Griselbrand Reanimator

I see that many people have been trying to come up with some sort a combo deck with Griselbrand but I think that a new take on an old classic would be the most optimal way to make him work. A reanimator deck that could win as early as turn one, and I don't mean have a big fatty out on turn one, I mean swing for lethal on turn one. Here is what I have been testing and I have to say that I think with some tweaking or further testing, it can be rather good. It's fast and pretty versatile. You can be greedy and try to get Griselbrand and Emrakul both into play in the same turn and swing or you can go for one or the other depending on the situation. Here is the deck list;

4 Entomb
4 Cabal therapy

3 Goryo's Vengeance
3 Shallow Grave

3 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
3 Griselbrand

3 and 4: [Lotus Petal, Chrome Mox, Mox Diamond, Dark Ritual] <- needs more testing to see what is the most optimal acceleration

4 Careful Study
4 Daze
4 Brainstorm

3 Underground Sea
2 Island
3 Swamp
4 Polluted Delta
3 Scalding Tarn
1 Verdant Catacombs

As far as the acceleration goes I have been testing Mox Diamond and Lotus Petal which is rather very good when Griselbrand is on the table and you don't have any mana open, however dark ritual can be justified as well because turn 1 -> dark ritual entomb -> reanimate can be pretty devastating. The Chrome Mox and Mox Diamond are pretty much the same in this deck IMO just because you don't really want to play either until you have Griselbrand on the table and then by drawing a ton of cards you can play either by discarding/exiling cards that are no longer needed. Chrome Mox can be slightly better just because there are only 16 lands but again, it all comes down to further testing. Anyways let me know what you think.

It's been getting quite a bit of debate already here.

http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/s...imator/page161

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Originally Posted by dahcmai

It's been getting quite a bit of debate already here.

http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/s...imator/page161

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His deck follows a different approach than the common Reanimator builds.

Regarding the deck I would suggest taking the "common" Mono B Reanimator shell and swap the reanimation spells and targets with your ones. You don't need blue, if you want to be as fast as you initially wanted to be. Just play Putrid Imp, Unmask, Dark Ritual, Lotus Petal and maybe a tutor like Rhystic Tutor and you will be fast as hell, while not giving up discard outlets.

dahcmai: ... I am glad you like tacos...

H3llsp4wn: thanks for the input, before I made this list I was actually thinking maybe going mono B. I think with your suggestions Mono B could be pretty solid, maybe even a better list. The big thing about adding blue is that it opens up the sideboard and even the mainboard list to things like spell pierce, FoW and other protection / draw engine.

I like the shell, but I'm concerned about Emrakul not being able to be sent to the gy.

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Originally Posted by bowvamp

I like the shell, but I'm concerned about Emrakul not being able to be sent to the gy.

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Of course Emrakul goes to the graveyard. When he does, his trigger goes on the stack. That's why you play instant speed reanimation spells, which you can fire in response to that trigger.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bowvamp

I like the shell, but I'm concerned about Emrakul not being able to be sent to the gy.

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Emrakul goes to the graveyard, and then the ability pops. You can instant speed reanimate in response. I think a bigger concern is that if you reanimate Emrakul, you get a pop for 10 damage and some permanents, but then you run out of steam. When I was thinking about this concept, I was looking at Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur since it will reload your hand, and does nice things when animated on the opponent's EOT.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rufus

Emrakul goes to the graveyard, and then the ability pops. You can instant speed reanimate in response. I think a bigger concern is that if you reanimate Emrakul, you get a pop for 10 damage and some permanents, but then you run out of steam. When I was thinking about this concept, I was looking at Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur since it will reload your hand, and does nice things when animated on the opponent's EOT.

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I don't quite understand what you are talking about... Emrakul is 15/15, also annihilator 6... is nothing to laugh at. The whole point is to either A) resurrecting Griselbrand and drawing a ton of cards and setting up your next turn for lethal damage or putting Emrakul into play for 22 points of damage in the air the same turn or B) going straight for Emrakul and wiping the board clean. Even good players can't recover from that for a while so even if you draw nothing for 5-10 turns you are still most likely going to win.

I was working on a deck just like this when Jin-Gitaxias came out. Griselbrand is definitely an upgrade to the deck but I would include one Jin to entomb for. Forcing your opponent to discard their hand is how you're going to fight combo decks. I also included a Godsire in my build, which tested pretty well. It obviously can't be returned by goryo's but shallow graving it during your opponent's end step allows you to swing for 16 and leaves you with two 8/8s. I would also keep the blue, it will increase your consistency and allow you to sideboard in show and tells. And yes, first turn dark ritual into Jin-Gitaxias is a great feeling.

@Narcomoeba
nvm, I forgot to assume you play sorcery speed reanimation as well. (<- if you read this post before the edit)

Anyway, mono black is more explosive, which the OP wants to be (according to his initial statement). Plus you can just do tons of damage and also destroy the manabase or draw into discard to fight other combo decks.

