Craig thank you for your regular innovation. Here are my results from the Regionals in Cary, NC. I played your Mono-White Soldiers deck with very limited alterations. I'll paste my deck list at the end of my comments. We had just under 200 players with 8 rounds of Swiss. Here's my record for the day:
Match 1 - 1-2 (loss) vs. Abzan Aggro
Match 2 - 0-2 (loss) vs. B/U Control
Match 3 - 2-1 (win) vs. Jeskai Burn
Match 4 - 0-2 (loss) vs. Jeskai Aggro
Match 5 - 2-1 (win) vs. B/U Control
Match 6 - 2-1 (win) vs. B/U Ashiok & Sphinx Mill
Match 7 - 0-2 (loss) vs. Abzan Midrange
Match 8 - Drop
You're right
Preeminent Captain is the man...er the Kithkin in this deck. When I had him and anything this else in my hand it hits them from the blind side when as often or not an opponent just let him come in unblocked when choosing not to trade their sole creature.
Kytheon was out in every game but flipped only once as it drew attention reasoably quickly. But it did provide a home for
Hero's Blade occassionally.
Hero's Blade was a staple for me and found itself almost perpetually attached to Anafenza but for me more often with Brimaz. Only in the late matches did I need to use
Relic Seeker to find the blade, it was more often than not finding its way on to the battlefield organically drawn.
Dromoka's Command was my bane today in the Jeskai matchups repeatedly clearing off my best threats before they could apply any pressure or go Renown.
Wingmate was solid from the sideboard as well as
Valorous Stance.
Raise the alarm was boarded in but saw only limited play as it was not often drawn in the numbers that I played.
Abzan Falconer did provide some serious air-whoopin' in a couple of games but I wouldn't pull it out. It was just a little slow.
Ajani saw a lot of play and provided some serious push but never went minus as the board state only once would have benefited from massed fliers but he was 'downfalled' the turn before my minus.
I don't think I'm the one to figure out the changes in the sideboard or main but I know I needed Glare of Herasy or
Banishing Light on more than a few occassions. I had
Spear of Heliod in my sideboard and it helped me in the later matches to punish damage dealing creatures and pump my field.
Elspeth now seems like a one-of no brainer in the sideboard. She is just so versatile and fits into many situations. Nykthos was on the field in half the games and never used. By the time it could have been useful my hand was already pretty lean. Perhaps in connection with
Mastery of the Unseen but as it is it was an informative experiment that proved the negative inclusion. I think I would much rather have a couple of
Foundry of the Consuls as a mana sink and left handed threat.
Had I been running a devotion theme with Heliod, reaching 5 would have been a better than 50% proposition and would argue for the inclusion of Spear if the deck went that direction.
Two other outliers are worth mentioning:
Hallowed Moonlight (brought to my attention by some chatty tablemates) and
Archangel of Tithes. Moonlight would have helped me against the Control matchups with their creative creature entry and
Archangel would have given me a evening aspect to my deck in the middle late game against the Abzan and creature fights.
I hope you turn your hand to this deck again for continued innovation. Most importantly this is an honest deck that is just so much fun to pilot. I think it is worthy of some attention before 2015 rotates out and our beloved Captains are banished to the ether.
Cheers and keep deckbuilding
Decklist:
//Creatures
4
Abzan Falconer4
Anafenza, Kin-Tree Spirit4
Brimaz, King of Oreskos4
Consul's Lieutenant4
Kytheon's Irregulars4
Kytheon, Hero of Akros4
Preeminent Captain4
Relic Seeker2
Ajani Steadfast//Spells
2
Hero's Blade//Lands
1
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx23
Plains//Sideboard
SB: 1
Archangel of TithesSB: 1
Spear of HeliodSB: 1
Obelisk of UrdSB: 2
Celestial FlareSB: 2
Citadel SiegeSB: 2
Wingmate RocSB: 3
Raise the AlarmSB: 3
Valorous Stance