I saw Champion of Lambholt and immediately thought of g/w tokens.
But really, the card showcase belongs to
Cloudshift
Cloudshift
is universally useful in this deck. You can do the ol' o-ring trick for four mana with it and Fiend Hunter. For those who don't see it, here's how it happens. You play Fiend Hunter. His enter the battlefield effect goes on the stack. Target a creature and that goes on the stack. Then BEFORE it gets exiled,
Cloudshift
your Fiend Hunter, another item on the stack. Let the stack resolve. Fiend Hunter leaves the battlefield and then returns, target another creature and exile or don't, it's a may effect. THEN the first creature you targeted gets exiled and because Fiend Hunter is already back, it has no way to come back from exile. Conclusion: 2 creatures exiled for four mana. You can also abuse
Gideon Jura
until he's down to low counters, then turn him into a creature,
Cloudshift
Gideon, then use another one of his abilities in the same turn. You can use
Cloudshift
to dodge a removal spell. And finally, you can use
Cloudshift
to just bounce a creature and provide Champion of Lambholt and extra +1/+1 counter.
Champion of Lambholt: The main win condition. Add a bunch of tokens and make a GIANT champion that swings with her little token buddies for OODLES of damage. A threat that HAS to be dealt with.
Birds of Paradise: Mana ramp. It helps you stay a turn ahead of other people which is amazing. Especially when you can drop a turn two Champion of Lambholt, then next turn power it up with a bunch of one drops or a couple of token spells. It also provides some of the black mana for the next card's flashback cost.
Lingering Souls: Arguably the best uncommon card in Dark Ascension, if not the best card. Three for two flying spirits, awesome. It's flashback is NUTS. And because Champion of Lambholt gets powered up, it's even crazier.
Gather the Townsfolk: An okay token generating card. You get a human for each mana you put into it...UNLESS you have fateful hour. Then the card becomes bonkers, especially combined with Champion of Lambholt and Champion of the Parish.
Champion of the Parish: A great one drop. Sure, not as effect turn one as a Birds of Paradise, but still, not a bad alternative. Later game, amazing because I'll have the extra mana to drop it and cast a other humans in the deck.
Doomed Traveler: Another okay one drop that SHINES both early and late game. Early game, no one wants you to get a flier so you get petty damage in. Late game you drop it, powering up Champion of Lambholt or Champion of the Parish, then it dies and provides yet ANOTHER +1/+1 counter to Champion of Lambholt.
Fiend Hunter: An O-Ring on a creature that only targets creatures. Plus, the o-ring trick is cool when you pull it off. Not a bad blocker early game either. Most of the undying crap can't hit hard enough before dying to kill him.
Oblivion Ring: This grabs anything that Fiend Hunter doesn't, like that game clinch sword or Heartless Summoning. It's a utility card.
Sigarda, Host of Herons: While this deck has oodles of little fliers, it has nothing with oomph behind it in the air. Sigarda fills that niche nicely. 5 for a 5/5 flier that only dies to boardwipes is just awesome in general. But she's also an answer to Liliana of the Veil
Sun Titan: This deck practically rolls around 3 and less drops like a dog in anything that smells bad. Sun Titan brings back EVERYTHING except my non-creature spells, other Sun Titan, Sigarda, Host of Herons, and
Gideon Jura
. I do believe that's over half my deck I have access to with a Sun Titan.
Green Sun's Zenith: This card is questionable in my deck, but there are so many times when a extra Birds of Paradise would be handy. Or a well timed Champion of Lambholt or Sigarda, Host of Herons.
Sideboard:
I think my bad match ups, or at least in my playing with it so far, are Red (burn in general) and control (Specially the u/b kind). So I built my deck for them and with a hint of versatility.
Cavern of Souls: Sides in against control. I side out my Razorverge Thickets because while they're useful, they don't do anything mid to late game, which is where control is going to take me to. Declare humans on the first one. Then if I see the second one, probably angel if they're running Liliana of the Veil. Depends on if I see that planewalker early or not and if I have Sigarda, Host of Herons in hand.
Timely Reinforcements
: Red screws me over hard. ESPECIALLY with Vexing Devil. My answer to that is
Timely Reinforcments
. The life gain is awesome and the tokens help with Champion of Lambholt. I'd trade these with 2 Sigarda, 1 Fiend Hunter, and 1 Gideon.
Mental Misstep: One of the universal cards. Against a Delver deck, red deck, anything heavy on one drops. I'd take out against control, probably 2 Gideons. Against RDW 2 Fiend Hunters.
Doomed Traveler: Why a single one? Because I don't run four mainboard. And against RDW, I need that little bit extra speed. So -1 O-Ring and add this guy in.
Hero of Bladehold
: Token pooper, 'nough said. I'd side him in against RDW, side out my Titans.
Craterhoof Behemoth: This guy is a random awesome dude against green. If I'm going against green, my only option is to be bigger the dungrove. This guy is my Overrun basically. Side out...not too sure...
Stony Silence: Stops pod, swords, and rachet bomb. Not too sure what to side out.
This is just a tentative sideboard. Any comments are WELCOMED!!
