Sidisi, Brood Tyrant - Zombie Horde and Shenanigans

[DementedKirby]

Here's my review for Commander 2021:

• Adrix and Nev, Twincasters - I'm not running cards like Parallel Lives in the deck or other similar token doublers because I want to keep the noncreature count as low as possible. However, this is a Parallel Lives on a body which is a different story. This can be reanimated and creates zombies when milled while Sidisi is on the battlefield. This is definitely going in the deck.
• Incarnation Technique - This card is simply amazing. Not only are we milling 5 cards but we get to reanimate any creature from our graveyard. Yes, it's a noncreature spell, but it can be swapped in for another noncreature spell to compensate.
• Ruxa, Patient Professor - This would be an interesting zombie lord if our zombie tokens don't acquire any keyword abilities. They'd get +1/+1 and it wouldn't matter if they're blocked or not, making them quite dangerous.
• Revival Experiment - We might lose a lot of life but this essentially a one-time Muldrotha effect that exiles itself. It does cost 3 life for each permanent we return, but it's well worth it if we return a lot of expensive permanents (and a land).

[DementedKirby]

Here's my review for Modern Horizons 2:

• Junk Winder - Affinity for tokens means that this will almost likely never cost the full 7 to pay. So potentially getting a 5/6 for just UU is no joke. However, that's not the main reason for running it. It freezes down a nonland permanent whenever a token enters the battlefield under your control. So every zombie you create will freeze any nonland permanent, which is amazing. The deck is running Opposition as well (and has been for the longest time) so getting a similar effect is great. It's not as good as Opposition but it is a creature. Would I swap it out for it? I don't think so. That being said, I would definitely find a slot for it.
• Dauthi Voidwalker - A 2 mana 3/2 with shadow is amazing stats and I'm glad it's just a rare. On top of that, it's a Leyline of the Void on a body, which is great against other graveyard decks. You can then tap it and sacrifice it to cast any exiled card with it for free. Since we're constantly reanimating creatures, we can continuously do this effect as well. Definitely worth testing.
• Necrogoyf - The deck doesn't run Lhurgoyf but this one can be cheaper to cast if you discard it from your hand. It also provides a discard outlet that affects opponents as well. It has the potential of being a huge beater but it doesn't have any kind of evasion. So, just like the original, this one will probably not be in the deck as well.
• Unmarked Grave - The deck's already running Entomb, which is obviously much better since it costs less, is an instant, and can get any card, but this one is a good enough budget substitute. That being said, Entomb is also used to get an eldrazi titan into the graveyard at instant speed in response to graveyard hate, so there's that to consider, as well. However, it's definitely worth including since it can still help assemble any combos that don't rely on legendary cards.
• Vile Entomber - Definitely going in the Zombie Build. It's an Entomb on a body, albeit costing quadruple as much. That being said, it's a zombie so it gets all of the perks in the Zombie Build.
• Blessed Respite - If graveyard hate is very prevalent in your meta, you could consider this as an instant speed response to graveyard hate like Rest in Peace, Bojuka Bog, etc.
• Endurance - This one's even better than Blessed Respite since it's a creature. It's a 3/4 with flash and reach for 3 mana, which is already kind of pushed, especially considering you can cast it for free in a pinch.
• Chatterfang, Squirrel General - Believe it or not, this actually has the potential of being good in the deck. Each time we create a zombie we create a squirrel which can help overwhelm opponents. I don't think I'll include it, but it's definitely worth testing if you like the card.
• Gaea's Will - The deck's not even running Yawgmoth's Will, which is essentially better since you don't have to wait. The reason being that most of the spells and effects in the deck self-mill, which would then exile the cards, which is not good for this deck.
• Grist, the Hunger Tide - Its creature effect is amazing for this deck because if we mill it, it'll trigger Sidisi even though it's a planeswalker. Speaking of milling, it self-mills us for 1 with its first ability while also providing a token. It's not going to happen again since there aren't any other insects in the deck, though. It's second ability can be used in a pinch especially since we have a ton of sacrifice fodder with all of our tokens. Its ultimate is very easy to achieve and can actually win us the game on the spot if we have enough creatures in our graveyard (and we've dealt enough damage to our opponents). Definitely worth testing.
• Dermotaxi - It's quite risky to exile our own things from the graveyard but we're able to change it into a copy of that imprinted creature (which can be from any graveyard). It also only costs 2 to cast meaning we can have a very early game Razaketh or other key creatures.
• Yavimaya, Cradle of Growth - The deck's already running Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth so this one's a no-brainer.

[WWolfe]

So what's your current decklist looking like?

