[Deck] The Polar Express

[thefreakaccident]

well, I think the person that you recall playing reanimator at that specific D4D was Rodrigo gonzalaz (don't know how to spell his name)... there are several advantages his build has over yours.

first of all he runs deed (which murders almost all hate cards as well as crushing aggro).
you run no form of protection aside the 4 fows which I doubt will be of any significance in a match.

he also ran a good number of discard spells that allowed him to either produce more threats or clear the way for his immediate threats.

you literally have only 4 ways to get your dudes into the yard... Meddling mage ftw?

you have access to black, which has many awesome ways to put your dudes into the yard.

1st: putrid imp
2nd: cabal therapy
3rd: zombie infestation

Rod runs 2 of these along with the black dreams (discard x deals x to each creature)...

the sutured ghoul rout is also overall weaker.

he can kill the turn after he comes out, but 1 swords and he becomes a 3 for 1 in their favour (you remove the dudes in the yard and then they swords him).

additionally, you only have about 8 ways to get your guy into play in the first place...


I used to play a GB build

the reanimation spells were:
4 reanimate
3 exhume
3 animate dead
2 recurring nightmare

[thefreakaccident]

I may be new to this forum, but I am far from new to magic my friend... I doubt you are my senior in that aspect between the both of us... to the deck at hand shall we.

a 3 card combination between buried alive, reanimate, and sutured ghoul.

extripate is not as horrid as you might be led to beleive.
in combination with any countermagic/discard the card becomes quite potent; cutting off a specific card from a strategy can sometimes win games in and of itself.. albeit some decks run certain wishes now just to get around that very card... but that then forces them to go through the whole song and dance of getting the said wish and getting to play it and the card wished for that turn. Sounds difficult but not really.

The single 4th place finish in a 50 man bracket is hardely impressive... they were simply unaware of your deck's presence, therefore making it impossible to board against.

reanimator is not a fast deck in general... I have seen some quick decks using reanimation spells to use as a catalyst, but those are not truely reanimator are they?


I fail to see why you choose to say 'lol' in every sentence you post... seems quite pointless if you ask me.

if your gunna post a deck expect to get some opinions (whether you like it or not)... we aren't going to just pat you on the back and say good job, you have to proove the deck with MU annalyses & you have to entice others to want to play your deck.

[Getsickanddie]

first of all he runs deed (which murders almost all hate cards as well as crushing aggro).

Running deed seems terrible. If Hollywood was concerned with his aggro matchup (which I'm pretty sure is the least of his worries) he could run engineered explosives without having to play green.

I kind of agree that Hollywood could use more outlets to put fatties into the yard, but I think that the options you are proposing don't really fit into the strategy of Hollywoods deck, but would take it in a differnt direction. I think Intuition is something to consider at least testing.

[Michael Keller]

Thanks Trev:

I'm actually trying out Intuition right now. It seemed like there were times I randomly needed an outlet to get my guys into the yard - not often - but sometimes. I suppose Intuition would be a fine playtesting option...there are some other things I'm looking at as we speak.

[Shriekmaw]

Here is another list that I've been looking at which I do like a lot. Hollywood, tell me what you think about it?

Better than your current list??

Dancing Ghoul

Creatures
3 Krosan Cloudscraper
2 Sutured Ghoul

Instants
4 Brainstorm
1 Chain Of Vapor
1 Corpse Dance
4 Dark Ritual
2 Intuition
4 Mystical Tutor
4 Shallow Grave

Sorceries
4 Buried Alive
4 Cabal Therapy
4 Duress
1 Reanimate

Basic Lands
1 Swamp

Lands
4 Ancient Tomb
4 Bloodstained Mire
1 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
4 Underground Sea

Sideboard:
3 Engineered Explosives
4 Dark Confidant
4 Phyrexian Negator
4 Persecute

[Mulletus]

This may sound crazy, but I think Carefull Study is good. It slides into your curve well, and it's card draw and discard. I think it would speed you up a bit. The bad thing is I wouldn't know what to drop. As sick as this sounds... it might be better than brainstorm for you.

As far as that guy saying top 4 isn't that impressive because no one had time to sideboard/weren't ready for it..... the DLD one week prior had one reanimator deck and it made top 4 also.

[Shriekmaw]

I can see John's point with the suggestion of careful study. I do believe that brainstorm is better in this deck, simply because you play Force of Will. If the deck didn't play Force of Will I would strongly suggest careful study over brainstorm because it pitches cards in the yard.

Maybe instead of Force of Will, you could run Cabal Therapy, and then you can replace Brainstorm with Careful Study. Just a suggestion.

[Benie Bederios]

Hello,

After testing I definatly am going to play this deck. I only have some questions and suggestions.

