[Deck]BUx Reanimator

[RNGesus]

RNGesus i feel you are understimating the power of a griz in a UB shell. The biggest difference veing that in BR reanimator griz is vulnerable, while in UB he can just draw cards to find a FOW and save himself. The biggest reasoning, at least for me, to go for a petal-less build was the train of thought that griselbrand is gonna be light out either t1 or t5. On a petal less build griselbrand D7s are a bit better since you dont have dead cards like daze or petals, griz only draws you gas.



I know that Griselbrand is stronger in a UB shell. RB is good at getting the creature out fast, but they can't really protect it that well with their lack of reactive spells. UB is more susceptible to hate but we are better able to throw a wrench in our opponents' plans to give our reanimated creature enough time to close out the game.

My main point is that our primary plan (reanimating a big creature out) isn't that backbreaking anymore relative to the hoops needed to jump through to get it out of the GY. It may be cool if we get spells that let us diversify or angle of attack whilst synergizing with our MD, such as how SnS has Omniscience in addition to Emrakul/Griselbrand.

[PirateKing]

If anything the hoops just got a whole lot easier.

Griselbrand + actually drawing into things that are relevant is still backbreaking. Sure the post DRS GY hate-fest is still ongoing as people adjust to the meta, but I'm not sure we need a transformative sideboard with Gurmag Angler and Delver of Secrets.
Positioning ourselves as the slower, safer alternative to RB will do us good. Options like Collective Brutality, Jace, Vryn's Prodigy & Search for Azcanta should give us depth past the first attempt to Reanimate, something that RB struggles with.

[DoorDie]

I do agree that it seems fair decks have gotten more resilient (along with better toys like TNN or Leovold), but I've also been looking back at reanimator's history because I didn't know that much about it.

Prior to the draw engines of Jin-Gitaxias and Griselfather being printed, reanimator was basically just silver bullets with lots of redundancy + mystical tutor. And it won A LOT on just that. Since then we've lost Mystical and gained the draw engines, but lots more graveyard hate has been printed since.

I think it's worth trying higher redundancy, like 11/11/11 creature/discard/reanimate effects. In the Misstep era they didn't run Ponder because there was no space. I'm down to 2x Ponder and up to 4x Hapless Researcher and 3x Animate Dead and I'm loving it. You open with the combo more often, bust through counters like a wrecking ball, and Griselbrand builds an army (eh, more like posse) instead of fighting by himself. Something worth trying, I say!

inb4 "old builds are old for a reason..."

[RNGesus]

Positioning ourselves as the slower, safer alternative to RB will do us good. Options like Collective Brutality, Jace, Vryn's Prodigy & Search for Azcanta should give us depth past the first attempt to Reanimate, something that RB struggles with.

We still tend to get the game taken out from under us as we set up for the second reanimate. Because we are better less all-in and better able to protect our investment compared to RB, we don't need OP silver bullets. We just need disruptive creatures just big enough to close the game in the window provided by our disruption. I just wonder what form that creature would take as it seems that Griselbrand is still not enough. If only we could diversify our threat past creature beats.. Keranos is perfect (comes down as an enchantment) but it's still too slow.




Prior to the draw engines of Jin-Gitaxias and Griselfather being printed, reanimator was basically just silver bullets with lots of redundancy + mystical tutor. And it won A LOT on just that. Since then we've lost Mystical and gained the draw engines, but lots more graveyard hate has been printed since.

I think it's worth trying higher redundancy, like 11/11/11 creature/discard/reanimate effects. In the Misstep era they didn't run Ponder because there was no space. I'm down to 2x Ponder and up to 4x Hapless Researcher and 3x Animate Dead and I'm loving it. You open with the combo more often, bust through counters like a wrecking ball, and Griselbrand builds an army (eh, more like posse) instead of fighting by himself. Something worth trying, I say!

inb4 "old builds are old for a reason..."


Precisely! Old reanimator decks were strong because the game was effectively over once you get your fatty out. But now even getting out Griselbrand is no longer close to lights out.

We could put in a lot more disruption that can double up as discard outlets to widen the window for our threats to close out the game. Maybe its time to test Cabal Therapy.

[DoorDie]

Yes actually Hapless plays very well with Therapy since late game your Reanimates "turn on" by reanimating the Researcher and flashing back therapy. Fairly common play if you run 4x of both. I cut the Therapies sadly to make space, but I'm trying to see if I can pack it back in. I've got two Thoughtseizes main, maybe I should just grow a pair and swap for Therapies.

[PirateKing]

So on a rainy Sunday I put my money where my mouth was and traveled to SCG Philadelphia, which is actually in King of Prussia, go figure.

The list I registered:
4 Underground Sea
1 Tropical Island
1 Bayou
1 Snow-Covered Swamp
1 Snow-Covered Island
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
4 Polluted Delta
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Verdant Catacombs

4 Entomb
4 Reanimate
4 Exhume
2 Animate Dead

4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Careful Study
4 Force of Will

3 Griselbrand
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
1 Tidespout Tyrant
1 Grave Titan

2 Jace, Vryn's Prodigy
2 Search for Azcanta
2 Collective Brutality

In the side:
1 Blazing Archon
1 Inkwell Leviathan
3 Abrupt Decay
2 Pithing Needle
2 Thoughtseize
2 Echoing Truth
2 Massacre
2 Show and Tell

In building the list for the brave new meta, I made a conscious decision to shunt the temptation to always go fast. Out came Lotus Petal and Daze. There was no first tun play I was afraid of, so into the sideboard went Thoughtseize. Out came Hapless Researcher and with it a piece of me, I love that card in this deck; but these are new times and I'll not be held back holding onto the past. Progress!
Slow but powerful cards were put in, Collective Brutality did Thoughtseize but better. Jace, Vryn's Prodigy did Hapless Researcher but better. Search for Azcanta made games that went long viable. It was all planning for the long game. Don't crumple at the first Surgical Extraction, get back up and try again. They show Force of Will, get back up and keep fighting. Make sure they run out of steam before you do, then the game is yours. It was a good plan.

Played 6 games and went 1-5. Plan needs work.

Beat Death and Taxes
Lost to UWR Blade, UWB Blade, Lands, UWR Miracles & Aggro Loam

So here are my thoughts...

While I didn't miss Daze the spell, I did miss having more than just Force of Will to dig from Griselbrand. Finding double Force was difficult in the face of Swords + Force from the other side, or more commonly Swords + Snapcaster Mage. In general Snapcaster Mage made the whole day difficult; had Swords to Plowshares, Flusterstorm, Counterspell, Pyroblast & Surgical Extraction all recurred into my face. Driving home the first instinct is to cut a Ponder and Careful Study for 2 counters, either Flusterstorm or Swan Song. Just something more so we're not totally impotent with only Sorcery speed interaction.

Game 1s all felt amazing, winning all except for Lands just wasting me out early. Even typically difficult first games like D&T and Miracles seemed blunted after you powered through their initial screen of interaction. Against the two blade decks both the losses were incredibly close, with bad variance sealing my fate. Typical twilight hours of the match when we've both exhausted our respective offenses into each other's interaction, and I have a 3~4 turn window to draw any reanimation or cantrip or in more than once instance a Grave Titan to hard cast. Instead it's lands or Iona and Griselbrand gracing my topdeck. So even once I find something purposeful, they've Pondered and Brainstormed to 5 card hands full of hate, losing to Snapcaster beats.

Lands was a slog but it always has been. More basics could have helped for maybe 1 or 2 turns before she landed double Rishadan Port or went for Ghost Quarter, at which point it stopped mattering. Miracles blind flipping successfully 4 turns in a row is still good, but I won a game there I don't think a Petal-Daze list could have by just always having a must remove creature until they ran out of removal. Play went Exhume a guy, they Swords, Reanimate a guy, they Snapcaster Swords, Collective Brutality pitching Griselbrand to kill Snapcaster & take their Brainstorm for Terminus in hand, using a flipped Jace I recast Reanimate on their Snapcaster Mage to flashback my Exhume, get Griselbrand, Force their followup. Fun.

I felt I didn't have enough have enough flight hours with either Search or Jace to accurately value them, especially since one or the other ended up getting sided out in the face of anticipated Rest in Peace from the white decks. I'm confident some number is correct, maybe not both, maybe not at the same time. Good news was that both elicited a negative response from each opponent who saw them, either eating a Spell Peirce or REB as quickly as they could or putting work in to win the game. Only once did Jace flip and then get ambushed by creatures and once did Search for Azcanta get stranded with a ScOoze keeping my graveyard civil.

Most shocking is that UB Reanimator seems to be forgotten by currently players. D&T player had me locked out with Remorseful Cleric and Karakas and cast Sanctum Prelate, figured he'd name 3 and I'd scoop with Show and Tell and Inkwell Leviathan in hand, but he names 1 and it was a simple win from there. Said he hadn't considered that card and was so conditioned from RB that he wasn't aware Reanimator played past turn 4. Aggro Loam put down 2 Leyline of the Void in the second game and acted surprised when I kept playing. Never did I not have outs to the board beyond getting Wasteland/Port locked from Lands or getting drowned in control from Miracles.

People are still overboarding for the graveyard which is painful, but it seems to be a deep autonomic response. Everybody had 4x Surgical Extractions, they just weren't sure for what. After I threw them a sacrificial Tidespout Tyrant, Griselbrand came down and they were perplexed.

So in closing I think I'll tweak the list and find room for more things to draw from Griselbrand and perhaps commit to one of the new blue toys.

As always input and questions welcome. Thanks

[Poron]

I super like your idea of long games and Reanimator, just consider that long game Kings are flashback cards

Find place for a Tundra or a Scrubland and add Unburial Rites (also pickable via Entomb)
Faithless Loothing also would be fantastic (impossible)
Cabal Therapy as disruption

Also, you play Snapcaster Mage color and you really like to flashback instants and Sorceries. Have you considered 2 or 3 of them? Just to add fuel to the JVP plan

-1 Animate Dead
+1 Unburial Rites

-1 Griselbrand (his S.E. will always grab your fatties. The least copy of the same you play the best)
+1 Tundra

-2 Search for Azcanta
+2 Snapcaster Mage

[owerbart]

@pirateking i think your idea of going long is good, but not for game 1. G1 you still want to steal it away and prepare yourself for all the GY hate bombs afterwards. Glad we can now be more people on the Petal Less plan (I know you were on it from a long time ago). Ponder is probably the worst card in the entire deck, unfortunately it's a necessary evil.

[PirateKing]

Owlbart I had no issues Game 1 in any match expect Lands, which I had already conceded as an awful match up and just hoped to avoid. In building the sideboard my graveyard removal kept getting edged out until only one Faerie Macabre was left, at which point why bother. So I knew once they got Loam going I was in a bad spot. But there will be bad matchups that can never be made good, so I was trying not to focus there.
But for everybody else, Game 1s weren't the issue. One or two layers of countermagic was easily overcome with the build. It was post board when Surgical Snap Surgical became a bigger issue and Rest in Peace plus countermagic plus JTMS made for a very narrow window to do anything. Like I said, nothing was ever totally shut, I would get Show and Tell but never a creature, or get Abrupt Decay to turn the graveyard back on, peel one Force from their hand but never find another reanimation even after a Ponder or two. Truly at one point I think I dies with Entomb Griselbrand Griselbrand Iona and Elesh Norn in my hand after 4 turn of drawing live into just about anything but those cards. So I felt the two Blade deck matches were very winnable.
Ponder seems fine in the long build. If we're not going fast, doing something T1 is important. In game 1 it was safe to just throw out Careful Study, but once Surgical was in play, that's a risk. Land Ponder go is a safe and powerful first turn to help carve a path forward. Without Thoughtseize and Hapless Researcher, we've only got an unappealing Brainstorm T1 or the risky Entomb and Careful Study. So I'm not sure what more I could want in a T1 play then Ponder. Yeah it's a slow card, but this isn't RB Reanimator. We take is easy here.

Poron I recall back when I was playing BURG Reanimator with 8 duals how easily the Wasteland interaction was overwhelmed. Fetch a Volcanic to play Hapless, if they Waste then the Underground Sea comes
down to Reanimate. As long as the tempo was symmetrical, then color availability was all that mattered, and that was simple to do with some mindfulness. The long game plan here strikes a lot of the same chords, and your suggestion of Unburial Rites does seem viable. What I found is that against the point removal of Surgical and Faerie Macabre, overwhelming them isn't difficult. Exhume with two dudes in the yard, boom; you're done. What hurt was the sweepers. Relic and Crypt and Leyline and Rest in Peace did double duty killing the combo and shutting off the new tricks as well. While I'm in favor of new tricks, I'm not sure it's the time for the deck to be wholly subsisted from the graveyard. I'm not a fan of Show and Tell, but it opened doors otherwise out of reach, and Search for Azcanta really helped bring the copy needed closer to the top of the deck.

[Poron]

The point of being able to flashback (therefore Gemstone Mine and City of Brass as lands) is because to make Entomb a Vampiric Tutor is great

You need to reanimate a dude? Entomb Unburial Rites
You have in hand the 1xfattie you want to discard? Entomb Faithless Loothing
Snapcaster Mage and JVP have the ability to make everything ridicolous.

I know it’s easier said than done, but G2 and G3 you should point to this situation:

1) Graveyard with 2 dudes
2) Exhume and Entomb in hand

That’s the real set up for Griselbrand and his new 14 cards

[owerbart]

Owlbart I had no issues Game 1 in any match expect Lands, which I had already conceded as an awful match up and just hoped to avoid. In building the sideboard my graveyard removal kept getting edged out until only one Faerie Macabre was left, at which point why bother. So I knew once they got Loam going I was in a bad spot. But there will be bad matchups that can never be made good, so I was trying not to focus there.
But for everybody else, Game 1s weren't the issue. One or two layers of countermagic was easily overcome with the build. It was post board when Surgical Snap Surgical became a bigger issue and Rest in Peace plus countermagic plus JTMS made for a very narrow window to do anything. Like I said, nothing was ever totally shut, I would get Show and Tell but never a creature, or get Abrupt Decay to turn the graveyard back on, peel one Force from their hand but never find another reanimation even after a Ponder or two. Truly at one point I think I dies with Entomb Griselbrand Griselbrand Iona and Elesh Norn in my hand after 4 turn of drawing live into just about anything but those cards. So I felt the two Blade deck matches were very winnable.
Ponder seems fine in the long build. If we're not going fast, doing something T1 is important. In game 1 it was safe to just throw out Careful Study, but once Surgical was in play, that's a risk. Land Ponder go is a safe and powerful first turn to help carve a path forward. Without Thoughtseize and Hapless Researcher, we've only got an unappealing Brainstorm T1 or the risky Entomb and Careful Study. So I'm not sure what more I could want in a T1 play then Ponder. Yeah it's a slow card, but this isn't RB Reanimator. We take is easy here.

Poron I recall back when I was playing BURG Reanimator with 8 duals how easily the Wasteland interaction was overwhelmed. Fetch a Volcanic to play Hapless, if they Waste then the Underground Sea comes
down to Reanimate. As long as the tempo was symmetrical, then color availability was all that mattered, and that was simple to do with some mindfulness. The long game plan here strikes a lot of the same chords, and your suggestion of Unburial Rites does seem viable. What I found is that against the point removal of Surgical and Faerie Macabre, overwhelming them isn't difficult. Exhume with two dudes in the yard, boom; you're done. What hurt was the sweepers. Relic and Crypt and Leyline and Rest in Peace did double duty killing the combo and shutting off the new tricks as well. While I'm in favor of new tricks, I'm not sure it's the time for the deck to be wholly subsisted from the graveyard. I'm not a fan of Show and Tell, but it opened doors otherwise out of reach, and Search for Azcanta really helped bring the copy needed closer to the top of the deck.

