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| Osion |
![]() Posted: Sun Dec 18, 2005 10:13 pm |
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Joined: 17 Dec 2005
Posts: 62
Location: MD
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--- description ---
Graveyard Reconnaissance Green/Black. Decklist with detailed analysis of the cards that are (and aren’t) included.
--- end description ---
Sacrifices with the Freshly Dead(ly)
Resource management is a must for any serious deck, be it quick beatdown that needs the victory from its opening cards before it runs out of gas in a topdeck race, or monoblue control that laughs maniacally every time it draws cards at the end of its slowly decaying opponent’s turn. Such is the reason for the elevated power of the graveyard to be apparent, to literally use, reuse or even create new resources, especially for the colors that manipulate it well.
Why is the graveyard good?
It gets what you want. There’s a reason why Yawgmoth’s Will is so powerful. You can see exactly what you have, stock it with what you want, and later pick what you need.
The block in which it was featured was responsible for the best cheap aggro/control deck ever created, UG Madness.
And of course there haven’t been top tier decks based on sacrificing everything (affinity), graveyard tricks (CAL), or library vs. grave tech (Gifts). Oh no…
Besides, what player wants to sit and equip his wolves and hounds and soldiers with metal whatever-the-heck-a-jitte all day? No, seriously. Let’s actually think to win games please, and enough of this mindless ‘swing for two’. Play a real match.
(By match I mean a game where both players are actually involved, instead of the solitaire games I occasionally see between the ‘good’ players of our playgroup versus the newbies … “yep, plains, Blessed Orator, go… wait what are you doing playing those spells for free? Why do so many of your cards have those beads on them? What’s ‘damage on the stack, vial out disciple, sac all’ mean? …oh, I’m dead. I’ll just sit in the corner and wonder why I started Magic now.)
If we want to win without solitaring against Timmy over there with the Crimson Hellkite deck and still have plenty of game with Spike over there playing WWr and Gifts on casual day, our deck needs to be a sexy party of a build. And everyone knows you can’t have a sexy party without wasted people, the occasional ‘substances’, and music to keep the atmosphere going. Translated into Magic speak, we’ll need zombies, the occasional plague, and some consistent card advantage.
Ravnica’s dredge mechanic has already proven its power in tournaments worldwide, with the graveyard filling goodness of Golgari Grave-Troll or the kill of Darkblast and the busted card draw of Life from the Loam. The individual value of each of these cards is definite, but what about their synergy with previous mechanics? I crushed together a bunch of old cards (bear with me – old as in Odyssey and Onslaught here) and found that Dredge, Threshold, Flashback, Madness, and even Cycling (the mechanic and the theme of card replacement) work very well together. Let’s get to construction, shall we?
Ah, the zombies. Primarily this is your win condition and trickery rolled into one. I’ll include insects and other beatdown creatures in this category as well
4x Nantuko Husk
Efficiency on a stick. They can serve as threats by themselves, provide a sacrifice outlet for your expendables, and are hard to kill with burn if you support them with food. I’d call them freeloaders but they sometimes can be the center of attention.
2x Zombie Infestation
For kicks. Symbolic to any houses that have hosted parties. Not fun to clean up, in this case for your opponent. Instant attacker or blocker when you need it, also a discard outlet. Pretty useful actually, especially with the coming Fecundity.
2x Golgari Grave-Troll
The dredge master and efficient beatstick if you manipulate your graveyard right. Only two are needed because you can search for them pretty easily and I’m trying to keep the mana cost down.
1x Sutured Ghoul
Your one-of flat out win condition. Takes awesome advantage of a full graveyard, and any enchantments that could enhance it from the grave. Some of you may know it from a 3rd turn combo kill deck called Full English Breakfast, but remember we aren’t trying to solitaire here. Reanimate this guy as you will.
1x Symbiotic Wurm
The other killer one-of. Great with reanimation and Brawn, kill it your self if you need to block a weenie swarm, great synergy with Husk. This can be replaced with a third copy of Putrefy if you wish.
4x Wild Mongrel
The most efficient 2 mana creature ever printed. Dodges burn and much instant kill easily. Excellent discard outlet as well.
Utility Creatures. You’ll need the backup to get your engine up and running.
2x Wall of Mulch
I’ve been experimenting with this and find it to be bizarrely good in this sacrifice/discard/reanimate/dredge/do whatever/party deck. Better than Wall of Blossoms in some cases because you have Vine Trellis and it can sacrifice itself. With Fecunity it becomes G, sac a wall: Draw 2 cards and that reminds me of skullclamp. Mmmm…
2x Vine Trellis
Finally, early accel that could be of use as fodder late game. Easy mana cost, blocker, does a lot for pretty cheap. Unlike some bum friends I know
2x Krosan Tusker
Through experience its better than Sakura Tribe Elder because it has a 6/5 body if you draw him late, but I like the uncounterable 2G: draw a card, get a land from your library.
