[Standard] UGW 1+/1+ Counter Deck

[thegoreinside]

UGW 1+/1+ Counter Deck

WORK IN PROGRESS Please help evaluate!
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-The strategy is to utilize creatures with counter abilities. This deck wants to use Hangarback Walker to its potential. Servant of the Scales served as a T1 or T2 card. Priority is given to Hardened Scales to play first, as it will help make Servant and Hangarback bigger as they enter the battlefield. Servant  can die and help aid Hangarback, or another Servant and piggy-back it back to Hangarback when Servant dies.

-Jace, Vryn's Prodigy is used as a looter during creature form, then as a Snapcaster to utilized socery in the graveyard (mainly Earthen Arms.) Jace in creature form can help make the graveyard grow, seeing that Halimar Tidecaller can return cards with Awaken from the graveyard. (Earthen/ Rush of Ice) or Jace can utilize in Planeswalker form.

- Kiora, Master of the Depths allows Hangarback to get two counters on its own, due to her (+1) ability which allows to untap a creature and/or a land. Tap Hangarback to gain a counter, then use Kiora to untap Hangarback. Then tap again for another counter/ pseudo vigilance

-Planar Outburst is used as a boardwipe for all creatures except land-creatures. In this deck, Planar is used to sack Hangarback which will bring a hoard of thopters to finish the opponent in the air. In case Planar Outburst is countered, cast Halimar to bring it back from the graveyard or use Jace to recast it. Though Planar Outburst is expensive and costs two white mana to cost, using Jace's ability to recast Sylvan Scrying can curve the white mana needed to cast the spell. 

-If Jace, Halimar, or Hangarback dies/ goes to the graveyard, you use Sylvan Scrying to "revive" them onto your top deck of your library by finding Mortuary Mire. Because I only included one Mortuary Mire, it has to be worth re-drawing from your library.

-If Hangarback isn't there late game, utilizing's Halimar's ability to give land creatures flying can be a last resort.

 -Blighted Steppe is there for life gain after sacking Hangarback (it should have more than 8 counters by T6.)

[Shirrian]

I really think you want 4x Hardenend Scales. It's the engine of the deck and makes the deck go into overdrive when drawn in multiples. I like the argument for Sylvan Scrying, however I think 4 is too many since it doesn't ramp and the synergy is not high enough in the deck imho. The star creatures in the deck are Undergrowth Champion and Hangarback Walker, so in my opinion you want to play the full set of both.

Even though this is a creature deck at heart it only runs 16 creatures and the awaken cards don't come online till the late game. If you ever face an aggro deck you might be dead before this happens. Therefore I would advice to up the creature count. Avatar of the Resolute, Den Protector, Managorger Hydra, Noyan Dar, Roil Shaper, Oran-Rief Hydra, Skyrider Elf, Stratus Dancer, Tajuru Stalwart and Woodland Wanderer all come to mind.

Other cards you might want to include are: Dromoka's Command, Ojutai's Command and Sheer Drop.

If you add more white cards I would advice to change the amount of white producing cards.

Hopefully this helps!