Standing Troops

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Legality

Format Legality
1v1 Commander Legal
Archenemy Legal
Block Constructed Legal
Canadian Highlander Legal
Casual Legal
Commander / EDH Legal
Commander: Rule 0 Legal
Custom Legal
Duel Commander Legal
Highlander Legal
Legacy Legal
Leviathan Legal
Limited Legal
Modern Legal
Oathbreaker Legal
Pauper Legal
Pauper Duel Commander Legal
Pauper EDH Legal
Planechase Legal
Premodern Legal
Quest Magic Legal
Tiny Leaders Legal
Vanguard Legal
Vintage Legal

Standing Troops

Creature — Human Soldier

Vigilance

DarkKnightCuron on White Soldier Deck for Commander, …

3 years ago

Good Afternoon, Hope everyone is doing well.

I've amassed the following cards for specifically a soldier-themed deck, but I'm having trouble narrowing down the list for an appropriate deck, so I'd like to request advice and assistance. The general idea was to summon a bunch of soldier tokens, buff them, defeat opponents, but I keep stumbling into cards that would be 'cool' or 'awesome' with the theme. Here are the cards I am looking at:

Legendary Cards (Potential Commanders) Akroma, Vision of Ixidor (Synergy with Odric) Baird, Steward of Argive (Good delay) Brimaz, King of Oreskos (Cheap commander that produces soldiers) Darien, King of Kjeldor (decent way of making soldiers, expensive) Keleth, Sunmane Familiar (only for partner) Lena, Selfless Champion Mikaeus, the Lunarch Nahiri, the Lithomancer Odric, Lunarch Marshal Odric, Master Tactician Prava of the Steel Legion Thalia, Heretic Cathar Trynn, Champion of Freedom

