Thank you for your help Sir Kain123 i feel like the build is finalized and i feel without your help it would be nowhere near what i ended at. Im not sure if ill update the first post to the finalized decklist so apologies if i dont. But i look forward to playing the deck when everything comes in and look forward to more time in these forums. Thank You!
I initially wanted to use Demonic Tutor when i first started this deck since i came from playing Yugioh and we have the philosophy that deck thinning is deck winning lol but that 45 dollar price tag for a 4 of card is uh pretty rich( even currently according to this site the deck is sitting at 260 and i literally have to buy every single card)
After you posted your decklist i immediately threw in Skullclamp and loved the draws but it came at the cost of not having a monster to sacrifice for Recurring Nightmare. When testing it just felt like the two cards kept conflicting.
Ahhh sigh it didnt save=( welp i retyped it up my original explanation was better but oh well.
That be true but it is a fairly different dynamic compared to 2v2 and 3v3 since tapping your creatures out basically means your dead before your turn comes back around(its the reason why i had to scrap "mill" from being my second deck).
Hey there sorry about the delay it was hard finding time to test card tweaks in between work and life. I hope you dont mind but i borrowed a tad from your build for my new version although i guess that was kind've the reason you posted it. I edited it into the first post to keep things more organized. My main annoyance is the necessity of a small discard outlet for the few key moments where you draw into the big guys. I did try to add in some more "enter battlefield" big creatures but it kept throwing off my ratio in testing.
I realize we had a minor miscommunication when i said multiplayer which was my bad. My reason for needing opening turn monsters is my group tends to mostly play 3 and 4 player free for all more often then not so no teammate to fall back on for blocking and more people poking at your field per round.
Ive noticed one use of Griselbrand's effect puts you so far ahead its almost laughable and paired with Merchant its you tend to have more card and life then you started with.
Honestly i started on considering Cabal as per your suggestion in the second post. However i realize i have no need for ramping mana faster most of the deck operates perfectly well by 4 mana and Cabal requires Urborg to save it from being a brick early game. The less bricks and horrible creatures known as mulligans i can have the better. (also seems like an unnecessary extra 100 bucks for good numbers for both.
1)That's a good idea i hate Reanimates drawback so much especially since i like it for a 7 drop O.o. Since you seem to be a long time player i ask wouldn't being connected to an enchantment cause my creature to be far more vulnerable? Its a little harder to use but do you think Recurring Nightmare might be a better replacement?(by the time i can Bury id have the mana to use Nightmare. As for Dread Return I really like the card cause of its flashback which can allow you to use it even before the 4 mana.
2)I agree Cryptbreaker is very sub par past the first 2 turns but he allows discards while gaining monsters. Example i drew Sheoldred on my opening hand well he can toss her to make a token which sets up the reanimation spell of choice to be live and can even throw Dread Return and create the creatures needed for its flashback. although in earnesty he does get some good draws later in the game since you cant block with gravecrawler especially when its still sick. As for Gifted in multiplayer duels having to wait till turn three for a creature to block is suicide I.E. Carrion Feeder or turn 4 Geralf's Messenger so i searched out 1 and 2 drops and shes was my favorite of the group.
Funny enough Diregraf was the cut back i made for Gifted Aetherborn. Ill see where i can fit in more Diregraf maybe one less Horde.(stupid cutback now that im looking at it more) as for Horde i really like its reilience to damage and potential to throw damage on the board. Make more edits after your opinions for the reanimation section thanks for your continued help and sorry im stubborn=(
Apologies ahead of time im new to deck posting forums so when editing a deck during discussion im not sure if i edit the main post or add the new one in a new post or both??(also this site refuses to give me notifications).
Before the formal, Kain123 after replying i reread your post a few times and did some research on the cards you put forth and realized you were far more correct then myself. My original build was far too slow and fairly easy to pick apart with little to no power when power was needed. Merchant really got me thinking and i know this is a bit of a drastic change but inspiration took and i ran with it.
Before its mentioned i did indeed attempt cabal coffers(duel testing against aggressive AI using Forge) a few times and every time i had it, it was relatively lackluster until late in the game and would've served to be a normal swamp more often then not. I changed from the token army concept for what i believe to be a stronger force although interactions between Gravecrawler and Diregraf can lead to armies just as big if not bigger and faster then my original without an already set up field I.E. Ranks or the absurd ultimate of Liliana.
