Modern Allies - Primer (Updated for BfZ!)

Modern Allies Competitive

JLenzen

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Welcome to the first modern ally primer on the internet! (As far as I can tell) There's one that you can find here From 5 years ago that kind of covers a legacy build, but it's not really a primer. Now that battle for Zendikar is out and rolling, and we're likely to see Allies in the next set as well, there will most likely be other primers popping up. However, I do hold that this is the first.

Why play allies?
"No seriously, allies suck," you might say. "They didn't do anything impressive in Standard, how are they going to compete in Modern?" Well in the Modern scene we're up against better decks, but we also have much better cards to complement our allied theme. I still don't believe that Allies will be a Tier 1 Modern deck, but neither was Lantern control when it won Grand Prix Oklahoma in September 2015. New ideas is what keeps Magic fresh and exciting. I have seen a good amount of success with allies, and I think you can too. Here are some more reasons why I, and you, might like to play allies.

• They're different
  I'm a deck brewer through and through, so I can't just pick up a tier deck and take it to a tournament, I have to make something as original as possible. Running abnormal decks also gives a slight advantage against people who don't know what to expect. I've played against many many Twin decks, but my opponent might have never played against a competitive ally deck, and likely won't know how to play against it. A similar effect happened with Adam Bowman when he top 8'd with a collected slivers deck at SSG Open Cincinnati.
• They're explosive
  Due to the nature of their abilities, Allies tend to increase in power exponentially as you gain board position. Many games, you'll win out of nowhere.
• They're flexible
  Unlike other tribal decks (Looking at Slivers, Goblins, Humans, merfolk) allies have a ton of diversity in their builds. You CAN build straight aggro, and do very well, but there's a lot of other fun things to do too: infinite mana combos, pulling creatures from your opponent's graveyards, mill, gaining more life than you know what to do with, etc...
• They're cheap
  If you're like me (a college student on a budget), you can't afford to drop $700 on a playset of Tarmogoyf to be competitive. Although you will have to drop some cash on some cards to compete with the top decks, it will still be significantly less expensive than most other options.

Most Common Deckbuilding Problem
This goes at the top because of how important I think it is. The most common problem I see in ally decks is only using ally creatures. You do not have to rely on allies alone to have a solid deck. Other creatures can and will help your deck immensely, and if they aren't ally triggers, who cares? They can give you bonuses in other ways. Reveillark will get your allies back from the grave, Legion Loyalist puts that much more power into RW aggro, Prophet of Kruphix plays your allies at instant speed. Experiment! And don't be afraid to mix allies with non-allies.

Every Ally By Color

Allies

White allies are the most consistent of all the colors. You really can't go wrong by adding them into any deck. They defend, they attack, they gain life, they protect your other allies. In any deck where you're worried about your opponents attacking, or you want to attack your opponents, consider white.

High Tier

Cards that I consider to be playable in most all modern ally builds, high tier allies are versatile, being good in a variety of situations.

Hada Freeblade
Hada Freeblade is a Champion of the Parish with 1 more toughness, and by far the best 1-mana ally. Include in any deck that deals with aggro, or relies on the allies that get better the more you have, such as Ondu Cleric , Halimar Excavator , or Harabaz Druid. Additionally, if there's another 1-drop that's key to your deck, consider running Ranger of Eos to gain creature advantage reliably.

Kazandu Blademaster
Without a doubt the most efficient ally, an automatic 2/2 with vigilance and first strike for 2 is good enough to include in a Human/Soldier deck. Now you tell me he gets bigger with every additional creature you play? What's not to love? Same as the Freeblade, include in aggro-centered decks, or use him in any ally deck if you find yourself needing more triggers.

Ondu Cleric
Ondu cleric is a great addition to almost any deck, particularly defensive ones. If you opponent ignores him (Which will only happen if you have many other threats), and you get several out, you can realistically gain 50-70 life per game. If you're against a deck with little interactivity, you can gain over 400. Seriously, I've done it. The obvious downside is the 1 toughness, easily dying to Darkblast, Zealous Persecution, and a variety of other spells that are normally included to kill tokens. Despite this, Ondu cleric has found a home in nearly every white ally deck I've seen, so don't underestimate him.

Kabira Evangel
Similar to all the other white allies, Kabira Evangel is excellent both defensively and offensively. Offensively he gives your allies protection from whatever color your opponent's blockers are, resulting in free passage almost every turn. The task for the advanced brewers however, is to figure out the best ways to trigger him on your opponent's turn, giving all your allies protection. This allows you to dodge Anger of the Gods, Maelstrom Pulse, as well as any targeted removal (The ever annoying Abrupt Decay), and most all red removal. Common tools for doing this include: Aether Vial, Cloudshift, Momentary Blink, Scout's Warning, Mimic Vat, and Collected Company.

