Finally got the cards I need to make this a very competitive tournament deck. Got 4th out of 16 in its debut at FNM; the only round out of four that I lost was when I got mana screwed (first too much land, then not any forests when I critically needed them). But I chalk that mostly up to bad luck, as it worked like a well-oiled machine most of the rest of the night.
And it's a blast to play! There's great synergy, and everyone has an important role to play. You've got your beaters (Champion of the Parish, Mirran Crusader, Elite Inquisitor), your rampers (Avacyn's Pilgrim, Scorned Villager
), your draw engines (Mentor of the Meek), and your supporters (Elder of Laurels, Hamlet Captain, Mayor of Avabruck
, Adaptive Automaton). Equipment pumps, but the main stat boosters come from a trio of Gavony Townships. That's a lot of +1/+1 counters! If you're given just a handful of turns to build, it can get out of hand very quickly. Doesn't help that Angelic Overseer and/or Asceticism can hit as early as turn 3 or 4 without too much trouble.
Not a ton of removal, but Fiend Hunter combines with Ray of Revelation and the flexible Crushing Vines and Bonds of Faith to provide just enough removal to handle a particularly pesky threat or two...and combine the Hunter with the new Cloudshift to get more bang for your buck! ("Blink" the Hunter to leave one target permanently exiled and then exile another when it returns to the battlefield!) The new "blink" instant also provides a handy way to re-up tokens on Champion of the Parish and save your Humans from targeted removal...it's so versatile!
Overrun makes for a nasty finisher if the tough-to-handle Angelic Overseer doesn't do the trick herself. Usually puts the opponent on a short clock once she shows up.
The sideboard is mostly set up to give you more ammo against specific threats. Facing certain colors/critters? Another Elite Inquisitor or Mirran Crusader should help, and Celestial Purge is always good to sideboard. Facing tough planeswalkers? Pull in another Oblivion Ring or Bramblecrush. Facing mass flyers, like one of those new-fangled Spirit decks? Corrosive Gale should do the trick. Infect is easily controlled with Melira, Sylvok Outcast if you need her (and she fits the Human weenie theme, at that!). Have a wipe-happy opponent who likes to spring a Day of Judgment or the Zombie Apocalypse? Angel of Glory's Rise can help combat that, and Kessig Cagebreakers can very quickly turn the tide in that scenario too!
Try it out...if you have half the fun I've had with it so far, you'll be glad you did.
