Description: The point behind this build is to swarm the field with countless Zombies, whether that's by casting them or producing 2/2 Zombie tokens by using cards like Undead Alchemist, Moan of the Unhallowed, or Endless Ranks of the Dead. Using this strategy, you'll either end up out-casting your opponent with creatures and depleting their life down to zero, or just end up decking them out and winning the game that way.
Also, during Game Two, if my opponent Sided into anti-Mill or uses it against me, then for Game Three then i will side into Laboratory Maniac, Dream Twist, and Curse of the Bloody Tome to use against myself and win the Match by decking myself.
Description: This updated version focuses more on swarming the field with Zombies and just out casting your opponent, but "Plan B" focuses on using Jace, Memory Adept, Undead Alchemist, and Dream Twist. This way, if your opponent sides against either your milling strategy or swarming strategy, you will have a way out and still be able to go after your opponent.
Yeah, I plan on using Nephalia Drownyard as well, but I need to get them first. My suggestion if you plan on using Skaab Ruinator, then don't use 3 GhoulCaller's Chant, since they will take creatures out of your graveyard.
Undead Alchemist has been the central focus of the deck, and the rest used for support. I've found that Mindshrieker or Phyrexian Crusader are the best creatures to equip the Blade to, as the first strike, or Mindshrieker's ability to pump further can be nuts. I'd like to add some Jace, Memory Adept, but need to get a few first.
Undead Alchemist has been the central focus of the deck, and the rest used for support. I've found that Mindshrieker or Phyrexian Crusader are the best creatures to equip the Blade to, as the first strike, or Mindshrieker's ability to pump further can be nuts. I'd like to add some Jace, Memory Adept, but need to get a few first.
Yeah, Undead Alchemist is the main card in Zombie Mill for the simple fact that he mills and produces Zombies for more milling greatness.
He is part of the reason I ended up putting together BU Zombie Mill.
Soon as I saw the Innistrad spoilers, I knew I was going to be making a Blue/Black Zombie deck. Once I saw Alchemist and Trepanation Blade, I knew it was going to be an aggro-mill style deck. I mean... come on now, deal your damage as mill? And a sword that mills to determine the amount of damage it deals? And then produce zombies for even more hilarious value? That's just awesome.
This is the current incarnation of my thought experiment. It contains signs of my affection for UB/Control
I feel like the deck needs a way to search and filter for cards, hence why I side with Forbidden Alchemy, Think Twice and Merfolk Looters rather than things like dream twist to get cards into my graveyard. Being able to dig 4 deep and grab what you need is just so damn useful.
I'm probably going to get a Photoshop itch later and make a banner for this deck arch-type.
Soon as I saw the Innistrad spoilers, I knew I was going to be making a Blue/Black Zombie deck. Once I saw Alchemist and Trepanation Blade, I knew it was going to be an aggro-mill style deck. I mean... come on now, deal your damage as mill? And a sword that mills to determine the amount of damage it deals? And then produce zombies for even more hilarious value? That's just awesome.
This is the current incarnation of my thought experiment. It contains signs of my affection for UB/Control
I feel like the deck needs a way to search and filter for cards, hence why I side with Forbidden Alchemy, Think Twice and Merfolk Looters rather than things like dream twist to get cards into my graveyard. Being able to dig 4 deep and grab what you need is just so damn useful.
I'm probably going to get a Photoshop itch later and make a banner for this deck arch-type.
I usually don't go after myself with the Mill cards, it's always my opponent, but on the off chance that my opponent Sided in Laboratory Maniac, then I would side out my milling cards and just go with Creature destruction and swarming.
I usually don't go after myself with the Mill cards, it's always my opponent, but on the off chance that my opponent Sided in Laboratory Maniac, then I would side out my milling cards and just go with Creature destruction and swarming.
My experience in testing so far has been if you get the alchemist online and score some hits you very quickly are milling so much that the mill cards are almost negligible in comparison, and really I don't think the deck can be fast enough to win via mill with the spells alone. Digging in your own deck lets you get that avalanche of zombie tokens happening before your opponent can get answers.
I agree the sideboard needs to be able to swap from mill to a pure aggro requirement its just that right now I'm just thinking along the lines of the main deck before I really try to fine tune a sideboard as that is going to be dependent on what other decks show up in the format.
