We switched away from MIke’s decks for a moment to try out the green-white Conqueror’s Pledge deck that Evan Erwin had been twittering about that day. His list seems to have evolved further but this was where it was when he shuffled up for a couple of games with Behemoth Pledge.

Standard Nonsense: Part Five

Here is the decklist we were using:

Behemoth Pledge

8 Forest
8 Plains
1 Behemoth Sledge
3 Dauntless Escort
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Path to Exile
3 Valeron Outlander
3 Ajani Goldmane
2 Garruk Wildspeaker
2 Captain of the Watch
3 Honor of the Pure
4 Sunpetal Grove
3 Steward of Valeron
2 Brave the Elements
4 Conqueror’s Pledge
4 Graypelt Refuge
2 Journey to Nowhere
Sideboard:
1 Behemoth Sledge
2 Qasali Pridemage
3 Celestial Purge
3 Oblivion Ring
2 Elspeth, Knight-Errant
2 Pithing Needle
2 Luminarch Ascension

When I walked over to see how Magic Show host Evan Erwin was doing in his Round Two match there were three Planeswalkers in play. Evan had Jace and the Ajani update on his side while his Kithkin opponent had Elspeth.

There have actually been a ton of Planeswalkers kicking around the top tables so far and not a Fellowship of the Ring deck to be found. Planewalkers have just risen to a place of prominence in the current Standard. I have seen both versions of Ajani, plenty of Garrack, a couple of Lilliannas, Jace, Chandra, and Elspeth — no sign of the Tezzerator to this point.

“As soon as I saw those cards I was like, ‘now I have to play creatures in my deck,’” said Gabe Carlton-Barnes when we were discussing the impact the new card type was having on the current Standard format.

It should make Kithkin a good choice but watching Evan dismantle his opponent’s team with Wrath, spot removal, and his Ajani Vengeant — to polish off the pesky Elspeth — I was not so sure about that.

But then in game two a combination of frustrating creatures — Kinsbaile Borderguard and Reveillark — were able to fight their way through Ajani’s vengeful personality and force a game three that there was no time remaining in the round to even start.