Two Home Brews

King Darien XLVIII card art

Magic is fun to both play and prepare; home brews are especially satisfying. This post looks at two recent Standard decks I've enjoyed building and playing.

All King Darien's Men

Token decks are fun. Here, this Selesnya (white/green) deck's goal is to get as many tokens out as possible (Join the Dance, Queen Allenal, Torens, Resolute Reinforcements, and Captain's Call) and buff them up (King Darien, Katilda, Sigarda, Charismatic Vanguard). Lunarch Veteran is outstanding for life gain, and there is removal (Borrowed Time, Valorous Stance, Farewell, Broken Wings). It 'goes wide' and has been pretty effective for me.

3 King Darien XLVIII (DMU) 204

1 Katilda, Dawnhart Prime (MID) 230

3 Queen Allenal of Ruadach (DMU) 210

4 Join the Dance (MID) 229

1 Torens, Fist of the Angels (VOW) 249

1 Sigarda, Champion of Light (MID) 240

4 Lunarch Veteran (MID) 27

4 Resolute Reinforcements (DMU) 29

2 Valorous Stance (VOW) 42

4 Borrowed Time (MID) 6

2 Captain's Call (DMU) 9

2 Farewell (NEO) 13

3 Search Party Captain (MID) 32

2 Broken Wings (DMU) 157

2 Charismatic Vanguard (DMU) 10

8 Plains (DMU) 263

7 Forest (DMU) 274

1 Overgrown Farmland (MID) 265

2 Radiant Grove (DMU) 253

2 Blossoming Sands (M21) 244

2 Botanical Plaza (SNC) 247

Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim card art

Orzhov Sacrifice

Life and death benefit you in this Orzhov (white/black) 'sacrifice matters' deck. Elas il-Kor is the centerpiece, granting life gain for creatures entering the battlefield under your control, and pinging the opponent each time one leaves. Lunarch Veteran aids the life gain. Jadar, Doomed Dissenter, Aron, Fleshtaker,  and Morbid Opportunist play together nicely, giving you plenty of tokens and/or benefits from sacrificing creatures. The removal cards (Rite of Oblivion, Cathar Commando, Benalish Sleeper, and Vanquish the Horde) are largely based on sacrifice and can form fun combos. Persistent Specimen, Phyrexian Missionary, and Bereaved Survivor enables your creatures coming back for extra fun. I have played it only twice, but won slow grindy games both times.

3 Elas il-Kor, Sadistic Pilgrim (DMU) 198

4 Lunarch Veteran (MID) 27

4 Jadar, Ghoulcaller of Nephalia (MID) 108

4 Doomed Dissenter (VOW) 106

3 Persistent Specimen (VOW) 125

2 Aron, Benalia's Ruin (DMU) 193

2 Fleshtaker (MID) 222

3 Morbid Opportunist (MID) 113

2 Rite of Oblivion (MID) 237

2 Cathar Commando (MID) 10

2 Benalish Sleeper (DMU) 8

4 Phyrexian Missionary (DMU) 27

2 Bereaved Survivor (MID) 4

1 Vanquish the Horde (MID) 41

9 Plains (HBG) 292

9 Swamp (HBG) 300

4 Sunlit Marsh (DMU) 257