Witching Well has been an excellent Salvaging Station target. There has even been a few occasions when I have found it's second ability useful.
Emry, Lurker of the Loch is not so helpful with Lotus Bloom and Mox Tantalite, and the mill part has made me sad a couple of times, but it plays almost like having a second Salvaging Station.
Dance of the Manse replaced Open the Vaults. There is enough artifact abuse in my meta that giving my opponents back their own stuff has been a real issue. I generally don't need everything in my graveyard back when I played Open the Vaults. I was usually only after a couple of combo pieces that had been removed. Keeping thing's one sided with the option to return my enchantments makes this a very solid card.
I am normally a commander player and don't stick my toes into modern often. I was researching some cards for the new Omnath and came across what I thought would be a fun idea for a modern deck.
Are you looking for a lock out? Mist of Stagnation might work. I had some success with it in the past.
It also has a unique condition where upon triggering, the affected player must untap a permanent for each card in their graveyard. They may only choose a permanent once. Theoretically you could force a heavily milled opponent into the position of untapping your petitioners. Theoretically.
It's usefulness is directly proportional to the amount of discarding you have done, which depends on the draw spells you have been using. If most of your deck is in your hand, deck death can still occur. That's why I choose Day's Undoing & Commit // Memory, since they will recycle the most cards overall.
In the past I had used Deadeye Navigator with the same intent. Flickering Toothy is a valid tactic, but it does have a few drawbacks. Most draw spells are more CMC efficient than flicker effects. For those flicker effects to pay out more, Toothy already has to be pretty large. You also cannot use them as a pump spell before the combat step since they will make a new instance of Toothy.
A delayed bounce like Voyager Staff can help reset Toothy if you feel he is getting to fat. Flicker spells will just compound the problem. Remember that Toothy can get too big.
On advantage that I can see is the ability to change Toothy from tapped to untapped for use as a blocker. They can also be used to reset Toothy as an attacker to avoid a bad block you didn't see, or to avoid a Settle the Wreckage. Those combat tactics a worth one or two card slots, but I wouldn't over do it.
A massive update has been made to both the decklist and the body of the main post. More is to come, but I am not a natural writer so it will take me a while.
That card is going to be broken in my Pir, Imaginative Rascal // Toothy, Imaginary Friend deck. With both commanders on the field + Simic Ascendancy, every time I draw a card I would get to put for 4 counters on the ascendancy. A card draw triggers Toothy, which then triggers Pir, placing a second +1/+1 counter. That will trigger the ascendancy twice, and Pir will trigger again providing an additional ascendancy counter to each trigger.
When I draw 5 cards, I'll get 20 counters. That is no sweat. I have no idea how ofter I would win with Ascendancy, but given how easy it is to setup, it is perfect counter spell / removal bait.
I have taken in you feed back and made some changes. It hurts when you cut pet cards like Salvaging Station + Lotus Bloom, but overall I think the deck is much more cohesive.
A note worthy new addition is Mirran Spy. At worst it will untap a mana creature or my commander when I cast another artifact. At it's best I can untap Arcum Dagsson or combo it with Grand Architect to make any artifact 2 or less a free cast.
I do like the Salvage Slasher in your list. I'm just not quite artifact heavy enough to get value out of it. There is Phyrexian Soulgorger as an "alternative" to Phyrexian Devourer as well. Believe it or not, there are even situation where you want to use the sacrifice ability to get a creature into the graveyard. There are often times you'll draw a Pili-Pala, Vector Asp, etc and want it in your graveyard, for a combo. I normally play them out if I don't have discard, hoping to just block and kill them, or run into a board wipe
But Phyrexian Soulgorger does give you access to guaranteeing this.
I have Reshape, Trading Post, and Arcum Dagsson that are also solutions to that problem. I do like the interaction Phyrexian Soulgorger has with Hex Parasite. 1B is not a bad tax to keep an 8/8 trampler around for a turn or 2 in the early game. I just wish I hadn't sold my copy of that card in a big pile 2 months ago for some fetch lands. After I trying out both The Mimeoplasm and Varolz, the Scar-Striped and disliking them, I figured I would not need it again. The only reason I kept Phyrexian Dreadnought is that I thought it would be better to keep as a trader.
