I fell in love with the heroic mechanic as soon as I started Magic (which wasn't too long ago). I've played with this deck A LOT and think I've finally found a brew that I am happy with and can keep up with other decks at FNM. Granted, this deck does not WIN FNM, it just keeps me from getting destroyed, and it lets me have fun with it. This deck is super agro, as one can tell. This deck is FULL of value-town cards and makes for a pretty fun early game. Here is a break down of each card's purpose
Creatures
Akroan Skyguard- A creature that's cheap, has the heroic mechanic and has flying to get over their defenses.
Battlewise Hoplite- Knowing what I'm about to buff with (or not) by buffing a creature with those cards? Why not?
Eidolon of Countless Battles- This guys is just crazy. Regardless of whether you bestow him or not, he gets HUGE in this deck in two turns. With Hero of Iroas, you'd be crazy not to bestow him.
Fabled Hero- Normally, heroic creatures get big enough with this deck, but when you throw in Fabled Hero's double strike and a 2/2 to start for only 3 mana, the game should end soon.
Favored Hoplite- This guy helps you get the ball rolling right off the bat, and with his added ability to prevent all damage for the turn, he makes for a good blocker/survivor early game WHILE you buff him up.
Hero of Iroas- I wouldn't say he "makes the deck," but he's responsible for a majority of the fatalities that this deck causes. He can be buffed, just like most other creatures, and he makes most buffing auras cost even less. So even with only one of him out there: Want a +1/+1 counter with an added +1/+1 and lifelink from that Hopeful Eidolon? 3 Mana. Want a +1/+1 counter and indestructibility? 3 Mana. Want a +1/+1 counter and at least an added +2/+2 from Eidolon of Countless Battles? 3 Mana. And when you can use that saved mana on an Ethereal Armor or Aqueous Form or Ordeal of Thassa, that Hero of Iroas makes game winning differences.Enough about him... for now
Hopeful Eidolon- a measly little 1/1 with lifelink for 1 mana, BUT he can be easily pumped with Ethereal Armor + insert desired enchantment and he can be bestowed to make something likeFabled Hero just plain silly.
Phalanx Leader- probably the weakest creature/ability out there. Yes, the fact that you get to buff every single creature just because you're buffing him is great, but you need two white mana to cast him, he's only special if you've got a board presence (which esper crushes your dreams of), and he's only a 1/1 to start. He still fits in this deck though, and he can win games, so we keep him.
Enchantments (where this deck is fun)
Aqueous Form- hmmm you make your creature unblockable, only one creature doesn't get +1/+1 from casting it, you get to scry when you attack with the enchanted creature, aaannndd.. oh yeah. One. Mana.
Eidolon of Countless Battles- yes he's a creature, but he's an "Enchantment Creature." This guy automatically gives the bestowed creature +3/+3 if it's pinned on anything except
Eidolon of Countless Battles, any other enchantment makes him buff up your creature by one more, and if your creature is removed for any reason (except Cyclonic Rift) then he stays on the board and can be pumped right back up.
Ethereal Armor- let's just take a second to appreciate this card. It costs one mana. It automatically gives most creatures +2/+2. For every other enchantment on the board under your control (whether it's on said creature or not) gives that creature another +1/+1 and that creature has first strike. Also, it costs one mana. Plus this thing only requires one white mana. And before I forget, it costs one mana.
Hopeful Eidolon- This guy isn't the most amazing card, but he can make a difference. You're guaranteed a +2/+2 (unless you put him on the other one), and you're giving the enchanted creature lifelink, which can be a plus when you swing for about 5 damage on the average turn.
Indestructibility- Here it is. The single most mana intensive card in the deck, and it's 4 mana. This card will make your creatures indestructible along with the nice +1/+1 counter that comes with it. It comes in handy when you're opponent is running doomblades, insert destroy card here, deathtouch, or creatures you need to start blocking ASAP but you're not stronger than them. This card is the one that's up for question the most. I like the idea of it, but it's just as likely to be mainboarded as all of the enchantments in my maybeboard, so input on what goes here is crucial. Please and thank you.
Ordeal of Thassa- This card is simple. You put it on a heroic creature that has at least 1 +1/+1 counter on it, you give it a second for targeting it, you give it a third for swinging with it, and you just gave your creature two +1/+1 counters and yourself two cards for two mana.
A combat trick
Gods Willing- "amazing" is the type of card this should be. For one mana, you can make your creature unblockable for a turn, virtually hexproof, or an indestructible blocker. You also get to scry to control your card draw, and if it's a heroic creature, you get a counter.
WARNING: This card will remove enchantments on your creature if you give it protection from blue or white while it is enchanted with a card of a respective color. It sucks to misplay that.
So here is a random scenario of how this deck can play out:
Turn one- Land + Favored Hoplite
Turn two- Land + Ethereal Armor + Aqueous Form Swing for 5, they're at 15
Turn three- Land + Akroan Skyguard + Ethereal Armor Swing for 6 with Favored Hoplite they're at 9 and your Skyguard is a 5/5
Turn four- Do whatever you want to make sure you get the damage through. I'm not going to type out all of the different ways this can happen.
You can literally draw the entire hand needed for this win by turn 1. Although you only have about a .9473% of this EXACT scenario happening.
I know this has been a long journey describing this deck, but I love it and I hope you all enjoy it too. Criticism is welcome and appreciated, and I could always use some help with sideboarding as I'm still a relatively new player. Enjoy!
