[Deck] Reanimator

[jcuvelier]

Actually here I'll just post it, this is what I'm currently testing. Slightly different from what I played in Virginia, and a bit different from Boston.

3 Polluted Delta
2 Bloodstained Mire
2 Underground Sea
1 Badlands
2 Volcanic Island
4 Seat of the Synod
4 Vault of Whispers

3 Chrome Mox
4 Careful Study
4 Reanimate
4 Brainstorm
4 Entomb
4 Goblin Welder
3 Hapless Researcher
4 Exhume
1 Deep Analysis
4 Force of Will
1 Steel Hellkite
1 Myr Battlesphere
1 Platinum Emperion
1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind
1 Sundering Titan
1 Inkwell Leviathan
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria


2 Thoughtseize
3 Spell Pierce
1 Tormod's Crypt
2 Show and Tell
2 Pithing Needle
1 Nihil Spellbomb
1 Mindslaver
1 Mindbreak Trap
2 Engineered Explosives


At the Virginia Open this is how my day went:

R1 Goblins - Win
R2 Welder Mirror - Win
R3 Lands - Win
R4 Survival - Win
R5 Survival - Loss
R6 Survival - Win
R7 Ant - Unintentional Draw
R8 Countertop - Loss

I had the ant player dead in 2 more turns, and the countertop ripped a Peacekeeper with lethal on board game 2, and I mulled to oblivion game 3 before flooding out as well.

[jcuvelier]

I feel that the blue decks have a much harder time beating reanimator with welder, as appose to versions without it.

[JonBarber]

I feel that the blue decks have a much harder time beating reanimator with welder, as appose to versions without it.

Why chrome mox over petal? And when do you want the mindslaver in the board?

[jcuvelier]

Mox lets you keep those awkward 1 landers, and sometimes even no landers. also you dont always need to imprint it obv, and just use it at welder fodder. Slaver I use against the combo/control decks. (ant, countertop, show n tell)

[kicks_422]

Your blue count for Force of Will seems alarmingly low, isn't it?

[jcuvelier]

No I think the Blue count is just right. It is very rare that I've had a FOW dead in my hand unless I've already played at least 1. In my experience you normally want a minimum of 16 blue cards to consider playing FOW. I think the deck is just much more powerful with FOW, as oppose to playing thoughtseize over it. However, I am in the process of reconfiguring the deck with a build that does not play FOW just to solidify my choice of playing FOW rather than not. I just 4-0'ed a legacy daily on MODO, so my list will be on there as well. Username: Gosu.

[Sturtzilla]

Greetings,

@jcuvelier(or anyone else who plays this variant): I am skeptical of the Goblin Welder variant of this deck. It just seems like even with counter magic to keep him alive, he will get heavily targeted by your opponents. I do like the concept though. What is the game plan to keep him alive? Simply counter removal that gets pointed at him? It might be a play style thing, but I just don't like that idea.

I have worked out my own normal U/B Reanimator build and would like any feedback on it that I could be given. I have tested it a good bit and for the most part it does really well. I am just looking for comments or thoughts from others playing similar versions.

Creatures: 7
2 Iona, Shield of Emeria
2 Inkwell Leviathan
1 Blazing Archon
1 Empyrial Archangel
1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind

Spells: 35
4 Careful Study
4 Brainstorm
4 Entomb
4 Reanimate
2 Thoughtseize
1 Dark Ritual
4 Exhume
3 Daze
4 Lim-Dul's Vault
1 Show and Tell
4 Force of Will

Lands: 18
4 Polluted Delta
2 Verdent Catacombs
1 Bloodstained Mire
1 Marsh Flats
4 Underground Sea
3 Swamp
3 Island

Sideboard
I play in a few different metas. Therefore my board changes from store to store based on what I have seen played there before.

I just have a few general thoughts or questions for other players who play version similar to what I have posted.
1. I many times feel that the 1 copy Dark Ritual is there for the ability to say I can get anything turn one. I don't usually see it or want it when I draw it. What are thoughts on this issue? Is it worth it to potentially go off turn one or should the slot be made something else to more streamline the overall deck?

