Selecting which creatures to include was definitely the most difficult aspect of deck design. I feel as though this area needs improvement, but as of now these are the bodies I’ve settled on. Each creature has characteristics that homogenize well with the theme of the deck and with one another.
•
Gravecrawler
is recursion personified. We can offer him up to the altar and mill the opponent for two cards, after which he can return from the graveyard at his leisure. With 3 other copies of itself plus 4 copies of Haakon, and an additional 8 other changelings that count as zombies, returning
Gravecrawler
to play won’t be an issue.
•
Changeling Outcast
and
Universal Automaton
each count as all creature types. They both benefit from this static trait and function as enablers because of it. As mentioned above, they provide an open door for
Gravecrawler
to return to the land of the living. Yet they themselves receive an invitation to leave the graveyard, cordially sent by one
Haakon, Stromgald Scourge
.
•
Haakon, Stromgald Scourge
has a stringent requirement to be played, but once he’s on the battlefield he becomes a key piece for the recursion of many of our other creatures. While in play, Haakon will allow us to play any and all knights directly from our graveyard.
Syr Konrad, the Grim
and both changelings fall under this umbrella.
•
Frogtosser Banneret
was recently promoted to maindeck from the sideboard. What it allows us to do is far too valuable to leave it in reserve; I’m very grateful amicdeep suggested it. When
Altar of Dementia
and
Haakon, Stromgald Scourge
are in play this little rogue will enable an infinite mill interaction. Simply sacrifice
Universal Automaton
to the altar, then recast it from the graveyard (with Haakon’s permission) for its casting cost -1 (so for free!). Then repeat the process to mill out the opponent’s library in one explosive play.
Note I’m debating the idea of replacing
Frogtosser Banneret
with
Dragonlord's Servant
. For our purposes it’s functionally identical, except a bit more robust at 1/3 instead of 1/1.
•
Kroxa, Titan of Death's Hunger
is our largest threat. Rules text specifies that we may indeed cast him for his normal (non-escape) casting cost, and before the mandatory sacrifice effect triggers we may voluntarily offer him as sacrifice upon the
Altar of Dementia
. Once in the graveyard, feel free to disinter him by paying his escape cost. If that wasn’t enough, whenever he enters play or attacks he forces a discard with potential life loss.
