It's actually more consistent than it seems. Salvage helps you chain Zombies while dumping crawlers into the grave. I haven't been int a spot where I couldn't recur the crawlers at will (no kidding). The white mana hasn't been an issue. I have 8 white mana sources and 8 spells to dig for them. But I have been adding some Behemoths as you suggested by cutting 2 Griselbrands for 2 Behemoths and it has worked wonders. Definitely the right call.
Also the problem with going all in on the Reanimator plan, as I see it, is that a single Syncopate/Dissipate destroys you plus there's nearly not enough dig spells in Junk colors to put a fatty an a Rites into the grave T3-T4 consistently.
Hmmm yeah I could go down the that route but the fact that I can put early pressure on the opponent has won me a lot of games (I've beaten heavy control with Syncopate, Dissipate and Tormod's Crypt just by landing a bunch of Zombies and attack FTW) . I'm not saying I've invented the holy grail or anything and the deck could easily be a B-version of Junk Rites, but it would be cool with some inputs on why it worse instead of just saying that I should be playing another deck.
I've been on a steam roll with this deck on MWS, though that doesn't say much it at least tells me that the deck doesn't suck (probably, though it's hard to tell)
The deck can both play the aggressor and control depending on the circumstances. I started out with Blood Artist instead of Thragtusk and I'm not sure which one fits best. Blood Artist combos well with all the Crawlers you dredge into + the soul tokens but Thragtusk gives you another body to reanimate. I started with 23 lands, went down to 21 and landed on 22 which seems to be the right number.
I really like the fact that you can put on the pressure against decks that just sit on a Syncopate/Dissipate and wait for you to cast Rites.
I haven't tried with M13 duals but that would require a genius to work out a list with those too (I aint one). I think it's necessary to include some as you'd take too much pain otherwise.
I've only play tested it in solo mode to try and get a feel for the mana base. It's still pretty shaky but I get the feeling that we're halfway there. You have always something to cast no matter what. The question is whether it's the right spell you're able to cast. Which brings me to the next question: With so little mana and so much to do we are giving away flexibility in favor of more business. But if you can't cast all the said business anyway is it worth it? (I hope that made sense)
This deck looks so sick (and completely weird). I've gold fished with it a bit and you're not lying about the lands. 16 is enough quantitatively speaking. I don't know how it works when you have to hit certain colors.
One thing I think the deck needs is Faithless Looting as you have no way to discard the fatties if you draw them. I don't know what I would take out though.
Is this Reid Duke's list? If not, it's almost identical. I have been running this build for a couple of months but it never felt right. It was really good at answering threats but really poor at closing the game. Maybe it's because I'm a U/B Control player and I'm used to "if I survive the first 5-6 turns I've won the game" mindset, but I always felt that I lost games that I shouldn't have. After stabilizing it often became a matter of who top decked a monster or an answer, where normally you should be the favorite to win the game if you got to that point.
I also tried a couple of times to simply run out of win cons due to Ravings + the opponents answers. I don't know, I might have played the deck wrong.
Visions of Beyond? The problem with mill is that it runs out of gas really fast. Beyond seems like a natural include, especially sick with Snappy (cycle it in the beginning of the game and flash it back in the late game for full value). I would also consider a split between Terminus and DoJ. Then it becomes more than a light white splash but that shouldn't be a problem mana wise.
I have been working on this Bant deck for a while. It's build to support Geist which probably will be difficult to answer post-rotation. You fetch him with Beast Tracker play him and start pumping him and then attack FTW. It's been pretty explosive in testing. I haven't tested this post-rotation build. So I don't how good Ajani is for instance (she got Ponder's spot).
With Adrupt Decay, Dreadbore and all that jazz I think the control mirror will end in a stale mate. There's just too many ways to answer Planeswalkers and with the Titans gone there's no good creature win condition as of yet. This is where Bloodhall and Drownyard are gonna shine I think.
There's a reason why Wild Nascatl got banned in Modern and Kird Ape didn't. The difference between 2 and 3 in power is huge. Plus with Delver/Nascatl you have to work for the outcome. You can't just jam them in any deck and call it a day.
