Sidisi, Brood Tyrant - Zombie Horde and Shenanigans

[DementedKirby]

Here's my review for Core Set 2021:

• Archfiend's Vessel - In this deck it's going to a piece of cake to reanimate it, getting a 5/5 flyer for just B. However, in my deck at least, it's not impactful to try and find a slot for considering how hard it already is to make cuts in it. That being said, it might find a home in the Budget Build.
• Carrion Grub - It'll be as powerful as the most powerful creature in our graveyard and it self-mills 4 when it enters the graveyard. Even then, it doesn't have any evasion of any kind and, just like with Archfiend's Vessel, I don't find it impactful enough to make a cut for it. That being said, it might find a home in the Budget Build.
• Demonic Embrace - It's interesting in that it can be attached to Sidisi to give her a significant boost as well as making her harder to block. It can also be recast from the graveyard providing a discard outlet while doing so. This can get us a fatty in the yard to reanimate later. So it can be recast whether it was destroyed or self-milled.
• Liliana's Devotee - As far as a zombie lord it's not bad and the triggered ability can get us yet another 2/2 zombie token for just 1B. I'd have to test and see if it's even worth a slot in the Zombie Build. It might go in the Budget Build, though.
• Liliana's Standard Bearer - Comboing off with Gravecrawler can definitely score us a ton of cards when this enters the battlefield. We can then discard anything key to our graveyard at the end of our turn. It's also a zombie, to boot! Definitely worth testing for the Zombie Build.
• Elder Gargaroth - Just because this creature is amazing in a vacuum doesn't make it good for this deck, unfortunately.
• Obsessive Stitcher - This card does it all. It loots, you can sacrifice it to reanimate a creature, and it only costs 3 mana to cast.

[DementedKirby]

Here's my review for Jumpstart:

• Kels, Fight Fixer - For just 1 we can sacrifice a creature (preferably a zombie token) to not only make Kels indestructible but to draw a card as well. Even then, I think might be too niche to warrant a slot in the deck.

[WWolfe]

I kind like Glasspool Mimic for this deck. Lots of flexibility on what you could copy (Craterhoof Behemoth, Bloom Tender, Glen Elendra Archmage, etc.) which would almost always be a plus. Or in a pinch it's a land.

[DementedKirby]

I kind like Glasspool Mimic for this deck. Lots of flexibility on what you could copy (Craterhoof Behemoth, Bloom Tender, Glen Elendra Archmage, etc.) which would almost always be a plus. Or in a pinch it's a land.

Oh yeah, it definitely has some flexibility thanks to that.

This set definitely has some goodies for my Sidisi build. In particular, the plant skeleton that topdecks itself from the graveyard. With cards already in the deck it can easily make an infinite loop. So once the set is completely spoiled, I'm going to give my set review for the cards pertinent to Sidisi as well as explaining in great detail just how this loop happens.

[WWolfe]

Now I'm curious about this loop. Looking forward to seeing your set review as always!

[betoslav]

Just wondering if you have an updated list for the competitive build? Are you running Master Biomancer to help with the Moss-Pit Skeleton loop? I know it's tough with the pandemic. Again, huge fan of the deck (it was the basis for my first 'good' EDH deck) and I have been very much enjoying your YouTube channel! Great work!

[DementedKirby]

Just wondering if you have an updated list for the competitive build? Are you running Master Biomancer to help with the Moss-Pit Skeleton loop? I know it's tough with the pandemic. Again, huge fan of the deck (it was the basis for my first 'good' EDH deck) and I have been very much enjoying your YouTube channel! Great work!

Thanks! Glad it's all been helpful!

I don't think I'll run Master Biomancer just for the Moss-Pit Skeleton loop. As for the updated deck list, I'd have to check it to see. I'm pretty sure it's up to date. But a second revision isn't bad. If there is maybe one or two slots left to update, I'll probably do that.

[WWolfe]

So what's with the infinite loop you were talking about with the deck?

[DementedKirby]

So what's with the infinite loop you were talking about with the deck?

Sorry for the late reply, for some reason I didn't receive the notification for it. In any case, I go over the combo in great detail in my set review video, which you can find here (it's timestamped at the point where the combo is explained):

[DementedKirby]

Here's my review for The Walking Dead × Secret Lair:

*DISCLAIMER*
While no doubt a very controversial product, I do not believe in gatekeeping; I will still respect players excited by and looking forward to playing with these cards. Likewise, I respect those who took personal offense by this product. That being said, I will be objective in reviewing what could be used from this product for this deck.

