So, here's the thing: I've been having basically zero luck trying to compete with all the G/x ramp and mono black decks plaguing the meta. Mostly I've been trying to go overtop of these decks with UR decks with Spellheart Chimera and Prognostic Sphinx (which is the better of the two, since both decks have trouble dealing with it's hexproof.) It usually gets close but it could never close out a game, which gets frustrating.
Next thing I had to think about was how to get these creatures in the graveyard to set up huge reanimation swings. There were a few options that seemed to fit the theme (Returned Centaur and Commune with the Gods), and, while on the surface they seemed to be perfect, they seem too durdly, especially if they missed. Plus the promote practically creature-only strategies.
This brought me to figuring out how to pitch them from hand. The aforementioned Prognostic Sphinx looked great, then I saw Erebos's Emissary which also makes great use of dumping creatures into the yard with a +2/+2 bonus which helps it dodge red based removal.
Here's the list I threw together. I warn you, it is not fully tested (need to pick up a few more cards on MTGO to try it out, but I've done some testing on cockatrice and some goldfishing and it seems pretty powerful once things get rolling), and the manabase is br00tal to look at.
I need to actually test with Rescue from the Underworld to see if it's good enough, but right now it feels like it needs quite a bit of set up to work out well. Same goes with Commune with the Gods.
If anyone has any thoughts or ideas for a deck like this, I feel like it could have some pretty good potential. It has great stall tactics in all the lifegain and Hero's Downfall, but it still is pretty durdly.
Some facts of magic:
-Terror is an emotion which, when experienced, results in death.
-The pox was a disease notorious for having killed one-third, rounded up, of Europe’s population. Smallpox, on the other hand, killed only a single person.
-A person riding a horse cannot be stopped by foot soldiers, large animals, walls, archers, or even catapults.
@radioactive, you're on the right track there. I tested a bunch of different cards for the deck type in my latest article, the list I ended up with was:
Imo, there's a few things here that improve over your list - you really want to max out on erebos's emissary and whip, as they are key to your deck. You want some number of abhorrent overlord as they are great reanimation targets, especially with whip. You also want to minimise your non-creature spells as much as possible to make commune better, so I leave answer cards like downfall and fade to the side. Deck's certainly not highly competitive, but it's pretty fun and has some insane plays.
Might I ask about the Mnemonic Wall? In the current build the only thing it gets back is the Commune with the Gods. While I understand the need for some defensive cards I think that might be the wrong choice.
Also now that Born of the Gods is out, what do you guys feel should be included? One auto include I see is Satyr Wayfinder, Mulch on legs. Champion of Stray Souls seems like an ok 1 of, another reanimation spell is never bad and the fact he can get a bunch of dudes with use of those tokens from Abhorrent Overlord.
So I tested out my deck vs a UW heroic deck and a RW heroic deck... And got rolled against both. Going with GB seems too greedy at the moment with out the scry land. Even with the Drown in Sorrow they just got way to big way to fast. Needs spot removal definitely. Most games went:
So I got to looking at hard to destroy creatures like Prognostic Sphinx, Reaper of the Wilds, and cards that have pretty back-breaking ETB abilities like Gray Merchant of Asphodel, Abhorrent Overlord, and Ashen Rider. Then I started thinking about how to get these creatures out faster: ramp, devotion, stalling, etc when I saw that we have good reanimation cards in Whip of Erebos and Rescue from the Underworld. While the Whip is overall a better card because it sticks around and gives your dudes lifelink, Rescue from the Underworld can make some pretty huge plays.
Next thing I had to think about was how to get these creatures in the graveyard to set up huge reanimation swings. There were a few options that seemed to fit the theme (Returned Centaur and Commune with the Gods), and, while on the surface they seemed to be perfect, they seem too durdly, especially if they missed. Plus the promote practically creature-only strategies.
This brought me to figuring out how to pitch them from hand. The aforementioned Prognostic Sphinx looked great, then I saw Erebos's Emissary which also makes great use of dumping creatures into the yard with a +2/+2 bonus which helps it dodge red based removal.
Here's the list I threw together. I warn you, it is not fully tested (need to pick up a few more cards on MTGO to try it out, but I've done some testing on cockatrice and some goldfishing and it seems pretty powerful once things get rolling), and the manabase is br00tal to look at.
4 Abhorrent Overlord
3 Ashen Rider
4 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
2 Prognostic Sphinx
3 Reaper of the Wilds
4 Sylvan Caryatid
4 Erebos's Emissary
4 Hero's Downfall
4 Nylea's Presence
3 Whip of Erebos
Lands
6 Forest
6 Swamp
2 Temple of Abandon
3 Temple of Deceit
4 Temple of Mystery
4 Temple of Silence
I need to actually test with Rescue from the Underworld to see if it's good enough, but right now it feels like it needs quite a bit of set up to work out well. Same goes with Commune with the Gods.
If anyone has any thoughts or ideas for a deck like this, I feel like it could have some pretty good potential. It has great stall tactics in all the lifegain and Hero's Downfall, but it still is pretty durdly.
Let me know what you think!
BU Lazav, Dimir Mastermind
BR Tor Wauki
BG Savra, Queen of the Golgari
BWURG Karona, False God
Standard
Currently nothing.
Modern
B 8-Rack
Casual
BW Pestilence
B Multiplayer Discard
Block Constructed
BWG Abzan Midrange
4 Commune with the Gods
4 Erebos's Emissary
4 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
3 Whip of Erebos
3 Rescue from the Underworld
4 Abhorrent Overlord
4 Agent of the Fates
4 Baleful Eidolon
3 Nighthowler
2 Pharika's Cure
-Terror is an emotion which, when experienced, results in death.
-The pox was a disease notorious for having killed one-third, rounded up, of Europe’s population. Smallpox, on the other hand, killed only a single person.
-A person riding a horse cannot be stopped by foot soldiers, large animals, walls, archers, or even catapults.
More facts of magic
4x Commune with the Gods
3x Returned Centaur
2x Erebos's Emissary
4x Rescue From the Underworld
1x Whip of Erebos
3x Mnemonic Wall
Kill Conditions
4x Gray Merchant of Asphodel
3x Ashen Rider
1x Nemesis of Mortals
1x Reaper of the Wilds
2x Hero's Downfall
2x Fade Into Antiquity
Mana Fixers
2x Traveler's Amulet
2x Sylvan Caryatid
3x Voyaging Satyr
Lands
6x Forest
6x Swamp
1x Island
4x Temple of Mystery
4x Temple of Silence
2x Unknown Shores
It's a little haphazard, since I made it out of whatever I had lying around from drafts and sealed tourneys, but... there it is.
EDIT: You don't know the meaning of fun until you sacrifice one Ashen Rider to bring up another one with Rescue.
2 Voyaging Satyr
4 Erebos's Emissary
2 Mnemonic Wall
2 Returned Centaur
4 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
3 Abhorrent Overlord
2 Ashen Rider
4 Rescue from the Underworld
4 Whip of Erebos
7 Forest
10 Swamp
4 Temple of Mystery
4 Temple of Deceit
3 Pharika's Cure
3 Sedge Scorpion
2 Dark Betrayal
2 Fade into Antiquity
4 Hero's Downfall
15 cards
Imo, there's a few things here that improve over your list - you really want to max out on erebos's emissary and whip, as they are key to your deck. You want some number of abhorrent overlord as they are great reanimation targets, especially with whip. You also want to minimise your non-creature spells as much as possible to make commune better, so I leave answer cards like downfall and fade to the side. Deck's certainly not highly competitive, but it's pretty fun and has some insane plays.
Also now that Born of the Gods is out, what do you guys feel should be included? One auto include I see is Satyr Wayfinder, Mulch on legs. Champion of Stray Souls seems like an ok 1 of, another reanimation spell is never bad and the fact he can get a bunch of dudes with use of those tokens from Abhorrent Overlord.
The current build that I am making is:
My T1: Land go
Opp T1: Land Favored Hoplite go
My T2: Land Voyaging Satyr go
Opp T2: Land Phalanx Leader go
My T3: Land Satyr Wayfinder go
Opp T3: Land Ordeal of Thassa on Leader (Leader 2/2 Hoplite 2/3) Attack Pump with some thing I take 6-7
Then it was all down hill... I couldn't get the reanimation going fast enough to be effective.