Only that it's not 'discard a card' but 'exile an instant or sorcery card from your hand' which is a big difference. You can't just get rid of excessive lands, cards with flashbacks, dredgers, reanimator targets etc. but have to dump your business spells.
The above creature would definitely see play, but I'm skeptical about the actual Nivmagus.
Also the problem with going all in on the Reanimator plan, as I see it, is that a single Syncopate/Dissipate destroys you plus there's nearly not enough dig spells in Junk colors to put a fatty an a Rites into the grave T3-T4 consistently.
Anyway without further ado
4 Overgrown Tomb
4 Woodland Cemetery
4 Isolated Chapel
6 Swamp
4 Temple Garden
4 Gravecrawler
4 Geralf's Messenger
4 Lotleth Troll
4 Griselbrand
3 Thragtusk
3 Liliana of the Veil
4 Mulch
4 Grisly Salvage
4 Lingering souls
4 Unburial Rites
The deck can both play the aggressor and control depending on the circumstances. I started out with Blood Artist instead of Thragtusk and I'm not sure which one fits best. Blood Artist combos well with all the Crawlers you dredge into + the soul tokens but Thragtusk gives you another body to reanimate. I started with 23 lands, went down to 21 and landed on 22 which seems to be the right number.
I really like the fact that you can put on the pressure against decks that just sit on a Syncopate/Dissipate and wait for you to cast Rites.
Thoughts?
I know I know, that sounded lame
4 Overgrown Tomb
3 Blood Crypt
3 Hallowed Fountain
2 Temple Garden
I haven't tried with M13 duals but that would require a genius to work out a list with those too (I aint one). I think it's necessary to include some as you'd take too much pain otherwise.
I've only play tested it in solo mode to try and get a feel for the mana base. It's still pretty shaky but I get the feeling that we're halfway there. You have always something to cast no matter what. The question is whether it's the right spell you're able to cast. Which brings me to the next question: With so little mana and so much to do we are giving away flexibility in favor of more business. But if you can't cast all the said business anyway is it worth it? (I hope that made sense)
3 Snapcaster Mage
3 Jace, Memory Adept
3 Tamiyo, the Moon Sage
4 Thought Scour
4 Visions of Beyond
4 Mind Sculpt
2 Increasing Confusion
3 Day of Judgment
2 Terminus
3 Oblivion ring
3 Timely Reinforcements
4 Glacial Fortress
8 Island
6 Plains
One thing I think the deck needs is Faithless Looting as you have no way to discard the fatties if you draw them. I don't know what I would take out though.
Is this Reid Duke's list? If not, it's almost identical. I have been running this build for a couple of months but it never felt right. It was really good at answering threats but really poor at closing the game. Maybe it's because I'm a U/B Control player and I'm used to "if I survive the first 5-6 turns I've won the game" mindset, but I always felt that I lost games that I shouldn't have. After stabilizing it often became a matter of who top decked a monster or an answer, where normally you should be the favorite to win the game if you got to that point.
I also tried a couple of times to simply run out of win cons due to Ravings + the opponents answers. I don't know, I might have played the deck wrong.
4 Arbor Elf
4 Avacyn's Pilgrim
4 Mwonvuli Beast Tracker
4 Geist of Saint Traft
3 Wolfir Silverheart
1 Acidic Slime
4 Rancor
4 Spectral Flight
4 Azorius Charm
4 Ajani, Caller of the Pride
Lands: 24
4 Temple Garden
4 Hallowed Fountain
4 Hinterland Harbor
4 Cavern of Souls
6 Forest
2 Gavony Township
With Adrupt Decay, Dreadbore and all that jazz I think the control mirror will end in a stale mate. There's just too many ways to answer Planeswalkers and with the Titans gone there's no good creature win condition as of yet. This is where Bloodhall and Drownyard are gonna shine I think.
Only that it's not 'discard a card' but 'exile an instant or sorcery card from your hand' which is a big difference. You can't just get rid of excessive lands, cards with flashbacks, dredgers, reanimator targets etc. but have to dump your business spells.
The above creature would definitely see play, but I'm skeptical about the actual Nivmagus.