TABLETOP TALES PRESENTS
AVACYN: BATTLE CRUISER OPERATIONAL!
To check out my other decks, hit the links below:
This article serves two purposes: To share the nerd entertainment around with anyone who might find it interesting and, in this case, to prove how taking the theme of an intro pack, especially a more recent intro pack, can not only make a passable deck, but also a powerful and fun deck.
Today's deck is the angelic reconfiguration of my mono-white deck into a white-green deck with the Avacyn, Angel of Hope.
I spent about $13 on the Angelic Might intro pack (click this LINK to check out the deck list), $25 bucks for the Avacyn Pre-Release, and the other cards are either from my collection or from various trades/gifts, etc. I've bought one booster for Avacyn, since the pre-release, and a buck worth of cards, so we'll call that $5.
APPROX. EXPENSE: $43
You
can find Magic Cards in super stores (Ex. Walmart, Target) but the best
place you can buy your cards, meet other players, and play in events is
at your local comic book store or hobby shop. I buy most of my cards at
The Comic Cellar. Here is a link to its Google Maps location at 3620 Austin Peay Highway #2 Memphis, TN 38128.
AVACYN: BATTLECRUISER DECK V. 1
With this in mind and the purchases described above, the result was...
THE WG ANGEL DECK:
For those of you who don't know, flicker-effects are card effects that involve exiling one of your own cards and returning it to the field either immediately or at the end of the turn. The reason you would do this is to take advantage of cards with entrance effects or to remove negative counters, enemy enchantments, and other annoyances.
As I always mention, I am just a casual player and I play with what I have available to me. Thanks for reading and please comment.
Please leave comments & suggestions.
To check out the contents of the deck, click "READ MORE" below.
Contains 60 Cards
CREATURES
(26 Creatures: 18 White Creatures, 8 Green Creatures)
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| "Denizens of Innistrad, lend us your energy!" |
Reasons? This cheap human is perfect for building the tempo to this deck for that sweet mana ramp. Dropping one of these turn one, sets you up for a potential three mana drop on turn two, or better as the turns go on. The main reasons to add mana ramp to this deck were to set up for quicker bombs. A couple of pilgrims can allow you to drop an Angelic Overseer on turn 3 or an Avacyn, Angel of Hope on turn 6. He doubles as a cheap chump block.
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| "...We go out as a old knights of the Cross to redeem more [souls]. Like them we shall travel towards sunrise and; like them, if we fall, we fall in good cause." -Van Hellsing, Bram Stoker's Dracula |
Reasons? This card is a blast. First Strike, Vigilance, and 2/2 for 2 White would already be a steal. Add in protection from three powerful tribes and it becomes a one of the most efficient non-spirit related creature cards in the block. The flavor and art of this card makes it all the better.
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| "Come with me if you want to live." -Kyle Reese, The Terminator |
Reasons? And here we have a flicker friend. I think the main reason they brought back the Ranger, in a standard environment with Lanowar Elves and Dawntreader Elks is to take advantage of flicker effects. He is a key component in guaranteeing mana gets to my hand every turn. I can either flicker him with a Cloudshift, the cheap and efficient route, or I can bounce him back to my hand with an Emancipation Angel.
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| "Good night, sweet prince:/ And flights of angels sing thee to thy rest." -Horatio, Shakespeare's Hamlet |
Reasons? I got one of these in the pre-release and I became enamored with the possibilities (and the gorgeous card art). In this deck, it mostly serves as a powerful 3 drop that can return a Borderland Ranger to aid in mana ramp, allow me to return a Fiend Hunter to my hand to change targets, or save a card with -1 counters or some other affliction. Her abilities would be best served combined with Abundant Growth; that green enchanment is cheap at one mana cast, its entrance effect allows you to draw cards, and it can swap from white to green for that late game muscle.
