Hello everyone. Decks focusing on a particular creature type or keyword are some of my favorite decks to play. This week, I have a few decks that are focused on flying or on specific creature types that you can use at your local events, on Magic Arena, or just against your friends. Let's get started.

Azorius Flashy Flying

The first deck I have for you offers some great evasive threats, while also keeping your opponent guessing whether you'll counter their spells. Let's take a look at the deck.

Azorius Flashy Flying | FDN Standard | MtgMalone, aetherhub.com user

• Creatures (23)
• 2 Malcolm, Alluring Scoundrel
• 2 Sphinx of Forgotten Lore
• 3 Doorkeeper Thrull
• 4 Aven Interrupter
• 4 Empyrean Eagle
• 4 Faerie Mastermind
• 4 Spectral Sailor

• Instants (6)
• 2 Dazzling Denial
• 4 Phantom Interference

• Enchantments (10)
• 2 Proft's Eidetic Memory
• 4 Combat Research
• 4 Sheltered by Ghosts

• Lands (21)
• 3 Plains
• 6 Island
• 4 Adarkar Wastes
• 4 Floodfarm Verge
• 4 Seachrome Coast

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Every creature in this deck has flying, which some decks can struggle with. Be sure to take advantage of that and attack from the air whenever your opponent doesn't have any able-bodied blockers. Sphinx of Forgotten Lore is a terrific attacker, as it will give an instant in your graveyard flashback when it attacks. Since the only instant spells in this deck offer you the ability to counter an opponent's spell, you can keep your opponent from casting any spells during your turn that you don't want them to have.

This deck also boasts some great enchantments. Combat Research has been a favorite way of mine to draw extra cards during a game while keeping pressure firmly on your opponent. Sheltered by Ghosts is one of my most hated enchantments to play against, as it offers both removal of a nonland permanent your opponent controls, plus a boost for the enchanted creature. Finally, there's Proft's Eidetic Memory which works well with Spectral Sailor as a way to draw extra cards and place +1/+1 counters on your creatures. Synergy like this goes a long way in making a deck feel cohesive.

Azorius Soldiers

The next deck I have for you is focused solely on the Soldier creature type. Let's check it out.

Azorius Soldiers | FDN Standard | LegenVD, aetherhub.com user

• Creatures (38)
• 2 Harbin, Vanguard Aviator
• 4 Ballyrush Banneret
• 4 Myrel, Shield of Argive
• 4 Recruitment Officer
• 4 Resolute Reinforcements
• 4 Siege Veteran
• 4 Skystrike Officer
• 4 Valiant Veteran
• 4 Yotian Frontliner
• 4 Warden of the Inner Sky

• Lands (22)
• 8 Plains
• 2 Floodfarm Verge
• 4 Cavern of Souls
• 4 Fortified Beachhead
• 4 Secluded Courtyard

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In order to maximize the Soldier-creating ability of Myrel, you'll want to get a copy or two of Ballyrush Banneret into play. This small, unassuming Kithkin Soldier provides you with a mana reduction for any Soldier spells you cast. This makes it easier for you to fill your battlefield with as many Soldiers as possible, getting the most value from Myrel attacking.

With your Soldiers costing less to bring into play, you might find yourself running out of creature spells to cast. Skystrike Officer offers you a solution to this problem. While this human Soldier is on the battlefield, you can tap three untapped Soldiers you control to draw a card. Since doing this doesn't have a tap symbol in its cost, you can tap creatures that have not been in play since the start of your turn. Use those newly cast Soldiers to help you draw cards and maintain your battlefield advantage.

Naya Angels

The final deck I have for you this week offers a combination of evasiveness and creature synergy found in both of the previous decks. Let's take a look at it.

Naya Angels | FDN Standard | SwayzeMTG, aetherhub.com user

• Creatures (29)
• 2 Aurelia, the Warleader
• 2 Steel Seraph
• 3 Archangel of Wrath
• 3 Lyra Dawnbringer
• 3 Skrelv, Defector Mite
• 4 Giada, Font of Hope
• 4 Exemplar of Light
• 4 Sigarda, Font of Blessings
• 4 Youthful Valkyrie

• Artifacts (3)
• 3 Patchwork Banner

• Battles (4)
• 4 Invasion of Gobakhan // Lightshield Array

• Lands (24)
• 1 Forest
• 1 Mountain
• 1 Swamp
• 11 Plains
• 2 Secluded Courtyard
• 4 Cavern of Souls
• 4 Fabled Passage

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With all of the possible life gaining this deck can do, you'll likely find it very easy to gain a +1/+1 counter on Exemplar of Light each turn. This will also allow you to draw an extra card, providing you with additional threats to put into play. In addition to Exemplar of Light, this deck also offers other ways of gaining +1/+1 counters. Youthful Valkyrie gains a +1/+1 counter whenever another Angel you control enters the battlefield. There's also Giada, Font of Hope, who provides a number of +1/+1 counters to any new Angels you cast that scales with the number of Angels you have in play.

Another way to gain additional +1/+1 counters is by having Lightshield Array, the flipped side of Invasion of Gobakhan in play. At the beginning of your end step, each creature you control that attacked that turn will get a +1/+1 counter. Since all of your creatures will be big threats, your opponent will likely need to destroy them, but Lightshield Array can help keep them safe from removal by providing your creatures hexproof and indestructible until the end of the turn when it is sacrificed.

Wrapping Up

Each of the decks I've shown you this week have a lot of synergy in their cards. This synergy is one of the things I like best, because it makes each card benefit from the cards played before it as well as providing some benefit to future cards.

What do you think of these decks? Feel free to share this article with your friends anywhere on social media. And be sure to join me here again next week as I continue my search for innovative decks in Standard. I'll see you then!

- Mike Likes