Normal Cards Abzan Falconer (synergy with Mikaeus) Adaptive Automaton (buffs soldiers) Ainok Bond-Kin (synergy with Mikaeus) Ancestral Blade (2 for a 2/2 creature seems good, especially if I can re-assign it to Auriok Steelshaper) Angel's Feather (Life gain) Angel's Grace (emergency + synergy with Darien)(Isochron Scepter) Anointed Procession (Double tokens, yes) Anointer Priest (life gain for tokens, seems good) Auriok Steelshaper (seems like good synergy with the equipment in the deck, if they're included. Otherwise, might toss this out) Aven Brigadier (Might toss this) Aysen Crusader (P/T based on soldiers? Yes please) Ballyrush Banneret (cheaper soldier spells) Basri Ket (Synergy with Abzan Falconer and Ainok Bond-Kin)(Produces Soldier Tokens) Benalish Commander (Roundabout way of producing soldiers) Bounty Agent (Neat way of dealing with certain cards) Call the Coppercoats (Produces soldiers) Captain of the Watch (Produces soldiers, buffs soldiers) Captain's Call (Produces soldiers) Catapult Master (Neat way of exiling enemy creatures) Cenn's Enlistment (produces soldiers, retrace) Commanding Presence (roundabout way of producing soldiers) Conclave Phalanx (can easily be a free creature + free life gain) Congregate (good life gain) Conqueror's Pledge (produces soldiers) Coordinated Barrage (meshes with soldiers well. Isochron Scepter) Crusader of Odric (can get really tough and powerful, might be worth cutting though) Daru Stinger (Could be really potent) Daru Warchief (cheaper spells, buffs soldiers, seems good) Dawn of Hope (good synergy with life gains, produces soldiers with lifelink) Daysquad Marshal (produces 1 soldier token, only really good with other buffs/cost reductions) Decree of Justice (mostly just to cycle it) Deploy to the Front (Great way of expanding ranks of soldiers) Devout Invocation (This is basically a win condition) Door of Destinies (buffs soldiers) Elspeth Tirel (makes soldiers, gain life, emergency nuke) Elspeth, Knight-Errant (makes soldiers, indestructable emblem) Elspeth, Sun's Champion (produces soldiers, cool emblem) Elspeth, Sun's Nemesis (makes soldiers or gain life, neat concept) Enlistment Officer (Good way of thinning the deck) Entrapment Maneuver (produces soldiers while protecting yourself, smidge situational) Erase (cheap removal. Isochron Scepter) Evangel of Heliod (produces soldiers, potential for lots of soldiers) Even the Odds (Nice way of getting emergency troops) Fairgrounds Warden (cool removal) Field Marshal (buffs soldiers) Fiend Binder (cool removal) Finale of Glory (basically a win condition) First Response (Nice way of benefitting from small attackers, I think) Garrison Cat (produces 1 soldier token, effectively replacing itself, might be worth cutting) Gideon, Ally of Zendikar (only really here for the emblem and possibly getting buffed on attacks) Gift of Estates (Land is always a problem for me, good deck thinning) Glorious Anthem (buff) God-Favored General (produces soldiers, albeit a bit expensive) Haazda Marshal (neat soldier producer, makes lifelink soldiers) Hero of Bladehold (battlecry + soldier producer, great with Haazda Marshal) Holy Day (defensive spell, Isochron Scepter) Honor of the Pure (buff) Hunted Witness (replaces itself with a soldier, cheap, might cut though) Intangible Virtue (buffs tokens) Intrepid Hero (Great removal, lots of great memories, nostalgic for me, etc) Isochron Scepter (Keep using certain Instants as needed) Join the Ranks (a bit expensive but makes soldiers) Journey to Nowhere (removal) Keeper of the Accord (really cool card, definitely helps with soldiers and lands) Knight-Captain of Eos (basically a holy day by sacrificing a soldier, seems really good) Land Tax (Land is always a problem) Launch the Fleet (produces soldiers, great with Odric, Haazda Marshal, Hero of Bladehold, Brimaz, etc) Leyline of the Meek (Neat little buff) Lieutenants of the Guard (neat mechanic, might cut) Loxodon Partisan (battlecry, might cut) Loyal Sentry (neat concept, cheap) Makeshift Battalion (diet battlecry) Marble Diamond (might be good) Marshal's Anthem (neat card, might be beneficial in a pinch) Martial Coup (great removal + producing soldiers) Mentor of the Meek (card draw from soldiers) Militia Bugler (decent deck-thinning, might cut since its only top four) Militia's Pride (produces soldiers, lots of good synergy) Mobilization (decent buff, built-in soldier producer, tad expensive) Mother of Runes (utility, might cut) Murder Investigation (neat little way of producing soldiers, depends) Ninth Bridge Patrol (neat way of benefitting from tokens getting destroyed) Nomads' Assembly (huge potential) Oath of Lieges (Land is always a problem) Oathsworn Giant (expensive, but decent buff) Oblivion Ring (Removal) Omen of the Sun (produces soldiers, little life gain, scry later, flash, generally good) Palace Guard (cool card) Paragon of New Dawns (buffs soldiers) Path to Exile (Removal) Patrol Signaler (roundabout way of producing soldiers, might cut) Pay No Heed (cheap defense, Isochron Scepter) Pearl Medallion (cheaper spells is always better) Pennon Blade (make something huge, kinda expensive though, might cut) Phantom General (buffs tokens) Precinct Captain (cheap, produces soldiers for attacking, decent synergy) Preeminent Captain (free cast, depending upon circumstances, decent synergy) Proper Burial (decent life gain) Raise the Alarm (cheap soldiers, Isochron Scepter) Ranger of Eos (only useful if I have a lot of cheap creatures) Reborn Hero (neat concept, can bring it back) Rebuff the Wicked (neat counter) Recruit the Worthy (cheap soldiers, Isochron Scepter) Recruiter of the Guard (decent search) Remember the Fallen (might cut, decent card) Resurrection (decent way of bringing back an expensive creature) Return to the Ranks (potentially free method of bringing cards back) Reverent Hoplite (potentially lots of soldiers) Rhox Pikemaster (Decent buff) Righteous Cause (Decent buff, tad expensive) Riot Control (neat life gain, defense) Rootborn Defenses (defense, makes a soldier, neat) Safe Passage (defense) Selfless Squire (interesting utility, might cut) Sergeant-at-Arms (can create soldiers, seems expensive though) Shielded Passage (neat little defense, Isochron Scepter) Sol Ring (obvious reasons) Soul Parry (decent defense, Isochron Scepter) Soul Snare (neat way to keep up devotion + have something on hand to deal with a creature) Soulmender (cheap creature, life gain, might cut) Standing Troops (decent card, might cut) Stormfront Riders (expensive way of producing soldiers, flying, might cut) Strata Scythe (make something huge, might cut) Strength of Arms (decent way of making soldiers, Isochron Scepter) Sword of the Meek (decent way of bringing it back from graveyard, might cut though) Sworn Companions (lifelink soldiers) Terminus (nice clutch card) Thraben Standard Bearer (cheap soldier, can be good for creating defenders in a pinch) Timely Reinforcements (neat for emergencies) True Conviction (huge buff) Unified Strike (exile based on number of soldiers, isochron scepter) Unruly Mob (might cut) Valor (easy way to get first strike) Veteran Armorer (buff, might cut) Veteran Armorsmith (buff, might cut) Veteran Swordsmith (buff, might cut) Veteran's Armaments (decent synergy, might cut) War Report (good life gain) Wing Shards (neat card, might cut) Worship (synergizes with Darien)

