Varina, Lich Queen - Esper Zombie Midrange

[pzbw7z]

@toctheyounger Since you're on Field of the Dead, it seems you ought to have Snow Basics in the mix. Is there a reason you don't?

It obviously won't make a huge difference, but there's not much of a downside and it would very slightly improve FoD.

[toctheyounger]

@toctheyounger Since you're on Field of the Dead, it seems you ought to have Snow Basics in the mix. Is there a reason you don't?

It obviously won't make a huge difference, but there's not much of a downside and it would very slightly improve FoD.

Part of it is I have just struggled to actually get them. Even after Kaldheim my stores have just been out of them. I've got snow swamps I can and probably will add but otherwise it's really just a slim pickings thing.

I also eventually want the full mix of fetches in here but I'm quite happy to wait for reprints.

[Rframpt]

So I have been looking at Poxwalkers and I have been thinking maybe I should cut it from my list. I am wondering if any of you have had some positive experience with it, and some suggestions as to have interesting cards to cast to trigger poxwalkers return to the battlefield

[pokken]

So I have been looking at Poxwalkers and I have been thinking maybe I should cut it from my list. I am wondering if any of you have had some positive experience with it, and some suggestions as to have interesting cards to cast to trigger poxwalkers return to the battlefield

I don't think it's good enough personally. For me if I'm casting stuff from the bin repeatedly the game is probably about over.

The issue is that the main thing it does is make some altar combos make infinite bodies or mana. But I don't really need infinite bodies or mana. Not enough outlets and no haste.

It does what corpse knight et al do but worse. For me.

In a more midrange build I think it's real good

[Rframpt]

For me it was s mostly I do run a more midrange reanimation style deck. However, I don't have much where I can cast spells from outside my hand. I more utilize Varina's loot ability to bin my higher cmc zombies so I can reanimate them later in the game or utilize Silversmote Ghoul , Prized Amalgam orRazorlash Transmogrant to keep having annoying creature that will keep coming back

[pokken]

For me it was s mostly I do run a more midrange reanimation style deck. However, I don't have much where I can cast spells from outside my hand. I more utilize Varina's loot ability to bin my higher cmc zombies so I can reanimate them later in the game or utilize Silversmote Ghoul , Prized Amalgam orRazorlash Transmogrant to keep having annoying creature that will keep coming back

Sevinne's Reclamation Dread Return and Gravecrawler and Liliana, Untouched by Death, then the Haakon, Stromgald Scourge package are the main ones I can think of.

The problem is unlike say Headless Rider, poxwalkers doesn't generate more bodies, just one you can sac.

That said, being on curve with Varina and having deathtouch is pretty good too.

I think if you're wanting to do walkers you're wanting to entomb Gravecrawler and do stuff with it and get double triggers for it. It makes Skullclamp really, really efficient.

[Rframpt]

It might even be good to add Unmarked Grave to the list in that case.
Reason why I don't run Haakon and that entire package is that I don't really find it to be a compelling gameplay loop. Feels much like you dig for those lines and everything else in the deck is just there to make sure your opponents doesn't stop you from doing it

[pzbw7z]

Haakon is dramatically improved by Buried Alive. Getting sac target and payoff with the graveyard cast ability with one card is enormously powerful. Add Phyrexian Altar and it's, well, you know.

I also just like having guys that want to go to the graveyard. I'm getting over the reluctance to bin creatures, but it's nice having the auto-bin.

With five guys Haakon enables, he makes the graveyard more productive for me. More EtB and Dies triggers, more opportunity to abuse Skullclamp, just more fun!

[toctheyounger]

I think if you're wanting to do walkers you're wanting to entomb Gravecrawler and do stuff with it and get double triggers for it. It makes Skullclamp really, really efficient.

This basically.

It does play nicely with the Haakon package too, but yes, it is more of a value piece than something that gets you going off. That, and just being a card that doesn't mind being looted away.

[TheGildedGoose]

I don't say this to sound condescending at all, but I'm just dropping in to say I find it wild that this thread is almost at 3,000 posts. Keep up the good work.

[toctheyounger]

I don't say this to sound condescending at all, but I'm just dropping in to say I find it wild that this thread is almost at 3,000 posts. Keep up the good work.

Honestly, so do I lol

[dueba]

Hello all, its been a little while.

Finally got my hands on most of the enemy fetchlands which should help with the manabase, while also giving more reason to consider including cosmic intervention. How has everyone else's experiences been with the recent changes?

[pokken]

Hello all, its been a little while.

Finally got my hands on most of the enemy fetchlands which should help with the manabase, while also giving more reason to consider including cosmic intervention. How has everyone else's experiences been with the recent changes?

I haven't played a lot but I also don't change my deck a lot I added Razorlash Transmogrant which seems like it'll be good. And I made a few manabase tweaks (needed my Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth for another deck so trying Sunken Ruins to see if having more blue access helps, it's been a shortcoming)

[pzbw7z]

Hello all, its been a little while.

Finally got my hands on most of the enemy fetchlands which should help with the manabase, while also giving more reason to consider including cosmic intervention. How has everyone else's experiences been with the recent changes?