Thing that might not belong would be Gifted Aetherborn, but i realized Cryptbreaker became completely useless by turn 3 or 4 and could barely chump alongside Gravecrawler who cant block. She(?) helped alleviate the opening turns by providing a way to replenish health/create a bit of a opening threat although not being zombie may hurt her a little but so far its not usually a problem.
Buried Alive is such a beautiful card that thins the deck by three per and allows you to get the star of the deck Sheoldred, Whispering One and sets up for cheaper summoning due to the reanimation spells. Also allows you to get to your Gravecrawlers easily and can help alleviate the problems i felt Korlash brang. (also sets up for Merchant quite smoothly=P)
Let me know about the whole deck editing during discussion thing and i get things edited properly thanks. Kumlekar(wow just realized the innuendo there) thanks for chiming in i feel a reanimation package was just what i was missing and kudos you seem to roam these forums alot lol. Side note to you sir:Apocalypse and Death are great cards especially late game i might consider Apocalypse but sadly Death will be shelved i dont think i could deal with two Ulamogs in one duel.
Hope to see more input im burning to get this deck done thanks=D
Apologies if this sounds nit picky or unappreciative since it is not meant that way and i truly appreciate and like the suggestions.
Now with that out of the way ill go by category:(give or take this excerpt)
I dont think you understood the reason for the direction i was trying to go for with the key theme of the deck. I chose the creatures i did because of the token generation, typically in a multi-man duel(does MTG call it duels?) going for "ive got the biggest creature" strategies get you stuck in the situation of well i can kill one guy but then the rest of the players can pick you off so i was trying to get a setup where i can have a force that can attack and defend while keeping the creature count manageable(Grave Pact) and can deal with the pesky Ulamog plus indestructible gods my friends play.
Land:
I did feel like Terramorphic was a bit of a random and unnecessary tech, i guess i just figured with all the draw(Necromancer's Stockpile,Cryptbreaker) i wanted to reduce the chance of wasting it into a land even if only a little. As for Cabal Coffers that's a great suggestion(though a little pricey) since it more or less essentially doubles your mana count. My only concern since i haven't seen it used is that it might get a little bricky since its more or less useless until you get 4 swamps whereas the current choice thins the deck and is immediately useful although its benefits are definitely considerable.
Lords:
If keeping with the token theme i feel we could both agree that keeping the lords count to a minimum is key since they don't directly enhance the primary goal. First to chop is Master, swampwalk is super situational and a situation that will almost never come up and regenerate is just as useless since most creature removal ive faced is either exile or has the cant be regenerated clause. Undead Warchief and Lord of the Undead have their merits but ultimately there isnt currently a zombie worth wasting mana to bring to hand and all of the current mana costs are pretty low to begin with.I know you didnt name it but Lord of the Accursed and Death Baron both serve similar purposes and i like them both but i believe Accursed wins out since he essentially doubles your tokens when he grants menace.
Beat Sticks: Feeder, Husk, and Ghoul i agree are pretty powerful cards but outside of an already in place token generating field will never see their potential and in the multi-man scenario they are a great way to open up your field for your opponent. Wight easily being the worst of the group since it requires your opponent(s) graveyard to be sufficiently set up. Unbreathing Horde/Soulless One in our group meta are the same exact card so well talk about the stronger and cheaper Horde, I have nothing bad to say about it its great at a 3 drop can get super strong without effort(especially with the tokens) and is virtually unkillable in battle all around good card and a serious debate about finding it a spot.
Tech?: Shepherd of Rot is the easiest no since it states all players and that includes myself, my friends have lands that give life when played and some run Arborback Stomper esque cards so its an immediate disadvantage. Korlash, Heir to Blackblade sounds like such a great card! can become huge quickly without effort and the deck thinning is just perfect my only caveat is just that his best ability requires 3 cards in a 60 card deck to be in hand to be of any use, outside of some worries about the opening hand im having trouble coming up with a reason not to run him. Ghoulraiser inconsistent and superfluous(see lords). Gravecrawler seems like good card and combos nicely with Stockpile but not being able to block really hinders its uses. Merchant is a good card and its cost isnt even too big of a deal but i feel like its win-more without contribution to the strategy. Relentless Dead is an interesting card and with the sacrifice effects will likely get its effect off nicely but i feel like Dread Return does its job better. Fleshbag does follow the current effects but its sacrifice is mandatory and doesnt provide any real benefit like making tokens or gaining life. Last is Messenger, im super on the fence with this guy he has downsides being tapped and upsides dealing damage and bringing himself back which deals damage....he seems like a standalone card or more geared toward a revival deck.