I do think you should run a few more counterspells. I mean if you're worried about graveyard hate, then you should also be worried about artifact mass removal, or hate.
A Vandalblast, Austere Command, Stony Silence, is going to ruin you. So I lean on a few counterspells to react to these types of spells.
I don't see those specific cards very often, but that is a meta thing could change. I do sometimes see a Merciless Eviction and many opposing Cyclonic Rifts.
Thank you. I never really took notice of the Let's Brew thread. I was on the fence about masticore, but I think you are right. I'll be giving him a pass.
I noticed you play all the Stifle effects, Nimble Obstructionist, Stifle, Trickbind. Must be pretty scared of Bojuka Bog, and rightfully so. I think I should play at least Stifle, so that I have some long term answer for it.
I have picked up a reputation among my LGS as the dedicated graveyard player, as I have yet to build a deck that does not use it in some capacity. That means everyone holds onto their grave hate just for me. Those spells also help with Planeswalker ultimates and Eldrazi cast triggers, which can always ruin your day.
How has Unfulfilled Desires been? Looks like a pretty strong card in general and I'm certainly thinking of trying it. Basically all the creatures are disposable from your hand, so for me that's about 1/3 of the deck.
I have extensive experience with this card thanks to the various incarnations of my Grimgrin, Corpse-Born deck. In that deck I has lost track of the times I have used it to dig for an answer or a win condition. I have also lost track of the number of times doing so has nearly killed me! It will keep the game interesting at least. If you are durdling and finding nothing, it is over quick.
For your deck there is possible Zur's Weirding for your Lantern theme
I like that. It allows the group to get in the action too. Unfortunately I have had to drop the lantern focus from my build. It is a strategy that still think could work but it is divergent from artifact centered build. Trying to do both causes a loss in synergy. I may put together a list that focus on Lantern control, but for now I have doubled down on artifacts.
This is my updated list. I used yours as template. One major change I had to make was the mana base. I can't afford most MOX cards, so I'll have to see if I can still make 30 land work.
Library of Leng - We are both running enough cards with discarding as a part of the effect that I figured this might come in handy. I hate loosing my Cyclonic Rift because I had a handful of things that needed to be in the grave. A note to others: This does work with cards where discarding is part of the cost like Artificer's Intuition
Salvage Slasher - This is my back up Phyrexian Dreadnought. I know they don't seem similar, but their function within the deck is very close. In both cases it is preferable to make Lazav a copy after he has gone unblocked. Phyrexian Dreadnought is strictly better because his size is unconditional and he costs less to copy, Salvage Slasher will scale later in the game as your graveyard fills. He also isn't as recognizable as Phyrexian Dreadnought, slowing the hate he will receive in graveyard.
Noteworthy is that I have omitted Crackdown Construct from the list. I feel like he and Phyrexian Devourer were fighting for the same slot. Crackdown Construct gets bigger overall, but after Lazav becomes a 21/21 his size is not relevant anymore. In terms of a hard cast, Phyrexian Devourer does cost more, but I still prefer him for aid in top deck control and his ability to combo with other cards in the deck.
I have been giving it some thought. The thing that is turning me off about Enhanced Surveillance is that my artifact tutors cant find it for me. I did some more research on gatherer. At first I was going to switch to Feldon's Cane, but I eventually decided on Thran Foundry. With the foundry I still have to keep mana open, but not as much, and it functions as grave hate against my opponents in a pinch.
What are your thoughts on masticore for this deck?
I am not sold on Enhanced Surveillance. It has been my experience that if you want to run a card that references a keyword, you will need to run at least 10 other cards with that keyword. Exceptions can be made if your commander has the key word, but in this case Lazav only surveil's when he enters the battlefield. I don't see him triggering enough times for that.
If you want an effect that can protect you graveyard, Elixir of Immortality is probably best.
I have run a Grimgrin deck for many years. My version was non-tribal but it had a heavy black mana base. I used to call it a black deck spice with blue. The majority of U/B dual lands do not help you if you are running swamps matter cards like Cabal Coffers.
