In that case then I'd definitely drop both Jaces and add something along the lines of another midrange drop, such as Molten-Tail Masticore (as I explained above), Thrun, the Last Troll or even Stitched Drake , although he might interfere too much with the Skaabs already in there and the heavy amount of 3 drops already in the deck.

If you still feel that you need more room in the deck for creatures, you'd ultimately have to drop some of your non-creatures, as you desperately need to be able to hit your land drops and hard cast you're larger threats (though I'd keep the number you have now). Personally, I would drop at least some copies of Forbidden Alchemy over the Dream Twist s unless you feel that the ability to select is crucial over an inexpensive milling option. If anything else, a turn 1 or 2 (or both) Dream Twist can net you a turn 3 Skaab Ruinator or Splinterfright . But again, I see the Dream Twist versus Forbidden Alchemy argument as a personal preference.

Are you saying to take out Forbidden Alchemy for some creatures?

Try Dream Twist yet?

I'm saying if you need more room for creatures to take out one of those two spells. I recommend taking out the alchemy simply because I feel that the cheapness and speed of dream twist is valued over the alchemy. Not all of them, just if you need room for creatures take out one or two alchemies.

Actually the list is running rather smoothly now :D

Good to hear. This is my list if you were curious, although my deck is an aggro deck rather than reanimator: deck:masti-miller

I agree with the commenters who have essentially said you need to make a choice between Skaab Ruinator and Splinterfright , because they do not work well with each other at all. In the absence of an active Sun Titan , playing one of them makes any copies of the other you come across really bad, and that's just not good for a deck in general.

I think Splinterfright is the better card, and if you put him up to 4 copies and take out the Ruinators, you can add either 2 Gnaw to the Bone (which is a lot better than it looks) or 2 Spider Spawning . If you prefer to keep Ruinator and dump 'Fright, then I think you can fill the holes with Cackling Counterpart , to increase your ability to "cheat" past Skaab Ruinator 's additional cost.

If you haven't actually playtested the deck you won't see how having them both in the same deck.

Just because skaab ruinator requires removals to be played doesnt make splinterfright bad, or vice versa.

I'm not going to get skaab ruinator out every game, and i'm not going to get splinterfright out every game.

Skaab ruinator is a beast card.Splinterfright helps the deck do what it is designed to do AND is a beast card.

I like the list the way it is, BUT I WILL try the list without Skaab Ruinator in it, and I will try it with Gnaw to the Bone and Cackling counterpart instead.

thanks for the feedback and I will let you all know how decktesting goes without skaab and with your suggestions :D

Just so you know, I did playtest the deck several times before making my comment, and I felt the uncomfortable tension between Splinterfright and the Ruinator while I was doing it. That's why I decided to comment on the issue. I hope your testing goes well!

The reason I am so against taking one or the other out is simply because both of them have 3 things I like.

Extreme Synergy.

Singular Card Power.

In-a-team Power.

I mean, they both help the deck do what it is made to do. Mill yourself summon things. Board wipe? Ruinator. Not milling quite as fast enough? Splinterfright.

Not having Ruinator in the deck would really hurt me, especially on any turn I coulda got him out. A 5/6 flyer that this deck easily gets onto the field (easily is emphasized) is too good to not put in the deck.

A good deck is made of good cards and good synergy, and both of these cards are both good, and have good synergy with the rest of the deck.

Taking out either would hurt the deck. Ruinator is the best way to come back from a board wipe AND is hard to permanently kill AND is a big boy AND flies.

Splinterfright is more of the medium big dude with a great synergistic effect. In MY mind, Splinterfright helps the ruinator out a lot, fueling his ability to come back while also buffing himself at the same time.

Since my last comment I have played a few games with 24 lands instead of 22 (White mana problems) and without skaab ruinator, with some gnaw to the bone. I liked the list that way as well, but it felt like a different deck.

I will continue playtesting both lists, but this list is the one I'm going to keep and continue modifying, and Splinterfright AND Ruinator will be staying in "THIS" list.

A card I'm having a particular issue with is Kessig Cagebreakers.

It never gets on the field. I have to cast it from my hand, because I NEVER Unbury it.

I took them out for a 4th splinterfright and a 4th viridian emissary.

Jace's Archivist is OMG in this deck.

Fo real.

I agree, I feel like the converted mana cost of 5 really holds the cage breakers back, it seems like icing between Sun Titan and Splinterfright/Skaab Ruinator.

As for the argument, "Skaab Ruinator is not synergistic with Splinterfright because it requires you to exile from the graveyard": Perhaps you may look at Splinter/Skaab differently if you view the Splinterfright as an engine (one that mills 2 cards per turn) WITH an added bonus of becoming a threat. It constantly fills the graveyard with flashback spells and reanimation targets, in addition to creatures. There's also no rule saying that you can't cast the Skaab during the second main phase, where the Splinterfright can attack first, possibly eating a removal spell in the process. We haven't even gone over the two alternate ways to get Skaab on the field without even casting it, via Unburial Rites, Sun Titan, or possibly both, which are ALSO milled with the Splinterfright.

But if casting a ruinator from your graveyard still makes you uneasy while a Splintefright is in play, note that casting ruinator actually nets you 1 overall power on the field (-4 from casting, +5 from Skaab itself). The only difference now is that it flies and has protection from two popular removal spells (Dismember and Victim of Night), while the Splinterfright can continue to happily mill away providing fuel for our Skaab, or if it isn't removed then I'm sure no one here is complaining about a Splinterfight getting bigger.

I rest my case.

Thank you!

Btw the Jace Archivist...

Its op.

Period.

This list is running REALLY nicely now.

I would suggest serious and numerous playtests from everyone lol.

Been out of standard for so long, that I couldn't see the synergy. This list probably would have been something along the lines I would have run back in the day. My personal favorite colors to run are Black / Green enemy color decks, but from what I'm seeing those two colors currently are not a viable option together in the format.

The last standard deck I made was a BG gravepact deck with callers of the claw, doomed necromancer, Rotlung Reanimator, carrion crawler, nantuko husk, etc. Was a powerhouse back in the day, it had light reanimator themes with the Zombifys in it.

Either way +1

Thank you mate!

Wow, never thought I'd see the day where card:Jace's Archivist is awesome.

Dude I know right? I saw it and was like WHAT

WHAT

WHY ISN'T THIS IN

Nice deck. +1

you might want to try a Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite for a fatty.

OOOOO yes.

I also wanted to run Sheoldred in here too.

Hmm.

Elesh buffs my guys but Sheoldred ressurects them.

Must think.

You would have more synergy with Elesh Norn, Grand Cenobite . This is because you don't want things out of your graveyard.

You have it backwards.

I want things out of my graveyard.

I want them on the field.

Ya gotta playtest the deck maaaan.

I just played a game and got a Sun Titan, P Image, and 2 Splinterfrights that are 24/24 WITH trample.

Sheoldred isn't in this list yet, but with the list I was playing she was in the graveyard with 12 creatures, and an unburial rites was ready to go.

Even if sheoldred was putting things on the field, splinterfright may be losing 2/2 every turn, but they're STILL big mofo's.

Playtest the deck.

Elesh is only good with things on the field. The only way its gonna get out is with Unburial Rites, and Sheoldred is a much more reliable and powerful target. Sheoldred is good by herself, getting dudes and making an army, AND for recovering from a board wipe.

Do not consider your input ignored, however.

I will playtest the deck with having an elesh, then with having a sheoldred, then with having both.