I ran a similar deck and persistently faced problems with protecting my creatures from removal and removing permanents that my creatures couldn't handle.

To solve these problems, I splashed black to almost exclusively add better removal into the deck. It also gave me the chance to add Anafenza, the Foremost who is a nice buffer, has great power/toughness for the mana cost, and seems to routinely eat removal from my opponents, and Abzan Charm which offers either a nice counter-adding synergy or another removal source.

In my experience these decks are too slow to be truly aggro but struggle in the midrange once removal deprived me of my built-up big guys. That's where spells like Feat of Resistance and Enshrouding Mist to keep my creatures with lots of counters alive so they can keep swinging.

Here is my deck if you're interested in viewing it: Abzan Midrange with counters (Open to Changes). I have to update it again since I came into a bevvy of great cards to add into the main deck (Windswept Heath and Collected Company) and my sideboard (Ultimate Price, Radiant Purge).

What about Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit?

Thanks for the tips. I have been considering splashing black for removal. I'll have to play with it and see how it plays. Also, I actually had Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit in an early version of the deck but it didn't end up seeing much utility in the games I was playing but I'll have to keep it in mind and see if I can make it work.

I used to have a similar list with Abzan colors, and I might have a few other ideas. If you struggle with mana, I've tried Ainok Guide as something out of left field. Early on he helps you get out lands, but later when you don't need them he can be a 2/2 flyer for 2 with a Falconer out. If you need artifact removal you can use Ainok Survivalist; it's a little slower, but it fits the theme. Daghatar the Adamant is a curve-topper that can make some cheeky plays if you have the mana. Dragonscale General is another curve-topper that can keep all your creatures relevant. For answers to removal, try Feat of Resistance. Finally, Hooded Hydra is a great mana sink for later on.

I've played with Dragonscale General and Hooded Hydra, I actually put Hangarback Walker in place of Hooded Hydra because you can pump it up. I recently aquired the Windswept Heaths so if those don't fix my mana woes I will look into Ainok Guide.

I just have to say: This is the first time putting a deck on here (or online at all) and it's great to have people to bounce ideas off of. :)

Hangarback Walker, Managorger Hydra and Hardened Scales... Man, bomb! :D

Murder Investigation really pairs well with Hangarback Walker or Hooded Hydra; on death you have two sources of fast creature generation that makes your next turn hard for opponents to handle. This also gives Dragonscale General a lot more value but it is a fairly slow set up. I've had some success running it with a Managorger Hydra since that creature doesn't require as much mana from me to pump up.

An alternative to Ainok Guide is Map the Wastes. It's a bit expensive and you don't gain the mana that turn but still has value even later in the game in that it gives a +1/+1 counter and removes land from your deck so you aren't drawing it when you need a trick or a creature to seal the game.

Check my build out. Green White Counters

I think there's some things you might have overlooked in this deck. Mainly Gleam of Authority. Mistcutter Hydra and Ordeal of Heliod are also great additions. Inspiring Call can also generate card advantage as well as saving your guys. I side in Gods Willing against burn.

Hi, I run a similar G/W Counter deck. From my experience with my deck and looking at yours, I'll give you some input on the side deck, the maybe board and suggest some cards.

Sidedeck: I personally hate every card in it except Tragic Arrogance, Valorous Stance and Dragonlord Dromoka

Evolutionary Leap: This isn't really a card you want to play, looking at it, if you're thinking what I think your thinking I'd go with Scourge of Skola Vale instead.

Surrak, the hunt caller seems nice but I'd say 9/10 games the game is over before you play him and I feel like having him wouldn't benefit you that much. Removal would be better to draw than him.

Plummet: Not sure why this is here, if you're up againt a flyer with under 4 power that is annoying you, you can kill it with dromoka's command and one of your creatures, if you're up against a flyer with over 4 power you got Valorous Stance and Hidden Dragonslayer. This card just seems like too niche a removal when your deck has answers already.

Surge of Righteousness: Once again this seems too niche, not only does it have to be attacking or blocking it also has to be red or black. I'd go with Swift Reckoning if you really want removal of that type or even Celestial Flare, but honestly I'd recommend none of them.

Recommendations:Creatures: Scourge of Skola Vale is a great way to pop hangarback if need be, and to keep counters in play if someone goes to kill a creature by saccing it to Skola to get more counters, I haven't tested him in my deck but I'm thinking about testing him and he looks like he'd work even better in your deck than mine.Fleecemane Lion is a great 2 drop and if he lives to turn 5 he becomes a solid target for buffing as he is very hard to remove at that point, I run him in my deck instead of hangarback because I don't want to pay for 4 hangarbacksReverent Hunter is nice potential 3 drop but with your morphs, hydra and skola I'd avoid him. I'm basically only suggesting him so you know he exists.

Protection:Gather Courage Basically a clutch card vs RDW you can play creatures on curve and expect them to survive a turn.Gods Willing: save my poor hydra for 1 mana, giving him a +1 counter and let me scry, sure. Its a better early game card than feat of resistance but if you have scales on board feat is better. In a situation where keeping one creature alive is key having both options is great.

Buffing:Solidarity of Heroes I have yet to test out this card myself but in a deck where you're just trying to put counters on creatures why not have a card that lets you double the work you've done for 2 mana per creatureAjani Steadfast: He is $5 but at the same time you'll probably only want 1 or 2 of him. I too run abzan falconer in my main deck and I run this guy in my side deck. Why? Well if I'm in a match where I have one creature and want to stay strong with just that one I can give him lifelink, vigilance and first strike or in a match where I can get some board presence, its +1 counters for all.

