[Standard] Bant Walkers - Deck building help?

[Valquesse]

Bant Walkers

Recently got into playing thats not casual, and the only other deck i built was a mono-red burn for standard. Trying to make a deck using tamiyo, after i pulled her at the pre-release for eldritch, and decided i wanted to go down the walker route. Beyond that, i am struggling to come up with something i think will work, so any advice would be appreciated. The list above is an attempt to come up with something but itll probably be a bit naff.
The cards i want to keep in the list are All the walkers in their current ratio, and the oaths (ratio up to change), but everything else is up for alterations. I quite like the new flippy cheap creatures, and neglected heirloom combination, and in the pre-release, loved the cathar shield, so was hoping to incorporate them as the creature base.

Again, thanks for any advise.

[KouriNick]

Hi! I like the idea of Bant Walkers because it opens up another option for Bant beyond Collected Company.

Another oath to consider is Oath of Jace. The initial draw is good, as it lets you filter for the cards you want, and the free scrys will mean Call the Gatewatch hits more regularly. 

The deck seems a bit creature light as is, but thankfully, there are plenty of great creatures to pick from in Bant colors. I personally think Slyvan Advocate is the best fir, as it gives you a play on turn 2. In the 3 drop slot, Reflector Mage and Tireless Tracker are also both great.

If you were to bring in 2 Oath of Jace and 4 Slyvan Advocate, we'd need 6 cuts. The easiest place to start would probably be Give No Ground. Its not a bad card, but with as few creatures as we have, it could easily be dead in hand, and we'd rather just have a good blocker like Slyvan Advocate anyway. Cathar's Shield  could probably be cut too for the same reasons as Give no ground. Equipment are fine, but only if we actually have creatures to put them on, so priority should be toward creatures (especially since we need guys to protect our plainswalkers). Last two cuts could probably be the Summary Dismissal. I like the pair in the sideboard for playing against other plainswalker decks (or Eldrazi), but in the main it feels too clunky and is competing for the 4 drop slot with a lot of the plainswalkers.

I hope you found this helpful! Good luck and Happy Hunting

[Valquesse]

Thanks a lot for the advice, ill certainly take it into account. ill have a look at a few more things, and maybe post an updated variant, if you wouldn't mind looking that one over?
Also, what is the general thought of the ulnerwald captive  as a 2 drop? i found it nice to have in the pre-release games i played, and the extra mana tap could be nice.

[Mnemosyne]

KouriNick raises some good points and there are a lot of options for a Bant Superfriends deck. (add Narset Transcendent!)

Ideas concerning creatures:

I would definitely add Reflector Mage, especially since it is a great control source for 3 mana.
If you use Sylvan Advocate, then you should add Lumbering Falls, the dual land (G/U) which can become a 3/3 with Hexproof. Sylvan Advocate will make it become a 5/5 with its ability.
You could also add Bounding Krasis, to instantly tap a creature your opponent controls, slowing them down enough to play your planeswalkers.

I would agree with KouriNick, remove all the equipment. I know you like them, but they won't help you. You have few creatures which means there is not enough support in the deck to make it playable. (You need to choose the focus of the deck, planeswalkers or equipment)

Personally, your best option is to utilize the token generation that comes from the Planeswalkers. In combination with (2/3) Westvale Abbey and Second Harvest you can have 2 great win conditions.

Ideas concerning spells:

I don't really think Call of the Gatewatch is that useful to you, especially since you already have Deploy the Gatewatch. But Oath of Jace would be great since you do and because it allows you to scry. On that line, you could use a blue source to allow you to draw. Anticipate, Scour the Laboratory, Contingency Plan. etc.

I definitely would remove Summary Dismissal! It would removal all your planeswalkers from the battlefield. The best option would be to replace it with Tragic Arrogance, at least in the situation, your opponent has a better board state you can balance the board.

An idea could be instead of creatures is to primarily focus on control with your planeswalkers, cards like Negate, Turn Aside, dispel are great for removal like Transgress the Mind, Ruinous Path or To The Slaughter.

Cards like Ojutai's Command, or Dromoka's Command are great utility cards. If you want cards from a newer standard set then Collective Effort would help with removal of Enchantments, as well as creatures. (if used correctly.)

Anyway, I'll let that all sink in for now! Good luck!

[Valquesse]

If you want cards from a newer standard set then Collective Effort would help with removal of Enchantments, as well as creatures.

Thanks for your advise also, going with that last point, im on a uni students budgets so was hoping to avoid using the cards that go out at the end of this rotation. I understand this does severely limit me until September.

[Mnemosyne]

If you want cards from a newer standard set then Collective Effort would help with removal of Enchantments, as well as creatures.

Thanks for your advise also, going with that last point, im on a uni students budgets so was hoping to avoid using the cards that go out at the end of this rotation. I understand this does severely limit me until September.

You're welcome.

[bensonbledsoe]

I think I like spell queller over reflector mage

[Valquesse]

Revision 2

Added/removed cards:
-2 Cathar's Shield
-3 Neglected Heirloom
+2 Oath of Jace
+2 Reflector Mage
+3 Sylvan Advocate
-2 (SB) Sigarda's Aid

Changed amounts:
-2 (Main) +2 (SB) Give No Ground
-2 Summary Dismissal
-1 (SB) Faith Unbroken
+1 (SB) Negate