[Deck] Dredgevine

[LeaPlath]

So. I've been looking at options for my standard zombie deck and with modern being an FNM format soon, I've decided to build myself a modern deck.


As a start, I've decided to use Raphael Levy's Grand Prix deck as a shell and this is it.

For people who don't know Dredgevine, it works like this. Use cards like Lothleth troll to discard Dredge creatures. Use draw and discard spells to chain dredge and fill up your graveyard. Play any 2 creatures (usually Gravecrawler) to bring back Vengevine and swing for lots of damage.

Post sideboard, you can bring in graveyard hate in the form of Rakdos charm that also doubles as some burn or Artifact removal in a pinch, artifact hate from Ancient Grudge, hate from Abrupt Decay, protection and removal with Big Game Hunter and Vengeful Pharoh.

The list:

Creatures (26)
3 Dregscape Zombie
3 Golgari Thug
4 Gravecrawler
4 Lotleth Troll
4 Slitherhead
4 Stinkweed Imp
4 Vengevine
Lands (22)
1 Forest
1 Swamp
4 Blackcleave Cliffs
1 Blood Crypt
2 Copperline Gorge
1 Dakmor Salvage
1 Gemstone Mine
4 Marsh Flats
2 Overgrown Tomb
4 Verdant Catacombs
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Spells (12)
4 Darkblast
3 Burning Inquiry
4 Faithless Looting
1 Goblin Lore
Sideboard
2 Big Game Hunter
2 Vengeful Pharaoh
3 Abrupt Decay
4 Ancient Grudge
4 Rakdos Charm

I am looking to change this up a bit. For example, I could include Conflagrate which gives me some reach and a semi boardwipe for RR, as well as letting me discard my hand. I'm also thinking of adding in Lingering Souls for their blocking or swinging power when flashbacked (cause I'm not hard casting them)

[Davran]

How does this deck fare vs. Deathrite Shaman?

[joemauer]

This is what I have been working on: http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/s...947#post683947

I think going all in with a graveyard strategy is wrong since gravehate is so plentiful in the format. Abrupt Decay needs to be maxed out at four to deal with Shamans.

My deck still has some kinks. It has trouble against decks that can play more creatures quicker than me like affinity and zoo-esque decks, but I feel it is the direction that should be taken with Troll and company.

[LeaPlath]

This is what I have been working on: http://www.mtgthesource.com/forums/s...947#post683947

I think going all in with a graveyard strategy is wrong since gravehate is so plentiful in the format. Abrupt Decay needs to be maxed out at four to deal with Shamans.

My deck still has some kinks. It has trouble against decks that can play more creatures quicker than me like affinity and zoo-esque decks, but I feel it is the direction that should be taken with Troll and company.

In testing, Deathrite Shaman hasn't proved to be a massive problem. Main deck, I have the double Darkblast so I can go Upkeep, Darkblast their shaman, Dredge back Darkblast and hit them again. And then even if they get rid of my graveyard all togther, I can quickly dredge myself back to a good graveyard state. Heck. Even blanket graveyard hate isn't a GG, thought it has led me to consider running Golgari Charm to Rakdos charm as a 2/2 split. In that case, the game plan changes. The dredge creatures become beaters and I go all out aggro.

[Koby]

I've had success with Fauna Shaman + 0/1 clone variant from ROE in the Dredgevine shell. It also ran Hedron Crab, which provides the LULz when you deck them from multiples + fetchands.

[Gocho]

Darkblast doesn't kill shaman. It's 1/2

[LeaPlath]

Darkblast doesn't kill shaman. It's 1/2

You have to Darkblast twice. In your Upkeep you Darkblast their shaman, in your draw step you dredge to return Darkblast to hand, and then Darkblast it again.

[joemauer]

You have to Darkblast twice. In your Upkeep you Darkblast their shaman, in your draw step you dredge to return Darkblast to hand, and then Darkblast it again.

In this situation, you may run into Shaman removing your Darkblast before your draw phase.

[raindrainxi]

In this situation, you may run into Shaman removing your Darkblast before your draw phase.

That is a risk you have to take, I guess. :)

What do you guys think about this list? I tried it online and it had added explosiveness thanks to the Bushwacker, and it has relevant removal thanks to Lightning Axe and has a lot of reach.

