White-Black midrange/aggro deck that aims to out-value the opponent with valuable minions and strong removal.
Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit: Situationally strong card that can lead to very strong openings, but her one-of in the deck is largely sentimental value, and could easily be switched out with another Knight of the White Orchid or Hangarback Walker.
Archangel Avacyn
: My favorite card from Shadows over Innistrad, and sure to be a total powerhouse in the new standard format. Great stats for her mana cost, and the flash + indestructible to your team can lead to massive blowouts in combat. Her flip could be devastating to either side of the field, but planning your combats the turn before could make it totally upside. I would run 4 of her, but the curve is already pretty heavy on top and 3 feels like a good number.
Archangel of Tithes: She's been amazing for me in previous rotations, and hasn't failed to impress thus far in SoI. Solid stats (with a very relevant 5 toughness) for her cost, and her effect can easily win you games by itself. Any deck that wants to go wide against you needs to remove her asap if they want a chance at all.
Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim: While her sacrifice effect may be better utilized in decks focusing on graveyard shenanigans or life-gain, I think Ayli is a great addition to the decklist. A 2/3 for is already strong in the early game, and the deathtouch keeps her relevant throughout. Her sacrifice can net you incidental life-gain from time to time, but it really shines when you can respond to an opponent's exile effects by getting rid of your own guy being targeted and heal a bit in the process. If you somehow get her second effect off, it seems hard to lose.
Drana, Liberator of Malakir: A complete beast in any aggressive or midrange deck that can utilize her. It's difficult for most decks to deal with a flyer that early in the game, and she quickly buffs herself out of the range of most damage-based removal spells. Her having first strike also means that any of our other attacking creatures get their +1/+1 counters added before they deal damage, which sometimes catches people off guard when they've declared blocks.
Hangarback Walker: A creature made purely of value. On turn 2, it can be a chump blocker that replaces itself. On turn 10, it can come down as a massive threat that only causes more trouble when it's dealt with. The extra incidental counters from Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit and Drana, Liberator of Malakir only make it scarier.
Kalitas, Traitor of Ghet: This guy can be pretty ridiculous. The lifelink is always important, having synergies with Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim and Odric, Lunarch Marshal, but his effect is where he really shines. One-for-one trades now favor you, it stops reanimator and recursion in its tracks, and it makes dead guys for him to potentially eat and get bigger with. He's a really strong card, and might be worth more spots in the deck.
Knight of the White Orchid: He used to be strong just to help you ramp. Once the battle lands came out, he got stronger, with the ability to fetch up your dual lands. Now with no fetch lands in the format, he's reached his peak. A 2/2 with first strike can stop a lot of aggressive starts in their tracks, and his ability allows us to hit missing land drops, or slingshot forward in our curve. A turn 4 Archangel Avacyn
? Sure!
Kytheon, Hero of Akros
The spunky little $5 planeswalker has jumped up in price recently, and I can definitely see why. At his absolute worst, he's a
Savannah Lions
, which it's hard to complain about on turn 1. At his best, he's Gideon, Battle-Forged
, causing your opponent to make bad trades and keeping your best creatures on the defensive after they've attacked. Untapping your Archangel of Tithes or Hangarback Walker for extra value always makes me glad he's in the deck.
Odric, Lunarch Marshal: One of the more controversial picks in the deck, but one that I feel like has a lot of value. With the current number of affixes in the mainboard (9 flying, 4 first strike, 3 vigilance, 2 deathtouch, 1 lifelink), not to mention extra flying from thopters or indestructible from Kytheon, Hero of Akros
or either Gideon, he almost always has a target to make the team stronger. He doesn't need to be attacking in order for his effect to trigger, so dropping him down pre-combat to suddenly give your entire board flying can lead to a surprise win. Also, his effect triggers "at the beginning of combat," not just yours, so chump blocking could become much more profitable with him on the field.
Caves of Koilos: Basically necessary for mana-fixing.
Forsaken Sanctuary: A strictly worse shambling vents, but it's just another dual land to help with fixing. I considered a second Westvale Abbey
in this spot, but I haven't been convinced that it's worth it yet.
Plains: We kinda need it.
Shambling Vent: Best dual land for Orzhov. Coming into play tapped can be annoying at times, but the ability to make a lifelinking blocker when you need it, or an attacker that avoids sorcery-speed removal is extremely valuable.
Swamp: We kinda need it. (Also, purple swamp is best swamp)
Westvale Abbey
: Currently the only "utility land" in the deck, it almost always just sits there. Occasionally though, it can help develop the board, or eventually make a giant dude that can be difficult to deal with. (Not to mention he's hilarious with an Odric, Lunarch Marshal out)
Duress
: We have access to black mana, so let's look at our opponent's stuff! Useful for taking a deck's ramp spells, a control deck's removal, or simply to gain information.
Hallowed Moonlight: A pretty hard counter to reanimator strategies and token generators. It's also useful to effectively counter an opponent's Collected Company. Drawing cards is fun too.
Immolating Glare
: Kind of a filler spot at the moment, but definitely comes in against aggressive decks or anything we'd want more removal for.
Infinite Obliteration
: Playing against a deck with a few key creatures for their win condition? Go get rid of them! Yet another way to look at someone's hand too, which can't be overestimated.
Self-Inflicted Wound: Because screw people that run white or green creatures!
Surge of Righteousness
: Because screw people that run black or red creatures!
Transgress the Mind: More hand disruption, this time exiling stuff, and not limited to a card-type. Extremely valuable against midrange or control decks.