My experience in testing so far has been if you get the alchemist online and score some hits you very quickly are milling so much that the mill cards are almost negligible in comparison, and really I don't think the deck can be fast enough to win via mill with the spells alone. Digging in your own deck lets you get that avalanche of zombie tokens happening before your opponent can get answers.
I agree the sideboard needs to be able to swap from mill to a pure aggro requirement its just that right now I'm just thinking along the lines of the main deck before I really try to fine tune a sideboard as that is going to be dependent on what other decks show up in the format.
Yeah, there is no way that the deck could win with just Instants and Enchantments alone. you would have to use Undead Alchemist to make other Zombies mill as well.
Grimoire of the Dead may be worth looking into as well. It can be a nice little time bomb to go along with all the creature cards you mill into your GY.
Also, Zombie's are slow by nature and even slower to get the token engine running, you'll need a way to protect your zombies until then with some control or removal.
Grimoire of the Dead may be worth looking into as well. It can be a nice little time bomb to go along with all the creature cards you mill into your GY.
Also, Zombie's are slow by nature and even slower to get the token engine running, you'll need a way to protect your zombies until then with some control or removal.
Nice, I haven't seen that card yet, but i'll keep an eye out for it. Thanks for the suggestion, just now need to figure out where to put it in the deck, as well as protection for it and my Zombies.
So I've done some more MWS play testing and have had pretty decent success with the deck against control builds. Just sit on a counter spell for when they try to counter Undead Alchemist and then go to town milling for more zombies. To the tune of I've only lost against control builds when I've mana flooded or mana screwed. Perhaps just dumb luck but really by milling their deck you exile their win conditions and turn them into 2/2 zombies, you don't need to pull off the massivive mill hits against control that you can generate by milling down/zombifying an aggro deck. Aggro builds on the other hand can be pretty nasty to deal with, especially if they're running Mirran Crusaders. I've had games do everything from winning with beats from transformed Delver of Secrets to milling for 40 cards whilst stabilized at one life. The deck seems resourceful but it still has trouble dealing with white aggro decks running Mirran Crusaders. Being able to just walk through my wall of Zombies is painful.
Am trying to work out a sideboard to deal with that as I expect a lot of white weenie/honor the pure decks in my local meta.
What my deck looks like sans sideboard. I've gone heavier on control... but then I'm a control player at heart.
Nobody likes Jace, Memory Adept? He seems like the quintessential mill engine...glimpsing on turn 5 before attacking with mill-zombies is a sure way to get some tokens in play.
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Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Dull roots with spring rain.
Nobody likes Jace, Memory Adept? He seems like the quintessential mill engine...glimpsing on turn 5 before attacking with mill-zombies is a sure way to get some tokens in play.
So I've done some more MWS play testing and have had pretty decent success with the deck against control builds. Just sit on a counter spell for when they try to counter Undead Alchemist and then go to town milling for more zombies. To the tune of I've only lost against control builds when I've mana flooded or mana screwed. Perhaps just dumb luck but really by milling their deck you exile their win conditions and turn them into 2/2 zombies, you don't need to pull off the massivive mill hits against control that you can generate by milling down/zombifying an aggro deck. Aggro builds on the other hand can be pretty nasty to deal with, especially if they're running Mirran Crusaders. I've had games do everything from winning with beats from transformed Delver of Secrets to milling for 40 cards whilst stabilized at one life. The deck seems resourceful but it still has trouble dealing with white aggro decks running Mirran Crusaders. Being able to just walk through my wall of Zombies is painful.
Am trying to work out a sideboard to deal with that as I expect a lot of white weenie/honor the pure decks in my local meta.
What my deck looks like sans sideboard. I've gone heavier on control... but then I'm a control player at heart.
yeah, worse case i would think you could put Army of the Damned in your sideboard as an option to go against decks that slow you down and attempt to deck you out.
After further testing I have made the following changes.
-1 Skaab Ruinator, +1 Geth, Lord of the Vault. He has been a champ, stealing enemy swords, milling, and attacking with Intimidate.
-3 Ghoulcaller's Chant & -1 Dream Twist, +4 Mana Leak
-2 Curse of the Bloody Tome, +2 Endless Ranks of the Dead
Also, I have shifted the basic lands to 7 Swamps, and 5 Islands.
updated the opening thread with a new version of my deck featuring Jace, Memory Adept to use after it was suggested and I tested with it and it was very useful in many matches.