[joemauer]

That is a risk you have to take, I guess. :)

What do you guys think about this list? I tried it online and it had added explosiveness thanks to the Bushwacker, and it has relevant removal thanks to Lightning Axe and has a lot of reach.

That is an interesting list. I don't think I could make an serious comments about it without testing.

I am curious about crime/punishment. Where do you find yourself siding it? Has it been helpful much?

[semioldguy]

My deck has been almost a copy of Levy's list, with only a couple small changes, that I have been occasionally playing since he first wrote about it (I don't get out to tournaments often). I took it to GP San Diego this weekend to a 10-4-1 record (top 64). The deck is a blast to play and, as Dredge decks seem to do, can be very explosive (I've had some turn three wins) but also has play in longer games with all the extra value and decisions you get to make allowing you to control the board against decks with "better" cards than you. Burning Inquiry is also super fun to play with as you get to randomly hose your opponent's hand; it's usually best to play it around turn three as they have already played their lands and only have a few cards left in their hand, which are usually good cards, increasing the chance you screw them over, or play it before they get a turn, as it messes with the opening hand they decided to keep. I've cast it turn one on the play, and gotten rid of all my opponent's lands.

Also, of the modern builds of dredge I've seen and played with, this is the most resilient to hate after game one as most of your creatures are aggressively costed and good enough to just play anyway. Things like Hedron Crab don't attack very well and things like Glimpse the Unthinkable aren't so hot when your graveyard is getting turned off.

My only changes to the list in the OP are:
Main:
+1 Blood Crypt
-1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
+1 Gnaw to the Bone
-1 Dregscape Zombie
+1 Burning Inquiry
-1 Goblin Lore

Sideboard:
+1 Gnaw to the Bone
-1 Vengeful Pharoh
+1 Thoughsieze
-1 Rakdos Charm

I've tried a few different builds in the main, but always come back to something very similar to Levy's initial list. In my opinion the Rakdos Charms are the weakest part of the board, they could probably go, and the Mainboard Gnaw could be moved to the side in favor of something else in the board such as a Big Game Hunter or Vengeful Pharoh.

[Kayradis]

I played something around those guideline at a recent PTQ.

My list was different than the one Levy was running.

21 LANDS
4 Overgrown Tomb
4 Verdant Catacombs
3 Blackcleave Cliffs
2 Raging Ravine
2 Treetop Village
2 Marsh Flats
1 Swamp
2 Blood Crypt
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth

23 CREATURES
4 Bloodghast
4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Gravecrawler
3 Demigod of Revenge
4 Vengevine
4 Lotleth Troll
1 Fulminator Mage

15 INSTANTS and SORCERIES
4 Lightning Bolt
4 Faithless Looting
3 Grisly Salvage
2 Abrupt Decay
2 Darkblast

SIDEBOARD
2 Golgari Charm
2 Ancient Grudge
1 Terminate
2 Jund Charm
2 Spellskite
3 Fulminator Mage
3 Thoughtseize


What would I change?
More dredgers. Cut the fulminator mages and the Demigod of Revenge. Thugs and Stinkweed Imps will probably take those slots.

Overall the list is quite fun to play. Sometime it requires a line of play that differ from what is referred to as the "standard".

[DragoFireheart]

The existence of Snapcaster Mage, Deathrite Shaman, and Surgical Extraction makes me not want to play this deck. Ever.

[Kayradis]

The existence of Snapcaster Mage and Surgical Extraction makes me not want to play this deck. Ever.

Originally I was scared as well about playing this list. I'd say my worst matchup is R/G agro and U/W/R midrange.

G2 you expect RiP and other GY hate shenanigans and you play around them.
Ended up 4-3 at the PTQ, not enough for Top 8...

Im working on an updated list tho!

[DragoFireheart]

Originally I was scared as well about playing this list. I'd say my worst matchup is R/G agro and U/W/R midrange.

G2 you expect RiP and other GY hate shenanigans and you play around them.
Ended up 4-3 at the PTQ, not enough for Top 8...

Im working on an updated list tho!

Oh right, Rest in Peace is another lovely anti-graveyard card. Honestly, it seems like playing graveyard-based decks in Modern is a losing strategy.

[Kayradis]

I still believe that the deck is viable. The deck as a couple of good finish around the globe. Still, I wouldn't head into an unknown meta with this one!