Mirror Entity
Changelings are technically also allies, and a few of them work well with allied strategies, so I'm including them here. Mirror Entity works very well with white aggro decks, since his ability doesn't do anything about the +1/+1 counters on your creatures. Meaning if can drop a Mirror Entity at instant speed during attacks, then tap your remaining mana, you can easily double the damage you would be doing. Additionally, you can activate his ability to make any non-allies allies for the turn, meaning they can be protected by Kabira Evangel or help pump the abilities of Ondu Cleric , Halimar Excavator , Harabaz Druid, etc...

Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
Technically not an ally at first, but he does so much for allies that he can be included here. The new Gideon is a mid-range godsend for ally decks, providing consistent ally triggers, an indestructible beater, and a permanent Glorious Anthem at the very least. I'd recommend 2 in all but the fastest ally decks.

Lantern Scout
A solid replacement for Ondu Cleric in aggro decks, Lantern Scout can turn a sub-par turn into a massive one via Collected Company.

Mid Tier

Niche cards that I think can find a place in some decks, but have drawbacks if not used correctly. Mid tier allies need to be in the right deck to work well.

Talus Paladin
An excellent beater for white-aggro, though could probably be replaced with some card advantage. Reason being - Ondu Cleric already gets you as much life as you could want, and his lifelink ETB effect doesn't stack with multiple triggers like others do. However, if you don't want to run Ondu Cleric , or you want a powerful midgame creature, he can definitely be a powerful tool.

Hero of Goma Fada
Indestructible is a very powerful effect, as anyone who's ever played against a Sliver Legion EDH can tell you. That being said, its not that much better than protection ( Kabira Evangel ) except that he gives it to all of your creatures. The 3 toughness is also a huge drawback, since it means he dies to a Lightning Bolt.

Kor Bladewhirl
If Kor Bladewhirl had a way to get bigger, he would easily be a top tier ally. However, without that, first strike can be an underwhelming ability, especially when it's not constant. Additionally, he actually makes Drana, Liberator of Malakir worse. (The allies wont get counters before they deal damage)

Makindi Patrol
Could be a 1 or 2 of in some aggro builds, vigilance can be a very helpful ability. The fact that hes collectible also helps.

Serene Steward
Toeing the line between mid and low tier, the only thing I like abour Serene Steward is how her ability syncs with Drana's Emissary and other lifegain allies from Battle for Zendikar. Probably not playable however.

Low Tier

Bad cards that should not find their way into a competitive deck.

Makindi Shieldmate
A 1/4 defender isn't too great, even if he does get bigger. Honestly if you want defense, put in Kazandu Blademaster . He'll be the same size, with more power, and can attack and still block if you want him to. I wouldn't consider this one unless you can utilize defender in some way.

Angel of Renewal
Any creature that costs 6 mana in modern should effectively win you the game. Angel of Renewal doesn't even get close to that.

Cliffside Lookout
When I was praying for another 1-drop ally, I was expecting something similar to Hada Freeblade, not this. If you're looking to round out your curve with more 1-drops, see the Support Cards sections.

Expedition Envoy
See above.

Kor Castigator
Way too fragile. Decent in Limited, but almost nothing else.

Kor Entanglers
Super niche ability. If this was on a 1 or 2 mana ally, it could be considered, but absolutely not for 5.

Support Cards

Disclaimer: There are A LOT of great cards that work well with allies. Im not going to even attempt to name them all. These are cards that I think are worth particular mention in each color.

Return to the Ranks
Probably the best recursion spell allies have access to, convoke makes Return to the Ranks good at all stages of the game. I particularly enjoy self mill with Halimar Excavator into a 3-4 ally Return to mill my opponents out.

Ghostway
The only blink effect that I think is good enough to play, ghostway will often result in either a huge amount of life, milling your opponent, or protecting all your allies from a board wipe. Its still a dead card without board position, which is why I dont usually run it, but I can see it being useful in the right deck.

Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit
A great creature to use with Hardened Scales, Anafenza can get your creatures incredibly big very quickly. With 1 Anafenza and 1 Hardened Scales, a Hada Freeblade entering the battlefield is immediately a 4/5.

Abzan Falconer
A really nice 1-of in some +1/+1 counter aggro decks, Abzan falconer can be really surprising and help you on either offense or defense.

Sun Titan
In my opinion the best creature to ramp into with Harabaz Druid, Sun Titan almost guarantees an ally trigger when he enters, and then every turn after that. A great creature to consider if youre looking for a midgame option, especially if you have other permanents your deck relies on.