First of all what is your gameplan against TES. I tested about ten games against a competent player, and he could always play a small Tendrils before I could get the Ghoul to smash.

One game I had played a Buried Alive for Ghoul, Kraken and Scraper. I passed the turn with a hand of 2x Force of Will, Shallow Grave, Reanimate. He comboes out using his entire hand to Tendrils me for 14 putting me on 4 and him to 34( due to fetches). What would be the right play then?

Next to that, what about playing Chrome Mox. I have mixed feelings about this card. Sometimesit really quickens your kill, but with so much card disadvantage( Force of Will, Vault and Buried Alive) it maybe a little to much. I'm currently playing 2( instead of 2 Graves).

My last question is what kind of Sideboard you can play. The transformal SB with Negator and Confidant looks slick. But maybe it's better just to play a normal SB.

I hope to here from you guys, because the Tournament is in two days.

BB

[Michael Keller]

Hello,

After testing I definatly am going to play this deck. I only have some questions and suggestions.

First of all what is your gameplan against TES. I tested about ten games against a competent player, and he could always play a small Tendrils before I could get the Ghoul to smash.

One game I had played a Buried Alive for Ghoul, Kraken and Scraper. I passed the turn with a hand of 2x Force of Will, Shallow Grave, Reanimate. He comboes out using his entire hand to Tendrils me for 14 putting me on 4 and him to 34( due to fetches). What would be the right play then?

Next to that, what about playing Chrome Mox. I have mixed feelings about this card. Sometimesit really quickens your kill, but with so much card disadvantage( Force of Will, Vault and Buried Alive) it maybe a little to much. I'm currently playing 2( instead of 2 Graves).

My last question is what kind of Sideboard you can play. The transformal SB with Negator and Confidant looks slick. But maybe it's better just to play a normal SB.

I hope to here from you guys, because the Tournament is in two days.

BB

Thanks for interest in the deck and selecting it to play: It's a lot of fun.

1. Against T.E.S. you have Duress and Force of Will (sans Swarm attack). You can combo out just as fast, so the roles could be reversed. See the dice roll. The deck runs Stifle in the board, which is too important to describe.

2. The next right play would be to combo out as soon as you get the chance and/or hardcast a creature ftw. 34 life doesn't really do all that much when you hit someone for 24 or 26.

3. Chrome Mox is not necessary. Lotus Petal works just fine and you run Dark Ritual. FoW makes you pitch a card from hand anyways. You need cards in your hand and run enough accel.

4. I run a sideboard that is based almost entirely on anti-graveyard hate and being 'on the draw'. It's hard to stop T.P.E. game one...so it usually comes out on top. On the draw, you put in Duress. If you feel it is necessary to put in Negators, by all means. It's not a bad idea.

[Benie Bederios]

Hello,

Hmm there seems to be lesser intrest in the deck, probably due to Hulksmash... Well I still played a the tournament and there was huge show up: 6 people.

Anyway this was the list I played.

The Polar Express - By Benie Bederios

Maindeck

2 Island
2 Swamp
3 Flooded Strand
4 Polluted Delta
4 Underground Sea

2 Sutered Ghoul
2 Krosan Cloudscraper
2 Denizen of the Deep

4 Lotus Petal
4 Dark Ritual

4 Duress
4 Force of Will
1 Chain of Vapor

4 Mystical Tutor
4 Brainstorm
4 Buried Alive
3 Careful Study

4 Shallow Grave
3 Reanimate

Sideboard

1 Echoing Truth
2 Massacre
1 Rushing River
4 Defense Grid
4 Phyrexian Negator
3 Dark Confidant

I did some minor changes to A Legend his list. I only played 15 lands instead of 16 and didn't play the Graves. I choose Denizen of the Deep over Polar Kraken. I made this change due to Careful Study. Getting a T1 Denizen is better then a T1 Kraken who will die turn 3. I choose Mystical Tutor over Vault because of the Casting cost. It's still a nice trick to go T1 EOT Brainstorm, during your upkeep use Mystical Tutor to shuffle the bad cards away.

In the SB I played bounce to stop GY hate( bounce > Pithing Needle, if you don't agree, read the IGGy-pop thread) and a transformal SB against control.

I don't have a detailed report. I ended second(4-2)after Thresh, with my only lost against Thresh and Hulk Flash. The decks I played against were.

1 Rw Vial Goblins
1 UGw Thresh
1 Hulk Flash( Disciple Kill)
1 Uw Fish
1 random aggro
1 Uw control deck

The Goblin and random aggro match( something RG with few burn and small creatures) were easy. UGw Thresh was a horrid matchup wich I lost bigtime. I really hate Swords to Plowshare+Jotun Grunt+ Meddling Mage. The Fishlike deck was built to beat Hulkflash, but didn't play black so he couldn't keep my graveyard under control. I lost 1-2 to Hulkflash. Game one I snatched a game from him with a first turn kill. After that I didn't have much change against that speed. I still ended above him because he lost to Fish, Thresh and Uw Control. The Controldeck didn't scare me, espacially after I sided in Negator and Confidant.

