I think Cryptbreaker would be a good fit here. He provides a way to discard Bladewing's Thrall and Scourge of Nel Toth, while also providing tokens for the Scourge to eat. I think your curve would also appreciate more 1-drops, the way things are looking!

It’s always nice to see cards like Zombie Infestation that are cemented into everyone’s mind as being part of these static combos (i.e. alongside Treasure Hunt) get used in a different way. The Shadow of the Grave combo you have here seems pretty satisfying when it hits.

Balaam__ yeah the Shadow of the Grave interaction is so fulfilling. My favorite part of the deck is when you take your turn 1 OTD (on the draw) to draw, be holding 8 cards, move to end step, and immediately stack a body into the grave.

Just a noteworthy characteristic about this deck is I typically don't build towards an idea that "goes second", it's just slower and often less competitive.

However with these, I have discovered that the Zombies kinda flourish with the more interaction your opponents sink in without exiling. More Grave presence = more field presence.

I have a small handful of ‘competitive’ level decks, but designing strictly around winning often leaves me feeling bored. In a given color/archetype there’s only so many accepted cards to choose from if winning is important.

I much prefer the thrill of scouring thousands of cards that rarely see play and building around some neat interaction found. Even the rules themselves open up ideas, like deliberately “going second”—that sounds enticing. (I wonder if there are any cards to support that option at all?)

Balaam__ I agree about building towards a goal that is non-traditional:

Building to win is so Spike, and I wanna win like Timmy or Johnny. I personally think this deck is more Johnny because at first glance.. you might miss some of these key interactions!

I.e.: things like how Zombie Infestation makes bodies that can be tossed for Scourge of Nel Toth, and then replenish your hand with Shadow of the Grave.

Boneyard Scourge is a cool card, but admittedly it isn't eternal format legal... that doesn't mean I won't use his happy ass anyways!

As far as "going second" as a precedent, I would think things like Serum Powder could help do a thing.. I even really like the idea of "going second" but having a strong "turn zero" presence to throw off your opponents (things like the Leylines or Chancellors).

Unfortunately, in competitive settings we both know it's gonna be typical "lame"/boring stuff like:

You splashed blue:

• Pact of Negation
• Subtlety
• Force of Will
• Stubborn Denial
• Skaab Ruinator

Or you splashed white:

• Solitude
• Leyline of Sanctity
• Swords to Plowshares
• Wayward Servant

Or, my personal favorite, if you splash green, you can have access to all my favorite removal, Graveyard staples, etc.:

• Deathrite Shaman
• Golgari Grave-Troll
• Abrupt Decay
• Assassin's Trophy
• Noose Constrictor

And I wouldn't leave feedback about "How to" without covering the obvious ones, or at least some cards that immediately cross my mind for improvements:

• Relentless Dead
• Fleshbag Marauder
• Surgical Extraction
• Feed the Swarm
• Dismember
• Necroplasm
• Necrogoyf
• Necrotic Ooze
• Mortivore

There is a piece of my heart that wishes older Zombies had a more dangerous presence for this, like (I think) Lord of the Undead or Undead Warchief. Even a little slot for Soulless One.

Hell, I've even considered taking this theme to an EDH setting due to a video I saw of Jimmy Wong on Game Nights where he uses Asmoranomardicadaistinaculdacar as a psuedo-reanimator type build. With the inclusion of , I would especially love to use Bladewing the Risen or his newest iteration from Dominaria United. Initially, what I remembered wanting was "Zombies and Zombie Dragons".

And if we're mentioning that new set, Defiler of Flesh makes this blow up too. So many great "The Rot of the Horde" feeling cards that feed a sensation of an overwhelming wave of Undead minions!

Things like Abomination of Llanowar in a build would also be fun.

Really enjoyed our discussion about this and I'm really curious to see if/what kinda spin you would put on it!