Auras of War

Before we begin, I have two caveats to get out of the way.

First, I have not yet assembled this deck with real cards – I’m going to need to purchase 7 or 8 critically important cards, and I’m totally broke. So this list is just a theoretical starting point, for now, but I plan to have it up and running for real in a couple of weeks. It may change between now and then.

Second, the title “Auras of War” is a tad outdated, as the initial concept was going to revolve more heavily on Voltroning-up Jenara  with a number of top shelf Auras and winning via General Damage. However, this seemed to me like it would make the deck play out like a cross between Uril and Rafiq, both of which I have already explored. Uril is played out completely, for me. And while I still love Rafiq intensely, if the deck I build here is going to be that similar to Rafiq, why don’t I just build Rafiq? So, the end result is that the deck is much less of a Voltron-styled General Damage deck, and more of just an Enchantress deck with a  solid beat-down General. I’m keeping the title in place for now, though, because it sounds cool.

Okay, with that out of the way, let’s dive in.

General: Jenara, Asura of War

Objectives

   1. To avoid linear, repetitive gameplay (a la Uril the Miststalker)

   2. To avoid over-reliance on my General

   3. To make the deck viable within a metagame that is heavy on sweepers and spot removal

   4. The deck should be creature-oriented and avoid combo or heavy control

To fulfill objectives 1, 2 and 4, I have tried to reduced the Aura count from what you’d typically see in a Uril deck or any other “Voltron” strategy, while simultaneously upping the creature count, as well as including some non-Aura enchantments that buff all my creatures, not just my general. General damage wins should still be possible, but not necessarily the primary route to victory.

Fulfilling objective 3 is helped along by the increased creature count, but I have also added a good deal of recursion for both creatures and enchantments, to help prevent blowouts by a Wrath of God, or Fracturing Gust, etc.

Creatures: 20

Jenara, Asura of War

Faith Healer

Kor Spiritdancer

Auramancer

Umbra Mystic

Mesa Enchantress

Academy Rector

Totem-Guide Hartebeest

Reveillark

Sun Titan

Drift of Phantasms

Argothian Enchantress

Verduran Enchantress

Eternal Witness

Femeref Enchantress

Hanna, Ship’s Navigator

Dauntless Escort

Rafiq of the Many

Sovereigns of Lost Alara

Duplicant

Enchantments: 33

Ancestral Mask

Angelic Destiny

Armadillo Cloak

Bear Umbra

Eldrazi Conscription

Griffin Guide

Rancor

Spirit Loop

Shield of the Oversoul

Steel of the Godhead

Treachery

Volition Reins

Confiscate

Copy Enchantment

Aura Shards

Faith’s Fetters

Lignify

Oblivion Ring

Prison Term

Shackles

Seal of Cleansing

Asceticism

Enchanted Evening

Enchantress’s Presence

Greater Auramancy

Holistic Wisdom

Karmic Justice

Land Tax

Mirari’s Wake

Rhystic Study

Sigil of the Empty Throne

Sterling Grove

True Conviction

Non-Enchantment Spells: 9

Wrath of God

Replenish

Cleansing Meditation

Creeping Renaissance

Three Dreams

Idyllic Tutor

Enlightened Tutor

Eladamri’s Call

Wargate

Lands: 38

Serra's Sanctum

New Benalia

Kor Haven

Mistveil Plains

Secluded Steppe

Halimar Depths

Tolaria West

Lonely Sandbar

Llanowar Reborn

Yavimaya Hollow

Khalni Garden

Tranquil Thicket

Vesuva

Command Tower

Reflecting Pool

Seaside Citadel

Misty Rainforest

Evolving Wilds

Flooded Grove

Mystic Gate

Wooded Bastion

Breeding Pool

Hallowed Fountain

Temple Garden

Glacial Fortress

Sunpetal Grove

Hinterland Harbord

Plains x4

Island x3

Forest x4

This is the list as it stands, and there are a few clear issues:

1. Too many cards overall. This list is 68 non-land cards, with very little Ramp, so I need to cut a few slots to make room for Lands. Ideally I’d like to have 37 or 38 lands, so I’d need to cut 5 or 6 non-Lands from the list above.

2. Not enough Auras? I’m clearly trying to avoid making this deck play out like every Uril deck ever, and I don’t want every game to just be “pile aura after aura on Jenara, swing for the win”, but I do need to be able to buff my creatures into actual threats. How many is too many?

3. Not enough game-ending creatures. Jenara is still one of the most likely targets for my Auras, meaning most of my wins will likely come from swinging with Jenara enchanted with a couple of Auras and some +1/+1 counters. I really need to find room for more suitable threats – adding a few Hexproof creatures (Geist of St Traft, Troll Ascetic, Thrun, etc.) might help.

4. Not enough “pet cards”. I can’t help that I’m a good-stuff player. I like my decks to have a cohesive theme, but I also like to play really powerful spells. Stuff like Primeval Titan, Consecrate Sphinx, and Rite of Replication… you know, cards that almost everyone plays and are often groan-inducing to most EDH fans. Well, I like stuff like that, and I don’t ever get bored kicking a Rite of Replication targeting a Consecrated Sphinx or Primeval Titan. It helps that those are often the cards that eventually win you the game, not your gimmicky theme or whatever.

So, I want the deck to remain true to its theme, and for that theme to be relevant in-game. But I also want to make more room for spells that I enjoy. I don’t think Rite of Replication is a good fit here, but I’d love to get a few other pet cards into the list, without diluting the theme too much. Here’s a quick list of stuff I’d highly prize being able to find room for:

Mulldrifter

Augury Adept

Cold-Eyed Selkie

Cephalid Constable

Noble Hierarch

Loxodon Hierarch

Primeval Titan

Simic Sky Swallower

Akroma, Angel of Wrath

Drogskol Reaver

Troll Ascetic

Thrun, the Last Troll

Sol Ring

Darksteel Ingot

Winds of Rath (Tech!)

Time Spiral

Aura Mutation

Yavimaya’s Embrace

Finest Hour

Martyr’s Bond

Please comment if you have any suggestions or tips for me. I'm a little rusty on the deckbuilding, as it has been a while since I put together any new decks. Thanks for reading, and enjoy!