Didn't see a thread on this so I'm creating one, even though I'm not the best creator for a thread. Anyway, I would like some help. I want to run Junk midrange post rotation, but I am having trouble finding a good middle ground and cards to cut. Let me first start with the decklist I have so far which is 75 cards MB and 15 card SB and you guys can tell me what you think?
Anyway that's what I have so far. I think I need to make more cuts. Problem is that I like all the creatures for a deck like this
At CMC2, I like sylvan caratid for mana fixing/ramp and its a nice blocker that dodges spot removal as a 0/3. Voice of resurgence is a great card, and that with thoughtseize helps a lot vs control. Scavenging ooze is great anytime, early or late game as long as there are creatures with a graveyard. You also gain life lost
At CMC3, loxodon smiter is awesome. Great undercurve wall and attacker. Sin collector is really good at being able to see the opponent's hand and taking out something that you didn't get with thoughtseize or something that will be problematic like a burn spell or PW
At CMC4, reaper of the wilds is great as a wall that you can pay to make deathtouch or hexproof. Also the scry 1 is great with your own spot removal. E.honda is also really great in that it has vigilance, can attack into almost anything, dodges all burn removal, and can block pretty much anything except new thundermaw after monstrous. Polukranos as a 1of seems good because his monstrous and the fact he is also undercosted, a 5/5 for 4.
At CMC5 are your win cons. Blood baron and obzedat are both really really good.
4 Thoughtseize is almost a no brainer to me. You want to be able to take out something you cant deal with or just see your opponents hand in a deck like this. I like a 2/3 split of underworld connections and read the bones for draw. Not sure, but I feel like a 2/3 split of putrefy and hero's downfall is right. PW seem like one of the bigger problems for a deck like this. Maybe ultimate price or doom blade might be better than putrefy though. Not sure. Elspeth is also another really really good win condition. Also sweeps the big creatures and pumps out guys every turn, better than assemble the legion and a threat your opponent has to deal with quickly.
Immortal servitude because it gets around underworld cereberus clause and there are a a lot of 2 3 4 cost that would be great to reanimate. Gaze of granite seems like a good sweeper as it also hits PW, even though you might lose a sylvan caratid, to be able to go to a turn earlier on what you need to hit might be good.
Anyway those are my thoughts. Any and all help appreciated. I need to make cuts obviously!
I'll say the obvious one's first.
-2 underworld connections (sideboard only in new format)
-2 immortal servitude (what do you expect to do with this?)
-3 gaze
You do not need hundred-handed one, you have blood baron and smiter to hold off aggro.
-2 hundred-handed one
-1 scavenging ooze, I don't have experience with him yet, but most decks only run 3 copies. I'm sure it's because subsequent ones get significantly worse since the yard has already been pilliged by the first one.
The next cuts are hard, but you can't play everything.
-1 polukranos, the monstrosity isn't really worth it, and I think reaper is just better.
-1 Temple of Silence.
You can stand to lose a land, and you need green the most early on, plus you have 8 cipt lands.
-1 sin collector, take out 3 needles from your main, and put in the sin collector and the 2 underworld connections.
-1 sylvan caryatid.
The ramp isn't super important, but it's still nice to get it on turn 2.
-1 voice.
It's only really impactful against control, maybe a thoughtsieze should come out over either the voice or caryatid though.
Those last three were really hard to choose, but I think they are the weakest cards in your deck for a new meta.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
If MTG is a part of your life, the formats are like relationships:
Standard/Block = The on-again, off-again holiday fling
Modern/Vintage/Legacy = Stable, homely. A ***** after absence/misreading
Limited/Sealed = Heart breaking free spirit
Commander/Cube = Agreeable, needy and expensive
Pauper/Peasant = Sweet, kind, practical, but shy and boring
I'll say the obvious one's first.
-2 underworld connections (sideboard only in new format)
-2 immortal servitude (what do you expect to do with this?)
-3 gaze
You do not need hundred-handed one, you have blood baron and smiter to hold off aggro.
