[Primer] BRx Griselbrand Reanimator

I find it generally difficult to board with this deck. I'm still in the progress of figuring out how to handle a prepared meta. As you said we have to sacrifice either parts of the combo or speed and I don't like to sacrifice speed, so I tried to bypass the hate so far. This deck is not that good being reactive without speed. With just 12-14 mana sources without Petals and Rituals you better draw good.

My current experimental sideboard looks like this:

4 Stronghold Gambit
4 Harsh Scrutiny (gets their creatures into the yard and scry 1 helps to find Gambit/Random Fatty)
1 Elesh Norn
1 Iona
1 Pithing Needle
2 Sensei's Divining Top
2 Meltdown/Crash

Always estimating the worst: Leylines of the Void. So the plan is to get their creatures into the gy, reanimate them and eventually put a fatty via Gambit onto the board. I don't say it's exactly the ideal solution, but all in all it provides the proactive mboard playstyle.

Edit: Leylines of the Void appears in my sweetest dreams. (No one. Ever.)

It's not clear from the above post if you understand this interaction:

Leyline of the Void only applies to the controller's opponents. So, you can discard your opponent's creatures and reanimate them freely, because their graveyard isn't exiled.

Interesting sideboard plan of Harsh Scrutiny + Top to dig for Gambit. Might be okay.

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Originally Posted by DNSolver

It's not clear from the above post if you understand this interaction:

Leyline of the Void only applies to the controller's opponents. So, you can discard your opponent's creatures and reanimate them freely, because their graveyard isn't exiled.

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The "worst" is meant in a way you most likely can't reanimate your own creatures because of Leylines. Instead you focus on reanimating the opponent's, if available. I'm sorry, if this didn't come out clearer in my above post.

P.S.: I changed the position of the sentence. Maybe it becomes clearer, what I originally intended to say now. :tongue:

I know we've talked about reanimation alternatives earlier in this thread, but I wanted to revisit that in light of the current meta.

My thinking right now is that there's a fair amount of graveyard hate, but it's mostly in the form of Surgical and/or Faerie Macabre. Because of that, I'm thinking of using an active sideboarding strategy: instead of bringing in Decays or Wear//Tear, I'm bringing in Show and Tell or Sneak Attack (usually siding out 4 Animate Dead). Does that make sense?

If so, what's your favorite active sideboarding plan? Show and Tell, Sneak Attack, or Stronghold Gambit (or something else)?

Personally, I'm not a fan of Gambit. Too many times I've been burned with them either brainstorming in response and getting a Delver, me going blind and them having a creature, or finding both a creature AND a Surgical when I Thoughtseize.

Right now I'm leaning towards Show and Tell, but I'm interested in other people's thoughts and experiences.

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Originally Posted by Doneval

I know we've talked about reanimation alternatives earlier in this thread, but I wanted to revisit that in light of the current meta.

My thinking right now is that there's a fair amount of graveyard hate, but it's mostly in the form of Surgical and/or Faerie Macabre. Because of that, I'm thinking of using an active sideboarding strategy: instead of bringing in Decays or Wear//Tear, I'm bringing in Show and Tell or Sneak Attack (usually siding out 4 Animate Dead). Does that make sense?

If so, what's your favorite active sideboarding plan? Show and Tell, Sneak Attack, or Stronghold Gambit (or something else)?

Personally, I'm not a fan of Gambit. Too many times I've been burned with them either brainstorming in response and getting a Delver, me going blind and them having a creature, or finding both a creature AND a Surgical when I Thoughtseize.

Right now I'm leaning towards Show and Tell, but I'm interested in other people's thoughts and experiences.

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I played BR with a Show and Tell sideboard to a 10-5 record at Louisville. I tested the white splash, the green splash, and the blue splash pretty extensively in the weeks leading up to the event, and I always came away feeling the best about the blue splash. You can see my tournament report here and see my updated sideboard plan here.

On the whole I found that I very rarely won games where my opponent resolved a hate permanent, I removed that hate permanent, and then I combo'd off. Most decks were able to protect their card with countermagic, or I'd remove it but I wouldn't be able to also find the combo, or in the time it took me to remove it they'd find a second one or get so much countermagic I couldn't resolve the combo anyway. For the most part if I was winning against those decks, it was because I was racing them before they resolved their hate, or because I stripped it out of their hand.

