[Discussion] Soldier Stompy

[MGC_player]

So I've been playing with tribal kithkin/soldiers but it seems to lacking that one thing that can push it up to a decent competitive level in legacy. So I've been tossing the idea of Tribal Soldiers in a Chalice Aggro shell and realized I already have most of these cards. Why not put it together I thought. So here is a rough decklist.

Land: 20
10 Plains
4 City of Traitors
4 Ancient Tomb
2 Flagstones of Trokair

Creatures
4 Mirror Entity
4 Soltari Champion
4 Preeminent Captain
4 Enlistment Officer
4 Daru Cavalier - this slot is still questionable, may be replaced with Field Marshal, Veteran of the Depths or Daru Warchief
2 Ballynock Cohort - also a questionable slot may be replaced with Veteran of the Depths, Field Marshall, or Daru Warchief

Other
4 Chrome Mox
4 Chalice of the Void
4 Trinisphere
4 Armageddon
2 Jitte

Sideboard
4 Thorn of Amethyst
3 Pithing Needle
3 Tormod's Crypt
3 Glowrider
2 Patrician's Scorn

So this is still in the rough stages and I haven't really done any testing at all since I am still missing 3 cards to complete this idea (2 geddons and one more soltari champion). Which cards would be good in the questionable slots? Any thoughts?

[Willoe]

Mirrror Entity is a house, but it's very antisynergistic with Armageddon. I'd play either of those, and if I had to chose, I'd pick Armageddon. Resolve this against most decks and you win.

Also, your creatures aren't extremely dangerous, I fear. They aren't actual threats, and they can't deal with [Insert a staple non-Goblin legacy-viable creature here] in most cases. To do that, you'll need deathtouch or other creature-killing effects in your creatures, so that they can trade with the opponent's beefs or even create card advantage.

Elistment Officer seems rather slow, and you aren't playing that many Soldiers, after all.

I like Preeminent Captain, but you got to make sure that you will create tempo advantage and not just play a 2/2 first strike for 2W. 'Cause that'll suck.

Soltari Champion is a good card. But on the other hand, define good. It has evasion, yay, and pumps your creatures, yay. But is that good enough? Most of your dudes aren't able to deal with Tarmogoyf anyway, and the Champion's only hitting for 2 each turn. That is rather slow. I'd play a lot of weenies with Champion, but then again, you'll die to mass removal.

Enlistment Officer is a sucky-bucky card. I can't see the advantage of playing a playset of those over a playset of removal even though i.e. StP is antisynergistic with CotV.

All in all, the idea is rather good, I just can't think of good enough Soldiers that also are good alone. Better try with another tribe or simply just Death & Taxes or Angel Stompy. They do look a lot like your deck, after all.

[rufus]

It's a bit scitzophrenic to try to play the tribal mechanics like Preemenent Captain and Enlistment Officer that are all about having a high density of soldier creatures in combination with chalice/3sphere/mox/armageddon control elements which occupy a large number of your slots.

You'll be better off ditching one of those things, and concetrating on the other: either try to work the soldier tribal mechanic (wich, alas, looks relatively weak to me) or try to work a 2W / 3 Sphere aggro/control mechanic - IMHO this has a bit more potential, but tends towards death and taxes.

[Captain Hammer]

Really cool deck concept. I think it has definate potential once you figure out the creature base.

I think your manabase and disruption suite is perfect. You could even throw in some suppression fields to really wreck legacy decks. You have a lot of solid components to lock opponents out of the game.

I just don't think Daru Cavalier, Veteran of the Depths or Daru Warchie are worth the card board they're printed on...

I would probably try a threat base of...

4 Mirror Entity
4 Soltari Champion
4 Preeminent Captain
4 Enlistment Officer
4 Ballynock Cohort
2 Field Marshall

Or another option would be to opt to play disruptive cards that can also beat for mana in place of the worse soldgers. Aven Mindcensor is an absolute house in a deck like this. And it's too bad that Stonecloaker isn't a soldger because he has some ridiculous synergy with Enlistment Officer.

[Maëlig]

I also have doubts about the viability of a tribal stompy deck. This being said,



I think your manabase and disruption suite is perfect. You could even throw in some suppression fields to really wreck legacy decks. You have a lot of solid components to lock opponents out of the game.
+1. The three main (only?) reasons to play white stompy are suppression field, oblivion ring and cataclysm (and moat if you play flying creatures obviously).

Also, I'd really like to see intrepid hero somewhere here, if not MD at least in the SB.

[JeroenC]

The problem with Suppression Field is that it makes Mirror Entity a lot worse. And Mirror Entitity makes this deck a lot better (I know from playing against pretty much the same deck multiple times). A lot better.

[nastynate]

I have three suggestions.

