Dayummm Hakeem, this is one good beast you've created. Thanks

After a bit more play against some real people, Mentor of the Meek has underperformed. I've cut them both and added the second Graveborn Muse (because it requires no mana investment) and a Baneslayer Angel.

I don't like including Baneslayer in a 21-land deck, but sometimes the game stalls and you need to topdeck a bomb; Baneslayer gives you that out.

4 x Orzhov Guildgate
8 x Swamp
9 x Plains

4 x Gods Willing
4 x Swift Justice
3 x Tormented Hero
3 x Ulcerate

4 x Lone Missionary
4 x Child of Night
4 x Nimbus Wings
3 x Ajani's Pridemate
2 x Hero of Iroas

2 x Agent of the Fates
2 x Banisher Priest
1 x Brimaz, King of Oreskos

2 x Graveborn Muse

1 x Baneslayer Angel

If you took out the Mentors I would exchange the Priests for Arrests.

Solid advice, will review. Don't forget Gods Willing.....

One of my favourite decks though not sure if mine is a bit too unfocused and not enough protection either:

Life Is Pain
9 x Plains
6 x Swamp
4 x Orzhov Guildgate
4 x radiant Fountain

2 x Cloudshift
3 x Swift Justice
3 x Ajani's Pridemate
3 x Lone Missionary
1 x Brimaz, King of Oreskos
2 x Mentor of the Meek
1 x Banisher Priest
2 x Arrest
2 x Rhox Faithmender
3 x Angelic Accord
1 x Baneslayer Angel
2 x Ulcerate
4 x Child of Night
2 x Sanguine Bond
1 x Blood Tribute
2 x Elixir of Immortality
3 x Vizkopa Guildmage

I recently decided to try out the Elixirs instead of Ordeal of Heliod since I figured they're pretty good for this deck and the ordeal can be a bit slow and can often be removed before 3rd counter but I also think I could go down 1 elixir. I also decided to try out the blood tribute since I was playing with it in a vampire deck and I kind of liked it in there, whilst in this deck it can pretty much finish someone if there's a Bond out or even if you have enough mana with Vizkopa.

Though sometimes I feel like I could do with more protection like a couple Gods Willing to go with the cloudshifts but i just dunno how to fit them in unless I maybe drop the awesome Brimaz and maybe the Mentor engine or some of the other experimental big stuff like an elixir and the tribute.

It is certainly helpful for keeping the Priest kicking but it can be saved for something else now; like Agents, other heroes, or enchanted critters.

Solid looking deck. I feel like chucking the Mentors was not a bad idea. I have actually been strongly thinking about kicking them out of my boros tokens build.

Did you get a chance to try my deck, Hakeem?

I didn't, but I will take it out for a spin in some practice duels soon.

Removed blood tribute since for some reason I keep thinking vizkopa is a vampire but he's not.

Darn it Hakeem. I already have 2 B/W decks, and you go and make that one, which is making me want to build a version of it. I am seriously close to running out of deck slots before expansions even hit. Well, maybe the expansion will give us more deck slots.

Banisher vs arrest?

My only hesitation about Arrest is the nonbo with Agent of the Fates.

Use Reprisal instead?

I suppose you have a point there. You could always add a couple Cloudshift, lol. Even with the nonbo of Agent and Arrest, I still think Arrest > Priest. I mean sure they will sac w/e it is you Arrested but at least they can't just kill your Priest and get it back all together. Cloudshift would give more saccing for Agents (and other Hero triggers) as well as adding more protection at a very cheap cost.

Sorry if I'm missing something but why is it a nonbo? Because you give them an easy sacrifice choice for later? Because if that's the case I'd still run the Arrest. If nothing else Arrest is a card that, by itself, stops a single target dead - something that Agent of the Fates requires help to do. Plus worst case scenario you could always throw an Arrest on a Agent to trigger it? I can't of the top of my head think of a situation when you would do that but it is a thing that can happen.

It comes up more often than you might think; you could Arrest your own Agent then use Gods Willing to make it pro-white at a later time. I've Ulcerated my own Agent then made it pro-black in response to force a double sacrifice and still be able to attack with him that turn. There are a lot of fun things you can do.

I wouldnt worry about the nonbo. Agent of the Fates is a two-of.. you can base your entire deck around him. Banisher is just too easy to kill, and if the opponent has a creature with 2 power on the board then you're not attack with Banisher in most cases anyway (unless you're going to use some of your 1 cost combat tricks which could be more useful on other targets). Arrest has been very good for me.. due to it being so much harder to remove than a 2/2.

Here's my version of it's been done to death

3 x Ajani's Pridemate
4 x Lone Missionary
2 x Arrest
2 x Rhox Faithmender
3 x Angelic Accord
1 x Baneslayer Angel
3 x Meditation Puzzle
2 x Resolute Archangel

1 x Suffer the Past
4 x Phyrexian Rager
2 x Graveborn Muse
2 x Sanguine Bond
1 x Griselbrand
3 x Elixir of Immortality
3 x Vizkopa Guildmage

10 x Plains
7 x Swamp
4 x Orzhov Guildmage
4 x Radiant Fountain


Usually Pure lifegain cards are considered bad in magic, but when they trigger awesome abilities such as Angelic Accord or Sanguine Bond, you will see that they are easily the way you will get most of your wins. I'm even considering squeezing in the last Meditation Puzzle, If it wasn't for instant speed and convoke I wouldn't play them.

An Orzhov ETB deck that is based on hand and board disruption to gain tempo, and reusing ETB triggers via a number of methods, which also double as combat tricks.

Gods Willing, while not able to trigger ETBs, serves a similar funtion in terms of saving creatures in combat, triggering the Agent, and allowing Deathtouchers to kill without trading. The Maggot allows the deck a lot more disruption than previous versions, which allow you a more proactive and aggressive game much earlier.

Sheoldred is simply wonderful as top end. She pulls back all your ETB creatures, and has a great synergy with the Shadowborn Demon, as emptying the graveyard triggers his sacrifice ability, so you can either sac a creature and pull it back next turn, or sac the Demon and recurrable kill every other turn. She also doubles down on the Tormentor ability, and basically synergises with everything.

Brimaz and Banelsayer are just value cards to round the deck out, as there aren't any other combo enablers apart from Wall of Omens, which with the increased focus on pressure was superflous. Being able to protect them in a number of ways though means they are generally even more dominant than usual here.