Varina, Lich Queen - Esper Zombie Midrange

[plaganegra]

Bam we have our first great zombie of the set!

[pokken]

That's definitely more mana efficient than Archghoul of Thraben but not sure if either are material upgrades for my personal strategy. I do like that it acts as sweeper insurance you don't have to pay for. If someone board wipes you, they're eating all your zombies with varina trigger next turn, which is a strong disincentive.

They are pretty synergistic since archghoul doesn't care about tokens, so you can go pretty bananas. Both having 3 power is nicely aggro too.

I will add that playing more sac outlets is probably good with this strategy since people are going to eventually stop trying to use normal boardwipes and move toward Winds of Abandon and Cyclonic Rift and similar. At which point having a sac outlet answers those pretty well.

[toctheyounger]

Yeah this seems a pretty solid include. I think I could find space, although if I'm honest the list is getting really tight, its tough to know where the cuts are these days.

I also agree with @pokken, I think you really want to be more proactive with sacrifice synergies to get the most out of this. Wilhelt too really, although timing is more crucial there due to decayed mechanic. If you're not actively generating tokens from this it really is just a vanilla with a contingency plan in my opinion. Still, it's another card that makes me want to add something like Blasting Station in just to machine gun the board for value.

[RedCheese]

The 3 cost slot is so stacked for zombies that is insane. Is the 3 cost tribal basically. I like Headless Rider tough

[pokken]

The 3 cost slot is so stacked for zombies that is insane. Is the 3 cost tribal basically. I like Headless Rider tough

Yeah seems like my hope for some more good 1/2 cmc zombies was in vain

[toctheyounger]

Idk, there is still hope. Most of the low costed zombies fit in a common/uncommon slot. Conversely most of the good zombies aren't though...

[BeneTleilax]

Graf Reaver looks real solid. Ruins enemy planeswalkers on an aggressive body with negligible life cost. I am all for bullying Superfriends.

[ChocoDude]

Played an interesting three-player game last night: Varina vs Ayara, First of Locthwain vs Heliod, Sun-Crowned. (Disclaimer: they were all my decks.) Heliod didn't get much going on so this game was primarily between Varina and Ayara. In short: I played Balthor, the Defiled and activated him right away to recur 8 zombies three of which were Noxious Ghoul, Undead Augur and Midnight Reaper. I had 14 life at that point as Ayara was draining the table quite well. Ayara had maybe 18 life. Noxious Ghoul cleared out the board including the two black creatures that Ayara got to recur from Balthor. Attacked with Varina and another zombie to do 6 points of damage. Then Ayara casts Damnation and I didn't have any counterspells. So my own zombies (Undead Augur and Midnight Reaper) killed me with card draw. Has that happened to any of you much if at all?

Also, I'm onboard with the Headless Rider and may swap out Midnight Reaper for it to minimize life loss through board wipe card draw albeit it hasn't happened to me before. Thoughts? Or I may play another type of card draw instead, maybe Painful Truths.

[Reya]

I was about to write about that bomb! 3/3 for 2 mana and a totaly negligible downside. This zombie is almost at auto-include level !

[RedCheese]

We getting better zombie toys from a standard set than the Zombie Precon or is it just me?

[Falkenbach]

I'm not a huge fan of it, the planeswalker destroying is pretty much irrelivant as you can just swarm them if needed with zombies.
I would much rather run Tainted Adversary ?

Enlighten me if i am wrong

[yeti1069]

Played an interesting three-player game last night: Varina vs Ayara, First of Locthwain vs Heliod, Sun-Crowned. (Disclaimer: they were all my decks.) Heliod didn't get much going on so this game was primarily between Varina and Ayara. In short: I played Balthor, the Defiled and activated him right away to recur 8 zombies three of which were Noxious Ghoul, Undead Augur and Midnight Reaper. I had 14 life at that point as Ayara was draining the table quite well. Ayara had maybe 18 life. Noxious Ghoul cleared out the board including the two black creatures that Ayara got to recur from Balthor. Attacked with Varina and another zombie to do 6 points of damage. Then Ayara casts Damnation and I didn't have any counterspells. So my own zombies (Undead Augur and Midnight Reaper) killed me with card draw. Has that happened to any of you much if at all?

Also, I'm onboard with the Headless Rider and may swap out Midnight Reaper for it to minimize life loss through board wipe card draw albeit it hasn't happened to me before. Thoughts? Or I may play another type of card draw instead, maybe Painful Truths.

It's risk that should rarely be an issue. Sac outlets will help mitigate the risk even further.

[ChocoDude]

Yes, I don't have many sac outlets, so that would've helped. Phyrexian Altar is just so damn expensive these days, but it seems right for the deck. I've got Carrion Feeder and Grim-Grim in there, but that's all. I do have an Altar of Dementia and an Ashnod's Altar, but they don't fit as well. I may have a Blasting Station too.

I'm also not a huge fan of Graf Reaver for my meta. It's great for a planeswalker-heavy meta though, so to each there own on that one.

[toctheyounger]

Yes, I don't have many sac outlets, so that would've helped. Phyrexian Altar is just so damn expensive these days, but it seems right for the deck. I've got Carrion Feeder and Grim-Grim in there, but that's all. I do have an Altar of Dementia and an Ashnod's Altar, but they don't fit as well. I may have a Blasting Station too.

I'm also not a huge fan of Graf Reaver for my meta. It's great for a planeswalker-heavy meta though, so to each there own on that one.

Theres always High Market too. Not ideal in a deck that splashes this hard but if you need it you need it. Oh and Phyrexian Tower. I'd actually really recommend that one, its been very good for me.

