[Budget, but maybe Competitive?] Mono-Black Reanimator

[kicks_422]

I just can't seem to get this deck out of my mind. I so desperately want to make it work, just because it's so cool. C'mon, everybody has their own pet decks.

Unlike the other thread here, I do want to improve this. Just into Tier 2-3ish status would be great. Here is where I'm at.

Mana

18 Swamp
4 Dark Ritual

1 Akroma, Angel of Wrath
1 Razia, Boros Archangel
1 Hellkite Overlord
1 Angel of Despair
1 Empyrial Archangel
1 Simic Sky Swallower

4 Putrid Imp
4 Oona's Prowler
4 Avatar of Discord

4 Squee, Goblin Nabob
4 Zombie Infestation

4 Reanimate
4 Exhume
4 Buried Alive

SB
4 Pithing Needle
4 Sickening Dreams
1 Magma Giant
1 Platinum Angel
1 Spirit of the Hearth
1 Phantom Nishoba
1 Symbiotic Wurm
1 Inkwell Leviathan
1 Blazing Archon

This is a different spin on Reanimator, taking a full aggro route and dropping the disruption. There are three ways to winning:

1. Reanimation. Which is so cool.
2. Zombies. Zombie Infestation, combined with Squee or just extra lands/spells/reanimation targets, can overwhelm given ample time to build up.
3. Flyers. Putrid Imp, Oona's Prowler, and Avatar of Discord can chip away if the opponent is holding their StP's waiting for that Akroma to come out. Avatar of Discord is a potential 3-for-1, but since I discard reanimation targets, Squues, or extra lands/spells to it, even though it gets killed, it's done it's job. That's one less removal spell for the big guns.

Pinpoint discard (usually Duress/Thoughtseize/Cabal Therapy) have been dropped for more beaters. I did so because reanimation is just one aspect of the deck, so picking out the StP's and the bounce are less needed when I can beat face with a horde of zombies or a squad of flyers. At least that's how I defend it - I sometimeas miss them, but cutting discard outlets or the Wild Zombies engine is the only way to fit them in, and at this point I'm not entirely sure which is better.

Leyline of the Void is a huge pain, of course. However, I've noticed that it gets less played now, with more people running Cryts/Relics instead. SB Pithing Needles are enough for that, or at least all that I can do. Sickening Dreams are kind of meh, for those quicker aggro decks. The SB also features other reanimation targets for different kinds of match-ups.

So there you go. Comments and suggestions?

A few questions to start discussion:
1. Is the Squee-Zombie Infestation engine worth it? Is it too slow for the current environment, outweighing its resiliency? Because if I were to cut the engine, I would fit in Duress and Cabal Therapy over them.
2. That said, is no protection and going for a straight up aggro route a good choice?
3. Anything better than Oona's Prowler? It kind of sucks when they discard something to it in response to me casting Exhume.

[Jak]

Hmm. If you are going with the discard strategy, don't you need more creatures? I would definitely run more than just six so that you can reliably get them in hand.

[John Rohan]

I just can't seem to get this deck out of my mind. I so desperately want to make it work, just because it's so cool. C'mon, everybody has their own pet decks.


Just a few thoughts off the top of my head:

You need protection. You can do it with lands as well as anything else. Since you are going mono-black, and aren't using black-intensive spells, take advantage of it. You can easily afford to dilute your manabase with Wastelands, Mishra's factories, Blinkmoth Nexus, or some other useful lands. I would go between 4 and 8, but definitely no more than 8.

Your fat creature choices are fine, depending on your play environment, but I disagree with Razia. There are better choices out there. And since you can't hardcast any of these creatures, I would replace her with a black creature. It's helpful to have at least one big creature you can cast normally if the game drags out or there's a planar void. Some suggestions:

Scion of Darkness (can put himself in your graveyard too)
Divinity of Pride
Laquatus's Champion
Extractor Demon (unearth ability gives you an extra shot at using him)


I see where you are going with the Squee/Avatar/Zombie infes. strategy, and if it works for you, then keep it. But at first glance, it looks like 4 each of both Zombie Infes. and Avatar is too much. If they are often sitting dead in your hand, I would cut one or the other of these.

For discard outlets - if you don't like Oona's prowler, go a different route. Cabal Therapy can be used on you or your opponent. Similarly, Funeral Charm might be very useful here; it can be a backup discard route as well as provide you with some much needed protection. Or swap the Exhumes for 4 Animate Deads instead, but then you might want to trade the Akroma for another creature, since she has protection from black.

