I've been working in this Scarab God deck for a bit. Its strategy focuses on Zombie tribal, with several mill/Windfall effects to allow me to find the cards I need while getting cards in the graveyard.
My main problem is finding cards to cut. I've been chipping away at it, and I'm now at 104+1 cards, but I'm having trouble figuring out which cards are bad enough to remove.
A couple of the most powerful cards (Urborg, CRift) are a bit too expensive, which is why they aren't currently in this list.
My price range is around $10 a card at most (I already have the Anthology II so I have Grave Pact and Incubator). Note that I'm primarily concerned with cuts right now since the deck is currently over the limit.
Mill and Zombie tribal. Both "cute" but not ideal game plans focus in on one. Personally I would focus in on the Zombie Tribal one which seems to be what you're interested in.
Mindcrank, you're not running Duskmantle Guildmage so this is cut. Same with Altar of the Brood, not good enough without a combo. Also cut Traumatize. If you're worried about creatures Dying and using Scarab God's ability don't worry about it. Creatures will Die. There are better ways to put things into opponents graveyards.
Cuts: Corpse Augur, this card is bad, like really bad.
Corpse Harvester, too expensive for the effect, Cost 5 mana so this is when you're casting Scarab god.
Wonder, not zombie tribal, not many good ways to put into graveyard. Win more unless you have a lot of go wide stratgies in your meta, if you do only play this if you have cards like buried alive, but at the point why are you not running better reanimation targets...
Zombie Trailblazer, requires you have too many zombies to do anything. Win more.
Thanks for the advice! To touch on some of your points:
* Altar of the Brood does have a combo with Undead Alchemist; the tokens Undead Alchemist creates will trigger more mills until no opponent mills a creature.
* With Corpse Augur, you just stated the card is bad without justification. It seems like a flexible piece of card draw in the vein of Night's Whisper; depending on how many cards you want to draw or how much life you want to lose, you can select between different opponents.
* I see your point with Zombie Trailblazer. It does require a bunch of zombies to function, and its Swampwalk effect can be achieved with Zombie Master
* Good advice on Corpse Harvester too. I kinda fell in love with it when I read it, and misjudged how expensive its effect actually is.
* Interesting point about the mill being unnecessary. You mentioned Mindcrank and Traumatize, but what about Altar of Dementia and Dread Summons? I've seen the latter frequently in other Scarab God decks. What about Windfall effects?
* Wonder's ability to provide my entire field with flying seems really powerful, and it shouldn't be too difficult to throw it in the grave with effects like Whispering Madness.
Thanks for the advice! To touch on some of your points:
* Altar of the Brood does have a combo with Undead Alchemist; the tokens Undead Alchemist creates will trigger more mills until no opponent mills a creature.
I did miss this interaction I knew it combod with something but I didn't see it in your list.
* With Corpse Augur, you just stated the card is bad without justification. It seems like a flexible piece of card draw in the vein of Night's Whisper; depending on how many cards you want to draw or how much life you want to lose, you can select between different opponents.
My apology. The card is bad because it required too many hoops to jump through in order to get the desired effect. It's nothing like Night's Whisper as the card will always draw you cards when and how you want it to as well as being a two drop. You have access to very consistent card draw in UB and filling a slot with and creature who's stats are not efficient and doesn't do anything unless it dies is just not worth tying up a card slot.
* Interesting point about the mill being unnecessary. You mentioned Mindcrank and Traumatize, but what about Altar of Dementia and Dread Summons? I've seen the latter frequently in other Scarab God decks. What about Windfall effects?
Altar of Dementia is good because it still acts as a sacrifice outlet which gives you value and is much more likely to kill a player then Mindcrank. Outside of a lifegain deck you're going to kill a player with damage well before Mindcrank gets close to killing someone even if you play Mindcrank on turn two which means it looses a lot of its value the latter you draw the card.
I'm not a fan personally of Dread Summons but I tend to lean on a more spike over flavor side of things. Windfall effects are very good as they allow you to refill your hand. You often see them when players are able to dump a large majority of their hand very quickly and use them to refill before other players have a chance to catch up. The fact that they incidentally put creatures in other players graveyards is just gravy for you.
* Wonder's ability to provide my entire field with flying seems really powerful, and it shouldn't be too difficult to throw it in the grave with effects like Whispering Madness.
1x Cemetery Reaper
1x Corpse Augur
1x Corpse Harvester
1x Cryptbreaker
1x Death Baron
1x Diregraf Captain
1x Diregraf Colossus
1x Fleshbag Marauder
1x Forgotten Creation
1x Gisa and Geralf
1x Graveborn Muse
1x Gravecrawler
1x Gravespawn Sovereign
1x Gray Merchant of Asphodel
1x Grimgrin, Corpse-Born
1x Lord of the Accursed
1x Noosegraf Mob
1x Noxious Ghoul
1x Plague Belcher
1x Relentless Dead
1x Sheoldred, Whispering One
1x Sidisi, Undead Vizier
1x Solemn Simulacrum
1x Stronghold Assassin
1x Unbreathing Horde
1x Undead Alchemist
1x Undead Warchief
1x Withered Wretch
1x Wonder
1x Zombie Master
1x Zombie Trailblazer
1x Bojuka Bog
1x Choked Estuary
1x Command Tower
1x Crypt of Agadeem
1x Darkwater Catacombs
1x Dimir Aqueduct
1x Drowned Catacomb
1x Exotic Orchard
1x Fetid Pools
1x Ghost Quarter
7x Island
1x Morphic Pool
1x Sunken Hollow
12x Swamp
1x Tainted Isle
1x Temple of Deceit
1x Temple of the False God
1x Underground River
1x Unholy Grotto
1x Altar of Dementia
1x Altar of the Brood
1x Dimir Signet
1x Fellwar Stone
1x Lightning Greaves
1x Mind Stone
1x Mindcrank
1x Sol Ring
1x Talisman of Dominance
1x Thought Vessel
1x Urza's Incubator
1x Whip of Erebos
1x Black Sun's Zenith
1x Dark Salvation
1x Diabolic Intent
1x Dread Return
1x Dread Summons
1x Life's Finale
1x Rise of the Dark Realms
1x Rite of Replication
1x Torment of Hailfire
1x Traumatize
1x Victimize
1x Whispering Madness
1x Windfall
1x Animate Dead
1x Attrition
1x Black Market
1x Endless Ranks of the Dead
1x Grave Betrayal
1x Grave Pact
1x Rooftop Storm
1x Counterspell
1x Disallow
1x Fact or Fiction
1x Go for the Throat
I've been working in this Scarab God deck for a bit. Its strategy focuses on Zombie tribal, with several mill/Windfall effects to allow me to find the cards I need while getting cards in the graveyard.
My main problem is finding cards to cut. I've been chipping away at it, and I'm now at 104+1 cards, but I'm having trouble figuring out which cards are bad enough to remove.
A couple of the most powerful cards (Urborg, CRift) are a bit too expensive, which is why they aren't currently in this list.
What's your ~ dollar limit. I'll take a look at the list and give out some cuts in a few.
UBRNicol Bolas, the RavagerUBR
R Jaya Ballard, Task Mage R
2DH / Budget Commanders:
WMangara of Corondor 2DHW
BRXantcha, Sleeper Agent 2DHBR
My price range is around $10 a card at most (I already have the Anthology II so I have Grave Pact and Incubator). Note that I'm primarily concerned with cuts right now since the deck is currently over the limit.
Mindcrank, you're not running Duskmantle Guildmage so this is cut. Same with Altar of the Brood, not good enough without a combo. Also cut Traumatize. If you're worried about creatures Dying and using Scarab God's ability don't worry about it. Creatures will Die. There are better ways to put things into opponents graveyards.
Cuts:
Corpse Augur, this card is bad, like really bad.
Corpse Harvester, too expensive for the effect, Cost 5 mana so this is when you're casting Scarab god.
Wonder, not zombie tribal, not many good ways to put into graveyard. Win more unless you have a lot of go wide stratgies in your meta, if you do only play this if you have cards like buried alive, but at the point why are you not running better reanimation targets...
Zombie Trailblazer, requires you have too many zombies to do anything. Win more.
Altar of the Brood, Mindcrank, Traumatize,bad mill plan is bad.
Good cards missing:
There are lots of possible directions to go for you but just my 2 cents.
UBRNicol Bolas, the RavagerUBR
R Jaya Ballard, Task Mage R
2DH / Budget Commanders:
WMangara of Corondor 2DHW
BRXantcha, Sleeper Agent 2DHBR
* Altar of the Brood does have a combo with Undead Alchemist; the tokens Undead Alchemist creates will trigger more mills until no opponent mills a creature.
* With Corpse Augur, you just stated the card is bad without justification. It seems like a flexible piece of card draw in the vein of Night's Whisper; depending on how many cards you want to draw or how much life you want to lose, you can select between different opponents.
* I see your point with Zombie Trailblazer. It does require a bunch of zombies to function, and its Swampwalk effect can be achieved with Zombie Master
* Good advice on Corpse Harvester too. I kinda fell in love with it when I read it, and misjudged how expensive its effect actually is.
* Interesting point about the mill being unnecessary. You mentioned Mindcrank and Traumatize, but what about Altar of Dementia and Dread Summons? I've seen the latter frequently in other Scarab God decks. What about Windfall effects?
* I like the suggestion of adding more counterspells, and Monastery Siege and Forbidden Alchemy seem really good.
* Wonder's ability to provide my entire field with flying seems really powerful, and it shouldn't be too difficult to throw it in the grave with effects like Whispering Madness.
I did miss this interaction I knew it combod with something but I didn't see it in your list.
My apology. The card is bad because it required too many hoops to jump through in order to get the desired effect. It's nothing like Night's Whisper as the card will always draw you cards when and how you want it to as well as being a two drop. You have access to very consistent card draw in UB and filling a slot with and creature who's stats are not efficient and doesn't do anything unless it dies is just not worth tying up a card slot.
When you have access to Fact or Fiction, Read the Bones, Night's Whisper, Treasure Cruise, Dig Through Time, Windfall, Brainstorm, Ponder, Preordain, Impulse, etc, etc. You have no reason to run Corpse Augur.
Altar of Dementia is good because it still acts as a sacrifice outlet which gives you value and is much more likely to kill a player then Mindcrank. Outside of a lifegain deck you're going to kill a player with damage well before Mindcrank gets close to killing someone even if you play Mindcrank on turn two which means it looses a lot of its value the latter you draw the card.
I'm not a fan personally of Dread Summons but I tend to lean on a more spike over flavor side of things. Windfall effects are very good as they allow you to refill your hand. You often see them when players are able to dump a large majority of their hand very quickly and use them to refill before other players have a chance to catch up. The fact that they incidentally put creatures in other players graveyards is just gravy for you.
Feel free to keep it. I've seen the card do work.
UBRNicol Bolas, the RavagerUBR
R Jaya Ballard, Task Mage R
2DH / Budget Commanders:
WMangara of Corondor 2DHW
BRXantcha, Sleeper Agent 2DHBR