That took far too long to type and think about. Again nothing said was to be argumentive or unappreciative, in fact it was said to give my opinions of the cards and choices in relation to the strategy ive attempted to build in hopes it could spark more accurate discussion and furthering of the build(I am well aware that limiting myself to my token strategy is in and of itself a hindrance and limits the potential strength of the deck going further). Luckily you commented when you did as i was about to start acquiring the cards this very night. A fortuitous turn of events indeed
I've always been an avid fan of the zombie archetype and so when i decided to i needed my own MTG deck, instead of borrowing friend's, naturally i turned to the rotting corpses that infest this game. I poured over every card that counted as a zombie according to this sites search function and despite all the directions i could take this deck i finally decided on a direction and built this:(its been edited a few times)
Personally I think Liliana utterly sucks outside of her ultimate and tends to serve more as a distraction then a win condition so i kept her count down. Fairly new to building decks so Terramorphic might be a stupid addition but i figured it pulled cards out of the deck which to me sounds like a plus. Another odd addition you might see is Grave Pact, but i figured it gets around indestructible and helps shave the opponents monster count down in 1v2/3's(which my group tends to always play) and Gisa along with Gnawing Zombie set it off quite easily. Diregraf can get big as well as Lord and Sidisi helps grab whatever card im missing from the combo. Best opening hands i seem to find so far is Stockpile or Cryptbreaker since they get the ball rolling in the right direction.
I know its probably "slow" or rudimentary but I feel its a fairly solid build. Curious how the community feels about it and if maybe i overlooked a better card choice or combo.(side note i hate bridge from below its strong but so easy to get it banished)
Apologies ahead of time im new to deck posting forums so when editing a deck during discussion im not sure if i edit the main post or add the new one in a new post or both??(also this site refuses to give me notifications).
Before the formal, Kain123 after replying i reread your post a few times and did some research on the cards you put forth and realized you were far more correct then myself. My original build was far too slow and fairly easy to pick apart with little to no power when power was needed. Merchant really got me thinking and i know this is a bit of a drastic change but inspiration took and i ran with it.
Before its mentioned i did indeed attempt cabal coffers(duel testing against aggressive AI using Forge) a few times and every time i had it, it was relatively lackluster until late in the game and would've served to be a normal swamp more often then not. I changed from the token army concept for what i believe to be a stronger force although interactions between Gravecrawler and Diregraf can lead to armies just as big if not bigger and faster then my original without an already set up field I.E. Ranks or the absurd ultimate of Liliana.
Thing that might not belong would be Gifted Aetherborn, but i realized Cryptbreaker became completely useless by turn 3 or 4 and could barely chump alongside Gravecrawler who cant block. She(?) helped alleviate the opening turns by providing a way to replenish health/create a bit of a opening threat although not being zombie may hurt her a little but so far its not usually a problem.
Buried Alive is such a beautiful card that thins the deck by three per and allows you to get the star of the deck Sheoldred, Whispering One and sets up for cheaper summoning due to the reanimation spells. Also allows you to get to your Gravecrawlers easily and can help alleviate the problems i felt Korlash brang. (also sets up for Merchant quite smoothly=P)
Let me know about the whole deck editing during discussion thing and i get things edited properly thanks. Kumlekar(wow just realized the innuendo there) thanks for chiming in i feel a reanimation package was just what i was missing and kudos you seem to roam these forums alot lol. Side note to you sir:Apocalypse and Death are great cards especially late game i might consider Apocalypse but sadly Death will be shelved i dont think i could deal with two Ulamogs in one duel.
Hope to see more input im burning to get this deck done thanks=D
One more version and one more step towards completion!
