I was on a Dead Island crack frenzy (XBOX360) before the pre-release of Innistrad and, to my suprise, drafted Grimgrin at the pre-release event hosted by my LGS. I also was lucky enough to draft a Rooftop Storm, Army of the Damned and Endless Ranks of the Dead.
Needless to say, I ran UB zombieland. Got beat by WW and took 4th but by then the wheels have already begun to spin. I never thought I would want to build tribal zombies in EDH but that's how it started thanks to that Frankenstein/Slingblade-looking-CorpseShambler I drafted.
This is where I am currently at with my list. Curio with Rooftop Storm is the stone cold nuts. It demands immediate attention with Noxious Ghoul, also produces acceptable results with Fleshbag Marauder and Grave Titan. Conspiracy and Xenograft are perfectly printed in our mana colors and adds to the synergy also. This gives the deck another path to get there if Grimz gets tucked and its just as fun to get the combo going as it is to get Grimz lethal through combat.
Endrek Sahr can be a houseparty in this deck. Keep sacrificing thrulls to Grimz and there will be no thrulls revolting against their Masterbreeder. I tutored for him a LOT before he drew so much hate I just mostly try to grab combo pieces now.
The deck is lacking card draw but I can usually tutor for what I need. I have grown fond of my current list and cannot see past my own bias. Any suggestions would be appreciated if you guys spot anything that may help. I know im missing a few staples but my other EDH decks have been eating up my card resource pool. I need to pick up an Arena...
EDH GSisay-Captian ToolboxWGSaffi-CombroWRHeartless Hidesugu-Headed for Self-DestructionRUEdric-Working for the ManGWIsamaru-Gou!W BUGrimGrin-DeadIslandUB
First off, let me just say that this idea is awesome. Flavorful, fun, and splashy without being too broken. I would be very happy to play with or against a list like this. Props to you.
Second, I too was fortunate enough to open up Grimgrin recently, and I'm itching to throw a list like this together after getting wrecked in EDH by the combination of Thraximundar and Rooftop Storm.
Couple of things that stick out for me in your list:
- Dismember: Is this supposed to be something else? 1 for 1 spot removal never works in this format, especially if it doesn't say "destroy target ___" outright.
- Bloodline Keeper: Not that it's a bad card or anything (more fodder has to be good), but it's not a Zombie, so the flavor aspect isn't quite there. If I wanted non-Zombie fodder, I'd think Reassmbling Skeleton or Bloodghast or something like that would be better.
- Buried Alive: One of the most polarizing cards in the format, I think. Some people love a 3x Demonic Tutor, others fear the multitude of grave-haters that have become so commonplace in the format. I'm on the latter side of things, but I can understand running it.
- Necrologia: This just seems like a sub-par choice. First of all, there are plenty of other black draw spells that don't force you to wait until EOT to draw more cards. In this list, Altar's Reap seems particularly good. Second, you have access to blue, so there are tons of choices that don't require you to pay life to draw cards, and some of them are even instant-speed. I would almost never run this card, unless I was really desperate.
Couple of cards I might consider adding:
- Dross Harvester: Kinda sketchy, but in this deck you can probably assume that you'll make more than you lose, right?
- Skullclamp: Auto-include almost everywhere, especially awesome here.
- Pawn of Ulamog: Not sure if this will be worth it since I don't know how many tokens you sac vs. non-tokens, but depending on that ratio, this could give you more fodder.
- Black Market: Free colored mana. Lots of it. Every turn. I regularly get this thing up to 50+ counters. Also, it isn't a "may" ability like most modern cards.
- Butcher of Malakir: Not a Zombie, but Grave Pact is waaaay too good not to run multiple copies.
- Falkenrath Noble: Again, not a Zombie, but depending on how much you sacrifice, this could be effective.
- Lim-Dul, the Necromancer: He's not a Zombie, but he does a good job of protecting Grimz...
Hope that helps you out a little. Good luck with this one.
Awesome build! Was considering something very similar when I first saw Grimgrin released.
In the meantime, I've got a Geth, Lord of the Vault Sac & Drain, Zombie & Vampire themed deck going. If you're interested in some further black ideas, you're welcome to check it out (link in sig).
