Hello and welcome to my U/W Heroic deck! Before I delve (see what I did there) into the deck, I'd like to note that this deck is inspired by Tom Ross's version that got 3rd place in the SCG Open at Columbus! If you'd like to check out the original version, which this deck is largely based off of, the link is below. (Don't click on it, copy and paste it.)
http://sales.starcitygames.com//deckdatabase/displaydeck.php?DeckID=75984
Now with that out of the way, we can begin explaining the deck, what each card's role is and what makes this deck a good choice in Standard.
Why choose U/W Heroic?
U/W Heroic is easily the most consistent aggro deck in the format at the moment. It works by getting a threat or two on the board, pumping it with enchantments, and protecting it with a suite of Instants. The big upside to this deck is that you gain so much tempo from forcing them to use 3 mana and responding by only using 1 and getting some sort of benefit out of it. The downside is that you easily 2 for 1 yourself if your creature gets removed, but a lot of these enchantments and combat tricks also draw or help you filter your draws. A suite of protection helps keep your giant creature alive, and close out the game with evasion.
I was gravitated towards this deck when I heard of it's successes at some State Championships. The thing that held me back from immediately choosing it as my deck was the fact that there were so many enchantments that in a lot of situations would be dead draws in multiples (i.e. 2 Aqueous Form with 1 creature).
And then Tom Ross came in. As The Boss likes to do, he innovates. Heliod's Pilgrim is such an unexpected and disgustingly synergistic card with this deck that I can't help but acknowledge Tom's genius. You know that he spent hours upon hours searching for possible cards for this deck, and found something that may very well be a lynch pin at this point.
The Deck
Land base: The deck runs 22 lands, which is high for what the deck used to run. The addition of more 3 drops does increase demand for mana, and so the land count got upped by 2 Tranquil Cove.
Instants: 4 Gods Willing is pretty self explanatory. Feat of Resistance is just a +2/+2 for 1W and protection, while
Ajani's Presence
is awesome against any removal that doesn't exile. Defiant Strike is a Heroic trigger and a cantrip. The single Stubborn Denial is basically the 7th God's Willing and is just there to help protect our creatures in different situations.
Creatures:
Favored Hoplite
: The only 1 drop in the deck also happens to be the best creature (arguably). The best hands this deck can get involve Hoplite followed up by an Ordeal or a Strike. Overall this guy is real easy to protect, and can get buffed and start attacking on turn 2.
Battlewise Hoplite
: Another 2/2 for 2, Battlewise is another of the Heroic creatures. What makes Battlewise good is the fact that when you protect it, you get to filter your draws. Putting an Aqueous Form on a Battlewise means you'll pretty much be scrying the whole game unless they can remove it.
Hero of Iroas
: Lastly, Hero is a fairly costed 2/2 for 1W, and is a Heroic creature that makes Auras cost 1 less. Yes please! Although he doesn't have a secondary ability with Heroic, he can still just be a big body that makes everything cheaper. In most cases, that's all you'll need.
Seeker of the Way
: The supporting creature in this deck, Seeker is just an excellent 2 drop. We'll ideally be casting a noncreature spell at least once every turn, whether it be an Aura or an Instant. Having a 3/3 Lifelink that you don't need to target to trigger is sickeningly good. Also completely wrecks in races.
Eidolon of Countless Battles: The only 3 CMC card besides Pilgrim in the deck, Eidolon needs to have some power to make the cut. Considering that we'll have at least 3 permanents on the board, it's at least a +3/+3 for 4 with Bestow triggering Heroic, so really a +4/+4 for 4. That's more then enough for a creature with evasion to close out a game.
Heliod's Pilgrim: Last but not least is the lynch pin, Heliod's Pilgrim! Pilgrim allows us to run a bunch of 1 of Auras and save some space to put more protection, creatures and counterspells. It basically smooths the deck out quite nicely but letting us run a lot of cards that aren't dead in multiples.
Enchantments:
Ordeal of Thassa: The bread and butter card that makes the deck work. It'll pretty much always be +2/+2 (unless you target a non Heroic creature), and if the creature's already huge, it draws you 2 cards when it attacks. If it isn't already huge, it gets another +1/+1 and then draws you cards. It's the only enchantment worth taking 4 of all the time.
Ordeal of Heliod
: While this card is not as universally good as Ordeal of Thassa, when it's good, it's really good. It usually ends up being an instant 10 life and +2/+2 when it gets tutored up by Pilgrim, and that can just straight out win you a race.
Stratus Walk
: A cantrip and evasion all for 1U. What more can you ask for? In a world of Siege Rhino and Polukranos, World Eater, getting a creature to the skies can be back breaking. I run 2 because sometimes the cantrip is really worth the extra mana.
Aqueous Form: Unblockable is possibly one of the best mechanics in Magic along with Hexproof. Giving it for a blue mana and allowing you to scry every time it attacks is borderline broken. Awesome card.
The Sideboard
Ajani's Presence
: Indestructible is a strong key word, and this card gives it for a single white mana. It also triggers Heroic and gives an additional +1/+1 for the turn. Great against End Hostilities, Lightning Strike, Magma Spray, etc.