Finally, you have no way of stopping creatures like Phrexian Dreadnought or Progenitus. You might go the way of Necropotence decks of old and put in some Nevinyarrl's Disks as a "reset button" when you have no other options.

[eq.firemind]

I think Inkwell Leviathan beats better than Simic Sky Swallower and is more protected than Akroma.
And I like Woodfall Primus more than Angel of Depair. Both die from Swords to Plowshares, but Primus survives all other shit. And creature is not too much problem for you 'cause you have zombie-generator and you have a way to put some really huge monsters in early game. The only downside is that you can't kill Dreadnought, but most of the time Dreadstill will not allow you to reanimate someone, so it's not the point anyway.
As John Rohan said, Extractor Demon can be fine in your deck 'cause it's flexible.
Razia... Not very good... She can't do something special, she dies to burn (Burn has no creatures in play, so no target to redirect damage), Hellkite Overlord/Inkwell Leviathan beats better, Empyrial Archangel protects better, so IMHO there in no reason to play Razia.
So I think you should try theese changes in MD:

-1 Angel of Despair
-1 Akroma
-1 Simic Sky Swallower
-1 Razia
+1 Inkwell Leviathan
+1 Woodfall Primus
+2 Extractor Demon

And check out Nullstone Gargoyle, maybe it'll find it's place somewhere.

[kicks_422]

Yeah, I think I'm going to need to fit Duress and Therapy back in. Games are becoming more complicated because I have no protection. I'll probably drop the Squee + ZI engine for them though, since I think it's not too effective anymore. Maybe like this?

18 Swamp
4 Dark Ritual

1 Akroma, Angel of Wrath
1 Inkwell Leviathan
1 Hellkite Overlord
1 Angel of Despair
1 Empyrial Archangel
1 Simic Sky Swallower

4 Putrid Imp
4 Oona's Prowler
4 Avatar of Discord

4 Duress
4 Cabal Therapy

4 Reanimate
4 Exhume
4 Buried Alive

SB
4 Pithing Needle
4 Sickening Dreams
1 Magma Giant
1 Platinum Angel
1 Spirit of the Hearth
1 Phantom Nishoba
1 Symbiotic Wurm
1 Razia, Boros Archangel
1 Blazing Archon

Running Avatar without Squees is difficult though. I think I'll have to replace those as well, maybe with more reanimation targets? I also switched the places of Leviathan and Razia, as suggested. I'm still not sold on Primus over Angel of Despair though, since I like flying over trample more - though I like Primus' synergy with Therapy.

Heck, I might just drop the toolbox thing and run 4 each of a couple of creatures - maybe Empyrial Archangels and Inkwell Leviathans?

[eq.firemind]

Running Avatar without Squees is difficult though.
Again, try Extractor Demon. Also unearthed demon is cool with Cabal Therapy.

[Barsoom]

As i said in the other topic, here the deck my friend is playing:

// Mana //
18 Swamp
4 Dark Ritual

// Spells //
4 Buried Alive
4 Reanimate
4 Exhume
4 Animate Dead
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Duress

// Creatures //
4 Putrid Imp
1 Blazing Archon
1 Bogardan Hellkite
1 Akroma, Angel of Wrath
1 Woodfall Primus
1 Empyrial Archangel
1 Inkwell Leviathan
1 Symbiotic Wurm/Metagame Creature

// Combo//
1 Karmic Guide
1 Pestermite
1 Kiki-Jiki, Mirror Breaker

The combo is nice, winning at 2° with a billion of 2/1 flying will hurt your opponent...

[humppa]

I've got one question - opponent's leyline of the void = you capitulate?
No solution in monoblack?

[Soldur]

Right, there is no solution in mono B.
Only Nevinyrral's Disk can help but it is very slow!

[kicks_422]

I've got one question - opponent's leyline of the void = you capitulate?
No solution in monoblack?

Yes, I capitulate. :confused:

That's why I've been trying to fit in beaters such as Avatar of Discord with back-up Zombie Infestation to get around grave hate.

[ScatmanX]

Maybe you could do a transformational SB, though there are lots of cards to take off... But turning it into a kind of sui black can be good.

[Soldur]

Running Avatar without Squees is difficult though. I think I'll have to replace those as well, maybe with more reanimation targets?


I would test Brain Gorgers instead of Avatar of Discord.
I think this could be really nice. (And Rodgon666 too...)