[AGGRO] Cavern on Soldiers

[Jon]

So, this is my latest terrible bad deck I have been working on figuring out. I have lately been on a aggressive kick as I feel like it is one of the best ways to attack the legacy meta. First I will outline the deck list, then I will give you reasons for card choices, and lastly I will tell you where I feel the deck lacks.

4 Champion of the Parish
4 Dryad Militant
4 Soldier of the Pantheon
4 Boros Elite
4 Azorius Arrester
4 Precinct Captain
4 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
4 Field Marshal
1 Brimaz
3 Honor of the Pure
4 Brave the Elements

4 Cavern of Souls
2 Mutavault
15 Plains

SB:
3 Aegis of the Gods
3 Ethersworn Cannonists
4 Jotun Grunts
2 Holy Lights
3 Path to Exile

So I am sure you are thinking, what a pile of trash. A ton of terrible standard cards sure, but against opposing Tarmogoyfs and Delvers this army is amazing.

4 Champion of the Parish - This guy is great, Normally 3 power by turn 2, Human and Soldier! PERFECT!
4 Dryad Militant- Punishes decks like RUG , Dredge, Hightide, Storm, etc which you need the help preboard
4 Soldier of the Pantheon- Allows attacking though DRS, gains life off Decay, DRS, and others to help the race.
4 Boros Elite- Weakest and the most powerful of the 1 Drops, if he gets to attack with Battalion he is fierce.
4 Azorius Arrester- Lets you power through their turn 2/3 Goyf without having to have hard removal for it. This guy is all about pushing damage.
4 Precinct Captain- Allows you to add one threat that turns to many more if allowed to run free. This guy has been FOW'd many times, Feels great.
4 Thalia, Guardian of Aggro Decks- Nothing needs to be said about this amazing lady.
4 Field Marshall- Cavern of Souls castable Anthem and First Strike to the team helps defeat the delvers and Batterskulls of the world.
1 Brimaz- Cat Soldier that makes Cat Soldiers, Sold.
4 Brave the Elements- All about pushing damage, and this card really is impossible for your opponents to play around.
3 Shared Triumph- Because Soldiers and well, Mutavaluts

SB
3 Aegis of the Gods- Great against Storm / Burn/ Combo of all sorts!
3 Ethersworn Cannonist- Great against Storm / Burn/ Combo of all sorts!
4 Jotun Grunt- Eats most Midrange decks for dinner, shrinks goyf, and actually eats Ichorids and Bridges.
2 Holy Light- Anti Elves and TNN
3 Path - Removal?

Cards Considered
Armageddon
Hero of Bladehold
Porcelain Legionnaire


Overall

[Deadpool]

Aether vial would potentially be very helpful here.

If you're going for the full tribal there are some cards to consider:


Daru Warchief
Enlistment Officer
Preeminent Captain
Captain of the Watch


Warchief, another lord but a bit expensive. Ballyrush Banneret can help with that potentially as well.

Preeminent Captain + Captain of the Watch is awesome when it works, which isn't always but it will sure put a frown on your opponent's face.

I hope you have a good time with the list, I played a very similar list (just before Zen came out so no Precinct Captains or Thalia's for me) when I first started legacy and I had a good time. I haven't thought about revisiting it but now that I see how many awesome soldiers are being printed... Maybe I'll have to blow the dust off these old cards.

[bakofried]

I have to wonder if Humans might be a better option - though losing Dryad Militant is pretty sad. You'd gain MoR, Mayor of Avabruck, and Dark Confidant though, at the least. Just some thoughts.

[zulander]

Hey buddy, please use the tags [cards ] [/cards \] in your post so that the cards can easily be seen!

[Jon]

I have to wonder if Humans might be a better option - though losing Dryad Militant is pretty sad. You'd gain MoR, Mayor of Avabruck, and Dark Confidant though, at the least. Just some thoughts.

