Little advice, when listing a deck on this site use the [Deck.] [/DECK.] commands around the cards without the periods, i'll edit this post to tell you which cards are playable.
If i may suggest things though, alot of standard cards are dirt cheap and have been around for awhile, so if you really want to build a decent standard deck, just look for a local store that sells MTG cards and ask around, im sure you could build a deck around what you have right there for about $3-$10.
There's no card draw with 6 5cmc and 2 6cmc cards on 24 lands. I think you should drop the top end and add Geist of Saint Traft and feeling of dread. Geist is such a powerful clock in a tempo deck like this with ways to protect him and feeling of dread adds to the early lockdown power.
Good point, but without the dead-eye, and zealous conscripts you've basically changed everything about the deck, or at the very least removed the criminals from their cells.
I'd try to squeeze in a pair of Gilded Lotus for the infinite combo possibilities that provides. Pair Navigator and Conscripts. Flicker Conscripts, target your own lotus to untap it. Make enough mana, then just flicker the conscripts to steal all their things.
At first pass, I'd probably cut one Closet and one Sphere for this.
Every combo here would rely on having those three cards out, but if you had healer of the pride there too its an infinite life machine, only problem is getting all three out at once.
Just out of curiosity, if you regain control of a creature on your side of the battlefield, does it count as re-entering? if so ... then the combo's with this prison system are nearly limitless.
i know! its so hard to make bloodletting do the job, maybe for Gruul it could work but i think its too flavorful to be included here.
That's cool too, I suppose I'm a little too in love with the card to make really accurate judgments. I would like to see someone eventually make it work in a deck that doesn't revolve around stacking curses or going 80% burn spells. Maybe a U/R con'troll' unblockable deck. I'll expiriment i suppose.
How do you guys feel about the enchantment Curse of Bloodletting? i generally use this in alot of my burn decks, especially when running devil's play or bonfire of the damned, or mizzium mortars ... you get my point, small damage everywhere spells + that = board wipe usually. also would combo well with hellrider by lowering the amount of creatures required for a 20 damage blow to 10 before combat damage is ever assigned. I've had alot of luck with miracle pulling Thunderous Wrath with the curse on the field.
I've always loved 'MURICA decks, and this one seems like its got everything under control. Excellent deck, and I'll edit this and add a better review after a couple of rounds on cockatrice. Just wanted to be the first to say this deck scares me
Hi Jorbkkit, im rather new to the game myself, but i'm going through your deck list at a gradual pace, piecing together cards and strategys alongside how these could be best used or countered, so i'll edit this post various times before i deem it complete.
That being said, im fairly certain you added anti-magic aura in an attempt to stop your illusions from leaving the field correct? ... if so, then this card by itself will remove them. I also noticed your Lord providing support though, its just a little sad that the only abilities that could work are creature abilities. I would look into finding more creatures that give hexproof to other monsters.
hey, i understand this is slightly off topic, but it adds to the construction basis of the deck im building ... does Mikaeus, the Unhallowed's undying effect (or undying in general) affect zombie tokens? ... i could understand both reasons as to why it would or wouldn't, i just need to know the official ruling. thanks
your very welcome, and you definately right. Gravecrawler has his uses, but entrails feaster is definately the way to go in my opinion ... and festering goblin appears good enough, but if you were to go with him, i would just run skirk ridge exhumer instead ... since its only a single mana more, you've got a great idea here and this is only a look at the creatures i would suggest ... the artifacts and other spells should be easy enough after that, hopefully i've helped in some way. I wish you the best in coming back into the game and your zombie deck.
noticing that your still online, i figured i could give you a little bit of insight on the ideas you offered out. You went and posted plenty of cards i hadn't even heard of and turned zombies into a pretty deadly beatstick. You ALSO managed to answer my last question about zombie aggro decks, seeing as how this deck seems pretty straight forward in that aspect of things.
with zombie aggro, your going to want to be fast about pulling out zombies, since not many zombies have potential to be out before turn 4-5, so zombie warchief would be a great card to keep in. It gives a little more than most cards do anyways. im just going to generalize the situation and say that you should keep warchief and baron at 4, but maybe knock the others down to either 3, or 2. your going to WANT to have the others, but in the end clearing up some space for speed is what it boils down to.
