[SCD] Worldgorger Dragon Combo

[Daize]

Might as well go painter sb plan then instead of helm..

[codethulu]

I think this was already recommended... but grindstone works really well for a self
mill card.

If the goal is to get dragon in the yard, why not play a card that does that instead of a card that might occasionally do that?

[Damiles]

It works when Worldgorger is looped. From what I can tell it's a better replacement for a bazaar of baghdad effect rather than Nephalia Drownyard, or Duskmantle, House of Shadow.

[pfiremc13]

This is off the top of my head but might be worth testing.

4 Top
4 Counterbalance

2 Animate Dead
1 Dance of the Dead
1 Necromancy
1 WGD
1 Oona
1 Mulldrifter
4 Gifts

4 Brainstorm
4 Ponder

4 FoW
2 Dimir Charm
1 Crippling Fatigue
2 Thoughtseize
1 Duress
1 Inquisition of Koszilek
1 Dismember

4 Polluted Delta
3 Blue Fetch
1 Black Fetch
3 Island
2 Swamp
4 Drownyard
4 Underground Sea

If the plan is to use Gifts, you might as well build the deck to use gifts. Countertop helps to break up a lot of the problem cards against you. Mulldrifter is an effort to make the animate effects not dead if you draw them early, but it might not be strong enough. The other fetches can be whatever colors are needed if there is a SB splash, and you could cut a few basics for the splash color duals. SB could be set up to either board into Obeyline combo like Cthulhu mentioned, or some kind of U/B control deck with Cliques, Jaces, sweepers (Deluge, The Abyss, Damnation), more removal, or whatever. I like Oona over the Scholar of Atheros because of being an OK plan-C of casting/Animating her and making faeries/beating down. I think I will test something like this at my LGS next week and see how it goes.

Edit: I suppose the lands could be optimized a bit. A snow-covered island and swamp are free to run, and there might be merit in playing a Duskmantle and a Piranha Marsh over 2 Drownyards so you could Gifts for a win-land if needed (and aren't splashing green, which the more I think about it is probably right, anyways).

I really like this list, though I would do a few things differently.

One, add some snapcasters. They are great without the combo, help you turn the combo into a kill, AND give you some value gifts options.

I also think you should add a loam/raven's crime package as a backup plan for gifts. Loam is relevant with the combo, and it's just a great gifts pile in general. And since you're splashing green, add some decays.

I'd cut an animate dead, the discard spells, the mulldrifter, the crippling fatigue, and the dismember.

Why are you running dimir charm?

[LennonMarx]

I really like this list, though I would do a few things differently.

One, add some snapcasters. They are great without the combo, help you turn the combo into a kill, AND give you some value gifts options.

I also think you should add a loam/raven's crime package as a backup plan for gifts. Loam is relevant with the combo, and it's just a great gifts pile in general. And since you're splashing green, add some decays.

I'd cut an animate dead, the discard spells, the mulldrifter, the crippling fatigue, and the dismember.

Why are you running dimir charm?

All valid ideas, though I don't like having a backup plan that is susceptible to a lot of the same hate as the main plan. The green splash is something I think is probably correct, at least in a build like this as you get access to Abrupt Decay which is way better than the removal I currently have in the list + Deeds and maybe swarms out of the board. Dimir Charm, along with Fatigue and Dismember, were there as outs to Deathrite Shaman. Charm specifically has 3 good modes for this deck so it seems worth testing. I also think you need some number of discard spells to make sure you can get to the point in the game where you can combo out and/or strip threats early.

I do agree with you that the 2nd Animate Dead and the Mulldrifter are very cutable, though. I could see making those Snapcasters or Baleful Strixes, and then swapping some of the discard spells for Therapys like a few of the other lists in the thread have been doing.

[jvmauck]

This is my current deck that I am testing. More of a reanimator deck with the option to instakill with dragon if you desire. I personally love it, but it needs some testing. Thoughts?


