced opponents out, so use it to your advantage!
Soul-Scar Mage - While his abilities don't always come up, the prowess can be relevant even just from threat of activation. Having an extra +1+1 after casting an Always Watching is generally pretty slick. He turns Shocks into powerful permanent negations, and another 1/2 body for one mana is great in this deck. He especially hoses decks playing Winding Constrictor.
Kari Zev, Skyship Raider - While Kari doesn't see a lot of play, she packs in a lot of value for 2 mana and only gets more threatening once the buffs come down. The combination of menace and first strike is no joke, and Ragavan can deal a lot of extra damage - he's even able to take down larger guys in conjunction with a well timed Shock! Kari's best attribute is her high toughness, which avoids popular removal such as Magma Spray.
Thalia's Lieutenant - This has been the crux of the Humans shell since she was printed, and is still a powerhouse. Lieutenant is the main reason to run 16 one-drop humans!
Hanweir Garrison - These guys didn't see much action for awhile, but since Reflector Mage has been banned, its the Garrison's time to shine. This card can end games very quickly if unanswered.
Thalia, Heretic Cathar - An immensely powerful human on the play, and is a major problem for your opponent if not removed quickly. With first strike Thalia is a very effective beater for this deck. You may wish to sideboard her out if you're on the draw and/or your opponent is running Magma Spray or Shock.
The other spells:
Always Watching - This is the main game winner for the deck. Vigilance and increased stats lets you go all out on offense (most of the time), and multiples turn one drops into serious threats. This in conjuction with Thalia's Lieutenant is the core of this deck's strategy.
Stitcher's Graft - The graft plays very well with always watching and is another way to beef up your one drops in the mid to late game. No more Emrakul means no more graft blowouts also, so one copy has been a good addition to the deck.
Cast Out - Very efficient catch-all which can deal with almost any problem at instant speed and can cycle for W in a pinch. I haven't tested with this much but more copies in the main deck could be correct.
Declaration in Stone - For when you just need to exile some creature in your way. Very efficient removal and the downside is often negligible as this deck applies so much pressure.
Shock - Effective spot removal for smaller guys and can provide some late-game reach. A lot of games have been closed out by a shock to the face! This versatility is why I'm playing Shock over Magma Spray. Unlike other decks, this deck is not so concerned about exiling Scrapheap Scrounger.
The Sideboard:
The sideboard is still a work in progress, but I've had good success with these cards.
Aethersphere Harvester - This powerful vehicle does a lot of work in an Always Watching deck. With Always Watching in play, this can attack into and defend against Heart of Kiran with ease, as well as being a superb blocker for other fatties while being able to still fly over top. All this for a bargain crew cost of 1! It even gains life! Board this in against other aggressive decks and decks with a lack of fliers. It dodges answers to Heart of Kiran such as Fatal Push (most of the time) and Grasp of Darkness, and is overall a very resilient threat your opponents might not be expecting.
Gideon, Ally of Zendikar - Beefslab aka "The Gidfather" needs no introduction. One of the most powerful cards in the Standard format, for when you want to get a bit larger against another aggressive decks. I would advise against boarding in Gideon against midrange and control, and the low curve plan of the maindeck is better against those decks.
Selfless Spirit - Great threat against green based midrange decks which have few fliers, and a great defensive card against sweepers like Fumigate, Sweltering Suns, Kozilek's Return, and Radiant Flames. Boarding these in lowers the human count so taking out a couple Thalia's Lieutenant is probably the right choice when bringing in the spirit.
Collective Effort - This is great against other Always Watching decks, especially ones running Glorybringer. A very efficient spell in certain matchups.
Dusk / Dawn - This deck's worst matchup is green based midrange (Winding Constrictor into Rishkar, Peema Renegade totally sucks play against for us), so this card seeks to remedy that. Hope that you draw one early and base your early game around maximising its value. I haven't tested this card much but it has been very effective in games where I have cast it.
Release the Gremlins - Kills artifacts and makes 2/2s.
Harsh Mentor - Hoses Walking Ballista "like a boss". You may encounter some kind of a brew relying on activated abilities where mentor would be good, or you may just want to bring in a bear against a creatureless deck!
Magma Spray - For when you need a little more early interaction (eg. vs. Mardu)
Hazoret the Fervent - This curve topper is an absolute monster when played against a deck that cant get rid of it. If you don't anticipate your opponent having any answers to this (Grasp of Darkness), board her in immediately. With Always Watching in play this attacks and blocks amazingly, and the discard ability should win the game within a few turns. This deck probably wants an additional copy in the board, shes that good.
Hanweir Battlements - This is land #22 for raising the curve post-board. The haste can be relevant when you're playing against a lot of removal, and once in a blue moon you might even meld with Hanweir Garrison!
Well there you have it, low curve RW Humans. I've been doing quite well at my LGS with this deck and I do think this build is competitive. I hope this deck-tech has been useful!
