This deck is one I greatly enjoy playing. At first blush it seems kinda mean, as Savra can be, but I've worked pretty hard to keep it from being extremely griefy.
Obviously the deck is exploiting Savra's first and second ability for fun and profit; encouraging my opponents to sac creatures to diminish their board state, while generating considerable tokens for my own sacrifice and profit, leading to further sacrifice by my opponents, all while keeping key creatures cycling in and out of the graveyard, and picking up the occasional turncoat from my opponents. And thus the circle of life winds on.
Helming this deck can be a little difficult - it's certainly engaging, as there are a lot of triggers and they stack during any turn, not just mine. Often the difference between staying on an upward curve is the difference between stacking triggers well or poorly, and this deck has taught me that many times before. I learn something new every time I play it. Not just about the stack, but about how to make this deck more of an efficient corpse churner.
Bear in mind viewing this list there are a couple of notable exceptions - Sheoldred, Whispering One is not here. She is keeping company with Thrax and I probably won't get another copy. Grave Pact I don't have a copy of. Lord of Extinction I would love but can't afford. Nonetheless while not being absolutely tuned, this deck does well.
Havoc Demon hit too many of my cards, the hart is uncoloured so less useful despite the ramp, I don't have a Crucible of Worlds. This is really just streamlining and giving better recursion options. Blood Artist will do some good milage, the hexmage is a PW killer that sacs and is smaller than the thief to cast. The Slumlord will be beastly here I'd imagine, as he will generate weenies for sac or effective blocking.
Wants: Liliana, heretical healer, Ghoulcaller Gisa - premium recursion option in Lili, and a fantastic sac option for black tokens, for further sac. These two ladies would play very nicely here.
Bonehoard is of variable use at best in a recursion deck, so got replaced for a serious sac outlet and token generator in Gisa. High Market was a no brainer too. Enters untapped, instant sac outlet. Massive upgrade.
I think you should run more creatures that you can sacrifice without an outlet and that cost less than CMC 4. Examples include Viscera Seer, Fume Spitter and Blood Pet. These cards will ensure Savra, Queen of the Golgari will force our opponents to sacrifice creatures.
Yeah viscera seer should be in here, I agree. I'm hesitant to add[/card] the lyrist and scrapper when I have caustic caterpillar that ticks both boxes. Along with reclamation sage that's kind of covered ok.
I think you should run more creatures that you can sacrifice without an outlet and that cost less than CMC 4. Examples include Viscera Seer, Fume Spitter and Blood Pet. These cards will ensure Savra, Queen of the Golgari will force our opponents to sacrifice creatures.
Quick phone update. Have swapped some of the higher end of the curve out, currently trialling viscera seer, disciple of griselbrand and necrotic ooze. The seer is gravy, it'll do just fine. The disciple I'm not sold on, and I want the ooze to work but time will tell. It could be extremely versatile or it could be no use whatsoever.
These are all staples, however I will state that I don't use tutors. A lot of these i would have trouble tracking down too. Animate dead I can squeeze in, and I may be able to track down mimic vat. I agree with it's addition, great card. Survival I don't have the money for, not by a long stretch. Reclamation I can add too.
Feed the Pack? Makes a great sac outlet that is repeatable and nets you creatures that can go wide as well
I've wondered how effective this card would be for a while now. Probably deserves a try, seems like good value. The only thing that stops me is that the tokens are green - this is where Ghoulcaller Gisa is exceptional: sacking those tokens will seriously hurt my opponents.
These are all staples, however I will state that I don't use tutors. A lot of these i would have trouble tracking down too. Animate dead I can squeeze in, and I may be able to track down mimic vat. I agree with it's addition, great card. Survival I don't have the money for, not by a long stretch. Reclamation I can add too.
Feed the Pack? Makes a great sac outlet that is repeatable and nets you creatures that can go wide as well
I've wondered how effective this card would be for a while now. Probably deserves a try, seems like good value. The only thing that stops me is that the tokens are green - this is where Ghoulcaller Gisa is exceptional: sacking those tokens will seriously hurt my opponents.
I came in 2nd out of 21 in a Innistrad block constructed tournament back in the day with it and Tree of Redemption with Kessig Cagebreakers as a secondary win-con back in the day. Going wide and profiting should do you well.
Obviously the deck is exploiting Savra's first and second ability for fun and profit; encouraging my opponents to sac creatures to diminish their board state, while generating considerable tokens for my own sacrifice and profit, leading to further sacrifice by my opponents, all while keeping key creatures cycling in and out of the graveyard, and picking up the occasional turncoat from my opponents. And thus the circle of life winds on.
Helming this deck can be a little difficult - it's certainly engaging, as there are a lot of triggers and they stack during any turn, not just mine. Often the difference between staying on an upward curve is the difference between stacking triggers well or poorly, and this deck has taught me that many times before. I learn something new every time I play it. Not just about the stack, but about how to make this deck more of an efficient corpse churner.
Bear in mind viewing this list there are a couple of notable exceptions - Sheoldred, Whispering One is not here. She is keeping company with Thrax and I probably won't get another copy. Grave Pact I don't have a copy of. Lord of Extinction I would love but can't afford. Nonetheless while not being absolutely tuned, this deck does well.
1 Viscera Seer
1 Caustic Caterpillar
2 Sakura-Tribe Elder
2 Disciple of Griselbrand
2 Viridian Zealot
2 Viridian Emissary
2 Reassembling Skeleton
2 Blood Artist
2 Vampire Hexmage
2 Nether Traitor
3 Doomed Necromancer
3 Reclamation Sage
3 Eternal Witness
3 Yavimaya Elder
3 Grim Haruspex
3 Smothering Abomination
4 Disciple of Bolas
4 Necrotic Ooze
4 Meren of Clan Nel Toth
4 Filth
4 Brawn
4 Sangromancer
4 Masked Admirers
4 Sengir Autocrat
4 Creakwood Liege
5 Ghoulcaller Gisa
5 Ogre Slumlord
5 Mycoloth
5 Sadistic Hypnotist
5 Chainer, Dementia Master
5 Acidic Slime
5 Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder
5 Phyrexian Delver
6 Champion of Stray Souls
6 Grave Titan
6 Demon of Dark Schemes
6 Deadwood Treefolk
7 Overseer of the Damned
7 Butcher of Malakir
7 Scourge of Nel Toth
8 Terastodon
4 Helm of Posession
Enchantments (7)
1 Vampiric Rites
2 Evolutionary Leap
4 Strands of Night
5 Perilous Forays
5 Dictate of Erebos
6 Deadbridge Chant
Sorceries (11)
1 Unearth
1 Innocent Blood
2 Life's Legacy
2 Constant Mists
2 Stitch Together
3 Primal Growth
3 Victimize
4 Sever the Bloodline
4 Barter in Blood
4 Explosive Vegetation
5 Beacon of Unrest
5 Living Death
6 Grim Flowering
Lands (37)
13 Swamp
14 Forest
1 Grim Backwoods
1 Golgari Guildgate
1 Command Tower
1 Llanowar Wastes
1 Slippery Karst
1 Temple of Malady
1 Tainted Wood
1 Polluted Mire
1 Golgari Rot Farm
1 High Market
Anyhow, feel free to give me your suggestions or feedback. Enjoy!
In
Beacon of Unrest, Blood Artist, Grim Haruspex, Sever the Bloodline, Stitch Together, Demon of Wailing Agonies, Vampire Hexmage, Ogre Slumlord
Out
Avatar of Woe, Nighthowler, Burnished Hart, Putrefy, Worm Harvest, Golgari Charm, Havoc Demon, Thief of Blood
Havoc Demon hit too many of my cards, the hart is uncoloured so less useful despite the ramp, I don't have a Crucible of Worlds. This is really just streamlining and giving better recursion options. Blood Artist will do some good milage, the hexmage is a PW killer that sacs and is smaller than the thief to cast. The Slumlord will be beastly here I'd imagine, as he will generate weenies for sac or effective blocking.
Wants: Liliana, heretical healer, Ghoulcaller Gisa - premium recursion option in Lili, and a fantastic sac option for black tokens, for further sac. These two ladies would play very nicely here.
In:
Ghoulcaller Gisa
High Market
Out:
Bonehoard
Jungle Hollow
Bonehoard is of variable use at best in a recursion deck, so got replaced for a serious sac outlet and token generator in Gisa. High Market was a no brainer too. Enters untapped, instant sac outlet. Massive upgrade.
In:
Helm of Posession
Nether Traitor
Out:
Puppeteer Clique
Deathreap Ritual
Night Soil may be worth considering along with Spore Frog, Elvish Lyrist and Elvish Scrapper.
UBRKess, Dissident MageUBR - Controlling Dissidents
GRhonas the IndomitableG - Indomitable Four Drops
WUBOloro, Ageless AsceticWUB - Loot & Renanimate
I probably should lower the curve a little though. I'd happily shave verdant force, decimator of the provinces,sepulchral primordial and maybe overseer of the damned. I'm open to suggestions.
Quick phone update. Have swapped some of the higher end of the curve out, currently trialling viscera seer, disciple of griselbrand and necrotic ooze. The seer is gravy, it'll do just fine. The disciple I'm not sold on, and I want the ooze to work but time will tell. It could be extremely versatile or it could be no use whatsoever.
Current EDH
Akroma W | Tymna and Bruse RBW
These are all staples, however I will state that I don't use tutors. A lot of these i would have trouble tracking down too. Animate dead I can squeeze in, and I may be able to track down mimic vat. I agree with it's addition, great card. Survival I don't have the money for, not by a long stretch. Reclamation I can add too.
I've wondered how effective this card would be for a while now. Probably deserves a try, seems like good value. The only thing that stops me is that the tokens are green - this is where Ghoulcaller Gisa is exceptional: sacking those tokens will seriously hurt my opponents.
If you are going to use a tutor, Diabolic Intent
I won't be, but I agree with that assessment had I intended to.
In:
Viscera Seer - Should smooth draws nicely
Disciple of Griselbrand - Should help with the costs involved with Savra's second ability
Necrotic Ooze - Should be great utility with things like Viridian Zealot, Yavimaya Elder, Ghoulcaller Gisa, Demon of Dark Schemes, Champion of Stray Souls, Sakura Tribe Elder, Caustic Caterpillar and the above cards going in.
Out:
Decimator of the Provinces - This is not the deck for it, despite the initial emerge option
Verdant Force - Too slow by far, even if it does generate tokens every player's turn
Sepulchral Primordial - Far too conditional
I came in 2nd out of 21 in a Innistrad block constructed tournament back in the day with it and Tree of Redemption with Kessig Cagebreakers as a secondary win-con back in the day. Going wide and profiting should do you well.