After 3 years, I've come to prefer the 4 Leaks over variations of Remand, Logic Knot, Negate, and Countersquall. Teachings for Gearhulk, Cast Out, Rev, and Secure.
While durdling on Cockatrice recently, I played against another Abzan list that had Tarmogoyf, Grisly Salvage, Siege Rhino, Unburial Rites, Wurmcoil, and Iona. Just wondered if that happened to be anyone on this page
@rjmcdonough92 Smuggler's Copter has been great. Aside from what you've already mentioned, it helps with Delirium and helps Satyrs and Arbor Elves be slightly more relevant as bodies when we don't have Township. In many cases, I found could care less whether my opponent kills Smuggler's Copter or lets the beats in, since both help the GY/delirium plan. I've been on and off Rallier, switching between Rallier and EWit. Both have great utility. Rallier when I tend to have more <2CMC permanents side, like Ethersworn Canonist, Gaddock Teeg, Pithing Needle, and Stony Silence, to go with grabbing Satyr, lands, Sprawls, Elves, Copter, and Revoker in the main. EWit when I just want to grab back some Paths or discard. Occasionally both get in the same 75.
@soysaucedude I disagree with the direction you took, mainly because as a blend between traditional rock and reanimator, your deck *looks* like it would be less efficient and consistent in both strategies. Of course, I haven't done any testing with your style so I can't be certain that the trade-off isn't worth it, but my intuition says no. I'll give some suggestions regardless: Three Unburial Rites are going to prove exceedingly clunky when you have very little discard or self-mill and your reanimation targets are a bit lacking. My suggestion is to go down on 5 drops - likely just 1 Thragtusk - play some smaller beaters like KotR, Tireless Tracker, Scooze, or Loxodon Smiter in the main, and play Profane Command instead of Rites. For the price of Rites, it can get back most of your creatures (after adjusting the main) as well as serve as removal or dual win cons.
On the note of Profane Command: I've been playing a variant of Abzan Death's Shadow with Profane Command instead of the red Kolaghan's Command and the card has been stellar; I've adopted a single copy in my Abzan Reanimator list to complement the two Unburial Rites.
How's Grapple compared to Satyr? I've found the body to be quite relevant despite that it's just a 1/1, as well as the extra flip helping with delirium.
Not sure about making videos; concerned the quality won't turn out too well, but I'm considering it. What list are you playing? There's no combo in my list, unless you're just talking about the reanimation aspect.
Hey guys, great to see the posts to this page. I've been off the grid due to school but I figured I'd post an updated list. I regularly switch out a couple of cards based on meta expectations but find this deck is still a monster again the aggressive decks in the meta. Death's Shadow decks are great match ups; just watch out for Temur Battle Rage if they're playing red and be careful not to get tempo'd out if they're playing blue. Eldrazi is fodder as always; I've found both Bant and Eldra-tron to be great matchups. Burn is a bit harder, as always, but we have the tools to win easily, just less room for error. Affinity folds to Souls and Serenity but I got rekted by a double Champion draw so there's that; otherwise a good matchup. Most matchups should go 2-1 in our favor provided we have the correct 60 post board and are familiar with play patterns. Here you go:
I've tested Eldritch Evolution and haven't quite liked it as much as Traverse the Ulvenwald; also playing 2 Collective Brutality but we're more proactive than other midrange decks so I keep it in the side rather than dilute the game plan.
Three for three GPT top 8s with Abzan Reanimator (This time at Plus EV Games in Orange)
Didn't get to the finals this time around because I'm not going to GP Dallas so I conceded to my QF opponent.
R1 0-2 Naya Titanshift, probably one of my tougher match ups
R2 2-0 Sultai Delver
R3 2-0 Jund (heheheheheh)
R4 2-0 Dredge, all that playtesting with Dredge really helped me maneuver to victory
R5 2-1 Ad Nauseam, was paired down and opponent wouldn't draw
Second place going into top 8, conceded in QF to RG LD after winning game 1 (gotta make em sweat a bit)
Note about hitting Delirium: I noticed we are very consistent in hitting early Delirium if we have about 20 land, 20 creatures, and the rest as some split of Instant/Sorcery/Planeswalker/Artifact/Enchantment/Tribal.