After all I was quite satisfied with the deck. Careful Study was a great card and I would surely keep an extra discard outlet in, but maybe I will change it to Mental Note( not really discard but comboes nice with Brainstorm) or Thirst for Knowledge( now card disadvantage but a CC of 3).

The one thing I wasn't really happy about was Reanimate. I only hit a creature in a opponent his Graveyard once( an Mystic Enforcer from Thresh) so Exhume might fit the spot better.
Next to that the Grids didn't feel optimal, might change them too.

Anyway tell me what you think.

BB

[Michael Keller]

Nice work, Benie. If those changes worked for you, then by all means keep retooling the deck to fit your needs.

Yeah much hasn't been said or written about this one because of the 'Hulk Trash' craze going on. The deck is really running the entire Source, so it's hard to compete with unquestionably the hottest deck in the format. The list I'm running for the Polar Express is still the same except for 2 Cabal Pit in place of the two Swamps. I haven't hd much time to test because of work...but I'm working on it.

[noobslayer]

Will you be playing this deck for the Grand Prix Hollywood? I do certainly hope so.

[Cait_Sith]

OK. I think I want to repeat here what I said when I first looked at the at Kadi's.

I LIKE the Polar Kraken tech. (Conceivably they could also be Denizen of the Deep, Jokulmorder, Phyrexian Maurader, etc. [I like Jokulmorder the best, only because its fun to say. I'd call it "Jokulmorder - The Polar Express" just so I can say Jokulmorder all the time.]).

Why do I like it? Because decks like these roll over to Swords and there are enough times that it would make decks like these risky to play. The added use of Jokulmorder means that you can survive two Swords before you have problems. With this deck's defenses, your opponent digging up two swords is far less likely to happen.

[noobslayer]

Polar Kraken and Denizen of the Deep are far better options, as you can feasibly reanimate them given the needed circumstance.

[Cait_Sith]

Polar Kraken and Denizen of the Deep are far better options, as you can feasibly reanimate them given the needed circumstance.

But then you cannot say Jokulmorder - The Polar Express.

However, you are correct.

[noobslayer]

But then you cannot say Jokulmorder - The Polar Express.

Hardly relevant.

Hollywood, if run at the GP, how concerned are you about hate in the form of Leyline of the Void, which will be splash damage from Hulk Flash. Also, I strongly encourage you to test Cabal Therapy, as you are going to need it to put enough disruptive pressure on other combo decks like CRET belcher and Hulk Flash.

[nightshade81]

Edit: Never mind - I'm stupid sometimes

[Michael Keller]

Hardly relevant.

Hollywood, if run at the GP, how concerned are you about hate in the form of Leyline of the Void, which will be splash damage from Hulk Flash. Also, I strongly encourage you to test Cabal Therapy, as you are going to need it to put enough disruptive pressure on other combo decks like CRET belcher and Hulk Flash.

I'm considering the addition of Chain of Vapor/Echoing Truth in the main deck to combat things like Leyline of the Void.

As far as Hulk Trash is concerned, all I can do is my best. You run Duress and Force of Will in the main deck, with solutions in the sideboard. It's obviously a broken combo.

Cabal Therapy is a favorite of mine. I'm going to try it out in playtesting. It might just end up in the deck. Cards like Vault allow for the addition of more answers in the main deck because you can get them any way you choose. What makes Lim Dul's Vault practically broken is - ironically - Brainstorm. You find a copy of Brainstorm with soltuions/combo pieces and fill your hand up with the goods. You run 8 fetches to dump the unwanted stuff if you need to.

I run in my current build:

2x Sutured Ghoul
2x Polar Kraken
1x Krosan Cloudscarper
1x Denizen of the Deep

Jokulmorder could be your sequel name to the Polar Express if you choose. Otherwise, that card has no place in the original movie.

And yes, I'll be playing this at the GP - and hopefully running it into Day 2.

[Hanni]

This is the build I finally settled on after playtesting the deck all day on MWS:

U/B Reanimator (can't really call it Polar Express without Polar Kraken...)

