Soldier Stompy (Tribal Tomb-Based Aggro)

[MGB]

Intro

This is a aggro deck based on the fast mana generated by Ancient Tomb and City of Traitors, alongside Chrome Mox. Like other Tomb-based aggro decks, it runs 4 Chalice of the Void and 3-4 Trinisphere as light disruption to pave way for its creatures.

Unlike other Tomb-based Stompy decks, this one has a tribal bent - particularly, the Soldier tribe. Why would you play Soldiers instead of, say, Sea Drake and Serendib Efreet (Faerie Stompy), or Gathan Raiders and Arc-Slogger (Dragon Stompy)? Because Soldiers have better creatures, for the most part, and with the printing of Thalia, Guardian of Thraben, they have a disruption element that can also attack.

With the printing of Cavern of Souls, this deck has (in my opinion) become viable in the current Legacy metagame. The synergies were always there before, but the printings of both Thalia and Cavern have given this deck a major boost. Cavern obviously has no downside whatsoever in this deck, as every nonland card is either an artifact or a Soldier.

Playing the Deck

If you are unfamiliar with this deck, you need to realize that the core of this deck outside of the Chalice/Trinisphere lock duo is one of the most efficient and deadly tribal enablers in the game: Preeminent Captain. This guy is basically a Goblin Lackey and Goblin Warchief rolled into one card. In a Tomb-based deck with Chrome Moxen, he can be cast as early as turn 1, and often on turn 2. A deck playing Chalice of the Void and Thalia can also help protect him from spot removal fairly effectively. When he has the opportunity to attack, he can single-handedly swing the game into your favor with one resolution of his trigger by bringing into play, for free, and immediately attacking, bombs such as Captain of the Watch, or card-advantage generators such as Enlistment Officer (the Soldier equivalent of Goblin Ringleader).

In situations where you don't draw Preeminent Captain or it is removed, then through the use of Ballyrush Banneret and Daru Warchief, alongside the sol-lands, you can cheat more soldiers into play at reduced cost and quickly hardcast Enlistment Officer and Captain of the Watch.

Often the best play, and one that wins easily against many of Legacy's decks, is a Turn 1 Chalice followed by a Preeminent Captain that begins to bring Soldiers into play.

Because most of the Soldiers have first strike, they have an immediate combat edge over most other creatures played in Legacy, especially if you can bring any of the 11-12 Lords into play.

My Decklist


5 Snow-Covered Plains
4 Cavern of Souls
4 Ancient Tomb
3 City of Traitors
2 Karakas

4 Chrome Mox
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Winter Orb

4 Ballyrush Banneret
4 Preeminent Captain
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Enlistment Officer
3 Daru Warchief
3 Captain of the Watch
3 Porcelain Legionnaire
2 Veteran Swordsmith
2 Loxodon Gatekeeper
1 Gustcloak Savior


SB:

4 Phyrexian Revoker
4 Rest in Peace
4 Intrepid Hero
3 Damping Matrix


Decklist Notes

- There are many other interesting Soldiers to play, but after playtesting I've found that pumping with Lords is the best way to deal damage quickly. Two other Soldiers I've found worth playing, at times, are Etched Champion and Kor Hookmaster. Both have useful combat abilities, and can be substituted for the Swordsmith or the Ballyrush Banneret if you wish to do so. The problem with Champion is that it weakens Chrome Mox (less imprint targets) and it is very weak without its Metalcraft ability. The problem with Hookmaster is that its ability is very good in certain combat situations at establishing tempo, but is otherwise a mediocre creature (2/2) with primarily a stalling tactic.

- Another very interesting Soldier is Loxodon Gatekeeper, which is a tempo disruption piece. His ability is very useful, but unfortunately, he is too expensive at 2WW to land early, and thus competes with the other 4cc Soldiers such as Enlistment Officer and Daru Warchief. His ability is more useful in the early game than the late game. If he cost 2W, he would be an auto-include, but as it is, he's worth testing but is, in my opinion, not worthy of inclusion in the maindeck.