Well being a full Humans deck moves you more midrange IMO, I wanted to be full aggro. Mother is great if you have lock pieces to protect ie Arbiter, Spirit. You want to drop and bash hard and fast.


Aether vial would potentially be very helpful here.

If you're going for the full tribal there are some cards to consider:


Daru Warchief
Enlistment Officer
Preeminent Captain
Captain of the Watch


Warchief, another lord but a bit expensive. Ballyrush Banneret can help with that potentially as well.

Preeminent Captain + Captain of the Watch is awesome when it works, which isn't always but it will sure put a frown on your opponent's face.

I hope you have a good time with the list, I played a very similar list (just before Zen came out so no Precinct Captains or Thalia's for me) when I first started legacy and I had a good time. I haven't thought about revisiting it but now that I see how many awesome soldiers are being printed... Maybe I'll have to blow the dust off these old cards.


I wanted to be as fast as possible, and Aether Vial is slow honestly. Allows them to set defenses.

[bakofried]

I suppose my criticism would then rest on the viability of straight aggro in a world with Terminus. If they miracle on turn two or three, it seems like you'd be in a world of hurt. I'm thinking Soldiers is quite interesting, as it solves a problem of Death and Taxes - lack of library manipulation. Though you'd lose a number of powerful cards - Stoneforge Mystic in particular - the raw card advantage might be worth it.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

[Jon]

I suppose my criticism would then rest on the viability of straight aggro in a world with Terminus. If they miracle on turn two or three, it seems like you'd be in a world of hurt. I'm thinking Soldiers is quite interesting, as it solves a problem of Death and Taxes - lack of library manipulation. Though you'd lose a number of powerful cards - Stoneforge Mystic in particular - the raw card advantage might be worth it.

Sent from my XT1080 using Tapatalk

I feel my match versus Miracles is quite good, You have a stead flow of guys that all need to be answered. I feel its a 60/40 in my favor. I played a mono white hatebears deck the last month or so and took it to SCG Knox, only lost to BUG / 5 Color Delver and a Feline on High Tide. BUG and 5 Color had really really really superb draws, on a regular draw I feel like I am slightly favored against those matches.

[Darkenslight]

If Miracles is a problem, then consider the usage of Ghostway. Avoids both Terminus and Supreme Verdict.

[FTW]

Aether vial would potentially be very helpful here.

If you're going for the full tribal there are some cards to consider:


Daru Warchief
Enlistment Officer
Preeminent Captain
Captain of the Watch


Warchief, another lord but a bit expensive. Ballyrush Banneret can help with that potentially as well.

Preeminent Captain + Captain of the Watch is awesome when it works, which isn't always but it will sure put a frown on your opponent's face.

I hope you have a good time with the list, I played a very similar list (just before Zen came out so no Precinct Captains or Thalia's for me) when I first started legacy and I had a good time. I haven't thought about revisiting it but now that I see how many awesome soldiers are being printed... Maybe I'll have to blow the dust off these old cards.

Many years ago I played SoliderStompy, which ran:

Ancient Tomb
City of Traitors
Chalice of the Void
Trinisphere
Oblivion Ring
Preeminent Captain
Daru Warchief
Loxodon Gatekeeper
Captain of the Watch
Benalish Commander
Elspeth, Knight-Errant


That may be a better strategy to push the high cc solider tribal, whereas Caverns+weenies.dec probably benefits more off having low cc utility tribal creatures. Hatebears-Soldiers?

[Richard Cheese]

Might want to look at Ranger of Eos, since he can refill your hand to keep pressure on in the mid-game. Doomed Traveler is also a soldier and is basically made of value.

[Jon]

Might want to look at Ranger of Eos, since he can refill your hand to keep pressure on in the mid-game. Doomed Traveler is also a soldier and is basically made of value.

Forgot about my the Doomed Traveler. Good Idear.

[pfiremc13]

I wanted to be as fast as possible, and Aether Vial is slow honestly. Allows them to set defenses.