Yay to retyping>.<
Finally i get to throw Cryptbreaker out of the build! In his place i put in Miasmic Mummy with it being an all around stronger creature and helps to fix your hand when you end up drawing into your bigger creatures you would prefer in the graveyard, and Geralf's Messenger whom was recommended and after some testing i really like his performance and both cards play well with Gravecrawlers graveyard recursion(the latter having fun interaction with Recurring Nightmare). Crypt Ghast is there to help hard cast Sheoldred and Griselbrand quicker if necessary and its extort ability can change the tide of the game rather quickly when paired with Gravecrawler. Animate Dead was added to go alongside Recurring Nightmare for those times when you cant seem to get a monster on board to pay for the sacrifice cost and can be played sooner when necessary. Lastly Tendrils can help to keep you alive when in the early game and can deal with threats you feel need more immediate attention.
Or so i hope since im new to deck building and fairly new to magic in general.
Might sound weird but the one thing i dont like and fear in magic is the mana system! EEEE Le Gasp! I know but i grew up a yugioh player and never had to worry about such a concept when playing with it and even more so deck building with it. Now with that fear i chose this probably less then stellar choice for mana(for this deck).
Explanation on bottom. Format is for friend circle casual play no ban/limits
Compared to the fog turbo decks i kept running across this is very different. Its designed for longer more defensive games since my group tends to play two headed and 1v2/1v3 so an all in mill would just run out of gas too soon or just plain lose to multiple aggressive opponents. Used this sites test hands ALOT and having enough blue mana mixed in doesnt seem to be the problem i originally assumed it would be althogugh that went through many revisions.
Draw spell/monsters are self explanatory more draw equals better gamestate in my opinion. One planeswalker is mostly for getting through my deck quicker and the other bashes through my opponents. The counter spell cause thats what blue does and who am i to deny giving it what it wants. Expedition Map to grab more blue or ramp mana, and the lotus is for when i dont draw any blue but all the clouds. Elixer is probably a win more card but shuffling my graveyard back wins a grind game. The enchantments and the tap for damage monsters pair to clear boards and with the mana ramp i chose basilisk can cycle through each of my monsters easily(i know theres an infinite loop to kill an opponent with the draw to discard untap but im purposely gonna avoid it cause thats not my win condition and its highly unfair).
I feel the biggest weakness to this decks build is the mana construction and possibly amounts of each of the cards. Welp there it is look forward to hearing thougths and opinion.
Hello all of this fine forum! I have doozy of a task set up for us today.
Ill lose most of you here but small backstory. Im primarily a Yugioh player, but ive found that half of my friends are primarily magic players. Ive learned the game easy enough and play quite well with any deck ive had the pleasure to use. Now the problem being i have no deck of my own so i must borrow a friends deck each time we play. While the variety is fun as you might agree its not as satisfying.
Second problem being that ive already got myself addicted to my own cardboard crack and literally cant afford to toss myself down the rabbit hole that is deckbuilding and card collecting. So i decided to buy a made deck that contained my favorite monster Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger! (as well as most of the big eldrazi having such awesome effects) As a player i prefer strategy to my plays like control and tend to hold off the attack till its safe.
This was the only deck i found on ebay that actually contained Mr. Big Bad so i figured it would be my starting point.
Naturally i dont expect the final result will be keeping much or even most of these cards and thats perfectly fine.
Now that thats out of the way my friends all play casually so banlist stuff are paid no mind. Also this list is all the cards i own but based on the changes we make during this discussion i will over time make the necessary purchases. I dont mind and kindve prefer the card options given to be the best card choice rather then a substitute(even if it means itll be more expensive since naturally stronger cards will have their cost). Side note: one of my friends used the Urza lands tower, plant, and mine and i found that to be such a wonderful set up and would love to use it if its consistent for the deck.
I initially wanted to use Demonic Tutor when i first started this deck since i came from playing Yugioh and we have the philosophy that deck thinning is deck winning lol but that 45 dollar price tag for a 4 of card is uh pretty rich( even currently according to this site the deck is sitting at 260 and i literally have to buy every single card)
After you posted your decklist i immediately threw in Skullclamp and loved the draws but it came at the cost of not having a monster to sacrifice for Recurring Nightmare. When testing it just felt like the two cards kept conflicting.
