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Unstoppable Zombie Sh!tstorm

Modern Combo Discard Mono-Black Reanimator Tokens Zombie

joelc1225

Upvote 11
11

Creature (30)

Land (22)

Artifact (4)

Instant (4)

Sideboard

Creature (5)

Instant (2)

Sorcery (11)

Maybeboard

Creature (1)

Enchantment (1)

Instant (1)

So many buffed up zombies!!!

RECOMMENDATIONS NEEDED!

This is hands down my favorite deck to play. It has so many different combos and ways to win. It's extremely diverse. Zombie Lord buffs, tokens, and combos galore! The deck is a little pricey, but regardless, it's a blast to play.

Aether Vial are the key here. Taking a few mulligans to pull one would be worth it. Once Aether vials is at 3 charges(leave it at 3), you can cast a 3 CMC zombie for FREE each turn. 24 out of the 36 creatures in this deck are 3 CMC. This saves your mana to be used to cast crucial creature spells to flood the board with zombie tokens. If I manage to get even 2 aether vials to 3 charges, its game over. i wouldn't even need the other ones in play.

I know 3 Nykthos, Shrine to Nyx may seem a little much, but running 4 Cryptbreakers helps with that, since you can use it's mana ability to discard it from your hand to put a 2/2 zombie token on the board if you have a Nykthos already in play. I haven't run into a problem getting stuck with multiple nykthos in my hand because of that.

There are 12 total zombie lords in the deck that buff ALL other zombies 1+1 (NOT COUNTERS!!! that's very important to note). Be ready to annoy your opponent by constantly changing over the dice to keep track of all the buffs lol

Geralf's Messenger CAN be buffed by the lords and still return using his undying ability since the lords dont add "counters", they "give" zombies 1+1. So G.M. would return to the battlefield with the lord buffs AND an extra counter on it.

Diregraf Colossus is great at bringing in tokens. Even if you sac Gravecrawler with Altar's Reap, then cast him from the graveyard, it would trigger Diregraf Colossus's token ability, since you're still casting a zombie spell. More tokens? Yes please!

Lord of the Undead is great not only for its lordship, but bringing back zombies to your hand. There are a ton of big targets here for removal spells(Death Baron, Relentless Dead, Unbreathing Horde , Diregraf Colossus). If your opponent chooses to remove something, it's easily brought back with a 2 mana creature ability. Even if the opponent casts any kind of destroy EVERYTHING kind of spell, the combination of lord of the undead and the aether vials helps rebuild a zombie army in a jiffy.

Westvale Abbey   is in there to add insult to injury. sac 5 tokens and its party time with Ormendahl, Profane Prince  

Unbreathing Horde can get beastly. If i pull him early, i sac or discard him for tokens or to draw cards, then bring him back later with Lord of the Undead's mana ability when I have a bunch of zombies and tokens out

so many different combos in this deck, im just going to start rattling some off.

COMBOS:

Cryptbreaker + Gravecrawler - you can pay to discard gravecrawler to the graveyard for a 2/2 token, then cast gravecrawler from the graveyard for 1 mana

Altar's Reap + Gravecrawler - sac gravecrawler to draw 2, then cast gravecrawler back from the graveyard for 1 mana

Death Baron + Relentless Dead Relentless Dead with Menace and Deathtouch. Two birds one stone? i think so.

There's probably combos or synergies im overlooking. There are so many here. Feel free to remind me of something i missed.

Suggestions are welcomed. I do need suggestions on protecting my deck from graveyard hate and sideboard stuff. Thanks. Upvote if you like!

Suggestions

Updates Add

Tweaking manabase — Aug. 31, 2016
Edit

Threw in some of the suggested mana cards. Might need more swamps still. Gonna play this was for a few weeks and feel it out.

Mana Balances — Aug. 10, 2016
Edit

Comments

blazeofmerc says... Edit Remove Edit Delete #1

I second grey merchant.

August 26, 2016 6:35 p.m.

joelc1225 says... Edit Remove Edit Delete #2

Thanks for input, Rabidmoose and blazeofmerc! I'm gonna look into those cards this weekend. I'm new to magic so keep the tips and suggestions coming. I greatly appreciate it.

August 27, 2016 2:45 a.m.

blazeofmerc says... Edit Remove Edit Delete #3

Man starting with a zombie deck, i did that also, good times also zombie apocalypse.

August 27, 2016 9:16 p.m.

VampiricMoon says... Edit Remove Edit Delete #4

i third Grey Merchant of Asphodel

September 7, 2016 1:11 a.m.

blazeofmerc says... Edit Remove Edit Delete #5

maybe swap two diregraf colossus for two undead warchief

September 7, 2016 12:55 p.m.

joelc1225 says... Edit Remove Edit Delete #6

VampiricMoon, i just recently ordered a few of those! Gonna experiment with them in the deck and i'll let you know how it goes!

blazeofmerc, i have a few of Undead Warchiefs but I want to keep the mana curve low for the AEther Vial build. I like him for a second zombie deck im thinking about tho.

September 8, 2016 1:13 a.m.

joelc1225 says... Edit Remove Edit Delete #7

VampiricMoon, blazeofmerc, should i cut 2 Diregraf Colossus for 2 merchants?

September 8, 2016 1:20 a.m.

VampiricMoon says... Edit Remove Edit Delete #8

joelc1225 even if you don't cut the Diregraf Colossus you should at least put 2 Grey Merchant of Asphodel in your side board, but i would recommend at least taking one Diregraf Colossus in favor of Grey Merchant of Asphodel

September 8, 2016 12:53 p.m.

