ZOM-BOMB! Mardu Vial Zombies [Primer]
Modern Aggro Combo Competitive Creature Cheat Primer RBW (Mardu) Reanimator Sacrifice Tokens Zombie
Land (20)
ETB Trigger (12)
Sacrifice Enabler (7)
Sacrifice Target (4)
Zombie Generator (4)
LTB Trigger (10)
Removal (1)
Utility (2)
Sideboard
Removal (6)
Disruption (3)
Maybeboard
Removal (11)
Reanimation (6)
Land (3)
Zombie Lord (4)
ETB Trigger (2)
Sacrifice Outlet (5)
LTB Trigger (8)
Graveyard Hate (6)
Land Disruption (4)
Self-Mill (4)
Combo - Infinite ETBs/LTBs with sac outlet (14)
Draw (8)
Discard (6)
Combo Hate (4)
Tutor (1)
GREETINGS!
This is my latest competitive Vial Zombie build, but this time I’m splashing white for Wayward Servant and red for Goblin Bombardment and Mayhem Devil.
My objective is to go full-aggro while creating sacrifice loops with Gravecrawler and Carrion Feeder or Goblin Bombardment to maximize value through enter-the-battlefield (ETB) and leave-the-battlefield (LTB) triggers.
I originally designed this deck as a janky glass cannon based around the infinite combo of Liliana’s Treasure Hunt (Liliana, Untouched By Death + Shambling Ghast, and Goblin Bombardment or Carrion Feeder + Wayward Servant). After going back to the drawing board, I’ve refined the original concept into a solid aggro deck with more consistency and resilience.
After years of playing zombie tribal decks both casually and competitively, and experimenting with every possible color combination, I think I have finally arrived at my favorite build!
OVERVIEW
Opening
My opening hand should ideally consist of an Aether Vial plus a steady curve of zombies to put constant pressure on the opponent. A hand without a Vial is acceptable if enough lands and zombies are also present to sustain the tempo.
Champion of the Perished is the ideal opening zombie because he acts as a blocker against Ragavan, Nimble Pilferer and grows as each successive zombie ETBs. With some luck, Champion can hit 3/3 on turn 2, then 7/7 on turn 3 if I can stick a Crawler Loop.
Crawler Loops
Before I play a sacrifice outlet like Carrion Feeder or Goblin Bombardment, I try to establish the other zombie combo pieces first to gain as much value per sacrifice as possible.
ETB Triggers include Champion of the Perished, Geralf's Messenger (saps life rapidly, eats removal, and is a good blocker), and Wayward Servant (drains life and is more cost-effective than other zombie options relative to mana value).
LTB Triggers include Headless Rider (creates zombie tokens from each non-token zombie death, providing a blocker or another sacrifice target), Mayhem Devil (not a zombie, but it deals 1 damage each time a permanent is sacrificed, which includes both players’ fetchlands, Evoke creatures, treasure tokens, etc), and Undead Augur (converts zombie deaths into card-draws, providing more fodder for Vial).
Stacking combat damage with multiple ETB/LTB triggers can lead to sudden victories during turns 4 and on.
Aether Vial can be used to sneak in creatures with LTB triggers in response to combat or removal.
Removal
This build is light on removal because Goblin Bombardment and Mayhem Devil can be used to ping meddlesome creatures to death, or ignore them altogether and go straight for the opponent’s face.
Bone Shards provides backup against an especially difficult creature or Planeswalker. Plus Shards functions as a sacrifice or discard outlet.
After the insights learned in game 1, a toolbox of removal spells can be swapped-in from the Sideboard for games 2 and 3.
Utility
Cryptbreaker has amazing utility for a single mana. It acts as a self-discard outlet which generates zombie tokens and also converts untapped zombies into card-draws at instant speed. The latter ability is especially useful after the opponent resolves their combat phase and you no longer need your horde to block.
Land
Fetchlands allow me to tailor my manabase as the situation demands. Usually I seek out Blood Crypt before Godless Shrine, since I need red mana to cast Goblin Bombardment.
Since my manabase is so lean, fastlands (Blackcleave Cliffs and Concealed Courtyard) are likely to enter play untapped.
Cavern of Souls protects my zombies from counterspells and makes it easier to cast Wayward Servant.
Castle Locthwain is a mid-game mana sink and card draw engine.
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth allows me to tap Cavern of Souls and fetchlands for black mana. This is important during the mid-game when every life point matters and I would rather tap a fetchland for black mana, rather than sac it and pay 1 life.
SIDEBOARD
Void Mirror slows down colorless Tron, 0-cost artifacts, cascade, evoke (especially against Fury and Solitude, which are strong against this build), etc. Vials do not “cast” creatures and thus get around Mirror.
Tidehollow Sculler is a Thoughtseize on steroids when paired with a sac outlet. If I sac the Sculler in response to its ETB exile trigger, its LTB trigger will resolve on the stack first. This kills Sculler but exiles the chosen card permanently. When combined with Vial, I can do this at instant speed.
Leyline of the Void is my choice of grave-hate because it only targets the opponent and I can begin the game with it for free.
I run a removal suite of Bone Shards, Prismatic Ending, and Vandalblast to deal with most threats, like Colossus Hammer, Rest in Peace, etc.
I usually swap out the Vials first because my opponent will often sub-in artifact hate to target the Vials on games 2 and 3.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
The cards on the Maybeboard are options I considered but ultimately cut from the deck.
Dreadhorde Butcher is a zombie I really want to include, but it has less impact than other choices when it hits the board during later turns.
Shambling Ghast is great but has less utility than other 1-drop zombies. Ramping with treasures is fun but doesn’t push the deck’s momentum forward. With no Ghasts, Liliana, Untouched By Death is no longer as attractive in this deck, and is too expensive to cast consistently with my lean manabase.
Putrid Goblin and Thran Vigil are another fun combo I experimented with, but both are weak cards individually. The odds of achieving the infinite combo of Goblin + Sac Outlet + Vigil is low, especially once the opponent figures it out during game 1. I’d rather focus on high-value zombies and Vials instead.
Comments and suggestions are welcome!
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| Top Ranked |
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| Date added | 3 years |
| Last updated | 1 year |
| Exclude colors | UG |
| Splash colors | WBR |
| Legality | This deck is Modern legal. |
| Rarity (main - side) | 1 - 0 Mythic Rares 40 - 6 Rares 11 - 7 Uncommons 5 - 2 Commons |
| Cards | 60 |
| Avg. CMC | 1.77 |
| Tokens | Zombie 2/2 B |
| Folders | Modern Decks, Interesting Decks I Didn't Make, modern |
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