So, I have found that this deck can take a while to get going. In an ideal scenario which has happened once so far, is a turn two Commune with the Gods dumping as many cards with static abilities on them as possible and then turn 3 Soulflayer. This is not reliable, obviously, but getting a Soulflayer out as early as turn 4-5 is possible and happens most games.
This deck succeeds against a lot of mid-range decks that don't get 3-4 creatures out before I get a soulflayer out. Specifically, my brothers Mardu aggro deck gives this deck a hard time. His key card is Ankle Shanker which he gets out early thanks to a Alesha, Who Smiles at Death
+
Tormenting Voice
combo. He also runs Raiders' Spoils which makes his early game really hard to beat. By the time I have a Soulflayer out ready to win the game, I am down to 5 life and have to use it for blocks.
Anyway, back to the actual update and how I am trying to fix this weakness. I have figured out that it is unlikely that I can make this deck any faster to get going, so my plan is to force an opponent to slow down. I have found that Ranger's Guile is a dead card most of the time. It is likely that my Soulflayer has hexproof already or I am holding a Stubborn Denial to counter a threat. This is the card I will replace. I am going to experiment!
The first thing I will try is replacing Ranger's Guile with 3x Icy Blast. I originally took this card out for more creatures, but that isn't an issue anymore. Even just making an opponent skip an attack phase will reduce the amount of early pressure and the ferocious can be achieved from Soulflayer. This means it will still be relevant in the late game. I am also thinking about dropping one Sultai Charm and one Ruthless Ripper for two Yasova Dragonclaw's as they seem to do a good job at shutting down early aggro.
This is all for now, feedback is always appreciated! Back to testing!