That be true but it is a fairly different dynamic compared to 2v2 and 3v3 since tapping your creatures out basically means your dead before your turn comes back around(its the reason why i had to scrap "mill" from being my second deck).
I realize we had a minor miscommunication when i said multiplayer which was my bad. My reason for needing opening turn monsters is my group tends to mostly play 3 and 4 player free for all more often then not so no teammate to fall back on for blocking and more people poking at your field per round.
Ive noticed one use of Griselbrand's effect puts you so far ahead its almost laughable and paired with Merchant its you tend to have more card and life then you started with.
1)That's a good idea i hate Reanimates drawback so much especially since i like it for a 7 drop O.o. Since you seem to be a long time player i ask wouldn't being connected to an enchantment cause my creature to be far more vulnerable? Its a little harder to use but do you think Recurring Nightmare might be a better replacement?(by the time i can Bury id have the mana to use Nightmare. As for Dread Return I really like the card cause of its flashback which can allow you to use it even before the 4 mana.
2)I agree Cryptbreaker is very sub par past the first 2 turns but he allows discards while gaining monsters. Example i drew Sheoldred on my opening hand well he can toss her to make a token which sets up the reanimation spell of choice to be live and can even throw Dread Return and create the creatures needed for its flashback. although in earnesty he does get some good draws later in the game since you cant block with gravecrawler especially when its still sick. As for Gifted in multiplayer duels having to wait till turn three for a creature to block is suicide I.E. Carrion Feeder or turn 4 Geralf's Messenger so i searched out 1 and 2 drops and shes was my favorite of the group.
Funny enough Diregraf was the cut back i made for Gifted Aetherborn. Ill see where i can fit in more Diregraf maybe one less Horde.(stupid cutback now that im looking at it more) as for Horde i really like its reilience to damage and potential to throw damage on the board. Make more edits after your opinions for the reanimation section thanks for your continued help and sorry im stubborn=(
Before the formal, Kain123 after replying i reread your post a few times and did some research on the cards you put forth and realized you were far more correct then myself. My original build was far too slow and fairly easy to pick apart with little to no power when power was needed. Merchant really got me thinking and i know this is a bit of a drastic change but inspiration took and i ran with it.
4 Korlash, Heir to Blackblade
2 Unbreathing Horde
3 Cryptbreaker
2 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
2 Diregraf Colossus
3 Gifted Aetherborn
4 Gravecrawler
2 Sheoldred, Whispering One
2 Grave Pact
3 Necromancer's Stockpile
Land
3 Phyrexian Tower
21 Swamp
Sorcery
4 Buried Alive
2 Reanimate
3 Dread Return
Before its mentioned i did indeed attempt cabal coffers(duel testing against aggressive AI using Forge) a few times and every time i had it, it was relatively lackluster until late in the game and would've served to be a normal swamp more often then not. I changed from the token army concept for what i believe to be a stronger force although interactions between Gravecrawler and Diregraf can lead to armies just as big if not bigger and faster then my original without an already set up field I.E. Ranks or the absurd ultimate of Liliana.
Thing that might not belong would be Gifted Aetherborn, but i realized Cryptbreaker became completely useless by turn 3 or 4 and could barely chump alongside Gravecrawler who cant block. She(?) helped alleviate the opening turns by providing a way to replenish health/create a bit of a opening threat although not being zombie may hurt her a little but so far its not usually a problem.
Buried Alive is such a beautiful card that thins the deck by three per and allows you to get the star of the deck Sheoldred, Whispering One and sets up for cheaper summoning due to the reanimation spells. Also allows you to get to your Gravecrawlers easily and can help alleviate the problems i felt Korlash brang. (also sets up for Merchant quite smoothly=P)
Let me know about the whole deck editing during discussion thing and i get things edited properly thanks. Kumlekar(wow just realized the innuendo there) thanks for chiming in i feel a reanimation package was just what i was missing and kudos you seem to roam these forums alot lol. Side note to you sir:Apocalypse and Death are great cards especially late game i might consider Apocalypse but sadly Death will be shelved i dont think i could deal with two Ulamogs in one duel.