Oh yeah, if cost is an issue, KotR and Grim Flayer are two excellent replacements for Goyf. Both have been very good, although I've played with KotR extensively more than Flayer. There's also the tech way of hitting Delirium by sac'ing your Utopia Sprawl land, which is sometimes relevant. For example, float the mana, sac the Sprawl land for a tech land like Gavony, and play Traverse to get an Angel. But connecting with Flayer always feels good as well.
And you have great input for your so called "lack of experience;" it has been very valuable in testing and brewing.
I see what you mean, Loneger; I was just thinking Traverse might get the ban hammer someday if people realize Delirium is pretty easy to set up in modern and ever get to testing it. Thus the most powerful "graveyard" related card. But not exactly a graveyard strategy in its aim, just its setup. I could see playing a single KotR with our Traverses but I've been about to race decks like Tron and RG Titanshift only because I had the early Goyf or two. I realized even though he might not be big if we drop him early, he's a powerful investment - even if he dies to bolt or something. Because I'd love to play bolt decks all day (aside from burn). There really are so many more ways to build this now with Traverse (as if we didn't already have options), I have trouble seeing any kind of optimal list. Perhaps that's a good thing, and that's what testing helps with. And yeah, if you mostly test against BW Eldrazi with maindeck Relics, you're going to get an undue predisposition against GY hate.
As for your list, Eisenbaer, I definitely think you want some number of Satyr Wayfinders in there, since they hit as a creature for Sidisi and get pumped through Norn, all the while furthering your strategy of filling the graveyard and hitting land drops. I would also caution against so many big drops as they can lead to clunky hands, but I'm sure it also means you can ramp them out or reanimate them much more often. Whatever works for you.
I have definitely missed Vault after cutting it, but my experiences with my current list have sold me on 4x Traverse the Ulvenwald. It is without question the most absurd, powerful card in my list. Whatever 75 I was playing in these past months have been missing out. Wish I had 4x at GPLA /sadface
Anyway, I'd been testing with it in the past week and it always felt very solid in consistency and super powerful when it was on; I never felt like I was playing it quite optimally though (for example, I missed a lethal attack in fetching an Angel of Serenity instead of Gavony Township; I had to content myself with the Angel killing my opponent the next turn /shedstear). So lately, I've just been goldfishing to better understand the lines of play available. And I have to say, the sheer number of options that have become available through Traverse became migraine inducing. It's like I'm trying to pilot a devil's combination of Lantern, Pod, and Amulet Bloom.
Traverse is so flexible, but I think it would take players like Owen Turtenwald to play my list even close to optimally: Between deciding to get a basic land turn one to ensure I curve out, saving it for after a Wayfinder/Salvage (I hit delirium consistently turn 3/4, turn 2/3 if I had a dork), and then deciding how to plan the game out once Delirium is active, there are just so many more lines of play. Like finding Witness and then rebuying the Traverse to grab an Angel. Or maybe if I have an Angel in hand and a Sprawl'ed forest, grab an Arbor Elf for turn 4/5 Angel, or Gavony so the Spirits can hold the fort and you hit land drops until you cast your Angel. Fetching Sin Collector against a Uxx Control deck. Or I had a Rhino turn 3 and spent my turn 4 going Traverse>Rhino, E-Wit>Traverse, Traverse>Rhino so I can communicate: "Hey bud. I'm holding two more Rhinos." KTK standard PTSD, too soon? Traverse just feels so absurd (and headachey, which is a good sign?) mid-late game.
And if there's graveyard hate I can see bringing in sb Vault to go up a bit on land count and still playing a "fair" game.
