Reanimator
Commander (EDH) forum
Posted on June 25, 2017, 2:09 a.m. by VictorSilvertome
Hey, guys!
I was just wanting to start a thread asking specifically about and getting a discussion going so I can learn more about reanimation in commander.
I'm interested in making a deck with this strategy with no particular commander in mind, but I don't know how exactly to make it super consistent.
What commanders do you guys use with this strategy and what specific cards do you run with that commander?
How early can you get a specific creature out of your deck, into your graveyard and onto the battlefield and how?
What are some of your favorite/what are some of the most useful reanimation targets?
Hjaltrohir says... #3
1a. Meren of Clan Nel Toth, Alesha, Who Smiles at Death, Karador, Ghost Chieftain, Sidisi, Brood Tyrant, The Mimeoplasm etc.
1b. Entomb, Buried Alive, Reanimate, Animate Dead, Victimize, Living Death, Necromancy, Sheoldred, Whispering One, Exhume
Ummm, not sure as it would completely depend on the draw, the deck and the colours. I'd say T1 on a perfect draw (Lotus Petal/Mox Diamond + Land + Entomb + Reanimate + Fatty) or T2-3 otherwise. Again, depends greatly on your hand and your deck.
Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite, Massacre Wurm, Rune-Scarred Demon, Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur, Void Winnower, Inkwell Leviathan
June 25, 2017 2:35 a.m.
Imho the best reanimator commander is Jarad, Golgari Lich Lord because you can make a lot of value out of sacrificing your fatties. I played Jarad often and it is one of my favourite decks because he wins really fast compared to meren (she is just doing value but not winning as much imho). Karador is also pretty sweet because you can extend your hand with cards from your graveyard and get some nice white creatures like Sun Titan.
If you want an incredibly fast win you might try something with necrotic ooze and hermit druid but that does not play like reanimator honestly
June 25, 2017 3:05 a.m.
griffstick says... #5
Hjaltrohir nailed it, on another note Fated Return is really cool
June 25, 2017 3:13 a.m.
VictorSilvertome says... #6
griffstick, cool card and instant speed but so much mana D:
June 25, 2017 3:20 a.m.
T1 - for Dark Ritual, then for either Entomb or Cabal Therapy for your reanimation target, finally for Reanimate or remaining for Animate Dead.
June 25, 2017 4:11 a.m.
PhotogenicParasympathetic says... #8
What, no love for Savra, Queen of the Golgari? She's nice because she doesn't lend herself to combo/insta-kills the way Jarad does. Instead, her gravepact effect and her lifegain effect help her control the board through constant sacrifice and reanimation.
As far as independent cards go, I'm a fan of Ever After. Chainer, Dementia Master is just nuts.
June 25, 2017 4:54 a.m.
In more competitive EDH decks, reanimator strategies generally use cards like Entomb, Buried Alive, and Hermit Druid to dump combo pieces into the graveyard quickly to be reanimated, as opposed to focusing on just trying to get big creatures onto the board early in the game like in other formats. Getting a huge creature out on turn 1 or 2 just doesn't have the same impact in EDH due to the large life totals and often having multiple opponents (although getting out an early Jin-Gitaxias, Core Augur and having it survive through to your next turn will often win the game for you).
Some of the graveyard-based combos you may see at a tournament are: Hermit Druid combo; Boonweaver Giant combo; some variations of Necrotic Ooze combo; Worldgorger Dragon combo; variations of Protean Hulk combo; Angel of Glory's Rise bomberman combo; and various infinite loops that use cards like Reveillark, Karmic Guide, and Saffi Eriksdotter.
Even if combo isn't the route you want to take with your deck, it's worth googling the chains for the combos listed above so that you have an idea regarding what other reanimator decks you come across might be up to.
June 25, 2017 6:41 a.m.
A commander nobody mentionned yet is Daretti, Scrap Savant
He easily drops stuff in the graveyard and can recur artifacts very easily too. I love to dump big artifact creatures in the yard with him and immediately recur them with either Goblin Welder or by activating Daretti again with The Chain Veil
Only downside is he's mono red
June 25, 2017 7:25 a.m.
I'd put forth Chainer, Dementia Master -- You can run all that Mono-B Devotion goodness and instant speed reanimation from any graveyard.
June 25, 2017 4:31 p.m.
As SaberTech mentioned, it comes down to what you're trying to do. I have a Saffi Eriksdotter deck and in it the most expensive creatures in the deck are actually my reanimation cards. With the deck im trying to get a recursion loop to kill the table.
However in classic reanimator you'd be looking to cheat early game effects in that screw over your opponent (part of the reason Sylvan Primordial was banned).
Knowing what you want the deck to do is the first step to picking the kind of reanimation effects and targets you want to use.
June 25, 2017 6:21 p.m.
griffstick says... #13
You ready for this turn 1 miss your land drop discard Sheoldred, Whispering One. Turn 2 play a Swamp and cast Reanimate.
Turn 2 Sheoldred, Whispering One
June 26, 2017 12:48 a.m.
griffstick that is how I won against a pod with a die hard oloro control deck (me playing necrotic ooze with thrasios vial smasher)...my opponent missed the land drop on purpose dropping Iona,me reanimating his Iona and I got counter protection for the other 2 or 3 turns I needed to combo ;)Such a play is a huge risk if others play reanimate spells too
June 26, 2017 1:15 a.m.
the new god sounds like it'd be amazing as a reanimator commander The Scarab God
July 9, 2017 11:59 a.m.
SquirtMcGirt says... #16
Hey! I play reanimator in commander! I use Sidisi, undead vizier as my commander. This gets buried alive. You bin necrotic ooze, phrexian devourer, and walking ballista. Reanimate the ooze and win on the spot. Pretty fun!
DrukenReaps says... #2
Volrath the Fallen is a fun reanimation commander. He is a slower strategy but he fills your yard with anything you want and can rather easily swing for 21+ damage. big black things like Harvester of Souls or eldrazi go well with him.
June 25, 2017 2:24 a.m.