I loved the undead Alchemist + Trepanation Blade since i drafted that last weekend, and then i started to brewing something for standard. Some questions came to my mind...
Why not include Zombie Infestation? I think with Ghoulcaller's Chant and Altar's Reap works.
Also Altar's Reap is very synergic with Moan of the Unhallowed, Endless ranks of dead and Zombies Tokens from Alchemist.
I found Zombie Infestation to be more of a hindrance than a help. Instant speed zombie tokens are nice, but without reliable card draw in the deck, discarding two cards can hurt. The card is synergistic with the others that you mentioned, but that requires builiding around zombie infestation which is not the point of this deck.
I played in a type 2 tournament last night, and discovered a nasty trick that can be used to seal the deal in a game. Pretty much what happened was that my opponent keep landing Elixir of Immortality and the milling had become ineffective. Because I wasn't dealing damage, and he wasn't concerned about the mill, he decided to let me through unblocked with 12 2/2 zombies. The thought dawned on me to Doom Blade my own Undead Alchemist and my opponent ate the damage for the game
Pretty much what happened was that my opponent keep landing Elixir of Immortality and the milling had become ineffective. Because I wasn't dealing damage, and he wasn't concerned about the mill, he decided to let me through unblocked with 12 2/2 zombies. The thought dawned on me to Doom Blade my own Undead Alchemist and my opponent ate the damage for the game
At first when I read that, I thought "Why the eff would you Doom Blade your own creature and mill engine?" Then I thought about it, and lol'ed. I lol'ed long and hard because I've got a deck very similar to this with Grimgrin, Corpse-Born. This is a fantastic idea, and I'm definately going to use it.
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Is it just me, or does Chandra set the standard for hot redheads everywhere?
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yugiZT270's Deck Variants
The Original Build
4 Diregraf Ghol
4 Walking Corpse
2 Stitched Drake
4 Cemetery Reaper
3 Undead Alchemist
3 Abattoir Ghoul
3 Grimgrin, Corpse-Born
4 Dream Twists
Sorceries
3 Moan of the Unhallowed
Enchantments
4 Curse of the Bloody Tome
2 Endless Ranks of the Dead
Artifacts
3 Trepanation Blade
8 Island
8 Swamp
4 Darkslick Shores
4 Drowned Catacomb
Also, during Game Two, if my opponent Sided into anti-Mill or uses it against me, then for Game Three then i will side into Laboratory Maniac, Dream Twist, and Curse of the Bloody Tome to use against myself and win the Match by decking myself.
4 Diregraf Ghol
4 Walking Corpse
2 Stitched Drake
4 Cemetery Reaper
3 Undead Alchemist
3 Abattoir Ghoul
3 Grimgrin, Corpse-Born
Instants
3 Dream Twist
2 Hysterical Blindness
2 Doom Blade
3 Moan of the Unhallowed
Enchantments
2 Endless Ranks of the Dead
Artifacts
3 Trepanation Blade
Lands
6 Island
8 Swamp
4 Darkslick Shores
4 Drowned Catacomb
4 Curse of the Bloody Tome
2 Laboratory Maniac
2 Doom Blade
1 Dream Twist
4 Go for the Throat
2 Despise
Also, if you want to, you can Side into Laboratory Maniac and Curse of the Bloody Tome to mill yourself and still win with Laboratory Maniac's effect to win the game even if you draw with zero cards in your Library.
