Big Two

[Qweerios]

Big Two is a white and green aggro deck using Aether Vial, Fauna Shaman, and Squadron Hawk combined with a toolbox of creatures with a converted mana cost equal to two. The deck generates card advantage by resolving a Squadron Hawk and converting the searched copies into more valuable creatures via Fauna Shaman. It generates enormous amounts of card advantage using Sword of Light and Shadow to recur discarded creatures, Sword of Fire and Ice to draw when unblocked, and uses Jotun Grunt to recycle Hawks and fallen singletons.

Original list:

Creatures (29)
4 Mother of Runes
4 Stoneforge Mystic
4 Squadron Hawk
4 Fauna Shaman
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
3 Qasali Pridemage
2 Scavenging Ooze
1 Scryb Ranger
1 Jotun Grunt
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Phyrexian Metamorph

Spells (11)
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Aether Vial
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sword of Light and Shadow
1 Sword of Fire and Ice

Lands (20)
4 Wasteland
4 Horizon Canopy
4 Windswept Heath
4 Savannah
2 Plains
2 Forest

Sideboard (15)
4 Surgical Extraction
1 Qasali Pridemage
1 Tajuru Preserver
1 Silhana Ledgewalker
1 Kataki, War's Wage
1 Lone Emissary
1 Kor Firewalker
1 Leonin Relic-Warder
1 True Believer
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Sword of Feast and Famine


GWU Big Two:


Creatures (24)
4 Mother of Runes
4 Squadron Hawk
4 Fauna Shaman
3 Stoneforge Mystic
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
1 Jotun Grunt
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Gilded Drake
1 Waterfront Bouncer
1 Phyrexian Revoker

Instants (12)
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Brainstorm
4 Daze

Artifacts (6)
4 Aether Vial
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sword of Light and Shadow

Lands (18)
4 Wasteland
2 Tundra
2 Tropical Island
1 Savannah
1 Plains
1 Forest
4 Windswept Heath
3 Flooded Strand

Sideboard (15)
4 Surgical Extraction
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Manriki-Gusari
1 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Lone Missionary
1 Kor Firewalker
1 True Believer
1 Leonin Relic-Warder
1 Tajuru Preserver
1 Phantasmal Image
1 Meddling Mage

[Kich867]

It's interesting you bring this deck up. When the two were standard, I ran a G/W aggro list that abused this very concept--I would fetch up extra squaddy hawks and, just as you mentioned, boop them away for cards like Thrun, Obstinate Baloth, Hero of Bladehold, Mirran Crusader.

It was actually pretty effective, so a better legacy version of it sounds very cool. Any chance you'd run Green Sun's for some redundancy? Or if FS dies?

[Qweerios]

I like to maximize Thalia and Teeg's effect by not using GSZ.

[ScatmanX]

Wordly Tutor seems very nice here.

[Mon,Goblin Chief]

Wordly Tutor seems very nice here.

As does splashing blue solely for Brainstorm (or the other minor splash cards you mentioned yourself. But seriously, if you run Hawks, run Brainstorm). Hawkcestral Recall is quite broken (I should know). You could also think about adding Iona or Elesh Norn plus Loyal Retainers - gives you a knockout punch instead of just the ability to grind opponents out with CA.
I'd also want a few Birds in the deck, as redundant acceleration for when you don't draw a Vial.

[Telkku]

I just dont get where are the Knight of the Reliquarys? Its just the best g/w mob there is, and maybe in this deck you dont have to max them out, but at least 2, just so much utility and huge body, besides adding karakas would be good idea vs alot of decks and it has basicly no downsides, except getting wasted, but thats just life.. :D

[Qweerios]

I first played this deck with 3 colors for Brainstorm, StP, and Daze but I didn't like it. Pulling off the Hawkcestral Recall was rare the optimal play for my aggro gameplan. Besides, as it is now, I often cannot fetch all 3 Hawks without discarding 1 end of turn.