As for Decimator v Craterhoof, both have their merits. If it came down to only wanting the pump effect, I'd want Craterhoof (which is what I intended to communicate), but I can see situations where Decimator is far superior.
Also, after trying out Traverse and hearing that Dredge and Gifts is more powerful? I'd have to flatly disagree there. Dredge, perhaps far faster and slips under us, maybe. But I don't think there's a more powerful gy card in modern.
Looks good; I definitely think you should swap a Swamp or Wildwood for any Forest-type. I've had a lot of issues with awkward Utopia Sprawl/Arbor Elf hands that had a non Forest green source or just no green source, and since then I've kept a high Forest count. Also, I definitely think Craterhoof is better in our deck than Decimator.
Perhaps it's just personal preference with Traverse; I cut down to 20 lands since I've now got 13 one drops and Traverse has greatly helped with consistency there. Also, having four Traverse gets around Blood Moon so easily when you grab that first Forest, it's astounding how trivial beating Blood Moon has been recently. I haven't mentioned it yet but maindeck Phyrexian Revoker with Traverse has stolen quite a few matches recently: RG Tron and RG Titan ramp (I've found these to be nightmares in the past), Ad Nauseam, U Tron, and various planeswalker control strategies. Definitely secret mvp.
I've tested one Grim Flayer for a little and he was impressive, but if we ever hit Delirium, Traverse is just so much more powerful. For example, I don't run KotR anymore because Traverse is almost like Canopies/Townships 2-5 and between Satyr and Salvage I hit Delirium in all but the fastest match-ups. Traverse has just been so good for me between fixing one land hands and late game bombs. Flayer certainly has potential and perhaps should take the place of 'goyfs in my list. Perhaps I'll test that next: swapping 3 Flayer for 3 'goyf.
Currently testing Traverse the Ulvenwald a lot. I don't know why it's taken so long for me to do so, but it definitely feels like the real deal-an almost "more busted" Green Sun's Zenith when it's on (well, if it's online, it IS more busted unless you want to debate the reuse part). Long story short, I tested Traverse with Tarfire in tempo-y decks and was super impressed, so I decided to put it in an actual graveyard deck. This is the list I've been using (forgive the formatting).
Esper (Teachings Variation)
60 Maindeck
3 Creature
2 Snapcaster Mage
1 Torrential Gearhulk
1 Enchantment
1 Cast Out
27 Instant
1 Mystical Teachings
4 Path to Exile
3 Settle the Wreckage
4 Mana Leak
4 Esper Charm
3 Think Twice
3 Cryptic Command
1 Secure the Wastes
1 Sphinx's Revelation
1 Shadow of Doubt
2 Spell Snare
27 Land
3 Celestial Colonnade
2 Watery Grave
2 Hallowed Fountain
1 Godless Shrine
4 Polluted Delta
4 Flooded Strand
2 Glacial Fortress
2 Drowned Catacomb
3 Island
1 Swamp
2 Plains
1 Ghost Quarter
2 Sorcery
2 Lingering Souls
15 Sideboard
1 Artifact
SB: 1 Engineered Explosives
1 Enchantment
SB: 1 Stony Silence
11 Instant
SB: 1 Fracturing Gust
SB: 1 Blessed Alliance
SB: 2 Negate
SB: 2 Dispel
SB: 2 Celestial Purge
SB: 3 Surgical Extraction
2 Sorcery
SB: 1 Supreme Verdict
SB: 1 Flaying Tendrils
After 3 years, I've come to prefer the 4 Leaks over variations of Remand, Logic Knot, Negate, and Countersquall. Teachings for Gearhulk, Cast Out, Rev, and Secure.