Hope to see more input im burning to get this deck done thanks=D
Now with that out of the way ill go by category:(give or take this excerpt)
I dont think you understood the reason for the direction i was trying to go for with the key theme of the deck. I chose the creatures i did because of the token generation, typically in a multi-man duel(does MTG call it duels?) going for "ive got the biggest creature" strategies get you stuck in the situation of well i can kill one guy but then the rest of the players can pick you off so i was trying to get a setup where i can have a force that can attack and defend while keeping the creature count manageable(Grave Pact) and can deal with the pesky Ulamog plus indestructible gods my friends play.
Land:
I did feel like Terramorphic was a bit of a random and unnecessary tech, i guess i just figured with all the draw(Necromancer's Stockpile,Cryptbreaker) i wanted to reduce the chance of wasting it into a land even if only a little. As for Cabal Coffers that's a great suggestion(though a little pricey) since it more or less essentially doubles your mana count. My only concern since i haven't seen it used is that it might get a little bricky since its more or less useless until you get 4 swamps whereas the current choice thins the deck and is immediately useful although its benefits are definitely considerable.
Lords:
If keeping with the token theme i feel we could both agree that keeping the lords count to a minimum is key since they don't directly enhance the primary goal. First to chop is Master, swampwalk is super situational and a situation that will almost never come up and regenerate is just as useless since most creature removal ive faced is either exile or has the cant be regenerated clause. Undead Warchief and Lord of the Undead have their merits but ultimately there isnt currently a zombie worth wasting mana to bring to hand and all of the current mana costs are pretty low to begin with.I know you didnt name it but Lord of the Accursed and Death Baron both serve similar purposes and i like them both but i believe Accursed wins out since he essentially doubles your tokens when he grants menace.
Beat Sticks:
Feeder, Husk, and Ghoul i agree are pretty powerful cards but outside of an already in place token generating field will never see their potential and in the multi-man scenario they are a great way to open up your field for your opponent. Wight easily being the worst of the group since it requires your opponent(s) graveyard to be sufficiently set up. Unbreathing Horde/Soulless One in our group meta are the same exact card so well talk about the stronger and cheaper Horde, I have nothing bad to say about it its great at a 3 drop can get super strong without effort(especially with the tokens) and is virtually unkillable in battle all around good card and a serious debate about finding it a spot.
Tech?:
Shepherd of Rot is the easiest no since it states all players and that includes myself, my friends have lands that give life when played and some run Arborback Stomper esque cards so its an immediate disadvantage. Korlash, Heir to Blackblade sounds like such a great card! can become huge quickly without effort and the deck thinning is just perfect my only caveat is just that his best ability requires 3 cards in a 60 card deck to be in hand to be of any use, outside of some worries about the opening hand im having trouble coming up with a reason not to run him. Ghoulraiser inconsistent and superfluous(see lords). Gravecrawler seems like good card and combos nicely with Stockpile but not being able to block really hinders its uses. Merchant is a good card and its cost isnt even too big of a deal but i feel like its win-more without contribution to the strategy. Relentless Dead is an interesting card and with the sacrifice effects will likely get its effect off nicely but i feel like Dread Return does its job better. Fleshbag does follow the current effects but its sacrifice is mandatory and doesnt provide any real benefit like making tokens or gaining life. Last is Messenger, im super on the fence with this guy he has downsides being tapped and upsides dealing damage and bringing himself back which deals damage....he seems like a standalone card or more geared toward a revival deck.
That took far too long to type and think about. Again nothing said was to be argumentive or unappreciative, in fact it was said to give my opinions of the cards and choices in relation to the strategy ive attempted to build in hopes it could spark more accurate discussion and furthering of the build(I am well aware that limiting myself to my token strategy is in and of itself a hindrance and limits the potential strength of the deck going further). Luckily you commented when you did as i was about to start acquiring the cards this very night. A fortuitous turn of events indeed
4 Cryptbreaker
4 Gnawing Zombie
4 Diregraf Colossus
4 Lord of the Accursed
2 Ghoulcaller Gisa
2 Sidisi, Undead Vizier
2 Grave Pact
2 Endless Ranks of the Dead
4 Necromancer's Stockpile
Land
4 Terramorphic Expanse
18 Swamp
2 Dread Return
4 Dark Salvation
2 Stir the Sands
Planeswalker
2 Liliana, the Last Hope
I believe you call this "going wide"!
