So when I first started playing Magic, there were two things I knew about myself: I enjoyed multi colored decks, and I was fascinated by +1/+1 counters. Jump to Aether Revolt Standard, with Winding Constrictor entering the fray. Green Black decks loved Winding Constrictor, but I loved him for a janky Abzan combo he had with revolt cards like Greenwheel Liberator and the now-banned Felidar Guardian. The deck I brewed for my first game day was pretty awful, but it started with a spark. I knew that I liked Abzan, but I didn't have a synergistic deck idea that had enough legs to run with the big boys.
Flash forward to now. Dominaria Standard is the last (or second to last) Standard where Kaladesh block cards will be playable, and it's finally time for me to take up the mantle of Constrictor player. However, Sultai Constrictor, as good as the mana is going to be in this format, doesn't fascinate me in quite the same way as playing with my first favorite 3 color clan, Abzan.
It all starts with Shalai, Voice of Plenty. This card is a bomb, and I think it's going to be impactful in this Standard. Having a Gavony Township effect on a body that is reasonably resilient is crazy, and extra crazy in a deck that loves putting (or merely enabling) lots of +1/+1 counters on creatures. But why splash white for one angel that can just be Fatal Push'd? Well, there's another card I'm very excited about in this format: Song of Freyalise.
This uncommon Saga starts out as ramp, enabling you to accelerate from wherever you are to wherever you want to be on the curve, using your existing creatures as a way to get there. This might make the mid game less aggressive than the usual Golgari build, but the late game gets insane, especially when you get to Song's third chapter. Whether you have a snake or not, everything on your board gets +1/+1 counters and can swing in for close to lethal -- and if you have Shalai, you don't even have to worry about Settle the Wreckage.
Lastly, Lyra Dawnbringer is too good to pass up. Song of Freyalise helps you get that double white if you need it, but the mana base and explore creatures should help you get all your colors by the time you want to finish things off. Testing is required to see how this all operates, but I'm excited to see what happens.
