Introduction
Since Heliod, Sun-Crowned was announced I have been trying to tinker up a deck that perfectly fits him and Walking Ballista. I had several different lists leading up to this, from a super combo focused approach (similar to LSV's) over UW with Teferi for protection, Bant and GW with a more traditional Hardened Scales Approach, but this list I'm the most statisfied with so far:
Strategy
The deck has 2 different winning strategies, which are equally aimed for. It's not a combo deck with a Midrange Plan B, nor a Lifegain Scales Deck with accidental combo finishes, booth strategies are Plan A.
The easiest way to win is obviously playing either Scales, Anafenza or Daxos on turn 2, Heliod on turn 3 and than Ballista with 2 counters on turn 4 for 2 mana so you can immediatly give it lifelink and win the game.
The rest of the deck tries get the most value out of Heliod, which is very strong on it's own. Linden, the Steadfast Queen is kind the centerpiece for this plan. She goes nuts with either a Pridemate, Heliod or the Archangel.
Card Choices Heliod, Sun-Crowned/Walking Ballista: The Combo. (1. Give Lifelink with Heliod to a Ballista with at least 2 Counters. -> 2. Remove a Counter, to deal 1 damage to the opponent. -> 3. Due to the Lifegain, Heliod triggers and can put a Counter on Ballista -> Continue with Step 2. and 3. as often as you want.) Ajani's Pridemate/Ajani, Strength of the Pride: Your go to beaters for this deck. They become huge incredibly fast and provide a super fast answer, if left unanswered. Hardened Scales: This card does not only allow you to go off a turn early, but also synergizes with pretty much the whole deck. Apart from the Ballista, this card synergizes with Heliod, Pridemates, Anafenza, and the Archangel. Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit: This card is mostly there to push Ballista to 2 and it also works really well with Scales. It also provides 2 Devotion for Heliod. Daxos, Blessed by the Sun: This card enables a 2/2 Ballista with Heliod on the Field. It also enables lifegain triggers for Pridemates, Heliod and the Archangel. + it has 2 W Devotion for Heliod. Archangel of Thune: 5 mana is a lot, but this card really impacts the game very hard. It simply provides to Pridemate effect to every creature and goes completly nuts with Linden and/or Scales. Fun fact: You don't actually need Heliod for the combo finish. With this + a way to give lifelink to the Ballista (e.g. Gideon Blackblade from the SB) you can get the same effect as Heliod. Linden, the Steadfast Queen: A real key card for this deck's beatdown plan. It's the only card in Pioneer, that can generate this many lifegain triggers. It also provides 3 W Devotion, which nearly enables Heliod on it's own. Healer's Hawk: This is kind of a necessary evil. During testing I realised, that this deck does too little on turn 1, so I squeezed it in. It's totally fine, followed by a turn 2 pridemate and can actually grow to a decent threat itself with Heliod or the Archangel and allows Linden to have a quick impact on the board. Commune with the Gods: The other card I splash green for in the MB. This card is technically optional, but without it it's way harder to consistently hit your combo pieces, when you need it. It can not just grab the combo pieces, but also Hardened Scales and utility cards like Rest in Peace, when you board it in.
Sideboard
The sideboard is quite experimental at this stage. Blessed Alliance: A very good removal against many decks. It kills everything even with Hexproof or Indestructible, no matter the size of the creature. The Lifegain option can also be put to good use in this deck. Dragonlord Dromoka: This is yet untested. I wanted to try this out, since I was struggling a bit against control decks, during testing. Gideon Blackblade: Also a new untested card, since I decided to cut Ajani, Steadfast, as it was too much of a winmore card. It's simply a solid beater, that diversivies the threats a bit, from the creature focus. It can also enable the combo in combination with the Archangel and a Ballista. Knight of Autumn: Simply a super versatile card, that offers answers to a lot of problems. Rest in Peace: Simply THE best graveyard hate there is. Scavenging Ooze would also be great in this deck, but RIP is simply better at the same job. Selfless Spirit: Wrath protection.
Criticism
Now I need YOUR help. What would you change?
Does this deck needs to have removal in the MB?
Is the green splash necessary?
What are the most important SB cards for the current meta?
Anything else?
Well, I would drop Scales actually, and the Selesnya manabase. Allied colours are so horrendous in the format, and here you want a green card to be cast on turn 1. You'll have inconsistencies just because of it.