Why do you even consider Lands as a bad MU? It has been historically almost a bye for UB reanimator.

[PirateKing]

Why do you even consider Lands as a bad MU? It has been historically almost a bye for UB reanimator.

Not bad like unwinnable, but outside of Force on Crop Rotation I didn't have any interaction. So the early Exploration into Wasteland into Loam jammed me pretty hard. Then it was 2x Sphere of Resistance and Port. So I was made to play her game, and I wasn't very good at it. I had Surgicals of my own in the side at one point, but they didn't make it into my 15 this tournament.

[Kanti]

Why doesn't this deck run Thoughtseize? I feel like I've played against iterations with FoW+Seize+Daze, but I might be wrong. I was wondering why you were having trouble against Crop Rotation, but then I looked at your list. All you have is 4 FoW, and they probably run x4 Crop Rotations. Doesn't cutting Daze, and not running Seize, make your Grizzlebees much softer? Draw7 into Petal->1cc discard seems very strong. Why try to Jace grind when you can Duress your opponents FoW/Fluster/Pierce out of their hand t1, and just gg them t2?

Flusterstorm can't be the answer when you want to win on t2 and only have so much mana. Being able to tap-out t1 for some 1cc discard, and having 2 mana open on t2 seems like a better plan than having to try to fumble keeping U open for your Flustersotmr.

[owerbart]

Why doesn't this deck run Thoughtseize? I feel like I've played against iterations with FoW+Seize+Daze, but I might be wrong. I was wondering why you were having trouble against Crop Rotation, but then I looked at your list. All you have is 4 FoW, and they probably run x4 Crop Rotations. Doesn't cutting Daze, and not running Seize, make your Grizzlebees much softer? Draw7 into Petal->1cc discard seems very strong. Why try to Jace grind when you can Duress your opponents FoW/Fluster/Pierce out of their hand t1, and just gg them t2?

Flusterstorm can't be the answer when you want to win on t2 and only have so much mana. Being able to tap-out t1 for some 1cc discard, and having 2 mana open on t2 seems like a better plan than having to try to fumble keeping U open for your Flustersotmr.

I've been playing 4 seizes (2 main 2 side) since forever, you can check my list two pages back.

@pirateking i seriously din't know what to say man, i've been playing UB with no petals for maybe a year now and I've never felt a more lopsided match in our favor than Lands. Remember that the only thing you need is to labd a tyrant and it's game over from there.

[PirateKing]

Kanti, if you gotta go fast (https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/506/223/2ab.gif), there are versions of Reanimator that will do that, but RB ends up being the natural conclusion to that line of thinking. They come with red shoes laced up and chili cheese dogs at the ready. There's no point in competing for pure pace of combo.

So then I ask, what then does UB have? I say: Consistency. Resolve. Determination.

Something that doesn't spend 4-5 cards only to eat a Force or Will and cry into their sideboard for game 2.
It's not the first reanimation that wins the game, it's the one that sticks that does.

To answer your questions directly, the list I registered represented a conscious effort to slow the game down for more powerful effects.
T1 Thoughtseize into T2 Entomb/Reanimate with Daze/Fow backup is good, god willing it always will be. But Thoughtseize makes for a shitty topdeck, and Daze is awful almost right away.
So why not T1 Ponder, T2 Collective Brutality escalated, T3 Reanimate with a much better likelihood of seeing a FoW. Because Collective Brutality is the real deal. I used it to kill Baleful Strix that was trying to chump Griselbrand, I nabbed cards, I drained for the game win, and escalation helped every time.
I haven't totally lost my mind, Thoughtseize is in the side and they did come in, but cards never seen have low impact on the game. It was just one match, so I won't hold it as the mean example of all Lands matches.

Owerbart, I'm aware how the match should play out. She had good hands of Wasteland/Port to keep me from Entombing and Reanimating in the same turn without eating a Crop Rotate for long enough, and a Ghost Quarter didn't help along the way. Game 2 yeah it went easy, Griselbrand hits, she plays Maze of Ith, I draw into a Pithing Needle naming Maze of Ith, keep on hitting. Game 3 it was Diamond into Exploration into Sphere of Resistance. Wasteland made an appearance along with a second Sphere. So yeah, I got Tidespout Tyrant out despite, but it wasn't exactly game over from there. I had an Instant and she had Loam, until I didn't have an Instant and well, she still had Loam. So it was chump or die.
I don't consider Lands a bad matchup or an unfavorable matchup or an unwinnable matchup. But I also don't consider it a bye. It's a slog, an unfun slog through the worst non-spells ever printed that we have hardly any way to interact with. It's everything wrong with the D&T matchup, expect I don't get to cast Massacre.
My original comment was that in most games I played we were hugely favored game 1 and after sideboard we each had things to bring in. So it's kinda equal going forward. But Lands has all the garbage game 1, plus they get to bring in more garbage from the sideboard, while we're still trying to jam the same plan.

But again, I'm not trying to extol my list as perfect. It was an extreme swing towards one direction to try an evaluate cards in a new format. I think there's something in there to work with, but as I said, it was lacking in interactions that I'm aiming to address in future lists.

[Karhumies]

Kanti, if you gotta go fast (https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/000/506/223/2ab.gif), there are versions of Reanimator that will do that, but RB ends up being the natural conclusion to that line of thinking. They come with red shoes laced up and chili cheese dogs at the ready. There's no point in competing for pure pace of combo.

So then I ask, what then does UB have? I say: Consistency. Resolve. Determination.

1) What BU has over BR is access to Show and Tell and Arcane Artisan post SB to go around grave hate (other than Containment Priest, but Arcane Artisan goes around that as well). That and FoW to better combat opposing turn 1 combo decks.

2) BU builds running MD Careful Study, MD Chancellor of the Annex, MD Lotus Petal and SB Force of Will can and will match the BR builds for speed in game 1. The cost is losing Faithless Looting's flashback, which Careful Study does not have. The benefit is SB FoW, SB SnT, SB bounce, SB Arcane Artisan access. Essentially you are playing with BR speed with an actually relevant sideboard.

There are 2 major versions of BU animator. 1 favors speed, 1 favors consistency. BR only has the speed version. IMO the BU speed version is better than the BR speed version ever was thanks to better SB cards (all blue).

[owerbart]

@pirateking i would argue that thoughtseize is a bad topdeck, since most of the time if you arrived a topdeck situation it means that you haven't pushed every shield and seize helps in that department. Also helps sometimes to use it as a way to get the fatty in the bin. Post board sieze is even better where you can discard snapcasters and reanimate them, or forcing your oppo to cast their containment priests.

[Poron]

https://media-dominaria.cursecdn.com/avatars/thumbnails/270/432/200/283/636681372499604083.png

Almost surely unplayable and useless because a Griselbrand is already enough, yet....

[Ragdoll]

Howdy all!

New to the deck - so very obvious question I suppose - what set of creatures would you recommend in current meta? I'm toying with UBg version - just got kicked in the balls today by infect (too fast) and d&t :P

Also what do you think of Stormtide Leviathan nowadays?

Thanks in advance :)

[PirateKing]

Griselbrand in multiples.

After that you have the choice of:
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
Tidespout Tyrant
Iona, Shield of Emeria
Grave Titan
Keranos, God of Storms
Inkwell Leviathan
Ashen Rider
Blazing Archon
Archetype of Endurance
Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
Sphinx of the Steel Wind
Empyrial Archangel

Regarding Stormtide Leviathan, what application are you imagining? Islands in addition to their other type doesn't stop your opponent's from executing their game plan. It won't stop Emrakul from wiping your board like Blazing Archon would. Inkwell Leviathan hits just as hard but is harder to remove. And in general Griselbrand is best.

[crowe_1]

The “stock” configuration in the maindeck is 3x Griselbrand, 1x Elesh Norn, 1x Iona, 1x Tidespout Tyrant, and 1x Grave Titan. You can alter this based on your metagame.

Also if you are having trouble with Infect, Elesh Norn and Iona (choose Green) are your go-to creatures. It should not be a difficult matchup the majority of the time.

[Darkness]

The “stock” configuration in the maindeck is 3x Griselbrand, 1x Elesh Norn, 1x Iona, 1x Tidespout Tyrant, and 1x Grave Titan. You can alter this based on your metagame.

Also if you are having trouble with Infect, Elesh Norn and Iona (choose Green) are your go-to creatures. It should not be a difficult matchup the majority of the time.

Also, if you do land and Elesh Norn, DO NOT ATTACK with it. They are literally locked out of game. I have seen so many opponents attack with it to see it Berserked and then fightning over counter//reanimator wars. Play out the game slowly and stack you're hand. You wont loss that war.

[Ragdoll]

Yeah do not attack with Elesh - this one I know but I feel like besides Griselbrand all of those creatures are well kinda not enough. Mine set was:

4x Grisel
1x Elesh
1x Inkwell
1x Tyrant

with Iona in side.

My opinion is that really d&t just outspeed us really badly without the demon. I was testing 2x Not of this world main and it helped sometimes with karakas but still I feel like all other creatures gets beaten up badly. Maybe I need to practice more.
On the other hand - are you all playing animate dead main? If yes how many copies? Is it worth to run 2x S&T main and 2 in side? What do you feel about daze now? I would say I prefer thoughtseize all the time - I'm thinking of running like 4 Thoughtseizes and 2 Duresses in spot of Dazes. Any opinions?

[Poron]

for DnT is good Grave Titan

[crowe_1]

Grave Titan and Inkwell Leviathan are both decent against D&T, but have obvious failings. Grave Titan can get Swords’d and is pretty easily killed by blocks if they get Brightling or Mirran Crusader plus two power creature. And Inkwell allows them to race in a lot of cases if you lose 9 life from Reanimate. Elesh Norn is good purely as a one-shot board wipe.

D&T is a pretty challenging matchup because we don’t have a creature that they can’t deal with aside from MAYBE Inkwell depending if Council’s Judgement is in the deck. Pithing Needle (on Karakas) and Massacre/Dread of Night are good too but this match will usually be a slog. There’s also times where you’ll stumble on mana and they’ll lock you out that way. The upside is that since they aren’t a blue deck, sometimes they just don’t draw what they need. It’s far from unwinnable.

[Poron]

Have you ever thought of SB Massacre?:rolleyes:

They say it helps against Miracle as well.

[Kanti]

Massacre Wurm is always a good option against DnT. Board wipe+clock all in one.

[crowe_1]

Non-Legendary to boot.

[Ragdoll]

Massacre? Sure but you only have access to 1 or 2 copies - doesn't sound that helpful. But hey we still have Silumgar xD About crazy ideas - what about the Ur-Dragon? :P

[Poron]

Well SB cards can be brought up to 4 and in case

SB 2 Massacre and 1 Massacre Wurm and Elesh MD... should do it

[Cpt-Qc]

Massacre Wurm can be pretty good. I played it for a long time when there was I was on Show and Tell. If you're on that backup plan you'll go off later than you usually would and sometimes need something that affects the board immediately because you're giving them 1 free permanent. Just getting a griselbrand does nothing when opponent has a flyer + mother of runes.

This is a second non legendary elesh norn that can sometimes win you the game on the spot. If you have a lot of decks that get killed by Elesh, it's probably a good idea to add a wurm.

[crowe_1]

Exactly. It’s an option for a skewed meta.

[KobeBryan]

The decks you need elseh norn have karakas...wouldnt it be better to play wurm instead

[KobeBryan]

The decks you need elseh norn have karakas...wouldnt it be better to play wurm instead

Nevermind...misread

[Ragdoll]

So last question - any experience with some nonorthodox creatures? (Ur-Dragon, hellkite?)

[KobeBryan]

So last question - any experience with some nonorthodox creatures? (Ur-Dragon, hellkite?)

sphinx

[Tristin183]

[QUOTE=KobeBryan;1052839]sphinx[/Q which one??

[PirateKing]

Sphinx of the Steel Wind is the only one worth mentioning. If Canadian Thresh becomes a popular deck again, then it will have merit. But for the moment there are better non-legendary creatures in Inkwell Leviathan and Grave Titan.

[TinkerRobot]

I think Death and Taxes is our worst matchup, but I've jammed the matchup so many times I have a pretty good intuition about it.

- Make sure to have enough non-Legendary creatures post-board to play around Karakas without needing a Pithing Needle.

- Inkwell Leviathan is our best creature in this matchup.

- Sideboard Massacre is great. Dread of Night is somewhat less good (mainly because it costs 2 under Thalia).

- Sometimes you'll want to name Wasteland or Rishadan Port with Pithing Needle.

- Sideboard out Griselbrand I know this is probably controversial, but I take out all my Griselbrands after game one. Death and Taxes players don't care if you jump through hoops to get ol' Tin Fins. They have too many answers to this card.

[Ragdoll]

I think Death and Taxes is our worst matchup, but I've jammed the matchup so many times I have a pretty good intuition about it.

- Make sure to have enough non-Legendary creatures post-board to play around Karakas without needing a Pithing Needle.

- Inkwell Leviathan is our best creature in this matchup.

- Sideboard Massacre is great. Dread of Night is somewhat less good (mainly because it costs 2 under Thalia).

- Sometimes you'll want to name Wasteland or Rishadan Port with Pithing Needle.

- Sideboard out Griselbrand I know this is probably controversial, but I take out all my Griselbrands after game one. Death and Taxes players don't care if you jump through hoops to get ol' Tin Fins. They have too many answers to this card.


Could you share your UBr decklist please? :)

[PirateKing]

- Sideboard out Griselbrand I know this is probably controversial, but I take out all my Griselbrands after game one. Death and Taxes players don't care if you jump through hoops to get ol' Tin Fins. They have too many answers to this card.

I'll agree with the points above but I wouldn't push this point as a hard rule. Griselbrand is still really good. D&T runs 2-3 copies of Karakas with no way to search for them; you'll still win games.
If you have useful creatures to side in, then yeah go for it. But don't bring in Iona from the side to replace a Griselbrand. Don't side in something like Ashen Rider or Blazing Archon just because you're afraid of Karakas. They'll all eat a Swords the same, but at least Griselbrand will leave you 7 cards up.
Bring in creatures that are goo against D&T. Inkwell Leviathan absolutely comes in. Keranos is good too. Empyrial Archangel is also good if you're running it.
But don't just jam in irreverent bodies just because they aren't Griselbrand.

[Stryfo]

I will go ahead and say that I am no longer the reanimator player I once was, but when I was playing this deck a lot (and even a little bit more recently) DnT is not the bad matchup that so many people say. Historically I felt favored against DnT, though this may have changed with the printing of the new spirit (haven't played against it yet so I can't say much there).

I wouldn't cut many Griselbrands in the matchup, it's still broken in half.

[PirateKing]

You're missed Stryfo to be sure.

New Spirit isn't that awful to play against. I'd say facing Rest in Peace is still easily the worst. Containment Priest is probably second, them flashing it in can ruin many lines of play.

Only thing this does is makes your Exhumes very bad. Reanimate to force them to sac it is a fine play, same logic as Tormod's Crypt. But play Exhume, they'll sac in response then Exhume resolves leaving you in the exact same board state sans graveyard. Unfun.

[Cpt-Qc]

Cutting grisel in any matchup is a grave error :tongue: I can agree with shaving but never cutting.

[nimkee]

Short version:
Relatively new UB player here. I have a couple of post ban Qs.
Has anyone had much success with the slower variants, or compared them in testing with the faster daze / petal ones?
How do people feel about the green splash vs straight UB?

Not short version:

I've been lurking for a few months now, and sleeved up UBx a bit before the ban.

