This is the WU deck that I made the first time I was considering going to a FNM back in mid-Spetember of 2014. It shifted from lifegain to a protect-the-queen strategy after Khans was released. A more detailed write-up of card reasoning is given below.
BUDGET NOTE: I have two copy of Flooded Strand. You may not have one. It is a bit of an expense, comparatively. I got lucky and pulled one from a FRF pack :)
If you don't have one, use a different land instead. Simple!
Any advice you can give would be appreciated, especially concerning the side or maybe boards!
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Deck Analysis
Creatures:
Battlewise Hoplite
This dude is a beast. As far as Heroic goes, having the extra scry ability is actually amazingly helpful. Scrying lets you tuck away the cards that you don't need or keep the ones that you do. You also have advance knowledge of what your card will be, assuming you keep it. I would never run less than 3 Battlewise Hoplites.
Favored Hoplite
This guy here makes opponents groan after the first game. As a plain vanilla, this soldier is pretty nice, giving you a 1/2 for just 1 mana. Plus, he has Heroic! This means that you can just pump him on up and swing hard and fast. Though I was originally hesitant about the fellow, I don't think I would ever drop below 2 copies.
Hero of Iroas
This is a real bear of a hero. He serves a similar purpose to Battlewise Hoplite, but there are two main differences. Though it may seem small, having a colorless in place of a specific color can be a huge deal. In addition, rather than scrying when targeted, he gives a static cost reduction to all Aura spells. Suddenly, most of our enchantments are half-price. Don't underestimate how good that can be.
Seeker of the Way
The other non-Heroic creature of the deck, Seeker makes up for this with his pseudo-heroism, Prowess. That means that when you bump up your other creatures, Seeker gets a bit of inspiration and pumps himself up for the turn. Not only that, but as he takes away your opponent's precious life, he gives it all straight to you! A great card for this deck, though it is a little disappointing when he is your only creature on the battlefield.
Heliod's Pilgrim
You may notice that the sun god's Pilgrim isn't in the deck. Good job. Here's why: Put simply, I consistantly find that Pilgrim is not what I want. As a 3-drop, Pilgrim ties with the highest costs in the deck, but at 1/2, the return for casting isn't much. By playing this you lose momentum, though you do get a card from your deck. Yes, this means you could run more 1-of enchantments. But then what do you do with Pilgrim? It sits there, and maybe can chump block.
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Enchantments:
Note that, in addition to the benefits listed here, each enchantment triggers Heroic or Prowess, and most of them are cheaper with Hero of Iroas on the field.
Aqueous Form
One of the top five noncreaure spells, this enchantment allows you to send damage straight to your opponent without worrying about pesky blockers, which is very important. Not only that, but with each attack it lets you scry away cards you don't want from the top of your deck.
Battle Mastery
This is one of the more controversial cards in the deck, but I absolutely love it. If you ever drop it on a Aqueous Form + Battlewise Hoplite
combo, then your opponent suddenly has no more than three turns to take action against it or they lose. It secures wins and pumps out damage. As everyone loves to point out, it is a little pricey in this deck, but it isn't as bad as Spectra Ward, and it is almost always worthwhile.
Ordeal of Heliod
Playing an Ordeal on a Heroic creature will give that creature an almost guaranteed two +1/+1 counters. Pretty good for two mana, eh? And not only that, but when you attack again next turn, it will give one more. Not gonna lie, it's always nice to win 30-0.
Ordeal of Thassa
Another one of the top five, this enchantment really does some work. The obvious use for this Ordeal is to add counters to your champion, both when you cast it (if targeting Heroic) and for up to three attacks after. After the third attack, you get a 2-for-1 deal. DO NOT underestimate this spell. It is a driving force in this deck, and it is always a pleasure to draw one.
Stratus Walk
One of the more debatable spells. Stratus Walk gives three clear benefits: It triggers Heroic and Prowess, it gives evasion, and it lets you draw a card when you cast it. If you're on the offense, then the inability to block won't be much of a downside, and a cantrip enchantment is pretty nice.
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Instants
Defiant Strike
Let's take a look at just the first effect: "Target creature gets +1/+0 until end of turn." It doesn't seem like much, but take a look at that first word. That's right: target. This means a Heroic trigger, in addition to the extra point of power. And it also lets you draw a card. And all this for a single chunk of white mana. Yeah. Oh, and it triggers Prowess too! Despite its unassuming first appearance, it ranks as one of the top 5 non-creature cards in the deck
Feat of Resistance
Another card in the top 5, Feat of Resistance is a staple in this deck. It gives the protection you need to protect your creatures and adds a +1/+1 counter, not to mention it triggers Heroic. The protection is important. It lets you prevent damage, counter targeted spells, or swing without fear of blocks.
Gods Willing
Very similar in function to Feat of Resistance, Gods Willing is another card from the top 5. For one mana, you get to trigger Heroic and Prowess, protect a creature from a color, and Scry a card. I've already discussed why Protection and Scry are good, so I will refrain from doing so again, but I will say that you should be using this card if you're playing this deck type.
Triton Tactics
The biggest upside to this is that it targets two different creatures, which will trigger Heroic on both! Untapping two of your creatures can give you surprise blockers, or it can nullify a spell that targets tapped creatures (lookin at you Excoriate). Giving creatures +0/+3 isn't much for offensive purposes, though it can be used that way, but on the defense, it can keep creatures alive, or protect from burn spells. The fact that blocked creatures don't untap during their next untap step is just icing on the cake.