Removal: Back to Nature: Want to make decks that focus on enchantments hate you? Sideboard this. You have Dromoka's Command to get rid a single enchantment but if you're up against something that is running multiple enchantments or just struggling to gain ground this is the card to play. In all my games this card has helped me way more than it has hurt me when I've sided it in.

Maybeboard:I kind of spent more time writing this up than I wanted to so I'm going to make this short,Main deck Feat of Resistance.

I hoped this helped you out some and if you want any more input I'll be glad to help once I get more time. If you want here is my deck http://tappedout.net/mtg-decks/going-plus-early-range/, you can compare our decks and see what you want to do different than mine and what they actually do different and maybe that will help you in making improvements to your own.

Oh man Honest thanks for taking the time to type all that up! I'm looking into some of that right now. Thanks!

Ever thought about Mistcutter Hydra in SB?

Leviathan102 I actually was given that as a recommendation the other day, just didn't get it onto my maybeboard yet. I'll give it a shot, especially because it's not pricy at all. Thanks!

I run Plummet in the sideboard specifically for Stormbreath Dragon. Otherwise, Stormbreath stomps all over me.

Unicorns Yep if it weren't for Stormbreath Dragon I don't think I would need Plummet but he causes lots of problems for me if I don't have it.

Ever think about running reclaim in the main. It helps allot with removal.

Looks like a fun deck overall!

Honored Hierarch is a nice turn 1 play, but it's the kind of card that won't get renowned if it's played any later. I'd cut him and put in Fleecemane Lion instead.

Also, I'd probably cut Dragonlord Dromoka from the sideboard unless you want to run a lot more lands - it doesn't look very castable. I'd probably replace it with something like Glare of Heresy - it'll help you against Abzan since you can take out Fleecemane Lion, Anafenza, and Siege Rhino for 2 mana.

Elvish Mystic or Rattleclaw Mystic could be good alternatives if you're having trouble getting Honored Hierarch renowned.

I have been working on a similar build for a while, and it can be found here WG +1 Counter Crazy. A couple more things I would look at are Feat of Resistance, Scale Blessing and Inspiring Call.

Feat of Resistance allows you to not only stop a removal, but also pump that creature.

Scale Blessing is just completely made for a deck like this, it will bolster 1, which will be pumped by Hardened Scales and THEN hit all your creatures with counters to add more counters, which will AGAIN be pumped by Hardened Scales. It gets insane.

Inspiring Call can be used to block/attack with creatures you wouldn't normally OR stop a removal and then has the added bonus of drawing cards.

I've had very good luck with my build, and once I pickup the Managorger Hydras I'm planning on trying it at a FNM. My playtests have been good against lots of different decks. My current build also only costs $35, but I have thought of the Hangarback Walker. I have one from a recent draft I thought up dropping in my deck, but I stuck it in a U/R Thopter deck instead.

Harbynger I currently have Feat of Resistance in my sideboard and I sub it in when I play against a deck with removal.

I had Scale Blessing in an earlier version of my deck but swapped it out for lower mana cost cards. I currently don't have any cards higher than 3 mana. It is, however, a card I intend to experiment with and might see it's way into a later version of the deck. Does anybody else have any thoughts on this one?

Inspiring Call is an awesome card when it works. I found it useful on occasion, however there were enough games where it sat in my hand and never found use that I pulled it.

As for your deck: Managorger Hydra is an amazing card, I actually feel it is somewhat underrated and definitely recommend putting four of them. Hangarback Walker is killer and I love it, but it is rather pricy. I traded a handful of cards to get mine.

I missed the Feat of Resistance in the sideboard. I would honestly mainboard it though. Beyond stopping removal, it just has so much utility in a deck looking to use +1 counters (or heroic). I would replace the Evolutionary Leap with Feat of Resistance to keep guys on the board rather than sacrificing them when they are going to die. If you can keep momentum on your side with the tokens, you are a lot better off than putting another creature in your hand.

Another option would be to sideboard your Hidden Dragonslayers for the Feat of Resistance, and swap them in as needed when you're up against large creatures.

Harbynger Those are both very good suggestions. Makes sense to me. I'll think it over and see which seems to be best. I'm leaning towards pulling Evolutionary Leap because Hidden Dragonslayer is still useful even if you're not going against big creatures with a counter and lifelink on him.

The only suspect thing I see is the 4x Honored Hierarch. From what I understand those guys are pretty terrible.

When you think about it, the only feasible situation where he works is as a turn 1 drop with you on the play and they don't have a turn 1 drop or removal. You could use Feat of Resistance for the protection to evade blockers, but imo that would be a huge waste. You want to be saving those to keep your Managorger Hydra's alive.

Maybe take those 4 out for 2x Dromoka, the Eternal and 2x Daghatar the Adamant since you don't want to waste money on rotating cards. Without a few bigger drops you may find yourself losing steam in the mid to late game.

Good luck!

Tanoshikatta I agree on Honored Hierarch. He can be very useful early in the game but is a terrible card to draw mid to late game. I also see what you're saying needing late game cards and those are both great suggestions. Thanks!

How about Fate Forgotten against Hangarback Walker?

I really like the deck! well designed and interesting. I agree with others about the problem with the Honored Hierarch. I also don't think Abzan Falconer is good enough at all. The problem with this guy is that he is super easy for your opponents to exploit. You swing with all your dudes, he removes the Falconer, and the all your guys drop to the ground, and he blocks them all and wrecks ur board.