Yup, thats exactly why I like it as a 2-of. I do not want to see it every game. But it has blown open games for me. Having a Kabira Evangel enter with a counter to make it a 3/4 is bananas. Makes it just that much more difficult for your opponent to get rid of it. Here was the Abzan List I ran for reference. Not super refined -- but it did put up decent results. Granted, I did only take it one night. Lots of other decks I also want to try! :P

Metallic Mimic is not perfect -- especially since as you said, the 2 drops are already pretty full for allies (although with Aether Vial, that can be viewed as a plus). But I do appreciate how it is functionally a psudo-Hardened Scales that also procs abilities. Scales does not proc abilities at all... granted it can give more +1/+1 counters over a game.

I would love to see a list with both Metallic Mimic and Hardened Scales -- but both of them might take up too much room?

I play a deck with both Metallic Mimic and Hardened Scales. You can check it here: Allies - As a unit we stand and united we fall!

ehuez How does the list run for you? The 4x Talus Paladin seems risky on 20 lands. I know it is a budget list, but if you had the spare $$$$$$, how would you optimize it?

I am pretty succesful with this deck. Talus Paladin is not a problem with harabaz druid in play. If I could improve it with unlimited budget I would probably buy Aether Vial Collected Company Path to Exile Cavern of Souls Windswept Heath Temple Garden and because of Collected Company I would have to replace Talus Paladin for Lantern Scout (this applies only to selesnya colours but with unlimited budget I would probably play naya and would not use Hardened Scales and Metallic Mimic)

Salad_Thunder, I think you missed the trigger. When you put "ondu cleric" plus another ally, you should have gained 8 life and not just 4.

Jucamoser at the 21 minute mark? Doh! Thanks for catching that.

Win or lose, I think my favorite match-up is Soul Sisters. If we don't get the early win, I wonder if they ever believe it's really happening when, 30 turns + 1000 combined points of damage + 2 board wipes later, we're both still in triple digit life. (Viva Ondu Cleric and Jwari Shapeshifter and thank goodness I had taken Game 1).

The way the local meta has been, my only artifact/enchantment hate right now are two Natural State. So, affinity is basically a race (they're more constantly faster), things like ghostly prison are brutal, and I'm hosed if Torpor Orb comes out. Except for the last one, any of you have experience with Tuktuk Scrapper? The four mana cost keeps putting me off. What is your anti-artifact/enchantment SB package?

I use 4x Fragmentize and 2x Kataki, War's Wage

It depends on the ally list I am playing. I think overall, Fragmentize, Natural State, Nature's Claim, and Ancient Grudge are the best bets for artifact hate. In lists that do not run Aether Vial, Stony Silence can also slow them down a lot. I have also played with Kataki, War's Wage, and the amount of tax he puts on affinity absolutely cripples them. He is just much easier to remove. I have also used Golgari Charm in that match up as they have a lot of X/1s.

Allies getting some time on SCG - http://www.starcitygames.com/article/34799_Daily-Digest-Little-Creatures-Big-Damage.html

Lepore has my deck 4 Color CoCo-Vial Allies (55-50-3 Record) up on CFB today!
https://www.channelfireball.com/videos/modern-monday-4-color-allies/

Had to stop watching when he played Survivalist over Battlesinger with CoCo backup... smh. There's several combinations he could find that just win him the game on the spot.

Johanson69 - Yeeah. There were a few times he didn't choose Battlesinger. I think he had a chance of pulling it out in the 2nd game of the one match he lost (granted he needed a lot of luck to do it). And there's one where he was a turn or two slower than he needed to be because he didn't count up what the four Battlesingers he could bring out would have done.

So... Vizier of the Menagerie and Nissa, Steward of Elements were spoiled in Amonkhet. Is anyone else excited to use these cards in an Ally deck or is it just me?

I would like Vizier if it allowed us to cast if though the card had flash. But otherwise, he feels a bit clunky. I think Nissa could be a welcome addition. It allows us to get an ally into play and hold one in our hand for instant speed triggers with Aether Vial. I think she likely needs to be used in a deck with Serum Visions though, so she might work best in more of a midrange ally shell compared to the more aggressive lists. She kind of feels a bit like Domri Rade.

Yeah idk if she is any better than Domri. Scry 2 does allow better digging but no immediate card advantage. Nissa's 0 is fairly strong as it allows us to put stuff onto the battlefield while Domri doesn't. I think Domri's ult is better but also harder to achieve as Nissa has that juicy +2.

Another Naya Allies list made a top 8 http://mtgtop8.com/event?e=15239&d=292526&f=MO

I just wanted to say this is a great article detailing the deck and all the options. I wanted to give you feedback about what deck I have been running and what I found in regards to match-ups. I'm playing a mardu variant of allies with a bit more control spells added to keep up with the meta. I run 2 inquisition of koz, 4 path, 3 fatal push as far as control spells. My other changes are that I found drana to be TERRIBLE in the meta and found that drana successfully attacked only once or twice after several leagues. I'm experimenting with one tuktuk maindeck for versatility purposes. One point you made that I thought was very interesting is that burn is a bad matchup. My build has had most of its success against burn decks, maindecking 2 ondu cleric, 1 lantern scout, and 4 kalastria healer gives me pretty decent life gain and then I have access to more clerics via sideboard. Probably most surprising is my maindeck involves 1 lingering souls and another one for the sb. Souls is just solid value in the meta at the moment even if its a bit out of place.

6_color_control you should consider Unified Front instead of Lingering Souls. It is much better choice fo mardu colours. Imagine the look on the opponents face when you have only Ondu Cleric on the battlefield and you cast it. It triggers three times at once and you gain 12 lifes. Or just add 3x +1/+1 counter on any other ally.

You got a list of your Mardu ally deck anywhere? Sounds interesting

Isn't Eerie Interlude strictly better (and cheaper) than Ghostway?

Unless your guys have shroud for some unknown reason then, yes.

I'm new here. Can someone please explain the math between Rite of Replication and Halimar Excavator? At least a reference in the rules.

Also, wouldn't Staying Power be a rockstar in an ally deck?

I'm assuming a kicked Rite of Replication on Halimar Excavator here, a simple one would be boring.

You get 5 copies of it. They enter simultaneously, and thus trigger each other. Together with the already existing one, 6 Halimar Excavators each trigger 5 times (30 times total) each for 6 + however many Allies you have besides those Excavators. This nets at least a mill for 180. This is explained in Rule 603.6a for multiple permanents changing zones/entering the battlefield.

Staying Power would really only be good with Akoum Battlesinger and up to a certain extent Kabira Evangel. Our creatures would have to get Vigilance in order for most bonuses to be of use on the enemy turn anyways. This all of course only if your playgroup allows you to play Staying Power...

Thanks for that explanation. I've recently rediscovered mtg and haven't played since the late 90's. Needless to say the game has changed significantly.

Re Staying Power, too good to be true. Paired with something like Concerted Effort, a token generating combo, and few key abilities (vigilance, haste, indestructible...), this could become an incredibly powerful deck.