Home Strategy Magic 2014 Unfinished Business deck guide: Exile? Mercy, say “death”!

Ah, reanimator. Laugher in the faces of removal spammers, breaker of mechanics, and generator of all-round silly things since Magic begun. It’s a bit disappointing to see yourself forced to choose between consistency and winning spectacularly, but at least Unfinished Business isn’t Rogues’ Gallery. No need to expect too much of it when it does its job rather well. What job? Push the fucking Izzet deck out of the meta, of course!

Perhaps that’s the philosophy for the entire deck. Don’t try for some turn 3 KO combos that will work approximately 5% of the time. Instead, keep calm and laugh at Dodge and Burn.

Dying is just so yesterday

Let’s get something out of the way; I don’t think too highly of relying entirely on Exhume, so I don’t run that type of strategy. My build plays mostly midrange, using reanimation to *gasp* re- instead of initially animate its creatures. Believe me, the last thing you want to see after using three cards to burn a “Kill me now or lose” is for that exact creature to come back. Those things have a casting cost for a reason, you know.

Thus it’s a game of stall out, play guys of increasingly ridiculous size, trade them generously, then give them another three lives. Isn’t black magic wonderful at times? And I suppose you can just skip paying for them altogether if you feel like it.

As mentioned, this deck is actually rather flexible. It can, besides this build, also be played as a highly aggressive all-out variant, or as a mono-black control deck. I’ve added the best decklist I could figure out for mono-black, ’cause I love you. However, it’s not advised as giving up blue forces too many good spells out of the deck. As for aggressive reanimation… well, I have a word for decks that rely on drawing three to four specific cards by turn two and can’t win otherwise. (It’s “bad”.)

Unfinished Business deck list (by mana cost)

60 cards, Terramorphic Expanse, 10 Island, 11 Swamp

2 CMC

  • 1 Oona’s Prowler
  • 4 Accumulated Knowledge
  • 3 Doom Blade
  • 2 Distress

3 CMC

  • 4 Hidden Horror
  • 2 Undermine
  • 1 Consult the Necrosages

4 CMC

  • 2 Sift

5 CMC

  • 1 Ghastlord of Fugue
  • 2 Body Double
  • 1 River Kelpie
  • 1 Beacon of Unrest
  • 2 Living Death
  • 4 Rise from the Grave

6+ CMC

  • 1 Wrexial, the Risen Deep
  • 1 Sphinx of Magosi
  • 1 Rune-Scarred Demon
  • 1 Tidal Kraken
  • 1 Scion of Darkness
  • 1 Demon of Death’s Gate

Mono-black control deck list (by mana cost)

60 cards,  24 Swamp

1 CMC

  • 3 Putrid Imp

2 CMC

  • 3 Distress
  • 3 Exhume
  • 3 Doom Blade

3 CMC

  • 1 Cunning Lethemancer
  • 4 Hidden Horror
  • 3 Doomed Necromancer
  • 1 Victimise

4 CMC

  • 1 Diabolic Tutor

5 CMC

  • 1 Ghastlord of Fugue
  • 1 Beacon of Unrest
  • 2 Rise from the Grave
  • 2 Living Death

6+ CMC

  • 1 Wrexial, the Risen Deep (see discussion below)
  • 2 Extractor Demon
  • 2 Decree of Pain
  • 1 Rune-Scarred Demon
  • 1 Scion of Darkness
  • 1 Demon of Death’s Gate

Unfinished Business card-by-card analysis

Putrid Imp: 3.0

It’s a one mana discard outlet. Yay. It might ping your opponent for two or three damage. Yaaay. It gives you nothing for the discard and can’t chump block when you really need it to. No.

Reanimate: 2.0

Oh, can I not already see the comments questioning my gender and demanding that I acknowledge Reanimate as the best card ever made. Just one word: “Ow.” Don’t know about you, but nine out of ten players agree that a reanimation spell can cost one mana (yet get cast turn 2 the earliest regardless) all it wants if it’s only going to result in an Unsummon after she punches herself in the face for nine life. Anything worth resurrecting will hurt so much that it’ll be too risky (or straight up deadly) to play this after the second turn.