- Other lists will play Thorn of Amethyst instead of the Trinisphere, but I prefer Trinisphere over the Thorn because it disrupts most decks better. The downside to playing Trinisphere is that it negates some of the cost-cutting abilities of the Warchief and the Banneret. However, they can still make the Enlistment Officer and Captain of the Watch cheaper. Thorn is a valid option over Trinisphere, but difference between forcing a player to pay 3 mana for a Brainstorm / Swords to Plowshares / Noble Heirarch instead of just 2 mana is often the difference between winning and losing.

- Veteran Swordsmith is in the deck as a 3rd Lord over Field Marshal due to its larger body (3/2 vs 2/2) and its ability to be cast with only one white source in play. Similarly, Porcelain Legionnaire is important in this deck for its larger power (3/1) and its ability to be cast off of *one* sol-land. The importance of being able to cast things with minimal white sources in play is an important one in this deck that often will see a single Mox or a single Plains/Karakas/Cavern for multiple turns. You don't want to necessarily mulligan away a Chalice/Trinisphere hand because it doesn't contain a white source.

- The SB is tough to figure out, but I've settled on 4 graveyard hate (LotV), 4 combo/discard hate (LoS), 4 control / affinity hate (Serenity) and 3 more control hate (Armageddon). I want the best graveyard hate available, so I like Leyline, but obviously other ones are available. Serenity is not as effective as Sorcery-based artifact/enchantment hate, but it is infinitely easier to cast in this deck than something that requires multiple white sources. Often you need to cast this with only one white source in play. Regardless of whether you play Serenity or something else such as, say, Oblivion Ring, you absolutely need some answer to Ensnaring Bridge and Moat in the sideboard. Armageddon is pretty amazing if you resolve it against a control deck and you have creatures in play already.


Other decklists

Here are some other Soldier Stompy decklists:

Jon on this forum:



4 Ballyrush Banneret
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Field Marshal
4 Preeminent Captain
1 Brimaz, King of Orekos
4 Daru Warchief
4 Enlistment Officer
3 Captain of the Watch
1 Commander Esha
1 Gustcloak Savior
4 Suppression Field
4 Chalice of the Void
3 Chrome Mox
4 Cavern of Souls
4 Ancient Tomb
12 Plains


SB

2 Armageddon
2 Kor Firewalker
2 Ankh of Mishra
3 Oblivion Ring
3 Rest in Peace



Javier Flores, Mi Tesoro Liga Legacy Torneo 1º, 2nd of 26 players:


2 Karakas
12 Plains
4 Ancient Tomb

4 Chrome Mox
4 Chalice of the Void

4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Ballyrush Banneret
3 Loxodon Gatekeeper
4 Preeminent Captain
4 Field Marshal
4 Enlistment Officer
4 Daru Warchief
4 Captain of the Watch
3 Oblivion Ring


SB:

3 Thorn of Amethyst
4 Tormod's Crypt
4 Leyline of Sanctity
3 Suppression Field
1 Oblivion Ring


http://www.thecouncil.es/tcdecks/dec...2&iddeck=58703

Carlos Viejo, Big Legacy @ GP Madrid 2012, 9th of 234 players:


2 Karakas
3 Flagstones of Trokair
4 Ancient Tomb
9 Plains

4 Chrome Mox
4 Chalice of the Void
2 Thorn of Amethyst

4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Ballyrush Banneret
4 Captain of the Watch
4 Daru Warchief
4 Enlistment Officer
4 Field Marshal
4 Preeminent Captain
4 Suppression Field


SB:

3 Armageddon
1 Phyrexian Metamorph
4 Tormod's Crypt
3 Oblivion Ring
4 Leyline of Sanctity


http://www.thecouncil.es/tcdecks/dec...5&iddeck=57353

These lists tend to use Suppression Field more often, which is definitely an interesting strategy, but one that I found too often ineffective against decks that fetched in response to the Field being played.

These lists also do not feature Cavern of Souls, which was printed after their tournament showings.