Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
flag of UK
UK
flag of US
US
flag of Canada
Canada
flag of Australia
Australia
  • Games
  • TV
  • Movies
  • Hardware
  • Video
  • News
  • Reviews
  • Guides
  • Deals
  • More
    • PS5
    • Xbox Series X
    • Nintendo Switch
    • Nintendo Switch 2
    • PC
    • Platforms
    • Tabletop Gaming
    • Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • SFX
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsletters
    • About us
    • Features
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
View
Trending
  • Prime Day Deals
  • Superman
  • Donkey Kong Bananza
  • Switch 2 stock
Recommended reading
MTG Tarkir: Dragonstorm Play Booster box on a wooden table, with mist and cherry blossom in the background
Tabletop Gaming Everything you need to know about MTG Tarkir: Dragonstorm, from mechanics to story
Zoomed in image of Malzahar Riftbound card art
Tabletop Gaming Exclusive Riftbound card reveals give nightmarish League of Legends champions deadly adaptations
An insectoid alien holds out its hand against a planet backdrop in MTG Edge of Eternities
Tabletop Gaming Everything you need to know about MTG Edge of Eternities, from mechanics to story
Tidus, Y'shtola, Cloud, and Terra artwork divided by white lines
Tabletop Gaming Best MTG Final Fantasy Commander decks, ranked and compared
MTG Final Fantasy Starter Kit on a wooden surface, against a white wall
Tabletop Gaming Everything you need to know about MTG Final Fantasy
Edge of Eternities prerelease and Final Fantasy Starter Kit boxes on either side of a GamesRadar+ 'best deal' box, all against a gray background with crosses
Tabletop Gaming Best MTG deals for June 2025
A four-armed creature looms over a tiny humanoid figure in a gloomy, massively overgrown forest
Tabletop Gaming Get your exclusive first look at one of the new Daggerheart settings, which crosses Legend of Zelda with Princess Mononoke
  1. Games
  2. Strategy
  3. Magic The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2014

Get an exclusive early look at the Duels of the Planeswalkers 2014 expansion with this decklist

Features
By Lucas Sullivan published 29 August 2013

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

All for one

All for one

By now, additional DLC for Magic: The Gathering - Duels of the Planeswalkers 2014 should come as no surprise. As with the previous entries in the cerebral card-flopping series, new decks with unique angles seem to come out just as you've gotten familiar with all the existing options. Whether you're challenging other spell-slingers online or just taking these decks for a spin against the AI, an unfamiliar deck can make the whole game feel new again.

We've got an exclusive first look at one of the decklists that'll be included in the September expansion for Duels of the Planeswalkers 2014, and we want to talk you through it just as we did with Ajani's Guardians of Light deck. If you're not familiar with the Exalted mechanic, this White-Green-Blue deck--dubbed Hall of Champions--will be the perfect crash course for how to turn an army of small creatures into one almighty champion. Check out the full decklist below, then read on to see what's possible when you're touring the Hall of Champions.

Page 1 of 7
Page 1 of 7
Akrasan Squire + Aven Squire

Akrasan Squire + Aven Squire

These two weenies might not look like much at first, but this duo is essentially the core of the entire deck. The overall goal for the Hall of Champion deck is to get as many creatures with Exalted on the board, then attack with a singular creature. Thanks to the Exalted triggers, that creature--no matter how big or small it was to begin with--will grow into a massive threat from all the +1/+1 buffs its accrued. Even on their own, these two Squires are quite the pairing; Turn 1 Akrasan into Turn 2 Aven has you attacking for 3 damage in the air in no time flat.

Page 2 of 7
Page 2 of 7
Rhox Charger + Behemoth Sledge

Rhox Charger + Behemoth Sledge

Behemoth Sledge--or any Equipment in general--is the perfect complement to the Exalted mechanic. Because you only want to attack with one creature anyway, all you have to do is equip the almighty Sledge to your most resilient creature and swing with impunity. Behemoth Sledge is good on most any attacker, Exalted or not, but it's particularly intimidating to see a Rhox Charger wielding one. When attacking, it will effectively become a 6/6 trampler with lifelink--a terrifying sight for any opponent, to be sure.