Aqueous Form: Big, beefy creatures and fliers are annoying. Aqueous Form says, "Screw you!" and lets you scry every time you attack. Suck it, Wingmate Roc and Courser of Kruphix.
Brimaz, King of Oreskos: Brimaz is there for when we just need a solid threat. Eidolon is great and all, but when you get End Hostilities cast on you, you just want to put some board presence. Brimaz can instantly put pressure back on the board and doesn't need to be buffed. He's also insanely good against the ever popular Jeskai Tokens deck.
Erase: Enchant hate is more important then it was last Standard. Jeskai Ascendancy combo decks are popping up, and if you're not prepared, they'll mop the floor with you. Also good in the mirror.
Glare of Heresy
: Amazing card in the current meta game. Elspeth, Sun's Champion, Siege Rhino, Banishing Light, Chained to the Rocks, etc. This card is just really good for getting annoying things off the table and your creatures into the red zone.
Lagonna-Band Trailblazer: 0/4 for just a white mana is pretty hard to deal with for red decks. It has Heroic so it can get out of control pretty quickly, and it's a one drop. If you get this out on turn 1 or 2, it will probably be a 1/5 or 2/6 by the time they can
Stoke the Flames
.
Mortal Obstinacy
: Although more conditional then Erase because you have to attack to trigger it, it's overall more useful. Just the Heroic trigger for 1 mana and the potential to activate it scares a lot of players from playing something like a Whip of Erebos or Jeskai Ascendancy. If they do, you get huge tempo from your 1 mana Heroic trigger.
Ordeal of Heliod
: With Pilgrim we are able to tutor up another 10 life in a pinch when we race (which this deck does quite a lot). It's also just +2/+2 on a creature.
Stubborn Denial: When are counterspells not good? They're even better when they're only for 1 mana. Ferocious will most likely be turned on if you're wanting to cast this, and if not, it's the early game and the extra 1 mana could counter the spell anyway.
Treasure Cruise: Treasure Cruise is good. End of story. Out of gas because they removed all your stuff? Ancestral Recall. I expect this card to get banned in eternal formats more then Standard, but it's still really, really good.
Triton Tactics
: Another card that's aimed at the Jeskai Tokens matchup, it's really good at what it does. 2 Heroic triggers, taps creatures and gives a lot of beefiness. It's also just really good in general against Goblin Rabblemaster, a card this deck has a really hard time against.
The Maybeboard
Disdainful Stroke: Counterspells are good. Siege Rhino is a card, and can really hurt against decks like these that need to be ahead. A turn 3 Rhino can be detrimental, and this helps at least have an answer.
Ephara's Enlightenment
: Ephara's Enlightenment can be an awesome late game card. This card is basically a free +2/+2 with Heroic, evasion and it may be bounced to your hand. May. That means you don't have to get rid of evasion on your big creature, but you can. What that means is that you can basically have a Heroic enabler every time you cast a creature, and since most games go to a late game ground stall, the 2-3 pumps you get could end the game quickly. You also only have to run one because of Pilgrim.
Ephara, God of the Polis: The U/W God herself! Ephara's static ability can be fairly useful, and turning devotion on with a deck filled with permanents isn't too hard. While she's powerful, putting too many of these expensive cards will make the deck too slow to function as it's supposed to. I think a one of is fine though, since it can be a blowout in some situations.
Fabled Hero
: Basically a different option for Eidolon, Fabled Hero is a pretty scary 3 drop. If you can get it on the battlefield and get it through the first turn, it can take over a game pretty quickly with one or two enchantments. I feel that Eidolon is a safer approach, but Fabled Hero can be more powerful.
Singing Bell Strike
: I'm really torn about this card. On one end, it can really hose the early tempo of a game and allow you to build up. On the other, it takes up a slot in the deck for something that's better raw power wise, and since it's a one of you have to tutor it up. For now it's in the maybeboard.
Suspension Field
: Early removal is great for this deck. As previously stated, Siege Rhino,
Butcher of the Horde
, Wingmate Roc, and many more are running around Standard. This card is really good at dealing with those big creatures.
"Possible two ofs": Erase, Cruise and Tactics are all cards I can see myself putting 2 of if I got a good idea of the majority of decks I'd be facing. Very good situational cards. (Although Cruise would be most likely to be chosen.)
Cards that didn't make the cut
Daxos of Meletis: I like the idea of Daxos, but there's much better things to be doing for 3 mana. It has steep color requirements for turn 3 if you want to protect it, and a Heroic creature with protection is honestly better then playing him. Sorry foil Daxos, you'll have to wait for your time to shine.
Hopeful Eidolon
: We have more then enough life gain with 2 Ordeal of Heliod and Seeker of the Way. Eidolon only really shines in the aggro matchups, and we have Trailblazer for that.
Launch the Fleet
: This isn't what we're really going for with this deck. Good Heroic enabler though.
Phalanx Leader
: We don't run enough creatures to make this card valuable enough. I'd rather just Heroic creatures that have good abilities.
