Reanimator with a primary gameplan of getting
Archon of Cruelty
into the graveyard, then placing it on the battlefield with
Persist
or another reanimation spell.
Key Cards:
Persist
is the best reanimation spell in Modern, and enables turn 3-4 Archon pretty frequently.
Unmarked Grave
allows us to tutor Archon into the graveyard. Can also grab
Unburial Rites
or
Priest of Fell Rites
if we don't have a
Persist
.
Profane Tutor
allows us to find the missing piece to our reanimation combo, whether that's an Archon, Persist, Unmarked Grave, or a way to discard Archon. When suspended on turn 2, it resolves on turn 4 and allows for
Unmarked Grave
straight into
Persist
. Can also grab removal like
Vindicate
to answer Crypts, Leylines, Cages, Lanterns, RiPs, and all the rest.
Thoughtseize
,
Inquisition of Kozilek
,
Liliana of the Veil
,
Collective Brutality
- discard/resource denial to ensure that the opponent doesn't have an answer for
Archon of Cruelty
Collective Brutality
,
Bone Shards
,
Damn
,
Vindicate
- removal package that can answer a variety of threats.
Priest of Fell Rites
can enable turn 3 reanimations, but she usually eats removal first. Still not a bad value since it costs them a removal spell, and can't be countered from the graveyard.
Other Cards/Strategies I've considered:
Grief
,
Solitude
,
Ephemerate
- I tested this but found that if I played turn 1 Ephemerate + Grief
it was the only big play I could make in the game, since opening hands with that combo were usually pretty bad for the reanimate plan, especially after pitching a card to
Grief
. The elementals are also too weak as reanimation targets, with
Persist
making them 2/1s or 2/2s.
Stoneforge Mystic
,
Batterskull
,
Kaldra Compleat
- the Stoneforge package is powerful and more resilient to graveyard hate but also changes the focus of the deck; this deck is hyperfocused on landing 1 or more Archons and preventing any interaction against them. It could be a sideboard package to shift into against graveyard hate, but I don't know if that would be very consistent.
Urborg, Tomb of Yawgmoth
+
Cabal Coffers
- this can help you hardcast
Archon of Cruelty
as a plan B, but I found that it led to a lot of dead lands. Drawing a second Urborg or a Coffers when you don't have 3 swamps in play will lose you games.
Smallpox
- This can be a strong card for this strategy, slowing down the game, providing a discard outlet for Archons and other bombs and gaining additional value through
Flagstones of Trokair
etc, but I think
Liliana of the Veil
and
Collective Brutality
are just better cards with a similar effect, and don't require building around as much as
Smallpox
does.
Massacre Wurm
,
Grave Titan
,
Platinum Emperion
etc. - just not as strong as
Archon of Cruelty
or the sideboard alternatives.
Sideboard (work in progress)
Ashen Rider
,
Serra's Emissary
,
Sundering Titan
- alternative reanimation targets for different matchups
Fracture
,
Vindicate
,
Prismatic Ending
- answers to most graveyard hate in the format
Damn
- more sweepers and creature removal
Soul-Guide Lantern
- our own graveyard hate
Dauthi Voidwalker
- also graveyard hate and just a strong card in a lot of matchups
Timely Reinforcements
- helps stabilize and buy time
