Haunted Humans

[boneclub24]

Okay, I've been having fun with this concoction, obviously based on the standard deck. I haven't tested against much besides various 'Tron decks, but it did pretty well against those.

Creatures: 22
4 Student of Warfare
4 Champion of the Parish
4 Precinct Captain
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Hero of Bladehold
3 Mirran Crusader

Instants: 5
4 Path to Exile
1 Dismember

Enchantments: 8
4 Honor of the Pure
4 Detention Sphere

Artifacts: 2
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Sword of War and Peace

Land: 23
8 Plains
3 Hallowed Fountain
3 Glacial Fortress
3 Moorland Haunt
2 Cavern of Souls
2 Seachrome Coast
2 Arid Mesa

Sideboard: 15
4 Burrenton Forge-Tender
4 Spell Pierce
3 Stony Silence
3 Rest in Peace
1 Dismember

I just sort of made it out of what was around. If anyone has anything I'm forgetting about to suggestion, go ahead

I used to have Figure of Destiny and Knight of Meadowgrain here. Figure I cut for tying up my mana too much between himself and Figure. In his place I added Champion. And at that point I decided to make my Caverns less complicated and cut the last non-human in KoM for Knight of the White Orchid and a single Fountain for him to find.

[boneclub24]

More testing also finds it kicks the shit out of RDW and Boros.

[Phoenix Ignition]

That's a heck of a lot of blue splash just for 4 sideboard cards and some Moorland Haunts. Since you're already going humans, why not go for Dark Confidant or Knight of the Reliquary? You could easily bump up the number of Cavern of Souls (should probably be playing 4 even in the current list since none of the non-creature spells have difficult mana requirements) and therefore could easily be 3 color humans, and play the best humans (outside of Snapcaster, but you don't run many instants anyway). If you have 4 counterspells sideboard just for Storm combo you might as well just run more hate bears and/or hand hate and drop the blue entirely.

For things to cut out to fit the new stuff in, I think Student of Warfare is probably the most lackluster, with Knight of the White Orchid coming in a close second.

[from Cairo]

Couple to consider Meddling Mage and Silverblade Paladin.

[boneclub24]

That's a heck of a lot of blue splash just for 4 sideboard cards and some Moorland Haunts. Since you're already going humans, why not go for Dark Confidant or Knight of the Reliquary? You could easily bump up the number of Cavern of Souls (should probably be playing 4 even in the current list since none of the non-creature spells have difficult mana requirements) and therefore could easily be 3 color humans, and play the best humans (outside of Snapcaster, but you don't run many instants anyway). If you have 4 counterspells sideboard just for Storm combo you might as well just run more hate bears and/or hand hate and drop the blue entirely.

For things to cut out to fit the new stuff in, I think Student of Warfare is probably the most lackluster, with Knight of the White Orchid coming in a close second.

They all tap for white as well, and come into play untapped often enough to make me figure I might as well run that much blue. The only weakness I have run into so far is Moon effects (which I'm not sure was the best thing to side in against this...)

I have the Cavern at only 2 because it messes with my Students. Being able to attack for 3 on turn 2 is awesome. He's also the only other viable 1-drop for this deck, which it needs I feel. Only 4 turn 1 plays doesn't seems too great.

I also like the consistency and painless-ness of my current mana set up. Adding in more colors just opens me up to mana issues and of course the pain of bolting myself to fetch untapped shocks. That doesn't do you any favors in the aggro mirror.


Couple to consider Meddling Mage and Silverblade Paladin.

Mage is good, I think I'll side it. Nice little dude there, forgot about it. Paladin seems not as great in the land of Lightning Bolts and Paths, sadly. Crusader seems better here. Plus getting 4 protections is kind of insane once he's hooked up.

[boneclub24]

Affinity seems like a rough match up. I'm considering siding something like Kataki.

[boneclub24]

Spell Pierce seems like a better side option than Leaks, yes?

[HorseshoeCrab]

IMO Stony Silence is the best sideboard card in the format. I'd run those before running Kataki.

If you are relying on hate bears to win, you will want to come prepared for Pyroclasm/Firespout/Lightning Bolt. While Kor Firewalker makes those Burn matches a joke, I think Burrenton Forge-Tender is the better choice so that your Teegs or Thalias don't just die on the turn before your Scapeshift opponent kills you.

[boneclub24]

Alright, sideboard actually kind of looks like a side now. Thanks for that, Stony does seem pretty good right now.

[monovfox]

where's aether vial? White weenie loves aether vial to death. I suggest you somehow try to make room for it

[HorseshoeCrab]

I disagree on Vial. The creatures' mana costs are all over the place in this deck, and the list can already play Cavern Of Souls and curve out easily. Maybe in the SB if the blue matchups end up being terrible, but I think white weenie in general is going to crush those decks because it has so much threat density that blue's 8 counters just cannot keep up with.

[boneclub24]

Yeah, blue decks haven't ever really been an issue for me. Vial is just too slow and inconsistent. Not only that, but if I plan on Vialing in creatures I'll need some kind of card-advantage engine and something to do with my lands. A Vial deck would be much different than this.

Now, does anyone thing that Detention Spheres would be any better than O-Rings/worth the harder mana cost?

[HorseshoeCrab]

It can't hurt. What are you taking out for them? And more importantly, what cards are giving you trouble that made you consider adding that type of effect?

I'm a fan of the current 4 Path/1 Dismember combo.

[boneclub24]

Well, they just seem like they are just better cards if you can support them with your mana. Course, if they remove it and get 2 Goyfs back or something you're in trouble, but I think it's definitely worth the risk of something like that happening. Plus it takes a massive one on Lingering Souls decks.

I'm just going to test it to see if the mana cost vs the slightly better effect is worth it.

[boneclub24]

Updated the list again. This is testing really well. Detention Sphere is just awesome.

[Anusien]

You kill on what, turn 5? 6? Isn't that way too slow?

[boneclub24]

Turn 4 or 5 is the norm, yes.

See, the way I figure it, this is the way the spread goes:

Aggro: Aggro kills turn 3-4, yes. I can generally keep them off my tits by plopping down some guys (notice how almost everything has first strike). And of course removal. RDW/Burn can be an issue, but Thalia is hopefully down against them. Goyf is another potential problem, but Crusader and SoFaF help that, as well as just getting a couple guys with first strike down.

Control: I've got the reach needed to take on control, I feel. These decks generally don't kill as quickly as everything else, so I've got some legs here. Gifts Ungiven can be an issue, but even Elesh Norn isn't too big of an issue generally.

Midrange: The deck has game against Jund and does really well against Tron decks. Scapeshift has never been an issue, either.

Combo: Obviously I'll just pray for a Thalia and for them to have a slow hand until post-board.

All I know is the deck has been working for me. Most of the decks I've played against have seemed relatively "fair", which all these solid creature do work against.