Oona’s Prowler: 4.0

Unlike Putrid Imp, does something. A whole lot, actually. Three power is a large amount, so large that it can’t be safely ignored. Certainly they can discard to power it down, but if they do that, you’ve likely already won. Also allows you to discard yourself if you need to. However, don’t play this and Exhume in the same build, ever. Even if you can safely get rid of this before casting Exhume, any decent opponent will dump her bomb into his graveyard, knowing that the Exhume will come eventually. Which it obviously won’t, so no matter how well your opponent knows your deck, it’ll be an insane deal.

Exhume: 3.5

Can give you your best incredibly cheap, but can do the same for your opponent. If you can stand waiting a few turns (you can) it’s better to use more reliable reanimation that also allows you to yoink your opponent’s creatures instead of being a dead draw. The point is, if you’re running Exhume, you’re looking to cast it as soon as possible, which makes the deck far more fragile than I’m willing to accept.

See Beyond: 1.5

So… you get to dig into the top two cards, which is nice, but you lose two cards in the process, one of which goes into your library rather than anywhere it could be useful. Why should this be good in this deck again? Can’t we just have Read the Bones, please?

Accumulated Knowledge: 4.0

It’s a wheel that runs itself. Each cast will increase the odds of drawing another, which will then give you increasingly more buck-bang. In the end, if you’ve cast all of them (which I’ve seen more often than you’d think) you will have used four cards and four easy payments of two mana at instant speed to draw ten. Hell, I’m fairly certain people would play it if it was just one big card that required triple discard to cast. Either way, go with four or none; anything in between is a waste of synergy. Besides, you don’t exactly have many other useful things to do turn 2.

Doom Blade: 3.5

Removal. Plus, the creatures this can’t hit are played by decks that you should stomp anyway, so no loss there if you draw it against a black deck.

Distress: 3.0

Two black mana can be a bit hard to hit turn 2, but since you aren’t using Exhume, cast away. Requires some experience with the enemy deck and evaluation of the current board state to pick the option that will screw up your opponent the most, but often kills their strategy, dead. That is, until you reanimate it, of course.

Dimir Cutpurse: 2.0

What are you doing this far from home, little agent? Have you lost the homeward path? Let yourself be guided to where you belong.

Dimir Doppelgänger: 2.5

The original spelling of this card is wrong. WRONG! Ahem. Quite cheap if you want to reanimate stuff, but it also exiles that stuff out of the graveyard, so it’s quite likely that you’ll end up with a Doppelgänger killed in response being the only creature in your graveyard. The ‘yard eating can be used offensively simply to clear your opponent’s before a Living Death or the sort, but it’s nevertheless fragile and narrow. If this survives, your opponent was already beat.

Hidden Horror: 4.0

Don’t see it as a way to give yourself card disadvantage. See it as a 4/4 that allows you to turn one of your guys into a Dark Ritual for later reanimation. Essay homework, list the creatures in DotP14 that are going to swing in past this before you can revive its discarded card. Yes, topdecking it lategame with no fodder sucks, but it’s still a 4/4 blocker (and offender) for three mana with a free discard outlet stapled on top.

Undermine: 4.5

Countermagic. Auto-include. It’s also conditionless and packs a significant punch for the injury part. While three of twenty points might not seem like much, it will be significant more often than not, especially when it cuts down your opponent’s clock an entire turn when there’s a 6/6 flier swinging at them.

Cunning Lethemancer: 2.5

If this lives to trigger even once, your opponent doesn’t WANT it to die. There are far better outlets to discard out there, especially since you don’t have to empty your hand with those. Not every card in your hand can be lost without consequences.

Doomed Necromancer: 3.0

Again, its best quality will be to eat removal so that your bombs don’t have to. No one in their right minds will allow this to tap.

