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Azorius Soldiers in Standard: Deck & Sideboard Guide
Soldiers in the Current Meta
The Standard format has undergone significant changes following the bans, forcing players to think outside the box and move away from the midrange strategies centered around Fable of the Mirror Breaker and Reckoner Bankbuster, two of the most played cards in the format and pillars of those strategies. Now, even some control decks have found success in the format, such as Esper and UW Control, and even certain aggro decks like Monored and UW Soldiers. Today, we'll delve into the latter, examining its position in the metagame, card choices, and a side guide against the new tier decks in the format.
My Current Version of the Deck
$212/165.34 Tix
Maindeck (60)
| Creature [26] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 2 Dennick, Pious Apprentice | $0.69 | |
| 2 Hopeful Initiate | $2.99 | |
| 4 Resolute Reinforcements | $0.59 | |
| 4 Valiant Veteran | $0.59 | |
| 4 Recruitment Officer | $0.35 | |
| 4 Skystrike Officer | $0.49 | |
| 3 Zephyr Sentinel | $0.35 | |
| 3 Harbin, Vanguard Aviator | $0.49 | |
| Instant [7] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 4 Make Disappear | $0.39 | |
| 2 Destroy Evil | $1.79 | |
| 1 Protect the Negotiators | $0.35 | |
| Enchantment [4] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 Tocasia's Welcome | $4.49 | |
| 3 Invasion of Gobakhan | $5.99 | |
| Land [23] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 1 Island | $0.01 | |
| 3 Adarkar Wastes | $7.49 | |
| 2 Plains | $0.01 | |
| 2 Deserted Beach | $5.99 | |
| 1 Eiganjo, Seat of the Empire | $10.99 | |
| 1 Otawara, Soaring City | $24.99 | |
| 4 Secluded Courtyard | $0.59 | |
| 4 Fortified Beachhead | $0.49 | |
| 1 Mirrex | $7.99 | |
| 4 Seachrome Coast | $4.99 | |
| Sideboard [15] | ||
|---|---|---|
| 3 Brutal Cathar | $1.29 | |
| 2 Lantern Flare | $0.49 | |
| 4 Wedding Announcement | $12.99 | |
| 2 Destroy Evil | $1.79 | |
| 1 Protect the Negotiators | $0.35 | |
| 1 Loran of the Third Path | $5.49 | |
| 2 Tocasia's Welcome | $4.49 | |
$42.95 Tix @cardhoarder
$1.07 / Week @cardhoarder
$140.79 @tcgplayer
$217.85 @cardkingdom
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Similar Decks
Proxies
Archetype Analysis
Magic online format
Apprentice and MWS .dec
Remf, a well-known grinder specialized in aggro/tempo decks, has performed remarkably well in recent Standard Challenges with this deck, attracting more players to this strategy, including myself. I've spent considerable time playing Soldiers before the bans and always recognized it as a deck that rewards players who understand it well, knowing what to play at the right time, when to play aggressively, and when to play defensively. The current decklist has seen some changes since then, but certain cards have helped elevate the deck's status in the format.
Card Choices
Invasion of Gobakhan
Invasion provides valuable information, allowing you to disrupt a key piece for your opponent. When flipped, it makes your creatures even stronger and more resilient against removal. Notably, this deck can flip it relatively easily, with cards like Harbin being able to flip it alone, making it a frequent play during the game.
Hopeful Initiate
One of the recent additions to the list, although not a soldier, can be easily buffed during attacks by other creatures. It has useful targets to destroy in the format (Wedding Announcement, Leyline Binding, Ossification, etc). Since the deck lacks good one-drops, using one that is effective even without being tribal is viable. We should, however, keep in mind specific situations, such as when attacking with Harbin, as we need five soldiers and Harbin does not count as one.
Tocasia’s Welcome
Plays a crucial role in grind games, providing significant card advantage in the late game if left unanswered. With the deck's creatures having flash, you can draw cards during your opponent's turn as well. Together with Wedding Announcement, it forms an interesting combination against decks with many removal spells.