Aether vial speeds your deck up, if anything. Even though you don't get a 1-drop, it is well worth it as you get to play an extra flash, uncounterable creature every turn for as long as it is out.

[Megadeus]

Meh. You dont have any form of Card advantage like goblins to consistently get vial activations, you dont have much to do with your mana, and drawing multiple vials when they could be more dudes seems horrible. You already have 4 Caverns to make them uncounterable. Death and taxes has cards that turn into combat tricks with Vial. You just have dudes.

[Jon]

Meh. You dont have any form of Card advantage like goblins to consistently get vial activations, you dont have much to do with your mana, and drawing multiple vials when they could be more dudes seems horrible. You already have 4 Caverns to make them uncounterable. Death and taxes has cards that turn into combat tricks with Vial. You just have dudes.

Dudes, Dudes, and more Dudes. Plan A. Play Dudes. Plan B. Play Dudes.

[Jon]

Played local legacy tonight, 2-2.

RD1 Miracles 2-1
RD2 Miracles 1-2
RD3 Eureka 1-2 , Cast FOW pitching Nicol Bolas Planeswalker. Nuff said.
RD4 Chalice of Fish 2-1

I will type specifics when I am less tired.

[pfiremc13]

Meh. You dont have any form of Card advantage like goblins to consistently get vial activations, you dont have much to do with your mana, and drawing multiple vials when they could be more dudes seems horrible. You already have 4 Caverns to make them uncounterable. Death and taxes has cards that turn into combat tricks with Vial. You just have dudes.

Spitting out creatures onto the field much faster is the main advantage of it. Just because other decks have ways to use it better doesn't mean it isn't still good here.

[Zupponn]

Meh. You dont have any form of Card advantage like goblins to consistently get vial activations, you dont have much to do with your mana, and drawing multiple vials when they could be more dudes seems horrible. You already have 4 Caverns to make them uncounterable. Death and taxes has cards that turn into combat tricks with Vial. You just have dudes.
Enlistment Officer?

[MGB]

Others and I have been playing this deck for years, but as a Tomb Stompy variant.

I highly recommend playing Soldiers with Chrome Mox, Ancient Tomb, and City of Traitors, as well as Chalice of the Void.

Here are some lists that have placed in decent-sized tournaments:

http://tcdecks.net/deck.php?id=9848&iddeck=71873
http://tcdecks.net/deck.php?id=7875&iddeck=57353
http://tcdecks.net/deck.php?id=8964&iddeck=65478


and here is a thread I have already started on this forum for that deck:

http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?23958-Soldier-Stompy-%28Tribal-Tomb-Based-Aggro%29

here is a thread on MTGSalvation with some ongoing, more up-to-date discussion:

http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/legacy-type-1-5/developing-legacy/181882-soldier-stompy

The one thing you need to do is play 4 Preeminent Captain. Preeminent Captain is *the* reason to play Soldiers in Legacy. He is the best Soldier card ever printed.

And please keep me updated with your tournament results. I am highly interested in seeing how this deck does for people, as I believe it to have lots of potential if 1-2 more good soldiers are printed. Can you tell me what cards work for you and which don't, and why you chose to go the Vial route and not the Tomb/Chalice/Mox route...

[Kayradis]

Your list feels like a Modern list....
Just sayin'

[Jon]

Others and I have been playing this deck for years, but as a Tomb Stompy variant.

I highly recommend playing Soldiers with Chrome Mox, Ancient Tomb, and City of Traitors, as well as Chalice of the Void.