You need everything you can reasonably use to fetch a swamp. I strongly recommend getting your hands on at least 4 swamp fetch lands. You also appear to be running too many non-basic utility lands. I would cut:
2x Island - Fetch's will make up for it. If you have an opponent who likes land destruction, don't tell them you only run 3. Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx - Only useful when you are ahead. Better with non-creature permanents that stick around longer. Cabal Stronghold - Does not count non-basic swamps. Best for a pure mono black deck with very fewer utility lands. Underground River - Good but not a swamp. You are probably sad when you draw it late game with a healthy land base. Drowned Catacomb - See above
In the main deck, I would drop Josu Vess, Lich Knight and Balthor the Defiled, then add 2 tutors. It does not matter which tutor's you choose to use, but they would be better than a sub-par zombie token maker and re-animator. I like Final Parting in particular. You can use it to fetch your Living Death and stick your favorite bomb in graveyard.
I am pursuing a lantern control style dream. The idea is to use Lantern of Insight or Wizened Snitches to grant me knowledge of my opponents upcoming draw, then I can use Codex Shredder or preferably Mindshrieker to sculpt their draws. Phyrexian Devourer is both a combo piece and a way to sculpt my draws for the better.
Now that I have finally taken the time to type this up, it looks like I am using far less artifacts than I though I was. I may have to give this list another revision. either remove the heavy artifact support, or double down and add more artifact combo pieces. I was thinking about a Salvaging Station package and Sai, Master Thopterist but that may be another entirely different deck. I could help changing the list while I was posting it. I think I figured out how to include the above.
I am running very few unblockable creatures. Instead most of them are utility creatures with either 1 power or 1 toughness that I can make unblockable with Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive.
I fully endorse Artificer's Intuition. It is a great card that does very heavy lifting if you are using artifacts.
For your build I would suggest Nether Traitor and Meekstone. The traitor is another very good unblockable creature that offers some self reanimation and the ability to give Lazav haste later in the game. Meekstone can be searched with Artificer's Intuition and is pretty effective at slowing down any battle cruiser creatures your opponents may have.
01 Emry, Lurker of the Loch
02 Scrap Trawler
03 Master Transmuter
04 Phyrexian Metamorph
05 Kuldotha Forgemaster
06 Noxious Gearhulk
07 Myr Battlesphere
08 Filigree Angel
09 Sphinx of the Steel Wind
10 Engineered Explosives
11 Tormod's Crypt
12 Codex Shredder
13 Aether Spellbomb
14 Dispeller's Capsule
15 Elixir of Immortality
16 Executioner's Capsule
17 Expedition Map
18 Manifold Key
19 Nihil Spellbomb
20 Pithing Needle
21 Sensei's Divining Top
22 Treasure Map
23 Witching Well
24 Sword of The Meek
25 Thopter Foundry
26 Oblivion Stone
27 Sculpting Steel
28 Aetherflux Reservoir
29 Trading Post
30 Memory Jar
31 Bolas's Citadel
32 Salvaging Station
34 Lotus Petal
35 Mox Tantalite
36 Mox Amber
37 Mana Vault
38 Sol Ring
39 Azorius Signet
40 Orzhov Signet
41 Dimir Signet
42 Worn Powerstone
43 Artificer's Intuition
44 Search for Azcanta
45 Detention Sphere
46 Unfulfilled Desires
47 Mirrodin Besieged
48 Smothering Tithe
49 Enlightened Tutor
50 Entomb
51 Frantic Search
52 Thirst for Knowledge
53 Fact or Fiction
54 Ancient Excavation
55 Careful Study
56 Scheming Symmetry
57 Ideas Unbound
58 Merciless Eviction
59 Danse of the Manse
60 Tezzeret, Agent of Bolas
61 Tezzeret the Seeker
62 Venser, the Sojourner
63 Tezzeret, Master of the Bridge
64 Dromar's Cavern
65 Arcane Sanctum
66 Command Tower
67 Sunken Ruins
68 Mystic Gate
69 Fetid Heath
70 Watery Grave
71 Hallowed Fountain
72 Godless Shrine
73 Drowned Catacomb
74 Glacial Fortress
75 Isolated Chapel
76 Bad River
77 Flood Plain
78 Bojuka Bog
79 Darksteel Citadel
80 Vault of Whispers
81 Seat of the Synod
82 Ancient Den
83 Geier Reach Sanitarium
84 Cephalid Coliseum
85 Sanctum of Eternity
86 Academy Ruins
87 Buried Ruin
88 Inventors' Fair
89 Swamp
90 Swamp
91 Island
92 Island
93 Island
94 Island
95 Island
96 Island
97 Plains
98 Plains
99 Plains
From the new set I have been happy with Witching Well, Emry, Lurker of the Loch and Dance of the Manse.
