Variation of Abzan Aggro/Midrange with use of Collected Company with a focus on Athreos, God of Passage.
Athreos, God of Passage
+
Liliana, Heretical Healer
is the main synergy of the deck, and the rest of the deck focuses on them. Most notable are Merciless Executioner and Fleshbag Marauder, where additional effects can be obtained when they die - deal more damage, get bouncing removal, flip Liliana, Heretical Healer
, and fill the graveyard for Graveblade Marauder. Deathmist Raptor
+
Den Protector
is also great synergy, and provides combat ability with
Fleecemane Lion
. The best part of this is that all cards mentioned here can be retrieved with Collected Company.
Other than that, there is room for 6 cards that are not Collected Company, and cannot be fetched with it. These are filled with 4 copies of Siege Rhino, and 2 copies of Tragic Arrogance. Tragic Arrogance in an aggro deck may appear strange, but it is actually great here. Because creatures tend to sacrifice themselves, flip into planeswalkers or are enchantments, in most cases there will be very minor board state changes for this deck. It also means that the deck is surprisingly good against board wipes, which are thus often reduced to single target removal.
The deck works surprisingly well in Multiplayer due to the all-opponents mechanics of many of the cards.
Sideboard
For the sideboard, depending on the opponent, it can often be a good idea to simply remove Collected Company entirely. It will naturally slow the deck down, but allows for including a larger amount of non-fetchable cards. There are also fetchable alternatives to Fleshbag Marauder / Merciless Executioner that works better against aggro decks that doesn't mind sacrificing a creature for a 3-cost.
Anafenza, the Foremost - Anti-graveyard, and all-around great creature to fetch with Collected Company.
Reclamation Sage: Artifact and enchantment removal that can be fetched with Collected Company. Simple as that.
Minister of Pain: Great sideboard against token and aggro decks, and can punish just-enough blocks, if obtained with Collected Company during combat. Even if it isn't relevant, it can still be a fetchable 2/3 for 3. Also works with the sacrifice synergy.
Dromoka's Command: Provides 1-for-2 trades, works well with the large amount of creatures, and is a major thread to damage-based removals and enchantment based deck. However, it is primarily effective against other aggro decks, that can chuck out threats too quick to otherwise manage.
Maybes
Vryn Wingmate - Anti-control that can be retrieved with Collected Company. Simple, and can be used to chump-block dragons. However, the quality simply doesn't make the card worth it, and takes up room for better cards, I feel. Can be sideboarded depending on the meta.
Elvish Mystic - Can be a great turn 1 drop as there are a lot of 3-cost creatures in the deck. It can also be inserted in the deck instead of lands to help make more Collected Company targets. However, an Elvish Mystic obtained with Collected Company will often be little more than a whiff anyway, and the focus on green mana is a significant problem in the deck.
Hero's Downfall - Additional removal, which can also target planeswalkers. Hard to include in the deck as it can't be collected, but might still need to be included.
Drown in Sorrow - Anti-aggro. Also clears the board of smaller targets so that the larger targets can be sacrified. Sideboard material at best, however.
Grim Haruspex - Can be collected with Collected Company, and can be used to limit the effect of board wipes to the board state itself only. Can also be used to resurrect
Deathmist Raptor
for 4 mana. However, the major use for Grim Haruspex is to draw a card for every time a creature is sacrificed - which occurs very frequently here. That makes it a very potent card, but weak when it stands alone.
Palace Siege - Being able to return a removal spell each turn is insane. This is also a potential finisher for the deck.
Pitiless Horde
- A serious threat against any deck, especially those with few creatures. Getting two with Collected Company after the opponent taps everything and swinging for 10 is major. Casting it from hand with dash is a major deterrent late game, and also works around Languish and other sorcery board wipes.
Boon Satyr
- Excellent utility card that can be collected, though I don't see what to replace them with in side board or main board.
Warden of the First Tree - while decent in aggro and when you get it later, fetching it with Collected Company can be a bit of a downer. A mana hog like Warden may work, but I am sure there are better alternatives.
Nantuko Husk
: Husk works better in a
Rally the Ancestors
based deck than this - there usually won't be enough targets anyway, and sacrificing perfectly good 3/3's for a one-turn 2/2 boost and a potential creature kill seems unwarrented.
Master of the Feast /
Herald of Torment
: Excellent high-quality 3-cost creatures. However, while an aggro deck, I am still doubtful that the upsides outweigh the downsides.
Evolutionary Leap: Essentially does the same as Athreos, God of Passage, just worse. Also can't be fetched with Collected Company.
Courser of Kruphix
: Staple of Abzan decks that shines in mid-range and control. Quality of it is slightly too slow for it to make the cut.
Colossal Heroics
: Can add just enough toughness to creatures to survive Languish, as well as act as a finisher. Too expensive when more than 2 creatures are on the table, however, and too situational even for sideboard. In a deck with Collected Company, this card is not high enough quality to include.
Managorger Hydra
/ Nissa, Vastwood Seer
/ Hornet Nest: Could be great if this was made into a more controllish deck, but they will be too slow here.
Wingmate Roc / Sorin, Solemn Visitor: Great, but can't be fetched with Collected Company. Limited slots taken by more important cards. Could work, but doubtful.
Tormod's Crypt: Anti-graveyard counter for sideboard. Potentially relevant, depending on meta.
Blood-Chin Fanatic
: Because of the large amount of warriors in the deck, this could actually work really well, and allows for restoring health as well as working well with the sacrifice synergy.
Gravepurge: Useful for guaranteeing hits with Collected Company and to starve off mana flooding, but only really works late game and costs 3 mana, which often translates to a turn.
Bloodsoaked Champion: Fits great with sacrifice theme, but paying 2 to get it back AND requires an attack makes it sircumstancial at best.
Arashin Cleric
: Anti-aggro sideboard that is made better with Collected Comany. Absolutely an option for sideboard, though I don't think Aggro is the biggest threat against this deck.
Nighthowler: Would be a star player in a more control-based Collected Company deck, but here is is too slow and situational.