I'd run plains and Castle Ardenvale as the only utility land, but I understand Nykthos is tempting. Not 4 copies though. The issue with Nythos will be Linden, potentially Arcanist's Owl, which can't be cast on curve if one of your land is Nykthos (most of the time).
I worked a bit on the archetype, it's not quite fast, so I don't think we can afford to break the curve with greedy slots.
Private Mod Note
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Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Pioneer - A bunch of stuff Modern - Humans Legacy - Grixis Phoenix / Death & Taxes
Well, I would drop Scales actually, and the Selesnya manabase. Allied colours are so horrendous in the format, and here you want a green card to be cast on turn 1. You'll have inconsistencies just because of it.
I'd run plains and Castle Ardenvale as the only utility land, but I understand Nykthos is tempting. Not 4 copies though. The issue with Nythos will be Linden, potentially Arcanist's Owl, which can't be cast on curve if one of your land is Nykthos (most of the time).
I worked a bit on the archetype, it's not quite fast, so I don't think we can afford to break the curve with greedy slots.
Thanks a lot for the feedback.
I totally didn't think about Board the Weatherlight. Commune was the main reason for green.
I would like to squeeze in 1-3 Alseid of Life's Bounty, but I'm not sure what to cut. I've actually also thought about Ajani's Welcome, but it might be too bad.
This change has also opened up some SB slots. I don't really feel like this deck needs much help against mono B or mono R aggro, but Devout Decree, Fiendslayer Paladin and Authority of the Consuls are definitely some interesting options.
Since Heliod, Sun-Crowned was announced I have been trying to tinker up a deck that perfectly fits him and Walking Ballista. I had several different lists leading up to this, from a super combo focused approach (similar to LSV's) over UW with Teferi for protection, Bant and GW with a more traditional Hardened Scales Approach, but this list I'm the most statisfied with so far:
4 Ajani's Pridemate
3 Ajani, Strength of the Pride
3 Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit
3 Archangel of Thune
4 Commune with the Gods
3 Daxos, Blessed by the Sun
4 Fortified Village
3 Hardened Scales
3 Healer's Hawk
4 Heliod, Sun-Crowned
3 Linden, the Steadfast Queen
11 Plains
4 Sunpetal Grove
4 Temple Garden
4 Walking Ballista
2 Blessed Alliance
2 Dragonlord Dromoka
2 Gideon Blackblade
3 Knight of Autumn
3 Rest in Peace
3 Selfless Spirit
The deck has 2 different winning strategies, which are equally aimed for. It's not a combo deck with a Midrange Plan B, nor a Lifegain Scales Deck with accidental combo finishes, booth strategies are Plan A.
The easiest way to win is obviously playing either Scales, Anafenza or Daxos on turn 2, Heliod on turn 3 and than Ballista with 2 counters on turn 4 for 2 mana so you can immediatly give it lifelink and win the game.
The rest of the deck tries get the most value out of Heliod, which is very strong on it's own. Linden, the Steadfast Queen is kind the centerpiece for this plan. She goes nuts with either a Pridemate, Heliod or the Archangel.
Card Choices
Heliod, Sun-Crowned/Walking Ballista: The Combo. (1. Give Lifelink with Heliod to a Ballista with at least 2 Counters. -> 2. Remove a Counter, to deal 1 damage to the opponent. -> 3. Due to the Lifegain, Heliod triggers and can put a Counter on Ballista -> Continue with Step 2. and 3. as often as you want.)
Ajani's Pridemate/Ajani, Strength of the Pride: Your go to beaters for this deck. They become huge incredibly fast and provide a super fast answer, if left unanswered.
Hardened Scales: This card does not only allow you to go off a turn early, but also synergizes with pretty much the whole deck. Apart from the Ballista, this card synergizes with Heliod, Pridemates, Anafenza, and the Archangel.
Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit: This card is mostly there to push Ballista to 2 and it also works really well with Scales. It also provides 2 Devotion for Heliod.
Daxos, Blessed by the Sun: This card enables a 2/2 Ballista with Heliod on the Field. It also enables lifegain triggers for Pridemates, Heliod and the Archangel. + it has 2 W Devotion for Heliod.
