Fauna Shaman does not need a utility creature package. Decks that get built around something like that rarely succeed and Dredgevine is already rather fragile as it currently is.
The deck is powerful enough as it is but lacks some consistency in getting creatures to the 'yard. FS can help alleviate that in place of Merfolk Looter and push the deck to a slightly heavier green build. The creatures we have are enough; just use the Shaman to put them where they need to be.
That's actually a pretty close list to mine. My list runs -1 Elspeth, +1 Ajani, +1 Gideon, -1 Oblivion Ring, then -2 Tectonic Edge, +1 each of Tarn/Mesa. Even the SB is nearly card for card.
Does well vs. Naya Vengevine, Grixis control, and pretty good vs. Jund.
Land is your best investment right now. Just buy tons of acreage and clear it for commercial/residential use. Get it while it's cheap now. Look for stuff that big corporations or the government wants (like for roads, etc.) so you can get big $ for it when they want to take it.
I've played it a few times and never had a problem with it. They run less removal than we do and I think that our creatures are at least on par, if not better, than theirs. Keep Rafiq off the board and I say you should have little trouble with it.
I haven't even seen a version with Sovereigns of Lost Alara so if that's what you see then keep that off the board as well. Removal is necessary against this deck.
And what, pray tell, will you fine people take out for Duress/Inquisition? Either way and you are moving the deck from a black-lite to a more black-heavy version while diluting the fantastic creature base it already has. At that point you may as well move to more of a Rock or Creamy Rock deck (not that there is anything wrong with that, and is something I consider).
Either go full Rock or leave the deck as Junk. Neither Inquisition nor Duress are needed in Junk.
I would really like one of those, but the store I go to (which is premier) never has/shows any of these items. Still have yet to see one of the WWK mats.
Student of Warfare and Ranger of Eos do not fit, IMO. Student requires a heavy white commitment that is less suited for tri-color decks and is far too easy to kill. Ranger only fetches Student or Noble Hierarch, and I've already expressed how I don't feel Student is worth it.
I like Wall of Omens (junk usually has very limited ways to draw cards) and I want to like Vengevine in the deck. I find I rarely cast more than 1 creature per turn, but I do feel it justifies testing. You seem to be light on removal in this version which always makes me unsteady in the current meta.
And I can't express with words how much I loathe Basilisk Collar in junk. Without a pinger it isn't worth the slot. Another Behemoth Sledge would be leagues better than a Collar.
MaRo has stated that they rarely like to print cards that have effects that last for the remainder of the game (ei: Elspeth's ultimate), and seeing as how we just had Elspeth printed, I highly doubt Gideon will do anything like a "until end of game silence".
"Just" had Elspeth printed? It's been well over a year since she first came out. While I don't necessarily think there will be an "until end of game" ability on Gideon it really isn't out of the question.
Perhaps not obsolete but make it less destructive. The best example I can think of is that a totem armor has counters on it that can be sacrificed in the place of a permanent, but that seems a little powerful (unless specifically intended for annihilation).
The deck is powerful enough as it is but lacks some consistency in getting creatures to the 'yard. FS can help alleviate that in place of Merfolk Looter and push the deck to a slightly heavier green build. The creatures we have are enough; just use the Shaman to put them where they need to be.
Does well vs. Naya Vengevine, Grixis control, and pretty good vs. Jund.
I haven't even seen a version with Sovereigns of Lost Alara so if that's what you see then keep that off the board as well. Removal is necessary against this deck.
Either go full Rock or leave the deck as Junk. Neither Inquisition nor Duress are needed in Junk.
I like Wall of Omens (junk usually has very limited ways to draw cards) and I want to like Vengevine in the deck. I find I rarely cast more than 1 creature per turn, but I do feel it justifies testing. You seem to be light on removal in this version which always makes me unsteady in the current meta.
And I can't express with words how much I loathe Basilisk Collar in junk. Without a pinger it isn't worth the slot. Another Behemoth Sledge would be leagues better than a Collar.
"Just" had Elspeth printed? It's been well over a year since she first came out. While I don't necessarily think there will be an "until end of game" ability on Gideon it really isn't out of the question.
I can see where that wishful thinking would come from, but I think the first letter on that card is pretty clearly an "M".