This is my updated Bant deck for Standard. I just went 3-1 for 2nd place at FNM, with my only game losses coming in the match I lost against Jeskai Tokens. In that match I lost game 3 when I failed to recover from an End Hostilities, which seems unlikelywith 4x Dig and 4x Genesis Hydra.
4 Elvish Mystic
4 Sylvan Caryatid
2 Kiora's Follower
4 Courser of Kruphix
4 Sagu Mauler
2 Hornet Queen
4 Genesis Hydra
2 Ajani, Steadfast
2 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
4 Flooded Strand
4 Windswept Heath
4 Temple of Mystery
2 Temple of Enlightenment
2 Yavimaya Coast
4 Forest
2 Plains
2 Island
SB:
2 Spectra Ward
2 Nyx-Fleece Ram
2 Nissa, Worldwaker
2 Reclamation Sage
2 Hornet Queen
4 Nylea's Disciple
1 Disdainful Stroke
I'm not entirely sure what Nissas are for anymore. They've just drifted to the board. They're good vs real control decks but you don't really need help there. I might just want more Sages for the Constellation decks. Spectra Ward looks weird but it is good against those removal-light base-green decks as it gets through anything.
Ajani Steadfast keeps proving his worth so I upped him to 2, pushing out the last main deck Nissa. I just kept finding myself wanting to hit him with Dig and Hydra. I won a game when I was at 3 and my opponent had a Siege Rhino showing on top of their deck because Dig found him and I got to immediately gain some life.His -2 is also more potent now that I've added the 2 followers to the main and the rest of the Queens to the board.
Hornet Queen is your best card against mid-range decks, so you bring in the other two there, taking out Maulers against Mardu and Hydras against Abzan or Jund.
Disciple is key out of the board against anything aggressive. It is good in multiples, and that happens much more often with Digs and Hydras. I usually straight swap the Maulers for them.
The 1x Disdainful Stroke is mostly to keep people honest. You tap out a lot but you also have lots of mana so you can leave mana up for it.
All in all the deck wrecks midrange and control type decks with bigger threats and surprising card advantage between Dig Through Time and Genesis Hydra. Courser is also at near optimal efficiency with 8 Fetch, 6 Scry and the aforementioned Dig and Hydra also resetting the top card. Genesis Hydra in particular loves knowing that it is going to hit what you need. It also has a good board plan against aggro and other ramp decks.
Jeskai decks can give you trouble just because it's hard to peg where they are on the aggro-control spectrum. Their fast draws might burn you out and their Treasure Cruises can keep up in raw cards later. I haven't played the match enough to have a strong handle on it though.
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