@soysaucedude I disagree with the direction you took, mainly because as a blend between traditional rock and reanimator, your deck *looks* like it would be less efficient and consistent in both strategies. Of course, I haven't done any testing with your style so I can't be certain that the trade-off isn't worth it, but my intuition says no. I'll give some suggestions regardless: Three Unburial Rites are going to prove exceedingly clunky when you have very little discard or self-mill and your reanimation targets are a bit lacking. My suggestion is to go down on 5 drops - likely just 1 Thragtusk - play some smaller beaters like KotR, Tireless Tracker, Scooze, or Loxodon Smiter in the main, and play Profane Command instead of Rites. For the price of Rites, it can get back most of your creatures (after adjusting the main) as well as serve as removal or dual win cons.
On the note of Profane Command: I've been playing a variant of Abzan Death's Shadow with Profane Command instead of the red Kolaghan's Command and the card has been stellar; I've adopted a single copy in my Abzan Reanimator list to complement the two Unburial Rites.
// 60 Maindeck
// 2 Artifact
2 Smuggler's Copter
// 19 Creature
4 Arbor Elf
1 Thragtusk
2 Angel of Serenity
4 Satyr Wayfinder
2 Siege Rhino
1 Shriekmaw
1 Restoration Angel
1 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Walking Ballista
1 Angel of Sanctions
1 Renegade Rallier
// 4 Enchantment
4 Utopia Sprawl
// 5 Instant
3 Grisly Salvage
2 Fatal Push
// 9 Sorcery
2 Unburial Rites
2 Lingering Souls
3 Traverse the Ulvenwald
2 Collective Brutality
// 21 Land
4 Windswept Heath
2 Temple Garden
2 Overgrown Tomb
2 Forest
1 Swamp
1 Plains
1 Gavony Township
1 Horizon Canopy
4 Verdant Catacombs
1 Godless Shrine
2 Marsh Flats
// 15 Sideboard
// 5 Creature
SB: 3 Kitchen Finks
SB: 1 Gaddock Teeg
SB: 1 Shriekmaw
// 6 Instant
SB: 2 Abrupt Decay
SB: 1 Blessed Alliance
SB: 3 Path to Exile
// 4 Sorcery
SB: 3 Thoughtseize
SB: 1 Memoricide
Didn't get to the finals this time around because I'm not going to GP Dallas so I conceded to my QF opponent.
R1 0-2 Naya Titanshift, probably one of my tougher match ups
R2 2-0 Sultai Delver
R3 2-0 Jund (heheheheheh)
R4 2-0 Dredge, all that playtesting with Dredge really helped me maneuver to victory
R5 2-1 Ad Nauseam, was paired down and opponent wouldn't draw
Second place going into top 8, conceded in QF to RG LD after winning game 1 (gotta make em sweat a bit)
Decklist:
4 Arbor Elf
1 Restoration Angel
2 Grim Flayer
1 Thragtusk
2 Angel of Serenity
4 Satyr Wayfinder
3 Siege Rhino
1 Shriekmaw
1 Eternal Witness
4 Path to Exile
3 Grisly Salvage
4 Traverse the Ulvenwald
2 Unburial Rites
2 Lingering Souls
2 Liliana, the Last Hope
4 Utopia Sprawl
4 Windswept Heath
2 Temple Garden
2 Overgrown Tomb
3 Forest
1 Swamp
1 Plains
1 Gavony Township
1 Horizon Canopy
4 Verdant Catacombs
1 Godless Shrine
SB: 2 Abrupt Decay
SB: 2 Collective Brutality
SB: 1 Shriekmaw
SB: 1 Anafenza, the Foremost
SB: 1 Phyrexian Revoker
SB: 2 Surgical Extraction
SB: 1 Thragtusk
SB: 2 Thoughtseize
SB: 1 Stony Silence
SB: 1 Pulse of Murasa
SB: 1 Maelstrom Pulse
Note about hitting Delirium: I noticed we are very consistent in hitting early Delirium if we have about 20 land, 20 creatures, and the rest as some split of Instant/Sorcery/Planeswalker/Artifact/Enchantment/Tribal.
And you have great input for your so called "lack of experience;" it has been very valuable in testing and brewing.
