MTG Salvation

This is a fun idea I've been playing with. Phenax is a surprisingly versatile commander and Innistrad's release has provided blue with a sizable number of zombies who happen to do what Phenax loves best: mill! The great thing about this deck is that it can act as an aggressive and resilient tribal deck, but also hit opponents in the library when the ground becomes clogged. There's even a combo or two in case things get really bad. I'm always looking for suggestions so please suggest away! I hope you have as much fun with this deck as I am.

I would cut down on your single target removal suite (down to 2-3) and look into a few combo pieces like Cloudstone Curio, Duskmantle Guildmage, and Tunnel Vision . Also, Lazav is begging to be in this deck.

Quote from Ken Carson

I would cut down on your single target removal suite (down to 2-3) and look into a few combo pieces like Cloudstone Curio, Duskmantle Guildmage, and Tunnel Vision . Also, Lazav is begging to be in this deck.

Lazav, Dimir Mastermind nombos with Leyline of the Void. Cloudstone Curio is good if he had Gray Merchant of Asphodel in the deck. Even so, I wouldn't add Cloudstone Curio for very few cards. Tunnel Vision (and Traumatize and Psychic Drain) are great cards to add for this build. However, it mills a single opponent. Not as useful in multiplayer as cards like Mind Grind. Duskmantle Guildmage is the one that needs to be here.

@ Black Megatog:

• Geth, Lord of the Vault nonbos with Undead Alchemist. Leyline of the Void nonbos with Undead Alchemist. Leyline of the Void nombos with Wrexial, the Risen Deep. But at least running them all in the deck gives you different options of how you'd play the deck.
• You're missing the best zombie lord of all: Undead Warchief
• There'll come a time when Graveborn Muse will be the death of you. There are better draw engines (Necropotence, Underworld Connections, Greed, Phyrexian Arena, Bloodgift Demon, etc.). That being said, if you're gonna be drawing a lot of cards, you might as well include Jace's Erasure.
• I'd classify Adaptive Automaton as a lord in this case.
• Tombstone Stairwell: You do realize that by milling your opponents and then having this card you're giving them a horde for their troubles, right? This should be eliminated in order to make room for Undead Warchief, which has to be in here.
• Where's Army of the Damned? Where're the instant win cons called Gray Merchant of Asphodel and Gempalm Polluter?
• I'd switch every single shot creature removal for things more viable like more board wipes (wrath) (being as this deck is meant for multiplayer) and some other utility cards (like cards that help you gain more life).
• On that previous point, you also only have 2 counterspells, which for just having 2 counterspells you might as well remove them to make room for 2 more useful cards. Also, Spell Crumple is used basically to hide away a commander in that player's library. But if you're milling, you're just gonna help the commader get back to the command zone. So Spell Crumple is basically nonboed in this deck.
• I find your lack of B tutors to be alarming...
• Also, where's Unholy Grotto and Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx? You could also add Ghost Quarter and Wasteland being as you've included Strip Mine. Running one single Strip Mine is kinda too little land removal.

All in all your deck seems pretty solid for multiplayer. Just make sure to mix it up with different wincons just in case (a lot of people run Witchbane Orb, Leyline of Sanctity, Ivory Mask (I'm one of them)) so it'll only make sense. I see you avoided playing any of the Jaces. Is there a reason behind that? Also, this deck can run the Exquisite Blood / Sanguine Bond combo. If your playgroup frowns like crybabies against infinite combos, just leave Exquisite Blood in the deck. Here's how I'd play your deck:


As you could tell, I more or less left it how you had it. I just tweaked a couple of things to make it more efficient, have alternate win cons, make it not lag or stall (by adding better draw, recursion, and tutors), and make your horde even more brutal. Yet, still have your essence in there. Hope that helps!