4 Griselbrand
1 Worldgorger Dragon
1 Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite
1 Ashen Rider
1 Oona, Queen of the Fae

3 Ponder
4 Thoughtseize
3 Careful Study
4 Entomb
3 Daze
4 Brainstorm
4 Animate Dead
4 Reanimate
4 Lotus Petal
4 Force of Will

4 Polluted Delta
4 Underground Sea
1 Misty Rainforest
1 Verdant Catacomb
4 Nephalia Drownyard
1 Island
1 Swamp

Sideboard
1 Scholar of Athreos
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
2 Inquisition of Kozilek
2 Pithing Needle
2 Massacre
2 Show and Tell
2 Toxic Deluge
3 Dark Ritual

[xdavisx]

has anyone come with a straight b/r version?

[UB Control]

I like the idea of this deck very much. I started to think as soon as the unban was announced. First I started with an UB list. After a few games I saw that green is also necesary. My current list is:

4 Worldgorger Dragon
1 Oona, Queen of the Fae

4 Brainstorm
4 Force of Will
4 Entomb
2 Cunning Wish
1 Intuition

4 Careful Study
4 Ponder
4 Thoughtseize

4 Animate Dead
3 Dance of the Dead
1 Necromancy

4 Underground Sea
1 Bayou
2 Tropical Island
4 Polluted Delta
2 Verdant Catacombs
2 Misty Rainforest
1 Swamp
1 Island
1 Nephalia Drownyard
2 Piranha Marsh

SB:
4 Abrubt Decay
1 Flusterstorm
1 Blue Sun's Zenith
1 Intuition
1 Dark Ritual
1 Crop Rotation
2 Dures
2 Massacre
2 Toxic Deluge

There ar surely some cards to change mostly in the SB but it is working!

[death]

has anyone come with a straight b/r version?

Eh, someone did: Mono-Black Dragon Reanimator. well not entirely....

[Finn]

I would love to hear ideas on making Leechridden Swamp work. You can fetch it with Polluted Delta and such, so it makes the combo much more stable. But...the darn dragon is not black, just the enchantment. It seems like a zero sum game, but I wonder if there is a simple way to have a second black permanent around. Don't say Strix.

EDIT: When I see World Gorger Dragon in the same deck with Reanimate, I just want to facepalm.

[Opterown]

I would love to hear ideas on making Leechridden Swamp work. You can fetch it with Polluted Delta and such, so it makes the combo much more stable. But...the darn dragon is not black, just the enchantment. It seems like a zero sum game, but I wonder if there is a simple way to have a second black permanent around. Don't say Strix.

EDIT: When I see World Gorger Dragon in the same deck with Reanimate, I just want to facepalm.

Doesn't the Leechridden Swamp come into play tapped ie you can't use its ability?

[Finn]

Yes it does! I found out last night :(
Poopie, but I never found a way to have the second permanent anyway.

I had this list locally last night.

1 Cunning Wish
2 Snapcaster Mage
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Brainstorm
4 Baleful Strix
4 Force of Will
4 Entomb
2 Thoughtseize
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Animate Dead
4 Necromancy
3 Worldgorger Dragon
1 Kederekt Leviathan
1 Oona, Queen of the Fae

4 Underground Sea
4 Polluted Delta
4 Bloodstained Mire
1 Scalding Tarn
2 Island
1 Swamp
1 Nephalia Drownyard
1 Duskmantle, House of Shadow

sb:
1 Stroke of Genius
1 Pact of Negation
1 Chain of Vapor
3 Defense Grid
2 Thoughtseize
1 Evacuation
1 Sunder
1 Piracy Charm
3 Drown in Sorrow

Well, almost. I could not find my Duskmantles, so I went with both Drownyards. Did not matter.

notes:
This is not the version to play. The deck needs more search. Ponder is required. Either the Strixes must go or the Force of Wills.

Oona is useless. I don't know why I listened to these guys. Stuck in my hand frequently. Never once valuable. Snapcaster is the kill against Eldrazi.