Once I came to that conclusion, I became far less interested in boarding Abrupt Decay, Wear // Tear, or Reverent Silence. I switched to the Show and Tell plan, which dodged the vast majority of the hate and let me just win through it. So instead of needing 3 cards (Decay/Entomb/Reanimation) I just needed two (Show and Tell, Dude).

Thanks, Jeff. I remember reading your report a while back. Maybe that's even what got me thinking in terms of active sideboards.

Would you still go with Blood Moons in the sideboard? That's the most surprising tech there. Would you still run it today, or would you use those spots for something else?

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Originally Posted by Doneval

Thanks, Jeff. I remember reading your report a while back. Maybe that's even what got me thinking in terms of active sideboards.

Would you still go with Blood Moons in the sideboard? That's the most surprising tech there. Would you still run it today, or would you use those spots for something else?

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At the time they were the best way I was able to beat the Delver/Deathrite decks, and that's basically all they're there for (though I did go 2-0 against lands largely because of them at the GP). If I were seriously pursuing BR for a big tournament again I might put more work into finding a way to beat those decks without them, but I don't know what that would be. Going 1 for 1 on threats/answers with them never worked out for me because they're better prepared to do that than I am. I needed something I could do that would answer multiple cards. Blood Moon answering Deathrite, Spell Pierce, Flusterstorm, and Daze felt pretty good, when it worked.

That matchup was never good, and I did lose to it at the GP in round 1 (double mulls to 5 to start my day didn't help). But it was the best thing I figured out how to do. The big thing for me was that I never really felt I needed the slots for anything else so it was worth using those slots to try and make the matchup better. If there were something else I needed, I could see cutting them and just trying to get there with Brutality. If you cut them you definitely need Tidespout Tyrant for the Lands matchup though.

A cool newer build of the blue version (from The Library at Pendrell Vale website). Got top 8 at a $1k.

UB Reanimator
Creatures (10)
4 Chancellor of the Annex
4 Griselbrand
1 Sire of Insanity
1 Tidespout Tyrant

Spells (32)
4 Reanimate
4 Exhume
4 Thoughtseize
4 Unmask
4 Dark Ritual
4 Entomb
4 Animate Dead
4 Careful Study

Artifacts (6)
4 Lotus Petal
2 Chrome Mox
Lands (11)
2 Swamp
3 Underground Sea
4 Polluted Delta
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Marsh Flats

Sideboard (15)
4 Show and Tell
2 Lim-Dul's Vault
2 Ancient Tomb
1 Boseiju, Who Shelters All
1 Collective Brutality
1 Inquisition of Kozilek
1 Pithing Needle
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
1 Inkwell Leviathan
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite

I like the plan of making sure you find Show and Tell and it resolves, completely ignoring graveyard hate and possible answers to it. I don't get the single IoK in the sideboard though. More Brutalities would seem better.

Is there a mini sideboard primer for the blue version? I'm interested to see how Ancient Tombs and Boseiju fit into the mana base after game 1. Do you remove fetches? Chrome Mox?

Looking forward to GP Vegas :)

The Lim-Dul's vault is cool, could potentially fix the issue I had with the blue splash when I tried it. Granted I was doing RBu, but I found that a lot of times I'd be split on going for a show and tell vs going for a reanimate.

I think side boarding for show and tell, you want to drop 4x animate deads, and then I was replace entombs with creatures, because entomb doesn't actually count as a creature for us if we're on S&T plan.

The inquisition is really confusing to me too. I like the Boseiju.

Counting 59 cards maindeck. I assume there's one land missing? 12 lands is brave anyway :D

Edit: just found this pretty sweet list http://www.mtgtop8.com/event?e=15077&d=291272&f=LE

Using this decklist from Grand Prix Louisville, what's the best sideboarding against Delver decks? Is a good choice to sideboard 3 Abrupt Decay and 4 Collective Brutality (in addition to some creatures) or are too many cards?

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Originally Posted by Alex_UNLIMITED

Using this decklist from Grand Prix Louisville, what's the best sideboarding against Delver decks? Is a good choice to sideboard 3 Abrupt Decay and 4 Collective Brutality (in addition to some creatures) or are too many cards?

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Not all delver decks are exactly the same. Tried and true UR delver/Temur Delver/ Jeskai Delver, won't have abrupt decay. But I don't remember the last time I say Jeskai delver and UR/Temur are typically Grixis and change.

On the Draw:
Animate dead and chrome mox are the weakest in the match up, I would go either 6 or 5 cards swapped post board -2/-2/-2(-1) on Griselbrand, chrome mox, and animate dead. Replacing them with +4/+1/+1(0) Collective brutality, Elesh Norn, some other fatty that may be useful.