ETA- my current list includes trying out Dauthi Voidwalker and Tireless Provisioner. I'm also testing out Tortured Existence as a discard option for if I draw something I'd prefer in the graveyard (I'm looking at you Wonder & Eldrazi Titans). Naturally I've yet to drawn any of them in about 7 games so far.

[DementedKirby]

So what's your current decklist looking like?

ETA- my current list includes trying out Dauthi Voidwalker and Tireless Provisioner. I'm also testing out Tortured Existence as a discard option for if I draw something I'd prefer in the graveyard (I'm looking at you Wonder & Eldrazi Titans). Naturally I've yet to drawn any of them in about 7 games so far.

Currently, as of today, here's the exact version of my deck in real life card-for-card, exact version, etc.: https://www.moxfield.com/decks/UA1ZDs2E00augDnJE3TfEg

[WWolfe]

Nice list!

I always love seeing yours for inspiration for mine (I actually just re-watched your Sidisi episode a few minutes ago). I'm in the process of retooling mine towards a more recursive deck with more interaction as I move it away from being so zombie-centric (my last list was a hybrid of the competitive version and the zombie version). I'm then using those zombie cards that are leaving the deck to retool my daughters Varina, Lich Queen deck. The goal between the two decks has always been to not overlap zombies but the Varina deck was a little on the weaker side as some of the better zombie tech was in the Sidisi deck.

Overall I think I'm going to have two better decks. I'll post my decklist when I finish updating it to get your thoughts, I'm hoping to have it complete by next weekend. What I'd really love is to have drawn some of the card I'm playtesting to see how they do in the deck but still no luck in pulling any of the three in 10 plus games so far. That always seems to be my luck when I'm playtesting cards.

[DementedKirby]

Nice list!

I always love seeing yours for inspiration for mine (I actually just re-watched your Sidisi episode a few minutes ago). I'm in the process of retooling mine towards a more recursive deck with more interaction as I move it away from being so zombie-centric (my last list was a hybrid of the competitive version and the zombie version). I'm then using those zombie cards that are leaving the deck to retool my daughters Varina, Lich Queen deck. The goal between the two decks has always been to not overlap zombies but the Varina deck was a little on the weaker side as some of the better zombie tech was in the Sidisi deck.

Overall I think I'm going to have two better decks. I'll post my decklist when I finish updating it to get your thoughts, I'm hoping to have it complete by next weekend. What I'd really love is to have drawn some of the card I'm playtesting to see how they do in the deck but still no luck in pulling any of the three in 10 plus games so far. That always seems to be my luck when I'm playtesting cards.

Nice! It's great that you're going to be able to complete 2 amazing decks!

I don't doubt that you haven't seen some cards in playing 10 games with the deck, being a 100-card singleton after all. But with so much self-milling, surely you're burning through most of the library anyways, right?

[WWolfe]

Oh yea, I'm burning through a good chunk of the deck. The problem is with my luck I almost always hit of the titans on mills and reset my deck. I've actually debated going down to just one of the titans to compensate for this.

[DementedKirby]

Oh yea, I'm burning through a good chunk of the deck. The problem is with my luck I almost always hit of the titans on mills and reset my deck. I've actually debated going down to just one of the titans to compensate for this.

That is something you can do. If your meta is very low on graveyard hate. Since you can still combo off with Mesmeric Orb if you keep at least one of them in the deck.

[DementedKirby]

Here's my review for Adventures in the Forgotten Realms:

• Death-Priest of Myrkul - Isn't bad for the Zombie Build but we have better zombie lords for the deck anyways. However, if it's cheap enough, it can go in the Budget Build.
• Circle of Dreams Druid - 100% going in the deck. Is that even a question?
• Old Gnawbone - Turning our attacking horde into treasure generators is simply disgusting if we're dishing out a lot of damage per turn. It's also a creature, which is the best card type for the deck.

Here's my review for Adventures in the Forgotten Realms: Commander:

• Death Tyrant - Being able to replace your chumpblocked zombies with zombies is just endless torment for your opponents. Add to that the fact that this self-reanimates for 6 and it's definitely a shoe-in for the Zombie Build.
• Wand of Orcus - Being able to get zombies just by smacking someone is incredibly strong in zombie tribal decks. If that weren't enough, attacking with equipped creature gives all zombies you control deathtouch. Definitely worth considering for the Zombie Build.

[WWolfe]

I agree fully on those reviews. The one I'm the most excited for, though I may be overhyping it in my head, is Old Gnawbone , That with our horde and one of our token doublers outs...oh wow.

Death Tyrant is the other one that's up there on my list of cards to try. The fact it can reanimate itself is huge in this deck. What I love is it doesn't have to be just blocking our creatures for that part of the ability to trigger.

The biggest problem I have with the deck- be it a good problem to have- is it's so hard to make cuts for new cards unless there's something that's just an obvious upgrade.