P.S.:
A couple of strategies to keep in mind:
It's quite easy to set up a recursion engine to abuse Gempalm Polluter as often as possible: Cycle Gempalm Polluter. Put him back on your library with Lord of the Undead. Draw him again with Greed. Cycle him. Put him back on your library with Unholy Grotto. Draw him again with Greed. Cycle him. Put him back on your library with Volrath's Stronghold. Draw him again with Greed. Cycle him. Congratulations, you just iced 4 opponents. If you happen to have Exquisite Blood in play, imagine the insane amount of life you'll gain. If you have a way to untap your permanents (for this you need Mind Over Matter), just rinse and repeat. Each card you draw from cycling Gempalm Polluter is fuel for Mind Over Matter to untap any recursion cards to return Gempalm Polluter to the top of your library. You will kill everyone. Yes, the hate is strong with Gempalm Polluter.
An alternative to this abuse with Gempalm Polluter is Gray Merchant of Asphodel. Keep in mind that using Gray Merchant of Asphodel in place of Gempalm Polluter requires having a sac outlet in play and Rooftop Storm in order for him to cost 0. At least Gray Merchant of Asphodel gives you life as well. Either one takes away a lot of your opponent's life. One via devotion and the other via legion. Bam!

Eater of the Dead could find a happy home in any Phenax deck.

Tap it, mill 4, if you hit a creature exile it, untap, rinse and repeat.

The Slagwurm Armor / Phenax tech is awesome!

Quote from abc

Eater of the Dead could find a happy home in any Phenax deck.

Tap it, mill 4, if you hit a creature exile it, untap, rinse and repeat.

Damn, not only is Eater of the Dead broken, but it's cheap, too! A definite addition! Good eye!

Quote from DementedKirby

Damn, not only is Eater of the Dead broken, but it's cheap, too! A definite addition! Good eye!

In almost any late-game situation you can just start taking people out one at a time.

If you are lucky you could even take out a threatening creature-heavy deck early on.

Also since this works at instant speed the second a creature hits the graveyard you could exile it and start going to work again for free!

I've been testing this deck and it's been epic. It starts slow, being as many of the creatures are a bit on the heavy side and even though it's black and blue, there aren't many cards to accelerate drawing power (may need to change that). However, most of the times the tempo in a multiplayer game isn't so aggro. So as long as your in there long enough to pull the deck off it works like a beauty. Keep in mind that you gotta mill near 80-something cards from around 3-5 opponents - not an easy feat. Also, killing them off from a starting point of 40 life isn't so easy either.

I will continue testing to see which cards are cut in favor of drawing power cards (Bloodgift Demon, Phyrexian Arena, etc.).

Quote from DementedKirby

• Geth, Lord of the Vault nonbos with Undead Alchemist. Leyline of the Void nonbos with Undead Alchemist. Leyline of the Void nombos with Wrexial, the Risen Deep. But at least running them all in the deck gives you different options of how you'd play the deck.
• You're missing the best zombie lord of all: Undead Warchief
• There'll come a time when Graveborn Muse will be the death of you. There are better draw engines (Necropotence, Underworld Connections, Greed, Phyrexian Arena, Bloodgift Demon, etc.). That being said, if you're gonna be drawing a lot of cards, you might as well include Jace's Erasure.
• I'd classify Adaptive Automaton as a lord in this case.
• Tombstone Stairwell: You do realize that by milling your opponents and then having this card you're giving them a horde for their troubles, right? This should be eliminated in order to make room for Undead Warchief, which has to be in here.
• Where's Army of the Damned? Where're the instant win cons called Gray Merchant of Asphodel and Gempalm Polluter?
• I'd switch every single shot creature removal for things more viable like more board wipes (wrath) (being as this deck is meant for multiplayer) and some other utility cards (like cards that help you gain more life).
• On that previous point, you also only have 2 counterspells, which for just having 2 counterspells you might as well remove them to make room for 2 more useful cards. Also, Spell Crumple is used basically to hide away a commander in that player's library. But if you're milling, you're just gonna help the commader get back to the command zone. So Spell Crumple is basically nonboed in this deck.
• I find your lack of B tutors to be alarming...
• Also, where's Unholy Grotto and Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx? You could also add Ghost Quarter and Wasteland being as you've included Strip Mine. Running one single Strip Mine is kinda too little land removal.