Pawn of Ulamog: Works really well in non-token based decks. It's ramp. It's sac engine. It's awesome. (You're deck seems to like alot of tokens) Butcher of Malakir: This card is a bomb! Falkenrath Noble: If left untouched, this guy will easily net you 10+ life, draining whomever you see fit the same amount as this guy triggers for ANY creature dying. Plus, this acts as a boardwipe deterant. "Sure you can boardwipe....but do you really want to lose 20+ life at the moment?" Boneknitter: Regenerate target zombie? Yes please! Bloodhusk Ritualist: Definately a hidden gem. Mind Shatter on a stick. Mutilate: Should go in; you'll have enough swamps out for this to be a 4 mana boardwipe.
Dismember was a last minute include while im waiting for my edicts to arrive. I agree it is a bad choice for spot removal in edh but I was limited in my choice of available cards. I mostly chose to run this card atm due to it's versitile mana cost and it deals with most early threats in my meta. I will be replacing this card.
Necrologia always fills my hand at the least or allows me to draw for that one combocard, usually Curio or Rooftop storm, I am missing. It DOES suck to wait a turn to use those cards drawn, however. Everytime I think about cutting it, it seems to pull through. With access to Blue Mana I can see cutting this for another form of draw. I will consider Altar's Reap as it would give me a sac option also for Grimz when he gets Control Magic effects targeting him and would be awesome with clamp.
Reassembing Skeleton and Bloodghast are excellent for this build. I really don't know why I did not include Clamp. I have a few in my binder, it must have slipped my mind. I will find a place for them.
Butcher and I have a love/hate relationship. He was often one target for Buried Alive but when I have him in hand I hate looking @ that mana cost. I think he is definately worth his 7cmc but that same cost makes me question his addition. Rooftop storm, Conspiracy and Xenograft may make it alot better. He is worth is weight for his ability though. I'll test him some more and give the Butcher another shot.
@GFireflyE
Geth is a beast! I have a friend who runs him in my playgroup and he just produces amazing plays. Ill definately take a look @ your list.
Falkenrath Noble is a great idea. OCPunisher suggested this as well and it definetly deserves to be tested.
EDH GSisay-Captian ToolboxWGSaffi-CombroWRHeartless Hidesugu-Headed for Self-DestructionRUEdric-Working for the ManGWIsamaru-Gou!W BUGrimGrin-DeadIslandUB
Needless to say, I ran UB zombieland. Got beat by WW and took 4th but by then the wheels have already begun to spin. I never thought I would want to build tribal zombies in EDH but that's how it started thanks to that Frankenstein/Slingblade-looking-CorpseShambler I drafted.
This is where I am currently at with my list. Curio with Rooftop Storm is the stone cold nuts. It demands immediate attention with Noxious Ghoul, also produces acceptable results with Fleshbag Marauder and Grave Titan. Conspiracy and Xenograft are perfectly printed in our mana colors and adds to the synergy also. This gives the deck another path to get there if Grimz gets tucked and its just as fun to get the combo going as it is to get Grimz lethal through combat.
Endrek Sahr can be a houseparty in this deck. Keep sacrificing thrulls to Grimz and there will be no thrulls revolting against their Masterbreeder. I tutored for him a LOT before he drew so much hate I just mostly try to grab combo pieces now.
The deck is lacking card draw but I can usually tutor for what I need. I have grown fond of my current list and cannot see past my own bias. Any suggestions would be appreciated if you guys spot anything that may help. I know im missing a few staples but my other EDH decks have been eating up my card resource pool. I need to pick up an Arena...
