The Scarab God

[Reaper_RM]

Update:

Making a few changes that I feel fall more in line with what the deck is doing as well as trying out the suggestion of using a couple wheels. As of this change the Gravecrawler is finally removed. All that is left are a couple stray zombies floating around that I will eventually replace with something else.

Out:
Coalition Relic
Phyrexian Altar
Bastion of Remembrance
City of Brass
Death Baron
Living Death
Gravecrawler

In:
Everflowing Chalice
Whispering Madness
Wheel and Deal
Reliquary Tower
Sakashima the Impostor
Damnation
Negate

[OCPunisher]

Not sure what the problem is, but lately this deck has been really underperforming for me. I played two games online today and missed more land drops than I can remember. Only got to cast SG once (didn't resolve), never activated him, and never really got to do much of anything. The worst part is that I can't seem to narrow down the problem. My curve is pretty low in comparison to my other nine decks (not a flex, just context), but somehow I end up with hands full of 4-6 cc creatures and never enough mana to use them. Does anyone else have this kind of issue? How many lands/rocks do you run?

One very bright spot has been Ghostly Pilferer. This little guy does some serious work for just two mana. He can come down early and give you value when other people are casting their commanders, provide a solid discard outlet for dumping extra reanimation targets, pressure planeswalkers, and even draw an extra card if you have nothing better to do. He certainly won't win a game, but he will quietly do a lot of good things.

[Reaper_RM]

Not sure what the problem is, but lately this deck has been really underperforming for me. I played two games online today and missed more land drops than I can remember. Only got to cast SG once (didn't resolve), never activated him, and never really got to do much of anything. The worst part is that I can't seem to narrow down the problem. My curve is pretty low in comparison to my other nine decks (not a flex, just context), but somehow I end up with hands full of 4-6 cc creatures and never enough mana to use them. Does anyone else have this kind of issue? How many lands/rocks do you run?

I currently run 8 rocks and 36 lands. OP is up to date btw. Honestly, I don't know why you are missing land drops beyond rng. Personally, I'll run into a mana issue about once every 6 games or so. At that point, I make sure to pile shuffle and all that goodness to get my deck unclumped.

But since you mentioned you are playing online, I have no idea there. Are you using Moto, Cockatrice, Untap.in or another program? Do you know how well the shuffle generator is and if it has known bugs? Stuff like that.

Paper magic wise, it should be pretty stable. But I will definitley be on the lookout to see if I run into that exact scenario.

I got in 4 games today at my lgs and I absolutely dominated. The new changes worked well, specially the wheels...omg. Bout the time everyone had hands full of goodstuff to make their plays, I wheeled, then took them for myself with Scarab God. I wouldn't be surprised if grave hate made its way into my meta now.

[Gwathnar]

Have you thought about the possibility of expanding your wheel suite, too? I've gone a little heavier on this in my Dralnu list of late with stuff like Whispering Madness and Dark Deal. Seems like a great way to get targets in the yard and hit the cards you need, be it land drops, rocks or whatnot.

Whispering Madness is straight gas in this deck totally worth a slot.

The deck already has Notion Thief too, it just seems disgustingly good to run more of windfall effect.

I was going mention Notion Thief but thought it was already there. Just remember his ability is not a may so it can shag you over.

[Gwathnar]

Not sure what the problem is, but lately this deck has been really underperforming for me. I played two games online today and missed more land drops than I can remember. Only got to cast SG once (didn't resolve), never activated him, and never really got to do much of anything. The worst part is that I can't seem to narrow down the problem. My curve is pretty low in comparison to my other nine decks (not a flex, just context), but somehow I end up with hands full of 4-6 cc creatures and never enough mana to use them. Does anyone else have this kind of issue? How many lands/rocks do you run?

One very bright spot has been Ghostly Pilferer. This little guy does some serious work for just two mana. He can come down early and give you value when other people are casting their commanders, provide a solid discard outlet for dumping extra reanimation targets, pressure planeswalkers, and even draw an extra card if you have nothing better to do. He certainly won't win a game, but he will quietly do a lot of good things.