Windfall: 3.0

“Because fuck you, Izzet.”
Beyond the scenario of getting seven fresh cards, many, many decks will empty their hands before you do. It’s nice to make them pitch a hand they probably liked (after all, they chose not to mulligan it), but drawing 2-3 extra cards probably makes up for it when you’re also tossing all of your reanimation engines.

Consult the Necrosages: 3.0

Knock the final bits out of an opponent’s hand or refill your own, whichever is needed. Lovely spell good in about every situation.

Victimise: 2.5

I never find it as satisfying as I’d imagined. I just rarely find myself with two reanimation targets, this, three mana, and a disposable creature all at the same time. Strong, but very easy to be a dead card.

Sift: 3.0

If you’re going to toss something out of the deck, you can probably start here. Sift isn’t bad, mind you; It essentially lets you dig way into your library while providing a free discard outlet for the bomb you drew. Whenever I cast it though, it lacks impact and feels easily replaceable, unlike a lot of this deck’s cards. Perhaps it didn’t need to be four mana.

Diabolic Tutor: 3.0

Anything you want it to be, provived that you want to spend a turn getting it. Also stapled onto Rune-Scarred Demon.

Fool’s Demise: 3.0

“This guy is mine as soon as he dies.”
Funny as it is to say, as is it rather impractical. Yes, it can steal and revive plenty of creatures indefinitely. Provided that it lives long enough to be enchanted and die afterwards. Why bother with bringing your guy to life if you can simply drag out his corpse for less mana?

Ghastlord of Fugue: 3.5

Distress on a stick, with no worries about Living Death. That being said, though he can’t be blocked, he will die rather easily. Still, if he doesn’t die upon entering (and/or you have some reanimation ready) he’s an inevitable five turn clock for your opponent that all but ensures its own survival.

Body Double: 3.5

Wondering if your opponent has removal for your bomb? Toss this out there and find out for yourself. The great thing is, not even exile will really harm you since it’s just a copy, leaving the original in your (or another) graveyard until you need it. For evilness, put two copies of a creature which is rightfully a singleton onto the board. Watch the legendary rule though, it still applies for doubles on your side.

River Kelpie: 4.5

All of your reanimation now cantrips. Your opponent trying to kill it even though it’s just a 3/3 will cantrip. Each Undying zombie will cantrip. I would’ve liked to see some more Flashback or Unearth in the deck to make use of this better (Think Twice?) but it’s rather insane as is. You’ll draw an absurd amount of cards even without your opponent contributing. Then, when they finally killed it for good, what do you do? Play Living Death, of course! Bear in mind, this will trigger off of Living Death if it was revived by it, but not if it was killed by it, even if it returns due to Persist.

Beacon of Unrest: 3.5

Since about every single artifact in this game save one gargles bearded gonads, the artifact clause is near irrelevant, as is the reshuffling. Certainly you CAN redraw it, but the question is whether you are realistically going to. Far from impossible, but far from reliable. So it’s practically a strictly worse Rise from the Grave due to double black cost. Still, it’s reanimation, gifted horse and mouth.

Living Death: 4.5

It was referenced in Time Spiral for being far too much effect for a five mana surprise. That about says everything. Obviously, if you know that you will play it, don’t be too careful with your own creatures while leaving your opponent’s alive. Of course, even just reviving your Hidden Horror fodder while killing two of your opponent’s guys would already be amazing value, but you can always go up further.

Rise from the Grave: 4.0

You jelly, Doom Blade? Don’t forget about its last sentence, painting the creature a black zombie while reanimating it. Sounds like a little gimmick, but actually makes it immune to a large amount of removal it may face if it wasn’t already. And it can steal your opponent’s creatures while doing the same.

Wrexial, the Risen Deep: 5.0

Really beefy, so you can count on not getting attacked after you reanimate him/her/it. Once she starts swinging, a full 45% of decks will be straight up unable to block her and even fewer will want to. Five damage a turn drops players faster than you’d expect, especially coupled with stealing spells. In fact, it is so good that there’s no reason why you shouldn’t run him even if your only hope of getting her onto the field is reanimation.
“Is that an Opportunity in your graveyard? Don’t mind if I do!”