-2 hundred-handed one
-1 scavenging ooze, I don't have experience with him yet, but most decks only run 3 copies. I'm sure it's because subsequent ones get significantly worse since the yard has already been pilliged by the first one.
The next cuts are hard, but you can't play everything.
-1 polukranos, the monstrosity isn't really worth it, and I think reaper is just better.
-1 Temple of Silence.
You can stand to lose a land, and you need green the most early on, plus you have 8 cipt lands.
-1 sin collector, take out 3 needles from your main, and put in the sin collector and the 2 underworld connections.
-1 sylvan caryatid.
The ramp isn't super important, but it's still nice to get it on turn 2.
-1 voice.
It's only really impactful against control, maybe a thoughtsieze should come out over either the voice or caryatid though.
Those last three were really hard to choose, but I think they are the weakest cards in your deck for a new meta.
Thanks for the input. I am thinking of taking this deck to states and have been really wondering what to cut. Like you said, it was tough to cut.
Charm against Burning Earth, tokens, and can hit whip,spear, bow or whatever
Sin Collector and Duress against control, obviously. This deck has a great curve and extremely beefy creatures for cost, the plan after boards simply becomes to disrupt a few crucial turns and get in there. Trying to be too clever and bring too many things in here will just end with the control player outdrawing you.
Lifebane zombie because he's amazing against so many things right now. But I'm too nervous to play 3 main. Exiling a blood baron or an angel of serenity or a world eater is gorgeous. plus he has evasion and can punch for 3 or trade with something.
Gaze of granite - I'm unsure about this, honestly. Against red this can just be too slow and voice of resurgance decks are so resilient to sweepers. I'm considering switching this to Fiendslayer Paladin because sometimes the red deck just gets a lot of power on the board off of a burning-tree.
Dark- replace doomblade against black guys
Heresy - Really nice against voice. Can also take care of fiendslayer, the white god, detention spheres, spear, etc.
Charm against Burning Earth, tokens, and can hit whip,spear, bow or whatever
Sin Collector and Duress against control, obviously. This deck has a great curve and extremely beefy creatures for cost, the plan after boards simply becomes to disrupt a few crucial turns and get in there. Trying to be too clever and bring too many things in here will just end with the control player outdrawing you.
Lifebane zombie because he's amazing against so many things right now. But I'm too nervous to play 3 main. Exiling a blood baron or an angel of serenity or a world eater is gorgeous. plus he has evasion and can punch for 3 or trade with something.
Gaze of granite - I'm unsure about this, honestly. Against red this can just be too slow and voice of resurgance decks are so resilient to sweepers. I'm considering switching this to Fiendslayer Paladin because sometimes the red deck just gets a lot of power on the board off of a burning-tree.
Dark- replace doomblade against black guys
Heresy - Really nice against voice. Can also take care of fiendslayer, the white god, detention spheres, spear, etc.
What have you tested this against if you dont mind me asking?
I also wanted to ask you your opinion on desecration demon? He seems good in B or GB but in GBW I feel like there would be better options, but his big evasive body might be good? What have you in your tests seen with him?
Same with the 1x devour flesh? Is it good?
And how has vraska treated you? I feel like 5 mana vindicate is too slow
What have you tested this against if you dont mind me asking?
I also wanted to ask you your opinion on desecration demon? He seems good in B or GB but in GBW I feel like there would be better options, but his big evasive body might be good? What have you in your tests seen with him?
Same with the 1x devour flesh? Is it good?
And how has vraska treated you? I feel like 5 mana vindicate is too slow
I ran a junk list for the past several FNM and used 4x Desecration demons. He is great in almost any circumstance except against tokens. The key is to get him out early and while the board is fairly empty. As long as you have removal to back him up he will do well. I usually went X-2 or X-1.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Current Decks
Modern
No idea because my favorite decks keep getting banned or having the rules changed against them
Some ideas I have been brewing. I am in the process of making a more midrange version to with Angel of Serenity and the whip. I'll post that once I get it all together. These are still a work in progress as the format is semi taking shape leading up to the release of Theros.
