Gift of Orzhova has 2 symbols, gives lifelinkderp, also flying is since and is another heroic trigger.

Gift will be my go-to if Observant Alseid doesn't pan out as well as I hope, but my main focues is fixing my control matchup issue. What usually happens is every time I get a creature out and pumped, it gets murdered leaving me with nothing but useless enchants. Blessing is also a thing, but it lends itself to the long game more than to aggro, so we'll see how it goes.

Turn 1: Hopeful Eidolon
Turn 2: Ethereal Armor x2, Attack for a 14dmg life swing

@Devan7 just a question, how are you swinging for 14 with Hopeful Eidolon and 2x Ethereal Armor ? Hopeful Eidolon 1/1Ethereal Armor +Ethereal Armor + 6/+6maybe i don't understand

I think this is the sort of deck where a card like Ajani's Chosen would shine, because all those enchantments would generate even more value. plus since its an intro set rare, foils are cheap and easy to acquire!

@Devan7 Haha, hopefully it runs that well when I try it out for the first time this friday.

@Blisterdark he meant a 14 life swing, meaning I gain 7 and my opponent loses 7.

@fromanuneasysea He's been suggested, but being a 4 drop who then needs enchants to follow after he's played, Chosen is entirely too slow. Plus the kitties he makes end up being little more than chump blockers in the long game, and late game is not usually something I want to see happen.

Why aren't you running Spear of Heliod ? I think its a perfect fit here.

Good question. The reason I don't have the Spear right now is consistancy. My biggest issue before the switch to Theros was drawing too few creatures and too many enchantments. A single kill spell would mean I lost the game. I still want to be aggressive with enchantments though, otherwise this would just be a white weenie deck. This deck is based around Heroic and Ethereal Armor , so every enchantment is important.

My solution is the Bestow creatures. Even if I draw no other creatures, the bestowers can be cast as creatures then enchanted. Not ideal, but better than 0 creatures period. This also isn't (despite the creature number) a creature rush deck. Usually I aim to have no more than 2 creatures out at once. I wouldn't get much value out of the +1/+1 effect of the spear, though it would help Ethereal Armor as well.

Observant Alseid complements your strat fairly well; vigilance/lifelink is beast. Just test him a bit to see if the cost is efficient. The other Bestow creature, though, is pretty bad... you'll never bestow him, he's a 1/1 lifelink with the Enchantment subtype haha!

I'd rather run Soldier of the Pantheon than Hopeful Eidolon , he's got some evasion, got some lifegain, pretty beast really

I'd say that Spear of Heliod is better than Heliod, God of the Sun as the main reason you cast Heliod, God of the Sun is for the vigilance, with Spear of Heliod all your creatures get +1 and it makes you opponent think twice about attacking you if you keep the mana open

@iceteademon Hopeful is important for keeping a balance between creatures and enchantments, as well as buff Ethereal Armor . This deck's curve is so low, I can afford to let one sit in my hand for a while before bestowing it, and it would usually get bestowed if the game went to mid-late game. If anything, I would replace Fiendslayer Paladin with SotP to make sure I almost always have a T1 play.

@nickd1979 I did some playtesting yesterday and you have a point. Once my opponent got indestructible attackers and blockers (Frontline Medic and Tajic, Blade of the Legion ) and I had a 9/9 Vigilant Lifelink Hero, the game turned into a stalemate. Spear wouldn't have helped there unfortunately, but it can be a great deterrent when I have mana open.

I actually like Heliod as a backup for late game matches because I usually (hopefully) have enough devotion to animate him. I think I'll drop him to a 1-of and make some room for a spear or two.

• Phalanx Leader just as good as Favored Hoplite but he gives counters to everyone, not just himself.

I agree, Phalanx Leader is really good here.

You could also put in some Indestructibility to keep the Fabled Hero from getting ganked as you pile enchants on him. Then he would only be susceptible to Exiles.

Sphere of Safety would also go a long way in keeping you safe too.

Phalanx Leader is good for giving out buffs, but my main issue with him is that he's a 1/1 for 2 mana. He'll be coming out at turn 2 at the earliest, and I need other creatures on the field to maximize his ability. During that time, they're all easy to remove with even a Magma Jet . My goal is to play a 1 drop first turn, an enchantment second turn, then swing for 3. Leader would only slow that down.

Indestructibility and Sphere of Safety are 4 and 5 drops. I rarely need more than 4 lands, and also I would have to cut current enchants to make room for them. With that in mind, I much prefer Gift of Immortality over Indest. and Spear and lifegain for defense rather than an expensive enchant that is much less relevant late game, especially against control.

Keep in mind though, Gift of Immortality only preserves the creature and itself. Any additional Enchantments will still poof.

Very valid point. The mana cost is still a hang up for me, though I'll run some playtests to see if it's worth it.

I think I'll run 3 to 1 Indy to Gift and side in Gift versus control decks with sac effects.

I'd just like to make note, Ajani doesn't trigger heroic, he's still freaking useful, but trigger heroic he does not.

what did you think running Gods Willing over Brave the Elements ?

Gods Willing is strictly better than Brave the Elements , they have the exact same effect, but Gods Willing has the added benefit of Scry 1, which leads to better card quality in the long run. Add to that it's common rather than uncommon, it's easier to find, and better...

I'd say it's a good move, why do you ask?

vbcnxm_ yeah I realized that. /sadface. He's still a fantastic surprise wincon.

CLAMS There was a time or two that Brave the Elements might have been better that Gods Willing , such as when my 2nd round opponent had all green and GW creatures that I could have protection'd through, but the Scry was dead useful at times. Gods Willing actually did close out a game that way with a Fabled Hero though.

Strictly better? Strictly? Brave the Elements works on all white creatures, rather than one target. The value you can get out of using it to counter Anger of the Gods is obscene, and I think Flames of the Firebrand can be relevant when you've got Soldier of the Pantheon out, too.

More importantly, against decks running a heavy colour, Brave the Elements is a finisher, giving all your guys pseudo-unblockable. Personally I'd run both, but Brave the Elements is more relevant in more situations.

Whoops, skimmed over another card again, bollocks... yeah... my mistake.