G/W Humans Midrange, Thoughts?

KaramjaRum · Joined: 07 Jun 2012 Posts: 10

New to Magic-League, thought I might post a deck I've been brewing up recently. If you have any comments, criticisms, suggestions, or any thoughts at all, please tell me!

// Lands
7 Plains
3 Forest
4 Cavern of Souls
4 Razorverge Thicket
2 Gavony Township
2 Sunpetal Grove

// Creatures
4 Avacyn's Pilgrim
4 Champion of the Parish
4 Silverblade Paladin
2 Mirran Crusader
4 Hero of Bladehold
2 Fiend Hunter
2 Sigarda, Host of Herons

// Spells
3 Gather the Townsfolk
4 Honor of the Pure
2 Sword of Feast and Famine
2 Sword of War and Peace
2 Batterskull
3 Oblivion Ring

// Sideboard
SB: 2 Mirran Crusader
SB: 1 Batterskull
SB: 2 Thalia, Guardian of Thraben
SB: 2 Divine Offering
SB: 3 Timely Reinforcements
SB: 2 Grand Abolisher
SB: 3 Celestial Purge

turbomoose · Joined: 11 Aug 2006 Posts: 1

I think the slot for honor the pure would be better served to be either mayor of avabruck or even hamlet captain. They do the same things for the most part but also can carry a sword or pair with silverblade.

I also think that four five drops are too many. I would move probably the batterskull to the sb for thalia, and maybe even cut the mirran crusaders (since silverblade already overlaps there) and go to 4 gather the townsfolk and 3 thalia.

This does lower the curve and make you less midrange but also improves your delver matchup since thalia is much better than a 5 drop there.

KaramjaRum · Joined: 07 Jun 2012 Posts: 10

Hmmmm.

I'm not a fan of hamlet captain because of his need to enter combat to get his bonus (you really would rather not trade with him, especially if you don't have a sword out yet). Mayor is a bit better but is very vulnerable to tragic slip, mortapod, gut shot, and other cheap removal spells. Furthermore, neither of them hit Hero of Blade Hold's tokens. I've tried hamlet captain and haven't liked it very much, but I'll give Mayor a shot.

I've never thought of maindeck Thalia, but that's actually a pretty good idea, I'll give it a whirl.

As for lowering the count on Crusader, I've noted that one of the big strengths of the deck is the powerful interaction between the enhancers (swords, honor of pure, gavony township, etc...) with the creatures it runs. A 4/4 double striker or a Hero of Blade hold that can't be traded with is scary. Thalia actually fits into this pretty well considering she has first strike, so I'll definitely try that out, but I'm reluctant to cut the crusader count. The silverblade crusader anti-synergy is actually not that bad, since even in the infrequent case where you only have a mirran crusader to soulbind with, you're still playing a 2/2 double strike for 3 which packs a punch in this deck. Not to mention as soon as another creature hits the board, you just soulbond to the new drop.

sc4rs · Joined: 23 Mar 2006 Posts: 731

Engrishskill · Joined: 15 Jan 2007 Posts: 1152

Paladins suck in standard. The most popular deck in the format can interfere with them pairing all day long, so they can safely be removed for more crusaders and that gives you two more slots to work with.

There should be a fourth copy of gather probably too because of the champions and honors.