Personally I think Liliana utterly sucks outside of her ultimate and tends to serve more as a distraction then a win condition so i kept her count down. Fairly new to building decks so Terramorphic might be a stupid addition but i figured it pulled cards out of the deck which to me sounds like a plus. Another odd addition you might see is Grave Pact, but i figured it gets around indestructible and helps shave the opponents monster count down in 1v2/3's(which my group tends to always play) and Gisa along with Gnawing Zombie set it off quite easily. Diregraf can get big as well as Lord and Sidisi helps grab whatever card im missing from the combo. Best opening hands i seem to find so far is Stockpile or Cryptbreaker since they get the ball rolling in the right direction.
I know its probably "slow" or rudimentary but I feel its a fairly solid build. Curious how the community feels about it and if maybe i overlooked a better card choice or combo.(side note i hate bridge from below its strong but so easy to get it banished)
Before the formal, Kain123 after replying i reread your post a few times and did some research on the cards you put forth and realized you were far more correct then myself. My original build was far too slow and fairly easy to pick apart with little to no power when power was needed. Merchant really got me thinking and i know this is a bit of a drastic change but inspiration took and i ran with it.
4 Korlash, Heir to Blackblade
2 Unbreathing Horde
3 Cryptbreaker
2 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
2 Diregraf Colossus
3 Gifted Aetherborn
4 Gravecrawler
2 Sheoldred, Whispering One
2 Grave Pact
3 Necromancer's Stockpile
Land
3 Phyrexian Tower
21 Swamp
Sorcery
4 Buried Alive
2 Reanimate
3 Dread Return
Before its mentioned i did indeed attempt cabal coffers(duel testing against aggressive AI using Forge) a few times and every time i had it, it was relatively lackluster until late in the game and would've served to be a normal swamp more often then not. I changed from the token army concept for what i believe to be a stronger force although interactions between Gravecrawler and Diregraf can lead to armies just as big if not bigger and faster then my original without an already set up field I.E. Ranks or the absurd ultimate of Liliana.
Thing that might not belong would be Gifted Aetherborn, but i realized Cryptbreaker became completely useless by turn 3 or 4 and could barely chump alongside Gravecrawler who cant block. She(?) helped alleviate the opening turns by providing a way to replenish health/create a bit of a opening threat although not being zombie may hurt her a little but so far its not usually a problem.
Buried Alive is such a beautiful card that thins the deck by three per and allows you to get the star of the deck Sheoldred, Whispering One and sets up for cheaper summoning due to the reanimation spells. Also allows you to get to your Gravecrawlers easily and can help alleviate the problems i felt Korlash brang. (also sets up for Merchant quite smoothly=P)
Let me know about the whole deck editing during discussion thing and i get things edited properly thanks. Kumlekar(wow just realized the innuendo there) thanks for chiming in i feel a reanimation package was just what i was missing and kudos you seem to roam these forums alot lol. Side note to you sir:Apocalypse and Death are great cards especially late game i might consider Apocalypse but sadly Death will be shelved i dont think i could deal with two Ulamogs in one duel.
Hope to see more input im burning to get this deck done thanks=D
4 Korlash, Heir to Blackblade
2 Crypt Ghast
2 Gray Merchant of Asphodel
4 Diregraf Colossus
2 Miasmic Mummy
4 Gravecrawler
2 Geralf's Messenger
1 Sheoldred, Whispering One
1 Griselbrand
4 Recurring Nightmare
2 Grave Pact
2 Animate Dead
Land
3 Phyrexian Tower
21 Swamp
2 Tendrils of Corruption
Sorcery
4 Buried Alive
Yay to retyping>.<
Finally i get to throw Cryptbreaker out of the build! In his place i put in Miasmic Mummy with it being an all around stronger creature and helps to fix your hand when you end up drawing into your bigger creatures you would prefer in the graveyard, and Geralf's Messenger whom was recommended and after some testing i really like his performance and both cards play well with Gravecrawlers graveyard recursion(the latter having fun interaction with Recurring Nightmare). Crypt Ghast is there to help hard cast Sheoldred and Griselbrand quicker if necessary and its extort ability can change the tide of the game rather quickly when paired with Gravecrawler. Animate Dead was added to go alongside Recurring Nightmare for those times when you cant seem to get a monster on board to pay for the sacrifice cost and can be played sooner when necessary. Lastly Tendrils can help to keep you alive when in the early game and can deal with threats you feel need more immediate attention.
