Greetings fellow decklings, today I've got something special I've been working on for a while now. Mardu Reanimator/Madness/Midrange! The basic premise is to win through either of two routes: the first is pitching a bomb like Ulamog, the Ceaseless Hunger, a Gearhulk, or Angel of Sanctions and reanimating it with
Ever After
or
Rise from the Grave
. The other is to dig in and protect Nahiri, the Harbinger, then use her -8 to grab Ulamog (or whatever suits your fancy), throwing it out with haste, then popping it back to your hand for a recast if they aren't dead already. Now for the details:
Discard Outlets:To facilitate this deck's purpose you need to be able to pitch your bombs (or
Fiery Temper
should the need arise), and this is done through a multitude of spells and Nahiri's +2. Collective Brutality is an absolute all-star in this deck, providing removal, hand disruption, life gain, and an excellent trash can for the big guys. Cathardic Reunion is a close second, providing versatility in the use of the discards (i.e. pitching a bomb and triggering Madness), and providing excellent card advantage. Lightning Axe draws its power from how cheap it is, and can really come out of nowhere at instant speed. The discard is upside in this deck, so Lightning Axe is not to be trifled with. Finally, Nahiri, the Harbinger is a renewable source of pain for the opponent, providing a free discard per turn, card advantage, and prime removal. Then once you can get her to 8, unleash the fury of Hell itself and trample your way to victory.
Early to Mid Game Stability:Since this deck really shines in the late game, it's important that we can get there alive. With this in mind, enter Liliana, the Last Hope. She puts a damper on aggro, helps build up the yard for some reanimation fun, and cracking her for an emblem usually wins the game. In her endeavors to keep you alive, she is supported by a suite of removal including
Fiery Temper
, Lightning Axe, Collective Brutality, Nahiri's -2, and in the late game
Cataclysmic Gearhulk
and Chandra, Flamecaller. All the creatuers in the deck are out of range of Sweltering Suns, which can reset the opponent's entire board and provide an excellent target for Goblin Dark-Dwellers who set the annihilation clocks back to keep those kill spells coming. Dark-Dwellers also provide a high-value reanimation target, giving you a 4/4 body with menace and a free spell.
Late Game Beatdown:This section is pretty self explanatory. If you've made it a good number of turns, you've probably stabilized. At this point it is your solitary goal to pursue either of the two win conditions mentioned above or to simply attack them with big ass dudes till they can't walk right. I haven't yet been able to intricately review Amonkhet or Hour of Devastation, so any feedback or criticism is greatly appreciated. Cheers!