Here are some lists that have placed in decent-sized tournaments:

http://tcdecks.net/deck.php?id=9848&iddeck=71873
http://tcdecks.net/deck.php?id=7875&iddeck=57353
http://tcdecks.net/deck.php?id=8964&iddeck=65478


and here is a thread I have already started on this forum for that deck:

http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?23958-Soldier-Stompy-%28Tribal-Tomb-Based-Aggro%29

here is a thread on MTGSalvation with some ongoing, more up-to-date discussion:

http://www.mtgsalvation.com/forums/the-game/legacy-type-1-5/developing-legacy/181882-soldier-stompy

The one thing you need to do is play 4 Preeminent Captain. Preeminent Captain is *the* reason to play Soldiers in Legacy. He is the best Soldier card ever printed.

And please keep me updated with your tournament results. I am highly interested in seeing how this deck does for people, as I believe it to have lots of potential if 1-2 more good soldiers are printed. Can you tell me what cards work for you and which don't, and why you chose to go the Vial route and not the Tomb/Chalice/Mox route...



I have looked at a ton of decks and options over the last month of testing and building. I do not feel Aether vial is the way I want to proceed with the deck. From the start I wanted to be aggressive. Not Stompy, Not Vial Value, Not Big Soldiers, just play dudes and attack. Playing the super aggressive line puts a ton of pressure on decks to answer multiple threats in a timely fashion. Sure EP, GCharm, Dread of Night all screw you up, you have Anthems to beat them. I may be interested in building a Vial based list in the future but I disagree wholeheartedly that the deck needs the card. Never have I ever wanted it in this deck. As for Preeminent Captain does not belong in this list, I would much rather have a Cavern-able Anthem that also gives first strike.


Your list feels like a Modern list....
Just sayin'

Sure, but Modern is much much different then legacy, you have to play Anger the Gods, Pyroclasm, Verdict, etc to beat all the top decks. Affinity, Pod, Zoo, Hatebears. In Legacy there are only a handfull of played cards that wreck my asshole. Golgari Charm, EP, Terminus, and Deludge. These are maybe a 1-2 of in BUG decks, while Terminus is hard to beat, its all about knowing how to pressure without over committing to the field.


So as previously stated I played in our local Wednesday event. Something like 21 people?

RD1 Miracles 2-1- Ricky.
He was playing the SFM/ Batterskull packaged main. He did not have all the fetches for the correct manabase, so that might have played a factor in the number of looks the saw with top. Games 1 and 3 were just piles of dudes with a turn 2 Thalia on Cavern. Game 2, He assembled lock with Top / CB, Dropped a SFM at 4 life, and hard casted Batterskull. I have one out, I already had Brave in hand, I had to draw a 2nd one the following turn to kill him. Didnt.
RD2 Miracles 1-2 - Lance
SFM / Battershit again. 1 and 3 He managed to nut terminus on time, verdict, and Snapcaster Verdict. I mulled to 5 or 6 both games I lost to sub par hands.
RD3 Eureka 1-2 , Cast FOW pitching Nicol Bolas Planeswalker. Nuff said.
RD4 Chalice of Fish 2-1 - The Wolf
He beat me last week when we were both 2-0, I knew he was playing fish but I happened to see him borrowing Chalices from nedleeds, so made fun of him for copying the deck. 1 and 3 I managed to over run him, Brave the Elements for exact I believe.

Thursday we also have another Local legacy event, we hit 16 at this one!

RD1 White Stax 2-1 Jack.
Game one he assembled a Bottled Cloister and Ensnaring Bridge. Dead
Game 2/3 I beat in hard and fast before he could do anything. Thalia is a real beating when they are using ancient tomb to cast things.
RD2 U/B Tezzerator 2-0 Some Guy.
I just massacred him, he got a bridge down but the sweet Boros Elite get bigger AFTER they are declared as attackers!
RD3 DEGA 1-2 nedleeds
I play Field Marshall, he plays Jotun Grunt. Equips with SOFI, I die to a 7/7 First Strike Giant Solider for 2.
Game 2 I just dump a pile of dudes and kill him.
Game 3 I feel I am in a great position when he says "Im such a sack" and slams EP naming Soldiers. Kills my board. I keep playing and play a Precinct Captain then a Arrester to put mom in jail then die. Activate a Muta and move to attacks and he has a Electrickery to blow me out. Good times were had by all.
RD4 Opponent Left 3-1 was good for 12 store credit.

