I'm looking to run reanimator in my next standard session and am unsure of what colors to run. I don't have any olivias, and I know that's one of the major perks or red. Should I even bother trying red without her? I know there's faithless looting as well, and slaughter games in the sb. What am I missing?
The reason the red version is better is in my opinion is it increases the speed at which you can see cards and also allows you access to much needed removal.Rolling Temblor,Faithless Looting,Olivia Voldaren,Zealous Conscripts, and Ancient Grudge are all cards which become available in the Four Color Version. While your mana base is more risky in this version it ultimately pays off in the value you gain from adding the fourth color.
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The reason the red version is better is in my opinion is it increases the speed at which you can see cards and also allows you access to much needed removal.Rolling Temblor,Faithless Looting,Olivia Voldaren,Zealous Conscripts, and Ancient Grudge are all cards which become available in the Four Color Version. While your mana base is more risky in this version it ultimately pays off in the value you gain from adding the fourth color.
Faithless Looting
You can run red utility cards, like the ones already mentioned.
Advantages of straight BGW:
Better manabase
Take less damage from lands on average
Less "all in" on the reanimation plan
In general, the red version tends to be a full on reanimation deck (with cards like Lotleth Troll) whose plan A is Unburial Rites, while the Junk version is more likely to run manadorks and has a more midrange plan. There are exceptions; some four color lists have manadorks, while some Junk lists are full on reanimator, but those are the general trends.
Right now I am collecting and building a junk midrange/reanimator. Basically the win con is almost always reanimate but it has 4 thrag, 4 healer. I only run pilgrim main as my dork though. I might start mainboarding deathrite shaman just b/c its so good in several cases. I just find I don't have land in my yard to justify him to be a dork. I can sometimes use him for burn in a semi-aggro build or some extra lifegain here and there. But so far I need that space for other things right now.
I do run 4 lotleth troll and he can win me games all by him lonesome against certain decks. He also is a great discard outlet thats basically free with a body. In those reguards I find him BETTER than faithless. Though faithless allows me some dig and can discard my rites to make it a little bit cheaper. I've also experimented with Defy death. Currently testing as 2 of so I have a total of 6 reanimator spells and this one will buff my angel which is the primary target almost always.
So all in all I don't like the strait of the mana base and unless they re-print birds of paradise next set I will not add a 4th color. Its not just the shocks its just to janky every time I work with it. When I start wishing I had transguild promenade you know its a bad sign.
Four colors is the only way to go. Maindeck I have Dreadbore and faithless looting. Slayers' Stronghold is unblievable against control. Reanimating a tusk or Angel that now hits for 7 and doesn't tap?? Ok, thank you. Sideboard Slaughter Games ripping out opponents games, rest in peace or thragtusk is devastating to them. Rolling temblor WILL WIN YOU GAMES. I don't know why this card is still so under-rated.
Play four color. Or go join the G/W/x thread, b/c lets face it, Frites is the only real way to play.
Aurelias Fury is an insane card. Aurelias Fury will be at the Pro Tour in a few weeks. There will be copies in the top 8, and you can QUOTE me on that.
Faithless Looting is the primary reason to play red. Looting goes very well with Mulch, Grisly Salvage and Deathrite Shaman. In fact, I would say that Faithless Looting (along with Salvage) is necessary in order to make Deathrite Shaman good in the main deck. Faithless Looting also makes cards like Lingering Souls even better and will make your good Mulch's ridiculously good. Overall, I would say consistency is the strength of 4-C reanimator.
The main reason to play Junk Reanimator is a simpler mana base. You have the option of playing up to 8 mana dorks speeding up your deck. Overall I would say that a small speed advantage (can/should?) exists with Junk Reanimator.
I believe the speed advantage of Junk Reanimator comes at the cost of bad top decks (relevant spell density is less) and a lot less cards drawn. While the number of turns 4-6 wins will be a little higher with some Junk Reanimator builds, the percent of games mulliganed with it will be higher as well. Furthermore, long grindy games against Jund, Bant or Esper control lose inevitability unless you make your Junk Reanimator deck slower (in which case you should be playing Faithless Looting since the mana base is now very good for 4-C Frites).
Both types have there advantages and disadvantages. Junk has a much better mana base to work with, while 4-C allows more grave dumping from Looting. However, my current build is 5-C and uses mana dorks in a way that can get you a turn 3 rites rather consistently (or if not Rites, at least gives u a good set up for turn 4).
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These are good cards in addition to:Dreadbore, pillar, bonfire, Rakdos Return, and slaughter games.
Faithless Looting
You can run red utility cards, like the ones already mentioned.
Advantages of straight BGW:
Better manabase
Take less damage from lands on average
Less "all in" on the reanimation plan
In general, the red version tends to be a full on reanimation deck (with cards like Lotleth Troll) whose plan A is Unburial Rites, while the Junk version is more likely to run manadorks and has a more midrange plan. There are exceptions; some four color lists have manadorks, while some Junk lists are full on reanimator, but those are the general trends.
I do run 4 lotleth troll and he can win me games all by him lonesome against certain decks. He also is a great discard outlet thats basically free with a body. In those reguards I find him BETTER than faithless. Though faithless allows me some dig and can discard my rites to make it a little bit cheaper. I've also experimented with Defy death. Currently testing as 2 of so I have a total of 6 reanimator spells and this one will buff my angel which is the primary target almost always.
So all in all I don't like the strait of the mana base and unless they re-print birds of paradise next set I will not add a 4th color. Its not just the shocks its just to janky every time I work with it. When I start wishing I had transguild promenade you know its a bad sign.
Play four color. Or go join the G/W/x thread, b/c lets face it, Frites is the only real way to play.
Faithless Looting is the primary reason to play red. Looting goes very well with Mulch, Grisly Salvage and Deathrite Shaman. In fact, I would say that Faithless Looting (along with Salvage) is necessary in order to make Deathrite Shaman good in the main deck. Faithless Looting also makes cards like Lingering Souls even better and will make your good Mulch's ridiculously good. Overall, I would say consistency is the strength of 4-C reanimator.
The main reason to play Junk Reanimator is a simpler mana base. You have the option of playing up to 8 mana dorks speeding up your deck. Overall I would say that a small speed advantage (can/should?) exists with Junk Reanimator.
I believe the speed advantage of Junk Reanimator comes at the cost of bad top decks (relevant spell density is less) and a lot less cards drawn. While the number of turns 4-6 wins will be a little higher with some Junk Reanimator builds, the percent of games mulliganed with it will be higher as well. Furthermore, long grindy games against Jund, Bant or Esper control lose inevitability unless you make your Junk Reanimator deck slower (in which case you should be playing Faithless Looting since the mana base is now very good for 4-C Frites).
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