Retreat to Emeria
Im actually not sure about this one yet. On one hand the ability to consistently make ally tokens if a great ability, but on the other hand it's strictly worse than Gideon, Ally of Zendikar. If any of you test this competitively, let me know.

Common cards that arent as good as them seem

Cloudshift, Momentary Blink, other single target blink effects. These are always the first support spells suggested to allies, Ive put them in several decks myself. While its true that they can save a single target from removal while also triggering your allies at instant speed, they have several big disadvantages. They remove counters from your aggro allies, most of them dont protect from board wipes, theyre horrible top decks in mid game, theyre useless without good board position, and they dont interact with your opponent.

Join the Ranks Doesnt give enough help for the mana cost.

Allies

Blue allies are very versatile, as blue tends to be. The key allies are without a doubt Halimar Excavator and Jwari Shapeshifter. The shapeshifter can go into any deck, and the Excavator has synergy with many decks, such as Delve, Reanimator, and obviously Mill. However if you're taking the more aggro approach, I'd stay away from blue.

High Tier

Cards that I consider to be playable in most all modern ally builds, high tier allies are versatile, being good in a variety of situations.

Jwari Shapeshifter
The most diverse ally, I would include Jwari Shapeshifter in any ally deck with blue. She can copy any ally to better fit your board position, be re-assigned to new allies using blink effects, and has some interesting interactions with cards like Mirror Entity in which she can copy a non-ally creature you control. WARNING: when blinking all creatures with Ghostway or returning creatures with Return to the Ranks or something similar, magic rules state that your Shapeshifter must have a target to copy on the battlefield when it is entering. This means you'll need to put an ally out after you play Ghostway.

Mid Tier

Niche cards that I think can find a place in some decks, but have drawbacks if not used correctly. Mid tier allies need to be in the right deck to work well.

Umara Raptor
A good choice for any deck that needs to deal with flying opponents. Thanks to Ally Encampment and Cavern of Souls, putting Umara Raptor into the sideboard of a deck without blue isnt unreasonable.

Halimar Excavator
Most likely my favorite ally, this guy made my deck viable with my friends back in 2011. Kick Rite of Replication with only a Halimar Excavator and you mill for 5 * 6 * 6 = 180, enough for 3 people at once. More realistically, you have 2 Harabaz Druid out already, meaning you mill for 5 * 6 * 8 = 240. Seriously, adding only Halimar Excavator to an ally deck makes mill a VERY realistic win condition, and its the one I focus most of my ally builds around. Additionally, at 1/3 he's harder to remove than Ondu Cleric , can block fairly well, but still dies to Lightning Bolt so be careful.

Sea Gate Loremaster
This ally is...interesting. He's so powerful that most times, if you activate his ability, you'll win the game. He gives so much card advantage that allies continue to stack so fast, your opponents won't be able to keep up. However! Once your opponent has seen him once, he'll never survive in the future. 3 toughness on a 5-drop just isn't enough resilience. If you have some way to give him haste, he could be much more reliable.

Shapesharer
Changelings are technically also allies, and a few of them work well with allied strategies, so I'm including them here. A very interesting changeling, Shapesharer could especially help in mill decks by copying Halimar Excavator . He acts as a more versatile Jwari Shapeshifter that doesn't trigger himself when he enters the battlefield, but can be recurred or blinked with Ghostway or Return to the Ranks .

Halimar Tidecaller
Another interesting ally from Battle for Zendikar, Halimar Tidecaller is a good card, but not necessarily good in most ally decks. I expect to see him pop up in standard, but he would require a very unique deck to work efficiently with other allies. Worth noting is the fantastic synergy with Noyan Dar, Roil Shaper.

Low Tier

Bad cards that should not find their way into a competitive deck.

Seascape Aerialist
One of the few allies I've never used, seascape aerialist has potential as a finisher in a UW aggro ally deck, but in my opinion W, RW, and RWG all do ally aggro more efficiently, and Abzan Falconer does effectively the same thing for 2 less mana.

Coralhelm Guide
Yeah...

Support Cards

Disclaimer: There are A LOT of great cards that work well with allies. Im not going to even attempt to name them all. These are cards that I think are worth particular mention in each color.

Xenograft
Notable because of the infinite loop with Turntimber Ranger . If you like combo, this is a fun, though slow one.

Rite of Replication
Kicking this isnt difficult with Harabaz Druid, and can easily win the game if used on the right target.

Mirror Mockery
What I really like about this card is its offensive and defensive ability. Put this on a Siege Rhino and it cant attack, but put it on a Kazandu Blademaster and you get an ally trigger every turn. Its not amazing, but it is worth considering.

