So I've ordered the cards for this deck. I'm still wondering if there is a better 2-drop than Zameck Guildmage or Leafcrown Dryad . I like the Guildmage because my creatures can end up with a ridiculous amount of counters on them so it's nice to slough them off to get cards.

I'm also worried about my 1-drop being Elvish Mystic . I would love some feedback if anybody is out there.

Experiment One is a great one drop.

FYI heroic cipher doesn't trigger heroic

@ ChickenMonkeyDuck- Encoding Cipher cards on a creature does not target the creature and thus does not trigger heroic. However, the copied card Cipher creates in exile upon dealing combat damage is cast (unlike most cards that copy spells) and does trigger heroic.

I too have made a deck with with heroic and cipher. Hidden Strings is incredible with heroic, as is Aqueous Form however I use the two with Agent of the Fates so that I can completely control the board.

Anthousa, Setessan Hero maybe?

Kalonian Tusker since you don't really have anything before turn 3. in my heroic deck I have found that my creatures getting killed with burn as soon as I put them down before I get a chance to pump them out of burn range to be a big problem.

Bioshift would be a great card in here

I'm not sure Anthousa, Setessan Hero has a place in this deck. I don't have anything that can boost her or her tokens, and with my deck being a bit slow I'm nervous about losing lands.

Kalonian Tusker is a good suggestion, and I'm seriously considering dropping the four Elvish Mystic for something more utile early on. Maybe with some of that room I could use a couple Tuskers or Experiment One as previously suggested.

I originally had a playset of Bioshift in the deck, but in playtesting I was finding that I didn't use it to move counters around (because usually one creature was already big enough to swing for lethal) and the only utility it actually gave me was triggering Heroic on two creatures for one mana. I ended up working out a couple for Warriors' Lesson and took the last two out so I could put in some fight cards for removal.

then I would definitely recommend Bioshift , especially since its at instant speed. if they let a small attacker through and block I huge one, you could potentially end the game with one manna.

Nice deck ;)

Hands of Binding is an incredible cipher card, and would be really good in this deck! Also, I think you need less creatures and more enchantments/instants. Heroic is a great ability, but if you're drawing creatures and not things that target them, it's kind of less good. Maybe take out the Leafcrown Dryads and something else.

I really don't think you need the Rogue's Passages. Thassa and Aqueous Form give unblockable much more efficiently; having two colorless land is just gonna slow you down when not running dual lands.

Astral Cornucopia really is not what you want in this deck. Its job is to give you access to colors you don't have--which in a two color deck is pretty much going to be never at all. Something much better could be in the space.

Instead of Retraction Helix, go ahead and pick up a few Unsummons. They may not be good at turning Thassa online, but you don't have to tap a creature for it.

Being a budget deck, I think you've done very well! But a few tweaks will make it run very smoothly. Nice job, +1!

I would replace your Astral Cornucopia with and Everflowing Chalice . The reason being cost of the cornucopia isn't as fast as the chalice because to play the cornucopia even with just two counters, you have to pay six many (two for each X)

You could ramp up the chalice much faster, and it's free cost is a bonus. Plus if you kicked it for the same price you get 3 counters.

Everflowing chalice isn't in standard....

... Derp, my bad.

The Cornucopia is definitely not worth the spot, I'd simply drop it for another land so you can consistently cast your 4 and 5 mana cost cards as early as you can.+1

You could also replace a mutant's prey for a bred for the hunt.

I think you're right about Astral Cornucopia - I'm just not seeing it help in playtesting and by the time I could use Vorel of the Hull Clade to double its counters, the game is over.

I've been thinking about Bred for the Hunt in place of a Bident of Thassa as well.

Thought about Crypsis at all? Makes for unblockable-ness and doubles as a combat trick, in a pinch.

Prowler's Helm too if you really want to max out your unblockable stuff.

The only issue I have with Prowler's Helm is that it doesn't trigger Heroic like Aqueous Form - and my other two cards that grant unblockability have other functions (Rogue's Passage taps for mana and Thassa, God of the Sea lets me scry 1 every upkeep).

I do like Crypsis however. Fitting with the theme of my deck, it triggers Heroic, and it can provide either unblockability or protection. I will definitely consider adding it, thank you.

You're quite welcome. I really like budget decks that are competitve; I'd be very interested to hear how this plays. Last FNM I played a sort of similar Simic heroic-control build (it was a draft, I came in third). It's very interesting.

I'm trying it out this Friday, I'll post back here with the results.

Sounds good!

Since I'm going to be bringing this to FNM tomorrow, does anybody have anybody opinions on Artisan of Forms vs Meletis Astronomer ? What about Triton Tactics vs Crypsis ?