All in all your deck seems pretty solid for multiplayer. Just make sure to mix it up with different wincons just in case (a lot of people run Witchbane Orb, Leyline of Sanctity, Ivory Mask (I'm one of them)) so it'll only make sense. I see you avoided playing any of the Jaces. Is there a reason behind that? Also, this deck can run the Exquisite Blood / Sanguine Bond combo. If your playgroup frowns like crybabies against infinite combos, just leave Exquisite Blood in the deck. Here's how I'd play your deck:


P.S.:
A couple of strategies to keep in mind:
It's quite easy to set up a recursion engine to abuse Gempalm Polluter as often as possible: Cycle Gempalm Polluter. Put him back on your library with Lord of the Undead. Draw him again with Greed. Cycle him. Put him back on your library with Unholy Grotto. Draw him again with Greed. Cycle him. Put him back on your library with Volrath's Stronghold. Draw him again with Greed. Cycle him. Congratulations, you just iced 4 opponents. If you happen to have Exquisite Blood in play, imagine the insane amount of life you'll gain. If you have a way to untap your permanents (for this you need Mind Over Matter), just rinse and repeat. Each card you draw from cycling Gempalm Polluter is fuel for Mind Over Matter to untap any recursion cards to return Gempalm Polluter to the top of your library. You will kill everyone. Yes, the hate is strong with Gempalm Polluter.
An alternative to this abuse with Gempalm Polluter is Gray Merchant of Asphodel. Keep in mind that using Gray Merchant of Asphodel in place of Gempalm Polluter requires having a sac outlet in play and Rooftop Storm in order for him to cost 0. At least Gray Merchant of Asphodel gives you life as well. Either one takes away a lot of your opponent's life. One via devotion and the other via legion. Bam!

Thank you very much for such a detailed response. Here's some reasoning behind a few of my choices:

• Leyline of the Void is a failsafe. When you play a mill deck in EDH you constantly run the risk of milling out an Eldrazi titan, which is incredibly frustrating. This card negates that.
• Undead Warchief was left out because it doesn't contribute to the milling portion of the deck nearly as well as the aggro portion and its cost reduction is far inferior to rooftop storm. Then again though, lords are never bad. How has it been in your testing?
• I like Tombstone Stairwell with Phenax out, but you may well be right about it. Have you tested it at all?
• Grey Merchant actually is in the working list...I just forgot to include it for whatever reason. Polluter is a great add too!
• Army of the Damned is kind of iffy in my opinion. It vomits tokens like nothing else, but is another card that costs a lot in a deck that already has a high average CMC. That might be okay in slow metas but I'm hesistant to work with it in mine, which is a little faster. It does do a lot with a coat of arms though...
• I'm adding Ghost Quarter/Tectonic Edge. You're definitely on the ball with those
• Nykthos is just cost preventative right now. I'd rather buy it when it inevitably drops on rotation.
• The Bond/Blood combo is in my Oloro deck and felt like a cheat to the deck's theme, so I didn't include it. More power to you though! It's a personal favorite of mine.
• I ignored Jace because his various versions are in other decks of mine, but I might pick up a Jace Beleren for the draw power. Jace's Erasure is an alright addition as well, but I don't really find it all that useful since you won't be able to mill a large proportion of the decks in a multiplayer game before you deck yourself.
• Volrath's Stronghold is in my Glissa deck, but I might pick up another copy for this one.
• Eater of the Dead looks like a lot of fun! I need one. D;
• WOW I TOTALLY MISSED UNHOLY GROTTO.

I'm thinking of cutting Sewer Nemesis for Wight of Precinct Six. Wight scales a little worse sometimes, but is tribal and cheaper. Thoughts?

Quote from Black_Megatog

Thank you very much for such a detailed response.

No problem!

Quote from Black_Megatog

Here's some reasoning behind a few of my choices:

Leyline of the Void is a failsafe. When you play a mill deck in EDH you constantly run the risk of milling out an Eldrazi titan, which is incredibly frustrating. This card negates that.

True, that's why I decided to leave it. It's always good to play a deck a different way. I was merely signalling how to avoid having them together in play.

Quote from Black_Megatog

Undead Warchief was left out because it doesn't contribute to the milling portion of the deck nearly as well as the aggro portion and its cost reduction is far inferior to Rooftop Storm. Then again though, lords are never bad. How has it been in your testing?

Let me just say that the more lords you have out whilst your horde grows makes opponents very uneasy. Either way, it's a boon to zombies that are being tapped to mill opponents. Even if you have Rooftop Storm, Undead Warchief has the same effect (in some way) and it gives a vicious boon. He's a keeper.

