Aurelia's Legions

SicariusV · **Posted:** 2012-Apr-19 3:47 pm

So this is an old post but I wanted to update my Boros deck.

The Commander is now Aurelia, and this is one of my most fun and successful decks ever. It hasn't lost a game yet, and I've been playing it in this current form (with minor updates here and there) for over a year.

Commander
Aurelia, the Warleader

Attack Enhancers
Legion Loyalist
Hellrider
Hero of Bladehold (also token producer, to a lesser degree)
Hero of Oxid Ridge
Marton Stromgald
Eldrazi Monument
Nobilis of War
Savage Beating
Gratuitous Violence
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight
Glory of Warfare
True Conviction
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Avatar of Slaughter
Cathars' Crusade
Tajic, Blade of the Legion
Odric, Master Tactician (or, as we call him, Sean Connery)
Silverblade Paladin
Crescendo of War

Haste Givers
Anger
Urabrask the Hidden
Ogre Battledriver (In the Web of War on a stick... so much better this way)
Fervor
Lightning Greaves

Token Producers
Captain of the Watch
Geist-Honored Monk
Cloudgoat Ranger
Knight-Captain of Eos (also fogs)
Conqueror's Pledge
Increasing Devotion
Assemble the Legion (this card didn't look like much when first spoiled, but WOW)
Martial Coup (also mass removal)
Elspeth Tirel
Elspeth, Sun's Champion (obv the planeswalkers are versatile but their primary use is tokens)

Draw/Card Advantage
Enlightened Tutor
Sensei's Divining Top
Staff of Nin (this card is sick and has won me a few games, even if it doesn't look like much)
Sun Titan
Mentor of the Meek
Mind's Eye
Reforge the Soul
Wheel of Fortune (allows me to dump my hand on the table before playing it. And since I'm the fastest one around the table, my threat ratio in 7 cards is bound to be higher than anybody else's, therefore, in this deck, this is not quite a symmetrical effect)

Anti-Wrath (3)
Rootborn Defenses
Boros Charm (I am much more relaxed when I have this in hand)
Frontline Medic

Land Grab and Mana Rocks (13)
Knight of the White Orchid
Kor Cartographer
Tithe
Mind Stone
Solemn Simulacrum
Burnished Hart (with Sun Titan = fun times)
Weathered Wayfarer
Land Tax
Armillary Sphere
Wayfarer's Bauble
Sol Ring
Worn Powerstone
Thran Dynamo

Removal (9)
Balefire Liege
Duergar Hedge-Mage
Firemane Avenger
Day of Judgment
Terminus
Akroma's Vengeance
Sunblast Angel
Wear // Tear
Aurelia's Fury

Utility Lands (10)
Slayers' Stronghold
Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion
Emeria, the Sky Ruin
Shinka, the Bloodsoaked Keep
Spinerock Knoll
Windbrisk Heights
New Benalia
Kor Haven
Mistveil Plains
Temple of the False God

Colored (7)
Arid Mesa
Boros Guildgate
Clifftop Retreat
Sacred Foundry
Plateau
Rugged Prairie
Command Tower

6 Mountain
11 Plains

My typical strategy with this deck is to play by "waves". I play a few guys at first, attack with them and see how it goes. I wait for the inevitable wrath, then either protect my guys if I can or play my next wave. The damage stacks up surprisingly quickly, partly because of Aurelia, who is hasty and doubles the damage output. This can double again with cards like Gratuitous Violence, the old commander Gisela, Avatar of Slaughter or Savage Beating.

Tokens are awesome in the deck, but not essential. I can win games by playing beaters every turn and staying on-curve.

Because it's got a somewhat aggressive curve, it's mostly faster than other decks, and opponents can have a hard time keeping up. Please don't suggest Sunforger, it's way too slow for what's going on here

Also, did I mention Battalion? Battalion is so much fun to play, and incredibly good in this deck.

Frequent quote from other opponents: "Yeah you killed me, but if I'd gotten my next turn I would have kicked your ass."

Note: we have some house rules in our meta to make sure we don't have douchebag games and to stop the arms race, but I'm pretty sure with a few tweaks, this type of deck can be competitive anywhere. The rules are:
- No infinite combos (too cheap and easy to pull off)
- Max 5 mass removal spells (back when we had 15 in each deck, games would be too long)
- Max 5 counterspells (same reason as for the mass removal spells)

Old post:

Karousawai · **Posted:** 2012-Apr-19 5:25 pm

I've been looking at the legends from AVR for a couple of days now, so I can share a few bits I've picked up.

Furnace of Rath and other double damage effects are crazy good with Giselda. Makes all your stuff deal quad damage while only taking normal damage in return. Razia, Boros Archangel is good with her too, as she deals double the damage she prevents and isn't half as fragile with Giselda buffing her.

Truth be told, while tokens make use of her double damage ability effectively, going with tokens doesn't seem like the right call for your meta. Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer can push tokens hard as can Agrus Kos, Wojek Veteran, but Giselda is more suited to using bigger men to beat down while making full use of her abilities with cards like Earthquake, Inferno and Shivan Hellkite.

