I'm sorry but dawnbringer is just bad in the main of any deck right now. I am also cutting sphinx's for chemister's insight. I may be swapping angel of grace for shalai. Trostani is pretty sweet after holding up frilled mystic on T4. She buffs all the tokens while also making 3 more.
After playing various decks with Hero of Precinct One, I just had to make a Bant version. I think the deck could be quite strong. It has many answers in the multi-colored pool. Is it as strong as the Esper version, I'm not sure. This is what I will be starting with. Any criticisms welcome!
I will confess I'm not sure how likely this is to place even Tier 2, given the lack of one-drops and low card draw. (No Coiling Oracle or equivalent available to my knowledge, for starters. Merfolk Branchwalker doesn't quite come up to it.) I also wonder if the Ruses could be replaced by Quench, or even Absorb. I will freely confess that the main impetus behind crafting this plan was simple RAV-TSP nostalgia, though, alongside a strong desire to have my deck's centerpiece be Frilled Mystic. (And now Deputy of Detention is running a close second. Even if I haven't had cause/means to try out, say, Ravager Wurm.)
I haven't been able to test my list yet, I will be on Thursday night against a plethora of decks. I have also been thinking of the coiling oracle problem and thought that branchwalker would help in that area. I'm honestly considering going esper for dusk legion zealot, but that means we lose knight of autumn who is quite the swiss army knife, and mystic who is the sole reason I thought about this deck. I may try out a couple more omenspeaker in the maindeck and see how that plays out. He's a 1/3 so he can be used defensively in the earlier turns while smoothing our draws.
I forgot about the hero's tokens. I just figured you'd want another anthem. If the deck doesn't need it I'd say mortify could be a good substitute. You're going to see quite a bit of enchantment play as there are a ton of great ones in this set.
The branchwalkers aren't to accelerate your land drops, they are to find them. I have yet to test my list, but will be come Saturday/sunday. Mystic being sticky to cast is because you're only running 12 Green sources in your mana base. to effectively cast mystic turn 4 you'd want at least 16, preferably 17-18 if you're running Jadelight ranger like I plan to. I am even considering dropping another U/W dual for a simic guildgate. My game plan is to basically out advantage them. To do so I may have to add back in teferi or another vivien. We want to slow them to a stop with our early threats which help us find our lands. Stall the board with mystic and deputy, then drop our heavy hitters in carny t or vivien reid to take over the game.
If you watched you could tell the manabase is stretched too far. I would drop the unclaimed territories. Also drop benalish and instead play the 2 drop anthem.
I don't see flyers being that big of a problem tbh. Gruul and Rakdos are going to be heavy early on. None of which threaten flyers, maybe the occasional Hydroid Krasis, but deputy deals with him and he can't come back in as he will have no counters. maybe harpooner in the SB?
I really think Benthid is going to be solid in this deck. Branchwalker, into jadelight, into open mana for frilled mystic, into Benthid is going to be extremely OP.
Can I ask why you settled on a few choices that you did? Why incubation druid? I don't think he's what we want here in our 2 drop slot. The only thing worth ramping into is hydroid krasis and he's only a 2 of and you really don't want to blink him.
I found exclusion mage to be kinda meh.
I really wanted to put Angel of Grace in as I think she'd be great at keeping us alive, but I don't really think that's where we want to be, fighting for survival.
Silhana Wayfinder is a cool card and I may try it. But right now I like the Branchwalker in the 2 drop slot to progress our game plan, with the ability to trade up considerably.
Lyra is kinda meh as well. Especially as a 1 of as she dies to quite a bit in this new meta.
Cleansing Nova I see as a big no no. We want to be able to blink our creatures not kill them. Settle the wreckage is dope for this. As for that Pesky Spellbreaker card, we can blink deputy on our turn to take care of him then sweep em out.
Nature's Spiral to buy back some creatures is alright, but it's a sorcery and only brings back 1 thing.
I've updated my list dude. I think aggro is going to be king this standard so I've altered my list to combat that.
Branchwalker and Jadelight are great at finding our land drops and moving us forward. Riverwise augur I found to be too Cute. I cut gaea's blessing as well. Teferi seemed to be unnecessary as well.
I actually think GWU would be the strongest. So what if you don't have pirates. Frilled mystic, exclusion mage, deputy of detention, Knight of autumn, angel of Grace, forbidding spirits.
