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Coul you fit  {Eldrazi Displacer} in there for added ETB shenanigans? :)

 {Basalt Monolith}  {Mesmeric Orb} and  {Laboratory Maniac}... Nice, cheap, dirty!

The monolith is basically infinite tap/untaps on it's own, the other two cards make the self mill off this and make it a win con.

{Wake Thrasher} in there as another alternative to push for the win too!

Yeah with other green and blue/green land fetch badness the crabs do well. Played against a guy running {Primeval Titan}s with them lol. He was only running ug, with heavy blue mill hitters like jace and {Traumatize}.

Myself I've never had a bad time when I got phenax out, not strictly down to size of creatures but number of creatures out, which the list in the OP looks to me like it would fit, the {Wight of Precinct Six} and the  {Consuming Aberration} both work well, as does {Mirko Vosk, Mind Drinker}.

It's not STRICTLY mono blue, but it is pretty cheap so how about {Biomass Mutation}?

I love the hedron crab, but for defenders have you looked at {Fog Bank} and {Doorkeeper}?
Also, although they are bit more expensive,  {Jace, Memory Adept} and {Phenax, God of Deception} MAKE a mill deck, especially the latter if you're running a few defenders.
I also run {Lazav, Dimir Mastermind} as a one-of, last game I ran my mill I had him copy an opponent's {Sunscorch Regent} to his utter dismay! :)

Thanks all, we went with the tie at the time but as it's so rare it seemed like maybe we were missing something. It's nice to have confirmation!

(Another attacking creature got the +1, and it was after he cast his palm, incidentally)
But Palm resolves before damage is dealt, and puts a delayed ability, that fires when damage is dealt, so how does that work?
The spell isn't strictly doing the damage, the ability it leaves behind is?

Playing a khans draft last night, I had my opponent on the ropes, but was one point of damage short of killing him.
I pull {Lightning Shrieker} put it into play and go all in.
He then interrupts before damage to play  {Deflecting Palm}, choosing the shrieker as his source... And I have 5 life.
Thanks to  {Vaultbreaker} I get to chuck a land and draw defiant strike, getting me that +1 I needed in the first place, leaving both of is simultaneously on 0 life, hence... draw?

Is this correct or should there have been an order to the damage resolution and state checks?

Also:  {Rakshasa Vizier} gets pumped up for cheap!

 {Aspect of Hydra} is decent with elves, also consider {Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx} - whilst a good 2 of in just about any mono deck, is handy for ramping up to activate ezuri's second ability

Fog bank

Thanks, Fog bank is not as good with assault formation, I did have it on the short list though. Might help if you indicate what you think should come out for it?

Don't forget about  {Tree of Redemption}. He makes {Assault Formation} really fun.

I'd totally forgotten that! Extra janky, especially when I've got triton tactics in hand too. I like! ;)
I'm thinking I'd swap the doorkeepers for a play set, or maybe just drop a pair in?

[Door Of Defenders]

Random defender synergy deck I've been mulling over for a while. Has a few win-cons put together - aim to stave off in the early game to either:
assault formation,
swing with ludevic's abomination
ramp into monstrous colossus, or...
ramp to door to nothingness!

Door Of Defenders 60 cards, 4 sideboard 2 {Breeding Pool} 2 {Temple of Mystery} 4 {Evolving Wilds} 8 {Forest} 8 {Island} 24 lands 4 {Ludevic's Test Subject} 2 {Colossus of Akros} 4 {Doorkeeper} 4 {Axebane Guardian} 4 {Wall of Frost} 18 creatures 4 {Assault Formation} 2 {Verdant Haven} 4 {Door to Nothingness} 4 {Sheltered Aerie} 4 {Triton Tactics} 18 other spells Sideboard 4 {Encase in Ice} Sideboard is total work in progress, all advice welcome! 4 sideboard cards

Well I think he does, as sun scorch only activates when your opponents play spells, champion helps eliminate blockers (pesky 1/1 spirit chumps) and guarantees extra +1s for the scalelords every time you play a creature, not to mention triggering the scalelords combo the moment the second one is played.
Pretty relevant synergy if you ask me? With those three cards are out, your opponent plays any spell, you boost the regent and the scalelord, then on your turn you pump the scale lord and the champion, also increasing the upper limit of their blocking.

Also... {Champion of Lambholt}, {Sunscorch Regent} and  {Enduring Scalelord} (and free infinite combo  if you get the second scalelord, of course!)

My thragtusk deck is a little bit meaner, as it uses exile, return instead:  {Nephalia Smuggler}  {Ghostly Flicker}  {Deadeye Navigator} with  {Thragtusk} and  {Acidic Slime}

Thought about  {Archaeomancer} but opted for  {Mist Raven} instead... So much more satisfying using ghostly flicker on the slime and the raven to kill a land and then put their creature that they just tapped out to play back into their hand!!!