[Almost Competitive] FTJ Midrange

New year new deck! Since ranks were reset and I don't need to care about dropping places in Master, I feel like now is the optimal time to play around with new ideas.

First off, let me say this deck is not quite competitive, but I do like where it's going and it has been picking up a few wins. It's also a blast to play. If you have any changes, feel free to suggest them or share your own list.

This deck is built around Darya, Warrior Poet. I was initially planning a Jennev build with Clutch of Talons, but I decided that even though it's not supported by the new set, FTJ offers the best high end cards which can avoid dying to Howling Peak. There's also a good Clutch lookalike in The Great Parliament. I am tired of all the Peak decks running around and having my best stuff killed for free. This deck isn't necessarily great against Peak decks, but you can let them just play their Howling Peak and just let it exist there without worrying too much about it.

Darya Support

Darya is fine on her own, which is why I'm comfortable playing her on 4 if needed. However, she really shines when you can pay for amplify. To support that, I've included Amber Acolyte to stall a little in the early game and make sure I can hit my power drops consistently. I also have Awaken the Ages to ramp a little bit. Jumping from 3 to 5 isn't a huge deal but jumping from 4 to 6 or 6 to 9 is very potent in this deck where reaching the endgame is the main objective. In addition to the traditional Seek Power, these cards allow you to reliably reach 8+ power, usually before the 8th turn.

Removal Suite

In addition to the standard Torch and Vanquish that you see in most FJ/x decks, I included a few other options. Avigraft is amazing. Your best targets are larger units with lifesteal, especially Vara, Vengeance-Seeker and Hojan, Crownbreaker. You want the game to end as soon as possible once you start dropping your big units, so banning anything that can slow you down is very strong. Obviously it goes without saying that you can kill anything that looks important to the deck or is at risk of killing you. A pair of Defiance can stop early attacking threats from getting too out of control, or slow down the late game if you're running a little behind on ramp.

Endgame

In the endgame, this deck packs a lot of value. Although he dies to roughly everything, Rizahn, Greatbow Master is too powerful to pass up. The main finishers are Heart of the Vault and The Great Parliament. Neither of these loses a whole card if killed, and both are resilient to Gun Down. The Great Parliament and Rizahn are both good amplify targets with Darya, and should usually berserk right away. Xo of the Endless Hoard is mostly market fodder, but the Treasure Troves can be valuable since the deck is a little short on turn 2 plays. That said, Xo can be a good finisher against some go-wide decks and is resilient to Gun Down. In addition, giving deadly with a Darya amplify can be devastating.

Black Market

I'm a big advocate for Red Canyon Smuggler. As a virtual 4/3 for 3, she can stall the game or act as a threat if the board is empty. Since this deck doesn't care too much about getting "extra" copies of any one card, Smuggler can pick some specific hate in Bore or Adjudicator's Gavel, or grab Martyr's Chains as a late game finisher, since the deck almost always has extra power. I'm not sure about the 5th market slot. I was thinking New Tomorrow, but I usually find the game is over by the time you have 10 power. Right now I'm playing without the 5th card to see if I feel like it's missing something. This deck definitely doesn't want a sweeper in the main deck, but Harsh Rule in the market can put an end to aggressive decks. If you're playing a Smuggler on 3 against any Justice deck, it's usually correct to just take Bore so you can counter an Avigraft if needed.