Lands (13)
4 Polluted Delta
2 Flooded Strand
2 Bloodstained Mire
3 Underground Sea
1 Island
1 Swamp

Creatures (3)
1 Sutured Ghoul
2 Krosan Cloudscraper

Spells (44)
4 Brainstorm
4 Serum Visions
4 Mystical Tutor
1 Lim-Dul's Vault
4 Buried Alive
3 Reanimate
4 Shallow Grave
3 Daze
4 Force of Will
4 Duress
1 Chain of Vapor
4 Dark Ritual
4 Lotus Petal

Sideboard (15)
1 Misdirection
2 Divert
2 Echoing Truth
4 Massacre
3 Pithing Needle
3 Boseiju, Who Shelter's All

The first thing to stand out is probably the manabase. Yes, I only run 13 lands. I was finding myself mana flooded far too often and I wanted more spells. The deck doesn't need much mana to function at all, and the deck has 4 Dark Ritual and 4 Lotus Petal as additional mana sources (so 21 mana sources in total). I haven't had many problems with the low land count in the games I tested it... sometimes I have to mulligan more often than before, but more often than not it's been working just fine. I'm running 8 cantrip anyway so it's easier to keep a 1 land hand.

The other thing that probably stands out is the fact that I'm only running 3 creatures. I don't understand the point to running more really... Tormod's Crypt, StP? You should only need to cast Buried Alive once and reanimate Ghoul once. A 26/26 Trampler should almost always seal the deal... and if for some reason the opponent can absorb enough damage to stay alive, the deck still has Reanimate to give it a permanent 26/26 rather than a temporary haste guy... and the deck can also use Reanimate on the opponent's yard if it comes to that. I don't see a need for a Plan B by reanimating anything other than Sutured Ghoul. I'd rather run more disruption/draw so that my opponent simply can't StP it or whatever.

The draw package has been just fine for me... the 8 cantrip help smooth over the manabase early while digging for combo pieces or tutors as well as disruption. 4 Mystical 1 Vault give me 5 tutors to grab combo pieces with (as well as disruption, etc). I only run 1 Vault simply because it costs UB while Mystical simply costs U, which definitely speeds up the goldfish. I know how good Vault is, I played the full 4 in Hulk Flash. I just think Mystical is a bit better for this deck and I don't have room for more Vaults. The lone Vault is also grabbable with Mystical if for some reason I have 0 combo pieces in hand, in hopes of finding both combo pieces in the same 5 card pile or simply stacking some disruption in with a combo piece (or to grab a pile with a combo piece and Mystical, etc).

4 Buried Alive, obviously. I'm still running the standard 3/4 Reanimate/Shallow Grave.

3 Daze, 4 Force of Will, and 4 Duress make up my disruption package. This is basically the same disruption package I used to use in Hulk Flash, and it makes the deck extremely resilient. I have 20 blue spells (including FoW) to support FoW, which I've found to be sufficient.

1 MD Chain of Vapor gives me outs against MD Meddling Mages or Solitary Confinement's, etc and it's tutorable.

For my sideboard, the MisD's and Divert's come in against black based disruption. I run a 1/2 split because I don't want too much pitching with MisD since I already run FoW but it is a bit stronger than Divert. Echoing Truth comes in as additional bounce to answer permanents like Leyline and Solitary Confinement, as well as answers to EtW tokens. Massacre answers Meddling Mage as well as aggro hordes if necessary. Pithing Needle answers Crypt and Maze of Ith. Boseiju can come in as additional mana sources against decks like Goblins if necessary but it is there mainly as additional protection against blue based disruption.

I was also considering trying to fit the Counterbalance/Top combo in the deck since it's molded so similarly to the Hulk Flash variants (cantrip, tutors, low mana dependance, large amount of room for disruption).

Thoughts?

[Benie Bederios]

Hello,

I've been playing and tweaking this deck for a couple of weeks now (since a Legend posted it here) and ended first twice in small tournaments now.

First of all I like the Daze, I'm really going to test that.

The landcount seems very low. You still need to be able to pay for the Buried Alive. I play 15 lands, but if it works for you, keep it that way.

You only got 4 outs if you draw Suthered Ghoul. Be my guest if you want to use your tutors for finding Brainstorm. Also if you draw Cloudscraper you are slown down. Sure you can cast it and let it die, but not all decks care about a 2/2 morph creature and if it sees StP you can scoop. I even found the 5 creatures ( 2 Ghouls and 3 Cloudscrapers) to low and one of the powerfull points of Legends list is that it plays 6 creatures. It's also nice if they Extiripate your Ghoul you can still use Grave on Cloudscraper and Reanimate on Polar Kraken/Denizen from the Deep.

Chalice of the Void really owns you. More than 20 cards are stopped by it. You can't dig for additional mana, you can't even bounce it.

For changes I should change Chain of Vapor for Echoing Truth. That card had helped me a dozen times by bouncing 12 Goblin tokens as well as getting rid of multiple mages.
I should also add at least one crearture or play Cabal Therapy over Daze. That way you can discard creatures from your own hand. Therapy isn't a nice option, but it gets the job done.

Well that's about it. Hope I helped.

BB