So this was my first draft of a Junk list, but after talking to some friends I think a more heavy black version might be better so I also came up with this list.
This list will play out more like Jund from the past season, with Sylvan Carytid acting as Farseek, and playing cards like Advent, Archangels, and Desecration Demons as the finishers. Elspeth is just too good not to play in these decks in my opinion. We also have early cards in Smiter, Lifebane, and Voice just in case we dont hit the turn 2 Sylvan. What do you guys think?
What have you tested this against if you dont mind me asking?
I also wanted to ask you your opinion on desecration demon? He seems good in B or GB but in GBW I feel like there would be better options, but his big evasive body might be good? What have you in your tests seen with him?
Same with the 1x devour flesh? Is it good?
And how has vraska treated you? I feel like 5 mana vindicate is too slow
Mono Red Aggro - matchup feels slightly unfavourable depending on the build (I'm not seeing striker, jackal pump, or enough mortars in a lot of builds - those cards are key). A lot depends on whether they get a burning tree explosion or not.
RWU Control - matchup feels in my favour. Loxodon is a big man, and sometimes they simply can't remove reaper or blood baron. Thoughtseize is obviously key here. Collectors and duress from the board but not much else. You want to keep your threat density high.
BG(w) - I haven't tested a true mirror yet but one of my friends/teammates is all excited for a new version of reanimator. So far it's in my favour. We play a lot of the same cards except he's more vulnerable to disruption and doesn't curve out as well.
RG aggro - Like mono red, sometimes they just get draws. Most of the time, though, they are just like a turn slower and that feels good with this deck. Plus lifebane becomes extra amazing.
WG aggro - Lacks reds explosive draws and reach. Voice doesn't bother me and I have my own undercosted three and four drops. Baron becomes ridic in this matchup. Fleeceman Lion going super saiyan can def. be a problem, so I've started valueing him higher on my removal priority than a watchwolf normally would be.
That's all the decks I've tried it against so far. Some more than others - I've played the junk reanimate and red matches into the ground but would like more practice against control and selesnya decks. I'd also like to test against the Black/Blue control I see popping up in places and some of the jund lists. Obviously things are not optimised yet.
re: demon. He is amazing at neutral, amazing when you're ahead, and very good when you are behind with a high life total. Topdeck when you're facing lethal he is obviously none good. A few awkward loses aside, so far I have been super impressed with him, especially against control or powered out early with caryatid against other guys.
re: devour flesh - this could be any removal card. I threw it in because I've had so many hexproof nightmares in the past that I feel naked without a sac effect. Also sometimes you can weirdly eat your own demon for like 7 life. This is probably just a variance tweak.
re: Vraska - I've loved her so far. Against dudes she tends to be a 187 and a damage shield, which is fine. Sometimes though she has blockers and gets to tick up or comes down into an empty board. While threatening them with the assassin plan is cute, I generally prefer to simply have an extra destroy effect every other turn depending on game state. Oh! And also in two games she was a maindeck answer to surprise maindeck burning earths, which infuriated my opponent (to be fair I still lost one of those games but would have lost much quicker without Vraska). I am going to try Elspeth in some tests over Vraska and see if I miss her.
edit: I'm seeing a lot of putrefy in people's lists. Can I ask why? Your abrupt decays hit hammer, spear, keyrunes, and pithing needles. Is it to prevent regen? On what? Troll is a good card, but he's not worth a slot. Probably I am forgetting something. I'm favouring hero's downfall to also deal with planeswalkers since we don't lightning bolt type effects.
I think the putrefy because can hit any creature late game.
Putrefy and Hero's Downfall are important removal cards because they have no restrictions on what they target, as opposed to Doom Blade, Ultimate Price. Abrupt Decay is great earlier in the game, but once larger creatures come out (and they will more so in Theros), I always want Putrefy.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Current Decks
Modern
No idea because my favorite decks keep getting banned or having the rules changed against them
Pretty close to my list. Have you done any testing with it? If so how do you like Lotleth Troll, he seems semi useful but when I originally had him in my deck I didn't want to lose creatures from my hand to make him bigger and his regen just seems like you are holding back to keep one B up so I cut him cause you want to be doing something more every turn.