Sphinx of Magosi: 4.0

Divination on a stick. A very, very deadly stick, that is. If the game doesn’t end at her feet, you’ll have the cards to keep going.

Rune-Scarred Demon: 4.5

Oh, Wizards, just why couldn’t we have the deck search display multiples of the same cards, say a basic land, as one? Regardless, this little beauty will fetch you what you need to take. I suppose it combos with Beacon of Unrest to give you literally infinite revival, so at least that also has a use. Getting your best card for free with a 6/6 flier is easily worth the price… if anybody ever paid that, anyway.

Tidal Kraken: 4.0

It has been released. Unambiguously voted least looking like a Kraken, but incredibly useful. Practically, your opponent will have a few turns to deal with this guy, or lose. The only catch is that few cards will be able to deal with it in the first place, especially when it has been turned black and you have some more reanimation to keep it up. Practically, if you see this and it’s not under your control, there’s a good chance you’re boned.

Scion of Darkness: 4.0

Discards itself while helping you get the tools to get it back. Then, when it’s on the field, grabs your opponent’s creatures out of her graveyard for whatever you may play to do with them. It’s also a 6/6 Trample, back it up with a Doom Blade to kill the blocker that provided just enough damage and go to town. You can even get back what you just killed as long as it was dead before the combat damage step.

Demon of Death’s Gate: 4.0

Big. Really fucking big. You’ll never meet its alternate casting cost, but reanimation says that you don’t have to either. As soon as it comes out and isn’t immediately exiled or bounced, someone is going to die very rapidly. It likely won’t be you.

Keiga, the Tide Star: 3.5

If you feel like you need additional big guys, this is probably a good place to start. However, at 5/5 it feels a little small to be worth the effort. Without sacrifice effects, you’re reliant on your opponent to kill it, meaning that its effect will rarely have any real impact on the board.

Cerulean Sphinx: 2.5

Some creatures are just hard to argue whether or not you want them. This is not one of them; It’s just terrible and it should feel bad for everything it’s ever done.

Extractor Demon: 3.0

Another fatty that you can consider. If its effect ever triggers, you should always target yourself, save for extreme cases. (Facing Eldrazi with an Artisan being revealed on top, for instance.) However, he never seems to do that much. Surely he can mill you some juicy reanimation targets into your graveyard, but you’ll often have to tear through at least six cards (including Beacon and a Rise) to get them. Another example of a nice card spoiled by no support other than itself. Where’s the Flashback, where’s the Unearth? You can Unearth it for just three to get a 5/5 flier for a turn plus some mill, but that’s about it. Some might say that’s enough, some might say that I’m too hard to please, but Unearthing him won’t leave anything for reanimation, so is it really worth it?

Gather Specimens: 2.5

Can be used as a before-the-fact Mind Control, assuming that you often keep three blue mana plus three open and wait for your opponent to play her stuff rather than casting your own.

Silent-Blade Oni: 2.5

The only way that this will ever hit is through Ninjutsu, and you unfortunately won’t have a lot of reliable yet expendable attackers. Even if you score a hit, what will you do when you see only an Armageddon as viable target other than simply decline and wait for your opponent to cast it herself?

Goliath Sphinx: 2.0

Big, not big enough without any effects.

Tidespout Tyrant: 3.0

Could arguably be fit in, so if you want to use it, feel free. (And don’t flood the comment section with it.) However, this deck isn’t really the one to cast that many spells to make it worth it on such a rather squishy body. Hilarious in multiples, though.

Decree of Pain: 2.0 (3.5 for control)

Kills stuff, draws cards, and can be cast at instant speed as a mini version of itself. Unfortunately, you’ll rarely want to cast this even if you do get the mana for it.

38 replies to this post
  1. Really glad to see a new guide form you guys after so long! The format and breakdown of each card is incredibly helpful for narrowing down and filtering through so much filler. My only question is if you guys do plan to still do the Demon deck before/after the Bounce and Boon?

    • Well, there kind of haven’t been any decks, so how would you write more guides…
      For Demons, you’ll have to ask Wing. I personally wouldn’t bet on it, seeing as Demons is another deck of the Angels type where you can simply mash random cards and still win because removal spam.

  2. I generally agree with your deck list. Mines pretty similar on the top but at the bottom im running it a little different with some of the imps to help pump the grave. I also run one reanimate for a little RNG. Had a game earlier where I dropped an imp on turn one and discarded Demon of Death’s Gate then turn two played the reanimate. It was such a lucky draw but with a deck built around reanimation I couldn’t help but play a single reanimation.

    • Honestly, if you’re going for Reanimate, you might as well use Exhume. You won’t get around waiting until turn 2 for your reanimation and you’ll rarely use Reanimate in the later game, so its lower cost doesn’t really matter when its downside is losing NINE LIFE.

      But hey, it’s a very fragile deck either way, so why not run one name-true Reanimate spell just for the lols? It spanks Izzet, but as soon as people figure out that it has weaknesses, it’ll be back to the Angels meta.

  3. I disagree with too much of your analysis to even know where to start.

    Why would suggest that this be built as a control deck? The deck has very few ways interact early so you give the slower decks the time they need to set up and the faster decks the time they need to kill you. You’re better off going for the quick reanimation. Which completely changes the evaluation of nearly every card in your analysis.

    • Hehe yup, same.
      I just tried my alternate build fairly similar to Toraka’s in 1v1 and it kinda sucked cause what you said happened although it is pretty decent for a 2HG.

      So I’ll just stick by my reanimation build, it has worked for me so far. If you wonna see/use it I’ll post it below.

    • Did you observe me moving horizontally in a wheel-aided fashion?

      I’d disagree on the early interaction. Play a Hidden Horror, push your target into the grave with some actual value gained, and that will have been it for at least another few turns. Your opponent might get some damage through, but it will end with the 4/4.

      Besides, I like control. I also explicitly mentioned that this deck can go pretty much any range between control and Goblins level aggro. Certainly, you can go aggro; I dislike that style because I find it inconsistent and far too fragile. (After all, you need about the equivalent of four specific, though playset, cards for it to work. Too many for me.)
      If quick reanimate is your style, then that shall be what you play, and it indeed changes a lot of ratings. All coo’. I’m also working on getting a decent build for pants-on-head aggro, which should come your way relatively shortly. Relatively because it’s past midnight here because I only just returned from the weekly FNM Draft. (In case you’re interested, I won that and got Xenagos, amongst other things.)

      • Congratulations on you’re FNM win.

        Control is one of my favorite archetypes as well. I play esper in standard and have for the past several rotations, I play UWR in modern, and I play miracles in legacy. One thing I’ve noticed of control in all these formats is as little of the deck as possible is dedicated to actually winning the game usually just a few cards. This deck can’t be built that way so the density of the early interaction in your deck suffers for a control deck.

        I don’t want you to think I believe every deck needs to be built to win as fast as possible because I don’t. However every deck should be built to best use its strengths and your control list just doesn’t do it.

      • Let’s be clear, I don’t disagree with your points. You could arguably fit some Exhume and/or Reanimates in there. The only problem that I have with the type is that it takes up so much deck space to set up your combo that you have no fallbacks in case stuff goes wrong. And let’s be honest, in an environment where you can count on the first big thing you put out being burnt (part of why I don’t run the Silent-Blade), going for a strategy that prays on your opponent lacking removal even in the 30% of times that you did draw your entire combo is not generally a good idea.

  4. While I disagree with some of the card analyses (generally I would rank many of them higher) I feel like this is a good basis for anyone to start from. I also like emphasizing that you can’t play this in a totally gimmicky way with any consistency.

    • *Gasp* Tempting the user to make their own thoughts and change the deck as they see fit? No wai!

      Also, another repeat of the same disclaimer: Ratings here are based on MY OWN opinion of the cards and how I find them to play in the environment of this very build. Also, I’m a bitch to please, deal with it.
      Certainly the Silent-Blade Oni is better than 1.5, for instance. I mean, just that it’s a DEMON. FUCKING. NINJA deserves a higher rating. Is it that great being reanimated (or ninjutsu’d) turn 5 and onwards as this build will do, in an environment where you’re either Izzet or a free kill? Not really.

