Mono-Life and Shrieker Spam are both solely aggressive decks; they concentrate on fast damage for cheap. This plan won't usually work against LVL5; they have 2 times more life than you do and a fair amount of attack. Mono-Aether has a fair amount of damage, as well as delivering defense. Mono-Aether is the way to go
I agree. Three turn shields trump two shields, heal spells, and heal permanents.
Plus, it's not like adrenaline gets past turtle shield, frost shield, and dusk mantle, not to mention gravity shield.
The difference between mono-life and mono-aether is the difference between speed and consistency. With three light pillars, a rustler, and then adrenaline+frog combos, mono life can drop a 36 damage on turn three. A single fire shield, rain of fire, or thorn shield ends the whole combo. With heal spells and good shields, you'll stay alive for the six turns needed to win with the damage.
Mono-aether on the other hand, needs an opening hand of six pillars and a dragon to get 20 damage by turn four. That being said, it's 20 damage that more than likely won't go away.
So I ask you, which fight do you prefer? Slamming the AI5 as fast as possible, and outplaying it to get around and problems, or slowly and consistently beating the AI5, and then rinsing, washing, and repeating?