Meren Necro-Re-genesis

Commander / EDH NSane035

SCORE: 53 | 43 COMMENTS | 5455 VIEWS | IN 19 FOLDERS


Feb. 18, 2016

Removed: King's Assassin, Whisperer of the Wilds, Kamahl, Fist of Krosa, and Sidisi, Undead Vizier.

Added: Deathrite Shaman, Fauna Shaman, Oversold Cemetery, and Hell's Caretaker.

birkemand says... #1

Your 5 and 6 spots are somewhat packed, and there are a lot of great 4-drops out there, for instance: Birthing Pod, Solemn Simulacrum Disciple of Bolas Dread Return. Which also ties in with you needing more ramp and card draw, consider Phyrexian Arena and something like Grim Haruspex for draw and I would also get rid of bad ramp like Diligent Farmhand and add either Wood Elves or Farhaven Elf depending on your pref. and needs. You really need to 'kill some darlings' to add 5 more land. And for Meren to work well, you need some more consistent and cheap sac outlets like: Altar of Dementia, Ashnod's Altar, Carrion Feeder, High Market, Viscera Seer. Remove Corpse Hauler, Flesh Carver and substitute Ogre Slumlord with Awakening Zone or From Beyond. You really need some independent (unlike Slumlord) token-makers. These are cheeper, can be utilized as ramp as well and aren't vulnerable to creature removal.GL

February 6, 2016 2:39 p.m.

NSane035 says... #2

I appreciate you suggestions. I do have a lot of 5 and 6 drops but with the ramp I have in there I haven't had trouble getting them out, a lot of them wind up getting played from the graveyard anyways, so the CMC isn't too brutal on me directly. I noticed the card draw issue myself in the last couple game and put in Carnage Altar while I wait for Vampiric Rites to show up. I have enough tutor that I can almost always pull what I need. Diligent Farmhand is a pretty garbage card and I've been looking at replacing him. As for Ogre Slumlord he's actually one of my favorite cards in the deck. I do also have Golgari Germination, Gutter Grime, and Pawn of Ulamog in there. And yes, these are all conditional, but with as much as I Sac and cycle it doesn't hurt too much. And God forbid I get Mycoloth out its usually an alternate win con with the way the deck works. My issue with the eldrazi scions and spawn are that, besides as a mana source they're pretty much useless. The rate I get from the slumlord discourage attacks and make people pay for them if they choose to press on. Ashnod's Altar is a good suggestion and something like that will most likely replace the Farmhand.

February 6, 2016 4:12 p.m.

birkemand says... #3

Yes okay, I see where you are going. Interesting, I think your meta is a lot different from mine. If you like 'deathtouch factory' check out Ophiomancer: you can sac a snake for value EACH end step and get a new EACH upkeep. It's really good. Though in my meta ramp is more important than stone wall'ing, therefore I play the eldrazi enchantments. I can always convert them to more value using Ghoulcaller Gisa and the like.

February 6, 2016 5:46 p.m.

NSane035 says... #4

I'm not super focused on the death touch aspect despite how it may appear. The Slumlord is just one of my high-utility cards. I tend to play group games and getting another token any time ANYONE loses a non-token creature means my board state can get huge. The issue with Ophiomancer is that one of my main ramp card is Sakura-Tribe Elder who happens to be a snake shaman, might conflict a bit.

I did take your mana curve observation to heart though and did a little bit of rebuilding, going to type up the update right now.

February 6, 2016 6:26 p.m.

Gamerjfire says... #5

If you are putting in a Retribution of the Ancients, a Phyrexian Altar is a must in my opinion. Those two with Mikaeus and any other creature is infinite sac fodder.

February 8, 2016 2:28 p.m.

NSane035 says... #6

I'm holding onto the Retribution of the Ancients right now while I try out the current build. I really want a Phyrexian Altar but I'm not too thrilled about the price tag on it right now, maybe when the tax return comes in. And Mikaeus, the Unhallowed is hugely overpowered in this deck.

February 8, 2016 2:34 p.m.

venok says... #7

February 10, 2016 7:59 a.m.

venok says... #8

February 10, 2016 8:01 a.m.

NSane035 says... #9

Wow, No Mercy is vicious lol. Lord of Extinction is nasty too. I'll definitely add them to my maybeboard, if I hadn't just dropped a whole bunch of cash on other cards I'd order them right now. Thanks for the suggestions.

February 10, 2016 8:19 a.m.

Stonewaul says... #10

Meren = +1!

Love the general and ftmp love the deck. I am curious why you have so many cards that have no ETB/LTB effect like Royal Assassin? I know the card can be great, but it seems a waste of Meren's ability.

Great addition of Deadbridge Chant. I need to get a copy of this card. Excellent choice.

February 11, 2016 8:59 a.m.

NSane035 says... #11

Thanks for the +1 man, and the King's Assassin and Royal Assassin are in there because one of the guys in my playgroup runs a Yisan, the Wanderer Bard elf synergy deck and being able to destroy his ever growing (and tapping) horde for free is super-beneficial. It is a little bit of a waste in regards to Meren, but I've found that there's normally something else to bring in anyways, generally things like Big Game Hunter.

February 11, 2016 9:17 a.m.

Stonewaul says... #12

Meta always allows for a card to fit in a deck that would normally never be there. I understand this reason all to well.

February 11, 2016 9:58 a.m.

what about adding It That Betrays. I have it in my deck and it works wonders. A bit of a high cast but fun to play with.

February 13, 2016 9:15 p.m.

NSane035 says... #14

Thanks for the suggestion. I actually have one and I would LOVE to run it, but the meta is a killer in this group. One of my playgroup runs both Bribery and Gilded Drake so it's a big risk running something that big.

February 13, 2016 10:45 p.m.

Gamerjfire says... #15

Homeward Path I see as a great card if the meta runs cards like those.

February 14, 2016 12:32 a.m.

Ruffigan says... #16

If you're worried about theft and copy effects try adding Grave Pact to go with your Butcher of Malakir and Dictate of Erebos. If they Bribery out anything, sac some creatures and make them sacrifice it. They just gave your best creature to you for free! Same with Gilded Drake, sac to get it back and maybe you get to use their Gilded Drake now, too.

February 14, 2016 1:43 a.m. Edited.

NSane035 says... #17

I could be wrong with this, but if I Sac another players creature it goes to their graveyard, not mine, right? But you're right about the good pull, assuming I have one of those effects out.

February 14, 2016 1:51 a.m.

Ruffigan says... #18

Correct. But you would get the creature they stole from you back in your graveyard, and if you have some type of reanimation effect you could then raise their Gilded Drake to use against them. With the tutors you have it's not unlikely.

February 14, 2016 1:55 a.m. Edited.

NSane035 says... #19

What I'm saying is that if I Sac Gilded Drake it goes to their graveyard not mine, which makes it extremely difficult for me to target for reanimation.

February 14, 2016 1:58 a.m.

Ruffigan says... #20

You could add some staple reanimation cards like Animate Dead, Dance of the Dead, Necromancy, Chainer, Dementia Master, and Sepulchral Primordial to utilize their graveyards. They synergise with the aforementioned sacrifice effects, Chainer and Sepulchral can be used with Meren, and the others are cheap and useful pretty much any time but the first 3-4 turns. The enchantments work particularly well with Buried Alive and Entomb (on your maybe board).

February 14, 2016 2:07 a.m. Edited.

sixwatt says... #21

Hey sweet deck! Check out mine Meren, The Caller of Scions for what seems like a really unique Meren build. +1 from me for the meren love

February 16, 2016 8:33 a.m.