Death-Priest of Myrkul wouldn't be bad if it was 3 CMC like the other zombie lords we run but even then the abilties of the ones we do run are much better than this ones 1/1 Skeleton token.

Oh yea, I'm burning through a good chunk of the deck. The problem is with my luck I almost always hit of the titans on mills and reset my deck. I've actually debated going down to just one of the titans to compensate for this.

That is something you can do. If your meta is very low on graveyard hate. Since you can still combo off with Mesmeric Orb if you keep at least one of them in the deck.

I'm definitely keeping one. My meta isn't too heavy on graveyard hate currently as I'm really the only one playing graveyard decks atm. I see the occasional Rest In Peace and maybe the odd Bojuka Bog once in a blue moon. One of my friends runs Scavenging Ooze and Deathrite Shaman but he doesn't play that deck very often. I'm still considering Endurance if I can convince someone to trade one.

[DementedKirby]

Yeah, this set didn't bring a lot of potential for Sidisi but what it did bring is absurd.

That's the problem I always had with this deck once it reached its optimal form: making cuts. Sometimes I end up just not cutting anything. It would have to either improve the main strategy or be a strict upgrade for what the deck is trying to achieve.

[WWolfe]

Agreed. I'm constantly tinkering with my decks and hardly ever consider them "finished". But this next update I'm brewing is probably as close as the deck will ever get to being "finished" barring something like you mention, that is a strict upgrade or improves the main strategy or shifts in my meta (one card I include you may look at and be like huh? but it makes sense in my meta). I'm really excited about this "final" version of the deck. Like really excited.

[DementedKirby]

Agreed. I'm constantly tinkering with my decks and hardly ever consider them "finished". But this next update I'm brewing is probably as close as the deck will ever get to being "finished" barring something like you mention, that is a strict upgrade or improves the main strategy or shifts in my meta (one card I include you may look at and be like huh? but it makes sense in my meta). I'm really excited about this "final" version of the deck. Like really excited.

Same. I think it's going to be nigh impossible to keep updating the deck but since powercreep is a thing, everything needs to be a strict upgrade. That's why I presented 2 versions in the Primer so that people have two different ways to build Sidisi if they ever find that their current version is too optimized.

[WWolfe]

Played a few games today and finally drew some of the playtest cards. Tireless Provisioner was underwhelming as expected. Maybe if I was still running Dryad of the Ilysian Grove to play extra lands but it's not worth changing a few cards out to run it.

Tortured Existence I'm liking so far. Gives me the discard outlet I've been looking for and came in handy all three games. Helped me get Wonder and/or Brawn into my graveyard at key times. Even helped me get a titan in there when I needed to shuffle. Definitely looking like a keeper.

Still yet to draw Dauthi Voidwalker though. Not sure how to expect it to do but if I ever draw it we'll see. Seems like more of a one trick pony is this particular deck but I guess ya never know.

[WWolfe]

Here's my latest list. The two revisions I will be making is including a Witch's Cottage once I can find mine (my card room is an absolute wreck right now- I had to resituate it for my son coming home from college). And I'll be taking out Liliana, Untouched by Death for Liliana, Death's Majesty.

https://deckstats.net/decks/6217/770491 ... bie-tyrant

ETA- I will be trying out Endurance and Death Tyrant once I can acquire them but I already know what they'll be replacing (Gleaming Overseer and Dauthi Voidwalker ).

[DementedKirby]

Seems like a plan!

I'll try and look over your list when I have time.

[WWolfe]

Just made infinite zombie tokens with Aphetto Alchemist and Mesmeric Orb on the opponent before mines endstep. One guy went to Cyc Rift and I dropped Frilled Mystic in response. It was great. They all scooped after that.

[DementedKirby]

Just made infinite zombie tokens with Aphetto Alchemist and Mesmeric Orb on the opponent before mines endstep. One guy went to Cyc Rift and I dropped Frilled Mystic in response. It was great. They all scooped after that.

Oof!!! That's how you play this deck

[WWolfe]

Oh it was glorious! Felt good playing that my first time after retooling the deck. One thing I did have happen was a player turn 2'ed a Dauthi Voidwalker. Luckily I had Assassin's Trophy in my hand and was able to kill it before dropping Sidisi.

[WWolfe]

Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver could be an interesting little recovery tool.

[DementedKirby]

Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver could be an interesting little recovery tool.

Definitely! It also helps us recycle zombies at least once as well for sacrifice outlets.

[WWolfe]

Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver could be an interesting little recovery tool.

Definitely! It also helps us recycle zombies at least once as well for sacrifice outlets.

Yup, and the card draw option isn't exactly horrible.