Delver hits hard and fast, so having to activate a bunch of times off of griselbrand could be a death sentence in it's own right. Chrome mox helps get around waste land but dies to abrupt decay and is card disadvantage for the little extra mana. Animate dead is fine, but arguably the weakest reanimation spell, so that's why it got cut some what.

Brutality is amazing against delver. Hits everything but 'goy and angler. Extra discard is nice. Life may be relevant. I usually see them rely on counterspells and surgical extraction/faerie macabre. That's why I'm not worried about the decay's and silences post board.

Depending on the match up you may want inkwell (something like esper or bant delver if those are things), or grave titan can be good leaving buddies behind. A couple match ups may want Iona, but that is your call.

Also, Sire is not the best in this match up. With them able to topdeck cantrips, if they have at least 1 land in play they may be able to stick something relevant (like strix or dismember in various flavors) at which point they can turn around a lot quicker than we can from topdecking.

On the Play:
Same idea, but since I'm going first, I would probably keep the animate deads and only bring in 2 or 3 collective brutalities. Speed kills and if you can stick a discard for their hate and reanimate something fast, they will be playing from behind which is a terrible spot for them.

I rebuilt a version of this deck today and just went 5-0 in a league online. This deck is still scary as ever. I tried a configuration I'm pretty happy with after building it pretty spontaneously. List should go on MTGGoldfish tomorrow or the next day, but it's been buggy so I'll post my list:

12 reanimate
4 Entomb
4 Looting
4 Thoughtseize
4 Collective Brutality
4 Dark Ritual
4 Lotus Petal
2 Chrome Mox
8 fetches
2 Badlands
1 Bayou
1 Swamp
4 Griselbrand
4 Chancellor
1 Tidespout
1 Iona

SB:
4 Abrupt Decay (probably will go to 3 to fit something?)
4 Reverent Silence (my trademark card)
4 Faerie Macabre (mirror, dredge)
1 Archetype of Endurance and 1 Children of Korlis - to beat Miracles with a Griselbrand
1 Duress (extra protection against Delver)

I was especially impressed with Collective Brutality. Don't know why I ever put this deck down - I had several turn 1 kills. Against Delver (our worst matchup), the best cards are Chancellor (slows down DRS and allows goldfish on the play), Brutality (good to have maindeck then), and Decay (more removal for DRS, eliminates clock).

Matchups were:
R1: Elves 2-0
R2: Elves 2-0
R3: BUG Delver 2-1 (got unlucky G2 by keeping a no-lander and needing to hit 1 land)
R4: BUG Midrange? 2-0
R5: BUG Delver (Malimujo) 2-1

5 matches, 5 deathrite decks.

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Originally Posted by DNSolver

I had several turn 1 kills

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Sorry for the stupid question but how are you able to kill turn one? The only card that is able to deal damage without passing the turn is brutality and there you can choose the lifeloss mode only once...??? What am I missing?

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Originally Posted by zangoasyl

Sorry for the stupid question but how are you able to kill turn one? The only card that is able to deal damage without passing the turn is brutality and there you can choose the lifeloss mode only once...??? What am I missing?

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It's common (while not technically true) to call a turn 1 Sire of Insanity or Griselbrand a first turn kill.

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Originally Posted by Kobra_D

Not all delver decks are exactly the same. Tried and true UR delver/Temur Delver/ Jeskai Delver, won't have abrupt decay. But I don't remember the last time I say Jeskai delver and UR/Temur are typically Grixis and change.

On the Draw:
Animate dead and chrome mox are the weakest in the match up, I would go either 6 or 5 cards swapped post board -2/-2/-2(-1) on Griselbrand, chrome mox, and animate dead. Replacing them with +4/+1/+1(0) Collective brutality, Elesh Norn, some other fatty that may be useful.

Delver hits hard and fast, so having to activate a bunch of times off of griselbrand could be a death sentence in it's own right. Chrome mox helps get around waste land but dies to abrupt decay and is card disadvantage for the little extra mana. Animate dead is fine, but arguably the weakest reanimation spell, so that's why it got cut some what.

Brutality is amazing against delver. Hits everything but 'goy and angler. Extra discard is nice. Life may be relevant. I usually see them rely on counterspells and surgical extraction/faerie macabre. That's why I'm not worried about the decay's and silences post board.