TOP 8ed yesterday a Bazar of Moxen Trial (50 players) with a very similar list (running 4 Griselbrand / 3 Jin / 1 Emmy MD).

I'm positive your list needs at least 2 more reanimation spells. Stifle could be used MD to fight opposing Karakas, Wasteland or stifling EOT Exile Triggers.

The list is sick and one can safely assume that a reanimated Griselbrand at 12 life or more is gg any day of the week.

I'd like some feedback on your SB options. Mine was :
SB: 4 [US] Show and Tell
SB: 1 [SOM] Darkslick Shores
SB: 2 [M10] Pithing Needle
SB: 3 [DS] Echoing Truth
SB: 2 [MM] Misdirection
SB: 3 [M10] Duress

I'm really curious about your list, could you share it?

Here it is :

// Mana
4 Polluted Delta
2 Marsh Flats
4 Underground Sea
2 Swamp
1 Island
1 Flooded Strand
4 Lotus Petal
2 Chrome Mox

// Creatures
3 Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur
4 Griselbrand
1 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn

// Other
4 Brainstorm
4 Careful Study
4 Entomb
4 Goryo's Vengeance
4 Shallow Grave
2 Animate Dead
4 Force of Will
4 Daze
2 Stifle

// Sideboard
4 Show and Tell
1 Darkslick Shores
2 Pithing Needle
3 Echoing Truth
2 Misdirection
3 Duress

The list runs very few lands and capitalizes into a very fast reanimated Jin/Griselbrand to win the game on the spot. This thread got my eyes since I began working on this list as soon as Grisel was spoiled.

Would you consider playing Ritual over Mox, as it makes you faster, or do you want a permanent mana boost, even if it is smaller? Were you satisfied with your creature base or would you tweak it a little bit?

I tried Dark Ritual in the first place and was constantly frustrated as it bricks far too often.
Sure, T1 DR=>Entomb/Reanimation is game breaker but to run it safely, you get so much close to the god hand syndrome (1 land + Entomb + DR + Reanimation + Daze or Force + Pitch card = 5 to 6 cards to be reliable, so not statistically realistic).
This sequence cannot be done with Careful in lieu of Entomb so the chances of that happining are really slim.

On the contrary, a smaller mana boost is really often just what you need to be daze proof or dig for the missing puzzle piece and putting your plan to execution in the same turn.

The creature basis was satisfactory as is but after sideboard I wouldn't mind be running another Emrakul to have consistent T3 S&T with a really strong target (what Jin is sadly not).

Another Dumping slot in the maindeck would be nice but I think the other options available are worse than what I already run (Cabal Therapy comes to mind). I could consider running a single S&T MD to help fixing the residual consistency issues.

I like the list OrGy and I am happy to hear you Top8ed. I think that the sideboard is very situation for most decks but combo decks are virtually always the same and having said that I didn't even come up with one, but I do like yours for sure. I think that maybe having MB S&T could be really powerful but the question is what to take out. Also can you tell us about the MUs you had and maybe brief description of what happened. Thanks :wink:.

For those of you confortable with french, a link to the original report Here

In summary, I encountered :
> RUG Cascade (fairly easy win)
> GW Maverick (lost to double scavening ooze preboard and lots of hate in game 2)
> Burn (fairly easy one too)
> TT (crushed that one real quick)
> A friend of mine playing Sneakshow w/ Griselbrand (Nailed double win post board through grafdigger's cage, feels good)
> ID to top 8
- Esperblade (lost to a lot of countermagic G1 and mana death G2, much closer match than it looked)

I really like your list OrGy.

You are right that Careful Study dosn´t fit to Dark Ritual, but i would play Putrid Imp + Dark Ritual over Mox + Study. I was thinking about it and would try somethink like this:

4 Emrakul, the Aeons Torn
4 Griselbrand

4 Entomb
4 Shallow Grave
4 Goryo's Vengeance

4 Putrid Imp

4 Force of Will
4 Brainstorm
3 Not of This World
2 Daze

3 Dark Ritual
4 Underground Sea
4 Polluted Delta
2 Swamp
2 Island
3 Marsh Flats
2 Scalding Tarn
3 Lotus Petal

SB Options:
(not sure jet)
SB: 4 Show and Tell
SB: 4 Lim-Dûl's Vault
SB: 4 Thoughtseize
SB: 3 Spell Pierce
SB: 3 Pithing Needle

You want Hapless Researcher over Putrid Imp real bad IMO.

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Originally Posted by Final Fortune

You want Hapless Researcher over Putrid Imp real bad IMO.

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I don´t see that.
1) you can use Dark ritual to be very fast
2) when you got Grisel from grave and draw 14 cards (out of mana), you can use ritual, imp, discard emrakul and kill in this turn.

I dislike Researcher for 2 reasons: he coast blue, he can only discard 1 card
on the other hand is he an other pitch card for FoW