Archangel of Thune: 5 mana is a lot, but this card really impacts the game very hard. It simply provides to Pridemate effect to every creature and goes completly nuts with Linden and/or Scales. Fun fact: You don't actually need Heliod for the combo finish. With this + a way to give lifelink to the Ballista (e.g. Gideon Blackblade from the SB) you can get the same effect as Heliod.
Linden, the Steadfast Queen: A real key card for this deck's beatdown plan. It's the only card in Pioneer, that can generate this many lifegain triggers. It also provides 3 W Devotion, which nearly enables Heliod on it's own.
Healer's Hawk: This is kind of a necessary evil. During testing I realised, that this deck does too little on turn 1, so I squeezed it in. It's totally fine, followed by a turn 2 pridemate and can actually grow to a decent threat itself with Heliod or the Archangel and allows Linden to have a quick impact on the board.
Commune with the Gods: The other card I splash green for in the MB. This card is technically optional, but without it it's way harder to consistently hit your combo pieces, when you need it. It can not just grab the combo pieces, but also Hardened Scales and utility cards like Rest in Peace, when you board it in.
Sideboard
The sideboard is quite experimental at this stage.
Blessed Alliance: A very good removal against many decks. It kills everything even with Hexproof or Indestructible, no matter the size of the creature. The Lifegain option can also be put to good use in this deck.
Dragonlord Dromoka: This is yet untested. I wanted to try this out, since I was struggling a bit against control decks, during testing.
Gideon Blackblade: Also a new untested card, since I decided to cut Ajani, Steadfast, as it was too much of a winmore card. It's simply a solid beater, that diversivies the threats a bit, from the creature focus. It can also enable the combo in combination with the Archangel and a Ballista.
Knight of Autumn: Simply a super versatile card, that offers answers to a lot of problems.
Rest in Peace: Simply THE best graveyard hate there is. Scavenging Ooze would also be great in this deck, but RIP is simply better at the same job.
Selfless Spirit: Wrath protection.
Criticism
Now I need YOUR help. What would you change?
Does this deck needs to have removal in the MB?
Is the green splash necessary?
What are the most important SB cards for the current meta?
Anything else?
Pauper Cube & Artifact Pauper Cube & Multiplayer Cube
Interested in building your own Pauper Cube? Take a look at some of the lists and the following project: The "Evaluate Everything" Project (updated to M21/JMP)
I would do:
-4 Scales +4 Alseid of Life's Bounty,
-4 Commune +4 Board the Weatherlight
-4 extra copies of anything +2 Legion's Landing, +2 Shadowspear
I'd run plains and Castle Ardenvale as the only utility land, but I understand Nykthos is tempting. Not 4 copies though. The issue with Nythos will be Linden, potentially Arcanist's Owl, which can't be cast on curve if one of your land is Nykthos (most of the time).
I worked a bit on the archetype, it's not quite fast, so I don't think we can afford to break the curve with greedy slots.
I totally didn't think about Board the Weatherlight. Commune was the main reason for green.
I was considering Legion's Landing before, but I decided, that I prefer Healer's Hawk. Alseid of Life's Bounty is definitely interesting, but I think 4 are too much.
I think Gideon Blackblade might also be better for the job, than Shadowspear. I'm not really happy with it in the SB anyway.
Nykthos is interesting, but I'm not sure this is the right deck for it.
Arcanist's Owl is cool, but I don't really see a spot for it.
I think I will go with this for now:
4 Ajani's Pridemate
3 Ajani, Strength of the Pride
3 Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit
3 Archangel of Thune
4 Board the Weatherlight
3 Daxos, Blessed by the Sun
4 Healer's Hawk
4 Heliod, Sun-Crowned
3 Linden, the Steadfast Queen
20 Plains
3 Castle Ardenvale
4 Walking Ballista
2 Gideon Blackblade
3 Fragmentize
3 Blessed Alliance
3 Rest in Peace
4 Selfless Spirit
2 Deafening Silence
This change has also opened up some SB slots. I don't really feel like this deck needs much help against mono B or mono R aggro, but Devout Decree, Fiendslayer Paladin and Authority of the Consuls are definitely some interesting options.
Pauper Cube & Artifact Pauper Cube & Multiplayer Cube
Interested in building your own Pauper Cube? Take a look at some of the lists and the following project: The "Evaluate Everything" Project (updated to M21/JMP)