Plus there is little to no way for a token deck to endure in w/r against multiple board wipes in my experience. Eldrazi Monument goes a long way to help if you can get it. Cards that produce large qualtities of tokens in a burst are good for casting post wrath too, like Conqueror's Pledge and White Sun's Zenith. Goblin Bombardment works too, albiet in a very final way for the poor tokens. Warstorm Surge can do similar things but in reverse, enabling you to get more out of a big horde of dudes. If you're dead set on card draw Wheel of Fate or Knollspine Dragon can refill a hand if you're powering out spells and putting yourself at risk of a wrath. Effects like Wheel of Fate can provoke a wrath and potentially draw more for them however, so its a double edged sword.

Oh and I agree, Slayer's Stronghold is a boss. Makes me wanna play boros just looking at it and Sunhome, Fortress of the Legion.

Karousawai · **Posted:** 2012-Apr-19 5:38 pm

Oh and Entreat the Angels. That is all. You can go outside now.

SicariusV · **Posted:** 2012-Apr-23 7:56 am

Thanks for the suggestions!

First of all, I find Gisela better than Agrus Kos as commander for this type of deck, because doubling the tokens' damage output seems better than just adding +2 to their power. My dream scenario with this deck is putting out a bunch of tokens while In the Web of War is in play along with Gisela, and dealing 40 out of nowhere to unsuspecting players. Also, her second ability protects my tokens in battle, making them quite a bit tougher to kill off (they won't die from Earthquake for 1, for instance). Anyway, a Boros token deck is what I wanted to do for a while, and the main reason I didn't was that I don't like Agrus Kos as commander. So there's my justification

As for the suggestions:
Furnace of Rath: would love to include it. But I cut this and Gratuitous Violence because I figured they were a bit "win more" with Gisela.
Razia, Boros Archangel: awesome card. but another last minute cut. I think it might make it back in since I might have too many attack enhancer cards already.
Conqueror's Pledge, White Sun's Zenith: Yeah! I'd forgotten about those cards. The Pledge may not make it in, but I'm definitely finding a spot for the Zenith (those cats are effectively 4/4 with Gisela in play).
Goblin Bombardment: I have this in a zillion other decks, just got cut for familiarity reasons

Also, if I put this in, I'll want to have Stalking Vengeance as well and I can't afford the slots...
Warstorm Surge: Good point! I'll definitely try it out.
Wheel of Fate, Knollspine Dragon: The wheels give too much to my opponents. The Dragon is worthwhile though, I think I have an extra one in a binder somewhere.
Entreat the Angels: This or Decree of Justice? Only one makes the cut. I think Entreat may be slightly better because of Miracle, but generating X soldiers at instant speed seems pretty good too.

ChimericPisces · **Joined:** 2012-Apr-28 12:14 pm **Age:** Wyvern

Since you're already running True Conviction, Furnace of Rath does indeed seem like overkill. I'd keep Razia out. If you want another 8-mana angel, consider Avacyn, Angel of Hope as she'll help keep your tokens alive. You should DEFINITELY think about including Knollspine Dragon, especially if you already have one! Also, try and pick up a Reforge the Soul at the prerelease. Given that you've got a token theme going, I would go with Decree of Justice over Entreat the Angels since it not only gives you more options, but potentially more bodies. If you only have 6 mana, Entreat will only get you a 4/4 while Decree gets you three 1/1s and a card.

Anyhoo, here's my list:

JUDGMENT DAY
This is a competitive theme deck based on the end of the world as foretold in Revelations.

Strategy:
Use "Tithing" spells and the deck's "Holy Relics" to ramp into Gisela, breaking the "Seals" of God's wrath to the sound of blaring angel "Trumpets" along the way to wipe the board. Call upon the First Horseman, "Conquest", to equip Gisela with "Flaming Swords" and don her in "Angelic Raiments" of protection. Swing for the win.

GENERAL
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight

Win Conditions:
This deck can win with or without Gisela, thanks to its "Heavenly Host" of "Archangels".

Synergies:

Discarded Choices

SicariusV · **Posted:** 2012-Apr-29 9:30 am

Latest update after some testing (edit applied to original post...)

- Dolmen Gate
- Boros Guildmage
- Fight to the Death
- Flame-Kin Zealot
- Signal Pest
- Rise of the Hobgoblins (might come back later... turns out Gisela's damage doubling + First Strike is too good)

+ Windborn Muse
+ Basandra, Battle Seraph
+ White Sun's Zenith
+ Fumiko the Lowblood
+ Kazuul, Tyrant of the Cliffs
+ Marshal's Anthem

After some testing, I think this deck really wants to get others attacking each other when Gisela is out. To this end, I'm adding Basandra and Fumiko to help Avatar of Slaughter (I may also end up adding Grand Melee at some point if this proves efficient). This deck also wants to deter attacks. Gisela's ability does ensure that most attacks won't come my way (at least as long as she's in play), but some redundancy is in order - Kazuul and Windborn Muse will try to do this job. Lastly, since I have no way of returning dead stuff, Marshal's Anthem can really play a key role, both in getting back my stuff but also boosting my guys' battle prowess.