I was following the discussions beforehand on the petal / daze GO for it builds, vs the more discard heavy / slower variants. I played the petal / daze with 2 main SnT and did pretty well with the deck. I'm 7-2 so far in FNMs (one of the "losses" being an ID, and I misplayed quite a bit). I started with 4 petal / 4 daze but drawing them late game is a bummer. I'm down to 3 each and like it quite a bit.

With that in mind I have a couple of questions on how the deck is doing post ban. The only lists I see placing anywhere run petal / daze. Has anyone had much success with the slower variants?

Also, how much is a green splash needed? I started off with decay before ban and it was great against delver and drs in general. Golgari charms versatility was also quite nice. This last tournament I played straight UB and didn't have any problems, nor would green have really helped.

I've enjoyed the comments and insights from the thread these last few months. Thanks^^

[Cpt-Qc]

The choice between UB and UBg is a personnal one. With green you'll play a slower game, fighting through hate since you have the best removal there is in decay/golgari charm. With straight UB you'll ignore the hate completely and try to play a different plan games 2-3. Then again, you can always mix both strategies and find the middle ground.

Either way, I found that I hated being locked by blood moon in a combo deck so I went back to a petals build to get faster/more resilient to mana screwing.

[crowe_1]

I am not aware of any big placements with the Petal-less build since back when some people played Grixis for Izzet Charm. Doesn’t mean it’s not good though. No UB variant has put up a lot of results in the last two years since RB got popular.

But yeah, UB is fine and UBg is good too. Depends what you’re trying to do really. UBg is probably better specifically against Containment Priest due to AD, and UB typically runs more Show and Tell and Echoing Truth so it’s usually a bit better vs Leyline of the Void. UB has a more solid mana base, while UBg gives you strictly more options. I’ve been on straight UB forever and it’s been good. Engineered Explosives is another option a lot of people don’t use but makes up for the lack of green to an extent. I also might go green if there are a lot of Chalices in your area.

[nimkee]

4th in the last Legacy Challenge, playing Chancellor, petals, and daze:

https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/mtgo-standings/legacy-challenge-2018-08-06

The sideboard is quite interesting - the green splash is for 3x carpet of flowers and a leovold, and the white only for mentor.

I've seen the power of mentor in tin fins. Has anyone tried carpet? Any stories of success or otherwise with it in reanimator?

Is hapless researcher better now that spell pierce is seeing more play?

[owerbart]

Short version:
Relatively new UB player here. I have a couple of post ban Qs.
Has anyone had much success with the slower variants, or compared them in testing with the faster daze / petal ones?
How do people feel about the green splash vs straight UB?

Not short version:

I've been lurking for a few months now, and sleeved up UBx a bit before the ban.

I was following the discussions beforehand on the petal / daze GO for it builds, vs the more discard heavy / slower variants. I played the petal / daze with 2 main SnT and did pretty well with the deck. I'm 7-2 so far in FNMs (one of the "losses" being an ID, and I misplayed quite a bit). I started with 4 petal / 4 daze but drawing them late game is a bummer. I'm down to 3 each and like it quite a bit.

With that in mind I have a couple of questions on how the deck is doing post ban. The only lists I see placing anywhere run petal / daze. Has anyone had much success with the slower variants?

Also, how much is a green splash needed? I started off with decay before ban and it was great against delver and drs in general. Golgari charms versatility was also quite nice. This last tournament I played straight UB and didn't have any problems, nor would green have really helped.

I've enjoyed the comments and insights from the thread these last few months. Thanks^^

I've been playing a petal less - daze less build for over a year and a half now, i previously played with petals and have relatively a good win-ratio, winning a league here and doing well in weekly tourneys. I switched to non petals because it has a much better lategame and can win games against multiple pieces of hate. 3 surgical + other hate has become a staple in pretty much every sideboard, and with a petal build the game is pretty much over if you go for a quick kill and you eat their hate on the spot. Also petal less builds are still quite fast, going almost as smoothly t2 as a petal build.

Regarding the green splash, i play decays (never liked golgari charm because of shaman being 1/2, might try it now) for the simple fact that I WANT MY ANSWER TO THEIR HATE TO NOT BE CHALLENGED ON THE STACK. When you play with decays, those containment priests, those RIPs, those cotv's and cages are all 100% to get taken out of the game, and for me, that's a guarantee that it's almost a necessity.

[nimkee]

10 round Eternal Weekend Asia report incoming!
Decklist, yes…61 cards

Lands (19 mana sources)
2 island
2 swamp
3 underground sea
4 polluted delta
2 verdant catacombs
1 misty rainforest
1 flooded strand
4 Lotus Petal

Sorceries / Instants (32)
4 Reanimate
4 Exhume
1 Reanimate Dead (enchantment)
4 entomb
4 careful study
4 ponder
4 brainstorm
3 daze
4 FoW

Creatures (10)
2 Chancellor (would consider 3 in the future)
1 Hapless Researcher (helps fight through pierce / fluster, and can help with exhume)
3 Grizz
1 Elesh
1 Iona
1 Tidespout
1 Grave Titan

Sideboard
3 Show and Tell
2 Echoing Truth
1 Back to Basics
2 Massacre
1 Keranos
2 thought seize
2 duress
1 fluster
1 collective brutality

Disclaimer – I took about a 4-5 weeks off of magic, and the ave only played a few times since then. I was definitely not at the top of my game and nor was I the most familiar with this deck. Before this weekend I had about 7 tournaments total with some variant of UB, and only 3 of which were recent. The others were all pre DRS ban.

FNM Report is at the very bottom. I went 0-3 in matches. I changed the deck after the FNM for eternal weekend the next morning. This build had maindeck discard. I felt that going off turn 1 or 2 and winning for sure is where I wanted to be so I switched to a chancellor build for Saturday, with no splash.

Eternal event – 10 rounds. Biggest ever for me. I decided to go with straight UB because it seems to require, at least slightly, less thought. Also, I remember the biggest reason for me splashing green was AD, followed by golgari charm. Having 4 main deck basics made me feel more comfortable, especially against RUG delver. There are a few other cases it came in handy (show and tell). I also opted for the 2 Chancellor build, with 3 daze, 4 petals, and zero discard. I wanted to go all in on the combo game one before the hate came. I only remember seeing two other reanimator players, both on RB.

I ended up 6-4, though at one point I was 5-1. I started making play mistakes from fatigue. At least two of those last matches I literally threw the game away. G2 vs eldrazi I exhumed a Griselbrand into a Karakas when I could have brought in a Grave Titan and just won the match flat out. Instead he swung for lethal and I just laughed and was happy it was over. That was round 10.

The whole drink water / do push-ups between rounds etc is no joke. Had I more experience with the deck, 8-2 or 9-1 might have even been possible. I should have been 7-3 with a clear win in sight that last round.

6 out of 10 rounds were against Delver. I seemed to be 50-50 in those matchups, but one of those losses could have been a win had I paid better attention (later round, fatigue…). Another was a die roll away from winning. The 1st loss, against Grixis delver, was not close. The others however, were.
Here’s the report. I’ll try to write things down according to notes as best as possible.

R1 Storm 2-0
G1: T1 Chancellor, into entomb, griselbrand, petal, reanimate.
In: fluster x 1, duress x 2, TS x 2, Collected x 1. Out  careful, fow, tidespout x 1 each, and daze x 3
G2 I had chancellor, and a very similar hand. He played a petal off his land for chancellor. I duressed him, then went off Turn 2. Nothing of note was in his hand. I
(1-0 overall)

R2 RUG Delver 2-0
G1 he stifled a polluted delta. I reanimated a griselbrand a couple turns later and he scoops.
In: fluster x 1, duress x 2, TS x 2, Collected x 1. Out  exhume, fow, tidespout x 1 each, and daze x 3
G2: careful study, petal x 2, chancellor, fluster, usea, fluster. I draw a duress. T1 I play land, petal, petal, then duress him. I see stifle volc, delv, waste, island (he mulled to 6). I take the stifle, and careful study into land and exhume and go for it next turn.
(2-0 overall)

R3 Delver 2-0
Opponent plays delver go. On the draw, I have an opening hand of petal x 2, careful, elesh, GT, animate dead, and daze. I kept and drew a land. I reanimated the elesh and opp scoops. Could have went badly for me.
In: fluster x 1, duress x 2, TS x 2, Collected x 1, back 2 basics x 1. Out  1 griselbrand, 1 careful study, 1 reanimate, 1 tidespout daze x 3
G2 I didn’t have time to write opening hand down. My notes say I get a delta stifled, and then win a counter war with fow and fluster to get gris into play.
(3-0 overall)

R4 Grixis Delver 2-1 (he got 2nd place overall)
This was an odd matchup. I kept a t1 chancellor, with petal and no lands. I went for it with fow backup, but opponent had double force. I lose to a t1 delver and friends.
G2, similar sideboard to the above, I win by clearing the way with duress and exhuming griselbrand.
G3 I lose to…what seemed to be all the cards you would expect from grixis control. I got edicted, snap edicted, and then edicted a 3rd time. I was not expecting snapcaster and it wrecked me. It came out of his sideboard. Had I gone for a gravetitan instead I might have won.
(3-1 overall)

R5 UR Delver, 2-1
G1 Opponent had a counter heavy hand. My t1 gets dazed, then he passes leaving spell pierce up. My life total went from 19 to 13 to 12, to 9, then to 6 while he had more counter magic up.
I sided in the discard package from above plus fluster.
G2 I almost lost because I forgot my chancellor trigger. My opening hand was entomb, exhume, gris, ponder, fetch, and chancellor after mulling to six. Opponent starts with a swiftspear and then t2 another one, keeping pierce open. I eventually careful study and keep Gris in hand, pitching a Chancellor which I try to exhume. Oppenent cracked a fetch and surgicaled, so I entomb for gris, and he tries to surgical that but I FoW it.
G3 life totals show me going down in chunks of 3. Notes say “patience paid off, duress cleared the way”. I kept 7 on the draw, and discarded Iona eot. Iona got surgicaled when I went to reanimate it. Life totals indicate I landed a griselbrand.
(4-1 overall)

R6 Lands 2-1
I kept a slower hand, which would have been fine against most decks but this lands player got a great hand, with bog in it. He set up a bog recursion and game 1 lasted 27 minutes before I scooped. I quickly 2-0’d him.
G2 I sided in back 2 basics, show and tell, and duress x 2. My hand is entomb, exhume, griselbrand, ponder, fetch, chancellor (we both mulled to 6) I forgot my chancellor trigger. I island pondered into a daze, land, petal. I forced a sphere of resistance. The life totals indicate I exumed a griselbrand and drew 7, and won shortly thereafter.
G3 I kept 7 on the draw, drew and discarded an Iona eot. I went to reanimate her and opp surgicaled in response. I expected this. I was patient and cleared the way with duress. I fetched basics, and then at 3 I show and tell landing griselbrand. Opp did have 3 crop rotations that I countered throughout the game.
(5-1 overall)

R7 – 4c Loam 2-1
G1 This was a long 3 games. The first game I forced a chalice and landed a griselbrand turn 2 or 3. I
I sided out animate dead, all my daze, Elesh, and a Griseland brought in SnT x 3, E Truth x 2, and a Keranos for game 2.
G2 He starts with leyline, and I could not find a show and tell or echoing truth even after cantriping through the top 10 cards of my deck. He lands a chalice, and then we play draw go for over 10 turns until he draws Karakas and I scoop to a Thalia and dryad arbor.
I bring in 2 Massacre, and the gris and 1 daze came back in, taking out Keranos, Iona, Elesh (could be a mistake), and 2 exhume (he runs knights, which find Karakas). That’s as close as I can remember and decipher from the notes.
G3
My life total: 19, 18, 11, 10, 17, 25. I show and telled a quick griselbrand off of a petal turn 2 and won through two leylines!
(6-1 overall)


R8 UR Delver 2-1 (He was 1st at the feature match table round 10, he got 8th).
I was exhausted at this point and games 2 and 3 I kept sketchy hands.
G1 I won with a no lander, petal and ponder hand with force / daze, reanimate, griselbrand, and chancellor. I drew something, discarded Griz and passed. Life total shows 20-> 12, 5, 12, and then 9. Opponent scooped.
Same discard stuff plus fluster.
G2 I basically did the same thing with grave titan. I lost to a pile of dazes and spell pierces.. I pondered for a land, did not find one. He pinged me with a swiftspear several turns while keeping a hand.
G3 I kept another sketchy hand but with fow backup. I went petal into careful study, and drew an island. My opponent plays a tormod’s crypt and a swiftspear. I ponder into a delta, for a basic swamp. I pass, and am now getting pinged by two swiftspears (no pumps…). I duress my opponent the next turn to see a stacked hand. Daze x 3, Fow x 2. Opponent finally pumps his swiftspears by surgicalling something in my yard, at 2 life I respond with FoW into cracking a verdant. GG.
I could have kept better hands. Fighting through that countermagic is just rough. Game 3 he had it al

R9 RUG Delver 2-1
I’m practically drooling on myself at this point. Dazed and in a stupor.
G1: On the play its trop delver go. He flips it to a daze. I eventually animate dead a griselbrand but am facing down a delver and a 5/6 tarmo. Life totals show that I smacked him with it twice, but would die to a crack back if I draw 7. I do remember swinging in with lethal, him chumping, and then untapping and topdecking a lightning bolt for lethal. I probably could have played that differently.
I bring in 2 duress and a fluster, taking out tidespout, iona, and something else.
G2 I reanimate a griselbrand turn 3 through some counter magic (putting me at 8). I swing a couple times and then close it out.
G3 I am not quite sure what happened this game but my notes say: I kept a one lander with a duress. Opponent leads with tropical into goose. I duress to see opponents hand of wasteland, brainstorm x 2, pierce, volc. I took the pierce). He wastes me and pings me with a 1/1 mongoose from 20 to 14. Eventually discarded Elesh to hand size. I finally reanimate her but am at 6 life. I lose to double lightning bolt.
Goyfs in this game and most others were 5/6, and sometimes even 6/7. Ugly stuff. I am always trying to stay out of bolt range.

R10 Eldrazi Stompy (little eldrazi) 2-1
G1: he plays matter reshaper and passes. Island ponder from my side. I FoW a chalice on 1 and then reanimate Griselbrand t2 or 3.
G2 I mull to 5. I get leylined into TKS t2. Not much to see here.
G3 I had the win on board, in front of me, and spaced. Nothing but exhaustion…I mentioned it at the beginning of the report. Sigh.
Opponent starts with 2 leylines in play, which I end up bouncing with an echoing truth. I am at 8, facing a TKS, when I get a griselbrand into play. My opponent draws a karakas, bounces and swings, I do not block with hapless and drop to 4. I cantrip into a grave titan. This time I block with hapless and MY BRAIN DIED ON ME and I pitched griselbrand instead of titan. I then exhume my griselbrand, staring down a Karakas. My opponent was at 10 because of ancient tomb, had an empty hand, with just a karakas, tks, and a factory plus eye of ugin in play. I laughed, and was happy it was over. I think it was well over 10 hours of magic straight, with quick snacks / water in between.
My final record should have been 7-3. If I were not so new to the deck though, maybe even 8-2.

This deck is a blast to play – I like UB so much that it is actually hard for me to go back to the other decks I used to play. I just don’t have the interest.
That’s all. Go UB!

FNM report from the night before
This was a rough night. I was fairly unsure of my list, and it seemed like at least half of the room was on delver, and half of them on UB Shadow, which I dodged but still got destroyed. I definitely made some play mistakes. I’ll keep this short as it wasn’t eventful and I was still pretty uncertain of this list.

