History!
This deck originally was built around a synergy between Graveblade Marauder and self-mill, and then making said marauder unblockable. This proved awkward and cumbersome, as well as horribly uncompetitive.
After that, I changed this up to make type of Zombie Tribal, using and clearing the graveyard as necessary. I tried holding onto the marauder, but he seemed counterproductive in the long run; he wanted cards in the graveyard, whilst nearly everything else wanted the yard to be cleared. To this ends, I've put in Nantuko Husk; same colour, same mana cost, same purpose (pushing large amounts of damage through). However, instead of relying on a full graveyard, Nantuko Husk likes to fill it. With all the stuff that likes dying and death in this deck, I believe him to be a perfect fit.
Nowadays, I've dropped the part Zombie Tribal element, and just gone for full on aristocrats, and not really interacting with the graveyard at all. It's been a long production to get this deck where it is now, and it's gone through many different iterations, but I love this deck, and believe it to be very competitive.
After Pro Tour Battle for Zendikar, I've decided to splash green and make this a Sultai deck. The main reason for this has been Collected Company and Blisterpod. More on them later!
Key Cards
-Nantuko Husk. This is, without a doubt, the most important card in this deck. Just like the old style Aristocrats deck, this has the potential to just win games from underneath the opponent.
-
Whirler Rogue
: Part of the reason this deck is so volatile is the fact that 8 unblockable damage on turn 4 is perfectly viable. Play
Whirler Rogue
, tap thopters to grant unblockable to Nantuko Husk, and then sac the board. May win games there and then
-Zulaport Cutthroat: Lets me push this main combo even further in my favour, and curves beautifully with the first two pieces.
Support Staff
-Blisterpod and Bloodsoaked Champion both love to die, and reward me with net gains when they do so. Saccing a Blisterpod to Nantuko Husk is actually an upgrade.
-Mirror Mockery. I've read a lot of good stuff on this recently, and really the tactics behind this card can go on and on. It boils down to roughly this: Put Mirror Mockery on one of three cards:
Whirler Rogue
, Nantuko Husk, or
Sidisi's Faithful
, in that order of preference. On
Whirler Rogue
, you get extra thopters, extra unblockability, and an extra body to sacrifice. Very likely to win games. Put it on Nantuko Husk to make him attack for 4/4 every turn. Put it on
Sidisi's Faithful
to bounce something every turn and repeated death triggers. Also fits nicely on opposing Siege Rhinos.
-Hangarback Walker: the new all star of this deck. Two counters threatens a +6/+6 to Nantuko Husk, and is very resilient to removal
-Grim Haruspex: currently considering changing this guy to Liliana, Heretical Healer
. They both have the same job, rewarding me for killing my own dudes, and making combat unpleasant for the opponent.
-
Sidisi's Faithful
: backup sac outlet incase I can't draw Nantuko Husk. Additionally, a bounce and a 0/4 body are both very useful.
-Collected Company: is absolutely lovely for this deck. Finding heaps of new fodder is very useful, especially in such a creature heavy deck. The only thing this can't target is
Whirler Rogue
.
Removal
-Languish interacts very nicely with Nantuko Husk: you can sacrifice everything of yours that would die anyway, pump the Husk up, and have it survive a board wipe.
-Murderous Cut is ideal in this deck, as it can plow through all the graveyard fodder that other effects provide.
Land
This is where I feel I'm having the most trouble, and I would definitely appreciate some help here. Currently I feel that without enemy coloured Battle Lands, I'm a little hampered, as to what I can fetch with my fetchlands. I'm expecting this will iron out when Oath of the Gatewatch is released.
Sideboard description is coming soon.
