MTG Salvation

Quote from AnarchyStarfish »

Any thoughts on Woe Strider? It seems like it would be better than Yahenni, Undying Partisan in some builds.

A few other suggestions:

• Nightmare Shepherd lets you essentially double all your non-token death triggers as long as you aren't running recursion.
• Arasta of the Endless Web is conditional but it does produce a steady stream of sac fodder.
• Renata, Called to the Hunt isn't great but it's the first version of this effect we've gotten in Mazirek's color identity so I'd argue it's worth considering in more token-centric builds.

• Viscera Seer is still better than Woe Strider so I'll run the former over the latter.
• Nightmare Shepherd exiles creatures which is not something I want. I see it used in decks where you can populate or do other things with tokens.
• Arasta of the Endless Web is way too situational. There are way better cards for token creation for this deck than Arasta.
• Renata, Called to the Hunt is good since creatures will enter the battlefield with a +1/+1 counter on it. However, is she good enough to take something out of the deck for her? I don't really think so.

• Ilysian Caryatid - Great in the deck since it will almost always tap for GG. Even if it can't, it'll still tap down for G.
• Nyxbloom Ancient - This card might seem winmore in most decks, but not in decks where its commander is a mana sink. Tripling the mana I can produce - are you insane?! Do you know how much Gaea's Cradle is going to give with a field full of mana dorks? Definitely going in the deck!
• Nyx Lotus - It might enter the battlefield tapped but it can add a crazy amount of G in this deck just like Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx can.
• Shadowspear - This equipment feels made for this deck. It only costs 1 to cast and 2 to equip. It gives a boon plus trample and lifelink. If that weren't enough, you can pay 1 to remove hexproof and indestructible from opponents' creatures so it's a second Bonds of Mortality.

• Erebos, Bleak-Hearted - This version of Erebos has a non-free sacrifice outlet that lets you give a creature -2/-1. However, the most important thing is being able to just pay 2 life whenever a creature you control dies in order to draw a card. He's also indestructible which is great.
• Inevitable End - This enchantment is great! Either it forces an opponent to sacrifice the enchanted creature, which bypasses indestructible. Or, they have to sacrifice another creature in order to keep alive the enchanted one. Either way it's win/win for Mazirek.
• Pharika's Libation - I only run global edicts so I'll really pass on this one. It also costs 1 more than most edicts anyways.
• Soulreaper of Mogis - A creature with this ability isn't bad, but I feel like the ability is a bit overcosted.
• Hydra's Growth - Great for the Budget Version of Mazirek since it feels a bit winmore in the normal version. You're already putting a bunch of +1/+1 counters on Mazirek. Auras are fragile and this one is on a trigger instead of activation.
• The First Iroan Games - Gives you sacrifice fodder, more +1/+1 counters for your creatures, you'll get to draw 2 cards, and then you create a gold token which is something that sacrifices itself. As a bonus, the saga is sacrificed afterwards so that also triggers Mazirek.
• Polukranos, Unchained - This version of Polukranos is better at sniping creatures than Polukranos, World Eater. Consistently adding +1/+1 counters to our creatures means that it might stick around to kill off multiple creatures when left unaddressed.

• Acolyte of Affliction - It only self-mills 2 but it can return any permanent to our hand which is incredibly versatile in the deck since it can recover an artifact, enchantment, land, or planeswalker. It has an okay body at 2/3 for its ability and casting cost. It's not a definite include, but is worth testing.
• Atris, Oracle of Half-Truths - This creature is win/win in the deck. Getting cards in our graveyard isn't a problem. If a creature gets sent to the graveyard, Sidisi creates a zombie. This deck doesn't blink but it does sacrifice creatures and reanimates them so we can definitely use his ability a couple of times even though it's an enter-the-battlefield one.
• Dryad of the Ilysian Grove - The deck doesn't really suffer in terms of getting color-screwed. But there are a couple of utility lands so being able to tap them for any colored mana can be useful. As a bonus we can play an additional land each turn. This allows us to drop a land from hand as well as play one from the graveyard with Muldrotha, the Gravetide.
• Eat to Extinction - It's a bit overcosted at 4 mana but it exiles its target. It can also self-mill the top card of our library. So it does 2 things that are useful for the deck. It's also at instant speed, which is great.
• Funeral Rites - Definitely worth considering for the Budget Build. You draw 2 cards and self-mill 2 cards for just 2B. You lose 2 life but that's negligible in commander.
• Gravebreaker Lamia - Entomb on a creature is amazing even if the creature doesn't have flash. Additionally, lands we cast from the graveyard cost 1 less to cast so Muldortha and Havengul Lich love that. It's also a 4/4 with lifelink for 4B so it also has a great body for its cost, too.
• Mindwrack Harpy - Great for the Budget Build, it self-mills us for 3 cards while also making all opponents mill 3 cards, which can be quite disruptive when left unanswered. It's also a 3/2 with flying for 3B which isn't bad, either.
• Relentless Pursuit - Another good self-mill spell for the Budget Build since it self-mills 4 but you can save a land from those and put it into your hand.
• Skola Grovedancer - Good to gain life, it's self-mill ability is a bit overcosted. I think it would've been fine at just 1G or even G. That being said, I think it could be good in the Budget Build as a way to gain life against more aggressive decks.
• Thassa, Deep-Dwelling - A Conjurer's Closet on a body would be a great addition to the deck with all the creatures with enter-the-battlefield abilities. However, it'd need considerable testing just to make sure it pulls its weight and isn't just a pet card.
• Tymaret Calls the Dead - It self-mills 3 cards at the end of our draw step for two draw steps. We probably won't be exiling any creature to create a generic zombie token. However, if we're able to keep a huge horde of zombies amassed, we can gain a huge chunk of life and scry deep into our deck by the time the 3rd lore comes into effect.
• Underworld Sentinel - It's a roundabout way of reanimating creatures but at least any creature exiled under it won't be unrecoverable if our graveyard were exiled.
• Uro, Titan of Nature's Wrath - Continuously recasting this from the graveyard with Muldrotha, the Gravetide and/or Havengul Lich would be amazing. I really doubt I'd exile 5 cards to pay its escape cost, but as it is, it's a great ability on a creature for its casting cost - especially in a deck like this one.

