Are you sure? If you cast Reward first and Sunrise last, Sunrise resolves first and returns the Crypt to your opponent's side.
Sunrise first, Reward second:
Sunrise (last to resolve)
Crypt
Reward (first to resolve)
Reward resolves - eggs return, Crypt does not
Crypt resolves - exiles Reward
*Crack everything again*
Sunrise resolves - eggs + Crypt return
Net result: 2 cycles
Reward first, Sunrise second:
Reward (last to resolve)
Crypt
Sunrise (first to resolve)
Sunrise resolves - eggs + Crypt return
1) Do nothing - Reward has no effect
2) Crack eggs - opponent Crypts on the stack:
Reward
Crypt
Cracked eggs
Crypt
Net result: 1 cycle OR you lose all your eggs.
The problem with Grim Initiate in Aristocrats is that you don't get a token if you already have an Army, you just make the existing token bigger. Aristocrats is a deck where having two 1/1s is better than having a 2/2 because you get to drain them twice.
This is not just kinda like Thragtusk, it's also kinda like Flametongue Kavu (in GW!). Might be worth it in Elves' SB against fair decks.
Liliana's Triumph is a strict upgrade to Devour Flesh, Death's Shadow notwithstanding. It even gets past Leyline of Sanctity. Someone really hates Bogles...
Cruel Celebrant joins Blood Artist and Zulaport Cutthroat in the 2-drop Aristocrat slot. I've had a thing for that deck since Hunted Witness, so I'm probably going to slam all 3 in the same deck and see what happens. Having 2 Blood Artist effects is really hard to beat - dorks like Hunted Witness and Doomed Traveler can chump and drain twice, and once you get a critical mass of creatures and a sac outlet you can just drain them in one shot.
What are you doing wrong?
GW splashing U for Incongruity and nothing else makes it to T16
3 Horizon Canopy
4 Windswept Heath
2 Wooded Foothills
2 Temple Garden
1 Breeding Pool
2 Forest
1 Plains
4 Birds of Paradise
4 Noble Hierarch
4 Devoted Druid
4 Vizier of Remedies
3 Duskwatch Recruiter
2 Shalai, Voice of Plenty
1 Scavenging Ooze
1 Eternal Witness
1 Walking Ballista
1 Dryad Arbor
4 Eldritch Evolution
4 Chord of Calling
4 Postmortem Lunge
2 Burrenton Forge-Tender
1 Kataki, War’s Wage
1 Knight of Autumn
1 Eidolon of Rhetoric
2 Tireless Tracker
2 Gideon, Ally of Zendikar
2 Path to Exile
2 Stony Silence
2 Surgical Extraction
Bloodghast has been a component of at least three competitive decks throughout Modern's history (one of which had to be banned - they chose not to ban Bloodghast from that deck, and were duly rewarded when Dredge made two T8s at the very next GP, won another one and a half years later, and continues to be a force even today. Well done ). Now Phoenix is tearing up the format, and it shares the same characteristics that make Bloodghast good.
History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes.
I don't recommend playing these ramp/control decks when it's an aggro meta out there. But if you want a non-combo deck, go ahead and pick it up.
Long ago (really, really long ago) Serum Visions was played. Now we have more pump spells (BI, Defense) so nobody uses it. I've seen some BG variants with Grisly Salvage, which can find threats/Pendelhaven while filling up the graveyard, but is quite slow at 2 mana. Also seen Sylvan Scrying to grab Inkmoth Nexus/Pendelhaven.
2) Vines and Defense protect your creatures. If you feel like you need more, play Viridian Corrupter as the 13th infect creature.
3) Yes, more for boarding into Geist of Saint Traft than other SB cards.
Cons:
- Can't control when the effect happens, making it weak as a sac outlet. If you have a sac outlet, you want to be able to sac in response to blocks or removal.
- Does nothing until the turn after you cast it. If I hardcast Cabal Therapy, I get to name a card immediately. If I hardcast Therapist, I get a 1/1 menace.
- Does nothing in the graveyard. You can mill yourself to get Therapy in the graveyard and flash it back. Milling Therapist doesn't accomplish anything.
- Not a sorcery. Therapy has synergy with Young Pyromancer and Monastery Mentor, as casting Therapy gives you a token which you can then sac for flashback. Not so with Therapist.
Serra looks average. 4 mana PWs tend to find their way into SBs for slow matchups. I guess Spirits could use it since they have enough fliers and occasionally play Worship.
The Day 2 decklists are pretty messed up (a lot of them are repeats) but let's take a look at what we've got:
You know how Eidolon *****s on Storm and Phoenix when they start spamming cantrips? Light Up the Stage is like that, only it's happening to yourself.