i would also consider maybe with some room add a few really quick mana seekers as well to the mix, the lands just help clear two card slots in one basic move and give you less cards you have to draw through in order to get what you need.
in an attempt to try and narrow down the rather large list you gave off, here's an attempt at what i would consider the creatures of choice
4 zombie warchief
4 death baron
2 cemetary reaper
2 zombie lords
1-2 mikaeus the unhallowed (undying only happens once per creature regardless ... but the effect can save you quiet a bit from field sweeping effects and give you an extra leg to stand on when fending off tougher creatures, besides with your mana ramp, you probably wont get much out til about turn 4-6 ... but by that point you'll have plenty to cover its cost with a good bit left over)
2 korlash *
1 phage *
2 soulless one *
2 null champion *
everything starred is something i would personally not use, but added in just to save from having to move away from your list, however i am a semi new player. if i had the opportunity to change them, i would have added in some of the cheaper zombies from dark ascension, such as Gravecrawler, or Diregraf ghoul
these are all simply my interpretations of what i find usefull within my own deck, and what has proven itself as a savior or otherwise
It depends the way you want to build it. As i told before you must chose which way you want your deck to go.
If you want it to be Aggro, remove useless cards like Mind Funeral and Grimoire of the Dead; bring in Lords (Death Baron for aggro) and something to give evasion to your creatures; find a balance between Creatures and Spells: usually for an aggro deck you should have at least 22-23 creatures; put in some Rooftop Storm if you want. Tragic Slip it's a good card, but i don't see in your deck a way to control its Morbid effect; i see on most Standard decks it coupled with cards like Geth's Verdict, Go for the Throat, Liliana of the Veil, Fume Spitter, Mortarpod.
By the way, all you have to do is look around on internet for decklists of winner decks in the format you want to play and study them to find the better style you would like.
I agree completely, looking into the ways that the zombies themselves play out however, i don't see how a straight forward aggro zombie deck can be played? ... it seems that everytime i try to improve upon the deck or see any way for the deck to be more easily playable against other opponents, it just seems to go back to combo/control. A friend recently explained the rulings for undying to me, and Mikaeus now seems ALOT more useful, but im still stuck behind the ideas that there are just too many cards out for making zombies swarm (call to the grave, endless ranks of the dead, rooftop storm) to really play a zombie mainly aggro deck ... im just not seeing it, is there any chance anyone could help me with seeing how it could work? Because knowing how to expand beyond the combo part of how they play would at least help with my judgment of the cards.
I wouldn't worry about finishing it so soon, I've always just set up a plan first and then trying to adapt what i have to the plan or blueprint and making adjustments as necessary, however, I'm fairly positive Avacyn Restored will not feature yet another zombie structure as well, but I'm just wondering cause who's to say they wont add a new one or two that didn't quite fit in the one that recently came out? ... i mean if i saw 2 or 3 then it'd be over my expectations, but if someone would offer me some sort of advice on my previous zombie structure i would be greatly appreciative. I, myself, started magic at the M11 block, so who's to say that all my research and ideas haven't been kind of shotty? I'm only looking for advice. =)
hopefully in the avacyn restored set coming out in a few months some more options will arise, i've been looking to create a competitive zombie deck and for the possibilities, i've been considering blue/black ... since a Rooftop Storm + sedraxist alchemist combo seems a little broken ... so @soriel i'll be sure and keep you updated on any over powering black/blue conbo's or power houses i can find
Growing Ranks are really slow. (No effect the turn you play it, only 1 perturn, cant get it out for 1-3 mana) I love the rest of this deck as it seems like it just varies a little from what i play, what i would suggest if you can ever get ahold of shock lands, is 2 more arbor elves. If not maybe run a little more for that beast tracker to search for. (Another armada wurm) or some other non token creatures that help with the general idea, (maybe 2 trostani's) (also sorin, lord of innistrad works very well with this deck)
can use:
Blood Artist
Dark Imposter
Vampire Nocturnus
Vampire Nighthawk
Bloodthrone Vampire
Bump in the Night
can not use:
Captivating Vampire
Kalastria Highborn
Guul Draz Vampire
Pulse Tracker
Vampire Hexmage
Bloodhusk Ritualist
Feast of Blood
Urge to Feed
Vampire's Bite
Go for the Throat
Blade of the Bloodchief
Verdant Catacombs
If i may suggest things though, alot of standard cards are dirt cheap and have been around for awhile, so if you really want to build a decent standard deck, just look for a local store that sells MTG cards and ask around, im sure you could build a deck around what you have right there for about $3-$10.