4 Diregraf Ghoul B
4 Walking Corpse 1B
3 Cemetery Reaper 1BB
3 Undead Alchemist 3U
3 Abattoir Ghoul 3B
3 Grimgrin, Corpse-Born 3UB
Planeswalkers
2 Jace, Memory Adept 3UU
Instants
3 Dream Twist U
4 Mana Leak 1U
2 Doom Blade 1B
2 Moan of the Unhallowed 2BB
Enchantments
2 Endless Ranks of the Dead 2BB
Artifacts
3 Trepanation Blade 3
2 Grimoire of the Dead 4
Lands
4 Darkslick Shores
4 Drowned Catacomb
2 Nephalia Drownyard
6 Swamp
6 Island
4 Curse of the Bloody Tome
2 Laboratory Maniac
2 Doom Blade
1 Dream Twist
4 Go for the Throat
2 Despise
-----------------
*Zombie-Mill image is provided by Aureus
Signature provided by Ace5301
Competitive Decks
[Official] BG The Original Golgari Hydra GB
[Developing] BRG Jarad's Cannon GRB
[Developing] UW Detained Flyers UW
Commander Decks (EDH)
[Developing] WU Isperia: Judge, Jury, and Executioner UW
Signature provided by Ace5301
Competitive Decks
[Official] BG The Original Golgari Hydra GB
[Developing] BRG Jarad's Cannon GRB
[Developing] UW Detained Flyers UW
Commander Decks (EDH)
[Developing] WU Isperia: Judge, Jury, and Executioner UW
4 Diregraf Ghoul
4 Walking Corpse
3 Mindshrieker
4 Phyrexian Crusader
4 Undead Alchemist
2 Geth, Lord Of The Vault
1 Jace, Memory Adept
4 Mana Leak
2 Doom Blade
2 Go For The Throat
3 Dream Twist
2 Endless Ranks of the Dead
3 Trepanation Blade
4 Darkslick Shores
4 Drowned Catacomb
2 Nephalia Drownyard
5 Island
7 Swamp
Nice deck though, how has it worked for you?
Signature provided by Ace5301
Competitive Decks
[Official] BG The Original Golgari Hydra GB
[Developing] BRG Jarad's Cannon GRB
[Developing] UW Detained Flyers UW
Commander Decks (EDH)
[Developing] WU Isperia: Judge, Jury, and Executioner UW
He is part of the reason I ended up putting together BU Zombie Mill.
Signature provided by Ace5301
Competitive Decks
[Official] BG The Original Golgari Hydra GB
[Developing] BRG Jarad's Cannon GRB
[Developing] UW Detained Flyers UW
Commander Decks (EDH)
[Developing] WU Isperia: Judge, Jury, and Executioner UW
This is the current incarnation of my thought experiment. It contains signs of my affection for UB/Control
2 Armored Skaab
3 Cemetery Reaper
3 Merfolk Looter
3 Abattoir Ghoul
4 Undead Alchemist
4 Delver of Secrets
2 Think Twice
2 Moan of the Unhallowed
2 Go for the Throat
3 Mana Leak
1 Endless Ranks of the Dead
3 Trepanation Blade
4 Drowned Catacomb
4 Darkslick Shores
4 Nephalia Drownyard
6 Swamp
5 Island
I feel like the deck needs a way to search and filter for cards, hence why I side with Forbidden Alchemy, Think Twice and Merfolk Looters rather than things like dream twist to get cards into my graveyard. Being able to dig 4 deep and grab what you need is just so damn useful.
I'm probably going to get a Photoshop itch later and make a banner for this deck arch-type.
Signature provided by Ace5301
Competitive Decks
[Official] BG The Original Golgari Hydra GB
[Developing] BRG Jarad's Cannon GRB
[Developing] UW Detained Flyers UW
Commander Decks (EDH)
[Developing] WU Isperia: Judge, Jury, and Executioner UW
My experience in testing so far has been if you get the alchemist online and score some hits you very quickly are milling so much that the mill cards are almost negligible in comparison, and really I don't think the deck can be fast enough to win via mill with the spells alone. Digging in your own deck lets you get that avalanche of zombie tokens happening before your opponent can get answers.
I agree the sideboard needs to be able to swap from mill to a pure aggro requirement its just that right now I'm just thinking along the lines of the main deck before I really try to fine tune a sideboard as that is going to be dependent on what other decks show up in the format.
Signature provided by Ace5301
Competitive Decks
[Official] BG The Original Golgari Hydra GB
[Developing] BRG Jarad's Cannon GRB
[Developing] UW Detained Flyers UW
Commander Decks (EDH)
[Developing] WU Isperia: Judge, Jury, and Executioner UW
Also, Zombie's are slow by nature and even slower to get the token engine running, you'll need a way to protect your zombies until then with some control or removal.
