Generator Angel - Unique deck refining
Modern Deck Help forum
Posted on Feb. 19, 2017, 7:27 a.m. by Revedeka
Hey guys,
For the last 7 years or so I've had a mono-white angel deck which I always had a lot of fun playing with. The deck would change every couple of weeks/months based on if I could think of a better way to run the deck. I know it's not a tier 1 deck by far, and that's not the point, it's just some kind of angel tribal personal deck which I have spend a lot of time on over the years and it has been a lot of fun. Over a year ago I finally got into MTG a bit more seriously and found this site to build deck and do alot of fun stuff like making descriptions as pretty as possible. The latest version of the angel deck is this one:
Defence of the Angels -- (Generator Angel updated)
Modern
SCORE: 49 | 47 COMMENTS | 18582 VIEWS | IN 43 FOLDERS
This version is pretty much pure control focussed, the base of the deck (which I would like to keep) is Extraplanar Lens together with mana cost cards. Originally I started using Extraplanar Lens because angels just costed so much mana generally. After a while I understood that it was a card you had to pretty much build a deck around, since it also costs a lot to play. I liked this version of the deck a lot, but I think it can definetely improve a lot. Again, it's an angel tribal so no tier 1, but it still needs to win as much a possible. Budget isn't that much of an issue.
For the new version of this deck I wanted it to be less focussed on control and more focussed on fighting and ending the game sooner. For the new deck, Cards I want to remove are:
-2 Emancipation Angel (probably to sideboard)
-2 Tower of Fortunes - Not sure yet, maybe I will keep this since I want the card draw
-2 Admonition Angel - Not sure yet
The deck without these cards is pretty much the core of the deck. I don't think I can remove much more, maybe Archangel of Tithes but I think that card is very powerful.
Now for the difficult part, the card which all seem really good and powerful, but I just don't know what to pick to keep it at 60 cards. These cards are:
Plains +4 - I would like to up the land total to 24 to ensure I will always have Plains
Admonition Angel - Im not sure If I want to keep this card, if I do I think I want to add 4 copies. Its very efficient, has great devotion and exiles creatures!
Baneslayer Angel - Would like to add 4 if im adding any at all, one of the most powerful and cost-efficient 5 CMC white cards ever printed, I think this would help the deck a lot, but it's very susceptible to removal.
Angelic Overseer - This card is much like Baneslayer Angel in certain ways. 5 Damage 5CMC flyer. Sure, Baneslayer Angel has lifelink and first strike and protection from 2 types that don't really matter, but I am only planning on running Angelic Overseer if im running at least 10 humans, meaning that the hexproof and indestructible are pretty much guaranteed. And if you ask me, I will always take a 5/3 hexproof indestructible flyer over a 5/5 lifelink firststrike flyer in the 5CMC spot, or am I wrong here?
Angel of Serenity - A 5/6 flyer that exiles 3 creatures when it ETB is great. However, the 7 CMC is not great, with the Extraplanar Lenses this deck runs, I could produce 6 mana at turn 4, so a 7 CMC card is just outside that peak. This is a shame, as I really like the card. However, in previous iterations of this deck, I always favoured Admonition Angel over Angel of Serenity since this deck was all about ensuring I would get Plains every turn. Now the deck still can do that even though I removed cards like Endless Horizons a long time ago, im still not sure if Admonition Angel is better. Admonition Angel is slow, but with an incredebily strong body, a 6CMC which means I can play it at turn 4, and it exiles all non-land premanents instead of just creatures. Im really unsure which one of these 2 is better. Maybe serenity' instant exiling is better, it can also target creatures in my graveyard to get them back in my hand, or vs some graveyard decks its great. However Admonition Angel will immedeatly return the cards back onto the field, while Angel of Serenity sends them back to your hand, which is better most of the time. Im not even sure if this deck needs and additional exiling effects, since it also runs 4 Path to Exile and 4 Quarantine Field.
Iona, Shield of Emeria - I would like to add 2 of these to the mainboard. Sure, it's kinda anti-fun to run it, but it's just so strong! I can play it at turn 6, or earlier if I can fetch or draw Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx and you win when you play her in uhm i dunno 90% of your games? This deck can produce insane amounts of mana, and I think I should use that even more to my advantage and play these insanely powerful cards that normally people would only play in some graveyard fetching strategy.
Emeria Shepherd - I'm thinking of adding 1 more to this deck, since together with Emeria, The Sky Ruin it's pretty good in this deck. The main reason why I would like to run 2 in total is that I was thinking of adding Smuggler's Copter as some early to mid game power, and card advantage. Then, If I discard some strong permanents, I can get them back easily. Not sure about this stratetgy yet though.
Student of Warfare - Were finally done with the angels im thinking about adding, so now the other creatures. These are all humans, which work well with Angelic Overseer. That was not on purpose, just all good early game cards in white seem to be human. Student of warfare is a great early game card, and can be a real threat in turn 2, as you can make it a 3/3 with first strike in that turn. I really love that this card can scale with how much mana this deck can make, it is both a strong early game as well as strong late game. Attracts removal so my angels can't get hit, great with Rogue's Passage and almost just as strong as one of the big angels late game. It also combo's well with another card I wanted to add, Smuggler's Copter. It can crew it easily. If im gonna run this, im thinking of 4.
Transcendent Master - One problem I ran into when thinking about changing this deck, and what made the selection of new cards very difficult, was that I was removing almost every early-mid game card in my deck. All 3 CMC cards that helped buy time for big creatures were lost, and after searching for a while, I thought this might be the perfect replacement. For 3 mana with two devotion to white, it is a normal 3/3 creature, which is.. ok I guess... But after spending 6 mana, which might be turn 4, it becomes a 6/6 with lifelink and with 12 mana, a 9/9 with lifelink and indestructible. This card gives me mid game protection, and becomes one of the strongest late game creatures in the deck. Attracts removal, which is ok, less removal for the other big creatures. Im not sure how many of these I should run if any at all.
Smuggler's Copter - I talked about this card a lot already, but I think this might also be some very good early to mid game presence that this deck needs. It also give me some form of card draw, which I really need. Can be crewed by cards like Weathered Wayfarer and Student of Warfare.
Ghirapur Orrery - Origianlly I had this card in mind as replacement for Tower of Fortunes. This deck has so much mana, it needs A LOT of card draw power to fully use it to its advantage. I eventually went with Tower of Fortunes for lack of a better alternative, as it could get me a lot of card for mana which I normally had enough of. However, with the deck' focus changed to be more dependant on lands, I thought Ghirapur Orrery might be good, 2 land every turn with Admonition Angel seems good on paper. However it comes with a lot of disadvantages. You have to play all your cards in order to get the card draw the next turn, and it also affects your opponent(s). Right now, I have no idea whether to take Ghirapur Orrery or Tower of Fortunes.
So as a little Summary, you can see the deck for yourself here:
Defence of the Angels -- (Generator Angel updated)
Modern
SCORE: 49 | 47 COMMENTS | 18582 VIEWS | IN 43 FOLDERS
I was thinking of removing:
However, there are a lot of very good alternatives which all push the deck in different directions, and I would really appriciate how other people think about them:
Ghirapur Orrery vs Tower of Fortunes
4 additional Plains
I undestand that this must be very difficult for other people to help with since it's such a personal and pretty unique deck, but any help, thoughts, suggestions, whatever are greatly appriciated!
THE_WTF_Brewer says... #2
Smuggler's Copter is the way I would go. I would then add Student of Warfare to compliment it. Also definitely add the 4 plains. This deck doesn't have enough mana. I would also run a couple Knight of the White Orchids.
February 19, 2017 10:07 p.m.