Why is this not a thing? Valor in Akros

Phalanx? More like... Play-lynx

Here's the card that single handily inspired Uncommon Thoughts. Its combination of simple power, cost, and splash-ibility makes Valor In Akros an awesome addition to any collection on the cheap. This is a budget deckbuilders wet dream, except made of cardboard and may be more liable for cuts. (Note: Uncommon Thoughts and its author do not condone Magic-related self-gratification.) Let's break down exactly why ViA is a powerhouse in Standard and maybe more.

To start, the premise for ViA is pretty standard for anthem effects, but it takes that premise and breaks it over its knee. Anthem effects prefer the wide angle of attack with lots of cheap creatures or tokens and overwhelm the opponent with  tough 3/3's and 4/4's.  ViA is much more explosive than say, Glorious Anthem, because it counts each creature coming into play and promptly pumps your side by +3/+3 or more. Of course, being until the end of turn means this is more offensively oriented, but that doesn't mean I won't try and make a combo with it.

The deck I first thought of was a white token deck for standard with evasive 3 drops that play into ViA that then get huge with a follow up spell like Take Up Arms, Triplicate Spirits, or Secure the Wastes. Aven Sunstriker and Aven Skirmisher make for wonderful warriors to carry the following bomb via ViA. In testing it worked really well, with ViA becoming a way to seal games turn five or six.

Then it hit me. ViA can combo with anything that can benefit from not dying and pumping out dudes at the same time I.E. Hornet's Nest. While it doesn't make your Nest immortal, if you can find some way to say, sac bees to do a damage back to the Nest with some other creature in play, it goes infinite, uh, doing nothing except making nest huge. Goblin Bombardment is the only one that comes to mind immediately, but I'm certain there are other interactions having come into play effects interact with the pump of ViA.

My conclusion:

Torch it

Touch it

Try it

Own it: Valor In Akros is a Johnny Combo Player piece definitely worth trying to bust both in standard and other formats.

Next week, we're going to tackle a triad of powerful red uncommons in Standard: Call of the Full Moon, Break Through the Line, and Enthralling Victor.

Since it's the end of the week, I'd like to share what I am playing this FNM. It's big, it's dumb, it's U/G Monsters!

3 Foe Razer Regents

3 Sagu Maulers

4 Hooded Hydras

4 Wildcall

3 Pearl Lake Ancients

1 Disdainful Stroke

1 Return to the Earth

4 Rattleclaw Mystic

4 Kiora's Follower

3 Explosive Vegetation (2 of which are Onslaught Uncommons and 1 a foil from Dragons)

1 Frontier Siege

2 Dragonlord's Prerogative

2 Kiora, the Crashing Wave

25 Lands (4 Yavimaya Coast, 4 Temple of Mystery, then basics...)