Magic: The Gathering

[Taskmage]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

Grand Prix Atlantic City saw two Standard Bant Aura decks dueling for the top spot. I find that to be pretty awesome not only because an aura-based strategy dominating in a competitive metagame is totally out of left field, but also because the lists look like meaner, sleeker versions of decks a few of us have been playing casually.

John Stern's Bant Auras (First Place)

4 Hallowed Fountain
4 Temple Garden
4 Hinterland Harbor
3 Cavern of Souls
2 Sunpetal Grove
1 Glacial Fortress
4 Forest
1 Island

4 Avacyn's Pilgrim
4 Invisible Stalker
4 Geist of Saint Traft
3 Silverblade Paladin
4 Abundant Growth

4 Ethereal Armor
4 Rancor
4 Spectral Flight
4 Selesnya Charm
2 Increasing Savagery

Sideboard:
2 Feeling of Dread
2 Loxodon Smiter
3 Nearheath Pilgrim
1 Rootborn Defenses
1 Negate
2 Nevermore
1 Angelic Overseer
3 Rest in Peace

Josh Utter-Leyton's Bant Auras (Second Place)

2 Cavern of Souls
4 Hallowed Fountain
4 Temple Garden
4 Hinterland Harbor
2 Sunpetal Grove
1 Glacial Fortress
4 Forest
1 Island

4 Avacyn's Pilgrim
4 Invisible Stalker
2 Fencing Ace
4 Geist of Saint Traft
4 Silverblade Paladin

4 Abundant Growth
4 Ethereal Armor
4 Rancor
4 Spectral Flight
2 Increasing Savagery
2 Curiosity

Sideboard:
3 Rest in Peace
2 Feeling of Dread
2 Dispel
4 Strangleroot Geist
2 Wolfir Avenger
2 Garruk Relentless

Both decks work by pumping double strikers and/or Invisible Stalkers up with cards like Rancor, Ethereal Armor, and Spectral Flight, which can be crazy fast. I mean check this out: turn 1 Avacyn's Pilgrim, turn 2 Silverblade Paladin, turn 3 drop any two of the above auras or an Increasing Savagery on the paladin and swing for 12-14 with trample, possibly even in the air. Win on turn 4 if your opponent can't answer immediately. If you're expecting to play into removal, you just slow it down a turn or two and drop those auras on a hexproof Invisible Stalker or Geist of Saint Traft. Smart, powerful, and looks like fun to play. Love it.

[Malacite]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

Similar to a deck I ran as well :O

Only I wouldn't use 4 Geists, that's kinda overkill... and +2/+2 and flying is nice, but as long as you're bitching auras, I'd rather use Curiosity & throw in either some detention spheres or O-Rings for removal (and to buff Ethereal Armor). Comboing Abundant Growth & Cathedral of War ain't bad either (or just the growth to fix mana & cantrip if you don't draw all the right colors).

Latchseeker isn't a terrible little guy either, 3/1 unblockable for 3 (or Lyev Skynight). I like that strategy with the paladin, just seems weird to only run 3 and not over (as opposed to 4 legendaries... I know Geist is good but still). I just feel like Curiosity is a nice little way of beefing up Ethereal Armor + it nets you card advantage - however giving evasion to the Paladin has its merits too.


EDIT: Here's my enchantment aggro - by no means perfect but I like it; (Also I made it quite some time ago and haven't reviewed it in a bit)


Creatures:

• Bruna, Light of Alabaster
• Champion of Lambholt x2
• Crosstown Courier x2
• Elvish Visionary x4
• Geist of Saint Taft x2
• Invisibile Stalker x4
• Silverblade Paladin x2
• Wild Beastmaster x3

Enchantments:

• Adbundant Growth x4
• Curiosity x4
• Ethereal Armor x4
• Rancor x4

Land:

• Breeding Pool x4
• Evolving Wilds x4
• Forest x2
• Hallowed Fountain x4
• Plains x2
• Temple Garden x4

Planeswalkers:

• Ajani, Caller of the Pride

Sorceries:

• Farseek x3

So yeah definitely room for improvement, was kind of a spur of the moment type thing back when I first made it. I wanted to include as many cantrips as possible (because using auras is risky) and cheap critters with weak bodies but powerful effects.

[Taskmage]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

Fair point. Possibly the reasoning behind running 4 Geists was the expectation of seeing them a lot on the opponent's side of the board. At one point during the match coverage, one of the commentators quipped that Geist was the only removal spell in both decks. Silverblade is extremely powerful if it sticks, but also vulnerable to almost every damn removal spell in the format, so they probably ran 3 just to reduce their exposure to that weakness.

I'd bet the reasoning behind not using Cathedral, removal, and some of the stronger but slightly more expensive creatures is simply that it reduces the potential for explosive starts. Ideally against a midrange like Jund, you'd want them to be dead before they play anything worth removing, and once they start dropping crap like Huntsmaster and Thragtusk pretty much any removal becomes inadequate. With control decks the biggest threat to look out for is Geists and against that you're already packing just about the only removal spell that works on those guys—your own Geists.

Speaking strictly about the competitive metagame here, of course. What works among friends is another matter entirely.

[Malacite]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

Well, if you're super paranoid of Geist there's always nevermore

And yeah, Paladin is basically a giant bullseye. Why I would possibly consider using Knight of Glory instead since he's Exalted & Pro Black.

[Taskmage]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

Yeah, one of 'em even ran two Nevermore in the sideboard.

[Yellow Mage]

Re: Magic: The Gathering



Not sure if want.

[cidbahamut]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

That's kind of awful and illustrates to me why hexproof is bad design.

[Yellow Mage]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

The Spotlight isn't why Hexproof is bad design. One-sided Shroud is why Hexproof is bad design.

[Yygdrasil]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

I like spotlight. To me, the second ability is far more valuable in a pinch than the first.

[cidbahamut]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

The Spotlight isn't why Hexproof is bad design. One-sided Shroud is why Hexproof is bad design.

That's what I said isn't it?

[Yellow Mage]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

I like the Spotlight's second ability much more than the first. It screams "Alpha Strike!"

[Firewind]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

Yeah I love the second ability. The first one seems a bit too situational. I guess if you really want Geist of Saint Traft to die or something it might be useful?

[Malacite]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

Or they could just reprint Pyroclasm already

[Yygdrasil]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

Or they could just reprint Pyroclasm already

Just no.

[Malacite]

Re: Magic: The Gathering

Scared?