R1 – BUG control / delver (0-2)
Mulled to 6, kept a petal into ponder. Saw a t2 bitterblossom, followed by a hymn, tarmo and friends. I lost to double tarmo, two tokens, and a jitte. I finally got grisel on board and it was close but too late.
G2 I mulled to 6, kept a usea / petal / collected / Grisel, reanimate, force. I lost to double force followed up by two tarmogoyfs.
R2 – Grixis Delver (1-2)
I went for it t1 in the dark, opp had no counter. I griseled him.
G2 I died to Hymn + TNN + Delver. I went for grave titan, should have went for Elesh though. I otherwise would have had this game. G3 I got overwhelmed by gy hate and delvered out. The discard is very useful post board.
R3 – RUG Delver (1-2)
G1 I went for it and got it, nothing of note here.
G2 I kept a 1 lander and didn’t see another land for 8 turns. It happens.
G3 I eventually got Grisel into play but I died to 3 bolts and being too low to draw. Elderscale wurm would have been great here.
I definitely misplayed, this could have been 2-1 or 3-0. It was a good learning experience and helped me decided what I wanted to do the next day at the big tournament though, so I was happy with it in the end.

[RNGesus]

So the new Ravnica mechanics have been revealed!

The Dimir mechanic is Surveil. This is basically scry but instead of putting cards at the bottom of the library they go to the GY.
Would a Surveil version of Preordain be a boon to the deck? U, sorcery, Surveil 2 draw 1. At first glance it feels like it has a place in UB reanimator.

The Izzet mechanic is Jump-Start. This keyword is found on instants and sorceries only. Basically if a Jump-Start card is in your GY, you can cast it again by discarding a card and paying the mana for the Jump-Start spell.
Utility spells that can double as discard outlets sound good to me!

[Cpt-Qc]

It feels like an izzet charm effect is better. Not being able to discard from hand makes it pretty unlikely we'll be able to send something worthwhile down the yard but it's definitely interesting.

[Ragdoll]

It seems we'll have to wait for some spoilers. But surveil version of brainstorm would be nice :P

[crowe_1]

A Surveil version of Preordain could maybe take the place of Ponder, but Thoughtscour is already a card we don’t use so it’s hard to say if we would use the upgrade. The Jumpstart ability could potentially be okay as a bin-from-hand effect depending what the card text is but again it’s heavily “wait and see”.

[JanoschEausH]

Hey guys, I played a straight UB Version with Petals and Dazes to a 3-1 finish at my LGS.

I took Nimkee's list from a few posts ago and modified a few slots. I played -1 Grave Titan and +1 Chancellor of the Annex maindeck. In the Sideboard I shaved -1 Collective Brutality and -1 Back to Basics and added +1 Grave Titan and +1 Pithing Needle.

I played those opponents:

Round 1, Win, OTD, 2:1 against LED Dredge
G1: He destroyed my hand with therapies and I didn't draw any gas.
G2: I reanimated a Griselbrand, drew some cards, countered everything he played and finished with an Elesh Norn.
G3: Had a Chancellor to blank his T1 Discard, then made a T1 Elesh Norn.

Round 2, Lose, OTP, 1:2 against UB Shadow
G1: I had Chancellor but no fast action. He played a preordain into the trigger and reanimated a cycled Street Wraith. My only options were reanimating a Chancellor, which put me to 11 life vs his 13 life. I could force a Death's Shadow (luckily) and win the beatdown race.
G2: I won a big counter war over exhuming a Tidespout Tyrant, but had no cards left. He drew, grinned, and Snuffed the Tyrant Out. His only out apparently, as he mentioned afterwards. I died shortly after.
G3: This time I lost a counterwar over Exhuming a Chancellor. He then proceeded to reanimate the Chancellor himself. Doh.

Round 3, Win, OTD, 2:0 against GW Enchantress
G1: I had Turn 2 Entomb + Reanimate and made a Griselbrand. He had a Karakas in his opener and bounced the Grizzy but I drew 7 cards and made a Chancellor after that. He died to the Chancellor beats.
G2: I could reanimate a Tidespout Tyrant. He had a Karakas again, so I had to win with non-legends. I could bounce some Enchantress Presence's to slow him down. He found an Oblivion Ring but I could Show and Tell a Chancellor after that, which sealed the game.

Round 4, Win, OTP, 2:0 against Grixis Control
G1: I made my thing. Made a Grizzy, made a Tidespout shortly after, forced an Edict and Dazed a Jace.
G2: We played draw - go for a few turns. I could amass 3 Lands and 1 Petal, then cast Show and Tell, with Flusterstorm backup, but he Flustered back. We had some uninteractive turns in which I managed to collect 2x Entomb and 2x Exhume. I then decided to go for it, play Entomb for Grave Titan (I expected some sort of removal) and followed with Exhume. He responded with Surgical Extraction which resolved. I then Entombed for Griselbrand and led the Exhume resolve afterwards. Problem was, in the meantime he had 2 Strixes and I boarded out my Elesh (stupid...). I then went for Tidespout Tyrant which brought me down to 4 life. I feared his Bolts and had no gas left. Fortunately I drew into Brainstorm and then into Petal and Ponder. I bounced his board and attacked for lethal.

My thoughts after the small tournament: I'm not sure the Chancellor is worth it. Even with a Petal-Build my opening hands are not that fast and my opponents can easily play around him. Then again he is a Karakas-proof Body. It was nice to so much flesh to discard with my Careful Studies, but ultimately I think the Chancellors are not worth it. Being straight UB was a good decision, because the manabase is fairly safe against Wasteland, Blood Moon and Back to Basics. I didn't miss Abrupt Decay as a sideboard option.

[nimkee]

I sorta felt the same as you, and plan on testing out three next time around. I had a lot of similar situations as you below - I've left the games where Chancellor seemed to make a difference. I actually missed two of my own triggers in the bigger tournament. I guess you have to ask what you would put in place of the Chancellor. This is sort of unrelated, but I decided to give BR a try tonight. Having 4 Chancellor felt really good and stopped a number of things. FoW, Chalice, and a spell pierce. I liked the idea of upping the Chancellor to 3 or 4 with an all in faster build, with 4 petals for instance. Playing BR made me miss UB =)

Locally I think more people (definitely not all though) are looking at Faerie Macabre. If you expect a lot of that, switching it up from week to week helps. There are mostly a bunch of blue decks plus a couple stompy players in our meta so Chancellor stopping that turn 1 discard or chalice feels nice, and there is no real card disadvantage to it like daze or fow. I do like them but am always intrigued by other options, something sexier. Chancellor does make those early turn dazes better too. What are you thinking of replacing the Chancellors with?



Hey guys, I played a straight UB Version with Petals and Dazes to a 3-1 finish at my LGS.

I took Nimkee's list from a few posts ago and modified a few slots. I played -1 Grave Titan and +1 Chancellor of the Annex maindeck. In the Sideboard I shaved -1 Collective Brutality and -1 Back to Basics and added +1 Grave Titan and +1 Pithing Needle.

G3: Had a Chancellor to blank his T1 Discard, then made a T1 Elesh Norn.

Round 2, Lose, OTP, 1:2 against UB Shadow
G1: I had Chancellor but no fast action. He played a preordain into the trigger and reanimated a cycled Street Wraith. My only options were reanimating a Chancellor, which put me to 11 life vs his 13 life. I could force a Death's Shadow (luckily) and win the beatdown race.

G3: This time I lost a counterwar over Exhuming a Chancellor. He then proceeded to reanimate the Chancellor himself. Doh.

G1: I had Turn 2 Entomb + Reanimate and made a Griselbrand. He had a Karakas in his opener and bounced the Grizzy but I drew 7 cards and made a Chancellor after that. He died to the Chancellor beats.
G2: I could reanimate a Tidespout Tyrant. He had a Karakas again, so I had to win with non-legends. I could bounce some Enchantress Presence's to slow him down. He found an Oblivion Ring but I could Show and Tell a Chancellor after that, which sealed the game.

Round 4, Win, OTP, 2:0 against Grixis Control

My thoughts after the small tournament: I'm not sure the Chancellor is worth it. Even with a Petal-Build my opening hands are not that fast and my opponents can easily play around him. Then again he is a Karakas-proof Body. It was nice to so much flesh to discard with my Careful Studies, but ultimately I think the Chancellors are not worth it. Being straight UB was a good decision, because the manabase is fairly safe against Wasteland, Blood Moon and Back to Basics. I didn't miss Abrupt Decay as a sideboard option.

[owerbart]

Hey guys, I played a straight UB Version with Petals and Dazes to a 3-1 finish at my LGS.

I took Nimkee's list from a few posts ago and modified a few slots. I played -1 Grave Titan and +1 Chancellor of the Annex maindeck. In the Sideboard I shaved -1 Collective Brutality and -1 Back to Basics and added +1 Grave Titan and +1 Pithing Needle.

I played those opponents:

Round 1, Win, OTD, 2:1 against LED Dredge
G1: He destroyed my hand with therapies and I didn't draw any gas.
G2: I reanimated a Griselbrand, drew some cards, countered everything he played and finished with an Elesh Norn.
G3: Had a Chancellor to blank his T1 Discard, then made a T1 Elesh Norn.

Round 2, Lose, OTP, 1:2 against UB Shadow
G1: I had Chancellor but no fast action. He played a preordain into the trigger and reanimated a cycled Street Wraith. My only options were reanimating a Chancellor, which put me to 11 life vs his 13 life. I could force a Death's Shadow (luckily) and win the beatdown race.
G2: I won a big counter war over exhuming a Tidespout Tyrant, but had no cards left. He drew, grinned, and Snuffed the Tyrant Out. His only out apparently, as he mentioned afterwards. I died shortly after.
G3: This time I lost a counterwar over Exhuming a Chancellor. He then proceeded to reanimate the Chancellor himself. Doh.

Round 3, Win, OTD, 2:0 against GW Enchantress
G1: I had Turn 2 Entomb + Reanimate and made a Griselbrand. He had a Karakas in his opener and bounced the Grizzy but I drew 7 cards and made a Chancellor after that. He died to the Chancellor beats.
G2: I could reanimate a Tidespout Tyrant. He had a Karakas again, so I had to win with non-legends. I could bounce some Enchantress Presence's to slow him down. He found an Oblivion Ring but I could Show and Tell a Chancellor after that, which sealed the game.

Round 4, Win, OTP, 2:0 against Grixis Control
G1: I made my thing. Made a Grizzy, made a Tidespout shortly after, forced an Edict and Dazed a Jace.
G2: We played draw - go for a few turns. I could amass 3 Lands and 1 Petal, then cast Show and Tell, with Flusterstorm backup, but he Flustered back. We had some uninteractive turns in which I managed to collect 2x Entomb and 2x Exhume. I then decided to go for it, play Entomb for Grave Titan (I expected some sort of removal) and followed with Exhume. He responded with Surgical Extraction which resolved. I then Entombed for Griselbrand and led the Exhume resolve afterwards. Problem was, in the meantime he had 2 Strixes and I boarded out my Elesh (stupid...). I then went for Tidespout Tyrant which brought me down to 4 life. I feared his Bolts and had no gas left. Fortunately I drew into Brainstorm and then into Petal and Ponder. I bounced his board and attacked for lethal.

My thoughts after the small tournament: I'm not sure the Chancellor is worth it. Even with a Petal-Build my opening hands are not that fast and my opponents can easily play around him. Then again he is a Karakas-proof Body. It was nice to so much flesh to discard with my Careful Studies, but ultimately I think the Chancellors are not worth it. Being straight UB was a good decision, because the manabase is fairly safe against Wasteland, Blood Moon and Back to Basics. I didn't miss Abrupt Decay as a sideboard option.


I've never liked Chancellor in UB, as it is fairly easy to answer for other decks past t2. Same reason why Sire of Insanity got cut. About straight UB, I don't think anyone would tap out or leave moon or b2b post board. I always thought that Decay was a must for the simple reason that it catches almost everything and it's UN-FUCKING-COUNTERABLE, which means that you can sculpt your gameplan against the hate much more easier, since you know you won't have to get into a permission war against your answer. You don't have a gorillion of answers like miracles, because you don't want to dilute your deck, so you might as well make sure they hit every time.

Which brings us to the next point in discussion: New card spoiled;

Assassin's Trophy
BG, instant
Destroy target permanent an opponent controls. It's controller may search for a basic land and put it i to play.


In the bad side, BG decks which usually had a lot of trouble taking the big dude off the table now got it much easier. I'll gladly make this trade over having pesky the pesky 1/2 again on the format, though :)

On the good side, this is the first true catch-all card that might help us, since it can take down everything, INCLUDING a KARAKAS, which is huge. On the bad side it's not uncounterable, which is the most alluring characteristic of decay. Might end up playing this, having a card that can deal with jace/containment priest/karakas is extremely nice, specially for us folks in the slow, non-petal builds.

[crowe_1]

I see this card outright replacing Decay for us personally, though time will tell obviously. Blue decks that could counter it typically run Surgical over permanent-based hate, plus if they could counter Decay there’s a decent chance they were countering our combo piece anyway a significant portion of the time. This card answers Leyline, RiP, Cage, Priest, Chalice on 1, Liliana of the Veil, Jace, Bridge, Karakas, Maze, Glacial Chasm, and on and on. Purely from a versatility standpoint this card hits every permanent we want while not taking up huge numbers of sideboard slots.

Also it sucks this card can hit a few of our creatures, but then Grisel draws first, it doesn’t hit Iona or Inkwell, Elesh has done some damage before leaving...and it’s “destroy” so we will often just Reanimate again. Hopefully it’s net positive. Hopefully.

[PirateKing]

I agree on Assassin's Trophy working better for us than Abrupt Decay. Countermagic proof was nice as fire-and-forget, but not hitting Leyline or Jace or Karakas is a hugely favorable trade for us. While color tight, it serves to replace Abrupt Decay, Pithing Needle & Echoing Truth in a lot of sideboards. I'll be testing 4.

[owerbart]

Ok now this looks good:

Mission Briefing
Instant
UU
Surveil 2, Then choose an instant or sorcery card from your graveyard. You may play that card this turn. If it would go anywhere, exile it instead.

So looks like a nice package. Enabler + Buyback a reanimation spell? At instant speed? Me likey :)

[PirateKing]

Thought about it in this, but the surveil seems too iffy. It's no Careful Study and any work to set up a perfect surveil into flashback is a bit magicalchristmasland.
Like in almost all regards Snapcaster Mage works better, easier to cast, if it dies, Reanimate targeting SCM, resolves, flashback Reanimate targeting something is a potent line of play.
If it wasn't UU I'd be more excited.

[crowe_1]

I am also skeptical, though it is worth noting that this card uses the baby Jace wording rather than giving the card flashback. So it can allow Daze or FoW using alternate cost if need be. Also probably minimal but it doesn’t target, so Surgical in response to this is worse.

Still too much mana at the end of the day, methinks.

[Cpt-Qc]

This card is worse than snapcaster. Baby jace is objectibely better: doesn't cost mana on the going-off turn because you set him up and go off later, can help protect your life points AND can also discard the creature you wanted in the bin.

Even then, I've been trying to play baby jace and I just can't find the space in the sideboard.

[nimkee]

I absolutely love baby Jace, but I have had to face the fact that it is a pet card. Even when I've turn 1'd him on a mull to 5 with no other action (out of the sideboard even so no real removal post board) he was just so-so. I think if anything it probably belongs in an instant speed reanimator kit for the haste, though it's not really what tin fins wants to be doing most of the time either.


This card is worse than snapcaster. Baby jace is objectibely better: doesn't cost mana on the going-off turn because you set him up and go off later, can help protect your life points AND can also discard the creature you wanted in the bin.

Even then, I've been trying to play baby jace and I just can't find the space in the sideboard.