Playing the Deck
The deck has few one-drops but many two-drops, so starting with one of them is ideal. We don't require many lands to execute our game plan, but we do have some mana sinks to handle potential flooding. Additionally, the deck performs well in the late game, allowing us to be both aggressive and slow, adapting our strategy depending on our opponents.
Example Hand #1
This hand contains several lands, but it's interesting to note that Harbin can flip Invasion alone, creating a strong threat by itself. Flipping the battle card allows us to protect Skystrike, one of the best creatures in the deck. There is a risk of drawing more lands, but the cards in our hand are individually powerful.
Example Hand #2
This hand is similar to the first one, with more lands than desired, but it includes Recruitment Officer, which serves as an excellent mana sink in the mid/late game. It may not be the best hand, but having two lords makes it quite aggressive.
Example Hand #3
Although not the best hand, it has low and aggressive drops, and we can still adopt a more grind-focused approach with the presence of the counter. Furthermore, we are likely to have valid targets for Destroy Evil.
Matchups & Sideboard guide
Esper Legends
The matchup is well-balanced but depends on the number of removal spells in their deck. While we don't have many removals, we do have them for the most crucial cards, such as Raffine and, especially, Sheoldred. The good news is that flooding the board is very effective here, and the combination of Resolute Reinforcements and Zephyr Sentinel can flood the board with creatures, making lords and Harbin even better. Speaking of Harbin, it's the key card in this matchup, as an attack with 5+ soldiers is often a game-winner. After sideboarding, Brutal Cathar plays a significant role, though it's usually temporary since they will likely have more removals. If they increase their removal count, we bring in Wedding with Tocasia for a more grind-focused game and removal against problematic cards.
Monored Aggro
This matchup is challenging as they already have many removal spells in the main deck, and Invasion of Tarkir becomes a nightmare when flipped, generating a steady stream of dragon tokens that can easily become a clock. Post-sideboard, we adjust our approach to play a more midrange game, reducing the efficiency of their spot removals with increased card advantage and flooding the board with tokens thanks to Wedding Announcement.
UW Soldiers
The mirror matchup is a grindy affair, where flying creatures can often make the difference with incremental attacks. Ultimately, the player with more lords will likely have better attacks. Harbin serves as the primary win condition here, as the main deck usually lacks efficient answers to it. Thus, it's wise to save Harbin for a final push when it can deal lethal damage. This is not a match to play open for counters; it's all about building a stronger board and finding favorable attacks. After sideboarding, Brutal Cathar becomes the best card, and those who use it most effectively gain a significant advantage.
Domain Ramp
This matchup is favorable for us as their spells are mostly high-cost, and lighter ones like Topiary Stomper do little against our deck. Counters are highly effective, as is Invasion of Gobakhan, providing information, taxing the most relevant card, and strengthening our creatures. However, it's important to remember that Invasion doesn't help against Sunfall, their most commonly used mass removal. A quick clock with precise counters is often sufficient, and Archangel of Wrath is a prime target. After sideboarding, additional counters and creature removals further enhance the matchup.
Monowhite Midrange
Another favorable matchup, but we must be cautious about low-cost removals and cards like The Wandering Emperor, which can cause trouble. In general, counters and a quick clock, especially with flying creatures, are highly effective. After sideboarding, we have a similar sideboard with more counters and enchantment removals, and occasionally creatures like Phyrexian Vindicator.
Monoblack Midrange/UB Midrange
These are unfavorable matchups, as they have numerous removals and creatures like Graveyard Trespasser and Phyrexian Fleshgorger that are challenging to deal with. Similar to the match against Monored, we shift to a grind-focused plan with tokens and card advantage from sideboard enchantments. Both decks play similarly, with resilient creatures and efficient removals, so the sideboard is the same for both.
Final words
Soldiers remain a solid choice in Standard, rewarding those who understand the deck and can adapt their game plan accordingly. Its ability to switch between aggression and grind makes it one of the most intriguing decks in the format.
Until next time!