A zombie theme deck is an interesting build. I knew I wanted to make it 2 colors because I like to have answers to problems, and I have found that sometimes mono-black decks lack diverse answers. Gisa and Geralf, although not Zombies, have great synergy with small disposable creatures.
What this deck does lack is defense against flying creatures. I have added Scourge of Nel Toth, Fog Bank, and Wonder to offset this. Because Zombies are nothing without mysterious fog and a bit of wonder.
I have made drain effects a secondary theme in this deck with Exsanguinate, Consume Spirit, Drain Life, Corrupt, and Blood Tithe. Because of this life gain I have added Necropotence so that i have something to do with it.
Heroes
I am open to suggestions and welcome input.
Below is a detailed list of all cards in this deck, and my reasoning behind adding them.
Diregraf Captain - A master who has the additional deathtouch and causes lifeloss to opponent. One my favorites.
Fleshbag Marauder - If I can get this guy into the graveyard with my card : Gisa and Geralf | commander in play, I can return him each turn to keep wiping my opponents creatures
Fog Bank - What would a zombie horde be without some mysterious fog
Geralf's Masterpiece - A flying 7/7 if I am drawing empty, although usually ends up being about a 3/3 or 4/4
Geralf's Mindcrusher - I use his ETB to put my own cards into my graveyard.
Geth, Lord of the Vault - Although I don’t really have a lot of creature removal in this deck, If my opponents are fighting among themselves and a big beast ends up in the grave, this is a great way to get him for my own
Ghoulcaller Gisa - If I am building a swarm, this works good to trade out a Mindcrusher or Wonder
Grave Titan - Deathtouch along with usually at least 4 zombie friends
Gravecrawler - The perfect sacrificial zombie, can be returned again and again for next to nothing
Gravedigger - Good to return the few non-zombie creatures from my grave to my hand. Torgaar, Famine Incarnate, Sepulchral Primordial and Grave Titan are all potential candidates
Gray Merchant of Asphodel - A hero zombie. I generally play with 3-4 opponents. Perfect if he can be retrieved from the grave and played again
Josu Vess, Lich Knight - Even without the kicker, I like this guy. 4/5 Menace is pretty nice. Can also be kicked from the graveyard if its later game
Lich Lord of Unx - Is mostly in the deck for flavor. I can think of a few better zombies that cost 3 mana
Liliana's Reaver - One of my least favorite zombies in this deck. 4 mana for a 4/3, even with the deathtouch and the token generation, isnt a great deal
Lord of the Accursed - A middle of the road master. Menace is ok if I am swarming
Loyal Subordinate - A nice innocuous way to hit all opponents. Non-threatening
Noosegraf Mob - In a 4-5 player game, this is a great zombie for token creation. Generally doesn’t get to attack, is transformed into five 2/2 zombies before my next turn
Noxious Ghoul - A minor board wipe. Shouldn’t be a problem to hit the board with five or six other zombies out.
Prized Amalgam - This is one of my favorite zombies to tutor with Buried Alive, or seeing it with a Moonlight Bargain is also great
Scourge of Nel Toth - One of the few flying zombies. A tad expensive on that first cast, but sacrificing 2 zombies to bring it back is usually pretty easy.
Sepulchral Primordial - Because we play with 4-5 players, this guy usually comes with 4 other friends
Shepherd of Rot - I have used this guy to cause 8 damage per turn to opponents.
Sidisi, Undead Vizier - Great if I have Gravecrawler in play, or even Prized Amalgam. A 4/6 Deathtoucher with a free Demonic Tutor
Soulless One - I have had this guy be a 10/10
Stitcher Geralf - If I am playing against a big boy green deck or eldrazi Stitcher can be very useful in generating big zombies
Torgaar, Famine Incarnate - Can be used to either hit an opponent down to have their starting, or can be used if I am hurting to return me to 20
Undead Warchief - A master which lowers the cost of every other zombie I play
Vengeful Pharaoh - This is one of my favorite zombies to tutor with Buried Alive, or seeing it with a Moonlight Bargain is also great
Wonder - Makes a great blocker, makes opponents think twice before attacking me when its on the board. Also great to tutor with a Buried Alive
Zombie Master - The OG Master, works well with Urborg
Army of the Damned - For a swarm tribal build, this card is great. I have yet to get to use the flashback ability.