1. Veteran's Armaments: counts as a soldier for enlistment officer, costs only 2 mana to play, and pumps your guys substantially.

2. Thoughtweft Trio: 5/5 first strike vigilance that can can block any number creatures. Champion your enlistment officers and laugh at removal.

3. Elsepeth, Knight Errant: What's not to like here? Makes soldiers for mirror entity to pump, and the +3/+3 and flying ain't too shabby either.

[BlindMage]

In addition, if you do decide to drop the tribal theme, Calciderm looks good as a big beatstick. And having Calciderm recommends Stonecloaker, if you have enough enough other creatures. But turn 1 3sphere, turn 2 Calciderm would be pretty harsh.

[Media314r8]

Why not try rebels in the stacks shell? Start with Defiant vanguard and Amraou scout, and go from there. Vanguard trades with goyfs, and can fetch with all the colorless lands. Rebels play better with not having WW, as well as synergizing with stacks, and can fetch not only mirror entity, but flying wincons with pro black/red. There is also the 2W rebel pacifism you can fetch to deal with goyfs and dreadnaughts, ect.

I would play something like:

// Lands
4 [TSP] Flagstones of Trokair
4 [EX] City of Traitors
4 [TE] Wasteland
4 [AQ] Mishra's Factory (4)
8 [PT] Plains (4)

// Creatures
4 [TSB] Defiant Vanguard
1 [NE] Lin Sivvi, Defiant Hero
1 [MM] Nightwind Glider
4 [MM] Ramosian Lieutenant
1 [MM] Thermal Glider
1 [PLC] Aven Riftwatcher
1 [LOR] Mirror Entity
1 [ALA] Elspeth, Knight-Errant

// Spells
4 [SH] Mox Diamond
4 [MR] Chalice of the Void
3 [10E] Crucible of Worlds
3 [DS] Trinisphere
3 [AT] Armageddon
2 [FUT] Bound in Silence
3 [US] Smokestack

// Sideboard
SB: 1 [TSP] Children of Korlis
SB: 4 [LRW] Oblivion Ring
SB: 1 [PLC] Big Game Hunter
SB: 2 [10E] Aura of Silence
SB: 3 [SHM] Wheel of Sun and Moon
SB: 4 [CHK] Ghostly Prison

[Captain Hammer]

Yep just notice that you have no removal and your creatures don't fly either. Whats your gameplan against a resolved Goyf?

Given that, all the suggestions so far deserve to be tried...

Suppression Field
Oblivion Ring
Veteran's Armaments
Intrepid Hero - Kills EVERYTHING in this format.
Thoughtweft Trio
Elsepeth, Knight Errant
Calciderm

[Mordenkaynen]

Yeah, a Stompy deck where almost each creature has power 2 and first strike has to have enough pump-effects. Veteran's Armaments may be worse trying. Grafted Wargear, Empyrial Plate, Sigil of Distinction, Swords, Loxodon Warhammer are also worse taking a look on them.

Or, let it be not really a stompy - if you also add O.Ring, Sup.Field and some others)

[georgjorge]

Why not try rebels in the stacks shell? Start with Defiant vanguard and Amraou scout, and go from there. Vanguard trades with goyfs, and can fetch with all the colorless lands. Rebels play better with not having WW, as well as synergizing with stacks, and can fetch not only mirror entity, but flying wincons with pro black/red. There is also the 2W rebel pacifism you can fetch to deal with goyfs and dreadnaughts, ect.

I like that idea, but I'd then cut the Armageddons, they really cripple the Rebel mechanice. Which would maybe also lead to cutting the Crucibles, because I think that deck doesn't really aim for a Wastelock, and the Rebels alone could be enough for Smokestack fodder. So I'd replace those with Elspeths, and then either Ghostly Prison or Oblivion Ring.

[Infinitium]

I actually played something to this effect on MWS a few months back. The deck reeks of potential, mostly because the hard core of Captain/Officer/Entity is a fucking beating. Captain is already effectively Goblin Lackey and Warchief rolled into one card, and Mirror Entity at times makes Piledriver look bad. Too bad every other Soldier printed in the 2W-3W range is utter garbage, but with any luck Bant will fix that in the upcoming 2 sets. This isn't the most recent decklist I actually played, but it's closeish. Anyway deck:

// Lands
2 [TSP] Flagstones of Trokair
4 [EX] City of Traitors
4 [TE] Ancient Tomb
8 [4E] Plains (1)

// Creatures
4 [MOR] Burrenton Bombardier
3 [ALA] Elspeth, Knight-Errant
1 [SC] Noble Templar
3 [CS] Jotun Grunt
4 [AP] Enlistment Officer
4 [MOR] Preeminent Captain
4 [LRW] Mirror Entity