    • Assuming that you CAN make him hit, any instant or sorcery that he hasn’t eaten at that point will be things where your opponent doesn’t care if you cast them. (Case in point global effects.)

      We’re not talking about the strategy of going for either a 10% likely turn 2 win or a certain loss here, he isn’t going to come out much earlier than his Ninjutsu. If your opponent has anything valuable and/or ways to deal with him, she’s going to use that. Wrexial, on the other hand…

  5. I would just like to say that I agree with toraka, I really don’t like this early reanimation play, I don’t like having no hand after turn 2. I tried a almost similar build to yours and really am 50 50 with it, I also really don’t like the horrors.

  6. Mercenary nights would have been a better choice than hidden horrors for this deck. They do what they do pretty well, though.

    • But you know this is DotP, in most of the decks i’m always thinking that there is a better card from magic paper than one of those present here. But this game tries (i’m just saying tries !) to keep a balance between those decks.

      This is a restricted environment, But in the mean time you got cards like living death in this deck. I guess it’s a choice from Wizards, not every single card for a given niche has to be the best in that niche.

  7. Well i can’t say for sure about Avacyn’s Glory, but i can assure you Dodge & Burn is subpar in contrast to a paper magic counterburn deck. most of the cards in this deck do have a better alternative, except maybe Remand and Electrolyze, which i run both in my very own counterburn deck.

    It is indeed dominant in the restricted meta of DotP 2014, as i said in my comment, i think Wizards only tries to keep a balance, BTW i think like you Toraka that this deck has pushed as a softcounter to D&B, but it wasn’t meant to be a counter to every other deck in the game.

    I’m sorry if i’m not perfectly clear, English isn’t my mother tongue :)

  8. ok so I know have made a build with the early reanimation, the horrors all included all AN and all sift and I only run 5 fatties!!! going to be honest its the best build so far. it seems to have a balance to it which I like and the horrors I now changed my mind,,, I LOVE EM!

  9. Interesting guide, thanks. I agree on paper with most of what you say here (for a change!) Toraka.

    However, you still whining about Angels?
    Seriously, get with the times. Elves, Demons in removal-spam build and D&B all put the hard word on Avacyn. It’s gotten to the point where I don’t even play those decks only on opening games because AG has fallen so far out of favour.

    If you don’t believe me, give me a best of x with my elf deck vs your angel build. I promise I won’t lose :)

    • Cow goes ‘moo’, Izzet goes ‘counter’, Toraka goes ‘fuck Angels’. It’s just a thing. Besides, I see far more Angels than Elves. Maybe because the latter can’t be built and played with an Oculus Rift (by smashing your head against the wall with it on).

      Also, you have more than 1 (+promos) cards unlocked for Angels?

      • Yes lol, and of course AG is still a great deck, but I’m saying it no longer defines the game as it did before the expansion. It now has decks that compete with its win % and consistency, and decks that actually prey on it!

        Further, the only thing thing about Angels as a deck that upset me was it that was so clearly superior to every other deck in the Vanilla release.

        It was among the best designed out of the box, with card selection being nuanced and clever; but unlike the other decently-conceived decks it was given the 3 and 4-ofs to break out those perfect draws and topdecks time after time. Why couldn’t the mono-red or dragons decks get what they needed too?

        Now that we see a few more decks that actually have the tools to function, I’m far less annoyed with the Angel deck – which has the raw power potential of swinging in for 16 damage on turn 3, but also has a lot of trickery and subtlety in the hands of a good player that makes the deck FRIGHTENING. I respect that. A faceroller will only beat me with a 1/10 chance draw when I’ve got trash.

      • Addendum: I really hope T3 hosts another Steam tourney with all the new decks and cards – I believe strongly you will see what I’m saying borne out.