2. I am running 2 Iona and 2 Inkwell Leviathan. Could these creature slots be better served? I find that since many decks are based in blue and many have complex mana bases Inkwell get the job done rather well because of the islandwalking. Is 1 Iona enough and/or are 2 too many?

3. How has the Show and Tell/Emrakul combo worked out? I would think that out an Emrakul is basically a win unless they have lethal on board/in hand. Is this the case or are there ways in current decks that get rid of him easily (I can't think of any.)?

4. With increased graveyard hate due to tarmgoyf, reanimator, and the vengevine survival, it seems that more Show and Tell could be the way to go. Thoughts on this?

[fdiv_bug]

I have worked out my own normal U/B Reanimator build and would like any feedback on it that I could be given. I have tested it a good bit and for the most part it does really well. I am just looking for comments or thoughts from others playing similar versions.

I like the list, especially the "classic" feel of it; no Welder shenanigans, just binning some fatties and bringing them back.

1. I many times feel that the 1 copy Dark Ritual is there for the ability to say I can get anything turn one. I don't usually see it or want it when I draw it. What are thoughts on this issue? Is it worth it to potentially go off turn one or should the slot be made something else to more streamline the overall deck?

I agree that a one-of Dark Ritual is probably less than optimal. Dark Ritual is on my list of "4 or 0" type cards, generally speaking. I'd probably consider replacing it with a 4th Daze, since being able to protect the fast combo we've got is important.

2. I am running 2 Iona and 2 Inkwell Leviathan. Could these creature slots be better served? I find that since many decks are based in blue and many have complex mana bases Inkwell get the job done rather well because of the islandwalking. Is 1 Iona enough and/or are 2 too many?

Even though it was a different world with Mystical Tutor, which was the last I played this deck, I always ran 2 Iona and 2 Inky. Sometimes I'd have to bait out removal or grave hate with one of them, and there are times when your opponent will come out of left field with some removal or work-around that you didn't anticipate and you'll have to get another of whatever he just blasted.

4. With increased graveyard hate due to tarmgoyf, reanimator, and the vengevine survival, it seems that more Show and Tell could be the way to go. Thoughts on this?

I had been fooling with the idea of boarding into Worldly Tutor/Show and Tell, since they're almost certainly going to be bringing in graveyard hate against us for games 2 and 3. Never really went anywhere with it, though. Maybe it's time for me to reevaluate and test that.

[whienot]

Jcuvelier, did you ever miss Lightning Greaves? It seems like one of the better cards for this deck. Haste and Shroud is pretty bonkers on Welder and his toys.

[jcuvelier]

There are very few decks in the format that are actively attacking your creatures. Also it is a reanimator deck, not a welder deck. You really don't care if they kill it, but it is very powerful if they leave it on the table. The greaves just wasn't really needed most of the time, it was really more of a "win more" card. But that was just from my experiences with the deck so far.

[Blackmagic]

@jcuvelier: What is you're most recent list looking like?
What are you're expectations for the post survival meta like, are you expecting a lot more merfolk?
what are those match ups like for you, any tech you'd like to share against them? (talking about the merfolk match up and any other you're expecting to see more of)

Some opinions I've read on the welder list are of people wanting to up the count on the creatures which can protect themselves e.g inkwell and sphinx, what has you're experiences been with cards such as the hellkite.

I've been testing a list which runs senseis top with darkblast main, it seems to be working nicely as I find darkblast good against a lot in the format (I'm thinking curse catcher, dark confidant, noble hierarch, goblin lackey etc). The ability to then be able to look at you're top 3 and if there is a fatty in there dredge it into the yard or otherwise if nothing special appears dredge them away and look at the next three. Also being able to tap draw and then weld makes top (and blast) good additions so far, it seems to me at least.

[jcuvelier]

@jcuvelier: What is you're most recent list looking like?
What are you're expectations for the post survival meta like, are you expecting a lot more merfolk?
what are those match ups like for you, any tech you'd like to share against them? (talking about the merfolk match up and any other you're expecting to see more of)

Some opinions I've read on the welder list are of people wanting to up the count on the creatures which can protect themselves e.g inkwell and sphinx, what has you're experiences been with cards such as the hellkite.

