Light has a lot to be excited about in the Core Set Refresh, but people are currently sleeping on it. Either not playing light or trying to play it the way we've been playing. I've been working on this aggro light deck which wins by out-valuing your opponent.
Asterius is not in the deck.
Deck Code:
GU_1_3_CDFCBKCBKBCYBCYCABCABIChIChCDoCDoCCsCCsIAqIAqBEXBEXCEdCEdCEeCEeICbICiICiCBGCBGBGPBGPICZCCG
Pardon the low game count. I've only played 3 since swapping win Inquisitor Informant.
Get to 5 mana and then overwhelm your opponent with stats and value generation.
This deck has solid creatures to answer other aggro decks, but is also drowning in Ward to deal with control and spell-heavy decks.
Your target cards depend more on what you're facing rather than going first/second (although that also matters).
Always good cards:
In this deck, Pyramid Warden is an amazing card. It's most oppressive when you can get buffs on it, which we can. More importantly, we are just trying to get to 5 mana. Giving back an early game creature is meaningless if we can turn on the value hose.
Situational:
We're running Informant for the order, but that is to either
If behind, 3 order means we get one turn to help regain the board. If ahead, 3 order means we have 2 turns to go around Guild Enforcers, stop big threats, etc. We also have Sern in the deck, but that isn't enough order to run Divine Judgment.
Felid Janissary is as close to the old shield bearer as you can get. You get 3/3 stats for 2 mana instead of 2/2 stats for 1, so not quite as valuable but still good.
General Aggro light strategy: fight for the board. Serene Blade isn't the worst early game top deck. If you have several cheap creatures in hand + the blade, you can give up tempo to equip it in exchange for having a big swing turn next turn. Especially true if one of those cheap creatures is Blind Martyr. A warded board with a Blind Martyr is extremely strong. Too costly to remove with spells, and creatures have to hit BM first and trigger the HP boost for everyone else.
If I draw a Serene Blade, I usually try and get it equipped before 4/5 mana.
When going second, you definitely want to save a bag in hopes of playing a 5-mana creature on turn 4. When going first, only burn your first pip if it leads to an extremely strong board. That board will need to hold you over until 5 mana.
Ideally (for every opponent except mage) Battle Cleric hits the board on 4 mana. This card is bonkers. 4/4 stats on the turn played, and the Cleric itself has both Ward and Backline - protected from spells and creatures. Yes, a mage will just ping it and kill it, but its a big problem for everyone else. Even against mage, the 2/2 Acolyte sticks and we have plenty more value to play.
Don't Forget: Battle Cleric can attack!
The ideal card against Magic is Porphyon. It drains a lot of mana/cards to kill.
Anubian Redeemer is another great card. I try to have it hit the board as a 5/7. It comes down as a 4/6 and then one of my creatures dies making it 5/7. Extra hilarious is that creature is a Blind Martyr. An important thing about Redeemer - the effect is each turn including your opponents turn. If they can only clear your small creatures, Redeemer gets another +1/+1
Perhaps the king of value? This card is pretty 'meh' in a traditional deck praying for Asterius to buff pathetic creatures. It's absolutely insane in this deck where large, warded creatures keep healing and 5/2 acolytes are spitting out for free every turn. Ward + Protected + 5 HP means its not going anywhere. Not without taking a lot cards/mana with it anyway.
The only buff spell in the deck. We have so much ward that you will generally be able to create an absolute monster of a creature (as you'll see in the gameplay vid). My favorite target is the Battle Cleric. 5/5 with Ward/Protect/Backline + Spits out 2/2 stats each turn is game over.
In this gameplay vid, we go second against Aggro War and win easily. We did get Cudgel + Light's Levy in our opening hand, though, which was huge. We also got some timely draws like Inquisitor to shut down their massive/protected Viking.
Full disclosure: aggro war is the hardest matchup. Going second is even harder. I think this Light deck can compete, but most games in this situation aren't handled so easily. This game was arguably over at 3 mana.