Lands Drifting Meadow (cycling) Emeria, The Sky Ruin (awesome card if I can get 7 plains) Karoo (neat little card, not sure if worth it) 28x Plains New Benalia (neat card, not sure if worth it) Nykthos, Shrine of Nyx (white deck, probably a good call) Secluded Steppe (cycling)

Thank you for your time and attention.

seshiro_of_the_orochi on Legality Standing Troops for Pioneer

3 years ago

For a card to be legal in pioneer, it had to be included in a regular set since RTR, a set from 2012. Standing Troops's latest printing has been in the white portion of the 2017 welcome decks. As these are ment as standard-legal introductions for new players, I'm pretty sure it should be pioneer legal.

Ninokun on Legality Standing Troops for Pioneer

3 years ago

Standing Troops is pioneer legal according Magic the Gethering gatheter, but here it appears as not legal for pioneer. Can anyone check and confirm?

Firstmiracle on OKetra Human Zombo alliance

4 years ago

Ok Niko, Quick Breakdown of what you've got here.

I notice several themes integrated into the deck. You should probably only focus on one theme, and if a secondary theme crops up take advantage of it's synergies. Right now I'm seeing:

Tokens Populate Soldiers Lifegain Creature Count Matters Enchantments Matter

Next we look at targeted removal:

Wanderer's Strike - Just one removal spell is too few. What happens if someone plays a dank artifact or enchantment? Do you just die to it?

Next we'll look at boardwipes:

Hour of Revelation - Some heavy restrictions here. Do you really want to wait for your boardwipe to become discounted? This is also too few board wipes. What happens if the creatures are indestructible? Or if Someone plays around Hour of Rev?

Next we'll look at ramp:

Smothering Tithe - Excellent choice, and a real over-performing option as well.

Ashnod's Altar - Excellent way to make use of your tokens and small costed buddies.

Everflowing Chalice - Aight, not my first pick, but it's aight.

Sol Ring - Duh

This is a pretty good ramp package, but I think we could upgrade it.

Next we'll break down your card draw options:

Mentor of the Meek - Decent in this deck. Sure the tokens you want to make the most of don't work out, and a few cards you play can turn this on. I like him, lets optimize creatures around him to make him better.

Skullclamp - Ayup!

Two cards that draw for you is a good start, lets add in some more.

Alright, let's cut everything that isn't a creature, that doesn't make tokens on its own, that isn't removal, card draw, boardwipes, or ramp, that doesn't have synergy with your commander.

Ajani's Welcome - A great card, but definitely reserve it for a build where you abuse your life totals more so than make creatures.

Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit - Most of your creatures are tokens.

Angel of Glory's Rise - Anti-synergies with your commander, and the tokens it creates.

Angel of Renewal - We can find a card that does something better.

Angelic Accord - We want to make angel tokens, but we're not here to gain life.

Angelic Chorus - While this looks good, it generally equates to 4-5 life a turn. Not bad, but not amazing for the investment in this deck.

Angelic Exaltation - Boy do I have mixed feelings on this card, suffice it to say, if you have no creatures, this card sucks. You might have no creatures when you draw this card. That would suck.

Elite Inquisitor - A good card, but we can do better.

Fiendslayer Paladin - A good card, but we can do better.

Forebear's Blade - There's a little synergy here, but to be honest you want a huge discount from this, and you're not likely to get a consistent discount.

Gleam of Authority - Odd counter strategy tossed in. I assume because of Cathars' Crusade which can win the game without gleam of authority.

Glorious Anthem - A great spell for a tempo based weeny deck. This is a cast based token deck.

Harvest Hand  Flip- A good card, but we can do better.