      • This whole matter is part of what I meant to imply with the little story under the faeries decklist article. They brought in Izzet to counter it, but when a deck beats the deck that’s strictly superior to every other one, then obviously everybody has to play Izzet. That when every game is so predictable and boring and each time I leverage them by hinging on the same mistake. (Greed, often. Leave removal mana open before they hit 6 mana, kill the Devils, then enjoy your turn completely free of counters.)

        I’m not at liberty to reveal anything, but I’d expect that we can see something once the dust has settled for the newest decks.

  10. Regarding Kiega the Tide Star, I’ve found a handy trick while trying to unlock this deck has been to use body double, rise from the grave, and the legendary rule to essentially make the original sac itself. This has let me take control of enemy creatures that are already out, and has both come up and worked surprisingly often. Just make sure you sac the original and not the body double. This way, the card stays in the graveyard in case something happens to the double.

    Doing it this way has led to me stealing 4 creatures from the board in one particular game (three from this trick, and one when the body double finally ate a doom blade), but more often than not it will come up once if at all.

    Is it a trick to rely on? Certainly not, but a good surprise to keep in mind if running Keiga in your deck.

    • It’s cute and all, but she’s still just 5/5. At all the effort done to reanimate, I’d rather use Tidal Kraken or Sphinx of Magosi who guarantee their own value and are beefy enough to withstand most punishment. Even if we use Rise as our primary reanimation (which immunises even the blue stuff to 60% of removal it may encounter), I still feel like Sphinx (among others) does more for its own weight.

      The thing is, aside from the trick you posted, there are about no ways to make Keiga die when you want her to. Don’t think your opponent is stupid; She will die only when there’s nothing juicy to nab, and be ignored otherwise.
      Still, it’s a usable card that occasionally does something other than eat a Doom Blade. If you want to run it, I won’t stop you.

      • I actually respect her a lot, because she gives me SOME way to get out of the sad situation (that crops up far too often for my liking) where your opponent actually has something scarier than your monsters on the board – whether an eldrazi or 40/40 Spiritdancer.

        With her out your board is effectively stalled till you can maybe find an answer.

  11. I found Tidespout Tyrant really useful with Extractor Demon. I actually managed to get both of them out at the same time once. Each spell meant two creatures in their hand and eight cards in the graveyard. I was able to cast Accumulated Knowledge twice and then Windfall. More than half their deck was gone in an instant.

    • So that’s what those things are for! Thanks, Wizards, for giving us a conditional four-card combo that wins through damage sooner than by its combo payout!

  12. Putrid Imp allows for turn one discard…
    Yesterday, I played
    Turn 1: Putrid Imp. Discard Demon of Death’s Gate.
    Turn 2: Exhume.

    My opponent table flipped.

    • Congratulations, you won the ~5% chance!
      Now do it another ten times in a row, send me the video, and I’ll believe you that strategy is viable.

  13. This deck is really horrible in the basic composition! I started playing this deck with no unlocked cards, so just the basic build, against Liliana with her Zombies. I tried around 15 times and always lost against those 2/2 fuckers because I was ALWAYS lacking either mana, reanimation spells or big creatures to dump in the graveyard. It was like the deck was mocking me. When I was lacking creatures, I got 4 or 5 reanimation spells instead. When I had big creatures in hand and some reanimation spells, I only had 2 or 3 mana. One time I managed to resurrect the Demon of Death’s Gate in turn 3, so I was already at around 17 or 16. Then -9 life I was at 7 or 8 and thought I might turn the tables now, but then: boom. She killed my Demon with her “kill a non-zombie and return a zombie from your graveyard”. This is so frustrating! It’s not like I didn’t try. And it’s also not that hard to play this deck, so there wasn’t anything I did wrong. I was just drawing a lot of shit in the wrong order every damn time, over and over again, while Liliana was way too fast with her unspectacular creatures. I know this is not very productive, but I had to get it off my chest.

  14. Thanks Toraka for giving us something a little ‘different’ from the norm. (the spice of life)
    Im off to give it a try. Either way, the guide really expands my understanding of the deck.
    Love all the deck guides here. Certainly made me a better player.

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