Overall I really enjoy this deck. I was lucky enough to grab 2 FBB Armageddons so I will be incorporating them into the list somehow.

[pfiremc13]

The reason why pure aggro isn't so popular in legacy is that it usually leaves you stone dead to combo. Something to think about.

Explain more about vial, I'm curious.

[Jon]

The reason why pure aggro isn't so popular in legacy is that it usually leaves you stone dead to combo. Something to think about.

Explain more about vial, I'm curious.

Sure, that is why there is 3 Cannonist, 3 Aegis of the Gods, and 2 Cages in my board as of right now. That's the purpose of a sideboard, to shore up bad matches.
Thalia and Dryad Militant main help a ton.

Vial is good if you are disrupting their mana with things like Port / WL . This deck is not designed to attack the greedy mana bases in that way. This deck is designed to attack. Pressure, Pressure, Pressure. I don't want to play a turn 1 Vial. I want to play a turn 1 Champion or 2 power dude, then 2 more, then lord, then dead. Sure combat tricks and shit with Vial, Not interested. Cast Savannah Lions and Crusades. Cast Isamaru and Glorious Anthems.

[MGB]

I have looked at a ton of decks and options over the last month of testing and building. I do not feel Aether vial is the way I want to proceed with the deck. From the start I wanted to be aggressive. Not Stompy, Not Vial Value, Not Big Soldiers, just play dudes and attack. Playing the super aggressive line puts a ton of pressure on decks to answer multiple threats in a timely fashion. Sure EP, GCharm, Dread of Night all screw you up, you have Anthems to beat them. I may be interested in building a Vial based list in the future but I disagree wholeheartedly that the deck needs the card. Never have I ever wanted it in this deck. As for Preeminent Captain does not belong in this list, I would much rather have a Cavern-able Anthem that also gives first strike.


Playing Ancient Tombs, Chrome Mox, and Preeminent Captain is actually *more* aggressive than playing 1-mana lands and weaker Soldiers. Preeminent Captain is maybe one of the most aggressive creatures ever printed, and the Ancient Tomb / City of Traitors / Chrome Mox manabase is designed to pump out dudes quickly.

[Jon]

Playing Ancient Tombs, Chrome Mox, and Preeminent Captain is actually *more* aggressive than playing 1-mana lands and weaker Soldiers. Preeminent Captain is maybe one of the most aggressive creatures ever printed, and the Ancient Tomb / City of Traitors / Chrome Mox manabase is designed to pump out dudes quickly.

Its obvious that you don't understand I DO NOT WANT TO PLAY A STOMPY SHELL. If I was playing stompy I would play a different deck.

[MGB]

Its obvious that you don't understand I DO NOT WANT TO PLAY A STOMPY SHELL. If I was playing stompy I would play a different deck.

That's fine that you just want to play mono-white weenie without much disruption and auto-lose to combo and control, but don't make comments like "i want to play an aggressive deck and not <X>" when <X> in question (stompy soldiers) is actually, arguably, faster and more aggressive than simply churning out 2/1 dudes one turn at a time.

[Jon]

How do I auto lost to control? Miracles is a pretty good match-up. Combo can be answered post board fairly easy. If I wanted to play a stompy shell I would play something like this,
A variant on my old White Slavery deck. This one is just called "Fuck You: The Deck"

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-YhSlPkjbAas/UWyKLuvVVRI/AAAAAAAABJY/LdivJwmO8HE/s1200/IMAG0159.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-L3ifSDOIFik/UWyKLne0SuI/AAAAAAAABJc/VBnyI_HYAqQ/s1200/IMAG0160.jpg

.

I have play some variants of stompy, but it isn't what I want to be doing.