Page 3 of 7
Page 3 of 7
Leonin Armorguard + Deft Duelist

Leonin Armorguard + Deft Duelist

Before the Hexproof keyword came along, Shroud was the best spell protection around. Unlike the Hexproof ability, where you can target your creature with spells but your opponent can't, Shroud prevents both players from targeting. That means that you won't be pumping the Deft Duelist with a Giant Growth anytime soon (and sorry, Equipment like Behemoth Sledge won't work either). On her own, the Duelist is still quite good--but there is a way to beef her up for a turn. Playing a Leonin Armorguard boosts all your other creatures, and since that effect doesn't target Deft Duelist directly, she'll get the buff just like everyone else.

Page 4 of 7
Page 4 of 7
Martial Coup + Sigil Blessing

Martial Coup + Sigil Blessing

No matter how grim a given situation might look, just remember that you have this combo in the back of your pocket. Martial Coup is an incredibly powerful board sweeper--because only in the rarest instance will you be playing it for anything less than 7 mana. Yes, your own creatures will also bite the dust--but at least they'll be swiftly replaced by a small army of 1/1 soldiers. That also gives you the perfect chance to power through any stalemate by following Martial Coup with a Sigil Blessing, which will buff all your little dudes into a sizable chunk of damage. And with no blockers on the other side to stop you, your enemy has no choice but to take a beating.

Page 5 of 7
Page 5 of 7
Bant Charm + Giltspire Avenger

Bant Charm + Giltspire Avenger

While the Hall of Champions deck has all it needs in the way of creatures and army-pumping combat tricks, it's a little lacking when it comes to direct removal. Qasali Pridemage will take care of any artifact creatures; for everything else, there's Bant Charm and Giltspire Avenger. The banish-to-the-bottom-of-your-library effect of Bant Charm can be a godsend when you're staring down at an enchanted, indestructible, or altogether massive creature. And with three Bant Charms in the deck, you'll usually draw one just in the nick of time. Giltspire requires you to take a smack to the face before he can kill, but his presence on the board will force your opponent to deal with him, and may make them skittish to attack.

Page 6 of 7
Page 6 of 7
One at a time

One at a time

So, what's your take on the Hall of Champions? Think this creature-centric Exalted playstyle is right up your alley? Or are you curious about the other decks that'll be added? Get your theorycrafting on in the comments section below!

For more Magic 2014 info, you can read our full Duels of the Planeswalkers 2014 review and peruse the Guardians of Light decklist.

Page 7 of 7
Page 7 of 7
CATEGORIES
iPad PC Gaming PlayStation Xbox Platforms Mobile Gaming
Lucas Sullivan
Lucas Sullivan
Social Links Navigation

Lucas Sullivan is the former US Managing Editor of GamesRadar+. Lucas spent seven years working for GR, starting as an Associate Editor in 2012 before climbing the ranks. He left us in 2019 to pursue a career path on the other side of the fence, joining 2K Games as a Global Content Manager. Lucas doesn't get to write about games like Borderlands and Mafia anymore, but he does get to help make and market them. 

Hall of Champions

Creatures
4 Akrasan Squire
3 Qasali Pridemage
2 Aven Squire
2 Deft Duelist
2 Guardians of Akrasa
3 Court Archers
3 Rhox Charger
2 Waveskimmer Aven
1 Leonin Armorguard
2 Skyward Eye Prophets
1 Giltspire Avenger

Spells
2 Gleam of Resistance
1 Behemoth Sledge
3 Sigil Blessing
1 Martial Coup
3 Bant Charm