Might sound weird but the one thing i dont like and fear in magic is the mana system! EEEE Le Gasp! I know but i grew up a yugioh player and never had to worry about such a concept when playing with it and even more so deck building with it. Now with that fear i chose this probably less then stellar choice for mana(for this deck).
Explanation on bottom. Format is for friend circle casual play no ban/limits
2 Zuran Spellcaster
2 Archivist
4 Jushi Apprentice
3 Prodigal Sorcerer
2 Arcanis the Omnipotent
Enchantment
2 Mind Over Matter
2 Curiosity
4 Glimmerpost
4 Vesuva
4 Cloudpost
8 Island
Artifact
1 Elixir of Immortality
2 Gilded Lotus
4 Expedition Map
2 Basilisk Collar
4 Counterspell
Sorcery
4 Take Inventory
Planeswalker
2 Jace, Memory Adept
4 Jace, Architect of Thought
Compared to the fog turbo decks i kept running across this is very different. Its designed for longer more defensive games since my group tends to play two headed and 1v2/1v3 so an all in mill would just run out of gas too soon or just plain lose to multiple aggressive opponents. Used this sites test hands ALOT and having enough blue mana mixed in doesnt seem to be the problem i originally assumed it would be althogugh that went through many revisions.
Draw spell/monsters are self explanatory more draw equals better gamestate in my opinion. One planeswalker is mostly for getting through my deck quicker and the other bashes through my opponents. The counter spell cause thats what blue does and who am i to deny giving it what it wants. Expedition Map to grab more blue or ramp mana, and the lotus is for when i dont draw any blue but all the clouds. Elixer is probably a win more card but shuffling my graveyard back wins a grind game. The enchantments and the tap for damage monsters pair to clear boards and with the mana ramp i chose basilisk can cycle through each of my monsters easily(i know theres an infinite loop to kill an opponent with the draw to discard untap but im purposely gonna avoid it cause thats not my win condition and its highly unfair).
I feel the biggest weakness to this decks build is the mana construction and possibly amounts of each of the cards. Welp there it is look forward to hearing thougths and opinion.
Ill lose most of you here but small backstory. Im primarily a Yugioh player, but ive found that half of my friends are primarily magic players. Ive learned the game easy enough and play quite well with any deck ive had the pleasure to use. Now the problem being i have no deck of my own so i must borrow a friends deck each time we play. While the variety is fun as you might agree its not as satisfying.
Second problem being that ive already got myself addicted to my own cardboard crack and literally cant afford to toss myself down the rabbit hole that is deckbuilding and card collecting. So i decided to buy a made deck that contained my favorite monster Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger! (as well as most of the big eldrazi having such awesome effects) As a player i prefer strategy to my plays like control and tend to hold off the attack till its safe.
This was the only deck i found on ebay that actually contained Mr. Big Bad so i figured it would be my starting point.
4 Walker of the Wastes
2 Scion of Ugin
1 Endbringer
1 Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger
2 Desolation Twin
Land
4 Tomb of the Spirit Dragon
1 Shrine of the Forsaken Gods
16 Wastes
1 Mirrorpool
1 Ruins of Oran-Rief
2 Gate Smasher
4 Copper Myr
2 Memnite
2 Custodian of the Trove
4 Burnished Hart
4 Bronze Sable
4 Ancestral Statue
4 Hewed Stone Retainers
1 Gruesome Slaughter
Naturally i dont expect the final result will be keeping much or even most of these cards and thats perfectly fine.
Now that thats out of the way my friends all play casually so banlist stuff are paid no mind. Also this list is all the cards i own but based on the changes we make during this discussion i will over time make the necessary purchases. I dont mind and kindve prefer the card options given to be the best card choice rather then a substitute(even if it means itll be more expensive since naturally stronger cards will have their cost). Side note: one of my friends used the Urza lands tower, plant, and mine and i found that to be such a wonderful set up and would love to use it if its consistent for the deck.