I don't play KotR because I only have 4 fetches and preffer Ooze as a fatty. I did play a singleton KotR at some point for Karakas and Moorland Haunt but he was often difficult to cast and the ability was subpar. Size of the creature is the least of my concern in this deck.

The Loyal Retainer combo is interresting. I will give it a try.

[Koby]

I would consider the Mangara/Karakas combo here, as well as Weathered Wayfarer to find select lands.

This deck should be called: E'erday I'm Shufflin'.

[NathanS2k]

I would consider the Mangara/Karakas combo here, as well as Weathered Wayfarer to find select lands.

This deck should be called: E'erday I'm Shufflin'.

Lmao!

[Qweerios]

lmao!

lmfao*

[Freggle]

Seems like there is a lot of design space yet to explore with this concept.

Is locking the deck at cmc 2 correct? I can't help to think about ticking one vial up to 3 and run Trinket Mage plus a myriad of excellent creatures at 3.

Have you seen the new lord?

She seems kinda juicy in a deck like this.

[Vacrix]

I cannot begin to consider Squadron Hawk as card advantage in Legacy. 1W for a 1/1 flying is a joke. Doesn't matter if you can play a bunch more because it 'draws' you three cards; those 3 cards are Squadron Hawks. Lingering Souls is miles better, producing 4 1/1's with flying for 5 with just one of them while Squadron Hawk produces 4 1/1's with flying for 8 mana and you need to waste deck space on them, casting them one at a time. Even with Fauna Shaman, they Bolt your Shaman.. then what? You're stuck with 3 of the shittiest cards you could play in hand. I just don't see it.

That Champion looks dope with Lingering Souls. I would find a way to run black for the flashback and drop those Hawks. I've played against them with multiple decks and have never lost a single game to them.

[Qweerios]

I piloted WGu Big Two to a second place finish at a local event. I took down GWb Maverick and Dredge before losing to Hive Mind with a horrible missplay (Big Two is hard to play!). I will make some space for Daze and update the opening post to a GWU version.

[Qweerios]

First place at a local event with the following results:

2-0 Bant Maverick
2-0 Esperblade
2-0 UWb Landstill
2-1 Pox


Creatures (26)
4 Mother of Runes
4 Squadron Hawk
4 Fauna Shaman
3 Stoneforge Mystic
3 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
2 Qasali Pridemage
1 Gaddock Teeg
1 Jotun Grunt
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Gilded Drake
1 Waterfront Bouncer
1 Phyrexian Revoker

Instants (8)
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Daze

Artifacts (6)
4 Aether Vial
1 Umezawa's Jitte
1 Sword of Light and Shadow

Lands (20)
4 Wasteland
2 Tundra
2 Tropical Island
2 Savannah
1 Plains
1 Forest
4 Windswept Heath
4 Flooded Strand

Sideboard (15)
4 Surgical Extraction
1 Sword of Feast and Famine
1 Sword of Fire and Ice
1 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Ethersworn Canonist
1 Lone Missionary
1 Kor Firewalker
1 True Believer
1 Leonin Relic-Warder
1 Tajuru Preserver
1 Phantasmal Image
1 Meddling Mage

[Kich867]

I've played similar decks (and this prospect in general intrigues the -shit- out of me. I wish I had better lands T_T;;), and I find that I'm often land-flooded and I have no real use for them past the first few turns once aether vials are online.

Have you thought about incorporating sensei's divining top at all? It would be a nice usage of your otherwise unspent mana.

Meddling Mage seems pretty strong, it's definitely a personal preference, but I enjoy cards like that greatly. At the moment I actually feel it would be quite a powerful card what with the format leaning so hard on Swords to Plowshares and other "This is the best card there is for this slot" situations.

[Qweerios]

I haven't had much value out of Meddling Mage so far simply because I have no way of knowing whats in my opponent's hand and let's face it, Meddling Mage is pretty crappy if your opponent doesn't have the named card availlable. However, I have found cards like Thalia and Daze with Vial and Wastelands to be extremely powerful nearly all game long.