The Unearth ability on the Leviathan is actually an important detail.

[death]

Too many protection: 4 Probe 4 Therapy 2 Thoughtseize 4 FoW? I'd recommend -2 Thoughtseize -1 Therapy +3 Cunning Wish. I don't understand why you are running what seems like a wish board with 1 miser's Cunning Wish in the main. Are you jamming those wish targets in game 2 and hope you win from those? Isn't CWish into Stroke the better option?

Oona getting stuck in your hand means Baleful Strix is not doing a decent job of killing, for you to have another Animate Dead target in the yard to stop the loop and hardcast Oona. Without Buried Alive, Intuition is better than Cunning Wish here.

I'm intigued at how many times you are able to resolve Necromancy without walking into a Daze or Spell Pierce. And if the game has gone far too long to the point where you are able to use Kederekt Leviathan's unearth ability you deserve an award.

[Finn]

Too many protection: 4 Probe 4 Therapy 2 Thoughtseize 4 FoW? I'd recommend -2 Thoughtseize -1 Therapy +3 Cunning Wish. I don't understand why you are running what seems like a wish board with 1 miser's Cunning Wish in the main. Are you jamming those wish targets in game 2 and hope you win from those? Isn't CWish into Stroke the better option?

Oona getting stuck in your hand means Baleful Strix is not doing a decent job of killing, for you to have another Animate Dead target in the yard to stop the loop and hardcast Oona. Without Buried Alive, Intuition is better than Cunning Wish here.

I'm intigued at how many times you are able to resolve Necromancy without walking into a Daze or Spell Pierce. And if the game has gone far too long to the point where you are able to use Kederekt Leviathan's unearth ability you deserve an award.

I have little idea what the best sideboard is yet. What you see is a random attempt.

Oona is stuck in my hand because she does nothing to help me go off and is entirely superfluous afterward. She may as well be any random card.

Obv, you use unearth after you have unlimited mana. I bounced a Spirit of the Lab and a Revoker on Oona with it, plus Snapcaster and Animate Dead. I still lost because I had no way to mill that game, but it let me maneuver an extra creature on the board. There is probably an application for that.

[HdH_Cthulhu]

Might as well go painter sb plan then instead of helm..

What? The plan was to dodge creature hate and abrupt decay...

And what about a discardguy as random creature? Mesmeric fiend?

[Jander78]

Finn, I've come around as well to find Oona as redundant and not needed. The lack of Intuition (Search + Graveyard) in your list is why you're having issues finding components. I've found Force of Will (or any reactive spells) to not be that effective or even castable when trying to go off. Therapy/Thoughtseize have proven to be enough protection most of the time.

Here's where I'm at with the deck.


4 Cabal Therapy
3 Thoughtseize

4 Baleful Strix
2 Snapcaster Mage
3 Worldgorger Dragon

4 Animate Dead
3 Necromancy
4 Entomb

2 Cunning Wish
3 Intuition
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Brainstorm
2 Ponder

4 Underground Sea
4 Polluted Delta
2 Scalding Tarn
1 Verdant Catacombs
1 Tropical Island
1 Island
1 Swamp
2 Nephalia Drownyard
2 Duskmantle, House of Shadow


Sideboard:
1 Stroke of Genius
4 Abrupt Decay
1 Chain of Vapor
1 Misdirection
1 Surgical Extraction
1 Crop Rotation
3 Pithing Needle
3 Pernicious Deed

[death]

Finn, if I'm right, the problem was you didn't find your mill lands or Cunning Wish. Animate Dead should've been your "I win now" button. You've proven that Kederekt isn't too good and as reanimation target is even moot. Having a redundant Animate Dead target (Scholar of Athreos or Duskmantle Guildmage) could have won that game.

Jander, if I wanted to play a CMC 3 reanimation spell I'd just pick up TinFins.