Quote from Black_Megatog

I like Tombstone Stairwell with Phenax out, but you may well be right about it. Have you tested it at all?

No need for testing. Basically all that card does is give people a horde of tokens just so you can have one horde. By the time it's your turn, you're gonna have felt the pain of a ton of 2/2 zombies with haste. And you'd be dead. And don't get me started on the cumulative upkeep. There are way better cards out there.

Quote from Black_Megatog

Grey Merchant actually is in the working list...I just forgot to include it for whatever reason. Polluter is a great add too!

Gray Merchant of Asphodel and Gempalm Polluter are super broken and excellent wincons. You should definitely not pass them up. And they pair great with Mind Over Matter. Even so, if you have Mindcrank in play, they're gonna mill a ridiculous amount of cards.

Quote from Black_Megatog

Army of the Damned is kind of iffy in my opinion. It vomits tokens like nothing else, but is another card that costs a lot in a deck that already has a high average CMC. That might be okay in slow metas but I'm hesistant to work with it in mine, which is a little faster. It does do a lot with a coat of arms though...

Army of the Damned may seem big on CMC. However, with Cabal Coffers, Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx, and Mind Over Matter in play, are you aware of the ridiculous amounts of mana you will produce? You can cast it then recast it for a total of 26 2/2 zombies (assuming there aren't any lords in play, which quite frankly, of course there're gonna be some lords in play). Do you even know how much life Gempalm Polluter takes away afterwards? Do you know how beefy your zombies are gonna be thanks to the lords or just Coat of Arms? Casting Army of the Damned is equivalent to GAME OVER.

Quote from Black_Megatog

I'm adding Ghost Quarter/Tectonic Edge. You're definitely on the ball with those.

Good.

Quote from Black_Megatog

Nykthos is just cost preventative right now. I'd rather buy it when it inevitably drops on rotation.

True dat. Make a note of it, however. It's home is here.

Quote from Black_Megatog

The Bond/Blood combo is in my Oloro deck and felt like a cheat to the deck's theme, so I didn't include it. More power to you though! It's a personal favorite of mine.

Every single EDH deck I have that runs B has that combo. I even have a legacy deck that revolves around that combo :). So yes, I use it and abuse it whenever I can. B isn't meant to be anything other than evil anyways ;). Either way, at least add Exquisite Blood for the ridiculous amount of life gain.

Quote from Black_Megatog

I ignored Jace because his various versions are in other decks of mine, but I might pick up a Jace Beleren for the draw power. Jace's Erasure is an alright addition as well, but I don't really find it all that useful since you won't be able to mill a large proportion of the decks in a multiplayer game before you deck yourself.

Yeah, besides either Jace just mills a single target. You can just exclude them to make space for better cards.

Quote from Black_Megatog

Volrath's Stronghold is in my Glissa deck, but I might pick up another copy for this one.

Lol, yeah, Volrath's Stronghold is another card that belongs here.

Quote from Black_Megatog

Eater of the Dead looks like a lot of fun! I need one. D;

Eater of the Dead here is too broken. I can't believe I overlooked it.

Quote from Black_Megatog

WOW I TOTALLY MISSED UNHOLY GROTTO.

For shame...

Quote from Black_Megatog

I'm thinking of cutting Sewer Nemesis for Wight of Precinct Six. Wight scales a little worse sometimes, but is tribal and cheaper. Thoughts?

Wight of Precinct Six is not a bad card. However, it's a nerfed version of Consuming Aberration. You need to dedicate more slots to this deck to cards for drawing, tutoring, and toolbox. I think it's good with the zombies already. Though, Noxious Ghoul is an evil card to include - especially if you can make a lot of zombie tokens ;).

I don't know how your testing's been, but against most decks, the second I have Eater of the Dead out and Phenax, it's game over. Period. Even if someone in the playgroup is running a deck that isn't creature heavy, you can mill them, exile a creature from another graveyard, mill, etc. Too brutal...

I suggest Zombie Master somewhere in this deck. Seems like a decent fit. It's also been errata'd to a Zombie instead of a Lord on Gatherer.