• Lucille - While the deck doesn't really use equipment, it does provide a slight buff as well as menace, which could be useful. More important than that, it has a trigger on attack which makes the defending player sacrifice a creature - making Sidisi even harder to block. If they sacrifice a creature, you get a zombie, which is also synergistic for the deck. This has the potential of finding a slot in the Zombie Build.
• Michonne, Ruthless Survivor - She creates two 2/2 zombies when she enters the battlefield. However, the deck isn't really running equipment to make the most of Michonne's ability. Curiously enough, Lucille is an excellent equipment for a Michonne deck.

[DementedKirby]

Here's my review for Commander Legends:

• Hullbreacher - One of the new "boogeymen" to the format, while it can be included to steal opponents' draws, the deck isn't really forcing players to draw and it's hard enough to make cuts for it. Same goes for the next card.
• Opposition Agent - The other new "boogeyman" to the format, while it can be included to steal opponents' ramp effects or tutors, the deck is more proactive than reactive. With how difficult it is to make cuts, it's honestly not worth a slot here.
• Laboratory Drudge - While the deck obviously plays with the graveyard, the effects is too lackluster to warrant a slot.
• Sakashima of a Thousand Faces - Another amazing clone that can copy legends, having another Sidisi could do a lot. While I wouldn't necessarily make a cut for it, it's still definitely a great card to add if you like these effects.
• Tormod, the Desecrator - Another way to make zombies especially since the deck is getting things out of the graveyard. However, it's much more efficient making zombies with Sidisi than it would be with Tormod.
• Kamahl, Heart of Krosa - Giving our zombie horde +3/+3 is quite the buff. However, with how expensive it costs, it's better to just run Craterhoof Behemoth instead, which the deck already runs.
• Kodama of the East Tree - Each time we create a zombie we're able to drop a land from our hand. Also, whenever we reanimate anything we can play a card with the same or lower casting cost for free. While I have yet to test it, this card has the potential to make some busted plays and should definitely be considered.
• Araumi of the Dead Tide - With the graveyard full of cards, giving encore to a creature is a great way to reanimate them. However, the creature has to be exiled for its effect, which is something I've been very adamant on the deck not doing.
• Aesi, Tyrant of Gyre Strait - While not a landfall deck, being able to play an additional land and being able to draw a card off of it is definitely something to consider.
• Undergrowth Stadium and Rejuvenating Springs - With this land megacycle finally getting completed, we can add even more 2-colored lands that don't enter the battlefield tapped.

[WWolfe]

Any review of Kaldheim yet?

[DementedKirby]

Any review of Kaldheim yet?

I'll get it up soon! I'm a bit late to the party but I've been overworked in real life so haven't had any times for my hobby. If my bread-providing job were my YouTube channel then that would've been a different story

[DementedKirby]

Here's my review for Kaldheim:

• Reflections of Littjara - Amazing for the Zombie Build. Everytime we cast a zombie spell it gets copied. Copying each zombie lord in the deck will go a long way very quickly.
• Burning-Rune Demon - Is almost like a Final Parting on a body except that an opponent chooses which card goes to the graveyard and which goes to your hand. You also have to reveal the cards. However, we can make a choice that's beneficial for us regardless of the outcome since we like having things in our graveyard anyways.
• Dream Devourer - For just 1B, we have a creature that essentially reduces the casting of our nonland cards without fortell (which is so far none of them). We can then recast them later on. So while we end up paying the same cost in the end, we can empty our hand if necessary and then cast the spells for cheaper when we can.
• Haunting Voyage - Amazing for the Zombie Build. Its foretold cost is a bit high at 7 mana but it can reanimate all of our zombies which is no small feat.
• Varragoth, Bloodsky Sire - A recurrable tutor on a body is no joke, especially when it topdecks what we're looking for. We'd rather have the card in our graveyard than our hand anyways. What's great about boast is that we can activate it in response to Sidisi's attack trigger. We can then have Varragoth's ability resolve first, topdecking something spicy for Sidisi to mill when her trigger resolves.
• Roots of Wisdom - Believe it or not this card is kind of useful in the deck as it is. Currently there are 7 elves in the deck. Add to that 35 lands and there're 42 potential cards that this can return besides milling us for three.
• Jorn, God of Winter / Kaldring, the Rimestaff - If your deck runs a lot of snow lands then you might consider playing Jorn to untap your lands or Kaldring in order to play them from the graveyard. However, my deck doesn't run a lot of snow permanents so it's not for me.
• King Narfi's Betrayal - Not only does this mill the entire table for 4 but it exiles a creature of planeswalker from each graveyard. We can can then cast them afterwards for any mana. This is more helpful to us but at the same time we can potentially steal an amazing creature or planeswalker from an opponent. Definitely worth considering.
• Narfi, Betrayer King - A bit overcosted at 5 mana but it is a zombie lord that can reanimate itself for SSS. Unfortunately, as it is, the deck can at most run 3 snow-covered basic lands. You'd need to include more source of snow mana to make it worthwhile to include.
• The Three Seasons - Definitely worth considering for the Budget Build since it self-mills for 3 and then can potentially recover 3 snow permanents to our hand and then shuffle back 3 cards we don't want to remain in our graveyard.
• Maskwood Nexus - Worth considering for the Zombie Build since it'll make all of our creatures zombies (as well as other creature types). It's cheaper than Conspiracy but not cheaper than Arcane Adaptation. It's also more susceptible to removal than Arcane Adaptation. That being said, for 3 mana and tapping it can create a 2/2 zombie for what the decks cares for.