Big Two can function with two lands but I have found 3-4 to be optimal to be able to abuse the engine and card advantage to its fullest. I remember being mana short and color screwed quite often with 18 Lands (4 Wastes), 20 lands feels much more apropriate.

Also, it doesn't matter how much I try to incorporate Brainstorm in this deck, it is terrible.

I think the sideboard is what needs the most work right now.

[Kich867]

I haven't had much value out of Meddling Mage so far simply because I have no way of knowing whats in my opponent's hand and let's face it, Meddling Mage is pretty crappy if your opponent doesn't have the named card availlable. However, I have found cards like Thalia and Daze with Vial and Wastelands to be extremely powerful nearly all game long.

Big Two can function with two lands but I have found 3-4 to be optimal to be able to abuse the engine and card advantage to its fullest. I remember being mana short and color screwed quite often with 18 Lands (4 Wastes), 20 lands feels much more apropriate.

Also, it doesn't matter how much I try to incorporate Brainstorm in this deck, it is terrible.

I think the sideboard is what needs the most work right now.

If you don't know what your opponent is playing by turn 2 you can safely assume they're playing jank and you should stomp them anyways.

Brainstorm may not be ideal, but Sensei's Divining Top is an absurdly powerful card. In my experience, having virtually no way to manipulate your draws is rarely a good thing. I would drop jotun grunt, waterfront bouncers, and a daze in a heartbeat for tops.

[Norm]

I haven't had much value out of Meddling Mage so far simply because I have no way of knowing whats in my opponent's hand and let's face it, Meddling Mage is pretty crappy if your opponent doesn't have the named card availlable. However, I have found cards like Thalia and Daze with Vial and Wastelands to be extremely powerful nearly all game long.

Big Two can function with two lands but I have found 3-4 to be optimal to be able to abuse the engine and card advantage to its fullest. I remember being mana short and color screwed quite often with 18 Lands (4 Wastes), 20 lands feels much more apropriate.

Also, it doesn't matter how much I try to incorporate Brainstorm in this deck, it is terrible.

I think the sideboard is what needs the most work right now.

Perhaps you should try including Brainstorm as a 2-of (or some number less than four). The interaction with Squadron Hawk is absurd, if you played it in Standard you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. This would allow you to generate card advantage when Fauna Shaman dies.

[Honoluluicecaps]

I really like the bant list you got first place with Qweerios (mostly because I'm bored of playing Maverick but love g/w). I'm wondering whether Weathered Wayfarer and Scryb Ranger would be worth testing in here.

Edit: Also, does it need to be blue? I like Daze in this shell, but could we run black instead? Gives access to creature removal a la Shriekmaw, Liliana of the Veil, and Dark Confidant... even though Gilded Drake is one of my top 3 favorite cards of all time.

[Qweerios]

If you don't know what your opponent is playing by turn 2 you can safely assume they're playing jank and you should stomp them anyways.

Oh believe me, I know what my opponent is playing by turn two, but you won't get any value out of Meddling Mage unless the card you name is availlable to them (AKA: in their hand).

Perhaps you should try including Brainstorm as a 2-of (or some number less than four). The interaction with Squadron Hawk is absurd, if you played it in Standard you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. This would allow you to generate card advantage when Fauna Shaman dies.

I don't remember when Brainstorm and Squadron Hawk were standard legal but I did play Cawblade. I believe I also mentioned that I have tested Brainstorm countless times in a myriad of iterations of Big Two and have concluded that it was irrelevent in nearly every single realistic scenario.

As for a black splash, it may be a good choice. Dark Confidant and Tidehollow Sculler are what attracts me the most out of that color. I play blue because the splash is very light, Daze has great synergy, and because Bouncer is insane with Hawks and with Gilded Drake (my #1 engine to break the stalemate against Maverick). When you look at how the Bant version is composed, it is really a monowhite Vial deck with a light green and blue splash for a couple of cards.

I had Scryb Ranger in the original list but dropped him because he was win-more. He was great when the engine was already online. I would never fetch a scryb when better cards were availlable.

I did not try out Weathered Wayfarer yet, and I don't intend to in the near future.