[owerbart]

Sorry i thought mission briefing let you cast sorceries at instant speed, I'm a brainlet sorry.

[KobeBryan]

Two new cards guys...maybe enough to go over the edge

[Poron]

Good card late game as a Reanimator and good card on turn 3-4 as a cantrip/discarder.

I like it, mana intensive though

[RNGesus]

https://articles.edhrec.com/edhrec-guilds-of-ravnica-preview-card/

Split card... Discovery is a 1 U/B sorcery with surveil 2, then draw a card. (dammit its CMC 2 instead of 1)
Dispersal is a 3UB instant that says "Each opponent returns a nonland permanent they control with the highest converted mana cost among permanents they control to its owner’s hand, then discards a card."

[crowe_1]

This may have been a full-on more synergistic replacement for Ponder at U. At 2 it’s probably too much for the effect.

[KobeBryan]

This may have been a full-on more synergistic replacement for Ponder at U. At 2 it’s probably too much for the effect.

sorcery speed at 2 mana...then the split card is a 5 mana card.

no.

[Secretly.A.Bee]

Izzet Charm seems better.

[Emrakul503]

Hey all! X-post from Reddit, but was hoping to get as much feedback as I could before this weekend:

I am planning on playing in a 1k this weekend with UBg Reanimator, as it is a deck I very much enjoy playing and have had a bit of success with. I may someday migrate to RB Reanimator, but buying Badlands feels terrible these days, and I have yet to take the plunge. That said, I have a fairly stock mainboard with some "flex/preference" slots I would love some feedback on. I have not much switched up the list since the meta shifted a bit more toward UB Deathshadow and Grixis Control, so it might need some refining. I expect a good amount of DnT, Miracles, Grixis Control and Delver and likely UB Shadow, as it seems to be pretty popular right now. The last time I played at this shop, combo was not particularly prevalent so I am a little less worried about it, but will pack some hate just in case.



MB:

14x Lands (8x fetches and 1x swamp and 1x island, I could go up on the basics, but have overall felt fairly okay with this. I was considering 6x Fetches, add a 2nd Tropical Island and a Swamp)

4x Lotus Petal

4x Daze (I like 4x a lot, but can see them being less necessary in a fair meta)

4x Griselbrand (considering 3x and 1x non-legendary like Inkwell or Grave Titan)

1x Iona

1x Elesh

1x Tidespout



SB:

1x Grave Titan

2x Show and Tell (SB MVP, could see adding a 3rd)

3x Abrupt Decay

2x Pithing Needle

2x Massacre

1x Ashen Rider

1x Stormtide Leviathan (I was testing it out, it's pretty meh, but will likely be an Inkwell)

1x Echoing Truth

2x Flusterstorm (these were Collective Brutality but I have enjoyed the extra counter magic in my local control heavy meta)



Any thoughts, comments or feedback is much appreciated. Thank you!

[PirateKing]

I agree with your instinct to cut a Griselbrand for a Grave Titan.
He's the sliver bullet against Edict decks but beyond he's just a quality beater against fair decks.

What are you flex slots? Ponder/Thoughtseize/Animate Dead?

[TinkerRobot]

My buddy Michael Plummer just Top 8'd SCG Balt with my Grixis list.

http://www.starcitygames.com/decks/123931

[RNGesus]

My buddy Michael Plummer just Top 8'd SCG Balt with my Grixis list.

http://www.starcitygames.com/decks/123931

Nice! Does he have any match reports? Would be great if he could let us know how relevant the 2x Izzet charm were in his games.

[crowe_1]

I am curious why there is one Chancellor just hanging out in the list. Given the low likelihood of having it in the opener, I assume it’s for the in-play effect rather than the pre-game effect. What matchups was it useful in?

[TinkerRobot]

I'll ask him if he has a tournament report to share. The idea was I found Ponder to be unimpressive so I replaced it with the Izzet Charm/Preordain split. The 1-of Chancellor is there because the effect is powerful, but the card feels terrible to draw in multiples, so sometimes you get it as a bonus, but you're never stuck with multiple-Chancellor hands like the R/B version of the deck often is. I think too often people treat it like a Leyline and assume you need 4 even though you wouldn't mulligan a good hand just to find one.

[Ronald Deuce]

I'm late to the party again, but Mission Briefing doesn't target cards in the graveyard. Bit it HARD with Storm the other week because Silent Gravestone didn't do anything against it, proving (fwiw) that more discards are better there.

[RNGesus]

A different take on UB Reanimator (https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/mtgo-standings/legacy-challenge-2018-10-22) managed to get 21st place here.

A more Control-ish take on UB Reanimator!

[PirateKing]

A different take on UB Reanimator (https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles/archive/mtgo-standings/legacy-challenge-2018-10-22) managed to get 21st place here.

A more Control-ish take on UB Reanimator!

Definitely a different take. Seems more like a splash of Reanimator, though 10 slots is deep to just dismiss it as a UB Control with Animate Deads.
I'm curious what percentage of games were won off a (read: the only) Griselbrand compared to contol into Jace ultimate or Snapcaster beats.

[mistercakes]

Reminds me a bit of that esper mentor reanimator deck.

[Paul]

Hi everyone,
I have problems winning the miracles matchup. Any tips? Good sideboard cards, first fatty to reanimate and general strategy for the MU?
If possible I start with Ioona. Is is better to start with Griselbrand?
Thanks for the help!

[Cpt-Qc]

Having extra discard helps with this matchup. Since I'm on 3x collective brutality side and 3x TS main, I get up to 6 discard so it's easier to punch through the wall of counterspells.

If you're within the first 2-3 turns I'd get Iona and name white. After that I'd get griselbrand/jin (I prefer Jin in this MU personally as it only takes 1 creature out of it gets surgicaled + miracles needs to keep cards in hand to anything).

[PirateKing]

There isn't really a silver bullet here. Griselbrand is good early if you can protect him to get a hit in. Typically if he hits once and then gets plowed, you'll draw enough to take over in the next few turns. Other creatures are:

Iona, Shield of Emeria on white is a 3-turn clock, outs are Karakas or Jace.
Inkwell Leviathan is a 3-turn clock, outs are Terminus or Council's Judgement.
Keranos, God of Storms is a 7-turn clock, outs are Council's Judgement.

Out of the side I'd bring in more discard and Flusterstorm, maybe Show and Tell.
I'd expect them to bring in their Flusterstorm, Surgical Extraction and Pyroblast; basically anything that's good T1 and also good with Snapcaster Mage.

Miracles is a tough matchup, but keeping redundant spells can be just as good as protection. Reanimate into Force into Reanimate again into Force again into a third Reanimate wins counter wars just as well. Be flexible to the first creature you put out not being the creature that wins you the game, so always have a plan for next turn.

[Michael Keller]

Akroma, Angel of Fury has protection from white and blue: the colors that define Miracles. Terminus is Terminus and Council's Judgement is Council's Judgement, so it is what it is.

Inkwell Leviathan is essentially better at what it does, and is likely the best overall target against Miracles because it can't be targeted or blocked. It also has game against other decks. But you can at least Morph down Akroma and pump it with red mana.

Karakas does hit Akroma, but not Leviathan.

However, if you're looking for something that affects the board when it enters or leaves, then something like Sundering Titan could be devastating.

[crowe_1]

Specifically against Miracles I believe Aetherling is pretty great. They have a hard time getting rid of it, and once it hits the table inevitability is on your side. Potentially a three turn clock too, which isn’t bad.

[Lav Dafka]

Definitely a different take. Seems more like a splash of Reanimator, though 10 slots is deep to just dismiss it as a UB Control with Animate Deads.
I'm curious what percentage of games were won off a (read: the only) Griselbrand compared to contol into Jace ultimate or Snapcaster beats.

I played against a very similar list in paper this week. He won game 2 off an unchecked Grave Titan. (I was on Elves and had already used up my removal on Engineered Plague and a Liliana, TLH.) So it was different Lilianas, and maybe more snaps, but otherwise I think it was the same. I don’t know if he had Jace. I surgicaled g2 and don’t think it was there , but maybe it was in the board.

[Riukk]

Hi everyone!!
I'm going to play UB reanimator (i have been playing RB) and i think i need a little help with the list and the sideboard plan...
Is there any kind of pdf or drive doc with a good list, matchups, sideboarding, etc?? It would be perfect if I can follow any kind of guide in my first steps with this deck

[PirateKing]

I wrote a primer (http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/showthread.php?25733-Deck-BUx-Reanimator&p=911969&viewfull=1#post911969) that got buried a while back that went over most cards to consider. It's a bit dated now with DRS out and Assassin's Trophy as a new answer to problem lands and high CMC permanents, namely JtMS and Leyline.
There isn't so much a stock list, since the main combo it so strong it's mostly up to your opponents to inform your sideboard.
If you have any specific questions I'd be glad to help.

[TinkerRobot]

I played in Most Excellent Games' Gaming for Gains 7 event. Here is a brief report.

1 Inkwell Leviathan
1 Chancellor of the Annex
1 Tidespout Tyrant
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
3 Griselbrand
1 Island
1 Swamp
1 Badlands
3 Bloodstained Mire
4 Polluted Delta
2 Scalding Tarn
2 Underground Sea
1 Volcanic Island
4 Lotus Petal
2 Animate Dead
4 Brainstorm
3 Daze
4 Entomb
4 Force of Will
2 Izzet Charm
4 Careful Study
4 Exhume
1 Preordain
4 Reanimate
2 Thoughtseize

3 Pithing Needle
1 Grave Titan
1 Abrade
2 Echoing Truth
2 Flusterstorm
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
1 Massacre
3 Show and Tell
1 Pyroblast

This is the same main deck I've been on for a while, but tuned the side for a Miracles and Grixis Control heavy meta with less Death and Taxes.

Round 1 Jarred on Miracles Win 2-0
Game 1 I get a fast Griselbrand, he has a Swords to Plowshares for it, but I get to draw 7 cards and get another griselbrand on the following turn.
I sideboard something like 2 Fluster, Blast, 2 S&T, Iona.
Game 2 I have turn one Inkwell Leviathan, which I think is the best fatty in this MU.

Round 2 Sam on Death and Taxes Win 2-1
I lose game one after a fast Reanimate because he has Karakas.
I bring in Pithing Needles, Massacre and Abrade, I take out Griselbrand, 2 Exhume.
Game 2 I get there on the back of a fast Inkwell and game 3 I have Inkwell + Massacre.

Round 3 Carver on Infect Loss 1-2
I win game one with a fast Elesh.
I side in 3 Show and Tell 2 Fluster 1 Pyroblast or something like that.
Game 2 he has a super fast double invigorate draw on the play and I die.
Game 3 I turn 1 Entomb and he plays Grafdigger's Cage. I Daze it and he Forces back. So here I am having to win off Show and Tell or Echoing Truth. He is clocking me with an Inkmoth but so far no pump spells. I have Griselbrand, Pyroblast and Show and Tell in hand, but only 3 lands. I consider whether it is best to jam Show and Tell into his 4 card hand or wait to see if I can draw a land to hold up Pyroblast as backup. I figure the odds of me drawing a mana source when I have 14 or 15 left in my deck are less than the odds of him drawing either a counterspell or a cantrip into one if I give him another turn. So I go for it, get Force of Willed and lose the match.

Round 4 Tyler on Loam Pox Win 2-1
Tyler is a regular at my LGS (this event was about a half hour drive) so I know what he's on. I don't exactly remember how these games went, but I had a fast Griselbrand game 1, and he got me with a Leyline of the Void game 2.
Game 3 Daze + Thoughtseize save me from a Chalice of the Void on 1 and a Liliana of the Veil in his hand.

Round 5 Harlan on NO BUG Loss 1-2
Game 1 I'm not sure what my opponent is on for many turns. He uses several discard spells to pick apart my hand and draws the game out for a while, but I've only seen Underground Sea, Thoughtseize, Bayou, Brainstorm etc, so he could be on any of many flavors of BUG. I eventually land I fatty and when I pass the turn back he resolves a Leovold so I think he's on a generic BUG control deck.
Game 2 I show and Tell in a Griselbrand and he drops a Progenitus. Oops.
Game 3 He plays a Tarmogoyf early and I let it resolve. I later realize I should have countered it and Reanimated it, but I suppose that's not a super obvious line. He plays a Birds of Paradise and the next turn casts Natural Order once again going for Progenitus.

Round 6 Joe on Miracles Win 2-1
All 3 games are pretty grindy. I remember ending game 2 with Fluster, Fluster, Daze, Daze, Force, Izzet, Izzet in hand and just not ever finding a way to combo off.
Game 3 I get there off Show and Tell into Griselbrand when he puts in Blood Moon but I still have enough colored mana to protect my guy because I have multiple Lotus Petals.

Round 7 Michael on Grixis Control Win 2-1
I think I start game 1 with Volc > Careful Study discard Tidespout into turn 2 Animate Dead. My opponent Diabolic Edicts me and I Daze it. Then I untap and hold up Izzet Charm and he Diabolic Edicts me again. This time I Charm it and bounce one of his lands. He looks at me like he's never seen these cards before and scoops. It was glorious.
Game 2 he has triple Surgical Extraction and barely gets there with Gurmag beats before I attempt to go off a fourth time.
Game 3 I don't exactly remember but I win with a Grave Titan.

Overall 5-2 record for 14th out of 86. Not the best, but I think I did OK. Deck felt great. I made some punts.

[crowe_1]

Good work!

[ntropy]

Round 4 Tyler on Loam Pox Win 2-1
Tyler is a regular at my LGS (this event was about a half hour drive) so I know what he's on. I don't exactly remember how these games went, but I had a fast Griselbrand game 1, and he got me with a Leyline of the Void game 2.
Game 3 Daze + Thoughtseize save me from a Chalice of the Void on 1 and a Liliana of the Veil in his hand.



You're the reason I'm considering cutting Liliana, The Last Hope for a Wishable Bojuka Bog in the Sideboard. Atticus is the reason I haven't yet :)

[sunlith42]

This new card was spoiled today. https://media.wizards.com/2018/rna/en_iAClRqFGby.png

I think this card could make me want to play a white splash over green. This shuts off enemy surgical, daze, fow, terminus, while letting us still play fow and daze. I would probably switch my sideboard to include 2 of these, maybe 2 mentor, 2 disenchant, and 2 serenity.

Any thoughts?

[Cpt-Qc]

Hatebears, in a combo deck? That's a terrible idea.

[KobeBryan]

This new card was spoiled today. https://media.wizards.com/2018/rna/en_iAClRqFGby.png

I think this card could make me want to play a white splash over green. This shuts off enemy surgical, daze, fow, terminus, while letting us still play fow and daze. I would probably switch my sideboard to include 2 of these, maybe 2 mentor, 2 disenchant, and 2 serenity.

Any thoughts?

That card sucks.

[crowe_1]

So to add a little more substance to the discussion than “that card sucks:”

The card has effects that would be useful to us. It is anti-hate for spells, same as we play anti-hate for permanents. I considered it too when I saw it. After awhile though I realized that Xantid Swarm and Hope of Ghirapur accomplish largely the same goal for less mana, and we don’t play those. Which isn’t to say we couldn’t or shouldn’t play those, but that’s another discussion. The point is that there is already another card that serves that purpose more efficiently.

[Poron]

Super good tool against Big Eldrazi

[Cpt-Qc]

The card says "non-creature" so it doesn't do much vs eldrazi unfortunately.

If you want to play creatures in this deck, you should look for those that supplement our combo rather than prevent one aspect of the hate. You might protect yourself against one thing but the hate is so diversified nowadays that you can't lock everything. That's partly the reason why Meddling Mage isn't played and Prison isn't an archetype in legacy.