Ukkmaster · **Posted:** 2012-Apr-29 10:42 am

Might I suggest Jotun Grunt? I find it's a rather versatile card that people often forget can target other players graveyards, sometimes dealing with reanimator problems or even helping you recover some stuff you like.

Also, Decree of Justice is probably better. You can use it just as effectively as Entreat and it's a good panic spell that also draws you a card. Entreat I am sure can be nice, but unless you can manipulate with your top, you may not be able to truely use it when you would like.

SicariusV · **Posted:** 2012-Apr-29 1:20 pm

ChimericPisces wrote:

Since you're already running True Conviction, Furnace of Rath does indeed seem like overkill. I'd keep Razia out. If you want another 8-mana angel, consider Avacyn, Angel of Hope as she'll help keep your tokens alive. You should DEFINITELY think about including Knollspine Dragon, especially if you already have one! Also, try and pick up a Reforge the Soul at the prerelease. Given that you've got a token theme going, I would go with Decree of Justice over Entreat the Angels since it not only gives you more options, but potentially more bodies. If you only have 6 mana, Entreat will only get you a 4/4 while Decree gets you three 1/1s and a card.

Hey thanks for the feedback, I saw your post and responded to it before seeing you'd posted here

I really need to find a spot for Knollspine Dragon but I'd include Mind's Eye before Reforge the Soul, since I hate giving 7 new cards to my opponents unless I'm planning to punish them for it. As for Avacyn, the more I look at her the more I want her in the deck, so we'll see what I can cut - at this point I'm just waiting to play some games with the deck to help me with my next round of cuts.

SicariusV · **Posted:** 2012-Apr-29 1:22 pm

Ukkmaster wrote:

Might I suggest Jotun Grunt? I find it's a rather versatile card that people often forget can target other players graveyards, sometimes dealing with reanimator problems or even helping you recover some stuff you like.

Also, Decree of Justice is probably better. You can use it just as effectively as Entreat and it's a good panic spell that also draws you a card. Entreat I am sure can be nice, but unless you can manipulate with your top, you may not be able to truely use it when you would like.

I hadn't thought of Jotun Grunt. Along with Mistveil Plains it could keep Sunforger fueled all day. Brilliant!

Karousawai · **Posted:** 2012-Apr-29 2:24 pm

On the topic of Decree of Justice or Entreat the Angels, I'm about to undergo this experiment with Vish Kal. Both have their advantages, but I have to say I'm expecting the decree to come out on top. I'll report back when I've come to further conclusions.

Also Moonsilver Spear is getting a reputation as a trouble maker round these parts (my prefered name for it is 'that fecking stick'). Works a charm in Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer. Cathars' Crusade is another one from AVR that goes berserk when you put lots of tokens onto the battlefield at once, which is white's prefered method.

Kixar · **Posted:** 2012-Apr-29 5:37 pm

Moonsilver Spear shouldn't be a problem unless its being combined with Sword of Feast and Famine, and reoccuring combat ( ex. Hellkite Charger , Aggravated Assault )

SicariusV · **Posted:** 2012-Apr-29 5:56 pm

Karousawai wrote:

On the topic of Decree of Justice or Entreat the Angels, I'm about to undergo this experiment with Vish Kal. Both have their advantages, but I have to say I'm expecting the decree to come out on top. I'll report back when I've come to further conclusions.

Also Moonsilver Spear is getting a reputation as a trouble maker round these parts (my prefered name for it is 'that fecking stick'). Works a charm in Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer. Cathars' Crusade is another one from AVR that goes berserk when you put lots of tokens onto the battlefield at once, which is white's prefered method.

Cathars' Crusade! Yes! I opened one at the prerelease too, how convenient (of course I'm still waiting to get my hands on Gisela...). As for the spear, it's 8 mana to cast and equip to get a single Angel, which is 8 mana I could use to do something else. I might try it at some point but for now it doesn't seem worth a slot.

ChimericPisces · **Joined:** 2012-Apr-28 12:14 pm **Age:** Wyvern

SicariusV wrote:

Karousawai wrote:

Also Moonsilver Spear is getting a reputation as a trouble maker round these parts (my prefered name for it is 'that fecking stick'). Works a charm in Jor Kadeen, the Prevailer.

As for the spear, it's 8 mana to cast and equip to get a single Angel, which is 8 mana I could use to do something else. I might try it at some point but for now it doesn't seem worth a slot.

I really want to like the Spear, but you just summed up why I'm not running it. It's a bomb in Limited, though!

Celerus · **Posted:** 2012-Apr-30 2:30 pm

Archangel of Strife
Windbrisk Raptor
Karmic Guide - sometimes it's nice to let your general go to the yard and reanimate her rather than recast her from the Command zone
Archon of Justice - a staple in most white decks, although perhaps he doesn't fit with a token theme

GGsRusty · **Joined:** 2012-Jun-21 10:59 am **Age:** Hatchling

Some Sunforger targets worth considering could be Double Cleave and Overblaze. Both synergize well with Gisela and could be 1 shot kills.

Aurelia's Legions

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