[DragoFireheart]

I still believe that the deck is viable. The deck as a couple of good finish around the globe. Still, I wouldn't head into an unknown meta with this one!

I wouldn't head into any meta with it. WotC got anti-yard happy and it really crippled graveyard decks magic wide.

[r3dd09]

Played against this deck over the weekend with my death and taxes deck. only played presideboard games and he won most of them.

[Kayradis]

Like I said before, the core of the list is pretty solid. Now, I'm tweaking the list.

Probably gonna end up being -3 Demigod of Revenge / +1 Stinkweed Imp +2 Golgari Thug.
The list needs more enable in regards to dredgers.

There's a modern GPT in the near future around my area(next weekend I think....)

Ill keep you posted!

[Mrheizenberg]

Like I said before, the core of the list is pretty solid. Now, I'm tweaking the list.

Probably gonna end up being -3 Demigod of Revenge / +1 Stinkweed Imp +2 Golgari Thug.
The list needs more enable in regards to dredgers.

There's a modern GPT in the near future around my area(next weekend I think....)

Ill keep you posted!

Hey guys,

I'm a legacy dredge player and was disgusted by modern when they banned all the card (dread return, golgari grave troll...).
I was trying to play this deck in legacy environment but i don't think it is competitive so i tried to make it through modern.
I can't imagine it competitive if your strategy is only based on graveyard recursion and dredging. Golgari thug is quite bad (dredge 4 and a poor body).
I'm trying this list using all resources as possible and i'll try to explain my choices :

1 Ghost Quarter
2 Dryad Arbor
2 Forest
3 Swamp
4 Misty Rainforest
4 Overgrown Tomb
4 Verdant Catacombs

4 Deathrite Shaman
4 Gravecrawler
4 Lotleth Troll
4 Tombstalker
4 Vengevine

2 Liliana of the Veil

2 Abrupt Decay
2 Darkblast
2 Go for the Throat
4 Grisly Salvage
1 Life from the Loam
1 Maelstrom Pulse
2 Mulch
4 Thoughtseize

SB: 1 Krosan Grip
SB: 2 Naturalize
SB: 2 Inquisition of Kozilek
SB: 2 Surgical Extraction
SB: 2 Extirpate
SB: 1 Life from the Loam
SB: 1 Maelstrom Pulse
SB: 2 Ghost Quarter
SB: 2 Abrupt Decay

The mana base is quite simple, nothing fancy at first sight but :

2 dryad arbor for active recursion with lotleth troll and life from the loam (3 was too much and tend to pollute your hand if lotleth is not present) and quite a wall against non trample beast (thragtusk for example). We can easily hit one with 8 fetchs. Ghost quarter is quite good to destroy greedy manabase and very effective against deck like tron which is fetching his land (tron part or eye). If the game keeps durdling, you can actually exhaust his manabase and finally make it sound like a strip mine.

The aggro pack :

Vengevine + Troll + Gravecrawler package.
Deathrite shamane , the well known planewalker : mana support, life gain and reach => what else?
Tombstalker : a 5/5 fly body for 2 mana most of the time. He doesn't fear decay and bolt, pretty tough guy ! He is well supported by 3 dredge cards and 6 digging spells (mulch for early mana fixing and the overpowered salvage for all). He can delve all the card lying in the GY (decay / mulch / Salvage / thoughtseize / Liliana and non recurring creatures )

The power engine :

Salvage + mulch + life from the loam + darkblast
Life can be used for denial purpose and for troll improvement or just for mana fixing.

Some spot removal :
2+2 Decay because it's important to board 4 copies in 75 cards (can really be effective against RIP and hate in general)
2 darkblast : recursive removal (awesome against deck using mana cheat like pilgrim/arbor elf/bird) and can easily slow down aggro decks.
2 liliana : very flexible card : discard + removal => what else?
1+1 Pulse : versatility has a cost, very slow but the job is done.

and a slight of disruption : 4 thoughtseize (can hit all cards, preferred to IoK in MD coz high CC cards)

SB is still in progress (i'm not a modern expert) but got 4 graveyard hate (reanimator/eggs decks), 3 anti artifact (Pod/Tron), some spot removal (aggro deck) and some denial ability (Tron/valakut with 2 more quarter and another life)

You can add some aggro with :
-life from the loam
-mulch
-pulse
and add 4 tarmogoyf for the beat down.

My 2 cents