Adding to what crow said, you could be playing 3x xantids and it would play way better with our aggressive strategy. In fact, I'm wondering why nobody is doing it. It's a way to fight non-permanent hate as well as protection from edicts. Seems decent enough and it plays well with a slower gameplan because you can cast it and only use it later.

[crowe_1]

I’m curious why no one has tried Xantid Swarm too now that you mention it. Works for Storm. White decks will leave in most of their creature removal vs us, but Delver and Grixis Control both shave nearly all removal and rely on counters and Surgicals. Could be worth a slot, especially if you’re already running green.

Hope of Ghirapur is probably sufficient in non-green builds too. It has to connect with the player to work, but that also probably means that a flipped Delver will sit there staring at it instead of pressuring you, which is also good.

[Cpt-Qc]

I doubt Girapur does anything in this era of Strix.

[Ronald Deuce]

I’m curious why no one has tried Xantid Swarm too now that you mention it. Works for Storm.

A number of very good Storm players have been having success with Xantid Swarm, but I've never liked it because it's only good against opposing hands with one piece of interaction—an unlikely scenario in a postboard game. Think of it this way: if the opponent has countermagic or removal, it does nothing; if your opponent doesn't, it does nothing. Sure, you'll strip out one piece of interaction with it (if you're lucky), but we're a combo deck. We can't expect our opponents to keep a hand on the strength of a singleton Force or Swords.

Hope just feels worse in every way: it has to connect, it has to dodge Karakas (which is already a danger for this deck), and it can get Pithing Needled.

[crowe_1]

I doubt Girapur does anything in this era of Strix.

Fair enough.


A number of very good Storm players have been having success with Xantid Swarm, but I've never liked it because it's only good against opposing hands with one piece of interaction—an unlikely scenario in a postboard game. Think of it this way: if the opponent has countermagic or removal, it does nothing; if your opponent doesn't, it does nothing. Sure, you'll strip out one piece of interaction with it (if you're lucky), but we're a combo deck. We can't expect our opponents to keep a hand on the strength of a singleton Force or Swords.

Swarm, though, dodges Flusterstorm, Spell Pierce, probably Daze, random stuff like Spell Snare and Stubborn Denial, and keeps Surgical stuck in the opponent’s hand (assuming a single turn combo from us). It’s only really FoW and Counterspell that can hit Swarm on the stack, and UBx decks (which is what Swarm would probably be best against) don’t typically run Counterspell.

I do get your argument as I’ve felt similarly about the “can’t be countered” clause on Abrupt Decay (ie, they’ll just counter the combo spell instead most of the time). If Xantid does end up just eating a one-for-one in practice it might not be worth running in lieu of other options.

[PirateKing]

Hope of Ghirapur is just a bad Xantid Swarm, its relevance is in Modern. Green isn't a stretch for us, so I don't know why it'd be considered.

But even with Xantid Swarm I'm skeptical. It works in storm because you swing in and then win the game. Not a psuedo-win the game like a turn 1 Griselbrand, but hard-win onto the next game. So even a turn 1 Xantid Swarm (dodging the Spell Peirce or Flusterstorm in their hand) means you get to dodge interaction on turn 2 to land something scary, but that's not game over. There's so many Diabolic Edicts running around, and that's just in black. The same threats in bounce, Swords, Karakas still plague us. And at least locally I've seen an uptick in Nihil Spellbomb out of the side, for what I don't know, but it has legs against us, so you'll see it.

So I'm not saying Xantid Swarm is a dud, but I'd be interested to see what cards are coming out to make room for it, because we're tight on space as is and most cards are a better fit for our game plan.

[crowe_1]

Well, again, it wouldn’t be good against white because they leave in their removal. Edict out of Black decks would hit the Swarm and miss the Griselbrand/whatever most of the time assuming you combo’d already. And with regard to the slot it takes, people have been finding room to fit Carpet of Flowers if all things, so where there’s a will there’s a way. Haha.

Regardless I’m not running Swarm as I don’t run green. Just seemed like a card we could use so I was curious why I’d never seen it in Reanimator list, even back in the day when UB was the only serious version.

[PirateKing]

Reanimator is in a hard spot because it's extra hard to get a creature into play these days, but even then it's just regular hard to keep it in play. Xantid stops counterspells, but so does Thoughtseize.
Like I said, Xantid attacks once and wins you the game in Storm, and I'm wary of strategies that require this much investment to solve half the problem.
Fingers crossed for another dumb mistake for the casuals that accidentally gives us another creature to use.

[crowe_1]

We are long overdue for a new playable creature. Theres been a couple in the last few years that just missed the mark like Void Winnower and Archon of Valor’s Reach, but the last truly viable one was what? Ashen Rider?

[Deatheus89]

Do we not play Chancellor of thevAnnex anymore? Seems like it will deal with a lot of the t1/t2 graveyard hate or at least slow our opponents down to land a griselbrand. Another situation I find it handy are the brainstorms in response to our discards.

[PirateKing]

It depends on the kind of build you're going for. Some UB decks go fast and play Lotus Petal and Daze and would want Chancellor. Other builds go resilient and spend a few turns sculpting before going off.
RB decks have only one mode, to go fast, so you see a Chancellor there, but we have the choice so it's not mandatory.

[Deatheus89]

I just got back into UB Reanimator and currently trying to figure out my game plan, especially sideboarding.

I thinking for games where I start first, I will try to go a speed build. So, +4 Chancellor of Annex, Minus the non-griselbramd creatures. And add in 3 Echoing Truth. If I can't do a T1 or T2 fatty I will use discards to sculp the game a little.

For games where I go second, I will try to be more reactive. +3 Echoing Truth, +3 Spell Pierce and +1 Ponder and use the stock list creatures.

I am def not going to splash green at the moment. Any tips and comments are welcome.

I play in a Grixis Control, Delver, Tempo and Lands heavy meta.



My list is:

(15) lands
4 polluted delta
3 Misty Rainforest
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 USea
1 Darkslick Shores
2 Swamp
3 Island

Instant (15)
4 FoW
4 Brainstorm
3 Daze
4 Entomb

Sorcery (20)
4 Careful Study
2 Ponder
3 Thoughtseize
1 Collective Brutality
4 Reanimate
4 Exhume
2 Stitch Together

Creatures (7)
3 Griselbrand
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
1 Sire of Insanity
1 Seismic Skyswallower
1 Blazing Archon

Others (3)
3 Lotus Petal

[RNGesus]

We are long overdue for a new playable creature. Theres been a couple in the last few years that just missed the mark like Void Winnower and Archon of Valor’s Reach, but the last truly viable one was what? Ashen Rider?

On this topic, I wonder what sort of creature can top the options we have now. Are there any particular weaknesses that we are looking for a creature to fill? I feel like our reanimation targets are close to as good as they get right now and our problems are mainly with the GY hate.

[Deatheus89]

On this topic, I wonder what sort of creature can top the options we have now. Are there any particular weaknesses that we are looking for a creature to fill? I feel like our reanimation targets are close to as good as they get right now and our problems are mainly with the GY hate.

Maybe a creature that has "This creature cannot be exiled from anywhere."?

[RNGesus]

Maybe a creature that has "This creature cannot be exiled from anywhere."?

The power level of such a creature would have to be finely-tuned. Too strong and it would break RB reanimator.

[Deatheus89]

The power level of such a creature would have to be finely-tuned. Too strong and it would break RB reanimator.

I agree. It should definitely be a legendary creature. It think it would be okay as long as it doesn't have shroud/hexproof. And doesn't have a crazy ability like griselbrand. Maybe just a big beater. It'll introduce some interesting decisions when it comes to sideboarding etc.

Also, I feel like taking out Daze in G1 and sub them for spell pierce. In G1, I am not sure if I am going to be on the play or draw. If I do go on the draw, Daze is terrible if I cast it on T1 and not be successful in reanimating a target (I am effectively down 2 lands) OR if I use it in response to some disruption spell like TS. A better option might be to just use 3 Griselbrands and 4 Chancellor of the Annex.

I will sub in Daze if my game plan is to go fast and if I am on the play. Then, it'll shut out FoWs.

Another topic I was going to explore is if I do want to make the fastest/glass cannon UB reanimator deck, what cards do I need in my sideboard? Seems like the main decisions are:
- whether to sub in another Lotus Petal
- whether to sub in a couple of dark rituals

Are there any other cards I should consider?

Also, to be able to transfer into a more grindy toolbox kind of UB reanimator. I am considering playing 1-2 spellseekers. 1-2 cabal therapies, extirpates etc. Does this make any sense?

[GoblinSmashmaster]

How bad is this deck if you don't have USeas but still like playing Force of Will over Unmask (BR)?

Can you get by with 2 Darkslick Shores, 1 fetchable Watery Grave, and basics?

[Cpt-Qc]

How bad is this deck if you don't have USeas but still like playing Force of Will over Unmask (BR)?

Can you get by with 2 Darkslick Shores, 1 fetchable Watery Grave, and basics?

You certainly can. We aim to go off on T2-3. That land would still come untapped so you shouldn't have much problem. You might just have to play more basics so you have something else to fetch if it gets wasted (which it will).

Watery grave is a bigger problem since you'll sometimes have to Fetch shock+Throughtseize+Reanimate Griselbrand, which could leave you at 7 life, and thus unable to activate him. That said, I played with watery grave for about a year and never went 0-4 in my weeklies so it's not all that bad but you'll certainly lose a few games.

[Ronald Deuce]

How bad is this deck if you don't have USeas but still like playing Force of Will over Unmask (BR)?

Can you get by with 2 Darkslick Shores, 1 fetchable Watery Grave, and basics?

I hate to be That Guy, but the answer to that question for almost any Legacy deck is, "Yes, but don't do it unless you have to."

You definitely will be able to pull through much of the time, but there are matchups in which it will really hurt, especially in this deck and others like it that involve steep life payments to power some of the most crucial plays (e.g. drawing 14 off of Griselbrand to stop an opponent from ending us). If that doesn't bother you or you just want to give the deck a spin to see how it plays, then go for it—but know that there is a significant effect on your viable plays.

In no way am I happy about the prices of duals. I'd be priced out of the format if I were looking to get into it today (N.B., Wizards, I started in late 2013 with a no-RL-card deck), so don't imagine I can't sympathize. But if it's your jam and you really want to give it a shot, don't let me discourage you.

You might consider trying out a mono-Black list. Lake of the Dead is spectacular, and maindeck cards like Smallpox, Hymn to Tourach, and some non-graveyard creatures like Pack Rat and Phyrexian Obliterator often really throw people for a loop, especially post-board. EDIT: And Unmask can put your own cards in the 'yard. Just sayin'.

[Deatheus89]

Hi all,

Let me know if I am asking questions the wrong way or if those questions are pointless? Can't seem to get a response/discussion going.

[PirateKing]

Hi all,

Let me know if I am asking questions the wrong way or if those questions are pointless? Can't seem to get a response/discussion going.

It is difficult to comment on a whole list without some gameplay data behind it. It's your list and your meta, what decks are you having trouble against? What are you stumbling on most often? Sure you can go grindy or you can go fast, each will have their pros and cons to be weighed against your skills and preferences and your relative opponents. But just posting a list and asking 'thoughts?' makes it hard to provide effective feedback.

What is it you want to discuss?

[Deatheus89]

It is difficult to comment on a whole list without some gameplay data behind it. It's your list and your meta, what decks are you having trouble against? What are you stumbling on most often? Sure you can go grindy or you can go fast, each will have their pros and cons to be weighed against your skills and preferences and your relative opponents. But just posting a list and asking 'thoughts?' makes it hard to provide effective feedback.

What is it you want to discuss?


My meta seems to be dominated by delver decks, grixis control and lands.

Gameplan for my Meta
Because my meta seems to be so heavy Grixis Control and Ux delver decks, I feel like taking out Daze in G1 and sub them for spell pierce. In G1, I am not sure if I am going to be on the play or draw. If I do go on the draw, Daze is terrible if I cast it on T1 and not be successful in reanimating a target (I am effectively down 2 lands) OR if I use it in response to some disruption spell like TS. Also, on the draw, every TS I use just gets a brainstorm in response. A better option might be to just use 3 Griselbrands and 4 Chancellor of the Annex.

I will sub in Daze if my game plan is to go fast and if I am on the play. Then, it'll shut out FoWs. Is this a valid game plan?

Fastest Possible UB Reanimator
What is the fastest possible UB reanimator build? It seems like a combination of decisions below:

- whether to use a 4th Lotus Petal
- whether to use a couple of dark rituals

Are there any other cards I should consider? What could I take out? And do you have a list to point me to?

More Grindy Gameplan
For a more grindy UB reanimator gameplan in the same meta, what do you think about spellseeker with a couple of utility cards? e.g. cabal therapy, extirpate
Are there other cards worth fetching with a spellseeker for UB reanimator?


Thanks! I hope this makes it easier what I am trying to discuss.

[PirateKing]

I'm not sure I understand your plan regarding Daze, subbing them out game 1? Only playing them if you're going first? None of that makes sense.
What are you Dazing on turn 1 that isn't a counterspell in defense of your Reanimate? We're not a control deck, you can't afford to counter their spells just because you can. Our best creature against Grixis Control is Griselbrand drawing into either countermagic or enough gas to reup once they find a way to get him off the field. And since most likely you'll be tapped out, paying 7 life to draw into Spell Peirce is a nonstarter. So yeah Daze has a laundry list of downsides, but short of risking that 5th copy of Force of Will and hoping nobody notices, there isn't much free protection to draw into in a pinch. And if you're talking about expecting a control slugfest post-sideboard, Flusterstorm is better anyway. Reanimator is an A+B combo deck, what they're doing unrelated to your combo is superfluous. Don't get distracted because they cast Brainstorm in response to your Thoughtseize.

And then not to be cheeky, but the fastest possible UB Reanimator build is just RB Reanimator.
The tools you gain in blue is Brainstorm and Ponder to sculpt your hand, which is the opposite of fast; and Force of Will and Daze, which while good being free and all, but Unmask is just as effective if the goal is to 'combo' that turn. RB is just better at going fast, so any build I can come up with will sacrifice it's resiliency for speed and also not be as fast. Just a sub-optimal list in all aspects. Yeah more Lotus Petal and Dark Ritual will give you assets to T1 better, but then why play Ponder?

The super grindy game plans have been aided by Collective Brutality and Jace, Vryn's Prodigy. Spellseeker might play into that, but CMC 3 you're already at our topend curve for a mediocre tutor. And your examples of utility cards, I'm not sure I understand the utility of Cabal Therapy or Extirpate. I'd only consider Cabal Therapy after maxing out on Thoughtseize and Duress first, and then I still think I'm better served with Collective Brutality. Any what role is Extirpate playing? Surgical Extraction has the better cost, and I'd rather play Faerie Macabre when I need to bother with someones graveyard. So I understand the sentiment, but your question doesn't make any sense to me.

Sorry if that's not more helpful. Reanimator is in a difficult spot, the hate has never been more effective and easier to cast. Most players don't even think about us when constructing a sideboard, we just get stuck in the middle of a venn diagram of hateful splash damage. So even the most perfect build will still be unfavorable against most of the top decks.

[Deatheus89]

I'm not sure I understand your plan regarding Daze, subbing them out game 1? Only playing them if you're going first? None of that makes sense.
What are you Dazing on turn 1 that isn't a counterspell in defense of your Reanimate? We're not a control deck, you can't afford to counter their spells just because you can. Our best creature against Grixis Control is Griselbrand drawing into either countermagic or enough gas to reup once they find a way to get him off the field. And since most likely you'll be tapped out, paying 7 life to draw into Spell Peirce is a nonstarter. So yeah Daze has a laundry list of downsides, but short of risking that 5th copy of Force of Will and hoping nobody notices, there isn't much free protection to draw into in a pinch. And if you're talking about expecting a control slugfest post-sideboard, Flusterstorm is better anyway. Reanimator is an A+B combo deck, what they're doing unrelated to your combo is superfluous. Don't get distracted because they cast Brainstorm in response to your Thoughtseize.