Common cards that arent as good as them seem

None yet, waiting on suggestions from the crowd.

Allies

Green allies are a great splash idea to any deck. Not only do they bring mana in the form of Harabaz Druid, but also many powerful instants and sorceries such as Tracker's Instincts , Collected Company, and Commune with the Gods, which provide incredible card advantage.

High Tier

Cards that I consider to be playable in most all modern ally builds, high tier allies are versatile, being good in a variety of situations.

Harabaz Druid
A fantastic addition to the world of allies, Harabaz druid makes ramping easy. Dropping one on turn 2 will usually mean 2 more allies on turn 3. With a second Harabaz Druid on turn 3 (or Jwari Shapeshifter, you can have 9 mana on turn 4, enough to kick a Rite of Replication on whatever your third ally was. A Akoum Battlesinger or Halimar Excavator will usually mean an instant win. If you find a good way to give her haste, you can combo your allies in hilarious ways. Again worth noting is the 1 toughness. If you want to run this ally reliably, you'll need to pack ways to protect her.

Oran-Rief Survivalist
A poor man's version of Kazandu Blademaster , this ally is still nothing to scoff at. He will quickly get bigger than any other creature on the field. He can find a home in any green Ally aggro deck, but also is great with decks specializing in the 2-mana allies or the +1/+1 counter theme, using Return to the Ranks , Aether Vial or Hardened Scales to best effect.

Mid Tier

Niche cards that I think can find a place in some decks, but have drawbacks if not used correctly. Mid tier allies need to be in the right deck to work well.

Tajuru Archer
A possible sideboard option depending on your meta, the archer is devastating to any deck that relies on flying creatures. Unfortunately he doesn't grow, and at 2 toughness is easy to take out, but still a viable option against the right deck.

Turntimber Ranger
Now this one is interesting. This ally brings little pets along with him for the ride. 5 mana isn't that steep thanks to Harabaz Druid for such a fantastic ability. Furthermore, Turntimber Ranger can be abused into making an infinite combo thanks to Xenograft or Conspiracy. These enchantments can be put into a deck easily with Commune with the Gods, an element I include in the deck types section below.

Beastcaller Savant
I really dont like this ally. He has so much potential, but the only spend this mana on creature spells clause minimizes his effectiveness. It means the only card he can play on turn 2, when you want his mana, is Hada Freeblade, and it means you cant cast a Collected Company or Gideon, Ally of Zendikar on turn 3, which are ally decks best 4-drops. However, the haste synergizes well with Akoum Battlesinger , Collected Company and Drana, Liberator of Malakir, so he might have some use.

Chameleon Colossus
Changelings are technically also allies, and a few of them work well with allied strategies, so I'm including them here.One of the best changelings, Chameleon Colossus works well with green allies, as Harabaz Druid can easily activate his ability. If given protection from the color of enemy blockers (unless they're all black) by Kabira Evangel , he becomes even better. That being said, he isnt collectible and the 4-drop slot is already pretty crowded. Consider for a sideboard option if youre running Harabaz Druid and having trouble with black.

Low Tier

Bad cards that should not find their way into a competitive deck.

Joraga Bard
While vigilance is a very valuable ability, 1 power for 4 mana and an ally that doesn't get bigger leaves something to be desired. The 4 toughness is nice, but I wouldn't add this one into most ally decks.

Graypelt Hunter
The only ally with built in trample, Graypelt Hunter could be good in aggro decks that don't run Kabira Evangel , and thus find themselves blocked often, but we have better options.

Vastwood Animist
Another ally I haven't had the fortune of playing myself, Vastwood Animist feels like he can be broken in some way, or have some really good interaction in a land based deck, but with most decks, probably not worth considering.

Tajuru Warcaller
A great ability, but without it, shes still a 2/1 for 5 mana, and thus isnt even collectible. The only synergy is with Alesha, Who Smiles at Death, and even then youd need to get her into the graveyard.

Tajuru Stalwart
The biggest thing I hate about allies with converge is that theyre useless with Collected Company. Ignore that, and this is a decent card, but we still have better options.

Tajuru Beastmaster
Not much to say here, the 5/5 is nice, but nothing special.

Support Cards

Disclaimer: There are A LOT of great cards that work well with allies. Im not going to even attempt to name them all. These are cards that I think are worth particular mention in each color.

Collected Company
I dont think that its a stretch to say this is the single best support card allies have access to. The ability to play 2 allies at instant speed for 4 mana from the top of your deck is insane. This should be a 3 or 4 of in almost any green ally deck.