Ghostly Pilferer is awesome. I bought 4 and have them in 3 decks so far including Scarab God. I would not be surprised if he shot up in price.

Looking at your list I don't see a whole lot of ramp but lots of high CMC fatties and your overall CMC is 3.47. I'd look at adding more mana rocks. Arcane Signet and Fellwar Stone are both pretty cheap. Personally I think the 2 CMC rocks are the best (when keeping budget in mind, if you can afford the really expensive ones then by all means go for it).

[OCPunisher]

Not sure what the problem is, but lately this deck has been really underperforming for me. I played two games online today and missed more land drops than I can remember. Only got to cast SG once (didn't resolve), never activated him, and never really got to do much of anything. The worst part is that I can't seem to narrow down the problem. My curve is pretty low in comparison to my other nine decks (not a flex, just context), but somehow I end up with hands full of 4-6 cc creatures and never enough mana to use them. Does anyone else have this kind of issue? How many lands/rocks do you run?

One very bright spot has been Ghostly Pilferer. This little guy does some serious work for just two mana. He can come down early and give you value when other people are casting their commanders, provide a solid discard outlet for dumping extra reanimation targets, pressure planeswalkers, and even draw an extra card if you have nothing better to do. He certainly won't win a game, but he will quietly do a lot of good things.

Looking at your list I don't see a whole lot of ramp but lots of high CMC fatties and your overall CMC is 3.47. I'd look at adding more mana rocks. Arcane Signet and Fellwar Stone are both pretty cheap. Personally I think the 2 CMC rocks are the best (when keeping budget in mind, if you can afford the really expensive ones then by all means go for it).

You were absolutely right here. I added Coldsteel Heart and Dimir Locket for a pair of 5+ cc fatties and it's much smoother now. Since SG costs 5, I don't think the Locket is all that much worse than a two-drop (and I ran out of Fellwar Stones), and being able to get two cards out of it late-game has been a nice boost as well. One of these will most likely turn into the new Skyclave Relic, but still: problem solved.

[Gwathnar]

Not sure what the problem is, but lately this deck has been really underperforming for me. I played two games online today and missed more land drops than I can remember. Only got to cast SG once (didn't resolve), never activated him, and never really got to do much of anything. The worst part is that I can't seem to narrow down the problem. My curve is pretty low in comparison to my other nine decks (not a flex, just context), but somehow I end up with hands full of 4-6 cc creatures and never enough mana to use them. Does anyone else have this kind of issue? How many lands/rocks do you run?

One very bright spot has been Ghostly Pilferer. This little guy does some serious work for just two mana. He can come down early and give you value when other people are casting their commanders, provide a solid discard outlet for dumping extra reanimation targets, pressure planeswalkers, and even draw an extra card if you have nothing better to do. He certainly won't win a game, but he will quietly do a lot of good things.

Looking at your list I don't see a whole lot of ramp but lots of high CMC fatties and your overall CMC is 3.47. I'd look at adding more mana rocks. Arcane Signet and Fellwar Stone are both pretty cheap. Personally I think the 2 CMC rocks are the best (when keeping budget in mind, if you can afford the really expensive ones then by all means go for it).

You were absolutely right here. I added Coldsteel Heart and Dimir Locket for a pair of 5+ cc fatties and it's much smoother now. Since SG costs 5, I don't think the Locket is all that much worse than a two-drop (and I ran out of Fellwar Stones), and being able to get two cards out of it late-game has been a nice boost as well. One of these will most likely turn into the new Skyclave Relic, but still: problem solved.

Glad to hear that helped you out.
I had not heard of Skyclave Relic yet, I like it.

[Reaper_RM]

What do you guys think about adding Mystic Remora to this list? Too much or pulling away from something else I could be doing?

[toctheyounger]

What do you guys think about adding Mystic Remora to this list? Too much or pulling away from something else I could be doing?

I really like it as a low to the ground, low opportunity cost way of getting some serious draw in. I've found people to be more forgiving of it because it doesn't just stick all game and ask 'pay 1?' so in ways it flies under the radar where Rhystic doesn't.

