can you explain the lack of Vexing Devil ?

Vexing Devil is a very bad card in general because you will always get its worst mode based on the game state. It's also not a human for Champion of the Parish . Also, one mana for a one-time four damage is pretty bad in a world of Thragtusk s and Sphinx's Revelation s. It's significantly better in a deck that can take advantage of its big drawback, such as in Jund aggro using Varolz, the Scar-Striped .

Nice update. Looks like the legion lives on. I would guess that Legion's Initiative might fit better in a midrange deck? Thoughts on it's uses? I'm trying to decide whether to go after it or not.

Five-Alarm Fire , Aurelia's Fury what are your thoughts on these?

Apoptosis, I really wanted to try Legion's Initiative but I found that it was mostly a +0/+1, sometimes a +1/+0 (which is the boost we want most), and rarely a +1/+1. Because I'm light on ETB effects, it ends up serving the same purpose as Boros Charm but with less trickery. I really like its use in a deck that has stuff like Thragtusk and Fiend Hunter instead, or in a Red Boros deck where every creature in the entire deck gets the power boost.

erod91, Five-Alarm Fire is quite poor in general because you're forced to work really hard to get 5 damage, and your opponent can see it coming. Compare that to Brimstone Volley , which is a much better card that requires a lot less work. Aurelia's Fury is really mana intensive and is better in a deck that ramps a lot. I have considered it for my control deck, Walkin' With the Devil, where I generate a lot of mana. In this deck, it's more useful for tapping creatures, and a less expensive way of doing that is Feeling of Dread .

Do you think that Wear / Tear should be sideboarded somehow?

Maybe me playing online is different than in person, but I see a lot of enchantments / artifacts.

It's entirely dependent on the metagame. I don't think there are any game-breaking artifacts or enchantments in Standard right now, so I wouldn't include Wear / Tear . I mean, it's not like there are any Sword of War and Peace s running around.

Oblivion Ring tends to address those problems, anyway, in addition to a lot of other problem permanents.

Thanks you for the reply! I play strictly online, so I've got to decide what type of deck I am going to dump my money into to get competitive. I was going to run Naya Humans, how do you stack up against that deck on average?

I just love this type idea/deck... going to def. keep up and talk some stuff out with you if you don't care.

By the way, I hit you with the +1.

I'm just rambling here so if you want me to stfu, I'll oblige. How does the sideboard work as far as playing certain decks? Obviously against control, you'd put in Thalia, Guardian of Thraben , but what do you replace her with? Frontline Medic ? Basically I'm a fairly new competitive player... just trying to figure some stuff out.

In general, this deck is pretty good against Naya Humans thanks entirely to Boros Reckoner and Nearheath Pilgrim . Both of them are able to trade with enemy creatures and keep the life total protected while swinging back for a lot of damage as well. The only problem is when the opponent has a Frontline Medic , in which case we have to race them or Searing Spear the Medic, which sometimes doesn't work anyway when they have Mayor of Avabruck  ^Flip to make it a 4/4. The matchup is probably 50/50, and depends partially on draws and mostly on who plays first.

As for the sideboard, Thalia, Guardian of Thraben and Assemble the Legion come in against control. Oblivion Ring and Zealous Conscripts are in for midrange. Skullcrack comes in against Sphinx's Revelation and Fog . Rest in Peace is for Unburial Rites and Snapcaster Mage decks.

So what about a Mizzium Mortars being added somewhere to deal with the higher than 3/3 creatures you want to burn?

It's inadvisable in the main because Searing Spear gives us the final points of damage against the full variety of decks, but Mizzium Mortars is a fine replacement for Skullcrack for that purpose.

Right oh.

Also, have you thought about Boros Charm anywhere for the infinite combo?

What do you do against creatures with flying?

Attack into them. That's what aggro decks do. You should never care about evasion, only about the potential blockers or removal your opponent has. If you're playing an aggro deck and you're thinking, "How will I be able to block his Restoration Angel ?", then you're already dead.

I've killed countless Restoration Angel s and Angel of Serenity s just by attacking and forcing chump blocks. So that's how I deal with them.

Boy I completely overlooked the Boros Charm in there already. slap back of head

I think I'm going to drop the coin on this today and go ahead and build it. I have the dual lands, so only a few should cost me.

Good luck in future tournies!