Depending on the match up you may want inkwell (something like esper or bant delver if those are things), or grave titan can be good leaving buddies behind. A couple match ups may want Iona, but that is your call.

Also, Sire is not the best in this match up. With them able to topdeck cantrips, if they have at least 1 land in play they may be able to stick something relevant (like strix or dismember in various flavors) at which point they can turn around a lot quicker than we can from topdecking.

On the Play:
Same idea, but since I'm going first, I would probably keep the animate deads and only bring in 2 or 3 collective brutalities. Speed kills and if you can stick a discard for their hate and reanimate something fast, they will be playing from behind which is a terrible spot for them.

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No Abrutpt Decay? I don't want to lose from a Grafdigger's Cage or Relic of Progenitus. :cry:

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Originally Posted by DNSolver

I rebuilt a version of this deck today and just went 5-0 in a league online. This deck is still scary as ever. I tried a configuration I'm pretty happy with after building it pretty spontaneously. List should go on MTGGoldfish tomorrow or the next day, but it's been buggy so I'll post my list:

12 reanimate
4 Entomb
4 Looting
4 Thoughtseize
4 Collective Brutality
4 Dark Ritual
4 Lotus Petal
2 Chrome Mox
8 fetches
2 Badlands
1 Bayou
1 Swamp
4 Griselbrand
4 Chancellor
1 Tidespout
1 Iona

SB:
4 Abrupt Decay (probably will go to 3 to fit something?)
4 Reverent Silence (my trademark card)
4 Faerie Macabre (mirror, dredge)
1 Archetype of Endurance and 1 Children of Korlis - to beat Miracles with a Griselbrand
1 Duress (extra protection against Delver)

I was especially impressed with Collective Brutality. Don't know why I ever put this deck down - I had several turn 1 kills. Against Delver (our worst matchup), the best cards are Chancellor (slows down DRS and allows goldfish on the play), Brutality (good to have maindeck then), and Decay (more removal for DRS, eliminates clock).

Matchups were:
R1: Elves 2-0
R2: Elves 2-0
R3: BUG Delver 2-1 (got unlucky G2 by keeping a no-lander and needing to hit 1 land)
R4: BUG Midrange? 2-0
R5: BUG Delver (Malimujo) 2-1

5 matches, 5 deathrite decks.

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Did you come across a lot of Surgical Extraction in those rounds? I felt that the green splash was a bit soft to Surgical Extraction in counter-heavy decks.

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Originally Posted by Alex_UNLIMITED

No Abrutpt Decay? I don't want to lose from a Grafdigger's Cage or Relic of Progenitus. :cry:

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I took a quick look at the last few mtgtop8 decks under grixis delver (pure UBr), grixis control/4c Leovold (UBrg), and Sultai Delver.

I saw a 1 of grafdigger's cage in most of the grixis delver decks, I only saw surgicals and faerie macabres in the grixis control decks, and in 1 Sultai Delver deck did I see a 1 of nihil spellbomb in the sideboard.

These decks are going to have a ton of counterspells, and discard spells. Surgicals and faeries are the typical response, which is why I didn't plan on boarding in decay.

But if I see a cage and we go to g3 then of course I am bringing in decays, probably as a 2/2 split with collective brutality.

Decay is fine either way, it kills most of their stuff even if there are no artifact/enchantment hate cards out. But the actual hate cards are going to be played from the hand typically and that is what I am worried about first.

However, I guess I was under the assumption that you win G1, because reanimator is awesome. Which is something not everyone realizes, you can SB again for g3. I typically change things around so that my deck isn't the same 3 games in a row. However, if you lose g1 and aren't overly confidant in their sb plan then I might not board in the 2 fatties and instead bring in 2 decays.

Elesh Norn is great, but could easily be a win more card, where abrupt decay would just be good against delver creatures and delver hate possibly.

I recently won a complete copy of this deck as the first prize of a 100 man tournament, and I'm in the process of updating its somewhat outdated list, a task complicated by my inexperience with the deck.
The version I have contained 4 copies of Badlands, 4 simian spirit guides, and sneak attack in the board. It seems to me that the sneak attack plan b has fallen out of flavor (which makes sense, since most of our creatures are a bit underwhelming off of it), in favor of more anti hate cards like decay and reverent silence. Without sneak attack, SSG doesn't make sense either, and people are running unmask instead.
My question to the deck's specialists is: do you feel like the new lists are clearly superior? Can I safely trade away a couple of Badlands, or are heavier red splashes poised for a comeback? Many thanks...