Witching Well has been an excellent Salvaging Station target. There has even been a few occasions when I have found it's second ability useful.
Emry, Lurker of the Loch is not so helpful with Lotus Bloom and Mox Tantalite, and the mill part has made me sad a couple of times, but it plays almost like having a second Salvaging Station.
Dance of the Manse replaced Open the Vaults. There is enough artifact abuse in my meta that giving my opponents back their own stuff has been a real issue. I generally don't need everything in my graveyard back when I played Open the Vaults. I was usually only after a couple of combo pieces that had been removed. Keeping thing's one sided with the option to return my enchantments makes this a very solid card.
What are some more experienced thoughts on this?
4x Spark Elemental
4x Healer of the Glade
2x Flamekin Harbinger
4x Thunderkin Awakener
3x Hellspark Elemental
4x Lightning Skelemental
3x Assassin's Trophy
3x Atarka's Command
3x Kolaghan's Command
3x Unearth
2x Claim // Fame
2x Prismatic Vista
4x Wooded Foothills
4x Bloodstained Mire
1x Blood Crypt
1x Stomping ground
1x Overgrown Tomb
1x Forrest
1x Swamp
1x Mountain
2x Primal Beyond
It also has a unique condition where upon triggering, the affected player must untap a permanent for each card in their graveyard. They may only choose a permanent once. Theoretically you could force a heavily milled opponent into the position of untapping your petitioners. Theoretically.
In the past I had used Deadeye Navigator with the same intent. Flickering Toothy is a valid tactic, but it does have a few drawbacks. Most draw spells are more CMC efficient than flicker effects. For those flicker effects to pay out more, Toothy already has to be pretty large. You also cannot use them as a pump spell before the combat step since they will make a new instance of Toothy.
A delayed bounce like Voyager Staff can help reset Toothy if you feel he is getting to fat. Flicker spells will just compound the problem. Remember that Toothy can get too big.
On advantage that I can see is the ability to change Toothy from tapped to untapped for use as a blocker. They can also be used to reset Toothy as an attacker to avoid a bad block you didn't see, or to avoid a Settle the Wreckage. Those combat tactics a worth one or two card slots, but I wouldn't over do it.
That card is going to be broken in my Pir, Imaginative Rascal // Toothy, Imaginary Friend deck. With both commanders on the field + Simic Ascendancy, every time I draw a card I would get to put for 4 counters on the ascendancy. A card draw triggers Toothy, which then triggers Pir, placing a second +1/+1 counter. That will trigger the ascendancy twice, and Pir will trigger again providing an additional ascendancy counter to each trigger.
When I draw 5 cards, I'll get 20 counters. That is no sweat. I have no idea how ofter I would win with Ascendancy, but given how easy it is to setup, it is perfect counter spell / removal bait.
1 Lazav, the Multifarious
Artifact Creatures (19)
1 Ornithopter
1 Hangarback Walker
1 Walking Ballista
1 Phyrexian Dreadnought
1 Vector Asp
1 Hex Parasite
1 Etherium Sculptor
1 Millikin
1 Leaden Myr
1 Silver Myr
1 Pili-Pala
1 Salvage Slasher
1 Shimmer Myr
1 Etched Champion
1 Silas Renn, Seeker Adept
1 Skill Borrower
1 Palladium Myr
1 Silent Arbiter
1 Phyrexian Devourer
Creatures (13)
1 Dreamscape Artist
1 Nether Traitor
1 Riddlesmith
1 Mirran Spy
1 Thassa, God of the Sea
1 Jace's Archivist
1 Grand Architect
1 Sai, Master Thopterist
1 Necrotic Ooze
1 Notion Thief
1 Arcum Dagsson
1 Whirler Rogue
1 Magus of the Future
1 Training Grounds
1 Artificer's Intuition
Instants and Sorcery (12)
1 Entomb
1 Reanimate
1 Stifle
1 Trickbind
1 Disallow
1 Diabolic Intent
1 Echoing Truth
1 Forbid
1 Windfall
1 Buried Alive
1 Pact of Negation
1 Cyclonic Rift
Artifacts (22)
1 Mox Amber
1 Paradise Mantle
1 Sol Ring
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Universal Solvent
1 Library of Leng
1 Lantern of Insight
1 Meekstone
1 Codex Shredder
1 Thran Foundry
1 Chromatic Star
1 Conjurer's Bauble
1 Key to the City
1 Talisman of Dominance
1 Dimir Signet
1 Lightning Greaves
1 Torpor Orb
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Ensnaring Bridge
1 Trading Post
1 Null Brooch
1 Citanul Flute
1 Maze of Ith
1 Command Tower
1 Watery Grave
1 Morphic Pool
1 Sunken Ruins
1 Underground River
1 Darkwater Catacombs
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Fetid Pools
1 Sunken Hollow
4 Island
1 Seat of the Synod
3 Swamp
1 Academy Ruins
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Polluted Delta
1 Rocky Tar Pit
1 Bad River
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Vault of Whispers
1 Geier Reach Sanitarium
1 Cephalid Coliseum
1 Inventors' Fair
1 Tolaria West
1 Buried Ruin
1 Wasteland
A note worthy new addition is Mirran Spy. At worst it will untap a mana creature or my commander when I cast another artifact. At it's best I can untap Arcum Dagsson or combo it with Grand Architect to make any artifact 2 or less a free cast.
I have Reshape, Trading Post, and Arcum Dagsson that are also solutions to that problem. I do like the interaction Phyrexian Soulgorger has with Hex Parasite. 1B is not a bad tax to keep an 8/8 trampler around for a turn or 2 in the early game. I just wish I hadn't sold my copy of that card in a big pile 2 months ago for some fetch lands. After I trying out both The Mimeoplasm and Varolz, the Scar-Striped and disliking them, I figured I would not need it again. The only reason I kept Phyrexian Dreadnought is that I thought it would be better to keep as a trader.
I don't see those specific cards very often, but that is a meta thing could change. I do sometimes see a Merciless Eviction and many opposing Cyclonic Rifts.
Anvil of Bogardan and Unfulfilled Desires removed, Forbid and Memory Lapse added. Those are the best choices I have in my binder at the moment. I was thinking windfall instead of Unfulfilled Desires, but I have Notion Thief and I want to trigger him reliably. Anvil of Bogardan needs to stay in another deck that cares about max hand size.
One of my first thoughts was to cut Contraband Kingpin. He was mostly a falvour choice that seemed to fit. I think I'll swap him with either Lore Broker or Dreamscape Artist.
I have picked up a reputation among my LGS as the dedicated graveyard player, as I have yet to build a deck that does not use it in some capacity. That means everyone holds onto their grave hate just for me. Those spells also help with Planeswalker ultimates and Eldrazi cast triggers, which can always ruin your day.
I have extensive experience with this card thanks to the various incarnations of my Grimgrin, Corpse-Born deck. In that deck I has lost track of the times I have used it to dig for an answer or a win condition. I have also lost track of the number of times doing so has nearly killed me! It will keep the game interesting at least. If you are durdling and finding nothing, it is over quick.
I like that. It allows the group to get in the action too. Unfortunately I have had to drop the lantern focus from my build. It is a strategy that still think could work but it is divergent from artifact centered build. Trying to do both causes a loss in synergy. I may put together a list that focus on Lantern control, but for now I have doubled down on artifacts.
This is my updated list. I used yours as template. One major change I had to make was the mana base. I can't afford most MOX cards, so I'll have to see if I can still make 30 land work.
1 Lazav, the Multifarious
Artifact Creatures
1 Ornithopter
1 Phyrexian Dreadnought
1 Vector Asp
1 Hex Parasite
1 Arcbound Ravager
1 Etherium Sculptor
1 Millikin
1 Leaden Myr
1 Silver Myr
1 Pili-Pala
1 Salvage Slasher
1 Etched Champion
1 Silas Renn, Seeker Adept
1 Skill Borrower
1 Palladium Myr
1 Silent Arbiter
1 Walking Ballista
1 Phyrexian Devourer
Creatures
1 Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive
1 Contraband Kingpin
1 Nether Traitor
1 Riddlesmith
1 Thassa, God of the Sea
1 Jace's Archivist
1 Grand Architect
1 Sai, Master Thopterist
1 Necrotic Ooze
1 Notion Thief
1 Arcum Dagsson
1 Magus of the Future
1 Training Grounds
1 Artificer's Intuition
1 Unfulfilled Desires
1 As Foretold
Instants and Sorcery
1 Entomb
1 Reanimate
1 Trickbind
1 Disallow
1 Reshape
1 Echoing Truth
1 Stifle
1 Windfall
1 Whispering Madness
1 Buried Alive
1 Pact of Negation
1 Cyclonic Rift
Artifacts
1 Lotus Bloom
1 Mox Amber
1 Paradise Mantle
1 Sol Ring
1 Sensei's Divining Top
1 Universal Solvent
1 Library of Leng
1 Lantern of Insight
1 Meekstone
1 Codex Shredder
1 Thran Foundry
1 Chromatic Star
1 Terrarion
1 Key to the City
1 Talisman of Dominance
1 Dimir signet
1 Anvil of Bogardan
1 Torpor Orb
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Ensnaring Bridge
1 Trading Post
1 Salvaging Station
1 Maze of Ith
1 Command Tower
1 Watery Grave
1 Morphic Pool
1 Sunken Ruins
1 Underground River
1 Darkwater Catacombs
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Fetid Pools
1 Sunken Hollow
4 Island
1 Seat of the Synod
3 Swamp
1 Academy Ruins
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Polluted Delta
1 Rocky Tar Pit
1 Bad River
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Vault of Whispers
1 Geier Reach Sanitarium
1 Cephalid Coliseum
1 Inventors' Fair
1 Tolaria West
1 Buried Ruin
1 Wasteland
I managed to finally pick up a Sensei's Divining Top in a trade. Once I did, I took you suggestion and added Magus of the Future. I am not looking back from that decision. I have dropped the Deceiver of Form plan due to complexity, but the ability to play my top deck sounds great. I also look forward to my first Magus of the Future + Sensei's Divining Top + Etherium Sculptor combo.
I added a couple of things that may interest you:
Library of Leng - We are both running enough cards with discarding as a part of the effect that I figured this might come in handy. I hate loosing my Cyclonic Rift because I had a handful of things that needed to be in the grave. A note to others: This does work with cards where discarding is part of the cost like Artificer's Intuition
Salvage Slasher - This is my back up Phyrexian Dreadnought. I know they don't seem similar, but their function within the deck is very close. In both cases it is preferable to make Lazav a copy after he has gone unblocked. Phyrexian Dreadnought is strictly better because his size is unconditional and he costs less to copy, Salvage Slasher will scale later in the game as your graveyard fills. He also isn't as recognizable as Phyrexian Dreadnought, slowing the hate he will receive in graveyard.
Noteworthy is that I have omitted Crackdown Construct from the list. I feel like he and Phyrexian Devourer were fighting for the same slot. Crackdown Construct gets bigger overall, but after Lazav becomes a 21/21 his size is not relevant anymore. In terms of a hard cast, Phyrexian Devourer does cost more, but I still prefer him for aid in top deck control and his ability to combo with other cards in the deck.
What are your thoughts on masticore for this deck?
If you want an effect that can protect you graveyard, Elixir of Immortality is probably best.
You need everything you can reasonably use to fetch a swamp. I strongly recommend getting your hands on at least 4 swamp fetch lands. You also appear to be running too many non-basic utility lands. I would cut:
2x Island - Fetch's will make up for it. If you have an opponent who likes land destruction, don't tell them you only run 3.
Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx - Only useful when you are ahead. Better with non-creature permanents that stick around longer.
Cabal Stronghold - Does not count non-basic swamps. Best for a pure mono black deck with very fewer utility lands.
Underground River - Good but not a swamp. You are probably sad when you draw it late game with a healthy land base.
Drowned Catacomb - See above
Then I would add, Evolving Wilds, Terramorphic Expanse, Bad River, Rocky Tar Pit, Polluted Delta, and Bloodstained Mire. Four of those lands cause a land to etb tapped, but that is not big deal as long as you get the type of land you need. If you have more money you could dip into swamp fetches in enemy colours or more blue fetches.
In the main deck, I would drop Josu Vess, Lich Knight and Balthor the Defiled, then add 2 tutors. It does not matter which tutor's you choose to use, but they would be better than a sub-par zombie token maker and re-animator. I like Final Parting in particular. You can use it to fetch your Living Death and stick your favorite bomb in graveyard.
1 Lazav, the Multifarious
Creature
1 Nether Traitor
1 Dreamscape Artist
1 Grand Architect
1 Invisible Stalker
1 Mindshrieker
1 Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive
1 Sai, Master Thopterist
1 Jace's Archivist
1 Syndicate Trafficker
1 Nimble Obstructionist
1 Necrotic Ooze
1 Phyrexian Obliterator
1 Deceiver of Form
Enchantment
1 Unfulfilled Desires
1 Artificer's Intuition
1 Training Grounds
Land
1 Bad River
1 Rootwater Depths
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Waterveil Cavern
1 Watery Grave
1 Sunken Ruins
1 Command Tower
1 Buried Ruin
1 Cephalid Coliseum
1 Academy Ruins
1 Temple of Deceit
1 Esper Panorama
4 Island
3 Swamp
1 Polluted Delta
1 Sunken Hollow
1 Wasteland
1 Geier Reach Sanitarium
1 Inventors' Fair
1 Fetid Pools
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Dimir Aqueduct
1 Darkwater Catacombs
1 Underground River
1 Grixis Panorama
1 Tolaria West
1 Morphic Pool
1 Meekstone
1 Lotus Petal
1 Talisman of Dominance
1 Crucible of Worlds
1 Lantern of Insight
1 Salvaging Station
1 Chromatic Star
1 Torpor Orb
1 Grafdigger's Cage
1 Tormod's Crypt
1 Codex Shredder
1 Executioner's Capsule
1 Lotus Bloom
1 Trading Post
1 Sol Ring
1 Expedition Map
1 Terrarion
1 Dimir Signet
1 Ensnaring Bridge
1 Damping Sphere
1 Mox Amber
1 Ornithopter
1 Arcbound Ravager
1 Hangarback Walker
1 Mindless Automaton
1 Walking Ballista
1 Phyrexian Devourer
1 Pili-Pala
1 Puppet Conjurer
1 Skill Borrower
1 Vector Asp
1 Hex Parasite
1 Myr Retriever
1 Silent Arbiter
1 Crystalline Crawler
1 Etherium Sculptor
1 Crackdown Construct
1 Phyrexian Dreadnought
1 Counterspell
1 Insidious Dreams
1 Stifle
1 Echoing Truth
1 Trickbind
1 Entomb
1 Negate
1 Ancient Excavation
1 Disallow
1 Cyclonic Rift
1 Pact of Negation
Sorcery
1 Buried Alive
1 Final Parting
I am pursuing a lantern control style dream. The idea is to use Lantern of Insight or Wizened Snitches to grant me knowledge of my opponents upcoming draw, then I can use Codex Shredder or preferably Mindshrieker to sculpt their draws. Phyrexian Devourer is both a combo piece and a way to sculpt my draws for the better.
Now that I have finally taken the time to type this up, it looks like I am using far less artifacts than I though I was. I may have to give this list another revision. either remove the heavy artifact support, or double down and add more artifact combo pieces. I was thinking about a Salvaging Station package and Sai, Master Thopterist but that may be another entirely different deck.I could help changing the list while I was posting it. I think I figured out how to include the above.I am running very few unblockable creatures. Instead most of them are utility creatures with either 1 power or 1 toughness that I can make unblockable with Tetsuko Umezawa, Fugitive.
I also really wanted to add Wormfang Manta so I could combo it with Deceiver of Form, but I just can't justify the space. Phyrexian Obliterator and Phyrexian Dreadnought are both sufficient.
I fully endorse Artificer's Intuition. It is a great card that does very heavy lifting if you are using artifacts.
For your build I would suggest Nether Traitor and Meekstone. The traitor is another very good unblockable creature that offers some self reanimation and the ability to give Lazav haste later in the game. Meekstone can be searched with Artificer's Intuition and is pretty effective at slowing down any battle cruiser creatures your opponents may have.