Hello all,
Been a while since I have posted here. Have been absent dealing with a divorce, moving and other things. I am trying to update my deck and getting it lower to the ground. I wondered what other people's experiences are with Stitcher's Supplier? I am thinking of possibly cutting Death Baron, Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver and/or Noxious Ghoul while also considering Songs of the Damned.
This is my current list (not yet fully completed).
Please feel free to share any recommendations.
Varina, Lich Queen - Esper Zombie Midrange
Stitcher has been a slam dunk for me. Always pure gasoline.
Stitcher supplier is an all star one drop. It advances our core strategy.
Songs of the damned is fantastic to allow absurd turns.
Death Barron and other lords are useless in my opinion. When you go lower to the ground, you want to skullclamp your army and you absolutely don't want that toughness boost. And we mainly kill with infinite combo, not combat damage.
Noxious Ghoul is an expensive situational board wipe. You can easily cut it.
Wilhelt is really good value but it's only one draw a turn. In my list I run Headless Rider, Midnight Reaper and Undead Augur. They all do a better job and I never feel the lack of Wilhelt. And second problem: Wilhelt cost 4. It's the turn you want to cast Varina and start digging. The previous 3 zombies come a turn earlier and provide pseudo board wipe protection/value before Varina hit the board.
Songs of the damned is fantastic to allow absurd turns.
Death Barron and other lords are useless in my opinion. When you go lower to the ground, you want to skullclamp your army and you absolutely don't want that toughness boost. And we mainly kill with infinite combo, not combat damage.
Noxious Ghoul is an expensive situational board wipe. You can easily cut it.
Wilhelt is really good value but it's only one draw a turn. In my list I run Headless Rider, Midnight Reaper and Undead Augur. They all do a better job and I never feel the lack of Wilhelt. And second problem: Wilhelt cost 4. It's the turn you want to cast Varina and start digging. The previous 3 zombies come a turn earlier and provide pseudo board wipe protection/value before Varina hit the board.
Rain of Filth is a card to consider if you want to go hard. Bubbling Muck is a interesting card but probably suitable only for mono-, but then, if Cabal Coffers works for you, so should Muck!
I count Agadeem's Awakening // Agadeem, the Undercrypt as #34, and will likely try to find a space for Sink into Stupor // Soporific Springs, where I would comfortable with my land count.
I agree to Death Baron, Wilhelt and Noxious Ghoul might not be needed. One of them will get the axe for Stitcher's Supplier, and another will be cut for Sink into Stupor. Noxious Ghoul is a flex card depending on my meta (I moved and am not sure what that will look like yet). That being said, it may very well become a Songs of the Damned slot.
Yes I forgot to count Awakening as your 34th land. But I think it's still too low :D Especially when you run 2 tapped lands (Raffine and Crypt) and a bunch of colorless land, with some of them that require a condition to produce color.
I think your basic count (10) is great with the inclusion of Land Tax.
Anyway, it's more a feeling. If your experience was always good with 34 lands, it's perfectly fine. But in my side, I can't go below under 36 because, even with 36 lands, I had missed land drop and had bad games.
My two cents:
- You should give a try to Soul Partition instead of Void Rend. Void Rend seems sexy but need 3 colors and do nothing against indestructible. Partition comes a mana earlier and it's another world. You can even save your own stuff with no extra cost to recast it.
- I see you run Bone Miser too. I recently re-added it. But now I feels it's too much. 5 mana is a lot and we often have the situation where we can't really benefit from it because it's during a Varina attack trigger. For now I keep it because it really shines when you pair it with Putrid Imp or Zombie Infestation.
- Painful Truths seems out of context in a Varina low to the ground list. You want slow zombies and starting digging as soons as possible. You will draw enough with the queen anyway :D
- Poxwalkers is an easy cut. This card want to act like a pseudo Gravecrawler but does it really badly. It needs a setup just for trying to mimic crawler. You have plenty of other utility zombies in your list. If you need room, you can think of remove this dude.
- Anguished Unmaking: 3 mana is too much for a removal :D When you go low to the ground, you want to get the cheapest removal available. Give a try to Chain of Vapor! It's a fantastic card. It removes anything and can save your stuff.
I think your basic count (10) is great with the inclusion of Land Tax.
Anyway, it's more a feeling. If your experience was always good with 34 lands, it's perfectly fine. But in my side, I can't go below under 36 because, even with 36 lands, I had missed land drop and had bad games.
My two cents:
- You should give a try to Soul Partition instead of Void Rend. Void Rend seems sexy but need 3 colors and do nothing against indestructible. Partition comes a mana earlier and it's another world. You can even save your own stuff with no extra cost to recast it.
- I see you run Bone Miser too. I recently re-added it. But now I feels it's too much. 5 mana is a lot and we often have the situation where we can't really benefit from it because it's during a Varina attack trigger. For now I keep it because it really shines when you pair it with Putrid Imp or Zombie Infestation.
- Painful Truths seems out of context in a Varina low to the ground list. You want slow zombies and starting digging as soons as possible. You will draw enough with the queen anyway :D
- Poxwalkers is an easy cut. This card want to act like a pseudo Gravecrawler but does it really badly. It needs a setup just for trying to mimic crawler. You have plenty of other utility zombies in your list. If you need room, you can think of remove this dude.
- Anguished Unmaking: 3 mana is too much for a removal :D When you go low to the ground, you want to get the cheapest removal available. Give a try to Chain of Vapor! It's a fantastic card. It removes anything and can save your stuff.
I actually wanted to play these cards in a more combat-oriented zombie-swarm deck along with Empty the Laboratory and Rooftop Storm, so I built Wilhelt as a second zombie typal/kindred/tribal/gang/club/fraternity deck. I've enjoyed both.Reya wrote: ↑3 days agoDeath Barron and other lords are useless in my opinion. When you go lower to the ground, you want to skullclamp your army and you absolutely don't want that toughness boost. And we mainly kill with infinite combo, not combat damage.
Noxious Ghoul is an expensive situational board wipe. You can easily cut it.
Wilhelt is really good value but it's only one draw a turn. In my list I run Headless Rider, Midnight Reaper and Undead Augur. They all do a better job and I never feel the lack of Wilhelt. And second problem: Wilhelt cost 4. It's the turn you want to cast Varina and start digging. The previous 3 zombies come a turn earlier and provide pseudo board wipe protection/value before Varina hit the board.
I'm still learning Wilhelt and amassing pieces so I haven't listed that deck in my signature.
Arcades, the Strategist, Nekusar, the Mindrazer, Varina, Lich Queen,Sidar Jabari of Zhalfir
Sythis, Harvest's Hand, Ratadrabik of Urborg, Ranar the Ever-Watchful, Lathril, Blade of the Elves
Ayara, First of Locthwain, Giada, Font of Hope,The Gaffer
Sythis, Harvest's Hand, Ratadrabik of Urborg, Ranar the Ever-Watchful, Lathril, Blade of the Elves
Ayara, First of Locthwain, Giada, Font of Hope,The Gaffer
