Magic: The Gathering - Boros Crusade - Deck Overview 15
Boros Crusade is an experimental deck that incorporates aspects of white control and red aggression along with angel and soldier tribal affinities. I haven't play-tested this version of the deck yet, so it's all theory at this point. I have six different legendary creatures in this deck that could all potentially serve as generals, too. I will begin by commenting on these cards in alphabetical order and offer my musings on how well they may fare as general or as part of the main deck.
Agrus Kos, Wojek Veteran fits with the idea of soldier tribal support and aggressive combat. He boosts every attacking creature when he attacks, but he is a bit expensive at 5 CMC for a 3/3. I plan to keep him in the deck and use him as support, but I could be tempted to reconsider depending on how this deck works after a few games.
Anya, Merciless Angel is also 5 CMC, but she is a 4/4 with flying, and also has a bonus that could be advantageous depending on circumstances. The more players there are in the game, the better the chances she can become powerful and indestructible. Due to the situational nature of her ability, she may not appear to be a major threat at first, leading to opponents underestimating her until after it's too late. She has potential for a relatively more subtle game plan.
8 CMC to cast Aurelia, the Warleader, a 3/4 flyer? Even with flying, vigilance, and haste, that's a heavy cost. However, her ability to provide a bonus combat phase for double the attacks is amazing. This also makes her a prime target for removal. On the one hand, she could be re-cast from the Command Zone and used immediately thanks to her haste. On the other hand, the cumulative recasting tax of 2 generic mana gets incredibly expensive, and she may not even be able to hit the board until after faster decks have cleaned up the table already.
Gisela, Blade of Goldnight is my preferred general at the moment, but this depends entirely on the assumption that her ability will protect me enough to be worth the cost and the target she offers. 7 CMC for a 5/5 flyer isn't too outrageous, and her damage reduction toward me along with damage increase toward all my opponents could be incentive to all kinds of interesting politics between players.
Another note about Gisela is that in the background stories, she is one of three sister angels including Bruna, who already has a deck in my collection, and Sigarda. I also have a Sigarda, Heron's Grace if I decide to build a third themed deck around this trio.
Iroas, God of Victory is a new card for me. I am strongly tempted to run him as my general because he is indestructible, his passive ability offers so much support to my attacking creatures, and his power in combat would make him a threat if enough other cards are on the board to make him become a creature that can attack or block.
Tajic, Blade of the Legion is another new-to-me card with an interesting indestructible bonus plus a power boost whenever at least two other creatures attack. He is very much suited to an aggressive play style, and could be worth trying if this deck does churn out enough creatures. Even if he's a random draw in the main deck, he's a useful card.
Beyond these cards, there are 40 lands and another 54 spell cards in the deck. many are soldiers, or generate soldier tokens. A such, cards that boost soldier tribal synergy are included. There are also several other angel cards chosen for their abilities to protect my plans and disrupt the plans of opponents. Support enchantments, spot removal instants and sorceries, and a fair supply of creature abilities shut down threats an opponent may play. I look forward to trying this out and seeing how it works.
I think this may be the highest-priced deck I have showcased thus far at around $100, but that's no guarantee it can consistently win against $40 decks. It could completely fail to offer the synergy and control I anticipate. The red and white Boros combination is generally perceived to be one of the weaker color pairings by competitive players, and this deck certainly won't hold its own against a serious competitive deck, but it could be fun, and I could be surprised by its performance. Time will tell.
Commander Introduction
Deck 1 - Goblins Incorporated
Deck 2 - Azorius Shenanigans
Deck 3 - Bruna Voltron
Deck 4 - Green Tide Elves
Deck 5 - Special Forces
Deck 6 - Dimir Mill
Deck 7 - Golgari Elves
Deck 8 - Simic Proliferation
Deck 9 - Gruul Rage
Deck 10 - Black Death
Casual and Competitive Decks
Deck 11 - Gruul Landfall
Deck 12 - Wizards of Nope
Deck 13 - Dimir Zombies Eat Brains
Deck 14 - Orzhov Death and Taxes
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