Land
4 Terramorphic Expanse
3 Island
8 Forest
10 Plains

You may like
  • MTG Tarkir: Dragonstorm Play Booster box on a wooden table, with mist and cherry blossom in the background Everything you need to know about MTG Tarkir: Dragonstorm, from mechanics to story
  • Zoomed in image of Malzahar Riftbound card art Exclusive Riftbound card reveals give nightmarish League of Legends champions deadly adaptations
  • An insectoid alien holds out its hand against a planet backdrop in MTG Edge of Eternities Everything you need to know about MTG Edge of Eternities, from mechanics to story
See more PC Gaming Features
Read more
MTG Tarkir: Dragonstorm Play Booster box on a wooden table, with mist and cherry blossom in the background
Everything you need to know about MTG Tarkir: Dragonstorm, from mechanics to story
Zoomed in image of Malzahar Riftbound card art
Exclusive Riftbound card reveals give nightmarish League of Legends champions deadly adaptations
An insectoid alien holds out its hand against a planet backdrop in MTG Edge of Eternities
Everything you need to know about MTG Edge of Eternities, from mechanics to story
Tidus, Y'shtola, Cloud, and Terra artwork divided by white lines
Best MTG Final Fantasy Commander decks, ranked and compared
MTG Final Fantasy Starter Kit on a wooden surface, against a white wall
Everything you need to know about MTG Final Fantasy
Edge of Eternities prerelease and Final Fantasy Starter Kit boxes on either side of a GamesRadar+ 'best deal' box, all against a gray background with crosses
Best MTG deals for June 2025
Latest in Strategy
Heroes of Might and Magic
Strategy game expert behind Manor Lords partners with Ubisoft for Heroes of Might and Magic prequel with 600,000 Steam wishlists
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
After 2 underrated tactical RPGs on Switch, Mario + Rabbids developer Ubisoft Milan's pitch for another game was apparently turned down, which may explain why it's now working on Rayman
Pikmin 3 Deluxe
Switch 2 broke Pikmin 3 Deluxe with visual glitches and crashes, but Nintendo has swiftly patched it up so you can enjoy the Wii U banger once more
Pikmin 3 Deluxe
No Pikmin games got Switch 2 upgrades, and fans say Pikmin 3 Deluxe is "borderline broken" thanks to crashes, bizarre visual bugs, and screen flickering
a knight in a helmet with iron crosses decorating the cheeks
New strategy game Chronicles Medieval has you fight third-person battles with Tom Hardy narrating in a surprisingly normal accent for once
Lords Mobile x Pacific Rim
Lords Mobile launches Pacific Rim collaboration and celebrates 19th anniversary of developer IGG
Latest in Features
Kaizen: A Factory Story key art featuring a production line making a toy electronic
"Make games and die. That's my plan": Coincidence's Zach Barth on making games about making things, a year of teaching, and being in it for the long haul
Cyberpunk Edgerunners
Cyberpunk Edgerunners season 2: Everything we know about CD Projekt Red's anime
Ghost, Bob, Yelena, and John Walker peeking around a corner in Thunderbolts
Marvel Phase 5 closes a weird, ramshackle chapter in MCU history – and shows what Marvel needs to get right in Phase 6
David Corenswet, Rachel Brosnahan, and Skyler Gisondo in Superman
Do I need to watch any movies or TV shows before Superman?
David Corenswet as Superman in James Gunn's Superman
James Gunn's Superman looks like a comics-accurate take on the Man of Steel at last – but will it be enough to revive DC at the box office?
A cropped screenshot from Undertale, showing Frisk and Sans standing in Grillby's in Snowdin.
17 years after it was released, I'm tracing Undertale and Deltarune's origins back to Toby Fox's spooky Earthbound mod
  1. A Gundam style mech in Mecha Break
    1
    Mecha Break review: "This mech battler makes up for lacking customization with a varied roster that lets me live out my Evangelion fantasy"
  2. 2
    Death Stranding 2: On the Beach review: "This tarpunk delivery epic is more Metal Gear Solid than ever, for better and worse"
  3. 3
    Rematch review: "As with Rocket League, the just-one-more-game pull is magnetic"
  4. 4
    Tron: Catalyst review: "Disc slinging is a thrill in this gorgeous rendition of the series, but I'm let down by a time-loop story that falls flat"
  5. 5
    FBC: Firebreak review: "A disappointingly bland multiplayer FPS that's missing far too much of what made Control special"
  1. A T-rex in Jurassic World Rebirth
    1
    Jurassic World Rebirth Review: "An unscary sequel that needed a little more time in amber"
  2. 2
    M3GAN 2.0 review: "A bold sequel with a slightly underwhelming conclusion"
  3. 3
    28 Years Later Review: "Enough terror, splatter and suspense to satisfy”
  4. 4
    Predator: Killer of Killers review: "Great characters, thrilling action, and gorgeous Arcane-esque animation"
  5. 5
    From the World of John Wick: Ballerina review: "Brilliant action, even if the plot gives you a sense of déjà vu"
  1. Lee Jung-jae as Gi-hun in Squid Game season 3
    1
    Squid Game season 3 review: "A staggeringly excellent final season wraps up one of the greatest Netflix shows ever"
  2. 2
    Ironheart review: "A relic of Marvel's content-at-all-costs era"
  3. 3
    Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 review: "The show's most assured run of episodes to date"
  4. 4
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 8 spoiler review: 'The Reality War' is "a mix of the good, the bad, and the truly baffling"
  5. 5
    Doctor Who season 2, episode 7 spoiler review: 'Wish World' is "an exciting and ambitious" start to the season finale, with hints of WandaVision

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...