My take on 5 color legends in Standard. All credit goes to u/scvirnay and u/Firebrand713 over on r/spikes https://www.reddit.com/r/spikes/comments/188ff4r/standard_5c_human_legends_from_the_creator_of/ for the original decklist. I'm hoping to get some feedback, especially on the sideboard and some of the flex slots.
Tired of the usual standard grind? Do you want to play 5 color good stuff but the domain decks just aren't spicy enough? Well get ready to taste the rainbow as you bury your opponent under a pile of bulk legendaries. The basic gameplan is simple. Curve a 2 drop protector into Gwenna into Jodah and turn a board full of massive creatures sideways. If that doesn't kill them, you can cascade into even more value with Jodah or Djeru and Hazoret.
Deck Guide
Card Choices
Core
- Jodah, the Unifier
- Djeru and Hazoret
- Gwenna, Eyes of Gaea
- Halana and Alena, Partners
These are the heart of the deck, the cards you want to see every game. I don't recommend making changes to these without a very good reason.
Protection
- Hajar, Loyal Bodyguard
- Melira, the Living Cure
- Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
- Skrelv, Defector Mite
Sometimes we get lucky and can simply goldfish our way to victory, but most games the opponent will be throwing whatever they have at Gwenna and Jodah. These creatures are here to buy enough time to assemble our forces. The mix of Hajar/Melira is meta dependent but generally Hajar is better.
Flex Slots
- Inti, Seneschal of the Sun
- Lagrella, the Magpie
- Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar
- Adeline, Resplendent Cathar
We fill out the remainder of the deck with quality legends that pressure the opponent or disrupt their plan. Inti puts the opponent under the gun while helping us dig for whatever we need (usually lands). Lagrella isn't sexy but sometimes we just need something off the board. Kutzil and Adeline are the true flex slots; you could replace these with whatever your deck needs for the meta.
Tips and Tricks
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Pay careful attention to how you play your lands. While most of our creatures are humans Gwenna, Kutzil, and Skrelv are not. If you don't have a green source in your opening hand, it is often better to wait to play Cavern or Courtyard in case you need to name something other than human to cast those card on time. Also remember that Eiganjo is LEGENDARY. If you have card in hand that requires double white, you will not be able to play it unless you find another white source.
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While most of the choices you make will be straightforward, Inti requires careful planning. Choosing to use his triggered ability at the wrong time can be a costly mistake. If you plan to use his triggered ability, avoid playing a land in your pre-combat main phase and keep as much open mana as possible to maximize your chances of being able to play the card your draw. Also be aware that ANY discard will trigger the impulse draw, it is not optional. It is easy to forget this when using Eiganjo or Boseiju. Finally, if you have a choice of two drops, it is generally correct to wait to play Inti. His ability triggers when any of your creatures attack.
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Always remember that Lagrella can also target your creatures. This option doesn't come up often, but when it does it can be a life saver. If you think they have a board wipe, it is often worthwhile to tuck one of your creatures away, especially if you have another copy of that card in hand.
Matchups
Azorius Soldiers:
This is probably our best matchup. Their interaction lines up poorly and Cavern and Kutzil force them into a fair gameplan that they are not suited for.
- +2 Temporary Lockdown
- -2 Hajar, Loyal Bodyguard
Esper Midrange: Another favorable matchup for us, but they close they gap after sideboarding. One thing to watch out for is a curve of Denik into Raffine. Left alone, the connived Denik can quickly outgrow our ability to profitably block.
- +2 Lithomantic Barrage
- -2 Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar
Esper Legends: In theory we should be favored in this matchup, but I haven't played against it enough to be sure. We want to close out the game quickly since they have the edge in a war of attrition.
- +1 Lagrella, the Magpie
- +2 Get Lost
- +2 Lithomantic Barrage
- +1 Invasion of Gobakhan
- -4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
- -2 Kutzil, Malamet Exemplar
Mono Red Aggro: Also a good matchup for us. The long game favors us so play for time and don't open yourself up to get blown out by Monsterous Rage. Adeline really shines here, prioritize land sequences that get her on board ASAP.
- +1 Knockout Blow
- +2 Temporary Lockdown
- +1 Lagrella, the Magpie
- +2 Get Lost
- +1 Surge of Salvation
- -3 Skrelv, Defector Mite
- -4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
5c Domain: This is not a favorable matchup for us. If they get a chance to play sunfall it is usually lights out for us. Speed is the key, if we want to win we need to apply as much pressure as possible and try to kill them before they can find a board wipe.
- +2 Loran of the Third Path
- +2 Get Lost
- -2 Lagrella, the Magpie
- -1 Melira, the Living Cure
- -1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire
Gruul Aggro: Unlike mono red, this matchup is a bad one. They are capable of explosive early turns that we have no good answer for. The good news is that they skimp on removal, so we can turbo into Jodah and try to blow them out on the crackback.
- +2 Get Lost
- +1 Lagrella, the Magpie
- +1 Knockout Blow
- +2 Temporary Lockdown
- -3 Skrelv, Defector Mite
- -3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
Alternate Card Choices
Coppercoat Vanguard has strong potential as a sideboard card. When facing off against the domain decks, we need a way to increase our early clock. Vanguard does exactly that while also acting as another layer of protection. The only thing keeping it out of the main deck is the fact that it is non-legendary.
As mentioned earlier, we have some flexibility at the 3 mana slot. The strongest contender for inclusion is Anim Pakal. Depending on the decks you expect to see, this could be swapped in for Adeline. Adeline is better against aggro decks, especially red decks (or black decks with Cut Down) where that extra two points of toughness is critical. Anim is better against slower decks where we just want to maximize damage.
Breeches is another strong option that I haven't had a chance to test yet. The biggest drawback is the mana. The deck currently leans heavily GW. To be able to consistently cast a red non-human the lands would have to be reworked to match. If anyone is feeling ambitious, I would love to hear your results.
Roaming Throne is an interesting card, but I haven't seen a strong case for including it yet. In most situations, it is going to be a 'win more' card.