Blood Tithe - Works like a mini drain effect. The nice thing is it hits all opponents, and non black mana can be used.
Buried Alive - Great for Gravecrawler, Prized Amalgam, Vengeful Pharaoh, or even Wonder
Consume Spirit - Another drain effect. Not quite as good, but plays to my lifegain subtheme
Corrupt - I am undecided about the usefulness of this card, late game it can be better than a Drain Life, and it works well with Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth, but I have yet to see it really go off
Drain Life - The original drain effect. Works well with both Cabal Stronghold and Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
Exsanguinate - My favorite drain effect. I generally play with 3-4 opponents; and it can be played using non-black mana
Necromantic Selection - Board wipe with the the addition of getting the biggest one back
Necromantic Summons - Useful for pulling a big guy out of an opponent's grave, but also good to return my own Togaar, Titan, or an excellent combo to return my own Primordial
Profane Command - Love the command cards. The versitility is very handy. Can be used to destroy an indestructible creature AND bring a different creature back from a graveyard
Reanimate - One of the most expensive cards in my deck, but 1 mana for any creature from any graveyard is worth it
Rise from the Grave - Compared to Reanimate this is a red-headed stepchild, but running zombies means I forgo a lot of the bigger beasties my playgroup generally uses.
Rise of the Dark Realms - The most expensive card to cast in the deck, but in a 4-5 player game, by the time I am ready to play it, it can mean a lot of creatures on the board for me
Syphon Flesh - A good way to clear the board a little. Also zombie creation
Unearth - I currently run 9 creatures that this can hit, and most of them are masters
Zombie Apocalypse - This can act as a board wipe against a soldier deck, but mostly its used after I have put half my zombies into my graveyard.
Bojuka Bog - Every once and a while I play against a deck that has as many or more graveyard shenanigans as I do. This can really shut them down
Cabal Stronghold - 14 Basic Swamps in the deck, late game this can allow for a big Drain Life
Choked Estuary - Early game (or with a handful of cards from Necropotence) this land will usually enter untapped
Command Tower - A dual land that is guarenteed to enter untapped
Darksteel Citadel - This used to be an auto add to every deck I ran, but my group doesn’t really play land destruction, and am finding I would rather have a basic swamp in its place
Darkwater Catacombs - inexpensive mana fixing
Dismal Backwater - My least handy dual land. 1 life shouldn’t make or break my game
Drowned Catacomb - I have 24 island or Swamps so will usually enter untapped
Evolving Wilds - Good mana fixing for that second blue or third black that a few cards require
Island - umm, they basic lands, I need them to play stuff
Morphic Pool - Because I usually play with 3-4 opponents, this almost always enters untapped
Sunken Hollow - Counts as a Swamp for cards like Corrupt or Tainted Isle
Swamp - umm, they basic lands, I need them to play stuff
Tainted Isle - It would be very rare that I am not able to use this as a dual land
Temple of Deceit - I think that scry lands are one of the most underrated lands out there
Terramorphic Expanse - Good mana fixing for that second blue or third black that a few cards require
Unholy Grotto - I am undecided if this works in this deck or not.
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth - Over 80% of my deck is black black, and a few of my drain effects require ONLY black mana.
Watery Grave - Counts as a Swamp for cards like Corrupt or Tainted Isle
Door of Destinies - Because zombies arent huge, this is a great way to get them alittle bigger and more dangerous
Nim Deathmantle - The equip cost is quite high, but with extra mana it can keep my better boys alive to fight another day
Sol Ring - ummm, it's a Sol Ring
Moonlight Bargain - Can be used to filter zombies into my graveyard and more potent enchantments or sorceries into my hand
Reality Shift - My favorite exile, should be in every blue deck
Grave Betrayal - Although I have no real board wipe effects, if this can be played prior to the Fleshbag or even a Syphon Flesh it can mean a lot of extra creatures for me
Liliana's Mastery - A fairly new add to this deck, the master boost is nice and its harder to remove than a conventional master
Necropotence - With a secondary life gain theme in this deck and needing to get a lot of zombies into my graveyard, I can use this to get to cards like Zombie Apocalype or Rise of the Dark Realms
Rooftop Storm - Works great with my commanders ability, although its expensive to play the fact that I can play a zombie from my grave right away for no cost offsets that original cost
Secrets of the Dead - I have a lot of graveyard recursion in this deck, and my commanders ability reads as "Cast", which also works with this