Phyrexian is pricey and rightly so, card is bonkers. I have a copy but I've only got it in one deck where I intent to 'turn it up to 11'. Here it goes infinite with Gravecrawler too easy for me to want to add it. Ashnod's has bee fine for me but I think the colorless is significantly less helpful, so if you have a spare Dementia that'd probably be my pick for an add. Its cheaper and its one of those cards where an outlet is stapled to a payoff which can be really good.

Blasting station I really only like if you can get the recurring ETBs for it to go off either infinitely or to really get aggressive with your death triggers.

[pokken]

I am running:

• carrion feeder
• phyrexian ghoul
• nantuko husk
• grimgrin, corpse-born
• phyrexian altar

As well as Expedition Map and Weathered Wayfarer who can get Phyrexian Tower

I've not run into any issues dying to self-drain. Varina gains a lot of life and I'm going to tutor for Gray Merchant of Asphodel or Wayward Servant pretty regularly.

I am thinking of adding Ashnod's Altar back tbh, since I have missed it for explosive big mana turns and fueling Skullclamp

--

Graf Reaver is new and man it sucks to see a rare wasted on such complete trash.

[toctheyounger]

I've tossed up the Husk and Ghoul myself, but I think the options i have atm are better for me.

(Oh theres also Plumb the Forbidden, and that has been really good).

I've not had issues with bleeding out myself, although there may well have been times its been close. I know for sure with Tombstone Stairwell in play you really do have to be careful with triggers that aren't optional, and that includes KindredDiscovery, Undead Augur and Midnight Reaper. I remember one game having these all out, and while I was worried about bleeding out, I milled out before that happened. Lol.

I don't think most games its anything we really need to worry about overly. Even just swinging each turn cycle keeps the wolves away from the door, and there's almost always a way to do that for optimal zombie survival rate. Worst case scenario you could always run Teferi'sProtection to dodge a wipe, too. I don't, but thats really only because I only have the one. Card is great and would have applications outside of saving you from bleeding out.

Edit - Graf Reaver seems very meta. Walkers are the weakest permanent type in the format for value so you're probably only going to see value in it if you have superfriends in your meta.

[ChocoDude]

Thanks folks for the responses. I forgot that I am running Plumb the Forbidden and Phyrexian Tower as well. However, in that instance, I was tapped out, so it wouldn't have mattered. I guess I got too aggressive.

Yeah, I agree that Altar of Dementia is a decent fill-in from the cards I have. I may try it, but as you all said, and I've noticed, it's not a very common instance draining yourself out like that. My Ayara deck is pretty aggressive drainer, so that hampered Varina's ability to sustain life. I'm enjoying all the previews. So far, I'd like to try out Headless Rider, Necroduality, Fell Stinger, and waaaay-maybe Overcharged Amalgam, but damn it's getting difficult to find slots. I'm thinking one or two of those cards will actually stick.

You can actually see my decks by clicking on the mana symbols. I can't remember who taught me that, but I think it was on this thread. Thanks!!

[plaganegra]

The multitude of good zombies we have to choose from that compete fr slots allows for a lot of deck customization. A more token-centric zombie build is more viable now than ever before as a its own sort of thing. And aggro-focused or aristocrat builds like @pokken have as well.

It just means you can pick a unique direction now and it is probably viable. I really hope to see more unique builds start popping up by innovators in the thread!

[toctheyounger]

Agreed. By the time spoiler season is over hopefully we'll have a variety of options capable of working a variety of different shells together. Its looking more and more viable which is a great place to be.

[Reya]

I think I will swap Liliana's Standard bearer for Headless Rider. I rarely have a fantastic use for Standard Bearer... and we have so much card draw anyway... Plus, Headless Rider seems amazing! We need to make room for Archghoul of Thraben too... the card is great !

Maybe I will remove Sidisi for Overcharged Amalgam. I already run Vampiric Tutor and that countering flashy zombie is so nice! And less tutor means less homogeneous game I could cut Mana Drain too if I run a funnier version of a counterspell.

[RedCheese]

We got more zombies previewed and they are hmmmm not good ;D:

Cemetery Desecrator is really bad jesus. And its a mythic lol

Wretched Throng is useless in commander

Unhallowed Phalanx funny stats but thats it. A Doran card at most

Skull Skaab??? is an exploit payoff, which is pointless here.

[BeneTleilax]

The Skaab could be good in a more aristocrat-leaning deck as a way to get more triggers on a two-drop. Two-drops don't need to be *that* good to be playable here.

[Falkenbach]

We got more zombies previewed and they are hmmmm not good ;D:

Cemetery Desecrator is really bad jesus. And its a mythic lol

Wretched Throng is useless in commander

Unhallowed Phalanx funny stats but thats it. A Doran card at most

Skull Skaab??? is an exploit payoff, which is pointless here.

Yeah was hoping on a 3cmc zombie with exploit that kills a creature but instead we get this desecrator at 6 cmc.. compare that to mikaeuses power level at that same cmc cost.. oh well we already have had some great zombies to probaby include

Still gonna hold on to Murderous Rider // Swift End then..

[RedCheese]

The Skaab could be good in a more aristocrat-leaning deck as a way to get more triggers on a two-drop. Two-drops don't need to be *that* good to be playable here.

Problem is that there isn't alot of exploit cards to be benefited by it. Basically a Vanilla here and Varinna decks are tight currently.

[BeneTleilax]

Problem is that there isn't alot of exploit cards to be benefited by it. Basically a Vanilla here and Varinna decks are tight currently.

The earlier translation I saw missed the 'nontoken'. Yeah, not of much use now.