Pojo's Magic The Gathering news, tips, strategies and more!

Pojo's MTG
MTG Home
Message Board
News & Archives
Deck Garage
BMoor Dolf BeJoSe

Columnists
Paul's Perspective
Jeff Zandi
DeQuan Watson
Jordon Kronick
IQ
Aburame Shino
Rare Hunter
Tim Stoltzfus
WiCkEd
Judge Bill's Corner


Trading Card
Game

Card of the Day
Guide for Newbies
Decks to Beat
Featured Articles
Peasant Magic
Fan Tips
Tourney Reports


Other
Color Chart
Book Reviews
Online Play
MTG Links
Staff



120x90 Ad Space
For Rent!



BMoor's Magic The Gathering Deck Garage
Shallow Grave Deck
January 8, 2009

Today's deck brings to the table something that has always kinda frightened me.  I'm not comfortable really talking about it so plainly, and the idea of having to face it head-on in this deck fix shakes me to the core to be honest.  I'm talking of course about.... Vintage!

 

Hi, my name is Robert Archambeault. I would like an opinion and suggestions on my deck as well as what kind of sideboard to have for it. The deck is designed to use zombies of Grixis as well as some older ones. I built the deck last night so i really don't know What kinds of decks it will have a problem with if any at all. I can't really tell  you any more then that because i don't know what the deck is really capable of in Vintage play. I would like to know what i should do if any thing at all to the deck, but keep in mind i have a limited income. 

 Thanks for listening

 

The Deck Contents:

Swamp / 20

Dark Ritual / 4

Disturbing Plot / 4

Unholy Strength / 4

Blasting Station / 3

Minion Reflector / 2

Death Baron / 4

Lord of the Undead / 4

Dregscape Zombie / 4

Viscera Dragger / 4

Dreg Reaver / 3

Vengeful Dead / 4

 



Well, Robert, I don't play much Vintage myself.  I assume you mean the Vintage for which there are tournaments held, and not "Vintage" as in, you and your friends playing casually and you're allowed to use whatever cards you want.  Because in Vintage, my friend?  Have you ever seen someone get a Darksteel Colossus into play on Turn Two?  It's a bone-chilling scenario, I assure you.  Games in Vintage are usually decided by Turn Four or Five, at the latest, off the back of cards long since out of print.  Vintage is the high-budget format, my friend.  It's the one where the Power 9 are still legal.  Y'know, Black Lotus?  Yeah, that's what I mean.  So what's the solution?  Well, looking through your deck, the only cards in it that aren't Standard-legal are Dark Ritual, Blasting Station, and Vengeful Dead.  Drop those, and you can tear up the Standard tournaments of your local FNM without shelling out for Black Lotus.

So, now that we're back in my comfort zone, what do we
hook you up with to replace what we've pulled?  Well, in place of Dark Ritual, I'd say plain old Swamps.  Twenty is a bit too few for most decks.  In exchange for Blasting Station?  Well, since you seem to have a "sac 'em and bring 'em back" theme going, why not the old standby Nantuko Husk?  Or RIte of Consumption, to turn your guys into life drainage.  And in place of Vengeful Dead?  Well, there's plenty of Zombies in Standard. 

Festering Goblin is always fun, and gives your deck a one-drop.  With Death Baron out, it becomes a 2/2 that's guaranteed to kill whatever it blocks or is blocked by, and will probably take down a second creature.

Stillmoon Cavalier is also a good choice.  Don't let the fancy mana symbols fool you, it's a 2/1 for BB that can put any extra mana you have to excellent use.  First strike and Deathtouch?  Nothing lives to deal damage back!

Speaking of Deathtouch, Lorwyn is still in Standard.  Moonglove Changeling is technically a Zombie, and can give itself deathtouch if the Baron isn't around.  There's also Cairn Wanderer, who also appreciates a well-stocked graveyard.

Speaking of Changeling shenanigans, Lord of the Undead combos nicely with Nameless Inversion to give you a near endless stream of removal should you want it.

Which reminds me, you're all creatures and no removal.  The least you could do is throw in Fleshbag Marauder.  With Lord of the Undead recycling Zombies, a Marauder every turn could easily wear down your opponent.  Or even better, Damnation.  You have Disturbing Plot and Unearth.  You'll recover.  Your opponent,
on the other hand....

Also, you should pull Dreg Reaver.  It's a 4/3 for 5 with no abilities.  Heck, in Standard, Mass of Ghouls is +1 power for the same price, and nobody plays that.

You can also do without Unholy Strength.  Cheap, yes, but if you're so willing to sacrifice a body here and there, sacrificing one you enchanted is like getting a 2-for-1 against yourself.  Don't dress up your Zombies just to throw them away.  Dress up your opponent's creatures for their own funerals!  Robert, meet Torture.  Torture, meet Robert.

That just about covers a Zombie deck you can take to FNM and rip the place up with.  Conflux comes out in a few weeks, and it's bound to bring with it plenty of new Grixis meat for the grindhouse.  In the meantime, bring out the dead, and bring 'em back from the dead!  Again, and again, and again...

Good luck!

~BMoor


  


 

Copyright© 1998-2007 pojo.com
This site is not sponsored, endorsed, or otherwise affiliated with any of the companies or products featured on this site. This is not an Official Site.