5 Grimgrin, Corpse-Born
Lands (38)
1 Cabal Coffers
1 Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
1 Shizo, Death's Storehouse
1 Bojuka Bog
1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge
1 Jwar Isle Refuge
1 Underground Sea
1 Drowned Catacomb
1 Volrath's Stronghold
1 Stripmine
1 Darkslick Shores
1 Unholy Grotto
1 Phyrexian Tower
14 Swamps
11 Islands
Creatures(22)
1 Carrion Feeder
1 Gravecrawler
2 Reassembing Skeleton
2 Withered Wretch
2 Nightscape Familiar
3 Lord of the Undead
3 Gutless Ghoul
3 Death Baron
3 Fleshbag Marauder
3 Zombie Master
3 Cemetery Reaper
4 Undead Alchemist
4 Graveborn Muse
4 Undead Warchief
4 Evil Twin
4 Wonder
4 Gravedigger
5 Noxious Ghoul
5 Endrek Sahr, Master Breeder
5 Corpse Harvester
6 Grave Titan
6 Gempalm Polluter
2 Zombie Infestation
3 Attrition
4 Endless Ranks of the Dead
4 Tombstone Stairwell
4 Grave Pact
5 Conspiracy
5 Call to the Grave
6 Rooftop Storm
Artifacts(11)
1 Expedition Map
1 Skullclamp
1 Sol Ring
2 Dimir Signet
2 Nim Deathmantle
2 Lightning Greaves
3 Cloudstone Curio
3 Darksteel Ingot
3 Whispersilk Cloak
3 Mimic Vat
7 Akroma's Memorial
Spells(20)
1 Vampiric Tutor
1 Reanimate
1 Entomb
2 Demonic Tutor
2 Geth's Verdict
2 Diabolic Edict
2 Chainer's Edict
2 Altar's Reap
3 Buried Alive
3 Fabricate
3 Victimize
4 Diabolic Tutor
5 Necrologia
5 Syphon Flesh
5 Demonic Collusion
5 Patriarch's Bidding
5 Living Death
6 Time Reversal
6 Life's Finale
8 Army of the Damned
Changes
- Dismember/+Skullclamp
Updated: 01/30/12
- Xenograft/+ Reassembling Skeleton
- Decree of Pain/+ Time Reversal
- Fellwar Stone/+ Diabolic Edict
- Counterspell/+ Geth's Verdict
- Magus of the Coffers/+ Alter's Reap
- Talisman of Dominance/+ Chainer's Edict
- Beseech the Queen/+ Demonic Tutor
- Hinder/+ Reanimate
- Spell Crumple/+ Entomb
- Living End/+ Altar's Reap
- Bitterblossom/ + Gravecrawler
- Bloodline Keeper/ + Attrition
- Nezumi Graverobber/ + Lord of the Undead
- Unbreathing Horde/+ Zombie Master
- Swamp/ + Phyrexian Tower
- Swamp/+ Unholy Grotto
- Island/+ Darkslick Shores
GSisay-Captian ToolboxWGSaffi-CombroWRHeartless Hidesugu-Headed for Self-DestructionRUEdric-Working for the ManGWIsamaru-Gou!W
BUGrimGrin-Dead IslandUB
Second, I too was fortunate enough to open up Grimgrin recently, and I'm itching to throw a list like this together after getting wrecked in EDH by the combination of Thraximundar and Rooftop Storm.
Couple of things that stick out for me in your list:
- Dismember: Is this supposed to be something else? 1 for 1 spot removal never works in this format, especially if it doesn't say "destroy target ___" outright.
- Bloodline Keeper: Not that it's a bad card or anything (more fodder has to be good), but it's not a Zombie, so the flavor aspect isn't quite there. If I wanted non-Zombie fodder, I'd think Reassmbling Skeleton or Bloodghast or something like that would be better.
- Buried Alive: One of the most polarizing cards in the format, I think. Some people love a 3x Demonic Tutor, others fear the multitude of grave-haters that have become so commonplace in the format. I'm on the latter side of things, but I can understand running it.
- Necrologia: This just seems like a sub-par choice. First of all, there are plenty of other black draw spells that don't force you to wait until EOT to draw more cards. In this list, Altar's Reap seems particularly good. Second, you have access to blue, so there are tons of choices that don't require you to pay life to draw cards, and some of them are even instant-speed. I would almost never run this card, unless I was really desperate.
Couple of cards I might consider adding:
- Dross Harvester: Kinda sketchy, but in this deck you can probably assume that you'll make more than you lose, right?
- Skullclamp: Auto-include almost everywhere, especially awesome here.
- Pawn of Ulamog: Not sure if this will be worth it since I don't know how many tokens you sac vs. non-tokens, but depending on that ratio, this could give you more fodder.