Playing effectively 12 blink spells in justiciars portal, sirens ruse and mission briefing. It's plenty to slow down your opponents and beat down.
I'm sorry but dawnbringer is just bad in the main of any deck right now. I am also cutting sphinx's for chemister's insight. I may be swapping angel of grace for shalai. Trostani is pretty sweet after holding up frilled mystic on T4. She buffs all the tokens while also making 3 more.
4 Frilled Mystic
4 Deputy of Detention
4 Hero of Precinct One
2 Trostani Discordant
2 Angel of Grace
Planeswalker
2 Dovin, Grand Arbiter
3 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
Instants/Sorceries
3 Warrant // Warden
2 Sphinx's Insight
2 Depose // Deploy
3 Incubation // Incongruity
2 Seal Away
2 Settle the Wreckage
1 March of the Multitudes
1 Forest
1 Plains
2 Island
4 Sunpetal Grove
3 Temple Garden
4 Hinterland Harbor
4 Breeding Pool
3 Glacial Fortress
2 Hallowed Fountain
1 Settle The Wreckage
3 Absorb
3 Knight of Autumn
2 Negate
2 Disdainful Stroke
2 Lyra Dawnbringer
2 Ixalan's Binding
I haven't been able to test my list yet, I will be on Thursday night against a plethora of decks. I have also been thinking of the coiling oracle problem and thought that branchwalker would help in that area. I'm honestly considering going esper for dusk legion zealot, but that means we lose knight of autumn who is quite the swiss army knife, and mystic who is the sole reason I thought about this deck. I may try out a couple more omenspeaker in the maindeck and see how that plays out. He's a 1/3 so he can be used defensively in the earlier turns while smoothing our draws.
I found exclusion mage to be kinda meh.
I really wanted to put Angel of Grace in as I think she'd be great at keeping us alive, but I don't really think that's where we want to be, fighting for survival.
Silhana Wayfinder is a cool card and I may try it. But right now I like the Branchwalker in the 2 drop slot to progress our game plan, with the ability to trade up considerably.
Lyra is kinda meh as well. Especially as a 1 of as she dies to quite a bit in this new meta.
Cleansing Nova I see as a big no no. We want to be able to blink our creatures not kill them. Settle the wreckage is dope for this. As for that Pesky Spellbreaker card, we can blink deputy on our turn to take care of him then sweep em out.
Nature's Spiral to buy back some creatures is alright, but it's a sorcery and only brings back 1 thing.
Branchwalker and Jadelight are great at finding our land drops and moving us forward. Riverwise augur I found to be too Cute. I cut gaea's blessing as well. Teferi seemed to be unnecessary as well.
Here's the updated list.
3 Frilled Mystic
4 Deputy of Detention
4 Merfolk Branchwalker
3 Knight of Autumn
3 Jadelight Ranger
3 Mesmerizing Benthid
2 Carnage Tyrant
1 Omenspeaker
Planeswalker
2 Vivien Reid
Instants/Sorceries
4 Justiciar's Portal
2 Mission Briefing
4 Siren's Ruse
3 Forest
1 Plains
2 Island
4 Sunpetal Grove
2 Temple Garden
4 Hinterland Harbor
4 Breeding Pool
3 Glacial Fortress
2 Hallowed Fountain
3 Settle the Wreckage
2 Suncleanser
2 Deathgorge Scavenger
2 incubation//incongruity
2 Negate
3 Rescue
1 Forbidding Spirit
Suncleanser
Settle The Wreckage
Mesmerizing Benthid as that card just looks super sweet in this deck.
Forbidding Spirit
Tempest Caller
3 Frilled Mystic
3 Deputy of Detention
3 Merfolk Branchwalker
3 Knight of Autumn
2 Angel of Grace
2 Riverwise Augur
1 Mesmerizing Benthid
Planeswalker
2 Teferi, Hero of Dominaria
1 Vivien Reid
4 Justiciar's Portal
3 Quench
2 Gaea's Blessing
2 Mission Briefing
2 Siren's Ruse
1 Chemister's Insight
Lands
3 Forest
1 Plains
2 Island
4 Sunpetal Grove
2 Temple Garden
4 Hinterland Harbor
4 Breeding Pool
4 Glacial Fortress
2 Hallowed Fountain
Playing effectively 12 blink spells in justiciars portal, sirens ruse and mission briefing. It's plenty to slow down your opponents and beat down.