That being said it's one to drop at the right time. Play it early and you'll end up with more age counters than cards in hand. Ultimately I think if you find yourself running out of cards in hand mid to late game it could do pretty great things for you.

[OCPunisher]

What do you guys think about adding Mystic Remora to this list? Too much or pulling away from something else I could be doing?

It's a fine card, but the problem is the competition. You can literally make an entire Dimir Commander deck out of only cards that have the phrase "draw a card" or the like in the card text. As good as this card is in a vacuum, in this exact case I'd rather have any number of creatures that draw. Even creatures that loot instead (draw, then discard) would be better because you can dump your extra creatures as reanimation targets. You could go small with Obsessive Stitcher, or bigger with Sphinx of Lost Truths.

Same goes for Night's Whisper: solid in a vacuum, but this isn't a vacuum situation.

[Gwathnar]

What do you guys think about adding Mystic Remora to this list? Too much or pulling away from something else I could be doing?

It's very much a meta call. Is your meta a lot of low count creature decks? Will people actually 'feed the fish?' or wait till you can't pay the upkeep and then resume playing the game.

I do really like the card but there's times that Rhystic Study or another draw spell is better.

[Reaper_RM]

So, I've been mulling over some thoughts. This will be in two parts.

Part 1:

What do you all think about adding in Rites of Refusal and Lim-Dûl's Vault?

Rites seems on point here as decent counter cause I can could pitch something to reanimate later or get value off of Syr Konrad, the Grim. Vault seems like it would be a decent way to filter through the deck looking for a sweet spot to play from or get out of a land pocket.

Part 2:

I'm unsure about keeping Entomb, Buried Alive and Victimize.

Not sure this really helps out much. I always feel like they are win more cards. By the time I actually see them and can use them, it's late game and I'm either out of the game or winning. I don't have a Reanimate, so I feel like this package just doesn't cut it.

Let me know what you all think.

[OCPunisher]

Part 1: I don't think either of these are worth it. There will be plenty of times when you have either not enough cards in hand to make Rites a real counter, or you won't have Syr Konrad available to get extra profit. Lim-Dûl's Vault is a fine card if you're a combo deck, but paying a card and two mana just to rearrange the top of your library doesn't seem like a fit with the rest of the deck's strategy.

Part 2: The only one I'd consider is Entomb because it's one mana and instant-speed, with no restrictions on what you can bury. I've done an EOT-Entomb for a game-winning Massacre Wurm many times and it's terrific. However, even with that high upside, it's still just okay. There will be some times where you can't access the card you bury for whatever reason. I still think about cutting it every now and then.

Victimize is fine in a vacuum, but it overlaps with what your commander does, and it's sorcery speed, and you won't always have at least one body in play and at least two targets in your own yard. Buried Alive is the most polarizing card I've ever seen. Some people swear by it because it can be three Entombs in one single card, allowing you to setup some really strong combos. Other people see it as a magnet for graveyard hate, or "pay 3 mana to exile your three best creatures from your library". I'm personally on the latter side: sorcery speed, not worth the risk, but your results may vary.

[benjameenbear]

@Reaper_RM
I think that neither Rites nor Lim-Dul's Vault are good for the deck. The reason I say that is because Scarab God cares about the Board as its primary focus and anything that doesn't directly impact the board state is suspect.

To elaborate a little further, The Scarab God's abilities care about creatures in 1 of 2 zones: the 'yard or the battlefield. What's nice about Scarab God is that he doesn't discriminate WHO controls those creatures, he just cares that they exist and that they have some sort of value attached to them. So, any card that doesn't directly contribute to this core strategy turn over turn needs to be carefully reviewed. Lim-Dul's Vault is nice because it helps to shape your future draw step so you can find what you need, but Scarab God cares more about Card Quantity vs. Card Quality. The more cards you can deploy to affect the Board in your favor will yield greater advantages in the long run for Scarab God. Rites is a good card, because it protects you from spells on the stack, but the cost of discarding cards is a little too high in my mind. You're trading Card Quantity for Stack Control, and Scarab God needs Card Quantity to thrive. I would just include a Hard Counter instead of Rites.