Doing a good bit of playing online (I built the deck today)... I think champion is out of place in here. I'm going to think about replacing him.

Maybe with Vexing Devil , Legion Loyalist , or Stromkirk Noble

Pay, so u have hard times against Aurelia, and serenity. So suggest warleader's helix sb against naya midrange, and some sort of exile spell for serenity. She is deff the best card in standard, and really hard to get around. Even exiling her, you have to start over basically. Pain in the ass, which is why I will play her. I like your updates! Looking good brutha! Come on down to my page and check out my DGM updated Dark Angel Naya!!! Peace

True! Thanks for helping!

RedZebra, I understand that it's the best in a human deck, but this isn't what I would consider a full onslaught of humans. Play testing it against everything plus the kitchen sink online, if you don't draw him, he's basically a dead weight card mid game or if you get pushed further.

I'm leaning toward running Vexing Devil over him. I may come back to him, but unless you're running a full Naya Humans or something like the Knights of the blood oath deck... I don't think he fits.

For those commenting on Champion of the Parish , it is obviously a fantastic card, but it's true that it was always weaker here than in certain other builds. In the current build, there are 16 humans other than Champion of the Parish . Assuming we have one Champion of the Parish in our starting hand, that means we will play an average of 3 humans in the course of the game to boost him. This is less effective than a mono-humans deck, where about 5 boosts will occur.

Until further notice, I would trust bcoots because he has done some actual testing. I haven't done any such testing except against my friend's deck, Ghost Dad's Circus Stampede, but I am playing this exact build in FNM tonight and will adjust accordingly after its conclusion. I still think that Champion of the Parish is absolutely necessary in this deck because it boosts the power level of our soulbond creatures in the early game.

If he doesn't do anything relevant, I will likely end up cutting Tajic, Blade of the Legion and return to a faster build with Boros Elite . I also have an idea for a full overhaul of the deck that may prove very interesting if I choose to do it. Spoiler: it involves Legion's Initiative .

Jim, I'm still playing online and honestly am fairing very well with the deck. I don't want people to misjudge what I'm saying. I'm just reporting back what's going on when I play.

I have left Champ in there for for now as well, just to keep playing it out. So far I've played about 12 matches and only lost 1. If that's worth anything to anyone. Only lost to a Naya Human Blitz deck where I got land screwed and just wasn't to keep up.

Here's the thing in the playing I've done with the champ. There are some matches where I'm like "Oh hells to the yeah, he ain't going nowhere"... then another match I don't draw him first hand and he comes out turn 5 and I'm like... "Dang it, any card but that one".

So for now, that's where I stand. After I play this a few days this way, I will put in Vexing Devil next week, or really my mind is liking Legion Loyalist too. Play those out as much as I have this one so far and just see what I feel is better against the average matchup.

Also Jim, if I am bothering you by talking on this comment thread so much just let me know. I've been told I talk to much before so, yeah.

Took some notes this time so I could give a better detail of some of the matches I was up against and the results.

Match 1 - 2-0 vs. GBW He was playing Blood Artist and Deathrite Shaman . He never got anything out to compete really.

Match 2 - 2-0 vs. GW Chronomaton Serra Angel Those were the only two cards I seen of his in this match besides lands. Total destruction.

Match 3 - 2-0 GR Something...This match had a few Flinthoof Boar and a Rubblebelt Raiders I spotted a couple times. We swapped back and forth one game due to my lack of mana, but ended it both times before he could.

Match 4 - 2-1 Mono W AngelsHe had a big disadvantage here because of the sheer cost of his creatures to cast. He did get out a Serra Angel once and then launched a Increasing Devotion in my face. That cost me the game. Hellrider came in and did work, along w/ Boros Reckoner in this matchup though...

Match 5 - 2-0 GWB He was running a Invisible Stalker along with some other flying 3/2 unblockable multicolored creature that I forgot to write the name down to. Game 1 was pretty entertaining... he landed invisible stalker, followed by a Rancor then a Ethereal Armor and swung and thought he had the game in the bag. However, I landed a Tajic, Blade of the Legion tied to a Lightning Mauler and it went downhill fast from there.

Match 6 - 2-0 GW Selesnya TokensJust jumped on him to quick. By the time his populate engine was ready to bust, it was way to late. He ended up conceding both times.