Good point, but without the dead-eye, and zealous conscripts you've basically changed everything about the deck, or at the very least removed the criminals from their cells.
Every combo here would rely on having those three cards out, but if you had healer of the pride there too its an infinite life machine, only problem is getting all three out at once.
Just out of curiosity, if you regain control of a creature on your side of the battlefield, does it count as re-entering? if so ... then the combo's with this prison system are nearly limitless.
That's cool too, I suppose I'm a little too in love with the card to make really accurate judgments. I would like to see someone eventually make it work in a deck that doesn't revolve around stacking curses or going 80% burn spells. Maybe a U/R con'troll' unblockable deck. I'll expiriment i suppose.
That being said, im fairly certain you added anti-magic aura in an attempt to stop your illusions from leaving the field correct? ... if so, then this card by itself will remove them. I also noticed your Lord providing support though, its just a little sad that the only abilities that could work are creature abilities. I would look into finding more creatures that give hexproof to other monsters.
noticing that your still online, i figured i could give you a little bit of insight on the ideas you offered out. You went and posted plenty of cards i hadn't even heard of and turned zombies into a pretty deadly beatstick. You ALSO managed to answer my last question about zombie aggro decks, seeing as how this deck seems pretty straight forward in that aspect of things.
with zombie aggro, your going to want to be fast about pulling out zombies, since not many zombies have potential to be out before turn 4-5, so zombie warchief would be a great card to keep in. It gives a little more than most cards do anyways. im just going to generalize the situation and say that you should keep warchief and baron at 4, but maybe knock the others down to either 3, or 2. your going to WANT to have the others, but in the end clearing up some space for speed is what it boils down to.
i would also consider maybe with some room add a few really quick mana seekers as well to the mix, the lands just help clear two card slots in one basic move and give you less cards you have to draw through in order to get what you need.
in an attempt to try and narrow down the rather large list you gave off, here's an attempt at what i would consider the creatures of choice
4 zombie warchief
4 death baron
2 cemetary reaper
2 zombie lords
1-2 mikaeus the unhallowed (undying only happens once per creature regardless ... but the effect can save you quiet a bit from field sweeping effects and give you an extra leg to stand on when fending off tougher creatures, besides with your mana ramp, you probably wont get much out til about turn 4-6 ... but by that point you'll have plenty to cover its cost with a good bit left over)
2 korlash *
1 phage *
2 soulless one *
2 null champion *
everything starred is something i would personally not use, but added in just to save from having to move away from your list, however i am a semi new player. if i had the opportunity to change them, i would have added in some of the cheaper zombies from dark ascension, such as Gravecrawler, or Diregraf ghoul
these are all simply my interpretations of what i find usefull within my own deck, and what has proven itself as a savior or otherwise
I agree completely, looking into the ways that the zombies themselves play out however, i don't see how a straight forward aggro zombie deck can be played? ... it seems that everytime i try to improve upon the deck or see any way for the deck to be more easily playable against other opponents, it just seems to go back to combo/control. A friend recently explained the rulings for undying to me, and Mikaeus now seems ALOT more useful, but im still stuck behind the ideas that there are just too many cards out for making zombies swarm (call to the grave, endless ranks of the dead, rooftop storm) to really play a zombie mainly aggro deck ... im just not seeing it, is there any chance anyone could help me with seeing how it could work? Because knowing how to expand beyond the combo part of how they play would at least help with my judgment of the cards.