Illusionist's Bracers - I think I understand why you included this, but it doesn't work with Oketra. Oketra's ability is triggered not activated. You probably were thinking of Strionic Resonator

Lena, Selfless Champion - You have so many more token creatures than non-token ones, and your zombie tokens don't benefit from her selflessness at all.

Martyr's Bond - This has potential in a deck that sacrifices it's stuff to maintain board control. I don' think this is a bad card, it just isn't a good enough fit.

Power Conduit -Here's that counter theme again.

Preeminent Captain - Soldier theme.

Sigil of the Empty Throne - Enchantment theme

Squad Captain -Creature count matters theme.

Standing Troops - A good card, but we can do better.

Sunblade Angel - A good card, but we can do better.

Umbral Mantle - I may have missed what this was for.

Veteran's Armaments - Soldier theme again.

Wanderer's Strike - A good card, but we can do better.

Now, I am well aware that this is a lot of cards. Let's shore up your deck, maybe by analyzing your win conditions.

God-Eternal Oketra + Creature Spells = Profit

God-Eternal Oketra + Cathars' Crusade + Creature Spells = Board pump

Token Makers + Divine Visitation = Profit

Expendable Tokens + Ashnod's Altar = Profit

So you win by smacking with a bunch of medium sized tokens, most of the time. This means you need to do three things, Play creatures, Draw Creature spells, and protect your creatures.

Let's start by adding in some badass creatures that fit in your deck well.

Loyal Sentry - One mana has never been spent so well. In the late game it makes a token, in the early game it swings for damage, in the mid game it blocks and destroys pesky creatures.

Knight of the White Orchid - A bear with first strike that ramps you. Pretty good.

Oreskos Explorer - I would never play this in a non-mono-white deck. This does however let you catch up if you are late on land draws, and is at worst a bear to block with.

Benalish Marshal - Glorious Anthem

Boreas Charger - Ramp bud, ramp in mono-white whenever possible. Helps that you could make a zombie, or sac it to skullclamp.

Brimaz, King of Oreskos - I heard you wanted more cats? Can I convince you to play more cats?

Leonin Warleader - This was a card in your maybeboard, its really good.

Oketra the True - This is a fairly good card. Big blocker, or a token generator if you're doing poorly. I often hold her in hand to dump and rebuild after a board wipe.

Ranger of Eos - Only a few cards in your deck that this can retrieve, but a refill alongside making a zombie is an incredibly reserved play that could prevent you from over committing to the board.

Crested Sunmare - Don't get confused. This card cares if you gain life, but not how much. You have plenty of life gain left in the deck to justify making an army of 5/5 indestructible horses.

Geist-Honored Monk - Build a board, save for right after board wipes, or to pull ahead and force one. This is at worst a 3/3 with Vigilance, and two 1/1's with flying for 5 mana. Most often, this will be a 5/5 with vigilance, two 1/1's with flying and a 4/4 with vigilance for 5 mana.

Sun Titan - Sun Titan is Sun Titan. No mono-white deck could be ashamed to run it.

Angel of Serenity - This card is heavily underrated. It is removal, with the possibility to come back, but its also an easy way to sneak in a lethal attack while generating some board presence.

Good on creatures now? Awesome, let's look at Instants.

Swords to Plowshares - Remove that creature.

Generous Gift - Remove that Permanent. Oh and make a creature smaller than my Zombie tokens.

Disenchant - Get that Artifact or Enchantment off my battlefield and in your graveyard.

Rootborn Defenses - Yeah, this.

Unbreakable Formation - This can win games, or prevent the loss of games.

Return to Dust - Fuck these two things in particular, or just one if it's that bad.

Charge Across the Araba - Talk about stupid unpredictable win-cons for a mid-range token deck. This is one.

That about wraps up Instants, now Sorceries.

Divine Reckoning - Protects your general, but still clears the board.

Hallowed Burial - For those mf'ers that don't die.

Austere Command - A very utility board wipe.

Lastly add in a Land Tax

razelfark on Virgin Zombie

6 years ago

First suggestion is to cut all the cards that are creatures that are not zombies or zombie related. If you have a theme you are going for, usually better not to bog it down with cards that don't help the deck idea.

Creature cards to to consider or put more copies in:

Lord of the Accursed: you should try to get 4 copies in the deck if possible. It makes a zombie theme deck much stronger just because you get the +1/+1 for all your other zombies in play.