[DementedKirby]

Here's my review for Innistrad Midnight Hunt:

• Organ Hoarder - A filter effect on a body isn't bad, especially since it's a zombie. So it can go in either build - even the Budget Version.
• Otherworldly Gaze - Can definitely go in the Budget Build so long as a creature isn't cut for it.
• Poppet Stitcher - While the deck doesn't have a lot of instants and sorceries, when it's transformed into Poppet Factory, then it beefs up our zombie tokens. However, there're better lord effects than this.
• Champion of the Perished - While the idea is cute, I don't feel like it's worth a slot in the Zombie Build. Yes, it can become a huge creature but without any form of evasion it's just going to get chumpblocked for days.
• Dreadhound - Not as good as Syr Konrad, the Grim but it's good redundant for his effect and it self-mills when it enters the battlefield. Its only downside is costing 6 but at least it's a 6/6. Shame it's not a zombie.
• Augur of Autumn - Unlike Courser of Kruphix that has us reveal the top card of our library, we don't have to with this one. But we can play lands from the top and not have them milled. So it's worth considering.
• Eccentric Farmer - Excellent for the Budget Build since it self-mills when entering while also recovering us a land from the graveyard.
• Wrenn and Seven - Another amazing planeswalker for this deck! Not only are we self-milling but we keep our lands when we do. Then we can drop any amount of lands from our hands with her 0 loyalty ability. Fortunately, we don't have to use the ultimate ability since that's actually something we'd rather not have after going through the trouble of filling our graveyard with toys.
• Bladestitched Skaab - An uncommon 2/3 zombie for 2 mana that pumps other zombies we control +1/+0 is definitely worth considering for the Zombie Build - especially the Budget Build.
• Ghoulcaller's Harvest - While I want to avoid adding any noncreature spells to the deck, this one can create a ton of zombie tokens which can be taken advantage by either version of the deck and it has flashback. So if it got milled away we still have the potential of casting it from the graveyard or casting it twice.
• Slogurk, the Overslime - A great way to get land cards back into our hand. It's a bit slow though so it remains to be seen if it's worth slotting in over Life from the Loam but I doubt it.

[DementedKirby]

Here's my review for Midnight Hunt Commander:

• Cleaver Skaab - 100% going in the Zombie Build. Are you crazy?! This thing is going to be effing insane here!
• Empty the Laboratory - I'm just going to point to my analysis for Cleaver Skaab, since it's equally fitting for this one.
• Hordewing Skaab - Not only does it give evasion to all zombies, but it can also help us draw cards while getting cards into the graveyard from our hand to cheat in later. This is good enough to go in either version of the deck.
• Crowded Crypt - This can definitely create a ton of zombie tokens if we're constantly sacrificing zombie tokens for value. Yes, it's a bit slow, but it does also function as a mana rock since it taps for B.
• Ravenous Rotbelly - Merits testing as you could potentially force a mass sacrifice effect for just 5 mana while being on a body - a 4/5 zombie, no less!
• Tomb Tyrant - Some more goodies! Not only is it literally a zombie lord, but it can also potentially reanimate a zombie at random from your graveyard. Since you need to fulfill a specifice threshold, it might be better suited for testing in the Zombie Build.
• Somberwald Beastmaster - Is incredibly overcosted but that's irrelevat if we can reanimate it for free. It does give deathtouch to all of our creature tokens as well as creating 9 power's worth of creature tokens. Is it worth a slot in the deck, though?
• Eloise, Nephalia Sleuth - Another great potential card for the Main Build. Each time we sacrifice a zombie token to any effect we surveil 1, thus allowing us to potentially chain into more zombie production. If that weren't enough, when those zombie tokens die we investigate.
• Wilhelt, the Rotcleaver - This set is the gift that keeps on giving! He replaces any zombies with another zombie that has decay, which isn't an issue since they can still work as attackers or sacrifice fodder. Definitely going in the Zombie Build.

[Neptune]

I ran a deck very similar to this. Sidisi is a very fun commander to play. I never found an Aphetto Alchemist, so I used Basalt Monolith to combo with Mesmeric Orb. Since I was looking for two artifacts, I ran Emry, Tribute Mage, and Trophy Mage. Dread Return was a huge card to play because it was almost always available. Academy Ruins was another one that allowed me to recover my combo pieces. Instead of the Eldrazi, I ran Vigor and Guile.

If I built it again, Doom Whisperer, Embalmer's Tools, and Path of Discovery are three I'd have to include. I bet if you paired the artifact or enchantment with Doubling Season and friends, you'd mill your entire deck if you had enough creatures.

I like that you mentioned Force of Will and Pact of Negation in your anti-combo sections because I ran them to protect my combo from counterspells. If you like creatures that are counterspells, try Nimble Obstructionist. It counters Bojuka Bog and Tormod's Crypt.