[Darkenslight]

Finn, if I'm right, the problem was you didn't find your mill lands or Cunning Wish. Animate Dead should've been your "I win now" button. You've proven that Kederekt isn't too good and as reanimation target is even moot. Having a redundant Animate Dead target (Scholar of Athreos or Duskmantle Guildmage) could have won that game.

Jander, if I wanted to play a CMC 3 reanimation spell I'd just pick up TinFins.

Necromancy allows you to win at instant-speed, something that TinFins can't do. That's a part of the reason why I like a G/B list: you can go off in response to their hate, and you have access to cheap, effective counters to removal in Ranger's Guile and Vines of Vastwood. The risk you take with that approach, however, is that you're not necessarily consistent enough, as you lack the card filtration of the Blue version.

[EunB]

1 Oona, Queen of the Fae
2 Worldgorger Dragon
2 Snapcaster Mage
3 Baleful Strix

4 Entomb
4 Animate Dead

4 Force of Will
2 Cunning Wish
3 Abrupt Decay
3 Dig Through Time
1 Intuition
4 Brainstorm

2 Ponder
4 Gitaxian Probe
4 Cabal Therapy

4 Underground Sea
1 Nephalia Drownyard
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Polluted Delta
1 Island
1 Bayou
1 Tropical Island
1 Swamp

Sideboard:
1 Pact of Negation
3 Surgical Extraction
1 Stroke of Genius
1 Lim-Dûl's Vault
2 Pithing Needle
1 Echoing Truth
2 Massacre
1 Abrupt Decay
1 Vendilion Clique
2 Thoughtseize

Played this list last night at a local tournament and was crushed. Round 1 vs Deathblade I had a very difficult time sculpting to a perfect hand when he had multiple Brainstorms, Spell Pierces, Swords to Plowshares, Force of Will, Deathrite Shaman and Thoughtseize. I just did not have enough tools to fight through all of his hate.

Round 2 vs Lands (should've been a bye IMO) I ripped his hand apart with Therapy then tried to go off the next turn -- his draw? Abrupt Decay. The Force of Will in my hand laughed silently at me.

Given that maindeck creature hate, Decay, DRS and all the sideboard graveyard & creature hate completely hoses us I'm probably giving up on this deck until someone on the SCG circuit brews something better.

Granted, what I played probably was suboptimal -- I was trying to go for a controlish deck that can combo off when it has the resources -- if I stuck with this line I would probably add Pernicious Deed to control the board a bit more rather than just dying to any creature or being forced to combo too soon. As a Reanimator player this deck seems a lot more difficult to build and play -- I like the challenge of it but it really does seem like trying to jam a round peg into a square hole.

To elaborate a bit more on some of my choices:

- given that the advantage of this deck over reanimator is it takes less space in the deck so can fit more cantrips/hate I ran a very low amount of Dragons and only 4 Animate Dead effects. Replacing Dance of Dead et al with cards like Dig Through Time and Abrupt Decay allowed me (at least I thought) to play a longer game and ensure the combo can win instantly and undisrupted

- decay maindeck was a hedge vs Deathrite Shaman and also allowed us to control the board long enough to combo off -- also good with Snapcaster. I had answers in the board via Cunning Wish but that seemed slow and very vulnerable to countermagic

- Dig Through Time was there to find a wincon after beginning the combo and also to find the combo during the early game

[pfiremc13]

I have little idea what the best sideboard is yet. What you see is a random attempt.

Oona is stuck in my hand because she does nothing to help me go off and is entirely superfluous afterward. She may as well be any random card.

Obv, you use unearth after you have unlimited mana. I bounced a Spirit of the Lab and a Revoker on Oona with it, plus Snapcaster and Animate Dead. I still lost because I had no way to mill that game, but it let me maneuver an extra creature on the board. There is probably an application for that.

Oona/duskmantle/whatever help you win with just an extra entomb. If you have a snapcaster out but can't mill your library, that is quite important.

Say more about what you use leviathan for. If you break the loop with it, you can't win from there unless you have another creature in the yard, right? If you mill your library, what hate cards are you getting around?