This is a bant aggro-combo aura deck I'm working on for standard. It works with the new heroic ability introduced in Theros, particularly on Fabled Hero. lots of hexproof too.. where possible (:
Method 1 (best hand)
Turn 1: Temple Garden
Turn 2: Temple Garden then Sylvan Caryatid
Turn 3: land + Fabled Hero + Ethereal Armor or Ranger's Guile if you need to protect him.
Turn 4: Land (5 mana available) then 1x Ethereal Armor 1x Unflinching Courage and Aqueous Form so Fabled Hero gets 3 counters from 3 spells hitting it making it 5/5, then gets additional +5/+5 from the auras. swing for 20 unblockable and win.
for slower hands Detention Sphere provides strong removal especially to hordes of the same creature, and Simic Charm as instant removal if you don't get Aqueous Form. Fleecemane Lion is a nice turn 2 3/3 who can get monsterous fast with help from Sylvan Caryatid and then is the perfect aura platform.
scry early on with Aqueous Form on Hopeful Eidolon, or Fleecemane Lion. very handy to get cards you dont need out of the way.
even just two Simic Charms on a fresh fabled hero can bring him to 20 damage at the last second. (2 spells hit him making him 4/4 and the charms combine for another +6/+6 making 10 double strike makes 20)
Hopeful Eidolon is in here as either an early 1 drop to throw auras on for big early lifegain, or as a powerful aura later game who falls of creatures if they die and keeps marching on. also stacks Ethereal Armor more aswell..
Fabled Hero is deffinately the center of this deck and combined with Alpha Authority and Aqueous Form can be a big threat.
Side board-
Pacifism can swap in by taking out 1x Aqueous Form and 1x Alpha Authority for early creature removal, if your really getting rushed.
gift of orzhovas can swap with the 4 Unflinching Courage's for slightly less damage, but harder to block, and better vs flying decks.
Deadly Recluse may seem strange to sideboard in this deck, but he is great at stalling opponents, or drawing fire, by being.. well.. a 'deadly' threat. he combos very nicely with Ethereal Armor and if you get an Alpha Authority on him aswell he becomes very annoying. usually would swap out a Fencing Ace and two Hopeful Eidolons for them.
Loxodon Smiter is there mostly because
thought seize
was reprinted and will probably cause much discarding. swap him for the Fencing Aces.
finally Ranger's Guile can swap in for the Simic Charms for a much-easier-to-cast instant hexproof for decks just full of removal. plus the +1/+1 combos well with Fabled Hero giving him another 4 damage in the moment.
Very happy for any advice on side boarding, as I have never really properly done it before.. (:
Any feedback much welcome! +1's much appreciated (:
