Hey guys! I was thinking of building a black green token zombie deck. If you guys could give me some ideas on what cards to look at it would be appreciated
You have to give us more information. What format? What is your budget or general availability of cards? Why B/G instead of mono-B or B/X?
Anyway, here are some ideas from my own U/B zombie token deck: Moan of the Unhallowed - makes zombie tokens Grave Titan - makes zombie tokens Noxious Ghoul - sweeps the board nicely but leaves your guys "alive". A Titan attack with two of these out is great.
(Beware, that the Titan is not a zombie and will die with 3+ Ghouls out!) Evil Twin - to copy the Titan or Noxious Ghoul, but also very versatile to deal with opposing creatures Cloudstone Curio - Titan fun. Even more efficient when bouncing a Twin to copy a Titan. 3+ Ghouls makes "play and bounce the Titan" a sweeper each turn and leaves two more tokens each time.
You can also just try to ramp to Army of the Damned, and maybe even its flashback cost (though if 13 zombies don't win you the game, 26 won't either).
My most pressing question is, why green? Black makes zombie tokens, green does not to my knowledge. So what do you think green offers to a zombie token deck?
Why green? And why Zombie tokens instead of regular zombies? If you give some direction about how you want the deck to play out and what you want it to look like, that will help us with card suggestions.
Anyway, here is a deck that is green-black Zombie Madness and also makes zombie tokens via Zombie Infestation. It may be nothing like what you're looking for, but it's hard to tell what you want.
The deck works by discarding cards to Lotleth Troll (to grow him) or to Zombie Infestation (to make Zombies). Cards like Slitherhead, Gravecrawler, Asylum Visitor, Grave Scrabbler and Gisa's Bidding are all good to discard (assuming you have mana up to pay the madness cost).
Lord of the Undead and Grave Scrabbler help you return creatures back to your hand, keeping cards in your hand and helping you recover from removal. Asylum Visitor also helps you refill your hand faster as you dump cards into Zombie Infestation.
Gisa's Bidding works well with Zombie Infestation. Turn 2 Zombie Infestation. Turn 3 discard Gisa and some other card (e.g. Slitherhead or Gravecrawler) and pay 2B madness: you get 3 2/2 zombie tokens. That's pretty good value.
There's also the combo of Carrion Feeder + Gravecrawler to make a fat Carrion Feeder.
Slitherhead is probably better as Basking Rootwalla, but I left it as Slitherhead for the tribal synergy and flavor.
My most pressing question is, why green? Black makes zombie tokens, green does not to my knowledge. So what do you think green offers to a zombie token deck?
Please see my response below to how green and rot it's way into a Zombie deck:
You can play with some of the "desert" lands so you can get the most of Hour of Promise. You can also play w/ any instant or sorcery that creates Zombie tokens and copy the spell w/ Mirari. And at that point, some cheap removal like Fatal Push can go a long way. Vile Rebirth or a removal spell can go a long way, which can also take advantage of any zombie's ditched to Lotleth Troll.
If you have the budget (or can proxy in your group), get more "ummpphh" out of the token generating cards w/ Doubling Season. The less expensive one (but still a bit pricey) is Primal Vigor, as both of these will also double the +1/+1 counters on Lotleth Troll and Jarad. If you're just looking to double the tokens, there is Parallel Lives. Dual Nature can be tricky, but fun.
The green can add spot removal that black normally doesn't have access too, so don't forget cards like Naturalize. Other spot remocal is Putrefy & it's pricier cousin, Maelstrom Pulse. Pernicious Deed & Plague Boiler can offer some board clearing power followed by some of the zombie recursion in your graveyard.
This is how I would build it on a semi-budget (jump on Puca Trade to get the cards!):
Some notes about the above deck:
- The 6 instants have a cost of 2 so they can be tucked under the Scepter.
- Mostly target opponents creatures w/ the Vile Rebirth (as you will recurring yours most of the time)
- Sacking a desert to Ifnir Oasis will get the counters doubled (or more) from the Primal Vigor.
- Only use Primal Vigor IF you don't have the budget for Doubling Season (it did just get reprinted, so if you go that route be on it like a hobo on a ham sandwich)... BUT, if you're proxying, then definitely go for the Doubling Season.
- Unholy Grotto to get back your Lords (if you can find room - Hour of Promise can fetch up the Grotto and/or the Tomb.
- If you can find space, add Elixir of Immortality to gain life eaten by the deserts and to get back all of the non-recursive creatures.
Hope all of this helps you craft a fun, yet nasty black/green Zombie deck.
PS - as fun as Army of the Damned is, still kinda pricey (mana-wise).
Anyway, here are some ideas from my own U/B zombie token deck:
Moan of the Unhallowed - makes zombie tokens
Grave Titan - makes zombie tokens
Noxious Ghoul - sweeps the board nicely but leaves your guys "alive". A Titan attack with two of these out is great.
(Beware, that the Titan is not a zombie and will die with 3+ Ghouls out!)
Evil Twin - to copy the Titan or Noxious Ghoul, but also very versatile to deal with opposing creatures
Cloudstone Curio - Titan fun. Even more efficient when bouncing a Twin to copy a Titan. 3+ Ghouls makes "play and bounce the Titan" a sweeper each turn and leaves two more tokens each time.
You can also just try to ramp to Army of the Damned, and maybe even its flashback cost (though if 13 zombies don't win you the game, 26 won't either).
Other one shot zombie token makers are:
Dark Salvation
From under the Floorboards
Gisa's Bidding
Stir the Sands
Then there are of course the various zombie lords that make zombies bigger and meaner, like Undead Warchief or Lord of the Undead.
My most pressing question is, why green? Black makes zombie tokens, green does not to my knowledge. So what do you think green offers to a zombie token deck?
Former Rules Advisor
"Everything's better with pirates." - Lodge
(The Gamers: Dorkness Rising)
"Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science."
(Girl Genius - Fairy Tale Theater Break - Cinderella, end of volume 8)
Anyway, here is a deck that is green-black Zombie Madness and also makes zombie tokens via Zombie Infestation. It may be nothing like what you're looking for, but it's hard to tell what you want.
4 Slitherhead
4 Gravecrawler
4 Carrion Feeder
4 Lotleth Troll
4 Asylum Visitor
3 Grave Scrabbler
3 Lord of the Undead
2 Skinrender
4 Zombie Infestation
//Spells: 6
4 Cast Down
2 Gisa's Bidding
//Lands: 22
4 Golgari Guildgate
4 Woodland Cemetery
10 Swamp
4 Forest
The deck works by discarding cards to Lotleth Troll (to grow him) or to Zombie Infestation (to make Zombies). Cards like Slitherhead, Gravecrawler, Asylum Visitor, Grave Scrabbler and Gisa's Bidding are all good to discard (assuming you have mana up to pay the madness cost).
Lord of the Undead and Grave Scrabbler help you return creatures back to your hand, keeping cards in your hand and helping you recover from removal. Asylum Visitor also helps you refill your hand faster as you dump cards into Zombie Infestation.
Gisa's Bidding works well with Zombie Infestation. Turn 2 Zombie Infestation. Turn 3 discard Gisa and some other card (e.g. Slitherhead or Gravecrawler) and pay 2B madness: you get 3 2/2 zombie tokens. That's pretty good value.
There's also the combo of Carrion Feeder + Gravecrawler to make a fat Carrion Feeder.
Slitherhead is probably better as Basking Rootwalla, but I left it as Slitherhead for the tribal synergy and flavor.
Please see my response below to how green and rot it's way into a Zombie deck:
You can play with some of the "desert" lands so you can get the most of Hour of Promise. You can also play w/ any instant or sorcery that creates Zombie tokens and copy the spell w/ Mirari. And at that point, some cheap removal like Fatal Push can go a long way. Vile Rebirth or a removal spell can go a long way, which can also take advantage of any zombie's ditched to Lotleth Troll.
Speaking of the Troll, recursion zombies (like Gravecrawler - mentioned above) are good fuel, like Ashen Ghoul, Dread Wanderer, Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord, Prized Amalgam, Relentless Dead or Undead Gladiator. Those can also be pitched to Zombie Infestation. I believe a Liliana or two can make Zombie Tokens.
If you have the budget (or can proxy in your group), get more "ummpphh" out of the token generating cards w/ Doubling Season. The less expensive one (but still a bit pricey) is Primal Vigor, as both of these will also double the +1/+1 counters on Lotleth Troll and Jarad. If you're just looking to double the tokens, there is Parallel Lives. Dual Nature can be tricky, but fun.
The green can add spot removal that black normally doesn't have access too, so don't forget cards like Naturalize. Other spot remocal is Putrefy & it's pricier cousin, Maelstrom Pulse. Pernicious Deed & Plague Boiler can offer some board clearing power followed by some of the zombie recursion in your graveyard.
This is how I would build it on a semi-budget (jump on Puca Trade to get the cards!):
3 Lord of the Undead
3 Death Baron
3 Gravecrawler
3 Prized Amalgam
3 Undead Gladiator
3 Dread Wanderer
3 Lotleth Troll
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Vile Rebirth
2 Evolution Charm
3 Hour of Promise
ENCHANTMENTS
3 Zombie Infestation
4 Primal Vigor
ARTIFACT
2 Isochron Scepter
2 Cradle of the Accursed
3 Hashep Oasis
4 Ifnir Deadlands
1 Unholy Grotto
1 Svogthos, the Restless Tomb
3 Forest
3 Swamp
3 Temple of Malady
3 Jungle Hollow
Some notes about the above deck:
- The 6 instants have a cost of 2 so they can be tucked under the Scepter.
- Mostly target opponents creatures w/ the Vile Rebirth (as you will recurring yours most of the time)
- Sacking a desert to Ifnir Oasis will get the counters doubled (or more) from the Primal Vigor.
- Only use Primal Vigor IF you don't have the budget for Doubling Season (it did just get reprinted, so if you go that route be on it like a hobo on a ham sandwich)... BUT, if you're proxying, then definitely go for the Doubling Season.
- Unholy Grotto to get back your Lords (if you can find room - Hour of Promise can fetch up the Grotto and/or the Tomb.
- If you can find space, add Elixir of Immortality to gain life eaten by the deserts and to get back all of the non-recursive creatures.
Hope all of this helps you craft a fun, yet nasty black/green Zombie deck.
PS - as fun as Army of the Damned is, still kinda pricey (mana-wise).