Fast, powerful, resilient and explosive heroic tribal anthem awesomeness!
Win-cons
Primary win-con: Resolve
Obelisk of Urd with lots of soldiers and beat face.
Secondary win-con: Beat face with creatures tall from Heroic triggers.
Finishers: Flying death squad, courtesy of Abzan Falconer.
Optimal opening
- Turn one: Cast a Plains. Tap it and cast
Favored Hoplite
.
- Turn two: Cast a Plains. Attack with Favored Hoplite for 1 damage. Savor your opponent's bemused chortle regarding the taking of 1 damage, knowing full well that their end is near.
- During your opponent's turn-two end step, tap two Plains and play Raise the Alarm. The stage is set.
- Turn three: Cast a Plains. Tap three Plains, convoke Favored Hoplite and two Soldier tokens and cast Obelisk of Urd, naming Soldiers. Try not to gloat. Bask in the warm glow of your opponent's wide-eyed dismay.
- Turn four: Swing for 9. Let the beat-down commence!
Commentary
I think I'm on to something here. In my constant brewing with
Obelisk of Urd, I've melded Soldiers tribal, Heroics, and a mono-color, painless mana base. The main thing this deck folds to (on the surface) is
Stormbreath Dragon.
Sultai Charm
and
Reclamation Sage are problematic, but the deck runs more Obelisks than most decks have answers, even in their side boards.
Crackling Doom is no fun, either, but it doesn't wreck this deck like it does U/W Heroic. Other than those instances, it's a quick and scrappy aggro deck.
Everyone except
Phalanx Leader
and Soldier Tokens are out of Lightning Strike, Anger of the Gods and Bile Blight range once the Obelisk enters play. Phalanx Leader heads out of range with a
Chosen by Heliod
attached, either way.
Chosen by Heliod
serves two purposes: primarily, card draw to keep the deck rolling, and secondarily, getting creatures north of -3/-3 range prior to Obelisk of Urd resolving.
Hero of Iroas
drops it's cost to . I know that playing
Hero of Iroas
in a deck with so few mainboard Auras defies the laws of tradition, but I'm cool with that. He's a beast.
Primus sucks.Feedback is appreciated. Please make a strong argument when recommending something, and read the existing comments. Someone has probably recommended what you have in mind and I've already refuted it.
Sideboarding
Subject to change. Last updated 02.21.2015
VS Abzan Midrange
- Out: 1 Hero, 1 Chosen, 3 Defiant
- In: 3 Erase, 2 Valorous
VS Sultai Whip / Abzan Reanimator
- Out: 2 Raise, 1 Chosen, 2 Defiant
- In: 3 Erase, 2 Hushwing Gryff
VS Golgari Constellation /Jeskai Ascendancy
- Out: 1 Vanguard, 2 Defiant
- In: 3 Erase
VS. Jeskai Tempo
- Out: 1 Vanguard, 1 Hero, 2 Chosen, 2 Defiant
- In: 2 Valorous, 2 Ordeal, 2 Archetype
VS Azorius / Dimir Control
- Out: 2 Vanguard, 1 Falconer, 1 Chosen
- In: 2 Valorous, 2 Feat
VS. Azorius / Jeskai Heroic
- Out: 1 Vanguard, 1 Hero, 2 Chosen, 2 Defiant
- In: 3 Erase, 3 Ordeal
VS. Rabble Red, RDW, Boros Aggro, Mono Black
VS Mardu Midrange / Tokens, Boros Tokens
- Out: 1 Hero, 2 Chosen, 2 Defiant
- In: 3 Ordeal, 2 Valorous
VS Devotion to Green
- Out: 1 Vanguard, 1 Hero, 2 Chosen, 2 Defiant
- In: 2 Hushwing Gryff, 2 Feat, 2 Archetype
VS Temur Aggro / Gruul Monsters
- Out: 1 Vanguard, 2 Chosen, 2 Defiant
- In: 3 Ordeal, 2 Feat