BMBIB
WTempered SteelW
WInfected SteelW
RGoblinsR
-EDH-
BROlivia's MasqueradeBR
Signature provided by Ace5301
Competitive Decks
[Official] BG The Original Golgari Hydra GB
[Developing] BRG Jarad's Cannon GRB
[Developing] UW Detained Flyers UW
Commander Decks (EDH)
[Developing] WU Isperia: Judge, Jury, and Executioner UW
Signature provided by Ace5301
Competitive Decks
[Official] BG The Original Golgari Hydra GB
[Developing] BRG Jarad's Cannon GRB
[Developing] UW Detained Flyers UW
Commander Decks (EDH)
[Developing] WU Isperia: Judge, Jury, and Executioner UW
Am trying to work out a sideboard to deal with that as I expect a lot of white weenie/honor the pure decks in my local meta.
What my deck looks like sans sideboard. I've gone heavier on control... but then I'm a control player at heart.
4 [M12] Drowned Catacomb
4 [SOM] Darkslick Shores
5 [NPH] Island (2)
4 [ISD] Nephalia Drownyard
6 [ISD] Swamp (2)
4 [M12] Cemetery Reaper
2 [M12] Merfolk Looter
4 [MBS] Phyrexian Crusader
4 [ISD] Diregraf Ghoul
4 [ISD] Delver of Secrets
4 [ISD] Undead Alchemist
3 [M12] Ponder
3 [M12] Mana Leak
2 [M12] Unsummon
2 [ISD] Trepanation Blade
3 [ISD] Dissipate
2 [ISD] Forbidden Alchemy
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Dull roots with spring rain.
-TS Eliot, The Waste Land
I like Jace, but I don't like tapping out.
I've been working on a similar build with similar results. I agree that having some control plays an important role, especially in the early-game.
4x Diregraf Ghoul (B)
4x Walking Corpse (1B)
4x Cemetery Reaper (1BB)
4x Armored Skaab (2U)
2x Skaab Ruinator (1UU)
4x Mana Leak (1U)
2x Forbidden Alchemy (2U)
Enchantment (2)
2x Endless Ranks of the Dead (2BB)
Sorcery (6)
2x Ghoulcaller's Chant (B)
2x Ponder (U)
4x Silent Departure (U)
3x Grimoire of the Dead (4)
Land (23)
4x Island
8x Swamp
3x Nephalia Drownyard
4x Darkslick Shores
4x Drowned Catacomb
BMBIB
WTempered SteelW
WInfected SteelW
RGoblinsR
-EDH-
BROlivia's MasqueradeBR
Signature provided by Ace5301
Competitive Decks
[Official] BG The Original Golgari Hydra GB
[Developing] BRG Jarad's Cannon GRB
[Developing] UW Detained Flyers UW
Commander Decks (EDH)
[Developing] WU Isperia: Judge, Jury, and Executioner UW
After further testing I have made the following changes.
-1 Skaab Ruinator, +1 Geth, Lord of the Vault. He has been a champ, stealing enemy swords, milling, and attacking with Intimidate.
-3 Ghoulcaller's Chant & -1 Dream Twist, +4 Mana Leak
-2 Curse of the Bloody Tome, +2 Endless Ranks of the Dead
Also, I have shifted the basic lands to 7 Swamps, and 5 Islands.
Thanks to Mantisman for suggesting Jace, Memory Adept.
Signature provided by Ace5301
Competitive Decks
[Official] BG The Original Golgari Hydra GB
[Developing] BRG Jarad's Cannon GRB
[Developing] UW Detained Flyers UW
Commander Decks (EDH)
[Developing] WU Isperia: Judge, Jury, and Executioner UW
Why not include Zombie Infestation? I think with Ghoulcaller's Chant and Altar's Reap works.
Also Altar's Reap is very synergic with Moan of the Unhallowed, Endless ranks of dead and Zombies Tokens from Alchemist.
I played in a type 2 tournament last night, and discovered a nasty trick that can be used to seal the deal in a game. Pretty much what happened was that my opponent keep landing Elixir of Immortality and the milling had become ineffective. Because I wasn't dealing damage, and he wasn't concerned about the mill, he decided to let me through unblocked with 12 2/2 zombies. The thought dawned on me to Doom Blade my own Undead Alchemist and my opponent ate the damage for the game
At first when I read that, I thought "Why the eff would you Doom Blade your own creature and mill engine?" Then I thought about it, and lol'ed. I lol'ed long and hard because I've got a deck very similar to this with Grimgrin, Corpse-Born. This is a fantastic idea, and I'm definately going to use it.
RRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR
Is it just me, or does Chandra set the standard for hot redheads everywhere?