Pretty close to my list. Have you done any testing with it? If so how do you like Lotleth Troll, he seems semi useful but when I originally had him in my deck I didn't want to lose creatures from my hand to make him bigger and his regen just seems like you are holding back to keep one B up so I cut him cause you want to be doing something more every turn.
Yeah, it may end up being that he's unnecessary but I like having a lot of resilient threats. Normally I just chuck top decks Experiment ones, or lifebane zombies when their hand is empty to him so he ends up with 2-3 counters max unless I'm dumping my hand to him for lethal.
Private Mod Note
():
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
To post a comment, please login or register a new account.
TL;DR any and all help/criticism appreciated
12 CMC 2
4 sylvan caratid
4 voice of resurgence
4 scavenging ooze
7 CMC 3
4 loxodon smiter
3 sin collector
6 CMC 4
3 Reaper of the wilds
2 Hundred-Handed One
1 Polukranos, World Eater
4 CMC 5
3 Blood Baron of Vizkopa
1 Obzedat, Ghost Council
//spells
4 CMC 1
4 Thoughtseize
10 CMC 3
2 Underworld Connections
3 Read the bones
2 Putrefy
3 Hero's Downfall
2 Elspeth, Sun's Champion
5 CMC X
2 Immortal Servitude
3 Gaze of Granite
//Lands
4 Temple of Silence
4 Overgrown Tomb
4 Godless Shrine
4 Temple Garden
3 Swamp
1 Plains
1 Forest
2 Golgari Guildgate
2 Selesnya Guildgate
1 Hero's Downfall
1 Sin collector
2 Unflinching Courage
4 Pithing Needle
1 Gaze of Granite
2 Merciless Eviction
4 Golgari charm
Anyway that's what I have so far. I think I need to make more cuts. Problem is that I like all the creatures for a deck like this
At CMC2, I like sylvan caratid for mana fixing/ramp and its a nice blocker that dodges spot removal as a 0/3. Voice of resurgence is a great card, and that with thoughtseize helps a lot vs control. Scavenging ooze is great anytime, early or late game as long as there are creatures with a graveyard. You also gain life lost
At CMC3, loxodon smiter is awesome. Great undercurve wall and attacker. Sin collector is really good at being able to see the opponent's hand and taking out something that you didn't get with thoughtseize or something that will be problematic like a burn spell or PW
At CMC4, reaper of the wilds is great as a wall that you can pay to make deathtouch or hexproof. Also the scry 1 is great with your own spot removal. E.honda is also really great in that it has vigilance, can attack into almost anything, dodges all burn removal, and can block pretty much anything except new thundermaw after monstrous. Polukranos as a 1of seems good because his monstrous and the fact he is also undercosted, a 5/5 for 4.
At CMC5 are your win cons. Blood baron and obzedat are both really really good.
4 Thoughtseize is almost a no brainer to me. You want to be able to take out something you cant deal with or just see your opponents hand in a deck like this. I like a 2/3 split of underworld connections and read the bones for draw. Not sure, but I feel like a 2/3 split of putrefy and hero's downfall is right. PW seem like one of the bigger problems for a deck like this. Maybe ultimate price or doom blade might be better than putrefy though. Not sure. Elspeth is also another really really good win condition. Also sweeps the big creatures and pumps out guys every turn, better than assemble the legion and a threat your opponent has to deal with quickly.
Immortal servitude because it gets around underworld cereberus clause and there are a a lot of 2 3 4 cost that would be great to reanimate. Gaze of granite seems like a good sweeper as it also hits PW, even though you might lose a sylvan caratid, to be able to go to a turn earlier on what you need to hit might be good.
Anyway those are my thoughts. Any and all help appreciated. I need to make cuts obviously!
I'll say the obvious one's first.
-2 underworld connections (sideboard only in new format)
-2 immortal servitude (what do you expect to do with this?)
-3 gaze
You do not need hundred-handed one, you have blood baron and smiter to hold off aggro.