I've been testing a list which runs senseis top with darkblast main, it seems to be working nicely as I find darkblast good against a lot in the format (I'm thinking curse catcher, dark confidant, noble hierarch, goblin lackey etc). The ability to then be able to look at you're top 3 and if there is a fatty in there dredge it into the yard or otherwise if nothing special appears dredge them away and look at the next three. Also being able to tap draw and then weld makes top (and blast) good additions so far, it seems to me at least.

I'm expecting the format to go back to mostly everyone playing "safe decks" like merfolk, goblins, counterbalance, zoo, etc. The only deck I have lost to literally is just counterbalance, and one time to survival which is now banned. Goblins, Zoo, and Merfolk are pretty much complete byes. The only tech I have right now for counterbalance is a bayou, and krosan grips in the board.

Although generally speaking, inkwell is probably the best target to get. The thing is, a lot of the time any big guy will do. They are all just situational, and better depending on the matchup. They are all in there for a reason, and I generally find redundancy in having multiples of a creature, and I want different guys for different scenarios. Toolbox is better imo.

In my experience darkblast is unnecessary, but I suppose works fine with what you are saying. Gerry Thompson and I had talked about adding top to the deck. However, it isn't exactly fast, and there isn't a lot of shuffle effects.

[arebennian]

At the Virginia Open this is how my day went:

R1 Goblins - Win
R2 Welder Mirror - Win
R3 Lands - Win
R4 Survival - Win
R5 Survival - Loss
R6 Survival - Win
R7 Ant - Unintentional Draw
R8 Countertop - Loss

I had the ant player dead in 2 more turns, and the countertop ripped a Peacekeeper with lethal on board game 2, and I mulled to oblivion game 3 before flooding out as well.

Have you considered a 1of Darkblast or Volcanic Spray in the side?

[jcuvelier]

Have you considered a 1of Darkblast or Volcanic Spray in the side?

Not really, although I could give it a shot I suppose. Not many decks you really want darkblast against, if at all. But I'll test it next time I get a chance on modo.

Still can't believe Gerry bailed on welder reanimator and built his own version. :/

[JonBarber]

Still can't believe Gerry bailed on welder reanimator and built his own version. :/

He did sorta say he didn't think welder was very good. lol

[jcuvelier]

He did sorta say he didn't think welder was very good. lol

Based on 0 testing btw.

[Mystical_Jackass]

@Jcuvelier

Your list looks pretty awesome, although I've never run the Welder package but it looks really effective giving you that double threat having to worry about dealing with your reanimates or you just welding the creatures right back into play. Sundering Titan just looks like game over with Welder in play. I see you run Myr Battlesphere, which is hilarious, I'd hate to lose to that goofy card, how has that been working for you? Also, have you tried running like 1-2 Intuition in place of the Deep Analysis, its like a functional buried alive/tutor and works well with careful study/hapless researcher as well.

[sigfig8]

Thought about sleeving up Reanimator again, despite the fact that MT is gone. I keep seeing all these tribal decks run rampant, and I feel like Reanimator has good matchups against these decks. And now that Survival is banned, this deck stands to gain even more. What does everyone think? Any chance of taking this back to tier 1(ish)? Or is this deck's success history?

[voltron00x]

I've been testing this 60 and thus far I've liked it, its essentially just putting Preordain in the Mystical slot and adding Cephalid Coliseum to the mana base.


4 Brainstorm
4 Preordain
4 Careful Study
4 Thoughtseize
4 Force of Will
4 Entomb
4 Reanimate
4 Exhume
1 Iona, Shield of Emeria
1 Terastodon
1 Blazing Archon
1 Inkwell Leviathan
1 Platinum Emperion
4 Underground Sea
2 Island
2 Swamp
4 Polluted Delta
2 Verdant Catacombs
2 Misty Rainforest
2 Cephalid Coliseum
1 Sphinx of the Steel Wind
3 Daze
1 Dispel

[JonBarber]

I've been testing this 60 and thus far I've liked it, its essentially just putting Preordain in the Mystical slot and adding Cephalid Coliseum to the mana base.

I feel like ponder is a lot better than preordain because typically your digging for a specific card, not looking for general card quality.