[DementedKirby]

Here's my review for Kalhdeim: Commander:

• Pact of the Serpent - As I've mentioned quite extensively, the deck doesn't really want to draw so much as self-mill. That being said, if you prefer drawing, then this card can definitely be considered for the Zombie Build.

[WWolfe]

Nice thoughts.

Realmwalker might be worth trying out in the Zombie build though the deck doesn't have a lot of top deck manipulation and really would rather put the creatures in the GY (ok, so maybe I just talked myself out of it). Draugr Necromancer may could be interesting if the deck ran more basics to up the count of snow lands, even without that part of the second ability it's a nice exile ability to permanently remove a problematic creature.

[DementedKirby]

Nice thoughts.

Realmwalker might be worth trying out in the Zombie build though the deck doesn't have a lot of top deck manipulation and really would rather put the creatures in the GY (ok, so maybe I just talked myself out of it). Draugr Necromancer may could be interesting if the deck ran more basics to up the count of snow lands, even without that part of the second ability it's a nice exile ability to permanently remove a problematic creature.

The necromancer would definitely be good if the deck cared more about creature removal. It's not a bad card by any means, though; I am considering it for my Mazirek, Kraul Death Priest deck (but might end up excluding it in the end).

[WWolfe]

I'm so torn on which direction to take my Sidisi deck in atm. I'm torn between taking it full zombie tribal (which I have all the cards for) or taking it towards the more competitive approach (which I have all the cards for). Atm, my deck is somewhat a hybrid between the two and while it's fun and wins it's fair share of the time, I want to switch it up but just cannot decide which way to take it.

[DementedKirby]

I'm so torn on which direction to take my Sidisi deck in atm. I'm torn between taking it full zombie tribal (which I have all the cards for) or taking it towards the more competitive approach (which I have all the cards for). Atm, my deck is somewhat a hybrid between the two and while it's fun and wins it's fair share of the time, I want to switch it up but just cannot decide which way to take it.

Why not both? Just keep all the cards sleeved up and ready to go and just have a list written down somewhere with which cards go in which version. That way you have sort of a modular deck to work with. I'm considering doing this with my Nekusar, the Mindrazer deck since I don't want to have multiple decks with the same archetype. So instead of building multiple wheel decks like Brallin & Shabraz, Kydele & Akiri, Xyris, etc., I'd just have all the cards sleeved up and at the ready along with a decklist for each version. It helps that most of these decks recycle about 60% of their cards between them, so it shouldn't be that difficult to accomplish. I imagine less so for a single deck with two versions

[DementedKirby]

Here's my review for Strixhaven:

• Curate - Definitely worth considering for the budget build due to its malleability, speed, and casting cost.
• Oriq Loremage - Oh boy, is this card amazing here! Not only does it trigger Sidisi if we entomb a creature, but this is a recurrable way to entomb an eldrazi titan for whenever we need to save our library. So not only can it always get us what we want to reanimate, but it can be used defensively as well. Definitely an auto-include!
• Professor Onyx - Unfortunately, we can't make the most out of her magecraft ability. That being said, her +1 it is a good way to filter draws and self-mill; her -3 has all opponent sacrifice their strongest creature just in case; the last one wouldn't really be the point of running her, but her middle two abilities are definitely amazing.
• Augmenter Pugilist / Echoing Equation - The sorcery side is the one that would be most fitting for the deck. Being able to make each other creature into a copy of Sidisi means that the amount of zombie tokens we create when we self-mill is ridiculous. Since the front face of this card is a creature, it counts as a creature for all effects and purposes for self-milling which is a huge plus.
• Blex, Vexing Pest / Search for Blex - The sorcery side is the best side for this deck. You get to filter for any number of cards from the top 5 and then self-mill the rest. This is definitely an amazing spell for the deck, especially since the first side is a creature, making the card a creature card for self-milling purposes.
• Witherbloom Command - While an amazing command, the modes best chosen are the first two. Naturally we want to self-mill so if there are no viable targets for the other abilities, just self-mill with the last ability.

[MeowZeDung]

I've been meaning to peek at your list since I recently put together Sidisi. I won a game quite decisively with Blood Artist/Zulaport Cutthroat + Carrion Feeder, so my zombie aristocrat dredge/Worm Harvest approach worked, but I think that's mostly because I got lucky with an early Extractor Demon, Embalmer's Tools, and even a World Shaper sac for like 9 lands.

First thing I noticed was your list was actually more combo driven, just different combos than I was running. I was curious though: have you ever run Cephalid Illusionist + Shuko to just flip your whole library, then Dread Return a win con? I have to imagine there's something there with Wonder and zombies, Craterhoof, or in my aristocrats case I'd reanimate Zulaport Cutthroat and escape Woe Strider I suppose.

[DementedKirby]

I've been meaning to peek at your list since I recently put together Sidisi. I won a game quite decisively with Blood Artist/Zulaport Cutthroat + Carrion Feeder, so my zombie aristocrat dredge/Worm Harvest approach worked, but I think that's mostly because I got lucky with an early Extractor Demon, Embalmer's Tools, and even a World Shaper sac for like 9 lands.

First thing I noticed was your list was actually more combo driven, just different combos than I was running. I was curious though: have you ever run Cephalid Illusionist + Shuko to just flip your whole library, then Dread Return a win con? I have to imagine there's something there with Wonder and zombies, Craterhoof, or in my aristocrats case I'd reanimate Zulaport Cutthroat and escape Woe Strider I suppose.

I played Cephalid Illusionist / Shuko but almost immediately cut them because on their own they're dead cards. Aphetto Alchemist / Mesmeric Orb is infinitely better since these cards also work on their own. So while they can still mill me indefinitely, they're not dead draws without the other.

[MeowZeDung]

Ah, makes sense. I get that Mesmeric Orb has some merit on its own, but what else is alchemist doing other than being a creature and untapping another dude 1x a turn? Even if the answer is "nothing", I still see why orb/alchemist is better.

[DementedKirby]

Ah, makes sense. I get that Mesmeric Orb has some merit on its own, but what else is alchemist doing other than being a creature and untapping another dude 1x a turn? Even if the answer is "nothing", I still see why orb/alchemist is better.

You'd be surprised with the value it brings. It untaps Vannifar and Whisper as well as Bloom Tender and Krosan Restorer for bursts of mana (mana rocks, too). However, it's even better now thanks to Oriq Loremage. So even though it untaps itself indefinitely for Mesmeric Orb, it can still be used for value.

[DementedKirby]

Here are the most recent changes I've made to the deck. There will definitely be some more changes once I test a couple of Strixhaven cards when they come out. But for the moment, here's the current list for the deck:

Decklist

DecklistCMCManaPricesChartsDraw 7

in:

1 Glasspool Mimic

1 Agadeem's Awakening

1 Ramunap Excavator

1 Witch's Cottage

1 Phyrexian Altar

1 Field of the Dead

1 Burning-Rune Demon

1 Undergrowth Stadium

1 Morphic Pool

1 Rejuvenating Springs

1 Snow-Covered Swamp

1 Snow-Covered Forest

1 Snow-Covered Island

out:

1 Prime Speaker Vannifar

1 Deserted Temple

1 Protean Hulk

1 Cabal Coffers

1 Thousand-Year Elixir

1 Minamo, School at Water's Edge

1 Jarad's Orders

2 Swamp

2 Island

2 Forest

Approximate Total Cost: