- Smallpox is probably a bit weaker in my list, you're right. It's harder to make BB on T2 than, say, the creature-less Assault Loam lists, too. I'll try some other removal for them.
- Flame Jab is a great card in this deck. I didn't include it initially because I didn't think the deck, as presently constructed, could support all that R. I do like having some number of Lightning Bolts, though, 'cuz having the ability to kill T1 Deathrite Shamans on the draw or a single-pumped Scavenging Ooze seems right. I'll see what I can do.
- 1 or 2 Mulches are going in. In testing, they've done everything I've wanted: bin cards, get me lands for guaranteed Borborygmos Enraged activations.
- I used to run 3 Unburial Rites and 3 monsters, but I upped each to 4 because I wanted to help ensure that I could animate something. One stray Ooze activation could conceivably lose me the game, so I think maximizing my odds of reanimation is correct.
- Conflagrateis probably too cute, but it definitely won me a couple games on the spot that I wouldn't've otherwise. Gonna try cutting it for a more consistent spell.
- Abrupt Decay has been great for me, but I think having a Maelstrom Pulse in the main is a great idea. It gives me game against Tron, Leyline of the Void (if anyone plays them), and myriad other nasties. It would've gotten me out of a double Goblin Guide mess I faced in that tournament as well.
- I may drop a Liliana of the Veil, as my deck wants to flip into my graveyard a lot. She doesn't do much in the bin. Gonna test it and see how it goes.
Lingering Souls is great when it's good and horrendous when it's bad, so perhaps 3 main and 1 in the side is correct (or just 3 in the 75 - I do run Timely Reinforcements). I'll shuffle that up and see what happens.
Hey, y'all, I run Borborygmos Reanimator and started a separate thread, but I figured I might post a list here and get your thoughts. If you'd rather me keep this archetype in a separate thread, no problem - just let me know.
Here's a list I played to a 4-0 finish at my LGS, beating Infect, Melira Pod, Burn, and BG Rock:
The mana is surprisingly decent for a deck that plays Liliana AND Ajani. Three basics helps mitigate life loss from lands. I'm a little concerned about the three enters-the-battlefield-tapped lands, though. Since I'm not as red-heavy as the Assault Loam build, I can't run Flame Jab. It may be worth trying to tweak the list to accommodate that card.
We can definitely compete with Burn and Aggro in game 1. Granted, I was down to 1 life, but it wasn't 0. Dragon's Claw and Timely Reinforcements were all-stars in game 2, especially when you play the latter and animate Elesh Norn. Sick game.
- Smallpox is probably a bit weaker in my list, you're right. It's harder to make BB on T2 than, say, the creature-less Assault Loam lists, too. I'll try some other removal for them.
- Flame Jab is a great card in this deck. I didn't include it initially because I didn't think the deck, as presently constructed, could support all that R. I do like having some number of Lightning Bolts, though, 'cuz having the ability to kill T1 Deathrite Shamans on the draw or a single-pumped Scavenging Ooze seems right. I'll see what I can do.
- 1 or 2 Mulches are going in. In testing, they've done everything I've wanted: bin cards, get me lands for guaranteed Borborygmos Enraged activations.
- I used to run 3 Unburial Rites and 3 monsters, but I upped each to 4 because I wanted to help ensure that I could animate something. One stray Ooze activation could conceivably lose me the game, so I think maximizing my odds of reanimation is correct.
- Conflagrate is probably too cute, but it definitely won me a couple games on the spot that I wouldn't've otherwise. Gonna try cutting it for a more consistent spell.
- Abrupt Decay has been great for me, but I think having a Maelstrom Pulse in the main is a great idea. It gives me game against Tron, Leyline of the Void (if anyone plays them), and myriad other nasties. It would've gotten me out of a double Goblin Guide mess I faced in that tournament as well.
- I may drop a Liliana of the Veil, as my deck wants to flip into my graveyard a lot. She doesn't do much in the bin. Gonna test it and see how it goes.
So I'm looking at these changes:
-1 Conflagrate, -2 Smallpox, -1 Lingering Souls, -1 Liliana of the Veil, -1 Bojuka Bog (moving to the side)
+1 Pyroclasm, +2 Mulch, +1 Maelstrom Pulse, +1 Flame Jab, +1 Graven Cairns
Lingering Souls is great when it's good and horrendous when it's bad, so perhaps 3 main and 1 in the side is correct (or just 3 in the 75 - I do run Timely Reinforcements). I'll shuffle that up and see what happens.
Thanks again!
Here's a list I played to a 4-0 finish at my LGS, beating Infect, Melira Pod, Burn, and BG Rock:
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Marsh Flats
1 Raging Ravine
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Gavony Township
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Dakmor Salvage
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
2 Blackcleave Cliffs
1 Copperline Gorge
1 Overgrown Tomb
1 Blood Crypt
1 Temple Garden
1 Stomping Ground
1 Sacred Foundry
1 Godless Shrine
1 Swamp
1 Forest
1 Plains
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1 Griselbrand
2 Borborygmos Enraged
Planeswalkers (4)
3 Liliana of the Veil
1 Ajani Vengeant
Spells (26)
4 Faithless Looting
2 Raven's Crime
2 Lightning Bolt
1 Pyroclasm
2 Smallpox
2 Abrupt Decay
4 Life from the Loam
4 Lingering Souls
4 Unburial Rites
1 Conflagrate
1 Ghost Quarter
1 Deathmark
2 Thoughtseize
2 Ancient Grudge
1 Stony Silence
1 Abrupt Decay
2 Dragon's Claw
2 Pyroclasm
1 Maelstrom Pulse
2 Timely Reinforcements
Drawing cards with Griselbrand, then flashing back Conflagrate is real. It won me a game. Who doesn't love Channel/Fireball?!
In the tournament I played, my burn and edicts were enough to handle Deathrite Shamans and Scavenging Oozes. Relic of Progenitus is hard to beat, though, but the Ancient Grudges and Stony Silence helped a lot.
The mana is surprisingly decent for a deck that plays Liliana AND Ajani. Three basics helps mitigate life loss from lands. I'm a little concerned about the three enters-the-battlefield-tapped lands, though. Since I'm not as red-heavy as the Assault Loam build, I can't run Flame Jab. It may be worth trying to tweak the list to accommodate that card.
We can definitely compete with Burn and Aggro in game 1. Granted, I was down to 1 life, but it wasn't 0. Dragon's Claw and Timely Reinforcements were all-stars in game 2, especially when you play the latter and animate Elesh Norn. Sick game.
Cards I'm considering:
Horizon Canopy (but afraid of more land damage), Mulch, Inquisition of Kozilek maindeck, Lightning Axe
Any other Loam Reanimator players out there? What do y'all think? Would really appreciate some input from some seasoned dredgers.
Thanks!