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| "In the name of Avacyn, I cast you out!" |
Reasons? This card is a quirky one. I am probably going to have some trouble explaining why this is a handy substitute for Oblivion Ring, in some fashion. First, it gets a 1/3 human on the field for 1 more white mana than an Oblivion Ring. Combo'd with a Cloudshift, he can permanently exile targets. To do so, you simply cast Fiend, target the creature, then instantly interrupt with a Cloudshift. The second part of Fiend Hunter's abilities will be unable to resolve, the card targeted will be permanently exiled, and when Fiend Hunter returns to the battlefield you can choose a new target. If you have any questions, or can clarify, google and/or comment.
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| "Hark the herald angles sing, glory to the released Queen!" |
Reasons? I also got one of these at pre-release and this probably helped prompt me to go mono-white. It is undeniably superior to Honor of the Pure, because, for two more mana, you get a 3/3 flying angel that's secondary ability that is filled with anti-black spell sentiment.
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| "Seeing, contrary to popular wisdom, isn't believing. It's where belief stops, because it isn't needed any more." -Terry Pratchett |
Reasons? This card's art is just glorious. And, considering she has 16 humans to combo with for an indestructible, hexproof beast, this card is simply devastating at the right time. She is simple, violent and fun.
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| "A day may come when the courage of men fails, when we forsake our friends and break all bonds of fellowship, but it is not this day. An hour of woes and shattered shields, when the age of men comes crashing down! But it is not this day! This day we fight!" -Aragorn, Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King |
Reasons? This card is a lot of fun in an angel/human deck. You'll probably want to swing with her until she has a couple of counters and then stop so you can cast angels at a discount. Her ramping aggression is also not something to sneeze at.
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| "Instead of a Dark Lord, you would have a queen, not dark but beautiful and terrible as the dawn!" -Galadriel, Tolkein's Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring |
Reasons? Now, here is the namesake of the deck and to be honest, she is difficult to justify in this kind of deck. I've played about ten games with the deck and haven't cast her once. Then again, the threat is effective and, if games get dragged out, and she hits the field, you are pretty much guaranteed victory against most decks. She also encourages a splash of green to get the mana to cast her.
Enchantments, Instants and Sorcery
(12
Cards: 3 Green Enchantments, 6 White Instants, 3 White Sorceries)
Reasons? Its not a secret that I love auras. The possibilities that this card promise in Standard, and in larger formats, are staggering. I can't wait to revisit my old auramonger deck with four of these beauties to beef up my Aura Gnarlids and allow for as many colors of mana as I want. In this deck, it is a super effective combo with Emancipation Angel.
Reasons? When I decided to rebuild this deck in a more limited form, I needed some solid removal. Banishing Stroke is a gamble. I decided to take the gamble for a number of reasons: miracles are fun to cast, the coverage of this card almost makes it non-miracle cost worth it, and the fact that it sends a card into someone's library, rather than graveyard or temporary exile a la' Oblvion Ring, makes it an okay substitute.The Ring is preferable in standard.
Reasons? The trick is to bounce often and bounce well. This card is great for shifting the targets of Fiend Hunter, permanently exiling cards, and saving cards from destruction. Remove the target before it gets destroyed or exiled. A handy card, cheap, and a perfect fit. Although, it demands combination with something like Borderland Ranger...
Reasons? Say hello to tribal's new nasty friend. This little enchantment helps along the difficulties of getting an Acacyn on the Board because it can basically set her up for nothing. It is also useful to have annoying cards like that demand removal. If your opponent doesn't deal with it, you'll have more angels and humans than they can contend with.
Reasons? Hello, white Unburial Rites. Here we have a card that, in a mono white deck, is incredibly useful. Would you rather hard cast Avacyn or hope your foe puts her into the graveyard and then summon her for five with two +1/+1 counters?
Reasons? Here we have removal with a twist. What's better than putting creature in the graveyard? Exiling them. What's better than exiling them? Putting them at the bottom of the library so your opponent can't summon them from the graveyard and you can get back any cards you might lose. The best part? Casting it for a miracle cost of one mana.
LANDS
( 22 Cards: 7 Forests, 15 Plains)
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| Contains: 7 |
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| Contains: 15 |