- Black Market: Free colored mana. Lots of it. Every turn. I regularly get this thing up to 50+ counters. Also, it isn't a "may" ability like most modern cards.
- Butcher of Malakir: Not a Zombie, but Grave Pact is waaaay too good not to run multiple copies.
- Falkenrath Noble: Again, not a Zombie, but depending on how much you sacrifice, this could be effective.
- Lim-Dul, the Necromancer: He's not a Zombie, but he does a good job of protecting Grimz...
Hope that helps you out a little. Good luck with this one.
Yeva (88/92 foils)
Raff
Scarab
Rakdos
Wort ($50 budget, 94/97 foils)
Trostani
In the meantime, I've got a Geth, Lord of the Vault Sac & Drain, Zombie & Vampire themed deck going. If you're interested in some further black ideas, you're welcome to check it out (link in sig).
Pawn of Ulamog: Works really well in non-token based decks. It's ramp. It's sac engine. It's awesome. (You're deck seems to like alot of tokens)
Butcher of Malakir: This card is a bomb!
Falkenrath Noble: If left untouched, this guy will easily net you 10+ life, draining whomever you see fit the same amount as this guy triggers for ANY creature dying. Plus, this acts as a boardwipe deterant. "Sure you can boardwipe....but do you really want to lose 20+ life at the moment?"
Boneknitter: Regenerate target zombie? Yes please!
Bloodhusk Ritualist: Definately a hidden gem. Mind Shatter on a stick.
Mutilate: Should go in; you'll have enough swamps out for this to be a 4 mana boardwipe.
| B Erebos, God of VampiresB | GYeva SmashG | RBosh ArtifactsR | GURAnimar +1 BeatsGUR | RBVial's Secret Hot SauceRB | UBRNekusar, Draw if you DareUBR | RGBDarigaaz'z DragonsRGB | GBSlimeFEETGB | UBOn-Hit LazavUB | URBrudiclad's Artificer InventionsUR | GUBMuldrotha's ElementalsGUB | WUGKestia's EnchantmentsWUG | GUTatyova - Draw, Land, Go!GU | WGArahbo's EquipmentWG | BUWVarina's ZOMBIE HORDESBUW | WLyra's Angelic SalvationW | WBChurch of TeysaWB | UAzami...WizardsU
@ OCPuisher
Dismember was a last minute include while im waiting for my edicts to arrive. I agree it is a bad choice for spot removal in edh but I was limited in my choice of available cards. I mostly chose to run this card atm due to it's versitile mana cost and it deals with most early threats in my meta. I will be replacing this card.
Necrologia always fills my hand at the least or allows me to draw for that one combocard, usually Curio or Rooftop storm, I am missing. It DOES suck to wait a turn to use those cards drawn, however. Everytime I think about cutting it, it seems to pull through. With access to Blue Mana I can see cutting this for another form of draw. I will consider Altar's Reap as it would give me a sac option also for Grimz when he gets Control Magic effects targeting him and would be awesome with clamp.
Reassembing Skeleton and Bloodghast are excellent for this build. I really don't know why I did not include Clamp. I have a few in my binder, it must have slipped my mind. I will find a place for them.
Butcher and I have a love/hate relationship. He was often one target for Buried Alive but when I have him in hand I hate looking @ that mana cost. I think he is definately worth his 7cmc but that same cost makes me question his addition. Rooftop storm, Conspiracy and Xenograft may make it alot better. He is worth is weight for his ability though. I'll test him some more and give the Butcher another shot.
@GFireflyE
Geth is a beast! I have a friend who runs him in my playgroup and he just produces amazing plays. Ill definately take a look @ your list.
Falkenrath Noble is a great idea. OCPunisher suggested this as well and it definetly deserves to be tested.
Mutilate is awesome! It will go in.
Thanks for the suggestions guys. Keep the feedback coming!
GSisay-Captian ToolboxWGSaffi-CombroWRHeartless Hidesugu-Headed for Self-DestructionRUEdric-Working for the ManGWIsamaru-Gou!W
BUGrimGrin-Dead IslandUB
Man, I can't wait to sleeve up my own version of this deck.
Yeva (88/92 foils)
Raff
Scarab
Rakdos
Wort ($50 budget, 94/97 foils)
Trostani