Cosmic Intervention seems like a good card, though I'd probably never use it just to get a fetch back; I'd hate myself if I did. A fetchland would be a nice little bonus for a use of it, for sure. I have not looked for a copy yet.

I've added Razorlash Transmogrant and Universal Automaton lately and they should help on occasion.

The Haakon package along with Buried Alive makes the deck super strong in long games and, frankly, my deck already seems too strong for the pods I play in. Last time out, two for two in a four-way.

The deck is still slow, but the graveyard gives it inevitability. In casual games, folks just don't seem to know they have to kill the Zombie player before his graveyard hits critical mass.

[Rframpt]

Hello all, its been a little while.

Finally got my hands on most of the enemy fetchlands which should help with the manabase, while also giving more reason to consider including cosmic intervention. How has everyone else's experiences been with the recent changes?

I haven't played a lot but I also don't change my deck a lot I added Razorlash Transmogrant which seems like it'll be good. And I made a few manabase tweaks (needed my Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth for another deck so trying Sunken Ruins to see if having more blue access helps, it's been a shortcoming)

One very important thing with Cosmic Intervention is that it does not allow for dies triggers to happen as the creatures get exiled instead of going to the yard. Did cost me the game when I thought I could finish the res of the table off with a bit of looping

[pokken]

One very important thing with Cosmic Intervention is that it does not allow for dies triggers to happen as the creatures get exiled instead of going to the yard. Did cost me the game when I thought I could finish the res of the table off with a bit of looping

yep, only real casualty of tha tis Plague Belcher for me (and undead augur/relentless dead/liliana's standard bearer). if I'm CI looping I'm aiming for corpse knight/wayward servant or gary.

[toctheyounger]

Hello all, its been a little while.

Finally got my hands on most of the enemy fetchlands which should help with the manabase, while also giving more reason to consider including cosmic intervention. How has everyone else's experiences been with the recent changes?

Generally pretty good for me. Things are nice and lean and fairly efficient. I do have more changes to make though, per @pokken's recommendation I've tracked down at least Phyrexian Ghoul (haven't managed to find Nantuko Husk) and I've got Enlightened Tutor to add in too. That'll likely mean Ad Nauseam drops out for me, because 90% of the time I'm digging for an altar. So it'll bring the curve down a touch more, be a bit more efficient for converting advantage into a win, and mean my life total is a little less fragile.

Cosmic Intervention I haven't really had chance to trial anything more than minimally, but so far what I have done with it is fine. I suspect the added value fetch gets a bit more reliable once you have a full complement in there. Personally I'm waiting for reprints before I pick em up. They're topping out around 60 for Khans copies at present, but that just means the reprint price will be really nice. Worth the wait imo.

As an aside, I've just realised we talked about literally zero All Will Be One cards at set release: There were literally zero I saw that pertain to us here, did anyone else spot any spice?

[pokken]

I got a game in tonight and managed a handless win thanks to binding mummy tapping down a voltron commander. Varina attack for self mill 11 into sevinnes an altar and gg. This deck is just so fun . Been using a lot more of Varinas ability too.

I didn't see anything exciting yet personally in the new stuff.

[toctheyounger]

I got a game in tonight and managed a handless win thanks to binding mummy tapping down a voltron commander. Varina attack for self mill 11 into sevinnes an altar and gg. This deck is just so fun . Been using a lot more of Varinas ability too.

I didn't see anything exciting yet personally in the new stuff.

The deck pivots so well; whether you run it as combo or not it feels like a layered midrange combo deck either way.

[pzbw7z]

I got a game in tonight and managed a handless win thanks to binding mummy tapping down a voltron commander. Varina attack for self mill 11 into sevinnes an altar and gg. This deck is just so fun . Been using a lot more of Varinas ability too.

I didn't see anything exciting yet personally in the new stuff.

Binding Mummy makes Varina's Zombie-production ability even more valuable. Tormod, the Desecrator also increased it's value for me.

The deck gets so strong as the graveyard grows; it just has inevitability if the 'yard isn't removed.

[ChocoDude]

I haven't watched this yet, but just a heads up in case you want to see it.

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/co ... -tier-list

[pokken]

I haven't watched this yet, but just a heads up in case you want to see it.

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/co ... -tier-list

that card tier list is some of the drunkest stuff I have ever seen. varina is by *far* the best zombie commander.

[ChocoDude]

I still haven't watched the video, but I read most of the comments and a couple things seemed apparent. 1) Folks love THEIR specific zombie commanders and 2) I think the podcasters ranked the zombies based on their utility with zombie commanders they each specifically prefer.

Overall, there was A LOT of commenting-love for Varina.

[yeti1069]

I haven't watched this yet, but just a heads up in case you want to see it.

https://www.mtggoldfish.com/articles/co ... -tier-list

that card tier list is some of the drunkest stuff I have ever seen. varina is by *far* the best zombie commander.

I couldn't watch more than 10 min of this nonsense. "Hipster card"? What does that even mean?

As for Varina being the best...I'm inclined to agree (clearly), but she's the 3rd most popular on EDHREC, partly due to Wilhelt being a face commander, but also I think people want different things out of their commanders, and zombie decks specifically.

[pokken]

Wilhelt is trash. That is all. .

Kraum / Tormod is probably objectively the strongest zombie commander package fwiw.