1x Brawn
Let the trampling trolls and tuskers and husks let lose! 4 mana is nothing, as you’ll rarely actually cast this guy. Dredge or discard him as a surprise combat trick.
What makes the deck go… business spells and card advantage
2x Fecundity (2G, whenever a creature goes to the yard, its controller may draw a card)
Like an insurance policy. Put this out, and sacrifice your creatures without hesitation. Wall of Mulch becomes G, sacrifice a wall: Draw 2 cards. This makes your Wild Mongrels and Nantuko Husks really huge if you have Zombie Infestation on the table. I discovered during one game that, if you have two of this out, an Infestation, and a Husk, you could cycle through your whole library for free and as an instant.
2x Life from the Loam
Protects you against land destruction, renewable card drawing with cycling lands, able to dredge… is there anything the life of the party can’t do? Come on, it was on color, graveyard based, and powerful. How could I resist?
2x Putrefy
Here’s where I’ll get the complaints. “Keep the deck’s crushing power down” I said. In truth, a 3 mana terminate or oxidize is okay in my mind, and we definitely need answers to things that Darkblast can’t handle. We can also use it as a warning. Don’t do drugs kids, or Wizards will paint you for the Putrefy reprint in 12th edition!
2x Darkblast
Darkblast. The other kill spellTM. Take down everything from Birds of Paradise to Savannah Lions to Bob Maher to Blistering Firecat. Play it on your upkeep and dredge it during your draw for some -2/-2 graveyard filling goodness.
2x Smother
There’s always a guy playing Psychatog, and, even though they may have counters, a pre-board answer that will snuff out many other threats (Hand of Cruelty or Watchwolf perhaps) is good enough for me.
2x Barren Moor
2x Tranquil Thicket
1x Quicksand
Your Life from the Loam fodder. I don’t need to say more on this because the combo’s proven itself in like 2 Pro Tours and 3 Grand Prix already. Quicksand lets you hopefully keep some creatures from hitting you while you build your engine or search for creatures.
2x Life // Death
I love this card for some reason. Its parallel and useful effects (explained later) fit this deck’s theme and other cards perfectly
2x Stitch Together
2 Mana Zombify for this deck, because between sacrifice, discard and dredge you’d always have a full graveyard. Sad that this doesn’t have dredge, however.
2x Roar of the Wurm
Excellent with both dredge and wild mongrel/zombie infestation
Land
8x Forest (don’t kno why this played I play only caus pros play it und pros are goud)
6x Swamp
2x Llanowar Wastes
2x Overgrown Tomb (May have more if you have these.)
Total Decklist
Creatures 19
4x Nantuko Husk
2x Golgari Grave-Troll
1x Sutured Ghoul
4x Wild Mongrel
2x Wall of Mulch
2x Vine Trellis
2x Krosan Tusker
1x Brawn
1x Symbiotic Wurm
Lands 23
8x Forest
6x Swamp
2x Llanowar Wastes
2x Overgrown Tomb
2x Barren Moor
2x Tranquil Thicket
1x Quicksand
Other Spells 18
2x Stitch Together
2x Life // Death
2x Smother
2x Darkblast
2x Zombie Infestation
2x Fecundity
2x Life from the Loam
2x Putrefy
2x Roar of the Wurm
What can you do with it?
Unfortunately you can’t do anything first turn except cycle, which you should do if you have at least 2 non-cycling lands in your first hand
2nd turn you have a choice of options. If your opponents are off to a slow start or they are playing a control deck, cast the Llanowar Dead or (preferably) Wild Mongrel. If they start with a weenie rush you should invest in Vine Trellis or Darkblast them hoes.
Continue pressing forward with aggressive drops like the Husk. If you can, drop a Fecundity sometime after turn 3
Tips and Tricks
This deck has a very quick kill in terms of Nantuko Husk plus Symbiotic Wurm or Life // Death. Make all your lands 1/1s, attack with everything, remove their blockers if possible and bash with a Husk that just grew +18/+18 or something after sacrificing all your other creature. Life costs a measly G to cast, and Death can reanimate any creature for 1B and some life. Think about it – mongrel and husk in play, pitch symbiotic wurm to mongrel, Death the wurm back into play, then sacrifice it for 7 1/1’s that all get sacked along with the mongrel to give your husk +18/+18. Handy card indeed, on both ends.