Quote from AnarchyStarfish »

Which is the superior include: Mire in Misery or Innocent Blood?

• Calculating Lich - Calculating, indeed! This definitely fits in both the Main Build and the Zombie Build but it'll more than likely go in the Zombie Build. Not only does this hurt opponents when they attack each other, but when we attack with a horde of zombies, opponents will lose life regardless if they block or not. So they'll lose life and then they'll have to deal with the horde. I can even look past the high mana cost since these decks generate so much mana.

Quote from AnarchyStarfish »

Any thoughts on Grismold, the Dreadsower or Garruk, Cursed Huntsman in the deck?

• Return of the Wildspeaker - Considering how huge PK can get, this card is definitely worth including. For instant speed we're able to draw a ton of cards at the end of the turn before ours.
• Steelbane Hydra - With all the mana the deck produces this can enter the battlefield pretty huge. Additionally, it can have enough +1/+1 counters on it in order to snipe any problematic artifacts or enchantments.
• The Great Henge - With just Polukranos out, this costs 2GG. However, if PK had any +1/+1 counters on it, then it'll more than likely just cost GG. Not only is this a mana rock, but it gains us 2 life also when tapping for that mana. The best part is that when a nontoken creature enters the battlefield, it gets a +1/+1 counter and we draw a card. Definitely worth considering.
• Witch's Oven - It costs no mana to activate and only 1 to cast. Not only could it be a reliable way to sacrifice Polukranos for the recasting, but it'll give you 2 food tokens everytime you do.

• Chittering Witch - For just 4 mana she's potentially 4 bodies. She also has a sacrifice that can potentially get rid of creatures. Unfortunately, it's not a free sacrifice outlet which is ultimately the deal breaker.
• Taste of Death - A bit overcosted at 6 mana, it's essentially 3 Innocent Blood stapled onto the same sorcery. It does have the benefit of giving us 3 food tokens, which are tokens with a built-in sacrifice ability. Even considering the steep cost it's a card I would consider since it would provide me with the potential for 15 sacrifice triggers (up to 12 creatures being sacrificed and then 3 food that can be sacrificed afterwards).
• The Cauldron of Eternity - Since the deck does sacrifice a bunch of creatures, it's very probable that this spell will cost BB most of the time. Then, when our creatures die, they just go to the bottom of the library. But, what's important for this deck is its reanimation ability. This allows use to reanimate any creatures from our graveyard before it entered the battlefield.
• Steelbane Hydra - With all the +1/+1 counters going around, it's nice to know that this creature will always be able to destroy any pesky artifacts or enchantments on the battlefield - or any mana rocks opponents might have.
• Witch's Oven - It costs no mana to activate and only 1 to cast. It might be useful as a sacrifice outlet since sacrificing a large enough creature can get you 2 food tokens.

• Emry, Lurker of the Loch - Although the deck doesn't run too many artifacts, Emry can mill four of our cards at a cost between 1-3 mana. She can also tap in order for use to cast an artifact from our graveyard until end of turn. Since I've managed to continue reducing the number of noncreature cards in the deck, the amount of artifacts will definitely diminish. It's hard enough as it is looking for space in the deck to put in a card that will eventually be taken out. That being said, Emry is an amazing card - just not here.
• Ayara, First of Locthwain - Definitely worth considering for the deck! Although her BBB is hard on a tricolored deck, her abilties more than make up for it. With sufficient zombie tokens entering the battlefield, we can kill all opponents without needing to turn sideways.
• Murderous Rider - Hero's Downfall on a creature is exactly the kind of thing this deck wants. As a bonus, it can be cast from its adventure for just 1BB as 2/3 zombie with deathtouch that goes back to the bottom of the library when it dies. 100% going in this deck.
• Syr Konrad, the Grim - Another amazing card for the deck. Everytime we mill ourselves or one of our creatures die, we get to deal 1 damage to each opponent. This is something that happens quite often in the deck and that damage definitely adds up. He's a bit costly at 5 mana but he's a 5/4 so he more than makes up for it. On top of that, he can mill everyone for 1 for just 1B.
• The Cauldron of Eternity - Although I'm trying to reduce the amount of noncreature spells in the deck, this artifact is very good here. Considering the deck is a self-mill deck, more than likely it'll cost just BB. When our creatures die, they go to the bottom of the library. The, for just 2B, T, and paying 2 life we get to reanimate any creature from our graveyard at sorcery speed. Definitely worth considering for the deck.
• Steelbane Hydra - With all the mana the deck produces this can definitely be cast with a healthy value of X. It can then be used as removal for any unwanted artifacts or enchantments on the battlefield. And, if it runs out, it can just be recast from the graveyard later one.