As for your list, Eisenbaer, I definitely think you want some number of Satyr Wayfinders in there, since they hit as a creature for Sidisi and get pumped through Norn, all the while furthering your strategy of filling the graveyard and hitting land drops. I would also caution against so many big drops as they can lead to clunky hands, but I'm sure it also means you can ramp them out or reanimate them much more often. Whatever works for you.
Anyway, I'd been testing with it in the past week and it always felt very solid in consistency and super powerful when it was on; I never felt like I was playing it quite optimally though (for example, I missed a lethal attack in fetching an Angel of Serenity instead of Gavony Township; I had to content myself with the Angel killing my opponent the next turn /shedstear). So lately, I've just been goldfishing to better understand the lines of play available. And I have to say, the sheer number of options that have become available through Traverse became migraine inducing. It's like I'm trying to pilot a devil's combination of Lantern, Pod, and Amulet Bloom.
Traverse is so flexible, but I think it would take players like Owen Turtenwald to play my list even close to optimally: Between deciding to get a basic land turn one to ensure I curve out, saving it for after a Wayfinder/Salvage (I hit delirium consistently turn 3/4, turn 2/3 if I had a dork), and then deciding how to plan the game out once Delirium is active, there are just so many more lines of play. Like finding Witness and then rebuying the Traverse to grab an Angel. Or maybe if I have an Angel in hand and a Sprawl'ed forest, grab an Arbor Elf for turn 4/5 Angel, or Gavony so the Spirits can hold the fort and you hit land drops until you cast your Angel. Fetching Sin Collector against a Uxx Control deck. Or I had a Rhino turn 3 and spent my turn 4 going Traverse>Rhino, E-Wit>Traverse, Traverse>Rhino so I can communicate: "Hey bud. I'm holding two more Rhinos."
And if there's graveyard hate I can see bringing in sb Vault to go up a bit on land count and still playing a "fair" game.
As for Decimator v Craterhoof, both have their merits. If it came down to only wanting the pump effect, I'd want Craterhoof (which is what I intended to communicate), but I can see situations where Decimator is far superior.
Also, after trying out Traverse and hearing that Dredge and Gifts is more powerful? I'd have to flatly disagree there. Dredge, perhaps far faster and slips under us, maybe. But I don't think there's a more powerful gy card in modern.
Perhaps it's just personal preference with Traverse; I cut down to 20 lands since I've now got 13 one drops and Traverse has greatly helped with consistency there. Also, having four Traverse gets around Blood Moon so easily when you grab that first Forest, it's astounding how trivial beating Blood Moon has been recently. I haven't mentioned it yet but maindeck Phyrexian Revoker with Traverse has stolen quite a few matches recently: RG Tron and RG Titan ramp (I've found these to be nightmares in the past), Ad Nauseam, U Tron, and various planeswalker control strategies. Definitely secret mvp.
Creatures-22
4 Arbor Elf
1 Thragtusk
2 Angel of Serenity
4 Satyr Wayfinder
3 Siege Rhino
1 Birds of Paradise
1 Restoration Angel
1 Shriekmaw
3 Tarmogoyf
1 Phyrexian Revoker
1 Eternal Witness
Enchantments-4
4 Utopia Sprawl
Instants-6
3 Grisly Salvage
3 Path to Exile
Sorceries-8
2 Unburial Rites
2 Lingering Souls
4 Traverse the Ulvenwald
Lands-20
4 Windswept Heath
2 Temple Garden
2 Overgrown Tomb
2 Forest
1 Swamp
1 Plains
1 Gavony Township
1 Horizon Canopy
4 Verdant Catacombs
2 Marsh Flats
SB: 2 Thoughtseize
SB: 2 Stony Silence
SB: 1 Fracturing Gust
SB: 1 Pulse of Murasa
SB: 2 Abrupt Decay
SB: 3 Collective Brutality
SB: 1 Path to Exile
SB: 1 Sin Collector
SB: 1 Engineered Explosives
SB: 1 Anafenza, the Foremost