You can cycle through your whole deck for free and as an uncounterable instant ability if you have in play 2x Fecundity, a Husk, and Zombie Infestation; this will get you a really big zombie insect with Brawn in the yard giving trample as well as all the cards you want in your hand and the rest easily accessible in the graveyard. (Discard 2 cards to make a 2/2 zombie. Sac the zombie, giving Husk +2/+2 and getting you 2 cards. Repeat.)
Trolls smash well with Brawn backing them up, but don’t dump all your creatures in your graveyard waiting for Troll; Husk and Mongrel do much more damage on average throughout the game.
If you have Fecundity, go for a trample win instead of a clearing blockers win because killing your opponent’s creatures will allow him more options. Not that it would kill you if they Devouring Light your 16/16 Husk because you’d have drawn 8 cards (sac the Husk in response) but it would set you back some.
Sideboard (significant power increase here, because if you have to sideboard it means you’re not playing some random Timmy deck)
3x Cranial Extraction (side out trolls and wurm because you are probably dealing with control or combo if you need cranial extraction)
3x Naturalize (against Affinity/other Enchantment decks)
3x Infest (side out Mongrels or Sutured Ghoul)
2x Putrefy (side out Sutured Ghoul and Symbiotic Wurm)
2x Pithing Needle (side out 2x Krosan Tusker)
2x Umezawa’s Jitte (okay so I’m using the forbidden broken card –not maindeck tho - side out trolls for these)
Why I didn’t choose other cards.
These were uninvited.
Umezawa’s Jitte
Already saw the battle over it in the other articles, yes, best card in standard blah blah blah. This doesn’t fit the theme of the deck and is useless if dredged or discarded to the yard. Plus this deck packs plenty of removal and the creatures self-pump really well. Too many risks because too many people will be looking to kill this card and thus why waste a card slot?
Eternal Witness
Can get you any card from your filled graveyard, its 1GG cost is a bit too much (color and cost wise) for the 2/1 you get with it, and imo is more control-oriented then agro
Svogothos, The Restless Tomb
Cannot add G or B to your mana pool, and doesn’t have dredge 6 compared to Golgari Grave-Troll for about the same effect.
Savra, Queen of The Golgari and Scrambling Shell
Yea these fit the theme and the deck’s goals. I just personally opted for a more aggressive version of the deck. Plus everybody and their brother has these in their Golgari deck. Truth be told, I’m a little tired of people that ‘invent’ such tech’’
“Look at my new powerful G/B deck!”
me --“Um... you just took all their guild cards and mashed it in with forests and swamps.”
“My deck rocks! I came up with the Savra-Shell combo! My idea is original!”
me --**pulls out Golgari precon decklist** hmm… I wonder …
(Not directed at people that mod precons)
Grave-Shell Scarab
Too often during playtesting this was used as a 4/4 body for 5. I could draw a card for much cheaper and could do much more creative things instead of dredging this back, like drawing a card. Grave-Troll is much better
Sakura Tribe Elder
1/1 can’t combat much while cycling Tusker is better for this deck
Flying Creatures
Didn’t fit in the theme, I don’t own any Vulturous Zombies. Plenty of kill spells to deal with any that might try to harm you
9 mana costing sorceries
Because they make you lose the game and should not be played. Yes I am trying to forget losing to Tooth and Nail in crushing landless defeats
Hope you enjoyed the read.
Go party.
Jason Tian |
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| La_Sin_Grail |
![]() Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2005 4:37 pm |
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Joined: 14 Aug 2005
Posts: 806
Location: Maryland
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Agreed, no jitte here. Jitte should be in all rush/agro decks, but this isn't in that category.
I like the deck, but I think you could afford to tweak it a little..
1) Zombie infestation. Yes, you can dredge the stuff, but, it's pretty slow.
2) More cycling lands. having 4 and 4 is so sweet with loam. A much better draw method than anything else in the deck.
3) I've seen you play symbiotic wurm with husk... its so sweet. Why not add at least one more wurm? It's pretty much a win condition.
4) Think about golgari germination? I know it's somewhat slow, but with those extra tokens, you can buy +2/2 on husk or just outstall things.
5) Golgari Rotwurm? 5/4 for 5 isn't bad, especially with all these creatures- you can sac them to kill your opponent without needing to get in husk.
6) Golgari cave troll may not be so good with only 19 creatures?
7) make a sideboard?
 Perhaps a few arashis in maindeck or in sideboard could help you deal with flying in one blow?