And then not to be cheeky, but the fastest possible UB Reanimator build is just RB Reanimator.
The tools you gain in blue is Brainstorm and Ponder to sculpt your hand, which is the opposite of fast; and Force of Will and Daze, which while good being free and all, but Unmask is just as effective if the goal is to 'combo' that turn. RB is just better at going fast, so any build I can come up with will sacrifice it's resiliency for speed and also not be as fast. Just a sub-optimal list in all aspects. Yeah more Lotus Petal and Dark Ritual will give you assets to T1 better, but then why play Ponder?

The super grindy game plans have been aided by Collective Brutality and Jace, Vryn's Prodigy. Spellseeker might play into that, but CMC 3 you're already at our topend curve for a mediocre tutor. And your examples of utility cards, I'm not sure I understand the utility of Cabal Therapy or Extirpate. I'd only consider Cabal Therapy after maxing out on Thoughtseize and Duress first, and then I still think I'm better served with Collective Brutality. Any what role is Extirpate playing? Surgical Extraction has the better cost, and I'd rather play Faerie Macabre when I need to bother with someones graveyard. So I understand the sentiment, but your question doesn't make any sense to me.

Sorry if that's not more helpful. Reanimator is in a difficult spot, the hate has never been more effective and easier to cast. Most players don't even think about us when constructing a sideboard, we just get stuck in the middle of a venn diagram of hateful splash damage. So even the most perfect build will still be unfavorable against most of the top decks.

Thanks I appreciate you taking the time out to type this response. Your comment with Daze makes sense, although I feel half the time, against Grixis Control I get Hymmed even before I can do anything. I feel like my options are dropping a fatty turn 1 or trying to disrupt him so I don't get Hymmed. Playing Stifles is another option I think can work. Seems like Grixis Control and Delver players in my meta are using white GY hate like containment priest and RIP so some mana disruption feels like the way to go.

I am already including 2 copies of Collective Brutality in my deck and yes Jace is definitely a good option. Although, I feel like any kind of more grindy or control based UB reanimator needs a game plan past t3.

[Cpt-Qc]

Thanks I appreciate you taking the time out to type this response. Your comment with Daze makes sense, although I feel half the time, against Grixis Control I get Hymmed even before I can do anything. I feel like my options are dropping a fatty turn 1 or trying to disrupt him so I don't get Hymmed. Playing Stifles is another option I think can work. Seems like Grixis Control and Delver players in my meta are using white GY hate like containment priest and RIP so some mana disruption feels like the way to go.

I am already including 2 copies of Collective Brutality in my deck and yes Jace is definitely a good option. Although, I feel like any kind of more grindy or control based UB reanimator needs a game plan past t3.


My feeling is if we're "just" trying to go fast, we might as well play RB. We could play the same cards but Careful Study will always be weaker than Faithless Looting. UB has the advantage of being almost as fast G1 and much better at fighting hate G2-3 since we can dig into answers or avoid it altogether with Show and Tell. I'm trying to explore that possibility and see if it's viable. That is one of the reasons I dropped Daze entirely, the other being that it was always sided out and never brought back in after G1.

That is also why I'm trying 3 strix + 3 rats in the board. Strix gives you more time and protects your big dudes from edicts while Rat wins the game by himself. Rat is an excellent T3+ play and it completely evades all hate people board against us (well, not removal but they shouldn't have many left anyway). I'm really metagaming for the mid-late game with those cards while forcing opponents to respect an early griselbrand. Besides, Rat also sets you up for a later reanimation if he fails to finish the job so it's not like you lose much from activating it. You can just get rid of the big creatures/fetchlands you draw in topdeck.

Tonight I got to Cast strix, block with it, reanimate it, and then chain entomb strix + reanimate + all the cantrips while I had tidespout on the board. Opponent went from 6 to 0 permanents in 2 turns and it felt pretty great. I'm liking it so far but it requires more testing.

[Stryfo]

I used to play baleful strix as a sideboard card a long time ago and liked it a lot, I think it's definitely worth testing. As for pack rat, I think that even though cryptbreaker is a weaker card, the fact that it's far less mana intensive is pretty nice in a deck with so few lands, and it does a pretty good pack rat impression anyways.

I've been trying to learn from the RB community a little bit while still sticking to my UB roots. I think it's possible that a version with a pile of both unmasks and forces is possible, it's just a bit of work to get the supporting cast to work out.

[Deatheus89]

I think our other options are Bitterblossom and maybe Thing in the Ice?


My feeling is if we're "just" trying to go fast, we might as well play RB.

I don't want to go fast all the time. But I do want to be able to configure my deck to be able to switch it up and go fast or a little bit grindy. And to that end I am trying to figure out what is the fastest possible UB reanimator list. It seems like adding a 4th Lotus is the way to go and possibly 1-2 Dark Rituals?

[Cpt-Qc]

I never tried Cryptbreaker but does it really win games? I feel like it's "okay" to pump tokens but these 2/2 will rarely be enough and I doubt we can count on it to draw many cards. I often got left with 4x Zombies when I played Grave Titan and it was never enough to kill. It also seems worse in UB since we don't play Therapy. I'm interested to know if anyone had any success testing it but I'm very skeptical.

I like Unmask a lot but having both enough U cards for force AND B cards for unmask is getting pretty tedious to balance when you sideboard :laugh: But seriously, when I tested goldfishing with the card, I felt like 4x force + 4x Unmask was too much card disadvantage. Maybe it's necessary to punch through today's defences which have gotten so much stronger.


I don't want to go fast all the time. But I do want to be able to configure my deck to be able to switch it up and go fast or a little bit grindy. And to that end I am trying to figure out what is the fastest possible UB reanimator list. It seems like adding a 4th Lotus is the way to go and possibly 1-2 Dark Rituals?

I tried Dark Rituals for a while (taking advantage of all the testing the RB collective has gotten recently) but I had to go pretty low on U count to make it work and I started having trouble forcing way too often (I was on 17 U I think). My current build is trying 18 U (usually is higher after boarding). I'm not sure just 2x rits is going to do much. That's the kind of card you want 3-4 of.

[sunlith42]

I never tried Cryptbreaker but does it really win games? I feel like it's "okay" to pump tokens but these 2/2 will rarely be enough and I doubt we can count on it to draw many cards. I often got left with 4x Zombies when I played Grave Titan and it was never enough to kill. It also seems worse in UB since we don't play Therapy. I'm interested to know if anyone had any success testing it but I'm very skeptical.

I like Unmask a lot but having both enough U cards for force AND B cards for unmask is getting pretty tedious to balance when you sideboard :laugh: But seriously, when I tested goldfishing with the card, I felt like 4x force + 4x Unmask was too much card disadvantage. Maybe it's necessary to punch through today's defences which have gotten so much stronger.



I tried Dark Rituals for a while (taking advantage of all the testing the RB collective has gotten recently) but I had to go pretty low on U count to make it work and I started having trouble forcing way too often (I was on 17 U I think). My current build is trying 18 U (usually is higher after boarding). I'm not sure just 2x rits is going to do much. That's the kind of card you want 3-4 of.

Cryptbreaker was very good in the last few games I have played him. I don't have enough games to be definitive but he won me 3 of my last 6 matches. I was able to create a board stall vs goblins. I was able to create a clock and kill a SnS player, and i was able to beat eldrazi. Many decks side out their small creature removal and side in lots of hate, so they keep a strong hand against a T1/T2 reanimate, but they just lose to 5 power worth of zombies. The draw is easier to enable than expected as well. Just making 2 zombies than drawing an extra card each turn in the board stall is surprisingly strong.

[Stryfo]

I've felt in a lot of my games, I always want at least one free effect, and hands that have enough that the card disadvantage is a problem are probably too light on combo elements anyways and will be mulligans.

As fir cryptbreaker, yes, it wins games, but it isn't good in every matchup, so we need to be careful when thinking about when to bring it in. As an aside, I am playing as many as 4 cabal therapy postboard, so I am getting lots of value out of random dorks.

[RNGesus]

If we're talking about 3mana spells, whats everyone's thoughts on Arcane Artisan? I really wish it had 2 or even 1 point of power sigh.

Also, UB reanimator was recently featured on MTGMuddstah's channel (they mainly do really good EDH videos). Link to the video here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE3X3AH3tiQ).

[Deatheus89]

If we're talking about 3mana spells, whats everyone's thoughts on Arcane Artisan? I really wish it had 2 or even 1 point of power sigh.

Also, UB reanimator was recently featured on MTGMuddstah's channel (they mainly do really good EDH videos). Link to the video here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE3X3AH3tiQ).

I think the general feeling is that it's a little too slow. Ability also requires 3 mana in order to activate. Having said that, it does dodge graveyard hate and Containment Priest and has 3 toughness which definitely helps survivability.

I'd imagine most people would rather play show and tell.

[Cpt-Qc]

What if we drop careful study altogether? We rarely want two creatures in the yard at sorcery speed anyway. You can still entomb/hapless at instant speed for the second creature.

I don't own unmasks and I don't play MTGO so I'll probably have to acquire a few to test it at weeklies but this looks interesting:

3 Lotus Petal
3 Griselbrand
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1 Tidespout Tyrant
1 Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
1 Inkwell Leviathan
4 Hapless Researcher
2 Animate Dead
4 Entomb
4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
2 Swamp
4 Polluted Delta
1 Island
4 Underground Sea
1 Flooded Strand
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Verdant Catacombs
4 Exhume
4 Reanimate
3 Ponder
3 Cabal Therapy
3 Unmask

2 Pithing Needle
1 Blazing Archon
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
3 Pack Rat
1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind
3 Baleful Strix
2 Echoing Truth
2 Show and Tell

That's enough blue mainboard while having both force and unmask + cabal/hapless combo. Side is to be customized of course, I just put my current one.

Anyone see any glaring flaws? I think it's about time we put the collective UB brain to work :P

[SJerusalem]

I'll caveat that I'm admittedly new coming to the deck :cool:

I tend to agree with Deatheus89 on Arcane Artisan - it's definitely not going to win in a speed matchup, but I see it as a "third" way out if the graveyard and Show and Tell are somehow locked out as options for getting our monsters on the battlefield. I see it as helpful out of the sideboard against Death and Taxes or anything else that might play Containment Priest, but I don't know if that warrants a sideboard spot.

@Cpt-Qc: I agree that Hapless Researcher sending one monster to the bin is sufficient, but I do appreciate the extra card on the front end of Careful Study. My initial reaction to your list is that the 3s of Petal, Unmask, Therapy and Ponder feels like they could be rearranged and optimized in a different manner. I apologize for not having a solid recommendation.

I feel like right now I just want to do something proactive that has more interaction than BR Reanimator, so despite the prodigious hate that's out there now I think the deck can still be competitive with a skilled pilot to navigate the hate. I like what I've seen in some lists like this (https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1591405#paper) with the Izzet Charms helping with not having to automatically punt to a g1 Chalice:

Creatures
1x Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
3x Griselbrand
1x Tidespout Tyrant
1x Inkwell Leviathan
1x Iona, Shield of Emeria

Spells
4x Brainstorm
4x Careful Study
4x Entomb
4x Reanimate
2x Thoughtseize
3x Daze
4x Exhume
2x Izzet Charm
4x Force of Will

Artifacts
4x Lotus Petal

Enchantments
2x Animate Dead

Lands
1x Badlands
4x Bloodstained Mire
1x Island
4x Polluted Delta
2x Scalding Tarn
1x Swamp
2x Underground Sea
1x Volcanic Island

Sideboard
1x Coffin Purge
1x Flusterstorm
2x Pithing Needle
1x Abrade
2x Echoing Truth
4x Show and Tell
2x Massacre
1x Grave Titan
1x Void Winnower

[gigapatrick]

Hey all,

Just thought I’d share a small report on a recent MTGO competitive league I ran through. For those who aren’t familiar with the online scene, an MTGO league is basically like a local four rounder with no cut to the top eight, except it’s five rounds. If you win two matches or fewer, you get nothing. At three wins, you win your entry fee back and like a buck or buck-and-a-half (depending on what bots are buying treasure chests for). At four and five wins, you start to actually win stuff (more than your entry fee). Leagues are more competitive than locals (depending on your scene, of course) because they cost more (120 play points converts to 12 tickets or 12 bucks) and because you’ve got more dedicated grinders online than in real life. So, EV isn’t super great, but I’ve got three kids so I have no time to get out of the house to play. (In fact, I sold all my paper cards years ago.) Luckily, legacy cards prices have gone way, way down recently. Two or three years ago, it cost over $1000 to put Lands together on MTGO, but now only about $250 (thanks to a massive reduction in the price of Rishadan Port).

Anywho, here’s the list I ran:

Lands
4 Underground Sea
2 Island
1 Swamp
4 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand
2 Bloodstained Mire

0cmc
4 Lotus Petal

1cmc
4 Entomb
4 Reanimate
4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder
4 Careful Study
2 Thoughtseize

2cmc
3 Daze
4 Exhume
1 Animate Dead

5cmc
4 Force of Will

Creatures
4 Grizzy
1 Elesh Norn
1 Tidespout Tyrant
1 Iona

Board
3 Show and Tell
3 Massacre
2 Pithing Needle
2 Flusterstorm
2 Echoing Truth
1 Duress
1 Ashen Rider
1 Jin-Git

Round One: Sneak and Show

Game One: I keep a slow, cantrippy hand and think my opponent is on Miracles when he plays out a couple basic islands. I figure I have time to sculpt and look for counterspells. I don’t. He goes for Sneak Attack third turn and crushes me with Grizzy and Emmy.

Game Two: I replace a Grizzy with a Jin-Git to edge against Surgical and lose the Dazes for 2 Needles and a Fluster. I keep a fast hand with counter back up and kill him with a reanimated Griselbrand.

Game Three: I keep a turn three hand but don’t have counterspells. He plays a Grafdigger’s Cage, I search for counters with a Brainstorm, and don’t find one. I now have now no outs because I didn’t board in Echoing Truth. Dumb.

Round Two: Maverick

Game One: I keep a turn two hand and Maverick can’t do anything about it. He does Swords the Griselbrand that I reanimate, but I draw into seven pieces of gas so he’s still toast. I end up countering three Knights of the Reliquary this game.

Game Two: I board out three Dazes, two Thoughtseizes, two Exhumes, and my singleton Animate Dead for three Show and Tells, two Needles, and three Massacres. I expect Leyline, so I keep a hand with a turn three Show and Tell into Grizzy. Opponent just plays Noble Hierarch and passes. No Leyline. Maverick plays Scooze on his second turn and passes. I draw Lotus Petal and Show into Grizzy and that’s pretty much it.

Round Three: RUB Delver

Game One: Opponent plays turn one delver, but I have turn two Grizzy with counterspell backup. Not much he can do but croak it.

Game Two: I board out three Dazes for two Flusterstorm and a Duress, one Animate Dead and an Exhume for two Show and Tells, and one Grizzy for one Jin-Git. I keep a hand with a turn two Grizzy off of Show and Tell, but on a mull to five Delver just plays land drops and passes, so I figure he’s got counterspells. I hold off on the Show and Tell until my third turn when I can back it up with a Flusterstorm, but Delver has a Force for the Show and Tell, which I Fluster. He lets that resolve and Flusters my Show and Tell. I die to Gurmag Angler beats.