-2 hundred-handed one
-1 scavenging ooze, I don't have experience with him yet, but most decks only run 3 copies. I'm sure it's because subsequent ones get significantly worse since the yard has already been pilliged by the first one.
The next cuts are hard, but you can't play everything.
-1 polukranos, the monstrosity isn't really worth it, and I think reaper is just better.
-1 Temple of Silence.
You can stand to lose a land, and you need green the most early on, plus you have 8 cipt lands.
-1 sin collector, take out 3 needles from your main, and put in the sin collector and the 2 underworld connections.
-1 sylvan caryatid.
The ramp isn't super important, but it's still nice to get it on turn 2.
-1 voice.
It's only really impactful against control, maybe a thoughtsieze should come out over either the voice or caryatid though.
Those last three were really hard to choose, but I think they are the weakest cards in your deck for a new meta.
Standard/Block = The on-again, off-again holiday fling
Modern/Vintage/Legacy = Stable, homely. A ***** after absence/misreading
Limited/Sealed = Heart breaking free spirit
Commander/Cube = Agreeable, needy and expensive
Pauper/Peasant = Sweet, kind, practical, but shy and boring
Thanks for the input. I am thinking of taking this deck to states and have been really wondering what to cut. Like you said, it was tough to cut.
4 Overgrown Tomb
4 Temple Garden
4 Godless Shrine
4 Temple of Silence
4 Forest
3 Swamp
1 Plains
Creatures (21)
4x Sylvan Caryatid
4x Loxodon Smiter
3x Reaper of the Wild
3x Blood Baron of Viskopa
2x Scavenging Ooze
3x Desecration Demon
2x Lifebane Zombie
4x Abrupt Decay
2x Doomblade
4x Thoughtseize
2x Hero's Downfall
1x Devour Flesh
2x Vraska, the Unseen
3x Golgari Charm
1x Lifebane Zombie
3x Sin Collector
2x Duress
2x Gaze of Granite
2x Dark Betrayal
2x Glare of Heresy
Thoughts on sideboard:
Charm against Burning Earth, tokens, and can hit whip,spear, bow or whatever
Sin Collector and Duress against control, obviously. This deck has a great curve and extremely beefy creatures for cost, the plan after boards simply becomes to disrupt a few crucial turns and get in there. Trying to be too clever and bring too many things in here will just end with the control player outdrawing you.
Lifebane zombie because he's amazing against so many things right now. But I'm too nervous to play 3 main. Exiling a blood baron or an angel of serenity or a world eater is gorgeous. plus he has evasion and can punch for 3 or trade with something.
Gaze of granite - I'm unsure about this, honestly. Against red this can just be too slow and voice of resurgance decks are so resilient to sweepers. I'm considering switching this to Fiendslayer Paladin because sometimes the red deck just gets a lot of power on the board off of a burning-tree.
Dark- replace doomblade against black guys
Heresy - Really nice against voice. Can also take care of fiendslayer, the white god, detention spheres, spear, etc.
What have you tested this against if you dont mind me asking?
I also wanted to ask you your opinion on desecration demon? He seems good in B or GB but in GBW I feel like there would be better options, but his big evasive body might be good? What have you in your tests seen with him?
Same with the 1x devour flesh? Is it good?
And how has vraska treated you? I feel like 5 mana vindicate is too slow
I ran a junk list for the past several FNM and used 4x Desecration demons. He is great in almost any circumstance except against tokens. The key is to get him out early and while the board is fairly empty. As long as you have removal to back him up he will do well. I usually went X-2 or X-1.
4x Sylvan Caryatid
4x Scavenging Ooze
3x Lifebane Zombie
4x Loxodon Smiter
4x Desecration Demon
2x Blood Baron of Vizkopa
2x Obzedat, Ghost Council
1x Angel of Serenity
Land (24)
4x Temple Garden
4x Godless Shrine
4x Overgrown Tomb
2x Temple of Silence
3x Plains
4x Forest
3x Swamp
3x Thoughtseize
Instant (9)
2x Abrupt Decay
1x Doom Blade
1x Golgari Charm
2x Putrefy
1x Hero's Downfall
2x Selesnya Charm
2x Abrupt Decay
1x Doom Blade
2x Hero's Downfall
2x Duress
1x Gaze of Granite
3x Sin Collector
3x Witchstalker
1x Obzedat, Ghost Council
Original Experiment 1 version.