Congrats on joining the site! Recruit #2 
And except for the worse attempts at humor, this was a great article!! |
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| Ilvaldi |
![]() Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2005 10:38 pm |
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Joined: 06 Dec 2005
Posts: 59
Location:
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| Wow! For once, Grail finally says "yes" to a deck that does not need jitte and another "wow" just for the concept of a deck without jitte. I like the idea too. |
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| edud |
![]() Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2005 4:44 pm |
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Joined: 17 Dec 2005
Posts: 6
Location:
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nice read, lol at ivaldi's comment
yeah I think 4 cycling land total are enough, more (as in 8 out of a total of 23 land is a little too much) and you'll cry when they are all you get in your opening hand.
@Grail: What do you mean, there clearly is a sideboard, tho I don't know about the svogothos
rotwurm is I think too overcosted, the non-finishers all cost 3 or less and rotwum isn't a finisher like gravetroll, plus you don't what to be sacrificing a mongrel or husk or even a wall for 1 opponent life loss unless fecunity is out, but even then you could better kill of your own creatures.
lol symbiotic wurm + husk. I like.
good article, best of luck |
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| La_Sin_Grail |
![]() Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2005 6:53 pm |
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Joined: 14 Aug 2005
Posts: 806
Location: Maryland
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Name a non rush/agro deck I've recommended jitte for. Perhaps you always see me recommending it because of the type of decks posted? I would have never done that for the gifts deck Tian crought to JSS last year, for example.
My bad on the sideboard, he didn't put it next to the deck, or in a normal format, so I didn't see it. I'm used to people putting down a list and then explaining seperately, sorry for the error.
And I actually want to mention that viridian shaman may be more useful than jitte in sideboard, because you can kill an artifact and get +2/2 with husk. Being the only artifact means they will have destruction for it, so you might as well not bother. If you're going to play artifacts, play four or skip it. |
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| Ilvaldi |
![]() Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2005 10:35 pm |
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Joined: 06 Dec 2005
Posts: 59
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I did not realize this until today: I play tested the same deck concept a while ago!
Jason told me today that he was Osion (I skimmed the article so I didn't see his name at the bottom)
So anyway, if you guys want to know how the deck idea turned out in the play testing, the score was 2-2. I was playing semi-suicidal red burn.
First game:
I beat on Osion with spark elemental on turn one and follow through with slith firewalker. Osion was having mana problems--he was getting too many lands. By the end of his fopurth turn, I magma jet him and scry--to my convenience, a flames of the blood hand. Osion was starting to get his stuff out by this point. Here is how it went:
Turn five:
Me--hmm... a creature, pretty tough enough to stay alive given the fact that your at 9 from that last magma jet--I play a mountain (giving me five man to tap for) go.
Osion--(plays a nantuko husk) go.
Me--at the end of your turn, I tap all five mana and play two lightning bolts and the scried flames of the bloodhand--that's ten.
Osion--why didn't you do that earlier?
Me--I just wanted to see what you would do, you were going to lose anyway, they were instants and your playing a deck that doesn't fight well with burn.
Next game:
Unfortunately, next game did not play as well as this one. Got a bunch of lands and soon enough:
Osion: I play symbiotic worm and attack with Nantuko husk and sac all the worms and my extra creature to deal 20 damage to you
Me--Owee
The following games:
I don't want to go into details with the next two cause I'm lazy, but the deck Osion had was very impressive compared to my burn deck that is cpapble of dealing large amounts of damage (an average of 5-10 per turn).
My burn deck has a tendency of getting too much mana or not enough, but even in that case, Osion's deck is still pretty "sexy." |
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| inresponse |
![]() Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2005 7:41 pm |
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Joined: 18 Oct 2005
Posts: 162
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| after a quick read I only have problems with the many, many 2 ofs. |
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| T2_Fr33K |
![]() Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2005 9:42 pm |
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Joined: 28 Nov 2005
Posts: 32
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Where's the matchup analysis?
And yea, the deck could use some more four ofs, but its a pretty tight list- I'm not sure what to take out to make room. |
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| La_Sin_Grail |
![]() Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2005 10:28 pm |
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Joined: 14 Aug 2005
Posts: 806
Location: Maryland
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| I think Bops over tuskers could be good. Bops let you throw down a second turn husk, which is always fun, and are a +2/2. After beating your deck with my T2 in school, I think tempo is your only problem. that and making sure you graba husk and three more mongrels... |
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| La_Sin_Grail |
![]() Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2005 10:28 pm |
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Joined: 14 Aug 2005
Posts: 806
Location: Maryland
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| I think Bops over tuskers could be good. Bops let you throw down a second turn husk, which is always fun, and are a +2/2. After beating your deck with my T2 in school, I think tempo is your only problem. that and making sure you graba husk and three more mongrels... |
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