For Point #2, and to build along my reasoning above, Victimize , Entomb, and Buried Alive DO contribute to the core strategy of The Scarab God; they put creatures into your 'yard or back onto the battlefield in order to get value out of them. These are fine cards, imo, BUT I believe that they must be used in the LATE-GAME almost exclusively. You see, since the Scarab God cares about the battlefield and the 'yard you will naturally be targeted for exiling effects, as @OCPunisher points out. So, if you cast those effects without any direct follow-up then you attract a lot of attention to yourself and entice players to deploy their counter-measures sooner than you would have wanted. But, they're both great cards and I would definitely recommend keeping/including them.

[Reaper_RM]

Update: 10/20/20

Made a minor land swap.

Out:
Mana Confluence

In:
Island

Dropping confluence purely because of the life loss. The only reason I don't drop Underground River is I have the option not to take damage from it. For now, I'm just gonna add a basic island in it's place. Considering the new Clearwater Pathway // Murkwater Pathway as a permanent replacement.

[katsuma]

Hi everyone!

I've been putting together a TSG deck, and this thread has been really helpful. I've been messing around with it (just playing 1v1 with my partner because of the pandemic), and it's been a blast.

I went with a zombie tribal (based on extra cards I'd picked up for Varina), but then decided to just go with the full on UB control type shell instead.

Interested in any feedback and general TSG discussion! Anyone have any spicy tech from the recent sets or anything?

Any experience with Ulamog's Nullifier? I'm wondering if it's trying to be too tricky, but I'm thinking that the ability to return exiled cards that I ate with TSG back to the opponent's graveyards might be neat!

Decklist

DecklistCMCManaPricesChartsDraw 7

1 The Scarab God

# BoardWipes

1 Cyclonic Rift

1 Massacre Girl

1 Nevinyrral's Disk

1 Oblivion Stone

1 Life's Finale

# CardDraw/Wheel

1 Baleful Strix

1 Brainstorm

1 Careful Study

1 Dig Through Time

1 Eligeth, Crossroads Augur

1 Frantic Search

1 Jace's Archivist

1 Merfolk Looter

1 Mystic Remora

1 Notion Thief

1 Visions of Beyond

1 Whispering Madness

1 Windfall

#Tutor

1 Scheming Symmetry

1 Mystical Tutor

# Combo

1 Thassa's Oracle

1 Duskmantle Guildmage

1 Mirror-Mad Phantasm

# ExtraUpkeep

1 Paradox Haze

1 Spark Double

1 Sphinx of the Second Sun

1 Temporal Manipulation

# Land

1 Agadeem's Awakening

1 Ancient Tomb

1 Castle Locthwain

1 Castle Vantress

1 Choked Estuary

1 Command Tower

1 Drowned Catacomb

1 Exotic Orchard

16 Island

1 River of Tears

1 Sunken Hollow

9 Swamp

1 Tainted Isle

1 Watery Grave

# Mill

1 Court of Cunning

1 Dreamborn Muse

1 Folio of Fancies

1 Mindcrank

1 Psychic Corrosion

1 Maddening Cacophony

1 Ruin Crab

1 Syr Konrad, the Grim

# Protection

1 Lightning Greaves

# Ramp

1 Arcane Signet

1 Dimir Signet

1 Fellwar Stone

1 Mana Crypt

1 Sol Ring

1 Gilded Lotus

1 Talisman of Dominance

1 Thran Dynamo

# RecursionAndGraveyard

1 Buried Alive

1 Entomb

1 Mission Briefing

1 Reanimate

# Removal

1 Agent of Treachery

1 Arcane Denial

1 Counterspell

1 Drown in the Loch

1 Fierce Guardianship

1 Mana Drain

1 Narset's Reversal

1 Overseer of the Damned

1 Rapid Hybridization

1 Swan Song

1 Ulamog's Nullifier

1 Pongify

# ZombieTokens

1 Army of the Damned

1 Zombie Infestation

Approximate Total Cost: