10.13.2023
Wow, it’s been a long time since I've given this deck some attention. My choice of having only 32 lands in this deck was always risky. I think it was because all the decks I was mainly focusing on (Najeela, the Blade-Blossom, now Rocco, Street Chef, and Ivy, Gleeful Spellthief) were all low-to-the ground aggro decks. A lower land count is something those decks can get away with…kinda. This deck is not aggro; it’s mid-range. Therefore, I cut some cards that just weren’t needed. Mesmeric Orb is just another way to dump my library into my graveyard.
5.9.2023 - Aftermath Edition
I prefer the card draw of Sigarda, Font of Blessings over Shalai, Voice of Plenty’s +1/+1 counter production. I thought about adding Metropolis Reformer, but I’m not sure what to cut or if putting Shalai back in is better.
5.2.23
Vorinclex
and Sheoldred
all look good but I don’t know what to cut for it. For now, Faeburrow Elder is back in because creature ramp is valuable in this deck. Vanishing Verse is good, but Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim is better. I just want Roldolf Duskbringer slotted in. Though he has redundant keyworks, he has plenty of lifegain synergizes and reanimation. Worth it.
11.28.22
Black Market Connections, in a way, is just a straight upgrade to Inspiring Overseer. For the same amount of mana, you get a 3/2 “cleric/angel” without flying, draw a card, and get a treasure token for six life. Six life seems like a lot, unless you have a deck that gains life like crazy….
9.9.22 - Dominaria United Update
Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim is everything I wanted from Blood Artist and more. Death's Oasis had a tendency to mill over interaction that I want in my hand.
6.22.22
Almost every deck that I’ve built with has Adeline, Resplendent Cathar in it, mainly because it is a dumb card. However, Battle Angels of Tyr is better in this deck and does essentially the same thing. Damning Verdict is a selective sweeper and won’t sweep my creatures most of the time.
5.21.2022
I find it funny that Streets of New Capenna provided some of the best angels we’ve seen in a long time. Giada, Font of Hope is just too strong for an angel tribal deck. Inspiring Overseer is a cheap angel that cards a card in . I’m testing Wrenn and Seven over Satyr Wayfinder after it was suggested. Heroic Intervention is just better protection.
2.16.2022
Boseiju, Who Endures is the winner of Kawigama:Neon Dynasty. At this point, I’m just trading land effects and I think Boseiju is a card I’d rather see most of the time. I think both Ao, the Dawn Sky and Junji, the Midnight Sky are very good in this deck. There are plenty of sacrifice outlets and both death triggers are great. I’m leaning more towards adding Ao over Junji first because of the card advantage and +1/+1 counters it provides. Junji has some competition with Karmic Guide for the reanimator, but it could be interchangeable, honestly. The Meathook Massacre functions in the same capacity as Damn, but has better utility with the draining aspect.
12.29.2021
Hopeful Initiate replaces Knight of Autumn as the creature based removal. Though I lose an ETB effect, Hopeful Initiate acts as removal that I don’t have to hold in hand, grows, and is repeatable with less hoops in this deck. Auriok Champion over Dina, Soul Steeper because I rather have more lifegain effects.
12.6.2021
With the addition of Crimson Vow to Standard, I’ve transferred some of my Standard lifegain strategies to Commander. Torens, Fist of the Angels and Adeline, Resplendent Cathar are my favorite cards from these sets because they are super aggressive. I switched this two cards with Skullbriar, the Walking Grave and Stinkweed Imp. Maybe some other Kathril players can change my mind, but I’m not impressed with Skullbriar, the Walking Grave at all. Like Managorger Hydra, Skullbriar gets bigger as the game goes on. Unlike Managorger Hydra, Skullbriar can be infinite clump blocked without any assistance. Yeah, it can hold the Kathril counters but I don’t rush to play Kathril and there are better targets. Removing Stinkweed Imp is probably the wrong choice because of its dredge ability. However, I don’t have too much of an issue with filling the graveyard when I want to. Old Stickfingers is in over Hermit Druid because it offers more control for what goes into the graveyard. Again, not sure if this is the correct choice, but it works for me. Oketra the True is back over Solemn Recruit because it has better utility and it is a better beater with all the tokens running around.
11.22.2021
Prosperous Innkeeper is essentially a Soul Sister and provides a Treasure token. I cut Questing Beast to help lower the curve.
10.19.2021
With so many clerics in the deck, Orah, Skyclave Hierophant just fits. I’m playing Solemn Recruit over Angel of Destiny for a cheaper double strike trigger.
9.13.2021
There was an error in my decklist where Dina, Soul Steeper wasn’t included, which is now fixed by removing Bala Ged Recovery
. I like to give credit where credit is due so shout out to SpecimeN87 for this suggesting Lathiel, the Bounteous Dawn. Lathiel is a powerful support card, especially in Soul Sisters. Same goes with Trelasarra, Moon Dancer. At this point, the deck feels little greed on the mana base so I may have to cut something for a land or two. I’m also looking to add Book of Exalted Deeds at some point.
6.5.2021
”Wrath of God used to be in the deck. However, I never found a need to reset the entire field. The longer the game goes, the thicker my creatures get so resetting the battlefield doesn’t help me that much. Though there is an argument that single target removal is less efficient and card disadvantage, I only want to deal with cards that stop my gameplan.”
GregariousG
Well, this was true until Damn was printed. This is flexible removal, both spot and a board wipe, in . Despark was switched out because I think it is the weakest in the removal package.
4.30.2021 - Strixhaven Edition/Cleric Tribal?