Wayward Servant: again 4 copies because of how you should have all your cards being zombie related means this will sap your opponent and give some extra so you can afford to take hits.

Cryptbreaker: a good one drop that can turn cards in hand into tokens. Also useful because you can use it to draw.

Diregraf Colossus: is a creature that is useful cast earl since he makes it so you can get a token army going. also useful if drawn late because it becomes bigger for each zombie creature in your grave.

Dread Wanderer (site link not working, you can view it here): is useful if you can get them because they have the ability to come back from the grave and are a decent body for a 1 drop.

Support cards:

Graf Harvest: gives all your zombies menace as a 1 drop enchantment seems really useful and also allows you to exile creatures in your grave to create tokens. Suggest no more then 2 copies in the deck as drawing extra copies becomes useless.

Dark Salvation: a decent control spell that becomes much more useful since you are a zombie deck.

Liliana's Mastery: is another useful card that gives all your zombies +1/+1, but also generates you three 2/2 tokens.

Cards that must come out:

Useless: Faith of the Devoted: you only have one card with cycling in the deck for this to work with. Not worth running for that.

Not in standard format: Bloodhunter Bat, Standing Troops, Stormfront Pegasus, Victory's Herald

These are some quick card suggestions. If you need help finding more zombie related cards, I suggest searching other decks people have posted here or use the website http://gatherer.wizards.com. My list of suggestions do not contain all the cards you might really want, but should help get you going in the right direction. Best of luck with making the deck work. if you have any questions feel free to ask and I will try to help as well as I can.

Flagellum on Doran's Spring: 'Tis the Season of Big Butts

7 years ago

MagicalHacker: Should I attempt to squeeze in Guiltfeeder? What's funny with him in a Doran deck is he deals double damage, once if he isn't blocked depending on how many cards are in someone's GY and then 4 damage due to Doran's ability. Not the greatest early game but can itself be a finisher. I've NO idea what to take out though. Spidersilk Armor?

Removed:

Grizzled Leotau: Vanilla

Disowned Ancestor: vanilla

Yoked Ox: vanilla

Tasseled Dromedary: vanilla

Blessed Orator: buff is lackluster.

Kitsune Loreweaver: vanilla, lackluster/conditional mana sink.

Loxodon Wayfarer: vanilla.

Added:

Noetic Scales: more high power creature punishment.

Tangle Angler: wincon

Yotian Soldier: vigilance baby!

Raving Dead: wincon (aka Quietus Spike with legs).

Solidarity: wincon

Standing Troops: vigilance

Selvala, Explorer Returned: draw and ramp.

Flagellum on Doran's Spring: 'Tis the Season of Big Butts

7 years ago

Thank you MagicalHacker!

I perused the list you linked and have found some goodies that were appealing. To keep the curve tight so I'm dropping a critter or two a turn I've opted for the 3 CMC guys listed unless the effect was too good.

Mentor might make his way in. Shirei is interesting but my creatures lack ETB effects.

Possible Includes

Myr Welder: a 1/4 for 3CMC. Offers artifact gy hate and could be quite useful if it stwals the right ability.

Order of Whiteclay: Sun Titan's lil bro. Not as good with vigilance.

Orzhov Advokist: this plays into my anti-power control element. If they keep pumping their best threats then they will stay tapped. Also acts as a deterrent.

Palace Guard: just a decent effect.

Raving Dead: this guy should probably be in the deck. Great with or without evasion. Doran makes him an effective 6/6.

Sanctum Guardian: nice little protection against big splashy spells or critters.

Scholar of Athreos: late game mana sink?

Selvala, Explorer Returned: ramp and card draw on a 2/4. Pretty decent

Standing Troops: bc vigilance with Doran is hilarious

Vampire Envoy: evasive beater with negligent lifegain.

Village Bell-Ringer: gives my guys pseudo vigilance

Yotian Soldier: vigilance beater

Task Force: infinite toughness with Lightning Greaves and another random critter.

Tangle Angler: Priests of Norn v2.0.

Vanilla/Possible Cuts

Yoked Ox

Tasseled Dromedary

Grizzled Leotau

Disowned Ancestor

Kitsune Loreweaver

Loxodon Wayfarer

Ikra Shidiqi, the Usurper

Tower Defense/Bar the Door: cute overrun effects. Could win the game in the right setup. Iffy on cutting.

While Kami of Old Stone and Indomitable Ancients are vanilla, the value they carry outweighs that fact.

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