Chord of Calling
A bit more niche than Collected Company, this card can still be incredibly powerful if you can get the mana to cast it. Drawing a Kabira Evangel out of your deck at instant speed is fantastic.

Hardened Scales
A great card if you get it in your first few turns, Hardened Scales makes your board position too big for most decks to deal with. The downside is that drawn in the mid game it can be frustrating.

Bramblewood Paragon
A great card to use with Hardened Scales and the warrior allies, Bramblewood Paragon can get you an overwhelming creature presence and trample over your opponents.

Craterhoof Behemoth
One of the best cards to ramp into with Harabaz Druid, Craterhoof is one of the only creatures I would consider running Cloudshift with, simply because his ETB ability is so powerful.

Inspiring Call
Im not a fan of this card since, once again, its not good when topdecking, however the payoff is really really good in the right situations.

Common cards that arent as good as them seem

Descendants' Path
Only a few enchantments are consistently playable in modern. Descendants Path is way too hit and miss to use, and is useless against decks that kill or control everything you try to play, which is most of the decks in the meta right now, and its too slow for affinity or merfolk.

Allies

Red allies do exactly what all red cards do: aggro, haste, and destroying artifacts. An excellent supplement to an aggro deck, splashing red (and white) also gives access to the very powerful Boros Charm, as well as a host of other supporting spells.

High Tier

Cards that I consider to be playable in most all modern ally builds, high tier allies are versatile, being good in a variety of situations.

Akoum Battlesinger
One of only two allies with Haste, Akoum Battlesinger is a must in any red aggro deck. Despite only getting bigger for a turn, she pumps all your allies giving some amazing power with blink effects. Worth noting is the interaction with Legion's Initiative . Say for example, you have 2 Akoum Battlesinger , 1 Highland Berserker , 1 Hada Freeblade, and 1 Kazandu Blademaster out, which isn't too difficult. Proc Legion's Initiative , now all your allies have haste, +10/+0 in addition to the 5 +1/+1 counters on Kazandu Blademaster and Hada Freeblade. That's a lot of damage.

Taurean Mauler
Although better in multiplayer, Taurean Mauler can still become a terror in 1v1 play. I think he's more of a sideboard option against decks that play a lot of spells, but can fill the 3-drop slot in an aggro deck quite nicely.

Firemantle Mage
Menace is a very powerful aggressive ability, and since Firemantle Mage hits the 3CMC or less mana cost to be collectible, I would include as a 2-of in most red aggro decks.

Mid Tier

Niche cards that I think can find a place in some decks, but have drawbacks if not used correctly. Mid tier allies need to be in the right deck to work well.

Highland Berserker
Another ally with an un-stackable ability. First strike is useful, however it is very rarely game breaking. Additionally, he is outclassed by Kor Bladewhirl , so if youre running white, you have no reason to use Highland Berserker .

Kazuul Warlord
An incredibly powerful, though expensive ally, the Warlord could find a home in a RG deck utilizing Harabaz Druid to get him out quickly. Combining him with allies that naturally get counters can quickly put them out of Anger of the Gods range.

Tuktuk Scrapper
Not a bad sideboard option if you have the mana for it. Tuktuk is an automatic artifact destruction, and the damage is tied to the amount allies you have, not the CMC of the artifact like similar red cards. Its a bit slow to use against affinity, but can do really well against decks that rely on their artifacts for mana or fixing like Sunny side up or Lantern Control.

Chasm Guide
So close.When this card was spoiled my tears caused it to rain for 3 days. If only Chasm Guide was 3 mana or less, we could see some ridiculously powerful combos with Collected Company. Alas, it was not to be, and now hes closer to low tier than high.

Zada, Hedron Grinder
The potential of this card gives me shivers. The interaction with cards like Cerulean Wisps is fantastic, but I havent been able to unlock her potential with an ally shell yet. That being said, I would not be surprised to find Zada in a tokens deck, since she doesnt really need other allies.

Low Tier

Bad cards that should not find their way into a competitive deck.

Murasa Pyromancer
This ally's ability is incredibly powerful with good board position. However, when trying to fight from behind, it's underwhelming. Additionally, the lack of "damage to player" minimizes the effectiveness of this card.

Tuktuk Grunts
The second ally with haste, unfortunately this one is a 3/3 for 5 mana, which certainly leaves something to be desired. 9 times out of 10 you'll be better off with the lower mana cost red/white allies.

Ondu Champion
If you want trample, we have better options.

Reckless Cohort
This ally isnt any good, but holy sh*t that flavor text. Dont give me these feels WotC.

Shatterskull Recruit
Meh.

Support Cards

Disclaimer: There are A LOT of great cards that work well with allies. Im not going to even attempt to name them all. These are cards that I think are worth particular mention in each color.

Alesha, Who Smiles at Death
I prioritize good recursion very heavily, which is why I like Alesha. His ability is very strong with allies, and a 3/2 first strike isnt bad. That being said, you dont want to rely too heavily on him, since he is fragile and he doesnt trigger your allies immediately.

Twinflame
A card I havent put too much thought into, but copy abilities are very strong with allies. Target Zada, Hedron Grinder with this spell and you could easily win the game.

Common cards that arent as good as them seem

None yet, waiting for suggestions from the crowd.

Allies

Black allies have in my opinion the most interesting abilities. However, they are particularly difficult to use. If the right deck is built around them, they can be very very threatening.

High Tier

Cards that I consider to be playable in most all modern ally builds, high tier allies are versatile, being good in a variety of situations.

Drana, Liberator of Malakir
The best new ally in my opinion, Drana gives allies some much needed flying defense/offense. She works fantastically with Hardened Scales, is collectible, and an interesting caveat of first strike means that your attacking creatures that DONT have first strike will get their counters before they deal damage.

Mid Tier

Niche cards that I think can find a place in some decks, but have drawbacks if not used correctly. Mid tier allies need to be in the right deck to work well.

Kalastria Healer
This vampire might be closer to mid tier, but the caveat of your opponent losing 1 life on every trigger can be incredibly valuable. Im going to be using this card in my Return to the Ranks ally build as some extra life gain/life drain pressure.

Agadeem Occultist
See what I mean when I say interesting? 3 mana for a card like this could be very viable, especially when paired with a mill creature like Halimar Excavator . Want to add $170 to your deck? Steal an opposing Tarmogoyf from the graveyard. If you run this creature with enough ramp, you can also run Conspiracy or Xenograft to make all the creatures you get trigger your allies.

Bala Ged Thief
A possibility in a more control-oriented ally deck, Bala Ged Thief's ability can be incredibly powerful with good board position. If you can cast allies at instant speed, you can take your opponent's sorcery speed sweeps like Wrath of God or Supreme Verdict that would normally rain on your parade. Additionally, not a bad card to draw mid game when both players are top-decking. If your opponent only has one card in hand, the Thief's ability by itself can still be valuable.

Hagra Diabolist
The opposite of Ondu Cleric . Anyone who has played allies knows how easy it is to get 20 life with the Cleric. If you can pull it off correctly, Hagra Diabolist can be a devastating win condition.

Bojuka Brigand
Still a valuable card in +1/+1 counter oriented decks, the 2 CMC works very well with Return to the Ranks and Aether Vial. You should always use Hada Freeblade, Kazandu Blademaster and Oran-Rief Survivalist first, but if you still need more after that, Bojuka Brigand is a good option.

Zulaport Cutthroat
Another ally with the gain 1 life lose 1 life makes me excited. The fact that hes 2 cmc is even more fun.

Low Tier

Bad cards that should not find their way into a competitive deck.

Bloodbond Vampire
Not strong enough to fill the 4 slot.

Hagra Sharpshooter
Pretty underwhelming, almost no combat stats and her ability costs too much to be useful.

Nirkana Assassin
Originally I thought this card gave all your creatures deathtouch. Alas, I was wrong, and this ally falls back into low tier.

Nimana Sellsword
A poor excuse for a beater, and way too slow for 4 mana.

Kalastria Nightwatch
Meh.

Support Cards

Disclaimer: There are A LOT of great cards that work well with allies. Im not going to even attempt to name them all. These are cards that I think are worth particular mention in each color.

Conspiracy
Works incredibly well with Agadeem Occultist and Turntimber Ranger .

Common cards that arent as good as them seem

None yet, waiting for suggestions from the crowd.

Allies

Battle for Zendikar brings something new to the table, multicolor allies. Initially this got me really excited, but as more and more were spoiled, it became obvious we wouldnt see the power we were hoping for.

High Tier

Cards that I consider to be playable in most all modern ally builds, high tier allies are versatile, being good in a variety of situations.

Veteran Warleader
A lot of people are going to disagree with me on this one. Honestly, Veteran warleader is closer to mid tier, however I do think since he is collectible and good on both offense and defense, he fits here. The nicest thing about this card is that unlike our other allies, he can enter the battlefield powerful, and works well with non-allies.

Mid Tier

Niche cards that I think can find a place in some decks, but have drawbacks if not used correctly. Mid tier allies need to be in the right deck to work well.

Drana's Emissary
Flying in modern can be very useful (see Lingering Souls), and Im a huge fan of her upkeep ability, since Im a midrange player. Im going to be trying out a BW lifedrain deck once the new set comes out, maybe before.

Noyan Dar, Roil Shaper
Not really a card that works with other allies, however Noyan Dar has potential in other decks. The 4 toughness puts him out of bolt range, and the fact that he gives his land creatures haste means he could get in for deceptive damage. I really want someone to make a deck with Noyan Dar, Vastwood Animist , and Halimar Tidecaller .

Munda, Ambush Leader
I really wish Munda was 3 mana, but even though hes 4, he has a lot of value. He doesnt die to Lightning Bolt or Abrupt Decay, and he ensures you keep drawing allies. People have pointed out the sync with Descendants' Path, but Im not a fan of that enchantment, so I dont think it will see too much play.

Low Tier

Bad cards that should not find their way into a competitive deck.

Resolute Blademaster
Double strike is a really strong ability, but at 5 mana for a 2/2, resolute blademaster falls far short for an aggro deck.

Skyrider Elf
The thing I hate about converge on allies is that this card dies immediately with Collected Company. In my book, that puts him far behind other options we have.

Grovetender Druids
Really? a 1/1 plant, and we dont even get it for free? No thanks.

Angelic Captain
See Resolute Blademaster , powerful ability, way too slow. MAYBE mid tier if she had haste. Maybe.

Support Cards

Disclaimer: There are A LOT of great cards that work well with allies. Im not going to even attempt to name them all. These are cards that I think are worth particular mention in each color.

Aether Vial
One of the best support spells for allies, Aether Vial can get your allies through without fearing counterspells, ramps your early turns, and allows triggers at instant speed.

Spellskite
A modern staple spellskite fits the 2-mana slot, protects your allies, disrupts a few other strategies, and is an all around great card.

Ojutai's Command
A solid option for UW ally decks, Ojutais command can provide a variety of advantage, most notable being getting an ally back from your graveyard at instant speed.

March from the Tomb
Another good option to come out of Battle for Zendikar, March from the tomb is good if you run a healthy amount of 3 or higher CMC allies.

Prophet of Kruphix
Allows you to play all your allies at instant speed, Prophet also combos incredibly well with Harabaz Druid, giving you a constant flow of mana throughout the game.

Domri Rade
A good option for any creature based aggro deck, Domri Rade could replace Gideon if you want to go all out on the attack. The fight ability means he doubles as removal, since your creatures will get so big.

Boros Charm
Protects your allies from anything other than Path to Exile, does damage, gives double strike. In RW, whats not to love?

Simic Charm
Another great option for UB decks, every ability helps our creatures in some way.

Ally Encampment
Arguably The best card to come out of Battle for Zendikar, this land should be a 3 or 4 of in every ally deck. It allows you to splash other colored allies very easily when need be, particularly in the sideboard. The ability is also not to be underestimated. It can give you another trigger, or save an ally from death, or both.

Cavern of Souls
Tribal decks best friend, use at least 2 of these to help against blue decks, potentially even 3 if you dont have many non-ally spells.

Gavony Township
One issue with Harabaz Druid is you need things to spend all your mana on. Gavony provides a good outlet.

Kessig Wolf Run
Similar to Gavony Township, Kessig Wolf Run provides a good outlet of mana for Harabaz Druid.

Alchemist's Refuge
I put a lot of priority on playing allies at instant speed, and this land provides that in niche situations.

Common cards that arent as good as them seem

None yet, waiting for suggestions from the crowd.

There's a reason that allies are almost non-existent in the modern scene, they have a host of problems. In this section, I'll cover common issues, both individual cards and theories, as well as ways to deal with them.

Overextending

Allies by the nature of their abilities get stronger the more there are on the battlefield. This is obviously a significant advantage, as they can often snowball out of control. However, good opponents will pay careful attention to the board state, and at the last possible second drop a board wipe, killing all your allies and setting you back 4 turns. Their deck on the other hand, only lost one card, and so can stay ahead of you for the rest of the game.

Common cards in the format include: Supreme Verdict, Damnation, Wrath of God, Anger of the Gods.

Burn

Burn is one of the hardest match-ups for ally decks unless you account for it. Since all the allies hit the battlefield before they get their +1/+1 counter, they're vulnerable to nearly any amount of damage.

Common cards in the format include: Lightning Bolt, Electrolyze, Rift Bolt , Lightning Helix, Searing Blaze .

Torpor Orb/Hushwing Gryff

These cards negate nearly every ally effect, and are not uncommon to see in the modern scene as they deal with certain decks such as Splinter Twin. It is paramount that every ally deck (that seeks to be competitive) has some way to deal with these cards. You can put solutions in the sideboard, but preferably you would include it in your main-board, as some sort of artifact/creature removal should be present in every deck.

Solutions:

• Kabira Evangel Protection from any color of your choice is a very valuable ability. It prevents targeting, Auras, and any form of damage. Finding a way to activate Kabira Evangel at instant speed will often save your board position and win the game The best way is without a doubt Collected Company. This will help against any damage sweeps such as Anger of the Gods or Maelstrom Pulse, as well as virtually any red spell. HOWEVER this will not protect you against "destroy" sweeps such as Supreme Verdict or "-X/-X" sweeps like Black Sun's Zenith or Drown in Sorrow
• Ghostway blinks all your allies and brings them back in a different phase, meaning they'll dodge all board wipes. It also has the added bonus of triggering all your allies again. However it's worth noting that this card does nothing for you without a solid board position. If you get behind early, or at any point, it won't help you. In a format like modern, you have to make sure that every card is as useful as possible. A Negate will stop every boardwipe (with the exception of Supreme Verdict just as easily as these cards, but can also help you at other points in the game, but wont win you the game like Ghostway.
• Graveyard Recursion such as Immortal Servitude, Reveillark, Return to the Ranks , March from the Tomb and Sun Titan can also help you recover from board wipes. It's also worth noting that graveyard recursion tends to be more useful than the blinks because you don't need a good board state. However, they're useless in the early game, or if an opponent has graveyard hate like Scavenging Ooze or Grafdigger's Cage. (Deck brewers challenge: Try milling yourself with Halimar Excavator to better make use of graveyard recursion)
  Return to the Ranks is an interesting recursion card in that it becomes better with a good board state (thanks to convoke), but can still be used very effectively with only 5 or 6 mana. I definitely suggest this pick, especially if you have many 2 or 1 cmc creatures that are key to your strategy.
• Creature/Artifact hate is obviously the way to deal with Hushwing Gryff and Torpor Orb. There's plenty to choose from, you just have to pick the ones that work best with the colors you've chosen. Oblivion Ring and Detention Sphere work for both, as well as many other permanents if your opponent doesn't have those particular spells. Ancient Grudge works excellently for R/G, Qasali Pridemage is a good choice for G/W, and Path to Exile or Revoke Existence for any deck running white. However, there are plenty of other choices I haven't mentioned, so look around!

I'm slowly reworking the deck types section. For now, I've trimmed down the list. Any additions will need to meet 3 criteria.

• The deck must be updated for Battle for Zendikar
• The deck must be competitive, and tested in that environment. Additionally, it should have an indepth description, including card choices, good and bad matchups, etc...
• The deck must do something differently/better than a current deck on the list. I'm not going to put multiple naya aggro decks on the list if they do roughly the same thing.

Unity

Unity

One of the most popular decks on tapped out, Nef's list takes full advantage of Abzan colors, using the most effective beaters in the ally arsenal. Additionally, he has a very in depth sideboard, so look to that if you're trying to find cards to fill your own deck's. Interesting is the use of Ready//Willing, which makes his creatures even more valuable than normal.

 

All-in-Allies

All-in-Allies

Wanting to take advantage of every color of ally, aubman02 created a 5 color, all-aggro-beat-your-face-in deck. Taking further advantage of Hardened Scales, this deck's creatures get very big very quickly. The lack of interaction is countered by the idea that if your opponents have to do all they can to prevent you from killing them, you won't have to worry about their gameplan.

Additionally, this deck is one of the few that has seen real competitive success, due to actually being played in competitive environments. aubman02 has made several 3-1 or 4-0 runs on daily MTGO, and has been featured in several articles by authors who have taken note of the deck. You can find them in the links below.

http://puremtgo.com/articles/old-new-brew-modern-5-color-allieshttp://magic.tcgplayer.com/db/article.asp?ID=12423

 

Know something I don't?

Do you have an ally deck or know of one that isn't mentioned here? Send me a link! I'm happy to give feedback on any build, and I'm always looking for new things. If I like your deck I'll include it in the Primer! If I still think it needs work, I'll give you feedback! Additionally, if you have any ideas or questions about allies that you would like to know, ask and you will be answered. If I get enough, I'll even add an FAQ section to the bottom of the Primer. Thanks for reading! And if you enjoyed, please remember to Upvote

Top Ranked	Achieved #1 position overall 9 years ago
Date added	9 years
Last updated	8 years
Legality	This deck is not Modern legal.
Cards	0
Folders	Other, Modern Primers, Awesome decks, Modern, Soldiers, i like trains, Allies for the win, ally stuff, All Modern Decks, Handy Info