Top Rank: #1 in Standard (#3 on T/O) - thanks for reading!
GREETINGS!
This is my experimental Angel Reanimator build featuring Renegade Reaper, Righteous Valkyrie, and Shepherd of the Cosmos.
The objective is to mill myself and gain life rapidly using the best self-mill cards in Standard: Throne of Death, Mire Triton, Corpse Churn, and Renegade Reaper.
Then I can reanimate the 3-cost or less creatures in my graveyard using Call of the Death-Dweller or 2-cost or less permanents using Shepherd of the Cosmos, who will most likely come into play via her Foretold cost. I have also included a lone Agadeem's Awakening
, just in case I have the mana available to utilize it. I have excluded other reanimation spells like Return Upon the Tide and Haunting Voyage because they cost too much mana for less payoff than Call. Shepherd is more limited, but at least she’s an Angel with a 3/3 flying body. If an Archfiend's Vessel finds its way into my graveyard, I can use the Shepherd to reanimate the vessel into a 5/5 flying demon. I can also use the Shepherd to bring a discarded land in my graveyard back to the battlefield.
If Righteous Valkyrie is on the battlefield, it is possible to gain large amounts of life when I reanimate multiple Angels/Clerics at once (especially another Renegade Reaper). With multiple Valkyries on the field, their +2/+2 buff stacks, so the potential here is pretty big.
I included Vito, Thorn of the Dusk Rose as a way to indirectly kill my opponents by simply gaining life, and without actually having to attack. For example, with a Valkyrie on the Board, if I reanimate two Reapers (and mill at least 1 Angel each time), then I gain 14 (3+4+3+4) life and deal 14 damage to the opponent directly!
As extra back-up, I can reliably cast Egon, God of Death
, who will have lots of cards to consume in my graveyard. I’ve also included Eradicator Valkyrie because her boast ability can bypass hexproof, which may come in handy if Bloodchief's Thirst isn’t enough. Plus the Eradicator enables me to sac a Vessel that refuses to die, and also helps against heavy planeswalker decks. Great Hall of Starnheim is another useful way to sac a vessel while generating an Angel token (which will trigger Righteous Valkyrie). A Great Hall in my graveyard is also a great target for Shepherd of the Cosmos if no Vessels are available.
This deck and sideboard are a work in progress. Any comments or suggestions are welcome!