Strixhaven introduced plenty of cards that could make an appearance in this deck. However, Vanishing Verse, Dina, Soul Steeper, and Elite Spellbinder are the three cards that stood out. Vanishing Verse is another great piece of spot removal. Elite Spellbinder is a cleric and a Tidehollow Sculler in one. Dina, Soul Steeper further weaponizes the lifegain in this deck. Resplendent Angel triggers easily and produces more Angels. I cut Grand Abolisher because this isn’t a combo deck. Yes, it protects my turn. However, it gets blown up as soon as I pass the turn. I think that effect is better for storm or combo decks.
3.20.2021
For me, Sidisi is becoming too slow of an option, thus the change to Diabolic Intent. Despark is to add more variety to my removal. As for the rest of the changes, I keep missing my land drops. Maybe it is because I’m not a dredge/graveyard player or not. Either way, I adjusted some things for my liking. Karametra, God of the Harvest is a placeholder at this moment.
2.9.2021
Even though this is a midrange deck, there were too many creatures for my liking. I think cutting Underrealm Lich for Linden, the Steadfast Queen is incorrect 90% of the time. Maybe it is the way I’ve been playing, but I’ve never felt the need for Underrealm Lich. With Linden, I want to push the “convert lifegain into counters” theme which allows me to be even more aggressive. This also justifies the inclusion of Soul Warden and Soul's Attendant. Though these two cards do nothing for Kathril, these soul sisters provide continuous lifegain and surgery with the multiple life gain effects in the deck. Surprisingly, Nature's Lore isn’t needed because it just misses sometimes due to heavy dredge and being a sorcery. Here’s the thing about Akroma, Angel of Wrath; Akroma, Vision of Ixidor is just better. Old Akroma is just a beater. New Akroma is a beater and anthems the board. I’ve come to the conclusion that it is pointless to run both. Sorry, Akroma, Angel of Wrath. You will be missed.
2.1.2021
Righteous Valkyrie is just dumb. For, it gains life from angels and clerics and is an anthem. The more I review the deck, the more I justify the addition of Lyra Dawnbringer. I don’t think that Stonehoof Chieftain is bad. I think that Lyra plays a better support role for this deck.
11.23.2020
Zendikar Rising and Commander Legends provided interesting additions to the deck. Cutting a swamp for Agadeen’s Awakening/Agadeem, the Undercrypt is a free switch. Akroma, Vision of Ixidor is made for keyword soup decks. Angel of Destiny provides flying and double strike and an interesting way to knock out my opponents. Nullpriest of Oblivion provides menace and acts as a backup Karmic Guide. I don’t need a wrath effect.
9.5.2020
Leyline Prowler was always mediocre at best, even with relevant keywords. Leyline was and will always be a chopping block card. Here is the thing about Managorger Hydra; Hydra is good in theory. At best, Managorger comes down turn 2, gets thick because everyone is playing spells, gets the hexproof and indestructible keywords, and becomes a massive threat. That is multiple moving pieces to make an ok trampler into a problem. Elder Gargaroth does the same thing much better, much sooner. Put into the same situation, Gargaroth is consistently bigger and draws cards/gains life/creates 3/3 tokens. With all this in mind, Managorger is benched because it is too weak without major assistance.
05.04.2020
After some playtesting, Knight of Autumn is just better for my playstyle. Though the keywords are good, I prefer the flexibility of Knight over Gemrazor.
04.18.2020
I think Knight of Autumn is playable and quite good. However, Gemrazor provides more utility overall. Along with artifact and enchantment removal, Gemrazor has a cheap mutate cost and two keywords. Solemn Simulacrum always seems to get cut from my decks. Sad robot is still good. However, Vraska does the same thing and more for . That’s because Vraska has card draw and Abrupt Decay available.
04.18.2020
Authority of the Consuls provides tempo and lifegain for . Though having a mana dork turn one is great for an explosive start, Mana dorks lose their value the longer the game goes on while Authority doesn't. Also, this deck isn't looking to win early. Heliod, Sun-Crowded is indestructible and gives +1/+1 counters anytime I gain life. This makes my threats even bigger due to the various forms of lifegain. Ayli, Eternal Pilgrim and High Market is my protection against exile effects. It took some thought, but I cut Urborg and Unburial Rites. I don't need enough to justify Urborg. I'd rather have the utility and just properly fetch my colors in the early game. As for Unburial Rites, I felt like it was the weakest of my reanimation cards. For my spot, I'd rather see Karmic Guide everytime over Unburial in my hand or in the yard.
04.13.2020
Akroma, Angel of Wrath has lots of keywords, already in the pre-con, easier to reanimate, and just a powerful beater.
04.13.2020
A few days ago, I was thinking about adding Fauna Shaman and Storrev, Devkarin Lich. Fauna Shaman allows me to discard creatures that I would prefer to be in the graveyard. I want Storrev, Devkarin Lich because it is a mid-range beater with trample and graveyard recursion. Thank you, multimedia for not only confirming my thoughts, but giving some great suggestions. Stinkweed Imp and Hermit Druid are dredge staples and added to the deck. To accommodate for Hermit Druid, I adjusted the mana base, which should have occurred anyways.
04.08.2020
The Ozolith is made for this deck. Leyline Prowler was added over Paradise Druid for two reasons. First, it’s a mana dork with deathtouch and lifelink. Second, I found out that Paradise Druid’s hexproof doesn’t count for Kathril. Life from the Loam is it because my deck wants to dredge and make land drops. Is taking out Smothering Tithe the best choice? I doubt it. I’m still searching for ways to protect my graveyard and another double strike creature.