4x Experiment One
4x Scavenging Ooze
4x Voice of Resurgence
3x Dreg Mangler
3x Lifebane Zombie
4x Loxodon Smiter
4x Desecration Demon
1x Blood Baron of Vizkopa
Land (23)
4x Temple Garden
4x Godless Shrine
4x Overgrown Tomb
2x Temple of Silence
2x Plains
4x Forest
3x Swamp
1x Hero's Downfall
2x Putrefy
2x Abrupt Decay
1x Doom Blade
2x Golgari Charm
2x Selesnya Charm
2x Abrupt Decay
1x Doom Blade
1x Hero's Downfall
3x Duress
1x Obzedat, Ghost Council
1x Blood Baron of Vizkopa
3x Sin Collector
3x Witchstalker
Whipzedatzie
4 Sylvan Caryatid
3 Lifebane Zombie
4 Desecration Demon
2 Obzedat, Ghost Council
1 Shadowborn Demon
1 Blood Baron of Vizkopa
2 Angel of Serenity
Instants (8)
3 Abrupt Decay
2 Putrefy
2 Hero's Downfall
1 Golgari Charm
3 Thoughtseize
3 Grisly Salvage
3 Read the Bones
Enchantment/Artifact (2)
2 Whip of Erebos
Land (24)
6 Forest
4 Godless Shrine
4 Overgrown Tomb
3 Swamp
4 Temple Garden
3 Temple of Silence
2 Shadowborn Demon
3 Sin Collector
4 Scavenging Ooze
4 Devour Flesh
2 Duress
WUBRGProgenitus
BGWUAtraxa, Praetors' Voice
BGW Ghave, Guru of Spores
BGRKresh, The Bloodbraided
BWRKaalia of the Vast
RWUShu Yun, The Silent Tempest
BUGrimgrin, The Corpse-Born
RDaretti, Scrap Savant
4 Elvish Mystic
3 Sylvan Carytid
4 Loxodon Smiter
3 Fleecelane Lion (not sure about him)
2 Archangel of Thune
3 Voice of Resurgence
1 Scavenging Ooze
2 Putrefy
3 Selesnya Charm
4 Advent of the Wurm
2 Abrupt Decay
1 Doom Blade
Planeswalkers:
3 Elspeth
25 lands
4 Temple Garden
4 Godless Shrine
4 Overgrown Tomb
2 Temple of Silence
1 Gx Guildgate
5 Forest
4 Plains
1 Swamp
So this was my first draft of a Junk list, but after talking to some friends I think a more heavy black version might be better so I also came up with this list.
4 Desecration Demon
3 Lifebane Zombie
4 Sylvan Carytid
4 Loxodon Smiter
2 Archangel of Thune
4 Voice of Resurgence
1 Scavenging Ooze
2 Putrefy
3 Selesnya Charm
3 Advent of the Wurm
2 Abrupt Decay
1 Doom Blade
Planeswalkers:
2 Elspeth
25 lands
4 Temple Garden
4 Godless Shrine
4 Overgrown Tomb
2 Temple of Silence
1 Golgari Guildgate
4 Swamp
4 Forest
2 Plains
This list will play out more like Jund from the past season, with Sylvan Carytid acting as Farseek, and playing cards like Advent, Archangels, and Desecration Demons as the finishers. Elspeth is just too good not to play in these decks in my opinion. We also have early cards in Smiter, Lifebane, and Voice just in case we dont hit the turn 2 Sylvan. What do you guys think?
Mono Red Aggro - matchup feels slightly unfavourable depending on the build (I'm not seeing striker, jackal pump, or enough mortars in a lot of builds - those cards are key). A lot depends on whether they get a burning tree explosion or not.