Game Three: I keep a hand with Elesh and Iona, a Careful Study, and an Exhume for a turn two monster. He Forces my turn one Careful Study and it seems like I draw nothing forever and ever. I’m beaten down to nine with a Delver and an L Bolt. I figure I’m scragged since he’s got three cards in hand, but I just go for it when I find a Reanimate for a Grizzy I’ve previously Entombed because I’m dead either way. He Spell Pierces the Reanimate, but I can pay for it after fetching. So I’m at one life and die to an L Bolt, but if he doesn’t find the Bolt on his draw, I’ve got Grizzy and will gain life. He doesn’t find the Bolt and I win.

Round Four: Elves

Game One: Elves scoops to an Entombed Grizzy when I’m on the play. He hasn’t shown me any cards.

Game Two: Not knowing what I’m up against, I hedge against several options. I lose Dazes for a Flusterstorm, a Duress, and an Echoing Truth. I lose an Animate Dead and an Exhume for two Show and Tells. I lose one Grizzy for one Jin-Git. Elves mulls to four for a Leyline of the Void and doesn’t play a land his first turn, and I’m like, Eff yeah!, cause I’ve got a turn three Show and Tell into Jin-Git. Unfortunately, it seems like Elves draws the nuts off the top. He plays Bayou on his second turn and proceeds to tear my hand apart with two Cabal Therapies and elves that he sacs to them. On a mull to four from my opponent, I lose to elf beats.

Game Three: I board in the third Show and Tell and keep a cantrippy hand. He does have Leyline of the Void, but since he’s got no hand interaction, I have enough time to assemble Show and Tell plus Grizzy. GGs.

Round Five: BR Reanimator

Game One: I’m up against ewlandon, a known grinder who has some good videos. I tell him in chat I like his BR Reanimator vs. Depths video, but then wish I hadn’t because it gives away that I’ve searched for Reanimator videos. I keep a risky hand of Careful Study into reanimate Iona on turn one, but I have to Study off a Petal, which means I have to find a land to go off. Something happens and ewlandon disconnects for a long time so I’m surfing the internet for a while. He comes back, and because I was on the web when he comes back, I don’t see the notification that he’s revealed a Chancellor of the Annex. On the play, I play my Lotus Petal and it gets countered and I’m like, Derf. He gets Grizzy on his first turn and I concede and it sucks.

Game Two: I don’t board much, just a couple Echoing Truths for Thoughtseizes. Both of us resist putting creatures into the yard for fear of Reanimates from the other side, but he discards my hand with Unmasks and Cabal Therapies. I draw a couple Forces and he tries to hardcast a Grizzy that I Force. I have a Force for his first Animate Dead but not his second, so I die.

Results: 3-2
Winnings: 120 play points, 1 treasure chest.

Peace out,
gigapatrick

[bobomb]

UB Reanimator: 42nd at SCG Syracuse Legacy Open

http://www.starcitygames.com/decks/127372

[crowe_1]

Points of interest:

Four S&T plus three Arcane Artisan in the board.
No Echoing Truth in the 75.
Only 8 Reanimation spells (no Animate dead).

Nice run!

[PirateKing]

I guess by not running green and eschewing classic defensive bounce spells, they really went all in on the S&T effects.
I'm not a fan of Archetype of Endurance, but it does play nice with Arcane Artisan, so it makes sense there.
This does seem to be a pretty no-tricks list, glad to see vanilla Reanimator can still perform.

Hopefully a report is forthcoming

[NegatorITA]

I'll caveat that I'm admittedly new coming to the deck :cool:

I tend to agree with Deatheus89 on Arcane Artisan - it's definitely not going to win in a speed matchup, but I see it as a "third" way out if the graveyard and Show and Tell are somehow locked out as options for getting our monsters on the battlefield. I see it as helpful out of the sideboard against Death and Taxes or anything else that might play Containment Priest, but I don't know if that warrants a sideboard spot.

@Cpt-Qc: I agree that Hapless Researcher sending one monster to the bin is sufficient, but I do appreciate the extra card on the front end of Careful Study. My initial reaction to your list is that the 3s of Petal, Unmask, Therapy and Ponder feels like they could be rearranged and optimized in a different manner. I apologize for not having a solid recommendation.

I feel like right now I just want to do something proactive that has more interaction than BR Reanimator, so despite the prodigious hate that's out there now I think the deck can still be competitive with a skilled pilot to navigate the hate. I like what I've seen in some lists like this (https://www.mtggoldfish.com/deck/1591405#paper) with the Izzet Charms helping with not having to automatically punt to a g1 Chalice:

Creatures
1x Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
3x Griselbrand
1x Tidespout Tyrant
1x Inkwell Leviathan
1x Iona, Shield of Emeria

Spells
4x Brainstorm
4x Careful Study
4x Entomb
4x Reanimate
2x Thoughtseize
3x Daze
4x Exhume
2x Izzet Charm
4x Force of Will

Artifacts
4x Lotus Petal

Enchantments
2x Animate Dead

Lands
1x Badlands
4x Bloodstained Mire
1x Island
4x Polluted Delta
2x Scalding Tarn
1x Swamp
2x Underground Sea
1x Volcanic Island

Sideboard
1x Coffin Purge
1x Flusterstorm
2x Pithing Needle
1x Abrade
2x Echoing Truth
4x Show and Tell
2x Massacre
1x Grave Titan
1x Void Winnower

This is the list that got me interested in the deck again, I've seen it doing a few results over mtgo, but isn't more fluster/abrade/duress just better then void win over and grave Titan in the board?
I was also debating the use of petals vs a card like hapless and more lands, we don't seem to go of turn I've that much anyway

[MinosSnt]

Hi guys

I would like to know about your side in and side out.
Against wich deck do you side in Archetype of Endurance ? And why ?

Thanx

[crowe_1]

^
I can only speak for myself, but the Hexproof/Shroud creature usually comes in against white decks to blank Swords to Plowshares and/or Karakas. Red removal is typically burn-related and can’t kill our large creatures, green removal effectively doesn’t exist aside from the rare Assassin’s Trophy, black removal is either Fatal Push (which we don’t care about) or Diabolic Edict (which doesn’t care about shroud), and blue decks usually don’t play a lot of straight-up bounce spells unless they have a specific reason to.

I could also see bringing it in against something like Lands to beat Maze of Ith.

[Secretly.A.Bee]

In general its been a not-so-strong option these days due to the printing and popularity of Council's Judgment.

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk

[crowe_1]

True that. A creature to beat white decks is pretty much all I look for every spoiler season.

[RNGesus]

So there's some speculation that Griselbrand may get banned. Setting aside the question whether Gdaddy deserves to be banned, what do you think the implications will be for UB reanimator?

I feel like removing Gdaddy would relegate the archetype from fringe playable to casual jank status. The silver bullets are no longer powerful enough, the payoff is not there anymore with the plethora of powerful removal available.

[Emrakul503]

I have been back on UB Reanimator lately. Playing a UB list similar to this: https://www.mtgtop8.com/event?e=22172&d=350069&f=LE

However, thinking about heading back toward UBg to fight through Chalice a bit better, somewhat like this: https://www.mtgtop8.com/event?e=21761&d=346394&f=LE

My final list will likely fall somewhere in the middle. What I plan on testing out most immediately is something like:

15 lands
4 BS/Entomb/Reanimate/Daze/Force/Petals
3 Careful Study/Exume
2 Thoughtseize/Brutality/Ponder
1 Animate Dead/Show and Tell
7 fatties

SB:
3 SnT (I really think this is our answer to Chalice, more so than straight up killing them)
3 Decay (or Echoing Truth/EE if only UB)
3 Flusterstorm (depending on show and tells)
2 Massacre
2 Pithing Needle
2 Duress

[KobeBryan]

So there's some speculation that Griselbrand may get banned. Setting aside the question whether Gdaddy deserves to be banned, what do you think the implications will be for UB reanimator?

I feel like removing Gdaddy would relegate the archetype from fringe playable to casual jank status. The silver bullets are no longer powerful enough, the payoff is not there anymore with the plethora of powerful removal available.

Proof

[RNGesus]

Proof

Latest card spoiled (https://imgur.com/a/rwvvAbA) feels like a fixed version of Griselbrand. Of course nothing will be confirmed until the B&R speculation comes out, but its just a possibility.

[H]

Latest card spoiled (https://imgur.com/a/rwvvAbA) feels like a fixed version of Griselbrand. Of course nothing will be confirmed until the B&R speculation comes out, but its just a possibility.

I feel like it is "more likely" that this "fixed" Griselbrand will eventually slot into the "non-Rotating" format that will take Modern's place on MTG Arena.

Of course, there is no way to actually rate, or measure this probability, but it's just a hunch I have about why there are so many "updated" versions of "old" cards coming out now.

[Ragdoll]

So, Rotting Regisaur. How do you feel about it? Will it make it in the side? If yes then how many? Is anyone testing maybe?

[crowe_1]

Hate to be a pessimist, but other decks leave in a lot of removal against us, so I’m skeptical the new Dino is good enough. Fatal Push and Abrupt Decay will be out of opponents’ decks for game 2, but things like Swords, Terminus, Council’s Judgement, Edicts, and more will be kept in. Dino gets blocked forever by Mom. Strix laughs at it. Relevantly, it dies to double Bolt, which is very common now that Dreadhorde Arcanist is popular.

I’d love to be wrong. We do play a pile of cards to bring back dead creatures, so Rotting Regisaur being sent to the graveyard is not always terrible. What matchups were you thinking he’d be good? Off the top of my head, Eldrazi probably would hate to see this guy drop down on turn two after a mull to 5 for Leyline. I could see it giving RUG Delver a headache if it actually resolved. Not sure what else.

[ubernostrum]

5-0'd an MTGO league the other day with this:

4 Griselbrand
4 Chancellor of the Annex

4 Brainstorm
4 Careful Study
4 Ponder
4 Daze
3 Force of Will

4 Entomb
3 Collective Brutality
4 Reanimate
4 Exhume

3 Lotus Petal
1 Island
2 Swamp
4 Underground Sea
4 Polluted Delta
4 Verdant Catacombs

Sideboard:

2 Duress
2 Echoing Truth
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1 Flusterstorm
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
3 Leyline of the Void
2 Massacre
2 Show and Tell

Nothing particularly special about the matches that league. Played against other graveyard decks three times, including beating B/R Reanimator in a weird game three where I had a Leyline, they tried an Animate Dead on my Chancellor, I bounced it back to my hand, and then we both drew straight nothing for about six consecutive turns before I was able to stick a Chancellor and ride it to victory.

I've mostly been a traditionalist when it comes to the U/B build, but lately I've been coming round to the idea that the maindeck package should just be Griselbrand/Chancellor; Chancellor gives you an awful lot of free-roll wins against decks that could otherwise interact with you.

[Jax-]

5-0'd an MTGO league the other day with this:

4 Griselbrand
4 Chancellor of the Annex

4 Brainstorm
4 Careful Study
4 Ponder
4 Daze
3 Force of Will

4 Entomb
3 Collective Brutality
4 Reanimate
4 Exhume

3 Lotus Petal
1 Island
2 Swamp
4 Underground Sea
4 Polluted Delta
4 Verdant Catacombs

Sideboard:

2 Duress
2 Echoing Truth
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1 Flusterstorm
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
3 Leyline of the Void
2 Massacre
2 Show and Tell

Nothing particularly special about the matches that league. Played against other graveyard decks three times, including beating B/R Reanimator in a weird game three where I had a Leyline, they tried an Animate Dead on my Chancellor, I bounced it back to my hand, and then we both drew straight nothing for about six consecutive turns before I was able to stick a Chancellor and ride it to victory.

I've mostly been a traditionalist when it comes to the U/B build, but lately I've been coming round to the idea that the maindeck package should just be Griselbrand/Chancellor; Chancellor gives you an awful lot of free-roll wins against decks that could otherwise interact with you.

That was me on BR. Weird game three for sure, I wasnt expecting the Leylines tbh so I had no answers to it outside taking your creatures.
I 4-1d that League losing only to you, you have now a bounty on your head, watch out. :laugh:

[crowe_1]

5-0'd an MTGO league the other day with this:

4 Griselbrand
4 Chancellor of the Annex

4 Brainstorm
4 Careful Study
4 Ponder
4 Daze
3 Force of Will

4 Entomb
3 Collective Brutality
4 Reanimate
4 Exhume

3 Lotus Petal
1 Island
2 Swamp
4 Underground Sea
4 Polluted Delta
4 Verdant Catacombs

Sideboard:

2 Duress
2 Echoing Truth
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1 Flusterstorm
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
3 Leyline of the Void
2 Massacre
2 Show and Tell

Nothing particularly special about the matches that league. Played against other graveyard decks three times, including beating B/R Reanimator in a weird game three where I had a Leyline, they tried an Animate Dead on my Chancellor, I bounced it back to my hand, and then we both drew straight nothing for about six consecutive turns before I was able to stick a Chancellor and ride it to victory.

I've mostly been a traditionalist when it comes to the U/B build, but lately I've been coming round to the idea that the maindeck package should just be Griselbrand/Chancellor; Chancellor gives you an awful lot of free-roll wins against decks that could otherwise interact with you.

What were your other matchups?

[ubernostrum]

What were your other matchups?

One Hogaak Dredge, one non-Hogaak Dredge, one Burn, one RUG Arcanist/cascade.

So the matchup gods smiled on me a bit in that league, but I've been doing well overall with the build. I had a match a little while back against CalebD on RUG cascade that showed up on his stream (https://www.twitch.tv/videos/437786097?t=05h06m50s), if you want to laugh at me. I wasn't playing super well that night, but in spite of that still kind of ran him over (helped a bit by an awful cascade into Pyroblast on his end).

[crowe_1]

Was Dredge winnable during G1 without Elesh Norn?

[ubernostrum]

Was Dredge winnable during G1 without Elesh Norn?

Pulled up the replays, and turns out the Hogaak Dredge was actually in the previous league; the other match this league was an Echo of Eons storm deck.

The non-Hogaak Dredge in the 5-0 league, game 1 I had a turn-two Griselbrand and countered their turn-three Breakthrough, which prompted the concession. The Hogaak Dredge I did lose game 1, but game two and three had Elesh Norn and Iona both in the deck.

[owerbart]

since Uro is getting more and more popular, containment priest seems to be at a low, and I wanted to try splashing red again.

This is what I'm testing right now

1 Anger
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1 Grave Titan
1 Archetype of Endurance
3 Griselbrand
1 Tidespout Tyrant
1 Hapless Researcher
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
2 Animate Dead
4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
2 Misdirection
4 Entomb
2 Tropical Island
2 Badlands
3 Underground Sea
1 Swamp
4 Verdant Catacombs
4 Polluted Delta
1 Scalding Tarn
4 Exhume
4 Reanimate
4 Careful Study
2 Ransack the Lab
2 Thoughtseize
2 Faithless Looting

1 Pithing Needle
2 Red Elemental Blast
3 Abrupt Decay
1 Echoing Truth
1 Assassin's Trophy
4 Show and Tell
3 Duress

This is what I'm currently testing. I'm still on the slow plan with no mana acceleration, and Anger has been backbreaking in some matchups. I was able to get a grizz and attack a PW hoser (3feri-jtms-oko) in the same turn :-D

[crowe_1]

Is Strategic Planning better than Ransack the Lab due to pitching to FoW/Misdirection? Otherwise it might be better as Faithless Looting 3 and 4. Interesting take anyway. Keep us updated on how it goes!

[jethstriker]

...and I wanted to try splashing red again.

2 Ransack the Lab

At 2 mana spot, wouldn't Izzet Charm be a better choice since you're already splashing red?
Although it digs one less card, it does much more than being another Careful Study variant.