VampiricMoon says... Edit Remove Edit Delete #9

joelc1225 even if you don't cut the Diregraf Colossus you should at least put 2 Grey Merchant of Asphodel in your side board, but i would recommend at least taking one Diregraf Colossus in favor of Grey Merchant of Asphodel

September 8, 2016 12:53 p.m.

GodlessMac says... Edit Remove Edit Delete #10

I think My Lord Deck is a bit better (Vial Company)

September 19, 2016 12:25 a.m.

Oof_Magic says... Edit Remove Edit Delete #11

I really like how you have this built. My only thoughts are that Endless Ranks of the Dead seems really powerful but slow. Mikaeus, the Unhallowed is more expensive but less conditional. He's also an evasive threat on his own. Maybe try a 1/1 split? Not necessary though. I would however recommend having some form of removal. Slaughter Pact, Dismember, Bone Splinters, and Dark Salvation would be my recommendations. I would bring in 3-4 slots. Unbreathing Horde is good but seems to be the most flexible slot. You might be able to get away with keeping one but I'd probably go a full set (four slots).

I also think that there are some lands that could go really well in here. Mutavault and Cavern of Souls are tribal staples and deservedly so. Then maybe a pair of Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth is great at giving black decks with a lot of utility lands or colorless lands more consistent. I actually only just now noticed that you only have fourteen lands. That sounds rough. Forgive me for sounding crass, how do you ever expect to cast Endless Ranks of the Dead? I'd probably try getting that up to 21-22. You could easily get there by cutting the aforementioned Horde and probably Geralf's Messenger though I think a GM or two in the side sounds appropriate.

On that note I think the only two things you really gotta do here is get some more lands and if you want to take it out, I'd recommend getting a sideboard together. The rest looks pretty solid.

Vial Undead [Modern Zombies]

August 10, 2016 4:59 a.m.

joelc1225 says... Edit Remove Edit Delete #12

Happymaster19, thanks for the great recommendations. Added some to the maybeboard. I own a Mikaeus, the Unhallowed so i think i'll add him and remove a Unbreathing Horde. I agree that it's probably the most flexible slot. As for the mana, I initially took into consideration the Aether Vials into my mana count for the deck. I'm definitely going to tweak this deck around a bit to find a perfect balance. I also agree with your point on Endless Ranks of the Dead. Thanks again for your help!

also, I checked out your vials deck. Looks great! I +1'd.

August 10, 2016 1:21 p.m.

Oof_Magic says... Edit Remove Edit Delete #13

I also gave your deck some goldfishing and seemed to be getting pretty lucky with how often I got an opening Vial. The deck can do some pretty explosive things and I even got so far as to cast a turn 5 Ranks. I'd still like a bit more land. I noted the addition of Altar's Reap did wonders as additional card draw when I didn't get a Cryptbreaker.

August 10, 2016 1:40 p.m.

blazeofmerc says... Edit Remove Edit Delete #14

Cavern of souls would help this out a lot.

August 17, 2016 8:34 p.m.

joelc1225 says... Edit Remove Edit Delete #15

Thanks blazeofmerc. its a little pricey. hopefully i can add it in the future

August 18, 2016 12:27 a.m.

casmiel says... Edit Remove Edit Delete #16

I think you should include some form of removal, Tragic Slip and Bone Splinters are both pretty good, the Instant speed on the Slip being pretty sweet. Downside is that you have no sacrifice effects other than Altar's Reap, so it can be a bit unreliable if you can't force combat the turn you want to use it. I think Diregraf Colossus is pretty mediocre most of the times, especially in an AEther Vial shell. I wouldn't recommend more than 2 of those. Yeah, sometimes you can go crazy if you have multiple of those out, but they get removed quickly and they only really go off in Wonderland. 1x Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth doesn't hurt to fix Westvale Abbey / Nykthos mana. Only if your opponent's usually pack Black/x/x decks I would keep it out, in case you fix their mana by accident. I'm not too sure about Unbreathing Horde, but I can see the potential. In case you are ever unsatisfied with the Horde, Sultai Emissary and Blood Scrivener are also pretty decent 2-drops.

That being said, I think you have one of the sweeter Zombie lists on here, so nice deck! If you don't mind, maybe take a look at my Zombie Aristocrats build, maybe you have got some good suggestions for me!

August 22, 2016 12:16 p.m.

Rabidmoose says... Edit Remove Edit Delete #17

Love the idea for the deck, and there's alot of good pieces here...

BUT the deck would run way too slow for modern. Over half the deck is 3 drops, and since you're using colorless lands in there too there's going to be times where youre short one black.

I know the idea is to use aether vial and to get it to 3 to counter this, but you wont even get to that untill turn 4 at the earliest, and thats 4 turns of setup. Collected Company/alot of other combos will go off before then. You need some hand disruption like thoughtseize to help out with the deck's speed.

Also, zombies you vial in wont trigger diregraf colossus. You put zombies into play(NOT CAST) with vial, thats how merfolk play around counters with it. Diregraf's text says the zombie must be cast. I'd swap out diregraf for Fleshbag Marauder. Also, monoblack zombies, but no Gray Merchant of Asphodel?

August 26, 2016 4:25 p.m.

Rabidmoose says... Edit Remove Edit Delete #18

[Thoughtseize] [Fleshbag Marauder] [Gray Merchant of Asphodel]

August 26, 2016 4:32 p.m.

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