RWU Control - matchup feels in my favour. Loxodon is a big man, and sometimes they simply can't remove reaper or blood baron. Thoughtseize is obviously key here. Collectors and duress from the board but not much else. You want to keep your threat density high.
BG(w) - I haven't tested a true mirror yet but one of my friends/teammates is all excited for a new version of reanimator. So far it's in my favour. We play a lot of the same cards except he's more vulnerable to disruption and doesn't curve out as well.
RG aggro - Like mono red, sometimes they just get draws. Most of the time, though, they are just like a turn slower and that feels good with this deck. Plus lifebane becomes extra amazing.
WG aggro - Lacks reds explosive draws and reach. Voice doesn't bother me and I have my own undercosted three and four drops. Baron becomes ridic in this matchup. Fleeceman Lion going super saiyan can def. be a problem, so I've started valueing him higher on my removal priority than a watchwolf normally would be.
That's all the decks I've tried it against so far. Some more than others - I've played the junk reanimate and red matches into the ground but would like more practice against control and selesnya decks. I'd also like to test against the Black/Blue control I see popping up in places and some of the jund lists. Obviously things are not optimised yet.
re: demon. He is amazing at neutral, amazing when you're ahead, and very good when you are behind with a high life total. Topdeck when you're facing lethal he is obviously none good. A few awkward loses aside, so far I have been super impressed with him, especially against control or powered out early with caryatid against other guys.
re: devour flesh - this could be any removal card. I threw it in because I've had so many hexproof nightmares in the past that I feel naked without a sac effect. Also sometimes you can weirdly eat your own demon for like 7 life. This is probably just a variance tweak.
re: Vraska - I've loved her so far. Against dudes she tends to be a 187 and a damage shield, which is fine. Sometimes though she has blockers and gets to tick up or comes down into an empty board. While threatening them with the assassin plan is cute, I generally prefer to simply have an extra destroy effect every other turn depending on game state. Oh! And also in two games she was a maindeck answer to surprise maindeck burning earths, which infuriated my opponent (to be fair I still lost one of those games but would have lost much quicker without Vraska). I am going to try Elspeth in some tests over Vraska and see if I miss her.
edit: I'm seeing a lot of putrefy in people's lists. Can I ask why? Your abrupt decays hit hammer, spear, keyrunes, and pithing needles. Is it to prevent regen? On what? Troll is a good card, but he's not worth a slot. Probably I am forgetting something. I'm favouring hero's downfall to also deal with planeswalkers since we don't lightning bolt type effects.
Putrefy and Hero's Downfall are important removal cards because they have no restrictions on what they target, as opposed to Doom Blade, Ultimate Price. Abrupt Decay is great earlier in the game, but once larger creatures come out (and they will more so in Theros), I always want Putrefy.
4 Experiment One
4 Voice of Resurgence
4 Fleecemane Lion
4 Loxodon Smiter
3 Lotleth Troll
3 Lifebane Zombie
3 Desecration Demon
2 Blood Baron of Vizkopa
4 Thoughtseize
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Putrefy
2 Hero's Demise
Lands:
4 Temple Garden
4 Overgrown Tomb
4 Godless Shrine
4 Temple of Silence
3 Forest
3 Swamp
1 Plains
Pretty close to my list. Have you done any testing with it? If so how do you like Lotleth Troll, he seems semi useful but when I originally had him in my deck I didn't want to lose creatures from my hand to make him bigger and his regen just seems like you are holding back to keep one B up so I cut him cause you want to be doing something more every turn.
WUBRGProgenitus
BGWUAtraxa, Praetors' Voice
BGW Ghave, Guru of Spores
BGRKresh, The Bloodbraided
BWRKaalia of the Vast
RWUShu Yun, The Silent Tempest
BUGrimgrin, The Corpse-Born
RDaretti, Scrap Savant
Yeah, it may end up being that he's unnecessary but I like having a lot of resilient threats. Normally I just chuck top decks Experiment ones, or lifebane zombies when their hand is empty to him so he ends up with 2-3 counters max unless I'm dumping my hand to him for lethal.