Standard: Five-Color Allies - Deck Tech & Sideboard Guide

Rarely does a single set single-handedly provide the necessary core for a new archetype with one of its main mechanics to emerge in Standard, but it happened with Avatar: The Last Airbender: Allies, one of the set's themes, which became a notoriously competitive archetype in Standard, blending various cards with powerful effects and synergies capable of pressuring the opponent turn after turn.

This list follows the pattern adopted in the first week of Avatar in Standard. Some variants are running Appa, Steadfast Guardian, others have included Mai, Scornful Striker or Boiling Rock Rioter in the main deck, and some have even opted to cut the red splash for Wartime Protestors.

I'm particularly confident in the main deck of this list because I believe Protestors is an essential card for games where we need to explode, while Hakoda, Selfless Commander is an excellent complement to Aang, at the Crossroads in terms of card advantage, while also being better at protecting our creatures from sweepers and removal.

What bothers me most, however, is the sideboard. I believe there are more useful options than Allies at Last for dealing with creatures, while the limitations of the Ally type directly interfere with the ability to create a more robust range of options between board interaction and targeted hate.

Maindeck

Earthen Ally is usually a 3/2 for , which is a pretty decent body for the format when we want to be aggressive. Its Earthbending ability is a good mana sink for longer games, especially alongside Great Divide Guide.

Earth Kingdom Protectors protects any ally from spot removal, essential for protecting the deck's main creatures, especially those that can generate long-term value.

South Pole Voyager has a dual function: it guarantees life gain against other Aggro decks while also being our main source of advantage in the early game.

Great Divide Guide has a decent body and transforms any Ally into Ramp and manafixing, allowing for more explosive turns, such as casting Aang, at the Crossroads on turn three.

Earth King’s Lieutenant is our primary means of amplifying the power of our creatures, and also increases its own power with each ally that enters the battlefield afterward, making it a medium-term threat with Invasion Reinforcements and Aang, at the Crossroads.

Invasion Reinforcements interacts with the cards above to generate draws with a single resource, or to guarantee two extra mana on the following turn, also enabling more explosive turns with Earth King’s Lieutenant.

The bombs.

Katara, the Fearless doesn't do anything on her own, but any ally in play with her becomes a bomb: two counters with Earth King's Lieutenant, two Airbending with Aang, Swift Savior that can remove blockers, or two mini-Collected Company with Aang, at the Crossroads are enough to guarantee it two maindeck slots.

Aang, Swift Savior is the most flexible card in the list: it delays sweepers for one turn, removes attackers or blockers, has a body with evasion, and is extremely decent as a threat on its own if we pressure the opponent with other cards beforehand, and its transformed side is easy to enable in an archetype with so many creatures.

Wartime Protestors is the main reason for the splash: guaranteeing Haste for any Ally is a notoriously explosive combination with Aang, at the Crossroads, but it works with practically any creature on the list.

Hakoda, Selfless Commander grants card advantage and protection in the same slot. Its body isn't the most impressive, but the extra resources it offers are essential.

Aang, at the Crossroads is our main bomb. The card offers a mini-Collected Company when it enters, and if a creature is destroyed while it's in play, Aang transforms into a larger creature with the potential to turn lands into more pressure every turn.

Starting Town, Cavern of Souls, Secluded Courtyard and Jasmine Dragon Tea Shop offer versatility in accessing all colors, allowing the archetype to play with creatures of such diverse mana costs.

Stomping Ground, Godless Shrine and Breeding Pool complement Multiversal Passage in terms of manafixing: white and green are the most common colors among our cards, especially in the early game, and while we lack Temple Garden, we look for ways to access other colors while having greater access to the primary colors.

Sideboard

Mai, Scornful Striker punishes our opponents for playing too many non-creature spells while being a cheap creature that complements our aggressive game plan. Ideal in Control and Prowess games, and can work to "lock" the Omniscience combo if the opponent doesn't have an immediate Bounce to deal with it.

Despite not being an Ally, Voice of Victory protects our threats from counterspells and removals on our turn.

Boiling Rock Rioter is the best tool against Reanimator and other graveyard-based decks for Allies. Besides being the right creature type, it works with any creature and also becomes a recursion tool in attrition matchups, since it can replay exiled Allies.

Allies at Last offers cheap removal against almost most creatures in the format, and since we rarely have trouble maintaining our board position to the point of it becoming a useless card in the matchups it enters.

Dimir Midrange

IN

OUT

Simic Counters

IN

OUT

Jeskai Control

IN

OUT

Reanimator

IN

+OUT*

Orzhov Bounce

IN

OUT

Simic Omniscience

IN

OUT

Jeskai Artifacts

IN

OUT

Allies

IN

OUT

That's all for today!

If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment!

Thanks for reading!