// Spells
2 [DS] Sword of Fire and Ice
2 [BOK] Umezawa's Jitte
3 [DS] Trinisphere
4 [LRW] Crib Swap
4 [MR] Chrome Mox
4 [MR] Chalice of the Void

For those of you who wonder about Bombardiers, they're honestly the only other Soldier besides Aven Riftwatcher that I'd bother with in that slot. They carry equipment (the amount of decks that cannot answer evasive swords in time are legion). They occasionally makes for charging Captain into assorted 3/3's and what have you (alongside Mirror Entity, Elspeth and Jitte with First Strike), they go to your hand off Officer and provide various tricks at other times. Crib Swap also trigger off Officer and most threats this thing needs to remove are creatures anyway, and unlike Ring they actually saty RFtfG.

[Captain_Morgan]

Splash red? Goblin Legionaire can serve for 2 and smack down for an extra 2 damage on something. It would also give you access to Ajani Vengeant to fit into Geddon.

[94teen]

Ranger of Eos seems pretty good, especially with Preeminent Captain.

I'm not sure what one drops you'd want to tutor up; maybe loyal sentry? Maybe Weathered Wayfarer or something similar?

[Mantis]

Ranger of Eos seems pretty good, especially with Preeminent Captain.

I'm not sure what one drops you'd want to tutor up; maybe loyal sentry? Maybe Weathered Wayfarer or something similar?
Mother of Runes, Children of Korlis, Heap Doll, Figure of Destiny, Goldmeadow Harrier, Burreton Forge Tender, Bushi Tender foot (you are so getting a ton of bonus points if you break that card), Elvish Hexhunter, Icatian Javilaneers, Kami of False Hope, Martyr of Sands, Spurmage Advocate, Tethered Griffin, Whetered Wayfearer and yeah Loyal Sentry is pretty good too.

I <3 the Gatherer. But not as much as I love Ranger of Eos. Anyway Ranger of Eos and Chalice of the Void are not too good together, so I think all my work was for nothing.

[dahcmai]

It's not that great, but considering you're going the route Faerie stompy goes with equipment, you can't get a better evasive creature than Shu Cavalry. Horsemanship is something you're not likely to see.

Cost is only 2W so it goes down easy with a Tomb and plains.

[MGC_player]

A lot of good ideas posted here.

@ infinitium
I like your list. I'm only actually missing the Noble Templar. I'll go give that list a spin at some point.

I'm going to keep working on this as well as my regular tribal soldier list. Hopefully I can find something that works.

[Quoth]

This is a winning list from a tournament that took place in the netherlands in may 2008.

Mainboard:
14 Plains
4 Wasteland
1 Flagstones of Trokair
3 Aether Vial
4 Swords to Plowshares
4 Shared Triumph
4 Raise the Alarm
3 Jötun Grunt
4 Field Marshal
4 Longbow Archer
4 Catapult Squad
4 Icatian Javelineers
4 Deftblade Elite
3 Mutavault


Sideboard:
3 Armageddon
4 Disenchant
4 Tormod's Crypt
1 Jötun Grunt
3 Tivadar's Crusade

This is not a Chalice-aggro shell, but nonetheless hopefully helpful.

Regards,
Q

[Darkenslight]

What about Loxodon Gatekeeper to Kismet, as it's a Soldier?

Also, there's Shu General, with Horsemanship and vigilance,and Aven Riftwatcher, which can now attack three times, as oppos3d to it's usual two.

If you arew going the equip route, then there's also Auriok Steelshaper, which increases the power of both your equips AND your Soldiers.

[Raindown]

This is a winning list from a tournament that took place in the netherlands in may 2008.

This is not a Chalice-aggro shell, but nonetheless hopefully helpful.

Regards,
Q

I actually put this deck together from that list and it works well with a good hand. The only thing is with a less then great hand and no card draw help it can be slow going, but the deck if full of surprises that catch many people off guard.

[pandaman]

I actually put this deck together from that list and it works well with a good hand. The only thing is with a less then great hand and no card draw help it can be slow going, but the deck if full of surprises that catch many people off guard.

1st post! :cool:

I agree, this deck works quite well. I couldn't run Mutavaults or Wastelands because I don't own any, so I ran a few more Plains and 4 x Daru Encampments, but it still worked quite well.

Two things I would like to fit in are Gustcloak Runner and Piety Charm, which both have good synergy with Catapult Squad. With Gustcloak Runner you can pull out of combat and then tap to shoot the creature that was trying to block you with Catapult Squad. With Piety Charm you can give your creatures vigilance, so after blockers are declared you can tap your attackers and shoot the blockers before damage is assigned.

Oh, and cycling a Gempalm Avenger wouldn't be too bad either. Good results and you can always cast him if you have enough mana!